Heavy Smog benutzt das HERO System 5 Revised Regelwerk.
Folgende Optionen werden verwendet:
Characteristics
BAUG-Toleranz: (BODY+EGO+EGO)/2 ergibt die Charakterpunkte, die ein Charakter an BAUG-Powers (RP) verbauen kann, ohne mit Nachteilen zu zahlen.
Die maximal möglichen BAUG Punkte die ein Charakter intus haben kann, entspricht seiner doppelten BAUG-Toleranz. Jeder Punkt über der Toleranzschwelle muss mit Nachteilspunkten erkauft werden.
C-Shells (und B-Shells) werden nach Automaton-Regeln gebaut.
Skills
- Computer Programming
Folgende Unterteilung erfolgt:
SimLine Programming:
Für Charaktere die am Grundgerüst von AR und SimWeb herumbasteln können. Erfordert in der
Regel entsprechende Werkzeugprogramme, oder ein entsprechend ausgerüstetes Terminal.
SimWeb Programming:
Bezieht sich auf dezidierte Erschaffung und Veränderung von SimWeb Code. Erfordert in der
Regel entsprechende Werkzeugprogramme.
AR-Programming:
Bezieht sich auf dezidierte Erschaffung und Veränderung von Virtuality-Code. Je nach AR-
Betrieb sind keine gesonderten Werkzeugprograme nötig.
Zusätzlich zu den reinen Anwendungsskills, sind die entsprechenden Wissensskills zur
Verwendung des Inventor Skills notwendig, und zur Abrundung des Charakterabbilds geeignet,
aber nicht zwingend notwendig. (KS: SimWeb Programming, etc.)
Computer Programming – General:
Bezieht sich auf einen fortgeschrittenen User, dessen Fähigkeiten nicht über die Anwendung
bestimmter, wenn auch möglicherweise komplexer Programme hinausgeht.
Cryptography
Benötigt üblicherweise die Hilfe einer dezidierten KI oder einer ähnlich fortschrittlichen
Programmroutine.
Security Systems unterliegt der selben Unterteilung wie Computer Programming, mit dem Unterschied, dass der Basis-Skill ohne Spezifizierung bedeutet, dass der Charakter Kenntnis von physischen Sicherheitssystemen hat.
Electronics kann als Komplementärfertigkeit zu Security Systems herangezogen werden, und deckt ein breites Feld an Expertise ab. Jeweilige Wissensfertigkeiten (KS: Optronic Systems, etc.) zur Abrundung bilden einen Charakter zwar insgesamt besser ab, sind aber nicht zwingend erforderlich.
Expert Skill Enhancer ermöglicht den verbilligten Erwerb von thematisch verwandten Hintergrundfertigkeiten, von denen mindestens 3 gekauft werden müssen, damit der Skill Enhancer greift.
Perks
Fringe Benefit: Licensed SimLine / SimWeb Architect
Je nach aktuellem Setting sind vor allem Lizenzen und Berechtigungen für diverse Programme zur SimLine Veränderung nötig.
Powers
Heavy Smog benutzt die in Dark Champions abgedruckten „Action Hero Powers“, zusätzlich zu BAUGs.
BAUG-Powers: C-BAUGs (Cybernetic-BodyAUGmentation) werden mit zwei Limitierungen gekauft, die sie insgesamt immer um (-1) billiger machen. Diese Limitierungen sind IIF: Real Cyberware (-1/2), was repräsentiert, dass BAUGs komplexe Maschinen sind, die Wartung, Pflege und im Schadensfall Reparatur benötigen. Die zweite Limitierung ist Restrainable (-1/2) was repraäsentiert, dass C-BAUGs mit entsprechenden Maßnahmen, die im Setting relativ verbreitet sind, außer Gefecht gesetzt werden können.
Ansonsten ist es Sache des jeweiligen Spielers und der jeweiligen Power, ob und wie er die Punktekosten seiner BAUGs verringern möchte.
B-BAUGs (Bionic BodyAugmentation) werden mit der Limitierung Real Bionics (-1/2) und der eigentlich auf Multiform beschränkten Personality Loss (-1/4) belegt. Erstere bezieht sich darauf, dass Bionik mit gewissen Nachteilen behaftet ist, die dafür sorgen, dass jemand mit B-BAUGs regelmässig zu einem zertifizierten Experten gehen sollte, um sicherzustellen, dass mit seinen neuen Körperteilen auch alles in Ordnung ist – vor allem wenn diese erhöhtem Stress oder gar Verletzungen ausgesetzt wurden. Zweitere ist etwas gemeiner. Bionische Implantate haben einen unangenehmen Nebeneffekt, der sich negatives Biofeedback schimpft. Dieser sorgt dafür, dass B-BAUG-Booster nach einer gewissen Zeit etwas seltsam im Kopf werden, und sich vor allem immer bereitwilliger immer mehr Implantate einbauen wollen. Regeltechnisch bedeutet das, dass ein Charakter mit B-BAUGs alle 4 Monate einen -14 Check macht. Gelingt dieser, bleibt alles wie gehabt. Gelingt dieser NICHT, handelt sich der Charakter zunächst eine leichte sogenannte „Bionik-Psychose“ ein (eine Psychological Limitation für 5-10 Punkte, die nicht zu allgemeinen Nachteilspunkten zählt). Dieser Effekt – in der Regel etwas wie eine leichte Depression – kann durch den Einbau neuer Bionikteile gekontert werden, was den Kreislauf von vorn beginnen lässt.
AR/Virtuality: Um die Virtuality wahrzunehmen und damit zu interagieren, braucht ein Charakter ein Cyberbrain, oder mindestens die Komponenten Neuroprozessor (Mindlink: Machines) und SimLine Interface (Mental Illusions).
Um mit dem (fast) allgegenwärtigen Netz wirklich etwas anzufangen, also Programme zu laden und zu benutzen – vor allem Skillsofts und SmartSofts – braucht ein User allerdings noch Headware Memory (Multiform). Will ein Spieler seinem Charakter im Kampf neue Skillsofts laden, wird ein Aktivierungswurf -11 nötig, um festzustellen, ob es dem Charakter möglich ist, von seiner Position aus so unmittelbar einen neuen Soft aus dem Netz zu laden. Verfügt der Charakter über einen höheren Wert in Computer Programming: AR, wird darauf ausgewichen.
3 Punkte Headware Memory kosten 2 RP.
SimWeb: Um auf den vollsensorischen Cyberspace zuzugreifen, benötigt der Charakter ein SimLine Interface (Mental Illusions) und dezidiertes Headware Memory: SimLine Software (Multiform), in das auch Daten für einen AR-Avatar geladen werden können.
40 Punkte für SimLine Avatare kosten 2 RP.
Fortgeschrittene SimWebUser benutzen zum Zugriff auf den Cyberspace ein SimLineDeck. SimLineDecks werden bei Charaktererschaffung von Charakterpunkten und nicht von Equipmentpunkten gekauft.
Skillsofts: Können auf Chips gespeichert oder direkt aus dem Netz geladen werden, sind dabei aber auf Intellect- und Background-Skills , beschränkt, und können nicht über den Basis-Wert (9+INT/5) hinausgehen.
SmartSofts: 2-Punkte Penalty Skill Levels, sind nicht einfach herunterzuladen, sondern müssen auf Chip erworben werden, da Kampfsoftware sehr komplex ist und regional oft strengen Reglementierungen unterliegt. Hier sind die Perks Access und / oder Fringe Benefit: SmartSoft License nützlich, um ohne weiteres darauf zugreifen zu können.
Combat
Alternate Basic Combat Roll: Anstelle von 11 + (OCV+-Modifikatoren) – (DCV+-Modifikatoren) = Zielzahl wird nur gegen 11+(OCV+-Modifikatoren) gewürfelt, die Differenz zwischen Zielzahl und Ergebnis ist der getroffene OCV. In der Praxis hat sich diese Variante als schneller und einfacher herausgestellt.
Storm of Lead: Reworked Rapid Fire: Rapid Fire (mehrere Schüsse, bis zu 4 mit einer nicht-Autofire-Waffe in einer Phase) gilt immer als Half-Phased Action. Jeder Schuss nach dem 2ten gibt -2 OCV. Ein Charakter der Rapid Fire benutzt erleidet zudem -2 DCV.
Das heißt, ein Charakter der vier Schuß abgibt macht vier Angriffswürfe, wobei die ersten beiden keine Aufschläge bekommen, der dritte und vierte -2. Trifft einer der ersten Schüsse nicht, endet die Angriffsserie.
Multifire: Mit einer nicht-Autofire fähigen Waffe können Charaktere alternativ für eine Full Phase Action einen Multifire-Angriff machen. Multifire „verbrennt“ bis zu fünf Kugeln, wobei für jede Kugel über der ersten die Schadensklasse um 1 gehoben wird. Multifire-Angriffe geben -1 OCV ab der dritten Kugel, und senken den DCV um 2.
Multifire repräsentiert eine schnelle Folge von Schüssen, die entweder alle Treffen und zusammen entsprechend viel Schaden machen, oder aber eine Reihe von Schüssen, von denen ein unbestimmter besonders gut trifft.
Beispiel: Ronald Ju Wee stürmt los, und schießt auf einen gesichtslosen Konzernwachmann. Ronald hat einen Base OCV von 7, benutzt eine SmartGun, die +4 OCV gibt und ist am Ende seiner halben Bewegung noch 7“ von dem Wachmann entfernt, was dank der +4 Range der SmartGun keine Abzüge mit sich bringt. Er benutzt Rapid Fire und schießt 3 mal, was ihm für den dritten Schuß -2 OCV gibt, also 11+11 = 22 für die ersten beiden und 11+11-2= 20 für den letzten Schuß. Ronalds Spieler würfelt 11 beim ersten Schuß, 15 beim zweiten und 8 beim dritten. Der erste Schuß trifft alles ab DCV11 und niedriger, der zweite alles ab DCV 7, der dritte alles ab DCV 12. Damit hat jeder Schuß der Rapid Fire Serie getroffen, und der gesichtslose Konzernwachmann sinkt zu Boden, da sein DCV immer niedriger als die erwürfelte Differenz war.
Hätte der erste oder zweite Schuß nicht getroffen, wäre die Serie damit beendet gewesen.
Schaden:
Heavy Smog HERO betrachtet erlittenen Schaden im Verhältnis dazu, in welchen „Paketen“ ein Charakter Schaden zugefügt bekommt:
- Wunden von 1-2 BODY sind Kratzer und Blessuren, die wenn der Kampf vorbei ist nicht weiter von größerem Belang sind. Gelingt es der Opposition einen Charakter nur mit solchen Wunden unter seinen BODY Wert zu bringen, beginnt der Charakter nicht zu verbluten, sondern gilt lediglich als Knocked Out.
- Wunden von 3-6 BODY sind leichtere Verletzungen, die mit einem MediKit und einem erfolgreichen Paramedics Wurf (mit einem -2 Mofikator, da es sich um einen Schaden von mehr als 2 Punkten BODY handelt) versorgt und somit in was die reine abstrakte Spiel-Ebene angeht geheilt werden.
- Wunden von 7-10 Punkten BODY benötigen intensivere medizinische Versorgung um zu heilen, einen Besuch beim Doc oder sogar einen kurzen Krankenhausaufenthalt.
Wunden ab 11 BODY sind schwere Verletzungen, die nicht ohne weiteres Heilen, für deren Heilung verwundete Charakter etwa eine Woche Krankenhausaufenthalt einplanen sollte.
Montag, 8. Dezember 2008
Donnerstag, 4. Dezember 2008
Asia - The Swaggering Dragons
This is still a work in progress, but should suffice as what kind of place Heavy Smog's Asia is. I still have to work out the single states like Korea and Japan as well as the specifically asian corporate world.
The biggest turmoil the region has seen in the past seventy years was by far the disastrous Chinese Civil War. The Middle Realm has been shattered, with a large chunk in the northern and easternmost regions remaining.
The People's Republic of China
The People's Repubic itself is still intact, and has recovered remarkably well from the biggest – political – crisis of the continents history since Imperial Japans terrible onslaught in the past century. China itself belongs to the worlds strongest nations, in the fields of economic and military strength at least. It's people live prosperous lives, the one-party system still being intact, but reformed into a less corrupt and burocratically topheavy behemoth than before the Civil War. The country might still be a long shot away from the social and political freedom the western world enjoyed immediately after the Cold War, yet things are comparably good in China.
Though there still are problems, interior and foreign. The Civil War has left deep wounds in the Chinese national mentality which haven't all healed up yet. There are several interests in action inside the PLA to forcefully annex the stray regions. Also there still are remnants of the “Shattering Spirit” present, especially among younger people who now feel to have “missed” the great uprising, vowing to take the main idea behind the Civil War to it's final destination, to dismantle the Middle Realm once and for all into a collection of smaller, independent states, following whatever meme the individual group might seek after.
These “stubborn seperationists” are much more numerous than the Politburo would ever admit, yet they are not (yet?) unified, usually warring amongst themselves as much as with the powers that be, in this case the Chinese Secret Services of the Interior. China is home to a lot of differing ideologies these days, and most of them won't get their followers into trouble any longer. Though most ideologies just refer to politics or religion, the bigger memes of the modern world were not yet able to take up roots in this nation that is still thunderstruck and inward looking after the disaster of the War.
The South East Asian Defense Alliance
Due to the high instability of the region, the wake of the Chinese Civil War did not only see the emergence of a number of smaller states, but also the founding of the South East Asian Defence Alliance, an economical and military pact that spans from Japan all the way down to Thailand.
The member states of the SEADA got together to keep the newly formed political landscape from falling into total chaos after the civil war.
The SEADA States are – next to Bigger China – the most stable and prosperous countries of the region. Japan, unified Korea, Thailand and Singapore were the founding members in 2041, the Alliance has been expanding ever since. The member states are mostly on friendly terms with the League of Infosocialist Nations, holds a somewhat tense but peaceful relationship with Bigger China, while being constantly in diplomatic disarray with the USA. The European Union is a trusted economical partner of the Alliance, while the newly emerged Nationalistic Bloc is seen as a threat to the entire region. Also the relationship with Australia and the Federated States of Micronesia are somewhat strained since the Luzon war.
The current SEADA members beside the four founders are all the members of the New Democratic Federation, which in turn consists of the Ningde city state, Guangdong, and the two city states of Yongzhou and Jian. Other member states include Hong Kong, Malaysia and Cambodia.
The intended goals of the Alliance are economic and national stability of its individual member states, while the further balkanization of the former southern Chinese provinces and subsequent destabilization of the region are seen as the biggest obstacles the Alliance as to work against, as well as against every entity – political, corporate or otherwise – which could or would benefit from that process. The Alliance has since its inception in 41 put up one of the worlds biggest and most advanced military forces, which acts and is intended as guardian of peace, order and stability in the region. This of course is a course of action which is seen sometimes with worry and sometimes with outright aggression and hostility by other states. As stated before, the US see the SEADA military as a somewhat unfairly positioned competition to its very own private armies. Especially Starkwater is constantly lobbying in the region against a too strong dependency on SEADA forces.
Hong Kong
When Hong Kong declared itself independent from what was left of China in 2043, the city state and the defiant PLA troops present pleaded the SEADA for military help – the small state was not able to defend itself without any kind of existing own armed forces. In one of the SEADAs first bigger crisis, it took the case of Hong Kong to show the rest of the world, and especially China, that it was not just a loose collection of failed states, deviants and the three giants – Korea, Japan and Singapore. As the Chinese government itself had a lot of similarly urgent matters on its hands at the time, there was no big incentive coming from Beijing to keep Hong Kong as a part of the People's Republic. Still, the Hong Kong Crisis involved a bit of saber rattling, yet it was resolved entirely on the diplomatic battlefield.
Ever since, Hong Kong is and has been standing member of the SEADA, providing training and material support for the alliances DigiWeb enforcement agencys. In return, the SEADA keeps the city state under its military protection.
Former Southern Chinese Provinces
The Splinter States are a noisy lot. The southern Pacific Rim is a hotbed of low scale cross border skirmishes between some of the newfound nations, still leading to the typical symptoms of ongoing warfare amongst the populace, though these regional conflicts utterly pale in comparison to the horrors of the Subsaharan Wars.
The Fujan crisis
Fujan, the splinter state supposedly responsible for the nuclear attack and subsequent obliteration of Silicon Valley, is probably the most problematic remnant of Bigger China. Shortly after the Silicon Valley Blast the US responded with a swift “police action” against the prospering – nano-socialist – splinter state, which has since grown into a long term occupation of the former Chinese province. An occupation carried out mainly by the US corporate military of the Starkwater coporation, which ever since has been expanding its activities in the East Asian theater – being a huge thorn in the side of the SEADA states.
Even today, the Fujan Occupation fuels the – terrorist and otherwise – underworld of the pacific rim. Even after seven years there still are people left in the Fujan underground who receive enough outside support to hire their own PMCs, or just simply buy huge amounts of weapons (including dolls, shells and info-weaponry) and conduct surgical strikes against the foreign oppressor. Having been a pending member of the League of Infosocialist States, the SEADA formerly never had any official ties with Fujan, thus the Alliance never had any incentive of supporting the splinter state, at least not officially.
Refugees
One of the regions biggest problems, even two generations after the Chinese Civil War are the waves of refugees which the war caused practically everywhere. Especially Japan had huge problems with ever growing numbers in the 40. After the dust had somewhat settled over the region, the refugees made for the big metropolitan areas, especially in the south. Nowadays Guangzhou, Shenzen, Hong Kong and Fouzhou have the biggest concentrations of displaced people, often times living in the second or even third generation without any kind of national identity.
Of course, these are not the only refugees washed up on the shores of Pacific Rim Metropoli. The Subsaharan Wars have wandered to western Africa in the recent years, so there is no longer a current of fresh refugees in the pacific as it was in the past decades, but the slums are still filled with big numbers of east africans. The refugee cities around the Pacific Rim are amongst the most dangerous yet socially most interesting places in the region, as they oftentimes see a total redifinition of national ideas, being not only hotbeds for small scale street level violence (and breeding ground for terrorists and organized crime alike) but also for new radical ideas and memes of mobility and national identity.
Dieser Werk oder Inhalt ist unter einer Creative Commons-Lizenz lizenziert.
The biggest turmoil the region has seen in the past seventy years was by far the disastrous Chinese Civil War. The Middle Realm has been shattered, with a large chunk in the northern and easternmost regions remaining.
The People's Republic of China
The People's Repubic itself is still intact, and has recovered remarkably well from the biggest – political – crisis of the continents history since Imperial Japans terrible onslaught in the past century. China itself belongs to the worlds strongest nations, in the fields of economic and military strength at least. It's people live prosperous lives, the one-party system still being intact, but reformed into a less corrupt and burocratically topheavy behemoth than before the Civil War. The country might still be a long shot away from the social and political freedom the western world enjoyed immediately after the Cold War, yet things are comparably good in China.
Though there still are problems, interior and foreign. The Civil War has left deep wounds in the Chinese national mentality which haven't all healed up yet. There are several interests in action inside the PLA to forcefully annex the stray regions. Also there still are remnants of the “Shattering Spirit” present, especially among younger people who now feel to have “missed” the great uprising, vowing to take the main idea behind the Civil War to it's final destination, to dismantle the Middle Realm once and for all into a collection of smaller, independent states, following whatever meme the individual group might seek after.
These “stubborn seperationists” are much more numerous than the Politburo would ever admit, yet they are not (yet?) unified, usually warring amongst themselves as much as with the powers that be, in this case the Chinese Secret Services of the Interior. China is home to a lot of differing ideologies these days, and most of them won't get their followers into trouble any longer. Though most ideologies just refer to politics or religion, the bigger memes of the modern world were not yet able to take up roots in this nation that is still thunderstruck and inward looking after the disaster of the War.
The South East Asian Defense Alliance
Due to the high instability of the region, the wake of the Chinese Civil War did not only see the emergence of a number of smaller states, but also the founding of the South East Asian Defence Alliance, an economical and military pact that spans from Japan all the way down to Thailand.
The member states of the SEADA got together to keep the newly formed political landscape from falling into total chaos after the civil war.
The SEADA States are – next to Bigger China – the most stable and prosperous countries of the region. Japan, unified Korea, Thailand and Singapore were the founding members in 2041, the Alliance has been expanding ever since. The member states are mostly on friendly terms with the League of Infosocialist Nations, holds a somewhat tense but peaceful relationship with Bigger China, while being constantly in diplomatic disarray with the USA. The European Union is a trusted economical partner of the Alliance, while the newly emerged Nationalistic Bloc is seen as a threat to the entire region. Also the relationship with Australia and the Federated States of Micronesia are somewhat strained since the Luzon war.
The current SEADA members beside the four founders are all the members of the New Democratic Federation, which in turn consists of the Ningde city state, Guangdong, and the two city states of Yongzhou and Jian. Other member states include Hong Kong, Malaysia and Cambodia.
The intended goals of the Alliance are economic and national stability of its individual member states, while the further balkanization of the former southern Chinese provinces and subsequent destabilization of the region are seen as the biggest obstacles the Alliance as to work against, as well as against every entity – political, corporate or otherwise – which could or would benefit from that process. The Alliance has since its inception in 41 put up one of the worlds biggest and most advanced military forces, which acts and is intended as guardian of peace, order and stability in the region. This of course is a course of action which is seen sometimes with worry and sometimes with outright aggression and hostility by other states. As stated before, the US see the SEADA military as a somewhat unfairly positioned competition to its very own private armies. Especially Starkwater is constantly lobbying in the region against a too strong dependency on SEADA forces.
Hong Kong
When Hong Kong declared itself independent from what was left of China in 2043, the city state and the defiant PLA troops present pleaded the SEADA for military help – the small state was not able to defend itself without any kind of existing own armed forces. In one of the SEADAs first bigger crisis, it took the case of Hong Kong to show the rest of the world, and especially China, that it was not just a loose collection of failed states, deviants and the three giants – Korea, Japan and Singapore. As the Chinese government itself had a lot of similarly urgent matters on its hands at the time, there was no big incentive coming from Beijing to keep Hong Kong as a part of the People's Republic. Still, the Hong Kong Crisis involved a bit of saber rattling, yet it was resolved entirely on the diplomatic battlefield.
Ever since, Hong Kong is and has been standing member of the SEADA, providing training and material support for the alliances DigiWeb enforcement agencys. In return, the SEADA keeps the city state under its military protection.
Former Southern Chinese Provinces
The Splinter States are a noisy lot. The southern Pacific Rim is a hotbed of low scale cross border skirmishes between some of the newfound nations, still leading to the typical symptoms of ongoing warfare amongst the populace, though these regional conflicts utterly pale in comparison to the horrors of the Subsaharan Wars.
The Fujan crisis
Fujan, the splinter state supposedly responsible for the nuclear attack and subsequent obliteration of Silicon Valley, is probably the most problematic remnant of Bigger China. Shortly after the Silicon Valley Blast the US responded with a swift “police action” against the prospering – nano-socialist – splinter state, which has since grown into a long term occupation of the former Chinese province. An occupation carried out mainly by the US corporate military of the Starkwater coporation, which ever since has been expanding its activities in the East Asian theater – being a huge thorn in the side of the SEADA states.
Even today, the Fujan Occupation fuels the – terrorist and otherwise – underworld of the pacific rim. Even after seven years there still are people left in the Fujan underground who receive enough outside support to hire their own PMCs, or just simply buy huge amounts of weapons (including dolls, shells and info-weaponry) and conduct surgical strikes against the foreign oppressor. Having been a pending member of the League of Infosocialist States, the SEADA formerly never had any official ties with Fujan, thus the Alliance never had any incentive of supporting the splinter state, at least not officially.
Refugees
One of the regions biggest problems, even two generations after the Chinese Civil War are the waves of refugees which the war caused practically everywhere. Especially Japan had huge problems with ever growing numbers in the 40. After the dust had somewhat settled over the region, the refugees made for the big metropolitan areas, especially in the south. Nowadays Guangzhou, Shenzen, Hong Kong and Fouzhou have the biggest concentrations of displaced people, often times living in the second or even third generation without any kind of national identity.
Of course, these are not the only refugees washed up on the shores of Pacific Rim Metropoli. The Subsaharan Wars have wandered to western Africa in the recent years, so there is no longer a current of fresh refugees in the pacific as it was in the past decades, but the slums are still filled with big numbers of east africans. The refugee cities around the Pacific Rim are amongst the most dangerous yet socially most interesting places in the region, as they oftentimes see a total redifinition of national ideas, being not only hotbeds for small scale street level violence (and breeding ground for terrorists and organized crime alike) but also for new radical ideas and memes of mobility and national identity.
Dieser Werk oder Inhalt ist unter einer Creative Commons-Lizenz lizenziert.
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