Action Check Disclaimers

Table of Contents
Action Check is an on-line
TABLE OF CONTENTS

magazine dedicated to the Cover Art: “Star Cruiser” by Andreas Maaninka

Alternity Science Fiction Role- Mr_maaninka@hotmail.com
playing Game.

This work is offered free of Page 3 Editorial [Neil Spicer]

charge to all interested par- Winter Contest
ties and is not to be sold in
any form. It may be printed if Page 4 The Reaction Score
distributed free of charge.
Letters from Our Readers
This work supports the Alter-
nity roleplaying line, specifi- Page 6 Dee Frost & The Snowman [Neil Spicer]
cally the Alternity Players Star*Drive SCM’s
Handbook and Gamemaster
Guide. In addition it supports Page 10 Eve [Dragan Ciric]
the Campaign Settings
Star*Drive, Gamma World, Alternity Cyberpunk SCM
Dark*Matter, and Tangents
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Page 12 The Nordics [David K. Tormsen]
Alternity is a registered trade- Dark*Matter xenoform
mark of Wizards of the Coast,
Inc.
Page 16 Veda [David K. Tormsen]
The Action Check staff is not Dark*Matter Faith FX
associated with Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. Page 20 Dvergar [David K. Tormsen]
Dark*Matter xenoform
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.:
http://www.wizards.com
Page 22 Sky Rangers [Dwayne Leonard ]
STAFF New Star*Drive career
Publisher/Layout: Jeff Ibach
Editor: Jim Sharkey Page 23 Bah Humbug! [Neil Spicer]
Oracle and Submission
Coordinator: Neil Spicer
Star*Drive Transmission
Artwork:
Cover Design: Daryl Blasi Page 24 Gridsites [Vassilis Stratigakis]
The official Star*Drive web site
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
E-Mail:
actioncheck@hotmail.com
Page 25 Oracle Q&A — by Neil Spicer

BACK ISSUES
www.alternity.net

Action Check On-Line Magazine is published bimonthly by Jeff Ibach

Issue #15, November-December 2001

2
 Editorial: Winter Contest !!! Action Check
Submissions

EDITORIAL
Following up on a suggestion made by one of our subscribers (in
AC#14’s Reaction Score column), this issue’s editorial is being devoted to a
contest announcement. For many of us, winter is almost here and that par- To submit an article to Ac-
ticular season always seems to find its way into the adventures of virtually tion Check magazine, read
every roleplaying group at one time or another. There’s just something about and follow the guidelines
the sense of loss and danger surrounding winter wonderlands that appeals laid out at:
to the imagination and creativity of most Gamemasters.
So, in honor of Old Man Winter, Action Check would like to put out a www.alternity.net
call for creature submissions from any of the main Alternity campaign set-
tings (Star*Drive, Dark*Matter, Gamma World, StarCraft, or Tangents) that And send all submissions
(in txt, rtf or doc) to:
have a winter theme to them. To qualify for the contest, the creature must
possess some connection to winter, ice, cold, etc. It can be a mutant polar actioncheck@hotmail.com
bear from Gamma Terra, an ice demon from Dark*Matter’s xenoforms, or
even a hardy alien from one of the winter worlds of Star*Drive. The choice is Regular Features:
yours…
The rest of the ground rules are as follows: The Oracle: Ask your Alter-
1) Your entire submission must be 2,000 words or less. This is to nity rules questions to our
ensure we have enough space to print all of them together. all-knowing Oracle and
2) The Alternity statistics should also be included. Please follow the watch the answers appear!
format that appears in the Alien Compendium (1 or 2), Xenoforms, or
Transmissions: adventure
Gamma World’s Chapter 7 on the “Creatures of Gamma Terra.” If you
hooks, along the lines of
don’t have access to those accessories, refer to the previous issues of those previously found in
Action Check containing new creature articles. We’ve done several and Dragon Magazine for the
you should be able to follow that general format as well. Essentially, various campaign settings.
providing good ecological and habitat information about your creature
will be a definite plus. Gridsites: Alternity related
3) We must receive the submission by February 14th to make the Web sites that deserve rec-
deadline for publication in the next issue of Action Check. Anything re- ognition and serve a spe-
ceived after that date will miss the contest, but we’ll publish it in the fol- cific purpose.
lowing issue as a regular submission.
Creature Feature: Aliens,
4) Your entry should not duplicate any previously existing creature Creatures, Xenoforms, etc.
in its particular campaign setting, though a crossover beast from one for the Alternity campaign
setting to another is acceptable as long as it comes with a good back- settings.
story on how it got there. Still, from a creativity and originality stand-
point, these entries are less likely to win the overall contest. Futuretech: Gear, equip-
5) The creature must be something that could provide an encounter ment, vehicles, weapons,
challenge for a group of heroes. This doesn’t necessarily mean a com- armor and other hardware
bat-oriented beast. Civilized creatures that are more inclined to interact for the Alternity game.
with the heroes will also work out just fine. Ultimately we want each con-
Supporting Cast: NPC stats
test submission to provide new material for Alternity Gamemasters to
for insertion in Alternity
throw at their players’ heroes. games. All submissions
6) Action Check staff members are not eligible to compete, since must follow the Supporting
we’ll be acting as the judges for all submissions that we receive. Cast Template in the Alter-
nity GMG!
That’s it. Now that you know the rules, let’s discuss the prize. Well…
errr, there really isn’t a prize, per se, other than the extreme satisfaction of Reviews: of Alternity or re-
knowing you have been declared the winner and seeing your article appear lated-use product.
at the top of the list. We’ll also ask our on-call artist to provide a special ren-
dition of your creature, as well as those that placed second and third, using Special FX: New FX/Psi or
mutations.
the detailed description in your write-up. Questions about the contest and
your final submission may be directed to actioncheck@hotmail.com. Plus cartoons, details of
campaign ideas, star sys-
-- Neil Spicer, Action Check Submission Coordinator tems, full adventures, etc.

3
 The Reaction Score
REACTION SCORE

Letters from our Readers

Tell us what you think of this issue’s articles, or 2) Jeff uses Microsoft Publisher to handle the
even a previous issue or publication from Action layout of each issue of Action Check (including the re-
Check. We appreciate any and all feedback. Your prints). He doesn’t really need anyone to send stuff to
comments go a long way toward providing encourage-
us pre-formatted. It’s his job to handle how we want to
ment for our contributors as well as an indication of
portray the article. In addition, we often get the assis-
what the Alternity community looks for in a support
publication. tance of our on-call artist, Dragan Ciric, to include new
drawings and artwork to accompany the text anyway.
MORE DARK*MATTER So, your best option on any submission (reprint or oth-
First of all sterling work, AC14 was excellent erwise) is to send it in as one big lump of text. Go
for me. As a Dark Matter fan the last few issues have ahead and include paragraph titles and indents, but
been quite light on that front, but this weekend's offer-
offer- aside from that, we’ll take it from there.
ings have more than made up for that! – Darren 3) Because many of the artists retain partial
rights to the images that appear in Wizards’ publica-
We're glad you liked it! We made a special
tions, we’re not allowed to duplicate them in a reprint
effort to include a bit more Dark*Matter stuff in the Hal-
loween issue (for obvious reasons), and in general, issue. Essentially, we only have the authority to repro-
we've tried to encourage our contributors to send us duce the text. This does however include any relevant
more Dark*Matter material. We've never been op- charts, tables, or maps that accompany such articles.
posed to publishing that campaign setting, but for We still get to print those. With regards to images in
some reason we just don't get very many submissions general, though, we can offer some guidance on the
for it. Keep your eyes opened, though. There's cer- sizing of artwork that comes in as a regular submission
tainly more to come. of a new original piece. Something in the 300DPI
range or a 640x480 pixel size is about the largest we
GUIDANCE ON REPRINTS AND FUTURE SUBMIS-
can handle. We really appreciate smaller images that
SIONS
can fit more easily into a single column of our layout
I am about 60% through scanning 'The Kind- Kind-
with the text wrapped around it. Sometimes we have to
ness of Strangers' and I was just after a few bits of info
tweak the size of an image just a little bit to get it to fit
from yourself or whoever does the final layouts. What
into our format. Hopefully, no one holds that against
format do you prefer? I have Office 2k so anything
us.
within that software is OK for me. What layout do you
4) Overall filesize is a MAJOR concern for us.
prefer, single column, 2, 3 or 4 etc.?
etc.? Or do you wish for
We need the final product to be as small as possible.
me just to send one big lump of text? Pictures, can you
Our Hotmail account only gives us 2 Mb of space to
use the artwork from Dragon or not? If yes, which for- for-
play with...but that's okay, we're actually happy with
mat is preferable to you and how much detail do you
that limitation because we don't ever want to produce
want: 200, 300, 400 DPI etc.? The file size isn't too much
an issue of Action Check (reprints or otherwise) that
of a problem for me as I have a fast connection but do
goes very far over 1 or 1.5 Mb, else it makes it more
you have a maximum file size you wish to receive?
difficult for some of our subscribers to download when
SCM profiles in the Dragon magazine are are in separate
they don't have a fast connection. If you plan to submit
boxes to the main text. Do you wish for these to be sent
artwork, lengthy text articles, etc. do your best to find
as a picture or converted to text? In short, if there is is
ways to limit the amount of space it will take up in the
anything I can do to save your time then I will happily
final issue.
try to help. – Darren
5) Again, because of space considerations,
convert everything into text if you can. If you want to
To take your questions in order:
save SCM profiles and other boxed text separately as
1) Jeff Ibach handles all of the publishing de-
"sidebar" files, go ahead and indicate that for us and
tails. He and our editor, Jim Sharkey, both prefer MS
we'll figure out where to place them when we do our
Word or rich-text format files. These simply make the
own layout/formatting. If you really want to go the extra
editorial and layout procedures go much more
mile, include a short text file or something explaining
smoothly. We can also handle pure text files (.txt), and
where each sidebar needs to be placed. Without the
even the text taken straight out of an email.

4
actual issue of Dragon or Dungeon magazine that con- venture
tains each article to be reprinted, it might be tough for Dragon #266: Back to the Future; 1950s

REACTION SCORE
us to figure out what goes where. roleplaying w/ Alternity
Lastly, we appreciate all of the support that Dragon #270: New Frontiers, conversion
everyone has shown for the reprints. Thanks to all of notes for Traveler
you for your willingness to share this stuff with the rest Dungeon #78: Deepstrike, S*D adventure
of the Alternity community. Without you, none of this
would be possible. Still in Hiding:
Dragon #249: Sixguns and Sesheyans
I am more than happy to acquire and scan Dragon #253: Sufficiently Advanced
material for
for future AC issues. But one problem is that I Magic
am not sure of what Dragon/Dungeon Magazine issues Dragon #257: Battlezone computer game
to get my hands on. If someone has a master list (or conversion
something close) of the Alternity articles (and the is-
is- Dragon #258: No One Can Hear You
sues they were in) that were printed, then that is all I Scream
need to get started. I think I speak for several people Dragon #260: Heroes & Villains of Zero
when I say that we are willing to help, but we need to Point
know where to look. – David Dragon #262: From Dungeons to Drive
space
Actually, a number of people have been ask- Dragon #264: Legacy of the Dragon –
ing for this kind of information…including the Action Vampires for Alternity
Check staff! Even we don’t know what Alternity articles Dragon #265: The Voice, D*M solo ad
appeared in every publication of Dragon and Dungeon venture
magazine. Fortunately, the Alternity community is far- Dragon #267: Eye in the Sky: Spy satel
reaching and with a little collaboration we have at least lites for D*M
this much of a list to share, including their current Dungeon #68: Convergence, S*D adven
“reprint” status: ture
Dungeon #83: London Calling, D*M ad
Already Reprinted: venture
Dragon #250: World of the Mechalus
Dragon #255: Starship Perks & Flaws (?) Articles We Don’t Have Permission to Reprint:
Dragon #257: World of the Weren TSR JAM 1999: Folds in the Tapestry,
Dragon #259: Armed and Dangerous – Fallout RPGA Alternity adventure
II Weapons Polyhedron #144: Arachna Australis, mu
Dragon #261: World of the Sesheyans tant spiders for GW
Dragon #263: World of the T'sa
Dragon #273: Arms Race – New Weap TEQUILA STARRISE
ons for S*D For one more time congratulations on the
Dragon #265, #266, #267, #268, #269, #270, great work you give away for free every other month!
#272, and #273: Transmissions You are one of those people that help keep the game
alive! I was wondering if on the current issue of Action
Already Received & Awaiting Re-publication: Check you could say something about the renewal of
Dragon Annual #4: The Kindness of Strang- www.tequilastarrise.net, so that more people will hear
ers, D*M adventure about it and help it grow and expand! I'm at your dis- dis-
Dragon #268: FX Artifacts posal if you have any questions concerning the site (its
Dragon #269: Urban Legends, D*M ad current status and future plans) or myself! – Vassilis
venture hooks & xenoforms
Dragon #271: Top Secret, new careers, Not only are we willing to say something about
skills and equipment for Alternity Tequila Starrise, but we want you to give it your own
Dragon #272: Gamma Squirrels, Mutant description! It’s infinitely better if the webmaster him-
Moose – animal heroes for GW self provides the information about his site. Look in our
Dungeon #80: A Head for Business, D*M Gridsites column in this very issue for a review of the
adventure jazzed up content of Tequila Starrise…the official
Star*Drive fan site as sanctioned by Wizards of the
Received in Photocopy Form & Awaiting Re-typing: Coast.
Dragon Annual #3: Star Frontiers Con
versions
Dragon #246: Omega Variant Solo Ad

5
 DEE FROST AND THE SNOWMAN
DEE & the SNOWMAN

By Neil Spicer with Artwork by Dragan Ciric

Deanna Frost – A Tech-Op [10]-bargain [11].

* -1 step bonus when trying to overcome electro-
SCM for Alternity Star*Drive magnetic interference similar to a Tendril “Burn”
** -1 step bonus due to StarMech heritage
(Note: This SCM is designed using the alternate
skill point system and the option for Cybertech. If Cybertech:
you don’t use these rules, adjust her skills and Nanocomputer (good), subdermal NIJack (good),
gear accordingly.) external neural 3D dataslot (good)
Gear:
Level 4 Human Tech-Op Roboticist/Technician CF short coat, 9mm pistol, specialized toolkit
STR 9 INT 13 (+2) (Technical Science-robotics), gridcaster, recrea-
DEX 11 (+1) WIL 8 tional X3D’s.
CON 9 PER 10
Durability: 9/9/5/5 Action Check: 14+/13/6/3 Personal Information:
Move: sprint 20, run 12, walk 4 #Actions: 2 Sex: Female
Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts: 2 Motivation: Winning Is Everything
Perks: Great Looks, Reputation Attitude: Conformist
Flaws: Delicate, Moderate Obsession Traits: Quiet, Romantic
(recreational X3D’s), Powerful Enemy
Background:
Attacks: Orphaned at the age of nine, Deanna
Unarmed* 4/2/1 d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s “Dee” Frost has learned to live most of her life
Pistol, 9mm 12/6/3 without developing strong
d4+1w/d4+2w/d4m relationships with other peo-
* +1 step penalty (untrained) ple. Instead, she possesses
a strong affinity for intelligent
Defenses: machines and robots, emo-
CF short coat d4-1 (LI), d4-1 tionally attaching to them like
(HI), d6-3 (En) surrogate family members.
+1 resistance modifier vs. Her choice to pursue a ro-
ranged attacks boticist career naturally fol-
+2 INT resistance modifier lowed, but the tragedies of
vs. encounter skills her life still haunt her to the
point that she often seeks ref-
Skills: uge in mind-bending and
Athletics [9]-climb [10]; Mod- mood-altering virtual reali-
ern Ranged Weapons [11]- ties.
pistol [12]; Vehicle Operation Dee’s mother and father
[11]-land [12]; Stamina [9]- served with the StarMech
endurance [10]; Computer task force aboard the SMS
Science [13]-AI [15], hacking Augustine during the GW2
[14], hardware [14]; Knowl- cruiser’s journey to the Ten-
edge [13]-language: Stan- dril star system. Prior to meeting one another,
dard [16], -system: Tendril [16]; System Opera- both her parents held positions as junior scien-
tion [13]-communications* [14], sensors* [14]; tists, their duties specifically involving the investi-
Technical Science** [13]-juryrig [15], repair [14], gation of alien sites on Atlas. Fortunately, they
robotics [16]; Awareness [8]-perception [9]; were not aboard the Augustine during 2448 when
Street Smart [8]-criminal elements [9], grid savvy an experiment involving one of the alien artifacts
[9]; Entertainment [10]-dance [11]; Interaction catastrophically destroyed the vessel. Instead,

6 Neil Spicer is the coordinator of Action Check. He can be reached at purestrain@hotmail.com

they were enjoying their honeymoon on nearby “Snowman”. Dee culled together bits and pieces
Alaundril. Dee was born over thirty years later. of equipment over the past ten years to construct
In 2489, two important things happened in him, including salvaged components from for-

DEE & the SNOWMAN

Dee’s life. First, the drivesat transmissions from mer-Governor Harrison’s war robots brought into
Hammer’s Star suddenly stopped. In combina- the system aboard the Augustine. So far, Dee
tion with the continuing communications blackout has won eight battles in a row with “Snowman”,
from the Stellar Ring, the event brought mass seven by knockout. This has earned her a few
confusion and even some amount of hysteria to enemies along the way. One of her current rivals
the population of Alaundril and much of the even hires out a group of thugs to keep tabs on
Verge. Supplies had grown short and the mea- her, learn her secrets, and harass her in any way
ger equipment and provisions her parents kept that will lower her chances of winning another
for themselves following the loss of Governor Har- battle.
rison and the Augustine were looked upon greed- At a young 22 years of age, Dee stands
ily by those with far less. Later during that same 5’4” tall and weighs a meager 105 lbs. She has
year, a series of riots occurred and looters broke long dark brown curls, light brown or mocha skin,
into their shop. In the ensuing violence and fire, and dark eyes. Her style of dress changes de-
Dee lost her family and all of their possessions. pending on her current state of mind. She usu-
She’s kept the trauma bottled up inside ever ally favors at least one of the bolder colors (i.e.,
since. red, orange, or yellow) when heading out to a
The second important event in 2489 in- party at the local dance clubs, or a plain neutral
volved Dee’s relocation to a foster home on grey jumpsuit during her more mellow mood
Darkhold, the seedy space station nestled among swings. Her personality can be characterized as
the asteroids of the Cyra Belt. A friend of the fam- quietly romantic if laying off the X3Ds, or akin to a
ily agreed to provide for the girl and apprenticed party animal and predator when actively
her in the ways of designing robots as a form of ‘chipping’.
therapy. Her skills rapidly improved and Dee fur-
ther developed them by participating in after- SCR-
SCR-3, the “Snowman” — A Robot
hours jaunts at the local arena. Semi-
professional roboticists would bring their latest SCM ffor
or Alternity Star*Drive
models to compete with one another in contests
of programming skill, artistic expression with life- (Note: This SCM is designed using the Dataware
like aesthetics, and even gladiatorial combat. By supplement and alternate skill point system.)
her mid-teens, Dee had already established a
reputation as a prize-winning engineer. Level 3 Commando-series StarMech Military Ro-
Her success did little to balance her life, bot
however. The ensuing victory celebrations lured STR 15 (+3) INT 14 (+2)
Dee into the dark underworld of illegal X3Ds and DEX 7 WIL 9
so-called ‘greyware’. Dee routinely uses such en- CON 12 PER 7
tertainment programs and facilities to lose herself Durability: 12/12/6/6 Action Check: 15+/14/6/3
from the pains and pressures of real life. To the Move: sprint 22, run 14, walk 4 #Actions: 3
casual observer this is not easily evident until one Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts: None
gets to know her. When she isn’t ‘simming’ or Perks: Redundant Systems
‘chipping’ Dee’s demeanor is quiet and reserved, Flaws: Secret Orders
almost to the point of total shyness. But, when in-
dulging herself at a social function, Dee can Attacks:
quickly become the life of the party, appearing Grav Mace 16/8/4
much more animated and talkative. The transi- d8+2s/d6+2w/d8+2w LI/O
tion can be disconcerting. Hvy Charge Machine Gun* 16/8/4
Currently, Dee has obtained corporate d8w/2d6w/2d4m HI/G
sponsorship to join the professional circuit for ro- Arc Gun* 16/8/4
bot competitions. She continues to work hard at d8+1s/d8w/d6+3w En/G
fielding prize-winning entries for each contest. Grenade (smoke)** x 6 16/8/4 Special
Her favorite is a gladiator robot nicknamed the Special
Grenade (frag)** x 2 16/8/4

7
 d4w/d4+2w/d6+2w HI/G online in the year 2400 and he fought with distinc-
* -1 step accuracy bonus tion at the Battle of Songham in 2401, as well as
** +1 step accuracy penalty the aftermath of the Expansion Pentad’s defeat in
DEE & the SNOWMAN

that star system. In late 2404, and after heavy

Defenses: wartime repairs, SCR-3 joined the research ves-
Light neutronite armor 2d4 (LI), 2d4 (HI), d6+2 sel SMS Augustine on its mission to the Tendril
(En), Good toughness colony in the Verge. When the ship arrived in
+3 resistance modifier vs. melee attacks 2405, he continued to provide military security for
+2 INT resistance modifier vs. encounter skills Governor Robert Harrison’s regime and Dr. Eliza-
beth Danwin’s research for over forty years.
Body Type In 2448, SCR-3’s systems went offline fol-
Processor: Good (10 active memory slots) lowing a massive explosion aboard the
Actuators: Hydraulic Augustine. Much of the ship disintegrated as a
Casing: Light neutronite casing (Good tough- result of the experiments conducted upon an
ness): 2d4 (LI), 2d4 (HI), d6+2 (En) alien artifact from Atlas. Pieces of the Augustine
Chassis: 3m tall, 2m wide (too big for most doors) rained down onto the planet’s surface, taking the
Data Port: Socket, telepresence link robot with it. SCR-3’s hardened systems and por-
Manipulators: Claws tions of his memory core managed to survive the
Propulsion: Legs impact, but the rest of his chassis was reduced to
Sensor: Holo, pickup/voicebox, motion sensors scrap. Looters eventually discovered him and
Tools: sold his components to Dee Frost in 2493.
Key Skills: Since that time, Dee has painstakingly
Armor Operation [15]-powered [16] restored SCR-3’s outer shell, spending most of
Athletics [15]-throw [16] her money on acquiring the hard-to-find parts
Heavy Weapons [15]-direct fire [16] with which his systems are more familiar. Her
Melee Weapons [15]-powered [16] efforts have paid off in a completely renovated
Stamina [12]-endurance [13] and “classic” robot that routinely wins awards at
Computer Science [14]-hacking [15] the exhibitions she attends. She renamed him
Knowledge [14] the “Snowman” after entering him into a gladiato-
System Operation [14]-communications rial contest with a winter-white paint-scheme.
[15], sensors [15] The combat floor was also covered in ice to test
Awareness [9]-perception [10] each robot’s mobility, and thanks to Dee’s last-
minute adjustments the “Snowman” won the
Personal Information: championship.
Motivation: Helping Others Over time, SCR-3 has come to enjoy his
Attitude: Ethical new relationship with Dee. Other than his hard-
Traits: Courageous, Kind coded combat skills, he remembers very little
about his experiences in the StarMech military.
Background: He views her as his family now, and someone that
SCR-3 carries a number of nicknames generously rewards and takes care of him follow-
from his illustrious career, including “Scar Three” ing each contest. He also worries about her in a
during the latter stages of the Second Galactic protective “older brother” kind of way. He is
War and now “the Snowman” from his appear- aware of her addiction to recreational X3D’s and
ances in gladiatorial combat arenas across the frowns upon it. Still, she rarely listens to his ad-
Tendril star system. He owes his continued exis- vice and SCR-3 focuses most of his energies on
tence to skilled roboticist Dee Frost who salvaged making sure someone looks after her when she
much of the robot’s memory core and central “isn’t herself”.
processor from the wreckage of the StarMech- Unknown to SCR-3, he also carries a set
cruiser Augustine. Now he serves as her body- of secret orders now embedded in his memory
guard, friend, and primary source of income. core. The pyramid-shaped alien artifact that
The “Snowman” actually began his ca- eventually destroyed the Augustine in 2448 also
reer as a military commando in the ground forces reprogrammed segments of his operating sys-
of the StarMech Collective. His processor came tem. Though presumably extinct, the unknown

8
alien civilization from the Skyward Caverns on and has all of the deadly skills he received during
Atlas, or the remnants of their civilization, have the height of StarMech’s military-industrial might.
discovered a means for communicating with and

DEE & the SNOWMAN

controlling SCR-3 through his telepresence link. Fitting into a Campaign:
Their influence over the robot is intermittent at A number of adventure hooks exist for
best and it’s unclear what purpose the program- dropping Dee and the “Snowman” into any GM’s
ming serves. Usually contact with SCR-3 requires campaign. Heroes could encounter the duo at a
close proximity to the planet Atlas, but the pres- gladiator competition, and Dee might hire them to
ence of any artifact from the Skyward Caverns safeguard her against rivals on the professional
stands a good chance of activating at least a circuit. On the other hand, her rivals might hire
small portion of the new program-code in his the heroes instead, duping them into carrying out
memory core. So far, Dee suspects that the ro- a sabotage mission against the Snowman.
bot’s systems are just a little “buggy” due to his They could also meet Dee at a popular
age and some of the more complex and techno- dance club and have to deal with an accidental
logically advanced components she’s added to overdose of X3D’s that she ‘chipped’. The en-
his chassis over the years. But the incidents of counter could become even more difficult if SCR-
strange behavior by the “Snowman”, followed by 3 comes looking for her, mistaking the heroes’
his inability to recall anything about what hap- assistance as an attempt to do harm to his mis-
pened or why, are beginning to occur more fre- tress. Such an adventure might eventually in-
quently and Dee volve tracking
worries that she down the
might have to source of the
wipe SCR-3’s illegal X3D’s
memory core and putting a
soon. Whether street vendor
this will success- out of business.
fully remove the StarMech offi-
alien code is un- cials might ap-
known. proach the he-
T h e roes and re-
“Snowman” quest their as-
measures ten feet sistance in lo-
tall, six feet wide, cating several
and just over one pieces of miss-
and a half tons in ing equipment
weight. Roughly from the
humanoid, he possesses two legs and two arms. Augustine incident, leading them to the Snowman
The right hand is really just a claw, and incapa- and his military processor. The plot could be-
ble of fine manipulation tasks. A grav-mace is come more complicated as Dee tries to run away
permanently implanted as his left hand, and the with her robot friend, and the heroes have to give
robot often puts it to use in the combat arena for chase. How they eventually turn over the robot to
killing blows. His upper torso also mounts the the Collective is anyone’s guess.
heavy weapons Dee gave him, including an arc Lastly, the heroes could easily become
gun and a heavy charge machinegun. The elec- involved with SCR-3 if they are investigating the
trical discharge of the arc gun only functions in Skyward Caverns on Atlas. The secret orders in-
environments with an atmosphere and SCR-3’s side his memory core are definitely leading him
capacitors can only fire the weapon up to six there and Dee can’t be far behind as she comes
times before becoming depleted. As a result, he looking for him. Once SCR-3 arrives on the scene
favors the longer range and lasting firepower of he might assist or oppose the heroes in their ef-
the machinegun, often using it to devastating ef- forts to learn more about the ancient alien civili-
fect before closing upon an opponent. Even at zation. Dee could also aid or hinder their efforts
101 years of age, SCR-3 remains quite mobile in dealing with SCR-3.

9
 EVE
EVE

By Dragan Ciric with Artwork by you-know-who!

Eve – A Combat Spec SCM [14]; Vehicle Operation [11]-land [12]; Stamina [9]-
endurance [10], resist pain [10];]; Demolitions [10]-
for Alternity set explosives [11]; Knowledge [10]-computer op-
eration [12]; first aid [11]; Security [10]; Awareness
(Note: This SCM is designed using option for Cy- [8]; Resolve [8]; Interaction [11]-seduce [12], in-
bertech, Mutations and material from Action timidate [12].
Checks “Guns, Guns, Guns”.)
* -1 step bonus as Combat Spec
Level 5 Mutant (unique/engineered) Combat Spec
STR 11(+1) INT 10 Cybertech:
DEX 11 (+1) WIL 8 Nanocomputer (good)
CON 9 PER 11
Durability: 9/9/5/5 Gear:
Action Check: (-1step bonus) 14+/13/6/3 CF softsuit, Defender4 Repulser SMG, katana,
Move: sprint 22, run 14, walk 4 #Actions: 2 gridcaster gauntlet, motorcycle.
Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts: 2
Perks: Great Looks Personal Information:
Flaws: Powerful Enemy Sex: Female
Motivation: Finding the Truth and Staying
Attacks: Alive
Unarmed 11/5/2 d4+1s/d4+2s/d4+3s Attitude: Anti-authority
Katana 13/6/3 d4+3w/d6+3w/d4+2m Traits: Distant, Suspicious
D e f e n de r 4 Re-
pulser* 14/7/3 d6s/ Background:
d4w/d4m Eve was a member
of a secret agency
* from “Guns, known as “the
Guns, Guns” Dwellers.” The
government
Defenses: founded the
CF softsuit agency to deal
d6 (LI), d6 with an increasing
(HI), d6-1 (En) number of criminal
+1 resistance modi- organizations. Af-
fier vs. melee at- ter discovering cor-
tacks ruption deep inside
+1 resistance modi- the organization as
fier vs. ranged at- well as her true
tacks origins, Eve re-
belled against
Mutations: them and has been
Improved Reflexes on the run ever since.
Cellular Manipulation* “AngelFire” was a secret bio-engineering
project with the aim to create supersoldiers. As a
Drawbacks: result Eve came to life. Even though the project
Wild Mutation (Cellular Manipulation) wasn’t a complete success it became evident that
Eve was faster than normal and had an extra or-
Skills: gan of an unknown purpose. After spending one
Athletics [11]; Melee Weapons [11]-blade [13]; Un- month in an incubation chamber Eve matured to
armed [11]; Modern Ranged Weapons [11]-SMG*

10 Dragan Ciric is Action Check’s resident Artist, and can be reached at kvasaclimited@sezampro.yu
the approximate age of 21. During that time, the is, however, aware of her good looks and uses
Dweller scientists implanted false memories into them whenever the need arises. Her experience

EVE
her brain. After spending several months in train- with “the Dwellers” led to a strong anti-authority
ing Eve went on her first mission. During that mis- outlook on the world, causing her to question every
sion the sudden adrenalin rush activated her extra organization in the belief that they might be cor-
organ, which unleashed a disruption wave on her rupt as well.
team members and the criminals.
This proved to be an interesting discovery Fitting into a Campaign:
both to Eve, who considered herself a normal law Eve is best suited for a cyberpunk/
enforcer, and the Dweller officials, who decided to conspiracy campaign with a lot of backstabbing
keep an eye on her. In the following two years, elements among the government and corporate
she spent her downtime between missions trying agencies. She can be a friend or a foe.
to control her newfound power and researching Dweller officials might hire the heroes to track her
her differences. Her investigation led her to the down and silence her. Of course another team
discovery of corruption inside “the Dwellers” and would be hired to silence the heroes afterwards.
to the project known as “AngelFire2”. In addition, “the Dwellers” may have hired the he-
Finding her way into their secret labs, she roes to transport some software or data in which
came to face to face with the one Eve has an interest, thereby
thing that shattered her entire making them a decoy, so they
world. One of the incubation can apprehend her themselves.
chambers contained an exact Heroes can also encounter Eve
copy of her. The corrupt agents during a showdown with
and officials had also noticed Dweller agents or they can ac-
her inquiries and planted a cidentally hack a Dweller grid-
bomb in the lab. By sheer luck site and acquire information
Eve discovered the device but that will be wanted by both Eve
failed to disarm it. She only and “the Dweller” organization.
managed to escape mere sec-
onds before the entire com- Cellular Manipulation (Amazing
pound blew up. mutation – unique to Eve)
Framed for sabotage This mutation allows a mutant
and marked for death Eve went to project a wave of disruption
into hiding. She spent several that weakens the bonds be-
weeks on the streets hardly eat- tween the cells in living organ-
ing and unable to talk due to the isms and causes severe pain.
shock. An elderly couple discovered her nearly The wave projects itself in a 30’ radius around the
starved to death and took her into their home. mutant. Anyone caught in the wave must make a
There, for the first time, she experienced the care Stamina-endurance check. Depending on the
and concern of true human beings. But her days success of the skill check, victims suffer following
of peace came to an end with the arrival of the penalties:
Dweller agents. They murdered her benefactors Critical Failure, victim falls unconscious and suf-
and almost killed Eve, as well, but her cell manipu- fers a –2 step penalty on all actions for the next 24
lation mutation saved her once again. hours; Failure, victim suffers d4+2s damage and
After this incident Eve decided to take a –1 step penalty on all actions for the next 24
down “the Dwellers” and expose it to the public. hours; Ordinary success, victim suffers d4+1s
Recently she acquired information about new bio- damage and a –1 step penalty on all actions for
engineering projects but hasn’t discovered their the next hour; Good, victim suffers d4s damage
location. and a –1 step penalty on all actions for the next
Eve stands 5’3” tall and has long blond hour; Amazing, victim suffers a –1 step penalty on
hair with red ends, pale skin, and blue eyes. A all actions for the next hour.
large naga tattoo exists on her back and arm. She This mutation can be used once every 12
often wears a jet-black CF softsuit. Since going on hours. Any excessive usage causes d4 fatigue
the run, Eve has become distant and suspicious, damage.
drawing more and more into herself lately. Win-
ning her trust is nearly an impossibility now. She

11
 THE NORDICS
THE NORDICS

By David K. Tormsen with artwork by Dragan Ciric

A Xenoform for Alternity have a rude awakening about their "brothers." As

the Second World War rolled on, they watched
Dark*Matter the Holocaust in Europe with mounting horror.
Shocked by the wanton slaughter, they lost some
Along with the Greys, the Nordics are an of their illusions that the Northern Europeans
archetypal extraterrestrial race, reported by both were any better than the rest of the Earth-bound
abductees and eyewitnesses. They look more humans.
closely human, and a very specific racial group- After disappearing for a few years after
ing of humans. Many at the Hoffman Institute put the War, they resumed operations in the 1950’s. In
sightings of Nordics as just hoaxes or delusions 1952, they even contacted by a local human; a
based on human arrogance that implies extrater- Polish-American man named George Adamski.
restrials must closely resemble us. Another theory While they were sure to obscure his memory after
is that these aliens are in fact Nazis, the descen- the contact, he retained some knowledge of their
dants of those that escaped to Antarctica after physical appearance. His imagination filled in the
the Second World War. However, perhaps there mental blanks, leading him to believe he had
is something more to these stories than meets the made contact with Venusians, and they had taken
eye… him on trips into space, notably to the moon,
where he supposedly saw cities, forests and
History lakes. His story was, of course, “disproven” for
Around 15,000 years ago, an interdimen- these reasons.
sional doorway leading to a planet in the Pe- In 1958, a rogue Nordic known as Na-
laides system opened in northern Europe. A local coma Ofzupita broadcast a radio message to
tribe found the doorway and, discovering the tem- Earth in English, German and Norwegian (the
perate climate on the other side preferable to the languages spoken by those people most similar
increasingly harsh conditions on Earth, migrated to the Nordics) as well as in Orijzi, the language
into it. Over the next century, other tribes also mi- spoken by the Nordics themselves. The message
grated through the portal until dark matter levels was intended to warn the humans of an upcom-
fell and the doorway sputtered out. ing nuclear war. Although the Nordic authorities
On their new world, the Nordics were un- incarcerated him, his influence re-ignited the ex-
der the constant influence of dark matter, but at a ploration movement.
rate that was small and without the fluctuating As they resumed widescale exploration,
patterns on Earth. This increased their evolution- the Nordics continued to constrain most of their
ary rate, making them stronger and smarter, and activities to Europe, but also increased explora-
also granting them telepathic powers. By the 19th tion in North America and the South Pacific.
century, they were beginning to explore interstel- Slowly, though, they did expand their activities
lar space. into Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle
Eventually, in the early 20th century, they East. Gordon Cooper, astronaut aboard Mercury
somehow returned to Earth. Many legends ex- 9, intercepted a Nordic signal and was unable to
isted about the world of their birth, but they were make sense of it. Other astronauts as well as So-
unprepared for the cultural and racial variation viet scientists also received those same signals.
that now existed on the planet. For a few dec- They are in a Nordic version of Morse code, only
ades, they made only sporadic visits, mostly to much more complex. In 1969, Nordic ships joined
Northern Europe and Sandinavia. Greys in observing the American astronauts
In 1936 they contacted a certain member walking on the moon.
of the German Nazi party, and led influenced him Over the years the Nordics have ex-
to discover an alien spacecraft hidden in the panded their exploration program, performing
Black Forest. They did this in the hope that the abductions on humans and eventually
technology would allow their Earth-bound broth- Sasquatch. They spread across the world, and
ers to join them in space. But they were soon to

12
accidentally knocked out several space probes. Greys, they support open communication with
Today they are continuing this trend, but have for humanity. Unlike the Iltan, they are mainly inter-

THE NORDICS
the most part reduced their wide-scale opera- ested in spreading their religion amongst the hu-
tions. This has led to problems, as the radioactiv- mans. On the Nordic homeworld, their bizarre
ity of their craft is dangerous to humans. religion is restricted to the fringes of society, and
In the 1990's a certain group of Nordics thus their missionary work with the humans is dis-
known as the Ofzupitans have begun to expand tasteful to most other Nordics, who are normally
their influence among the New Age community, atheist or belong to more traditional religions
using their Psi powers to communicate with chan- (which tend to resemble a strange mix of Ortho-
nelers and other such people, notably Jani King, dox Christianity and Shinto). An Earthly version of
who "channels" a Nordic known as Ptaah, a being the Ofzupitans would be that of a slightly crazy
who is an adept user of Telepathy-Possess. In- Scientologist attempting to convert isolated Ama-
deed, most of the New Age movement is a bas- zonian tribes.
tardized version of Nordic religion, philosophy Certain Nordic women have been known
and fringe science. Although the Nordic authori- to be sexually attracted to human males, in a
ties have launched a major campaign to bring similar way to how women in westernized coun-
this sort of activity to an end, they are fighting a tries on earth are attracted to rugged or even sav-
losing battle. age men, the "jungle man". A noteworthy example
includes the abduction of Brazilian farmer Anto-
Appearance and
and Physiology nio Villas Boa in 1957, which led to a very close
The Nordics look very similar to human encounter indeed. The Nordic authorities are
beings, but are rather homogeneous in appear- known to disapprove of this activity, but do not
ance. They range between 5 to 7 feet tall and are attempt to police it to any great degree.
well built. They almost always have pale skin, For the most part, the Nordics have little
large blue or green eyes, and long blonde or red in the way of arcane or faith FX, concentrating
hair. When seen, they are known to wear silver mainly on psionics. Some Ofzupitan mystics have
spacesuits or robes. In other cases, they have perfected certain Enochian and Hermetic spells,
worn minimal clothing or even nothing at all. while there are examples in mainstream Nordic
The Nordics appear to have made no visi- society of Monotheistic Faith FX, although the au-
ble environmental adaptations, with a static low thorities write them off as new forms of psionics.
level of melanin and almost uniform facial fea- The Nordics have access to PL6 weapons, armor
tures. Perhaps their homeworld is of uniform cli- and computers, and typically fly PL7 spacecraft.
mate, or perhaps they have adapted in other less The Nordics refer to themselves as the
visible ways. Their increased evolution rate Orijzi.
caused by their homeworld’s dark matter levels
has granted them increased Strength, Constitu- Relationship with Strangers and Illuminati
tion and Intelligence, and has rendered them all For the most part, the Nordics do not af-
able to communicate telepathically. Also, they filiate with other Strangers, even to the point of
seem remarkably resistant to radiation, suffering avoiding them. The only race they seem to have a
neither burns nor cancers up to R6. relationship with is the Greys and that is a cold
one at best. They have a non-aggression pact
Society with each other, but seem to disapprove of each
Little is known of Nordic society on their other. The Greys see the Nordics as a threat,
homeworld, however they seem to be advanced, while the Nordics see the Grey influence on Earth
enlightened and emancipated. They are obvi- as a corrupting alien influence. The Nordics have
ously quite liberal with their sexuality. It seems no known relationship with the kinori or the moth-
they view humans as slightly inferior to them- men, but have been known to abduct and study
selves, though this is an emotional judgment on Sasquatch. The Nordics seem to have a great
their part rather than an intellectual one. Their fear of the étoile, and often fight the influence of
operations on Earth allude that while they are cu- their sandmen. Perhaps they have met the étoile
rious, they are also quite cautious. before in some of their other explorations?
One sector of Nordic society, the Ofzupi- The Ofzupitans are believed to have con-
tans, is different however. Like the Iltan of the tacted and worked with St. Germain in the

13
 spreading of the New Age movement, while the but will attack head on when possessing the ad-
conventional Nordics have made contact with the vantage of numbers. Most of the time, they prefer
UMMO entity, as well as minor contacts with MU- to stay in their craft.
THE NORDICS

FON. Otherwise they ignore most other secret so-

cieties and illuminati. Notably, they avoid the Na- But what do they want?
zis like the plague, whether in the CIA, South The majority of the Nordics roaming
America, New Zealand, the Urals or Antarctica. around Earth are simply scientists, taking sam-
ples of our DNA in order to use them in medical
Nordic craft experiments. The human genetic code being
Nordic craft are strange. They are known more diverse than that of the Nordics, the Nordics
to sporadically give off bursts of electro-magnetic are susceptible to many diseases that human be-
radiation of varying intensity. While the Nordics ings are not. While they have advanced vaccines,
themselves seem to be unaffected by this, they they are slowly losing the battle against superbug
have averse reactions on humans and machines. diseases on their homeworld. Combining their
Abductees and eyewitnesses have been left with advanced medical technology with the rich hu-
radiation burns and sometimes cancer, while ra- man genome, they have made substantial break-
diation burns have been left on trees, crops and throughs.
buildings. The Ofzupitans are a different matter al-
Like Grey scout ships, Nordic craft have together. On the Nordic home world, they are the
been known to produce a mild EMP, and when in members a large but minority religion, whose
close proximity, human vehicles have had their practitioners preach ascension to higher levels of
engines suddenly cut out, computer data has consciousness, the subjectivity of reality and
been wiped, and power blackouts have been re- other nutty topics. It is a religion that very much
ported. These effects have been the source of supports conversion efforts, but abhors violent
some concern for many people, especially after proselytism. Having expanded to their multiple
the TWA flight 800 crash off Long Island in 1996, limit on the increasingly agnostic or traditionalis-
which was caused by a Nordic fly-by. tic, they have been forced to look outwards for
They have the ability to deliberately in- new members.
crease the radiation their craft emits; they can Earth, with its troubles, uncertainties and
use this as a formidable weapon. Nordic craft need for belief, was the perfect candidate. Find-
vary in shape from eggs to cigars, and often glow ing kindred spirits in eastern religion, paganism
with a weird red, yellow or white light. Many sight- and the psychedelia of the bohemian 1960’s, they
ings have been written off as ball lightning due to soon established a presence on Earth, spreading
this. They vary in length from 40 to 200 feet, and their particular brand of wisdom by way of their
often leave behind a glowing trail in the air as human confidantes, the self-proclaimed
they travel. “channelers”. While they are basically harmless
While they are just as fast as Grey scout compared to other more serious threats such as
ships, they lack the maneuverability of them. On the Sandmen, they are very much determined in
the other hand, they are tougher, composed of an their struggle for “enlightenment” of the human
advanced polymer, which is as strong as dia- soul. They have had some detrimental effects on
mond. Inside, there is invariably an examination human society, notably the decrease in skepti-
room; it seems most craft are scientific vessels. cism and critical inquiry, leaving people vulner-
It is as yet unknown whether the Nordics able to pseudoscience and the guiles of diabolic
employ some sort of FTL drive to travel from Pe- cults.
laides to Earth, or whether they simply utilize
doorways. Adventure Hook
Hoffman Agents are brought in to investi-
Encounter gate a spate of UFO activities in a small town in
Nordics normally use their psionic pow- Maine, or Scandinavia, or the British Isles. This
ers to attack, but Combat Specs often carry PL6 has coincided with a New Age convention in
charge weapons when fighting humans. Un- town, and has been accompanied by unex-
armed they are formidable opponents. When plained blackouts, car engine failures, and a
alone they prefer sniping and hit and run tactics, plane crash.

14
 If the agents dig deep enough, they find tack [13]-power martial arts [16]; Movement [12]-
that some of the New Agers claim to have made race [13], swim [13]; Stamina [12]; Modern

THE NORDICS
contact with extraterrestrials resembling humans, Ranged Weapon [9]-pistol [10]; Vehicle Opera-
while some local residents have suffered strange tion [9]-space vehicle [10]; Knowledge [13]-
burns. If they follow the New Agers, they find them computer operation [14], first aid [14], language
meeting with Ofzupitan Nordics, (Orijzi) [14], language (specific
who are handing out their equiva- human) [14]; Awareness [8]-
lent of religious pamphlets and intuition [9]; Resolve [8]; Interac-
holding "soul cleansing" meet- tion [10]-charm [11].
ings.
However, just as the Hoff- Psionic Skills
man agents seem convinced Telepathy [10]-contact [13], data-
these Nordics are basically harm- link [11], possess [11].
less, a squadron of cigar-shaped
craft flies low over the town, caus- Note:
Note These statistics are for a
ing power blackouts and radia- non-professional Nordic. Profes-
tion damage. The Nordic authori- sional Nordic combat specialists,
ties have come to put a stop to the scientists and mindwalkers have
convention and arrest the Ofzupi- abilities exceeding these stated
tans. Do the Hoffman agents co- here.
operate with the authorities, or
the kooky Ofzupitans? Or…
The Nordics are not aliens at all, but
Nordic Game Data rather Nazis. In the closing days of the Second
World War, Hitler and a few of his trusted confi-
STR 13 (d4+11) INT 13 (d4+11) dantes and scientists, as well as a few hundred
DEX 9 (d6+6) WIL 8 (d6+5) Nazi soldiers, left Germany for their secret base
CON 12 (d4+10) PER 10 (d4+8) in Antarctica. There they continued their research
Durability:
Durability 12/12/6/6 Action Check:
Check 13+/12/6/3 in antigravity and eugenics. The Nordics are ac-
Move:
Move sprint 24, run 15, walk 4 #Actions:
#Actions 2 tually pure Aryan ubermensch, and their craft are
Reaction Score:
Score Ordinary/2 Last Resorts:
Resorts 1 the result of Nazi antigravity research.
These Nordics have close relations with
Attacks Odessa, and their operations over the last few
Unarmed 14/7/3 d6s/d6+2s/d4w LI/O years have been to harvest fresh DNA from areas
Ranged Weapon 10/5/2 Varies HI/O with high Aryan populations (Scandinavia, the
British Isles, North America, Australia and New
Defenses Zealand) and areas rife with specific genes for
+1 resistance to psionic attacks their experiments (Brazil?) They could still be
-2 step bonus to feat checks to resist poison, ra- based in Antarctica, or they could have moved off
diation and temperature world, to the moon or perhaps Mars (where the
Greys would undoubtedly give them a wide
Skills berth).
Athletics [13]-climb [14], jump [14]; Unarmed At-

The official Star*Drive Website

http://www.tequilastarrise.com

15
 VEDA
VEDA

By David K. Tormsen

A new Faith FX Skill Vedic gurus, from the Christian, Islamic, Sikh,
Jewish and Zoroastrian scholars of Monothe-
One thing that vexed me about the arcana in ism Faith FX, to the forces of MI-6 and the Brit-
Dark Matter was the absence of any Asian ish Secret Service still active in India, to the ki-
magic. There were allusions to it though, such nori.
as the “tattoo magic” practiced in Hong Kong Anyway, I hope that Veda can help add a new
and Toronto, and the alleged practice of Tan- flavor to your Dark*Matter campaign.
tric rituals at the Sturgis Class Motorcycle
Rally. Faith FX: Veda
Skill Name
Having seen the good work that Christopher Cost:
West and Ron Bedison did on their Witchcraft Veda
Faith FX article, I decided to create my own. 13
Having chickened out of borrowing a detailed Indra’s Discus (WIL) 3
and explicit book on Tantra from the local li- Krishna’s Strength (WIL) 4
brary, I decided to create an adaptation of cer- Herb of the Monkey God (WIL)3
tain Vedic rituals and powers for the Third Eye (WIL) 5
Dark*Matter game instead. Kali’s Wrath (PER) 4
Atman Devi (PER) 3
Veda is an ancient art of magic, which is Gopi Seduction (PER) 4
deeply tied with the Hindu faith. It can be used Ascetic (WIL) 5
for both good or for evil, and thus can be used Skills that cannot be used untrained are shown
in conjunction with anything from Enochian to in blue.
Diabolism with little in the way of visible ramifi-
cations. A true guru would always be wary of Veda, meaning Knowledge, is an important
the effects of karma, however, for fear of conse- force in the lives of many Hindus, decreeing
quences in future lives. how they live their lives and take part in their
faith. They have existed for millennia, and date
What decidedly little influence the Hoffman In- back to the Aryan conquest of India. In the
stitute has in India has garnered enough infor- Dark Matter campaign setting, Veda is also a
mation that there is an underground magical powerful arcane force. It is both heavily ritual-
war erupting across the country. Gurus allied ized and reliant on Faith. It also has both good
with the Rosicrucians are combating a growing and evil applications.
number of gurus allied with such insidious illu-
minati as the Final Church and the Thuggee. While the Vedas, or sacred Hindu texts, don’t
play a frequent role in the average Hindu’s
This covert war could extend around the world, spiritual life, they remain the most revered of all
spreading into the Himalayas, South Africa, the spiritual documents. There are four texts, the
East Indies, Great Britain and the United Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and
States. In certain war-torn regions such as the Atharva Veda, which detail important Hindu
Kashmir it could be fought openly on the day-lit rituals, hymns, formulaic verses and incanta-
streets, but the knowledge simply never tions respectively.
reaches the rest of the world
Other sacred texts include the Mahabharata,
An epic campaign based on Vedic FX could the Ramayana and the Puratas, which detail
include other groups with connections to the the knowledge of the Hindu pantheon and tra-

16
dition necessary to a successful practitioner of the waters of the Ganges River, or after having
Veda. a holy symbol such as a svastika tattooed on

VEDA
the gurus body will give a -2 step bonus. Such
Practitioners of the various forms of Veda are support is cumulative.
called many things, among them yogi, sant,
rishi, sadhu and swami. However, most adher- Once the mantra has been completed, the
ents of traditional Veda refer to themselves as spell can be cast. If a mantra is not fully com-
gurus. pleted, the spell suffers penalties. If the mantra
is between 0-32% completed (i.e., if only one
The guru is concerned with connecting the in- Mental Resolve check has been performed for
dividual soul with that of the universe, and thus a Good mantra), the guru cannot cast the spell.
to reap the benefits of it. There are various If he has completed 33-65% of the mantra the
ways to accomplish this, be it within the throes spell suffers a +2 step penalty, and if it is
of sexual pleasure or through the withstanding above 66% but has not been fully completed,
of physical pain. However, gurus rely mainly on the spell suffers only a +1 step penalty.
the power of words. Indra’s Discus
Conjure Spell. 1 FX point
In ancient times, Vedic rituals involved sacri-
fices, but even then the power of the word, or Indra’s Discus creates a sharp metal disc that
mantra, was paramount in the entire proce- will fly through the air to strike the guru’s oppo-
dure. Modern gurus rely solely on meditation nent, causing d4w/d6+1w/d4m LI damage. Ar-
and the incantation of mantras (notably the sa- mour is effective at reducing this damage. This
cred word Om). spell requires only a Marginal mantra to per-
form.
The power of a Vedic spell is directly propor- Critical Failure:
Failure The discus appears and strikes
tionate to the mantra needed to cast it. A Mar- the guru, inflicting Ordinary damage.
ginal mantra requires only a few spoken words Increased Skill
Skill: At rank 4, the guru is granted
to cast, and will typically take a single round to a -1 step bonus to the skill check, -2 step bonus
perform. at rank 8, and a -3 step bonus at rank 12.

An Ordinary mantra requires a longer wording. Krishna’s Strength

In game terms this means 2 successes on a Transform Spell. 1 FX point
complex Resolve-mental check, and 1 success
on an Entertainment-sing skill check. Krishna’s Strength gives a temporary increase
to the guru’s strength ability score. The guru
A Good mantra requires a complex Resolve- will gain +2 to his Strength ability score for 1
mental check of 4 successes and an Entertain- hour. This affects all feat checks and skill
ment-sing check of 2 successes. checks attempted by the guru. There is no visi-
ble sign of the guru’s increased strength; how-
An Amazing mantra is a daunting undertaking. ever, giving the guru the advantage of surprise.
It requires not only a Resolve-mental check of 6 In game terms, this grants a -1 step bonus to
or more successes and an Entertainment-sing attacks in the first round of a combat scene.
check of 3 successes, but it also requires a rit- This spell requires an Ordinary mantra of 2
ual sacrifice in order to appease the gods. This successes of Resolve-mental resolve and 1
can take hours, even days to fully perform. success of Entertainment-sing.
Critical Failure
Failure: The guru suffers a temporary
Mantras can be supported by ritualistic items. (1 hour) decrease of his Strength ability score
The burning of incense, holding of blessed by 1, and suffers d4+1 stun damage.
items and close proximity to a cow would all Increased Time Length:
Length At rank 4, the time
provide a -1 step bonus to the spell. While per- length for the increase in strength is increased
forming a mantra inside a temple, bathing in to 3 hours, and 6 hours at rank 8.

17
 Increased Strength
Strength: Temporary increase in irrelevant, and if the specific skill is possessed,
strength increased to +3 at rank 12. the rank is simply increased. This spell lasts for
1 hour, at which time the Third Eye remains
VEDA

Herb of the Monkey God open and visible in the middle of the guru’s
Conjure Spell. 1 FX point forehead, with appropriate situational effects.
This spell requires a Good mantra, of a Re-
This spell creates a small quantity of a shred- solve-mental resolve check of 4 successes and
ded green herb that, when ingested or smoked, an Entertainment: Sing check of 2 successes.
has healing abilities. It can heal d4+1 wounds Critical Failure:
Failure The guru suffers temporary er-
or 1 point of mortal damage on an Ordinary ratic blindness, suffering a +4 step penalty to
success, d6+1 wounds or 2 mortals on a Good all skill checks. This lasts for 30 minutes.
success, and d8+1 wounds or d4+1 mortals on Increased Length:
Length At rank 4, the length of time
an Amazing success. Herb of the Monkey God the Third Eye remains open is increased to 2
does not heal stun or fatigue damage. A Good hours.
quantity of the herb can be divided into two Or- Increased Rank:
Rank At rank 8, the temporarily at-
dinary quantities, and an Amazing quantity can tained ranks in the selected psionic skill are
be divided into three Ordinary quantities or one increased by 1. At rank 12, it is further in-
Good quantity and 1 Ordinary quantity. creased by 1 rank.
Herb of the Monkey God requires an Ordinary
mantra, of 2 successes of Resolve-mental re- Kali’s Wrath
solve and 1 success of Entertainment-sing. Summon Spell. 2 FX point
Critical Failure:
Failure The guru is covered in coarse
brown fur that gives a +2 step penalty to any This spell allows the dark goddess Kali to enter
Interaction checks. The fur can be shaved off, the body of the guru for 1 hour. For the most
but it will continue to grow for about a week af- part, the guru will act as normal, with no seem-
terwards, before eventually vanishing. ing effect to his actions. However, if the guru
Heal Stun or Fatigue:
Fatigue At rank 4, the ingestion of comes into contact with a demon, diabolist, or
the herb can forego the healing of 1 wound other determinably evil entity, the guru will sud-
point in exchange for the healing of 2 stun denly appear to go insane. He will immediately
points, or the healing of 1 mortal point for 1 fa- attack the subject of his wrath, and will gain a -
tigue point. 3 step bonus to all attacks against the target.
Cure Disease:
Disease At rank 8, the guru can cure dis- He will also gain a 50% increase in his un-
eases and other physical afflictions. An Ordi- armed attack damage. This advantage does
nary success improves a target condition by not extend to obviously evil beings in normal
one level, by two levels for a Good success, situations. However, if there is the presence of
and by three levels for an Amazing success. At blood in the guru’s immediate area, he will
rank 12, the improvement for each is increased gain the advantage detailed above for any en-
by one, and the herb can combat parasites emy.
such as Ekimmu and Sandmen nanites. Target This spell requires a Good mantra, of a Re-
parasites must make a Constitution check or solve-mental resolve check of 4 successes and
be destroyed. an Entertainment-sing check of 2 successes.
Critical Failure
Failure: The guru will attack any living
Third Eye being (including comrades, friends, and rela-
Transform spell, 2 FX points tives) that come near. The guru will return to
normal after 1 hour.
This spell opens a guru’s Third Eye (literally an Increased Damage:
Damage At rank 4, the guru gains
eye in the middle of the guru's forehead), tem- another 50% to his Unarmed Attack damage
porarily granting him 1 rank in either: Telekine- rating, and a further 100% at rank 12.
sis-pyrokinetics, ESP-clairvoyance, Telekine- Step Bonus:
Bonus At rank 8, the -3 step bonus to all
sis-levitation or Telepathy-illusion. Whether or attacks against evil targets is increased to a -4
not the prerequisite broad skill is possessed is step bonus.

18
Atman Devi cesses and an Entertainment-sing check of 3
Conjure Spell. 1 FX point successes, and requires the ritual sacrifice by

VEDA
fire of one banksia plant in a traditional cere-
This spell grants the guru protection from the mony (taking about an hour to perform cor-
Goddess Devi, in the form of ethereal armor rectly). Also, a flute or other wind instrument
that surrounds the guru. This acts as d6-1/d6-2/ must be played for the spell to be cast, al-
d6-2 protective armor against all mundane at- though an Entertainment-musical instrument
tacks. It also grants a +1 resistance modifier skill check is not necessary, the resulting mel-
against psionic and FX attacks. The armor is ody will be naturally beautiful.
invisible and intangible, and cannot be used by Critical Failure:
Failure All members of the opposite
anyone else. It lasts for 10 minutes, and then sex will refuse to do anything the guru requests
dissipates. for 24 hours. (Note: Attempting to use reverse
Atman Devi requires an Ordinary mantra, of 2 psychology will require a Deception-bluff
successes of Resolve-mental resolve and 1 check).
success of Entertainment-sing.
Critical Failure:
Failure The guru suffers d4 stun every Ascetic
minute for 5 minutes. Transform Spell, 2 FX points (1 permanently
Increased Length:
Length At rank 4, the length of time lost)
the armor exists is increased to 20 minutes,
and at rank 12 it is increased to 1 hour. This spell makes it seem as if the guru has van-
Increased Defense:
Defense At rank 8, the protective ished from society. He is not invisible, but no
armor is increased to d8-1/d8-2/d8-2 one ever registers his presence. He does not
appear on electronic recordings, and all docu-
Gopi Seduction ments and records that pertain to his existence
Transform Spell, 2 FX points vanish, including Social Security, bank ac-
counts, criminal records and work records.
This spell employs the playing of a musical in- The guru now exists solely for those immedi-
strument in such a beautiful fashion as to re- ately concerned with him, i.e. his family, his
duce all those of the opposite sex into loyal friends, his immediate colleagues and his
devotees. Anyone of the opposite sex within 30 greatest enemies. But, for all intents and pur-
meters of the casting of the spell is affected. poses, he does not exist in society. This does
They are allowed to make a mental resolve not effect his movements. Anyone meeting the
check (at a +1, +2 and +3 step penalty rela- guru casually will have that particular memory
tive to the success of the skill check for the cloud over the course of a week, and com-
spell) to resist the effects. If they fail, they will pletely wiped by a month. For the guru to exist
find themselves willingly at the whim at the for someone, he must be around to reinforce
guru. The guru can then command the devotee the memories at regular intervals. For game
to perform certain tasks, which they will set purposes, it is a combination between the 3-
upon enthusiastically to the best of their ability. point Hidden Identity perk and the Obscure
Overly evil (“kill that nun over there”), ridicu- psionic ability.
lous (“fly away”) or lewd (“get down on your This spell requires an Amazing mantra, a Re-
knees”) commands will grant the devotee an- solve-mental resolve check of 6 or more suc-
other mental resolve check to attempt to break cesses and an Entertainment-sing check of 3
the spell. Devotees can make another Mental successes. It also requires the ritualistic burn-
Resolve check every day in an attempt to break ing of one of the guru’s most treasured posses-
free of the spell. If it succeeds; the devotee’s sions, to symbolize the destruction of the per-
free will is restored. son he used to be.
This spell requires an Amazing mantra, a Re- Critical Failure:
Failure The guru permanently loses
solve-mental resolve check of 6 or more suc- one FX point but receives no other effects.

19
 DVERGAR
DVERGAR

By David K. Tormsen with artwork by Dragan Ciric

A Xenoform for Alternity mersed in a liquid will begin to break down both
the biological teguments that make it look like a
Dark*Matter human, and the viscid bonds between the mag-
gots. The dvergar is slowly torn asunder, and
Dvergar are technically not one organism ceases to exist as a unified sentience. In game
but thousands all physically and mentally joined to terms, the dvergar suffers d8+2 wound damage
form a single sentience. They are a species of per round when over 50% immersed in water.
maggot-like creatures that have learned to work When immersed in a corrosive liquid like acid, it
together as a single organism, and have the ability suffers the damage above plus all inherent corro-
to metamorphose into a human form. sive damage.
They came to Earth via a Doorway in Eng-
land during the Dark Ages, and have since then Encounter
spread across the world, although their numbers
are very low. They are saprophytes, and must feed Some dvergar are amiable enough that
on recently dead flesh to survive and regenerate. they live out their lives among humans, occasion-
Some simply feed on stray animals, but an increas- ally visiting the local pet store for some fresh meat
ing number are developing a taste for human flesh. in order to survive. Some have even turned vege-
tarian, living on only vegetable matter and certain
Description vitamin pills. Others, however, are not so civilized.
These wander around the world often masquerad-
In its natural state, a dvergar looks like a ing as door-to-door salesmen in order to enter their
large pile of maggots, all covered in a thick brown victims’ homes, where they proceed to slay and
liquid. It will move about like an amoeba, engulfing devour the inhabitant. These are the ones that most
dead flesh in order to digest it. In this state it can concern the Hoffmann Institute.
squeeze through the smallest opening, and slide
along the ground at great speeds. As it moves Habitat/Society
along it will leave behind a trail of viscous ooze.
Note: While in its natural form it suffers a +3 step One interesting thing about Dver-
penalty in any skills requiring the gar is their dislike of one another.
use of tools. While their aggregate maggots
A dvergar also has the will individually seek out their own
ability to take on another form: that kind, once a sentient entity enters
of a human. It will form into a hu- existence he will shun all others. It
manoid shape, then produce bio- has been hypothesized that this is
logical teguments in order to fur- due to the fact that if two dvergar
ther the façade, creating hair, skin, were to get too close together, they
nails, eyes, etc. These do not have would merge and create a single
any real purpose other than to entity. Understandably, the dver-
help the dvergar blend in. When in gar are not keen on this, as they
human form, it can easily pass a would lose their own identity.
cursory inspection, however cer- Thus, the dvergar have no society
tain signs might give it away. In- of their own. They simply find a
variably it has a very oily complex- niche in the world of humanity and
ion, waxy hair, slightly yellow eyes live there. A dvergar doesn’t even
and a fleshy physique. When angry, upset or in reproduce during its lifetime. This usually only
pain, its skin will tend to ripple as its aggregate happens at death. A slain dvergar will cease to ex-
maggots become agitated. ist, but almost always some of its aggregate mag-
When a dvergar is knocked unconscious gots will survive. They crawl away individually or in
or killed, it reverts to its maggot form. A dvergar groups and head towards a place rife with dead
avoids water like the plague, as being fully im- organic matter, and then breed furiously. It is very

20
easy for the dvergar’s killer to miss a maggot or way” if questioned by its pursuers. At Rank 8 and
two crawling away, as they are quite fast. Eventu- 12, it will gain the ability to metamorphose into an-
ally, the maggots reach a population large enough other additional form.

DVERGAR
to support sentience once again, forming a new Engulfing Fists:
Fists At rank 6, the dvergar is
dvergar. The newborn dvergar will have fractured able to return his fists to their maggot-like form
memories of the life of its predecessor, and thus while fighting, and incite them into a ravenous
each generation slowly gets wiser and wiser. frenzy. On contact with any fleshy matter, the mag-
A few dvergar have even begun to exhibit gots immediately begin to consume it. This up-
psionic potential, but remain hopeless at Arcane grades all unarmed attack damage that the dver-
and Faith FX. However, the dvergar have learned gar inflicts by one degree: Stun to Wound, Wound
to manipulate their aggregate maggots in certain to Mortal.
ways to replicate magical effects. Mindwalkers at- Create Vermin:
Vermin At rank 10, a dvergar is
tempting to use their psionic abilities against the able to siphon off some of its aggregate maggots to
dvergar find it quite difficult due to the unique way create another, smaller, life form. The resultant ver-
that dvergar consiousness works. min is subject to the dvergar’s control and can ac-
complish small tasks as requested, but it is not sen-
tient and incapable of speech. It can re-merge with
Maggot Control its creator at anytime to receive new instructions. It
Stamina Specialty Skill, 5 skill points has two forms, the first being a smaller version of
Basically a hive mind, a dvergar depends the dvergar’s maggot form; the second being that
on its aggregate maggots for its existence. This of a small creature like a rat, snake or bird. The
sort of physical make-up has advantages, as a dvergar suffers a permanent loss of one constitu-
dvergar is not subject to the same restraints as the tion point when using this ability.
human body. While all dvergar have at least one
rank in this skill, some dvergar have learned to Dvergar game data
condition themselves in a way that allows control of
their aggregate maggots in a more direct manner. STR 7 [d4+6] INT 11 [2d6+4]
In simple terms, Maggot Control allows the dvergar DEX 13 [d10+7] WIL 10 [d6+7]
to metamorphose from its maggot form into the CON 15 [2d6+8] PER 9 [2d4+4]
form of another organism (often a human) and vice
versa. Durability: 15/15/7/7 Action Check:
A dvergar cannot metamorphose into an 14+/13/6/3
object with greater mass than itself. If, say a dver- Move: Sprint 22, Run 18, Walk 4 Actions: 2
gar about the same mass as a human were to Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts: 2
metamorphose into an elephant, it would not pos-
sess the natural constitution and strength of the Attacks
pachyderm, and would suffer an appropriate Unarmed 7/3/1 LI/O d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s
(GM’s call) penalty to it’s strength and constitution Gun 14/7/3 HI/O As Weapon
ability scores. Similarly, if it were to turn into a Engulf* 13/6/3 LI/O d6w/d6+3w/d4m
small dog, it would be a particularly hefty one. *Only available while in it's natural form.
When a dvergar does not possess this skill,
it cannot turn into a human form, and thus is disad- Defenses
vantaged: they cannot exist undetected within hu- +2 resistance modifier versus ranged attacks
man society. Dvergar like this often live in wilder- +3 resistance modifier versus psionic attacks
ness conditions or in the sewers underneath cities,
living off sewer workers, kinori and molemen that Skills
stray off the beaten track. They are quickly found Athletics [7]-jump [8]; Modern Ranged Weapons
and destroyed by government and Institute forces. [13]-pistol [14]; Vehicle Operation [13]; Movement
Additional Forms:
Forms At rank 4, the dvergar is [15]-race [16]; Stamina [15]-maggot control [16],
able to metamorphose into an additional form. For endurance [16], resist pain [16]; Knowledge [11]-
example, a dvergar could have a primary form of a language (specific) [12], computer operation [12];
young white man with blonde hair, and the secon- Awareness [10]-intuition [11]; Resolve [10]-physical
dary form of an old black woman with a lazy eye. If resolve [12]; Culture [9]-etiquette (specific) [10];
pursued, it could dart into an alleyway, change Deception [9]-bluff [10]; Interaction [9]-charm [10].
form, and exit the alleyway, saying, “He went that

21
 SKY RANGERS
SKY RANGERS

By Dwayne Leonard

“The Sky is the limit!” mission one or two soldiers might carry Mass
Rifles because they do higher quality damage.
In the future parachutes are obsolete
and a new form of jump This is an alternate
trooper has arrived on the career from those listed in
scene. These are the Sky the player’s handbook and
Rangers. various other supplements.
Equipped with jet While ideally suited to Free
packs the SR (Sky Rangers) Agent or Combat Spec pro-
are the ultimate insertion fessions I have listed the
forces. Their jet packs al- base cost for use with other
low them to enter areas that professions as well.
even normal drop troops
would have trouble gaining # Numbers listed in paren-
access to. When their mis- theses are the skill level
sion is complete or if with- gained
drawal is necessary the SR F stands for Free Agent cost
troopers can quickly fly out and C is for Combat Spe-
of the area under their own cialist cost
power.
Typically the Sky Other skills valued
Rangers operate in 6 man by the Sky Ranger are Navi-
squads. This provides them gation and Investigate.
a good chance of success These skills are not re-
as well as reasonable quired but they do help bet-
backup when dealing with ter define this career.
hostiles. For human charac-
Sky Rangers are al- ters this profession would
most always issued the be 6 points cheaper than
same equipment with a few exceptions. This the listed costs. This is because by default hu-
includes a first aid kit, comm gear, jet pack, mans already possess the Awareness and
laser rifle, and a CF softsuit. Depending on the Knowledge broad skills.

Attribute Skill # Base Cost F C

Dexterity Acrobatics 7 6 7
-Daredevil (1) 4 4 4
Dexterity Ranged Weapons (Modern) 6 6 5
-Rifle (1) 4 4 3
Constitution Survival 5 4 4
Intelligence Knowledge 3 3 3
-First Aid (1) 2 2 2
Will Awareness 3 3 3
-Perception (1) 2 2 2
Total Costs 36 34 33

Dwayne Leonard can be reached at d_leonard@alternity.net

22
30
 BAH HUMBUG!

BAH HUMBUG
A STAR*DRIVE TransmissionBy Neil Spicer

Bah! Humbug!
December 13, 2502 – ‘Tis the season to be jolly!’ But the Christmas spirit seems on the verge of collapse
inside the Lucullus star system. Although celebrations have already started on the former Solar colony of
Penates, a shipment of the latest toys from the StarMech Collective have now gone missing. Originally Rudy
Schumacher, captain of the starship freighter Charity Stripe, intended to deliver the toys as a goodwill gesture to
a Pict orphanage in Key West.
After collecting charitable donations from a number of enterprises, Capt. Schumacher purchased the
most recent StarMech creations developed for the robotic toy market from merchants in the Tendril star system.
Known as “Humbugs” these new toys are all the rage this year. Designed for ages 5 to 10, they act as robotic
companions and closely resemble the Mechalus pet known as a gearwerk. The Humbug memory cores also
come with a wide variety of educational and entertainment programs guaranteed to hold a child’s interest for
years to come.
Unfortunately, the orphans of Key West might never see these marvelous robots under their tinsel trees.
The Charity Stripe ran afoul of an apparent pirate attack, a very common occurrence in Lucullan space. Repre-
sentatives of the Free Traders Guild stumbled upon the vessel at the edge of the system and registered salvage
rights with the Galactic Concord after confirming there were no survivors on board. Their rivals in Pict territory,
however, claim the Free Traders may have attacked the vessel themselves in order to loot the cargo. The Con-
cord recently dispatched a law enforcement team to look into the situation on their behalf.

Gamemaster Hints Picts from seizing the ship before they can begin their inves-
The heroes might be assigned this relatively tigation. Enough clues exist to point them to the Medurr but
simple case by the Galactic Concord as part of the law en- before they can return with the information, they too are
forcement team sent to investigate the disappearance of attacked by the ‘dragon’-raiders.
Captain Schumacher and the Free Traders’ claim. Or, the • The StarMechs and people of Alaundril are be-
heroes could also be the original discoverers of the Charity hind the incident. Their Humbug robots aren’t toys at all,
Stripe’s demise, encountering it in their own travels through but rather spies designed to infiltrate the various factions in
the Lucullus star system. Either way, they will want to find Lucullus that support piracy. The Lucullan corsairs have
out what really happened. The following are simply a few of disrupted trade in the Tendril system for years and the Star-
the possibilities, many of which could be combined to make Mechs are providing assistance in rooting out the villains
an even more complicated plot: once and for all, in exchange for political considerations
• The Picts are correct and a group of Free Trader from the Alaundril government. Unfortunately, a Pict repre-
corsairs are responsible for attacking the Charity Stripe. sentative on Captain Schumacher’s vessel discovered the
They removed the bodies, stole the cargo, and intend to true nature of the robot-toys and triggered their defense
purposefully disappoint the Pict orphans unless the heroes routines. The robots overwhelmed the crew, disposed of the
take action against them. The Concord, Solar Union, and bodies, and repackaged themselves to await discovery and
other Verge diplomats would like to avoid a flare up in the eventual proliferation on the Lucullan black market.
tensions between the two factions and might reward them • Captain Schumacher is the real culprit. Originally
for stepping in to settle the issue. from the Rigunmor Star Consortium, he came to the Verge
• The Free Traders are right and someone else at- to make his fortune as a cheat and a swindler. The charita-
tacked the Charity Stripe. The unknown assailants didn’t ble donations obtained to purchase the Humbug toys
touch the cargo, but just took the bodies. In reality, the Ex- flowed directly into his pocket. In their place, he loaded a
ternals are responsible, intending to reanimate the dead as bunch of empty cargo containers labeled as Humbugs then
Kroath for the upcoming Exeat, or holy war, against the staged the whole ‘attack’ before escaping with his crew in
Verge. The Free Traders removed the robotic toys intend- another ship. He resurfaces to reclaim the wreckage when
ing to resell them for profit, as well as the ship’s telemetry the heroes get involved, feigning an unusual case of selec-
data that recorded the original attack. By tracing the selling tive amnesia about the attack, unable to even recall how he
of the toys on the black market, the heroes could interro- disappeared from the ship.
gate members of the Free Trade Guild and learn enough to • The backstabbing Picts are behind the whole
hunt down the Externals. thing. They lied to Captain Schumacher about the orphan
• The Medurr are responsible for the attack. An situation in Key West just to lure him out to Lucullus so their
overzealous member of the saurial race, and rival of the own corsairs could steal the toys, his money, and even his
Stykor Clan, has engaged upon a spree of striking ships in ship. By blaming the Free Traders, they hope the Concord
the area hoping to obtain human weapons technology for will crack down on the competition, giving the Picts an edge
study back in the Imperium. The heroes have to diplomati- in piracy activities throughout the Lucullus system and be-
cally handle the situation to delay the Free Traders and yond.

Neil Spicer can be reached at purestrain@hotmail.com

23
 GRIDSITES
GRIDSITES

By Vassilis Stratigakis
The Official Star*Drive tion where you can post your opinion about
Website an Alternity product. More features will be
added in the future. Currently I’m working
This issue’s featured gridsite is none on getting the following on-line:
other than www.tequilastarrise.net. Origi-
nally created by Vassilis Stratigakis and then 1. A project area similar to that on A.Net
sanctioned by Wizards of the Coast as the 2. A character gallery (a place where
official Star*Drive fan site when the Alternity users can upload their characters)
product line ended, Tequila Starrise now 3. An External War Section (with info on
represents your best opportunity to ponder the External species and the ongoing
all things related to Alternity’s flagship cam- war).
paign setting. The following is a personal in- 4. New Verge System
System Descriptions
vitation extended by Vassilis to come join the 5. A Chat Room
Star*Drive community:
More features are sure to come, but
TequilaStarrise.Net began as a pro- at the moment TS.Net lacks two important
ject to do in my spare time. I never thought it things. User input and user feedback. And,
would grow so much that I would no longer since Action Check was kind enough to post
have spare time at all! After winning the this I’d like to take the chance to say this to
“Official Star*Drive Fansite” title, I knew this all Star*Drive fans out there. I NEED your in-
project should be taken more seriously. Hav- put and feedback. Please submit any
ing Alternity.Net as a model, I started creat- Star*Drive or Alternity material you have cre-
ing a community site where users could take ated for the Alternity system or the Star*Drive
a more active role and help advance their campaign in particular. Participate in dis-
favorite game. I like to believe that this site is cussions in the forum and send any sugges-
now on a good track! So what should tions you have. Is there something not pre-
Star*Drive and Alternity fans expect from Te- sent that you would like to see? Do you have
quilaStarrise.Net? a cool idea that you’d like to see being imple-
Besides a detailed presentation of the mented in the current site? Well what are
Star*Drive setting, users have the chance to you waiting for?
submit their own TransVerge
TransVerge News,
News articles,
articles This site is still at its beginning and I
stories,
stories downloads and anything else they know it still needs a lot of work! But I believe
have created for their game. The Web Links that this should be a team effort so that this
section makes it easy for anyone to submit site can become a thriving community. Hav-
his own website and thus attract more visi- ing said that I’d like to thank the Action
tors. Users have full control over their ac- Check staff once again for this opportunity
count including a customized home page, page and I hope I’ll see you all at TequilaStarrise.
theme selection,
selection detailed user info,
info stellar Net!
nation allegiance,
allegiance and a fully customizable
personal block!
block Vassilis Stratigakis AKA Gabriel Connor
There’s also a forum present for all kinds Webmaster Of The Official Star*Drive
of discussions, an art gallery where the us- Fansite
ers can send their own art, and a review sec-sec- http://www.tequilastarrise.net
webmaster@tequilastarrise.net

24
30
 ASK THE ORACLE

ASK THE ORACLE

By Neil Spicer
Q: What do you call the abbreviation preceding a spite that, most other prefixes assigned to vessels in
starship's name? What abbreviations do the stellar science fiction borrow the “SS” at the very least.
nations and Verge governments
governments use? And, what are And Star*Drive is no exception.
their meanings? When you look through the published
Star*Drive material you come across a host of such
Presumably you’re referring to the abbre- prefixes. Most of them look something like the CSS
viation on a ship like the USS Kitty Hawk or USS Shrike, BSS Conjecture, OSS Shiva, etc. The first
Carl Vinson. This is often called a ship’s letter generally refers to the stellar nation that built
“designation”, sometimes referred to as a “prefix”, the ship. Usually, the “SS” still stands for “Star
or occasionally called its “registry”. Not all of those Ship,” but in the Shiva’s case it stands for “Sacred
terms are synonymous, however. A ship registry, for Ship.” So the other two examples are really the
example, doesn’t have to include such an abbrevia- Concord Star Ship Shrike and the Borealin Star
tion. Many civilian vessels just use a name like Ship Conjecture. Despite this simple explanation,
Exxon’s Valdez and then add the name of their someone at Wizards of the Coast decided to tinker
homeport. Commissioned vessels of the United around with the designations. In later products we
States military use USS, which stands for “United have reference to the CSV Vition, which is deployed
States Ship.” They also designate civilian-manned in the Hammer’s Star system to defend against fu-
ships, of the Military Sealift Command or other com- ture External incursions. Presumably, the “V” might
mands, operating under “active service” with USNS stand for “Vessel”, but that’s not a known fact.
or “United States Naval Ship.” Other nations have Later, the Star Compendium product also intro-
adopted their own prefixes, or use none at all. For duced us to a whole different range of ship designa-
instance, the best-known prefix outside of the US is tions for VoidCorp. On pg. 59 in that book “VCM” is
the one used by the British: “HMS” (His or Her Maj- used to designate a military vessel in service to
esty’s Ship). Ships from former British Common- VoidCorp and “VCT” is used for civilian ships.
wealth nations use a variation: HMCS for Canada, Standard naming conventions adopted by
HMAS for Australia, and HMNZS for New Zealand. today’s military also rely on a naming style like USS
The Imperial German army used “SMS” (Seine Ma- Tortuga LSD-46 to properly classify it as the United
jestats Schiff…which still translates to His Majesty’s States Ship Tortuga Dock Landing Ship #46. This is
Ship), but the more modern Bundesmarine uses the vessel Rich Baker served on before joining Wiz-
“FGS” (Federal German Ship). Israel and India ards of the Coast and he makes reference to it in his
both use “INS” to mean Indian Naval Ship or Israeli “Warships” supplement. The LSD designation is
Naval Ship. So, it continues to vary from nationality meant to classify the hull type of the ship, thereby
to nationality. Some don’t even bother with the pre- leaving the prefix free of having to provide that infor-
fix at all. mation. For instance an aircraft carrier in the
Now, I know that’s not where your original United States Navy called the USS Nimitz CVN-68
question was going but I mention all of that to set signifies it as the United States Ship Nimitz Multi-
the stage for the real answer. Starships never really purpose Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear-Propulsion) #68.
received such prefixes except in a fictional sense. It makes sense that the stellar nations of the
The space shuttles for instance aren’t referred to as Star*Drive campaign setting would do something
the USS Columbia or USS Atlantis yet; they just go similar. So the CSS Shrike would probably be
by plain Columbia or Atlantis, or more rarely as STS something more along the lines of CSS Shrike SCD-
or Shuttle Transportation System. The USS Enter- 27 or Concord Star Ship Shrike Drive-Capable
prise from Star Trek fame borrowed the prefix used Scout #27. The Star*Drive Campaign Setting man-
by the US Navy at the time. It’s almost universally ual lists the CSV Vition with the additional designa-
interpreted to mean something other than “United tion of BBD 674 to signify it’s the Concord Star Ves-
States Ship”, though. Most people agree that the sel Vition Drive-Capable Battleship #674. The Void-
“SS” stands for “Star Ship”…and the “U” must have Corp ship designations follow a similar pattern in
something to do with the United Federation of Plan- the Star Compendium. Refer to that product for a
ets. It’s very nebulous because they often refer to it full description of the various ship hulls that could be
as “the Federation Star Ship Enterprise,” but de- used. The following table is a list of recommended

Oracle Neil Spicer can be reached at purestrain@hotmail.com

25
 ship designations for the various stellar nations of ARS Salvage Ship
the Star*Drive setting: ATS Salvage and Rescue Ship
BA Fortress Ship
ASK THE ORACLE

Stellar BB Battleship
Nation Ship Designation, Translation, and Exam-
Exam- BC Battlecruiser
ples from Previous Star*Drive Publications CA Heavy Cruiser
AO AOV, “Austrin-Ontis Vessel”, no known CL Light Cruiser
examples CV Fleet Carrier
BR BSS, “Borealin Star Ship”, BSS Conjec DD Destroyer
ture, BSS Abstraction DE Corvette
HC HSS, “Hatire Star Ship”, no known exam DN Dreadnought
ples FF Frigate
IN ISS, “Insight Star Ship”, ISS New Hope LKA Assault Ship
(formerly VCM BA00006 Fortress Ship 6) LV Light Carrier
ND NDS, “Nariac Domain Ship”, NDS Peo PC Cutter
ple’s Justice PL Light Freighter
OL OSS, “Orion Star Ship”, no known exam PM Medium Freighter
ples PZ Bulk Freighter
OT OSS, “Orlamu Sacred Ship”, OSS Shiva, SC Scout
OSS Nabulas SD Defense Satellite
RC RCS or RCV, “Rigunmor Consortium SDB System Defense Boat
Starship or Vessel”, RCS Voyageur, RCV SO Space Station
Eclipse
SM SMS, “StarMech Ship”, SMS Augustine Q: In Issue #5 of AAction
ction Check, Maris Carnes had a
TE ITV, “Imperial Thuldan Vessel”, ITV Man ti skill of body training. Could you explain the skill?
core, ITV Centurion Keep up the good work!!
US USS, “United Solar Ship”, USS Kiku
VC VCM or VCT, “VoidCorp Military or Trans Maris Carnes is a Thuldan Supporting Cast
port”, VCM Poison, VCT Sojourn Member submitted by our own Jeff Ibach back in
GC CSS or CSV, “Concord Star Ship or Vess October of 2000 for AC#5. Her specialty in –body
el”, CSS Shrike, CSS Monitor, CSV Vition training falls under Athletics and fits the profile of a
generic Athletics-specific (?) skill costing a single
This next table is a list of recommended hull skill point to purchase. There are no significant
designations, many of which have their roots in game-related benefits from having such a skill,
modern day American classifications as well as though it can occasionally come into play to deter-
those listed in the Star Compendium for VoidCorp. mine how well a hero performs in a particular sport.
The inclusion of a “D” at the end of a hull classifica- For instance, a Diplomat hero fitting the cor-
tion code is often used to denote a ship with porate executive career might play a round of golf
stardrive capabilities (e.g., BBD as a drive-capable while conducting business with a prospective client.
battleship). Vessels without a “D” are generally as- The Gamemaster could call for a skill check in Ath-
sumed to be system patrol craft only, but not every letics-golf to see how well the hero performs on the
stellar nation uses this convention as they don’t wish course. The results could either impress the client
to advertise the capabilities of their ships to poten- and make him more open to future Interaction-
tial enemies. bargain skill checks, or anger him at being soundly
beaten and thereby trigger his Temper flaw.
Hull Type In the case of Maris Carnes, Athletics-body
Abbreviation Description training is really more along the lines of the body
AE Ammunition Ship shaping and muscle toning found in a personal
AFS Combat Store Ship physical-fitness regimen. This doesn’t provide any
AGER Environmental Research Ship bonuses to combat skills. Rather, it just signifies the
AGS Survey Ship ability to participate in a certain sport or athletic en-
AH Hospital Ship deavor. Maris is really into physical fitness, to the
AK Cargo Ship point that she’s developed it into an art form. Thus,
AKR Vehicle Cargo Ship she bought the specialty skill. What use does it
AP Transport have? That’s purely open to the interpretation of
AR Repair Ship any creative Gamemaster.

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 Q: On page 30 of the GMG, there is a para-para- ordinary “firepower” rating…and provided the hero
graph on "Generalizing Skills". It says to do so by survived the initial fall, he’d better have some really

ASK THE ORACLE

making the desired skills open skills to increase good armor to keep from getting mortally impaled.
availability. Since the cost of a skill outside of a pa
par-
r- Now, with respect to whether armor pro-
ticular profession is always list price, why change tects against the remaining hazards, let’s look at
the profession code to open skill for a particular each one carefully:
skill? Acid damage is explained on pg. 57 of the
Alternity Gamemaster’s Guide as an energy attack.
The whole premise behind having different It states that, “Corrosive substances may destroy
costs for skills is to indicate the training and natural equipment at your discretion. Guns and heavy ar-
inclination for various professions to acquire them mor are fairly resistant to acid, but more vulnerable
more easily than the general public. That’s why items could be wrecked by immersion.” This im-
they pay one point less for the skill. The concept of plies that an armor’s energy (En) rating can be used
“generalizing” the skills implies that all heroes, re- to resist damage inflicted by acid, but some armors
gardless of profession, should be allowed to pur- could become damaged at the Gamemaster’s dis-
chase them at the same reduced cost as the profes- cretion. House rules often call for a one-point de-
sional…not the original list price for non- duction to each category of protection when the ar-
professionals. So, by converting the skills to mor fails its durability check. Usually such checks
“Open,” it implies that you would set the “open cost” aren’t required for splash damage, though full im-
to the price associated with the profession(s) that mersion would certainly merit one. For instance, if a
used to own it. hero wearing a CF softsuit (armor of Ordinary qual-
ity, rating of d6/d6/d6-1, approximate durability of 5)
Q: Does armor prevent damage from hazards (acid, fell into a vat of acid (also of Ordinary quality), he
falling, electricity, fire)? What are the firepower rat-
rat- would have to make a Constitution feat check. Let’s
ings for the different hazards? say our hero achieves an Ordinary success. Typi-
cally, the acid would inflict damage of 3d4w on the
Okay. First, the firepower ratings for many first round, but the Gamemaster’s Guide does indi-
of the different hazards are relative to the Game- cate, “Deadlier chemicals could inflict higher dam-
master’s discretion. A particular type of acid, elec- age…d6 or d8 increments.” If the acid caused 10
trical discharge, or flame could easily take on any of points of damage and the CF softsuit blocked 4, the
the various firepower ratings…even if a hero is only hero would suffer 6 wounds. At the same time, his
exposed to them in “hazard” form as opposed to an armor would have to make a Stamina-endurance
actual weapon. Refer to the Arms & Equipment check with a skill score equal to twice its durability
Guide for some examples of how weapons use vari- (i.e., 10). If the armor failed the check, its rating
ous types of energy and have different damage rat- would become reduced to d6-1/d6-1/d6-2. If steps
ings based on the focused power of the attack. It is weren’t taken to remove the corrosive substance,
entirely possible for such firepower ratings to occur the opportunity would still exist for further damage
naturally. A lightning strike on the world “Storm” to both the hero and his armor, though the potency
mentioned in the Star*Drive novel Two of Minds, for of the acid will decrease over time. Refer to the Ga-
instance, stands a very good chance of carrying a memaster’s Guide for that information.
Good or Amazing firepower rating. For electricity and fire, the situation doesn’t
Falling damage, on the other hand, is a little always involve the potential degradation of the vic-
different in that the length of the fall and what a hero tim’s armor, though the Gamemaster is certainly
lands on can actually determine the amount of dam- free to rule accordingly. Fire could certainly pose a
age taken. Also, on pg. 58 of the Alternity Game- risk to armors comprised of flammable materials,
master’s Guide, it clearly states that, “Armor can’t and electricity might scramble or even destroy the
counter fall damage, but it may negate some or all electronic devices built into other suits. Regardless,
of the extra damage inflicted by spikes or other electrical and fire hazards are still protected against
nasty devices waiting at the bottom.” With that in by the armor’s energy (En) rating. Armors com-
mind, a firepower rating becomes irrelevant for fal- posed primarily of conductive metals (such as plate
ling damage. There’s nothing to upgrade or down- or chain mail) could easily impose an additional
grade. A separate firepower rating could be as- penalty to the victim’s Constitution feat check in the
signed, however, to the spikes or other devices at event of an electrical hazard, however. And the
the end of the fall. Tungsten-Neutronite spikes, for same penalty could apply to flammable armors in
example, would be sure to come with a better than the event of exposure to fire.

27