Star*Drive Saturday: Small Range Weapons

Last week was Melee Weapons, continuing with weapons and technology, this week it is:

SMALL RANGE WEAPONS

Advancements in the firearm is one of those things that never slowed down in development and progress. Since ancient humans figured out they could kill from afar, conflict was changed forever. Laser and other energy weapons began making the scene around the time of earth's gravity age (the time since meeting the fraal.) But before that slug weapons made a dramatic shift around the fusion age (the time after the invention of the fusion reactor) into the charge weapon. The mechanical firing pin was replaced by a contact delivering a massive shock to the cartridge, and gunpowder was replaced by an electrochemical compound that upon firing changes into a white-hot plasma that expands more powerfully and smoothly than a chemical explosive. Thus charge weapons have more muzzle velocity and accuracy than earlier firearms. Charge weapons require a clip of shells like an older weapon, but in addition to that a battery is required. However thanks to advancements in superconductors in the gravity age, battery life is significantly higher and much more powerful than the old devices of the information age (modern time for us.) A player shouldn't have to worry about battery life when it comes to charge weapons, only the clip size, if the referee wishes to keep track of those things. Even with powerful lanthanide cells, energy weapons require much more power per shot so they can drain quickly. Again like melee weapons, the referee should choose a number of shots available to any weapon to keep track of things easier. 10 works great in this case, as in after 10 shots from any gun, the battery (for energy weapons) or clip (for charge weapons) needs to be replaced.

The following is a list of popular small range weapons you can find in the Verge. The Special line describes any rules unique to the weapon. The Hide line tells whether the weapon is concealable or not for purposes of hiding it. Only pistol weapons can be fired one-handed, all other weapons listed are assumed to be occupying both hands.

Charge Pistol
Cost: 200 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: M
Hide: Yes

Charge Rifle
Cost: 250 cr
Range: Long
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Special: Has both semi-auto and fully auto settings.

Zero-g Charge Weapons
For an additional 50 credits, the charge weapons can be outfitted with a sophisticated anti-recoil system to neutralize the gun's movement. It allows the user to fire the weapon in weightless conditions without throwing himself into awkward tumbles and turns.

Autoflechette Shotgun
Cost: 300 cr
Range: Short
Damage: V(short), M(medium), L(long)
Hide: No
Special: At Medium range the damage is M, and at Long range the damage is L.
The autoflechette gun fires a 25mm round that contains a bundle of tiny, razor-sharp aerofoils. A single hit can carve an unarmored person to ribbons.

Sabot Pistol
Cost: 400 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: V
Hide: Yes
Special: Holds only 5 rounds, and knocks any un-anchored target down upon hit.
This small handheld electromagnetic accelerator hurls a special, discarding-rocket slug at hypersonic velocities. The round fired by this weapon is a miniature scramjet that ignites soon after leaving the muzzle and quickly accelerates to incredible speed. Due to its extremely high velocity, the rocket round is designed to splatter against any appreciable resistance to transfer as much kinetic energy as possible to the target.

Laser Pistol
Cost: 300 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: L
Hide: Yes

Laser Rifle
Cost: 500 cr
Range: Long
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Special: Has both semi-auto and full auto settings.

Mass Pistol
Cost: 600 cr
Range: Short
Damage: V
Hide: Yes
Special: Fires 5 rounds per battery, and targets hit are stunned for a round.
Utilizing the gravity induction technology also employed in shipboard weapon systems, the mass pistol throws an artificial short lived mass singularity at its target. The gravity point causes horrible damage through tidal effects to both animate and inanimate objects, but it is short-ranged and consumes an enormous amount of energy.

Mass Rifle
Cost: 800 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: V
Hide: Yes
Special: Fires 5 rounds per battery, and targets hit are stunned for a round.
Same as a mass pistol, but the rifle version is heavier and has a longer range.

Stutter Pistol
Cost: 150 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: M (non-lethal)
Hide: Yes
Special: Does not perform in a vacuum.
This hand-held pistol uses sonic energy - audible as a loud, low-frequency rumble - to incapacitate a target. Since the stutter pistol delivers non-lethal firepower, it is favored by riot response teams and those who seek to pacify rather than terminate opponents.

Render Rifle
Cost: 1,000 cr
Range: Long
Damage: L starting
Hide: No
Special: First round fired on a target it does L damage, each subsequent round it is fired on the same target, the damage steps up to M, then V, then X for every round after that.
This weapon utilizes gravity induction technology to strobe through a lighting-quick cycle of attraction and repulsion against the target. This action causes matter to literally tear itself to pieces. A lucky target may escape with bad bruises, surface abrasions, and a thorough battering, but a well centered hit by the render creates massive body trauma.

Movie bad. Game good.

The movie Battleship was horrible. It is a movie that should have never been green-lighted, but there is a lot of money in converting old toy and game IPs into Michael Bay-like movies and I don't think it will stop anytime soon. If you haven't seen Battleship yet, don't.

That being said, the movie edition of classic Battleship is actually really good. I don't think I need to explain what makes classic battleship so great, but the designers over at Hasbro have actually made it better. One of the main flaws with the game was how long it took. Each turn was one peg at a time, dotting the map, and things only got exciting when you found the route to destroying a ship. This game added a few extra mechanics to spice things up. Each player has a deck of spec-ops cards that make things interesting. You create a hand and play these cards. Most of the cards are simple like place 1 peg, place 2 pegs, and place 3 pegs. But there are others that do extra, like scan a row, reveal one un-hit coordinate, blitz a row or column, etc. Also there are Com Tower cards that add an extra sense of tension. Whenever you draw one, set it aside. The first player who collects all 4 Com Tower cards gets a special that auto-sinks a ship whenever he scores a hit. This new dynamic speeds the game up, but in a good way.

Now I will sheepishly admit that I did like the alien ship designs from the movie. And this game uses those to make some pretty cool looking battleship minis. You can play either the Aliens or the Navy, and the game case splits apart to create the 2 boards, making it very convenient for transport.

So the bottom line is if you already don't own a copy of classic Battlehip, pick up the movie edition, and try not to think of that abomination that actually made it to theaters while playing.

I scanned the reference card that shows what all the spec-op cards do.

Star*Drive Saturday: Melee Weapons

Last week was the last of the player options, Mutations. Starting this week I will cover several different types of weapons and technology available in the Star*Drive setting. From here on, I will try to do shorter posts about smaller subjects. I've done plenty of LONG articles. Today it is:

MELEE WEAPONS

Through Earth's history as the firearm developed, research into melee weapons went to their all-time lowest. Mostly finding its use as utility or ceremony, rather than first choice for assault. But you could never deny the simple stealthy effectiveness of a hidden blade. As powered weapons appear in increasing variety and power, the personal melee weapon is reborn as more and more combat occurs between units and small groups, and confined spaces on starships where a stray bullet can mean danger for everyone. As technology advanced, many nations ramped up their ability to ban firearms, but find it increasingly difficult to discern combat knife from kitchen knife, so for illegal activity, the melee weapon became easier to smuggle.

Below are several examples of common melee weapons you can find for adventurers in the Verge. The Special line describes any rules unique to the weapon. The Hide line tells whether the weapon is concealable or not for purposes of hiding it. Powered weapons mean they have charge clips. To keep it simple, the referee should declare each clip has a set number of charges (usually about 10 charges), as in after 10 uses of the weapon the clip must be replaced or recharged, or the weapon loses its special rules and its damage is one grade less (i.e. a V weapon becomes a M weapon).

Pulse Baton
Cost: 80 cr
Damage: M (non-lethal)
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Effective for incapacitating targets, it delivers a non-lethal electric shock on contact, which makes it extremely useful against unarmored targets.

Chainsword
Cost: 150 cr
Damage: V
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
It's heavy and unwieldy, but extremely effective against heavier armored targets. A chain with serrated microengineered teeth run along it and spin at really high speeds, providing amazing cutting action against almost any normal material.

Gravmace
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: +1 bonus to use
Consisting of a meter long handle with a gravitonic capacitor inside a striking head. Powerful capacitors manipulate the weapon's mass, making it strike like a sledgehammer while being swung like a willow switch.

Power Cestus
Cost: 80 cr
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Special: Wielded as though you are unarmed.
Consists of an elbow length gauntlet of carbonite fiber weave, ending in a heavy fighting glove that covers the user's hand. Gravity technology allows the wielder to strike blows of astonishing power with a gloved hand.

Tri-Staff
Cost: 1000 cr
Damage: V
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: +1 to action tests vs. range and melee attacks
An impressive looking weapon that is the Concord Administrator's badge of office and an effective means of self defense. It consists of a massive 3-pronged blade at the end of a 2 meter long staff. When the device is activated, it is capable of dealing out large amounts of energy damage-and it exudes a force field that grants the wielder a +1 to action tests vs range and melee attacks.

Ion Blade
Cost: 100 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: Yes
Special: On a successful hit, roll a die. On a roll of 5 or 6, the target electronics are disabled.
The ion blade delivers a charge of electromagnetic energy on contact. While it's moderately effective against unarmored targets, its primary purpose is to neutralize powered body armor, robots, and cybernetics.

Zero-G Axe
Cost: 110 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: Yes
Special: In zero gravity or microgravity environments it deals V damage.
The zero-g axe is a powered weapon specialized for use in boarding actions and microgravity situations. At the bottom of its haft, a counterweight compensates perfectly for the variable mass of its deadly carbonite blade.

TN Blade
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: M
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
TN stands for tungsten-neutronite. It's the toughest conventional alloy known, capable of punching through cerametal or vanadium steel like an iron crowbar through tinfoil. It's a large combat knife but far denser and heavier than a conventional blade, keeping it a one-handed weapon.

Chuurkhna
Cost: 150 cr
Damage: M
Hide: No
Powered: No
Special: When wielded by a weren, it deals V damage.
An ancient weren design and still favored by members of that race. Its a glaive or halberd with a haft about a meter and a half long. Its large and heavy, intended for chopping rather than thrusting. A weren can wield it one or 2 handed, but most humans need to use it 2 handed. Weren have been known to drive chuurkhnas through the heaviest of body armors.

Dait'sya
Cost: 60 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
Special: When a t'sa wields 2, can attack twice in a turn with no penalties.
The dait'sya is a traditional t'sa weapon, a double-bladed dagger held in the wielders closed fist. They're always used in pairs. Combined with the lightning speed of most t'sa, the dait'sya is especially dangerous in close-quarters combat.

Tong Fe
Cost: 50 cr
Damage: L
Hide: Yes
Powered: No
Special: +1 to action tests vs. melee attacks (+2 if dual wielded)
The tong fe is a martial arts weapon that has become the fighting stick of choice for many police and security forces. Designed specifically for parrying, experts often wield two of these weapons at once.

Flint Richards C.P.A.

My gaming group is starting up a new campaign at the beginning of the new year. Our GM has it planned to be a modern fantasy, taking inspiration from Mage: The Awakening, and Dresden Files. It is his homebrew setting and game system, so it should be fun. I know little about the setting going in, which is ideal for the character I'm playing:

Flint Richards C.P.A.

The idea with this character was to take a completely ordinary person, and thrust him into an extraordinary world. All of our characters will be mages to some degree, but in order to be awakened to this power, we would have had to have died at some point, and brought back to life somehow.

Flint was an ordinary office drone. He got his C.P.A. license and kept to himself. He has also suffered from asthma for most of his life, commonly triggering from stress. For the past 10 years he has been seeing strange symbols in his head. He jots them down on things to get them off his mind. One day while in a bank, he got shot during a robbery. He was declared dead for a few seconds but resuscitated to life. After that day, he found that these symbols had power to them. Through a lot of experimentation he also discovered a sequence, or a syntax for equations using these symbols. Not entirely sure of what power he now held he kept his doings a secret.

His research and studies he kept in his Franklin Covey planner. And he made a magic wand out of a limited edition really expensive pen that was given to him as a gift. One day while experimenting with a new equation, he set his house on fire. While it burned in an eldritch blaze, a group of supernatural private investigators (the rest of the group) found him, and decided to take him on as another member. Our group, Nightfall LLC, investigate the unknown for people. (naturally he handles the books and accounts for the company)

The idea for this character is an regular number cruncher who writes spells on sticky notes using a magic wand/pen. I carefully chose his skills and attributes to meet that of an ordinary person with asthma, so this should prove interesting.

We only get together to play about once a month, so I will be chronicling the adventures of this certified public accountant here as they are happening.

Star*Drive Saturday: Mutations

Last week I covered new and extended rules for psionics, this week is another fun character option:

MUTATIONS

Although normal mutations are common in all species, such as varying eye and hair colors, there is a special category for those that are way off from the standard genotype. Still, what most of the galaxy refers to as mutants are essentially human. Even the ones with the most extreme of mutations will find their genetic make-up is 99.9% normal to a standard human. These special mutants number in at 49 billion, or less than 0.005% of the galaxies total human population. You will find most of them in the Thuldan Empire, as it is accepted as common practice to engineer its population for whatever their needs are. Most commonly it is for the environment they are born in and roles in the military, but others pop up around the rest of the galaxy. Spacers and colonists being bombarded with constant cosmic radiation have natural wild mutations appear sporadically.

According to popular opinion, mutants are dangerous and violent beings, whether they be accidental or engineered. These perceptions stem from coverage of the Mutant Uprisings of Tau Ceti which started the second galactic war, and other Thuldan extremes like their Warlion troops. Most stellar nations are getting mutant rights movements to slowly gain popularity, but they are still ostracized as second class citizens and generally distrusted. A few nations like Union of Sol and Hatire Community require that they live together in isolated communities, away from everyone and out of trouble. Individuals with dangerous mutations like Acidic Touch or Electric Aura find themselves kept in quarantine structures for the rest of their lives. In the Verge, mutants find much more freedom, although many still choose to live away from suspicion and prejudice.

Rogue Space Character Options
A player may choose to be a mutant character during character creation only. This is generally for human characters. Alien mutants are almost unheard of. There are 2 types of mutations, advantageous and drawbacks. Advantageous are the good mutations that provide some sort of benefit to the players. Drawbacks are defects and flaws that result from the genetic tampering and different environments. Whenever you choose an advantageous mutation, you must also choose a drawback. Human characters from the Thuldan Empire have a different benefit, in that if they choose 2 or more advantageous mutations, they get 1 less drawback. For example if a Thuldan hero gets 3 advantageous mutations, he can choose 2 drawbacks. Consult with your storyteller on how many advantageous mutations you can choose. Usually it is around 1 to 3.

Both types of mutations can be doubled, counting as 2. The description for doubling a mutation is listed under each entry. For example you can choose 1 advantageous mutation and double it, and get 2 drawbacks, or 2 advantageous mutations and get 1 drawback doubled, etc.

Advantageous Mutations

Acid Secretion/Spit
Produces an acidic liquid that eats through metals and causes L damage. You are immune to the effects of your own acids, but not others.
Doubled: Projecting glands allow you to squirt the acid at short range.

Chameleon Flesh
While naked, your body takes on the colors of your surroundings, granting you improved stealth. +2 to stealth checks.
Doubled: You duplicate colors as well as details in your flesh, making you harder to spot. +4 to stealth checks.

Dermal Reinforcement
Your natural skin is scaly or calloused. It has a L armor rating.
Doubled: Your skin has a M armor rating.

Electric Aura
Your body can generate electric charges through touch. Mostly to fry electronics. Little control of it. Causes L damage when concentrating a zap through touch.
Doubled: Causes M damage and can arc the electricity directed at something at short range.

Enhanced Healing
Can spend a round to concentrate and heal 1 HP damage.
Doubled: Heals 2 HP damage.

Enhanced Initiative/Health/Movement
Choose your Initiative, your Health, or your Movement. You gain a +2 bonus to it.
Doubled: May choose another to get a +2 bonus, or get a +4 bonus to the one already chosen.

Environmental Adaptation
Choose an environment type: hot climate, cold climate, arid climate, thin atmosphere, thick atmosphere, low-gravity, and high gravity. You gain no penalties to operating in the chosen environment (+2 bonus to surviving).
Doubled: May choose another environment to get a +2 bonus, or get a +4 bonus for the one already chosen.

Improved Attribute
Choose any one FASER attribute. You get +1 to that attribute.
Doubled: May choose another attribute to get a +1 bonus, or get a +2 bonus to in the one already chosen.

Improved Senses
Gains a +2 bonus to perception and notice checks.
Doubled: Gains a +4 bonus.

Natural Weapon
Whether retractable claws, spikes, fangs, or horns, you are considered to always have a M weapon for unarmed attacks.
Doubled: Razor sharp. V rated attacks.

Night/Thermal Vision
No penalties for notice or perception checks at night.
Doubled: Grants a +2 bonus to notice or perception checks at night. You work best at night.

Psionic Power
Can choose a psionic power regardless of your Empathy score. You can use that power, but always suffer a -1 penalty in its use.
Doubled: Can choose another power with the same penalty, or use the one already chosen with no penalty.

Psi-resistance
Your brain’s makeup is unique in that it becomes difficult for psionics that target the mind to work against you. Enemies suffer a -2 penalty in using psionics against you.
Doubled: Your mind appears to be non-existent to psykers. Enemies suffer a -4 penalty in using psionics against you..

Psi-sensitivity
Can detect nearby psionics use. User gets a ‘tingling’ sensation to know it is nearby, or when actively looking for it.
Doubled: Increased range of senses and can pinpoint its location.

Radiation Tolerance
Gains a +2 bonus to surviving the effects of radiation.
Doubled: Grants a +4 bonus.

Toxin Tolerance
Grants a +2 bonus to resisting the effects of harmful toxins or drugs.
Doubled: Grants a +4 bonus.

Wings
You have feathered or membrous wings sprouting from your well muscled back. Allows you to glide or fall safely, and even get a few extra meters from jumping. The wings must be able to move unhindered and cannot be overburdened to use.
Doubled: Can fly short distances in normal gravity.

Drawback Mutations

Environmental Sensitivity
Choose an environment type: hot climate, cold climate, arid climate, thin atmosphere, thick atmosphere, low-gravity, or high gravity. You suffer penalties to operating in the chosen environment (-2 penalty to surviving).
Doubled: May choose another environment to get a -2 penalty, or get a -4 penalty to surviving the one already chosen.

Light Sensitivity
Must wear special goggles in well lit areas or suffer -2 penalty to all checks.
Doubled: Dim light causes debilitating pain. Suffers a -4 penalty to all checks when not goggled.

Physical Change
Some form of your mutation has manifested on you in an obvious way to where you can be easily identified as a mutant, unless you took care to cover it up. These changes are permanent and vital to your mutation’s function; therefore they cannot be removed or altered through cosmetic surgery. Talk with your storyteller to discuss the details of what your mutation looks like.
Doubled: The manifestation is more extreme and cannot be easily hidden.

Reduced Initiative/Health/Movement
Choose your Initiative, your Health, or your Movement. You suffer a -2 penalty to it.
Doubled: May choose another to get a -2 penalty, or get a -4 penalty to the one already chosen.

Reduced Attribute
Choose any one FASER attribute. You get a -1 to that attribute.
Doubled: May choose another attribute to get a -1 penalty, or get a -2 penalty to the one already chosen.
 
Sound Sensitivity
Must wear a dampening earpiece or suffer a -2 penalty to all checks.
Doubled: Even a pin drop is excruciatingly painful. Suffers a -4 penalty to all checks when not wearing the earpiece.

Temporary Weakness
Choose one of your advantageous mutations that has to be actively used or turned on. After using it, you temporarily suffer a weakness (-2 penalty) to one of your FASER attributes (chosen by your storyteller) for 2 rounds.
Doubled: Your storyteller may choose another attribute that the -2 penalty applies to.
  
Toxin Intolerance
Suffers a -2 penalty to resisting the effects of harmful toxins or drugs.
Doubled: Suffers a -4 penalty.

Weak Immunity
Suffers a -2 penalty to resisting diseases or pathogens.
Doubled: Suffers a -4 penalty.

Star*Drive Saturday: Psionics

Last week I covered a 2 parter about cybertech (Part 1 and Part 2). This week will continue with more player options:

PSIONICS

The mind is a muscle. Exercise it and it gets stronger. Humanity started to diagnose actual documentable human psionics and supernatural abilities around the end of the 21st century. These were before seen as hoaxes or just unexplainable events, but later as technology advanced more and more cases were documented, skepticism toward psionics started to quiet. Whether this was due to careful observation or a new evolution in humanity is unknown. Regardless, the tide of evidence became undeniable, but still the fraction of population with these talents remained very small. The first contact with the fraal brought us into a step in the proper direction.

The fraal are all psionics, it being a part of them and their lives as breathing is to ours. They recognized the few talents among our young species and decided to act as guides and tutors for the few who could be taught. Thus the disciplines of the mindwalkers were born. Psionics are a potentially very dangerous power that can be easily abused, and even fatal to the user who hasn't learned to control it.

Others in the galaxy who exhibit some psionic capabilities are called talents. While only about 0.1% of the galaxies population sport psionic capabilities, talents are about 10 times more common than full discipline mindwalkers. The media often portrays talents as wild and out-of-control mutants and mindwalkers as the sensible disciplined masters, but often talents are just as stable as the others, wanting to live, love, and thrive in a world that can be very suspicious of them. Some often wish they didn't have the power or responsibility. Psionic abilities do exist in genetics, although it is not completely understood, but bloodlines and families exist which are known psionics.

Nevertheless the rarity of psionics almost guarantees that those with the power will never have a life like that of the non-psionic majority. Each stellar nation has its own laws and customs regarding talents and mindwalkers. They are just too useful and dangerous to ignore. Certain laws regarding them are pretty universal, most requiring registration of powers to the appropriate government, and common screening for powers are performed during pre-school. Commonly, crimes committed with psionics are treated fairly. Murder with pyrokinesis is the same as murder with a laser pistol. But mind probing and mind reading are generally considered invasions of privacy. Mindwalkers even find careers in law, acting as expert witnesses and forensics investigators for crimes.

Psi-detector

Some stellar nation attitudes toward psionics are noteworthy. Both religious organizations, Orlamu Theocracy and Hatire Community revere mindwalkers as a miracle of a greater power, providing privilege, special treatment, and unique training. VoidCorp uses mindwalker employees as it does all its assets. The Orion League and Union of Sol allow their mindwalkers almost unchecked freedom, while the Nariac Domain requires they live with psi-restraint implants, allowing the state to control them. The Galactic Concord leaves them alone, but many Administrators are said to be mindwalkers themselves. Law enforcement among mindwalkers are usually other mindwalkers, and technology such as psi-decectors, that can detect psionic use up to 100 yards away, and psi-restraints that inhibit the use of powers by being clasped around the neck.

New Archetype: Mindwalker
Not all psionic users are mindwalkers. It refers specifically to a person who has spent his or her life under specific training to master their unique abilities. All others with psionics are merely considered talents. Each nation and culture has their own variation and version, but most all have the same principles for training that stem from the original fraal disciplines. This makes the term 'mindwalker' universal, even though many different forms exist.

• Race Restriction: Human and fraal only
• Attribute Bonus: +1 Empathy
• Starting HP: 1d6+2
• Gear Restriction (optional): L armor and L weapons only
• Special Rules: Mindwalkers are psykers, regardless of whether or not they meet the usual Empathy requirement. They can also have 1 additional psionic power at level 1. (note this means that fraal mindwalkers can have 3 powers)

Note: Non-mindwalker archetypes still abide by all other psionic rules (+2 Empathy bonus required, and 1 psionic power at level 1). Fraal non-mindwalkers still get 1 extra power at level 1.

New Psionic Powers
Psionic power use still follows the same guidelines outlined in the Rogue Space Rulebook. The following are new powers in addition to those listed in the rulebook. A player who can choose psionic powers may take them from either source.

Biokinetic Weapon
Generates a melee weapon of biokinetic energy that extends from the psyker's hand. Strain determines its damage. L(7 tn) M(9 tn) V(11 tn) and X(13 tn). In combat the psyker's Fighting attribute is still used for attacking with it. Lasts until the psyker uses another psionic power or loses concentration.

Control Metabolism
Allows the psyker to survive longer with no food or water and in hostile climates. Severity of the conditions determines the TN (Storyteller's choice) Example: Arid world = TN 7, Toxic atmosphere = TN 13.

Datalink
Creates a short range link to electronics that is treated exactly like an NIJack cybernetic. Familiarity and range away from the device determines the TN. Example: Touching a computer console = TN 7, Interfacing with an alien computer from accross the room = TN 13. This character must have established some skill and knowledge in computers and grid use to make this power usable.

Electrokinesis
Allows the psionic to create electric shocks and charges. Strength and damage depends on the TN. L(7 tn) M(9 tn) V(11 tn) and X(13 tn).

Heal
Heals self of damage and disease. Strain determines the amount healed. L(7 tn) M(9 tn) V(11 tn) and X(13 tn).

Kinetic Shield
Creates a psychic shield of kinetic energy around the psyker, providing an armor bonus. Strain determines the protection value. L(7 tn) M(9 tn) V(11 tn) and X(13 tn). Lasts until the psyker uses another psionic power or loses concentration.

Levitation
Causes the psionic to float in the air. Height and distance determines the strain. Example: Float silently across the pressure sensitive floor alarm = TN 7, Soar quickly to the top of a skyscraper = TN 13.

Morph
Alters your physical appearance to look like another of your species. Strain determines how convincing of a disguise you achieve. Lasts until the psyker uses another psionic power or loses concentration.

Navcognition
Allows the psyker to determine his/her current location and even plot a course to a destination. Distance and difficulty of situation determines the strain. Example: Direction to travel to nearest settlement on a planet = TN 7, Drivespace course from one star system to another = TN 13.

Postcognition
Can tell past events that happened in the surrounding area or on a solid item you can touch. Further back and greater distance determines the strain. Example: Events occurring in a room just recently = TN 7, Who wielded a pistol several years ago = TN 13.

Precognition
Can tell future events that may occur in the surrounding area or on a solid item you can touch. Further forward and greater distance determines the strain. Example: Where the enemy ship will strike next during a space battle = TN 7, The results of the government elections 4 years from now = TN 13.

Teleportation
Allows the psyker to disappear from one location and instantly appear at another. The psyker should at least be familiar with the new location, or it be in visual range. Distance and familiarity with the teleportation determines the strain. Example: From one end of a room to another = TN 7, From the bottom floor of a building to the top floor = TN 13.

Never has there been a better Dwarf movie

I just got back from seeing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for a second time. I knew when I first saw it that I would have to go back for several showings. I'm not here to talk about whether it's good or not (it's spectacular), I'm here to talk about the significance of this movie to dwarfdom.

When you look at the original source material of the Hobbit, it is a children's bedtime tale with 13 stunted creatures called dwarves, and a hobbit. These dwarves were meant to be silly characters, more like Snow White's famous entourage. Because of this stereotype, dwarves are seen as little more than comic relief in pop-culture. Even my own wife didn't get the reverence and respect I hold for them. Of course mine stems from being more entrenched in geek culture, with things like Warhammer and heroic legends of Warcraft's Bronzebeard brothers.

This all changed with this movie. You watched legions of dwarves heroically face off against an innumerable horde of orcs and goblins. You see a young one face off against a powerful foe and succeed in a fight akin to King Isildur's match with Sauron in The Fellowship of the Ring.You see more than plucky characters here, you see bold and brave, stern and gruff, skilled and purposeful. This movie showed it all. I wish I had some screenshots to show examples of awesome dwarftitude. So I will just describe a few goose-bump inducing examples:

• Thorin rising from the tree, oaken shield on one arm, walking boldly to face the pale orc.
• A dwarf blacksmith holding a glowing hot piece of metal in a gloved hand above his head, and 2 great hammers converge from the ceiling to shape it, during the beginning intro.
• The choir of deep voices humming the song of the misty mountains. (This will be my new lullaby for my kids from now on)
• The band leaping from the trees to take on the giant trolls with their warcry.
• The whole escape from Goblin Town.

We were able to see a glimpse of this badassery during the battle of Helm's Deep as Gimli got more action than ever, even beating Legolas' kill count.

It is important to note that the charm of Tolkein's original story is there. In the movie we hear a few lighthearted songs and jokes, and they aren't without their blunders or diplomatic faux pas'. They can be amazingly badass warriors, as well as the brunt of a joke or two on occasion.

But after the credits rolled, I turned to my wife and said "Now do you get why I like dwarves so much?" To which she admitted she did. And that's what matters.

So who is my favorite of the company of dwarves? It's sort of a toss up between two.

Dwalin, the first one that arrived at Bilbo's home, probably ekes out over the top simply because he's the most armed of the group, sporting 2 great-axes crossed at his back, and a massive warhammer at grip. On top of that you have a plethora of knives tucked away in just about every available spot, and even his gloves cover the knuckles in the sharp geometric patterns seen in all of their armor and weaponry. He was never hesitant to use any of it, or lacking skill. Whenever I made a dwarf fighter in DnD, this is pretty much how I imagined him.




Bifur is one that gets much less screen time and lines, but for a reason. See that in his forehead? It's a goblin axe-blade. He must have taken it during the battle for Moria, and like the stout warrior he is, fought on. Their surgeons probably realized that removing the blade would kill him, so they decided to just leave it in, allowing his flesh to grow around it. There is a side effect to it, though. And the reason for so few lines and little screen-time. It hit the right part of his frontal lobe which caused a permanent switch in his language center to ancient dwarvish. That would also be why only Gandalf ever responded to his babbling. He's the only one that could understand him! (Face it, do you ever remember any latin language lessons? If you took an injury that switched you to speak only latin, could others understand you?) He follows close behind Dwalin simply because he's got a f***ing goblin axe sticking out of his head!

Which was your favorite dwarf?