IMPERIUM CHRONICLES

Role Playing Game

BASIC RULES

lite

Writing and Artwork

William Mitchell

Copyright © 2009 • Imperium Group LLC All Rights Reserved

Version 1.0

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Table Table Table Table ofofofof

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INTRODUCTION ................................. 4

What is the Imperium? ...................... 4

What do I need to play? ....................... 4

Dice ............................................. 4

Basic Concepts .................................. 5

The Gamemaster ................................. 5

Player Characters ................................ 5

Races .......................................... 5

Attributes ..................................... 5

Resistance Modifiers ................... 5

Hit Points ..................................... 5

Skills and Abilities ........................ 5

Experience Levels ....................... 5

Background Information ................... 5

Before the Empire ........................ 5

The Imperium .............................. 6

The Magna Supremacy ................ 6

The Present Day .......................... 6

The Five Families ................................ 6

Augustus ..................................... 6

Groen .......................................... 7

Montros ....................................... 7

Tagus .......................................... 7

Veber ........................................... 7

Imperial Society ................................... 7

The Aristocracy ............................ 8

The Middle Class ......................... 8

The Underclass ........................... 8

Characters .......................................... 9

Character Creation ............................ 9

Race .................................................... 9

Dahl ............................................. 9

Human ......................................... 9

Magna ....................................... 10

Attributes ................................... 10

Starting Attributes ...................... 11

Resistance Modifiers ................. 11

Hit Points ................................... 12

Experience Levels ............................. 12

Earning Experience Points ......... 12

XP Reward Guidelines ............... 12

Group Experience ...................... 13

Alternative Experience ............... 13

Skills .................................................. 13

Abilities .............................................. 13

Social Class ....................................... 13

Starting Wealth .................................. 14

SKILLS ............................................. 15

Getting Skills ..................................... 15

Using Skills ........................................ 15

Difficulty Level (DL) .................... 15

Opposed Skill Rolls .................... 15

Retrying a Roll ........................... 15

Untrained Skill Rolls ................... 16

Attribute Modifiers ...................... 16

Other Modifiers .......................... 16

Skill Descriptions ............................... 16

Bluff ........................................... 16

Bribe .......................................... 16

Computer Operation .................. 17

Concentration ............................ 17

Diplomacy .................................. 18

Hide ........................................... 18

Intimidate ................................... 18

Jump ......................................... 18

Listen ......................................... 19

Sense Motive ............................. 19

Sneak ........................................ 19

Spot ........................................... 20

Starship Communications .......... 20

Starship Navigation .................... 20

Starship Piloting ......................... 21

Starship Sensors ........................ 21

Starship Shields ......................... 21

Starship Stealth .......................... 22

Streetwise .................................. 22

Vehicle Operation - Air ............... 22

Vehicle Operation - Ground ........ 22

Vehicle Operation - Water .......... 23

ABILITIES ......................................... 24

Ability Basics ................................... 24

What are Abilities? ............................. 24

Getting Abilities .................................. 24

Prerequisites ...................................... 24

Ability Types ...................................... 24

General ...................................... 24

Combat ...................................... 24

Psionics ..................................... 24

Martial Arts ................................. 24

Brawling ..................................... 24

Ability Descriptions ............................. 24

Astral Projection ......................... 26

Awareness ................................. 26

Backstab .................................... 26

Bludgeon.................................... 27

Bruiser ....................................... 27

Burst .......................................... 27

Clairvoyance .............................. 27

Cleave ....................................... 27

Cobra Strike ............................... 27

Confusion ................................... 28

Cryokinesis ................................ 28

Detect Psi .................................. 28

Dodge ........................................ 28

Dual Wield ................................. 28

Electrokinesis ............................. 28

False Memory ............................ 29

False Sense ............................... 29

Fast Load ................................... 29

Fear ........................................... 29

Finesse ...................................... 30

Fire Bolt ..................................... 30

Fire Storm .................................. 30

First Aid...................................... 30

Flurry ......................................... 30

Fortitude..................................... 30

Full Auto..................................... 30

Head Shot .................................. 30

Ice Bolt ....................................... 31

Ice Storm ................................... 31

Illusion ....................................... 31

Invisibility ................................... 31

Jump Up .................................... 32

Levitate Self ............................... 32

Lightning Bolt ............................. 32

Lightning Storm .......................... 32

Meat Shield ................................ 32

Melee Weapon Proficiency ......... 33

Metabolize ................................. 33

Mind Link ................................... 33

Mind Probe ................................ 33

Negate Psionics ......................... 33

Night Owl ................................... 34

Pack Animal ............................... 34

Parry .......................................... 34

Personal Armor (Heavy) ............. 34

Personal Armor (Light) ............... 34

Personal Armor (Medium) .......... 34

Photokinesis .............................. 34

Pummel ..................................... 35

Punch ........................................ 35

Punch, Improved ........................ 35

Pyrokinesis ................................ 35

Quick Draw ................................ 36

Ranged Weapon Proficiency ...... 36

Second Chances ........................ 36

Send Message ........................... 36

Shining Claw .............................. 36

Starship Weapon Proficiency ...... 36

Starship Weapons - Burst ........... 36

Starship Weapons - Full Auto ..... 36

Stone Fists ................................. 36

Storm Kick .................................. 37

Suggestion ................................. 37

Swooping Crane ......................... 37

Telekinesis ................................. 37

Teleport Object ........................... 37

Teleport Self ............................... 38

Tough ......................................... 38

Two-Handed Fighting ................. 38

Vacc Suit Proficiency .................. 38

Wile ............................................ 38

Zero-G ........................................ 38

GEAR ................................................ 39

Buying & Selling ............................... 39

Acquiring Wealth ................................ 39

Starting Money ........................... 39

Patrons ....................................... 39

Trade.......................................... 39

Restricted Items ................................. 39

Buying a License ........................ 39

Law Level ................................... 40

Black Market .............................. 40

Weapons ........................................... 40

Ranged Weapons .............................. 40

Ranged Weapon Table ............... 40

Pistols ........................................ 41

Rifles .......................................... 43

Other Ranged Weapons ............. 43

Grenades ................................... 43

Splash Weapons ........................ 44

Ammunition ................................ 44

Melee Weapons ................................. 45

Melee Weapon Table ................. 45

One-Handed Weapons ............... 45

Two-Handed Weapons ............... 46

Polearm Weapons ...................... 46

Armor ................................................ 47

Armor Table ....................................... 47

Light Armor................................. 47

Medium Armor ............................ 47

Heavy Armor .............................. 47

Vehicle Armor ............................. 48

Vehicles ............................................ 48

Vehicles Table ............................ 48

Air Vehicles ................................ 49

Ground Vehicles ......................... 49

Water Vehicles ........................... 50

Scanners & Vision Gear ................... 50

Scanner & Vision Gear Table ..... 50

Protective Clothing .......................... 52

Protective Clothing Table ........... 52

COMBAT ........................................... 55

Combat Basics ................................. 55

Combat Rounds ................................. 55

Initiative .............................................. 55

Attacks ............................................... 55

Attack Roll .................................. 55

Defense ...................................... 55

Damage ..................................... 55

Hit Points .................................... 56

Combat Details ................................. 56

Attack Modifiers .................................. 56

Dexterity ..................................... 56

Strength ..................................... 56

Proficiency.................................. 56

Range ........................................ 56

Stance ........................................ 56

Firing into a Crowd ..................... 56

Rifles at Close Range ................. 56

Zero-G ........................................ 56

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Defense Modifiers .............................. 56

Dexterity .................................... 57

Size ........................................... 57

Stance ....................................... 57

Cover ......................................... 57

Damage ............................................. 57

Basic Damage Types ................. 57

Special Damage Types .............. 57

Damage Over Time ................... 57

Critical Damage ......................... 58

Melee Damage .......................... 58

Healing ...................................... 58

Death ................................................. 58

Combat Actions ................................. 58

Attack Actions ............................ 58

Ability Attacks ............................ 59

Movement Actions ..................... 59

Free Actions .............................. 59

Character States ........................ 59

Combat Scale .................................... 60

Movement .................................. 60

Special Weapons ............................... 60

Grenades ................................... 61

Area of Effect ............................. 61

ENCOUNTERS ................................. 63

Creating Creatures .......................... 63

Size ................................................... 63

Creature Size Table ................... 63

Species ............................................. 63

Species Classifications .............. 63

Species Table ............................ 64

Classification ..................................... 65

Herbivores ................................. 65

Omnivores ................................. 66

Carnivores ................................. 66

Classification Table .................... 66

Attacks .............................................. 66

Attack Types .............................. 66

Weapon Types .......................... 67

Natural Weapons Table ............. 67

Defenses ........................................... 67

Armor Types .............................. 67

Natural Armor Table .................. 68

Movement Type ................................. 69

Movement Table ........................ 69

Attributes ........................................... 70

Skills .................................................. 70

Abilities .............................................. 70

Acute Hearing ............................ 70

Echolocation .............................. 70

Immunity .................................... 70

Night Vision ............................... 71

Resistance ................................. 71

Scent ......................................... 71

Twilight Vision ............................ 71

Vibration Sensitivity ................... 71

Faction .............................................. 71

Example Creatures ......................... 71

General Creatures ............................. 72

Hellhound .................................. 72

Spider, Large ............................. 73

Tubby Wubbies .......................... 73

Mutants ............................................. 73

Cockroach, Giant ....................... 73

Scorpion, Giant .......................... 74

Sonic Bat ................................... 74

Minor Races ...................................... 74

Ghuls ......................................... 74

Factions & Reputation ..................... 76

What’s a Faction? .............................. 76

Reputation ......................................... 76

Ways to Raise Reputation ......... 77

Modifiers ............................................ 77

Race .......................................... 77

Social Class ............................... 77

Diplomacy Skill ........................... 77

Charisma ................................... 77

Important Factions ............................. 78

Five Families .............................. 78

Magna Supremacy ..................... 78

Pirate Clans ............................... 78

Cyberpunks ................................ 78

Criminal Syndicates ................... 78

Red Lotus .................................. 78

Mega Corporations..................... 78

MoFoCo ..................................... 78

Warlock Industries...................... 79

Non-Player Characters .................... 79

What are NPCs? ................................ 79

Creating NPCs ................................... 79

STARSHIPS ...................................... 80

Space Travel ..................................... 80

Travel Options ................................... 80

A Ship of Your Own ........................... 80

Getting Around ................................... 81

Jump Space ....................................... 81

Jump Requirements ................... 82

Misjumps.................................... 82

Interplanetary Travel .................. 82

Ship Construction ............................ 82

Hulls .................................................. 82

Size............................................ 82

Hit Points ................................... 83

Slots ........................................... 83

Power Plant ....................................... 83

Thrusters ........................................... 83

Movement .................................. 83

FTL Drives ......................................... 83

STL Drive ........................................... 84

Fuel Tanks ......................................... 84

Computer ........................................... 84

Software ............................................ 84

Software Categories ................... 84

Weapons ........................................... 84

Fixed Mounts ............................. 84

Turrets ....................................... 84

Missiles ...................................... 84

Dual Weapons ........................... 86

Weapons Table .......................... 86

Missiles Table ............................ 86

Shields ............................................... 87

Armor ................................................. 87

Armor Types .............................. 87

Ship Examples ................................. 88

Civilian Ships ..................................... 88

Venture Class Freighter ............. 88

Rambler Class Tramp Freighter . 88

Lembu Class Heavy Barge ......... 89

Military Ships ..................................... 89

Gnat Class Snub Fighter ............ 89

Ballista Class Missile Boat ......... 90

Antagonists ........................................ 90

Rogue Class Smuggler .............. 90

Starship Combat .............................. 90

Starship Scale .................................... 91

Movement .................................. 91

Detection ........................................... 91

Radar ......................................... 91

Surprise ..................................... 91

Stealth ....................................... 91

Initiative ............................................. 91

Attacks ............................................... 91

Direct Attacks ............................. 92

Guided Attacks ........................... 92

Starship Damage ............................... 94

Damage Types ........................... 94

Critical Damage ......................... 94

Starship Destruction ................... 95

STAR SYSTEMS ............................... 96

Imperium Maps .................................. 96

Regions ...................................... 96

Provinces ................................... 96

Province Names ......................... 97

Character Record Sheet ................... 99

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Introduction 4

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS THE

IMPERIUM? The Imperium is an interstellar empire founded by five powerful families of royal blood. For 700 years, the empire has flourished, even in the face of outside foes and rebellions from within. As a player, you take on the role of a character in this sci-fi universe as you search for adven-tures of your own.

A Note about the Full Basic Rules The Full version of the Basic Rules contains over 150 more pages of content than the Lite version you’re currently reading. Here’s a comparison:

Lite Version Full Version Playable Races 3 7

Skills 22 53

Abilities 75 152

Weapons 40 81

Armor Types 8 21 Implants, Na-nos, & Drug Enhancements

0 30

Vehicles 13 23 Vehicle Combat Rules

No Yes

Creature Examples

11 31

Robot Creation Rules

No Yes

Robot Examples

0 9

Starship Creation Rules

No Yes

Starship Examples

5 17

Star System Creation Rules

No Yes

Adventure Ideas

0 14

Total Pages 98 250

The Lite version of the Basic Rules is a great way to learn about the Imperium Chronicles. If you like the game, however, please consid-er purchasing the Full version. It’s inexpen-sive and buying the game would help the pub-lisher (that’s me!) continue bringing out addi-tional modules and supplements.

What do I need to play? First of all, you need imagination! There are no graphics on a screen or controllers to hold. You are the vehicle by which your characters evolve and it’s through your own imagination that their adventure unfolds. Of course, you also need a few other things like pen and paper, dice, and perhaps miniatures (or some other item) to represent your character in the game. Last, but not least, you need the rules in this book to explain how to create your character and how to explore the universe of the Impe-rium.

Dice The Imperium Chronicles uses several different types of dice during play. To know the type and number of dice needed, the game abbreviates like this: 1d4, 2d10, etc. The first number tells how many dice are needed, and the last number tells the type of dice (how many sides it has). For example, if the game needs you to roll two six-sided dice, it would say “2d6.” This would result in a number between 2 and 12. An excep-tion to this occurs when the game needs a num-ber between 1 and 100. This is a so-called per-centile roll, and it is abbreviated as d%. One more thing: the game sometimes will use the normal abbreviation along with a plus or mi-nus sign and a digit (for example, 2d6+3). This means you should add a three to the result of the dice. In other words, if you roll two six-sided dice and come up with 4, you would then add 3, thus giving you a total of 7 as your final result.

Success Roll Whenever the game needs you to determine the success or failure of a task, the player or GM must roll a twenty-sided die (d20). Any applica-ble modifiers are added or subtracted from the result, which is then compared to a set number. If the final result (including modifiers) is equal to or above the set number, then the task was completed successfully. If the result is less than the set number, however, the task ended in fail-ure.

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Introduction 5

BASIC CONCEPTS

The Gamemaster The GM acts as the director of the game. He guides the players through the story as it un-folds, describing the events like the scenes of a movie or novel. He also controls any creatures, monsters, and “bad guys” that players will en-counter. The GM’s role is key because he must have a strong understanding of the game rules. He is the main arbiter and he has the final say in all disputes. Be aware, however, that a GM must never abuse his position of power, since this will quickly lead to players leaving the game entirely.

Player Characters PCs are the characters created by the players of the game (not to be confused with Non-Player Characters who are controlled by the GM).

Races The first thing a player must do when creating a new character is to pick the race. The game features seven races: the Akiak, Dahl, Draco-nians, Gordians, Humans, Magna, and the Vo-gar. The race is important because it will determine the character’s starting attribute scores. It also impacts defense, hit points, and how resistant the character is to certain types of elemental damage.

Attributes Each PC has six attributes: Strength, Stamina, Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma, and Psionics. These attributes will come into play in a variety of ways during the game, so players should not underestimate their importance. For each attribute, a score of 10 is the average. Scores higher than 10 will give positive modifiers while lower scores will give negative ones.

Resistance Modifiers Based on race, each character will have resis-tance modifiers (either positive or negative) to various types of elemental damage. These in-

clude: chemical, cold, disease, electricity, heat, poison, and radiation. The modifiers are added or subtracted from a d20 roll and compared to a set number. De-pending on the type of attack, a successful roll could mean reducing the amount of damage or even taking no damage at all.

Hit Points HPs determine how much damage a PC can take before dying in the game. Depending on the character’s race and Stamina, the character will gain additional hit points with each expe-rience level.

Skills and Abilities The player may choose from skills measured in levels of training called ranks. He can also choose from a list of abilities that allow his cha-racter to perform special actions or gain benefi-cial modifiers during play.

Experience Levels Characters “grow” in the game by gaining expe-rience levels. When a player’s character ad-vances to another experience level, he is given points that he can use to improve his attributes and skills, or buy new abilities. From a game standpoint, the players can also gauge the danger of an opponent by comparing the difference in levels. For example, if a 9

th

level character sees a 15th level creature, he

should be aware that the monster will be a diffi-cult challenge.

BACKGROUND

INFORMATION The following sections describe some of the background of the game and the Imperium Un-iverse. If you would prefer to get right into the game, feel free to skip this section and move on to the next chapter, Characters.

Before the Empire Before the birth of the Imperium, known space was a chaotic patchwork of kingdoms, each fighting the other for power and wealth. Over

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Introduction 6

time, five kingdoms – each ruled by its own fami-ly – realized that much of their resources were being wasted by such constant warfare. They decided that, by joining forces against the other states, they could achieve greater success than by acting alone. And they were right. After only twelve years, the five families had conquered much of the surrounding kingdoms. It became clear, however, that they would require a central government – and a leader – if they intended to maintain their newfound territory. After much deliberation and backroom negotiations, the five families elected an emperor and the Imperium was born.

The Imperium After the initial success of the five families, their empire grew quickly to include several hundred star systems. In each case, the worlds involved either joined voluntarily or suffered ruthless in-vasion by Imperial shock troops. Most, howev-er, chose the former since the empire offered a level of security that most planets could not guarantee by themselves. Under the watchful eye of the Imperial Navy, trade routes became safe – or at least safer – from marauding pirates who had previously preyed on largely defense-less merchant ships. As a result, trade flou-rished within the Imperium and the economies of member worlds prospered.

The Magna Supremacy As the Imperium grew, it came in contact with other civilizations. Those who resisted were brutally subdued. Eventually, however, the Im-perium encountered an equally ruthless empire called the Magna Supremacy. Green-skinned and demonic-looking, the Magna believed that all other life forms were inferior and subservient.

They considered it their manifest destiny to rule all known space, regardless of how long it took. After first contact with the Imperium, the Magna Supremacy declared war almost immediately and waged a bloody war that lasted over nine years. The Imperium and the Magna have fought three wars in all, the most recent ending fifteen years ago. Although both empires have remained largely peaceful since the last war, both maintain extensive spy networks to keep an eye on the other’s activities.

The Present Day The Imperium as it stands today is a prosperous and heterogeneous society of many races and creeds. While many member worlds, especially those on the outer rim of the empire, maintain their own local governments and traditions, each owes allegiance to the Emperor and the Imperial code of laws. All Imperial Citizens enjoy the pro-tection of those laws and must abide by them or expect a loss of their citizenship. Without order, known space would crumble into the chaos that existed over a thousand years ago. The Impe-rium will not allow this to happen. As a new citi-zen, you must decide what role you will take. Either way, the future stretches before you with as many dangers as opportunities. What path will you follow? It is your choice.

The Five Families

Augustus As the reigning emperor, Hector Augustus en-joys great power and prestige for himself and his family. Over the years, Hector has built a net-work of secret agents to keep tabs on his ene-mies, including members of the other five fami-lies and the rest of the aristocracy.

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Introduction 7

Groen The Groen family owns major holdings in sever-al manufacturing companies including industries such as pharmaceuticals and medical robotics. The eldest son, Simon Groen, runs much of the family’s business operations, but his reputation for gambling has given rise to rumors of out-of-control personal debts and questionable deal-ings with organized crime.

Montros Allied with the Augustus family by arranged mar-riage, the Montros family owns vast tracks of land on many of the core worlds of the Impe-rium. Largely agrarian, they prefer the rural life of the country and consider manufacturing as below their dignity. Montros women are espe-cially renowned for their beauty and refinement, and marriages between them and the other royal families are commonplace.

Tagus Second only to the Augustus family in influence and ambition, the Tagus clan holds majority stock in a portfolio of companies operating throughout the Empire. Their largest asset is a mining operation on Rochan where they harvest raw materials from above and below that pla-net’s desert wastelands. Still bitter at the failure to secure the Imperial throne, the Tagus family conspires against the House of Augustus.

Veber Although the first emperor was from the Veber family, the clan has largely stayed in the back-ground since, preferring to negotiate for power between the Augustus/Montros and Ta-gus/Groen alliances. Most recently, however, the Vebers have been preoccupied with the strange illness of their youngest heir, Philip. The matriarch of the family, having failed to find help among doctors, has enlisted the assistance of a mysterious shaman who allegedly possesses healing powers. Rumors persist that one of the other families is somehow involved in the boy’s disease.

Imperial Society Although each race is part of a larger Imperial culture, not everyone is equal, even among his or her peers. Citizens are roughly divided into

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Introduction 8

three socio-economic groups: the aristocracy, the middle class, and the underclass.

The Aristocracy The Imperium began when a group of royal families (the Five Families) combined their forces to defeat the other kingdoms that existed at that time. Even in defeat, however, the other families did not lose their wealth or their desire for power. After a short while, they demanded that the Five Families give them a voice in the governing of the new Empire and eventually they got their wish with the creation of the Chamber of Lords. Ever since, although the Five Families maintain their grip on the majority of power, the rest of the aristocracy has grown wealthy in their own right and they hold majority stock in most of the largest corporations in the Imperium. Except for a few minor exceptions, the aristocra-cy is almost entirely human in racial makeup, a fact not lost on the other races. Unlike the other social classes, there is little or no migration in or out of the aristocratic class. If you are not born an aristocrat, in other words, it is highly unlikely that you will ever become one, no matter how much wealth and power you accumulate. At the same time, even an aristocrat who loses his or her social standing will still expect, and in most cases receive, the respect of other citizens. This does not prevent younger aristocrats from “slumming it” by going to nightclubs and other establishments frequented by the “unwashed masses.” Wisely, however, they generally dress down so as not to draw attention to themselves.

The Middle Class Also called, often incorrectly, the Merchant Class, this group makes up the largest number of citizens in the Imperium. They consist of the clerks, administrators, government workers, and most of the other people who maintain the daily operations of the Empire. Although they have virtually no hope of becoming aristocrats, mem-bers of this class can certainly gain wealth and prestige among their peers and even the society as a whole. Quite heterogeneous, they include every known race and creed. Their enterprising spirit and inventiveness allowed the Imperium to overcome its early losses against the Magna

Supremacy by making substantial technological advancements. In short, the Middle class greases the wheels that keep the Imperium run-ning. Due to their important role in the Imperium, it became clear to the wealthier members of the class that they wanted a stake in the govern-ment. At the same time, the Emperor and the Five Families wanted a counter-balance to the rising power of the minor families of the aristo-cracy. They therefore decided to form a parlia-ment with two houses, the Chamber of Lords and the Senate. The latter consists of elected officials, mostly drawn from the Middle class, from every populated star system in the Empire. Although the rest of the aristocracy was not happy about sharing power with a lower class, they had little choice in the matter.

The Underclass While still considered citizens, members of the underclass are the poorest group in the Impe-rium. Although they are the second largest class, they lack any perceptible voice in the government. In fact, the aristocracy and the middle class largely ignore the underclass whenever possible. Disenfranchised, many of the poor have turned to organizations at the fringes of society for both money and self-worth. These include criminal syndicates and the pirate clans, as well as radical environmental groups. Others manage to make a better life for them-selves and migrate upward in the social strata to the middle class. Those that do, however, rarely look back on their former peers, preferring in-stead to forget they were once destitute and avoid the stigma associated with the underclass. Members of the underclass do have the right to vote for candidates running for the Imperial Se-nate, but few do so since polling places are generally located in more wealthy neighbor-hoods. Furthermore, the costs of becoming a candidate rule out someone from this class ac-tually running for the office. As already stated, most are forced to look outside the law to achieve any sense of power.

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Characters 9

CHARACTERS

CHARACTER

CREATION When the player begins a new game, he must first create a character. This process involves picking a race and then distributing points among the character’s starting attributes (deter-mined by the race chosen). Next, the player picks his character’s starting skills and abilities.

Race This is the first major decision the player must make because it will help determine the charac-ter’s starting attributes. Each race also gets at least one racial trait. This trait can be a natural attack (such as claws and/or teeth) or a skill or attribute.

Dahl Size: Small Av. Height: 150 cm (male) / 135 cm (female) Av. Weight: 52 kg (male) / 47 kg (female) Eyes: blue or green. Hair: blond. Skin: pale white. Ears: pointed. Racial Trait: Concentration (Rank 4). The Dahl are best known for their slender builds and expressive minds. Since they are not strong in most cases, the Dahl have focused on intellectual endeavors including art, music, and academics. Their achievements in painting, sculpture, and lyrical poetry are legendary.

They are also proficient in the ways of psionics and some have been known to spend years in secluded monasteries, learning the craft of the mind. The Dahl, perhaps due to their intellect, often appear detached from those around them. Nevertheless, other races seem drawn to the Dahl’s natural beauty and grace. When armed, the Dahl normally carry only small weapons, preferring to rely on their mental abili-ties instead. They are fascinated with advanced technology and they will seek out devices of var-ious kinds for study and use.

Human Size: Medium Av. Height: 180 cm (male) / 162 cm (female) Av. Weight: 77 kg (male) / 70 kg (female) Eyes: blue, green, or brown. Skin: pale white to dark brown. Racial Trait: Bluff (Rank 4).

Humans make up the largest racial group in the Imperium. And, since the aristocracy is almost entirely human, they hold most of the power in the Imperial government. Humans as a group are enterprising and clever. They are also sel-fish, greedy, and often morally self-righteous. None of these facts are lost on the other races, many of which hold a special grudge in their hearts toward humanity. The fact that humans, even with their many faults, continue to wield great power is especially irritating.

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Characters 10

Magna Size: Large Av. Height: 210 cm (male) / 190 cm (female) Av. Weight: 110 kg (male) / 100 kg (female) Eyes: red with vertical slits. Skin: shades of green. Racial Trait: Intimidate (Rank 4). Ingrained into the minds of every young Magna is the concept that the universe belongs to them and it is their manifest destiny to rule over all other races. Needless to say, this does little to prepare them for inter-racial interaction, except through conquest and enslavement. In fact, even within the Magna culture, each member of the race is segmented into a very strict caste structure. The idea of migrating from one caste to another, even a lower one, is absolutely ta-boo. In short, every Magna is born and dies within the same caste, whether he likes it or not. The castes themselves are as varied as the in-habitants, including military, civil service, and janitorial castes.

Within the Imperium, the Magna are largely shunned due to their historic animosity toward the Empire. Most are either outcasts from the Magna Supremacy or somehow connected to the diplomatic corps. There are a few, such as traders and mercenaries, who remain loyal to their home while living within the borders of the Imperium. Due to both their large size and men-tal prowess, the Magna can achieve success in both physical and psionic combat. They are strong enough to carry the heaviest armor and weaponry, but their size also makes them slower than other races.

Attributes Each character has six attributes: strength, sta-mina, dexterity, intelligence, charisma, and psio-nics. An average attribute will have a score of 10; anything lower is considered below average and will entail a negative attribute modifier, while anything above will give a positive modifier.

Attribute Modifiers

Score Modifier Score Modifier

1 -5 15-16 +3

2-3 -4 17-18 +4

4-5 -3 19-20 +5

6-7 -2 21-22 +6

8-9 -1 23-24 +7

10 0 25-26 +8

11-12 +1 27-28 +9

13-14 +2 29-30 +10

Strength (STR) Strength measures the character’s physical muscle. The strength modifier is added to Me-lee attack rolls, damage caused by most Melee weapons, and any task that requires the use of physical power. The attribute also determines how much weight the character can carry, lift, or push.

Stamina (STA) Stamina measures the character’s health and general physical well-being. The stamina mod-ifier is used when determining how many hit points the character gets each level.

Dexterity (DEX) This is the character’s agility and reflexes. The dexterity modifier affects ranged attack rolls, defense, and any other situation where the cha-racter must use hand-eye coordination or foot-work.

Intelligence (INT) This score measures how well the character learns. The intelligence modifier helps deter-mine how many skill points the character gets to improve his skill rankings.

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Characters 11

Charisma (CHA) Charisma measures the character’s attractive-ness to others and how well he is able to per-suade people to do things. The charisma mod-ifier affects the character’s reputation with the various factions in the game. It is also used dur-ing attempts at diplomacy or to bluff someone.

Psionics (PSI) This is a measure of the character’s mental powers. The psionics modifier comes into play when using both offensive and defensive psio-nics, including attempts to concentrate while attempting to cast a psionic.

Starting Attribute Modifiers

STR STA DEX INT CHA PSI

Dahl -4 -2 0 0 +2 +3 Humans 0 0 0 0 0 0 Magna +2 0 -2 +2 -4 0

Starting Attributes To generate the starting values for each of the character’s six attributes, the player rolls three six-sided dice (3d6), which produces a number between 3 and 18. Repeat this roll seven times and record the values. Throw out the lowest of the values, giving a set of six numbers. Using the remaining numbers, the player assigns them to the six attributes, depending on the kind of character he wishes to have. In other words, if the player wants a strong character, he should assign the highest value to the character’s STR. After assigning the values to the six attributes, the GM consults the Starting Attribute Modifiers table and modifies the values based on the cha-racter’s race. For example, if the character was a Magna and the player had assigned it a DEX value of 12, the GM would reduce that value to 10 because Magnas suffer a -2 modifier to their Dexterity. Note, however, an attribute must have a value of at least 1, regardless of modifiers. Treat values less than 1 as 1. After players assign their character’s attributes, they will have an opportunity to increase those values later in the game. Every four experience levels, each player gets an additional point to add to his character’s attributes. In other words,

at level 4, 8, 12, etc. a player can add a point to an attribute of his choice. The game includes other methods to increase attributes (either permanently or temporarily). These will be discussed later in the rules.

Resistance Modifiers Each race has a set of resistance modifiers that will help or hinder characters when hit by special types of damage. These include: acid, chemi-cals, cold, disease, electricity, heat, poison, rad-iation, and sonic. The modifier is added to a d20 roll, which is compared to a set number (normally from a spe-cial attack). If the modified roll is equal or higher than the set number, the character will receive only half damage (and sometimes no damage), depending on the attack. During the game, players can increase their re-sistance values by wearing certain gear or by using enhancements like drugs and nanos. Other factors, however, can actually decrease resistance.

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