Everytime At the Table: "Tails of the Arcadia"

 Just Ben has been singing on Broadway, so the regular Tales of the Arcadia has been on hold for a bit. Instead Peryton, Iron Curtis, and Kal Luin have been meeting up with me and doing some Superhero stuff. Last night though the Spacers: 180 main campaign has been able to continue. Making allowances for Robin (Peryton) coming in later, we started the game at a reasonable hour. The Characters were Alezander Deju, Nextremi 37, Odus Maximus, and introducing Ben's new role of Steev Sagus. Much love Gal Qixtar is becoming a NPC for a bit as we explore Curtis's Character class of Space Sage in the rules system.

We "storied" the missed session, where Maximus just awakening from hibernation heard over his internal radio receivers the call of a Crig queen under attack and his warrior instincts took over. He grabbed an unsuspecting Nextremi and started dragging her unwillingly towards the docking hangar. With quick D20 rolls we determined he basically beat up anybody that got in his way. Then in the bay, Nextremi was able to knock her abductor out for a couple seconds. Upon awakening, the would-be kidnapper realized that he was being manipulated by a nearby enemy using radio waves, which led to him looking at everyone. shaking off his pheromones, and shouting "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

At which point the Arcadia's SHIP system (AI) popped up in holograph form to inform the Captain, Alezander by the way, to announce that two H.U.L.C.H.E.R. (Hulches from now on) 88s were attacking. As we were supposed to explore the "quick" space battle rules, Iron Curtis, as Captain Deju, decided to turn into the fire and engage. So as a group we played out a ship-to-ship combat for four turns (rounds, segments... whatever) and rules for "Sparks Inside the Ship" giving PCs that weren't flying the ship something to do. If our space vessel had been up against a couple fully maintained "Barracuda" class opponents, the combat would have ended quickly, but 88s are "previously owned" and held together by duct tape and hate. All participants in the encounter went away limping, including the ESR ARCADIA.

In true Spacers fashion, the repairs were tricky-- that means Players' rolls were having bad results. Overall, I was happy with how I, as the GM, was able to make Nuts and Bolts jargon and technicality pull all the present players into the fray. Alezander, found a couple larger asteroids to hide in the middle of while fixing the damage.

Meanwhile, Steev Sagus ( Enter Just Ben's latest Character. I wouldn't allow Steve the Space Sage)  traveling home from the Big City, that's Earth, to the SGS-7 grouping of asteroids where the "Sagus" clan of Asteroid Belt colonists claimed as their homelands, noticed the damaged ship. Seeing potential salvage and/or new friends he started hailing them. At this point Curtis and Ben made the game. Steev using his newly honed skills as a Communications Major from University of Lakefront Chicago was talkative and friendly, while Alezander was not. Deju (Alez) just wasn't feeling that friendly towards Terrans, finding out only recently that he was a clone. He did reluctantly open up transmissions and except help in repairs.

I brought the NPC Gal Qixtar into play. He needed to get to someplace where he could power his Interstellar FastTalk stick. In a cut-away, the Devvah offered his resignation from the Kodoan 7th Republic's Spy Service. His contact, an Askode wearing her tattered Space-Nazi uniform, let him know 7th Republic (Soviet) spies didn't get to retire. She would be there on Mars when he got there. End session.

GM's Note: The "tails" in the session title is about Gal Qixtar's new path, but imagine that great roleplaying Characters wouldn't get to where the scribbling author meant to they should.

Rix
Humans that are colonizing the Asteroid Belt of the Earth System and have been doing so for centuries. Because of life in the Belt, they have some very-special adaptations towards living in micro-gravity.
HP: 8
AC: 12
Save: 12
PYD: D2
HD: 2
Attack Bonus: nil
# of Attacks: 1
Damage: none
Special: Originally called "The Asterisks" but that is from like before their grandparents were born .

A World a Week/Everytime at a Table: POW 2025

 

Building a Super-Character
asdas

Types

asdasd

Biggie- +2D PHYSICAL
Blaster- +2D NERVE
Brain- +2D MENTAL

Origins

asdasd

Accident- Luck/5 (round up) Powers
Design- Chosen STAT/5 Powers
Mutation- 2D2 Powers
Item- D6 Powers

Powers
asdasd

Agility-
Blast-
Clue-
Dexterity-
Element-
Empathy-
Flight-  At 3rd Level Physical X 10 MPH
Illusion-
Intangibility-
Invent-
Invisibility-
Invulnerability-
Magic-
Matter-
Mimic-
Sap-
Shoot-
Senses-
Speed-
Stealth-
Strength-
Stretch-
Telekinesis-

Player Characters

Red Shift, Human, 1^st Level Blaster
An accomplished US Army sniper, she suffered a devastating accident with a toxic waste truck while on deployment. While in intensive care a mad scientist, Colonel Maxwell Jorges, Dr. used his experimental pain relieving serum, Halcyon, and the street drug Mut-8, to assist the healing process.
NERVE 13
Aim 27
Powers:
Flight- She can fly as fast as her PHYSICAL Stat miles per hour.
Intangibility- Must be rolled below on the PHYSICAL Stat on a D66 to be successful.
Rage Blast- Able to throw bolts of rage, worth of NERVE Stat in damage. Armor can reduce the assault.
Illusion- using her ability to shift light she can shape surrounding light into mirages.
Sense (Radio Frequencies)- She can hear radio transmissions.


Lost Star, Human, 1^st Level Biggie
A gifted engineer, his life changed when his construction crew uncovered the armband of Tonatiuh. Thus a lump of aged muck, chose him as the avatar of the Aztec sun god to protect the earth from predatory forces from without.
PHYSICAL 23
Powers:
Invulnerability- He is impervious to as many Damage points as his PHYSICAL Stat before taking anything to his HITS.
Strength- His PHYSICAL Stat divided by ten (rounded up) will add that many dice towards any Strength-based Saving Roll. Note, that a Critical Failure can’t be helped.
Sun Blast- Able to throw bolts of glory, worth of CHARM Stat in damage. Armor can reduce the assault.
Flight- He can fly as fast as his PHYSICAL Stat miles per hour.
Fire, Immunity- Immune to the effects of open flame.
Fire, Shape- Can direct the flow of flames.


Burgeon City
One time the city was was rustic community known as Lotus Grove, but now it it is a burgeoning city of 640 thousand people and the epicenter of the NEW ENERGY WORLD.

The Start to 2025's Spacers: 180°

Gary Anderson ripping off my Barracuda model spaceships

 
Brett, Kal Luin, couldn't make it. Still hung over from his B-Day some week ago, I presume. Iron Curtis, did though. So did Just Ben even if he was running a fever. Peryton even bothered to show up. So we went ahead and started this year's "main" Spacers campaign which has gelled into "The Tales of the Arcadia" over the last four years.


Odus Maximus, Brett's Crig species Character, not having found Nextremi 37 aboard the vessel, went into hibernation for a bit-- having full sentience as a warrior caste crig can be very taxing. The sought-after spacer, was piloting her small ship, the Space Face, back to the Arcadia, as it was headed into a Kirkland Gap in the Sol system's Asteroid Belt.

Two HULCHER 88s (previously-owned Barracuda model spaceships used for patrol and combat) came out of nowhere. Over hailing frequencies, they declared that they were acting as border control for the Cogrom Company and that our Spacers' vessel had to be prepared to be boarded for "inspection." The irony of the fascists HULCHERs working for the Panni-dominated invasion force as they claimed to be "Earth First" ideologues when they first became a thing in the backwaters of the Procyon solar systems (Kazakhstan-meets-Mississippi) was not missed. Well, being boarded wasn't going to happen, Alezander Deju, declared. Instead of preparing for combat both Ben and Curtis decided to talk their way out of conflict. The task was given to Gal Qixtar, despite he not being human-looking at all, using his Flex Perk from the rules.

Ben speaking for the reptile-ish Character of the Devvah species not only made a compelling speech, he rolled a straight "20" and had claimed very good bonuses already. Alezander piped in to offer them space-vessel insurance. The commanding pilots of the 88s both rolled a "2" and "6" on my side, so the human-supremacists' hearts just weren't in it. Maybe because the contradictions of working for the Panni Empire against humanity's homeworld or Cogrom Company just doesn't drop enough for mercenaries to square up against determined opposition, one of the 88s pulled away then the other followed.

Devvah
At adult heights of about five to seven feet tall humanoids look like lizards. The oldest can tower over an Earth-born human. They also are hatched. They are quite intelligent and can smell/taste pheromones very well. They have to restrain themselves from licking others eyeballs–among themselves this is just considered to be saying hello. 
HP: 16
AC: 12
Save: 12
PYD: D10
HD: 2
Attack Bonus: nil
# of Attacks: 1
Damage: none
Special: The more established of them are negotiators of some renown for their ability to read their audience when in the same room. The Devvah are founding members of C.R.U.D. (Coalition of Reptilian-Looking Underwriters Dominion).

At this point, the Space Face, also a used Barracuda, landed into the hanger/garage of Arcadia's outer hull. There was a quick reunion but I did a cut away scene. Another HULCHER 88 approaching the ship, this one even crappier than the previous two encountered. Its pilot a Mohawk-haired guy in a dirty yellow wife-beater pulled off  just within range of our Character's main spaceship and pressed a red button. The cry of a crig queen calling for the defense of her nest was transmitted via radio signal.

The SPACE FACE
Nextremi 37 has this Barracuda class spacecraft from an inheritance. It fits easily in the Arcadia.
Speed: 45
Maneuver: 75
Offense: 55
Defense: 20
Armor: 20
HITS: 30
Components
Gravity Frames
Gravity-Well Capable

The Arcadia crew noticed the approaching ship pulling away. Not having communicaations established they didn't hear anything. But Odus Maximus did, did I mention certain crig have radio receivers as well as ears? A glow came his yellow eyes and he walked out of his sleeping pod onto the deck of the ship. Everyone turned to look at him and wish him a "good morning." Without a pause he, pushed Nextremi out of his way, and held up a Ben's Wrench going after the other PCs in front of him...

We ended the session there.

A HULCHER couple on a date night

The Non-Start to 2025's Spacers: 180°

 

Scenario The 812 War (1-2501):
So the Arcadia is in Earthspace. “Earth space” doesn’t just mean species from Terra are dominant, it means these are the homeworlds of all Terran species. Like 99% of those are humans, but there are Chimps and Dolphins (Nu-dolphins) as well as some dogs and cats that are considered sentient citizens of these territories.

Alezander Delu is here because he has a genetic disease known as DULcina-167. It was a control measure worked into clone broods on Mars back in the Bad Old Days. The Spacer now knows his family on the red planet has been lying to him. He also needs the remedy for it.

Meanwhile, Nextremi 37 seems to have had an incredible effect on Arodda (NPC) the Crig Hive-Queen of Wise Key 27. Last seen test driving the space vessel with Punches Pilot an UnbeliebaBot (very human-like android). She is being sought by the Crig General Space Jo who is under secret orders by his Matron. 

Gal Qixtar, the spy for the Kodoan 7th Federation of the Devvah species, is tasked with reporting on the Pannee invasion and to make things harder for either the Earthers or them, or both. His crewmates know that he’s a spy though. He finds it hard to mess with his Earthspace companions.

The paying passenger, Stewart Average-Size wants to get to Mars. He’s been rather enjoying the work that the Arcadia has been giving him though.

Defined the Gift 11 Rebellion- The warship Gift 11 was supposed to start raiding Earthspace settlements around the Flat Point from Procyon to the Sol system, currently one lightyear away from Neptune. Instead, Gal Qixtar knew the ship’s Captain, at least the Crig’s Captain, Space Joe and was able to convince him to mutiny and join Earthspace’s defense forces.

Explored Karen Complex
A forty-mile long and ten miles in radius cylinder made up of over one thousand individual space stations. It is magnetically tethered to be at the middle point between Pluto and Charon. The gravitational variations move massive structures that act like pistons which supplement the heat within the enclosed structure.
Speed 10
Maneuver 5
Offense 65
Defense 1990
Armor 200
Notes: Inside the casing is a group of Spot Stations, some 1,060 of them. This includes the Omega Station, one of the Oort Corps HQs for the transneptunian regions. The Complex while very sturdy relies on a medium-sized navy as its main source of protection. The TNO Command’s “Battlegroup Cerebus” specifically.  

Introducing: Odo Maximus a very accomplished Crig of the warrior caste who is sent to find Nextemi and protect her, just like his commander Space Joe.

The Crig Princeling, Space Joe

A World a Week: Still Around If In the Background

 Some Gonzop notes

Boon Vs Racoo

Boon- Descended from baboons. The most dominant species in a lot of the known world. Prone to rage and violence. Their sharp teeth and strong claws make them rather deadly but really bad at handling Old World artifacts.

PHYSICAL plus 10
2D+2D for hand and bite attacks.
MEN SR at 15 not to rage out.

Boon PC notes:

asdasd

Catter- Cat humanoids. Somewhat asocial as a species, these are not “lion people.” They are more like panther people. They are not blessed with “Coo Mitts” and have a hard time with Old World artifacts. Many would rather be comfortable than fierce because they are themselves Old World artifacts according to their lore.

PHYSICAL plus 5
LUCK plus 5

2D+2d3 for hand and bite attacks.
MEN SR not to start hunting.

Catter PC notes:

asdasd

Gunbun- Kind of a rat and rabbit mixed together humanoid. Very adept at living on the land around them. They can adapt quickly to new surroundings, but Old World artifacts are a bit hard for them to grasp, literally.
Hearing, Smell, and Sight SRs all get +5
LUCK plus 10

3D Kick Attack or Defense

Quitch- Land walking squid. Very technologically advanced. Their life-suits help them use the Old World technology, but it is totally alien to them.

MENTAL plus 10

Quitch PC notes:

They are the second batch of their brood so must work hard to establish themselves among it and the colony overall. This one will be encouraged by the Brood Superior to become an expert of the Above Waters around them. They will be assigned special missions with which they will earn their esteem and status over time.

Racoo- Humanoid raccoon species. Tends to be more intelligent and civilized than most creatures, especially the Boon. Because of their peculiar-shaped hands, old world artifacts fit rather nicely

MENTAL plus 5

LK SR +10 when exploring old World artifacts

Racoo PC notes:

Skeeter- They call themselves the Cursed. Others call them the Curse. Mosquito-faced humanoids that must consume their weight in blood every week not to become mindless.

MEN SR at 15 not to be in blood lust

Skeeter PC notes:

asdasd

Locales

Plunge
One of the exploration bases for the North Flow Quitch. It is becoming large enough to be considered a colony though it is in fresh water. There are the appropriate materials to keep the residences and Life-Suits salty and fresh enough to be mostly comfortable. Still seen as a backwater among the nation.

Kewl Stuff:

It’s underwater!

High tech.

Charg Valley

The antique shop by the river

Kewl Stuff:

Sland Hills

asdasd

Kewl Stuff:

Lab Settled

From the Pier to Nowhere up to the Rain Gutters

Kewl Stuff: The Last Human (Lich)