 September 10, 2014 - 6:08am | I was just looking at the back pf a book that descibed a character as a psychic detective. You could do a character like this in game withot using mentalism rules. Simply allow the character to use a INT check to "read" an NPC, clue or situation. Put a limit of 3 checks per game day or 5 per game session should keep the ability from being overused. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 11, 2014 - 6:00pm | This could be a quirk. A unique special ability that an NPC has. I would not let a PC have it since it would give them an advantage over the other players unless they had similar low power abilities. It could work like the Psychic Detectives on Psych and The Mentalist. The being is not only very observant but can also draw connections from unrelated facts and obscure knowledge. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 11, 2014 - 6:52pm | If its only an NPC then you dont need a mechanic for it, you simply write it that way and then the NPC becomes the hero with the PCs relagated to side kick status. True enough it gives a PC an advantage but I dont think that it would unballance the game over much especially if the player wanted to commit to the role of psychic detective and not just play a generic RPG hero with an add on ability. You are correct that other "quirks" could be used and in fact this probably works as a edge in the edge and flaw system. I've suggested it actually as a way to walk up to the line of mentalism without crossing into it. I know some are not fans of the mentalism rules. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 12, 2014 - 11:51pm | The original Doctor Who the Doctor seldom left the Tardis. He was simply to powerful and all knowing. If only one PC has a unique power then the others all get delegated to side kick status. If the PC with the power commits to the role then the disadvantages of it must be added also. Take Sherlock Holmes. He is the original Psychic Detective and could solve anything. He also was completely socially inept or more accurately did not care. Did not know the Earth revolved around the Sun since it wasn't important to everyday life and had a drug addiction. As to sidekicks most versions of the Holmes stories seem to forget that Watson was a surgeon and combat veteran. He tends to get regulated to chubby idiot who has to be told alot of obvious things by Holmes. This probably won't sit well with the other PCs. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 13, 2014 - 5:42pm | The edge and flaw system would enforce a flaw to handicap a PC with such an edge. Interesting that you mention Holmes, I was wondering about creating a flaw involving drinking or even drug use... I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 14, 2014 - 10:11am | Interesting that you mention Holmes, I was wondering about creating a flaw involving drinking or even drug use...
I think I saw one with the Humma Survivalist. |
September 14, 2014 - 10:21am | Addiction is a state that is characterized by compulsive drug use or compulsive engagement in rewarding behavior, despite adverse consequences. Addictions ex: Alcohol, drug use (legal and illegal), porn etc. The drug use could be: tobacco, cocaine based, cannabis based, pills (valium, etc) not to mention things like common things turned into illegal useage - like whip cream cans/whippets, etc. <plus many more things> But intriguingly, with the different races, there would be some things that we may not think about! Imagine if Febreze was illegal on Groth because it creates a high when Dralasite come in contact with it. Or if there was a drug that was illegal on Araks because it displayed a behavior in Yazirians similiar to cats with catnip. |
 September 15, 2014 - 7:47am | Pah! Yazirian catnip! ROFL! Mercy on the thing with the smell. :D View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 October 13, 2014 - 4:58pm | What about a drug that creates battle rage in humans? Very addicting but slowly reduces the Int level over time. Even worse, it is extracted from yazirian glands. |
 October 30, 2014 - 12:12pm | Oh I like that and would be a good plot twist. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
November 2, 2014 - 10:30am | What about a drug that creates battle rage in humans? Very addicting but slowly reduces the Int level over time. Even worse, it is extracted from yazirian glands. You're asking for a race war with this. Humans vs yazirians with dralasites thrown in for fun because something like this must have come from the drug labs of the most famouse drug pusher in the Frontier, the Malthar. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 10:53am | Could come from outside the Frontier... other powers that want to destabilize the UPF and create a race war too. This power does not need to be the Sathar either. Or it could be a classic Mad Scientist plot, some guy/corporation decides to experiment on Yazirian & Humans... prisoners, the poor, people who will not be missed (PC could be railroaded and found guilty of a capital punishment or just abducted... and that is how the PC gets involved) and has some hidden agenda of his own for Galactic conquest and a new better perfect society of enhanced beings. Or a human colony government discovers this and then a faction think they can create super soldiers and smash the yoke of the UPF & Corporations, put the other races in proper order and become the new rulers of not just the Frontier but the Galaxy! If you want either cloak & dagger or a dark terrible collapse of the UPF this could be the trigger event. This also could fall under dark secrets the UPF would want kept secret & stopped at all cost before the public both humans & yazirians find out. There could be a secretive sub-culture in the UPF in which elite rich citizens of several races do a variety of drugs that are all extracted from various sentient beings... a pleasure world in which people disappear from time to time, who are then harvested and killed for their unique essences and also body parts for the rich decedent types, a very specialized supplier of the rare & exotic & forbidden pleasures & needs... such a criminal operation need not be from the Frontier could even scare the hell out of the Malthar. The Malthar in fact might suspect it, and be the one that manipulates the PCs to bring down the threat. Could be a chance to run a darker space mofia based campaign as well. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
November 2, 2014 - 11:27am | @Tchklinxa it could be instigated by a cadre. http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/4553 I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 2:01pm | Yes, that would be very viable... why strike when you can revolt and gain total control or a crisis can be used to power grab.Then the question is what sort of Cadres would benefit? And how? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
November 2, 2014 - 2:45pm | Yes, that would be very viable... why strike when you can revolt and gain total control or a crisis can be used to power grab.Then the question is what sort of Cadres would benefit? And how? 1/ You could tailer make one to fit your adventure. 2. Defenders of the Divine Will: http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/4556 This cult is a unique conglomerate of various religious groups that believe that the divine will of their individual deities fromed and evolved planets perfectly. They are vehemently opposed to GODCo's terra-forming practices and some members have even threatened violence if it does not cease. Currently, they are considered a legal organization. Mega-corps are worried that the DDW's views may spread to eventually encompass any business that alters the original form of nature (including mining, forestry, and other operations that altar a planet's appearance and possibly cosmetics, plastic surgery, and other products or services that altar an individual's appearance). This cult vehemently opposes GODCo so what if they released the plague in an attempt to discredit the Yazirian mega corp? the infiltrated a lab got a sample, played with it and released it. (they have the vaccine for themselve of course). There plan it to allow information on the plague sample to be released to the public so that an outraged public will call for the heads of GODCo and possibily the Fo1. yazirian governments on Yast, Guna Goru and Scree Fron will be shocked and denounce Fo1 and GODCo for their own survival. Star Law and Space Fleet will move in to control the situation. Things could get ugly. 3. The Free Frontiersman Foundation The Free Frontiersman Foundation (FFF) once was a legitimate political faction within the United Planetary Federation. Over the years it lost members and political pull, and eventually a right wing group took control of it. While it is still public, many FFF agents and operations are covert and terrorist oriented. The purpose is to overthrow the UPF and supplant it with a fascist, galaxy spanning government. The FFF will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. the blue plague might be the opportunity they are looking to tear everything down and put in place a facist state. 4. The Liberators This is a terrorist organization that is dedicated to "liberating the oppressed masses from the chains of mega corporation tyranny." This is an extremely violent, illegal, quasi-political, economic cult that has already taken credit for hundreds of deaths due to bombings and terrorists raids, usually on mega corporation headquarters. Star Law suspects the Liberators are backed by a few rich individuals or another cult, but they have no leads yet on whom or what finances them. Though the identity of the leader of the Liberators is also unknown, certain terrorist members have been identified and their faces and descriptions are broadcast regularly throughout the Frontier. Getting a mega corp blamed for this would work in their favor. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 6:52pm | And there could even be additional "powers" behind any Cadre... so the cadre is there already willing manpower and with careful manipulation another party could be even further back in the shadows... So for a modern example of a shadow conspiracy and a cadre: Greenpeace protests about Navy sonar kills whales: Okay I know this idea sort of appeared after someone suggested dolphins might be able to stun prey with sonar, and then someone decided based on that man made sonar must kill not just stun too, now it was proved incorrect that sonar stuns or kills... but that put the idea out there that "sonar could kill"... so now every whale that washes up on shore is a "sonar death". Modern sonar can not kill whales or make them deaf, now boat propellers and explosives can kill marine life, injure, maim and deafen animals yes.. but Greenpeace is out protesting Sonar... so you have to ask why, well saving the whales brings $ in to help with paying for things at Greenpeace, which allows them to operate their ships and other activities. So if you have a funder that wants Sonar to stop to save the whales and protesting that even brings in more $, you will keep protesting to keep the $ coming. So Greenpeace just wants to save whales but needs money to do that, but on a conspiracy note who would benefit from the Navy not using sonar? Everyone operating submarines of any kind & age... so hostile governments, smugglers of guns, drugs & people, terrorists & yes, the real bad guys of the civilian world have purchased subs, yes some have been caught doing the smuggling thing. But wait there is more "sonar kills" fears help fund scientific research into sonar, and research & development into technology that is the least intrusive, so the scientific tech folks have an interest too in funding Greenpeace as it keeps grant money coming, and helps justify new tech purchases. Saving the Planet is also a business opportunity. Hopefully this hypothetical conspiracy using a real conflict of interests between groups did not offend anyone. So sathar, AI, a corporation or other bad guys could be in the shadows behind a cadre's activities. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
