Andrew's Star Frontiers

Compilation of my house rules...

As I'm a fan of the original AD rules, but wanted to incorporate the diversity of Zeb's Guide, these are modifications of the SF2000 rules (which can be found in the Projects section). My two-fold goal was to try to keep it simple and fully backward compatible with the modules.

Character Generation

House Rules for Character Creation

Build Points
Skill Points
Advantages & Disadvantages

Background Points

After determining Ability Scores, it is time to flesh out the character. Player characters in the standard Star Frontiers campaign begin just upon reaching the prime of their lives. They are on the cusp of venturing forth into the world to live out their dreams! However, before reaching that point in their lives, their youth has taught them many valuable life skills that aren’t necessarily given through the didactics of a classroom! These basic life skills are represented by the base skills that are every PC gets.

In addition, a PC gains Background Points (BPs) to increase ability scores or improve their racial abilities.

1) A character has a number of BPs equal to two plus ten percent of INT. BP = (INT * 10%) + 2

2) These BP (ranging from 3 to 12) may be spent on the following:

Ability Scores: Improve one Ability Score one point per BP used.
Racial Abilities: Improve Racial Abilities one point per BP used.
Skills: BPs may also be used to improve or learn any Language skill, Knowledge skill, Interpersonal skill, or Personal skill as per the next section Character Development. In addition, BPs may be used to improve any bonus skills granted as a result of race or background. The BP cost is half the PSA XP cost listed.
Advantages and Disadvantages: Special qualities in PCs that may only normally be obtained at character creation. They represent traits or backgrounds that help or hinder PCs. Each Disadvantage taken for a PC grants an additional number of BP as listed. Each Advantage costs the number of BP listed. Advantages and Disadvantages are listed below.

Advantages and Disadvantages - PRELIMINARY

Each Advantage or Disadvantage has a BP cost listed in parentheses after the name. This is the number of BP it cost to "buy" the advantage, or the number of BP gained for taking the disadvantage. Some Advantages and Disadvantages have varying degrees of impact upon a character. These are represented by multiple BP levels listed.

ADVANTAGES
Acute Sense* (2, 4, 6)(Vision, Hearing, Smell, Touch)
All Perception skill use involving the use of the heightened sense gain a +10%, +20%, or +30%.

Ambidextrous (4) or 2, 4, 8 (offset 5%, 10%, and both?)
The character can use two hands equally well. For Dralasites, this Advantage can be taken multiple times, allowing the use of an extra limb for each additional Advantage.

Aptitude* (4)
A PC with the Aptitude Advantage has an unusual propensity for a specific skill. He can learn the chosen skill as a PSA skill.

Attractive (2, 4, 6, 8)
Race: Human, Vrusk, Yazirian, Dralasite, Ifshnit,
A PC with this advantage is a particularly attractive member of his race. This may be due to his voice, appearance, scent, or a combination of these or more. For each level taken, a PC gains a +10% to interpersonal interactions with members of opposite gender of the same race. They gain +5% to interpersonal interactions with members of the same gender (or neutral gender in the case of Dralasites) of the same race.

Bi-cultural (5)
Instead of having the native language skill at level 6, the character gains his native language at level 5 and another language at level 4. In addition, he can learn Interpersonal: Diplomacy of both cultures as PSA skills.

Force of Will (3, 6, 9)
Start with an additional 1, 2, or 3 Edge Points

Toughness (4)
Characters with this advantage are unusually resistant to bumps and bruises. They only take one-half of Stun damage.

Well Connected (3)
A remarkably social individual, this PC has twice as many starting contacts as other characters.

Upper class
More starting funds. Stipend per month.

DISADVANTAGES

Delusion (2, 4, 6)
From simple to complex, minor to extreme, this can have varying degrees of impact on the character. Ie. Superstitious (won't open umbrellas indoors), Racist (all Vrusk are really just large bugs and should be exterminated), etc. Any of the very extreme delusions would likey be worth higher BP, but also make a character unplayable.

Hunted* (2, 4, 6)
The character is the object of a manhunt. The pursuer may be, law enforcement, a criminal faction, a corporation, or even an individual. The intensity and danger of the hunter varies with the level of the Disadvantage.

Missing Arm

Missing Leg

Non-combatant (6) (Combat Paralysis ?): No RS bonus in dodging. No IM benefit? All Weapons are non-PSA skills.

Phobia* (variable)
-10 to -50% when in presence of object of fear. BP gained equal to the severity of the phobia (1-5) multiplied by a ratio representing how common the object is. 1 for common objects, 0.5 for uncommon, 2 for very common (Vrusk, Water, open areas)Common phobias among humans: arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights),

Poorly Connected (3)
PC starts with half the usual number of friends and acquaintances.

Sensory Impairment (2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
All skills requiring the impaired sensory modality suffer a penalty of -10% to -50%. Note: if there is impaired vision, the penalties will apply to ALL skills requiring sight, such as repair skills, and ranged combat – unless corrected lenses are worn.

Unattractive (2, 4, 6, 8)

Contacts

Friends help you move, true friends help you move a body…

Characters also do not grow up alone in a vacuum, they have friends and family which help shape who they are – as well as who provide anchors amidst the storms of life. This is represented by starting Contacts. Each PC has a number of close friends/family equal to 10% of PER score. In addition, they have a number of acquaintances equal to 10% of LDR score.

The difference is that the former are willing to sacrifice much to help out the PC, whereas the latter offer aid insomuch as it does not costs themselves too much.

A PC doesn’t necessarily need to choose all his contacts at character creation.

Skill Points

A character starts with a number of skill points equal to 7 + 10% of the Logic ability score. These skill points are spent as indicated in the table below to buy skill levels.

1. PSA: Choose up to three Primary Skills Areas (PSAs) with which the character has a particular affinity. If two or three of the PSAs are similar, the character may belong to a Profession. A character with a Profession represents one who has likely learned his skills through a systemic form of training. To reflect this, a character who chooses two PSAs from the same Profession gain an additional 3 skill points. A character who chooses all three PSAs from within the same Profession gain an additional 4 skill points (for a total of +7 skill points).

2. Buy Skills: Skills outside of the PSA of a character cost twice as much to purchase.

Skill Level	XP Cost: Within PSA (Outside PSA)	Cumulative XP Cost	Example
1	1 (2)	1 (2)	Rudimentary Level
2	2 (4)	3 (6)	Basic: Apprentice
3	4 (8)	7 (14)	Intermediate
4	6 (12)	13 (26)	Advanced: Supervisors
5	9 (18)	22 (44)	Expert
6	12 (24)	34 (68)	Master
7	16 (32)	50 (100)
8	20 (40)	70 (140)	Renowned
9	25 (50)	95 (190)
10	30 (60)	125 (250	Top of Field

Primary Skill Areas and Professions

Each PC may select up to 3 Primary Skill Areas (PSA) at character creation. These represent areas in which the PC has a natural affinity or concerted training, and therefore skill associated with the PSA are easier for the PC to learn than skills that are outside the PSA. In addition, should more than one PSA be chosen from the same Profession, then that character gains extra skill points at character creation, representing the more cohesive nature of the training and cross-training that occurs.

A character may chose to only select one or two PSAs at creation, and choose the remaining one(s) later in the game. This represents the character who later develops an affinity for a skill area or receives formal training later on. However, XP previously spent to gain skills in the new PSA at the higher non-PSA cost are NOT "refunded".

Professions and their associated PSAs are as follows:

1) Counselor: Administrator, Diplomat, Psychotherapist

2) Enforcer: Combat Specialist, Heavy Weapons Expert, Investigator, Security Specialist

3) Scientific Specialist (SciSpec): Academician, Astrogator, Engineer, Physician, Scientist, System Specialist, Wilderness Expert

4) Technical Expert (TechEx): Computer Specialist, Pilot, Roboticist, Technical Engineer

Skills

Skills represent that body of applicable knowledge a character has. Should a situation arise where there is no listed skill that matches what a PC is attempting to do, a GM should have the player roll the closest related skill or simply make an ability score check that is most appropriate.

Some skills all PCs have fundamental access to. These are the Base Skills that all PCs start the game with. These Base Skills all start at Level 0 except for the Language Skills. They are listed on the Character Sheet (available in the download section) and include the following:
- Personal: Perception
- Interpersonal: Diplomacy
- Interpersonal: Communication
- Language: Pan-galactic 5
- Language: (Own race) 6
- Weapons: Unarmed Combat

In addition, PCs have at least a basic understanding of all the skills that are related to their areas of training. Thus, all the skills within their PSAs are known at level 0 automatically, even if no XP are spent to learn them. (Example: a starting PC chooses the Combat Specialist and the Physician PSAs. He spends most of his experience points on the Weapons: Beam Pistols as well as few points on Medical: Illness, and Medical: Wounds I. However, with his exposure to medicine, he is also able to utilize the skill Medical: Wound II or Medical: Wounds IV - albeit, only at level 0 and thus a very unlikely to succeed! (But the small chance that he can perform the life-saving surgery which he once observed 5 years ago is better than the no chance any other person without the Physician PSA has!)

Lists of Skills by PSA:
Combat Specialist:
First Aid Skill Suite
Interpersonal: Body Speak

Small Unit Tactics

Weapons: Beam Pistol

Weapons: Beam Rifle

Weapons: Grenade

Weapons: Unarmed Combat
Weapons: Melee Weapons
Weapons: Missles
Weapons: Projectile Pistols
Weapons: Gyrojet Pistol
Weapons: Gyrojet/Projectile Rifles
Weapons Skill Suite

Diplomat:
Interpersonal: Communication
Interperonsal: Diplomacy
Language (all)
Knowledge (all Frontier cultures)
Professional: Politics (all Frontier systems)

Physician:
First Aid Skill Suite
Medical Skill Suite
Medical: Administer Medication
Medical: Bionics
Medical: Cybernetics
Medical: Devices
Medical: Diagnosis (race)
Medical: Illness (race)
Medical: Infection (race)
Medical: Vetinary
Medical: Wounds I
Medical: Wounds II
Medical: Wounds III (race)
Medical: Wounds IV (race)

Skill Suites

In lieu of choosing individual skills, Skill Suites are "packages" of related skills that would be learned by individuals who have had formal training. When a suite is "bought", the XP cost is cheaper than were the skills "purchased" individually. Skill Suites can only be taken by those who have the Skill Suite in one of their PSAs.

There is a Skills Suite that corresponds to each of the Alpha Dawn Skill sets. This makes it easy to convert AD characters and modules into these House Rules. (can't think of a good name for it 8-)

Name of Suite: (XP to gain Level 1 in all Skills, XP to raise Skills from Level 1 to Level 2, XP to raise Skills from Level 2 to Level 3)

Computer Skill Suite (6, 12, 24)
Computers: Acess & Operate
Computers: Bypass Security
Computers: Defeat Security
Computers: Display Information
Computers: Interface
Computers: Program Manipulation
Computers: Program Writing
Computers: Repair Mainframe

First Aid Skill Suite (3, 6, 12)
Medical: Administer Medications
Medical: Devices
Medical: Wounds I
Medical: Wounds II

Medical Skill Suite (8, 16, 32)
Medical: Administer Medication
Medical: Devices
Medical: Diagnosis (race)
Medical: Illness (race)
Medical: Infection (race)
Medical: Wounds I
Medical: Wounds II
Medical: Wounds III (race)
Medical: Wounds IV (race)
Science: Biology: Physiology (race)

Technician Skill Suite (6, 12, 24)
Technical: Communication Devices: Operate
Technical: Machinery: Operate
Technical: Machinery: Repair
Technical: Security Systems: Operate
Technical: Security Systems: Detect
Technical: Security Systems: Open Locks
Vehicles: Ground
Vehicles: Repair

Weapons Skill Suite (4, 8, 16)
Weapons: Beam Pistol
Weapons: Beam Rifle
Weapons: Grenades
Weapons: Projectile Pistol
Weapons: Gyrojet Pistol
Weapons: Gyroject / Projectile Rifle

Edge Points

These are to represent the heroism aspect of the game. Edge Points (EP) allow PC's (and even some NPC's!) to affect the fate of their character. Each character starts with 2 Edge Points and gains an additional one for every 20 Experience Point. (Should a GM want, they can get rid of Edge Points for a gritty campaign, or give them out more frequently - such as 1 for every 10 XP - for a more Heroic or Cinematic campaign.)

Examples of Edge Point use are as follows:

1) Re-roll the dice by using one Edge Point: Of great use when that telling shot to the evil ringleader just misses... or failing the Dexterity check to avoid falling into the Lake of Fire while jumping from pillar to pillar...

2) Locate a contact: Janelle and her posse are trying to track down the location of a suspected fraudulent banker responsible for stealing thousands of cred from her employer. The players however, have run up against a wall and don’t know how to proceed. Janelle's player decides to use an Edge Point to “remember” her good friend happens to work at Trans-travel, and can provide information about the last Void Jump ticket that the suspect purchased.

3) Find Equipment: The battle is going badly for the PC's, two of their number are down and Grevan is trapped in a Tangler grenade's sticky threads. His player spends an EP to remember that he had forgotten to take out the spare bottle of solvaway from his vest pocket that's just in reach.

Aging

As PCs age, they have more time to learn skills. However, the effects of age also take a toll on the character’s body.l To reflect this, there is a -1 penalty to STR, STA, DEX, and RS for each year older that he starts over his prime age. On the other hand, he gains 5 XP for each year older he starts over his prime age. This XP may be used as normal for learning skills, improving Racial Abilities, or offsetting/increasing ability scores. (Note: the extra XP from aging does not grant Edge Points as per…)

Prime ages (?):
Human 25
Dralasite 18
Vrusk 15
Yazirian 22

Combat Mechanics - Ranged

To make Ranged Combat more deadly and quick, as well as try to incorporate the reality of hit location being very important as to how much damage is dealt, I tried to come up with a revised system. Here's how they work.

Basic

Calculate percentage to hit.
Roll to hit. If roll is equal to or under % to hit, then attack is successful. If the roll is above the % to hit, it fails.
Roll weapon damage. Roll additional dice of damage equal to tens digit of to hit roll.

Expanded

Determine location of attack by ones digit of the attack roll.
The final Stamina damage done is modified by the multiplier for the location hit.

Advanced Options

For every 20 points of damage to a body part (counted before the Sta modifier), the target is wounded, with effects as shown. Ie. 43 points of damage to the Dominant Hand does 11 points of STA damage, and gives a -40% penalty to every action requiring the use of that hand.
For every two levels of skill in an attack, the attacker can choose to bump the location one region. (Ie. From the hand to the upper arm/shoulder)
For every ranged increment, it takes away two levels in regards to bumping the location.

Hit Location Table

EXAMPLE:

A Star Law Ranger is ambushed by an enemy agent as he is concluding an investigation in a bombed computer facility – a firefight at close range ensues. The Ranger fires three shots from his Gyrojet Pistol at the traitorous Yazirian and needs a 32 to hit. He rolls a 29, 37, and 08 - the first and third shot were successful, but the second one missed by a few millimeters!

Time to roll damage:
First shot: 2d10 plus an addition 2d10 (for rolling a 29 – the ten’s digit being number of extra d10). The player rolls 18 points of damage to the dominant chest of the Yazirian (again, the location determined by the one’s digit of the 29). Following the table, this causes 18 points of STA damage (1x STA multiplier), as well as giving the agent a -5% penalty to everything he does from the Wound. T

he second shot missed as discussed (rolling a 37 where a 32 was needed), so we move onto resolving the third shot. Unlike the first shot, no bonus damage dice so only 2d10 are rolled for a total of … 10 points of damage. Looking up the table, the one’s digit of 08 indicates the Dominant Upper Arm was hit (in this case, the Right Arm). This cause ½ of the damage to the Yazirian’s STA (5 points) as well as a Wound leading to a -10% to everything he does with that arm (remember, this is in addition to the -5% penalty to all actions already due to the first shot to the chest!)

The Yazirian responds back with several shots, one of which manages to cause a minor injury to the Ranger.

The next round, the Ranger is wounded and so needs a 27 to hit. Lucky for him, all three shots were successful with rolls of 14, 18, and 20! Damage from the first shot is 2d10 plus 1d10 to the Non-dominant Lower Arm/Hand (with a roll of 14). The damage rolled is 23 giving the Yazirian a -10% to everything needing that left hand from the Moderate Wound (such as if he were using a rifle). However, only 1/4 of the damage carries through to the STA, leading to 6 points lost.

The second shot does 2d10 + 1d10 again to the right shoulder; this time, 14 points is rolled, which leads to ANOTHER -10% for the Light Wound! This also delivers 7 points of STA damage! The agent better think about getting some help or leaving soon as he now has a -25% to using his laser pistol and has taken a total of 36 STA damage!

Unfortunately for the Yazirian, he doesn’t have a chance to make that decision as the last of the Ranger’s three shots strikes home with 2d10 + 2d10 damage to the Head/Neck (roll of 20)! Not only does the 26 points of damage cause a Moderate Wound giving another -20% to everything the Yazirian does, but the 39 points of STA damage (26 x 1.5) is sufficient to put down the traitor before he has time to set off the hidden explosives in the trapped computer!

Ranged Combat - Expansion

Should a GM desire, restrictions can be placed upon how much extra damage is done against foes with unknown weaknesses.

For example, the PC's encounter a strange alien creature that has no reconizable head - only multiple tentacles radiating from a a multi-lobulated 8 meter diamatere spheroid body. Not sure where to aim, they just try to cause as much harm simply by pouring as much firepower into the thing as possible. Ruling that the PC's aren't aiming at anything specifically, the GM rules that only 2d10 extra damage from the skill check can be used, even if normally a successful roll would give more extra dice of damage. However, during the fight, the Environmentalist spends time observing the creature and notices that it happens to be extremely protective of one of its tentacles, and so yells for the entire team to aim there (makes a successful Science: Biology skill check with an 64). The GM rules that with a 64, the PC's can now do up to 6d10 extra dice of damage since he recognized that the unique tentacle is the sensory organ for the creature.

A similar case can be used for unfamiliar robots and the Robotics: Identification skill.