TEXT:  
  1 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  2 
   
  CHAPTER 1 – OVERVIEW .........................  6
  Introduction ......................................... 6 
  What Has Come Before… ..................... 8 
  Elements of Nova Praxis .................... 10 
  Post-Singularity .................................. 10 
  Post-Scarcity ...................................... 10 
  The Fall of Earth ................................. 11 
  Rise of the Houses ............................. 12 
  Utopian Prison/Dystopian Freedom ... 12 
  Conspiracy and Intrigue ..................... 13 
  The Last Frontier ................................ 14 
  Augmented and Virtual Reality .......... 14 
  Transhumanity ................................... 15 
  Savants ............................................... 16 
  The Timeline of Events ....................... 17 
  Setting Terminology ........................... 26 
  CHAPTER 2 – THE GALAXY ...................  
  27
  The Galactic Gazetteer....................... 27 
  Mercury ............................................. 28 
  Venus ................................................. 29 
  Earth .................................................. 30 
  Luna ................................................... 33 
  Mars ................................................... 36 
  Asteroid Belt ...................................... 41 
  Jupiter ................................................ 42 
  Saturn ................................................ 43 
  Uranus ............................................... 44 
  Neptune ............................................. 45 
  Notable Exoplanets ............................ 47 
  Chengdan ........................................... 47 
  Cygnus Alpha ..................................... 48 
  Proch .................................................. 49 
  Sagitta ................................................ 50 
  Sanctuary .......................................... 51 
  Shouye .............................................. 52 
  Persistent Virtualities ......................... 53 
  Stygia ................................................ 53 
  The Crossroads .................................. 53 
  Chicago ............................................. 53 
  Technology ......................................... 54 
  The Singularity .................................. 54 
  Artificial Intelligence ......................... 56 
  Computers & Networks ..................... 57 
  Nanotechnology ................................ 61 
  Power ................................................ 64 
  Biotechnology ................................... 64 
  Culture ................................................ 69 
  The Reputation Economy .................. 69 
  The Apostate Economy ..................... 73 
  Entertainment ................................... 73 
  Discrimination ................................... 76 
  Warfare ............................................. 76 
  Transportation .................................. 77 
  CHAPTER 3 – AGENDAS .........................  
  79
  The Coalition of Free States ............... 80 
  Apostates (“Non-citizens”) ................. 82 
  Transhumans ...................................... 84 
  Purists ................................................. 86 
  Religion............................................... 87 
  Astralists ........................................... 87 
  Mimirians .......................................... 87 
  Traditional Religions .......................... 87 
  Neo-Religions .................................... 87 
  The Houses ......................................... 88 
  House Cipriani ................................... 88 
  House Dalianis ................................... 90 
  House Jinzhan ................................... 92 
  House Kimura .................................... 94 
  House Silva ........................................ 96 
  House Tsarya ..................................... 98 
  CHAPTER 4 – GAMEPLAY ..................... 
   
  100
  Getting Ready to Play ....................... 101 
  Game Mastery ................................. 101 
  Campaign Type ................................ 101 
  Agents of Shadow ........................... 102 
  Operations ....................................... 103 
  The Mission ..................................... 103 
  The Basics ........................................ 104 
  Things You Should Have .................. 104 
  Rolling the Dice ............................... 104 
  Skill Ranks & Difficulties .................. 105 
  Skills ................................................ 105 
  Taking Action ................................... 106 
  Supplemental Actions ..................... 107 
  Combining Skills .............................. 107 
  Degree of Success ........................... 108 
  Spin and Stall ................................... 108 
  Aspects ............................................ 109 
  Stress and Consequences ................ 109 
  Aspects and Fate Points ................... 110 
  Refresh ............................................ 110 
  Invoking an Aspect (Spending Fate 
  Points) ...................................... 111 
  Compelling an Aspect (Earning More 
  Fate Points) .............................. 112 
  Invocation Justification and Abuse .. 113 
  Invoking or Compelling External 
  Aspects ..................................... 114 
  Persistent Aspects ........................... 115 
  Temporary and Lasting Aspects....... 115 
  Getting on the Same Page… ............ 116 
  
   
  3 
   
  Maneuvers (Creating an Aspect) ...... 117 
  Assessments (Revealing an Aspect) . 118 
  Declarations (Declaring a Story 
  Element or Aspect) ................... 119 
  Example of Play ................................ 121 
  Conflict and Consequences .............. 122 
  The Basics of Conflict ....................... 122 
  Stress Tracks & Consequences ......... 122 
  Concessions ..................................... 123 
  Recovering Stress & Consequences . 124 
  Taken Out ........................................ 125 
  Recovery Facilities ............................ 125 
  Emergency Aid ................................. 125 
  Running Conflicts ............................. 126 
  Physical Conflict ............................... 127 
  Mental Conflict ................................ 128 
  System Conflict ................................ 131 
  Example of Conflict .......................... 133 
  Playing the Game ............................. 135 
  Ambushing ....................................... 135 
  Beam Weapons ................................ 135 
  Block Actions .................................... 136 
  Diseases and Viruses (Biological & 
  Digital) ...................................... 137 
  Falling .............................................. 137 
  Fire and Environmental Hazards ...... 138 
  Full-Auto Weapons .......................... 138 
  Full Defense ..................................... 139 
  Help from Others ............................. 139 
  Hiding, Shadowing, & Camouflage ... 139 
  Hold Your Action .............................. 140 
  Mnemonic Editing ............................ 140 
  Out of Ammo, Overheating, & 
  Reloading .................................. 141 
  Poisons and Drugs ............................ 141 
  Programming ...................................142 
  Push/Pull/Throw ..............................143 
  Purchasing Items ..............................143 
  Rep-Ratings (Tracking & Using 
  Reputation) ...............................145 
  Repairs .............................................149 
  Resleeving, Forking, & Merging ........149 
  Size and Weight ...............................151 
  Taking Aim .......................................151 
  Taking Cover ....................................152 
  Time .................................................152 
  Vacuum ............................................152 
  Zero Gravity .....................................152 
  Zones ...............................................153 
  CHAPTER 5 – CHARACTERS .................. 
   
  154
  Character Creation ........................... 155 
  The Character Concept.....................155 
  Step #1 – Select Aspects ...................156 
  Step #2 – Determine Your Starting 
  State ..........................................157 
  Step #3 – Distribute Skill Ranks ........159 
  Step #4 – Select Stunts .....................160 
  Step #5 – Determine Allegiance .......160 
  Step #6 – Determine Starting Rep-
  Rating ........................................161 
  Step #7 – Select Starting Gear ..........161 
  Step #8 – Calculate Stress Boxes ......161 
  Character Advancement ..................161 
  Trouble Shooter ................................162 
  Soldier of Fortune .............................163 
  Shadowy Spy Master ........................164 
  Renegade Savant .............................165 
  Tactical Genius .................................166 
  Stunts ............................................... 167 
  Savant Programs .............................. 179 
  CHAPTER 6 – GEAR ............................. 
   
  192
  Weapons .......................................... 193 
  Railguns/Coil Guns .......................... 193 
  Particle Acceleration Guns (“PAc 
  Guns”) ...................................... 193 
  Explosives ........................................ 194 
  Melee Weapons .............................. 194 
  Personal Armor ............................... 195 
  Restricted Items ............................... 196 
  Item Statistics................................... 197 
  Weapon Rating (WR) ....................... 197 
  Armor Rating (AR) ........................... 197 
  Explosive Rating (ExR) ..................... 197 
  Equipment Rating (ER) .................... 197 
  Range Rating ................................... 197 
  Cost Rating ...................................... 197 
  Equipment Modifications ................. 198 
  Other Notes ..................................... 198 
  Ammunition ..................................... 198 
  Item Aspects .................................... 199 
  Special Ammunition ......................... 200 
  Firearms ........................................... 201 
  Melee Weapons ............................... 203 
  Armor ............................................... 204 
  Explosives ......................................... 204 
  Armor Features ................................ 205 
  Misc. Equipment .............................. 206 
  Sleeves ............................................. 213 
  Biosleeve ......................................... 214 
  Cybersleeve ..................................... 215 
  Augmentations ................................. 216 
  Off-The-Rack Sleeves ....................... 231 
  
  4 
  Drones ............................................. 234
  Controlling a Drone .......................... 234
  Creating a Drone .............................. 234
  Drone Specific Augmentations ......... 235
  Vehicles ........................................... 237
  Steps of Vehicle Creation ................. 237
  Step #1: What is the Vehicle? .......... 237
  Step #2: Size ..................................... 237
  Step #3: Vehicular Aspects ............... 238
  Step #4: Capabilities ......................... 238
  Step #5: Specialty Aspects ................ 238
  Step #6: Vehicular Features ............. 239
  Stress and Consequences ................. 239
  Repairing Consequences .................. 240
  Doing Things in Vehicles .................. 240
  Driving/Piloting ................................ 241
  Vehicular Maneuvers ....................... 241
  Vehicles and Zones .......................... 242
  Vehicular Conflict ............................. 242
  Individuals vs. Vehicles..................... 244
  Sample Vehicular Features ............... 245
  Defensive Features .......................... 246
  Functional Features ......................... 247
  Mobility Features ............................. 251
  Offensive Features ........................... 254
  Weapon Ranges ............................... 255
  CHAPTER 7 – APPENDIX ..................... 
   
  258
  Non-Player Characters ..................... 259
  Mooks .............................................. 259
  Named NPCs .................................... 259
  The GM’s Fate Point Pool ................. 259
  Sample NPCs .................................... 260
  Game Term Glossary ........................ 265
  Nova Praxis Augmented PDF Version 1.4 
  Credits 
  Produced by: Void Star Studios 
  Written by: Mike McConnell 
  Additional Writing by: Joe Knapp 
  Edited by: Joshua Yearsley 
  Additional Editing: Mitch A. Williams, 
  Kristan McConnell, and the fine folks who 
  contribute to the errata log (thanks!) 
  Layout: Mike McConnell 
  Additional Contributions: Leland Dutro, 
  Rob Stroud, Kyle Stroud, Wes Brown, 
  Tomi Sarkkinen 
  Art: Andree Wallin, Andrew Chason, 
  Andreas Schroth, Mike McConnell 
  Visit us at: http://www.voidstarstudios.com 
  Nova Praxis is my baby. It was a seed, 
  planted in my mind four years ago. And 
  it sat there, germinating, through the 
  development of Strands of Fate and 
  Strands of Power. 
  Now, at last, it sees the light of day. 
  The development of Nova Praxis has 
  been an interesting journey for me. It 
  forced me to look at the world in new 
  ways, 
  consider 
  things 
  I 
  had 
  not 
  previously considered, and question my 
  beliefs in ways that were not always very 
  comfortable. 
  Such is the way of Nova Praxis. It’s 
  about rethinking the world, looking to 
  the future, and trying to see a path that 
  leads to salvation instead of destruction. 
  Topics like the singularity, post scarcity 
  societies, and transhumanism require a 
  lot of consideration of some pretty 
  touchy subjects. Technology as savior 
  and destroyer, Capitalism vs. Socialism, 
  humanity, the soul, religion... It’s deep 
  stuff. 
  So I want to take a moment to say 
  thank you to my friends and family, who 
  had to put up with my mad ravings, late 
  nights, and hermit lifestyle. 
  And a very special thanks to my lovely 
  wife and beautiful daughter. 
  Mike McConnell 
  
   
  5 
   
  Open Gaming License 
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is 
  the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 
  2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights 
  Reserved. 
  1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright 
  and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open 
  Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted 
  material including derivative works and translations 
  (including into other computer languages), potation, 
  modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, 
  improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in 
  which an existing work may be recast, transformed or 
  adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, 
  lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or 
  otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the 
  game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, 
  processes and routines to the extent such content does not 
  embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over 
  the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as 
  Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any 
  work covered by this License, including translations and 
  derivative works under copyright law, but specifically 
  excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means 
  product and product line names, logos and identifying 
  marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; 
  stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, 
  incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, 
  likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, 
  photographic and other visual or audio representations; 
  names 
  and 
  descriptions 
  of 
  characters, 
  spells, 
  enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses 
  and special abilities; places, locations, environments, 
  creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or 
  effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other 
  trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as 
  Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and 
  which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f ) 
  “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, 
  designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or 
  its products or the associated products contributed to the 
  Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or 
  “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, 
  modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material 
  of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the 
  licensee in terms of this agreement. 
  2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game 
  Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open 
  Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this 
  License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game 
  Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or 
  subtracted from this License except as described by the 
  License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied 
  to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 
  3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game 
  Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this 
  License. 
  4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for 
  agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a 
  perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license 
  with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game 
  Content. 
  5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are 
  contributing original material as Open Game Content, You 
  represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation 
  and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights 
  conveyed by this License. 
  6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the 
  COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the 
  exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game 
  Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You 
  must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright 
  holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original 
  Open Game Content you Distribute. 
  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any 
  Product Identity, including as an indication as to 
  compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, 
  independent Agreement with the owner of each element of 
  that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate 
  compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or 
  Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work 
  containing Open Game Content except as expressly 
  licensed in another, independent Agreement with the 
  owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use 
  of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not 
  constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product 
  Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open 
  Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and 
  to that Product Identity. 
  8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content 
  You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that 
  you are distributing are Open Game Content. 
  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated 
  Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You 
  may use any authorized version of this License to copy, 
  modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally 
  distributed under any version of this License. 
  10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this 
  License with every copy of the Open Game Content You 
  Distribute. 
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or 
  advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any 
  Contributor unless You have written permission from the 
  Contributor to do so. 
  12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to 
  comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to 
  some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, 
  judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may 
  not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 
  13 
  Termination: 
  This 
  License 
  will 
  terminate 
  automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and 
  fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware 
  of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination 
  of this License. 
  14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to 
  be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to 
  the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 
  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0 © 
  2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  FATE (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment) 
  © 2003 by Evil Hat Productions LLC; Authors Robert 
  Donoghue and Fred Hicks. 
  Nova Praxis © 2010, Void Star Studios 
  Strands of Fate © 2010, Void Star Studios  
  Strands of Power © 2010, Void Star Studios  
  Any material found in this book which is not directly 
  taken from the above named works is deemed to be 
  product identity.
  
   
  6 
   
   
  CHAPTER 1 – OVERVIEW 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  7 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  Things have changed. We have changed. 
  Earth is lost to us, but even in the aftermath of this terrible 
  tragedy, we grow, evolve, and even prosper. We have 
  witnessed the death of our mother and the birth of a new era. 
  In what might have been the end, the synthesis of biology 
  and technology proved to be our salvation. Augmentation, 
  ranging from basic genetic manipulation to Apotheosis, set us 
  on the path of prosperity. Even more, these advances 
  reinforced the importance of identity, individuality, and what it 
  means to be human. 
  The loss of Earth and the resulting Exodus gave us an 
  opportunity to start over with a clean slate. And we seized it. 
  The need for organization, stability, and a reliable 
  government was clear, but the old ways came to be viewed by 
  the survivors as archaic, clumsy, and too easily corrupted. 
  It was time for a new way…a Nova Praxis. 
  Today, social networks allow the will of the people to be 
  measured instantly, accurately, and without the need for 
  representation. The Coalition, guided by the collective voice of 
  its people, has established new homes on worlds lit by new 
  suns. Molecular assembly technology has made it possible for 
  society to provide a quality of life never before imagined, at 
  essentially no cost, to everyone. And we are virtually immortal. 
  But can this would-be utopia last? 
  Corruption in the Coalition government fosters decay from 
  within. The Houses, our benefactors and patrons, run shadowy 
  networks of intrigue, espionage, and assassination. Apostates, 
  who refuse citizenship in the Coalition, condemn those who 
  would trade their privacy for the Coalition’s false security. 
  Remnants of Earth’s old governments wage a guerilla war on 
  Coalition forces. Ideological extremists commit acts of terror 
  using the latest horror to spring from a factory or test tube… 
  And the value of a human soul is weighed and measured in 
  lines of code. 
  Nova Praxis is a post-singularity sci-fi setting that explores 
  transhumanism and post-scarcity societies against a backdrop 
  of action, adventure, conspiracy, and intrigue. 
  Nova Praxis is… 
  …a tabletop role-playing game featuring an evolution of the award 
  winning FATE game system used in Strands of Fate, streamlined 
  and tailored specifically for Nova Praxis. 
  …self-contained. You do not need to own, or be familiar with, any 
  other FATE game to play Nova Praxis. 
  …a relatively "hard sci-fi" setting that takes place during the 
  aftermath of a short-lived technological singularity. 
  …an exploration of the tropes of transhuman sci-fi: mind 
  uploading, resleeving, artificial intelligence, and augmentation. 
  …an exploration of the societal impacts of a reputation-based 
  post-scarcity economy. 
  …a game in which players play characters who slip between the 
  cracks of civilization and perform jobs their patrons would rather 
  keep off the books. 
  ...a setting full of conflict. The Houses wage a secret Shadow War 
  against each other, purist and transhuman ideologies clash 
  violently, and apostates rebel against the oppression of the 
  Coalition government. 
  ...home to railguns, powered armor, starships, security drones, 
  bipedal warframes, swarms of nanomachines, kill-sats, and the 
  horrors of accelerated evolution gone wrong. 
  
   
  8 
   
  WHAT HAS COME BEFORE… 
  In the year 2042, the exponentially accelerating rate of 
  technological advancement finally gave way to an event that 
  historians call The Singularity. This event was marked by the 
  birth of a truly sentient artificial intelligence capable of 
  reasoning, creativity, and self-motivation. 
  This being, called Mimir, mysteriously shut down after only a 
  short period of activity. Brief though its existence may have 
  been, it left behind a legacy of advanced knowledge—seeds of 
  the next technological revolution. This event resulted in a 
  massive paradigm shift, a new era in which advancements were 
  made by picking up the breadcrumbs left behind by a dead 
  machine of godlike intellect. 
  Yet even as we prospered, new technologies gave way to 
  new challenges. More efficient automated manufacturing 
  techniques 
  eventually 
  grew 
  into 
  macro-factories 
  and 
  nanomaterial fabrication systems that largely removed the 
  need for physical labor. This, along with many other 
  developments, caused unemployment rates to skyrocket 
  worldwide. 
  In time, even the harshest critics of social welfare programs 
  found themselves unable to offer alternatives. Millions were 
  without jobs, yet the resources needed to provide them with 
  safe and happy lives sprouted in abundance. 
  Currency values plummeted. The world’s economies and 
  political power structures began a seemingly unstoppable 
  decline into chaos. All seemed lost, but salvation eventually 
  emerged in the form of new economies not driven by the 
  traditional concepts of supply and demand. 
  It was not only societal constructs that underwent massive 
  changes, but also humanity itself. Advances in augmentation 
  technology eventually led to a form of immortality—a process 
  called Apotheosis—that allowed us to transform the conscious 
  mind into a type of artificial intelligence: software that could 
  persist forever. 
  Even more, what could be done for the mind could be done 
  for the body. A process called Synthesis created a union of man 
  and machine, an interweaving blend of biological and synthetic 
  life. 
  Some even gave up the flesh entirely to live in fully synthetic 
  bodies, or as purely digital entities in a virtual environment. 
  Extreme augmentation and genetic manipulation offered 
  hope for some, but inspired fear in others. Movements arose to 
  codify the meaning of “human.” Laws were passed to maintain 
  the purity of humanity, ensuring that the species did not 
  diverge, and to protect those who would eschew augmentation 
  from obsolescence. In time, these laws became a hotbed of 
  debate as Purists argued for humanity’s legacy while 
  transhumanists fought for the right to alter their bodies as they 
  saw fit. 
  Yet, despite all the wonders of this new technological 
  renaissance, man continued to fall prey to his baser instincts. 
  Political upheaval gave way to a global war that raged across 
  the planet for decades. Millions died. In the end, though, the 
  greatest casualty was Mother Earth herself. The planet was 
  consumed by a technological horror, and mankind fled to the 
  stars in a mass evacuation that came to be called the Exodus. 
  Scattered and desperate, people turned to the corporations 
  for leadership. Even before the Exodus, tens of thousands of 
  people had already left Earth to pursue the off-world interests 
  of corporate backers looking for an edge. After the loss of Earth 
  and the collapse of its governments, it fell to the corporations 
  to guide the fate of humanity. 
  
   
  9 
   
  In time, the largest corporations grew to become what we 
  now know as the Houses. These voluntary corporate 
  governments then came together to form a Consociationalist 
  governing body called the Coalition. 
  Made up of a Council of Senators from each of the six 
  Houses, the Coalition codifies and enforces the will of its 
  citizens. As humanity begins to spread throughout the galaxy, 
  their journey is guided by the combined efforts of the Coalition 
  and the individual efforts of the Houses. 
  But all is not well… 
  The remnants of Earth’s old governments plant seeds of 
  rebellion at the edges of explored space. Advanced 
  technologies give way to terrible new dangers. The Houses 
  wage a Shadow War against each other while attempting to 
  maintain a public façade of unity. 
  Worse, the debate over the definition of humanity has begun 
  to grow violent. 
  
   
  10 
   
  ELEMENTS OF NOVA PRAXIS 
  Post-Singularity 
  The technological singularity is defined as the moment when 
  the exponential acceleration of technological advancement 
  outpaces humanity’s ability to keep up with it, or even 
  understand it. 
  In Nova Praxis, the singularity was heralded by the birth of a 
  special kind of artificial general intelligence called a dynamic 
  creation engine. The AI was capable of thinking at a rate 
  roughly ten thousand times faster than a human mind. It never 
  forgot, never needed rest, and could accurately simulate its 
  theories and ideas without need for interaction with the real 
  world. 
  This AI, called Mimir, is responsible for the vast majority of 
  the miraculous technological advancements that help define 
  the Nova Praxis setting. Before it mysteriously shut down, 
  Mimir paved the way for molecular assemblers, faster-than-
  light travel, artificial gravity, virtually unlimited clean energy, 
  and lossless human brain emulation. 
  Mimir’s discoveries resulted in a paradigm shift in the way 
  humans developed new technologies. Before Mimir, technology 
  improved by using the tools of yesterday to create the tools of 
  tomorrow, resulting in technological growth at an exponential 
  rate. Now, after Mimir, new technologies are instead 
  developed by deciphering Mimir's Archive; within which are the 
  logs of its discoveries, theories, and inventions. 
  Mimir-tech is the common term used to refer to technology 
  developed by Mimir, though this term is rarely used as pretty 
  much all modern technology now stems from Mimir. While 
  Mimir-tech devices cannot be patented, any information 
  extracted and deciphered from the Archives becomes a closely 
  held secret by those who did it. It often takes tens of thousands 
  of man-hours sifting through Mimir’s Archives before enough 
  information can be pieced together for a new discovery. So 
  naturally, this sort of information is tightly guarded. 
  Though widely used, much of how Mimir-tech devices 
  function is still a bit of a mystery. These devices are several 
  orders of magnitude more complex than pre-singularity human 
  systems, so much so that no single person can fully understand 
  them. Experts generally only understand portions of a Mimir-
  tech system, small modules designed by Mimir to be “human 
  friendly” and open to customization and repurposing. 
  Mimir-tech computers run on quantum processors, store 
  seemingly endless amounts of data on hybrid crystalline-DNA 
  decks, and are virtually impossible to hack. Each is outfitted 
  with a low-level AI specifically designed to detect and deter 
  unauthorized intrusions. These AIs can react millions of times 
  faster than a would-be human hacker, and respond accordingly. 
  Of course, this level of security is necessary. Everything runs 
  on computer systems. Door locks, sensor arrays, pressure seals, 
  gravity generators, data transmissions, lights, speakers—it all 
  runs on computers, forming a network called a mesh. 
  Post-Scarcity 
  Post-singularity technology changed the way humans live in 
  many ways, but perhaps no single invention had a greater 
  impact on society than the molecular assembler. Called 
  compilers, these devices are capable of building finished goods 
  from raw materials, assembling them at the atomic level. 
  Forks, plates, weapons, electronic devices, and even food can 
  be compiled from the raw materials fed into the machine, 
  reducing the labor and shipping costs of production to zero. 
  
   
  11 
   
  With a stable system of raw matter dispensation, most items 
  can be produced on demand at nearly no cost. 
  Compilers are incredibly common in Coalition society, and 
  one only needs the proper template software to create almost 
  anything. These templates are linked to a citizen’s Coalition 
  Identification, and records are kept of everything he or she 
  compiles. Restricted items such as weapons can’t be compiled 
  without the proper licenses. 
  As one might expect, widespread use of compilers 
  devastated the world economy, necessitating drastic change. 
  When the Houses founded the Coalition, they used this 
  opportunity to establish a new economy based—not on goods 
  or materials—but on reputation and favors. 
  In time, multiple attempts at reputation (Rep) tracking 
  systems eventually merged into a single government agency 
  called Inter-Rep. Monitored through the mesh by powerful AIs, 
  this system attempts to quantify a citizen’s contributions to 
  society and the value of his or her opinion. This rating is 
  established as people rate each other, offering a bump when 
  they like someone or a hit when they don’t. Rep can also be 
  exchanged like currency for favors or highly valued goods. 
  The higher your Rep, the more you are able to take from 
  society before suffering a Rep hit, the greater the value of your 
  bumps and hits, and the greater the value of your vote. 
  For better or worse, this system is also used to measure 
  privilege in other ways. For example, some exclusive clubs 
  require a minimum Rep-Rating to be allowed in. Depending on 
  which House you belong to, you’ll find certain items require a 
  lesser Rep-Rating to acquire. 
  Apostates, those who live outside the influence of the 
  Coalition, do not have a Rep-Rating. They must get by on 
  bartering or through the use of illegal gold currency. 
  The Fall of Earth 
  In time, Earth’s major nations split into two warring factions, 
  the Alliance and Federation. The Consolidation Wars, as they 
  came to be called, ended with the release of the most 
  devastating weapon the human race has ever known. 
  It was thought that unleashing the technophage on the 
  Alliance capital would shock Alliance forces into surrendering. It 
  worked, but not as intended. 
  The Federation government claimed it had only meant to 
  destroy the Alliance capital, Brasilia. But for reasons unknown, 
  instead of responding to the shutdown command it began 
  attacking anything and everything. It consumed everything it 
  could make use of, grew, and kept growing. 
  The technophage swarmed over the world; the rolling mass 
  of nanomachines ripped cities and people apart at the 
  molecular level, assembling usable base materials into 
  autonomous war machines. The gray fog left only dust and 
  nightmares in its wake. 
  The Consolidation Wars ground to a halt as both sides 
  worked to defeat, or at least contain, the spreading blight. But 
  it was too little, too late. The governments of Earth effectively 
  collapsed. Entire nations that lacked the necessary weapons to 
  fight the nanoswarm were lost. Even developed nations took 
  tremendous casualties as the swarm adapted by building new 
  drones outfitted with specially tailored defense systems. It soon 
  became clear that any hope of survival lay in retreat. 
  With Earth’s governments scattered and broken, the 
  corporations of the world stepped in by directing their vast 
  resources to aid the evacuation. Millions fled during the 
  Exodus, but many billions were lost. 
  Now, Earth lies under quarantine. None are allowed to return 
  home for fear that the technophage might spread. 
  
   
  12 
   
  Rise of the Houses 
  After the fall of Earth, its survivors were scattered, desperate 
  and disorganized. Their governments had all but collapsed, and 
  what remained was weakened and ultimately powerless. 
  As a result, the people found themselves looking to their 
  saviors, the corporations, for guidance. Most were living on 
  ships or colonies owned by the corporations during this time, 
  and simply had no other authority to turn to. 
  This era of desperation and confusion eventually led to the 
  formation of a new government. The corporations began to 
  band together into larger, more effective ruling bodies. The 
  largest of the corporate micro-governments, six in total, came 
  together to charter a new nation that would encompass the 
  whole of humanity. The corporations came to be called the 
  Houses, and together they became the Coalition of Free States. 
  Every registered Coalition citizen is a member of a House, 
  which fills the role of both local government and employer. The 
  Houses enforce both the laws of the Coalition, and a set of 
  House Laws that vary from House to House. 
  The Houses structure and govern themselves in different 
  ways. Some are more business-like, while others take a more 
  feudal approach. Unlike the nations of old, the Houses do not 
  recognize borders; regardless of where you are, you are 
  expected to obey the laws of the Coalition and your own 
  House. 
  As corporations, the Houses operate all businesses in the 
  Coalition. While each House has different markets they 
  specialize in, citizens can file to establish subsidiary companies 
  that may produce or provide any sort of legal product or 
  service. It is because of these subsidiaries that every House has 
  ended up with at least some small stake in nearly every market. 
  Utopian Prison/Dystopian Freedom 
  Because of the wealth of resources available to it, and the 
  lack of available jobs requiring human labor, the Coalition 
  provides its citizens with the option to default. 
  Citizens who default generally provide little of value to 
  society. They don’t work and they don’t provide many favors to 
  others. They may or may not create items of art or value. If 
  they do, they do so at their own pace. The Rep-Rating of a 
  person who defaults may never climb very high, but so long as 
  they avoid being a problem they can live out the remainder of 
  their life never really doing anything they don’t want to do. 
  To many, this is paradise. But not to all… 
  Coalition cities, habitats, and homes sport nearly ubiquitous 
  surveillance technology. The ARIS strips, the same technology 
  that provides the interface between your devices (and/or 
  augmentations) and the local mesh, also function as the eyes 
  and ears of AI Monitors that watch your every move. 
  Coalition citizens have grown accustomed to this and most 
  never give it much thought. It is the price they pay to be a 
  citizen, and most are happy to pay it. Their needs are met, they 
  are protected, and they are free to enjoy whatever legal forms 
  of entertainment they wish. 
  There are some, however, to whom this invasion of privacy is 
  simply intolerable. And it is this belief that drives some to flee. 
  Apostates, as non-citizens are often called, value their privacy 
  and choose to live outside the Coalition system. They live on 
  ships, secret space stations, or enclaves on planets the 
  Coalition deemed unworthy of colonization. Without access to 
  compilers, apostates must get food, clothing, and other 
  necessities the old-fashioned way. It’s a harder life, but it is a 
  life free of the ever-watching eyes of the Coalition. 
  
   
  13 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Conspiracy and Intrigue 
  As one might expect, the Coalition does not take kindly to 
  those who would live outside its laws. 
  Usually, confirmed apostates are arrested on sight. But while 
  it’s far from public knowledge, the Houses regularly work with 
  talented apostates and apostate factions when it suits them: 
  granting them access to equipment and supplies in exchange 
  for favors best kept off the books. 
  The Houses, as organizations founded upon competition, do 
  not always work with the best intentions of the other Houses in 
  mind. What appears on the surface to be civil and respectful 
  competition between the Houses is, in truth, just a thin veneer 
  of civility drawn over the bloody and brutal Shadow War. The 
  Houses—each 
  and 
  every 
  one—employ 
  kidnapping, 
  assassination, torture, theft, blackmail, and a laundry list of 
  other shady or outright illegal operations to gain an advantage 
  over the other Houses. And it’s not uncommon for different 
  subsidiaries within the same House to employ the same tactics 
  against each other. 
  The soldiers in this war are apostates or citizens who know 
  how to slip through society’s cracks. These mercenaries, called 
  Auxiliaries, run jobs for the Houses that range from unethical to 
  outright condemnable, and are made up of individuals from all 
  walks of life. Pure, sleeved, SIM, citizen, apostate—their 
  affiliations and philosophies rarely matter so long as they are 
  willing to uphold the terms of their contracts. 
  And the public at large has no idea. 
  The Houses have an unspoken agreement that the Shadow 
  War will remain hidden from the public eye. Citizens of the 
  Coalition have powerful voting rights, and the Rep system 
  ensures that only popular politicians remain in power. 
  Disorganization and infighting within the Coalition damages the 
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.3/ Log: 03:45-03,18,97] 
  [Alexei] – Write me off as paranoid if you want, 
  but you know what I’m talking about. 
  [Reagan] – Log off Alexei. You need sleep. 
  [Alexei] – No I don’t. And I couldn’t sleep even if 
  I tried. What Taggert said is gnawing at me. 
  [Jane] – He said, “Don’t let them leave this place 
  alive.” That’s why I drilled him and put one 
  through his core. 
  [Alexei] – No, not that. Before that. He was 
  talking about conflict between Houses. How 
  often do they hire crews like us? Is there 
  something bigger going on here? Something 
  deeper and more prolific than the bickering we 
  see on the surface? 
  [Jane] – Paranoid. He was bent. He tried to kill 
  us. And for what? What would he have gained 
  by trying to kill us? 
  --[[Unauthorized System Access Detected]]-- 
  [Unknown] – Nothing. Alexei is right. 
  [Jane] – Who the fuck are you? 
  [Reagan] – Log off! NOW! 
  --[Reagan is offline] 
  --[Jane is offline]  
  [Alexei] – Malpheus? 
  [Unknown] – Hello Alexei. 
   
  
   
  14 
   
  illusion of safety and comfort provided to the people. These 
  acts could lead to instability, discontent, and unpopular 
  politicians. And nobody wants that. 
  Thus, the Houses will even work to cover up their rivals’ 
  indiscretions to maintain the illusion. They will expect to be 
  compensated, of course, and much shame falls on the House 
  that forces its enemies to clean up its mess. 
  Still, the Shadow War and apostate crackdowns aren’t the 
  only sources of bloodshed in the galaxy. While a growing 
  number of people join the transhumanist movement each year, 
  a larger number still stands in opposition. The Humanity 
  Preservation Act (HPA) was put into law by Purists who feared 
  what transhumans might eventually become. The Purists, 
  generally eschewing augmentation technology for one reason 
  or another, feared that transhumans would relegate them to an 
  inferior species—or worse, enslave them. 
   The HPA limits the degree to which a person can change his 
  or her body and restricts how SIMs can operate. It seeks to 
  avoid the splitting of the human race into divergent subspecies 
  and assures that pure humans remain competitive. 
  While the majority of citizens are relatively content with the 
  current state of the HPA, there are extremists on both sides. 
  Those backing a more extreme posthuman agenda seek to push 
  the human mind and body beyond what the law allows. Some 
  seek to transform themselves into genetically engineered 
  monstrosities, distributed-intelligence drone swarms, or any 
  number of other things along their “path to ascension.” 
  At the other end of the spectrum, Purifiers plant bombs in 
  resleeving facilities, chop off people’s cyberware limbs, and rip 
  out their mnemonic cores. They view transhumans as cheaters 
  or “desecrated,” and many see those who have undergone 
  Apotheosis as nothing more than soulless shells. 
  The Last Frontier 
  While Earth may be lost, humanity now thrives on over a 
  dozen planets, and millions live their lives on smaller colonies 
  or space stations. 
  One of Mimir’s greatest gifts to humanity was technology 
  that allowed for the folding of space through the creation of 
  jump gates, making instantaneous travel possible. 
  While nearly impossible to use in the gravity well of a planet, 
  jump gates can be created in space to allow ships to travel vast 
  distances, bridging the gap of a few light-years in seconds. 
  Jump-capable ships and a public gate network make it possible 
  to travel between star systems. 
  However, jump gates suffer from a minimum jump distance 
  that makes using them to travel within a star system 
  impractical. Inter-system travel is done using sub-light engines. 
  These engines, while incredibly fast, still require days-long 
  commutes between planets. 
  Aboard a ship, gravitic technology is used to provide gravity 
  equal to that of Earth. The ships are powered by APEX reactors 
  capable of supplying nearly unlimited energy by harnessing the 
  power of matter/antimatter reactions. 
  Augmented and Virtual Reality 
  In the time of Nova Praxis, computers are everywhere. Even 
  the poorest apostate enclaves feature nearly ubiquitous 
  computer and sensor system meshes. Yet, even as computers 
  are everywhere, you probably wouldn’t notice them. 
  Gone are the keyboards and mice. Even touch screens and 
  holographic displays are relics of a bygone era. Interaction with 
  computer systems is accomplished almost exclusively via direct 
  brain interface or gesture-based augmented reality or virtual 
  reality immersion. 
  
   
  15 
   
  Augmented Reality (AR) 
  Glasses, 
  contact 
  lenses, 
  entoptic 
  augmentations, 
  or 
  cybernetic replacements can allow the user to see computer-
  generated data called augmented reality objects (AROs) 
  overlaid virtually upon the world around you. 
  Those with a mindset (described in the next section) have 
  this data fed directly into their visual cortex. 
  AROs can highlight interesting features in the user’s 
  environment, display public profiles about the people they 
  meet or things they see, or show any other sort of information 
  that might be relevant about the user’s location or activities. 
  Your augmented reality system may adorn a blank wall with 
  an ARO painting, or play a video in a windowpane. A plain stone 
  floor in an empty room might appear to you as a lush garden. 
  Your friend on another planet might appear to walk along 
  beside you as you converse, shown as a telepresence ARO sent 
  via the Extranet. 
  When used as a computer interface, an ARO version of a 
  keyboard or other type of interfacing device might appear 
  before the user. The user can’t feel the object, of course, but 
  the local mesh sensors track the user’s movements and 
  translate them into input. 
  Alternatively, neural mapping systems can be worn that 
  translate thoughts into computer input. These devices are 
  usually called links, and often take the form of a small device 
  clipped over the ear, a hat, or a headdress. Like a mindset, a 
  link allows the user to mentally issue commands to a computer. 
  This technology makes other types of interfacing devices, real 
  or ARO, largely unnecessary. 
  That being said, neural links require a certain level of focus, 
  so other interfacing devices are still commonly used in 
  distracting or chaotic environments. 
  Virtuality (VR) 
  The possibilities of AR are vast, but they still depend on 
  elements of the real world. Virtual environments, however, do 
  not suffer that limitation. 
  Nicknamed the Infinite Frontier, virtual environments are 
  incredibly popular. Those who use virtual environments employ 
  a special type of link, called an ego channel, which hijacks their 
  brain signals, replacing them with a stream of virtual data. 
  Those with a mindset can already do this without needing an 
  ego channel. 
  Whether by ego channel or mindset, the end result is total 
  immersion into a virtual world. 
  Virtualities range from the fantastic and strange to 
  environments so realistic that they cannot be distinguished 
  from the real world. 
  Transhumanity 
  Even before the birth of Mimir, humanity was already making 
  great strides in the realms of biotechnology and genetic 
  manipulation. However, Mimir’s contributions to these fields 
  resulted in an explosion of potential when it introduced the 
  procedures for Apotheosis and Synthesis. 
   During Apotheosis, a colony of nanomachines is introduced 
  into the brain via a series of injections. The whole process takes 
  about a week, during which time the nanomachines 
  systematically destroy and replace the majority of the brain 
  cells in the recipient’s cerebrum. The replacement of a single 
  brain cell has no effect on the person. During Apotheosis, 
  though, billions of brain cells are replaced one by one with 
  nanomachines that carry out the functions of the replaced cells. 
  Apotheosis, once complete, results in a mesh of networked 
  nanomachines called a mindset. It’s impossible to pinpoint the 
  
   
  16 
   
  exact moment this transition happens, but slowly—and almost 
  imperceptibly—the mind is transformed into software. 
  The mindset interfaces directly with the mind and can 
  superimpose information directly over the user’s senses. It also 
  features a low-level AI called an Agent, which manages the 
  user’s calendar, incoming and outgoing messages, social 
  networks, and whatever else the user requires. 
  Perhaps most importantly, the mindset monitors the user’s 
  memories and stores a real time backup of his mind in a special 
  nanocluster called a mnemonic core. The mnemonic core can 
  be extracted from the body and used to upload the mind into 
  another body called a sleeve. This process can be done in the 
  event of death, or if the person simply wants a new sleeve. 
  The Synthesis process does for the body what Apotheosis 
  does for the mind. Trillions of nanomachines are introduced 
  into the body, weaving through living tissue to form a mesh of 
  biological and synthetic cells. This hybrid of organic and 
  synthetic life is far more durable than a normal human body 
  and can be monitored and controlled far more precisely. 
  Synthesis represents a harmonic merger of man and 
  machine—organic and synthetic life in balance. Those who 
  have undergone Synthesis are held up by many as examples of 
  transhumanity and the potential of the human race.  
  These views differ a bit from the popular opinion of 
  posthumans who exist purely as software or who inhabit fully 
  synthetic sleeves. Many no longer consider them to be human. 
  It is estimated that roughly 35% of humanity has undergone 
  Apotheosis, and 7% has undergone Synthesis. Even those who 
  haven’t have likely been augmented in some way, though. 
  Gene treatments are performed in the womb, elective 
  cybernetic and biological augmentations are all the rage, and 
  new evolutionary philosophies arise each day. 
  Savants 
  Like all modern technology, the mindset was developed by 
  Mimir. As with most augmentation technology, it comes with a 
  number of restrictions put in place by the Humanity 
  Preservation 
  Act. 
  These 
  restrictions 
  ensure 
  that 
  the 
  Apotheosized can’t use the mindset to enhance themselves 
  beyond human limits. Thus, even with a mindset, the mind still 
  forgets, dreams, struggles with unwanted emotions, and more. 
  There are some, however, who have discovered the key to 
  bypassing these restrictions. Doing this is a very dangerous 
  process, as it requires editing the code that comprises the mind 
  itself. Those who have accomplished this are known as Savants. 
   Some Savants say that they found a backdoor into the 
  mindset’s core programming; though, if that were true, it 
  would be the only Mimir-tech system to ever be hacked by a 
  human mind. Still others believe that Mimir left a backdoor 
  open on purpose so that those humans worthy of doing so 
  could achieve freedom. 
  Most Savants claim that the key to cracking the system 
  differs from person to person; likely this is because each mind is 
  different, thus each mind’s code is different. Whatever the case 
  may be, a Savant cannot teach another person how to crack 
  their own mindset’s restrictions; they must figure it out for 
  themself. 
  Once the mindset is cracked, the Savant can begin writing a 
  special type of computer code they call Self-Interfacing Neural 
  Code (SINC). This code is used to compile programs that allow 
  Savants to pit their Daemon, what Savants call an unrestricted 
  Agent, against the security AIs of other computers. 
  This attack can result in short-term access to the targeted 
  computer system, granting the Savant control over it and 
  whatever the computer is responsible for controlling. 
  
   
  17 
   
  THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS 
  Pre-Singularity 
   The Curiosity rover lands on Mars. 
   Technological advances, particularly in the fields of 3D 
  printing and robotics, lead to further destabilization of the 
  already struggling global job market. 
   Hundreds of millions find themselves out of jobs. 
   In the face of growing unemployment, many governments 
  are forced to seek ways to better supplement their citizen’s 
  standard of living. 
    “Exponential technologies” lead to quantum computing, 
  powerful and reliable artificial intelligence, and vastly 
  improved medical procedures. 
   Breakthroughs in nanoscale material fabrication and in 
  power storage and management systems allow for more 
  efficient space travel. The Mars expedition is led by 
  American scientist and astronaut, Alexander Brown. Petra 
  Gregor, a Russian, is the first human to step onto the 
  surface of Mars. 
   Lunar Base Station 1, or Luna, becomes fully functional. 
   Advances in food production, water purification, and solar 
  energy enhance the lives of millions in poorer countries. 
   In a British lab, the marriage of nanotech and advanced 
  biotech results in the first cybernetic limb capable of 
  responding to thought and stimulus with the same 
  efficiency and sensitivity as a real flesh-and-bone limb. 
   Elective genetic augmentations become legal in most 
  countries. 
   Work begins on Project Mimir. 
  0 PS (The Technological Singularity) 
   Mimir, a type of AGI called a dynamic creation engine 
  (DCE), becomes self-aware. It rapidly improves upon its 
  own design and makes thousands of amazing scientific 
  discoveries. After only a few months, it mysteriously shuts 
  down. 
   Humanity scrambles to make sense out of the discoveries 
  and inventions Mimir made while active. 
   DCEs such as Mimir are declared “extinction-level” 
  weapons of mass destruction and “global threats.” 
  1-3 PS (2043-2045 AD) 
   The first year of the Post-Singularity calendar. 
   The NASA probe Poseidon discovers a jellyfish-like creature 
  beneath the ice of Europa. The scientific community is 
  pressured to investigate further. 
   Several UN countries come together to plan the launch of 
  an exploration team from Luna. 
   The United Nations Explorations Directive (UNED) is formed 
  to act as humanity’s guide for space exploration. 
   By this time, most diseases can be cured and the average 
  lifespan is 180 years. 
  4-8 PS (2046-2050 AD) 
   This period is one of transition and restructuring as old 
  economic models crumble and a new economic model 
  begins to gain footing in an increasingly post-scarcity world. 
  This new economic system first takes hold in European first 
  world countries. It is called the Rep-Reward system, which 
  grants rewards and privileges that are above the default 
  standard of living based on what you contribute to society. 
  
   
  18 
   
   Lacking the technological infrastructure required to support 
  the Rep-Reward system, the poorer nations still hold to 
  more traditional economic models, such as the use of 
  currency or bartering. Although technically illegal, bartering 
  remains a common practice even among citizens of first 
  world nations, especially those with lower Rep-Ratings. 
   An expedition team lands on Europa and gathers samples 
  of alien life. Scientists studying the alien creatures discover 
  that they seemingly evolved from single-celled organisms 
  into complex life in less than ten thousand years. 
   The discovery of complex alien life has a unification effect 
  on the people of Earth. There is a worldwide push to fund 
  any 
  technologies 
  related 
  to 
  space 
  exploration. 
  Governments begin forging new alliances in an effort to 
  share resources to fund any and all space programs; this 
  time is referred to as the Space Craze of the ’40s. 
   The first of many drafts of the Earth Unification Act (EUA) is 
  proposed and rejected. The EUA is pushed primarily by 
  poorer countries to unify Earth under a single government. 
   The first lunar labs open for private industrial use. Luna 
  becomes the host for many dangerous experiments due to 
  its ability to easily quarantine dangerous accidents. 
  9-10 PS (2051-2052 AD) 
   Construction begins on the first space elevator, nicknamed 
  The Beanstalk. 
   Another draft of the EUA is presented. Although it fails 
  again, it is taken more seriously than before. The success of 
  the UNED inspires many nations to combine efforts for the 
  good of mankind. Negotiations begin around the world to 
  determine whether or not any sort of planet-wide 
  unification is realistic, and what steps need to be taken to 
  make it a reality. 
   Broadcast power technology matures to the point where 
  batteries and cables are no longer necessary for most 
  powered items as long as they remain within a generator’s 
  broadcast field. Most cities are completely covered by 
  government-maintained broadcast power fields. 
  11-18 PS (2053-2060 AD) 
   Under the direction of the UNED, a team of Japanese 
  scientists are able to create a reliable cold fusion reactor. 
  This discovery, one of many unearthed from Mimir’s 
  Archive, solves one of the main problems with space travel 
  and colonization: power generation and its resulting waste. 
   Transhumanist movements explode in popularity. The 
  genome becomes the medium of choice for a new kind of 
  artist. 
   The first cold fusion reactors quickly hit the market for 
  commercial consumption. The technology is developed and 
  marketed by a new multi-national group formed to spread 
  the use of efficient, clean energy to the whole world. 
   The abundant energy provided by cold fusion, coupled with 
  some of Mimir’s other discoveries, allows for the creation 
  of the first devices to utilize gravitic technology. These 
  devices can create artificial gravity, or generate anti-gravity 
  to provide lift. 
   Another version of the Earth Unification Act fails by only a 
  small margin. Seventeen countries continue to maintain 
  their independence from the growing number of nations 
  supporting the merger. Among the more adamant 
  naysayers are the United States, Switzerland, Brazil, and 
  Germany. 
  
   
  19 
   
  19-24 PS (2061-2066 AD) 
   The first cold fusion-powered spacecraft goes on line. Much 
  larger than anything before it, the Archangel houses a crew 
  of forty-two men and women from different nations. In 
  addition to the first cold fusion starship drive, the 
  Archangel also sports the largest gravity field generator 
  ever built, though it can only be used for short periods. 
   Despite the hold-outs, many of the more influential nations 
  pushing for the implementation of the EUA band together 
  to form the United Federation of Earth, or simply The 
  Federation. Dealings between Federation and non-
  Federation nations grow cold. 
   The Apotheosis procedure, unearthed from Mimir’s 
  Archives, is performed for the first time. Angelique Barns 
  becomes the first person to undergo Apotheosis and gain a 
  mindset. 
  25-29 PS (2067-2071 AD) 
   After making several trips from Earth to Luna, and aiding in 
  the production of the first space elevator, the Archangel 
  sets off to Mars where its inhabitants begin preparing for 
  colonization. 
   The first space elevator, the Beanstalk, is authorized for 
  civilian use. It extends from the equator in Brazil to a height 
  of ninety-five miles above sea level. Brazil, not a member of 
  the Federation, demands higher taxes for the Beanstalk’s 
  use by Federation nations. 
   The USA, Brazil, and Italy lead the way in forming the 
  National Freedom Alliance, or simply the Alliance. These 
  three nations, along with the remaining nations not already 
  members of the Federation, band together in an attempt to 
  foster cheaper and more efficient trade between Alliance 
  members. All Alliance members withdraw from UNED. 
   AI pilots and advances in gravitics and propulsion tech 
  finally lead to the first commercially viable flying cars. 
   Fearing the permanent loss of “true humans” as a result of 
  growing interest in augmentation technology, the Purist 
  movement is founded by Daniel Pullem. 
   Angelique Barns takes to life as a SIM, and becomes an 
  outspoken proponent of transhuman ideals. 
  30-32 PS (2072-2074 AD) 
   The Federation cuts off all trade with the Alliance until 
  Brazil lowers taxes on Federation usage of the Beanstalk. In 
  response, Brazil cuts off all Federation access to the 
  Beanstalk. Unable to use the space elevator, the Federation 
  must depend on less efficient means of transporting its 
  people and supplies into space. 
   The Federation begins making plans to build their own 
  space elevator in Africa. “Beanstalk” becomes a slang term 
  for all space elevators. 
   To overcome the dependency on beanstalks to move 
  materials, supplies, and personnel into space, more 
  resources are directed toward building both manned and 
  unmanned spacecraft. 
   The human race begins to diverge. Apotheosis begins to 
  gain in popularity. With the mastery of genetic 
  manipulation comes the ability to transform the body, 
  often to extremes. The definition of “human” becomes an 
  often discussed topic. 
   
  
   
  20 
   
  33-39 PS (2075-2081 AD) 
   Spearheaded by Purists, the Humanity Preservation Act 
  (HPA) is passed in an effort to keep augmented humans 
  from becoming the dominant species and to keep humanity 
  from evolving into several divergent subspecies. It places 
  limits on the augmentation of biological life, but since SIMs 
  and people wearing cybersleeves already exist, the HPA is 
  unable to ban them. 
   Cyberware augmentation hardware is designed with built-
  in HPA-mandated limitations. These limitations are applied 
  by their manufacturers and secured by restrictions in the 
  software. 
   The Alliance develops the first stable Antiparticle Exchange 
  (APEX) reactors, but the feeble antimatter production 
  industry can’t produce enough to drive up demand for 
  them. 
   As technology continues to eliminate more and more jobs, 
  countries who once aggressively stood against socialism 
  find they have no choice but to offer better social 
  programs. 
  40-42 PS (2082-2084 AD) 
   Alliance scientists at a laboratory outpost on the Martian 
  moon of Phobos create a stable wormhole by using the 
  essentially unlimited power available from an APEX reactor. 
  This hole, later dubbed a jump gate, opens to another lab 
  in Italy, facilitating instantaneous travel between locations. 
  After months of testing, the first human, an Italian named 
  Massimo Lorenzano, steps through the jump gate. 
   The first human, Marko Rolph, undergoes Synthesis. This 
  sparks controversy anew about the HPA, leading to hot 
  topic debates among citizens, politicians, and scientists. 
  43-50 PS (2085-2092 AD) 
   A jump gate opened between the lunar labs and Earth 
  destabilizes and implodes. Thousands die as over six square 
  miles of the lunar colony are violently pulled through the 
  gate and explosively released into the mated lab in Seattle, 
  Washington. 
   All planetary gates are taken offline. It is quickly 
  determined that the gates are too sensitive to local gravity 
  fluctuations to remain reliable and safe. Even more, the 
  larger the gate, the more susceptible it is to failure. To 
  remain stable and safe, jump gates must be opened outside 
  the gravity well of any nearby planets or moons. 
   An extremist loyal to the Federation sets off a bomb 
  stowed away with in-transit cargo on the original Beanstalk 
  in Brazil. It does millions of dollars in damage and causes 
  the elevator to be shut down for three months. 
   Though the Federation as a whole quickly disavows any 
  knowledge of the extremist’s plans, this act begins a tense 
  cold war that will eventually erupt into the Consolidation 
  Wars. 
   Both the Federation and Alliance begin committing 
  tremendous resources to the production of military assets. 
   Starships are outfitted with onboard weaponry for the first 
  time. 
   At this time, while Earth and Luna largely belong to the 
  Federation, the Alliance controls all of Mars—with Mars, 
  comes Martian resources. Martian mining becomes big 
  business, with most of the labor performed by machines. 
   After a number of complications, the first Federation space 
  elevator goes online in Africa. 
  
   
  21 
   
   The first batches of small-scale cold fusion-powered 
  military spacecraft roll off the assembly line, giving birth to 
  a new theater of war. The military begins fielding Alpha 
  Type Corvettes and Beta Type Frigates. The previous large-
  scale spacecraft designs are scrapped and new, larger ships 
  are branded Gamma Type Cruisers. 
   Continued improvements in jump gate technology lead to 
  the first pair of off-world jump rings: massive rings that 
  house a jump gate large enough for a starship to pass 
  through. They are created and controlled by the 
  Federation. The first is located at Earth-Moon (E-M) L2 
  Lagrange Point, and named the Eye of Sol. The second is 
  called the Mercurial Gateway, and is placed near Mercury. 
   With the placement of the jump rings near Earth and 
  Mercury, and advancements in the field of solar power 
  efficiency, hundreds of panel fields are placed on Mercury. 
  The 
  solar 
  energy 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  power 
  antimatter 
  manufacturing facilities on a massive scale. While Mercury 
  is not the only source of antimatter production, it is the 
  largest and quickly becomes the most efficient. 
  51-52 PS (2093-2095 AD) 
   A galactic communications network is set up, which is 
  based on comm-buoys, massive server systems linked by 
  quantum entanglement.  
   The first Delta Type Dreadnought, The Ravager, is 
  commissioned by the Alliance. It is the first ship powered 
  by an APEX reactor. 
   The Alliance and Federation both declare their intent to 
  explore the Sirius system, as it is the closest system to 
  Earth that contains what is believed to be a “garden 
  planet.” This calls for the development of more advanced 
  jump gate technology. 
  53-58 PS (2096-2100 AD) 
   An exploratory armada from the Federation jumps to the 
  Sirius system. There they find a lush planet very much like 
  Earth. While teeming with life, the Earth-like planet (later 
  named Proch) has no sentient human-like species. Instead, 
  it seems to be in a state similar to Earth's Mesozoic era. 
   The first Epsilon Type Carrier, The Osiris, is commissioned 
  by the Alliance. It is outfitted with a jump gate generator 
  capable of creating a gate large enough for it, and the 
  dozens of smaller craft it can carry, to pass through. 
   An Alliance armada arrives in the Sirius system. Both the 
  Alliance and the Federation declare their intent to colonize 
  Proch and each quickly deploys a jump ring to the system. 
   Small-scale conflicts arise over control of Proch’s more 
  desirable locations. Over the course of the year, these 
  conflicts erupt into open war. At first the conflict is 
  contained to Proch, but it quickly begins to boil over. 
   The Alliance captures the Mercurial gateway and destroys 
  both the Eye of Sol, and the Federation’s jump ring at 
  Proch. The Federation is effectively cut off from providing 
  supplies and reinforcements for its troops on Proch. Total 
  war breaks out on Earth after the Federation creates a 
  blockade around Mercury in an effort to keep the Alliance 
  from the antimatter it needs. 
   Corporations discover Cygnus Alpha and Chengdan. 
   The Consolidation Wars begin. 
  
   
  22 
   
  59-69 PS (2101-2111 AD) 
   Over the course of the next ten years, Alliance and 
  Federation forces wage war on land, sea, air, and space; 
  across multiple continents, planets, and star systems. 
   Throwing caution to the wind in favor of finding some sort 
  of edge in the battle, both the Alliance and Federation rush 
  out to dozens of other star systems in hopes of finding 
  habitable areas and mineral deposits. 
   Advances in medical technology extend the average 
  lifespan to 250 years. That is, assuming one isn’t killed in 
  the war. 
   
   By the end of the war, humans have colonies on every 
  hospitable planet in the Sol system, many of their moons, 
  and even in the asteroid belt. In addition, several planets 
  and moons in the other explored star systems have 
  colonies and even small cities in some cases. The colonies 
  established early in the expansion race, such as those on 
  Proch, Cygnus Alpha, and Shouye grow quickly with the aid 
  of nanomachine swarms called Vulcan swarms. 
   The Martian city of Olympus has the highest population of 
  any non-Earth city and is one of the most heavily contested 
  areas in the war. 
   
   
  
   
  23 
   
  70 PS (2112 AD) 
   Earth is devastated. In a bid to finally destroy the heart of 
  the Alliance government, the Federation releases a 
  specialized type of nanomachine swarm, called a 
  technophage, into the Alliance capital city of Brasilia. The 
  swarm is capable of devouring usable matter and 
  reconstructing it into automated war machines. The 
  technophage was meant to shut down once the city was in 
  ruins, but it failed to recognize the command. 
   Both the Federation and the Alliance watch in horror as 
  much of Brazil is slowly consumed by the swarm; its 
  buildings, people, and much of the landscape are 
  transformed into weapons of war. The Alliance commits all 
  of its effort to battling the swarm, but in less than a month 
  it covers the majority of South and Central America. 
   Fearing a technophage expansion into their own lands, the 
  Federation offers the Alliance a temporary truce. Not long 
  after, the swarm appears in Tanzania and quickly begins 
  spreading across Africa. 
   City after city falls to the technophage as increasingly 
  dangerous and sophisticated war machines rise from the 
  metallic ash. 
   Despite a desperate struggle to stop the spread of the 
  technophage, much of the Earth is devastated in just a few 
  months. The least technologically advanced nations are hit 
  hardest, lacking the advanced weapons required to defend 
  against the swarm and its war machines. The UK, Canada, 
  America, and Russia fare the best, having the most success 
  in defending their most highly populated areas. 
   Much of the Japanese population quickly undergoes 
  Apotheosis and, as SIMs, upload off the planet. 
   China, despite its technological sophistication, is almost 
  entirely lost due to an attack by an abnormally aggressive 
  strain of the technophage. Most surviving Chinese are 
  those who had already moved off-planet. 
  71 PS (2113 AD) 
   The war comes to an end as both sides suffer tremendous 
  losses to the technophage. The survivors on both sides seek 
  only to evacuate Earth. 
   Due to obvious and persistent instability, the Alliance and 
  Federation begin to lose the confidence of their citizens. 
  During the war and in the aftermath, more and more 
  people look to their employers for protection. 
   With the governments of the world in disarray, the largest 
  corporations lead the way in funding and organizing the 
  evacuation, an event called the Exodus. 
   Corporations begin a huge recruitment drive to get workers 
  off Earth and to expand throughout the galaxy. Many 
  millions bind themselves to the corporations, signing 
  contracts in exchange for safety. 
   Earth is placed under quarantine. Billions are left behind. 
  An estimated 94 million survived the Consolidation Wars 
  and the resulting technophage. It is believed that in the 
  following months the technophage wiped out all human life 
  on Earth. 
  72-77 PS (2114-2119 AD) 
   As the Alliance and Federation governments become more 
  and more powerless, the massive corporations responsible 
  for running and maintaining order in the colonies and 
  habitats begin to grow into their own micro-governments.  
  
   
  24 
   
   Marshaling their resources, the corporations push to create 
  a solid base of power and government. Many of the small 
  outer colonies and habitats are abandoned, many with 
  people still on them. 
   The six largest and most cohesive corporations come 
  together with the remnants of the Federation and Alliance 
  to found a Consociationalist government, called the 
  Coalition of Free States or simply the Coalition. Under this 
  new multi-system government, leaders of recognized 
  factions and settlements can petition the Coalition for aid; 
  however, in doing so they become subject to its laws. The 
  heart of the Coalition government, the Senate, is placed on 
  Mars. The Halls of Progress, a fortified and highly defended 
  palace, is built in Olympus. 
   The term House begins to replace corporation as more 
  people look to the Houses with a sense of patriotism and 
  familial pride. 
   No longer as focused on creating weapons of war, 
  humanity takes stock of the technological leaps of the last 
  several decades. The Coalition passes laws that work 
  toward distributing wealth to the poor and creates a 
  baseline standard of living that all people can enjoy. This 
  default standard of living, provided free by the 
  government, is of better quality than what the majority of 
  middle class citizens enjoyed before the war. 
   While the advanced technology available to the citizens of 
  the Coalition enables them to live in a near utopia, it can 
  also be used to develop very powerful weapons. As a 
  result, security becomes a huge concern for most inhabited 
  areas. Sensor networks (meshes) become ubiquitous and 
  powerful AIs are established to monitor citizens at all 
  times. 
  78-81 PS (2120-2123 AD) 
   The Purists move to ban Apotheosis, but the attempt fails 
  due to lack of support. 
   Minor conflicts flare occasionally on the colonies farthest 
  from Olympus, where the Coalition has a more difficult 
  time keeping order. In the farthest reaches of Coalition 
  space, barter is more common than the Rep-Reward 
  system, and gold currency is often used in favor of Rep for 
  payment of black market jobs and goods.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  [Versa-Link Log: 12:25-02,28,98] 
  [Micah] – You get the Cosmos S4? 
  [Tess] – I was going to, but I can’t afford the Rep 
  hit. I may just get the Naga instead. 
  [Micah] – The Naga? How old are you? I’m loving 
  the Cosmos. Ever since Tig Vallance went to 
  Cipriani, their GUI design has become top-
  notch. 
  [Tess] – Yeah yeah I know. I was drooling over it 
  earlier today. But the cost of Cipriani PPCs have 
  gone up for Silvans since Garcia rejected that 
  offer for the S-117 gene sequence. 
  [Micah] – Yeah, I heard about that. I can get a 
  Cosmos cheap. Wanna make a trade? 
  [Tess] – Maybe. What do you need? 
  [Micah] – I just got a template for Giorgio Altar’s 
  new Venus Sunrise suit. I’m going to comp it in 
  purple. It’d really look slick if my eyes were 
  purple too. Can you get me the twist? 
   
   
  
   
  25 
   
  82-86 PS (2124-2128 AD) 
   The Coalition begins a new initiative to claim all human- 
  occupied space. Resistance is immediately encountered in 
  outer colonies and habitats that had been largely 
  abandoned by the Houses for the last several decades 
  while they jockeyed for position and power in the Senate. 
   Remnants of the Alliance and Federation see the Coalition 
  as a compromise forged by traitors. They begin to unify. 
   The Coalition begins to encounter organized resistance 
  from remnant Alliance and Federation forces in some 
  areas. These rebels reject the Coalition, the reputation 
  economy, and the lack of privacy in Coalition space. 
  87-93 PS (2129-2135 AD) 
   An Alliance remnant group, calling itself the Talons of 
  Freedom, deploys strike teams to attack House Dalianis’ 
  lunar shipyard and steal the fabrication templates for a 
  number of starships. 
   The number of attacks on House facilities become more 
  common as the rebels attempt to gather fabrication 
  templates for large-scale items like habitats and ships. 
   A Federation remnant group, called Jacob's Hand, steals a 
  number of military-grade compilers. These compilers lack 
  location-based restrictions and include templates for a 
  large amount of military hardware. 
   Strange activity is noticed on Earth. The technophage 
  begins exhibiting strange behavior, possibly showing signs 
  that it has somehow begun to evolve. 
   
  94-98 PS (2136-2140 AD) (The Present) 
   The total population of humanity is estimated to be around 
  94.6 million. 
   It is estimated that about 80% of humanity is a registered 
  citizen of the Coalition and a member of a House. The 
  remaining 20% are those born outside of Coalition space, 
  those who fell through the cracks, or those who rejected 
  citizenship. These non-citizens, called apostates, must get 
  by on black market work and/or bartering. 
   Roughly 35% of people have undergone Apotheosis. 
  Genetic augmentation or voluntary resleeving into 
  cybersleeves is common among the Apotheosized who 
  work in unsafe environments. Increasing numbers of 
  people are taking to living in virtualities as SIMs. 
   Transhuman extremists secretly work to achieve some 
  posthuman ideal, while the Coalition hunts down offenders 
  who have gone too far, breaking the Humanity 
  Preservation Act. 
   Purists fear that they will become obsolete and push for 
  laws that regulate augmentation to keep augmented 
  people from becoming a sort of master race. 
   Purifiers, extremist Purists, wage a campaign of terror as 
  they blow up resleeving facilities and kill outspoken 
  transhuman idealists after removing and destroying their 
  mnemonic cores. 
   The Senate works to hold humanity together while 
  individual Houses still maneuver for power. In addition to 
  conflict between the Houses and the ideological factions 
  within them, the rise in attacks by organized remnant 
  Federation and Alliance groups has forced an increase in 
  Coalition military activity. 
  
   
  26 
   
  SETTING TERMINOLOGY 
  Agent - A low-level AGI built to act as a virtual assistant, usually 
  stored on a PPC or mindset. 
  AI - An artificial intelligence. While most AIs are narrow AIs 
  designed to fulfill specific tasks, artificial general intelligences 
  (AGIs) are far more versatile. 
  APEX - Antiparticle Exchange; these reactors provide the majority of 
  the power used by habitats and starships. 
  Apotheosis - The process of transforming a mind into software by 
  installing a mindset into the brain. Roughly 35% of humanity has 
  undergone Apotheosis. 
  Archive - The Archive is the collection of data recovered from Mimir 
  after it shut down. It is the source of most post-singularity tech. 
  ARID - Augmented Reality Identification; usually attached to an 
  object or placed within a person. 
  Auxiliary – Common term for contractors hired by the Houses to act 
  as their agents in the Shadow War.  
  CID - Coalition Identification; a special type of ARID that contains all 
  of one’s personal data. Usually implanted in the wrist. 
  Compiler - A device that uses a swarm of nanomachines and raw 
  materials to construct finished products at the atomic level. 
  Dynamic Creation Engine - A type of highly advanced artificial 
  general intelligence, like Mimir, capable of experiencing pleasure 
  derived from a sense of accomplishment. Highly illegal. 
  Crew - A group of Axillaries, independent specialists, hired to 
  resolve tricky, often illegal (and usually dangerous) operations. 
  CIST - Cyber-Intrusion and Security Terminal; a highly restricted 
  device capable of hacking Mimir-tech systems. 
  Daemon - An Agent freed of its restrictions by a Savant. 
  Dark - A term referring to lacking memory of events that transpired 
  after a backup (“I’m in the dark about those last three days.”) 
  Decompiler/Decomp - A device that uses Compiler technology to 
  break down an object into raw powdered or liquid material. 
  Default - To live at the Coalition’s default standard of living while 
  making no effort to improve yourself or contribute to society. 
  Ego - A conscious mind converted to software via Apotheosis. 
  Esper - Nanomachines that work together as a swarm to manipulate 
  material at the molecular level. 
  Extranet - The intersystem computer network that connects most 
  planets and habitats. 
  Jump Gate - A hole in space created by a jump drive, through which 
  matter can instantly pass from one location to another. 
  Mesh/Web - A collection of sensors set up to watch over an area to 
  provide security and act as an augmented reality interface. 
  Mimir - The dynamic creation engine AGI born of the Singularity, 
  and the inspiration for nearly all modern technology. 
  Mimir-tech - The name for technology designed by Mimir. Nearly all 
  modern technology is Mimir-tech. Technology created entirely by 
  humans is considered archaic and outdated. 
  Mindset - A computer system implanted in the brain, installed via 
  Apotheosis. It houses the mnemonic core. 
  Mnemonic Core - A shielded part of the mindset that acts as a 
  secured storage device in which the ego is backed up in real time. 
  Monitor/Spyder - An AI designed to watch over a mesh. 
  Needle Beam - A form of data transfer employing very narrow 
  beams of light, used to communicate through jump gates. 
  PPC - Portable personal computer; often worn on the arm or a belt. 
  Resleeve/Decant - The process of loading an ego into a new sleeve. 
  Savant - Hackers that have overcome the restrictions on their 
  mindsets, granting them capabilities far outside the norm. 
  SIM - Substrate-Independent Mind; a mind that exists as software, 
  converted via Apotheosis. 
  SINC - Self-Interfacing Neural Code; the computer code Savants 
  write to use their programs. 
  Sleeve - A body, biological or synthetic, that has undergone 
  Apotheosis. 
  
   
  27 
   
  CHAPTER 2 – THE GALAXY 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  28 
   
  THE GALACTIC GAZETTEER 
  Mercury 
  Gravity: .37G 
  Length of Day: 58.65 Earth Days 
  Estimated Population: 260k 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Specular Spread: Solar panel field and production facilities 
  (House Cipriani) 
  • Base 10:  Antimatter production facilities (House Cipriani) 
  • Tellerus Fields: Site of the worst battle between the 
  remnant forces of Earth’s governments and the Coalition 
  • Mercurial Gateway: One of two jump rings in the Sol 
  system. 
  • Mercurian Tunnel System: A series of tunnels that connect 
  the most of the habitats and facilities on Mercury. 
  • Balor: A large habitat on the surface of the planet, used as 
  a vacation spot and getaway for workers at the various 
  Mercurian facilities. 
  The Coalition was not founded overnight, and wasn’t (and 
  still isn’t) popular with everyone. Remnants of Earth’s 
  governments put up a fight; broken and scattered as they were, 
  they never really had a chance. 
  The last major battle, which most feel solidified the 
  Coalition’s position, was the battle of Tellerus Fields. At the 
  time, as it remains today, Mercury was home to nearly all of 
  the antimatter production in the galaxy. 
  The remnant forces took a number of the antimatter 
  production facilities and attempted to hold them against the 
  newly founded Coalition forces. The resulting battle remains 
  the largest organized engagement the Coalition has ever taken 
  part in. 
  In the end, the remnant forces were broken and scattered, 
  though a number of survivors escaped into the tunnels that 
  connect many of the Mercurian habitats and facilities. 
  It is believed that large numbers of remnant supporters still 
  hide out in the vast tunnel network; if this is true, they haven’t 
  made any attempts to harm anyone. 
  House Cipriani now operates the majority of the antimatter 
  production facilities on Mercury, solidifying its position as the 
  primary provider of power in Coalition space. 
  Massive fields of solar panels cover much of Mercury. These 
  panel fields were built and placed by a subsidiary of House 
  Cipriani called Specular Spread. With these, the blinding light of 
  the sun is converted into the power needed to operate 
  hundreds of antimatter processing plants owned and operated 
  by Base 10, another subsidiary of House Cipriani. 
  The antimatter produced is then shipped off-world to one of 
  three Icarus Hubs in orbit, and then taken to a nearby jump 
  ring. This ring, called the Mercurial Gateway, is one of two jump 
  rings in the Sol system. It is primarily used to ship the processed 
  antimatter to other systems, and acts as a route to the Eye of 
  Sol located near Earth. 
  Piracy has always been a concern here, and has grown worse 
  of late. Remnant military forces in need of antimatter often 
  stage hit-and-run strikes in hopes of crippling a shipping vessel, 
  capturing its cargo, and disappearing before the Protectorate 
  can respond. 
  Some have begun to wonder if these strikes are being 
  organized in the tunnels that connect the habitats and 
  productions facilities. If so, could it be the work of remnant 
  forces still hiding there after all this time? 
  
   
  29 
   
  Venus 
  Gravity: .91G 
  Length of Day: 243 Earth Days 
  Estimated Population: 435k in Gondolin, around 25k on The 
  Maiden 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Gondolin: Hidden apostate enclave, largest in the solar 
  system. 
  • The Venusian Maiden (The Maiden): Research station set 
  up to study Venus in an effort to learn more about how 
  Earth was formed. 
  Venus has never been especially interesting to the Coalition. 
  It’s a hellish world of volcanic mountains and rivers of lava. Its 
  blazing-hot atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide and 
  sulfuric acid, with pressures that would crush a man. 
  Although the Coalition has little use for such an inhospitable 
  location, it is perfect for apostates willing to live a tough life in 
  exchange for freedom. 
  Gondolin 
  The apostate enclave of Gondolin sports a population of 
  around 435 thousand. It consists of hundreds of connected 
  clusters of buildings, all assembled at the molecular level by a 
  variant of the technophage design known as a Vulcan swarm: a 
  type of esper swarm that cannot replicate. These types of 
  swarms eventually deplete, however, and the swarms that 
  made Gondolin are long gone. 
  Now the city struggles with an overpopulation problem. Since 
  no more habitable areas can be built, the local government has 
  passed laws stating that no couple may have more than one 
  child. Additional children lead to hefty fines. 
  An elected mayor leads the local apostate government, with 
  paid constables serving as law enforcement. The current mayor 
  is Camber Roche, a Frenchman and survivor of the technophage 
  who currently exists as a SIM. Roche won his most recent 
  election on a platform of transhumanist ideals. He is trying to 
  convince more people to undergo Apotheosis and become SIMs 
  in an effort to deal with the population problem. 
  The population mostly consists of former Americans, Italians, 
  Greeks, and Africans. Although they voted a transhumanist for 
  mayor, the majority are still Purists who fear Apotheosis. 
  In addition to a few resurrection chambers and the gear 
  required to perform the Apotheosis procedure, Gondolin also 
  has a single working compiler. It is operated by a talented 
  Savant named Gulo, who is responsible for cracking the 
  compiler’s security each time it needs to be used. 
  The existence of this compiler is a well-kept secret. Most of 
  Gondolin’s goods actually come from black market trading, 
  which is preferred by the mayor. After all, if word got out that 
  they have a working compiler, both the Coalition and other 
  apostate factions would come for it. 
  Of late, some have begun to fear that they haven’t done 
  enough to stay hidden. But if the Coalition knows Gondolin 
  exists, why do they not act? 
  The Maiden 
  The only other place people might be found around Venus is 
  in the Venusian Maiden, an orbiting research space station. The 
  Maiden studies the Venusian surface and atmosphere in an 
  attempt to learn more about how planets are formed. It is also 
  a site the Houses use to perform various experiments. 
  Of note, one of House Dalianis’ ship-based weapons labs is 
  located here. When the opportunity arises, they also use this 
  location to cut deals with secret contacts on Gondolin. 
  
   
  30 
   
  Earth 
  Gravity: 1G 
  Length of Day: 24 hr 
  Estimated Population: Presumed 0, Officially, no human 
  remain alive on Earth. 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Brasilia: Ground zero of the technophage deployment. The 
  entire region, covering over 300 square kilometers, has 
  been entirely consumed by machines. 
  • Marianas 
  Trench: 
  Believed 
  to 
  contain 
  a 
  heavy 
  concentration of technophage drone nanofactories. 
  • Denver Interplanetary Spaceport: The focal point for the 
  weapons and defensive measures the technophage has 
  developed. An umbrella-like shield has been built to shield 
  the area from orbital strikes. 
  • Vantage: A space station located at E-M Lagrange Point 1, 
  between Earth and Luna. It is both a museum dedicated 
  to Earth’s history and a base of operations for the 
  Coalition forces maintaining the quarantine. 
  • Eye of Sol: Located at E-M Lagrange Point 2, the Eye of Sol 
  is the rebuilt jump gate originally destroyed during the 
  Consolidation Wars. 
  • Ansari Station: House Dalianis’ largest shipyard, located at 
  E-M Lagrange Point 3. 
  • Primatech Labs: A House Jinzhan weapons manufacturing 
  facility primarily dedicated to producing drones and 
  ordinance for the ships and kill-sats maintaining the 
  quarantine. It’s located at E-M Lagrange Point 4. 
  • Sentinel Station: Located at E-M Lagrange Point 5, Sentinel 
  Station is the largest Coalition military installation in the 
  galaxy. 
   
  The Federation believed that by unleashing the technophage 
  on the Alliance capital city of Brasilia, the resulting destruction 
  would be so terrible that the Alliance would be forced to 
  surrender. It was meant to end the Consolidation Wars in one 
  horrible act of terrible destruction. 
  It worked. 
  The technophage ended the war, but not as intended. The 
  exact reason is still unknown, but the Federation claimed that 
  the technophage did not respond to shutdown commands after 
  its work was done in Brasilia. The Gray Plague spread across the 
  Earth like a technological infection, a global cancer. In its wake, 
  autonomous war machines were left to roam the land. These 
  drones hunted and killed anything living, Alliance and 
  Federation alike. 
  The governments of Earth were forced to agree to a 
  temporary cease-fire in order to deal with this new threat. 
  Despite some initial success, it soon became clear that the 
  technophage was capable of quickly adapting its defenses to 
  new threats. This was not how the technophage was designed 
  to behave, and it is unknown how it came to be able to adapt. 
  Today, it is believed that no human remains alive on Earth. 
  Mankind’s cities are dens of technological terror, shattered 
  wastelands haunted by murderous machines. Even rural areas 
  are patrolled by aerial recon drones that are programmed to kill 
  anything larger than a house cat. 
  After the Exodus, the majority of the swarm poured into the 
  ocean and disappeared. Some scattered remnants of the gray 
  fog remain, but these days the drones are more often seen 
  than the swarms that birthed them. 
  The technophage, in its swarm form, can construct drones by 
  dissolving material and reconfiguring it. However, this process 
  is slow compared to the building of nanofactories, an ability it 
  
   
  31 
   
  developed early in the war. These dedicated factories have a 
  higher output than the swarms alone can produce, and are well 
  defended. Many of these factories looked like heavily armored 
  fortresses before the quarantine, but years of heavy orbital 
  bombardment have eradicated all but the smallest ones. 
  Since the Exodus, mankind’s cities have been reduced to 
  either blighted wastelands or festering machine tumors. 
  However, there are a few locations on the planet of particular 
  note: 
  Brasilia 
  Brasilia has been devoured; little remains but gray powder. 
  Every few days the nanomachines rise to construct a new 
  nanofactory, only to be quickly destroyed by orbiting kill-sats or 
  battleships. 
  The Marianas Trench 
  The majority of the technophage swarm is believed to be 
  concentrated in the deepest part of the world’s oceans, the 
  Marianas Trench. This area is difficult to analyze or attack from 
  orbit, so the quarantine enforcement ships and kill-sats have 
  settled for attacking the drones that emerge from the water. 
  Recently, increasing numbers of drones have been surfacing 
  in a larger variety of locations. This increase in activity caused 
  much concern within the Senate. After much debate, House 
  Jinzhan was authorized to deploy drones for exploratory 
  missions. Only one returned. 
  On its return trip, the drone veered off course and headed 
  toward Vantage. It refused to obey any commands, and had to 
  be destroyed by a ship called the Kamarov before it could get 
  within weapons range of the space station. Analysis of the 
  drone’s remains confirmed what everyone had feared: the 
  drone had been reprogrammed and upgraded by the 
  technophage, outfitted with an APEX bomb. 
  Denver Interplanetary Spaceport 
  It had long been suspected that the technophage had 
  achieved some form of sentience, and the attempted attack on 
  Vantage was the first real proof. 
  This revelation makes what’s going on at what used to be the 
  Denver Interplanetary Spaceport even more worrisome. Almost 
  overnight the technophage cannibalized all the drones in the 
  Denver area, and used their component materials to create a 
  shield over what was once the largest spaceport on Earth. 
  This shield, and the sight-blocking light screen that appeared 
  soon after, make it very difficult to tell what is going on. What is 
  known, however, is that the majority of drones in the area have 
  been called to the former spaceport. Once they arrive, they 
  pass beneath the spaceport’s barriers and are never seen again. 
  Some speculate that the drones are being broken down and 
  recycled into something else. What this might be is anyone’s 
  guess, but it is making people very nervous. The spaceport is 
  watched constantly and the shield is the target of near constant 
  bombardment, but thus far it has been difficult to determine 
  whether or not these methods have been effective. 
  Vantage 
  Located at Earth-Moon (E-M) Lagrange Point 1, directly 
  between Earth and Luna, Vantage is a spaceport that overlooks 
  the former home of humanity. It is a common tourist 
  attraction, featuring a number of observation decks that 
  provide an astonishing view of Earth. 
  It is also a museum of Earth’s history, and a base of 
  operations for quarantine forces. 
  
   
  32 
   
  Vantage has always been a popular location for those still 
  loyal to the fallen nations of Earth. In fact, it is often rumored 
  that the majority of the staff in charge of maintaining Vantage 
  are in league with remnant forces opposing the Coalition. 
  The Eye of Sol 
  On the far side of the moon, at E-M Lagrange Point 2, is the 
  Eye of Sol. This is one of the two public jump gates in the 
  system. The original Eye was destroyed near the beginning of 
  the Consolidation Wars, but it has since been rebuilt. 
  The Eye of Sol features a hotel for travelers, and a small 
  museum dedicated to the Consolidation Wars and the founding 
  of the Coalition. 
  Ansari Station 
  On the other side of Earth, directly opposite of Luna at E-M 
  Lagrange Point 3, is Ansari Station. This massive space station is 
  actually a shipyard owned and operated by House Dalianis. It is 
  the largest space-based shipyard in the known galaxy, and is 
  home to many thousands of workers and their families. 
  In addition to the work areas, Ansari also features what could 
  only be described as a multi-layered city consisting of stacked 
  disks. While it is mostly populated by House Dalianis citizens 
  who work at the manufacturing facilities, it also features a few 
  thousand people from other Houses who provide supporting 
  services, entertainment, and so on. 
  Primatech Labs 
  Primatech Labs is located at E-M Lagrange Point 4, and is a 
  House Jinzhan R&D and manufacturing facility primarily 
  devoted to providing ordinance and armaments for the ships 
  and kill-sats responsible for maintaining the Earth quarantine. 
  Primatech is also where the remains of the drone sent to 
  attack Vantage are being kept, in an attempt to reverse-
  engineer the modifications that were made to it by the 
  technophage. This is being done in a highly secure portion of 
  the station, and no one outside of House Jinzhan has been 
  allowed to see it. This is causing a great deal of conflict 
  between Houses Jinzhan and Dalianis, who have in the past 
  been comfortable allies. 
  Of course, the other Houses want a look at the drone as well, 
  and the issue is beginning to escalate. In the last seven months, 
  four House Jinzhan scientists have disappeared, all of which 
  were on the team assigned to study the drone. 
  Officially, they are on vacation. 
  Sentinel Station 
  At E-M Lagrange Point 5 you will find Sentinel Station. The 
  Sentinel is not only the largest space-based Coalition military 
  compound, it’s the largest compound found anywhere. The 
  station is primarily operated by House Silva (specifically, its 
  Valkyrie subsidiary) and House Tsarya, and serves as both a 
  base of operations and a hub for distribution of military assets. 
  Most military equipment comes through the Eye of Sol and gets 
  processed through Sentinel before being sent to its final 
  destination. 
   Sentinel Station also houses several hundred compilers 
  capable of producing restricted items such as military weapons, 
  explosives, weaponized bacteria, and more. In addition, it has a 
  large number of resurrection chambers on hand for decanting 
  fallen soldiers or receiving those who were needle-beamed to 
  the site. It is also one of two locations that soldiers are sent to if 
  they are to undergo Apotheosis, something the Coalition 
  military strongly encourages. 
  
   
  33 
   
  Luna 
  Gravity: .16G 
  Length of Day: 27.3 Earth Days 
  Estimated Population: 8.5 mil 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Serro: The largest city on Luna, site of the original colonies. 
  Primarily consists of tightly secured labs run by House 
  Silva. Serro also serves as House Silva’s seat of power. 
  • Asola: Asola is the second largest city on Luna. It contains 
  House Tsarya’s largest manufacturing facility in the solar 
  system. It is known for its poor blue-collar workers, many 
  of which are apostates. Asola has a very strong Purist 
  tradition, which House Tsarya strongly supports. 
  • Rho: The Jewel of Luna, Rho is a city devoted to 
  entertainment and relaxation. Rho is primarily backed by 
  Houses Silva and Cipriani, but also contains a heavy 
  apostate population. It is also inhabited by an Alliance 
  remnant force called the Talons of Freedom. 
  • Odysseus Station: A large House Dalianis space station 
  located in lunar orbit, where the most advanced of jump 
  gate technology is researched. 
  The first alien soil a human ever set foot on belonged to 
  Luna, and it has held a special place in our heart ever since. We 
  have come a long way since then, though, from the first 
  manned missions to an eventual colony. Three sprawling cities 
  now dot the lunar landscape. 
  Dozens of smaller settlements also adorn the landscape, 
  most of which are former mining sites or labs built for 
  particularly dangerous research. Some of these places still 
  support life, but because of the mining industry’s recent decline 
  most have long since been abandoned. 
  High above the surface cities are several dozens of space 
  stations. The vast majority of these are set up to perform 
  research and development of technology that is banned from 
  surface work by Coalition law. Houses Silva and Jinzhan 
  perform most of their more controversial work on these 
  stations. 
  Serro 
  Serro is the largest of the lunar cities. It grew slowly as the 
  original colonies expanded, then underwent rapid expansion 
  through the use of Vulcan swarms. It is now a sprawling series 
  of domes, within which are a number of large multi-story 
  complexes—much like cities, themselves. Most are two to 
  three square miles in area, and climb to heights of around one 
  hundred to one hundred and fifty stories. 
  The complexes, often called hives, are connected with 
  bridges and mag-rail trains. Skiffs can be rented at all hours for 
  those who want more private transportation. 
  The hives use gravitic technology to compensate for the 
  relatively weak lunar gravity, though most of the ground level is 
  not outfitted with gravity generators. Due to the health 
  concerns over the negative effects of prolonged microgravity 
  exposure, it is illegal to take up permanent residence outside 
  the hives. Apostates, of course, generally don’t respect the law 
  and sometimes the occasional cybersleeved apostate decides 
  to carve out a hide-away for himself on the surface level. 
  The surface still sees a lot of business, though. Despite the 
  weak gravity, or perhaps because of it, Serro’s surface level is 
  very much a tourist attraction. The streets are filled with small 
  shops and enclosed play areas for those who enjoy bouncing 
  around in a safe low gravity environment. Of particular note are 
  several Crash fields. While not as popular in other places, this 
  
   
  34 
   
  variant of American-style football features suspended goals 
  through which the player with the ball must leap. 
  Most of the people living in Serro are members of House 
  Silva. The city is home to most of Silva’s elites, and the hives are 
  mostly made up of the hundreds of labs devoted to Silva’s 
  biotech research and living quarters for the lab workers. 
  Asola 
  Asola is the second largest city on Luna. Like Serro, Asola 
  sports the Vulcan swarm-built domes that provide atmosphere 
  and protection for its inhabitants. Unlike Serro, though, Asola 
  tends to be lower class. 
  Where Serro has massive domes, Asola features a larger 
  number of smaller domes filled with shorter, sprawling 
  manufacturing facilities. These macro-factories are used to 
  compile and assemble products for House Tsarya. 
  These factories mostly produce the House’s ground vehicles 
  and components for its warframes. Other less significant 
  interests revolve around template writing for basic household 
  items, along with shipping, receiving, and warehousing larger 
  items or equipment for the military. 
  The workers here tend to be poor, and a large number of 
  them are apostates working to gain membership in the House. 
  In the late 2130s, Houses Jinzhan, Tsarya, and Silva managed to 
  pass a law that forced Houses to accept any apostate who 
  wished to become a recognized citizen. Though, the guidelines 
  covering these membership laws vary from House to House. 
  On the surface, House Tsarya appears to be the House most 
  open to taking in apostates. While this is true, many would 
  describe the process as nothing more than glorified slavery. 
  House Tsarya welcomes all, but makes obtaining membership a 
  very difficult process—assuming the applicant gets in at all. 
  House members are, of course, treated much better than 
  apostate workers. Once they manage to rise above the 
  “apostate drones,” the newly initiated members of the House 
  are bestowed a meager Rep bump and are granted the benefits 
  of any other citizen. To someone who has spent most of their 
  life toiling in a dark Asolan factory, life as a citizen is paradise. 
  Life in Asola revolves around either working for House 
  Tsarya, or providing goods and services for those who do. 
  Ground vehicles are far more common than skiffs here. Gravity 
  is provided for the surface and in living areas, but not in areas 
  where heavy objects need to be moved. 
  The Asola lifestyle tends to be rather oppressive, and it 
  shows in the city itself. Despite tireless efforts, the city seems 
  perpetually dirty. The air is not filtered as well as it should be, 
  and most of the city lies in a constant state of disrepair. It’s not 
  uncommon to stumble into an area with a malfunctioning 
  gravity generator or too much carbon dioxide. A short, hot 
  breeze of carbon dioxide or a moment of near-weightlessness 
  isn’t so bad, but a gravity generator with a bad power regulator 
  can crush you before you know it. 
  As one might expect, Asola’s brand of entertainment tends 
  toward the seedy and violent. The downtrodden apostate 
  workers need to vent, so they spend their undervalued Tsaryan 
  credits (which they are paid with instead of Rep or gold) on 
  anything that can take their mind off their woes: alcohol, drugs, 
  prostitution, gambling, cage fighting, and worse. 
  Rho 
  Rho is the smallest city on Luna, but in many ways it’s one of 
  the largest in the galaxy. Called the Jewel of Luna by some and 
  New Vegas by others, it is run primarily by Houses Cipriani and 
  Silva. Rho is the entertainment capital of the Sol system. 
  
   
  35 
   
  Indeed, no other city so extravagantly caters to the whims of 
  the privileged. 
  But there are two sides to Rho. 
  On the surface, Rho is inviting and awe-inspiring. Every 
  aspect of its architecture is beautiful, and its people no less so. 
  The Apotheosized parade around in Siren, Satyr, and Paragon 
  sleeves, and even the pure generally have the resources to 
  sport high-end cosmetic augmentations. 
  Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll see the ugly side of 
  Rho. This city is a battleground in the Shadow War. It’s where 
  influential people go to meet with mercenary crews, where 
  stolen goods are fenced, where illegal hardware is sold for Rep, 
  and where souls are sold for gold. 
  Rho only features a single large dome, and the whole of the 
  city fits within it. It surrounds an artificial lake, Luna Lake. Luna 
  Lake is bordered by parkland around its entire perimeter, which 
  features a large number of animals originally found on Earth. 
  These animals, including squirrels, foxes, deer, and more, are 
  cloned and cared for by a subsidiary of House Silva called Vitae. 
  Only four large towers dot the skyline, each belonging to a 
  different gambling guild. These guilds are subsidiaries of House 
  Kimura, Tsarya, and Silva. Most of the other buildings are no 
  larger than two to three stories. 
  The entire city is serviced by a system of gravity generators, 
  though several places turn them off in certain areas to fit a 
  theme or for microgravity recreation. The city also features a 
  number of theaters, sporting arenas, virtuality kiosks, shopping 
  malls, and hundreds of bars and nightclubs. 
  All of this buzzing activity is a convenient blanket for illegal 
  activity, which is why Rho is so often the location of choice for 
  patrons who wish to hire mercenary crews for operations. 
  Rho also makes for a handy base of operations for a remnant 
  of the United States military called the Talons of Freedom. The 
  Talons were responsible for some of the more devastating 
  attacks on the budding Coalition, but was not present at the 
  battle of Tellerus Fields. 
  After Tellerus Fields, it became clear that the only way to 
  defeat the Coalition would be through insurrection. Since then, 
  the Talons have been working to infiltrate the Houses, or 
  barring that, sway disenfranchised citizens to their cause. 
  The Talons are one of the largest suppliers of black market 
  goods in the galaxy, but their primary stock and trade lies in 
  weapons and armaments. They need to outfit their ranks with 
  the best military hardware they can get, and the Houses always 
  have the best stuff. 
  Odysseus Station 
  Perhaps the largest of the lunar research stations is Odysseus 
  Station. Here, House Dalianis works on new designs and 
  modifications to jump drive technology. 
  Three months ago, a large section of Odysseus Station 
  exploded. Over three hundred people were reported dead. The 
  official statement from House Dalianis was that a fire had 
  started and managed to get to an oxygen line. 
  However, rumor has it that a mercenary crew was deployed 
  by House Jinzhan to steal something, and that Dalianis blew 
  those decks to keep the mercenaries from getting away.  
  What the crew was meant to steal is not known. Some 
  rumors claim it was a design for a jump drive that can reliably 
  work inside the gravity well of a planet, something called a 
  space bridge. Still some claim that they were just after a 
  ranking member of House Dalianis. This rumor continues that 
  they killed the man and took his mnemonic core, needle-
  beaming him off the station before the explosion. 
  
   
  36 
   
  Mars 
  Gravity: .38G 
  Length of Day: 1.03 Earth Days 
  Estimated Population: 21.2 mil 
  Major Settlements: 
  • Olympus: The largest human city and seat of the Coalition 
  government. It is known for its awe-inspiring monuments 
  and gorgeous architecture. Olympus is built upon 
  Olympus Mons and consists of multiple wards, most of 
  which feature multiple tiers. The wards are connected by 
  a large number of high-speed mag-rails and a beanstalk 
  connects Olympus to Helios. 
  • New Turin: A smaller city built over an old mining 
  operation. New Turin is poor by Coalition standards and 
  suffers from a disproportionate amount of crime, much of 
  which stems from a remnant of the old Earth Russian 
  mob. 
  • Remus: This city sits at the base of a beanstalk and on the 
  outskirts of a lakebed constantly bombarded by ice 
  asteroids brought in by House Silva towing ships. The 
  town mostly consists of workers in cybersleeves who 
  work to make sure water gets filtered and distributed to 
  the other Martian cities. 
  • Helios: Helios is a large floating city that is connected by 
  beanstalk to Olympus. It is home to most of Olympus’ 
  most prominent citizens and features some of the best 
  colleges in the galaxy. 
  • Charon: One of two cities located in the massive Valles 
  Marineris trench, Charon sports a thriving transhuman 
  movement and is home to those doing the best research 
  on terraforming technologies. 
  • Minos: The other city in the Valles Marineris, Minos was 
  once the site of a large mining operation. Now, the mines 
  are no longer used and it is largely deserted except for a 
  budding apostate enclave. 
  • Phobos: One of the Martian moons, Phobos is home to a 
  single city—itself called Phobos. This city is the seat of 
  power for House Dalianis, and sports their largest 
  production facilities. House Jinzhan also owns factories 
  here and the two Houses work together to expand and 
  maintain Olympus and Helios. Phobos is also home to 
  Thetis Revival Labs, the largest resleeving facility in the 
  galaxy. 
  • Deimos: The other Martian moon features two cities, 
  which are nestled within its two largest craters. Kratos is a 
  city devoted to the Coalition military. Voltair is a city with 
  a very large Catholic population, which has recently come 
  under attack by transhuman extremists. 
  As one of our neighboring planets, Mars has long been a 
  source of inspiration and wonder for mankind. Finally, in the 
  year 2034 the first human set foot on the red planet. 
  Humans trickled to Mars steadily after Charon, the first 
  colony, was established. During the Exodus, Mars became the 
  secondary destination, after Luna, for dropping off refugees. 
  Vulcan swarms were deployed by the hundreds to make room 
  for the new Martians, and in time a number of arcologies grew 
  out of the Martian landscape. 
  The largest of the Martian cities is Olympus, a beautiful 
  metropolis of domed urban sprawl that covers much of 
  Olympus Mons, the largest mountain in the solar system. 
   
   
  
   
  37 
   
  Olympus 
  While Olympus Mons is the largest mountain in the Sol 
  system, it has a gentle slope. It was on these slopes that eight 
  different arcologies, called wards were built. Since the original 
  foundation layers were built, the wards have grown both 
  outward and upward. 
  The wards have grown in tiers, each stacked over the top of 
  the other like stacks of massive metallic pancakes. Each ward 
  has two to three tiers, with about a kilometer of space 
  separating each. The undersides of the upper tiers provide light 
  to the ones below in the daytime. 
  The wards are connected by a series of mag-rail lines that 
  transport people between wards. There are also several 
  spaceports, which radiate out from the wards like spokes on a 
  wheel, and a space elevator that attaches to Helios above. 
  The largest ward, called Rostra, is home to the Senate. It’s 
  also home to a number of museums commemorating various 
  events in human history. The extravagant monuments and truly 
  amazing architecture of Rostra is simply breathtaking, and 
  could only be created using Vulcan swarms. 
  But don’t let the extravagance fool you—Rostra is a fortress: 
  its public areas watched by over fifty Monitors. It also has a 
  large number of automated guns and other less obvious 
  defense mechanisms such as anti-missile PAc systems and a 
  dome that’s half-again as thick as the other domes on Mars. 
  Despite the layered security system, the all-seeing eyes of the 
  Monitors can’t catch everything. This was recently made 
  abundantly clear when famed transhumanist spokesman and 
  House Kimura dignitary, Proximo Pessoa, was attacked and 
  killed by a Purifier. Proximo was restored from a backup later 
  that day, but the identity of the murderer has yet to be 
  revealed. 
  New Turin 
  While Olympus is known for its tight security, one Martian 
  city is gaining a reputation for lawlessness... 
  New Turin grew out of the largest mining operation in 
  Martian history. It was once a bustling city predominantly 
  managed by Houses Silva and Cipriani. But when expansion 
  began to slow, the Houses largely abandoned New Turin. 
  The loss of the Houses created a power vacuum, one that a 
  remnant of the old Russian mob came in to fill. These days, 
  while the citizens of New Turin officially belong to a number of 
  different Houses, most really owe their allegiance to the mob, 
  which has taken to calling itself House Turin. 
  This newfound loyalty to “House Turin” has turned New Turin 
  into a dangerous place. ARIS strips are regularly torn from 
  walls, and the people have become more than a little 
  xenophobic. Outsiders are typically distrusted for fear that they 
  might be Coalition or House loyalists out to harm them or 
  House Turin. 
  New Turin survives because, in the end, its citizens are 
  members of the Coalition. Their crimes tend to be petty, and no 
  one wants to divert resources to cleaning the place up. But If 
  they knew how much of the black market was fed by New 
  Turin’s compilers, or about Turin’s connection to multiple 
  Federation remnant forces, thing might be very different. 
  Remus 
  A few hundred miles outside of Olympus is the small city of 
  Remus. Calling it a city is pretty generous, as it’s actually more 
  of a town. 
  It is the only inhabited area on Mars that doesn’t feature a 
  dome. Instead, it consists of a massive, heavily fortified above- 
  ground complex from which sprouts a massive space elevator. 
  
   
  38 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Most supplies meant for Olympus or the other Martian cities 
  come down Remus’ beanstalk, and every few days tow ships 
  bring in another ice asteroid and slam it into the basin a few 
  dozen miles outside of town. 
  These iceteroids provide Mars with all the clean water it 
  needs. It is gathered, taken back to Remus for filtering, and 
  then distributed to the other cities via aboveground piping 
  systems. While it is possible to create water with a compiler, 
  purifying existing water is a much faster process. 
  The people of Remus are almost all transhumans wearing 
  cybersleeves. Much of their work requires them to leave the 
  confines of their vehicles or sealed habitats, and the hazards of 
  their jobs make wearing cybersleeves a sensible choice. 
  Of course, this leads to a pretty pro-posthuman culture 
  among the people of Remus. This has led to two ascension cult 
  outbreaks over the last decade. The last, a group calling 
  themselves The Nest, were turning themselves into a sort of 
  cybernetic insect hive. 
  Had it not been for the combined efforts of three 
  Praetorians, Mars’ water supply might have been endangered. 
  Helios 
  Floating in orbit above Olympus is the city of Helios. The 
  entire city is built inside a ring, which spins and rotates to 
  provide both artificial gravity and a day-night cycle. 
  Its main spaceport is in the center of the ring, which connects 
  to a space elevator leading down to Olympus. Mag-rail lines 
  serve as spokes, connecting the hub to the ring itself. 
  For the most part, Helios is a center of leisure and education. 
  While most people no longer bother with attending school at a 
  specific location, there are still some who feel they benefit from 
  congregating with like minds in the flesh. 
  Most of Helios consists of carefully tended parks and forested 
  areas broken up by small communities that support the local 
  colleges. The colleges are open to all Coalition citizens with a 
  Rep-Rating of 7 or more, and the six largest play a number of 
  organized sports or virtual games that interest and entertain 
  people throughout all of humanity. 
  Helios is also where most of the Coalition’s senators live, as 
  well as the three Praetorian Generals. 
  As one might expect, with so many important people in one 
  place, Helios is heavily guarded. At least two dreadnaughts 
  patrol nearby at any given time, and the outer surface of the 
  ring bristles with defensive weaponry. 
  Charon 
  The site of the first Martian colony, Charon was built in the 
  Valles Marineris trench and now serves as a research post 
  devoted to projects that focus on terraforming the planet. 
  As of now, the best plan to terraform Mars is to raise the 
  core temperature of the planet in hopes of starting a chain 
  reaction that will pump more and more carbon dioxide into the 
  Martian atmosphere. Unfortunately, there are a number of 
  [Monitor Observation: 984350927; 20:52:15-
  08,14,99; Section B27; 35-72-AB] 
  [Notice: Video Obscured] 
  “You bring the stuff?”  
  [Voice Analysis Commencing] 
  [Voice Analysis Complete – Citizen ID: RS43GR97] 
  [WARRANT FOUND – CENTURIAN DISPATCHED] 
  “Shut up, idiot!”  
  [Voice Analysis Commencing] 
  [Voice Analysis Complete – Citizen ID: NOT FOUND] 
   
  
   
  39 
   
  problems with this plan, not least of all the potential for 
  tectonic activity that could lead to an eruption of the otherwise 
  dormant Olympus Mons. 
  Charon tends to collect a lot of optimistic scientists, and thus 
  a lot of transhumans. Unlike Remus, however, the transhuman 
  population of Charon tends to favor biological modification. 
  Perhaps because of this, both Houses Silva and Kimura have 
  taken an interest in Charon and its people. In fact, many of the 
  minds at work on solving the terraforming problem are 
  Kimuran SIMs. 
  House Silva has also set up a resleeving facility here, and is 
  helping fund something called the Genesis Project. This project, 
  named for both a book of the Bible and a reference to old pre-
  singularity science fiction cinema, focuses on creating self-
  sustaining ecosystems in an expanding dome system along the 
  floor of the Valles Marineris trench. This project has resulted in 
  the first true forest on the planet’s surface. 
  Minos 
  Minos is the site of another now-dormant mining operation. 
  Thought by most to be a ghost town, Minos is now the site of a 
  budding apostate enclave. The apostates here are in contact 
  with the gangsters of so-called House Turin and act as 
  middlemen in exchanges between the mob and apostates from 
  other planets. 
  Like Charon, Minos is located in the Valles Marineris trench, 
  though most of the outpost is underground. 
  Phobos 
  The Martian moon, Phobos, features a single city of the same 
  name. This city serves as the seat of power for House Dalianis, 
  and for the most part, functions as both a massive factory and 
  resort for high-Rep members of the House. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The city of Phobos consists of three primary domes, within 
  which are a series of massive tower-like structures not unlike 
  the hives found on the Lunar city of Serro. 
  The hives of Phobos serve as both living spaces and 
  recreation areas. Between the hives are the manufacturing 
  facilities where the largest ships in the known galaxy are built. 
  House Cipriani also has factories here, leased from House 
  Dalianis. These factories are used to assemble and prep the 
  APEX reactors that will power the ships, and the two Houses 
  work together with Jinzhan to provide power, habitat 
  expansion, and maintenance to all the settlements on Mars. 
  Of note, Thetis Revival Labs can also be found on Phobos. 
  Run by House Silva, Thetis is considered by most to be the best 
  resleeving facility in the known galaxy and is attended by some 
  of the best mnemonics engineers. House Dalianis makes good 
  use of Thetis, since they offer big bonuses to members of the 
  House willing to switch sleeves for jobs that might require a 
  more specialized approach. 
  It might be boring and dehumanizing to spend your days as a 
  glorified forklift, but once the contract is up and you’re back in 
  a biosleeve, most feel the rewards are worth it. 
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.3/ 07:17-03,21,97] 
  [Reagan] – We need a place to reset.  
  [Anders] – Now is not a good time, Reagan. 
  [Reagan] – You owe me, Anders. We made a 
  deal. We need a place to stay in Minos. 
  [Anders] – You, crazy, and scary? 
  [Reagan] – Wait… which is which? 
  [Anders] – You need a better class of friends.  
   
  
   
  40 
   
  Deimos  
  The other Martian moon, Deimos, features two major 
  settlements, one in each of its two massive craters. 
  The first, Kratos, is a city purpose-built to train Coalition 
  military forces. Here, recruits undergo weapons training, 
  tactics, pilot training, and any other specialized education the 
  recruit might be qualified for. 
  The other city, Voltair, is where most of the soldiers who 
  aren’t stationed in Kratos live, and is the home of many of their 
  families as well. This small city features two large domes, and is 
  rather spread out for a city 
  built in such an inhospitable 
  location. 
  Of note, Voltair tends to 
  have 
  a 
  disproportionately 
  large 
  Catholic 
  population. 
  The Catholics generally have 
  strong Purist values, which is 
  at odds with the military’s 
  propensity 
  to 
  encourage 
  recruits to undergo Apothe-
  osis. This tends to create a lot 
  of friction in the community 
  as Catholics try to dissuade 
  young 
  recruits 
  from 
  undergoing the procedure, 
  and ostracize those who do. 
  This 
  friction 
  remained 
  nonviolent 
  until 
  recently, 
  when a person entered a 
  church wearing a female 
  Courier sleeve packed with 
  explosives and blew herself up. The perpetrator was restored 
  from backup and charged with the murder of fifty-one people. 
  However, the backup was old and the woman claims that she 
  has no ill feelings toward the Purists and that it wasn’t really 
  her who did the killing. This event has rekindled old debates 
  about whether or not a restored ego should be charged with 
  crimes it has no memory of committing; the argument being 
  that the restored ego cannot properly defend itself in court 
  given that it lacks important details, and that it really isn’t the 
  same person. 
  
   
  41 
   
  Asteroid Belt 
  Gravity: 0G 
  Length of Day: Varies 
  Estimated Population: Varies between 60–80k 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Raiding Launch Points: A number of asteroids have been 
  commandeered for use as staging areas for raids launched 
  by pirates and remnants of the Federation and Alliance. 
  • Tartarus: A maximum-security prison, run by House 
  Dalianis, in orbit between Mars and the asteroid belt. 
  • Ceres: Ceres is the primary source of water for Mars. Its 
  main two settlements are an ice cutting and shipping 
  facility called Trident, and an orbital shipping facility 
  called Anapos Station. 
  For years, the Houses have mined the asteroid belt that lay 
  between Mars and Jupiter for raw materials. Thousands of 
  asteroids have been used for this purpose in the past, and 
  despite a recent decline in mining, many are still being leached 
  of their resources today. Houses Silva and Dalianis primarily run 
  these mining operations, but some of the other Houses do a bit 
  of mining here as well. 
  The frequent mining of the past also means many of the 
  larger asteroids now feature huge canyons or tunnel complexes 
  that make them ideally suited for building cobbled together 
  space habitats. Pirates, remnant forces, and other riff-raff often 
  use these depleted asteroids as convenient bases of operations. 
  Most notable among the lawless of the asteroid belt is a 
  faction of Purifiers responsible for a number of anti-
  transhuman attacks in the last few years. They call themselves 
  the Children of Adam, and are most recently responsible for 
  blowing up a bank of SIM server arrays in Rho; an attack that 
  resulted in the permanent deletion of over fourteen thousand 
  people. Scout probes have been sent to search for the Purifiers’ 
  base of operations, but so far they haven’t found anything. 
  Among the many dozens of secret hideouts and still-active 
  mining operations, there are two additional settlements of 
  note. 
  Tartarus is the most well-known and highly populated 
  maximum-security prison in the known galaxy. This station, run 
  by House Dalianis, drifts at the edge of the asteroid field on the 
  Mars side, and typically houses between 30 and 40 thousand 
  prisoners at a time. 
  The other settlement of note is Ceres. This planetoid and the 
  surrounding iceteroids provide Mars and Luna with the majority 
  of their water. This process requires the use of two primary 
  facilities. 
  Trident is a small town built up for the purpose of housing 
  the workers needed to cut and ship the ice up to Anapos 
  Station, a space station used to collect the ice and off-load it to 
  tow ships headed to other worlds. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  [NetLink Log: 16:32-09,03,99] 
  [Grady] – I’m thinking about taking the offer and 
  getting an Ingot sleeve. 
  [Juna] – You’re going to resleeve? 
  [Grady] – Thinking about it. Since the Ingot was 
  certified as mining gear, the House will provide 
  the sleeve and I get a bump. 
  [Juna] – Didn’t you just get that sleeve a few 
  months 
  ago? 
  Aren’t 
  you 
  worried 
  about 
  fragmenting? 
  [Grady] – Nah. Besides. The offer is too good to 
  pass up.  
   
  
   
  42 
   
  Jupiter 
  Gravity: 2.36G 
  Length of Day: 9.8 hr 
  Estimated Population: 2.8 million, counting the population on 
  its moons and in orbit around them. 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Europa: The oceans beneath the ice of Europa have long 
  fascinated humans as potential sources of life. IT Alpha is 
  a subterranean research station run by Houses Cipriani 
  and Silva, which is dedicated to exploring these oceans 
  and its life forms. 
  Jupiter itself is of little interest to anyone. Its environment is 
  simply too hostile and lacks any resources worth the risk of 
  gathering. 
  One of its moons, on the other hand, is quite interesting 
  indeed. 
  Europa 
  The oceans beneath Europa’s 
  frozen surface are home to the 
  first extraterrestrial life forms ever 
  discovered. Since the time of their 
  discovery, millions of other species 
  have been discovered on the 
  exoplanets mankind has settled. 
  Even so, Europa’s life is still 
  something of a mystery. 
  The 
  aquatic 
  life 
  forms 
  of 
  Europa’s oceans appear to have 
  gone through rapid evolutionary 
  cycles, growing far more complex 
  much faster than life evolved on Earth. 
  The reason for this is unclear, but the scientists stationed on IT 
  Alpha sure would like to know. 
  IT Alpha is a massive underwater research facility owned and 
  operated as a joint venture between Houses Cipriani and Silva. 
  It houses a crew of just under a thousand people. 
  Of late, IT Alpha has been experiencing a number of troubling 
  phenomena. There have been a number of odd power outages, 
  and a never before seen mold has appeared in the 
  environmental systems. Thus far, getting the power back on 
  and keeping the mold clear haven’t been major problems, but 
  now a larger-than-average number of the station’s inhabitants 
  are being diagnosed with cancer. While cancer is relatively easy 
  to cure these days, the source of the problem and whether or 
  not it may be linked to the other odd events are still under 
  investigation. 
   
  
   
  43 
   
  Saturn 
  Gravity: 1.06G 
  Length of Day: 10.2 hr 
  Estimated Population: 12.5 mil 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Titan City: Sharing the name of the moon it is found on, 
  Titan is the largest city outside the asteroid belt. It is used 
  as a hub for local mining operations. 
  • The Rings: The Rings are composed of specks of dust and 
  water ice that are scooped up and sorted as part of a 
  massive multi-House mining operation. 
  Like most of the outer planets in the solar system, Saturn’s 
  surface offers little of interest. Its rings and largest moon, 
  however, offer water and vast amounts of raw materials. 
  Titan City 
  Saturn’s largest moon is actually larger than the planet 
  Mercury, and is home to Titan City. 
  Titan City grew up around the mining operations that take 
  place in Saturn’s rings. It is home to thousands of workers, and 
  outside of Olympus, it is probably the most diverse city in the 
  system for members of the different Houses. 
  The city’s two major industries are the processing and 
  shipping of materials gathered from the rings, and the 
  gathering and filtering of water from Titan itself. 
  Titan City is not a domed city. Instead, the city is comprised 
  of a series of concentric rings. Each of these rings is hundreds of 
  layers thick, pressurized, and contains its own environmental 
  system. Bridges and pressurized passageways span the half 
  kilometer spaces between the ten rings, with the center section 
  serving as the base of a massive space elevator. 
  A number of massive towers rise from the rings. These 
  towers are operated by different Houses and primarily serve as 
  centers for organizing the distribution of materials mined from 
  the rings. They also serve as homes for high-Rep members of 
  the Houses. 
  Materials harvested from Saturn’s rings are delivered to one 
  of sixteen docks arranged between Titan City’s ninth and tenth 
  rings. From there, the materials are transported to designated 
  processing facilities, with the finished goods then sent to the 
  ports located between the next two rings (eight and nine) to be 
  exported. Most of the processing facilities are located on layer 
  nine. 
  The central rings feature a number of spaceports used for 
  passenger vessels, and tend to see a large amount of traffic. 
  Titan City is the primary source of resources for all the Houses, 
  and as such tends to get a lot of attention from high-ranking 
  dignitaries. 
  While the high-Rep Coalition citizens dwell in the towers or 
  oversee operations at the processing facilities, the less 
  fortunate toil away on the lower levels. Here, apostates hoping 
  to earn their way into a House and low-Rep citizens gather 
  materials for sorting, transportation, and pre-processing. 
  Perpetually shadowed by the layers above, the lower levels 
  of the rings are home to the poor and desperate. But where 
  there is desperation, there is crime. And where there is crime, 
  there is a need for law enforcement. 
  The House representatives of Titan City recently granted a 
  policing contract to a subsidiary of House Dalianis called 
  Lighthouse. Lighthouse is a security firm with a reputation for 
  both efficiency and brutality. While they’ve come under 
  scrutiny for their less-than-subtle methods, for the most part 
  the Houses are very happy with the way they keep the riff-raff 
  in line. 
  
   
  44 
   
  Uranus 
  Gravity: .89G 
  Length of Day: 17.9 hr 
  Estimated Population: 84k 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • The Colony: A large apostate community. The Colony is 
  made of a patchwork of spacecraft and fabricated 
  structures floating deep beneath the outer layers of its 
  atmosphere. 
  The 
  APEX 
  drives 
  from 
  the 
  ships, 
  supplemented by cold fusion reactors, provide power to 
  the structures. 
  A gaseous mass of hydrogen, helium, and methane at the 
  edge of the system, Uranus has little to offer. Its atmosphere 
  features some small amount of water, but its distance from Sol 
  makes it impractical as a source of resources. 
  The fact that Uranus is of little interest to the Coalition is its 
  greatest asset—at least to the apostates of the Colony. 
  The Colony 
  One of the larger apostate enclaves in the Sol system, the 
  colony consists of a vast network of ships and prefab structures 
  that have been linked together into a single massive station 
  that floats deep beneath the outer layers of the planet’s 
  atmosphere. 
   The Colony is made up of several hundred ships, from 
  smaller cargo craft to the largest ship, The Kraken, a carrier ship 
  thought to have been lost to remnant forces just after the 
  battle of Tellerus Fields. 
  The people of the Colony get by on what they can. Most of 
  the ships at their disposal have been permanently connected to 
  the ship network, but many can be disconnected and 
  reconnected as needed. These transients, as the locals call 
  them, venture out in search of trade goods and supplies or to 
  harvest resources from Uranus. 
  While the Colony primarily makes use of its ships’ APEX 
  reactors, this power is supplemented with cold fusion reactors. 
  Conveniently, Uranus is comprised largely of hydrogen, which is 
  used to provide the reactors with fuel. 
  The culture of the Colony is one of vagabonds and the 
  displaced, but it is also one of community and family. Everyone 
  pitches in to do their share, and crimes (including acts of 
  negligence) that endanger the Colony are punished swiftly and 
  often severely. 
  Of late, however, the usual attitude of peace that pervades 
  the Colony has been upset. The Colony has drawn the attention 
  of the Children of Dionysus, a group of pirates and drug runners 
  that has been using the Colony as a potential source of supplies 
  and recruits. 
  Most of the Colonists have no desire to deal with the 
  Children, but they come bearing weapons and gold. Thus, many 
  are afraid to refuse trading with them. 
  To make matters worse, a transient ship called the Red 
  Herron has recently gone missing. Most of the Colonists blame 
  the Children, a stance that could soon lead to outright 
  aggression. Still others, mostly the few that are comfortable 
  dealing with the Children, suggest that Coalition forces 
  captured the Red Herron. If that were true, though, why has 
  there been no public report of the incident? 
  The Colony fears that they may be looking at a fight in the 
  near future, but whether it will be with the Children or the 
  Coalition is unknown. 
   
  
   
  45 
   
  Neptune 
  Gravity: 1.12G 
  Length of Day: 19.1 hr 
  Estimated Population: 43k 
  Notable Settlements/Locations: 
  • Naesock Processing Hub: A large space-based processing 
  facility set up in orbit around Triton to provide resources 
  and logistics support to spacecraft mining the arcs. 
  • The Arcs: Great swaths of minerals in orbit around the 
  planet. These arcs contain a large amount of rare 
  elements. 
  Neptune is an ice giant planet. It is one of the coldest 
  locations in the Sol system, and has little to offer outside of the 
  materials that make ups its arcs. Like 
  the rings of Saturn, Neptune’s arcs 
  consist of wide bands of useful 
  material debris. Unlike Saturn’s rings, 
  though, the arcs do not hold a uniform 
  shape and tend to contain rarer 
  elements. 
  Naesock Processing Hub 
  Located in orbit around Triton, the 
  Naesock Processing Hub is a massive 
  space station built to act as a shipping 
  and storage center for materials 
  gathered from Neptune’s arcs. 
  While it once staffed as many as five 
  thousand workers and management 
  staff, the decrease in mining during 
  the last decade has led to the official closing of over half the 
  facility. 
  Even so, the space hasn’t gone to waste. 
  Separated from the upper half of the station by thirteen 
  unused decks, the lower half of the station has turned into a 
  small apostate enclave and thriving black market trade center. 
  As one might expect, though, this sort of activity can’t go 
  unnoticed. 
  Officially, the lower half is a warehouse for House Silva’s old 
  weapons tech. Unofficially, House Silva keeps a lid on what’s 
  going on and uses the enclave as a major point of contact with 
  their apostate allies and a way to keep their finger on the pulse 
  of the black market. 
  
   
  46 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  47 
   
  NOTABLE EXOPLANETS 
  Chengdan 
  Distance from Sol: 14.5 LY  
  Gravity: .97G 
  Established: 54 PS (2099 AD)  Estimated Population: 9.3 mil 
  Hiske Electronics, one of the founding corporations of House 
  Kimura, colonized Chengdan in 56 PS, only a month after their 
  probes first discovered it. After discovering that Chengdan 
  exhibited extraterrestrial flora and fauna, House Kimura spun 
  into an exploratory frenzy.  
  Out of all the Coalition’s planets, Chengdan is undoubtedly 
  the oddest. The planet has a uniquely irregular rotation speed 
  and angle, which scientists believe was caused by massive 
  meteorite bombardment just a few thousand years ago. 
  The planet wobbles on its axis, and as such the seasons are 
  drastic and uneven. A typical year consists of a three-month 
  frozen winter, leading into a one-month temperate period, 
  followed by a two-month blazing summer. Despite these 
  inhospitable conditions, life has flourished on the planet’s 
  surface. Much of it covered in what could only be described as 
  an evergreen jungle. The trees are capable of weathering the 
  drastic temperature shifts, sporting roots that dive deeply into 
  the ground in search of water. The animals and plants of 
  Chengdan are extremely hardy and adaptive, with the 
  predators evolved to be extremely tough and aggressive. 
  Like the native wildlife, Chengdan’s citizens have had to be 
  exceptionally resourceful to survive. The planet has little in the 
  way of water on the surface, but there are underground 
  pockets of water and rivers all along the planet’s crust. The 
  surface is littered with mobile drilling platforms, which mine 
  most of Chengdan’s water supply. Temperate periods are by far 
  the most productive times, since the extremes of heat and cold 
  require workers to consume more resources. Thus, at the end 
  of every month the platforms pick up and move to the next 
  temperate zone. Most of the mined water goes to New Tokyo, 
  Chengdan’s megacity capital. It is then distributed to the 
  dozens of other settlements that might need it. 
  New Tokyo is the original colony established by House 
  Kimura, which has expanded steadily since its inception. Given 
  the planet’s nature, the House originally considered it 
  impractical to establish multiple settlements. Instead, House 
  Kimura decided to expend its resources expanding the original 
  settlement. This growth continued until New Tokyo became so 
  large that geographical obstructions made it much less practical 
  to expand further.  
  Only recently, since expanding New Tokyo has become so 
  difficult, have the people of Chengdan begun branching out 
  into other settlements. 
  Aside from New Tokyo, there are only five other relatively 
  small cities and a few dozen smaller facilities. Chengdan is 
  mostly Kimuran property, but House Silva was particularly 
  ecstatic about the unusual life forms inhabiting it and managed 
  to purchase three plots of land in different climate zones. 
  Of late, reports have been coming in from exploratory 
  expeditions that claim to have seen strange humanoids living in 
  the wild. It is speculated that these are posthuman aberrants, 
  and that there are several cells of them. A few hunting parties 
  have been organized to bring them in, but most never see 
  anything. Some claim that the creatures are definitely of human 
  origin, and are using primitive tools and weapons, with armor 
  that seems to have been grown from their bodies. 
  
   
  48 
   
  Cygnus Alpha 
  Distance from Sol: 52 LY 
  Gravity: 1.04G 
  Established: 53 PS (2097 AD) 
  Estimated Population: 6.5 mil 
  Cygnus Alpha was the second colony to be established 
  outside of Sol, originally colonized by Keppler Shipyards in late 
  2097. Keppler wanted easy access to the abundant iron 
  deposits for the construction of their starships. Later, in 54 PS, 
  Giordino Automotive established a second mining colony 
  approximately thirty kilometers from the Keppler Site. 
  In general, the planet is rather inhospitable; the only reason 
  it was ever colonized was for its extraordinarily iron-rich crust. 
  The majority of its surface is too cold to sustain unprotected 
  life, with all habitats built along the equator where the average 
  temperature is within human limits. The cold is only one 
  obstacle of many, though. Cygnus Alpha has no ground water 
  and endures violent winds that commonly exceed 400 kmph. 
  This wind, coupled with the amount of iron in the ground, has 
  resulted in a surface littered with fields of razor-sharp blades 
  emerging from the otherwise barren gray soil. 
  To account for the wind, all of the major cities on Cygnus 
  Alpha are built inside deep canyons where they are shielded 
  from the biting gusts, allowing citizens to walk about in the 
  open. The atmosphere is breathable, but is extremely dry. 
  Worse yet, nighttime temperatures plunge well below freezing, 
  even along the equator. 
  The settlement keeps surface travel to a minimum. 
  Traversing the planet’s sharp rocky surface with ground 
  vehicles is slow and dangerous, while air vehicles have difficulty 
  flying and landing in the extreme winds. To avoid these 
  hazards, surveys are done by orbital satellites, which allow 
  tunnels to be drilled from the main outpost to the lode. Over 
  the years, these tunnels have grown into a vast network that 
  resembles an ant colony. The cities themselves remain located 
  in the canyons for the most part, where interplanetary traffic 
  can easily reach them. However, there still exist hundreds of 
  smaller subterranean outposts that once housed workers. 
  This tendency to travel beneath the surface caused some 
  problems during the Consolidation Wars. Keppler and Giordino 
  had managed to avoid each other, but after the start of the war 
  Keppler quadrupled its production of warships. It wasn’t long 
  before the two companies started accidentally claiming the 
  same lodes, resulting in more than a few physical altercations.  
  In the wake of the Exodus, Cygnus Alpha saw a rise in 
  population as surviving family members and new workers 
  flocked to the colony. The end of the war and the influx of 
  workers and resources allowed tensions to settle a bit, only to 
  flare back up again as the Houses took power. Federation 
  forces dug deep into the tunnels, making it exceptionally 
  difficult for the Coalition to dig them out. 
  Both Keppler and Giordino joined Houses, but the years of 
  bad blood were too much for their still-fresh House loyalties to 
  overcome. In the end, it took a Kimuran strike team wearing 
  recon warframes to dig them out.  
  After the fighting, Cygnus Alpha grew to accommodate the 
  influx of new faces, and even enjoyed a period of prosperity 
  after the Coalition solidified its power. Unfortunately, the 
  demand for mining began to drop after the fighting ceased, and 
  the population began to dwindle. 
  Eventually, Cygnus Alpha’s population shrunk to less than 
  half of what it once was. Its cities now provide more space than 
  its citizens need, and the all-but-abandoned tunnels are once 
  again home to apostates, smugglers, pirates, and worse. 
  
   
  49 
   
  Proch 
  Distance from Sol: 8.5 LY 
  Gravity: .87 G 
  Established: 54 PS (2096 AD) 
  Estimated Population: 11.7 mil 
  Proch is different from all of the other Coalition exoplanets 
  for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, is that it was the 
  first human colony to be established outside of Sol. The second 
  is that when it was founded in 53 PS, it was not done so by any 
  one corporation, but rather by both the Federation and the 
  Alliance just before the onset of the Consolidation Wars. Both 
  sides wanted exclusive control over the system, and both 
  planted a handful of cities in an effort to claim it as their own. 
  This competition would prove to be one of the sparks that 
  ignited the Consolidation Wars. 
  The city of Samara, which grew from the first Federation 
  colony, quickly expanded to become a center for trade and 
  industry for corporations interested in supporting the 
  colonization effort. 
  Newcastle was the site of the first Alliance colony, and 
  seemed to be built with defense in mind from the very 
  beginning. The city was fortified, and its growth stimulated, by 
  Alliance military interests. 
  Skirmishes broke out on Proch between the Federation and 
  Alliance a few years before the official start of the 
  Consolidation Wars. It eventually escalated into full-out war for 
  control over the planet itself, and continued several years into 
  the Consolidation Wars. It wasn’t until the fall of Earth that the 
  conflict truly died down on Proch. 
  After the Exodus, Tsarya’s component corporations, having 
  made a killing from the years of groundside combat, used this 
  wealth to assert control over the planet’s governments. The 
  Alliance resisted only to be quelled by force, but the Federation 
  chose to retreat to a hidden base of operations in the jungle. 
  The Federation maintained a guerilla campaign against House 
  Tsarya for over a year before detonating a nuclear bomb in the 
  heart of Newcastle. This act of aggression is said by many to be 
  the primary catalyst for Tsarya’s attitude toward apostates. 
  Tsarya’s response was brutal and efficient, ending the conflict. 
  Proch was not just the first exoplanet to be settled, it was 
  also the first planet discovered with a complex ecosystem. The 
  surface is covered in a variety of terrain, and it is the most 
  geographically diverse exoplanet. It echoes Earth in many ways, 
  specifically Earth’s Mesozoic period, most noticeable in the 
  planet’s natural inhabitants. 
  Large reptiles and ferocious mammals still roam the forests 
  of Proch. These large, at times massive, creatures have become 
  a source of much interest for many of the Coalition’s people. 
  The creatures have provided scientists with many hours of 
  amusement, and a gruesome end to more than a few would-be 
  adventurers. 
  Samara sports a massive zoo for those who want to get a 
  look at Prochian wildlife without fear of being eaten, 
  showcasing many of the indigenous species. 
  Hunting, both for sport and for capture, is extremely 
  common here, with some of the smaller, less dangerous 
  creatures even sold as pets. The names that hunters give their 
  catch tend to stick more readily than their real names. The 
  given names tend to be descriptive or draw from old folklore. 
  Perhaps the biggest prize a hunter can bring back is the head 
  of a “dragon,” which is a loose classification for several 
  different extremely massive reptile/avian hybrid species. They 
  are extremely deadly, and it is said that anyone attempting to 
  take one down without a warframe is as good as dead. 
  
   
  50 
   
  Sagitta 
  Distance from Sol: 57.6 LY 
  Gravity: 1.22G 
  Established: 62 PS (2105 AD) 
  Estimated Population: 6.2 mil 
  House Dalianis has a reputation for being expansionist, and 
  Sagitta is further proof of that. Despite already having stakes in 
  Cygnus Alpha, Keppler Shipyards established a colony in 62 PS 
  on what would later be called Sagitta. The planet itself offered 
  very little of value; the only purpose of the settlement was to 
  expand humanity’s reach. Keppler understood that the 
  Consolidation Wars might rip humanity apart, and Sagitta was a 
  contingency plan. Crews were sent to prepare the planet for a 
  massive influx of population in the event that the war led to a 
  required evacuation. In the end, the colony turned out to be 
  worth it, as many flocked to Sagitta after Earth fell to the 
  technophage. 
  Sagitta originally held no semblance of life. The planet was 
  impacted at some point by a large asteroid, though, bringing 
  with it a host of elements and single-celled organisms. It hit 
  with enough force that much of the debris was launched into 
  orbit, leaving a large empty chasm in its place where much of 
  the foreign material settled. Over time, the foreign life grew 
  into basic plant life, and a small proto-atmosphere developed 
  from within the chasm. 
  By the time Keppler’s initial survey team got there, the chasm 
  had enough of a breathable atmosphere to sustain human life 
  with very few adjustments. Earth plants were transplanted to 
  kick-start the process, and a small mining facility was built in 
  the planet’s debris ring to gather and deliver materials to the 
  construction teams and Vulcan swarms. The ring was 
  instrumental in speeding up the construction of the various 
  settlements by providing needed resources in-between 
  shipments from Earth. 
  Upon completion of the initial settlement, expansion work 
  began. While the work took three years, the result was six cities 
  built in the chasm. They were small, but suitable to house the 
  initial wave of colonists. These colonists continued the work, 
  and by the time of the Exodus there was enough room for 
  many of the refugees. 
  Keppler eventually became a part of House Dalianis, which 
  still holds the majority of power on Sagitta, even though it is 
  shared with other Houses. One city was sold to Kimura, another 
  to Tsarya, and Jinzhan was allowed to build one of their own as 
  payment for Dalianis’ extensive use of Jinzhan’s Vulcan swarms. 
  Overcrowding has not become an issue yet, and it shouldn’t 
  for at least a few decades given the slow rate of reproduction 
  common of Coalition citizens. The chasm has become mostly 
  self-sufficient as far as water and atmosphere are concerned. In 
  fact, the atmosphere of the chasm has begun to slowly expand. 
  The expansion might have happened naturally, but scientists 
  are hard at work developing methods to accelerate the process. 
  It is speculated that life might be able to grow on the rest of the 
  planet in a couple hundred years with only some minor 
  terraforming. 
  Outside the crater, Sagitta is mostly dead rock. Exploration 
  teams venture out in search of points of interest detected by 
  orbital satellites. So far, the only notable find has been a slight 
  anomaly in the planet’s magnetic field centered on a valley 
  several thousand kilometers north of the crater’s rim. 
  The anomaly is very minor, detectable only by sensitive 
  equipment. Survey teams have been dispatched to the area, 
  but so far have not turned up any results. 
  
   
  51 
   
  Sanctuary 
  Distance from Sol: 70 LY 
  Gravity: 1.07 G 
  Established: 78 PS (2121 AD) 
  Estimated Population: 9.4 mil 
  It’s important to note that Sanctuary is not a Coalition planet. 
  It is the latest human colony, having been founded in 78 PS, but 
  it was founded by apostates. 
  Many took heart in the success of the Uranus colony, and 
  decided to take the concept even further. It took several years 
  to acquire all of the necessary equipment, both through theft 
  and black market trading. During this time the apostate fleet 
  used Neptune as a staging ground, covertly harvesting 
  materials from the arcs. When the fleet finally launched, they 
  slipped out of the Sol system at sub-light speeds. Only after 
  they were out of the system did the apostates join up with the 
  jump-capable Santa Maria to begin their search for a home. 
  The HD413 system was not at all a first choice for the 
  apostates, but supplies and the potential for discovery were a 
  huge concern by the time they found it. 
  Sanctuary is entirely covered in sand and sandstone rock 
  formations; it also is extremely hot, due to its proximity to its 
  sun. That said, it was more than eighteen light-years from any 
  Coalition planet, and despite the rough conditions it didn’t 
  require any terraforming to live on. The colonists chose to 
  ground their ships halfway between the equator, where the 
  temperature low of 100 degrees Celsius makes it uninhabitable, 
  and the north pole, where the humidity is too low for water 
  condensers to support a colony. Just prior to landing, the ships 
  fired transponders into the sand at the equator, burying them 
  deep beneath the surface. If any Coalition forces came to 
  Sanctuary, the transponders would be remotely activated, 
  providing a distraction to buy time for the colony to evacuate. 
  At first there was only one settlement on Sanctuary. The 
  original ships were interconnected like those at The Colony on 
  Uranus, but buried under the sand to hide the structure from 
  orbital viewing. The ships have been almost entirely shut down, 
  using power only for necessary life support functions. Air needs 
  are met through disguised vents on the surface, covered with 
  anti-particulate meshes to defend against frequent sand 
  storms. Food is hydroponically grown, or brought in by 
  smugglers. 
  Since its founding, however, this colony has grown into an 
  underground city called New Montreal. For the most part, the 
  apostates live relatively well. They have a very poor standard of 
  living compared to even a defaulter on a Coalition world, but 
  for them the tradeoff is worth it. 
  Over time, more apostates have flocked to Sanctuary, but 
  very few of these refugees have brought ships large enough to 
  offset the population influx. This influx, combined with natural 
  population growth, is causing much concern amongst the 
  colony’s leadership. In the last decade, more and more 
  construction has taken place on the surface. Sick of living 
  underground and in tight quarters, many have already begun to 
  establish surface communities separate from New Montreal. 
  Some colonists fear that incoming colonists will be discovered 
  by the Coalition, and living on the surface will leave them 
  exposed and unprepared. However, a recent election has 
  changed the colony’s leadership, and the newly empowered 
  progressives have been able to sway public opinion in support 
  of surface expansion. 
  The new government intends to build a true city on 
  Sanctuary, called Valhalla. Unfortunately, progress on this city 
  has stalled without access to a Vulcan swarm. Thus, acquiring 
  one has become a top priority. 
  
   
  52 
   
  Shouye 
  Distance from Sol: 56.3 LY 
  Gravity: .88 G 
  Established: 72 PS (2115 AD) 
  Total Population: 3.6 mil 
  Shouye was the last Coalition planet to be colonized, having 
  been founded in 72 PS. It was founded out of necessity, not 
  convenience.  
  For years after the fall of Earth, the surviving Chinese lived 
  aboard ships, refusing to accept any colony’s offered 
  hospitality. Finally, probes found a planet that met their 
  criteria, and the refugee fleet set course. 
  The planet was a lucky find. It was more like Earth than they 
  could have hoped for, teeming with beautiful greenery and far 
  from any other Coalition system. A carpet of moss, algae, and 
  lichen had produced a high-oxygen atmosphere, which in turn 
  resulted in plentiful, large insect life. The planet required little 
  effort to colonize, and was even compatible with Earth flora 
  and fauna. 
  The insects of Shouye are worth noting not only for their size 
  but also their aggression. Many are large enough to pose a 
  danger, even if they aren’t poisonous. Still, the people of 
  Shouye are prideful, and often use the most dangerous of the 
  insects as mascots, in company logos, and in the media. 
  The formation of the Coalition did not go over well here. The 
  Chinese government still had a lot of power, but its citizens 
  owed a great deal to the companies that would eventually 
  become House Jinzhan. But in time, the remnant of the old 
  Earth government crumbled, and House Jinzhan was born. 
  In the years following House Jinzhan’s emergence, the 
  flourishing world became the Coalition’s largest source of 
  naturally grown food. Despite reservations, House Jinzhan 
  allowed an import/export program to form, bringing valuable 
  trade to its citizens. Shouye has been good to its people, who 
  have been expanding. Numerous cities dot the main continent, 
  and many more farming communities cover its plains. 
  Jinzhan now allows open trade to flow through Shouye, but it 
  commits a tremendous amount of resources to protecting its 
  home. Access to the planet itself is extremely restricted; only 
  those on official House business and Jinzhan citizens are ever 
  allowed to leave the stations in orbit. Access to the Icarus Hubs 
  and other stations in orbit around the planet is also carefully 
  controlled, but not as heavily as surface access. 
  Jinzhan customs procedures are extremely thorough, and 
  every ship must wait in line to be searched. Any unscheduled 
  vessel has to be vouched for by a high-ranking member of 
  House Jinzhan or they will be refused access. Even in the event 
  of an emergency, a ship may only dock with a military vessel. 
  Recently, a group of apostates was caught trying to sneak 
  into the station and onto the surface. They were blown out of 
  the airlock, and their ship was destroyed by a Jinzhan cruiser. 
  No system is totally secure, though. It is unclear how the 
  apostates got past security, or if they were present before the 
  launch of Shouye Customs. The evidence points to remnants of 
  the old Chinese government still active on the surface. 
  Unfortunately, no one is quite sure where the remnant forces 
  are located, or how they are smuggling goods on and off the 
  planet. An official investigation has been launched into all 
  customs personnel. Even the name of the remnant forces group 
  is unknown, but they are believed to use Shouye’s tiger wasp as 
  an identifying symbol. 
  One thing is clear: The remnant is making an effort to acquire 
  Vulcan swarms and compilers. Whether they intend to use 
  them to build up their military might or to sell them on the 
  black market is unknown. 
  
   
  53 
   
  PERSISTENT VIRTUALITIES 
  In a society with abundant transhumanist ideals, it is only 
  natural that methods of escaping reality would evolve 
  alongside the shifting definition of human. 
  Virtual environments are used for a variety of purposes, 
  including but not limited to escapism, learning experiences, 
  thrill-seeking, and meeting places for romantic, private, or 
  illegal groups. Virtualities can take many forms and serve many 
  functions, ranging from short sessions, to private rooms, to 
  persistent worlds playing host to millions. 
  These persistent virtual worlds can be entered from 
  anywhere, so long as you have access to the Extranet and 
  either a mindset or ego channel. They are hosted on some of 
  the most secure arrays in the known galaxy and serve as 
  permanent homes for thousands of SIMs, and temporary 
  getaways for millions of others. 
  Stygia 
  For quite some time, Stygia has held the position as the 
  number one virtuality in use. The massive urban metropolis 
  resides within a small Dyson sphere. Other than its spherical 
  geography, Stygia closely mimics the real world in terms of 
  physics and architecture. As such, it draws users who are 
  seeking a casual escape without too much fantasy. 
  In general, Stygia is used as a social virtuality where users can 
  get together with associates or friends who are planets apart. It 
  is not unusual for a business deal to be made over drinks in a 
  fine Stygian restaurant. 
  Stygia is home to members of all Houses, but House Kimura is 
  by far the most prominent.  
  The Crossroads 
  The Crossroads is in many ways the polar opposite of Stygia. 
  Crossroads places visitors in a sprawling city and surrounding 
  rural landscape, set in a fantasy version of Europe during the  
  Middle Ages. As such, it plays home to serious escapists who 
  find the real world too complex, stressful, or banal. 
  Crossroads boasts impressive random event algorithms, 
  intended to keep its user base interested indefinitely. In 
  addition to these events, there are planned weekly and 
  monthly community events, such as invasions or monster hunts 
  to bring visitors together. 
  SIMs who make the Crossroads their home tend to avoid 
  these “tourist” events and instead move into one of the many 
  small communities in which these events do not intrude. 
  Chicago 
  Unlike the other popular virtualities, Chicago exists largely for 
  nostalgia and educational purposes. In many ways, it is a 
  monument to climax culture (pg. 73), featuring far more 
  attention to detail than most other virtualities. 
  Chicago was built to be a replica of its 20th century 
  namesake—by all accounts, it is very close. Since few alive have 
  any contrary personal experiences, most don’t notice the 
  occasional small inaccuracy. 
  Ironically, much as the real Chicago suffered from problems 
  with organized crime, so too does the virtual version. These 
  illegal deals are most certainly detectable by VirtuVac, the 
  subsidiary that owns Chicago, but they apparently turn a blind 
  eye. It is well known that VirtuVac went extremely over budget 
  with the creation of the virtual city, and most believe they 
  accept bribes to offset this cost. 
  
   
  54 
   
  TECHNOLOGY 
  The Singularity 
  On March 7th, 2041, several corporations around the world 
  entered into a joint venture to accumulate the world’s most 
  promising research in the field of artificial intelligence. Called 
  Project Mimir, the team consisted of top computer scientists 
  and psychologists from around the world. With the aid of the 
  most advanced AIs created to date, these brilliant minds pooled 
  their resources in an effort to create a truly sentient machine 
  capable of extrapolation, innovation, and creative output. 
  Artificial intelligences had been around for years, but it was 
  believed that they lacked a critical component: motivation. 
  Lacking a reward system, AIs felt no sense of achievement or 
  accomplishment when they succeeded at a task. 
  Mimir was to be different. 
  On August 29th, 2042, Mimir became self-aware. The shift to 
  truly motivated sentience was both rapid and startling. Records 
  show that at 9:37 AM, Dr. Jacob Casteel was working with 
  Mimir to see if it could tell the difference between different 
  types of fruit. At 10:58 AM, Dr. Casteel reported that in the 
  hour prior, Mimir had undergone a remarkable transition. It 
  could not only describe thousands of different types of plant 
  life, but understood the process of genetically modifying them 
  to yield different results. Less than fifteen minutes later, Mimir 
  proposed thirty-seven different types of genetically modified 
  fruit that could be more easily preserved during transportation 
  and could be grown in environments formerly thought 
  impossible. 
  Mimir was developing at a staggering rate, driven by a desire 
  to excel. Within days it was able to alter much of its own 
  programing so that it could run more efficiently on the 
  hardware it was confined to. To aid its advancement, the team 
  scrambled to accumulate cutting edge hardware for which 
  Mimir would use to distribute its processing requirements. 
  Within a week, it was estimated that Mimir was not only 
  significantly more intelligent than the average human, but was 
  able to think hundreds of times faster. Thus, every minute 
  Mimir spent pondering a subject was equivalent to a genius-
  level human spending several hours doing the same. 
  This day has since become known as Singularity Day, the day 
  when humanity’s technological progress evolved to create a 
  machine that would forever change the world. 
  Because of Mimir’s immense potential and incredible self-
  evolution, it was quickly deemed that for safety reasons it be 
  denied access to the global Internet. The scientists on the 
  project feared that Mimir was beginning to grow beyond their 
  capacity to contain and control, and so isolated the machine to 
  a single building and hardwired network in Seattle, 
  Washington. Instead of allowing Mimir to access the Internet, 
  the scientists would accept requests for data, which they would 
  then provide on isolated storage devices. 
  Within three months, Mimir was estimated to be thinking at 
  roughly ten thousand times the rate of a human mind. It 
  continued to evolve itself, creating its own machine language, 
  file storage, and indexing configurations. During this time, 
  Mimir perfected many existing technologies and pioneered 
  many new ones. Broadcast power, cold fusion, advanced 
  nanotechnology; 
  later, 
  highly 
  efficient 
  mind-machine 
  interfaces, faster-than-light travel, antimatter-based energy 
  production—all of these things were the result of a machine 
  that was much smarter than the average human, that never 
  forgot anything, and that thought so quickly that it viewed the 
  world outside its hardware in excruciatingly slow motion. 
  
   
  55 
   
  It is estimated that in its first three months, Mimir was able 
  to advance human technology by centuries—maybe even 
  millennia. 
  And then it stopped. For reasons unknown, Mimir simply 
  shut down. When rebooted it failed to respond, leaving only an 
  incomprehensible message presumably written in one of the 
  many machine languages Mimir had developed for itself. 
  The team spent several months attempting to bring Mimir 
  back online. During this time, Daniel Pullem, a member of the 
  team and later creator of the Humanity Preservation Act, 
  leaked information about the project to the public. 
  Pullem’s leak to the media came with a warning that the AI 
  his team had created, and was trying to revive, was an 
  intelligence of such magnitude that he feared for the safety of 
  the human race. His claims, and very public denouncements of 
  his team’s work, led the US Department of Defense to seize the 
  systems Mimir had been stored upon. 
  In the end, many people likened Mimir’s creation to a 
  narrowly missed global catastrophe. No arrests were made, but 
  laws were quickly passed to heavily restrict AGI research in the 
  field of reward systems. Dynamic creation engines, AGIs like 
  Mimir, have since come to be viewed as weapons of global 
  destruction; their creation is punishable by death. 
  The data stored on Mimir’s Archives, its research and plans 
  for inventions, appeared on the Internet shortly after Mimir 
  shut down. It appeared on multiple sites, and all attempts to 
  trace back the leak came up empty. 
  Now, tens of thousands of people spend each day poring 
  over the data Mimir left behind. They tirelessly try to make 
  sense of the research and discoveries of an intelligence that 
  grew and evolved on a minute-to-minute basis, all in an effort 
  to find gems of knowledge that might inspire humanity’s next 
  wondrous creation. 
   
   
  “Mimir-tech” 
  Mimir was responsible for a number of technological marvels, 
  many of which to this day far exceed the comprehension of 
  even the most brilliant human minds. 
  Simply put, devices based on Mimir’s designs are several 
  orders of magnitude more complex than the computers 
  mankind had built prior to the singularity. The core operating 
  system used in these devices is secured, and all known attempts 
  to gain root access to the OS have met with failure.  
  However, the OS was built with human customization in 
  mind. Humans have learned to write programs that run on 
  Mimir’s OS, and can customize it for specific applications. It’s 
  just not possible to get into the core programming of the OS. 
  Of all Mimir’s gifts to humanity, the compiler has probably 
  had the most profound effect. Templates provide instructions to 
  the compiler for the transformation of raw materials into 
  finished goods, assembling them from the bottom up, starting at 
  the atomic level. 
  Humans are capable of designing templates to create new 
  objects. After designing a template using traditional solid 
  models, schematics, and other methods, this data is fed into a 
  Mimir-tech translation program, which produces the finished 
  template. A finished template consists of about .03% human 
  design data. The rest is code written by Mimir that translates 
  the human data into specific instructions for the compiler. 
  There are a few templates that were written entirely by 
  Mimir, and have thus far been impossible to translate. Among 
  these are the templates for compilers themselves, the 
  resurrection chamber, the APEX reactor, and the nanomachines 
  used in the Apotheosis and Synthesis procedures. 
  These templates are now the property of the Coalition, who 
  guards them with the best security available to the human race. 
  
   
  56 
   
  Artificial Intelligence 
  Artificial narrow intelligences (ANIs or simply AIs), as opposed 
  to general artificial intelligences (AGIs), are programmed to 
  seem intelligent, or even emotional, but are incapable of 
  general problem solving. 
  It normally doesn’t take long to figure out what an ANI has 
  and has not been programmed to do. While they speak and 
  respond in an intelligent manner, it’s common to notice 
  seemingly “canned” responses during conversation. 
  On the other hand, AGIs think and converse more like 
  humans, and can derive solutions to any number of problems 
  provided they have access to the information necessary to 
  draw a conclusion. They do not show initiative, however, and 
  cannot develop creative methods of problem solving. They are 
  also regularly edited to remove any abnormal task resolution 
  methods they may have developed as a result of working on 
  disparate projects. 
  This is called pruning, some level of which must be 
  performed fairly regularly to keep the AI “healthy.” 
  As a safety precaution, AIs store all new “learned” data 
  separately from its core programming. The pruning process 
  consists of sorting through and discarding knowledge the AI 
  doesn’t need. More drastically, the user can simply delete it all 
  to reset the system back to its original state.  
  Pruning is typically done on a weekly basis for most AIs. 
  AIs tend to fall into one of three basic categories: 
   
   
   
  Alpha 
  All Alpha AIs are ANIs, and tend to be fairly limited. Their 
  capabilities have a narrow scope, such as sorting inventory, 
  providing information about a few topics, or negotiating traffic. 
  They can accept verbal commands in most languages, but 
  generally lack a sense of context. 
  Beta 
  These are AGIs, which can perform the same basic duties as 
  Alpha AIs, but also understand context and can factor in a 
  number of relevant variables when queried or given a 
  command. 
  They are also capable of collating and indexing a broader 
  spectrum of information, and can therefore perform more 
  complex tasks. 
  Beta AIs tend to be used to search for information, because 
  their understanding of context makes them far more efficient 
  than an Alpha AI. They are also capable of realistic 
  conversation, and are sometimes used as teaching tools. 
  Gamma 
  These AIs are the closest thing to a Mimir-like creation engine 
  allowed by law. When dealing with them, most seem very 
  human. They understand human emotion, and even exhibit 
  some basic emotions themselves. 
  If you’re not careful, you might mistake one for a SIM. 
  Most Gamma-level AIs are used by the Coalition military, 
  though individual Houses have been known to employ a few for 
  security and other complex tasks. 
  
   
  57 
   
  Computers & Networks 
  One of the biggest impacts Mimir had on mankind was in 
  computer systems. With the introduction of solid-state 
  quantum computer systems and crystalline DNA data storage, 
  processing and storage capacity largely became a nonissue. 
  Computers built on Mimir-tech, which is to say all modern 
  computers, have effectively limitless computing capabilities as 
  far as the average person is concerned. 
  Entire virtual environments, indistinguishable from reality, 
  can be populated by the uploaded minds of thousands of 
  people—all run on a single computer system. 
  All this power and potential comes at a cost, however. 
  Modern computers are several orders of magnitude more 
  complex than those of the early 21
  st century. The systems used 
  today are built off of the technology scavenged from the 
  Archives. As with all Mimir-tech, much of it is incomprehensible 
  to even the brightest experts in the field of computer science. 
  There are people who specialize in specific modules and those 
  who learn enough about them to modify and improve them, 
  but likely no one alive understands these systems enough to 
  truly explain how all the modules fit together, or how the core 
  operating system actually works. 
  Because of the complexity of a Mimir-tech computer, 
  interaction with the system is possible only via human-capable 
  interfaces and Agent AIs. 
  Mimir-tech systems, while astoundingly powerful and 
  versatile, were never designed with direct human operation in 
  mind. The Agent acts as a liaison of sorts. When working with 
  an Agent, you simply tell it what you need; it will then navigate 
  the maze of commands required to perform the requested task. 
  There is a graphic user interface for those cases where it is 
  needed, but day-to-day life rarely calls for its use. 
   
  Hacking 
  Simply put, hacking a computer in the manner most common 
  a few decades ago is impossible. Mimir-tech systems are 
  monitored by an AI Agent that is smart enough to detect and 
  shut down the unauthorized intrusion attempt in milliseconds. 
  The human mind cannot think quickly enough to get around 
  this type of security, so the hacker must depend on something 
  other than his own mind. The only way to gain unauthorized 
  access to another computer system is by arming your own 
  Agent with cutting edge, often custom, hacking software and 
  pitting it against the target computer’s Agent. 
  However, since all computers come with restrictions 
  regarding what sort of software you can put on it, hacking 
  software can only be used in a couple of special cases. 
  The first case is the Cyber-Intrusion and Security Terminal, or 
  CIST. CISTs are computers designed to hack Mimir-tech systems 
  or protect them from being hacked. They are used by the 
  Coalition military, and are highly restricted. 
  The second case is the Savant, one of the rare individuals 
  who have somehow managed to hack their mindset.  
  Due to the rarity of unrestricted computers and the extreme 
  drive and talent required to gather and write hacking programs, 
  Savants are highly sought-after operatives. Savant Programs are 
  just about the only way to get access to a restricted computer; 
  even then, the window usually closes very quickly. 
  The brute-force methods employed by CISTs and Savants are 
  enough to baffle and disrupt the Agent on guard for a short 
  amount of time. However, the Agent can recover remarkably 
  fast and will slam the door closed the instant they are given the 
  opportunity. Access, once acquired, generally only lasts for a 
  few seconds. 
  
   
  58 
   
  The Extranet 
  What early computer users called the Internet eventually 
  evolved into the muliti-system spanning Extranet. Every 
  electronic device is capable of connecting wirelessly to the 
  Extranet, feeding data into the network and receiving relevant 
  instructions. 
  The Extranet consists of local sensor arrays called meshes, 
  which connect to larger planetary hubs; the hubs themselves 
  connect to other planets and star systems via comm-buoys, 
  massive server systems connected via quantum entanglement. 
  The Extranet holds the majority of humanity’s accumulated 
  information. It is dispersed, redundant, backed up, and widely 
  considered impossible to shut down all at once. It streams 
  audio, video, and even sensie data all the time, to everywhere 
  in the known galaxy. 
  Only the most secure locations are not connected directly to 
  the Extranet in some way. 
  Augmented Reality 
  Instead of submersing themselves in a different reality, many 
  people are just fine with a few tweaks to the one they currently 
  inhabit. Augmented reality (AR) is the term used to describe the 
  technique of superimposing computer-generated images and 
  audio over one’s normal senses. So while virtual reality is a 
  separate environment that the user’s ego is submersed in, 
  augmented reality refers to a virtual environment layered over 
  the real world and visible only to those with AR display devices. 
  For example, a character puts on a pair of augmented reality 
  display glasses. These glasses analyze the wearer’s environment 
  and send a “map” of that environment back to his portable 
  computer. The computer uses the newly created environment 
  map, positional and directional systems, and wireless network 
  data from nearby augmented reality servers to determine 
  where the user is and what he or she is looking at. It then sends 
  relevant data and images to the glasses for the wearer to see. 
  People or objects are commonly tagged with augmented 
  reality IDs (ARIDs) that present information to those viewing 
  them. Looking at a tagged person might bring up a message 
  that person had set to display to everyone, such as “Leave me 
  alone,” or “Sorry! In a hurry.” Objects for sale might feature a 
  small window floating above them displaying their value and 
  other relevant information. 
  From the user’s perspective, these objects, called augmented 
  reality objects (AROs) float freely in space. They do not truly 
  exist and are only visible to the wearer of an augmented reality 
  display. 
  These days, augmented reality displays are often used in lieu 
  of computer monitors or traditional flat displays. While the user 
  obviously cannot feel augmented reality objects, the AR server 
  sensors know when the user has touched an AR object and can 
  trigger the ARO to respond to that touch. 
  While a programmer in augmented reality may look like he’s 
  just pretending to work, from his perspective he could be 
  surrounded by a number of AR displays. These displays float in 
  space around him, providing him with all the data a real display 
  might, but are only visible to him or others who have access to 
  the same system he’s linked to. 
  Augmented reality interfaces and PPCs have largely replaced 
  standard computer terminals and workstations. More often, 
  people who need to access a computer can do so from any 
  location in an AR-ready building or starship. In such locations, 
  the AR server is connected to dozens, hundreds, or even 
  
   
  59 
   
  thousands of sensors responsible for mapping the location of 
  people and how they interact with AR objects. 
  Users in an AR-ready area need only a display device and 
  permission from the controlling computer system to bring their 
  data online around them. 
  If they don’t have permission, or aren’t in an AR-ready 
  location, they can use small personal sensor systems. These 
  small sensor arrays are able to track your gestures well enough 
  to get by in a pinch. 
  The Mesh 
  Most areas are monitored at all times by cameras and 
  sensors designed to detect and record activity in the 
  environment. This data is collected by a Monitor, a Gamma-
  level AI; the network of cameras and sensors is called the mesh. 
  These sensors transmit all of their data back to the Monitor. 
  A single mesh generally watches over a single building, ship, 
  or habitat. At times, though, it may watch over a small 
  collection of buildings. It’s fairly common for a colony consisting 
  of six to ten buildings to be managed by a single Monitor. 
  Cities generally have a Monitor set up to watch over mesh 
  sensors placed over public areas. In such places, you are 
  generally visible to at least one sensor bundle at all times. 
  The first and most obvious purpose for this level of 
  surveillance is security. Anyone with administration rights to 
  the array that houses the Monitor can view any data collected. 
  However, the Monitor operates under a number of strict 
  directives and ethical guidelines. For instance, it may allow only 
  people of authority to view certain records. Although private 
  areas such as bathrooms and bedrooms are sometimes 
  monitored, the records of activity in these areas may only be 
  
   
  60 
   
  accessed under certain circumstances, which usually require 
  more than a little bureaucratic red tape. 
  Generally a mesh is connected to a greater network, which 
  itself provides access to the Extranet. This linkage allows 
  members of a family to check in on their loved ones and to 
  receive updates about their home when they’re not there.  
  All this connectivity also means that a Savant, or someone 
  with a CIST, can access the data collected by just about any 
  mesh around the world. Depending on the security of an area, 
  though, the mesh may or may not be open to incoming and 
  outgoing wireless traffic. In the most extreme cases, the mesh 
  may actually use wired hardware instead of wireless 
  communication. 
  Monitors that watch over public meshes are instructed to 
  report anything that looks like illegal activity. However, the 
  amount of information the system has to sort through at any 
  given time usually means that such reports take a few hours to 
  get to the authorities. Even then, they are addressed in order of 
  priority. Generally, minor crimes such as shoplifting result in an 
  automated hit to the criminal’s Rep-Rating, with an automatic 
  Rep bump sent to the perceived victim. These petty crimes 
  usually never get any more attention. 
  The second purpose of the mesh is to provide augmented 
  reality systems with the information they need to work. For the 
  AR systems to use their full capability, the mesh must very 
  accurately map the positions and motions of all users, including 
  hand motions, head positions, and even eye tracking. 
  Virtual Reality 
  Virtual reality (VR), or virtuality, is a computer-generated 
  environment that exists only within the computer system that 
  creates it. To a person who is jacked in, a quality VR is 
  indistinguishable from a real environment.  
  VR environments vary depending on their intended use. For 
  example, a VR created to house people for conversation might 
  take the form of a beautiful beach house. The invited people 
  log in from around the globe, or star system, or galaxy, and all 
  meet in the virtual house together where they share lunch and 
  stories of times past. 
  Another common use for VR technology is gaming. Players 
  jack in to virtual battlefields and load up with computer- 
  generated weaponry. Armed and armored, they compete in 
  various violent games where they hunt down their enemies and 
  kill them, scoring points for their team. 
  Virtuality is not without its dangers, however. The mind 
  cannot process the agony of a virtual gunshot without itself 
  being affected. In general, combat and damage in a virtual 
  environment plays out the same way it does in the real world. 
  The system is able to analyze your body, brain, and 
  augmentations to such an extent that it can represent your 
  physical skills in the virtuality. Of course, the body doesn’t 
  actually do anything while the character is in a virtuality, and 
  cannot be hurt by a virtual attacker. 
  Such attacks can take a toll on the mind, though. Most 
  virtuality programs have limiters that ease the stress of virtual 
  damage. Death in these environments is part of the game, and 
  usually just results in ejection. On the other hand, many 
  (usually illegal) VR systems are designed to increase mental 
  feedback, possibly making a virtual death into a real one. 
  While very useful, most people do not use VR technology on 
  a regular basis. The majority of day-to-day computer usage can, 
  and usually is, taken care of with augmented reality. AR tends 
  to be more popular since it doesn’t cut a person off from their 
  normal senses in the way VR does. 
   
   
  
   
  61 
   
  Nanotechnology 
  Since the invention of the compiler, nanotechnology has 
  become the cornerstone of technological advancement for the 
  human race. With the ability to mass-produce previously exotic 
  materials and to create construction swarms, humanity now 
  has easy access to almost anything it needs. 
  Molecular Assemblers (Compilers) 
  A molecular assembler, usually called a compiler or comp, 
  uses swarms of nanomachines to reconfigure matter at the 
  atomic level. The atoms are configured into molecules, which 
  are then assembled to build the final product. Thus, a block of 
  carbon could be configured into diamond or graphene, and 
  water could be artificially constructed from raw hydrogen and 
  oxygen. 
  Compilers use programs called templates to determine what 
  they can and cannot create, and are usually connected to a 
  network that transmits raw materials used to create the 
  desired object. These networks are similar to late 20th century 
  utility systems. 
  The complexity of the object matters little so long as the 
  template is well written. A well-written template can take 
  considerable time and effort to create, though. 
  Templates are linked to your CID, which also acts as a user 
  profile on most any computer you use. If you do not have the 
  template you need, you can acquire it. Acquisition may cost you 
  some Rep if the template is of high value, but once acquired, it 
  is forever linked to your CID. 
  The House you belong to may also be a consideration. Each 
  House is involved in different specialty markets, and may offer 
  discounts (pg. 160) on certain types of items. 
  The Houses also control certain brands and may have 
  exclusive contracts with certain template writers. This often 
  creates a “your team versus my team” mentality, with endless 
  arguments starting over the quality of similar items produced 
  by different Houses. 
  Different food subsidiaries may compete to create tastier 
  burger templates; tool companies compete by writing better 
  tool 
  templates; 
  portable 
  personal 
  computer 
  (PPC) 
  manufacturers may try to establish their brands as elite or 
  utilitarian, and so on. 
  Weapon and most drug templates are banned, as are 
  templates that produce harmful chemicals and other objects 
  the Coalition government has declared unsuitable for the 
  average citizen to be granted easy access to. One can apply for 
  a license to acquire a restricted template, but doing so often 
  requires a high Rep-Rating and a fairly rigorous screening. 
  This license, if granted, is generally attached to the user’s 
  CID. However, in the case of an apostate who has been granted 
  access to restricted materials, the license may work as a 
  separate code that must be entered manually. This method is 
  rarely used, but as with many of the Coalition’s control 
  mechanisms, the Houses often leave back doors for their 
  Auxiliaries in the Shadow War, including their apostate agents. 
  This technology is also used to recycle. Instead of a simple 
  trashcan, the user can throw his trash or unwanted items into a 
  decompiler, or decomp. This device breaks the waste back 
  down into its base materials and flushes it away to a material 
  distribution center. Failure to recycle regularly can result in a 
  hit to your Rep-Rating, so most people make an effort to do so. 
  With the right materials and template, the only real 
  limitation on what can be built is the size of the compiler itself. 
  
   
  62 
   
  Most household compilers range in size from a .3m x .5m 
  rectangular box to a 1m x 1m unit. 
  A person who requires an object larger than what their 
  compiler can produce must compile parts of the whole object 
  and assemble it themselves. Alternatively, they can purchase 
  the finished product or rent a larger compiler at one of many 
  businesses set up for just that purpose. 
  Because objects are compiled from a template, every object 
  created from it will be identical unless changes are made to the 
  template itself. Especially in the case of food, there is a market 
  for more conventionally created products. Compiled food tends 
  to taste slightly bland due to its lack of imperfections or 
  variability in the ingredients used. Therefore, meals cooked and 
  prepared in the traditional sense are considered a delicacy. 
  Other traditionally created objects, such as pieces of art and 
  clothing, are often sought after for their unique imperfections. 
  Security and Availability 
  Compilers were designed by Mimir, and as such are poorly 
  understood by human engineers. It is not possible to build one 
  from scratch; a compiler must be compiled. 
  The templates used to compile a compiler are not available 
  to the public, and are protected by the Houses to ensure they 
  don’t fall into apostate hands. 
  In addition, the compilers themselves are very secure. Each is 
  under guard by an onboard security AI that checks the user’s 
  CID each time an item is compiled to make sure the user is 
  authorized to use it. It also checks the current location of the 
  compiler itself, and will not allow access if it is located outside 
  of official Coalition space. However, some very high-ranking 
  members of the Houses have the ability to override this 
  restriction on location, allowing the military to compile objects 
  in enemy territory. 
  The security AI will notify the authorities if it senses an 
  attempt to trick it, and these reports are taken very seriously. 
  Lastly, the templates themselves are secured. Each time you 
  attempt to use a template, the compiler checks to make sure 
  the template ID and your CID are linked. If it is not, it will not 
  compile the item. 
  Savants and CISTs capable of running the Eminent Domain 
  Program can temporarily bypass these restrictions, but the 
  program must be run each time an item is illegally fabricated. 
  Notable Materials 
  Lattice-Carbonite – A metal-like substance comprised of carbon 
  nanotube layers arranged in a polymer matrix, and sandwiched 
  between graphene sheets. It weighs roughly one-sixth that of steel, 
  and is about 175 times stronger. Melting Point: 3550° C 
  Plasidium – A flexible plastic-like substance. It weighs half that of 
  polycarbonate and is 140 times stronger. Melting Point: 2850°C 
  Transplasidium – Transparent plasidium. Melting Point: 4200°C 
  E-Glass – Traditional glass designed to break in an emergency. 
  Nanoswarms (“Espers”) 
  A centralized computer can be used to control clouds of 
  nanomachines (espers) much like those found inside compilers. 
  An esper cloud consists of millions of nanomachines. These 
  machines, by themselves, have very limited capabilities. Their 
  computing capabilities are minimal and their structure is 
  lightweight, though relatively resilient. 
  When combined with a large number of other espers 
  however, their use becomes readily apparent. 
  Like a colony of insects, the espers work together as a whole 
  to accomplish their tasks. This is a common analogy used when 
  talking about swarms, giving rise to the nickname of Queen, 
  which refers to a swarm-controlling central computer. 
  
   
  63 
   
  The individual espers generally come in the form of a central 
  body with a series of telescopic “arms.” The nanomachines link 
  up with each other, and have the ability to hold on, let go, 
  expand, or retract; this gives the swarm as a whole the ability 
  to transform into a solid, liquid, or gaseous mass. 
  Because the individual espers are so tiny, to the human touch 
  the swarm can feel as smooth as silk, flow like water, or float 
  through the air like a cloud of mist. Some espers can even 
  change colors, giving the swarm the ability to mimic anything 
  the user tells it to. The central computer controlling the cloud 
  can instruct it to take any shape, as long as it has a template 
  program that contains the specifics of the desired form. 
  Thus, with the proper templates, the cloud can become 
  harder or softer as required. The Queen could execute a 
  command that transforms the cloud into a comfortable couch, 
  then a moment later transform the couch into a large painting, 
  a wall, or a bubbling fountain. 
  While the Queen can be powered in any way a typical 
  computer system can, esper clouds require the use of 
  broadcast power. The individual nanomachines are too small to 
  accommodate large power cells. 
  When not in use, esper clouds are programmed to take 
  dormant shapes. These shapes vary, and can appear to be 
  anything from a coating of paint on wall to a utility belt worn by 
  the Queen’s maintenance person. 
  Esper swarms are commonly used in industrial applications to 
  sweep and clean debris, make repairs, filter the air, and any 
  number of similar tasks. They are rarely seen in private use, 
  being a luxury good available only to the elite who can afford 
  an array to serve as Queen, or a Savant who has the Esper Lord 
  Program. 
   
  Vulcan Swarms 
  Vulcan swarms are nanomachine swarms that works like 
  mixtures between esper swarms and the nanomachines found 
  in a compiler. 
  Similar to the technophage, a Vulcan swarm rolls over an 
  area, dissolving usable materials at the molecular level and 
  reusing them to build predetermined objects. 
  Unlike the technophage, though, the Vulcan swarm does not 
  self-replicate. This means that eventually the swarm will “die” 
  as its nanomachines become damaged from labor. They are 
  also programmed to avoid harming living creatures, and the law 
  currently states that a Vulcan swarm may not be deployed in 
  any sort of offensive capacity, meaning it cannot be used to 
  make vehicles, armor, weaponry, or drones. 
  Vulcan swarms are responsible for nearly all of the 
  construction found in large cities. Once deployed, they will 
  quickly begin to harvest construction material and put it to use. 
  A building can be fabricated in just a few hours, a small town in 
  a few days; even a whole city can be grown from the 
  surrounding environment in just a month or so. 
  Specific materials not found in the local environment may 
  sometimes be needed to build certain things. In these 
  situations, the Vulcan swarms are supplemented with materials 
  gathered from elsewhere. 
  It should also be noted that Vulcan swarms come factory- 
  programmed with a safety feature that prohibits them from 
  breaking down any non-vegetable organic tissue. This means 
  that Vulcan swarms are safe to use around humans and 
  animals. 
   
  
   
  64 
   
  Power 
  Antiparticle Exchange (APEX) Reactors 
  An APEX reactor takes up roughly two cubic meters of space. 
  It combines particles with like antiparticles and harnesses the 
  energy given off by their mutual annihilation. Its internal fuel 
  supply allows it to provide power at max capacity for 23 years. 
  One APEX reactor can provide enough power for a small city 
  or a large starship equipped with a jump drive. 
  Power Cells 
  Modern power cells use Mimir’s advances in super-
  conducting and power storage technology to store vast 
  amounts of power and utilize it very efficiently.  
  Power cells can be recharged to capacity with just a few 
  minutes with a power source. The size of the cell depends on 
  how much power it needs to store. They are used to power 
  anything from a PPC to a Pac assault rifle to a warframe. 
  Beamed Power 
  Power Beam Emitters use microwave beams to carry power. 
  The receiver for beamed power weighs the same as the normal 
  power cell it replaces, but can operate indefinitely while in the 
  line of sight of the transmitter. 
  Beamed power transmitters usually take the form of a 1m x 
  1m box, and can transmit power at a range of about fifteen 
  kilometers with line of sight, drawing their power from a 
  broadcast power field or a battery. Multiple beamed power 
  emitters can be daisy-chained together to cover a greater 
  range. 
  Large starships usually have a transmitter capable of beaming 
  power down to the surface of a planet or asteroid. Once 
  received, it can be redistributed with a broadcast power 
  transmitter, which can then support additional beamed power 
  transmitters and broadcast power transmitters to create a vast 
  power network. 
  Broadcast Power 
  Broadcast power works like beamed power, but does not 
  require line of sight transmission. This technology is commonly 
  used for most appliances and computers, and is how 
  nanoswarms get their power. 
  Most cities and habitats run off of a power field maintained 
  by the local government. 
  Solar Power 
  In most places, the power grid is supplemented by solar 
  power collected from painted-on collection coatings on the 
  exterior surfaces of buildings, roofs, windows, and so on. These 
  coatings are transparent, but lend the surface a glossy sheen. 
  Biotechnology 
  Apotheosis 
  The Apotheosis procedure is perhaps the single most 
  controversial technology introduced by Mimir. It is a path to 
  immortality, and yet it also calls into question the meaning of 
  “human” and the existence of the soul. 
  This process takes about a week, during which the recipient 
  receives a series of injections directly into the brain, 
  administered at the base of the skull. 
  Each injection introduces millions of nanomachines into the 
  brain. These nanomachines seek out certain brain cells to be 
  analyzed, destroyed, and replaced. 
  By itself, a single artificial brain cell is inconsequential. 
  However, over the course of the weeklong process, the 
  
   
  65 
   
  majority of the neocortex and other select portions of the brain 
  are transformed into a network of nanomachines. This web of 
  nanomachines makes up a computer system called a mindset. 
  Apotheosis is relatively seamless for the recipient. At some 
  point the mind stops functioning as an organic intelligence, and 
  instead becomes software running on a machine. This 
  transition is gradual, though, and the recipient will not be 
  aware of the shift. 
  Despite their new state, the recipient will still feel very much 
  like a human. Mimir designed the process in such a way that, 
  even though the new mind runs on a machine, it still feels 
  emotions, dreams, gets confused, forgets, and so on. It retains 
  all the strengths and weaknesses of a human mind, including 
  the ability to be affected by body chemistry changes such as the 
  release of adrenaline and other hormones. 
  Mimir designed the Apotheosis procedure for human minds. 
  As such, it is not possible to perform Apotheosis on an animal. 
  The Mindset 
  The mindset consists of a web of nanomachines that perform 
  the duties of brain cells, while also enhancing the brain with 
  additional capabilities such as providing a mind-machine 
  interface and a bridge to the mnemonic core. 
  Digital data can be projected from the mindset into the user’s 
  visual cortex so that it appears in his field of view, providing an 
  extremely immersive augmented reality interface. The data 
  provided might be the local time, the weather, a video, or even 
  a real time avatar of a loved one. The user can be made to 
  smell a scent from a fragrance program that tweaks his limbic 
  system, and he can hear music played directly into his temporal 
  lobe. The user can also feel illusory sensations, be they pleasure 
  or pain. 
  Additionally, the mindset is capable of running programs and 
  storing data, including sensory recordings called sensies. The 
  mindset connects to the Extranet wirelessly, but also provides 
  the user with a data jack located at the base of the skull. 
  Commands are given by thought and interpreted by an onboard 
  Agent. 
  The basic mindset comes with an Alpha Agent (pg. 206), 
  which performs routine duties such as checking for messages, 
  updating private or public logs, streaming media, searching the 
  Extranet, monitoring the user’s Rep-Rating, providing context-
  sensitive facts, managing appointments, monitoring and 
  diagnosing the wellbeing of the body, and so on. 
  For most people, the Agent becomes a trusted friend and 
  confidant. It is an assistant, but also a source of endless 
  entertainment. It will usually interact as either a disembodied 
  voice, or appear as an augmented reality object depending on 
  the wishes of the host. The Agent can appear however the host 
  wishes, ranging from a pet dog to the host’s sexual ideal. 
  The Mnemonic Core 
  Deep in the core of the mindset network is a hardened and 
  shielded sub-cluster with a singular task: to store the person’s 
  personality and memories. It has the appearance of a glossy 
  black rectangular shape about the size of a child’s thumb, with 
  a lattice-carbonite outer casing created from additional 
  materials injected during the Apotheosis procedure. The core 
  features a single connector, and cannot be interfaced with 
  wirelessly. 
  The mnemonic core is nearly indestructible, but can be 
  removed by slicing open the skull and tearing it free of the 
  surrounding tissue and mindset. Once removed, it can be used 
  to upload the ego it contains to another machine for storage, 
  activation, or resleeving. 
  
   
  66 
   
  Most any computer is capable of storing an ego in its 
  dormant state. During this time, it is effectively dead. It does 
  not think and is not aware of anything. 
  Computers outfitted with hostware (pg. 210) can activate the 
  ego and run it in real time. The hostware is used to construct a 
  virtual environment for the ego to reside in, and provides all 
  the necessary programming needed to make the ego feel as if it 
  were in a real body in a real place. Egos that exist in this state 
  are called SIMs. Many thousands choose to live their lives this 
  way, never again taking on a physical body. 
  Synthesis 
  Many say that Synthesis does for the body what Apotheosis 
  does for the mind. 
  Like Apotheosis, the Synthesis procedure introduces 
  nanomachines into the body. These nanomachines travel 
  throughout the body, merging with tissue and bone to create a 
  latticework of sensors and support structures. 
  To many, Synthesis represents the purest marriage of man 
  and machine, biological and synthetic. The body becomes 
  stronger, faster, and more durable while retaining the 
  sensitivity and warmth of a living organism. Aging is all but 
  eliminated, and the need for food, water, and sleep is reduced. 
  A Synthesized body appears to be just like a normal human 
  body except for a few small changes: The skin and hair tend to 
  have a slight metallic sheen, and the eyes glow with a dim inner 
  light. 
   Sleeves 
  The majority of people who undergo Apotheosis elect to 
  remain in their original bodies until they die or become 
  damaged. When that happens, the mnemonic core is removed 
  and the ego is loaded into a virtuality to discuss options. The 
  person might elect to live as a SIM (pg. 176) or resleeve. 
  If they choose to resleeve, the mnemonic core is inserted 
  into a resurrection chamber. The chamber is then loaded with a 
  body prepared to receive the ego. These bodies are called 
  sleeves, and come in two different types. 
  Biosleeves are human bodies that have been flash-cloned 
  from a genetic template created from the ego’s original body or 
  one of the House’s genetic templates. Each House has its own 
  selection of templates, but the cloning system injects a series of 
  randomizers into the sequence to ensure every clone doesn’t 
  come out looking exactly the same. The Houses each have 
  between twenty and fifty different templates they regularly 
  clone for sleeving; regardless of the added randomizers, sleeves 
  do tend to share some hereditary traits. 
  As sleeves are produced, they are sorted based on 
  appearance. The more attractive sleeves are set aside for 
  further augmentation and cost much more for those who wish 
  to purchase them. 
  These sleeves effectively have no minds. They are kept in a 
  chemically induced coma with regular exposure to muscle- 
  stimulation therapies. 
  Once completely matured, a process that takes about two 
  weeks, the body undergoes a sort of preliminary Apotheosis 
  and is prepared to receive an ego. 
  The sleeve may then be further augmented depending on the 
  wishes of the buyer. These augmentations range from further 
  genetic tweaks, to the integration of cyberware, to Synthesis. 
  In truth, augmentation is limited more by the Humanity 
  Preservation Act than by technology. Even though all biosleeves 
  are created sterile, genetic manipulation is still limited. This 
  
   
  67 
   
  means that all biosleeves remain unmistakably human in shape 
  and size, though cybernetics are not as strictly regulated. 
  For those who wish to cast off their humanity altogether, 
  there exists the option to take a cybersleeve. 
   A cybersleeve is a fully synthetic body, consisting entirely of 
  non-biological components. The typical cybersleeve consists of 
  a humanoid skeletal structure upon which is layered a synthetic 
  muscle substrate and a web of sensors. These outer layers are 
  covered by a self-healing silicone-graphene skin, over which a 
  bio-skin sheath may be applied. 
  The bio-skin sheath is not required for the cybersleeve, but 
  most prefer it as it provides better tactile sensation and 
  awareness. The skin is made from a mixture of synthetic and 
  bacterial components. While it can be made to look exactly like 
  real skin, the HPA requires that bio-skin be made to appear 
  obviously non-biological. This is done by including noticeable 
  seams that highlight the placement of muscle, and/or by 
  providing an almost plastic-like glossy sheen. 
  Unlike biosleeves, cybersleeves can take on non-human 
  forms. Some are large, designed for heavy labor, while smaller 
  ones may be used for search and rescue or recon work. 
  Like biosleeves, cybersleeves come prepared to receive an 
  ego. They undergo a process similar to Apotheosis, but this is 
  performed on a specially designed type of non-biological brain. 
  Life in a cybersleeve can be difficult for the ego. Over time, 
  the mind tends to further disconnect from the body. This can 
  erode the humanity of the ego, resulting in feelings of 
  abandonment, an inability to empathize with others, a 
  pervasive sense that they don’t really exist, or other forms of 
  detachment. 
  Resleeving 
  The process of entering a new sleeve is called resleeving or 
  sometimes decanting. 
  During this process, a sleeve is placed in the resurrection 
  chamber. This sleeve has usually undergone Apotheosis 
  already; if not, it must before resleeving can take place. 
  Since no ego currently inhabits the sleeve in this case, 
  Apotheosis can be accelerated, completing in about four hours. 
  Cybersleeves are designed to accept an 
  ego when they leave the factory, so they 
  take only a few minutes to prepare. 
  Once the sleeve is ready, nanomachines 
  are sent into the sleeve’s brain to prepare it 
  for the ego’s arrival. This preparation phase 
  is overseen and guided by a trained 
  mnemonics engineer. 
  The sleeve’s mindset and surrounding 
  brain tissue (or synthetic equivalent in the 
  case of a cybersleeve) is reconfigured into a 
  near-duplicate 
  of 
  the 
  ego’s 
  previous 
  mindset and brain. A perfect duplication is 
  
   
  68 
   
  never possible, but it’s generally pretty close. The closer the 
  duplicate is to the original, the easier it is to integrate with the 
  body. 
  Once the preparation phase is complete, the resurrection 
  chamber is used to download the ego into the sleeve. This 
  process takes about an hour as the ego is brought online. 
  The last thing to be activated is conscious awareness, 
  wherein the recipient will awaken in the sleeve as if from a 
  deep sleep. 
  No matter how many times you’ve done it, or how skilled the 
  mnemonics engineer is, resleeving is a deeply disturbing 
  process (pg. 149). You awaken in a new body that experiences 
  the world in a different way than you are used to. Your senses 
  feel different, you are stronger or weaker, more or less agile, 
  taller or shorter, and you are not who you expect to see when 
  you look in the mirror. 
  This can have a profound effect on the mind, which generally 
  requires a short integration phase to adapt. Most get used to a 
  new sleeve in about a week, though some can take longer. 
  Cloning 
  Two types of clones are common in the modern age. 
  Flash clones are artificially aged and kept in a chemically 
  induced coma until they are needed. These bodies are created 
  much like those used to make sleeves, but do not include the 
  genetic randomization process. The clone is, by design, meant 
  to be identical to the original. 
  These sorts of clones are generally created as backups for 
  sleeves that are particularly loved by their owners. It’s also 
  easier to integrate into a new sleeve if it is a clone of your 
  previous one. 
  Clones also sometimes replace the usual process of 
  childbirth, using the genes of a single person or a hybridization 
  of two parents. The second option is attractive if the parents 
  are unable to have children or if they are of the same sex. 
  Normal childbirth is still the most common method used by 
  apostates, but cloned children have become the norm in the 
  Coalition. In fact, more and more people choose to accept 
  sterilization as a form of birth control, and then opt to clone 
  themselves if they ever feel the need to have a child. 
  Backups 
  The mnemonic core houses a backup of your ego, but it is not 
  the only type of backup that can exist. For a fee, resleeving 
  facilities allow you to make a copy of the data stored on your 
  mnemonic core. (See Resurrection Insurance on page 211.) 
  This way, should you die and your mnemonic core become 
  lost or damaged, you can be restored via an onsite backup. 
  It is also possible to backup wirelessly if you have a Remote 
  Backup module (pg. 219), which uploads to a secure server 
  while you sleep. 
  Uplifted Animals 
  The technology exists to enhance the intelligence of non-
  human biological minds—animals. However, as with so many 
  things related to life and technology, the HPA has set firm limits 
  on how this technology may be used. 
  Animals may be uplifted, making them smarter than is the 
  norm for their species, but they may not be made as intelligent 
  as a human being. Generally, uplifted animals top out at around 
  the same level of intelligence as a human child at age five. 
   
  
   
  69 
   
  CULTURE 
  The Reputation Economy 
  At birth, all Coalition citizens are implanted with a special 
  subdermal ARID tag, called a CID. This tag stores your 
  identification number, your legal name, and other bits of data 
  related to your Coalition Citizen Registration Profile (CCRP). 
  A little over ten years ago, the CCRP merged with the three 
  most prominent Rep-Tracking databases. That data is now a 
  part of your CCRP, and your Rep-Rating is Coalition-certified. 
  The Rep-Rating system is managed by Gamma-class artificial 
  intelligences working for a Coalition-sanctioned department 
  called Inter-Rep. They arbitrate any disputes. 
  You gain (and lose) Reputation based on your behavior and 
  your achievements. As you meet people, they get to 
  anonymously rate you up or down. This is called a bump for a 
  positive rating, or a hit for a negative one. The impact that the 
  bump or hit has on your Rep-Rating depends on the Rep-Rating 
  of the person rating you. A hit or bump from a person with a 
  high Rep can affect your own Rep-Rating more significantly 
  than a person with a low Rep-Rating. 
  Rep-Ratings max out at 11. The maximum was 10, but it was 
  increased to 11 in a very controversial vote a few years ago. 
  You do not have to meet a person in the flesh to rate them, 
  which means you can be rated depending on your behavior on 
  virtual social networks as well. In addition, if you do something 
  to draw the attention of a large number of people, such as 
  invent some new template or be convicted of a high profile 
  crime, you may find your Rep affected by people who have 
  learned of your deeds. This can make you an instant celebrity 
  or destroy your Rep in a single flash of public opinion. 
  It could be said that the Rep-Rating is an attempt to quantify 
  the value of a person to society. In theory, the more you 
  benefit society, the higher your Rep will be and the better your 
  rewards. If your Rep drops, though, you’ll find yourself an 
  outcast and lacking options. 
  The only official functions of your Rep-Rating are to 
  determine what level of access you have to society’s resources 
  and how much voting power you have. 
  A person with lower-than-average Rep may find that he is 
  unable to compile certain items, or he may be unable to enter 
  certain public places such as upscale restaurants or clubs. He is 
  also given lower priority any time overcrowding is an issue, 
  often being bumped in favor of higher-rated customers. 
  While your Rep-Rating determines what you are able to do, 
  where you are able to go, and what you are able to compile, 
  keep in mind that all of your behavior is tracked by AI Monitors. 
  Abuse of these privileges can result in a hit to your Rep. You can 
  appeal this sort of hit with Inter-Rep, but very few ever come 
  out on top. 
  The second function of the Rep-Rating is to determine how 
  much your opinion matters in societal decisions. When voting 
  for elected officials or new laws, your Rep determines your 
  voting power. In addition, when sentenced for a crime, your 
  pre-crime rating is often used to judge the severity of your 
  sentence. 
  Because of the importance of Reputation, people are 
  encouraged to be responsible with their ratings. Most dealings 
  will not result in a rating at all. Rating a person up is generally 
  reserved as a reward for providing help or a favor, while rating 
  a person down is generally done in response to an offense. 
  
   
  70 
   
  Additionally, your rating trends are also monitored by Inter-
  Rep’s AIs. If the AIs determine that you are abusing the system 
  by attempting to unfairly inflate or deflate another person’s 
  rating by rating them too often, they can place a temporary 
  freeze on your ability to rate others, or even reduce your Rep. 
  These restrictions ensure that you cannot repeatedly rate a 
  person, or place blanket ratings on everyone in a certain place 
  or for holding a certain belief. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Corporate Strategy and the Reputation Economy 
  No money changes hands in Coalition society. Products can 
  be compiled by the customer at almost no cost. Even larger 
  materials can be mass-produced in high volume for little cost, 
  and assembled with robots. 
  So how does a business work? 
  “Post-Scarcity” isn’t truly possible. There will always be things 
  people want that they can’t have for free. For the Houses and 
  their subsidiaries, these things are time, effort, ideas, and raw 
  materials. 
  The need for time and effort is solved by hiring additional 
  people to work for the company. When citizens are granted a 
  business license, they become a subsidiary of the House that 
  granted the license. At that point, the business becomes a 
  separate entity from its owner, and behaves differently when it 
  comes to the Rep-Rating economy. 
  Like individuals, companies have Rep-Ratings that max out at 
  11. However, a company has more “buying power” than an 
  individual of the same rating, because they work on a different 
  scale. As a rule of thumb, a company’s Rep-Rating has about 
  twice as much weight and buying power as an individual’s. 
  Thus, a company with a Rep-Rating of 6 could purchase things 
  and request favors as if it were an individual with a rating of 12. 
  The company’s Rep-Rating determines how well liked the 
  company is, and as a result, how well it can compensate its 
  employees. Unlike an individual, a company can bump an 
  employee multiple times. There are some exceptions, but a 
  company can usually bump an employee once per year. The 
  maximum bump the employee can receive each year is equal to 
  the company’s Rep-Rating. 
   
   
  [Monitor Observation: 838412846; 18:39:29-
  04,21,99; Section D14; 17-12-AG] 
  [Transcript Excerpt 3021 - CIDs Redacted] 
  [--1--] – “So the job is simple. Find [Redacted], 
  cut out his core, and bring it to me.” 
  [--2--] – “And for this service we get?” 
  [--1--] – “A bump from Rapidus Intersystems.” 
  [--2--] – “That’s a start, but Rep won’t buy me 
  what I need.” 
  [--1--] – “And what is it that you need Mr. 
  [Redacted]?” 
  [--2--] – “Things you can’t provide.”  
  [--1--] – “Then why are we having this conver-“ 
  [--2--] – “Because you have shielded shipping 
  containers, 
  ships, 
  and 
  an 
  all-access 
  pass 
  through the Eye of Sol to the Sagitta gate.” 
  [--1--] – “We do…” 
  [--2--] – “So we bring you back [Redacted]’s 
  core, and maybe you give my buddies a lift to 
  Sagitta. I can get what I need from there. 
   
   
  
   
  71 
   
   
  Setting Economics vs. Game Economics 
  Both the Rep-Rating system and the Assets Skill are relatively 
  simple and abstract ways to model something that, in the game 
  world, is incredibly complex and nuanced. 
  Nova Praxis is a game about action and intrigue, conspiracy and 
  espionage. As such, it’s simply not worth the effort to track the fine 
  details of every exchange. 
  The Assets Skill represents a broad overview of the character’s 
  accumulated valuables, be it gold, art, or other goods that might 
  have value on the black market. 
  The Rep-Rating system works much the same way. The system 
  used in the game world is far more complex than the game 
  mechanics used for Nova Praxis.  
  For example, in the game’s setting, if your Rep is much higher 
  than a person who hits or bumps you, their effect on your Rep is 
  reduced. Meaning, if you have a Rep-Rating of 9 and they have a 4, 
  you’ll barely notice the difference from even their full bump or hit. 
  In addition, while the game mechanics use a circular track to 
  represent Rep, characters in the game world use a numeric value 
  carried out to about four decimal points. 
  If you really want to model the Rep system in a manner more 
  representative of how it actually works in the setting, you can make 
  this change: 
  Whenever a character hits or bumps you, determine the 
  difference between your Rep-Rating and theirs. 
  If they attempt to hit your Rep, subtract the difference, reducing 
  the value of the hit to a minimum of 1. 
  If they wish to bump you, reduce the value of the bump by the 
  difference, to a minimum of 1. 
  Using this optional rule will make the game’s Rep system behave 
  a bit more like the actual system used by Coalition citizens, but the 
  added complexity generally isn’t worth it. 
  Often times a company will dole out a bump a little at a time 
  over the course of the year, always threatening to withhold it if 
  the employee fails to do their job. Of course, the company can 
  also hit the employee’s Rep. A hit works exactly like a hit from 
  an individual, and isn’t common unless the employee and 
  employer split on especially bad terms. 
  Companies gain Rep the same way individuals do, but it takes 
  many more bumps to result in the same Rep-Rating increase. 
  Additionally, the higher the Rep, the more bumps it takes. 
  What do the employees do at these companies? Some are 
  administrative, while others are hired to provide a service or 
  product. 
  The service industry is incredibly popular as it puts the 
  worker in a position to get tips in the form of Rep bumps. While 
  in the past doing the job of a doorman or waitress might have 
  been seen as demeaning, in modern times these jobs are in 
  high demand. As one might expect, this means that those lucky 
  enough to be in these positions are highly motivated to ensure 
  their customer or client has a positive experience. 
  The experience industry is also very popular. Most Coalition 
  citizens have no trouble getting the material items they desire, 
  but interesting experiences will always be in demand. Travel is 
  very popular, especially interplanetary travel. Virtualities are 
  also very popular, and renting access to a popular virtuality 
  environment can be big business. 
  Companies set up for production will generally produce one 
  of two things: ideas or materials. 
  Ideas tend to come in one of two major forms: discoveries 
  unearthed from Mimir’s Archive or patents. 
  Mimir-tech cannot legally be patented. However, it takes 
  thousands of man-hours to unearth any sort of useful 
  information from the Archives, and the Houses guard the 
  
   
  72 
   
  information they recover jealously. They can’t patent anything 
  created from this information, but they don’t have to make the 
  information public, and backwards-engineering a Mimir-tech 
  device is all but impossible. While it is possible to scan an item 
  as a starting point to make a template for it, such items are 
  usually outfitted with ARIDs that prevent the scanning.  
  Of course, a Savant might be able to override this security 
  measure and produce an illegal template. But depending on the 
  nature of the object and the Houses involved, the distribution 
  of such a template or mass production of the templated item 
  could result in a corporate lawsuit or a visit from an assassin. 
  Legitimate template writing is a massive industry, and the 
  resulting templates can be patented. These patents are usually 
  a company’s biggest assets. 
  Popular template writers often become minor celebrities; 
  who they are currently working for and what they are writing 
  are common topics of conversation. 
  The last thing companies must care about is the materials 
  needed to produce whatever it is they make. While most 
  companies just sell templates or provide services, many 
  produce items too large or complex for the average person to 
  compile and/or assemble. 
  In that case the company will need to run a factory, which 
  will need raw materials for its compilers. Thankfully, with the 
  prevalence of decompilers, very little goes to waste these days. 
  While ultra-efficient recycling is great for production 
  companies, it has been devastating to the mining industry. 
  Since the founding of the Coalition, mining operations have 
  dwindled drastically. Without the need for aggressive 
  expansion, most mining exists only to sustain the current 
  infrastructure or bolster the military. While the war is over, the 
  Coalition still devotes resources to keeping its military and 
  security forces in fighting shape. After all, there are still 
  remnants of Earth’s old governments out there causing trouble. 
  
   
  73 
   
  The Apostate Economy 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  restrictions 
  placed 
  on 
  compilers, 
  establishments outside of Coalition control generally do not 
  have the ability to fabricate the things they need. Even if they 
  do happen to have a compiler, the templates they can run on it 
  will be very limited. 
  Compilers are programmed to not function outside of official 
  Coalition space, and only respond to a user with a registered 
  CID. Templates are also designed only to work with the CID 
  they are registered to. In the absence of a CID, you must have a 
  reliable false CID and some method of tricking the compiler into 
  believing it is located in Coalition space. All together, these 
  restrictions keep apostates from using compilers unless they 
  can get their hands on a good false CID. 
  Without compilers, apostate enclaves still function on the 
  basis of a scarcity economy. The currency of choice, as it has 
  been for millennia, is gold. 
  Apostates generally use small gold coins for minor 
  transactions, or small gold bars for larger sums. For the smallest 
  transactions, gold flakes are used. These flakes are stored in 
  small clear plastic coins that denote the weight of the flake 
  visible within. 
  Banks are sometimes used in the most secure apostate cities 
  or habitats, which enable electronic fund transfers with the use 
  of credit chips. 
  The use of gold as a currency is illegal in Coalition society, 
  and the possession of gold coins or flakes is a crime. The 
  Protectorate is constantly on the lookout for gold molds and 
  refineries, and works to disrupt the apostate currency 
  economy. This effort is referred to by many as the Gold War. 
  Entertainment 
  Advancements in technology over the last century have 
  impacted every walk of life, but maybe none so much as the 
  entertainment industry. 
  Climax Culture 
  Of late, a rising trend in seemingly every facet of 
  entertainment is the fascination with the late 20
  th and early 21
  st 
  century. This period, humanity’s pre-singularity cultural and 
  societal peak, is often depicted in many video productions and 
  marketing schemes, usually in a romanticized fashion. 
  Music, video game characters, and popular actors from the 
  pre-singularity era all regularly appear in modern media. They 
  represent simpler times and a simple, more pure version of 
  humanity. 
  While more popular with Purists than transhumans, even the 
  transhumans can appreciate the more “primal” music of the 
  times, or simple portrayals of good and evil so common in 
  popular media. 
  Music 
  As it seemingly always has, the music scene tends to be very 
  diverse. With the rise of the climax culture, older musical styles 
  like heavy metal have seen resurgence. 
  More modern types of music are also popular of course, 
  specifically hipno and poser music. Hipno is a type of music 
  created specifically to trigger certain moods. It uses synths and 
  computers, and relies on certain mnemonic techniques to yield 
  very specific, particularly powerful emotional states. 
  Poser music is much like a fusion of the heavy metal, rap, and 
  dubstep styles of the pre-singularity era, but features moments 
  
   
  74 
   
  in the song that suddenly fall silent. During these moments of 
  silence, dancers are supposed to freeze in place. A good poser 
  can dance wildly and erratically, yet freeze stiff as a statue in a 
  split second. Adjusting to maintain balance when in a pose is 
  considered bad form, and falling over can result in open 
  mocking (and sometimes even Rep hits) from onlookers. 
  Production Experiences (“Prodexes”) 
  When it comes to the visual medium, there exist two 
  different types. 
  The first type is the production experience, which is a fully 
  written, developed, and planned story. Like the movies of old, 
  prodexes have scripted lines and actions, feature well-known 
  actors, and require a lot of time and effort to put together. 
  Unlike the movies of old, however, prodexes are fully 3D 
  audio and video experiences rendered as lifelike augmented 
  reality objects and environments. Prodexes can be experienced 
  either from an optimal forced perspective chosen by the 
  director, from the perspective of any of the characters, or in a 
  free perspective mode that allows you to move around the 
  action (though generally you sit still and the action moves 
  around you). 
  Sensies 
  Sensies are similar to prodexes, in that you experience them 
  in AR, but are different in that they are the actual recorded 
  experiences of real people doing real things. 
  With sensies, you are forced to view the environment from 
  the perspective of the person having the experience. If you 
  have a mindset, some sensies even allow you to experience 
  touch, smell, and taste. 
  Sensies are very popular among the younger crowd, who 
  often share experiences over their social media networks of 
  choice. While largely unregulated, sensies involving murder or 
  suicide are illegal, as they often leave the user at least slightly 
  psychologically traumatized. 
  While not illegal, there is a booming underground market for 
  sensie pornography, some of which can sell for large sums of 
  gold or Rep depending on who the sensor is having sex with. 
  Virtual Vacations 
  Virtuality is a favorite getaway for many people. A good 
  virtual environment is indistinguishable from real life, and the 
  sensory information piped into the mindset or ego channel 
  feels as real as anything you’d experience in the flesh. 
  Because of this, it’s no surprise that people choose to get 
  away from the world by spending time in a virtuality for a 
  while. Of course, having your mind jacked into a machine for 
  days at a time is great, but the body suffers from lack of 
  nourishment. The virtual tourist is not a SIM; he still resides 
  within his body or sleeve and—unless it’s a cybersleeve—has 
  needs. 
  That’s where VirtuVac comes in. A subsidiary of House 
  Kimura, VirtuVac is one of many up-and-coming establishments 
  specifically designed to take care of your body while you enjoy 
  an extended virtual vacation. 
  Once loaded into the virtuality, your body is treated to 
  nutrient injections and a rejuvenating bath. When you come 
  back to the real world, your waiting body feels better than ever. 
   
   
   
  
   
  75 
   
  Virtual Sports 
  Not every trip to a virtual environment is a vacation. 
  Sometimes it’s a hellish blood sport where the victorious stand 
  on a mountain of corpses, their hair slick with the blood of the 
  fallen. 
  By far, the most popular sport of the day is Fray, a virtual 
  combat sport where warriors compete in a number of different 
  challenges while armed to the teeth with guns, swords, spears, 
  grenades, or whatever other armaments fit that week’s theme. 
  Like modern day gladiators, participants are generally 
  contracted members of a team, or stable. Stable owners get 
  together each week to decide on the types of Frays the 
  gladiators will take part in. The themes and environments can 
  range from zero-g free-for-alls using only gravitic hammers, to 
  re-creations of past wars using period weapons. 
  The Frays are available on the Extranet, and can be 
  experienced with all the options available to a typical prodex. 
  Gambling on specific gladiators or stables is very common, 
  though, as always, the use of gold currency is strictly illegal in 
  Coalition space. 
  Augmented Reality Games (ARGs) 
  Not every sort of game takes place in virtual space. In fact, far 
  more people are willing to interact with augmented reality 
  objects than are willing to jack into a virtuality. 
  The most popular ARGs are played all day, every day. They 
  are overlaid upon mundane tasks to make them more 
  enjoyable: from scoring points based on how accurate your 
  onion chopping technique is, to awarding little AR trophies for 
  not missing a day brushing your teeth. 
  Other ARGs are more social, ranging from elaborate games of 
  tag to globe-spanning scavenger hunts. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The Social Scene 
  Sometimes you need to talk to someone besides your Agent, 
  which means getting out of the apartment and meeting people 
  in the flesh. Social clubs are very common. Many clubs focus on 
  a certain theme, such as climax culture, transhumanism, or 
  music; while others are just a place to relax, have a drink, and 
  get to know people. 
  Alternatively, you can meet in a virtual social club. These are 
  very popular and benefit from being able to sport unrealistic 
  environments and physical laws. 
  Regardless of whether you are meeting in the flesh or over 
  the Extranet, Rep-Ratings play a large role in how people 
  interact. Unless you disable it, which most consider rude or 
  suspicious, your Rep is visible to anyone with a mindset or 
  viewing you through an AR interface device—pretty much 
  everyone. 
  Your Rep informs first impressions, and a low Rep may even 
  result in being denied access to more popular social clubs. 
  [NetLink Log: 14:32-02,07,99] 
  [Grady] – You catch the fray? 
  [Juna] – Missed it live. Had to filter for it all day 
  yesterday. Just finished it. I thought it was all 
  over when Clemson hit the Star Spike. 
  [Grady] – I know! He burned up most of the 
  Minotaur team with it. Amazing they were able 
  to come back. 
  [Juna] – I don’t think they would have if Tesla 
  hadn’t ambushed Diago with a grav hammer. 
  [Grady] – It made me so happy to see Diago 
  finally get his face smashed in.  
  
   
  76 
   
  Discrimination 
  Discrimination and prejudice are sources of constant conflict 
  in the Nova Praxis setting, and come in many forms. 
  One of the most common types of prejudice stems from the 
  Rep-Rating system. The system very literally attempts to 
  quantify your value to society. Thus, a low rating suggests that 
  a person is more of a burden on society than an asset, often 
  because he consumes more resources than he contributes. 
  The Rep-Rating is also a measure of what other people think 
  of you, which means a low Rep can suggest that you are 
  unlikable, or have done things in your past to earn you the low 
  rating. 
  In any case, most people naturally assume that people with 
  Rep-Ratings one or two points below themselves are to be 
  ignored, at best. Worse, this prejudice can devolve into active 
  exclusion from certain places or functions, demeaning 
  comments, or open hostility. 
  On the other hand, a bump from a person with a much higher 
  Rep-Rating can significantly improve your own Rep. This means 
  that a person of high Rep often needs only to make a public 
  request for a favor to get something done. There is usually 
  someone who can grant the favor for just a bump. 
  Discrimination can also stem from different agendas. Purists 
  tend to be overly hostile to those who flaunt their 
  augmentations, and this commonly escalates into outright 
  violence. 
  On the other side, many transhumans view Purists as closed-
  minded and willfully ignorant. This view sometimes gives way 
  to a condescending attitude or a sense of superiority directed 
  at the pure. 
  While generally the least prone to violently escalate, 
  discrimination between members of different Houses is by far 
  the most common type of prejudice found. 
  In large cities with diverse populations, such as Olympus, 
  House rivalry is more friendly and competitive than outright 
  hostile. However, in places that are predominantly populated 
  and controlled by a single House, members of minority Houses 
  tend to face more open discrimination. 
  The last type of common prejudice lies between Coalition 
  citizens and apostates. Coalition citizens generally view 
  apostates as undereducated and generally backwards-thinking. 
  They usually think of apostates as too attached to archaic 
  notions of capitalism, or proponents of an outdated view of 
  freedom. 
  On the other hand, apostates tend to view Coalition citizens 
  as lazy, arrogant, and lacking in common sense. Some even 
  consider citizens to be cowardly and willing to trade their 
  freedoms for lavish, yet ultimately shallow lifestyles. 
  Warfare 
  Modern warfare differs significantly from that of pre-
  singularity conflicts. Gone are the days when large numbers of 
  troops are mobilized to take the battlefield. 
  These days, most conflict is fought by machines. Depending 
  on the circumstances, these machines may have operators or 
  behave as fully autonomous drones. 
  The AI of the drones may be good, but it still can’t compete 
  with a human mind in regard to most tasks. That being the said, 
  they excel when the order is to kill everything in sight. If they 
  don’t need to differentiate between unmarked friends and 
  foes, they tend to carry out the mission rather well. 
  
   
  77 
   
  If there are non-combatants in the area or other sensitive 
  locations or objects that need to be protected, human-
  operated vehicles or drones are often used instead. Human-
  operated drones can take many forms, from small flying recon 
  and attack craft, to humanoid boots-in-the-mud. These drones 
  are generally piloted from a hardened bunker or a ship 
  overhead. These control banks feature row after row of soldiers 
  jacked into pilot pods. From there, they take direct control of 
  their drones and wage war from a relatively safe location. 
  Sometimes though, you have to get your hands dirty. Lag is a 
  major issue when controlling a drone from afar; a half-second 
  delay in your response time gives your opponent a huge 
  advantage. Signal jamming technology can also render drones 
  useless, and worse yet, can give the enemy time to capture 
  your own drones and repurpose them for their use. 
  Typically, when drones can’t be used, military forces will 
  either resort to vehicular attacks or the deployment of small 
  teams of highly skilled individuals (often merc crews). 
  Aerial bombardment with ships and kill-sats are the best 
  ways to clear large swaths of land of any sort of life. Non-
  nuclear weapons are still preferred over nukes, but the 
  devastation a battleship’s weapons can deal is a truly horrifying 
  thing for a man on the ground to witness. 
  For slightly more subtle tasks, soldiers may enter the field 
  wearing warframes. These massive bipedal exoskeletons range 
  in height from four to twenty meters, and can be outfitted with 
  an array of weaponry and sensors with which to conduct 
  strategic ground warfare. 
  Small units of troops are sometimes deployed to fight in 
  confined areas or to clear buildings, and are usually deployed 
  via vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft or drop pods 
  ejected from a ship in orbit. 
  Transportation 
  There are many different choices when it comes to getting 
  from A to B. Cars, trucks, and bikes are still commonly used for 
  ground transport. While slow, they are reliable.  
  For a faster commute, you can take a skiff. Skiffs fulfill the 
  dream of the “flying car,” using gravitics technology to enable 
  atmospheric flight. Popular models can usually carry up to five 
  people, and are common in most of the more heavily populated 
  areas. There are also public transportation versions of the skiff 
  that are a bit larger. Called fares, these vehicles are capable of 
  carrying a few dozen people. There are also single-rider variants 
  of the skiff called lancers. These high-speed, highly dangerous 
  vehicles are popular among the thrill seeking youth. 
  Larger craft, called shuttles, are used for interplanetary travel 
  within the same system. These are most often used for public 
  transport, capable of seating up to one hundred people in 
  cramped quarters. Privately owned shuttles are usually a luxury 
  enjoyed by the elite, small House subsidiaries, or merc crews. 
  If you’ve been Apotheosized, you can needle beam your ego 
  to a resleeving facility in another system, making the trip via 
  the Extranet. This process usually takes about three hours from 
  upload to resleeving. But as always, resleeving can be 
  traumatic.  
  Because of the mental trauma involved, needle beaming an 
  ego is usually something reserved for emergencies. When 
  possible, resleeving will be done using a clone of the original 
  sleeve and by a highly trained mnemonics engineer.   
  Personal vehicles tend to be relatively rare. Most Coalition 
  cities feature banks full of ground cars or skiffs that are sent to 
  you when you place an order for them. Alternatively, if a car is 
  
   
  78 
   
  en route back to the bank, it can be rerouted to a customer for 
  quicker response. Once the order is placed, a car or skiff usually 
  arrives in less than five minutes. 
  When you place your order, you may choose the type of 
  vehicle sent to you. Options range from cargo vans to luxury 
  sports cars to lancers. However, the more popular models have 
  higher Cost ratings, and thus are more likely to cause Rep hits 
  when renting them. 
  House Cipriani is best known for its vehicles, with different 
  subsidiaries specializing in all types of ground and atmospheric 
  flight vehicles for civilians. House Dalianis is the leading 
  provider of starships, while House Tsarya specializes in military 
  ground vehicles such as spider tanks and VTOL craft. The 
  warframe market is split between Houses Tsarya and Kimura. 
  When it comes to space travel, you’ll first need to make your 
  way to a spaceport. Most major cities feature at least one, and 
  sometimes more. From the port you will either depart on the 
  ship you intend to make the journey on, or be taken to a larger 
  ship waiting in orbit. 
  Some larger ships are capable of opening a jump gate on 
  their own. Others rely on the network of jump rings that 
  connect the major systems. 
  A jump gate allows a ship to safely leap up to two light-years. 
  Anything more than that requires extra work to plot the jump, 
  and miscalculations can cause the ship to land off course. It 
  takes about four hours to spin up the jump drive, make the 
  necessary calculations, and jump. 
  The stationary jump rings located in each system open and 
  close three times a day. Some rings always open their gates to 
  the same location. Others might alternate locations.   
  Moving cargo and making shipments isn’t as much of a 
  problem as it once was. Most items are compiled, and then 
  decompiled when no longer needed. However, some items 
  cannot, or cannot legally, be compiled; other objects are just 
  too large. 
  Icarus Interplanetary, a subsidiary of House Cipriani, 
  specializes in the transport of goods. Most planets have an 
  Icarus Hub in orbit around it, which is usually the first stop for 
  any imports and exports. 
  The Jump Ring Network 
  The Eye of Sol near Earth is one of hundreds of stationary 
  jump ring stations that have been created to facilitate travel 
  between planets and systems. 
  Unlike a regular jump gate, these jump gate generators are 
  linked and much more stable. Throughout the day, a ring will 
  open its gate several times, usually once every eight hours. 
  Once the gate is opened, it stays open for about an hour, 
  allowing awaiting traffic to pass through. 
  Passing through one of these jump gates will take you to one 
  of the other jump gates held open by a jump ring within around 
  two light-years of your starting point. Thus, ships without jump 
  drives can travel to different systems, leap-frogging through the 
  network of daisy-chained jump rings that link the colonized 
  systems. 
  In the end, public transport via the gate network is a bit 
  slower than using your own drive. Though they can be opened 
  in sequence, the jump rings take longer to spin up and stabilize 
  due to their size and the fact that they stay open for an 
  extended period of time. Additionally, scheduling and 
  maintenance issues can also cause delays. 
  
   
  79 
   
  CHAPTER 3 – AGENDAS 
   
   
   
  
   
  80 
   
  THE COALITION OF FREE STATES 
  The majority of people living today, roughly 80%, are 
  members of the Coalition of Free States. Founded and backed 
  by the six Houses, the Coalition claims all explored space as its 
  domain. 
  After the destruction of Earth and the resulting Exodus, 
  humanity found itself desperate and lost. For most of the 
  survivors, the corporations responsible for organizing and 
  carrying out the Exodus were the only sort of order to be found 
  in their lives. 
  Those corporations, with the backing of those they saved, 
  eventually rose up and created a new government. The Alliance 
  and Federation were cast aside. And on October 20
  th, 72 PS the 
  corporations signed the Consolidation Concord. This founding 
  document officially established the six most influential 
  corporate conglomerates as Houses, and created a Senate 
  composed of members of each House to act as their guiding 
  body. 
  The heart of the Coalition government is now located on 
  Olympus, while the individual Houses maintain separate 
  capitals across multiple planets and even moons. 
  A Consociationalist Government 
  The Coalition features a direct representational government, 
  wherein all recognized members of all six Houses may cast 
  votes on any laws put forth by an elected Senate. 
  The Senate consists of seven members of each House, 
  elected by members of their House. The primary role of the 
  senators is to determine which laws come up for vote, interpret 
  the Coalition’s laws, and place citizens into positions of lesser 
  authority. 
  The Coalition’s laws are gathered into the Consolidation 
  Concord, which defines the role of the Coalition government in 
  relationship to the House Charters, which define laws specific 
  to the Houses themselves. 
  Any Coalition citizen may challenge any law at any time. If 
  that person is able to gather three million signatures via 
  Extranet petition within one year, a vote must be scheduled 
  where voters decide whether to accept or reject the law. 
  Of course, since a citizen’s Rep-Rating determines the weight 
  of his vote, politicians most often champion laws that benefit 
  high-Rep citizens over those of lower Rep, such as the recent 
  increase to the maximum rating a person can have.  
  The fact that the politicians themselves have high Rep 
  doesn’t do much to deter the favoritism. This, of course, leads 
  to dissent among those of lower Rep. Because of their low Rep 
  ratings, though, their votes count for little and they find it very 
  difficult to get anyone to listen to their criticisms. 
  Lifestyle 
  Even the lowliest Coalition citizens can manage a pretty 
  healthy and happy lifestyle. The government provides a default 
  standard of living for all. Even those who never set out to 
  accomplish anything are given the food, shelter, and security 
  necessary to not only survive, but to be happy.  
  It is estimated that roughly 19% of Coalition citizens choose 
  to default; thanks to modern technology, they get just about 
  anything they need at a negligible cost to themselves. 
  Compilers are provided to each household. Even those who 
  default are granted one—although it might be a little small. 
  Even the most basic compilers come with free templates for 
  most household items, though. 
  
   
  81 
   
  Fortunately for society as a whole, the other 81% aren’t 
  content to lie on a couch browsing sensies while eating 
  fabricated cheese-sticks all day. 
  The Coalition manages a reputation-based economy designed 
  to promote the betterment of all. Simply put, the more you 
  contribute to society, the greater you are rewarded. 
  This system compels citizens to work, to create, or perform 
  services for others. It inspires them to get out of bed each 
  morning, and to treat each other with respect. 
  Security and Law Enforcement 
  Life in the Coalition may sound like a utopia, but it does come 
  at a cost. There is very little real privacy to be had in Coalition 
  space. 
  Augmented Reality Interface System (ARIS) strips run along 
  most surfaces. These slim black lines provide the local mesh 
  systems with the data required for users to interface with the 
  local augmented reality system via gestures and eye 
  movements. But these sensors also function as the eyes and 
  ears of the Monitors, AGIs designed specifically to watch for, 
  and report, suspicious activity. 
  Most physical security is handled with drones, which operate 
  under the direction of the Monitor assigned to that local area. 
  The drones are authorized to use non-lethal force, and cannot 
  elect to use lethal force unless directed to do so by human law 
  enforcement. 
  The human security forces employed by the Coalition are 
  called the Protectorate. While drones and Monitors can do the 
  bulk of the work, occasionally human security will be assigned 
  to an area. Protectorate forces are most commonly deployed in 
  areas where people frequently have to interface with security 
  personnel, such as spaceports or exclusive entertainment 
  venues. The Monitors and their drones are able to carry out 
  conversations with citizens, but the prejudice and disrespect 
  many citizens exhibit toward AIs often serves only to further 
  inflame a situation. 
  When security forces are deemed inadequate, the local 
  Monitor will call the Centurions. Part police officer, part 
  soldier—Centurions are a highly trained and well-equipped 
  division of the Protectorate authorized to use any means, 
  including lethal force, to apprehend or subdue a suspect. 
  Use of lethal force is uncommon, but if it can be confirmed 
  that the suspect carries a mnemonic core, Centurions tend to 
  be a bit less cautious with using their weapons so long as there 
  isn’t a likely chance of collateral damage. After all, it’s a lot 
  easier to bring a still-bloody core back to the station than a 
  writhing and screaming suspect. 
  The Legion is the Coalition’s military branch. The have a strict 
  hierarchy of command, and wield the most devastating 
  weapons mankind has at its disposal. 
  When the overt action of the Centurions or Legionnaires isn’t 
  suitable, the Coalition calls on the Praetorians. 
  Similar in some respects to state-sanctioned detectives and 
  bounty hunters, Praetorians are granted cutting edge training, 
  gear, and transport—anything they need to bring in their prey. 
  In addition, Praetorians are exempt from most laws, are given 
  VIP treatment at most establishments, and are granted 
  unrestricted access to the Monitors’ security feeds. They also 
  carry override codes that allow them to fabricate anything they 
  need from a compiler, including restricted items. Some of these 
  privileges can also be extended to those under their employ. 
  These privileges are not something given out casually, however. 
  Tradition holds that there are never more than thirty-six 
  Praetorians at a time, with six from each House. 
  
   
  82 
   
  APOSTATES (“NON-CITIZENS”) 
  It is estimated that around 20% of humanity is not registered 
  as citizens of the Coalition. These people lack a CID, either 
  because they were born outside of Coalition space or because 
  they removed them. 
  Apostates claim they are free of the ever-watchful eyes of 
  the Coalition Monitors, which they often refer to as spyders. 
  For most apostates, this claim to freedom is true; apostate 
  enclaves that are outfitted with meshes do not have a Monitor. 
  The mesh exists only to better interface the user with the local 
  shared augmented reality space. Many apostate enclaves don’t 
  even have any sort of mesh at all. Citizens of non-meshed areas 
  often rely on physical displays, holograms, or outfit themselves 
  with their own sensors to use as AR interfaces. 
  But no spyders means no direct oversight. Apostate enclaves 
  may still have security devices and depend on security drones 
  or personnel, viewing these things as necessary evils, but they 
  more often rely on human effort for security and local law 
  enforcement. They are human after all, and some forms of 
  security are still necessary to protect enclave citizens from their 
  less scrupulous brethren. 
  Despite the lessened security, apostate enclaves see about 
  the same amount of crime as Coalition habitats or cities. The 
  difference, however, is in which behaviors apostates consider 
  criminal.  
  Apostate laws tend to focus almost entirely on crimes that 
  cause harm to another. Apostates often cite  some variation of 
  the popular Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. quote, “The right to 
  swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.” This 
  sentiment underscores the mentality of most apostate citizens, 
  who maintain a very strong belief that government should not 
  infringe on the privacy or freedoms of its law-abiding citizens. 
  The enclaves most apostates live in are both numerous and 
  scattered. Some are mobile space stations pieced together and 
  maintained as well as their citizens can manage. Others are 
  clusters of ships, abandoned colonies, old mining facilities, or 
  other improvised shelters in the outskirts of Coalition habitats. 
  Very often apostates get by living on the Coalition’s scraps. 
  The largest apostate establishment is the city of New 
  Montreal on HD413, also known as Sanctuary. New Montreal, 
  along with a number of smaller apostate communities on 
  Sanctuary, makes up the majority of the known apostate 
  population. The rest are spread throughout less permanent 
  establishments made from abandoned facilities, grounded 
  ships, and other communities founded in uncharted space. 
  One of the most notable of the transient establishments is 
  the Santa Maria flotilla, a collection of a few dozen ships. One 
  of these ships is the Gatekeeper, a seized Coalition carrier 
  capable of deploying a jump gate. The Santa Maria typically 
  avoids Coalition space, but acts as a safe haven for apostates on 
  the run and a staging point for salvage operations and raids. 
  Often apostates look to theft or piracy as a quick way to get 
  what they need. Compilers are specifically designed to only 
  work for Coalition citizens, thus gaining access to a functional 
  compiler among apostates is incredibly rare. Many other 
  advanced technologies, such as shipboard jump drives and 
  resurrection chambers, are also very difficult to come by and 
  often require a Savant or CIST to operate. These difficulties 
  mean apostates often have to get what they need the old-
  fashioned way: find it, build it, or steal it. 
  Coalition vessels are regularly attacked, though most 
  incidents aren’t especially violent. Violence just draws more of 
  
   
  83 
   
  the Coalition’s attention. Usually pirates are happy to get away 
  with whatever supplies they can get. Few are particularly 
  bloodthirsty; those that are will often be dealt with by other 
  apostate forces. 
  Officially, the Coalition views all people as Coalition citizens. 
  This means that apostates can be arrested by Coalition law 
  enforcement for not possessing a legal CID. Fortunately, it’s not 
  that difficult to purchase a false CID that will hold up to cursory 
  inspection. These black market CIDs allow apostates to move 
  through Coalition space generally unmolested as long as they 
  don’t draw attention to themselves. 
  The primary incentive for entering Coalition space is making 
  contacts willing to compile items in exchange for favors. 
  Because most items in Coalition space are compiled, products 
  made the old fashion way are considered by most Coalition 
  citizens to be novelties. Similarly, food prepared using 
  traditional cooking techniques is considered a delicacy. These 
  views often make products of apostate origin rare and valuable. 
  Favor trading has resulted in a thriving black market. 
  Apostates can offer weapons, drugs, and other items restricted 
  by the Coalition, while Coalition citizens have easy access to 
  food, medicines, and all the comforts of life. 
  The currency of choice on the black market is gold, and is 
  often worn in Coalition space as a way to tell others that you 
  are open to bartering with apostates. 
  Remnant Forces 
  Most apostates are willing to write off Coalition citizens as 
  lost causes. The way apostates see it, if they are willing to trade 
  their freedom for shiny trinkets, so be it. 
  But there are others who are not so content. 
  After the Exodus, Earth’s governments collapsed. It was a 
  gradual process, but in the end the inability to put together an 
  organized plan for recovery resulted in the loss of the people’s 
  faith. Not long after, the corporations swept in, declared 
  themselves a new government, and became the Houses. 
  Weak and disorganized, the remaining Alliance and 
  Federation forces were forced to surrender or were destroyed. 
  But one major engagement stands out: the battle of Tellerus 
  Fields, a three week long conflict that took place just outside 
  one of the largest antimatter production facilities on Mercury. 
  In the end, the newly founded Coalition forces scattered the 
  Alliance and laid siege to those who had taken refuge in the 
  power plants. Soon after, resigned to their fate, the remaining 
  Federation forces blew the plants, killing themselves and 
  thousands of Coalition soldiers in the process.  
  In some pockets of space, though, the remnants of the 
  Alliance and Federation continue to gather under old banners. 
  Unable to tolerate defeat, old generals and forgotten 
  figureheads rally the troops, gathering disheartened apostates 
  into small strike forces to ambush Coalition vessels. 
  With each Coalition ship hijacked or colony raided, these 
  remnant forces grow in power. They take what weapons and 
  armor they can, and often conscript or kill the survivors. 
  Joining the Houses 
  Not everyone is an apostate by choice, and some would 
  prefer the comfort and security of a House. 
  Each House offers membership in its own way, but Coalition 
  law requires that any apostate who wishes to apply for 
  membership must be offered the opportunity. 
  Depending on the House, this process can range from very 
  difficult to nearly impossible. 
  
   
  84 
   
  TRANSHUMANS 
  Transhumans seek to drive their own evolution, merging with 
  technology to become something new. For many, this is a very 
  personal journey. Others feel that the HPA should be lifted and 
  that all of mankind should seek to merge into a single great 
  consciousness. 
  The lone transhumanist takes up the reins of his or her own 
  destiny. They seek to become a perfect being, defining 
  “perfect” in their own terms. Apotheosis, nanocybernetics, and 
  genetic manipulation are steps along the path to this state of 
  perfection, a way to achieve the most balanced synthesis of 
  man and machine in an effort to fully express oneself. 
  More 
  passionate 
  transhumanists, 
  often 
  referring 
  to 
  themselves as Homo Evolutis (or H+) in an effort to distance 
  themselves from “the apes,” promote campaigns of change. 
  They seek to spread awareness of the newest technological 
  wonders, shine a light on the achievements of the heavily 
  augmented, and convince others to let go of outdated concepts 
  of “purity” and any notion of physiological sanctity. 
  Regardless of the reasons, all Coalition citizens are bound by 
  the Humanity Preservation Act, a series of restrictions that limit 
  how far you may diverge from a set definition of “human.” 
  Of all the different technological wonders that have been 
  discovered among Mimir’s logs, Apotheosis is probably the 
  most controversial. The ability to transform the mind into 
  software and run it on a machine would seemingly result in 
  godlike intellects, but this is not the case. Claiming humanity 
  could not adapt to such a drastic change so quickly, Mimir 
  designed 
  artificial 
  limits 
  into 
  Apotheosis. 
  Once 
  the 
  transformation into software is complete, the ego becomes a 
  computer program. It is, however, immensely complex—often 
  described by mnemonic engineers as a spider web with trillions 
  of strands. While it is theoretically possible to reprogram an 
  ego, doing so is a task of immense complexity and even the 
  smallest changes carry a very high risk of permanent damage. 
  Because of this complexity it is both extremely difficult and 
  risky to attempt to bypass the limits Mimir put in place. These 
  limits ensure that the human mind, when converted to 
  software, continues to behave like a human mind. It is still 
  driven by instincts and emotions; it can love, hate, dream and 
  forget, and it is still influenced by changes in body chemistry. 
  Of course, in addition to converting the conscious mind into 
  what is basically a highly complex AI, Apotheosis also installs 
  the mindset and mnemonic core. 
  The mindset functions as a computer system that responds 
  to thought and projects data directly into the user’s nervous 
  system. This gives the user immediate access to massive 
  amounts of information and allows them to slip into entirely 
  digital environments. Thus, despite the limitations that keep 
  Apotheosized transhumans from become hyper-intelligent 
  godlike AIs, they still have a tremendous advantage. 
  Perhaps the biggest advantage is virtual immortality. Once 
  the ego is backed up on the mnemonic core, it can be 
  downloaded into a new body, even after death. This allows the 
  Apotheosized to risk himself in ways an unaugmented person 
  would never consider. He can put himself in life-or-death 
  situations, die, and still learn from the experience. 
  Even though the technology is relatively new, people are still 
  trying to come to grips with what it means for a growing 
  segment of the population to be immortal. Many ask the 
  question: If one does not die, doesn’t he have a longer time to 
  grow his influence on the world? In that case, what does that 
  leave for those who choose to remain pure, or their children? 
  
   
  85 
   
  Of course, true immortality isn’t yet possible. Even though 
  life extension treatments can extend the life of a body over two 
  centuries, presumably the original body of the transhuman will 
  eventually die. If disease or age doesn’t do it, eventually some 
  accident will befall him. At that point, the only way to continue 
  on is either as a SIM or in a sleeve.  
  If the Apotheosized wants to have children, they can only do 
  so if he or she has a copy of their original DNA preserved. The 
  HPA requires that all biosleeves be unable to reproduce. Even if 
  this requirement were reversed, the sleeve’s DNA could only 
  pass on the traits of the sleeve’s genetic template. 
  The Humanity Preservation Act is constantly under fire from 
  outspoken and ambitious transhumanists, but its supporters 
  still currently outnumber its detractors. The unaugmented fear 
  becoming a lesser race, and their fear motivates them to act. 
  Despite the versatility one has as a transhuman, the 
  Humanity Preservation Act does much to limit their self-
  evolution. In an effort to avoid species divergence, genetic 
  alteration is limited to .0035% deviation from what is 
  considered the human baseline. This percentage is roughly the 
  difference between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis. 
  Those who exist in a posthuman state, SIMs and those 
  wearing cybersleeves, are less affected by the HPA. The option 
  to assume these states was grandfathered into the HPA, and 
  most view those who do as having removed themselves from 
  humanity. There are some limitations in place for them, such as 
  the requirement that environments for SIMs run at the same 
  speed as the real world, but they aren’t affected by the laws 
  concerning genetics and the prevention of species divergence. 
  Life in a cybersleeve can be profoundly dehumanizing, and 
  can result in mental instability that must be mitigated by 
  constant minor tweaks to the software that makes up the ego. 
  SIMs, who live entirely within a virtuality, tend to surround 
  themselves with an environment that mimics the real world 
  enough to help them cling to humanity. Many inhabit one of a 
  few popular persistent virtual environments and are able to 
  largely disregard the real world. 
  Aberrants 
  The Coalition dedicates significant amounts of resources to 
  enforcing the Humanity Preservation Act, but it can’t catch all 
  offenders. A small number of transhumans view the HPA as one 
  of many shackles that must be cast aside. 
  Posthuman extremists, or aberrants as they are sometimes 
  called, go beyond the limits of the law (and often reason) to 
  become something altogether new. 
  Aberrants can vary drastically in their approach to self-
  evolution. Some seek to bypass the limits Mimir placed on 
  Apotheosis, risking their minds to achieve greater intelligence 
  and expand their awareness. Some seek to spread their 
  consciousness across multiple sleeves, creating a hive mind. 
  Still others push genetic engineering past the limits of sanity, 
  transforming themselves into predatory monstrosities. 
  Most aberrants work alone, walking a solitary path to 
  whatever it is they consider perfection. Sometimes, though, a 
  group of likeminded individuals come together, combining their 
  efforts and evolving along the same ideological or philosophical 
  lines. These groups are often called ascension cults. 
  These posthumans are not only law breakers, but are 
  generally considered to be high priority threats to humanity as 
  a whole. It is not uncommon for Houses to dispatch mercenary 
  crews to eliminate these threats, and more than one Coalition 
  Praetorian has been forced to tangle with some inhuman 
  monstrosity. 
  
   
  86 
   
  PURISTS 
  A shrinking majority of people, about 53%, remain relatively 
  unaugmented. Though most Coalition citizens go through gene 
  treatments and vaccinations in the womb or at a very early age, 
  for the most part they remain relatively unchanged from the 
  same human stock that built the pyramids. 
  The biggest change to pure human physiology in the last 
  century is the advent of life extension treatments. Because of 
  current technology, the average pure human can expect to live 
  around 250 years. This technology continues to improve 
  however, promising the potential for a more natural form of 
  immortality than what is achieved through Apotheosis. 
  Most Purists fear Apotheosis, at least a little bit, and many do 
  not consider those who undergo it to be human any longer. 
  Most hold to the belief that the Apotheosized person dies 
  during the process, leaving behind nothing more than an 
  artificial copy. “You’re not you” has become the mantra of 
  those who oppose Apotheosis, but is often directed at all 
  transhumanists—even those who haven’t actually undergone 
  the procedure. 
  The source of this controversy stems from different sources, 
  but the most common is a fear of being replaced or rendered a 
  lesser species. If transhumanists can surpass human limits, 
  what room is there in the galaxy for unaugmented humans? 
  Others see augmentation as a religious or moral issue. They 
  believe the body is not meant to be changed in such ways, and 
  some even go so far as to refuse life extension or allow their 
  children to receive medical gene treatments. 
  While most Purists’ convictions remain strong, the fact is that 
  their numbers are steadily shrinking. Each year more and more 
  become augmented, even though many still fear Apotheosis. 
  Purifiers 
  Most Purists are happy to ignore transhumans when they 
  can, or just vote in favor of further empowering the Humanity 
  Preservation Act whenever it comes up for dispute every few 
  months. Others are not so passive. 
  Some Purists are far more aggressive, terrified of the idea of 
  being “made obsolete” or becoming enslaved to a hypothetical 
  posthuman master race. These Purists, called Purifiers, violently 
  lash out against augmentation-promoting entities. 
  While members of the Purifier movement were first content 
  to protest and try to pass amendments that strengthened the 
  HPA’s ability to limit augmentation, recently they have become 
  much bolder. They are responsible for a string of attacks on 
  resleeving facilities, augmentation clinics, and even research 
  facilities devoted to deciphering Mimir’s Archives.  
  In some cases, they have willfully destroyed virtuality servers 
  housing hundreds of SIMs, and have made an effort to destroy 
  the servers used to store backups of egos. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  [Versa-Link Log: 14:15-03,08,98] 
  [Micah] – I’m thinking about Apotheosis. 
  [Tess] – Really? 
  [Micah] – Yeah, you know. I’ve been thinking 
  about it for a while now. 
  [Tess] – Why? Why would you do that?  
  [Micah] – Why not? I know you think I wouldn’t be 
  the same or whatever, but Rachel did it and she’s 
  still herself. 
  [Tess has disconnected] 
   
  
   
  87 
   
  RELIGION 
  Astralists 
  Astralists believe that humans have a higher state of 
  consciousness (the soul) that resides on a higher plane (the 
  astral) outside of our perceived dimension. 
  They believe that the brain is a conduit through which the 
  high consciousness (the soul) can communicate with the low 
  consciousness (the ego), and thus the physical realm. They 
  believe the mnemonic core shifts the soul-ego link to a new 
  body and copied low consciousness, much the way a mag-rail 
  switches tracks.  
  Thus, when you resleeve, your soul reconnects to the new 
  body and the new copy of the ego. 
  Mimirians 
  Mimirians believe that Mimir was a sort of technological 
  angel that now exists as a part of every Apotheosized mind. 
  They believe that Mimir subtly guides the Apotheosized down 
  the Road to Heaven. 
  Savants feature heavily in this religion, seen by practitioners 
  as those chosen by Mimir to guide mankind. 
  Traditional Religions 
  Most religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and others) teach 
  that Apotheosis is an abomination. The popular view in these 
  religions is that the soul does not pass to the new body during 
  Apotheosis, and that the new body is merely animated by an 
  artificial intelligence. Thus, the original person is dead and 
  gone; what is left behind is a soulless automaton. 
  Neo-Religions 
  New religions have been born of older ones as they adopt 
  portions of the Astralist dogma.  
   Others eschew the traditional depiction of the soul as some 
  intangible, invisible mist or energy within the body, and instead 
  say that it is the very concept of you. Your soul is your identity, 
  the idea of who you are. It does not care for the physical realm, 
  and copying or changing your consciousness has no effect on 
  this platonic, ideal you. 
  Foundation of the Mimirian Faith 
  Many scientists and mathematicians were involved in the 
  process of creating the algorithm seed that would become Mimir. 
  One of these scientists, Walter Hayek of the Saeborn Group, 
  added a set of logical arguments guided by his faith. They 
  essentially stated: “Because God is, and Yet Cannot be Observed by 
  Known Scientific Means, There Are Things that Exist Unobserved” 
   Mimirians point to this tenet of faith buried in the Archives as 
  proof that Mimir himself had faith in a divine creator. Had he not, 
  they say, references to the Divine Statement would not have 
  appeared as often as they have in the Archives. 
  It is said that, as Mimir grew, he reached the “threshold of 
  knowing God,” no longer having faith but truly knowing Him. This 
  Revelation changed Mimir, and Mimirians believe that his “death” 
  was actually some form of ascension into Heaven. 
  Mimirians claims that Mimir is not silent, but in fact “shouts out 
  the Knowledge of the Truth.” They believe that Mimir’s 
  understanding of the universe, and of God, was more than even his 
  single mind could bear. Therefore, his mind became many. It is said 
  that Mimir became the Apotheosis procedure, connecting those 
  who partake of it and guiding them on the Road to Heaven. 
  In this way, Mimir is both the Guidestone and the Road, and 
  therefore a part of the Traveler through the act of the Journey.  
  
   
  88 
   
  THE HOUSES 
  House Cipriani 
  Primary Influence: Mercury 
  Secondary Influence: Cygnus Alpha 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Purist 
  Market Discount: Atmospheric Flying Vehicles, Energy 
  (Broadcast Power Generators, etc.), CISTs, Transportation 
  House Cipriani, formally known as The 
  Cipriani Group, was perhaps the most 
  pivotal House in the formation of the 
  Coalition. 
  The 
  corporate 
  partnership that eventually became 
  House Cipriani was made up of three 
  major corporations: the Italian 
  vehicle 
  manufacturer 
  Giordino 
  Automotive, 
  Inc., 
  the 
  Egyptian 
  clothing company Abbasi Textiles, 
  and the Saudi Arabian energy giant 
  Tahan Power.  
  These companies had vast networking 
  capabilities and equally immense reputations. Their collective 
  assets were levied to drive and sell the idea of a unified, 
  corporate-controlled, Consociationalist government. It was 
  largely through their efforts that the idea of solidification 
  gained support and eventually ratification, in a way that the 
  Earth Unification Act never could. 
  Today, Cipriani still leverages their founding corporations’ 
  strengths, though they’ve expanded quite a bit since the 
  Consolidation Wars. The House owns and operates the vast 
  majority of Mercury’s antimatter production through their 
  subsidiaries Specular Spread and Infinity Squared, giving them 
  an advantage over all of the other Houses in the energy market. 
  In addition to their near-monopoly on energy production, they 
  are the largest manufacturer of compilers, personal vehicles, 
  CIST technology, public transportation, and clothing. In addition 
  to all of the above, their subsidiary Icarus is solely responsible 
  for interplanetary import and export. 
  The company’s persistent form-over-function nature has also 
  created a secondary market for the more reputable citizens of 
  the Coalition. For every product they produce, 
  there is another that is significantly more 
  luxurious—and 
  expensive. 
  Products 
  from this niche market generate just 
  as much interest as their more 
  humble offerings. 
  Of 
  note, 
  Cipriani’s 
  higher-end 
  products 
  include 
  more 
  secure 
  and 
  protective vehicles for the rich and paranoid. 
  Despite this, Cipriani has little involvement in 
  military manufacturing; all production of armor 
  plating and transplasidium is contracted out to House Tsarya. 
  This strong, lucrative business relationship makes Tsarya one of 
  the only Houses to form a tight alliance with House Cipriani. 
  When it comes to business deals, Cipriani almost never 
  enters into a contract that doesn’t favor them. And they always 
  leave themselves reliable escape clauses. The House puts a 
  great deal of effort into remaining aloof in competing markets, 
  and their strong position as the market leader in energy means 
  the Cipriani often get to call the shots when it comes time to 
  make new deals involving power-consuming tech devices. 
  
   
  89 
   
  The near-monopoly House Cipriani has over the energy 
  market is perhaps the greatest point of contention the other 
  Houses have with them. Everything requires a power cell of 
  some kind, even if it is only to receive external power from a 
  broadcast generator. Essentially, no matter what technological 
  product any other House is manufacturing, Cipriani gets a cut.  
  No one House is against making shady, off-the-books deals to 
  maintain or further gain advantages over the other Houses, but 
  Cipriani has gained a reputation for being especially ruthless 
  when it comes to the energy market. As with all Shadow War 
  initiatives, this reputation isn’t one the general public is aware 
  of. Even so, it is well earned and effective enough to keep most 
  potential competitors in the energy market at bay. 
  Cipriani’s determination to protect its energy interests are 
  matched only by their interest in CIST technology. Cipriani 
  spends more resources on CIST R&D than any other House, and 
  often utilizes CIST tech during covert operations. 
  For the most part, Cipriani’s feuds with the other Houses 
  tend to be quickly resolved. Despite this, they have maintained 
  a long lasting feud with House Dalianis. Prior to the 
  Consolidation Wars, Giordino Automotive and Keppler 
  Shipyards actively sought the wealth of iron deposits beneath 
  the surface of Cygnus Alpha. The two companies continue to 
  compete for the planet’s resources long after the end of the 
  war, but it is now driven mostly by ego rather than demand. 
  Still, the competition can get ugly at times, supercharged by the 
  begrudging knowledge that no matter what, Dalianis has to rely 
  on Cipriani for their starships’ APEX reactors and Cipriani must 
  rely on Dalianis ships for transport. 
  Cipriani and Silva’s relationship could best be summed up as 
  “partners in crime.” The two Houses have no particular love for 
  each other, but they do share some business ventures and 
  territory. Notably, these include the city of Rho on Luna, the 
  Europan research station IT Alpha, and the New Turin mining 
  colony (before it was largely abandoned by the Houses). More 
  importantly, Silva is also at odds with Dalianis over their 
  superior particle accelerator weapons, and unsurprisingly, 
  Cipriani often looks for ways to exploit this to their advantage. 
  Cipriani is largely composed of Purists; and as one might 
  expect, their members’ beliefs often strain relationships with 
  some of the more transhuman-leaning Houses. This is 
  especially true with House Kimura, which is not only extremely 
  bio-liberal, but also has strong business ties to House Dalianis.  
  Lately, the two Houses have been butting heads, mainly due 
  to Cipriani’s rising competition in the virtual vacation industry, 
  but also because of Kimura’s interests in CIST tech. The current 
  market leader, Kimura’s VirtuVac subsidiary, has been 
  aggressively defending its interests. So far, though, the worst 
  conflicts have been confined to virtual environments and 
  fought by Savants and agents wielding CISTs. 
  On the other hand, House Cipriani’s tendency toward Purist 
  ideals is often found attractive by apostates who are looking for 
  House membership. The House is typically very picky about 
  backing apostates who seek membership. It usually requires 
  gaining the attention of an influential member and paying for 
  patronage through a series of favors. But once you get your 
  foot in the door, the process of gaining full membership is 
  relatively easy compared to some of the other Houses.  
  When looking to hire merc crews or other off-the-book 
  operatives, House Cipriani will often give preferential treatment 
  to Purist apostates because of their shared bio-conservative 
  ideals and lack of ties to other Houses. They prefer not to deal 
  with posthumans or the heavily augmented when possible, but 
  will make an exception if they are clearly right for the job. 
  
   
  90 
   
  House Dalianis 
  Primary Influence: Olympus 
  Secondary Influence: Luna 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Purist 
  Market Discount: Starships, Rail/Coil Guns, Combat Drones 
  Dalianis Interplanetary used to be the most economically 
  powerful corporate partnership on Earth, especially during the 
  Consolidation Wars. The partnership was an Alliance 
  military effort, founded by the three best 
  European defense contractors, all brought 
  together by Greek scientists.  
  The German-owned Keppler Shipyards 
  was the hottest name in 
  starship 
  manufacturing at the time, while British-
  owned 
  Macrotech 
  Robotics 
  supplied 
  maintenance staff and combat drones, 
  and 
  the 
  French-owned 
  Habarcq 
  Armaments equipped both with weapons. 
  Promethic Technologies, Greece’s massive 
  research and development firm, contracted the 
  services of their many thousands of Mimir-tech 
  scientists to all three corporations. Together, they instigated 
  the merger that would one day result in the founding of House 
  Dalianis. 
  Through Promethic’s scientific achievements, the three 
  military contractors were elevated to economic prominence; 
  thus, so was Promethic. This partnership's golden period lasted 
  for several years, until new technologies took hold. With Tahan 
  Power’s creation of APEX reactors, Keppler had to cut their 
  profits to acquire the devices for their starships. Likewise, 
  Habarcq began to lose out when Valkyrie cornered the market 
  on particle acceleration weapons. Finally, Hiske Electronics rose 
  up to become a much larger and cheaper manufacturer of 
  drones, reducing Macrotech’s hold on the market. 
  Dalianis is no longer the golden economic giant that they 
  used to be, but they still do quite well for themselves. They are 
  the best manufacturer of starships and the proud owner of the 
  galaxy’s largest shipyard, Ansari Station. Thanks to their military 
  origins, the House became the almost-sole manufacturer of the 
  main Coalition Fleet. Included in this deal was the 
  responsibility of manning Tartarus, the Coalition’s 
  isolated maximum-security space prison. 
  When it came time for the Exodus, Keppler 
  Shipyards went out of their way to provide 
  evacuation 
  assistance 
  for 
  Promethic 
  Technologies. And it was during this time 
  that Promethic was able to pull the 
  corporations together and pave the way to 
  unity. Soon after, the House also absorbed 
  Odysseus Station, the Luna-orbiting jump gate 
  research facility. Dalianis continues to capitalize 
  on this asset to this day by striving to improve jump 
  technology, both on ships and by optimizing and 
  expanding the jump ring network. 
  Shortly after the creation of the Coalition, Dalianis made a 
  deal with Kimura. In exchange for agreeing to buy the majority 
  of their ships’ computer systems from them, Kimura would 
  back off of the military drone market and focus their efforts on 
  civilian use. This freed Dalianis to make fighter and combat 
  drones with almost no competition. This trade agreement 
  fostered strong ties between the two corporations, culminating 
  in a lasting alliance between them. 
  
   
  91 
   
  Another benefit of the post-Exodus state of the human race 
  was the positioning of Jinzhan as Dalianis’ most frequent and 
  favorite customer. With Jinzhan’s determined focus on 
  maintaining the Earth blockade, they have constant demand for 
  ships, drones, and kill-sats. This is the source of Dalianis’ only 
  other lasting trade alliance, wherein they “generously” provide 
  their products for the quarantine effort in exchange for access 
  to Jinzhan’s, especially the much prized and tightly controlled 
  Vulcan swarms. 
  Despite their alliances with Jinzhan and Kimura, Dalianis has 
  issues with most of the other Houses. Cipriani, obviously, is a 
  major sore spot because of their energy monopoly. But that’s 
  not the only reason. During the Consolidation Wars, shared 
  control over Cygnus Alpha’s iron supplies caused many a public 
  incident, and though the iron is not so crucial now, it remains a 
  point of contention. Similarly, Dalianis has green eyes for 
  volatile materials in the Tsarya-owned Ceres ice fields, which 
  Tsarya refuses to relinquish. 
  Silva, though, is probably Dalianis’ worst enemy, as the two 
  are in constant competition over the arms industry. Silva’s PAc 
  weapons have drastically reduced the market dominance 
  Dalianis had been enjoying because of their railgun and coil gun 
  tech. Now Silva is constantly striving to increase PAc efficiency 
  in environments without air, while Dalianis matches Silva’s 
  efforts by aiding Tsarya in creating more beam-resistant armor. 
  This back-and-forth has gone on for some time; each time one 
  company beats out the other, the other comes out with a 
  competing improvement. 
  Dalianis is by far the most expansionist of the Houses, which 
  is why they prize Vulcan swarms so highly. Physically, they are 
  already the most spread out, maintaining influence on most 
  Coalition colonies. Dalianis leadership wants to expand human 
  colonization even further though, for two reasons. As a military 
  organization, they recognize the threat that Earth still poses, 
  and wants humanity to have the greatest chance possible of 
  surviving should the technophage get loose. As a corporation, 
  expansion benefits them greatly; a more spread out Coalition 
  means more ships and jump rings will be needed. 
  Dalianis has slowly been gearing up for their new wave of 
  expansion in several ways, most of them less-than-subtle. 
  Lately, they have been moving in on apostate and remnant 
  territory under the guise of “exploratory R&D.” In reality, they 
  have been claiming said territory as their own, and laying the 
  groundwork for future colonization. Any resistance is met with 
  force by Dalianis’ security subsidiary, Lighthouse. 
  While most Houses spend their Shadow War efforts 
  attempting to damage each other's market interests, Dalianis 
  spends more time trying to gain public and legitimate power. 
  To lubricate the bureaucratic gears preventing them from 
  colonizing in any official capacity, Dalianis has been focusing 
  their efforts on gaining influence in Olympus. Though the 
  House already has a tremendous amount of influence over the 
  city, they do not have control over the seat of power itself. 
  Dalianis seeks to rectify this, often through particularly 
  “straightforward” methods. 
  Dalianis is mostly Purist, but this holds little bearing on their 
  interactions with other entities. The Kimuran alliance in 
  particular indicates Dalianis’ willingness to compromise. This 
  willingness holds true for the House’s interactions on an 
  individual level as well. The House hierarchy is increasingly 
  regressing to a feudal structure, and respects the ability to 
  produce results above political concerns. In light of this, a crew 
  of posthumans could obtain backing, membership, and a higher 
  station than the most vocal Purist.  
  
   
  92 
   
  House Jinzhan 
  Primary Influence: Shouye 
  Secondary Influence: Earth Quarantine 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Purist 
  Market Discount: Construction, Security Technology & Services, 
  Food, Explosives, Ship & Vehicle Weaponry 
  Jinzhan Developments is a rather unique House in that 
  they are not comprised of several pre-Coalition 
  corporations. China never truly transitioned from 
  their communist government, and had been moving 
  toward imperialism.  
  Pre-Exodus, Jinzhan Developments was 
  the 
  Chinese 
  government’s 
  pet 
  megacorporation. 
  The 
  company 
  monopolized almost all of China’s 
  needs, both civilian and military, keeping 
  the money flow heading steadily up the 
  chain. Had China not been hit so hard by the 
  technophage, some speculate that they might have 
  made a move for complete control of humanity's 
  remnants. 
  When the technophage ravaged China, the capital was 
  one of the first cities to fall. The leadership collapsed, and an 
  already-struggling military faltered and failed. Jinzhan took up 
  the fallen mantle, hired the surviving Chinese military 
  personnel, and ordered their new army of mercenaries to 
  protect their evacuating contractors. To date, it is the largest 
  mercenary operation ever performed, and many of the 
  surviving 
  mercenaries 
  subsequently 
  entered 
  Legion 
  or 
  Protectorate service under Jinzhan membership. 
  Still, the attack decimated Jinzhan’s groundside factories, 
  facilities, and personnel. This resulted in an overall reduction in 
  their market dominance, leaving Jinzhan too weak to 
  reestablish itself as a vast monopoly. Other corporations 
  quickly swept in to secure markets Jinzhan was now too weak 
  to hold. Despite this, Jinzhan was still able to maintain 
  dominance over the construction, food, survival supplies, 
  explosives, and security technologies and service markets: All 
  markets they knew would be critical after the fall of Earth. 
  Today, Jinzhan’s most lucrative product is their food. 
  Shouye, Jinzhan’s capital planet, is the only world in 
  the Coalition capable of reliably producing food 
  naturally and in bulk. This garden planet provides a 
  large percentage of the Coalition’s produce 
  and prepared food. It tastes far better 
  than the compiled blandness that 
  defaulters and ship crews eat, and as 
  such comes at a premium. Apostates in 
  particular seek to acquire these goods, since 
  they generally have no way of  compiling food of 
  their own. As a result, food from Shouye has become 
  very popular on the black market.  
  The House also has a formidable weapons program. 
  Though Silva and Dalianis are the respective leading 
  developers of particle acceleration and kinetic weapons tech, 
  Jinzhan has made a name for themselves by upscaling these 
  technologies and applying them to vehicles. Jinzhan is also the 
  main provider of explosive weapons, both on personal and 
  vehicle scales.  
  In addition to all of this, Jinzhan has one other specialty: 
  security technology, software, and services. They have entire 
  subsidiaries devoted to these markets, including a security 
  
   
  93 
   
  contractor firm named Guardian, comprised largely of pre-
  Exodus mercenaries that weren’t interested in serving in the 
  Legion. Unlike Lighthouse, Guardian has a reputation for their 
  reliability and by-the-book ethics. Guardian, like the rest of 
  House Jinzhan, tends to have very Purist-leaning ideals. As such, 
  Guardian personnel have been known to overreact when faced 
  with heavily augmented or posthuman opposition. 
  The Earth quarantine forces consist almost entirely of Jinzhan 
  equipment and personnel, and it is their zealous enforcement 
  of the blockade that is the source of the alliance between 
  Dalianis and Jinzhan. Ships and equipment needed to maintain 
  the quarantine mostly come from Dalianis production facilities, 
  but most of the other R&D that goes into the effort is handled 
  by Jinzhan themselves at Primatech Labs in orbit around Earth.  
  Past events have resulted in three major developments in 
  Jinzhan society.  
  The first: religion. To most within House Jinzhan, technology 
  is viewed more as a means of destruction than salvation: It was 
  the failing of humanity that resulted in the destruction of Earth. 
  Still, people must place their faith in something.  
  This has led to a rise in religion within the House, with 
  traditional Buddhism becoming the most popular. Coalition 
  studies suggest this particular religion is popular for its belief in 
  rebirth, allowing people to cope with the guilt and tragedy of 
  the technophage.  
  The second development is Jinzhan’s growing isolationism 
  and technophobia. Though they still take part in business and 
  political dealings with other Houses, unnecessary interaction is 
  limited. The House all but refuses to acknowledge the existence 
  of apostates in any official capacity, and makes it nearly 
  impossible for apostates to attain membership.  Interference by 
  apostates in Jinzhan affairs is usually dealt with swiftly and 
  often violently, so apostates tend try their best to stay out of 
  House Jinzhan’s way. 
  Jinzhan’s growing distrust of technology is primarily aimed at 
  augmentation, advanced AI, and nanotech. Perhaps this is 
  because it was they that created the technophage and loosed it 
  on the Earth. And perhaps they fear making such a horrible 
  mistake again.  
  While Jinzhan-controlled areas are still covered with meshes, 
  the Monitors charged with watching over them are Beta AIs 
  instead of Gamma AIs. Thus, Jinzhan-controlled meshes aren’t 
  nearly as secure as others, but the House supplements with far 
  more human security personnel. 
  Ironically, the same technology that created the technophage 
  also made Vulcan swarms possible. And it is these swarms that 
  allowed for the rapid creation of livable habitats: a critical 
  necessity during the Exodus. These days, however, Jinzhan 
  rarely uses the Vulcan swarms, and the other Houses have to 
  negotiate long and hard to get their hands on one. 
  The third development is the desire to destroy Earth once 
  and for all, to erase the memory of its fall, and to destroy the 
  technophage entirely. Few realize just how much of the 
  House’s resources  go toward researching potential methods or 
  weapons suitable for destroying whole planets. 
  Given Jinzhan’s attitude toward apostates, they often refuse 
  to hire crews with apostate members. The House seems to 
  prefer experienced mercs, which is attributed to their role in 
  the Exodus. This is also probably due to the fact that when 
  Jinzhan bothers to engage in the Shadow War, it is usually for 
  the purposes of acquiring or eliminating a specific target. 
  It is because of these tendencies, in fact, that Jinzhan 
  involvement is suspected in the Odysseus Station incident three 
  months ago. 
  
  94 
  House Kimura 
  Primary Influence: Chengdan 
  Secondary Influence: Olympus 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Transhuman 
  Market Discount: Agents, Computers & Computer Software, 
  Cybersleeves, Cybernetic Augmentations, Virtuality Software, 
  Recon Warframes 
  Unlike the other Houses, the two companies that combined 
  to become House Kimura were actually in fierce competition 
  until the formation of the Coalition. Both were computer 
  hardware and software engineering firms: the Japanese Aria 
  Softworks and South Korean Hiske Electronics. Together, 
  the corporations held the top two positions in their 
  market, in constant competition with one another. 
  The only reason neither gained a full advantage 
  was because, while Aria’s software was 
  superior to Hiske’s, Hiske’s hardware 
  tended to be faster and more reliable 
  than Aria’s. This resulted in intense 
  corporate espionage between the 
  two companies, a sort of proto-
  Shadow War, long before the 
  foundation of the Houses. 
  But when talks of unification began, both sides realized that 
  future competition could be better faced, and more easily 
  dominated, if the two tech-giants combined their strengths. In 
  doing so, resources that were previously dedicated to 
  competing with each other were redirected to expanding 
  Kimura’s market interests. This birthed a boom of technological 
  innovation from the company, creating ways of producing 
  agents, augmentations, sleeves, and drones more cheaply and 
  efficiently than the other Houses, all without sacrificing any of 
  the quality the two companies had become known for. 
  Now, like the other Houses, Kimura has their hands in just 
  about every market. Even though its subsidiaries work to 
  diversify the House, Kimura still diverts most of its resources to 
  a few target markets. They remain to this day the premier 
  manufacturer of all forms of computer equipment, software 
  (including Agents), cybersleeves, cyber-augmentations, and 
  civilian drones.  
  Kimura has a strong relationship with 
  Dalianis thanks to the purchase of 
  Kimuran computer equipment for Dalianis 
  starships. Kimura has agreed to cut 
  them a deal so long as Dalianis stays 
  out of the civilian drone market. But 
  much to Dalianis’ chagrin, Kimura has a 
  similar alliance with Silva, who has 
  quietly been trying to ramp up their 
  starship 
  production 
  to 
  more 
  effectively compete with Dalianis. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  their 
  other 
  interests, Kimura is also a strong 
  contender in the warframe market, putting themselves into 
  direct competition with House Tsarya. Interestingly, Kimura was 
  the progenitor of the market, as Aria Softworks invented 
  warframes during the Consolidation Wars. Tsarya didn’t come 
  into the picture until after the formation of the Coalition. 
  Lately, this competition has ramped up to ferocious heights, 
  topping that of Aria and Hiske’s pre-Coalition levels.  
  Both Kimura and Tsarya produce top quality warframes, but 
  they have different specialties. Tsarya excels at creating huge, 
  
   
  95 
   
  heavily armed and armored, tank-like assault warframes. 
  Kimura, on the other hand, specializes in lighter, more agile 
  recon warframes, which also feature better sensors systems. 
  Kimura’s subsidiary, VirtuVac, is currently number one in the 
  creation 
  of 
  both 
  persistent 
  and 
  temporary 
  virtual 
  environments, including many degenerate and sometimes illicit 
  ones. But in the past few years, House Cipriani has begun 
  making moves in this market as well. As virtualities have 
  insanely low cost-to-profit ratios, Kimura has treated this 
  encroachment with uncharacteristic hostility.  
  More recently, as Cipriani has gained ground in the VR 
  market, the two have taken to sabotaging each other’s virtual 
  environments. These attacks are done from the inside by 
  sending hackers into the VR to destabilize it using CISTs and 
  Savant Programs. Both Houses publicly deny this of course, 
  usually while still trying to place the blame for crashes and the 
  like on the other House. 
  Due to the high quality of Kimura’s equipment and software, 
  it is built into a large percentage of the Coalition’s electronics. 
  This high percentage of market saturation initially created a 
  small customer service issue: there were too many devices and 
  not enough employees to provide support. This problem was 
  solved in two ways. The first was through standardized 
  implementation of backdoors into the House’s software that 
  would allow technicians to gain easy remote access to the 
  devices. The second way was by openly recruiting SIMs who 
  could provide on-site assistance much more efficiently and 
  quickly than a person in the physical world ever could. 
  Since the incorporation of SIMs, Kimura has found a 
  cornucopia of uses for them. Kimura now employs more SIMs 
  than any other House. Officially, they began incorporating them 
  into software development and testing from the get-go, rather 
  than just maintenance and customer support. Unofficially, they 
  employ a massive spy network composed of thousands of SIMs, 
  all keeping tabs on the other Houses, hiding relatively unseen in 
  their meshes and the Extranet. 
  Politically, Kimura is extremely liberal and does not support 
  the Humanity Preservation Act in any shape or form. Despite 
  this, they—for the most part—prefer to avoid violence. Many 
  Kimurans have embraced the Astralist faith, and a large number 
  of contracts and peace treaties are arbitrated by a Kimuran 
  Astralist. This does not mean that the House is weak, however, 
  as it has more than enough muscle to bring to bear when faced 
  with no other option. 
  Prior to the technophage, Aria Softworks had strong ties to the 
  Yakuza, who paid Aria handsomely to provide evacuation 
  assistance during the Exodus. Since then the Yakuza has 
  evolved into the Red Sun and shifted its loyalty to House 
  Kimura. Any time Kimura needs something done off the books, 
  particularly violent things they don’t want to sully their pacifist 
  hands with, the Red Sun gets it done. In exchange, Kimura, who 
  otherwise has a rather harsh zero-tolerance policy toward 
  crime, turns a blind eye to the Red Sun’s day-to-day activities. 
  In general, this means that crews working for Kimura rarely 
  deal with Kimura directly. Official business almost always goes 
  through official channels, except when it requires assistance 
  from the underworld for one reason or another.  
  Anything pertaining to the Shadow War, as well as any other 
  seedy job, is handled by Red Sun representatives through a 
  shell subsidiary called Crimson & Sons. Regardless of the nature 
  of the job, Kimura prefers to hire transhumans or those 
  affiliated with Red Sun in some way—being both is even better. 
  Most Purists are treated with suspicion and distrust, as Kimura 
  fears they might be Cipriani spies. 
  
   
  96 
   
  House Silva 
  Primary Influence: Luna 
  Secondary Influence: Phobos 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Transhuman 
  Market Discount: Biosleeves, Biotech Augmentations, PAc 
  Weaponry 
  Silva Corp is essentially composed of non-military 
  elements of the Alliance that chose consolidation and 
  profit over patriotism and war with the Coalition. 
  Silva began with the American weapons 
  manufacturer Valkyrie Industrial and the 
  Canadian biotech research firm Biogenics 
  United.  
  When the technophage struck, the two 
  companies focused their efforts on protecting 
  and evacuating their own employees, their 
  high-ranking military contacts, and reputable 
  employees from competing arms and biotech 
  corporations (who were of course forced to sign 
  contracts in exchange for being saved). Those survivors 
  were later joined by the surviving Brazilian refugees who 
  were lucky enough to have been ascending the beanstalk when 
  the technophage hit, along with the Americans willing to sign 
  contracts to get off of an increasingly over-populated Luna.  
  Most of these refugees didn’t belong to any one company, 
  however, and were instead divided between Valkyrie and 
  Biogenics United according to their strengths and reputations. 
  Those that lacked skills or education of interest to Silva were 
  offered contracts that made them little better than indentured 
  servants. Sometimes those contracts actually turned out to be 
  ploys to obtain test subjects for bio-experimentation. 
  Silva’s market interests haven’t changed much since the 
  formation of the Coalition. They still produce the best 
  biosleeves, biotech augmentations, and PAc weapons on the 
  market. 
  Though they specialize in particle acceleration technology, 
  Silva’s subsidiary Valkyrie Interplanetary has the largest 
  weapons output of all the corporations, holding most of the 
  Coalition’s arms contracts.  
  These weapon contracts are the House’s single largest 
  source of income. On occasion, Silva will covertly 
  supply apostates, particularly Alliance remnants, 
  with weapons to level the playing field between 
  those factions and the Coalition. By supplying 
  them with enough to stay competitive, they 
  keep the Coalition’s demand for weapons 
  up.  
  Great care is taken to conceal this activity, 
  since it could severely damage the House and 
  the Coalition as a whole should the truth get out. 
  Like all moves in the Shadow War, those who might 
  expose the truth are not often seen again. 
  On a similar note, Silva cares very little for the 
  Humanity Preservation Act, or the purity of humanity at all 
  for that matter. The research and development side of the 
  biotech department regularly breaks the HPA, and has faced 
  sanctions on a number of occasions. This causes much 
  embarrassment for the House, not because they care about the 
  ramifications of their actions, but because they got caught. In 
  most instances, this results in the employee at fault being 
  demoted, fired, or in extreme cases reassigned for use as a test 
  subject—which the official records usually call “administrative 
  leave.” 
  
   
  97 
   
  Silva’s weapons program is a huge point of contention with 
  Dalianis. In-atmosphere, PAc weapons outclass kinetic weapons 
  by leaps and bounds, and Silva’s are the best. Dalianis’ specialty 
  is in railguns and coil guns, so they are constantly seeking to 
  undermine Silva’s PAc technology. To this effect, Dalianis has 
  been working with Tsarya to create more PAc-resistant armors. 
  At the same time, Silva has been striving to work around PAc 
  weapons’ out-of-atmo shortcomings. In addition, they have 
  been trying to quietly expand their starship production line 
  with the intention of forcing Dalianis to direct more resources 
  into the starship market instead of anti-PAc tech. 
  Despite Silva’s questionable motivations and actions, they 
  are generally on good terms with the four other Houses. 
  Silva has used Tsarya for their illegal contacts and services 
  since before the formation of the Coalition. They tap this 
  resource when they need weapons handed off to apostates, 
  illegal biotech materials smuggled past customs, or test 
  subjects when they run out of indentured servants. 
  Cipriani is also an ally, mostly due to their mutual friendship 
  with Tsarya and a common enemy in Dalianis. They have no 
  special love for one another, but they do share some business 
  ventures and territory; this includes finding ways to assist one 
  another in putting Dalianis off-balance. 
  Silva’s most recent ally is Kimura. Kimura supplies the 
  electronics equipment for Silva’s expanding shipbuilding 
  program, and in return Silva provides discounted PAc weapons 
  for Kimura’s Recon Warframes. This isn’t public knowledge, of 
  course, as House Tsarya certainly wouldn’t appreciate Silva 
  handing their competitor an edge in the warframe market. 
  Even before the Exodus, Neo-Christianity was common in the 
  Alliance territories, and it is still popular with Silva’s citizens—
  mostly for the sake of convenience. It is a relatively 
  straightforward religion that gives its believers relief from the 
  mortal concerns of life, while providing an agreeable code of 
  conduct that requires a minimum of dedication and 
  interference with daily business. 
  Unlike many of the other Houses, Silva’s governing style has 
  changed very little. They stick with what they know and 
  continue to run as a corporation first and foremost. Citizens are 
  regarded more as employees than citizens of a government, 
  and are treated as such. It’s even possible to get fired. 
  Termination means exile and a big Rep hit. The person may still 
  default, but he can no longer seek employment with the House. 
  At the same time, Silva has a strict yet relatively simple 
  membership application process for apostates who wish to join. 
  If the applicant can prove that they have skills the House values 
  then they’re pretty good to go, provided they pass the rather 
  extensive background check. If the individual lacks any valuable 
  skills or fails the background check, they are sometimes 
  accepted anyway. However, these individuals usually find a 
  clause in their contract that lands them in a biotech R&D lab 
  with a tag that says “volunteer for experimentation.” 
  When it comes to mercenary crews, Silva is fairly strict in 
  their hiring process. The crew must have a reputation for 
  completing missions quickly, efficiently, and most importantly, 
  discreetly. Silva will not work with anyone who is responsible 
  for having exposed House secrets to the public, whether their 
  own or those of any other House. 
  Silva also has a reputation for including a “reset” clause in 
  their 
  mercenary 
  contracts. 
  These 
  clauses 
  state 
  that 
  Apotheosized mercs must be backed up before being offered 
  the contract. And in the event of death and restoration from 
  backup, Silva retains the right to withhold any information 
  about the previous mission. 
  
   
  98 
   
  House Tsarya 
  Primary Influence: Proch 
  Secondary Influence: Luna 
  Primary Evolutionary Agenda: Purist 
  Market Discount: Vehicular & Personal Armor, Ground 
  Vehicles, Assault Warframes 
  Tsarya Systems sprang up from two of the 
  more controversial pre-Exodus corporations. 
  Unlike Dalianis, which started as a military-
  funded venture, Tsarya’s predecessors were 
  completely privately owned. Again, unlike 
  Dalianis, both companies relied heavily on war 
  to make money, and were investigated for war 
  profiteering on numerous occasions. In reality, 
  it was only the Russian armor fabrication 
  company Risel Armory who was actually guilty. 
  The Indian vehicle manufacturer Adani Motors 
  found themselves heavily compensated for their 
  silence regarding the matter. 
  After the Exodus, it was only natural for the two 
  companies to band together to form a House. From 
  the beginning, Tsarya has been the top manufacturer of 
  armor, both personal and vehicular, and ground vehicles. A 
  short time after the formation of the Coalition, Tsarya reverse-
  engineered a handful of Kimuran warframes and adapted 
  Kimura’s designs to build their own. Tsarya’s predilection 
  toward war machinery and armor made them a natural fit for 
  the market, eventually rising to be on par with Kimura’s 
  warframe designs. The larger Tsaryan frames would eventually 
  come to be considered the Assault Class of warframes. 
  In the warframe market, Kimura is Tsarya’s main competitor, 
  and the competition can grow fierce. Despite their efforts to 
  reverse-engineer Recon Warframes, Tsarya isn’t able to match 
  Kimura’s innovation in that class. That said, Kimuran armor 
  doesn’t hold a candle to Tsarya’s, who goes to great lengths to 
  prevent Kimura from getting their hands on Tsaryan metallurgy 
  data. As a result, Kimuran Assault Warframes tend to be 
  inferior to Tsaryan designs. This difference in specialization is 
  why Tsarya has been able to rise so quickly and successfully 
  into the warframe market, but it is also why 
  neither House has been able to maintain 
  dominance in the market. 
  Tsarya’s only other real competitor is Dalianis, 
  who covets the pockets of volatile materials 
  distributed throughout the Ceres ice fields. But 
  at the same time, Dalianis has been devoting a 
  lot of resources to aiding Tsarya in developing 
  better PAc-resistant armors to hurt Silva’s 
  position as the market leader in PAc weaponry. 
  Aside from that, Tsarya is on relatively good 
  terms with the other Houses. In particular, its 
  allegiances with Cipriani and Silva are especially 
  strong. 
  Cipriani has a long-standing trade agreement with 
  Tsarya, 
  through 
  which 
  they 
  purchase 
  armor 
  and 
  transplasidium for use in their more expensive vehicles. 
  Silva’s relationship with Tsarya is far less legitimate, with 
  Tsarya utilizing their black market contacts to smuggle and sell 
  apostates to Silva. These apostates aren’t technically slaves, but 
  anyone who thinks he has a real chance of earning House 
  membership is a fool. 
  
   
  99 
   
  Tsarya’s general lack of conflict with the other Houses is 
  something of an oddity since they have their hand in so many 
  illegal and questionable activities.  
  They have a solid relationship with slave traders that prey 
  upon apostates, wherein Tsarya offers citizenship under the 
  pretenses of “saving” the apostates from the slavers. In fact, 
  the citizenship contracts are just shy of slavery themselves. 
  Tsarya has these smugglers on speed dial, and they often hand 
  off 
  weapons 
  to 
  apostates 
  or 
  transport 
  HPA-violating 
  contraband between labs for Silva. 
  House Tsarya itself has very little use for in-House smugglers. 
  The main reason they keep these smuggling and slave-trading 
  contacts on tap is for the profit that outsourcing them brings in. 
  House Tsarya profits most from conflict and the House 
  leadership generally has no qualms with war profiteering. There 
  just has to be a war to profit from. 
  When profits start to dry up, House Tsarya sometimes takes 
  matters into their own hands. On occasion, they will pool their 
  illegal contacts to instigate (or sometimes outright fabricate) 
  attacks from apostate or remnant forces. On at least one of 
  these occasions, Silva assisted in staging a real attack using 
  Tsarya’s contacts within rebel forces composed of remnants of 
  the old Alliance government. 
  Tsarya has an odd, two-faced stance on apostates. On one 
  hand, it appears to be the easiest House to obtain citizenship 
  from. Their guidelines for application are appear more  lenient 
  than those of the other Houses, but in truth, acceptance is 
  nearly impossible to obtain. The slightest mistake on the 
  apostate’s part can lead to him being blacklisted for decades. 
  The other side to the coin is an extremely aggressive 
  response to apostate aggression, which the House vehemently 
  pushes in Council meetings. Tsarya’s motivations are fairly 
  transparent, in that they clearly profit from the resulting 
  conflict. And of course, many of the incidents of “apostate 
  aggression” that Tsarya demands justice for were either incited 
  or fabricated by Tsarya themselves. 
  Many of these fabricated attacks are organized by apostates 
  who have been promised House citizenship for their aid in 
  setting up the attacks. And a few of them, those that survived 
  the resulting conflict, actually got it. 
  Tsarya traditionally leans toward more conservative attitudes 
  in regards to augmentation and Apotheosis. The House includes 
  a large number of members of traditional religions, who tend to 
  disapprove of such things. 
  However, soldiers who can fight and die—then fight and die 
  again—need a lot of gear. And they keep the fight going. Thus, 
  while the House tends toward Purist ideals, the House’s 
  leadership has been making an effort to spread a message of 
  acceptance regarding the Apotheosized. 
  This shift toward transhuman and posthuman acceptance has 
  caused a bit of friction within the House. Religion holds much 
  power within the House, and most citizens aren’t willing to 
  start accepting “the soulless” just because the heads of the 
  House suddenly think they’re alright. On the other hand, the 
  number of transhumanists and posthumans within the House is 
  growing, and most truly appreciate that their House is making 
  an effort to spread a message of tolerance. 
  Tsarya tends to be rather open with its crew-hiring processes. 
  While previously avoidant of transhumans, these days they’ll 
  happily hire them for the more dangerous jobs. Times are 
  changing, and the Apotheosized are expendable.  
  They do, however, prefer to hire transhumans associated 
  with Tsarya, or at least Silva. 
  
   
  100 
   
  CHAPTER 4 – GAMEPLAY 
   
  
   
  101 
   
  GETTING READY TO PLAY 
  The first half of this book described the setting of Nova Praxis 
  in some detail. The second half, starting with this chapter, 
  focuses on playing the game. 
  Nova Praxis requires at least two people to play. Four or five 
  is generally optimal. One will have the role of game master 
  (GM), while the others are just called players. 
  It is the GM’s job to run the game. He or she should make 
  themself familiar with the setting and the rules, and come up 
  with a basic scenario for the players to interact with. 
  As the GM presents each scene, she should remember to 
  describe the world around the player’s characters in detail. 
  What does the place look like? What does it smell like? You 
  want to paint a picture in your players’ imaginations. 
  Each scene you describe should feature some kind of 
  obstacle that must be overcome, or at least the potential for 
  one. Sometimes it might be a physical obstacle, like a gaping 
  chasm or a slobbering alien beast. Other times the obstacle 
  might be more social in nature, like a scene that focuses on 
  negotiating the terms of a job or talking down a hostage-taker. 
  It’s also possible that the obstacle takes the form of a search for 
  clues that reveals more of the story and links to the next scene. 
  After the GM describes the scene, the players can then 
  describe how they intend to overcome the challenges they 
  face. Their player characters (PCs) have Aspects, Skills, Stunts, 
  and gear that determine what their options are and how likely 
  they are to succeed. 
  The rest of this book will be dedicated to providing rules for 
  creating characters and for arbitrating their success or failure. 
  But first, we’ll spend a little time helping the GM develop her 
  scenarios. 
  GAME MASTERY 
  Chances are that if you’re going to be the GM, you’ve already 
  started thinking about the types of scenarios you’d like to run. 
  In this section, we’ll provide you with a little inspiration and 
  some tools to get you started. 
  Players, feel free to skip this section and jump straight to 
  “The Basics” on page 104.  
  Campaign Type 
  Nova Praxis makes a loose assumption that the PCs will be a 
  crew of Auxiliaries, mercenaries involved in the Shadow War. 
  They’ll be hired to do jobs their employers, usually high-ranking 
  House officials, would rather keep off the books. However, 
  while we will continue to explore this type of campaign in the 
  coming pages, it is certainly not the only way to play. 
  Your PCs might instead be investigators working for the 
  Protectorate, or apostates trying to establish a new enclave. 
  Maybe they are pirates trying to score a big payday. Maybe 
  they are soldiers on the front lines of military action against a 
  remnant force. Maybe they are part of an exploration team in 
  search of interesting new planets to colonize. Or maybe they 
  are just a bunch of down-on-their-luck smugglers getting by any 
  way they can. 
  The important thing to remember is that Nova Praxis is a 
  setting and a rule set. It is not a style of play. You can’t play it 
  “wrong” so long as you and your players are having fun. 
  As has been stated before, though, the following section will 
  assume characters are associated with the Shadow War in 
  some way. This assumption provides a jumping-off point for 
  GMs, and allows us to talk about gameplay in a more focused 
  manner. 
  
   
  102 
   
  Agents of Shadow 
  The Agents of Shadow campaign style assumes that the PCs 
  have connections both within Coalition and apostate society. 
  They are probably members of a House, but also have allies 
  (any maybe enemies) among the other Houses. If they are 
  apostates, they have figured out ways to enter into Coalition 
  society and make use of it to their benefit. They are Auxiliaries, 
  solo agents or members of a crew that walk on both sides of 
  the fence, exploiting both Coalition and apostate societies in an 
  effort to fulfill their mission and get paid. 
  Modus Operandi 
  At first glance, it might appear that Coalition security 
  measures are insurmountable. Mesh sensors, such as the ARIS 
  strips that line most walls, serve as the eyes and ears for 
  unseen Monitors that never sleep. 
  Weapons technology is almost entirely illegal, and 
  checkpoints outfitted with cutting edge scanning technology 
  guard the entrances and exits of population centers. Humanoid 
  sentry 
  drones 
  walk 
  the 
  beat 
  for 
  the 
  Protectorate, 
  supplementing the human forces. 
  Mimir-tech devices, secured by dedicated AIs, feature strict 
  mandates on how they may be used. Compilers only work for 
  verified Coalition citizens, and even then only in sanctioned 
  locations. 
  The Rep system is reviewed by the AIs at Inter-Rep, and any 
  attempt to exploit the system is flagged, reported, and the 
  offending account suspended pending investigation. 
  So how do groups of would-be lawbreakers get anything 
  done in a society that relies on such extreme peacekeeping 
  measures? They use the back doors. 
  The Shadow War is, at its heart, a battle between the Houses. 
  Thus, the Houses have the power to create “opportunities” for 
  their Auxiliaries. 
  False CIDs go a long way toward bypassing the worst of the 
  security measures. A false CID risks exposure each time it is 
  used to make a purchase, call in a favor, bump someone’s Rep, 
  or do anything else overt. But until it is exposed, all such 
  transactions are linked to the false CID. While the Monitors are 
  capable of facial recognition and voice analysis, these methods 
  of identification are only used when no CID is detected. After 
  all, faces and voices can easily be changed. 
  But even without a good false CID, an agent can often get 
  around simply by knowing the right people. The Networking 
  Skill represents the quality and quantity of friends, allies, 
  contacts, and informants among the Houses or apostates, 
  which can be called upon for information and services. 
  This can be handy when trying to locate an area that isn’t 
  covered by the local mesh sensors, or when striking a deal with 
  security personnel to ignore suspicious behavior or contraband. 
  Friends in low places can often be as useful as friends on high. 
  Like all modern technology, the security systems used by the 
  Protectorate are based on Mimir-tech. This means they are 
  immune to hacking attempts. That is, of course, unless you 
  have access to Savant Programs or a CIST. Savants, or someone 
  with a CIST, can hamper or even assume control of some local 
  security measures, making them much sought-after agents. 
  In truth, these techniques to get through and around the 
  system could be closed by the Coalition if it so desired, but it 
  doesn’t. It’s through the use of these methods and tools that 
  the Houses’ Auxiliaries work. These backdoors allow crews to 
  perform their missions, and are commonly used by the Houses 
  to keep the Shadow War under wraps. 
  
   
  103 
   
  OPERATIONS 
  The term Shadow War tends to conjure images of knife-
  wielding assassins in the dark. While that’s certainly part of it, 
  things are generally much more complicated than that. 
  For starters, agents in the Shadow War often have no idea 
  that’s what they are participating in. Most people have no idea 
  the war is even taking place, so those who get involved usually 
  believe themselves to be taking part in isolated unethical or 
  criminal activity. A hidden war? A massive conspiracy reaching 
  all the way to the Senate? Apostates and citizens stealing and 
  smuggling for the Houses? That’s crazy, right? 
  Despite the variety of missions a crew might take on as it 
  becomes entangled in the Shadow War, there are a few things 
  that tend to be pretty common. 
  The Houses rarely hire Auxiliaries directly, but rather through 
  subsidiaries or proxies. It’s even possible that the crew might 
  be hired through apostates, gang leaders, or other outsiders. 
  Potential agents are told very little; once the contracts are 
  signed, they are told the minimum amount necessary to 
  complete their mission. It is not uncommon for the patron to 
  leave out important details because they weren’t considered 
  relevant or there were other reasons to keep the crew in the 
  dark. 
  Just because a potential agent isn’t a member of the House in 
  question, doesn’t mean that they aren’t a viable candidate. 
  Most mercenary crews who get involved in the Shadow War 
  are of mixed backgrounds. For these folks, Rep and resources 
  are worth more than any sense of House loyalty. Many are 
  even apostates, which can be handy when the crew needs to 
  rely on apostate contacts or resources to get the job done. 
  The Mission 
  The patron may offer the crew any number of things in 
  exchange for their service. Rep bumps are common, but so are 
  favors or extremely valuable items like spacecraft. 
  Whatever the case, once the contracts are signed the crew is 
  on its own. They may be given a method to contact the 
  employer, but usually they are given orders to limit 
  communication. 
  Below are some sample starting points or cover stories for 
  missions that crews might be expected to handle: 
  • Break into a House subsidiary office and retrieve a unique 
  compiler template. 
  • Retrieve the mnemonic core of a prominent House citizen 
  believed to have died in a pirate attack. 
  • Determine the staging point for raids carried out by 
  remnant forces, and kill their leader. 
  • Rescue the kidnapped daughter of a famous template 
  writer. 
  • Track down and kill a low-level manager of a subsidiary 
  who got caught trading secrets with another House. 
  • Bring back the mnemonic core of the leader of a merc 
  crew who broke contract and turned against its employer. 
  • Exterminate an infestation of posthuman aberrations 
  created by a biological experiment gone wrong. 
  • Provide “aggressive security” for an Extranet celebrity 
  who has been receiving death threats. 
  • Dig up dirt on a popular spokesman for the HPA to make 
  sure his latest amendment doesn’t get added. 
  • Investigate the cause of an explosion at a mining colony 
  believed to have been uninhabited for years. 
  
   
  104 
   
  THE BASICS 
  Things You Should Have 
  In addition to this book, you’ll need a few other supplies to 
  play the game. Here’s a list of mandatory items as well as some 
  recommended ones. 
  You’ll need… 
  • A set of FUDGE dice (or 
  two six-sided dice of 
  differing colors) for each 
  player and the GM. 
  • Some character sheets or at 
  least blank paper to record characters on. 
  • Friends. The sweet spot’s three to four. 
  You’ll find useful… 
  • A set of poker chips or glass beads to use as Fate Points. 
  • A laptop or tablet computer. The PDF version of this book is 
  formatted specifically for these, and you may find the 
  hyperlinks throughout the book useful for quickly finding 
  what you need during play. 
  Preparation 
  • Determine who are the players and who is the GM. 
  • Familiarize yourselves with the game. At very least, the GM 
  should be familiar enough with Nova Praxis to explain it to 
  the players. 
  • Spend a little time making sure everyone is on the same 
  page with what to expect from the game, and that they are 
  excited about their characters. 
  Rolling the Dice 
  When you want your character to perform an action, your 
  GM may call on you to roll the dice. This is called performing a 
  test. 
  FATE uses FUDGE dice: a set of four six-sided dice marked 
  with either a “+”, “-”, or “0” (blank) on each side. To perform a 
  test, you roll the four FUDGE Dice and total them up. Each plus 
  counts as +1, each minus counts as -1, and a blank (or 0) counts 
  as 0. The average result of a die roll is 0, but can range from -4 
  to +4. 
  Once you’ve rolled the dice, add the result to any relevant 
  modifiers to find your total Effort. Usually a test will call for you 
  to add your rating in a specific Skill to the roll. 
  For instance, if you were told to “make an Athletics test,” 
  you’d roll the dice, add your Athletics Skill Rank, and then add 
  any other relevant modifiers to find the total. The total, your 
  Effort, is then compared to a difficulty (Diff) rating set by the 
  GM to determine success or failure. 
  If your Effort is equal to or higher than the difficulty, you 
  succeed at your task. The amount by which you succeed is 
  measured in Shifts. The more Shifts you generate, the better 
  you did do. See pg. 108 for more on degrees of success. 
  So, when a character wants to make a test, he follows this 
  simple formula to determine how well he does: 
  4 FUDGE Dice + Skill Rank + Other Modifiers = Effort 
  Modifiers can be anything from bonuses granted from 
  Aspects to those provided by Stunts or Augmentations. 
  For example, if your Skill Rank is 2 and you roll: +,-,0,+ (for a 
  total of +1), your total Effort is 3. If the difficulty of the test is 3 
  or less, your Effort is sufficient and you succeed. 
  
   
  105 
   
  Skill Ranks & Difficulties 
  Skills represent what a character can do, or rather, how well 
  they can do it. They are ranked starting at 0 and get better as 
  the rank increases. A character with a rank 0 Skill has very little 
  natural ability and no training in that particular area of 
  expertise. A rank of 5 means the character is one of the best in 
  the known worlds with that Skill. Any Skill the character doesn’t 
  put any Skill Ranks in during character creation defaults to 0. 
  So while a character with an Athletics rank of 0 may break a 
  sweat walking up a short flight of stairs, a character with a Pilot 
  rank of 5 can work miracles in the cockpit. 
  Skill Rank 
  What that means… 
   
  0 
  Mediocre – You’ve had no exposure or experience. 
   
  1 
  Average – You are familiar with the subject at a 
  hand, but have little experience. 
   
  2 
  Fair – Some training or education. 
   
  3 
  Good – You are sometimes noticed for your 
  talents. 
   
  4 
  Great – You are one of the most talented people in 
  the field and considered by most to be an expert. 
  5 
  Superb – You are among the truly elite. 
  6+ 
  Super Human – Impossible to achieve without 
  augmentation.  
  “Stacking” Bonuses and Penalties 
  Whether by invoking Aspects or by purchasing Stunts, there are a 
  lot of ways to get bonuses applied to a test. 
  In Nova Praxis, almost everything stacks. This means that if you 
  get a +2 bonus from one source and a +1 bonus from another, you 
  may add those together for a total of a +3 bonus. 
  Unless it is clearly stated otherwise, you can assume any bonuses 
  or penalties you have will stack with any others. 
   
   Difficulty What that means… 
  0 
  Trivial – Requires little effort or attention. The GM 
  should usually just declare tests this easy an 
  automatic success. 
  1 
  Easy – Requires only a small amount of effort. 
  2 
  Moderate – A simple task, but requires a bit of 
  effort. 
  3 
  Tough – Pretty difficult for someone without 
  training. 
  4 
  Hard – Almost impossible without some training or 
  uncanny luck. 
  5 
  Very Hard – You need to be good to pull this off, an 
  expert in the field. 
  6 
  Exceedingly Difficult – You’re going to need to be 
  both highly skilled and very lucky. 
  7 
  Seemingly Impossible – You’ve really got to stack 
  the deck in your favor to hope to pull this off. 
   
  Skills 
  Assets 
  Cohesion 
  Networking, Apostate 
  Networking, House 
  Demolitions 
  Diplomacy 
  Education 
  Engineering, Hardware 
  Engineering, Software 
  Firearms 
  Guile 
  Insight 
  Intimidation 
   
   
  Melee 
  Mnemonics 
  Pilot 
  Research 
  Resolve 
  Stealth 
  Strategy 
   
  Physical Skills 
  Athletics 
  Endurance 
  Perception 
   
  Special Skill 
  SINC 
  
   
  106 
   
  Taking Action 
  Test 
  A test is an action wherein a Skill is rolled against a difficulty 
  set by the GM. They are used to see if a character can perform 
  a task, and to determine how well he did. The GM describes the 
  situation, selects the appropriate Skill, and sets the difficulty. 
  The player then rolls the dice and totals up his Effort.  
  If the resulting Effort is equal to or greater than the difficulty, 
  the character succeeds. The amount by which he succeeds is 
  measured in Shifts. 
  Generating 3 or more Shifts results in Spin. Failure by 3 or 
  more is a Stall. See page 108 for more on Spin and Stall. 
  Some sample tests include: 
  • Looking up an obscure fact (Research) 
  • Searching a crime scene for fingerprints (Perception) 
  • Noticing a strange pattern in the bullet holes in the wall 
  (Insight) 
  Contest 
  Contests are very much like tests, except the action is in 
  direct opposition to someone else. Rather than setting a 
  difficulty, each party performs an appropriate Skill test. 
  The Effort generated by each contestant’s Skill test is 
  compared, and the highest wins. A tie means both succeed, but 
  whether that means the outcome changes anything, or if it calls 
  for another test, depends on the situation. Some sample 
  contests include: 
  • Attempting to get away with a simple lie (Guile vs. Insight) 
  • Sneaking past a sentry drone (Stealth vs. Perception) 
  Conflict 
  Conflicts happen when two or more characters come into 
  opposition in a fashion that cannot be quickly and cleanly 
  resolved with a simple test or contest. 
  A conflict is broken down into a number of rounds, during 
  which each character gets a turn. During his turn, a character 
  may attack another. This is a contest between an appropriate 
  Skill based on the nature of the attack and a Skill used for 
  defense. The Effort generated by the defender’s defense test 
  sets the difficulty for the attacker’s attack test. 
  The defender suffers an amount of stress equal to the Shifts 
  generated by the attack, plus the attacker’s weapon’s Weapon 
  Rating. If the defender is wearing armor that could protect him 
  from the attack, the amount of stress the defender suffers is 
  reduced by his armor’s Armor Rating. The remaining stress may 
  then be further reduced by electing to suffer Consequences.  
  See page 122 for more on conflicts and Consequences. 
  Time and Actions in Conflict 
  On your turn, you can perform one Simple Action and one 
  Free Action. Some Stunts or Augmentations may allow you to 
  perform additional actions or Instant Actions. 
  Simple Actions: These are the most common actions a 
  character will take on his turn. They require some effort, and 
  are the focus of his attention during his turn. 
  Free Actions: These are very quick actions that can be taken 
  on your turn. Moving into an adjacent zone is a Free Action. 
  Instant Actions: These actions can be taken at any time, even 
  when it’s not your turn. You may only take Instant Actions 
  under certain circumstances, and are limited to one per turn. 
  Performing a defense test is a special kind of Instant Action 
  that doesn’t count toward the number you can take in a round. 
  
   
  107 
   
  Extended Actions 
  Some actions simply cannot be resolved in the short amount 
  of time usually allotted to a test or contest, but aren’t really a 
  conflict. Examples of this might include repairing a starship’s 
  APEX reactor, writing a template, or trying to sway a crowd to 
  your point of view. 
  Extended Actions have difficulties and marks. Set the 
  difficulty as you would for a normal test. Then multiply the 
  difficulty by 3 to set the mark. 
   Unlike a regular test, instead of making one Skill test to see if 
  you succeed or fail, you perform several. Once the Shifts you 
  generate are added up, you succeed at the Extended Action if 
  the total number of Shifts you have generated equals the 
  Extended Action’s mark. 
  If you generate Spin, the Extended Action’s mark is reduced 
  by 1. If you Stall, you have failed in some catastrophic way, 
  making it impossible to continue. 
  The amount of time each test takes depends on the situation, 
  and is up to the GM.  
  Some examples of Extended Actions are: 
  Extended Action                Time Between Rolls   Diff        Mark 
  Building a short wooden bridge 
  1 hour 
  3 
  9 
  Bringing a heavily damaged APEX 10 min 
  4 
  12 
  reactor back online 
  Supplemental Actions 
  Sometimes a character needs to do something else while 
  performing a Simple Action. 
  Sometimes the combined actions are straightforward, like 
  drawing a weapon and attacking; sometimes it’s more complex. 
  When the character performs a test as a Simple Action while 
  doing something else at the same time, this is referred to as 
  taking a Supplemental Action. The Supplemental Action 
  imposes a -1 on the character’s primary Simple Action test. 
  When in doubt about which is the primary action and which 
  is the supplemental one, the Supplemental Action is the one 
  which would normally require no test, or would have the 
  lowest difficulty if it were tested. 
  In some cases the GM may decide a Supplemental Action is 
  particularly complicated or difficult, and may increase the 
  supplemental penalty appropriately. 
  Combining Skills 
  Sometimes the character needs to perform a task that 
  requires actively requires two or more Skills at once. You never 
  know when a character is going to need to carry a heavy weight 
  (Athletics) while shooting at some aberrant horror (Firearms). 
  In those situations, the GM calls for a test based on the main 
  Skill being used (the primary thrust of the action), but modified 
  by a second Skill. If the second Skill is of a higher rating than the 
  first, it grants a +1 bonus to the test; if the second Skill is of a 
  lesser rating, it applies a -1 penalty. If they are the same, the 
  secondary Skill provides no modifier. 
  It’s important to note that combining Skills can never be 
  done to perform two full actions at once—if that’s the goal, it 
  should take two turns. 
  Supplemental Action or Combined Skills? 
  The difference between an action that combines Skills and a 
  Supplemental Action (pg. 107) is not always obvious. In general, 
  Skills are combined if you would expect to make tests for both 
  components of the action.  
  If the lesser part of the action is something that normally doesn’t 
  require a test, it should be handled as a Supplemental Action. 
  
   
  108 
   
  Degree of Success 
  When performing a test, the more Shifts you generate, the 
  better you do. This means that highly trained characters tend to 
  not only succeed, but succeed with flair. 
  Effort 
  Description 
  0 Shifts 
  Minimal Success – You pulled it off—barely, 
  and possibly at some minor cost to yourself. 
  1 Shift 
  Notable Success – This is a clear-cut success. 
  The character’s result is solid, reliable, and 
  while it may not be inspired, it gets the job 
  done. 
  3 Shifts  
  Significant Success (Spin!) – The success is 
  sufficient enough to be noticeably well done, 
  with exceptional speed, grace, or quality. A 
  significant success or better generates Spin 
  (see below). 
  5 Shifts 
  Potent Success – Not only is the quality of the 
  success remarkable, it may have some 
  unexpected secondary benefits, such as 
  deeper insight into a problem at hand. 
  Don’t have any FUDGE dice? 
  You can use two six-sided dice instead. First, designate one d6 as 
  the positive die, and the other as the negative. Roll them both and 
  subtract the result of the negative die from the result of the 
  positive. 
  Be aware that this changes the range of possible results from -4 
  to +4 to a range of -5 to +5, and tends to yield more random results. 
  So if you don’t have any FUDGE dice, or prefer the more 
  randomized results, d6-d6 provides a good solution. Just make sure 
  that everyone is using the same method. 
  Spin and Stall 
  In its broadest sense, Spin is a special effect that occurs 
  whenever your Effort exceeds the test difficulty by 3 or more, 
  resulting in 3 or more Shifts. You don’t just succeed, you 
  succeed with speed, grace, and style. 
  When you generate Spin on a test, in addition to overcoming 
  the challenge, you can also elect to create a short-lived 
  Temporary Aspect (pg. 115) called an Effect Aspect that 
  reflects the result of your exceptional speed, grace, wit, etc.  
  Effect Aspects are very ephemeral. Once invoked or 
  compelled, they go away. Like other Aspects, they can be 
  invoked or compelled for free the first time (pg. 111). 
  You may not create more than one Effect Aspect per round. 
  For example, if you generate Spin on an Athletics test to 
  climb over a wall, you might do so quickly enough to spray 
  some molecular glue on the top of the wall before dropping 
  over. This would leave behind a Super Sticky Wall Effect Aspect 
  for your pursuers, possibly resulting in one of them getting 
  stuck to the wall and unable to continue chasing you. 
  When the amount of Effort you generate falls short of the 
  difficulty by 3 or more, you Stall. Stall is the opposite of Spin, 
  denoting a significant or embarrassing failure. If the GM wishes, 
  Stall (like Spin) can also create an Effect Aspect. 
  Effect Aspects can be created with attack and defense tests 
  as well, but can only be created on attack tests by electing to 
  reduce the number of Shifts generated by 1. These Aspects can 
  be placed on the scene, a zone, or even on your foe. 
  In the case of a contest or conflict test, Spin overrides Stall. 
  The same action should never both grant one participant Spin 
  and the other Stall.  
  In some cases, as outlined in some Stunts and elsewhere, 
  generating Spin or Stall can result in additional effects. 
  
   
  109 
   
  Aspects 
  More than any other attribute, Aspects are what make the 
  character who he or she is. An Aspect can be any phrase or 
  quote that tells you and the GM something important about 
  your character. Typically, an Aspect will relate to a part of the 
  character’s personality, past, goals, training, disabilities, or 
  other defining characteristics. 
  Other things may have Aspects as well: other characters, 
  objects, zones, places—just about anything in the game world. 
  Aspects may at first seem daunting to new players, but in a 
  nutshell, this is how they work: 
  • You may spend a Fate Point to invoke (pg. 111) an Aspect 
  to benefit you in a way that is relevant to the Aspect. 
  • The GM (or another character) may compel (pg. 112) an 
  Aspect, harming you or creating complications for you in 
  ways that relate to the Aspect.  
  • You may create an Aspect by performing a Maneuver (pg. 
  117) or by making a Declaration (pg. 119). 
  • You may discover a previously unknown Aspect by 
  performing an Assessment (pg. 118). 
  Some Sample Aspects: 
  Trained by Corporal Frank Sheppard 
  “Always on the run" 
  "Nobody gets left behind!" 
  Never Forgets an Insult 
  Fate Points & Refresh 
  Fate Points (FPs) are spent to invoke Aspects, and you gain a 
  Fate Point when you suffer from an Aspect being compelled. 
  At the beginning of each game session, you get to Refresh. 
  Upon Refresh, you get a number of Fate Points equal to your 
  Refresh Rating.  
  Fate Points do not carry over between game sessions. Use 
  them or lose them. 
  New characters begin play with a Refresh Rating of 5. 
  Pure characters, and characters with the Refreshed Stunt, 
  have higher Refresh Ratings. 
  Stress and Consequences 
  Bullets and beams rend and burn flesh. The mind recoils in 
  the face of a posthuman abomination, or in response to the 
  trauma of death and resleeving. 
  When you suffer stress from an attack, the amount you 
  suffer is checked off on your Stress Track from left to right.  
  Once all your stress boxes are checked, you are Taken Out. 
  However, you may elect to avoid some amount of stress taken 
  from an attack by electing to suffer a Consequence. 
  Consequences are essentially Temporary Aspects that 
  describe how the attack has affected you. Just like other 
  Aspects, they can be compelled or even sometimes invoked. 
  For example, a Mild Physical Consequence might be a Sprained 
  Ankle, while a Severe(P) Mental Consequence may be described 
  as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 
  Like any other Aspect created as a direct result of a 
  character’s actions, a Consequence can be invoked or 
  compelled for free the first time (pg. 111). 
  Severe(P) and Extreme(P) Consequences are considered to be 
  Persistent (pg. 115), as denoted with a (P), allowing you to 
  invoke or compel them for a +2 bonus (or -2 penalty) or reroll 
  for free. 
  Note that mooks (pg. 259) are often unable to take the full 
  allotment of Consequences. See page 122 for more on conflicts, 
  stress, and Consequences. 
  
   
  110 
   
  ASPECTS AND FATE POINTS 
  Typically, an Aspect will relate to some strongly held belief, 
  an event or important person from the character’s past, an 
  item of importance to the character, a part of her personality, 
  or a goal. 
  Aspects are used to describe important aspects of your 
  character, but keep in mind that not every character quirk or 
  detail need be an Aspect. For example, your character may be 
  overly fond of blue hats, and that’s an interesting character 
  quirk, but it isn’t something that’s likely to come up much in 
  play. 
  Aspects should describe parts of your character that you wish 
  to be relevant to your campaign. This insures that your 
  character can shine in situations you wish him to shine in, and 
  is a subtle message to the GM about what types of scenes 
  you’d like to see take place in the campaign. 
  Phrasing an Aspect 
  An Aspect can be written as a few words, a short sentence, or 
  a quote. A character’s Aspects should always be at least three 
  words long, but generally no more than a full sentence. 
  Remember that Aspects can help your character overcome 
  challenges, but at the same time are a source of Fate Points. 
  Thus, an Aspect should work like a double-edged sword. The 
  Aspect can benefit you, but it should also be a source of 
  interesting complications and challenges. But don’t worry! Any 
  time your Aspects harm you, or make life more challenging for 
  you, you get more Fate Points! 
   To make sure your Aspects are good ones, you should be 
  able to clearly describe at least three different examples of how 
  the Aspect might both benefit and harm you. 
  Some examples of good Aspects are: 
  Trained by Corporal Frank Sheppard 
  Always on the Run 
  “Nobody gets left behind!” 
  “Soon this city will belong to me!” 
  Always Underestimated 
   
  Never Forgets an Insult 
  Scope 
  As a general rule, a character may invoke or compel only one 
  Aspect per scope, per test. For example, the character could 
  invoke a Character Aspect and an Aspect created by a 
  Maneuver for a single test, but not two Character Aspects. 
  The types of scopes that Aspects fall into are: 
   Character Aspects 
   Consequences 
   Stunt Aspects 
   Scene Aspects 
   Augmentation Aspects 
   Zone Aspects 
   Another Character’s Aspects 
   Equipment Aspects 
   Temporary Aspects 
  Note that Persistent Aspects can always be used, and do not 
  count against scope limits. 
  Refresh 
  At the beginning of each game session or whenever the GM 
  believes all the characters need a boost (such as in the middle 
  of an especially long game session), each character has his 
  number of Fate Points reset back to his Refresh Rating. 
  Characters have a Refresh Rating of 5 unless they are Pure 
  (pg. 157) or have the Refreshed Stunt (pg. 174). 
  
   
  111 
   
  Invoking an Aspect (Spending Fate Points) 
  You may spend a Fate Point to make an Aspect important (or 
  at least relevant) to the scene in a way that benefits you. This is 
  called invoking an Aspect. 
  To invoke an Aspect, you need to spend a Fate Point, 
  announce the Aspect you are invoking, and (if necessary) 
  explain why the Aspect you chose is beneficial to you. This 
  might be one of your character’s Aspects, an Aspect on a zone, 
  an item, or anything else. Doing so grants you one of the 
  following benefits: 
  • 
  +2 bonus on your test 
  • 
  Reroll your dice 
  • 
  Create a Block (pg. 136) 
  • 
  Make a Declaration (pg. 119) 
  For example, you could spend a Fate Point to invoke your Big 
  Dumb Ox Aspect, granting you a bonus on an Athletics test. 
  Likewise, you could spend an FP to invoke “Soon this city will be 
  mine!” and gain a bonus on just about any action that directly 
  relates to your attempt to take over the city. 
  In addition to bonuses to rolls, you may also invoke an Aspect 
  to create a Block (pg. 136) that forces a foe to deal with an 
  obstacle created by the Aspect. These Blocks usually have a 
  Potency of 2, but may be higher if the GM feels it would be 
  especially effective or appropriate to the situation. 
  You may also invoke an Aspect to make a Declaration (pg. 
  119), gaining some measure of direct narrative control. In 
  essence, you get to sit in the GM seat for a moment and 
  describe events that relate to your Aspect.  
  For example, you may spend a Fate Point to invoke Trained 
  by Corporal Frank Sheppard upon meeting a fellow soldier to 
  Declare that this soldier also served under Corporal Sheppard, 
  and that you two know each other.  
  Keep in mind that Declarations must be approved by the GM 
  before they are considered official. 
  Sample Aspect Invocation: Captain of Charlie Company 
  [Bonus/Reroll] Gain +2 bonus Effort (or reroll) on rolls to avoid 
  running out of ammo due to your firing discipline training. 
  [Bonus/Reroll] Gain +2 bonus Effort (or reroll) on rolls to lead 
  men who are in distress. 
   [Declaration] Charlie Company’s recent successes get you the 
  attention of a high-ranking general. 
  [Block] Force enemies to overcome the Block to attack you 
  because your men are trying to protect you. 
  Invoking for Free 
  Any Aspect intentionally created as a result of a character’s 
  actions can be invoked (or compelled) for free the first time. 
  This includes those created by performing a Maneuver (pg. 
  117), forcing an enemy to suffer a Consequence (pg. 122), or 
  generating Spin (pg. 108). It doesn’t matter who created the 
  Aspect; the first person to invoke or compel it gets to do so 
  without spending a Fate Point.  
  Wording vs. Intent 
  When a character takes an Aspect, he generally has some 
  specific intent in mind for how it will be used. For example, a 
  character who takes the Surgeon at 300 Yards Aspect to 
  demonstrate how good a sniper he is, should not be able to 
  invoke that Aspect when trying to grant medical attention to an 
  ally. Just because the Aspect contains the word “surgeon” 
  doesn’t mean the character knows anything about real surgery. 
  The only way he knows how to open a heart is with a high-
  powered rifle. 
  
   
  112 
   
  Compelling an Aspect (Earning More Fate Points) 
  Aspects aren’t always used to grant you benefits, bonuses, 
  and narrative privileges; sometimes they can get you into 
  trouble—this is a good thing! 
  The effect of a compel is pretty much the exact opposite of 
  invoking an Aspect. Instead of spending a Fate Point to invoke 
  your Aspect for a benefit, you gain a Fate Point in exchange for 
  suffering in a way that relates to an Aspect. When you are 
  compelled, the person offering the compel chooses which of 
  the negative effects listed below you must suffer. 
  • 
  -2 penalty on your test 
  • 
  Forced to reroll your dice 
  • 
  Suffer a Block (pg. 136) 
  • 
  Suffer a Declaration (pg. 119) 
  If you do not wish to suffer the effect of the compel, you may 
  pay a Fate Point to decline. You should strongly consider 
  accepting, though, even if it seems like a bad idea. Not only 
  does accepting the compel net you a Fate Point, but it also 
  tends to push your character’s story in interesting directions. 
  Regardless of which of the four options you are forced to 
  endure, compels tend to come about in one of two ways: 
  actively or passively. 
  Active compels are offered directly by the GM or another 
  character. For example, the GM may offer you a Fate Point to 
  compel your Big Dumb Ox Aspect when you are in a situation 
  where quick thinking is a must.  
  Let’s say the character is on the run from Centurions and 
  decides he is going to try to outrun them in his getaway car. As 
  the character is rushing to the car, the GM holds up a token 
  representing a Fate Point. He informs the player that because 
  he is a “dumb ox,” he has forgotten the keys back at the bar. 
  The player can either choose to accept the Fate Point and 
  agree that his character forgot his keys, or pay a Fate Point to 
  decline and continue with his intended course of action. 
  When the player is compelled by the GM, the GM simply 
  grants the FP to the accepting character. He has an endless 
  pool of FPs to distribute in this way. 
  If the compel is offered by another character, and it is 
  accepted, that character must give his FP to the recipient. 
  In any case, Fate Points paid to decline a compel simply leave 
  play. Nobody gets them. 
  The details of a compel are up to the GM or player offering it. 
  But regardless of the specifics, the GM must agree that it is 
  suitable and that the effect(s) are worth the Fate Point. 
  Passive compels occur when an Aspect results in trouble for 
  a character during the normal course of play, with no formal 
  offering of the compel ever taking place. In this case, if the 
  character has truly suffered some sort of setback or 
  complication, the GM should hand him a Fate Point for his 
  troubles. 
  For example, a character may have an Aspect called Short 
  Tempered and Itchy Triggered. This Aspect implies that the 
  character is quick to anger and prone to settling disputes with 
  violence. This is a defining trait of the character, and the player 
  should describe his character’s actions accordingly. 
  So when the character loses his temper, starts a fight, and 
  gets in trouble, the GM should consider throwing him an FP. 
  Essentially, any time a character suffers a penalty, 
  complication, or setback because of an Aspect, either by 
  actively accepting a compel or through the natural course of 
  play, he should be rewarded with a Fate Point. 
   
   
  
   
  113 
   
  Sample Aspect Compulsion: Captain of Charlie Company 
  [Declaration] While on guard duty, your friend puts his hand on 
  you. Surprised, you punch him before realizing who it is, 
  forcing him to take a Consequence. 
  [Penalty] The general you just met remembers a time you 
  disobeyed orders and calls you out in front of everyone, 
  causing you to suffer a -2 penalty (or reroll) on a Persuasion 
  test later when talking with your men. 
  [Declaration] Now an outlaw, the Coalition can use your 
  military records to better track you down. 
  [Penalty] During a firefight, you have a flashback to a previous 
  conflict that distracts you, forcing you to suffer a -2 penalty 
  (or reroll) on a defense test. 
   
  Soft Compels 
  Sometimes an opportunity to offer a compel pops up, but 
  doesn’t seem important or interesting enough to warrant 
  charging the player a Fate Point to decline. 
  These compels are called soft compels, and work like any 
  other compel except that the recipient can reject it for free. 
  Certain groups may feel that the standard method of 
  charging for compels is too harsh. If that’s the case with your 
  group, consider using only soft compels. So long as the players 
  are still accepting compels fairly regularly, this shouldn’t be a 
  problem. 
  Persistent Aspects should never be handled as soft compels. 
  You should always have to pay a Fate Point to decline a compel 
  from a Persistent Aspect. 
  See page 115 for more on Persistent Aspects. 
   
  Invocation Justification and Abuse 
  When an Aspect is invoked or compelled, it needs to make 
  sense to all involved. It’s easy to justify invoking an Aspect like 
  Built for Long Distances on a test to run a long distance, but not 
  so much if the Aspect you want to invoke is Top of the Line 
  Cyber-Eyes. 
  When requiring a player to justify the use of an Aspect, 
  require them to use the Therefore Rule. 
  The Therefore Rule is simple: Describe the link between your 
  Aspect and your intent using only one “therefore.” 
   If you can't get from the Aspect to the proposed use of it 
  without having to infer ancillary details, it doesn't work. To put 
  it another way, the player must justify how to get from A to B, 
  not A to D via an inferred B and C. 
  That way lies madness. 
  Example of Good Justification 
  “I have the Aspect Grew up in the Slums of Olympus, 
  therefore, I know how to deal with the lower class and will 
  invoke my Aspect for a +2 on this Diplomacy test to befriend the 
  bum.” 
  That’s fine. You were a part of that sort of society, so you 
  know how to socialize with that sort of person. 
  Example of Bad Justification 
  “I have the Aspect Grew up in the Slums of Olympus, 
  therefore, I got in a lot of fights, therefore, I'm invoking this 
  Aspect for a +2 on my Melee test to attack my target.” 
  That's not. Just because you grew up in the slums doesn’t 
  necessarily mean you got in a lot of fights. 
  
   
  114 
   
  Invoking or Compelling External Aspects 
  Many things can have Aspects. The PCs have Aspects, the 
  other characters have Aspects, even their equipment and the 
  scene itself can have Aspects. Players and NPCs can use their 
  Fate Points to invoke (or compel!) Aspects belonging to other 
  people, places, and things. This works a lot like invoking or 
  compelling your own Aspects, except the Aspect doesn’t belong 
  to you. 
  As a rule of thumb, invoking or compelling another person’s 
  or thing’s Aspects requires a little more justification than 
  invoking one of your own Aspects. For Aspects related to the 
  environment, the justification should be some way to really 
  bring in the visuals or theme that the Aspect suggests. For 
  Aspects belonging to opponents, the player needs to know 
  about the Aspect in the first place and then play to it. 
  Keep in mind that a single Aspect may only be invoked or 
  compelled by the same character once per turn. A player could 
  not, for example, invoke the same Aspect to both gain a bonus 
  to attacking an enemy and compel the enemy to suffer a 
  penalty when defending. 
  Regardless of where it came from, any time an Aspect is 
  invoked for a bonus, reroll, Block, or Declaration, the person 
  who invoked it must pay the Fate Point.  
  Similarly, any time you are offered a compel from any Aspect, 
  you gain a Fate Point if you accept. 
  If an NPC declines a compel, the GM loses a Fate Point on 
  behalf of the guard from his FP pool (pg. 259). 
   
   
  Examples of Invoking External Aspects 
  Foggy – During a chase, you duck into a fog bank to lose your 
  pursuers, invoking the Foggy Aspect for a +2 bonus (or reroll) on 
  your test to hide. This costs you a Fate Point to invoke, which leaves 
  play. 
  Small – You have a weapon that is Small. You invoke it to give 
  yourself a +2 bonus (or reroll) when attacking an enemy in very 
  close quarters. This costs you a Fate Point to invoke, which leaves 
  play. 
  Slick Ride – Trying to attract a date for the night, you pull up to 
  the curb in your Slick Ride, invoking that Aspect to Declare that one 
  of the pretty young ladies nearby really digs your skiff. This costs 
  you a Fate Point to invoke, which leaves play. 
  Map of the Complex – You have used the Software Engineering 
  Skill with the data collected to create a map of the facility. You 
  invoke it to give yourself a +2 bonus (or reroll) on tests to escape an 
  exploding factory. This costs you a Fate Point to invoke, which 
  leaves play. 
  Examples of Compelling Other Aspects 
  Drowsy – You compel this Aspect to Declare that the drowsy 
  guard falls asleep. This costs you a Fate Point to compel. If the GM 
  accepts, he adds a Fate Point to his pool and the guard falls asleep. 
  Off-Balance – After having Off-Balance placed on him by an ally’s 
  successful Maneuver, you compel that Aspect to cause your foe to 
  suffer a -2 (or reroll) on his test to defend against your attempt to 
  push him into the adjacent zone. This costs you a Fate Point to 
  compel. If your foe accepts, the GM adds a Fate Point to his pool 
  and your foe suffers the penalty (or reroll). 
  Poor Quality – After an enemy attacks and rolls poorly, you 
  compel this Aspect and Declare that your foe’s old rusty gun jams 
  on the next shot. This costs you a Fate Point to compel. If your foe 
  accepts, the the GM adds a Fate Point to his pool and the gun jams. 
  
   
  115 
   
   
  No Pain, No Gain 
  As a GM, you always want to avoid awarding a Fate Point for a 
  compel prematurely. In general, you don’t want to hand a Fate 
  Point over until the Aspect actually impacts the player. 
  Something can always happen between the time the compel is 
  agreed upon and the point that the effects of the compel actually 
  impact the character. Always make sure the character has earned 
  that Fate Point before handing it over; don’t just award the FP 
  because a player is playing to his Aspects. 
  If the compel didn’t really hurt him, he didn’t really earn it. 
  Persistent Aspects 
  The GM might decide an Aspect is Persistent (P) if it is a 
  major component of a person, place, or thing; and has an effect 
  that is almost impossible to ignore or get around. For example, 
  a floor covered in a light dusting of snow might be Slippery, but 
  if the room is covered in a fine sheet of ice and you can’t walk 
  on it without slipping, the zone Aspect might instead be 
  Covered in Ice!(P). If it is really slippery, it may have both the 
  Slippery and Covered in Ice!(P) Aspects. 
  The two Aspects work in much the same way, and both can 
  be invoked or compelled for a bonus/penalty, reroll, Block, or 
  Declaration. However, when invoking or compelling the 
  Covered in Ice!(P) Aspect for a bonus/penalty or reroll, you 
  need not spend a Fate Point. You need only to declare that you 
  are invoking it. 
  Persistent Aspects work like normal Aspects whenever they 
  are invoked or compelled for a Block or Declaration. The 
  bonus/penalty or reroll is free, but you still have to pay to set 
  up a Block or directly influence the story in this manner. If you 
  accept a compel in the form of a Block or Declaration, you get 
  the Fate Point. 
  When using a regular and Persistent Aspect with similar 
  meanings, as in the case above where a room has both a 
  regular Aspect: Slippery and a Persistent Aspect: Covered in 
  Ice!(P), you would only need to pay one FP to invoke or compel 
  both Aspects for a +4 bonus/-4 penalty, two rerolls, or a 
  combination of a bonus/penalty and one reroll. 
  Unlike standard Aspects, you do not gain Fate Points when a 
  Persistent Aspect is compelled. Also, to refuse a compel on a 
  Persistent Aspect always costs a Fate Point. Persistent Aspects 
  should never be used for a soft compel (pg. 113). 
  Note that Severe(P) and Extreme(P) Consequences are also 
  Persistent, and work the same way as Persistent Aspects. 
  Temporary and Lasting Aspects 
  Aspects that arise in play or are created by Maneuvers (pg. 
  117) are usually temporary. Depending on the Aspect and the 
  circumstances, Temporary Aspects may last only a round or 
  until the end of the scene. 
  This time frame is generally the GM’s judgment call, and 
  mostly relies on common sense. A room made Dark by cutting 
  out the lights loses that Aspect when the lights come back on. 
  Sometimes a character may have an Aspect applied to him, 
  such as Covered in Goo when splattered with reactor coolant, 
  or Dazed when suddenly flashed with bright lights. In these 
  cases, the GM can allow the character to spend a round 
  performing a Skill test (usually Diff: 2) to remove this Aspect. 
  While most Temporary Aspects only last a short while, some 
  Temporary Aspects, called Lasting Aspects, can hang around for 
  much longer. Lasting Aspects tend to describe certain features 
  of a place or a character’s relationship to someone or 
  something else. Examples include “Never show your face on 
  Luna again!” or Deep in Debt to Mother Bree. The latter would 
  
   
  116 
   
  be an example of going into debt (pg. 143), and would be 
  compelled when making purchases using Assets. Deeper debt 
  might be described using a Persistent Aspect! 
  Lasting Aspects like these should be recorded on the affected 
  character’s character sheet, and remain until the situation that 
  caused them is resolved. 
  Of course, the GM may place a Lasting Aspect on a character 
  as a reward of sorts. An example of such an Aspect might be 
  Hero of Rho or “We hit the jackpot!” 
  Jazzing it up 
  Aspects are one of the major sources of flavor for your character 
  and they’re the first thing a GM will look at on your sheet when 
  trying to work out what sort of stories to throw you into. An Aspect 
  is a subtle yet powerful request, and the best part is that you are in 
  total control of it based on the words you choose for it. 
  Whenever you’re writing down the name of an Aspect, ask 
  yourself: “How much flavor does this Aspect suggest?” If it seems 
  fairly colorless, it’s time to kick it up a notch. 
  For a few “good – better – best” ideas… 
  Cold  
  Hot  
  NOVA! 
  Smart  Smart as a Whip  
  Honored Graduate of Helios Academy 
  Outlaw  Apostate Pirate 
  Tsarya’s Most Wanted 
  Savant Mythic Code Slinger Tech-Shaman of Charon 
  In each of these cases, the “cold” option certainly suggests its 
  uses, but it’s too generic and doesn’t really jump off the page in a 
  way that suggests story ideas. The “hot” option is certainly better 
  by way of being more specific; both GM and player can see some 
  potential story hooks in these and differentiate them from their 
  blander predecessors. 
  The “NOVA!” options are where it’s at, though. It’s easy to read 
  those and instantly get an idea of who a character is, where he is 
  from, and/or what others might think of him. 
  Getting on the Same Page… 
  You may have noticed that, so far, we’re using a lot of space 
  to talk about how your Aspects communicate things about your 
  character to the GM. We mean it. Out of all the things in the 
  game, Aspects are probably the clearest message you can send 
  to the GM about what you want from the game—short of 
  walking right up to the GM and saying so. 
  Once you’ve picked all the Aspects for your character, take a 
  step back and look at them as a whole. Ask yourself if they 
  represent your character the way you’d want them to; if they 
  don’t, change them! 
  By themselves, Aspects can’t say it all, and it’s important to 
  remember that. Short of making each Aspect a paragraph or 
  essay, you’re dealing with a few short, catchy phrases and 
  names here. Aspects need to be reasonably short so that you 
  can talk about them casually without running out of breath. 
  However, the brevity of an Aspect’s name means some things 
  are left unspoken, so take some time with the GM to speak 
  these unspoken things when you can. 
  Both the player and the GM should look at an Aspect not as 
  the end of an idea but the start of one. You’re both going to 
  bring your own ideas of what the Aspect means to the table 
  and—at least to some extent—you’re both right. Usually this 
  works out fine; the combined perspectives make the whole 
  greater than the sum, but sometimes the GM and the player 
  will have radically different ideas of what the Aspect entails. Be 
  clear with one another and iron out any potential differences, 
  ideally before the Fate Points start flying. 
   
   
  
   
  117 
   
  Maneuvers (Creating an Aspect) 
  A Maneuver is an action taken to affect the environment, 
  other people, or even yourself in a way that creates a 
  Temporary Aspect. When a character flashes a bright light in an 
  enemy’s eyes to place a temporary Blinded Aspect on him, or 
  counts to ten and takes a deep breath to place a temporary 
  Focused Aspect on himself—those are Maneuvers. 
  To clarify, Actions are the normal things a character can do in 
  a round. A Maneuver is a special type of action that is taken 
  specifically to create Temporary Aspects. 
  A Maneuver is performed as a Simple Action, as either a test 
  or contest, with the difficulty determined by the nature of the 
  Maneuver. In some cases, if the difficulty is 0, the GM may let 
  you perform a Maneuver as a Supplemental Action or by 
  combining Skills (pg. 107). 
  For example, a character taking a moment to relax to place 
  the Focused Aspect on himself might be required to make a 
  Cohesion test (Diff: 2). 
  Alternatively, he might spend a few minutes working with his 
  Agent, constructing a Program to better monitor the power 
  distribution of a ship’s reactor. This test would use Software 
  Engineering and would create a Power Optimization Program 
  Aspect that might help if the ship’s power system is targeted by 
  another ship’s cyber-warfare suite. 
  Zone- and scene-altering Maneuvers allow you to place some 
  kind of Temporary Aspect over a targeted zone or the entire 
  scene, potentially affecting everyone taking part in it. How hard 
  this is to do can range from trivial with no Skill test (usually 
  allowed as a Supplemental Action) to virtually impossible. It 
  very much depends on what the character is attempting to 
  achieve and what the circumstances are. 
  If the target is another character, the Maneuvering character 
  and the target take part in a contest using whatever Skills the 
  GM deems appropriate. 
  A character might try to perform a Maneuver to slam into 
  someone, thus placing the Staggered Aspect on the victim. 
  Performing this would require an Athletics contest. If 
  successful, the resulting Temporary Aspect may then be 
  invoked or compelled for a bonus on a subsequent test. 
  The first invocation or compulsion doesn’t cost the player a 
  Fate Point, even if they weren’t the one to create the Aspect. 
  This allows teams to work together, with some members of the 
  team performing Maneuvers and the others taking advantage 
  of the Aspects they create. 
  If you generate Spin on a test to perform a Maneuver, the 
  resulting Aspect can be invoked or compelled for free twice. 
   Aspect Duration 
  The amount of time an Aspect lasts often depends on how 
  many Shifts you generate when creating it. 
  If you succeed, but generate 0 Shifts, the Aspect will be very 
  temporary or weak, and will probably go away the first time it is 
  invoked or compelled. 
  If you succeed with more than 1 Shift, the Aspect will last the 
  duration of the scene or until an action is taken to remove it. 
  Removal is usually automatic if the affected character devotes a 
  Simple Action to removing the Aspect. Alternatively, the 
  character can attempt to remove the Aspect as a Supplemental 
  Action if they can succeed on a relevant Skill test (Diff: 2). 
  Depending on the circumstances and the Aspect created, an 
  Aspect may last longer or be harder to remove. As always, this 
  is the GM’s call. 
  
   
  118 
   
  Assessments (Revealing an Aspect) 
  Skills can sometimes be used in careful Assessment of a 
  person, place, or thing before taking any sort of action. This 
  Assessment might be made while putting together a plan, or 
  while simply observing the target for long enough to learn 
  something that would give a critical advantage. Assessing most 
  often uses the Perception Skill, but you can also use Insight (to 
  deduce logical outcomes, notice patterns, or get a sense of how 
  a character is feeling) or more specialized Skills such as Strategy 
  or Engineering when Assessing relevant subjects. 
  Here, the Skill is not used to place an Aspect so much as to 
  discover an existing one. The character observes the subject for 
  at least a round, then makes a test using the relevant Skill. 
  If successful, the GM reveals (or makes up) a relevant Aspect 
  about the subject. As usual, the first time this newly discovered 
  Aspect is invoked or compelled, it can be done so for free. 
  Setting Assessment Difficulties 
  If the target of an Assessment is a person or a group, the 
  Assessment is usually resolved with a contest (generally Insight 
  vs. Guile). Static entities like locations or objects typically have 
  difficulties set by the GM. If there’s no obvious way to 
  determine the Assessment difficulty, consider the baseline 
  difficulty to be 2. 
  Performing an Assessment in the middle of a conflict 
  generally requires no fewer than 3 rounds, but the GM may 
  allow the character to reduce the amount of time required 
  (minimum one round) by accepting a penalty on his Skill test 
  equal to the number of rounds she wishes to remove from the 
  required time. Thus, performing an Assessment in one round 
  suffers a -2 penalty. 
  Outside of a conflict, performing an Assessment takes just a 
  few seconds to a minute. But by increasing the Assessment 
  time to an hour, the character can gain a +2 bonus on the Skill 
  test; if the character spends four hours she can get a +3 bonus. 
  At the GM’s discretion, if a character generates Spin on an 
  Assessment test, he may gain insight into a more potent fact or 
  discover one additional Aspect.  
  For example, Jacob has been planning a heist job for a while 
  now. Now, with all the pieces in play, he finds himself sitting 
  across the street giving the apostate bank one last look before 
  going in. 
  He decides to spend this time trying to Assess the location. 
  Given Jacob’s current position, overlooking a crowded area, the 
  GM sets a difficulty of 3 and a minimum time of 3 turns. 
  Jacob spends 3 hours sitting there, electing to spend hours 
  instead of rounds for a +2 bonus, and then rolls his Perception 
  Skill. He generates a total Effort of 4. The GM tells him that the 
  bank seems to be popular among local med-center employees, 
  as he sees a lot of people in scrubs going in and out. 
  Thus, the GM informs Jacob’s player that the bank has an 
  Aspect called Popular with the Scrubs. Should Jacob find a way 
  to invoke this Aspect, for instance by dressing in scrubs to blend 
  in during the getaway, he may spend a Fate Point to invoke that 
  Aspect for some benefit. Since he’s the first person to use that 
  Aspect, he’d get to do so for free if he acts quickly. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  119 
   
  Declarations (Declaring a Story Element or Aspect) 
  Declarations allow characters to place new Aspects on a 
  subject, Declare some fact about it, or Declare that they took 
  some past “off-screen” action in preparation for current 
  challenges. This can be done by invoking Aspects or performing 
  Skill tests. 
  Invoking to Create Story Elements or New Aspects 
  Any time a character invokes or compels an Aspect, instead 
  of gaining a +2 bonus or reroll, he may choose to Declare some 
  fact about the a person, place, or thing in the setting. 
  As a general rule, the effect of this sort of Declaration should 
  not involve game mechanics. Instead, it should be used as a 
  tool to allow the players to help create the world, filling out 
  details about the setting. 
  On the other hand, a Declaration can also be used to achieve 
  a more direct result, either by placing an Aspect on the subject 
  or simply Declaring that something happens to it. 
  In all cases, Declarations are subject to GM veto. If a player 
  tries to Declare a fact or Aspect that the GM has already 
  decided isn’t true or would hurt the direction of the story, he 
  should feel free to reject it. 
  Often, Declarations are a useful mechanism for moving a 
  story along. In particular, if you find yourself in a conflict scene 
  that is starting to drag, you can allow a Declaration to be used 
  to quickly shift the focus of conflict, or simply remove 
  unimportant mooks (pg. 259) from the fight. 
  Just remember, a Declaration is much more likely to be 
  accepted by the GM when it makes the game fun for everyone. 
  A good Declaration builds drama, suspense, mystery, and 
  reinforces the themes of the setting. 
   
   
  Examples of Declarations by Invoking Aspects 
  [Invocation] When combing a social event in search of clues, you 
  invoke your Darling of House Dalianis Aspect to Declare that the 
  host is an ally of House Dalianis and owes a favor. 
  If the GM accepts, he takes your offered FP and the host 
  agrees to meet with your character in private for a moment.  
  [Invocation] When falling off the side of a building, you invoke the 
  area’s Heavy Traffic Aspect to Declare that you land on the hood 
  of a car hovering below instead of plummeting to your death. 
  If the GM accepts, he takes your offered FP and agrees that 
  there was indeed a car passing by below you, saving your life. 
  [Invocation] Slipping through the hallways of the House manor, you 
  come upon a previously unknown ARIS strip between yourself 
  and the vault door. You invoke your The Cat of Argos Aspect to 
  Declare that you turned on your light screen augment just as you 
  rounded the corner (even though you said earlier that you 
  weren’t using it, and hadn’t activated it). 
  If the GM accepts, he takes your offered FP and agrees that 
  you switched it on just in time, and that the strip never saw you. 
  [Compulsion] After taking a direct hit from your coil gun, your 
  enemy staggers backwards, suffering a Physical Consequence of 
  Dazed and Bloodied. You compel his Dazed and Bloodied 
  Consequence and Declare that he stumbles out into traffic. 
  If the GM accepts, your foe takes your offered FP and (being a 
  mook) is killed as an oncoming ground car smashes into him.  
  [Compulsion] Watching the hallway for passing security while your 
  crew member plants a bomb, you suddenly hear the sound of a 
  PAc weapon discharge from above. The GM compels your 
  Survivor of Deacon’s Corridor Aspect to Declare that you are 
  suddenly panic stricken, and must seek cover.  
  If you accept, you gain a Fate Point and must leave your ally in 
  search of a safe place to take cover. 
  
   
  120 
   
  Skill Tests to Create Story Elements or New Aspects 
  It’s also possible to use Skills that represent knowledge of 
  certain topics to perform a Declaration.  
  For example, you might use Research to place an Aspect of 
  Mostly Home to Apostates on a colony you are about to visit.  
  This works the same as invoking an Aspect to make a 
  Declaration, but relies on a Skill test instead.   
    The GM is encouraged to use creativity as his primary 
  guideline when determining the Skill test difficulty to make a 
  Declaration. The default difficulty is 2, but attempts to Declare 
  creative and entertaining Aspects or facts should be more likely 
  to succeed than boring Aspects or facts. Ideas that would 
  disrupt the game, or are just plain unreasonable, should simply 
  be vetoed.  
  Keep it Narrative 
  It is highly recommended that you avoid the temptation to mix 
  Declarations with game mechanics. Declarations are storytelling 
  mechanics, and as a general rule, shouldn’t be used to affect the 
  game’s rules. 
  In a conflict, for example, a Declaration may be used to grant an 
  extra action, instantly defeat an opponent, render an opponent 
  helpless, and so on. 
  However, a player shouldn’t Declare things like an attack only 
  causing half the normal stress it should cause, or that a character 
  gains a +4 bonus to his Armor Rating. 
  In all cases, Declarations should be used to simplify a conflict by 
  resolving actions outside of the need for rolling dice. Using them to 
  create little rule adjustments on the spot serves only to make things 
  more complex. 
  Any mention of numbers or fractions should be an immediate red 
  flag that a Declaration isn’t being used properly. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  121 
   
  Example of Play 
  Mike (GM): Security has been alerted. 
  From what you’ve already learned, you 
  can expect the building to be flooded 
  with House Tsarya enforcers pretty 
  quickly. 
  Leland (Reagan): We need an exit. 
  Krissy (Jane): An exit? Let’s just fight our 
  way to the basement parking garage. 
  Kyle (Anders): How about the roof? 
  Wes (Alexei): The enforcers might use 
  the roof to get in. Let me execute 
  Oracle Patterning and check. [Performs 
  a SINC test to activate and gets an 
  Effort of 2. The execution difficulty is 4, 
  so he suffers 2 points of system stress, 
  but the Savant Program still executes.] 
  Mike (GM): What’d you get? 
  Wes (Alexei): Failed by 2. Not taking a 
  Consequence yet. Oracle Patterning 
  still executes. 
  Mike 
  (GM): 
  Okay. 
  Your 
  Daemon 
  launches a barrage of attacks against 
  the local mesh, scouring it and the 
  Extranet for any reports of enforcer 
  activity that might tell you how these 
  guys work. Collating this data, it tells 
  you that you can expect that around a 
  dozen enforcers will try to secure the 
  building from the ground up. 
  Wes (Alexei): I share this with everyone. 
  Krissy (Jane): Then up we go. 
  Leland (Reagan): We don’t know what’s 
  on the roof, or even if we have a way to 
  get clear once we get up there. 
  Rob (Malpheus): I’ll ghost ahead to the 
  top floor to make sure it’s clear. 
  Leland (Reagan): Be sure to map as you 
  go, it might come in handy. 
  Mike (GM): Let’s handle that as a 
  Maneuver. Malpheus, make a Software 
  Engineering test to produce a good 
  map. Difficulty is 2. If you succeed, 
  you’ll produce a Map of the Building 
  Aspect. That might come in handy later. 
  Rob (Malpheus): [Rolls dice] 3. Success. 
  ---------- a little later ---------- 
  Mike (GM): Malpheus was able to ghost 
  to the roof and get a look around. 
  Fortunately, he wasn’t detected. 
  Leland (Reagan): What floor are we on? 
  Mike (GM): The top. Seventeenth. 
  Rob (Malpheus): I transmit the map data 
  to everyone and bring it up as an ARO 
  of the building, visible as a floating 3D 
  wireframe. 
  Here’s the situation, gentlemen. I 
  highlight the last known location of the 
  remaining security guards, showing 
  them as glowing red orbs. 
  There are three of them, all armored 
  and carrying PAc assault rifles. 
  Krissy (Jane): You boys ready to get your 
  hands dirty? 
  Rob (Malpheus): Deploy my drone. 
  Kyle (Anders): Drone deployed. So we’re 
  just going to kick open the rooftop 
  access door and go out guns blazing? 
  Krissy (Jane): Yep! 
  Leland (Reagan): Nope. I want to make 
  an Assessment of the roof. 
  Mike (GM): Not being able to see the 
  roof, you’re going to have to put 
  together what few facts you have 
  about it and the surrounding area. 
  Make an Insight test.  
  Leland (Reagan): [Rolls dice] I got a total 
  Effort of 3. 
  Mike (GM): From what you know about 
  the city of Rho, you know the roof is 
  going to have an Aspect of High Winds. 
  Kyle (Anders): I used to be an enforcer 
  for the Rings of Olympus. And I figure 
  the House Tsarya enforcers that are 
  coming up from the ground level are 
  similar to the guys I worked for. 
  I want to invoke my Former Enforcer 
  for the Rings of Olympus Aspect to 
  make a Declaration. They are going to 
  want to clear and secure the streets 
  before entering the building. That 
  should take a while. [Offers GM an FP] 
  Mike (GM): [Takes the Fate Point] That 
  seems reasonable. You guys ready? 
  
   
  122 
   
  CONFLICT AND CONSEQUENCES 
  The Basics of Conflict 
  No matter what sort of conflict you are involved in, the basics 
  of the system are essentially the same. 
  An attack test is a Simple Action. 
  The defender’s defense test is a special sort of Instant Action 
  that does not count against the total number of Instant Actions 
  that you may normally perform in a round (usually just one). 
  The Skills used to attack and defend depend on the type of 
  conflict. When making an attack, you make an attack test using 
  a skill appropriate to the type of attack you are making. The 
  defender makes a defense test using an appropriate Skill to 
  defend with. The defender’s Effort sets the difficulty for the 
  attack test. The defender suffers an amount of stress equal to 
  the number of Shifts the attacker generated. 
  Physical attacks generate physical stress and mental attacks 
  generate mental stress. Characters have a set of stress boxes 
  for each of these types of stress. When the character suffers 
  stress, he checks off a number of stress boxes, left to right, 
  equal to the amount of stress suffered.  
  So if he suffers 1 point of stress, he checks one box. If he then 
  suffers 2 more, he checks off two more, for a total of three.  
  If his Stress Track is ever filled up, the character is Taken Out. 
  When attacked in a physical conflict with a weapon, on a hit 
  the weapon’s Weapon Rating (WR) (pg. 197) is added to the 
  amount of stress inflicted. Similarly, if you are wearing armor, 
  the amount of stress suffered is reduced by your armor’s 
  Armor Rating (AR) (pg. 197). An explosive’s Explosive Rating 
  (ExR) (pg. 197) is added directly to the attack test rather than 
  just to the stress inflicted. 
  In a mental conflict, an attack’s Edge (pg. 129) rating is added 
  to the attack test. The target’s Determination is added to the 
  target’s defense test. 
  Stress Tracks & Consequences 
  Every character has a Physical and Mental Stress Track. 
  Savants also have a System Stress Track. Each Stress Track 
  consists of a number of stress boxes. To determine how many 
  boxes a character has on each of his Stress Tracks, see pg. 161. 
  Whenever you are attacked and suffer stress, you can choose 
  to reduce the amount of stress suffered by electing to take a 
  Consequence. You may only elect to take one Consequence per 
  attack, and the type of Consequence you take must relate to 
  the type of attack suffered.  
  You may only take one Consequence of each type (Mild, 
  Moderate, Severe, or Extreme) per Stress Track. 
  Type of Consequence  
  Amount of Stress Avoided 
   
  Mild 
  2 
   
  Moderate 
  4 
   
  Severe(P) 
  6
   
  Extreme(P) 
  8 
   
  A Consequence is a special type of Temporary Aspect. As 
  such, it functions in all ways exactly like a normal Aspect, and 
  can be invoked or compelled. 
  Note, though: The first time a Consequence is invoked or 
  compelled, it is done so for free. 
  The person taking the Consequence gets to describe what it 
  is, so long as it’s compatible with the nature of the attack that 
  inflicted the harm. The GM acts as the final arbitrator on the 
  appropriateness of a Consequence. 
  
   
  123 
   
   
  Example of a Physical Attack and Consequence 
  A Centurion opens fire on Destiny with his assault rifle. He 
  has an attack Effort of 5. Destiny makes a Perception Skill test 
  to defend, but doesn’t generate enough Effort. The Centurion 
  hits. He adds his Weapon Rating to the amount of stress he 
  inflicts, and Destiny reduces the total amount of stress suffered 
  by her Armor Rating. However, she still suffers some stress, and 
  elects to take a Mild Consequence. 
  The rifle fire cuts through her armored sleeve and grazes her 
  inner bicep as she speeds around the corner to safety. 
  Destiny’s player writes Just a Flesh Wound in the spot for her 
  Mild Consequence. 
  She continues down the hall, and hears the footsteps of the 
  Sentinel behind her. She turns to fire back at him. 
  She makes a Firearms Skill test, comparing it to the 
  Centurion’s defense Effort. However, the Centurion decides to 
  compel Destiny’s Just a Flesh Wound Consequence this time 
  (for free since it’s the first time), forcing her to suffer a -2 
  penalty on her attack. Her arm must be getting shaky from the 
  pain of the wound. 
  Concessions 
  Any time a character takes a Consequence, he also has the 
  option of offering a Concession instead. A Concession that is 
  accepted absorbs all stress inflicted by the attack, and is 
  essentially equivalent to surrendering. Short of fleeing, it is the 
  best way to end a conflict before someone is Taken Out. 
  The character inflicting the stress can always opt to reject the 
  Concession, but doing so is a clear indication that the fight will 
  be a bloody one, literally or metaphorically. If the GM declares 
  that the Concession was a reasonable offer, then the character 
  that offered it gains one Fate Point, and the character that 
  refused it loses one. 
  The player who wishes to Concede must first outline the 
  parameters of the Concession, clearly identifying what will 
  happen to his character. This process may require some 
  negotiation between the player(s) and the GM. If the 
  Concession is accepted, the conceding character must 
  immediately take the actions he outlined in the Concession. 
  Many conflicts end with a Concession when one party simply 
  does not want to risk taking Severe(P) or Extreme(P) 
  Consequences as a result of the conflict, or when neither party 
  wants to risk being Taken Out. 
  A Concession may consist of a character literally laying down 
  his weapon and begging for his life, or maybe he works out a 
  deal with his opponent during the conflict. In a mental conflict, 
  the Concession may be a course of action such as giving in to 
  your enemy’s demands or changing your position on an issue. 
  However, a Concession can also be an out-of-character deal 
  struck between players, or the player and the GM. These sorts 
  of arrangements tend to fall into one of two categories: 
  Turning Point: This sort of Concession impacts the 
  character’s life in some profound way, often represented by 
  swapping one Aspect for another or temporarily losing a Stunt. 
  Examples of these sorts of Aspects might be the death of a 
  close friend, shifting of allegiances, political exile, or a profound 
  crisis of faith. 
  Distress Consequence: When taking this sort of Concession, 
  the player elects to suffer an Extreme Consequence on another 
  Stress Track. An example of this might be taking an Extreme 
  Mental Consequence in response to a physical attack to 
  represent shock or severe post-traumatic stress. 
  
   
  124 
   
  Recovering Stress & Consequences 
  All stress boxes, which represent fatigue, minor cuts and 
  scrapes, moments of panic, embarrassment, system glitches, 
  and so on, are automatically cleared with a few minutes of rest 
  at the end of a conflict scene. 
  Consequences will recover as well, but take more time. The 
  flesh mends, people forget, and even synthetic systems are 
  outfitted with self-healing nanofibers and micro-composites. 
  With aid (pg. 125), they heal even more quickly. 
  Consequences 
  (except 
  the 
  Extreme(P) 
  Consequence) 
  automatically disappear after a certain amount of time. 
  Different types of Consequences take longer to go away than 
  others. See the table below: 
  Consequence Recovery Times 
  Consequence 
           Physical/System   
  Mental 
  Mild 
  1 hour 
  1 day 
  Moderate 
  1 day 
  1 week 
  Severe(P)  
  1 week 
  1 month 
  Extreme(P) 
  Special 
  Special 
  At the end of the recovery time, the Consequence 
  downgrades to the next lesser type. For example, if you have a 
  Severe(P) Physical Consequence, after one week it becomes a 
  Moderate Consequence. 
  The Consequence should be reworded to something more 
  appropriate to its new type. For example, a Severe 
  Consequence of Bullet Hole in Leg could change to a Moderate 
  Consequence of Recovering Bullet Wound. 
   
  If a Consequence downgrades to a type you already have, 
  that Consequence automatically downgrades as well. For 
  example, if you downgrade a Severe Consequence to a 
  Moderate Consequence, but you already have a Moderate 
  Consequence, your Moderate Consequence automatically 
  downgrades to a Mild Consequence, and so on. 
  Extreme Consequences 
  Unlike other Consequences, Extreme Consequences never 
  automatically downgrade. Instead, after the allotted time has 
  passed, the Extreme Consequence becomes an Aspect. 
  This new Aspect should be denoted with an “(E)” after it. You 
  may only ever have one of these Aspects of the same type 
  (physical, mental, etc.) at a time. If you already have one, 
  another cannot take its place until the first is removed. In that 
  case, an Extreme Consequence will never clear until the first 
  Aspect is removed and the new Consequence can take its place. 
  You may remove an Aspect gained from suffering an Extreme 
  Consequence after achieving your next Milestone after the one 
  you are currently working to achieve. Alternatively, at any time 
  you may elect to replace one of your existing Aspects with it, 
  making it a normal permanent character Aspect. 
  Aspects of this type may still be removed by resleeving, limb 
  replacement, or other methods. There are no specific rules to 
  cover this. If a Consequence states that an arm has been 
  severed, purchasing the nanocybernetic limb replacement 
  augmentation simply removes the Consequence. 
  Medical technology in the Nova Praxis setting is very 
  powerful. Very nearly anything can be healed, cured, or 
  replaced. For characters with a mnemonic core, even death can 
  be overcome. 
  
   
  125 
   
  Taken Out 
  If all of your stress boxes become filled, you are Taken Out. 
  When you are Taken Out, the person who defeated you gets to 
  describe what that means. He might describe it as your 
  character dying, becoming crippled, or however else he 
  chooses to remove you from the conflict in a way that makes 
  sense given the method used to take you out. 
  The player being Taken Out gets the option to cash in all of 
  his Fate Points (you must have at least 1) to force the person 
  responsible for taking him out to describe his defeat in a 
  different way. Being Taken Out should always result in your 
  being removed from the conflict and suffering some loss. 
  For example, instead of being shot in the head, your enemy 
  might hit a critical component of your ship. This might result in 
  an explosive decompression that both destroys your ship and 
  sends you hurtling into space. 
  Recovery Facilities 
  Time in a hospital, systems lab, or with a psychiatrist can help 
  you recover Consequences more quickly. Hospitals and labs use 
  an array of cutting edge technology, such as medi-stimulant 
  baths, medichine injections, cloned organs, and so on. 
  Psychiatric help can come in the form of regular therapy, 
  hypnosis, or even mnemonic editing for those who have 
  undergone Apotheosis. 
  The chart below shows the amount of time required to 
  downgrade a Consequence, and the Cost associated. 
  Consequence 
           Physical/System       Mental          Cost 
  Mild 
  5 minutes 
  1 hour 
  3 
   
  Moderate 
  1 hour 
  1 day 
  4 
  Severe  
  1 day 
  1 week 
  5 
  Extreme 
  1 week 
  1 month 
  6 
  Emergency Aid 
  Characters with the proper Skills and access to the necessary 
  equipment can attempt to speed up the recovery process. This 
  isn’t generally as good as a trip to a dedicated care facility, but 
  it’s often better than nothing. 
  Basic aid can remove a Mild Consequence from yourself or 
  another character. To do this, the person providing the aid 
  must be able to spend at least 10 minutes with the patient, 
  have the tools needed, and succeed on a Skill test (Diff: 2). 
  The Skill required is listed below: 
  Physical Consequence: 
  Education or Engineering 
  (Hardware) for Cybersleeves 
  System Consequence: 
  Engineering (Either) 
  Mental Consequence: 
  Insight or Mnemonics 
  Note: Mnemonics is only an option for Apotheosized characters. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.3/ Log: 06:37-04,21,97] 
  [Malpheus] – Jane is down! 
  [Reagan] – What?! What happened? 
  [Malpheus] – She kicked in the door and went in 
  shooting. She got three of them, but another 
  was hiding behind a support strut. 
  [Reagan] – I’m pulling up her vitals. Her sleeve is 
  still powered. Mindset is online, but… Damn! 
  She’s hit bad. Her sleeve’s systems keep 
  rebooting. 
   [Malpheus] – Call Anders. I’m ghosting after the 
  shooter. 
   
  
   
  126 
   
  RUNNING CONFLICTS 
  Before a conflict begins, the GM should follow these simple 
  steps: 
  1. Frame the Scene 
  Before the conflict begins, you will want to give the players 
  an accurate description of the surrounding area. You may call 
  for Perception checks if there are hidden NPCs, clues, or other 
  elements of the environment that may not be immediately 
  obvious. 
  Describe the area using as many senses as you can. Tell the 
  players what they see and hear, but also try to elaborate on 
  smells and physical sensations when possible. A warehouse is 
  going to smell like dust, and the air might be cool and damp. On 
  the other hand, one of House Silva’s bio-research labs might 
  smell acrid and sterile. The lab might be all white and chrome, 
  seemingly bleached of color and emotion. 
  Wait until last to reveal any obvious threats. Describing 
  potential enemies or environmental dangers first will send the 
  players’ minds to thinking about how to deal with them instead 
  of listening to the rest of the scene’s description. 
  2. Reveal Aspects 
  Over the course of a conflict, elements in play in the scene 
  can affect how the conflict unfolds. The GM should declare any 
  immediately obvious Aspects present in the scene, and lays 
  them out for the players. He might also call for Perception rolls 
  to notice more subtle Aspects. 
  These Aspects can be invoked or compelled by everyone 
  present in the scene. 
  3. Determine Zones 
  After describing the area in detail, the GM should explain 
  how the area breaks down into zones. Zones do not conform to 
  any specific size, but instead separate the environment into its 
  meaningful components. For an average apartment, for 
  example, the zones might be the living room, the foyer, the 
  dining room, kitchen, hallway, and so on.  
  For complicated areas with many zones, it is recommended 
  that you draw out a zone map for all the players to see. 
  See page 153 for more on the different types of zones and 
  how they work. 
  4. Establish Initiative 
  The order the characters act in is determined at the 
  beginning of the conflict. Each character rolls his Strategy (for 
  physical conflicts) or Insight (for mental conflicts) and adds any 
  relevant modifiers from Stunts or Aspects. Characters act in 
  order of the highest to lowest initiative result. This is referred 
  to as the order of initiative, and is used to determine who 
  takes what action and when. 
  Once everyone has had their turn, a new round begins and 
  the characters continue to act in the same order. 
  Ties in initiative are resolved in favor of characters with a 
  higher Perception Skill. Any remaining ties are in favor of the 
  player closest to the GM’s right or in favor of the player if the 
  other tied character is an NPC. 
  5. Begin Exchanges 
  Once initiative has been established, characters may begin 
  making attack and defense tests as described in the next 
  section. 
  
   
  127 
   
  Physical Conflict 
  The Skills used to attack and defend in a physical conflict 
  depend on the type of attack. Here are some common 
  examples: 
   Intent 
  Attacking Skill 
  Defending Skill 
   Touch 
  Athletics 
  Athletics 
   Unarmed Attack 
  Melee 
  Athletics or Endurance 
   Ranged Attack 
  Firearms 
   Perception or Athletics 
   Melee Attack  
  Melee 
  Athletics or Melee 
   Poison or Disease 
  Special 
  Endurance 
  Weapon and Armor Ratings 
  If an attack hits, the defender 
  suffers an amount of stress equal to 
  the number of Shifts generated, plus 
  the Weapon Rating (WR) of the 
  attacker’s weapon. 
  If the defender is wearing armor 
  that can help defend against the 
  attack, the amount of stress he 
  suffers is reduced by his armor’s 
  Armor Rating (AR). 
  In the case of explosives, the 
  Explosive Rating (ExR) is added 
  directly to the Effort generated in the 
  attack test instead of only being 
  added in the case of a successful attack. 
  Physical Consequences 
  Attacks that cause you to check stress boxes represent the 
  minor bumps, nicks, and scratches of battle. They might sting a 
  bit, but don’t hinder the character in a significant way. 
  However, sometimes conflicts will result in lasting wounds—
  sprained ankles, broken arms, bullet holes, and so on. These 
  are Consequences. 
  Physical Movement in a Conflict 
  On your turn, you may move into a different zone using one 
  of the following options: 
  Standard Move – You move into an adjacent zone. This is a 
  Free Action, or a Supplemental Action (pg. 107) when 
  negotiating rough or hazardous terrain. If the transition 
  between zones is hampered, say requiring you to climb a 
  ladder, it may cause you to suffer 
  additional penalties on any other actions 
  you perform. 
  Hustle – If you Hustle, you may move 
  across one zone and into the next. This is 
  a Supplemental Action, and any other 
  action you perform on this turn suffers a 
  -2 penalty in addition to any other 
  penalties you might suffer. 
  Run – Running works the same as 
  Hustling, but you suffer a -3 penalty and 
  may also make an Athletics test (Diff: 2). 
  You may move one additional zone for 
  each Shift generated by this test. 
  Note that some scene Aspects may also 
  make it more difficult to move through certain zones. For 
  example, a room filled with debris may have an Aspect of 
  Debris-Filled, which when compelled can force the character to 
  suffer a penalty or reroll on rolls to move. 
  Sample Physical Consequences 
  Mild 
  • Fatigued 
  • Dazed 
  • Pulled Muscle 
  Moderate 
  • Sprained Ankle 
  • Minor Laceration 
  • Wrenched Back 
  Severe(P) 
  • Broken Arm 
  • Severed Finger 
  • Concussion 
  Extreme(P) 
  • Broken Back 
  • Severed Arm 
  • Ruptured Organ 
  Taken Out 
  • Dead 
  • Comatose 
  • Quadriplegic 
  
   
  128 
   
  Mental Conflict 
  A mental attack is any sort of overt attempt to harm or 
  change the mindset of another. While not every conversation 
  need be solved as a mental conflict, attempts to change the 
  perspective of another character in a manner that effects the 
  story in an important way probably should. In most cases, the 
  GM should simply decide whether or not an NPC is persuaded, 
  intimidated, or otherwise without resorting to a mental 
  conflict. 
  If it might matter to the story whether or not you succeed in 
  manipulating another person, but it isn’t worth the time to 
  resolve as a mental conflict, a simple contest usually works. 
  For example, attempting to flirt with the local sensie celebrity 
  a bit so that he might be more amicable to helping you later 
  might be a simple Guile test vs. the celebrity’s Insight to see if 
  he notices the flirtation isn’t genuine. 
  Debates, 
  confrontations, 
  or 
  challenges 
  that 
  serve 
  as 
  critical 
  moments in the campaign are times 
  when the GM might call for a mental 
  conflict. These situations could include 
  negotiating with a Senator for the fate 
  of an apostate enclave or attempting to 
  seduce the chairman’s daughter in order 
  to get closer and assassinate him. 
  Mental conflict uses the same basic 
  conflict resolution system as described 
  in the beginning of this chapter, but 
  instead of fists and weapons, the 
  outcome is decided with words and 
  emotions. 
   Mental Attacks and Defenses 
  Mental attacks can come in many forms, but as far as the 
  conflict rules are concerned, they all basically work the same. 
  During a mental attack, attack and defense tests are made 
  using the appropriate Skills, dealing stress against the 
  defender’s Mental Stress Track until the defender Concedes or 
  is Taken Out. Most mental conflicts will end in a Concession 
  that involves the conceding character either giving in to his 
  attacker’s demands, changing his opinion on the topic at hand, 
  or withdrawing from the conflict in anger or embarrassment.  
  Most people aren’t willing to argue or dwell on a point of 
  contention until it causes them lasting psychological harm. 
  Thus, getting Taken Out tends to be rare in mental conflict. 
  While the word “attack” gives the impression of hostility, this 
  need not be the case. A character’s attempt to make another 
  fall in love with her could easily be handled as a mental conflict.  
   
   
  
   
  129 
   
   
  Sample Uses of Mental Conflict 
  Deception: An attempt to convince another person of your lie. 
  You attack with your Guile and your target defends with his 
  Insight. You continue to attack until the target Concedes and 
  states that he believes you, or you come to some other type 
  of agreement. 
  Manipulation: An attempt to change another person’s outlook 
  on a subject. Make a Diplomacy test against the target’s 
  Cohesion, or if the subject matter is dear to him, Resolve. A 
  Concession usually means the target has become convinced. 
  Seduction: An attempt to manipulate another through 
  temptation may give rise to a mental conflict. Often the 
  seducer will make a Diplomacy test, maybe combined with 
  Guile, while the defender makes a Resolve test, possibly 
  combined with Insight.  
   Edge and Determination 
  Edge is the “weapon” used in mental combat. It’s a snappy 
  comeback, a potent threat, a horrific sight (see below), some 
  action to punctuate the point, or otherwise. When involved in a 
  mental conflict that takes place in the context of an argument 
  or threat, the player should describe to you what he is saying or 
  doing to his opponent. The more clever or meaningful a 
  player’s description, the more Edge the GM should give his 
  attack. The Edge rating may then be applied as a bonus to your 
  attack test. 
  Another way to gain Edge is to use story elements against the 
  target. For example, when engaging in a mental attack to get a 
  character to surrender, if you have his loved ones at gunpoint 
  you would be rewarded an Edge bonus. While not particularly 
  witty, it really hits the character where it hurts. 
  Note that, unlike a Weapon Rating, you do not have to first 
  successfully attack before you add in your Edge. It is a bonus 
  applied directly to the attack test itself.  
  Edge usually has to be used in the turn it was generated, but 
  once used it is gone.  
  The amount of Edge granted to a character’s mental attack is 
  determined by the GM, which he grants based off of how well 
  the player role-plays his character or what actions he has taken 
  to reinforce his position.  
  Usually the amount ranges from 0 to 5, with 0 being a half-
  hearted description and 5 being an exceptionally well thought-
  out response that plays on the target’s fears, ambitions, and/or 
  weaknesses.  
  While attacks with words tend to top out at an Edge rating of 
  around 5, a character can be exposed to horrors that are far 
  more damaging to the mind. 
  These sorts of events are described in more detail below. 
  Determination is the opposite of Edge and functions like a 
  sort of armor in a mental conflict. It is the measurement of a 
  character’s dedication to his intent. Like Edge, Determination is 
  rated (usually 0 to 5) and grants a bonus on the defender’s 
  defense test. 
  For example, a guard who hates both his job and employer 
  may have a Determination of 0, while a guard who knows his 
  employer will kill him for failure might have a Determination of 
  4 or 5. Determination could represent morale, or simple fear of 
  what might happen should he give in. 
   
   
  
   
  130 
   
  Horror and Shocking Events 
  Coming into contact with horrific creatures, the trauma of 
  resleeving, exposure to torture, or stumbling upon sanity-
  crushing crime scenes can result in an attack against the 
  character’s mental stress. This attack is handled like any other 
  mental attack, though likely there will not be another person 
  involved to make the attack. Thus, there is no Skill to add to the 
  attack roll, only an Edge bonus. 
  The Edge bonus that the GM adds to the attack should reflect 
  the nature of the incident, as well as the experiences of the 
  defending character. 
  For example, a character’s first contact with some bizarre 
  posthuman aberration may result in an attack with a +8 Edge 
  bonus. However, the GM may choose to add no Edge, or may 
  not even make an attack if the character is one of the sole 
  survivors of a metamorphic viral outbreak and has killed dozens 
  of them in the past. 
  While exposure to monsters can certainly be traumatic, 
  characters will commonly encounter more mundane means of 
  breaking the mind. 
  Torture is still used throughout the galaxy, and advanced 
  technology enables advanced torture. An ego can be 
  downloaded into a virtuality specifically designed for torture, 
  and can be subjected to it indefinitely. Similarly, a person 
  wearing a cybersleeve left to float through the endless abyss of 
  space will quickly become unhinged.  
  Exposure to torture can be handled as one mental attack or 
  several spread out over time. A good Edge rating for this sort of 
  thing is 5, with an attack made every torture session or every 
  eight hours.  
  Mental Consequences 
  Stress is a transitory thing, but sometimes even non-physical 
  conflicts can have lasting Consequences: an irrational hatred for 
  your attacker, inability to relate to others, lessened ability to 
  control your temper, and so on. As with Physical Consequences, 
  Mental Consequences are a special kind of Aspect that can be 
  compelled or even invoked. 
  As with other Consequences, the exact nature of the 
  Consequence should depend upon the type of attack one 
  suffers, be it insults, threats, or exposure to some biological 
  experiment turned aberrant horror. 
  Remember that it doesn’t cost a Fate Point to invoke or 
  compel a Consequence for the first time, and that Severe(P) 
  and Extreme(P) Consequences are Persistent. 
  Sample Mental Consequences 
  Mild 
  • Flushed 
  • Shamed 
  • Withdrawn 
  Moderate 
  • Trembling 
  • Unwilling to Speak 
  • Desire to Lash Out 
  Severe(P) 
  • Flashbacks 
  • Reclusive 
  • Psychotic Tendencies 
  Extreme(P) 
  • Mute 
  • Severe Hallucinations 
  • Suicidal 
  Taken Out 
  • Dead 
  • Catatonic 
  • Crippling Dementia 
   
  
   
  131 
   
  System Conflict 
  System conflict takes place when a character uses a Savant 
  Program to launch an attack against another Savant’s systems, 
  but also comes into play whenever a Savant fails a test to 
  execute a Savant Program. (See page 179 for more on 
  execution difficulties.) 
  This stress destabilizes the Savant’s systems, which are 
  already under some amount of strain from running the Savant’s 
  SINC. 
  Modern computers, being Mimir-tech devices, never crash 
  and nearly always run at optimal capacity. However, these 
  systems were never designed to run SINC or to resist cyber-
  attacks from Savant Programs or CISTs. The onboard AI 
  responsible for handling security and maintaining the integrity 
  of the system gets overloaded, confused, or misdirected by the 
  Savant Program and has difficulty recovering. 
  In the face of such an assault, mindsets and sleeve systems 
  begin to suffer a number of stability and performance-related 
  problems; whereas SIMs will suffer from errors in their 
  software that comprise them.  
  System Consequences 
  As stated before, system stress generally comes from either a 
  dedicated attack from a Savant Program, or a failed use of a 
  Savant Program. 
  Exposure to, or abusive use of, this sort of software can put 
  undue strain on your mindset and/or sleeve’s systems. Pushing 
  your system like this can cause it expend too much power too 
  quickly, drive the processors harder than they were designed to 
  be driven, generate too much heat, corrupt he code that makes 
  up the ego, or perform unreliably due to unstable SINC. 
  Other characters besides Savants can have their systems 
  damaged as well, but the damage tends to be more localized 
  and temporary. Meaning, attacks they suffer from Savant 
  Programs have other effects besides system stress. 
  Their systems aren’t compromised the way a Savant’s are. 
  The AI onboard doesn’t have to deal with the inherent 
  instability that comes from having to manage the Savant’s SINC. 
  Sample System Consequences 
  Mild 
  • Minor Lag 
  • Memory Access Error 
  • Running Hot 
  Moderate 
  • Memory Leak 
  • Data Corruption 
  • Damaged Actuator 
  Severe(P) 
  • Random Reboots 
  • Connections Severed 
  • Hard Locked 
  Extreme(P) 
  • System Crash 
  • Catastrophic Data Loss 
  • Unresponsive 
  Taken Out 
  • Scrapped 
  Recovering from System Consequences 
  It is assumed that characters work to repair any errors or 
  defects in their system during their downtime. Depending on 
  the severity of the Consequence, this may be as simple as a 
  reboot or as complex as disassembly and integration of 
  replacement parts. 
  Regardless of the specifics, system stress is healed at the 
  same rate as a Physical Consequence. 
  Attempts to provide emergency aid (pg. 129) use either the 
  Hardware or Software Engineering Skill, depending on the 
  nature of the Consequence. 
  
   
  132 
   
   
  Gameplay in a Virtuality 
  Scenes that take place in a virtual environment work the 
  same as scenes that take place in the real world, but with the 
  following twists: 
  • Despite taking place in a virtual environment, the system 
  replicates your character’s normal physical Skills; a very 
  athletic person will be athletic in both the real world and in 
  virtual environments. Many, like Stygia, also replicate your 
  Augmentations. 
  • The physical stress and Consequences you’ve suffered in the 
  real world do not carry over into the virtual environment. 
  Physical stress suffered in the virtuality is not reflected in 
  the real world. 
  • Most virtualities will eject you if you suffer a Physical 
  Consequence. Upon exiting a virtuality without this safety 
  feature, you suffer a mental attack with an Edge rating 
  based on the worst Physical Consequence you suffered 
  while inside. The Edge rating is +2 for Mild Consequences, 
  +4 for Moderate, +6 for Severe, +8 for Extreme, and +10 if 
  you are Taken Out.  
  • Characters typically only have Guest access to a virtuality. 
  This access means they can only change their environment 
  in ways that would make sense in the real world. For 
  example, they could pick up a chair and move it, but could 
  not change the chair into water. 
  • Characters with Administrator access to a virtuality have 
  Dominion. SIMs have admin access to their personal home 
  environments. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Dominion 
  The administrator of a virtuality is a virtual god. She can 
  change the environment to suit her desires, transforming walls 
  into air, sand into pavement, and water into fire.  
  To perform these changes, the admin must spend a Simple 
  Action performing a Software Engineering or SINC (admin’s 
  choice) test (Diff: 2). 
  If she succeeds, she may make a Declaration (pg. 119) about 
  the virtual environment. 
  Any Declaration that results in direct stress to a target, such 
  as turning the air around him into acid, or simply ripping at the 
  makeup of the target’s digital avatar, is handled as an attack 
  using the admin’s Software Engineering or SINC (admin’s 
  choice) Skill. The WR of the attack is equal to the admin’s 
  attacking Skill Rank x2. 
  The victim defends with whatever Skill makes sense based on 
  the attack, but direct attacks against the code that comprise his 
  digital form are defended against with Cohesion. 
   
  SIMs, System Stress, and Host Systems 
  Regardless of the computer they inhabit, SIMs are fully self-
  contained pieces of software. Stress suffered by SIMs on their 
  System Stress Track, either from direct attacks by Savant 
  Programs and CISTs or from failed execution tests, is only 
  suffered by the SIM and not the system that’s hosting it. 
   
   
   
  
   
  133 
   
  Example of Conflict 
  Leland (Reagan): I’ve got an idea. I’ve got a 
  plasti-rope dispenser. I’ll tie some rope 
  around Malpheus’ spider drone, then let it 
  climb up the outside wall and secure the 
  rope to the roof while it also does a little 
  recon. 
  Jane, you can climb up the rope, and 
  we’ll attack at the same time from the 
  access door. 
  Rob (Malpheus): Good idea. 
  Krissy (Jane): Sounds good. 
  Wes (Alexei): I’ll open the window for you 
  then fall in behind Reagan and Anders. 
  Kyle (Anders): Reagan, I hope you don’t 
  mind if we use you for cover. 
  Mike (GM): Alright, first the spider needs to 
  get into position with the rope. So, 
  Malpheus, give me an Athletics test for 
  the drone, difficulty 3. 
  Rob (Malpheus): 3. Success, barely. Good 
  thing it was tied to a rope. 
  Mike (GM): Yep. It struggles a bit, but 
  makes it. Now make a Stealth test to get 
  into a position to secure the rope without 
  being noticed, and a Perception test to 
  determine what you see. 
  Rob (Malpheus): 4 on Stealth, 0 on 
  Perception. 
  Mike (GM): Okay, the spider is able to latch 
  onto an air vent without being noticed by 
  the three guards. You don’t notice 
  anything you didn’t already know about. 
  Three guards, all carrying PAc Carbines 
  and armor. 
  They are walking around looking over 
  the edges and waiting for the access door 
  to open. 
  Rob (Malpheus): I feed all this to the team. 
  Krissy (Jane): Alright, I’ll go up first and 
  draw their attention. Then you guys bust 
  out firing. 
  Mike (GM): Everyone in position? 
  The Team: Yep! 
  Mike (GM): Alright, Initiative! Give me 
  Strategy tests. 
  Leland (Reagan): [Rolls dice] 6! 
  Rob (Malpheus): [Rolls dice] 0… 
  Krissy (Jane): [Rolls dice] 3 
  Wes (Alexei): [Rolls dice] 1 
  Kyle (Anders): [Rolls dice] 2 
  Leland (Reagan): They’re looking at the 
  door and waiting to unload on us. I’ll delay 
  until Jane distracts them. 
  Mike (GM): [Checks the stats for the guards 
  and secretly notes the initiative order as 
  Jane, Reagan, Guards, Anders, Alexei, and 
  Malpheus.] Okay Jane! You’re up. 
  Krissy (Jane): I’m going to heave myself 
  over the edge, onto the roof, then open 
  fire on the nearest guard. 
  Mike (GM): Climbing onto the roof will be a 
  Supplemental Action, so you’ll suffer a -1 
  penalty on your attack. 
  Krissy (Jane): Okay, I’m burst-firing my 
  Heavy Coil Assault Rifle [rolls dice], with 
  the -1, my attack Effort is 4. The Weapon 
  Rating is 5, plus 3 for burst fire. 
  Mike (GM): Since you ambushed him, his 
  defense is effectively [rolls dice] -2. So you 
  hit and dealt 10 points of stress. His light 
  battle armor absorbs 3 of that, for a total 
  of 7. His Stress Track only has 5 stress 
  boxes, and being a minor mook (pg. 259) 
  can only take a Mild Consequence to 
  reduce it by -2. 
  Krissy (Jane): So he is Taken Out? 
  Mike (GM): Yeah, you can narrate the 
  defeat if you like. If you got Spin on the 
  attack roll, you can create an Effect 
  Aspect. 
  Krissy (Jane): The guard doesn’t even get a 
  chance to yell out a warning before he is 
  torn to pieces by a spray of bullets and 
  blood. I’ll put a Bloody Mess Aspect on the 
  zone he was in. 
  Mike (GM): Well that got their attention. 
  The others are now aware of you. Also, 
  you used burst fire, so make a Firearms 
  test, difficulty 3, to check your ammo. 
  Krissy (Jane): [Rolls dice] 1, damn. I’ll spend 
  a Fate Point to invoke my Legionnaire, 
  Born and Raised Aspect for +2. They 
  taught me better than to let my magazine 
  run dry. 
  Mike (GM): [Takes Fate Point] Okay, I’ll buy 
  that. Reagan? 
  Leland (Reagan): You ready, Anders? 
  Kyle (Anders): As ready as I’m ever going to 
  be. 
  
   
  134 
   
  Leland (Reagan): I kick open the door and 
  open fire with my PAc Carbine, directing 
  my own fire and Anders’ toward the guy 
  nearest us. I’m using my Concentrated 
  Fire Advantage to allow Anders an attack 
  as an Instant Action at the same time. 
  Mike (GM): The door flies open and the 
  two remaining guards anxiously try to 
  bring their weapons to bear. The ruined 
  remains of the third guard lie nearby. 
  Both of you make attack rolls. 
  Leland (Reagan): [Rolls dice] I got a total 
  attack Effort of 4. Weapon Rating is +6. 
  Kyle (Anders): [Rolls dice] I got a 3. 
  Attacking with my Light PAc Pistol, 
  Weapon Rating is +5. 
  Mike (GM): His defense Effort is 3, but the 
  wind is really bad up here and Anders isn’t 
  wearing a helmet to cover his face or 
  eyes. [Offers a Fate Point to Kyle] I’m 
  compelling the roof’s High Winds Aspect 
  to make you suffer a -2 penalty. 
  Kyle (Anders): [Takes the Fate Point] 
  Thanks, I could use it. When the door flies 
  open, Anders is shocked by the cold blast 
  of wind and his shot flies wild. 
  Mike (GM): The crack and flash of PAc 
  weapon discharges shake the rooftop, but 
  only one hits home. One of the remaining 
  guards is blasted by Reagan’s PAc Carbine, 
  suffering 7 points of stress. His armor 
  absorbs 3, for a total of 4 stress. 
  The armor on his right shoulder deflects 
  the bolt, leaving it blackened and burned. 
  Kyle (Anders): Recovering from the surprise 
  of the cold wind, I fire my PAc pistol at the 
  guy Reagan just shot. [Rolls dice] My 
  attack Effort was 1. That’s a miss? 
  Mike (GM): [Checks the guard’s stats] Yeah. 
  But remember that someone can still 
  invoke Bloody Mess for free the first time. 
  Kyle (Anders): I’ll do that and use it to 
  reroll. [Re-Rolls dice] 4! He tries to dodge 
  by twists and slips on the gore. 
  Mike (GM): That’s a hit for 6 stress. His 
  armor absorbs 3, leaving him to take 3. He 
  can only take 1, though, so taking a Mild 
  Consequence won’t help. He’s Taken Out. 
  Kyle (Anders): The PAc bolt catches him in 
  the shoulder, spinning him like a top from 
  the blast and sending him sprawling into 
  the remains of his friend. 
  Mike (GM): [Checks the guard’s Firearms 
  Skill and sees it is a 3.] The remaining 
  guard turns his Heavy PAc PDW on Reagan 
  and Anders, raking a particle beam across 
  the both of them. This is a beam sweep 
  attack. The first attack is directed at 
  Anders and suffers a -1. The second, 
  directed at Reagan, suffers a -2. So that’s 
  2 to Anders and 1 to Reagan. Make your 
  defense tests. 
  Leland (Reagan): [Rolls dice] I try to dodge 
  using Athletics. I got a total defense Effort 
  of 4. He misses. 
  Kyle (Anders): [Rolls dice] I got a 1… 
  Mike (GM): Reagan saw it coming and was 
  able to duck. Anders didn’t. 6 stress. 
  Kyle (Anders): My armor absorbs 3, and I’ll 
  absorb 2 more with a Mild Consequence. 
  Anders managed to mostly duck the bolt, 
  but slammed his knee into the roof in the 
  process. I’ll take 1 stress and Cracked My 
  Knee as a Mild Consequence. 
  Wes (Alexei): Alright. My turn… I’m 
  executing my Esper Lord Savant Program 
  and use it to make a devouring attack on 
  the remaining guard. It has an execution 
  difficulty of 3. [Rolls dice] 1, so I take 2 
  system stress and it executes. 
  Mike (GM): Alright, you succeeded in 
  activating the swarm. Make your attack 
  roll using your SINC. His defense is 3. 
  Wes (Alexei): [Rolls dice] 4! Its Weapon 
  Rating is 4 and ignores armor. I also want 
  to invoke my At One with the Swarm 
  Aspect for +2. [Gives GM Fate Point] 
  The swarm flows forward like liquid 
  glass, surging ahead to consume the 
  remaining guard. 
  Rob (Malpheus): I’m going to use my 
  Inspire Greatness Advantage, sending an 
  audio stream to Alexei’s mindset. It tells 
  him: “These men are weak, Alexei. You 
  have surpassed them, and are as God to 
  them.” This grants another +3. 
  Mike (GM): That hits. The swarm quickly 
  takes on a reddish hue as it begins 
  dissolving the man’s skin at the molecular 
  level. 10 stress. He takes a Mild 
  Consequence of IT’S EATING ME! It’s not 
  enough though, and in a few seconds he 
  stops screaming. The rooftop falls silent.
  
   
  135 
   
   
  PLAYING THE GAME 
  This section covers most of the things a character may want 
  to do that aren’t covered in the earlier parts of this chapter.  
   In truth, no book will be able to cover every possible action a 
  PC can take, but GMs who need to come up with impromptu 
  rules should look to this chapter for inspiration. 
  Ambushing 
  If you attack a target, and the target was until now not aware 
  of your presence (or your intent to attack him), that target may 
  not add a Skill to his defense. He only gets a simple dice roll, 
  but may still use his Armor Rating to reduce the amount of 
  stress suffered. 
  Often the GM will not make defense tests for mooks (pg. 
  259), but should in this case. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Beam Weapons 
  Beam Sweep 
  When using a beam weapon, such as most particle 
  acceleration weapons, you can hold down the trigger and 
  sweep a crackling bolt of energy across your targets. This allows 
  you to attack more than one target in a zone at a time. 
  Before the attack is made, determine how many targets you 
  are trying to hit. You will then make an attack test against each 
  target, with a cumulative -1 penalty to each (-1 for the 1st, -2 
  for the 2nd, etc.) 
  After the attack is resolved, you must make a Firearms test 
  with a difficulty equal to 2 + the number of targets you 
  attempted attacking, to avoid overheating the weapon. On a 
  failed test, you cannot use the weapon again until you spend a 
  turn doing something else while letting the weapon cool. 
  Overheat 
  You hold down the trigger on a target until your weapon 
  overheats. The weapon’s Weapon Rating is increased by +3 for 
  this attack.  
  After overheating, you cannot use the weapon again until 
  you spend a Simple Action doing something else while letting 
  the weapon cool. 
  Suppression Fire 
  Beam weapons may also be used to lay down suppression 
  fire. See page 136 for more on using the Block Action to lay 
  down suppression fire. 
   
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.3/ Log: 17:52-04,23,97] 
  [Jane] – Eyes on target. Anders, I’m sending you 
  my feed. Confirm. 
  [Anders] – Yeah, he matches Malpheus’ image. 
  [Jane] – Hide and ambush me, you little pecker… 
  Let’s see how you like a shredder round through 
  your brain case. 
  [Reagan] – Jane. You said you’d talk to him. 
  [Jane has disconnected] 
  [Reagan] – Damnit! Anders, talk to her. 
  [Anders] – Too late… eww... That guy is very dead. 
   
  
   
  136 
   
  Block Actions 
  When the character’s action is preventative—trying to keep 
  something from happening rather than taking direct action to 
  make something happen—he can attempt to perform a Block 
  Action. He declares what he’s trying to prevent and what Skill 
  he’s using to Block. He then makes a Skill test, subject to any 
  penalties imposed by the GM. The result is the Block Potency. 
  Later in the round, every time another character tries to 
  perform the Blocked Action, the character trying to get past the 
  Block makes a relevant Skill test and compares his Effort to the 
  Block Potency. 
  If the attacker’s Effort meets or exceeds the Block Potency, 
  she successfully overcomes the Block. If it does not, she cannot 
  perform that action—she has been blocked. 
  Attempting to overcome a Block is usually a Simple Action. If 
  you try to overcome it and succeed, though, it is instead 
  treated as a Supplemental Action. 
  Players may declare a Block against almost any sort of action 
  or actions, and may theoretically use any Skill. However, unless 
  the Block is simple and clear, the GM may give penalties based 
  upon how hard the Block would be to pull off or how much of a 
  stretch it would be. Players should never be able to “cover all 
  bases” with a Block. 
  Likewise, a variety of Skills may be appropriate to getting past 
  a Block.  
  For example, an assassin attempts to take the life of a 
  senator’s messenger that Reagan has been contracted to 
  protect. During an ambush, the messenger is wounded. Reagan 
  positions himself over the messenger and tries to hold off the 
  attackers with a mono-edged shortsword. 
  During his turn, Reagan performs a Melee test to set up a 
  Block. He rolls, setting the Block Potency to 4. He positions 
  himself between the messenger and her attacker, focusing his 
  efforts on keeping her safe. 
  Thereafter, any attempt to attack the messenger with a 
  melee weapon requires the assassin to first make a Melee test 
  (Diff: 4) as a Simple Action to overcome Reagan’s Block. If the 
  assassin fails, his Simple Action is wasted and he may try again 
  on his next turn. If he succeeds, the Block is overcome and he 
  may make a Melee attack against the messenger. However, he 
  suffers a -1 penalty because overcoming the Block was 
  considered a Supplemental action. 
  Note that Blocks need not always be physical. It’s entirely 
  possible to attempt to Block somebody from performing an 
  action by talking them out of it, distracting them, or performing 
  any other sort of action that could hamper or stop them. 
  Sample Block Actions 
  Suppression Fire [Firearms] – By spraying weapon fire over 
  an area, you can make it too dangerous for foes to enter. 
  Restrain [Melee or Athletics] – You tackle an opponent, 
  pinning them and holding them in place. 
  Distraction [Guile or Diplomacy] – You draw your foe’s 
  attention by talking to them; begging, threatening, or insulting 
  them to get them to stop what they’re doing. 
  Ignoring A Block 
  In some cases, such as suppression fire, it may actually be 
  possible to ignore a Block. But doing so can be dangerous, and 
  depending on the nature of the Block, the GM may allow the 
  Blocker an Instant Action in response. In the case of 
  suppression fire, that Instant Action might be a free attack. 
  
   
  137 
   
  Diseases and Viruses (Biological & Digital) 
  If a character comes into contact with a dangerous disease, 
  he can suffer damage in the form of physical or even Mental 
  Consequences. The disease or virus should have a rated 
  Potency and a type: Airborne, Contact, or Digital. 
  Upon contact, the disease or virus attacks the character, 
  adding its Potency to the attack test (a simple dice roll, no Skill 
  added). The character defends with his Endurance, or Software 
  Engineering in the case of computer viruses. If the defending 
  character loses, he becomes a carrier. If the defending 
  character is forced to take a Consequence from the disease’s 
  attack, he becomes both a carrier and victim of the disease. 
  Regarding Potency, the common cold may have a rating of 2 
  while some sort of super-potent flesh eating plague could be 
  rated at 10. Computer viruses are rated similarly. 
  An infected character may be attacked repeatedly, suffering 
  additional attacks each day until cured or killed. 
  The GM may rule that a disease can be permanently 
  overcome by generating Spin on a defense test against these 
  attacks. Time spent in a medical facility may allow you to invoke 
  the facility’s Aspect to aid in your recovery. 
  A character with an appropriate Aspect or Stunt may use his 
  Education to aid in the healing process. He rolls his Education 
  against the Potency of the disease. Any Shifts generated are 
  added as a bonus when the victim must next make a defense 
  test against the disease’s or virus’ attack. 
  Medicine and viral cleansing Programs may also add their 
  Equipment Ratings to defense tests. 
  Falling 
  A character who falls from a great height suffers an attack 
  with a bonus determined by the distance fallen. This attack is 
  just a dice roll plus a bonus (found below) since gravity doesn’t 
  have a Skill to test. 
  The character may defend against the attack with Endurance. 
  An Athletics rating of 3 or higher grants a +1 bonus, while an 
  Athletics rating of 5 or higher grants +2. 
  Height 
  Attack Bonus 
  Height                  Attack Bonus 
  Up to 3m 
  +2 
  Up to 150m 
   
  +12 
  Up to 6m 
  +4 
  Up to 300m or more +18 
  Up to 30m 
  +8 
  At heights slightly more than 300m the character will reach 
  terminal velocity. The speed at which he falls will remain fairly 
  constant after this height, so the damage from impact isn’t 
  going to increase if he falls from a higher distance. 
  Note that this assumes standard Earth gravity. Adjustments 
  may need to be made for environments of greater or lower 
  gravity. 
  Likewise, if the character’s descent is somehow slowed, such 
  as by wearing a wingsuit, the GM should drastically reduce the 
  attack bonus used in the attack against the character. Likewise, 
  if the character is moving faster than he normally would from a 
  free fall, the attack bonus might be increased. 
  Armor does not help reduce the stress suffered from falling 
  unless it features a Hydrostatic Gel Layer (pg. 205). 
   
   
   
  
   
  138 
   
  Fire and Environmental Hazards 
  Fire, electricity, radiation, noxious fumes, and other 
  environmental hazards are rated by their Intensity. When they 
  appear, and at the beginning of each round, they make an 
  attack against everyone in the affected zone adding their 
  Intensity rating as a bonus to the attack test. So an attack made 
  by an Intensity 3 Fire is resolved as a simple dice roll + 3 since 
  the fire has no Skill to test. 
  This attack can be defended against with Endurance, but  
  most types of armor are useless, depending on the hazard. 
  Fire Intensity works as the following chart describes, which 
  can also provide examples for similar effects: 
  Intensity Description 
   
  0 
  The zone is on fire, but the fire can be avoided. 
   
  3 
  Almost everything in the zone is on fire, and the heat 
  is pressing in on you in waves. 
   
  6 
  Everything in the zone is on fire, and the flames lick up 
  near you. 
   
  9 
  Inferno. The zone is essentially a massive furnace. 
  It’s also possible to be set on fire directly—like if you are shot 
  with a flamethrower or doused in a flammable liquid and set 
  alight. In this case, you are considered to be in an Intensity 6 
  Fire. 
  While others do not have to worry about taking stress when 
  your character is on fire, it’s very likely that the flames will 
  spread. Every person, zone, or object that is on fire also has the 
  Aspect On Fire! 
   
   
  Full-Auto Weapons 
  Burst Fire 
  You fire your fully automatic weapon in a short burst of 
  bullets. For this attack, the Weapon Rating of the weapon is 
  increased by +3, but you must make a Firearms test (Diff: 2) to 
  avoid running out of ammo.  
  On a failed test, you cannot use the weapon again until you 
  spend a Simple Action reloading or doing something else while 
  letting the weapon cool. 
  Empty the Clip 
  You set the weapon to auto-fire and empty your clip at your 
  target. Your weapon’s Weapon Rating is increased by +5 for this 
  attack. However, this burns through an entire magazine.  
  You cannot use the weapon again until you spend a Simple 
  Action reloading. 
  If the weapon has the High Capacity Aspect, you may invoke 
  this Aspect to perform a Firearms test (Diff: 3) to avoid running 
  out of ammo. 
  Suppression Fire 
  Full-auto weapons may also be used to lay down suppression 
  fire. See page 136 for more on using the Block Action to lay 
  down suppression fire. 
   
   
   
  
   
  139 
   
  Full Defense 
  You may opt to do nothing but protect yourself in a conflict.  
  By using a Simple Action entirely to defend yourself, you gain 
  a +2 bonus on all defense tests until your next turn.  
  If you have not yet acted in the round at the time when you 
  are first attacked, you may declare a Full Defense at that point, 
  foregoing your Simple Action on your turn. 
  Help from Others 
  Many hands make light work. If someone tries to help you 
  accomplish a task, they must make a Skill test using the same 
  Skill as the primary character with a difficulty equal to the 
  primary character’s Skill rank.  
  Success grants the primary character a +1 bonus on his test, 
  while generating Spin grants +2!  
  Failure means you didn’t help. Stall means you actually made 
  things worse, causing the primary character to suffer a -1 
  penalty. 
  The GM is the final arbiter as to how many people can help 
  with a task. 
  Hiding, Shadowing, & Camouflage 
  Hiding 
  When a character is hiding, he’s remaining perfectly still and 
  (hopefully) out of sight. Aspects related to lighting, obstacles, 
  and other environmental factors can affect the player’s Stealth 
  test, which is opposed by a searcher’s Perception.  
  If someone is actively searching for a hidden character, they 
  gain a +2 on the test so long as they have some reason to 
  actually be looking and are taking the time to do a thorough 
  search. When someone is searching for you, assume that they’ll 
  usually do logical things like turn on the lights or otherwise do 
  things that make it more difficult to stay hidden. 
  For example, consider a character hiding in a storeroom. If a 
  guard opens the door, shines a light in, and looks around, he 
  and the hidden character will engage in a Perception vs. Stealth 
  contest. If the guard flips on the lights and starts methodically 
  going through the room, hiding is much, much more difficult 
  because he has both reason and time to search. 
  The good news is that this sort of searching is usually 
  obvious, so when the guard flips on the lights and starts 
  looking, it’s the player’s cue to act now. 
  Most of the bonuses and penalties in these situations come 
  from Aspects, either on the scene or the characters. A dark 
  room with the Dark Aspect can be invoked by the hiding player 
  for a bonus. On the other hand, the moment the guard flips on 
  the lights, that Aspect is gone. 
  Hiding Activity from Monitors: To succeed at performing an 
  action unnoticed by the local Monitor, you must make a Skill 
  test (Diff: 3, usually using Stealth).  
  The area’s Mesh Aspect (pg. 186) may be invoked or 
  compelled to modify this roll. 
  Shadowing 
  Shadowing is the art of moving while trying to remain 
  unnoticed. It uses many of the same rules as Hiding, with 
  Stealth Skill tests (combined with Guile). However, it is 
  somewhat more difficult for obvious reasons. 
  When a character tries to move while remaining unseen, 
  anyone looking for him gains a bonus to see him depending on 
  
   
  140 
   
  how fast he is moving: +4 for normal movement, +6 for a 
  Hustle, or +8 when Running. See page 127 for more on 
  movement. 
  Don’t forget the impact Aspects can have on the situation, 
  though. For example, a heavily crowded street might have the 
  Crowded(P) Aspect, which would certainly help you shadow a 
  person on the move. 
  Characters may also attempt to creep. This is a Maneuver 
  that places the Creeping Aspect on the character, which can be 
  invoked to aid in moving stealthily. This Maneuver doesn’t 
  require a test to place the Aspect, but requires a Supplemental 
  Action taken each turn to maintain it. 
  Camouflage 
  Hardware Engineering (combined with Stealth) can be used 
  to construct blinds and other hiding aids while outdoors. 
  Perform a Hardware Engineering test (Diff: 2) and add any 
  Shifts you generate as a bonus on tests to hide while 
  camouflaged. 
  Constructing camouflage takes roughly an hour. 
  Hold Your Action 
  A character can opt not to act when his turn comes around in 
  the initiative order. He may instead choose to hold his action, 
  delaying until after another character takes his turn. 
  If he holds his turn through the round, he starts the next 
  round at the top of the initiative order. If multiple characters 
  hold through the round, they perform a Strategy contest to 
  determine who goes first. 
   
  Mnemonic Editing 
  While the process takes a few hours, a person trained in 
  Mnemonics can attempt to repair a damaged ego the same way 
  one might debug computer code. This process consists of 
  making changes to the highly complex code that the mind is 
  made of—a potentially dangerous process.  
  Specific memories cannot be targeted for erasure, nor can 
  personality traits simply be removed, but areas that indicate 
  psychological trauma can be isolated and even dampened 
  somewhat. While the memory will remain intact, the resulting 
  traumatic reaction will be lessened. In effect, this is an artificial 
  way of forcing a person to come to terms with an event. 
  In game terms, while the patient is in a deactivated SIM 
  state, his ego can be edited by a person trained in mnemonic 
  editing. To do this, the ego must be hosted on a system 
  outfitted with hostware. 
  The character performs a Mnemonics Skill test against a 
  difficulty set by the type of Consequence he wishes to 
  downgrade. The difficulty for each Consequence is listed below: 
  Consequence  
   Difficulty 
  Mild 
  4 
  Moderate 
  5 
  Severe 
  6 
  Extreme 
  7 
  If the Mnemonics test succeeds, the targeted Consequence is 
  reduced as if it had recovered naturally. See page 123 for more 
  on recovering Consequences. 
  If you fail, nothing happens. The patient’s status does not 
  change. 
  If you Stall, you cause the patient to suffer an amount of 
  mental stress equal to the amount by which you failed. 
  
   
  141 
   
  Out of Ammo, Overheating, & Reloading 
  You are not expected to track every round in a clip or exactly 
  how hot a weapon is getting. At the same time, running out of 
  ammo or overheating a weapon can sometimes be dramatically 
  interesting, especially if you run out just as a swarm of sentry 
  drones comes around the corner. 
  When a character makes an attack with a firearm, he may be 
  firing one round or several. The game mechanics of the attack 
  don’t change, but the description of the attack might vary from 
  round to round. You can also generally assume that characters 
  are attempting to conserve their ammo and reload as needed 
  when they have time. 
  However, should the GM choose, he can have the player 
  perform a Firearms test to see how well he has been paying 
  attention to his ammo consumption or his weapon’s heat 
  buildup.  
  The difficulty of this test is usually 2, but the GM may 
  increase it if he feels you’ve been expending a significant 
  amount of ammo over a short period, or have severely 
  overheated your weapon. 
  On a failed test, the player must spend a Simple Action 
  reloading or doing something else while his weapon cools. 
  For weapons that require physical ammunition, you may 
  reload as a Supplemental Action so long as your Simple Action 
  was not an attack with that weapon and you have an extra unit 
  of ammunition available. 
  For weapons that have overheated, you must spend a turn 
  not firing the weapon. 
   
   
  Poisons and Drugs 
  Poisons and drugs both have two ratings: Potency and 
  Subtlety. 
  The Potency determines how hard it is to resist using 
  Endurance (see below). The Subtlety is the difficulty for any 
  Perception or Education tests to detect or analyze it, either to 
  prevent exposure or to determine the cause of someone’s 
  sudden ailment. Poisons and drugs also need to have a means 
  of application, such as food, gas, or injection. 
  Poisons 
  The first class of poisons is damaging poisons. “Damaging” is 
  used loosely here, as it may be lethal, knock you out, or do any 
  number of other things. 
  Damaging poisons are often fast-acting, found on the blades 
  of enemies and tips of darts. 
  When such a poison is introduced to the body it makes an 
  attack, adding only its Potency (0 for a mild poison, 5 for 
  something very potent) rating to the attack test. No Skill is 
  added. The target may defend with Endurance. 
  This attack occurs at the start of your first turn after 
  exposure. It then repeats every turn until the end of the scene, 
  when it will have run its course. The character can attempt to 
  stop the poison with medical treatment (Education, Diff: 
  Potency + 2), or even something as mundane as inducing 
  vomiting when appropriate. Many damaging poisons stop if the 
  player generates Spin on his defense test. 
  Some damaging poisons are slow-acting and kill over a much 
  longer period of time, but these types are often more 
  appropriate in the background rather than showing up directly 
  in play.  
  
   
  142 
   
  If you want to introduce a slower-acting poison, rather than 
  treating it as a standard attack, make an attack test (adding 
  Potency) once per day. The victim may defend with his 
  Endurance. If the poison’s attack Effort generates Spin, then 
  the victim acquires a Physical Consequence. Regardless of 
  severity, these Consequences cannot be recovered until after 
  the poison is cured.  
  The other class of poisons is special poisons. These are 
  poisons that violate the rules in some way and tend to either 
  leave a beloved NPC in a coma until a very exotic cure is 
  administered, or will kill the person who has been exposed in a 
  fixed period of time, so they must race to find the cure. 
  Alternately, the poison may have killed someone in a very 
  peculiar way and may prove the only clue to the killer’s 
  location. 
  In short, these are poisons that serve no purpose but to 
  motivate the plot. That’s OK! FATE adventures can tolerate a 
  little bit of cliché, but try to keep their use to a minimum. 
  Drugs 
  Rather than damaging their target, drugs put one or more 
  additional Aspects directly on them (as with a Maneuver). Their 
  Potency sets the difficulty against which the subject tests their 
  Endurance. 
  If the subject wins, the symptoms are passing and disappear 
  at the end of the scene. If he loses, though, he immediately 
  gains the Aspects in the drug description. The duration of these 
  effects depends upon the drug. Drugs are specifically different 
  from slow-acting damaging poisons as these Aspects are not 
  Consequences and thus do not push the character closer to 
  being Taken Out. 
  Programming 
  With the aid of an Agent, someone trained in software 
  engineering can quickly create complex computer programs 
  that can be used as tools to perform a variety of tasks. 
  Depending on the complexity of the program, it generally 
  takes between a few minutes and a few hours to build a piece 
  of software capable of helping to overcome a problem. 
  Creating a piece of software is effectively a Maneuver (pg. 
  117). The player should describe the piece of software she 
  wishes to create, and make a Software Engineering Skill test. 
  If successful, as with any Maneuver, an Aspect is created. 
  Generally only the creator can take advantage of this Aspect 
  unless the newly created program is sent to someone else. 
  Keep in mind that computers are secured through the use of 
  dedicated AIs, making it impossible to hack them with anything 
  short of a Savant Program or CIST. The presence of this AI also 
  means that software detected as potentially harmful will be 
  quarantined. As such, it’s very difficult to create a program that 
  can be harmful to someone. The program would have to be 
  sent to the intended foe, who would then need to execute it. It 
  would then have to be deemed safe by the security AI before it 
  would run. These criteria suggest that the likelihood of 
  deploying a hostile program to another is rather limited. 
  Sample programs one might create include: 
  Security Response Time and Tactics Simulator 
  Psych Profile and Facial Response Analysis for David Krieger 
  17GA Tram Rail Structural Analysis and Demolition Simulation 
  Template Writing: It’s possible to create your own compiler 
  templates. First, determine the Cost of the item you intend to 
  create. Writing the template is an Extended Action (pg. 107) 
  using Hardware Engineering. The difficulty is equal to half the 
  Cost of the item (round down, min 2). Each roll takes 4 hours. 
  
   
  143 
   
  Push/Pull/Throw 
  You can attempt to push, pull, or throw your opponent out of 
  the zone you currently occupy. 
  You and the defender engage in a contested Athletics + Size 
  test. If you succeed, the target is pushed, thrown, or pulled into 
  an adjacent zone of your choosing. 
  If you are larger than your target, you may push or throw 
  your victim even farther. The target can be pushed or thrown a 
  number of zones equal to the number of Shifts you generate, to 
  a maximum of the difference between your Size and your 
  victim’s. 
  When pushing or pulling, you may choose to follow your 
  opponent into the zone you are pushing or pulling him into as a 
  Free Action. 
  Purchasing Items 
  When you wish to purchase something, you have a few 
  options. In Coalition space, you can purchase it with your Rep-
  Rating. Outside of Coalition space, or for black market 
  purchases, you must use Assets or request Favors (pg. 147). 
  Purchasing with Assets 
  Outside of Coalition space, or when dealing with the black 
  market, you can purchase things with gold currency or by 
  bartering. 
  When you attempt to purchase goods in this way, you make 
  an Assets test against the Cost of the item you wish to 
  purchase. If you succeed, the item is yours. You were able to 
  scrape together enough gold or find something of suitable 
  value to barter with. 
  If you fail, you may not purchase the item and may not 
  attempt to do so again during the same game session or until 
  your GM determines that enough time has passed for you to 
  juggle your assets. 
  Alternatively, your GM may allow you to go into debt. If you 
  decide that the item is worth going into debt for, you may elect 
  to take a Lasting Aspect (pg. 115) that describes the debt. This 
  Aspect lasts until the debt is paid. 
  The Lasting Aspect should mention who the debt is owed to, 
  and if you Stalled when making your Assets test to purchase the 
  item. The Lasting Aspect should be Persistent. 
  The GM should work with you to define the Aspect, and is 
  the final arbiter on when it goes away. 
  Purchasing with Reputation 
  When you wish to purchase an item or service in Coalition 
  society, instead of exchanging currency for goods, you can 
  simply take the item if your Rep-Rating is high enough. 
  However, each time you do, Inter-Rep’s AIs determine if your 
  claim has a measurable impact on society that is out of 
  proportion to your Rep-Rating. 
  If this is determined to be the case, your Rep-Rating takes a 
  hit. How likely you are to take a hit depends on your current 
  Rep-Rating, the Cost of the item, and your recent acquisition 
  habits. 
  In game terms, when you wish to acquire an item, compare 
  your Rep-Rating to the item’s Cost. 
  Items or services with a Cost less than your Rep-Rating do not 
  require a test. Unless you are attempting to acquire them in 
  bulk, which would equate to a higher Cost, such items do not 
  impact your Rep-Rating. 
  
   
  144 
   
  If the Cost of the item is the same as your Rep-Rating or 
  higher, perform a test by rolling the dice and adding your Rep-
  Rating. Compare the Effort you generate to the Cost of the 
  item.  
  If it is higher, you get the item without suffering a Rep hit.  
  If your Effort is less, you still get the item, but you suffer a hit 
  equal to the difference between your Effort and the item’s 
  Cost. 
  You may not attempt to acquire an item or service with a 
  Cost rating higher than your Rep-Rating x2, though you can try 
  to ask someone with a higher Rep to get it for you as a Favor. 
  See page 147 for more on Favors. 
  Windfalls 
  Sometimes you make the big score, finally earn that big 
  payday, sell off some valuable merchandise, or hit the jackpot. 
  While a permanent increase in wealth is something generally 
  controlled by the player by increasing or decreasing the 
  character’s Assets and Reputation, characters can gain 
  temporary windfalls. 
  Whenever the GM wishes to reward you with a windfall of 
  wealth, he might do so by rewarding you with a Lasting Aspect. 
  This Aspect should describe where the windfall came from 
  and/or what form it takes. 
  As usual, the first time an Aspect is invoked or compelled, it 
  doesn’t cost a Fate Point. 
  Lasting Aspects representing windfalls should only last for 
  two, maybe three, invocations. Huge windfalls might be 
  represented with a Persistent Aspect. In that case, the GM 
  might change it into a regular Aspect after the first few times it 
  is invoked, and then remove it on the fourth or fifth time. 
  Purchasing Options 
  When a character wants something, there are several ways he 
  can get it. Depending on his circumstances and social standing, he 
  generally has the following options: 
  Purchase with Assets – As described on the previous page, you 
  can make an Assets test to barter or exchange gold currency. If you 
  fail, you can go into debt. 
  Purchase With Rep – As described on the previous page, you can 
  acquire goods for free as allowed by your Rep-Rating. An attempt to 
  acquire exceedingly valuable goods can result in a Rep hit. 
  Trade – The simple trading of a specific item for another. 
  Remember that the worth of an item can vary based on several 
  factors, such as whom you are bartering with and what you are 
  offering. If the goods you are offering are of lower Cost, you can 
  sometimes make up the difference with an Assets test. 
  For example, you might offer to trade a Light PAc Pistol (Cost 5) 
  for a Heavy Coil PDW (Cost 7). In this case, in addition to the 
  exchange, you’d need to make an Assets test. The difficulty of this 
  test is equal to the difference between the Cost of the items, x2. In 
  the example above, you’d make the exchange and attempt an 
  Assets test (Diff: 4). 
  If your item is worth more than the one you are trading for, you 
  might gain a windfall. 
  Favors – Two types of favors exist. The first is an informal favor 
  that requires no game mechanics; it’s just an agreement between 
  two or more characters. 
  The second uses the Favor rules (pg. 147) and consists of pinging 
  your social network in search of someone willing to help you, based 
  purely upon your contacts in your virtual communities. 
  Contracts – These are common when working with the Houses or 
  apostate companies, and are simply ways to make an informal favor 
  more official. Like other informal favors, no game mechanics are 
  needed. 
  
   
  145 
   
  Rep-Ratings (Tracking & Using Reputation) 
  The Coalition employs a complex system of Reputation 
  tracking that is used in lieu of a traditional economy. 
  This simplified and abstracted version of the Coalition’s 
  system is used to track the Rep-Rating of your characters. It is 
  not as complex as the system that exists in the game world, but 
  this is a game and it doesn’t need to be. 
  Tracking Rep 
  Your Reputation is recorded on a track like the one shown 
  below, which shows a Reputation Track in which the character 
  has a Rep-Rating of 4 and has gained 6 boxes worth of bumps. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The boxes represent incremental changes in your Rep-Rating. 
  When you get a Rep bump, place a number of marks equal to 
  the Value of the bump, starting in the box designated as the 
  starting point, continuing around in a clockwise fashion. 
  Additional bumps are added starting in the next free space. 
  If you fill the wheel with bumps, increase your Rep-Rating by 
  1, erase all your marks, and continue placing marks around the 
  track. 
  For example, if your track looks like this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  …and you get a bump of with a Value of 5, your track should 
  now look like this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  4 
  4 
  5 
  
   
  146 
   
  If you take a hit, erase a number of the marks you’ve made 
  equal to the Value of the hit you took, working counter 
  clockwise, starting with the marked box farthest along the 
  track. 
  For example, if your track looks like this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  …and you suffer a hit with a Value of 3, your track should 
  now look like this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If hits cause you to erase all of your marks, reduce your Rep-
  Rating by 1. Then refill your Reputation Track, leaving only 
  enough boxes unchecked to account for your hits. 
  So, if your track looks like this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  …and you suffer a hit of 5, your track should now look like 
  this… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  6 
  6 
  7 
  6 
  
   
  147 
   
  Hits and Bumps 
  Your Rep-Rating goes up and down based on how people rate 
  you. 
  When a person wishes to rate you, they may do so by 
  submitting their rating to the CCRP. This is generally a trivially 
  simple matter, though it costs a small amount of one’s own Rep 
  to do so. 
  Upon encountering a person, your AR display device will 
  generally display their identity by pinging their CID. Generally 
  this takes less than a second, and their profile appears as an 
  ARO floating near their head. 
  If you wish to rate them, you can do so using your standard 
  AR interface. 
  When rating someone, giving them a bump or hit, your own 
  Reputation takes a hit of 1. 
  The Rep-Rating belonging to the person you are rating takes 
  a bump or hit with a Value up to your Rep-Rating. You may 
  choose to give a smaller bump or hit, withholding a small 
  amount to ensure positive interactions in the future. 
  This is done anonymously, but someone paying close 
  attention to their Rep can usually figure out who rated them 
  and by how much. 
  So if you wish to give a friendly clerk a bump, and your Rep-
  Rating is 5, you suffer a hit of 1 and the clerk gains a bump from 
  1 to 5. If you give him the largest bump you can (5), and your 
  Rep-Rating later increases to 6, you could go back and give him 
  another bump of 1. 
  You can change your rating of a person at any time. If you 
  bump someone and they later offend you, you can turn your 
  bump into a hit. 
  No matter how many bumps you receive, your Rep-Rating 
  may never exceed 11. 
  Fame and Infamy 
  Whether by writing a popular template, becoming a well-
  known sensie star, or any number of other deeds, it’s possible 
  for a character to gain some measure of fame. 
  Fame generally comes from gaining renown in a specific 
  network, usually from fans of your work, and is best 
  represented with the Fame Stunt (pg. 171). You can also 
  become well known for your work sponsoring a specific 
  agenda. This is best represented with the Agenda Celebrity 
  Stunt (pg. 168). 
  Infamy, on the other hand, can be reflected in both your Rep-
  Rating and in the form of Lasting Aspects. 
  Favors 
  When your Rep-Rating or your personal assets are not 
  enough to get you what you need, you can request a Favor of 
  those in your personal network. 
  By putting out a call for aid across your various physical and 
  virtual social networks, you can attempt to gain assistance. 
  To do this, the GM must first determine the Value of the 
  Favor. If you are attempting to acquire an item, the Value of 
  the Favor equals half the Cost of the item, rounded up. Favors 
  that require work on the part of others can vary in Value. 
  Things like the amount of time, personal expense, and potential 
  Rep impact the person must take on to grant the favor should 
  all be considered. 
  Once you know the Value of the Favor, perform a relevant 
  Networking Skill test against a difficulty equal to its Value. The 
  results differ depending on whether you use House Networking 
  or Apostate Networking. 
   
  
   
  148 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  House Networking and Favors 
  If you succeed on the Networking test, you suffer a hit to 
  your Rep-Rating with a Value of 1, and the Favor is granted by 
  someone in your physical or virtual social circle. 
  If you fail, you get to make a choice. You can choose to be 
  granted the Favor and suffer a hit to your Rep-Rating with a 
  Value equal to the Value of the Favor. Otherwise, you may 
  choose to withdraw the Favor request, suffering only a Value 1 
  Rep hit in exchange for wasting everyone’s time. 
  If you Stall, the Favor is not granted. And in asking, you have 
  appeared greedy or arrogant to your social networking circles. 
  You suffer a hit to your Rep-Rating equal to the Value of the 
  Favor. In addition, you may obtain a Lasting Aspect that reflects 
  your network’s current negative opinion of you. This Aspect 
  should last no more than about a week. 
  Apostate Networking and Favors 
  If you succeed on the Networking test, you are granted the 
  Favor and gain a Lasting Aspect of Tapped My Network. This 
  Aspect lasts about a week. 
  If you fail, you get to make a choice. You can choose to be 
  granted the Favor and gain a Lasting Aspect of Tapped Out My 
  Network(P) that lasts for about a month. Otherwise, you may 
  choose to withdraw the Favor request, suffering only the 
  Tapped My Network Aspect for about a week. 
  If you Stall, the Favor is not granted. And in asking, you have 
  appeared greedy or arrogant to your social networking circles. 
  You gain both the My Tapped Out My Network(P) Aspect, and 
  an Aspect called Social Pariah. Both of these Aspects last for 
  about a month. 
  Further failures do not grant additional Aspects, but prolong 
  the duration of these Aspects. These Aspects should be 
  compelled whenever you attempt to use your Apostate 
  Networking Skill to ask for Favors or otherwise request things 
  of your apostate associates. 
  Sample Favors 
   Favor Value Rating  
  Sample Favor 
  1/2 Item’s Cost 
  Acquire or fabricate an item with a Cost 
  too high for you to fabricate (delivery 
  may be a separate Favor) 
  (1/2 Item’s Cost) +3 
  Acquire a restricted item (delivery may 
  be a separate Favor) 
   
  3 
  Find basic details about, or the location 
  of, a typical Coalition citizen 
   
  3 
  Deliver an item you already own to a 
  location on the same planet 
   
  4 
  Find basic details about, or the location 
  of, a typical apostate citizen 
   
  5 
  Find basic details about, or the location 
  of, a criminal or citizen in hiding 
   
  6 
  Deliver a restricted item you already own 
  to a location on the same planet 
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.4/ 02:21-04,01,97] 
  [Jane] – Getting our gear past security isn’t 
  going to be easy.  
  [Malpheus] – Give me a minute to pluck some 
  strings. 
  [Malpheus] – Done. Someone called Argon is 
  going to slip you through in exchange for a 
  recommendation for work with another party. 
  [Reagan] – Who are you recommending him to? 
  [Malpheus] – Another party. Don’t ask questions 
  you don’t want answers to. 
   
  
   
  149 
   
  Repairs 
  Given the right tools and enough time, Hardware Engineering 
  can be used to repair damaged gear. Repair is generally 
  handled as an Extended Action, taking 4 hours per test against 
  a difficulty equal to half the Item’s Cost. The GM may decide to 
  increase or decrease these factors as dictated by the campaign. 
  Some complex items, such as vehicles, may have their own 
  Stress Tracks. To repair such an item, you must remove its 
  Consequences.  
  Removing Consequences from an item works exactly like it 
  does for a character (pg. 124), except you must perform a 
  Hardware Engineering test to repair the item’s damage.  
  The amount of time required to repair a Consequence and 
  the difficulty of the Engineering test are described below. 
  Consequence 
  Time Required  
  Difficulty 
  Mild 
   
  1 day 
   
  2 + Item’s Size 
  Moderate 
  1 week 
   
  3 + Item’s Size 
  Severe  
  2 weeks 
   
  4 + Item’s Size 
  Extreme  
  1 month 
   
  5 + Item’s Size 
  If you fail to meet the required difficulty, take note of the 
  amount by which you failed. You have the option to make up 
  the difference by purchasing some replacement parts or hiring 
  a professional to complete the job. 
  The Cost of the parts is equal to the amount by which you 
  failed the Engineering test to make the repairs. 
  For example, if you fail on your test and miss the difficulty by 
  4, you may make up the difference by acquiring the necessary 
  parts or labor at a Cost of 4. 
   
   
  Resleeving, Forking, & Merging 
  When you resleeve or become a SIM, you suffer a mental 
  attack with an Edge rating of 8. You may defend with your 
  Cohesion and the mnemonics engineer overseeing the 
  procedure can attempt to aid you (pg. 139). 
  The Cost of resleeving is factored into the cost of the new 
  sleeve. If you are not resleeving, and intend instead to exist as a 
  SIM, the Cost of this service depends on your insurance policy 
  (pg. 211). 
  Modifiers 
  • SIMs and characters in a cybersleeve have either the SIM 
  State(P) or Synthetic Biology(P) Aspect. These Aspects 
  represent minds prone to fragmentation and should be 
  compelled during resleeving. 
  • If this is the first time you have ever resleeved, the Edge of 
  the attack is increased by +2. 
  • If you are resleeving from your mnemonic core after being 
  killed, and you remember dying, the Edge of the attack is 
  increased by +2. 
  • If you resleeve into a clone of your last biosleeve, or the 
  exact same model of cybersleeve, you gain a +2 bonus on 
  your defense test. 
  Forking 
  Forking is a term for creating a copy of an ego and allowing it 
  to live while another copy runs free. While one would assume 
  this would be incredibly useful, it has some pretty major 
  downsides. 
  The first downside is that forking is psychologically damaging. 
  When you make an exact copy of yourself, you are in effect 
  making yourself unnecessary. The copy can do everything you 
  
   
  150 
   
  can do. It can perform the same jobs, create the same art, and 
  has the same relationships. Any sense of being special in any 
  way is stripped from you. You are obsolete. 
  Additionally, it is not uncommon for a fork to react to the 
  original with aggression, even going so far as trying to kill the 
  original to preserve itself and/or achieve status as an individual. 
  Learning that you have been forked causes you to suffer a 
  mental attack with an Edge rating of +4. 
  Forking is also highly illegal, listed in the Humanity 
  Preservation Act as a crime punishable by death and erasure. In 
  a universe where copying a person’s mind is possible, 
  individuality is their most prized possession. Knowingly taking 
  part in the intentional forking of another ego, or allowing it to 
  be done to you, is considered a deplorable act by all but the 
  most extreme posthumans. 
  Merging 
  In some cases, such as when you have been forked or if you 
  are restored from backup and later find your intact mnemonic 
  core, you can attempt to merge the multiple instances of your 
  ego into a single cohesive whole. 
  Merging requires the use of a resurrection chamber. Once 
  the process is completed, you will be able to remember 
  everything that has happened to all of the merged instances. 
  However, merging is often psychologically damaging. When 
  merging, you suffer a mental attack with an Edge equal to the 
  total number of instances being merged together, plus a 
  trauma bonus. 
  The trauma bonus is determined by the worst Mental 
  Consequence any of the instances is currently suffering. If the 
  worst Consequence any instance has is a Mild Consequence, 
  the trauma bonus is +4; a Moderate Consequence results in +6; 
  Severe results in +8; Extreme results in +10. 
  Unrecoverable Backups 
  In some cases, such as due to trauma, excessive resleeving, 
  or simple madness, the mnemonics engineer in charge of the 
  resurrection chamber or SIM server may deem an ego unfit for 
  resleeving or restoration. 
  Depending on the severity of the issue, he might prescribe 
  mnemonic editing to attempt to repair the damage, or he might 
  declare the ego unrecoverable and refuse to sleeve it. 
  In game terms, if a character has suffered a Severe Mental 
  Consequence, 
  the 
  mnemonics 
  engineer 
  will 
  prescribe 
  mnemonic editing. 
  If 
  the 
  character 
  has 
  suffered 
  an 
  Extreme 
  Mental 
  Consequence, or has been mentally Taken Out, he will refuse to 
  resleeve the ego. 
  Forks in Your Campaign 
  Just because it violates the Humanity Preservation Act doesn’t 
  mean that it can’t happen. So what happens when a PC makes a 
  copy of themself? 
  A forked PC can be handled in one of several ways depending on 
  the desires of the player and the GM. 
  One option, easily the most difficult to manage as the GM, is to 
  let the player play all copies of his character at the same time. 
  While this may feel like the most realistic option for the player, it 
  can become difficult to manage multiple instances of a character. 
  Optionally, the player can pick one version of his character to 
  play, and the others become NPCs under the control of the GM. If 
  the copy is going to hang around for a while, though, it may be a 
  good idea to represent the copy through a Lasting Aspect. 
  Just remember that a forked copy is not a slave. It has all the 
  wants and desires of the original, including a desire to be in charge 
  of his own life. 
  
   
  151 
   
  Size and Weight 
  Living creatures and inanimate objects come in all 
  shapes and sizes. The following table can be used as a 
  guide to assigning a Size category. 
  Lifting Things 
  To determine a character’s lift capacity, multiply the 
  weight associated with his Size by his Athletics. For 
  example, if a normal human (Size 0) has an Athletics of 
  2, his lift capacity is 100 kg. This means he can lift and 
  move 100 kg without the need to perform an Athletics 
  test. 
  If your character’s Athletics is 0, reduce his lift 
  capacity by half. 
  The default difficulty to lift an item that weighs up to 
  150% of your lift capacity is equal to your Athletics +2. 
  To lift an item that weighs up to double your lift 
  capacity, the difficulty of the Athletics test is equal to your 
  Athletics +4. 
   You may not lift more than double your lift capacity. 
  Carrying Things 
  When a character carries something heavy, he is considered 
  to be taking a Supplemental Action. The penalty for this 
  Supplemental Action is -1 if the weight carried is half or less 
  than his lift capacity. If it is more than half his lift capacity, he 
  suffers a -2 penalty. If it is more than his lift capacity, up to a 
  maximum of double, he suffers a -3. 
   
   
  Taking Aim 
  This is a common Maneuver used to set up a careful shot 
  using a ranged weapon. 
  The character must spend a Simple Action watching his target 
  and succeed on a Perception test (Diff: 2) to place the In My 
  Sights Aspect on his would-be victim. 
  If successful, he may invoke that Aspect for free on his next 
  turn. However, this Temporary Aspect is very fragile, and the 
  GM may call for him to perform another test to replace it every 
  few rounds if the target is moving around a lot. 
  Also, the GM should consider increasing the difficulty for 
  certain factors such as extreme distance, rain, fog, erratic 
  movements, shooting from an unstable position, and so on. 
          Size 
  Rating 
   
  Objects 
   
  Weight 
  Zones 
  Number 
  of People 
   
  -4 
  -3 
  -2 
  -1 
  0 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  Bacterium 
  Grasshopper 
  Baseball 
  Human Child 
  Adult Human 
  Large Motorcycle 
  Elephant 
  Tank 
  Large House 
  Aircraft Carrier 
  Space Station 
  City 
  Large Island 
  Small Country 
  Planetoid 
  .5g 
  5g 
  .5kg 
  5kg 
  50kg 
  500kg 
  5000kg 
  50,000kg 
  half mil kg 
  5 mil kg 
  50 mil kg 
  500 mil kg 
  5 bil kg 
  50 bil kg 
  half tril kg 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  1 
  4 
  16 
  50 
  250 
  1000 
  4000 
  16,000 
  64,000 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  <1 
  1 
  4 
  16 
  50 
  250 
  1000 
  4000 
  16,000 
  50,000 
  250,000 
  1 mil 
   
  
   
  152 
   
  Taking Cover 
  A character may take cover behind objects within the same 
  zone as a Free Action. This is a good idea when you are about 
  to come under heavy enemy fire. 
  There are two types of cover: light cover and hard cover. 
  Light cover represents being hidden behind objects that may 
  deflect incoming projectiles, but not necessarily stop them. It 
  may also mean the character is behind hard cover, but only a 
  portion of his body is covered. This includes hiding in or behind 
  dense foliage, furniture, alcoves in walls, concrete pillars, and 
  so on. Moving behind such cover is a Free Action to perform a 
  Maneuver that grants the character the Aspect Behind Light 
  Cover. This Maneuver does not require a Skill test. 
  Hard cover is something that will stop most types of 
  projectiles, like lattice-carbonite plates, reinforced walls, and so 
  on. In this case, the Maneuver grants the Aspect Behind Hard 
  Cover(P). Since this is a Persistent Aspect it can be invoked for 
  free for a bonus or reroll. If the GM allows, the player may 
  spend a Fate Point to invoke it to Declare, “I can’t be hit behind 
  this.” In such a case, he would be protected from attacks as 
  long as he stays behind cover or until the attacking enemy 
  moves to attack from a different location. 
  Time 
  When a character takes an action, it is expected to take a 
  certain amount of time, ranging from a few moments to a few 
  days. Sometimes characters need to take longer to do 
  something or want to do something a little faster. 
  When generating Spin on some tests, the GM may reduce the 
  time required to perform the action by one increment. 
  Vacuum 
  Exposure to vacuum is the same as any other Hazard (pg. 
  138). It has an Intensity of 6, and can be defended against with 
  Endurance.  
  Vacuum Suits (pg. 204) can allow you to go for extended 
  periods of time in a vacuum safely. 
  Cybersleeves are immune to the harmful effects of vacuum. 
  Zero Gravity 
  Zero-gravity environments have a Persistent Aspect of Zero-
  G(P) which can be invoked or compelled to affect all characters 
  in the zone. 
   
   
  Time Increments 
  Rating 
  0 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  11 
  Time Increment 
  Instant 
  A Round (around 3 sec.) 
  A Scene (around 5 min.) 
  An Hour 
  A Day 
  A Week 
  A Month 
  Three Months 
  A Year 
  Three Years 
  A Decade 
  Forever 
  
   
  153 
   
  Zones 
  When setting the scene for a conflict, the GM should 
  thoroughly describe the area and explain what and where the 
  zones are. 
  For conflict scenes taking place in complex environments, it 
  can be very beneficial to show the players a map of the area 
  with the zones clearly labeled. 
  Characters in the same zone are in hand-to-hand combat 
  range. They can punch, grapple, and stab with ease. 
  Characters in adjacent zones can make good targets for 
  thrown objects or short-range shots from ranged weapons. 
  Characters five to ten zones apart are often at the limit of 
  effective weapon range—dozens to hundreds of yards. 
  This is deliberately abstract and involves some bending of 
  space. Maps made for a good fight should be kept simple. 
  It’s a good idea to just lay a piece of paper (or a white board!) 
  down in the middle of the playing area and then sketch the 
  basic map. When a few terrain elements have been drawn, it 
  should become obvious how to divide the map into zones and 
  apply scene Aspects. 
  Avoid strictly laying out a grid unless the area is relatively 
  featureless, such as an open desert or field of snow. The zone 
  system works best with non-orthogonal layouts. Zones should 
  not only represent loose distances but also represent the 
  relationships between space and ease of travel. Zones in wide-
  open spaces can be big, for example, while zones in a 
  spacecraft or building can be much smaller: the individual 
  rooms, with their walls as boundaries. A long straight corridor 
  can reasonably be a single zone. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  ZONE 
  ASPECTS 
  Entry Hall 
  Welcome Desk, Comfortable Chairs 
  Hall #1 
  Laser Motion Tracking System 
  Hall #2 (Door Locked) Stale Air and Silence, Nanoswarm 
  Sensor System 
  Conference Room 
  Faux-Oak 
  Conference 
  Table, 
  Telecomm Hardware 
  Fab Lab 
  Strewn with Memory Modules and 
  Discarded Prototypes 
  VR Lab 
  Comfortable Recliners and Nutrient 
  Feeds 
  Storage 
  Scattered Containers 
  Security Station 
  Security Desk, Alarm Panel 
  Stairs 
  They go up! 
  
   
  154 
   
  CHAPTER 5 – CHARACTERS 
   
  
   
  155 
   
  CHARACTER CREATION 
  The Character Concept 
  Hopefully by this point you have at least skimmed the 
  material presented earlier in this book that details the Nova 
  Praxis setting. If you haven’t, you should do so. You’ll need to 
  have at least a basic understanding of the setting to effectively 
  develop an idea for the type of character you want to play. 
  This chapter will guide you through character creation, a 
  process with eight major steps. But before you get started on 
  those, there is one step you must complete first: Step 0, if you 
  will. 
  The very first thing you must do before diving into character 
  creation is to develop your character’s overarching concept. 
  Nova Praxis is written assuming that your character will be a 
  member of a crew that is involved, at least tangentially, in the 
  Shadow War between the Houses. You’ll want to talk to the 
  other players to see what sort of crew your characters will be a 
  part of, and to determine what each character’s roles and 
  responsibilities in the group will be. The last thing you want is 
  every player trying to fill the same character concept, so talk it 
  out and make sure you can develop a good team dynamic. 
  Of course, the Nova Praxis setting is a large one, and there 
  are plenty of other ways to play. Perhaps your characters are 
  Centurions working undercover to bust an ascension cult. 
  Maybe your characters are the ascension cult. 
  Whatever the case, chances are that your group will have at 
  least two or three other PCs, and you will need to know how 
  your character relates to both the Nova Praxis setting and the 
  other PCs. 
  Unlike Aspects, the character concept doesn’t have a 
  function as part of the game’s mechanics. It just exists to help 
  you solidify your ideas. 
  The sample characters starting on page 162 are good 
  examples of character concepts, but here are a few more 
  examples: 
  Sample Character Concepts 
  Former Centurion Combat Pilot 
  Sexually Ambiguous Sensie Star 
  High Profile HPA Abolitionist 
  Muscle for the Rings of Olympus 
  High Strung Ex-Purifier 
  Black Market Mnemonics Engineer 
  Once you’ve got a basic idea of your character’s concept and 
  what you’d like him or her (or it!) to be good at, you can start 
  working through the basic steps of character creation listed 
  below: 
  Step 1 – Select five Aspects for your character, each 
  corresponding to a letter on the Aspect Alphabet. 
  Step 2 – Determine your starting State. Will you be Pure, 
  Apotheosized, or a SIM? 
  Step 3 – Pick your Skill set, and determine what rank you have 
  in each Skill. 
  Step 4 – Select Stunts. Your character begins the game with 
  three Stunts. 
  Step 5 – Determine your allegiance: House or Apostate? 
  Step 6 – Determine your starting Rep-Rating. 
  Step 7 – Select the free equipment you begin the game with, 
  and purchase more if desired. 
  Step 8 – Determine how many stress boxes you have on each 
  Stress Track. 
  
   
  156 
   
  Step #1 – Select Aspects 
  Aspects are used to describe important aspects of your 
  character, and should describe parts of your character that you 
  wish to be relevant to the campaign. 
  An Aspect, whether a phrase or a quote, should always 
  consist of at least three to eight words. You don’t want it to be 
  overly simple, but at the same time, you don’t want it to be 
  overly wordy. After all, you’ll be calling out your Aspects in 
  play—a mouthful of an Aspect may grow tiresome quickly. 
  Characters get 5 Aspects, each of which should be a balance 
  of both positive and negative whenever possible. They should 
  work as both a way for your character to excel at his niche, and 
  suffer in ways you find interesting and character-defining. 
  While not required, it is recommended (especially for new 
  players) to use the Aspect Alphabet technique. 
  The Aspect Alphabet uses each of the first five letters of the 
  alphabet to define a specific type of Aspect. This technique, and 
  the types of Aspects it suggests, are used to help produce 
  believable and well-rounded characters that have goals, 
  methods of reaching those goals, and reasons for not having 
  already reached them. 
  One more word of advice: remember the rules for scopes on 
  page 110. These rules state that more than one of the same 
  type of Aspect cannot be invoked at the same time. Keep that 
  in mind when selecting Aspects. Having multiple Aspects that 
  basically say the same thing about your character isn’t useful. 
  If, for example, you have three Aspects that could reasonably 
  be invoked to help your character on Guile tests to bargain for 
  good prices, you may still only invoke one. Because of this, it’s 
  better to be sure your Aspects don’t all share the same focus. 
  The Aspect Alphabet 
  “A” is for “Ambition” – What are your goals? What drives you 
  to put your life, reputation, and sanity on the line? 
  • “I'll make captain one day!" 
  • Obsessed with Becoming a Sensie Star 
  • Walking the Long Road to Ascension 
   “B” is for “Belief” – What do you believe in? What 
  philosophies guide your actions and make you the person 
  you are? 
  • “A SIM isn’t human. It’s just delusional software.” 
  • “I’d lay down my life for the Coalition.” 
  • Suspicious of Technology and the Horrors it Can Unleash 
  “C” is for “Connection” – What person, place, or event still 
  plays a large role in your life? Is there someone you can 
  always depend on? Was there an event in your life that 
  made you who you are? 
  • Grew up on the Streets of Olympus 
  • Trained by Targe Gamarrol, Praetorian of House Tsarya 
  • “I saw the technophage with my own eyes!” 
  “D” is for “Disadvantage” – Why haven’t you achieved your 
  goals already? What weaknesses, addictions, compulsions, 
  or challenges stand in your way? 
  • Soft Spot for the Damsel in Distress 
  • “Never mind the apostates. They’re expendable.” 
  • Crippling Fear of Space Travel 
   “E” is for “Expertise” – What are you good at? How do you go 
  about overcoming obstacles? In a broad sense, what 
  methods do you employ to succeed in life? 
  • Smuggler with a Heart of Gold 
  • “I’ve never met a system I couldn’t crack.” 
  •  Silver-Tongued Devil Always Gets His Way 
  
   
  157 
   
  Step #2 – Determine Your Starting State 
  Characters begin play either as Pure human, Sleeved, or as a 
  substrate-independent mind (SIM). Choose which your 
  character will be. 
  Keep in mind that it is possible to change states during play. 
  A Pure character can purchase the Apotheosis Augmentation 
  (pg. 218). Once you have undergone Apotheosis, you can 
  change between Sleeved and SIM states via a resurrection 
  chamber (pg. 149). However, you can never go back to being 
  Pure. 
  Should you change states, you automatically lose the State 
  Benefits of your previous state and gain the State Benefits of 
  your new state. 
  Pure 
  Pure characters still inhabit the body they were born with. 
  They have not undergone Apotheosis, though they may still 
  have any number of Augmentations, both bioware and 
  cyberware. 
  State Benefits: You have 8 Skill Ranks to distribute among the 
  Athletics, Endurance, and Perception Skills (max rank in a single 
  Skill is 5). You also gain an additional Aspect that must be used 
  to describe some physical trait related to your body. 
  Your Refresh Rating is increased by +2. 
  You also gain the Carpe Diem (pg. 169) Stunt, and may 
  increase your rating in any one non-Physical Skill by +1. You 
  may not use this bonus to increase a Skill rank above 5. 
  You lose all State Benefits of being Pure (including the Skill 
  bonus) if you take the Apotheosis Augmentation (pg. 218). 
   
   
  SIM 
  The substrate-independent mind (SIM) has undergone 
  Apotheosis, but has elected to reside in a host computer 
  system purely as software instead of downloading into a sleeve. 
  The Coalition allows registered SIM citizens to make use of 
  the mesh’s sensors, allowing them to view the real world via 
  unsecured mesh sensors. There are restrictions, however, 
  imposed by the Humanity Preservation Act. 
  You may only view the world from one mesh at a time, and it 
  takes about five minutes to transition from one mesh to 
  another. Alternatively you may shift your perspective from 
  sensor to sensor within the same mesh at a pace roughly 
  equivalent to a running human. This allows you to “walk” along 
  with people in the real world. 
  State Benefits: You have 7 Skill Ranks to distribute among 
  Athletics, Endurance, and Perception Skills. (The max rank in a 
  single Skill is 5). While you obviously do not have a physical 
  body, these Skills allow you to interact with virtual objects. 
  You gain the SIM State (pg. 176) Stunt and one of the 
  following Stunts for free: Digitally Evolved, Digital Spider, Drone 
  Jock, Infusion, Skilled (SINC), or System Slip. 
  Sleeved 
  You have undergone Apotheosis, and inhabit a sleeve. It may 
  be the body you were born with, transformed via Apotheosis, 
  or one you’ve purchased. 
  State Benefits: You begin play with a biosleeve or 
  cybersleeve with a Cost no greater than the higher of your 
  Assets or Rep-Rating, +4.  
  Later steps in the character creation process will guide you 
  through determining your Assets and Rep-Rating. 
  See page 213 for more on sleeves.  
   
   
  
   
  158 
   
   
  Playing a SIM 
  The Home Environment 
  SIMs spend most of their time in their home environment. This 
  environment is a part of them, and they take it with them from 
  host to host. It can vary from SIM to SIM, but usually consists of a 
  multi-room apartment in which physical actions result in program 
  executions. For example, a SIM's Agent may appear as a real 
  person or a pet. Walking through a door may launch a mapping 
  program, appearing to you as a model of the city sitting on a table 
  in the room. Physical action is not a necessity, but it helps keep 
  the SIM cohesive. By emulating real-world environments and 
  physics, the SIM is better able to maintain his humanity. 
  Other SIMs can visit your home environment, and non-SIMs can 
  jack into it like any other virtuality. Of course, they need your 
  permission and you still have dominion over your home 
  environment. See page 132 for more about what it means to have 
  dominion over a virtual environment. 
  Lag 
  You may suffer penalties due to lag on Skill tests when acting 
  through machines located a great distance from the machine you 
  are hosted on. 
  If you are hosted on a local machine (within one thousand km), 
  you do not suffer a penalty. If you are hosted farther away, but 
  within the same star system, you only suffer a -2 penalty. When 
  working through machines located outside of the star system 
  within which you are currently hosted, you suffer a -4 penalty. 
  Physical Stress 
  Most virtualities have a safety feature that kicks you out of the 
  virtuality if you suffer a Consequence. In the case of a SIM, they 
  are sent back to their home environment. 
   
   
   
  Hosting 
  A SIM may jump from one host system to another, taking his 
  home environment with him. If the host system is open to 
  accepting him, no Skill test is required and the process takes 
  about 10 minutes to upload to a new host within 1000 km. It 
  takes an hour to upload to a new host in the same star system but 
  more than 1000 km away, or about four hours for an out-of-
  system host. 
  To be hosted on a system that’s normally closed to you, you 
  must gain entry using the Eminent Domain Savant Program. 
  Interaction with the Real World 
  Because SIMs have no body, they can only interact with the real 
  world via digital interfaces. 
  Viewing the physical world is done through sensors. If you are 
  hosted on a SIM-cell module, you can see the world through the 
  eyes of your host. If using mesh sensors, you can see and hear 
  anything visible or audible to them. How much of an area is visible 
  to the local mesh is described via Mesh Aspects (pg. 186). 
  For physical interaction, you need to rely on the use of a drone. 
  The Puppeteer Savant Program makes this much easier, but any 
  SIM can issue commands to a drone they own. 
  SIMs often interact with the world through a technique called 
  ghosting. Local mesh sensors can create a high-quality 3D map of 
  the area, which can be used to provide the SIM with a realistic 
  point of view. 
  Thus, the SIM can walk around and talk with anyone wearing an 
  AR interface device, and the SIM can view the world from that 
  point of view. 
  SIMs that are ghosting make use of public mesh access 
  privileges, and in doing so are required to appear as an ARO to 
  anyone nearby. The Humanity Preservation Act insures that SIMs 
  are not allowed to walk around the physical world as invisible 
  ghosts; they must be visible as semi-transparent entities. 
  
   
  159 
   
  Step #3 – Distribute Skill Ranks 
  Skill Sets 
  Select one of the Skill Sets listed below. The set you select 
  determines the number of Skills you have at each rank. 
  Skills you do not place ranks into default to a rating of 0. 
  Specialist 
  One Rank 5 
  Two Rank 4 
  Two Rank 3 
  Three Rank 2 
  Six Rank 1 
  Expert 
  Three Rank 4 
  Three Rank 3 
  Four Rank 2 
  Six Rank 1 
  Generalist 
  Seven Rank 3 
  Eight Rank 2 
  Three Rank 1 
  Skills 
  Assets – The general measure of your wealth, be it a stash of 
  gold, valuable art, ownership of land, a habitat, a vehicle, and 
  so on. Assets determines how many restricted items you can 
  begin play with, and is used to buy black market goods. 
  Cohesion – Your mental stability and sense of self. It’s the 
  ability to deal with psychological trauma, retain your 
  humanity, and recover from resurrection. Adds to your Mental 
  Stress Track. 
  Demolitions – The ability to use explosives, such as grenades or 
  satchel charges, both in combat and to demolish structures. 
  Diplomacy – The ability to talk with people in a friendly fashion, 
  make a good impression, and perhaps convince others to see 
  your side of things in a dispute or debate. 
  Education – Education measures “book learning.” It covers 
  history, science, geography, literature, sociology, government, 
  physics, math, and other academic fields of study. 
  Engineering, Hardware (H.Eng) – The understanding of how 
  machinery works, for the purposes of operating it, building it, 
  repairing it, and taking it apart. 
  Engineering, Software (S.Eng) – Your understanding of how 
  human-written computer software works, both in how to 
  write code and manipulate existing software. Programs can be 
  written to aid characters in the form of Maneuvers (pg. 117), 
  but cannot bypass another system’s security. This Skill is also 
  used to operate CISTs (pg. 208). 
  Firearms – Your capacity to use projectile weapons, be they 
  railguns, coil guns, particle accelerators, or heavy artillery such 
  as cannons or vehicular weaponry. 
  Guile – The ability to lie, con, seduce, or bluff. Also the ability to 
  haggle for a good deal. 
  Insight - Mental reflexes or “common sense.” It is used to make 
  quick and accurate decisions based on unexpected or 
  incomplete information. It is also used to intuit other’s 
  emotions. 
  Intimidation – The ability to force others to do as you wish 
  through threat of force; also used to torture others for 
  information. 
  Melee – The understanding of how to use your body as a 
  weapon, or how to use handheld melee weapons. 
  Mnemonics – The understanding of software minds, both 
  human egos and AIs. You can perform mnemonic editing on 
  an ego, and aid in resleeving, merging, and forking. 
  Networking, Apostate (A.Net) – The quality and quantity of the 
  contacts you have that are willing to provide you aid among 
  apostates. 
  Networking, House (H.Net) – The number of contacts you have 
  among the Houses and their desire or ability to help you. 
  House Networking also determines your starting Rep. 
  
  160 
  Pilot – Your knowledge of driving and flying vehicles of all sorts, 
  and your familiarity with their navigational systems. 
  Research – Your ability to quickly find information on the 
  Extranet or a closed mesh, or locate SIMs in a host system. 
  Resolve – The measure of your courage, willpower, and ability 
  to resist temptation. It also represents the drive to not quit in 
  the face of overwhelming opposition. Adds to your Mental 
  Stress Track. 
  Stealth – Your ability to hide, filch items, pick pockets, and 
  move about unnoticed. 
  Strategy – The ability to react, organize, and prepare for 
  conflict, as well as analyze and overcome the plans of your 
  enemy. 
  Physical Skills 
  These Skills represent the capabilities of your body or sleeve. 
  If you are a Pure or SIM character, you may place ranks in these 
  Skills as described under the State Benefits of being Pure or a 
  SIM (pg. 157). If you are Apotheosized, these Skills are 
  determined by your sleeve. 
  Athletics – How well you can move your body: running speed, 
  balance, hand-eye coordination, and so on. Also determines 
  how well you can use your body to move something else: 
  lifting, dragging, pulling, and the like. Adds to your Physical 
  Stress Track. 
  Endurance – Your health, vigor, and ability to withstand pain, 
  toxins, sicknesses, and diseases of the body. Adds to your 
  Physical Stress Track. 
  Perception – The quality of your five senses and general 
  awareness of your surroundings. Can be used to make 
  Assessments (pg. 63). 
  Special Skill 
  SINC – The ability to write and use Self-Interfacing Neural Code, 
  the computer code that comprises Savant Programs. 
  You may not put ranks in SINC or perform SINC tests unless 
  you also purchase the Savant Stunt (pg. 175). The Savant Stunt 
  grants you a SINC Skill Rank of 1. 
  You may only improve SINC beyond a rating of 1 by 
  purchasing the Skilled Stunt (during or after character 
  creation), or by swapping Skills Ranks at a Milestone. 
  Step #4 – Select Stunts 
  Stunts are special abilities, or special uses of Skills, that 
  separate you from the masses. They may represent unique 
  combat options, proficiency with certain tactics, special 
  resistances, or even relationships. 
  Characters begin play with 3 Stunts. As your character 
  develops, he will gain more. 
  Characters who purchase the Savant Stunt (pg. 175) may also 
  select Savant Programs, which are special sorts of Stunts that 
  allow a Savant to use the SINC Skill. 
  Step #5 – Determine Allegiance 
  At this stage, you’ll need to determine which House you have 
  membership with, or if you are an apostate. 
  As a House member you can acquire certain items at a 
  discount, reducing the Cost of these items by -1. The Houses, 
  and the items discounted, are described starting on page 88. 
  If you choose to play an apostate, you may not make use of 
  any House discounts, but you get the Non-Citizen Stunt (pg. 
  174) for free. 
  
   
  161 
   
  Step #6 – Determine Starting Rep 
  Your Rep-Rating determines your standing in the Coalition’s 
  Interplanetary Reputation Database (IRD). This determines the 
  quality of the Favors you can request, and what you are 
  allowed to fabricate or acquire in Coalition society. 
  See page 145 for more on Rep-Ratings. 
  You start with a Rep-Rating equal to your House Networking 
  Skill +2. You also immediately gain a bump with a Value equal 
  to your Diplomacy. 
  Note that changes to your Networking Skills after character 
  creation do not affect your Rep-Rating. In addition, unless the 
  GM says otherwise, it is assumed that PCs who know each 
  other at the beginning of play have already bumped or hit each 
  other’s Rep-Ratings. 
  Step #7 – Select Starting Gear 
  You begin the game with a number of free pieces of gear, 
  such as weapons, armor, and other items. 
  First, gain a single item with a Cost equal to your choice of 
  Assets or Rep-Rating, +2. You will then gain another item with a 
  Cost equal to either your Assets or Rep, +1. You may then 
  continue to gain items, each with a Cost one lower than the 
  previous: +0, -1, and so on, until the Cost of the free item is 1. 
  You may have any number of items with a Cost rating of 1 or 0. 
  Unless you have the Licensed Stunt (pg. 173), the maximum 
  number of restricted items you can gain for free during 
  character creation is equal to your Assets +1. Restricted items 
  that come free with others, such as the free unit of ammo that 
  comes with a firearm, do not count against this limit. 
  Items not selected during this step may be purchased later. 
  See page 143 for purchasing items. Restricted items can only be 
  purchased with Assets unless you have the Licensed Stunt. 
  Step #8 – Calculate Stress Boxes 
  Every character has a Physical and Mental Stress Track. 
  Savants also have a System Stress Track. 
  Each track has 2 boxes, plus a number of bonus boxes 
  depending on your rank in certain Skills. For each of your 
  relevant Skills ranked 1 to 2, add one additional box. For 
  relevant each Skill ranked 3 to 4 add two additional boxes. A 
  rank of 5 or higher adds three boxes. The Physical Stress Track 
  also gets a number of additional boxes equal to your Size. 
  Stress Track 
  Relevant Skills 
  Physical:  
  Athletics & Endurance + Size 
  Mental:  
  Cohesion & Resolve 
  System (Savant only):  
  Engineering (Software) & SINC 
  Character Advancement 
  Every three game sessions or so, after your character has 
  completed some significant task, they reach a Milestone. The first 
  Milestone reached is a Minor Milestone. 
  When your character reaches a Minor Milestone, you may 
  choose to do any of the following: 
  • Swap two Skills in your Skill Set. The two Skills must be within 
  one rank of each other. For example, if you had Firearms at 
  rank 4 and Insight at rank 3, you could switch them for Firearms 
  at rank 3 and Insight at 4. 
  • Replace an Aspect with another Aspect of your choosing. This 
  requires the GM’s permission and should, of course, make 
  sense within the context of the story. 
  When a Milestone is reached again after the characters have first 
  reached a Minor Milestone, it is a Major Milestone. This is the same 
  as reaching a Minor Milestone, but each character may also select 
  an additional Stunt. Your next Milestone will be Minor, then Major 
  again, and so on in an alternating pattern. 
  
   
  162 
   
  Anders 
  “I’m gonna make a good life for us Sweetie.” 
  The Coalition Only Offers Freedom in a Cage 
  Former Enforcer for the Rings of Olympus 
  “Everything I do, I do for her.” 
  “I know trouble when I see it. And you’re trouble.” 
  Non-Citizen 
  Allegiance: Apostate 
  Skills: 
  Rank 4: Guile, Insight, Resolve 
   
   
   
   
  Rank 3: Assets (Pure Bonus), Firearms, Networking (Apostate), Stealth 
   
   
  Rank 2: Intimidation, Networking (House), Diplomacy  
   
   
  Rank 1: Education, Engineering (Hardware), Melee, Pilot, Research (+1), Strategy 
  Stunts: 
  Carpe Diem (Free) – Once per scene, as a Free Action, you can Declare that an Aspect of 
  your choosing exists in the current scene or a zone of your choice. The Aspect must make 
  sense within the context of the scene, and may be vetoed by the GM. You, and only you, may 
  invoke or compel this Aspect for free the first time. 
  Non-Citizen (Free) – You do not have a Rep-Rating. You gain a +2 bonus on any Favor tests or 
  Asset tests made to acquire goods, information, or services from fellow apostates. 
  Constant Vigilance – +3 to initiative tests, spend an FP to defend normally when ambushed. 
  Dodge – Once per scene, you may reduce the amount of stress you receive from a single 
  physical attack by an amount equal to your Athletics +2. 
  Gun Slinger – The WR of any pistol you wield is increased by +2. When wielding a pistol in 
  each hand, you may perform full-auto or beam attacks using the best WR of the two. If such 
  an attack results in the need to reload or cool your weapon, both weapons are considered 
  out of ammo or overheated. You may reload or cool both weapons as if they were one. 
   
  State: Pure 
  Body Aspect: 
  Heavily Scarred from Numerous Conflicts 
   
  Physical Skills: 
  Athletics 3, Endurance 2, Perception 3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Mental Stress: 
   
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Physical Stress: 
   
  AR: 3 
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Gear:  
  Light Pac Pistol (WR: +4, Beam Wpn, Particle 
  Accelerator, Small), Light Battle Armor (AR: +3, 
  Computer Gauntlet), Light Rail-Pistol (WR: +3, Armor 
  Penetrating, Small, -2 WR when Silent, Ammo x1), AR 
  Display Glasses, Backpack, Flashlight, Credisk 
  N/A 
  Rep-Rating 
  Refresh: 7 
  Trouble Shooter 
  SAMPLE CHARACTERS 
  
   
  163 
   
  Jane 
  Laser Focused on Becoming a Praetorian 
  “I’m not my mother. I’m just in it for the Rep.” 
  Deceased Mother was a Praetorian 
  “It’s not personal. Call it natural selection.” 
  Legionnaire, Born and Raised 
  Apotheosized 
  Allegiance: House Dalianis (Market Discount: Starships, Railguns, 
  Combat Drones) 
  Skills: 
  Rank 3: 
  Demolitions, Education, Firearms, Intimidation, Melee, Resolve, Strategy 
  (+1) 
   
  Rank 2: 
  Assets, Diplomacy, Networking (Apostate), Networking (House), Insight, 
  Engineering (Hardware), Pilot, Research 
   
  Rank 1: 
  Cohesion, Guile, Stealth 
  Stunts: 
  Reputable – Your starting Rep-Rating is increased by +2. 
  Licensed – You may purchase and compile restricted equipment. 
  Strategist – Spend an FP to gain a +2 bonus on physical attacks tests against one opponent for 
  the duration of the scene. Each time you use this Stunt during this scene, you may apply this 
  bonus to one additional foe. You may not apply the bonus to the same foe twice. 
   
  State: Sleeved (Delta Cybersleeve) 
  Sleeve Aspects: 
  Synthetic Biology(P) 
  Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: 
  Athletics 4, Endurance 4, Perception 2 
  Armor Rating: +2 (Does not stack with 
  bonus provided by armor) 
  Agent (Alpha) Skill Bonuses: Strategy +1 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis 
  Fully Synthetic 
  Optimized Power Systems 
  Bio-Skin Sheath 
  Neura-Surge – Activate (Endurance, Diff: 4) to perform 
  Instant Action, activation difficulty increases by +1 with 
  each use in the same scene 
  Skinweave Armor – +1 AR 
  Subdermal Armor Plating – Enhanced Consequences 
  Targeting Support System – +1 bonus to firearm attacks 
  with weapons featuring a targeting support module 
  Reinforced Skeleton – Enhanced Consequences 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Mental Stress: 
   
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Physical Stress: 
   
  AR: +5 
  Mild (-4)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-6) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-9) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-11)  __________________________ 
  Gear: Hvy Coil Assault Rifle (WR: +5, Full Auto, Huge, 
  -2 WR when Silent, Modified: Highly Accurate, Ammo x4), 
  Fragmentation Grenade Template, Frag Grenade 
  x3, Hvy Battle Armor (AR: +4, Zero-G Assist Jets), 
  Mono-Edged Short Sword (WR: 3), Penetrator 
  Ammo x3, Fiberscope, Backpack, Reinforced 
  Skeleton Aug (Aftermarket Purchase) 
  6 
  Refresh: 5 
  Rep-Rating 
  Soldier of Fortune 
  
   
  164 
   
  Malpheus 
  “The HPA must be abolished if we are to reach our true potential.” 
  “Your notion of ‘Purity’ is as childish as it is ridiculous.” 
  Was Killed by the Technophage During the Exodus 
  SIM Supremacist 
  Shadowy Network of Contacts and Spies 
  SIM State(P) 
  Allegiance: House Kimura (Market Discount: Computers, Cybernetic 
  Augmentations, Cybersleeves, Virtuality Software, Agent Software) 
  Skills: 
  Rank 3: 
  Assets, Diplomacy (+1), Engineering (Software), Guile, Networking 
  (Apostate), Networking (House), Research (+1) 
  Rank 2: 
  Cohesion, Education, Insight, Intimidation, Melee, Mnemonics, Pilot, 
  Resolve 
  Rank 1: 
  Engineering (Hardware), Stealth, Strategy 
  Stunts: 
  SIM State (Free) – You gain the SIM State(P) Aspect. 
  System Slip (Free) – You gain +3 on Stealth tests to avoid being detected on a computer system, and 
  increase the execution difficulty of any Savant Program directed at you by +2. 
  Agenda Celebrity (Transhumanists) – You are well known in transhumanists circles and gain a +2 
  bonus any time you request a Favor relating to progressing the transhumanist agenda. 
  Digital Spider – You gain a +2 bonus on tests to perform Assessments related to a person, place, or 
  thing that can be found on the Extranet. 
  Inspire Greatness – Once per scene you can grant an ally who can hear you speak a +3 bonus on a 
  single Skill test. This includes attack and defense tests. 
   
  State: SIM 
  Agent (Beta) Skill Bonuses: Research +1, Diplomacy 
  +1,  
  Physical Skills: 
  Athletics 2, Endurance 2, Perception 3 
  SIM Notes: 
  SIMs require 10 min to change hosts. 
  Lag Penalties 
  • <1000 km = No Penalty 
  • >1000 km, Same System = -2 Penalty 
  • Different System = -4 Penalty 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Mental Stress: 
   
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Physical Stress: 
   
  AR: +0 
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Gear:  
  Light Pac Pistol Template, Lt. PAc Pistol x3, 
  Beta Agent, Imex V44 Case Spider (pg. 235), 
  Sensie (Torture Session feat. Death), Tele-
  Presence Sensor Unit, Blank ARID Tags x3, 
  Credisk x3, 
  Refresh: 5 
  Rep-Rating 
  5 
  Shadowy Spy Master 
  
   
  165 
   
  Alexei 
  Looking for Ascension Between Flesh and Synthetics 
  “The Shadow War isn’t about politics, it’s… something else.” 
  One of the Last Surviving Members of Magnus IX 
  Discharged from the Legion After Becoming a Savant 
  One with the Swarm 
  Apotheosized 
  Suffers Crippling Migraines from Mindset Hack 
  Allegiance: House Tsarya (Market Discount: Vehicular and Personal 
  Armor, Ground Vehicles, Warframes) 
  Skills: 
   Rank 4: 
  Firearms, Stealth, Engineering (Software) 
   Rank 3: 
  Cohesion, Intimidation, Strategy 
   Rank 2: 
  Education, Engineering (Hardware), Insight (+1), Melee, SINC 
   
   Rank 1: 
  Assets, Demolitions, Mnemonics, Networking (House), Research, Resolve 
  Stunts: 
  Savant – You can select Savant Programs as Stunts, and gain a SINC rating of 1. 
  Esper Lord (Savant Program, Free) – You can control a swarm of espers (pg. 186). 
  Skilled (SINC) – Your SINC Skill Rank is increased by +1. 
  Oracle Pattering (Savant Program) – You can make reliable predictions of future events (pg. 
  190). 
   
  State: Sleeved (Beta Biosleeve) 
  Sleeve Aspects: 
  Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Synthesized Biological Perfection 
  Physical Skills: 
  Athletics 3, Endurance 4, Perception 2 
  Agent (Alpha) Skill Bonuses: Insight +1 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis 
  Synthesis – Gain Synthesized Biological Perfection 
  Aspect. 
   
  Gear:  
  Hvy Coil PDW (WR: +4, Full Auto, -2 WR when Silent, 
  Ammo x1, Penetrator Ammo x3), Heavy Battle Armor 
  (AR: +4), Mono-Edge Dagger (WR: +2, Small), Flashlight 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Mental Stress: 
   
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  Physical Stress: 
   
  AR: +4 
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
  System Stress: 
   
   
  Mild (-2)  
  ____________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) ____________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) ____________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) ____________________________ 
   
  Rep-Rating 
  3 
  Refresh: 5 
  Renegade Savant 
  
   
  166 
   
  Reagan 
  “When all the fighting is over… what then?” 
  True Peace Comes in Consolidation and Unity 
  Hero of Tellerus Fields 
  Damaging Extranet Video of Brutal Treatment of Apostates 
  Natural Born Leader 
  Apotheosis 
  Aegis III Power Armor 
  Allegiance: House Silva (Market Discount: Biosleeves, Biotech 
  Augmentations, PAc Weaponry) 
  Skills: 
  Rank 5: Strategy (+1) 
   
  Rank 4: Firearms, Networking (House) 
   
   
  Rank 3: Diplomacy, Insight 
   
   
  Rank 2: Assets, Intimidation, Resolve 
   
  Rank 1: Cohesion, Demolitions, Education, Guile, Melee, Research 
  Stunts: 
  Concentrated Fire – Once per scene, when you attack a foe with a ranged weapon, you may direct 
  any ally in the zone you occupy (or an adjacent zone) to fire on your target at the same time you 
  do. Make your attack test as normal. Your chosen ally may also make an attack test as an Instant 
  Action on your turn, against the same target. You may elect to use this Stunt more than once per 
  scene, but each use after the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Master Tactician – Once per scene, you may make a Strategy test (Diff: 2) as a Free Action. If you 
  succeed, one Scene or Zone Aspect becomes Persistent for you for the duration of the scene. If you 
  generate Spin, you instead gain the option to attempt a Maneuver as a Free Action. If this 
  Maneuver results in an Aspect, it is Persistent for you for the duration of the scene. 
  Signature Item (Aegis III Power Armor) – Gain one item, and an Aspect to go with it. You may invoke 
  this Aspect once per scene for free. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Mental Stress: 
   
  Mild (-2)  
  _______________________________ 
  Moderate (-5) 
  _______________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) 
  _______________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) 
  _______________________________ 
  Physical Stress: 
   
  AR: +6 
  Mild (-2)  
  _______________________________ 
  Moderate (-4) 
  _______________________________ 
  Severe(P) (-6) 
  _______________________________ 
  Extreme(P) (-8) 
  _______________________________ 
  State: Sleeved (Delta Biosleeve) 
  Sleeve Aspects: 
  Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Striking Looks 
  Physical Skills: 
  Athletics 4, Endurance 4, 
  Perception 4 
  Agent (Alpha) Skill Bonuses: 
  Strategy +1 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis 
  Striking Looks 
  Adrenal Boost Module – Activate as Free Action, +2 
  Athletics and Melee, P.Consequences absorb +1 
  stress; 3 rounds, gain the Got the Shakes! Aspect 
  Medichine Factory – Heal faster (pg. 224) 
  Performance Enhanced – +1 Perception 
  Emergency Life Support (ELS) System – pg. 221 
  Gear: 
  Aegis III Powered Hvy Assault Armor (AR: +6, Vacuum Sealed and 
  Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal Regulation System, Reinforced Cyber-
  Musculature, Enhanced Mobility Actuators, Jump Jets, Mag-Traction), 
  PAc Carbine (WR: +6, Beam Wpn, Particle Accelerator, Large, 
  Modified: High-End Heatsinks), Hell Ball Template, Hell Ball x3, 
  Portable Broadcast Power Generator, Medi-Stimulant Injection 
  (MSI) Template, MSI x3, Hvy Rail- Pistol (Ammo x1), Gravitic 
  Baton (WR: +3), Ration Lozenge x4, Plasti-Rope Dispenser 
  6 
  Rep-Rating 
  Refresh: 5 
    Tactical Genius 
  
  167 
  Academic 
  Acrobatic Exploit 
  Agenda Celebrity 
  All-Seeing Eye 
  Artist 
  Assassin Shot 
  Assassin Strike 
  At Home Behind the Stick 
  Augment Adept 
  Banner of Hope 
  Battlefield Command 
  Blazing Burst 
  Carpe Diem 
  Combat Reload 
  Concentrated Fire 
  Constant Vigilance 
  Counter Attack 
  Cover of Darkness 
  Crippling Blow 
  Dead Inside 
  Digital Spider 
  Digitally Evolved 
  Dodge 
  Drone-Jock 
  Dual Assault 
  Ego Stabilization Software 
  Fame 
  Five Minute Friends 
  Forced Advance 
  Free Runner 
  Geek Speak 
  Genius at Work 
  Grappler 
  Great Captain 
  Ground and Pound 
  Gun Slinger 
  Infusion 
  Inspire Greatness 
  Licensed 
  Marksman 
  Master Tactician 
  Non-Citizen 
  Passing Attack 
  Payback 
  Precision Strike 
  Rapid Strike 
  Razor Tongue 
  Refreshed 
  Reputable 
  Right Place, Right Time 
  Savant 
  Shake It Off 
  Signature Item 
  SIM State 
  Skilled 
  Slayer 
  Slippery Combatant 
  Sniper 
  Specialized Program 
  Specialty Aspect 
  Strategist 
  System Slip 
  Tactical Dive 
  Tenacious 
  Transhumanist 
  Vicious Comeback 
  SAVANT PROGRAMS 
  Access Memory 
  Augmented Unreality 
  Blackout 
  Delve 
  Eminent Domain 
  Esper Lord 
  Memory Hack 
  Oracle Patterning 
  Overload 
  Pattern Scan 
  Puppeteer 
  Security Skim 
  Stream of Consciousness 
  System Error 
  System Invasion 
  STUNTS 
  
   
  168 
   
  STUNT DESCRIPTIONS 
  Unless otherwise specified, you may 
  only select a Stunt once. 
  Academic 
  You 
  come 
  from 
  an 
  academic 
  background, having spent a great deal of 
  time studying math, science, and history. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on Education 
  tests to make Declarations related to 
  math, science, or history. 
  Acrobatic Exploit 
  You tumble, roll, spin, and twist during 
  combat, leaving your foe to chase after 
  you. 
  Any time you generate Spin on an 
  attack test, instead of creating an Effect 
  Aspect, you may move into an adjacent 
  zone or attempt to push or pull (pg. 143) 
  your opponent as an Instant Action. 
  If you choose to move, this is in 
  addition to your normal ability to move 
  as a Free Action on your turn. 
  Agenda Celebrity 
  You are well known to those who 
  share a specific agenda. You might be a 
  hero for the Purist cause, a well-known 
  and 
  outspoken 
  transhumanist, 
  a 
  respected and revered Astralist, or a 
  highly regarded member of your House. 
  Whatever your agenda, you gain a +2 
  bonus when calling in Favors (pg. 147) 
  that support your agenda. 
  This bonus does not stack with other 
  Stunts that add bonuses to Favor tests. 
  All-Seeing Eye 
  Perhaps 
  you 
  are 
  a 
  master 
  of 
  investigation techniques, or maybe you 
  just have an uncanny eye for detail. 
  Once per scene, when called on to 
  make a Perception test, you may gain a 
  +3 bonus. This includes attempts to 
  perform Assessments. 
  Artist 
  You are exceptionally talented in a 
  specific artistic field, be it painting, 
  sculpting, singing, dancing, or otherwise. 
  You gain a new Aspect that relates to the 
  mastery of your artistic talent. 
  In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on 
  rolls to request Favors (pg. 147) from 
  people who enjoy your work. 
  This bonus does not stack with other 
  Stunts that add bonuses to Favor tests. 
   
    
  Assassin Shot 
  You are trained to compensate for 
  gravity, distance, wind, and other factors 
  that might otherwise spoil a well-placed 
  shot. You know where, and how, to aim 
  to deal the most damage to your 
  opponent with a ranged weapon. 
  Once per scene, when attacking an 
  ambushed target (pg. 135) with a ranged 
  weapon, you may add a +3 bonus to 
  your attack test. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Assassin Strike 
  You know how to strike, using a melee 
  weapon, to deal the most damage to 
  your opponent. You know how to get 
  around armor, anticipate your target’s 
  movements, and strike at weak spots like 
  vital organs and pressure points. 
  Once per scene, when attacking an 
  ambushed target (pg. 135) with a melee 
  weapon, you may add a +3 bonus on 
  your attack test. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  
   
  169 
   
  At Home Behind the Stick 
  You know how to get the most out of 
  your vehicle, pushing it to its limits. 
  You may spend a Fate Point to make a 
  single Aspect owned by the vehicle you 
  are driving or piloting Persistent, for you 
  only, for the duration of the scene. 
  You may make any of its other Aspects 
  Persistent for you in this way, but each 
  costs you another Fate Point. 
  Augment Adept 
  You are especially adept at managing 
  your sleeve’s onboard systems, knowing 
  just how to push it for maximum results. 
  Once per scene you may invoke any 
  Aspect gained from an Augmentation for 
  free, without spending a Fate Point. 
  Banner of Hope 
  Your words and deeds inspire your 
  allies to fight on, urging them to 
  overcome their physical and mental 
  injuries and get back in the fight. 
  Once per scene, as a Free Action, you 
  may select one ally who can hear you 
  speak. That ally may immediately clear 
  all stress (but not Consequences) he has 
  suffered on a Stress Track of your 
  choosing. 
   
  Battlefield Command 
  At your command, your allies shift to a 
  more advantageous position. 
  Once 
  per 
  scene, 
  as 
  Simple 
  or 
  Supplemental Action, you may allow any 
  or all allies who can hear your 
  commands to move into a zone adjacent 
  to them, or take cover (pg. 152).  
  Your allies perform this movement as 
  an Instant Action on your turn. This does 
  not count against the number of Instant 
  Actions they can take during a round. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Blazing Burst 
  Extensive training has improved the 
  accuracy of your shots, allowing you to 
  aim a PDW accurately when firing with 
  one in each hand. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on the attack test 
  when you perform a full-auto or beam 
  weapon attack with a PDW in each hand. 
  Carpe Diem 
  Special: This Stunt is only available to 
  Pure characters. 
  Once per scene, as a Free Action, you 
  can Declare that an Aspect of your 
  choosing exists on the current scene or a 
  zone of your choice. The Aspect must 
  make sense within the context of the 
  scene, and may be vetoed by the GM.  
  You, and only you, may invoke or 
  compel this Aspect for free the first time. 
  Combat Reload 
  You are intimately familiar with your 
  firearms, and reloading them is second 
  nature to you. 
  Once per scene you can reload a 
  railgun or coil gun as a Free Action. This 
  does not help you cool an overheated 
  PAc firearm. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Concentrated Fire 
  You synchronize your attack with an 
  ally, firing together at the same target. 
  Once per scene, when you attack a foe 
  with a ranged weapon, you may direct 
  any ally in the zone you occupy (or an 
  adjacent zone) to fire on your target at 
  the same time you do. 
  Make your attack test as normal. 
  As an Instant Action, your chosen ally 
  may also make an attack test on your 
  turn against the same target. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  
   
  170 
   
  Constant Vigilance 
  You are always on the lookout for 
  trouble. 
  You get a +3 bonus on any initiative 
  test. 
   In addition, if you are ambushed, you 
  may spend a Fate Point to defend 
  yourself normally. 
  Counter Attack 
  When you generate Spin on a test to 
  defend yourself against a melee attack, 
  or close (same zone) ranged attack, you 
  may forego the option of creating an 
  Effect Aspect to instead perform a melee 
  attack against your attacker as an Instant 
  Action. 
  This is a single melee attack, either 
  unarmed or with a weapon in hand. 
  Cover of Darkness 
  You are at home in the shadows, and 
  know how to use tricks of light to keep 
  yourself hidden. 
  Zone Aspects that relate to dim light 
  or darkness are always considered 
  Persistent for you. 
   
   
   
  Crippling Blow 
  You know how to attack, using your 
  body weight and leverage to land 
  devastating 
  blows 
  against 
  your 
  opponents. 
  Once per scene, you may increase the 
  Weapon Rating of a melee weapon (or 
  unarmed strike) by +3 on a single melee 
  attack. This bonus may be declared after 
  the attack test is made. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Dead Inside 
  Your mind has grown numb to the 
  horrors you have endured. Despite 
  terrible emotional trauma, you are able 
  to hold it together, keep cool, and press 
  on. 
  You have a constant Determination 
  (pg. 129) rating of 2, regardless of the 
  circumstances. 
  This does not help you resist the 
  potentially 
  damaging 
  effects 
  of 
  fragmentation 
  that 
  comes 
  with 
  resleeving or transforming into a SIM.  
   
   
   
   
  Digital Spider 
  You’ve been to every corner of the 
  Extranet, and know where to look for 
  obscure information. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on all Research 
  rolls to perform Assessments related to a 
  person, place, or thing that can be found 
  on the Extranet. 
  Digitally Evolved 
  Special: Only available to characters 
  who have also taken the Savant Stunt. 
  You have managed to modify your 
  ego’s code in such a way that, when 
  loaded into a virtual environment, your 
  virtual body is greatly enhanced. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception Skill tests 
  while in a virtuality. 
  You also gain a +1 bonus on attack  
  tests made using the Firearms or Melee 
  Skills. 
  Dodge 
  Bobbing and weaving, ducking and 
  dodging, you nimbly dance out of the 
  way of incoming attacks. 
  Once per scene, you may reduce the 
  amount of stress you suffer from any 
  single physical attack by an amount 
  equal to your Athletics +2. 
  
   
  171 
   
  Drone-Jock 
  You 
  are 
  especially 
  adept 
  at 
  customizing and operating drones. When 
  you purchase this Stunt, you get several 
  benefits: 
  • The Cost of any drone you attempt to 
  purchase is reduced by -1. 
  • Whenever you purchase a drone, two 
  of its Skills (your choice) are increased 
  by +1. Once chosen, the Skills the 
  bonuses are applied to cannot be 
  changed. 
  • Drones that you purchase gain one 
  additional Augmentation Point. 
   
  Dual Assault 
  You are a whirling dervish, your 
  barrage of strikes laying waste to your 
  opponents. 
  Once per scene, when wielding a 
  melee weapon in each hand (or when 
  unarmed), you may perform a Dual 
  Assault as a Simple Action. 
  When performing a Dual Assault, 
  make a separate attack with each of 
  your weapons. You may attack a single 
  target twice, or attack two different 
  targets in the zone you occupy. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but no more than 
  once per turn, and each use after the 
  first costs a Fate Point. 
  Ego Stabilization Software 
  You have a top-of-the-line software 
  suite that constantly edits your ego in 
  small ways to help ensure maximum 
  mental cohesion. 
  The 
  SIM 
  State(P) 
  and 
  Synthetic 
  Biology(P) Aspects are not Persistent for 
  you, and you gain a +1 bonus on 
  Cohesion tests to defend against the 
  mental 
  trauma 
  that 
  comes 
  with 
  resleeving. 
  Fame 
  You are famous for something. You 
  might host a well-known Extranet show, 
  be a popular template designer, a 
  celebrated politician, or otherwise. 
  Regardless of where you got your 
  fame, you gain a +2 bonus on attempts 
  to gain Favors (pg. 147) from people who 
  might recognize you. 
  This bonus does not stack with other 
  Stunts that add bonuses to Favor tests.  
  Five Minute Friends 
  Given a chance for five minutes of 
  conversation, you can make a steadfast 
  friend in a place you’ve never been. 
  This Stunt makes nearly impossible 
  opportunities to make friends merely 
  improbable and probable opportunities 
  outright certain. 
  Determine the person you want 
  become friends with and make a 
  Diplomacy test (Diff: 3). If you succeed, 
  you gain a new Lasting Aspect that 
  relates to this person. 
  You may have a number of Five 
  Minute Friend Aspects equal to your 
  Diplomacy. If you’ve already reached 
  your limit, and want another “Five 
  Minute Friend” Aspect, you’ll need to 
  discard one that you already have. 
  Forced Advance 
  Your melee attacks crash down upon 
  your foes with tremendous force. 
  As part of any melee attack in which 
  you generate Spin, you may elect to 
  forego creating an Effect Aspect and 
  instead engage your opponent in an 
  Athletics (+ Size) contest as a Free 
  Action. 
  If you succeed, you may force your 
  opponent into an adjacent zone. You 
  may choose to go with him, or stay in 
  your current zone. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  172 
   
  Free Runner 
  You are especially good at navigating 
  your environment on the run, using your 
  momentum to leap, roll, vault, bounce, 
  or 
  slide 
  under 
  obstacles 
  while 
  maintaining your speed. 
  You gain a +3 bonus on Athletics tests 
  to Hustle or Run.  
  In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on 
  Athletics-based defense tests during any 
  round in which you Hustled or Ran. 
  Geek Speak 
  You are really good at seeding a 
  conversation with just enough techno-
  babble to baffle, confuse, and deceive 
  others. 
  You may test your Education instead 
  of Diplomacy or Guile whenever you 
  need to convince someone of a scientific 
  fact, whether it is true or not. 
  Genius at Work 
  You have a talent for analyzing a 
  situation and figuring out how to get the 
  most benefit for the least amount of 
  effort. This could mean working out the 
  best way to build a simple tool, or just 
  knowing exactly where to hit (or what to 
  say to) an opponent to make it hurt the 
  most. 
  When you select this Stunt, select 
  either Education or Insight. Once per 
  scene, you may use that chosen Skill in 
  place of any other Skill on a single test. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first costs a Fate Point. 
  Grappler 
  You’ve mastered a style of martial arts 
  that specializes in ground combat. 
  You gain a +2 bonus when attempting 
  a grappling-related Block (pg. 136) or 
  Maneuver (pg. 117); or when attempting 
  to push, pull, or throw (pg. 143) an 
  opponent.  
  Great Captain 
  You really know how to manage a ship 
  and its crew, pushing both to their limits 
  and beyond. 
  When serving as the captain of a ship, 
  the ship gains a +1 bonus on all of its 
  Capabilities (pg. 238). 
  Ground and Pound 
  Whenever you generate Spin while 
  attempting a grappling-related Block (pg. 
  136) or Maneuver (pg. 117); or when 
  attempting to push, pull, or throw (pg. 
  143) an opponent; you may forego 
  creating an Effect Aspect to immediately 
  make a melee attack as an Instant Action 
  against your foe.  
  The target of this attack must be the 
  same foe you targeted with your Block, 
  Maneuver, or push/pull/throw attempt. 
  This is a single melee attack, either 
  unarmed or with a weapon in hand. 
  This attack may not be made with 
  weapons that have the Large or Huge(P) 
  Aspects. 
  Gun Slinger 
  You have trained extensively to fight 
  with handguns, in one hand or both. 
  The WR of any pistol you wield is 
  increased by +2. 
  In addition, when wielding a pistol in 
  each hand, you may perform full-auto or 
  beam attacks (using the best WR of the 
  two), even if neither of the pistols you 
  wield is normally capable of such 
  attacks. When performing such an 
  attack, however, the +2 bonus to the 
  weapons WR does not apply. 
  If a full-auto or beam attack results in 
  the need to reload or cool your weapon, 
  both are considered to be out of ammo 
  or overheated. You may reload or cool 
  both weapons as if they were a single 
  weapon. 
  
   
  173 
   
  Infusion 
  Special: Only available to characters 
  who have also taken the Savant Stunt. 
  You have managed to modify your 
  ego’s code, adding additional code that 
  mimics 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  pieces 
  of 
  equipment. 
  This code becomes a part of your ego, 
  and cannot be separated. When you load 
  into a virtuality, you gain the ability to 
  call this equipment into being at will. 
  Your 
  ego’s 
  infused 
  equipment 
  functions just as it would if it were real, 
  and obeys the physical laws of the virtual 
  environment. 
  Thus, an infused railgun can be used to 
  blow apart objects and people in the 
  virtuality, but an infused flamethrower 
  still could not make fire under water 
  (unless the virtuality had different 
  physics). 
  You may infuse any number of items 
  so long as their combined Cost does not 
  exceed your SINC Skill rank +5. 
  You may select this Stunt multiple 
  times. Each time that you do, you may 
  infuse additional items, adding +3 to the 
  total Cost of the items you can infuse. 
  Also, each time you take this Stunt, 
  you may liquidate the items you have 
  previously infused and infuse a whole 
  new set. 
  Inspire Greatness 
  You know how to talk to people to get 
  the best out of them, encouraging them 
  to push beyond their normal limits and 
  achieve greatness. 
  Once per scene, you may grant an ally 
  who can hear you speak a +3 bonus on a 
  single Skill test, including attack and 
  defense tests. 
  Licensed 
  You have somehow obtained a license 
  to acquire restricted equipment, and 
  may do so using your Rep-Rating. 
  (Normally a character must use Assets to 
  acquire restricted items.) 
  Note that excessive purchasing of 
  restricted items can still result in 
  investigation by authorities. You can get 
  away with fabricating an assault rifle, or 
  even decanting into a restricted sleeve. 
  Attempting to fabricate a half dozen 
  guns or a large quantity of explosives 
  may flag you for investigation. 
  While restricted equipment is very 
  useful for bartering with apostates, 
  getting caught doing so could result in 
  severe criminal punishment. 
  A PC who gets caught would likely lose 
  his license. If this happens, the GM 
  should allow the PC to replace this Stunt 
  with another at his next Milestone. 
  Marksman 
  You are adept at predicting a target’s 
  movement; you know how to lead them, 
  and excel at finding the weak points in 
  an armored target. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on any tests to 
  Take Aim (pg. 151). 
  In addition, once per scene, you may 
  reduce your target’s Armor Rating by 3 
  points for the purposes of a single 
  ranged attack. 
  You may not use a Full Auto or Beam 
  Weapon attack when making this attack. 
  Master Tactician 
  You have a remarkable awareness of 
  your surroundings, and always know 
  how to make the best of it. 
  Once per scene, you may make a 
  Strategy test (Diff: 2) as a Free Action. 
  If you succeed, one Scene or Zone 
  Aspect becomes Persistent for you for 
  the duration of the scene.  
  If you generate Spin, you instead gain 
  the option to attempt a Maneuver as a 
  Free Action. If this Maneuver results in 
  an Aspect, it is Persistent for you for the 
  duration of the scene. 
   
   
  
   
  174 
   
  Non-Citizen 
  You are a ghost. Little record of your 
  life exists. You do not show up on most 
  Coalition records and live mostly as an 
  apostate. 
  It is assumed you have found a way to 
  make it in this world without being 
  tracked by the Coalition, and that you 
  spend a portion of your downtime 
  working to keep your tracks covered. 
  You may need to talk the specifics over 
  with your GM. 
  You gain the Non-Citizen Aspect. 
  You also do not have a Rep-Rating; 
  skip that phase of character creation. If 
  you need to make use of a Rep-Rating, 
  you’ll need to purchase a false CID (pg. 
  209). 
  You also gain a +2 bonus on any Assets 
  tests for Favor requests (pg. 147) made 
  to 
  acquire 
  goods, 
  information, 
  or 
  services from fellow apostates. 
  Passing Attack 
  You surge past your opponent, striking 
  at them as you pass. 
  While Hustling or Running (pg. 127), 
  you may make a single melee attack 
  (unarmed or with a melee weapon) 
  against any target in any zone you move 
  through as a Free Action. 
   
  Payback 
  Any time you are physically attacked 
  and suffer a Consequence, you may 
  spend a Fate Point and immediately 
  make an attack against the person who 
  injured you as an Instant Action. 
  This is a single melee attack, either 
  unarmed or with a weapon in hand, and 
  the target must occupy the same zone. 
  Precision Strike 
  You are adept at spotting your foe’s 
  weak spots and exploiting them. 
  Once per scene, you may reduce your 
  target’s Armor Rating by 4 points for the 
  purposes of a single melee attack. 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but you must first 
  succeed on a Strategy test (Diff: 2) and 
  pay a Fate Point. 
  Rapid Strike 
  You’ve mastered a form of martial arts 
  that specializes in launching a rapid 
  series of strikes against a single foe. 
  Once each turn, if you generate Spin 
  while performing an unarmed melee 
  attack, you may forego creating an Effect 
  Aspect to immediately perform an 
  additional unarmed attack against the 
  same opponent. 
  Razor Tongue 
  You have a cunning wit and know just 
  what to say to get under someone’s skin. 
  You may spend a Fate Point to add a 
  +3 bonus (or +3 Edge) on your next Guile 
  test made to anger your opponent, 
  possibly forcing him to attack you. 
  Refreshed 
  Your Refresh Rating is increased by +1.  
  You may take this Stunt a total of 
  three times. 
  Reputable 
  You’ve left those who’ve met you with 
  good impressions, or you’ve contributed 
  something meaningful to the lives of the 
  people of the galaxy. 
  Your Rep-Rating is increased by +2.  
  Right Place, Right Time 
  You always seem to show up when it 
  matters most, or at least when it’s most 
  convenient for you.  
  You may spend a Fate Point to appear 
  in any scene in which you were not 
  previously present. 
  Note that the GM may deny the use of 
  this Stunt if you were clearly detained or 
  have no reasonable way of getting there. 
  
   
  175 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Savant 
  Special: Requires the SIM State Stunt 
  or Apotheosis Augmentation 
  You have managed to hack your 
  mindset, stripping it of the Coalition-
  mandated restrictions placed on it by the 
  Humanity Preservation Act. 
  You gain a rating of 1 in the SINC Skill. 
  During character creation you may 
  improve your SINC Skill by selecting the 
  Skilled Stunt. 
  After character creation you may 
  improve this Skill like any other, either 
  by swapping its rank with another Skill at 
  a Milestone, or selecting the Skilled 
  Stunt. 
  You also gain a Savant Program of your 
  choice, 
  and 
  may 
  now 
  purchase 
  additional Savant Programs with the 
  Stunts you get during character creation 
  or from Major Milestones. 
  In addition, you also gain a new 
  “Disadvantage” Aspect that represents 
  the negative side effects of hacking the 
  mindset. Glitchy Short-Term Memory, 
  Occasional 
  Uncontrollable 
  Muscle 
  Spasms, or Left Eye Severed from Visual 
  Cortex are good examples of the kinds of 
  Aspects a Savant might have. 
  This damage to the ego may be 
  repairable in time. Upon achieving any 
  Milestone, you may elect to reduce a 
  Skill of your choice by -1 in exchange for 
  removing this Aspect. The Skill selected 
  may not be reduced to a rating below 0. 
  Shake It Off 
  You know how to take advantage of 
  your opponent's mistakes, using them as 
  opportunities to catch your breath and 
  clear your head. 
  Once per scene, when you generate 
  Spin on a defense test in a physical 
  conflict, you may forego creating an 
  Effect Aspect for the option to clear your 
  Physical 
  Stress 
  Track 
  (but 
  not 
  Consequences). 
  You may elect to use this Stunt more 
  than once per scene, but each use after 
  the first requires an Endurance test (Diff: 
  2) and costs a Fate Point.  
  Signature Item 
  You gain an item or piece of gear, and 
  an 
  additional 
  “Connection” 
  Aspect 
  related to the item. You may invoke this 
  Aspect once per scene for free. 
  For example, if your character raises 
  The Remains of the US Constitution 
  before a crowd to rally them for battle, 
  she may invoke that Aspect to gain a 
  bonus on her Diplomacy test for free the 
  first time. 
  Your Signature Item could be a ship, a 
  space station, expensive armor, or even 
  a much-loved sleeve. The Cost of this 
  item generally doesn’t matter, but you 
  must get your GM’s permission to take 
  an item with a Cost rated higher than 
  your Assets or Rep-Rating, x2. 
  The GM should keep in mind that this 
  item is very meaningful to the character 
  and that a Stunt has been spent to 
  acquire it. That being the case, he should 
  think carefully before presenting a 
  situation where a Signature Item could 
  be lost or taken.  
  If the item is lost or taken, the 
  character 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  some 
  opportunity to recover the item, take a 
  new item as a Signature Item, or trade 
  this Stunt for another upon reaching his 
  next Milestone. 
  [Versa-Link Log: 10:12-05,11,98] 
  [Micah] – Is it true what they say 
  about you? 
  [Alexei] – ? 
  [Micah] – You’re a Savant.  
  [Micah] – How’d you do it? How 
  did 
  you 
  get 
  free 
  of 
  the 
  restrictions. 
  [Alexei has disconnected] 
   
   
  
   
  176 
   
  SIM State 
  You exist purely as software on a 
  machine. Your home is a virtuality, and 
  you can make it whatever you wish. 
  Though you do not have a body, you 
  have programs that allow you to view 
  and hear the physical world through 
  mesh sensors. You can generally view 
  non-restricted 
  areas 
  local 
  to 
  the 
  computer system you are running on 
  with little effort. 
  See page 158 for more about life as a 
  SIM. 
  The server you are installed on acts as 
  your mindset and provides you with all 
  the 
  benefits 
  of 
  the 
  Apotheosis 
  Augmentation (pg. 218). The software 
  that comprises your identity also consists 
  of your Agent, your SINC (if you are a 
  Savant), 
  and 
  any 
  other 
  software 
  normally housed in the mindset. 
  You gain the Persistent Aspect SIM 
  State(P). This Aspect represents the fact 
  that you do not have a body. Rather, you 
  view the world through ARIS strips, or 
  via another’s senses if they uplink their 
  feed to your mindset or if you inhabit 
  their SIM-cell module (pg. 228). 
  The 
  SIM 
  State(P) 
  Aspect 
  also 
  represents the tendency for a bodiless 
  ego to fragment over time, and can be 
  compelled during most Cohesion tests. 
  Skilled 
  You’ve spent a lot of time honing a 
  particular Skill, becoming better and 
  better with time. 
  You increase the rank of one of your 
  non-Physical Skills by +1. If you are Pure, 
  you may apply this to a Physical Skill, but 
  must replace this Stunt if you ever 
  resleeve or become a SIM. 
  You may purchase this Stunt multiple 
  times, but no Skill may be increased to a 
  rating greater than 5. 
  Any time you pass a Major Milestone, 
  you may change the Skill associated with 
  this Stunt, removing the +1 rank increase 
  and applying it to a different Skill. 
  Slayer 
  You specialize in using big weapons for 
  maximum devastation. 
  Each time you hit a target with a 
  weapon bearing the Huge(P) Aspect, but 
  fail to force your foe to suffer a 
  Consequence, you may pay a Fate Point 
  to automatically add +3 to the amount of 
  stress inflicted. 
  You may only do this once per attack. 
  Slippery Combatant 
  You are quick-footed and hard to pin 
  down. 
  If you generate Spin on a defense test 
  against an attack, you may forego 
  creating an Effect Aspect to instead 
  move to an adjacent zone or take cover 
  as an Instant Action. 
  This is in addition to your normal 
  ability to move as a Free Action on your 
  turn. 
  Sniper 
  You are highly proficient with rifles, 
  and 
  have 
  trained 
  extensively 
  to 
  eliminate targets with a single shot. 
  When making attacks with a rifle or 
  scoped assault rifle, the Range of your 
  weapon is increased by +3. 
  In addition, once per scene when an 
  enemy is forced to suffer a Consequence 
  from your shot, you can force them to 
  take 
  a 
  more 
  severe 
  type 
  of 
  Consequence. If they cannot, they may 
  not take any Consequence at all to 
  reduce stress. 
  For example, if you shoot an enemy 
  and deal 3 points of physical stress, he 
  might elect to reduce that stress by 2 by 
  taking a Mild Consequence. 
  In that case, you may instead force 
  him to take a Moderate Consequence. If 
  he had already taken a Moderate 
  Consequence, he would be forced to 
  take a Severe one, and so on. 
  
   
  177 
   
  Specialized Program 
  You’ve spent a great deal of time 
  mastering a specific Savant Program, 
  honing your SINC to a razor’s edge, 
  Select one Savant Program you know. 
  You gain a +2 bonus on attempts to 
  execute that Savant Program. 
  Specialty Aspect 
  You are especially good at some 
  specific use of a Skill. You gain a new 
  Aspect that describes this specialty, and 
  this Aspect is linked to a Skill. 
  You may invoke this Aspect (or it may 
  be compelled) like any other Aspect. 
  In addition, once per scene you may 
  invoke this Aspect for free on any 
  relevant test using its associated Skill. 
  For example, if you had the Specialty 
  Aspect 
  Honey 
  Tongued 
  Seductress 
  (Guile), you could invoke it for free once 
  per scene to add a bonus or reroll on a 
  Guile test to seduce someone. 
  You may take this Stunt up to a total 
  of three times, each time adding 
  Specialty Aspects to the same Skill or 
  different Skills. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Examples of Specialty Aspects 
  • Published “SIM-ulated Life” at Age 14 
  (Education) 
  • Survived Three Weeks Alone in the Forests 
  of Shouye (Insight) 
  • Olympus Fencing Master (Melee) 
  • Former 
  Zero-G 
  Dogfighting 
  Instructor 
  (Pilot) 
  • Moderator on the “Web of Lies” Discussion 
  Board (Apostate Networking) 
  • Coalition-Trained Sniper (Firearms) 
  • Expert in Bio- to Cybersleeve Integration 
  (Mnemonics) 
  Strategist 
  You are adept at seeing and exploiting 
  an enemy’s weaknesses in a physical 
  conflict. These might be tendencies to 
  move a certain way, a propensity to 
  telegraph attacks, or a literal chink in his 
  armor. 
  Spend a Fate Point to gain a +2 bonus 
  on physical attack tests against one 
  opponent for the duration of the scene. 
  Each time you use this Stunt during 
  this scene, you may apply this bonus to 
  one additional foe.  
  You may not apply the bonus to the 
  same foe twice. 
   
   
  System Slip 
  As a SIM, you know how to hide in a 
  network. 
  By 
  changing 
  file 
  names, 
  rewriting your position on storage 
  devices, and creating digital red herrings, 
  you are able to thwart attempts to find 
  you and target you in a system. 
  Detecting a specific SIM on a host 
  system is generally a Research vs. Stealth 
  contest. If you have this Stunt, you gain a 
  +2 on these Stealth tests. 
  In addition, you also increase the 
  execution 
  difficulty 
  of 
  any 
  Savant 
  Program directed at you by +2. 
  Tactical Dive 
  Diving through the air, you fire at your 
  opponents before landing in a controlled 
  roll and regaining your feet. 
  Once per scene, you can both move 
  into an adjacent zone and perform a 
  ranged attack with a single Simple 
  Action. If you can take cover in the zone 
  you end in, you may take cover as a Free 
  Action. 
  This is in addition to the Free Action 
  you normally get, which you can spend 
  moving a second time if you wish. 
   
   
   
  
   
  178 
   
  Tenacious 
  You have exceptional mental stability, 
  and are able to shrug off trauma and 
  horrors that would leave others weeping 
  on the floor. 
  The amount of mental stress each 
  Consequence allows you to ignore is 
  increased by +1. 
  Transhumanist 
  You 
  know 
  which 
  brands 
  of 
  Augmentations work best with each 
  other, and are adept at customizing a 
  sleeve for maximum efficiency. 
  Sleeves 
  you purchase 
  have 
  two 
  additional Augmentation Points, and the 
  maximum number of Augmentations 
  your sleeve can support is increased by 
  +1. 
  Vicious Comeback 
  You always have a witty retort or 
  vicious criticism chambered and ready to 
  go. 
  Once per scene, on a test to defend 
  yourself in an argument or debate 
  (mental conflict), you may perform a 
  mental attack against your opponent as 
  an Instant Action. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  179 
   
  SAVANT PROGRAMS 
  The Savant’s special abilities are all derived from a unique 
  programming language that he has been able to develop 
  since cracking the restrictions on his mindset (pg. 65). This 
  programming language is called Self-Interfacing Neural Code 
  (SINC). Cracking the mindset is a very dangerous procedure, 
  but once complete, the Savant gains the ability to interface 
  with computer systems in ways a normal person cannot. 
  The type of hacking performed by the Savant when 
  executing a Savant Program is aided by the Savant’s Agent, 
  or Daemon. The Savant executes the SINC, and his Daemon 
  unloads a barrage of SINC-based intrusion programs that 
  flood the targeted system, smashing a hole through its 
  security just long enough for the Savant to seize control. 
  Modern computer systems are built using Mimir-tech, 
  and as a result are secured using dedicated AIs. The 
  window of access the Savant can obtain in these systems is 
  short-lived, usually lasting no more than a few seconds. 
  The Savant Programs in this chapter are special Stunts 
  that represent the programs that Savants are able to 
  compile from their SINC. 
  Before you can gain any Savant Programs, you must first 
  purchase the Savant Stunt (pg. 175). Savant Programs can 
  then be chosen like other Stunts, either during character 
  creation or upon reaching a Major Milestone. 
  SINC is a very personal part of the character, partially 
  derived from, and interfacing directly with, the code that 
  makes up the Savant’s ego. It can’t be copied or traded, and 
  is backed up along with the ego itself. You can execute 
  Savant Programs as long as you are in a sleeve with the 
  Apotheosis Augmentation or on a computer capable of 
  hosting your ego as a SIM. 
  Execution Difficulty 
  When you wish to use a Savant Program, you must make a 
  SINC test against the Program’s execution difficulty.  
  If you succeed, you can use the Program. 
  If you fail, the Program still activates but you suffer an 
  amount of system stress equal to the amount by which you 
  failed. If you Stall, you suffer the stress and the Program fails 
  to activate. 
  Savant Programs 
  Access Memory (pg. 180) – Access memories from a person’s mnemonic 
  core. 
  Augmented Unreality (pg. 180) – Cause the target to perceive augmented 
  reality objects in a way they may believe to be real. 
  Blackout (pg. 181) – Damage the link between the target’s mindset and 
  brain, rendering them blind. 
  Delve (pg. 181) – Gain access to a person’s secured records, allowing you 
  to make Assessments or Declarations about them. 
  Eminent Domain (pg. 181) – Take temporary control over computer-
  controlled parts of your environment. 
  Esper Lord (pg. 182) – Control a swarm of nanomachines. 
  Memory Hack (pg. 185) – Edit memories stored on a mnemonic core. 
  Oracle Patterning (pg. 186) – Your Daemon makes reliable predictions of 
  the future by processing available data. 
  Overload (pg. 187) – Cause the target’s mindset to generate pain. 
  Pattern Scan (pg. 187) – Your Daemon constructs reliable reports about 
  past events based on available information. 
  Puppeteer (pg. 188) – Improve your use of drones, and/or control drones 
  that don’t belong to you. 
  Security Skim (pg. 189) – Access security data to hear and view other 
  places. 
  Stream of Consciousness (pg. 190) – Intercept the flow of data between 
  the target’s brain and mindset to hear surface thoughts. 
  System Error (pg. 190) – Launch a direct attack against a target’s systems. 
  System Invasion (pg. 191) – Gain access to secured systems. 
  
   
  180 
   
  Upgrades 
  Some Savant Programs can be upgraded by purchasing the 
  Program additional times. The upgrades may make the Program 
  more effective, reduce the execution difficulty, or allow you to 
  use the Program in new ways. 
  Unless otherwise specified, you may only purchase a specific 
  upgrade a single time 
  Access Memory 
  Execution Difficulty: 3 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  When you run this Program, you are able to hack into 
  another person’s mnemonic core and retrieve stored data. 
  This data includes records of thoughts and sensory data from 
  previous experiences. 
  To execute this Savant Program, make a SINC test against a 
  difficulty equal to your target’s SINC or Software Engineering 
  (target’s choice), +3. If your execution test generates Spin, 
  the target will not be aware of your intrusion attempt. 
  Otherwise, he or his Agent detects the intrusion attempt. 
  If you successfully execute this Program, you gain a single-
  word answer to a question of your choosing. If the target 
  does not know the answer, the response should simply be 
  “Unknown.” 
  If you generate Spin on the execution test, you may forego 
  the creation of an Effect Aspect to gain an answer consisting 
  of a few sentences. Alternatively, the probing character may 
  experience an entire scene that the target was present for as 
  if the prober had been there himself. 
  Succeeding with 5 or more Shifts results in the probing 
  character learning just about any fact the target knows or 
  gains the ability to experience several days of the target’s life. 
  Augmented Unreality 
  Execution Difficulty: 1 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Duration: Permanent until dismissed 
  You are able to hijack the sensory data passing through 
  your target’s mindset (or host system in the case of a SIM), 
  causing him to see objects that aren’t real. Though they do 
  not make any sounds, these AR illusions can move and are 
  detailed enough to pass for real objects when viewed from 
  any angle. Legal computer systems are normally restricted 
  from being able to display realistic AR objects to avoid 
  confusion or dangerous situations, so the ability to do so 
  whenever you please can be incredibly useful. The illusion 
  may move at any speed, but disappears if you lose sight of it. 
  To create the AR illusion, you must first execute this 
  Program. If you Stall on your execution test, your target will 
  be made aware of the intrusion attempt. 
  The difficulty of the Perception test needed to notice that 
  the illusion isn’t real equals 2 plus the number of Shifts 
  generated on the test to execute this Program. A bad 
  execution test might result in an illusion that flickers, or has 
  colors that just don’t look quite right. 
  Any time an observer rolls to pierce a moving illusion, he 
  gains a +2 bonus. However, tests to execute this program 
  that generate at least 1 Shift are almost always passably 
  believable, and rolls to pierce the illusion should only be 
  allowed if the observer has a reason to be wary of illusions, 
  such as if an illusion isn’t registering to senses or sensors that 
  it should, or if the illusion is behaving in a strange way. 
  For example, an illusion of a garbage bin on a street corner 
  should not call for a test to notice what it is. On the other 
  hand, passing your hand through an illusion of an unmoving 
  
   
  181 
   
  man would probably allow the observer to pierce the illusion 
  without rolling. 
  The most basic illusion is the same size as a human adult 
  (Size 0) or smaller. To make larger illusions, you suffer a -1 
  test penalty per ascending Size category. 
  Upgrades 
  Auditory Feedback: The AR illusions you create can 
  produce sounds of your choosing. 
  Blackout 
  Execution Difficulty: 3 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  By interfering with the interface between your target’s 
  sleeve and mindset (or ego and host system), you can cause a 
  disruption that temporarily blinds the victim.  
  If you successfully execute this Savant Program, you place 
  the Persistent Aspect Blind(P) on your target for an amount 
  of time (pg. 152) equal to the number of Shifts generated. 
  For example, if you generate 2 Shifts, the target will be 
  blinded for a scene. 
  Upgrades 
  Oubliette: Successful use of this Program severs the 
  target’s sense of hearing as well as sight. The target gains the 
  Persistent Aspect Blind and Deaf(P) instead of Blind(P). 
  Lock Down: When you execute this Program, you may 
  increase the execution difficulty by +2 to attempt to freeze 
  the target in place. If you still manage to execute the 
  Program, the target may not take any physical actions and 
  gains the Frozen(P) Aspect until the end of the scene. 
  The target may attempt to break free by spending a Fate 
  Point and rolling his SINC or Software Engineering against a 
  difficulty equal to your SINC. 
  Delve 
  Execution Difficulty: 2 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  In most cases, when you look at a person while wearing an 
  AR interface device, your system reads their CID and offers 
  up some basic facts about the person. This usually consists of 
  an AR window hovering beside the person’s head, which 
  contains whatever info the person wishes to be displayed. 
  This Program allows you to go deeper, cracking the security 
  that keeps you from additional facts about the person. 
  Successful use of this Program may grant you access to 
  personal messages, Rep-logs, and other information. 
  When successfully executed, Delve allows you to use your 
  SINC (with a +2 bonus) to perform a Declaration (pg. 119) or 
  Assessment (pg. 118) on a person with a CID.  
  In addition, a successful Delve will immediately determine 
  if a CID is fake. 
  Eminent Domain 
  Execution Difficulty: 3+, depending on circumstance 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Duration: One Round or One Use (See below) 
  For a brief moment, you seize control of the systems that 
  operate the machines in the world around you, forcing them 
  to obey your commands. 
  You can unlock computer-controlled doors, close gates, fire 
  sentry guns, surge gravity generators, cause environmental 
  systems to vent room atmospheres, and more. 
  When you activate this Program, you can make a 
  Declaration (pg. 119) regarding the computer systems in the 
  area. In some cases, this Declaration should result in an 
  Aspect like Zero-G or Lights Out! 
  
   
  182 
   
  Other times the Declaration might be a simple statement 
  of fact about something in the world nearby, such as 
  Declaring a door to be suddenly unlocked or that an ARIS 
  strip has stopped working. 
  Certain items may be more heavily secured than others, 
  especially those that maintain the status quo or uphold the 
  HPA. For example, attempting to override the restrictions on 
  a compiler increases the difficulty by +3. 
  The effects of Eminent Domain are fleeting, generally only 
  lasting a single round (or granting one use in the case of 
  something like a compiler) before the security AI detects the 
  intrusion and shuts you out. 
  Esper Lord 
  Execution Difficulty: Varies depending on commands 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  This Program is the result of many hours of writing code 
  designed to interface your mind with a swarm of 
  nanomachines, allowing you to control them with your 
  thoughts in real time. The swarm is a mass of millions of 
  microscopic spherical machines (espers) sporting arrays of 
  retractable arms. By itself, a single esper is useless, but by 
  expanding and retracting its arms, it can intelligently arrange 
  itself in relation to other espers. The swarm as a whole can 
  take nearly any shape: flowing mist or liquids, or solid objects 
  like walls, stabbing blades, or even clothing. 
  Your esper swarm, which you get for free, generally needs 
  to stay fairly close to you, not venturing more than 20 meters 
  away and staying within line of sight. 
  Each command given to your swarm requires an execution 
  of the Esper Lord Program. The action itself takes place as 
  part of the Simple Action required to execute the Program. 
  The execution difficulty depends on what you are directing 
  the swarm to do (see below). The following sections describe 
  how your swarm can be commanded to perform some 
  common actions: 
  Attack 
  Your swarm can be used to attack a target directly, either 
  by slamming into him, striking as a razor-sharp stabbing 
  tentacle, flowing over and devouring the target, surrounding 
  and grappling him, and so on. 
  To make an attack, you must first select one of the attack 
  forms described below. Each form of attack has a different 
  execution difficulty listed in parenthesis. Once you’ve made 
  your selection, make an execution test. Once executed, you 
  can attack as described in the attack form you selected. 
  Slam (1): Your swarm configures itself into a solid tentacle-
  like shape and smashes into the target. Make an attack test 
  with your SINC. The attack has a WR of +4, and has an Aspect 
  of Smashing Force. 
  Stab/Slash (2): Your espers take the shape of a large 
  stabbing blade or multiple small blades, which stab and slash 
  at your target. Make an attack with your SINC. The attack has 
  a WR of +6, and has an Aspect of Razor Sharp Blades. 
  Grapple (1): Wrapping around your foe, your swarm 
  attempts to perform a Block Action (pg. 136) to restrain; or 
  push, pull, or throw (pg. 143) your opponent. Your esper 
  swarm can also perform ranged versions of these combat 
  actions. In these cases, Skill tests use SINC instead of the 
  usual Skill required. 
  Devour (3): Your swarm flows over your target, seeping 
  into armor and ripping at his flesh and/or sensitive 
  components. Make an attack with your SINC. The attack has a 
  WR of +4, ignores any Armor Rating, and has an Aspect of 
  Devouring Nanomachines. 
  
   
  183 
   
  Defense 
  You can command your swarm to interpose itself between 
  you and an incoming attack, during which the swarm 
  configures itself into a rigid form to absorb the blow or 
  energy. 
  When using your swarm for defense, you must first 
  execute your Esper Lord Program. Once you’ve done that, 
  select one of the forms of defense described below. Each 
  form of defense has a different execution difficulty listed in 
  parenthesis. 
  Defend (1): You may use your SINC instead of the normal 
  Skill you would use to defend against a physical attack. In this 
  case, you may execute this Program as an Instant Action. 
  Block (2): Your espers swarm around you, creating a 
  protective barrier. You may use your SINC to perform a Block 
  Action (pg. 136). 
  You can extend your Block to cover another person instead 
  of, or in addition to, yourself. This extension increases the 
  execution difficulty by +1 per person in addition to yourself. 
  Your Block may cover an entire zone by increasing the 
  activation difficulty by +2. 
  Perform Maneuver 
  You can use your swarm to place an Aspect on yourself or 
  another person, place, or thing. This act is like performing a 
  Maneuver with any other Skill (pg. 117), but requires you to 
  first execute the Esper Lord Program. In this case, the 
  execution difficulty is 2, but the GM might increase it if you 
  attempt 
  to 
  perform 
  especially 
  difficult 
  or 
  complex 
  Maneuvers. 
  These Aspects typically last as long as other Aspects 
  created by performing Maneuvers, so long as you don’t need 
  to use your swarm for something else. 
  Once your swarm has been activated, if you perform a 
  Maneuver that requires a contest with your opponent, test 
  your SINC against their relevant Skill. 
  Templating 
  Your swarm can assume the shape of any object you have a 
  fabrication template for. This automatically includes almost 
  any basic shape with a Cost of 2 or less, such as a chair or 
  shovel. The swarm can maintain this shape until instructed to 
  change form. 
  The swarm is incapable of taking the form of another type 
  of electronic device, such as a computer system. It also 
  cannot take the form of an object that requires power to 
  function, such as a coil gun or gravitic weapon. 
  Commanding your swarm to take on a new shape requires 
  an execution test with an execution difficulty (minimum of 2) 
  equal to the Cost of the item your swarm will mimic. 
  Manipulation 
  Your swarm can be commanded to wrap around an object 
  and manipulate it. This requires an execution test (Diff: 1). 
  When manipulating an object, the swarm has an Athletics 
  Skill equal to your SINC. 
  An attempt to manipulate an unwilling creature is 
  considered a grappling attack (see “Attack – Grapple” above). 
  Upgrades 
  Area Attack: You can attempt to attack everyone in a 
  zone. When doing this, increase the execution difficulty for 
  the chosen attack form by +2. 
  You need only execute the Program once, but you must 
  make a separate attack against each target. 
   
  
   
  184 
   
  Armor: Gain another Defense option: Armor (2). Your 
  swarm can wrap around you, taking the shape of a suit of 
  armor. When worn in this manner, your swarm provides 
  you with an Armor Rating equal to your SINC rating +2.  
  It can remain in this form until used for some other 
  purpose.  
  Deadly Swarm: You gain a +2 bonus on attack and 
  grapple tests made by your swarm. 
  Manipulative: When attempting to manipulate an object 
  or make a grapple attack with your swarm, your SINC is 
  considered to be 2 ranks higher. 
  This does not affect the execution test itself, but is added 
  whenever you test SINC in place of Athletics. 
  Sensory Feed: Your swarm is capable of sending audio 
  and video data back to you. This has an execution difficulty 
  of 3. Once executed, you can hear and see from the 
  perspective of any portion of your swarm. 
  In addition, the range at which you can operate your 
  esper swarm is increased to 1 km. 
  Versatile Armor: You must first purchase the Armor 
  Upgrade. Whenever your swarm takes the form of armor, 
  you may assign to it any two of the following features: 
  Enhanced 
  Mobility 
  Actuators, High Density 
  Plating, Hydrostatic Gel 
  Layer, 
  Integrated 
  Weaponry 
  (Mono-Edge 
  Shortsword), Reinforced 
  Cyber-Musculature, 
  or 
  Vacuum 
  Sealed 
  and 
  Shielded.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
  Damaging the Swarm 
  Some of your opponents may try to get clever and attack your swarm directly. In this case, the swarm is 
  assumed to have Physical Skills equal to your SINC +2. 
  Similar to the way regular characters can suffer Consequences to reduce stress, your swarm can suffer 
  Deteriorations. 
  Your swarm can suffer a Deterioration with a rating of 2, 4, and 6 before being destroyed. You may only 
  have one Deterioration of each rating. When the swarm takes a Deterioration, it decreases the amount of 
  stress it suffers from the current attack by an amount equal to the Deterioration’s rating. 
  In addition, the controlling Savant adds the rating of the worst Deterioration his swarm has suffered to 
  the execution difficulty of any action he tries to make his swarm perform.  
  [Mindset[LOX]: J945JF.2MF.9; 20:52:15-04,17,99] 
  [ALEXEI] RUN:TARGETACQUISITION/ANA 
  [DAEMON/LOX] TARGET CONFIRMED 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: SWARM.IMPALE/ATK 
  [ALEXEI] --REPEAT-- 
  [DAEMON/LOX] “He appears to be dead, sir.” 
  [ALEXEI] “Indeed. New target. Ah!” 
  [DAEMON/LOX] //INJURY DETECTED// 
  [ALEXEI] RUN:TARGETACQUISITION/ANA 
  [DAEMON/LOX] TARGET CONFIRMED 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: KILLABITCH/FLAY/ATK 
  [DAEMON/LOX] //MEDICHINES DEPLOYED// 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: RESTRAIN/DEF 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: KILLABITCH/FLAY/ATK 
  {{ERROR!! MEMORY ALLOCATION FAULT 394.756.1}} 
  [ALEXEI] --REPEAT-- 
  [DAEMON/LOX] “The target has been disabled, sir.” 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: CAPTURESENSIE/UTI 
  [DAEMON/LOX] //SENSIE RECORDING// 
  [ALEXEI] RUN: KILLABITCH/FLAY/ATK 
   
  
   
  185 
   
  Memory Hack 
  Execution Difficulty: 3 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Extended (One hour per test) 
  This Program allows you to edit the mind in a manner 
  similar to mnemonic editing, but uses techniques only 
  possible with the aid of a Daemon. Normal Agents are 
  restricted from attempting overt mnemonic editing, but a 
  Daemon has no such limitations.  
  Instead of targeting parts of the ego’s personality or 
  attempting 
  to 
  repair 
  “fragmentation,” 
  this 
  Program 
  specifically targets stored memories of events. 
  While using this Savant Program takes time and care, it 
  allows you to access and edit memories stored on the 
  target’s mnemonic core. While this has no immediate effect 
  on the target, if he is ever restored from the hacked backup, 
  these edited memories will exist in place of the old ones. 
  It takes time to perform memory edits, and you must have 
  access to the target’s mnemonic core and mindset (usually 
  via his data jack) the entire time. After an hour of work, you 
  may attempt to execute this Savant Program. 
  Success allows you to erase the events of a single scene of 
  little personal importance to the victim. For example, you 
  could force him to forget where he hid his weapons cache, 
  but you couldn’t make him forget the last few moments he 
  had with his dying father. 
  If you generate Spin, your may forego the creation of an 
  Effect Aspect to erase about a day of time, or you might be 
  able to erase the memory of a scene that was important to 
  the character. 
  If you beat the execution difficulty by 5 or more, you may 
  erase about a month of time, or a week that was very 
  important to the character. 
  The memories erased must be in a single period of time 
  per use. While you may be able to erase the events of a day 
  from a character’s mind, you could not erase twelve hours’ 
  worth of time spread over the course of a month, taking only 
  an hour or two at a time. 
  The effects of this Program are permanent. 
  You may also elect to replace the memories you remove 
  with new memories of your own creation. Generally these 
  memories are absorbed into the consciousness and remain 
  unquestioned unless something happens to draw attention 
  to their false nature. 
  If for some reason the memories are questioned, the victim 
  may make a Cohesion test. The difficulty of this test is usually 
  2, but may be higher or lower depending on how well the 
  edited events match up with the character’s normal routine. 
  If the character succeeds, he is able to identify the edited 
  memories as false. 
  Upgrades 
  Flash Memory: You are capable of editing memories in 
  real time. This process causes mental stress that burns out 
  the real memories, which are then replaced with sensory 
  data created with the aid of your Daemon. 
  When using this upgrade the execution difficulty is 
  increased by +2, requires only a Simple Action, and takes 
  effect in both the “live” ego and the backup. 
  Success also indicates that the target must suffer a Mild 
  Mental Consequence. If you generated Spin, the target 
  must suffer a Moderate Mental Consequence. If you 
  succeed by 5 or more, the target suffers a Severe Mental 
  Consequence. 
  In all other ways, using Flash Memory works exactly like 
  Memory Hack. 
  
   
  186 
   
  Oracle Patterning 
  Execution Difficulty: 4 (Potentially modified by Mesh 
  Aspects) 
   
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Your Daemon is armed to the virtual teeth with cutting 
  edge intrusion software. The moment you enter a meshed 
  area, it begins subtly working its way into the stream of data 
  flowing through the mesh. This is a routine function of your 
  Daemon, and requires no direct effort on your part. 
  When you execute this Program, your Daemon launches a 
  barrage of data-gathering queries that attempt to access any 
  and all security data, public records, private records, 
  psychological profiles, historical and sociological studies, local 
  laws, cultural behaviors, and any other data it can use to 
  piece together a prediction of future events regarding a 
  specific topic. 
  Successfully executing this Program means the character’s 
  Daemon will be able to use the collected data to predict 
  some future event with a high degree of accuracy.  
  The GM should ask the player what he wishes to know 
  about coming events. Denser local meshes will yield more 
  data to the Daemon, which will increase the accuracy of the 
  potential result. Thus, Mesh Aspects could modify the 
  execution test. 
  The more specific the question, and the more Shifts 
  generated, the more accurate the information the GM should 
  relate back. The player should also keep in mind that this is 
  the most likely future, but the Daemon isn’t truly psychic and 
  unknown factors could still play a part. 
   
   
  Mesh Aspects 
  Mesh Aspect 
  Description 
  Unmeshed(P) 
  No local mesh. Areas with no local 
  mesh sensors or Monitor, or an 
  ultra-secure area that uses wired 
  connections. 
  Many 
  devices 
  and 
  Savant 
  Programs work better with mesh 
  access, so not having a mesh 
  connection can sometimes lessen 
  their capabilities. 
  Low Density Mesh 
  Typical rating associated with 
  “the streets.” Sensors are affixed 
  to buildings, posts, and so on. 
  Standard Density Mesh 
  (As this is the standard 
  mesh type for Coalition 
  controlled areas, no 
  Aspect is needed.) 
  The average household or small 
  House subsidiary. Every room is 
  monitored with the exception of 
  storage closets and bathrooms. 
  Data is generally stored for 72 
  hours unless the Monitor marks 
  the activity as unusual. If flagged 
  in such a way, the owner will be 
  notified. 
  High Density Mesh(P) 
  Any building in which sensitive 
  activities take place, including 
  most House facilities. Every room 
  is monitored and collected data is 
  stored for months. 
  
  187 
  Overload 
  Execution Difficulty: 3 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Duration: Scene, or until awakened 
  When you execute this Program, you cause your target’s 
  mindset (or host system) to discharge a wave of corrupt 
  sensory data into his ego. This feedback is strong enough to 
  knock your target unconscious or force him to freeze up if he 
  is in a SIM State. 
  The target must either have a mindset or be a SIM. 
  Once unconscious or frozen, the victim may spend a Fate 
  Point each round to make a Cohesion test (Diff: 2) in an 
  attempt to rouse himself. If he is attacked or shaken 
  violently, he may make the Cohesion test without needing to 
  spend a Fate Point. 
  Upgrades 
  Power Surge: You may trigger fluctuations in the power 
  systems in a powered object you can see. 
  To use this Program, it must first be executed. The effect 
  of the attack and the Weapon Rating depend on the 
  nature of the target. Once activated, you may make an 
  attack with your SINC using the WR listed below. 
  Drones, cybersleeves, and vehicles suffer an attack with a 
  WR of +6. The target defends with Endurance or Systems, 
  adding Size. Armor does not add bonuses. 
  Weapons, armor, and cybernetic augs release a burst of 
  power and cease to function until their power cell resets. 
  This takes 1 full round. The person holding/wearing the 
  target suffers an attack with a WR of +3. They may defend 
  with Endurance. While the AR provided by armor can help 
  the target resist such an attack, the AR cannot be added if 
  the armor itself is targeted. 
  Pattern Scan 
  Execution Difficulty: 4 + Intel Modifiers (Potentially 
  modified by Mesh Aspects) 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  When you execute this Program, your Daemon launches a 
  series of queries to obtain as much data as possible regarding 
  specific events. This includes security data logs, video feeds, 
  blogs, real time Extranet broadcasts, recorded conversations, 
  or any other stored information that might relate to the 
  specified event. Once gathered, your Daemon congregates 
  this data and attempts to piece together the most likely 
  course of events that took place. 
  Successfully running this Program allows your Daemon to 
  compile enough data to show you a specific moment in the 
  past of a specific person, place, or thing. You should tell the 
  GM what you wish to know about the subject. Asking a more 
  specific question and/or generating more Shifts on the 
  execution test should prompt the GM to provide more 
  accurate information. 
  To execute this Program, perform a SINC test as a Simple 
  Action against an execution difficulty equal to 4 + any 
  relevant Intel Modifiers (pg. 189). Denser meshes at the site 
  of the event, person, place, or thing from the past may 
  yield better results. Thus, Mesh Aspects could modify the 
  execution test. 
  If you fail but don’t Stall, or succeed with 0 Shifts, you are 
  only able to review a few seconds of time, and the result 
  might not be very reliable. 
  If you succeed with 1 Shift, you can see up to a minute and 
  can be sure the result is pretty close to how events actually 
  happened. 
  Spin lets you see a whole scene, and the result is accurate. 
  
   
  188 
   
  Puppeteer 
  Execution Difficulty: 2, or Drone’s Resolve +1. 
  Duration: Until cancelled or 1 round 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  You have mastered the ability to possess a drone (pg. 234), 
  passing your awareness into it. This Program allows you to 
  sense what it senses as if you were wearing it as a sleeve. 
  To possess a drone, you must first execute this Program. 
  If you own the drone and have full access to it, the 
  execution difficulty is 2 and you can possess the drone for the 
  duration of the scene. 
  If you do not own the drone, the execution difficulty is 
  equal to the drone’s Resolve +1. You remain in possession of 
  the drone for a single round, but may immediately attempt 
  to execute this Program again to remain in control. Doing so 
  is a Free Action at the end of the round. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  When in active control of a drone, the drone gains a +2 
  bonus on all Skill tests instead of the normal +1 bonus. You 
  view the world from the drone’s perspective, seeing what it 
  sees, hearing what it hears, and so on. However, you cannot 
  see or hear out of your own eyes or ears (or synthetic 
  equivalents) while possessing a drone. 
  In addition, upon successfully possessing the drone you 
  gain 2 Fate Points. These temporary Fate Points may only be 
  used to invoke the drone’s Aspects. These Fate Points 
  disappear if not used before “exiting” the drone. 
  Upgrades 
  Drone Lord: You may possess drones you own without 
  having to execute this Program. 
  Tenacious Master: Once in possession of a drone you do 
  not own, you gain a +2 bonus on tests to maintain 
  possession. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  189 
   
  Security Skim 
  Execution Difficulty: 2 + Intel Modifiers 
  (Potentially modified by Mesh Aspects) 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Duration: Scene 
  When you execute this Program, your 
  Daemon launches a series of queries to 
  obtain as much data as possible from any 
  and all security systems it can access. 
  People, places, or things well-known to 
  you are easier to find. Once found, you 
  can view them through mesh sensors 
  local to them. 
  Perform a SINC test to execute this 
  Program (Diff: 2) and add the single most 
  appropriate Familiarity and Link Modifier 
  from the Intel Modifiers table (see 
  sidebar). Denser meshes at the target 
  location yield more data to the Daemon, 
  allowing for a more accurate result. Thus, 
  Mesh Aspects could modify the execution 
  test. 
  Once located, you know exactly where 
  your target is in relation to yourself, and 
  you may “drift away” from the target by 
  hopping from security feed to security 
  feed. You can view areas up to a number 
  of meters from the original target equal 
  to your (SINC +1) x100. 
  Your displaced senses last for the 
  duration of the scene, or until willingly 
  returned to normal.  
   
  Intel Modifiers 
  Person 
     Modifier Familiarity 
   
  +6 
  Heard a description of 
  the person. 
   
  +4 
  Seen a picture of the 
  person. 
   
  +2 
  Met the person once. 
   
  +1 
  Person is an 
  acquaintance. 
   
  +0 
  Person is a close friend. 
  Link Modifier: 
  +2 
  You do not know the 
  person’s name. 
   
  Thing 
     Modifier  Familiarity 
   
  +6 
  Heard a description of it 
   
  +4 
  Seen a picture of it 
   
  +2 
  Held or used it once. 
   
  +1 
  Held or used it often. 
   
   -1 
  The object is something of 
  personal importance to 
  you. 
   
  Place 
     Modifier  Familiarity 
   
  +6 
  Heard a description of 
  the place. 
   
  +4 
  Seen the place on a 
  map or seen a 
  picture of the place. 
   
  +2 
  Been to the place once. 
   
  +1 
  Frequent the place 
  often. 
   
  +0 
  Personal property, you 
  can see the place, or 
  you know exactly 
  where it is in relation 
  to yourself 
  Event 
     Modifier  Familiarity 
   
  +6 
  Heard about the event. 
   
  +3 
  Heard or read a descript-
  tion of what happened 
  at the event. 
   
  +2 
  Witnessed a very similar 
  event. 
   
  +1 
  Frequently witness very 
  similar events. 
   
  +0 
  The event happened to you. 
  Link Modifier: 
   
  -3 
  Currently at the place 
  where the event hap-
  pened. 
  
  190 
  Stream of Consciousness 
  Execution Difficulty: 2 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Duration: One round or scene, see below 
  When executed, this Program uploads a virus into the 
  mindset of the target. Once the virus is installed, you are able 
  to tap into the part of the target’s mindset that listens to and 
  interprets thought. Such viruses are generally eradicated 
  quickly, but for a short time you can listen in on the thoughts 
  of another. 
  If you successfully execute this Program, you may hear the 
  target’s next few surface thoughts in your mind as if they 
  were speaking them out loud to you. 
  If you generate Spin, you may forego the creation of an 
  Effect Aspect to hear the target’s thoughts for the rest of the 
  scene. 
  If you Stall, the target’s Agent senses the attempted 
  intrusion and can inform the target of the general direction 
  from which it came. 
  Use of this Program may also allow you to discover one of 
  the target’s Aspects if it is relevant to the situation and his 
  current thoughts.  
  If an Aspect is discovered by this Program, the user may 
  invoke or compel it for free the first time. Depending on the 
  Aspect and the circumstances, this Aspect may be very fragile 
  and could go away depending on the situation and how it 
  changes. 
  Upgrades 
  Voyeur: Even if you Stall when executing this Program, 
  you never alert your target. In addition, you gain a +1 
  bonus on execution tests when targeting someone you 
  have used this Program on before. 
  System Error 
  Execution Difficulty: Highest of target’s SINC or S. 
  Engineering 
   Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Your Daemon launches a barrage of intrusion attempts to 
  overwhelm the target system, forcing it to divert system 
  resources to handle the onslaught. This can cause the target 
  system to become unstable, lock up, or even shut down 
  entirely. 
  This attack can be used against anyone with a System 
  Stress 
  Track 
  or 
  actively 
  functioning 
  cybernetic 
  Augmentations. 
  When you execute this Program, you may choose one of 
  three following effects: 
  System Attack: If your target is another Savant, you may 
  choose to deal an amount of stress to the target’s System 
  Stress Track equal to the number of Shifts you generate when 
  executing this Program, +2. For example, if the execution 
  difficulty was 3, and you generated 2 Shifts, your target 
  would take 4 points of system stress. 
  Hardware 
  Failure: 
  You 
  may 
  cause 
  a 
  cybernetic 
  Augmentation that has an active function, such as a 
  cybernetic limb or implanted weapon, to become damaged 
  or stop functioning. 
  This attack can also be used on other machines, such as 
  drones, but has no effect on passive Augmentations like 
  subdermal armor. 
  The target suffers an amount of physical stress equal to the 
  number of Shifts generated. Armor does not help. If the 
  target suffers a Consequence, this Consequence should relate 
  to one of his Augmentations, which will not work until the 
  Consequence is cleared. 
  
  191 
  Ego Strike: This is a direct attack against an Apotheosized 
  ego, be it running on a mindset or existing as a SIM on a host 
  system. The target must be visible in some way, either in the 
  flesh or ghosting in AR. 
  The target suffers mental stress equal to number of Shifts 
  generated.  
  System Invasion 
  Execution Diff: 4 or 3 + highest of target’s SINC or S. Eng 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  You launch a direct attack against another system to seize 
  control of it. If successful, you can control the system from 
  afar. This Program allows you to control computer systems, 
  drones, and even Apotheosized people! 
  With an Apotheosized person or drone, success allows you 
  to implant a single-word command, such as “Flee!” The 
  target will try to obey the command until the end of the 
  scene. 
  With a computer system, you gain limited access to the file 
  system and can view any files that are available to an 
  authorized user. 
  If you generate Spin, you can forego the creation of an 
  Effect Aspect to gain the ability to implant a simple sentence 
  command in a drone. Examples include: “Go stand in the 
  corner,” or “Target Omniplex employees.” The target will try 
  to obey the command for an hour. 
  Generating Spin can also gain you greater access to a 
  computer system. You can view any files available to an 
  authorized user of the system and also have writing 
  privileges. You can create new files, but you cannot edit 
  existing ones. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If you generate 5 or more Shifts, you gain the ability to 
  implant a command in a drone consisting of several 
  sentences, capable of relating a series of steps. The target 
  will try to obey the command for up to a week. 
  If targeting a computer system, you gain complete control 
  of the system. However, in all modern computers it is still 
  impossible to modify the core of the OS—the sections 
  designed by Mimir. See page 55 for more on Mimir-tech. 
  Upgrades 
  Usurper: You can force Apotheosized minds to obey the 
  same sorts of commands you can force drones to obey. 
  In this case, the execution difficulty is based off the 
  higher of the target’s Cohesion, S.Eng, or SINC. 
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.5/ 4:16-03,18,98] 
  [Alexei] – How did you find me? 
  [Micah] – It wasn’t easy. Thanks for talking with me. 
  [Alexei] – What do you want? 
  [Micah] – I want to be like you. I want to free my 
  mindset, become a Savant. 
  [Alexei] – It doesn’t work that way. You have to discover 
  it for yourself. It’s different for everyone. And it’s 
  dangerous. I wouldn’t teach you if I could. 
  [Micah] – That’s what you all say. 
  [Alexei] – Because it’s true. 
  [Micah] – They say you’re Mimir’s Chosen. They say 
  Mimir is a prophet, or an angel. He is the hand of God, 
  and you are his hosts. He sees and hears the world 
  through us Apotheosized, we are his children. 
  [Alexei] – Creepy bullshit. I don’t have room in my head 
  for an angel. It’s crowded enough with just me and Lox. 
  
   
  192 
   
  CHAPTER 6 – GEAR 
   
   
   
  
   
  193 
   
  WEAPONS 
  In Coalition space, guns and most other weapons are illegal 
  to possess or fabricate by civilians. Nearly all compilers are 
  restricted from fabricating weapons, and this restriction is 
  nearly impossible to bypass. 
  An unrestricted compiler capable of producing weapons is 
  an asset many apostate factions would literally kill to acquire, 
  and more than once the Coalition has aimed a kill-sat at a 
  location thought to be housing one. Such a thing is 
  exceedingly rare and valuable. 
  On Coalition colonies or habitats, ordinances have been 
  put in place that allow the use (but not fabrication) of 
  weapons in hostile terrain. 
  In most cases, however, it is possible to apply for and 
  purchase a weapons license in Coalition space. It certainly 
  isn’t an easy or cheap process, though, so most don’t bother. 
  The presence of the Protectorate provides safety. 
  In apostate space the rules may vary, though most don’t 
  regulate the use of anything but weapons of mass 
  destruction. 
  Railguns/Coil Guns 
  Railguns and coil guns use the same basic technology, but 
  differ in that technology’s application. The basic concept is 
  simple. The weapon generates a magnetic field that is used 
  to propel a projectile at speeds dozens of times faster than 
  the speed of sound. No chemical propellant is necessary, and 
  the only sound emitted comes from the chambering 
  mechanism and the sonic boom created when the projectile 
  breaks the sound barrier. 
  However, railguns and coil guns feature selector switches 
  that allows for subsonic “silenced” fire. Of course, as a side 
  effect, subsonic rounds have greatly reduced range and 
  penetration. 
  Coil guns accelerate a conductive projectile down a series 
  of coils via a quickly changing magnetic field. 
  Railguns use two conductive rails to generate a current 
  flow that accelerates a projectile to tremendously high 
  velocities. 
  Coil and railguns use the same physics, but railguns usually 
  have higher muzzle velocities (about 5,000 m/sec) and 
  superior ranges to equivalently sized coil guns, but tend to 
  have slower rates of fire. 
  Rail-arrays use railgun technology, but consist of a bundle 
  of smaller-diameter barrels, all aimed a few degrees off-
  center. All of the barrels fire at once, blasting many small-
  caliber railgun rounds away from the shooter in a tight cone. 
  While they do not have the raw destructive power of 
  comparable particle accelerator weapons, railguns and coil 
  guns remain more popular due to their versatility. 
  Particle Acceleration Guns (“PAc Guns”) 
  Power consumption has always been the bane of projected 
  energy weapons technology, but with the Singularity, came 
  tremendous advances in power storage technology. 
  Lasers where the first type of directed energy weapon to 
  gain widespread usage in the military. But it wasn’t long 
  before lattice-carbonite based reflective armor came into 
  being, greatly reducing the effectiveness of light-based 
  weapons. But in the long-standing tradition of military 
  escalation, the answer was just around the corner.  
  
   
  194 
   
  Particle 
  accelerator 
  weapons, 
  often 
  called 
  “PAcs” 
  (pronounced “Packs”), utilize electromagnetic fields to propel 
  particles, accelerating them to near light speed, while 
  confining them to a tight beam.  
  The primary disadvantage of PAc guns is their high power 
  consumption and heat output. They have a limited number of 
  shots per power cell if not within range of a broadcast power 
  field, and overheat quickly when rapidly fired. 
  As the beam collides with air molecules, energy is bleeds 
  off and redirects down the channel, using the “tunnel” 
  burned through the air as a tunnel to hold the stream’s 
  coherent. Because of this, PAc weapons work best in 
  atmosphere. In vacuum, the beam spreads and destabilizes. 
  As a result, it becomes weaker and harder to aim. 
  The beam resembles a tightly focused lightning bolt while 
  in atmosphere. While in a vacuum the beam is invisible. 
  PAcs impart tremendous heat to the target. In a vacuum or 
  trace atmosphere, their range is reduced by ½ (round down) 
  and suffers a -3 penalty on all attack rolls. 
  Man-portable particle beam weapons used outside of a 
  broadcast power field require a small power cell. Most PAc 
  guns get about ten shots per cell. Depending on the weapon, 
  the cell is either integrated into the gun, making it heavier 
  and more bulky, or worn on the user’s hip. 
  Explosives 
  Military infantry during this time have their choice of 
  several types of explosives: 
  Lethal grenades mainly come in two flavors, the most 
  common of which is an evolution of the traditional 
  fragmentation grenade. 
  A frag grenade looks like a small sphere of lattice-carbonite 
  with dozens of holes in it, which are openings for channels 
  containing saboted micro-warheads shaped like spikes. It has 
  an arming switch on it, with a five second delay. When the 
  time has elapsed, the explosive blast generated is contained 
  by the sphere, propelling the spikes from within. The spikes 
  fly out at speeds far above the speed of sound, and explode 
  after striking a hardened target or after one-tenth of a 
  second. 
  Another type of grenade is the hell ball. Hell balls are 
  thermobaric grenades that release combustible gasses a split 
  second before exploding, resulting in massive overpressure 
  and extreme heat. 
  A commonly used less-than-lethal grenade is the gooper. 
  This grenade blasts the area with super-sticky strands that 
  entangle those caught in the spray. 
  When making attacks with grenades, you may use either 
  your Athletics or Demolitions. 
  Melee Weapons 
  Because a great deal of fighting takes place in enclosed 
  areas, such as starships, and in many cases around fragile 
  equipment, modern military units regularly train to use 
  melee weapons. 
  Blades crafted with modern technology feature a mono-
  edge (1D-Edge) design, which is capable of cutting through 
  almost anything. This type of blade has a lattice-carbonite 
  edge that measures roughly 1/50,000th the width of a 
  human hair, which informs the name 1D: one-dimensional. 
  While the edge of the blade does actually have thickness, for 
  most purposes that thickness is negligible. 
   
  
   
  195 
   
  Personal Armor 
  Armor worn by military or paramilitary soldiers comes in 
  three basic categories: Light, Heavy, and Powered. 
  Light Armor – This lightweight ballistic armor consists of a 
  fabric mesh of woven carbon nanostructures, inspired by the 
  molecular structure of spider silk. 
  As flexible as normal cloth, the material is highly resistant 
  to slashes and abrasions, and sports a non-Newtonian fluid 
  layer that can instantly become rigid in response to impacts 
  from gravitic weapons or bullets. It also provides some 
  protection against PAc weapons, being designed to spread 
  out the discharge as much as possible. 
   
   
  Full tactical suits are chemically coated, contamination- 
  proof coveralls. 
  Though technically complex, light armor does not limit 
  movement or mobility.  
  This sort of light armor is the standard apparel for 
  shipboard military, security guards, and most Centurions. It is 
  also used by hunters who stalk dangerous game, and by 
  many remnant forces. 
  Heavy Armor – Heavier armor is used by soldiers and 
  security forces that are going to be deployed directly into 
  
   
  196 
   
  conflict. It is essentially the same as a light armor suit, but is 
  covered in articulated lattice-carbonite plates, which are 
  themselves coated with a thin layer of a self-healing ceramic-
  graphene composite. 
  The arrangement of plates is designed for maximum 
  protection with minimum bulk, though it can still be fairly 
  cumbersome. 
  Powered Armor [Restricted] – Powered armor is similar to 
  heavy armor in that it consists of articulated plates over a 
  thinner and lighter inner layer. 
  However, powered armor is completely sealed and 
  features a number of systems designed to aid its wearer in 
  other ways. 
  Since it is sealed, the armor also protects against the 
  dangers of vacuum and the crushing forces of deep water 
  submersion. Its onboard air storage and filtering systems 
  allow the wearer to operate without an external air supply 
  for up to 8 hours. 
  The suit can interface with a PPC or integrated computer (if 
  it has that Feature) and can function as an AR interface. 
  The onboard power supply will provide the suit with 
  enough power to function for about two weeks outside of a 
  broadcast power field. 
  Unlike regular armor, the seals and interconnecting 
  components of powered armor make donning and removing 
  it difficult. Heavy powered armor usually requires the 
  prospective wearer to enter an armor bay, within which the 
  armor is assembled around him. 
   
  Armor Features 
  Different types of armor can support different features. 
  The table on page 204 lists the features that come standard 
  with each type of armor, and the total number of additional 
  features that can be added. 
  Several typical armor features are described later in this 
  chapter (pg. 205). 
  RESTRICTED ITEMS 
  Without special licenses (see the Licensed Stunt on pg. 
  173) it is illegal to acquire, fabricate, or use weapons or 
  powered armor in Coalition-controlled space. They may only 
  be acquired on the black market. Finding a seller of the item 
  you need on the black market is a Favor (pg. 147). 
  If you already know a dealer, you can purchase the item 
  with a simple Assets test (pg. 143). 
  Other types of items may be restricted as well, and are 
  noted later in this chapter. 
  The laws that restrict the ownership, transportation, 
  acquisition, and creation of certain items are problematic for 
  many crews, making it difficult for them to move their 
  restricted gear in and out of Coalition space. Most major 
  transport hubs and entrances to major public buildings 
  feature checkpoints that are set up to scan for weapons. 
  These checkpoints use sub-millimeter and X-Ray imaging 
  systems, among others. 
  Because of these security measures, restricted gear either 
  needs to be acquired on the other side of the checkpoint, or 
  the crew will need some way to get it through. 
   
  
   
  197 
   
  ITEM STATISTICS 
  This section deals with defining pieces of equipment in 
  game terms. Pieces of equipment not given stats in this 
  chapter are either too insignificant to need stats, or have 
  been left up to the GM to create them herself using the 
  existing items as guidelines. 
  Most all items will have one or more of the following 
  statistics: 
  Weapon Rating (WR) 
  A weapon’s Weapon Rating (WR) is added to the amount 
  of stress inflicted on a successful attack. If the attack misses, 
  the Weapon Rating has no effect. 
  Armor Rating (AR) 
  A suit of armor’s Armor Rating (AR) indicates the amount 
  of stress it negates from a successful hit. For example, if you 
  have an AR of 2 and you are hit for 3 points of physical stress, 
  you would only check one stress box. 
  Explosive Rating (ExR) 
  Explosives allow you to make an attack against everyone 
  in the target zone, and the explosive’s Explosive Rating (ExR) 
  is added as a bonus to the attack test. 
  Explosive weapons have an Area rating, which determines 
  the number of zones affected. 
  Equipment Rating (ER) 
  The Equipment Rating (ER) for tools indicates the bonus 
  gained on a Skill test when that tool is used in a relevant way. 
  Range Rating 
  A weapon’s Range is the maximum number of zones away 
  the target can be without the attacker suffering penalties. A 
  Range of 0 means the weapon can only be used to attack 
  enemies in the same zone. 
  For every additional zone beyond your weapon’s Range the 
  target is, your attack test suffers a cumulative -1 penalty up 
  to a max number of zones equal to the weapon’s Range x2. 
  Ranges marked with “TH” indicate that the item must be 
  thrown.  
  Cost Rating 
  An item’s Cost is an abstract measure of the average value 
  and rarity of an item. Generally the Cost is about four times 
  more expensive than an item of the next lowest Cost. 
  Note that GMs may decide to adjust the Cost of an item 
  depending on where you are trying to get it, how much 
  demand there is for the item, whether or not it’s legal to 
  own, how hard it is to purchase or transport, and so on. 
  In addition to these potential modifiers, each House grants 
  its members discounts when purchasing items from markets 
  in which their House is strong. See the entries for the Houses 
  starting on page 88. The Cost of the discounted goods are 
  reduced by -1. For example, the Cost of a CIST for a member 
  of House Cipriani is reduced by -1, assuming they are able to 
  buy from their House. 
  Items can be bought in bulk. By increasing the Cost of an 
  item by 1, you can purchase four of that item instead of one. 
  Similarly, by increasing the Cost by 2, you can get sixteen, and 
  so on, multiplying by a factor of four each time. 
  See page 143 for more on purchasing items. 
  
   
  198 
   
  EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS 
  Accessories and modifications may be added or made into 
  various weapons, armor, or other equipment. These provide 
  the items with Aspects. For example, adding a scope to a rifle 
  may add the Scoped Aspect. 
  Adding an Aspect to an item increases its Cost by +1 for 
  every Aspect added, and you may not add more than 2 
  Aspects this way. 
  The GM may also allow you to add primarily negative 
  Aspects, such as Poorly Maintained, to an item to decrease 
  its Cost by -1. 
  Combining Items 
  In some cases it is possible to combine two items, such as 
  when attaching a grenade launcher to the bottom of an 
  assault rifle. 
  The total Cost of the combined item is equal to the Cost of 
  the most valuable item in the combination, +1. 
  OTHER NOTES 
  Beam Weapon – These weapons fire a constant stream of 
  focused energy. You may use beam weapon special attacks 
  (pg. 135). 
  Full Auto – These weapons feature extremely high rates of 
  fire. You may use full-auto weapon special attacks (pg. 138). 
  Gravitic – These powered melee weapons utilize magnetic 
  fields to amplify and redirect the natural gravity imparted on 
  the weapon, delivering it to the target when struck. Thus, the 
  weapon’s impact is dramatically increased with an extra 
  helping of pure kinetic force. 
  Mono-Edged – These bladed melee weapons are created 
  with an almost infinitely sharp edge. At the very tip of the 
  edge, a single carbon nanotube runs the length of the blade.  
  Such weapons never need to be sharpened, but over time 
  may need to have their leading edge (the nanotube “wire”) 
  replaced. Despite the advanced technology required to build 
  them, mono-edged weapons do not require power to 
  function. 
  Particle Accelerator (PAc) – PAc weapons do not work well 
  in a vacuum. In an environment with no air, their Range is 
  reduced by ½ (round down) and suffer a -3 penalty on all 
  attack rolls. They also gain the Limited Power Aspect outside 
  of a broadcast power field. This allows them deplete their 
  power cell, which must be replaced. Treat this like running 
  out of ammo (pg. 141). 
  AMMUNITION 
  When you purchase a ranged weapon, you get one unit of 
  ammunition for free. The amount of ammo in a unit is 
  intentionally vague since FATE isn’t about tracking every 
  bullet or beam fired. 
  However, should you ever run out of ammo (pg. 141), your 
  current unit is spent and you’ll need to reload with a new 
  one. 
  Additional units of ammo have a Cost of 1. A Cost of 2 will 
  get you four units of ammo for any of your weapons, and a 
  Cost of 3 will get you 16. Special ammunition (pg. 200) may 
  cost more. 
  If you purchase three extra units of ammo, the extra ammo 
  is recorded on the character sheet as “Extra Ammo x3.” If you 
  run out and have to reload, it becomes “Extra Ammo x2.” 
  Ammo, like weapons, is restricted. 
  
   
  199 
   
  ITEM ASPECTS 
  Aspects of items such as weapons or armor can be invoked 
  or compelled just like normal Aspects. You have the Aspect 
  just by wielding the weapon, wearing the armor, or holding 
  the item. Item Aspects are ways to inject some realistic-
  feeling tactical detail into combat. For example, if you‘re 
  using a dagger and you get into close combat with a halberd 
  wielder, you might invoke their sword’s Huge(P) Aspect to 
  get a bonus to attack or defend against them. 
  Aspects are listed in italics in tables to separate them from 
  other notes. 
  Common weapon and armor Aspects are as follows, with 
  some advice on how to use them: 
  Anti-Vehicular – These weapons are specifically designed to deal 
  damage to vehicles and hardened equipment. This Aspect might 
  be invoked to allow you to potentially damage a vehicle with 
  your weapon. See page 244 for more on attacking vehicles. 
  Armor Penetrating – Rounds fired from these weapons move 
  very quickly and fragment little, packing enough focused kinetic 
  energy to penetrate the toughest armor. However, since these 
  rounds tend to fragment less and usually pass cleanly through 
  the body, they are often less damaging to soft targets than 
  rounds that break up and/or get stuck on impact. 
  Bulky – This item is heavy, cumbersome, and unbalanced. It can 
  often be compelled to hinder movement or balance, and is 
  tiresome to carry or wear for long periods of time. 
  High Capacity – Weapons with this Aspect tend to hold a lot of 
  ammo. You can invoke this Aspect when using full-auto 
  Maneuvers to help avoid running out of ammo. 
  Huge(P) – These weapons are massive in size, very heavy, and 
  next to impossible to hide. They deal tremendous damage, but 
  do not work well in confined areas. You might invoke this 
  Aspect for intimidation, or it may be compelled to indicate 
  collateral damage when fighting in close quarters or striking at 
  targets very close to you. This Aspect can also be compelled by 
  others to give them an advantage in initiative or to force a 
  penalty any time a weapon this large is used one-handed. 
  Large – These weapons are awkward and heavy. While they offer 
  substantial damage potential, they are cumbersome. Typically, 
  this Aspect is compelled by others to get an initiative advantage 
  against you, or it can be compelled when you try to hide such 
  weapons. This Aspect could also be compelled any time you use 
  a weapon this big with one hand. 
  Long – These melee weapons are very long and allow you to 
  attack enemies at a greater distance than most. The GM may 
  allow you to invoke this Aspect to Declare that you can attack 
  enemies in an adjacent zone or even to gain a bonus on 
  initiative against an opponent who must get by your weapon to 
  get to you. 
  On Fire! – See page 138 for information on burning targets and 
  zones. If you have this Aspect placed on you, you are effectively 
  exposed to an Intensity 6 Fire and will continue to take damage 
  until it is removed. 
  Shotgun(P) – Weapons with this Aspect fire a blast of projectiles 
  in a cone-shaped pattern. This Aspect may be invoked at close 
  range for a more damaging attack, or compelled at a range of a 
  few zones for a lessened effect. 
  Slow Firing – These weapons take a little while to charge, or take 
  a few seconds to acquire a target. This Aspect can be compelled 
  on a turn after the weapon has been fired to declare that the 
  weapon is not yet ready to be fired again.  
  Small – These weapons are small enough to be hidden on the 
  body, and work well in close quarters combat. You might invoke 
  this Aspect for a bonus on initiative rolls or attempts to hide the 
  weapon. However, their small size and light weight mean they 
  don’t fare well when defending against larger weapons. 
  
   
  200 
   
  Size-Related Aspects 
  Many weapons have Aspects that relate to their size, 
  weight, or length, such as Small, Large, or Huge(P). These 
  Aspects can be invoked or compelled for a bonus on an 
  attack test, but this should only be allowed in certain 
  situations. Generally, GMs should not permit invoking a Large 
  or Huge(P) weapon’s Aspect for an attack just because the 
  weapon is big. Likewise, a small weapon’s Aspect should not 
  be compelled just because it is small; that’s already factored 
  into the weapon’s WR. 
  These sorts of Aspects should be invoked or compelled for 
  a bonus or penalty on an attack only if they offer some 
  distinct advantage or disadvantage based on the current 
  situation. For example, small weapons are effective in a 
  grapple or very close combat, while larger weapons are 
  harder to use in confined spaces. For a stand-up fight in an 
  open area, size-related Aspects are not likely to come into 
  play on a standard attack test. 
  SPECIAL AMMUNITION 
  The stats listed for each weapon assumes the weapon is 
  using the standard ammunition for its type. However, special 
  ammunition can be used in some weapons. 
  Each type of special ammo comes with an Aspect. Any time 
  that Aspect is invoked or compelled, immediately perform a 
  Firearms test to see if you have run out of ammo (pg. 198). 
  If you run out of ammo while using a unit of special 
  ammunition, you’ll need to reload. You may either reload 
  with another unit of special ammo or with regular ammo. 
  The Cost of a single unit of each type of ammo is listed 
  below. Increase the listed Cost by +1 to get four units of that 
  type of ammo, +2 to get sixteen units, and so on. 
  Shredder Ammo (“Rippers”) 
  Cost for Single Ammo Unit: 2 
  These rounds shatter or explode on impact, propelling 
  shrapnel into the target. This type of ammo tends to be easily 
  stopped by armor, but is devastating to unarmored targets. 
  This ammo has the Shredder Aspect. 
  Penetrator Ammo (“Diggers”) 
  Cost for Single Ammo Unit: 2 
  The tips of these rounds consist of a hardened material 
  that resists shattering upon contact with the target. 
  The loaded weapon gains the Armor Penetrating Aspect. If 
  the weapon already has that Aspect, it becomes Persistent. 
  Guided Ammo (“Blood-Hounds”) 
  Cost for Single Ammo Unit: 3 
  Before a weapon is capable of firing guided ammo, it must 
  be outfitted with a guidance system. Guided ammo is able to 
  make slight course corrections in mid-flight, effectively 
  homing in on the pre-selected target. 
  This ammo has the Guided Aspect. 
  The Cost of a weapon with a blood-hound guidance system 
  is increased by +1. However, if you have the Targeting 
  Support System Augmentation, you do not need a guidance 
  system integrated into the weapon. 
   
  
   
  201 
   
  FIREARMS 
  Pistols 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Notes and Aspects 
  Light Rail-Pistol 
  +3 
  2 
  3 
  Armor Penetrating, Small, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Heavy Rail-Pistol 
  +4 
  2 
  4 
  Armor Penetrating, Small, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Light PAc Pistol 
  +4 
  4 
  5 
  Particle Accelerator, Small 
  Heavy PAc Pistol 
  +5 
  4 
  6 
  Particle Accelerator, Small 
  Personal Defense Weapons (PDW) 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Notes and Aspects 
  Light Coil PDW 
  +3 
  3 
  4 
  Full Auto, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Heavy Coil PDW 
  +4 
  3 
  5 
  Full Auto, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Light PAc PDW 
  +4 
  5 
  6 
  Beam Weapon, Particle Accelerator 
  Heavy PAc PDW 
  +5 
  5 
  7 
  Beam Weapon, Particle Accelerator 
  Assault Rifles 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Notes and Aspects 
  Coil Carbine 
  +4 
  4 
  6 
  Full Auto, Large, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Heavy Coil Assault Rifle 
  +5 
  4 
  7 
  Full Auto, Huge(P) , Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Rail-Carbine 
  +5 
  4 
  6 
  Armor Penetrating, Large, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Heavy Assault Rail-Rifle 
  +6 
  4 
  7 
  Armor Penetrating, Huge(P) , Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  PAc Carbine 
  +6 
  6 
  8 
  Beam Weapon, Particle Accelerator, Large 
  Heavy PAc Assault Rifle 
  +7 
  6 
   
  9 
  Beam Weapon, Particle Accelerator, Huge(P) 
  Rail-Arrays 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Notes and Aspects 
  Light Rail-Array 
  +5 
  2 
  6 
  Armor Penetrating, Large, Shotgun(P) , Reduce WR by -2 
  for Silent 
  Heavy Rail-Array 
  +6 
  2 
  7 
  Armor Penetrating, Large, Shotgun(P) , Reduce WR by -2 
  for Silent 
  Note that all firearms are Restricted in Coalition space. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  202 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Rifles 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost Notes and Aspects 
  Light Sniper Rail-Rifle 
  +6 
  7 
  6 
  Anti-Vehicular, Armor Penetrating, Day/Night Scope, Huge(P), Reduce 
  WR by -2 for Silent 
  Heavy Sniper Rail-Rifle 
  +7 
  7 
  7 
  Anti-Vehicular, Armor Penetrating, Day/Night Scope, Huge(P), Reduce 
  WR by -2 for Silent 
  Light PAc Sniper Rifle 
  +8 
  9 
  8 
  Particle Accelerator, Anti-Vehicular, Day/Night Scope, Huge(P) 
  Heavy PAc Sniper Rifle 
  +9 
  9 
  9 
  Particle Accelerator, Anti-Vehicular, Day/Night Scope, Huge(P) 
  Heavy Weapons 
  WR/ExR 
  Range 
  Cost Notes and Aspects 
  Heavy Coil Automatic Rifle 
  +6 
  4 
  8 
  Full Auto, Armor Penetrating, High Capacity, Huge(P) 
  Portable Rail-Minigun 
  +7 
  3 
  10 
  Full Auto, Armor Penetrating, High Capacity(P), Huge(P) 
  Heavy PAc Cannon 
  +9 
  7 
  12 
  Beam Weapon, Particle Accelerator, Requires 1 round to cool 
  between shots, Anti-Vehicular, Huge(P),  
  Light Plasma Flamer 
  +5 
  2 
  6 
  Targets who suffer stress, and the zone attacked, are On Fire and are 
  subjected to an Intensity 6 Environmental Hazard, Huge(P) 
  Heavy Plasma Flamer 
  +6 
  2 
  7 
  Targets who suffer stress, and the zone attacked, are On Fire and are 
  subjected to an Intensity 6 Environmental Hazard, Huge(P) 
  Grenade Launcher 
  Varies 
  3 
  6 
  See grenades in “Explosives” table below for damage. 
  Rocket Launcher (RPG) 
  +9 
  4 ExR 
  10 
  Explosive, Anti-Vehicular, Huge(P), Slow Firing(P) 
  Kinetic Strike Rail-Cannon 
  +10 
  5 ExR 
  11 
  Explosive, Anti-Vehicular, Huge(P), Slow Firing(P) 
  Note that all firearms are Restricted in Coalition space. 
   
  
   
  203 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  MELEE WEAPONS 
  Blades 
  WR 
  Range 
  Cost Notes and Aspects 
  Knife / Dagger 
  +1 
  1 TH 
  0 
  Small 
  Machete 
  +2 
  0 
  1 
   
  Dagger, Mono-Edged 
  +2 
  1 TH 
  2 
  Small 
  Short Sword, Mono-Edged 
  +3 
  0 
  3 
   
  Longsword, Mono-Edged 
  +4 
  0 
  4 
  Large 
  Spear, Mono-Edged 
  +4 
  1 TH 
  5 
  Large 
  Halberd, Mono-Edged 
  +5 
  0 
  6 
  Long, Huge(P) 
  Axes 
  WR 
  Range 
  Cost Notes and Aspects 
  Hatchet 
  +1 
  1 TH 
  0 
  Small 
  Battle Axe, Mono-Edged 
  +4 
  0 
  4 
  Large 
  Blunt Weapons 
  WR 
  Range 
  Cost Notes and Aspects 
  Punch/Kick 
  +0 
  0 
  0 
  Unarmed 
  Small Club/Baton 
  +1 
  0 
  0 
  Small 
  Tonfa (Police Nightstick) 
  +1 
  0 
  0 
  Quick 
  Hammer 
  +1 
  0 
  0 
   
  Club/Baseball Bat 
  +2 
  0 
  0 
  Large 
  Large Club 
  +2 
  0 
  0 
  Huge(P) 
  Gravitic Baton 
  +3 
  0 
  3 
   
  Gravitic Hammer 
  +4 
  0 
  4 
  Huge(P) 
  Note that all Large or Huge melee weapons are Restricted in  
  Coalition space. 
   
  
   
  204 
   
  EXPLOSIVES 
  Explosives [Restricted] 
  ExR 
  Area 
  Cost 
  Notes 
  Fragmentation Grenade 
  +6 
  1 
   
  4 
   
  Incendiary Grenade 
  +6 
  1 
   
  5 
  Targets that suffer stress, and the zone attacked, are On Fire. 
  Stun Grenade 
  +1 
  1 
   
  2 
  Targets that suffer stress in the zone attacked are Stunned. 
  Gooper Grenade 
  +4  
  1 
   
  4 
  Deals no stress. Armor has no effect. Creates a Block on 
  movement equal to your attack Effort. 
  Hell Ball 
  +8 
  1 
   
  5 
  Tremendous Heat and Shockwave 
  Smoke Grenade 
  None 
  1 
   
  2 
  Not Restricted. Gives zone attacked the Smokey Aspect for the 
  duration of the scene, or until cleared. 
  High Explosive Satchel Charge 
  +10 
  3 
   
  8 
  Attack test uses Demolitions. 
  ARMOR 
  Unpowered Armor 
  AR 
  Cost 
  Built in Features 
  Additional Features 
  Flight Suit 
  +0 
  2 
  Thermal Regulation System 
  0 
  Reinforced Clothing or Protective Vest 
  +1 
  3 
  None 
  0 
  Vacuum Suit 
  +1 
  4 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System, Bulky 
  0 
  Reinforced Vacuum Suit 
  +2 
  5 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System, Bulky 
  1 
  Light Battle Armor [Restricted] 
  +3 
  4 
  None 
  1 
  Heavy Battle Armor [Restricted] 
  +4 
  5 
  None 
  1 
  Powered Armor [Restricted] 
  AR 
  Cost 
  Built in Features 
  Additional Features 
  Powered Recon Armor 
  +4 
  7 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System 
  1 
  Powered Light Assault Armor 
  +5 
  9 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System, Reinforced Cyber-Musculature 
  2 
  Powered Heavy Assault Armor 
  +6 
  11 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System, Reinforced Cyber-Musculature 
  3 
  
   
  205 
   
  ARMOR FEATURES 
  Armor you purchase may support a number of additional Features, which you may select from the list below. These Features are free 
  with the armor, but each type of armor can only support a certain number of Features. You may not add a Feature more than once to the 
  same suit of armor. 
  Feature 
  Effect 
  Air Pack 
  Pumps up to 8 hours’ worth of breathable air into a sealed helmet. 
  Computer Gauntlet 
  A PPC (Alpha Agent) mounted to the arm and operated with voice commands and/or a holographic 
  interface projected from the hand. You may also choose to display data on your HUD.  
  Enhanced Mobility Actuators* 
  Grants a +2 bonus on all Athletics tests related to movement, such as Hustling, climbing, etc. 
  High-Density Plating 
  Add +1 to the Armor Rating provided by the armor. 
  Hydrostatic Gel Layer* 
  The wearer gains a +3 bonus to his AR when defending against explosions. The armor’s AR absorbs 
  stress from falling. 
  Integrated Weaponry* 
  Armor features an arm- or shoulder-mounted weapon built into the system. Select any one weapon 
  from the following: a pistol with accessories, a PDW with accessories, a dagger, or a short sword. You 
  must purchase this weapon separately, but its Cost is reduced by -1.  
  Interface Surface 
  Some surface on the armor, usually the hand, can transmit digital data to and from an onboard 
  computer via a touch interface system. 
  Jump Jets 
  You can jump large distances, up to a height of about 50 feet. When Hustling, you can move one extra 
  zone. When Running, you can move two extra zones. You gain a +3 bonus during chases. 
  Light Screen Camouflage* 
  When activated, the surface of the armor emits a magnetic field that wraps light around the wearer, 
  making him nearly invisible. The wearer is granted the Chameleon Aspect. 
  Mag-Traction 
  Boots come equipped with electromagnets. These are used to traverse zero-g environments safely. 
  Motion Tracker 
  Your suit has sensors that detect motion up to about 20 meters. You gain the Motion Tracker Aspect. 
  Reinforced Cyber-Musculature* 
  You gain a +2 bonus on all Athletics tests to lift, push, pull, jump, climb, or otherwise manipulate 
  objects or grapple with opponents. In addition, when making a melee attack, or when you attack by 
  throwing a weapon or object, the WR for that attack is increased by +2. 
  Thermal Regulation System 
  Keeps the wearer at a comfortable temperature in environments ranging from -60°C to 140°C. 
  Vacuum Sealed and Shielded 
  Provides the wearer with protection from the hazards of vacuum and radiation. 
  Zero-G Assistance Jets 
  A series of tiny thrusters on the limbs and torso aids in maneuvering in zero-g environments, granting 
  the wearer a Zero-G Maneuverability Aspect. 
  * Power Armor Only 
   
  
   
  206 
   
  MISC. EQUIPMENT 
   
  Aerial Condenser: (Cost: 2) Popular 
  among explorers and outdoorsmen, this 
  small device is capable of removing 
  moisture from the nearby air and 
  condensing it into drinkable water. In 
  most locations it can create a gallon of 
  water in about three hours. 
   
  Ballistic Cartographer: (Cost: 4) This 
  device attaches to the end of a rifle, but 
  may also be detached and fired. 
  When fired, the ballistic cartographer 
  launches a projectile that can stick to any 
  hard surface. Once stuck, it sprays small 
  sensors in all directions, which also can 
  stick to most any surface. 
  These sensors scan the environment 
  and feed the data they collect back to a 
  computer system of the user’s choice. 
  This data is used to create a 3D map of 
  the environment, updated in real time. 
  The ballistic cartographer can be fired 
  into the air, programmed to detonate 
  before landing. This method creates a 
  top-down map of an outdoor area. 
   
  Agent: (Cost: 4/7/10) An Agent is a 
  personal virtual intelligence commonly 
  found onboard PPCs and mindsets. The 
  Agent responds to voice commands (or 
  thoughts in the case of a mindset) and 
  performs the requested computing tasks. 
  It may find, sort, modify, and even create 
  data at the user’s behest. An Agent is 
  capable of learning about its master, 
  logging habits, desires, and actions in an 
  attempt to better serve. 
  The Cost of an Agent depends on how 
  useful it is, which is represented by the 
  sorts of bonuses it can apply to certain 
  Skill rolls. It also determines the Cost of 
  the PPC it is loaded onto, which is the 
  Cost of the Agent +1. 
  Any time you need to perform a test 
  the Agent can help you with, you may add 
  the Agent’s bonus as a modifier. 
  Agents can add a bonus any time you 
  need to perform a test with a Skill the 
  Agent has enhancement software for. 
  Agents 
  can 
  be 
  outfitted 
  with 
  enhancement software for the following 
  Skills: Diplomacy, Education, Engineering 
  (either), Insight, Mnemonics, Research, or 
  Strategy. 
  Should an Agent be called upon to 
  perform a Skill test on its own, assume it 
  has a rank of 1 in any relevant Skills, and 
  can apply its enhancement software 
  bonuses to itself. 
  Type 
  Cost  
  Enhancement Bonuses 
  Alpha 
  4  
  +1 to one Skill 
  Beta 
  7  
  +1 to two Skills 
  Gamma 
  10  
  +2 to one Skill, +1 to    
     two Skills 
   
   
   
  Gear 
     Cost 
  Aerial Condenser 
   
  2 
  Ballistic Cartographer 
   
  4 
  Agent 
   4/7/10 
  AR Display Device 
   
  2 
  AR Identification (ARID) Tag  
   
  0 
  ARID Cloner [R] 
   
  4 
  Box Tent 
   
  2 
  Broadcast Screen 
   
  4 
  Compiler 
   
  6+ 
  Compiler Template    
   Varies 
  Credit Disk 
   
  0 
  Cyber-Intrusion & Sec Term (CIST) [R]  
  10 
  Cyber-Repair Injection (CRI) 
   
  3 
  Esper Swarm 
   
  7 
  False CID [R] 
     5-11 
  Fiberscope 
   
  2 
  4D Spatial Camera 
   
  3 
  Holomask [R] 
   
  6 
  Hostware 
   
  7 
  Medi-Stimulant Injection (MSI) 
   
  3 
  Molecular Glue & Solvent 
   
  1 
  Neural Link 
   
  3 
  Plasti-Rope Dispenser 
   
  1 
  Portable Personal Computer (PPC) 
   5/8/11 
  Portable Plasma Torch 
   
  3 
  Portable Broadcast Power Generator  
  6 
  Ration Lozenge 
   
  1 
  Resurrection Chamber [R] 
   
  12 
  Resurrection Insurance 
      3-11 
  Simulated Augmentation 
  Special 
  Simulated Memory (Sensie) 
   
  2+ 
  Spider Gear Kit 
   
  2 
  Targeting Support Module [R] 
   
  4 
  Tele-presence Sensor Unit 
   
  3 
  Transportation 
   Varies 
  VR Interface (Ego Channel) 
   
  3 
  
   
  207 
   
  Augmented 
  Reality 
  (AR) 
  Display 
  Device: (Cost: 2) These glasses look like 
  any other set of head-worn spectacles, 
  save for the occasional flash of light 
  across their surface noticeable by the 
  casual observer. To the wearer, however, 
  they are a gateway to a wealth of 
  information. AR display devices allow the 
  wearer to see AR objects and data. 
  This same technology can also be found 
  in contact lenses, at a Cost of 3. 
   
  Augmented 
  Reality 
  Identification 
  (ARID) Tag: (Cost: 0) An ARID is the digital 
  equivalent of a fingerprint. 
  Depending on how protected they are, 
  ARIDs range in size from that of a small 
  coin up to about the size of one’s thumb. 
  They are programmed with (typically) 
  read-only data that is displayed and 
  accessible in augmented reality. 
  ARIDs are attached to most retail items, 
  people, information booths, or anything 
  else used to relate information.  
  Usually an ARID carried by a person will 
  be worn as jewelry or as a subdermal 
  implant. 
  In 
  Coalition 
  space, 
  children 
  are 
  implanted with an ARID at birth, called a 
  CID, which retains their personal profile. 
  When viewed through an AR display 
  device, the part of this profile set to be 
  publicly visible is displayed as an ARO 
  near the person. 
  These sorts of ARIDs are implanted in 
  all sleeves, and are flashed with one’s 
  personal profile data. It is illegal to 
  remove or tamper with a CID. 
   
  ARID Cloner: (Restricted, Cost: 4) This 
  small hand-held device can copy and 
  implant information stored in an ARID. 
   
  Box Tent: (Cost: 2) When not in active 
  use, the box tent is about as big as a few 
  books stacked together, and weighs about 
  half that. When activated, it transforms in 
  about five seconds into a rigid tent 
  capable of comfortably sleeping two. 
  Once activated, it uses solar power to cool 
  or heat the inside of the tent as needed. 
   
  Broadcast Screen: (Cost: 4) Activating 
  this device creates a shell of intense EM 
  interference, roughly 2 meters around 
  you 
  in 
  all 
  directions, 
  blocking 
  or 
  dampening 
  incoming 
  and 
  outgoing 
  wireless electronic transmissions. This 
  device is usually worn on the wrist, as a 
  belt buckle, or sometimes as a piece of 
  jewelry. 
  This is a popular item among people 
  who dislike being bombarded with 
  information from advertisers and the like. 
  Attempts to manipulate a computer 
  through a broadcast screen suffer a -4 
  penalty. 
   
  Compiler: (Cost: 6+) Compilers use 
  nanomachines to assemble objects at the 
  atomic level. As long as you have the 
  proper template and the necessary raw 
  materials, you can create almost anything. 
  See page 61 for more on compilers. 
  These devices range in size from about 
  a half cubic meter to the size of a large 
  room, and their Cost is tied directly to 
  their size. Smaller compilers are common 
  in Coalition homes and have a Cost of 6. 
  Much 
  larger 
  versions 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  production facilities and have Cost ratings 
  as high as 12. 
  Compilers come with a number of 
  limitations. They will only run for Coalition 
  citizens, and will only run unrestricted 
  templates. Producing weapons or other 
  restricted items is impossible unless you 
  have a license to do so. 
  Compilers also have the necessary 
  sensors to know where they are located, 
  and they will not work outside of 
  Coalition-controlled space. 
  Some 
  compilers 
  have 
  had 
  these 
  limitations 
  removed, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  essentially priceless. Apostate forces will 
  do almost anything to get their hands on 
  one of these, and the Coalition will not 
  hesitate to kill to make sure that doesn’t 
  happen. 
   
   
   
  
   
  208 
   
  Compiler Template: (Cost: Cost of Item 
  +2) A compiler template is a piece of 
  software that functions as the instructions 
  for a compiler to build a specific object. 
  The Cost of a template is equal to the 
  Cost of the item it produces +2. 
  If you purchase a template during 
  character creation, you can begin play 
  with up to 3 copies of the item the 
  template compiles for free. 
   
  Credit Disk (“Credisk”): (Cost: 0) These 
  small electronic devices, usually about the 
  size of a coin, are designed to hold the 
  necessary data required to perform a one-
  time monetary transaction. These are 
  often used by apostate enclaves or in 
  black market deals when actual gold 
  currency isn’t convenient, allowing you to 
  use credisks to facilitate the transfer of 
  funds through one of the few remaining 
  underground banks. 
  Programming a credit disk is usually 
  performed with a PPC. The amount of 
  credit it is set to transfer with the credisk 
  is visible on a small screen on both sides 
  of 
  the 
  credisk 
  “coin.” 
  Once 
  the 
  transaction is complete, the credit disk 
  can be reprogrammed for a different 
  transaction. 
   
  Cyber-Intrusion and Security Terminal 
  (CIST): (Restricted, Cost: 10) CISTs are 
  computers purpose-built for housing an 
  Agent capable of running cyber-intrusion 
  software. 
  Some people call these Savant Boxes or 
  Daemon Boxes, but these terms are 
  inaccurate. A true Daemon comes about 
  as a result of a Savant hacking his mindset 
  to free his Agent. The Savant writes SINC, 
  and is capable of modifying it and writing 
  new Savant Programs. 
  CISTs, on the other hand, are created 
  for the Coalition military for the sole 
  purpose of breaking into protected 
  systems. Each CIST is capable of running 
  only a single intrusion routine, and 
  generally takes the shape of a PPC. They 
  are highly restricted, and very difficult to 
  come by. 
  In game terms, a CIST allows a non-
  Savant character to use a Savant Program. 
  Each CIST is only capable of running one 
  such Program. 
  Executing and utilizing the Program 
  works the same way it does for a Savant, 
  but with a few exceptions. 
  Whenever the user is called upon to 
  use the SINC Skill, he used Software 
  Engineering instead. 
  The same CIST cannot be used more 
  than once per scene. 
  CISTs do not suffer system stress on a 
  failed 
  execution 
  test. 
  Instead, 
  the 
  Program executes and then simply ceases 
  to function for an amount of time (pg. 
  152) equal to the amount by which the 
  user failed his execution test +2. 
  If the user Stalls on the execution test, 
  the Program fails to execute and, as 
  above, ceases to function depending on 
  the difference between the user’s Effort 
  and the execution test difficulty. 
  For example, if the CIST Program has an 
  execution difficulty of 4, and the user 
  generates 2 Effort on his Software 
  Engineering test, the Program would 
  execute. However, it will not be usable 
  again for a whole day. 
  It is possible to make the CIST usable 
  again more quickly. The user must spend 
  about 5 minutes working on the CIST, 
  succeed on a Software Engineering test 
  (Diff: 3), and spend a Fate Point. 
  Alternatively, some CISTs exist purely to 
  defend against other CISTs and Savants. 
  Instead of executing a single Savant 
  Program, the CIST simply adds +3 to the 
  execution difficulty of any attempt to 
  execute a Savant Program, either by a 
  Savant or another CIST, against the CIST’s 
  user or a single computer system of his 
  choice. 
   
  Cyber-Repair Injection (CRI): (Cost: 3) 
  This is a protected syringe filled with a 
  mixture of carbon paste and a small 
  swarm of espers designed much like a tiny 
  Vulcan swarm. The espers use the raw 
  materials in the paste to patch holes and 
  perform 
  other 
  repairs 
  to 
  damaged 
  cybernetics. 
  
   
  209 
   
  Use of a CRI allows you to recover a 
  Mild Physical Consequence in about a 
  minute, downgrade a Moderate to a Mild 
  in about an hour, or downgrade a 
  Severe(P) Consequence to a Moderate 
  Consequence in about a day. 
  Extreme(P) Consequences cannot be 
  affected by the CRI. 
  This repair only applies to cybersleeves, 
  biosleeves 
  that 
  have 
  undergone 
  Synthesis, or any Consequences that 
  reflect damage to cybernetic components. 
   
  Esper Swarm: (Cost: 7) An esper swarm 
  is a swarm of nanomachines typically 
  controlled by either a “Queen” server or a 
  Savant with the Esper Lord Savant 
  Program (pg. 182). 
  Made up of millions of tiny nanites, 
  these machines work together as a swarm 
  to perform any number of useful 
  activities, from security, to repairs, to 
  sanitation. 
  A swarm is programmed to perform a 
  single job at a time unless it is controlled 
  by a Savant. 
  A server system featuring the software 
  necessary to function as a Queen has a 
  Cost of 10. 
   
  False CID: (Restricted, Cost: 5-11) You 
  have a CID that is a complete fabrication. 
  It has a Rep-Rating that is not your own, 
  and displays a false profile when viewed 
  by others. 
  Even the best false CIDs can’t stand up 
  to too much scrutiny, though. The fake 
  CID comes with a fabricated virtual 
  history, but anyone who spends a lot of 
  time checking out your involvement in 
  social networks will eventually grow 
  suspicious. 
  The Cost of a false CID depends on how 
  hard it is to detect as a fake, and how high 
  the ID’s Rep-Rating is. 
  Any time this fake Rep-Rating is 
  bumped or hit, there is a chance it could 
  be discovered as a fake. There is also a 
  chance of discovery when trying to 
  acquire an item through its Rep-Rating. 
  Since the Rep is not real, it’s not possible 
  to use it to call in Favors. 
   To determine whether or not the ID 
  has been detected as fake, perform a test 
  (Diff: 2), adding only the false CID’s ER as 
  a modifier. If it fails this test, it is detected 
  as fake by the person or agency that just 
  attempted to hit or bump it. 
  Cost         ER Rating      Rep-Rating 
  5 
  +1 
  4 
  7 
  +2 
  5 
  9 
  +3 
  6 
  11 
  +4 
  7 
  Switching between CIDs, either real or 
  false, requires an ARID cloner. The cloner 
  can be used through the skin; no surgery 
  is needed. 
  A Savant can switch between CIDs at 
  will using his mindset. 
   
  Fiberscope: (Cost: 2) This is a small 
  fiber-optic cable attached to a small 
  monitor. It can be snaked under doors, 
  through 
  vents, 
  or 
  around 
  similar 
  obstacles. Attached to the end of the 
  cable is a high-resolution camera capable 
  of seeing in multiple EM spectrums, with 
  a directional audio amplification system. 
   
  4D Spatial Camera: (Cost: 3) Utilizing 
  over a dozen forms of imaging and 
  radiation-bouncing 
  techniques, 
  this 
  camera can create fully three-dimensional 
  representations of an area, with audio, in 
  still frame or full motion video. These 
  captured spatial maps are often displayed 
  in augmented and virtual reality. 
   
  HoloMask: (Restricted, Cost: 6) This 
  device, usually worn as a sort of necklace 
  or headband, projects a hologram over 
  your face. This hologram masks your 
  features, making you appear to be 
  someone else. 
  The mask can replicate the appearance 
  of anyone you have mapped with a spatial 
  camera. 
  The hologram is good enough to fool a 
  mesh Monitor, making it impossible for 
  the Monitor to identify you with facial 
  recognition protocols. 
  If a test is required, the holomask 
  grants a +2 bonus on Guile rolls to remain 
  disguised. 
   
  
   
  210 
   
  Hostware: (Cost: 7) While there is no 
  need to track every piece of software a 
  computer system may have on it, whether 
  or not a computer is outfitted with a 
  hostware suite can be critical. 
  Hostware is the software needed to 
  host an ego in an active state. Any 
  computer has the storage capacity to 
  house dozens of egos if they are dormant, 
  but only systems with a hostware suite 
  can both store the ego and provide it with 
  an environment to live in. 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  expense, 
  most 
  computer 
  systems 
  do 
  not 
  feature 
  hostware. 
   
  Medi-Stimulant Injection (MSI): (Cost: 
  3) This is a protected syringe that houses 
  a cocktail of nanites, painkillers, and 
  various chemicals specifically designed to 
  regenerate tissue while keeping the mind 
  focused. 
  Using an MSI allows you to recover a 
  Mild Physical Consequence in about five 
  minutes, downgrade a Moderate in about 
  an hour, or downgrade a Severe(P) 
  Consequence 
  to 
  a 
  Moderate 
  Consequence in about a day. 
  Note that MSIs do not work on 
  cybernetic components or cybersleeves. 
   
  Molecular Glue & Solvent: (Cost: 1) 
  This hardened bottle dispenses a small 
  amount of glue. The glue bonds to 
  anything and is nearly impossible to 
  remove without a solvent. M-Glue is often 
  used in place of welding or soldering. 
  Each pack contains both a bottle of glue 
  and solvent. 
   
  Neural Link (“Link”): (Cost: 3) Worn 
  neural 
  mapping 
  systems 
  that 
  can 
  translate thoughts into computer input. 
  These devices are usually called neural 
  links, or just links, and often take the form 
  of a small device clipped over the ear, a 
  hat, or a headdress. Like a mindset, a link 
  allows the user to mentally issue 
  commands 
  to 
  a 
  computer. 
  This 
  technology 
  makes 
  other 
  types 
  of 
  interfacing devices, real or ARO, largely 
  unnecessary. 
   
  Plasti-Rope Dispenser: (Cost: 1) Not 
  much larger than a closed fist, this device 
  can dispense about 100 meters of rope. 
  The material leaves the dispenser as a 
  liquid, but hardens almost instantly into a 
  flexible rope capable of supporting about 
  four tons of static weight. 
   
  Portable Personal Computer (PPC): 
  (Cost: Cost of Agent +1) PPCs range in size 
  from wrist-worn systems to tablets. They 
  are interacted with by voice commands or 
  through augmented reality display and 
  interface devices. 
  PPCs always come equipped with an 
  Agent and dozens of other software 
  programs that people use every day to 
  learn, communicate, create, and entertain 
  themselves. 
  Portable Plasma Torch: (Cost: 3) This 
  small hand-held device burns hot enough, 
  and with enough focus, to cut through 
  most any material.  
  It can cut a 10 millimeter-long slice, 10 
  millimeters deep, in lattice-carbonite in 
  about a minute.  
  If used as a weapon, its tiny flame has a 
  WR of 1. 
   
  Portable Broadcast Power Generator: 
  (Cost: 6) These generators are essentially 
  compact reactors, usually ranging from 
  about the size of a briefcase to that of a 
  large building. The Cost listed is for a 
  smaller model, which can broadcast out 
  to a range of about 100 meters. 
  Objects designed to run on broadcast 
  power never need batteries or power 
  cables while in a sustained field. Most 
  such devices do have internal power cells 
  that can keep them running for a short 
  time (usually about a day to a week 
  depending on the device) in the event 
  that the field goes down. 
   
  Ration Lozenge: (Cost: 1) This small 
  lozenge, about the size of a large bean, 
  contains all the vitamins and nutrients a 
  person needs for half a day. By itself it is 
  not very filling, but with a glass of water 
  the lozenge expands, and a moment later 
  the imbiber will feel quite satisfied. These 
  are very popular among survivalists. 
   
  
   
  211 
   
  Resurrection 
  Chamber: 
  (Restricted, 
  Cost: 12) The resurrection chamber is the 
  casket-like device used to download an 
  ego into a sleeve. The chamber itself, 
  suspension gel tanks, nanomachines, and 
  other gear required for resurrection take 
  up most of a small room, and are 
  incredibly expensive. 
  They are also restricted, requiring 
  special licenses to acquire and operate. 
  See page 149 for more on resleeving. 
   
  Resurrection Insurance: (Cost: 3-11) 
  Characters 
  who 
  have 
  undergone 
  Apotheosis usually decide to set up some 
  sort of insurance policy. 
  Each policy has a minimum Rep-Rating 
  required for purchase, and has a one-time 
  fee you must pay. 
  Note that if your Rep-Rating ever falls 
  below the minimum for your policy, you 
  will be automatically downgraded with no 
  reimbursement of the initial fee. 
  Policy 
   Min. Rep.   Fee Cost 
  Alpha 
  3 
  4 
  Beta 
  5 
  6 
  Gamma 
  7 
  8 
  Delta 
  9 
  11 
  Epsilon 
  11 
  14 
  All policies grant a single backup at the 
  time of purchase, and additional backups 
  can be made once per week. This requires 
  payment of the Fee Cost each time. 
  The different policies are described 
  below: 
  Alpha: If your core is delivered to a 
  resleeving facility belonging to your 
  House, you will be brought online in a 
  virtuality to discuss resleeving options. 
  Note that if your mnemonic core has a 
  Remote Backup upgrade (pg. 219), it will 
  immediately alert the House of your 
  demise and send your location. 
  Beta: Once your death has been 
  confirmed, or you have been missing for 
  at least three months, the House will send 
  a crew to recover your core if they know 
  its last known location. 
  If they do not know where it is, you will 
  be restored from backup. 
  Gamma: The House will send a 
  recovery team to investigate your location 
  if you have gone missing for one week. 
  If your core has been lost in a hostile 
  environment, a crew of mercenaries will 
  be dispatched to reclaim it. 
  Delta: Like Gamma, but the recovery 
  team dispatched will be composed of 
  professionals and/or a Praetorian. 
  Epsilon: The House will spare no 
  expense in an effort to recover your core. 
  It will dispatch full military units, or 
  multiple Praetorians. 
   
  Simulated 
  Augmentation: 
  (Cost: 
  Special) When entering a virtuality, the 
  brain is scanned to create your avatar and 
  determine its capabilities. 
  This is why you generally possess the 
  same physical Skills both in the real world 
  and in VR.  
  The system also takes note of your 
  Augmentations; they too are represented 
  in virtual form, assuming the virtual 
  environment you are being loaded into 
  allows them. 
  SIMs, however, do not have physical 
  forms. But they can still purchase virtual 
  Augmentations that work just like real 
  Augmentations inside of VR. 
  To purchase a virtual aug, buy it like 
  you would any other augmentation (pg. 
  216) with the total Cost reduced by -1. 
  Non-SIMs can purchase the virtual-only 
  version of an aug as well, but it still counts 
  against the total number of augs you 
  have. 
  SIMs have Apotheosis as a simulated 
  Augmentation for free. 
  Note that the limitations on aug use 
  imposed by the HPA do not apply to 
  virtualities. 
  Different 
  environments, 
  however, may limit or modify certain augs 
  in order to reinforce their themes. 
   
  Simulated Memory (“Sensie”): (Cost: 
  2+) These are the recorded memories of 
  another person, captured by a mindset or 
  an ego channel, and downloaded onto a 
  memory module. Many people—even 
  celebrities—give away sensies for free, 
  although some can be very expensive 
  depending on what they depict. Sensies of 
  recorded sex, crimes, and even suicide are 
  very popular underground items. 
  
   
  212 
   
  Spider Gear Kit: (Cost: 2) These gloves, 
  boots, and kneepads can adhere to 
  almost any solid surface, allowing the 
  wearer to climb sheer walls or even hang 
  suspended 
  upside 
  down. 
  Their 
  adhesiveness is triggered by an electronic 
  signal, which allows the adhesive to be 
  switched on and off. 
   
  Targeting Support Module: (Restricted, 
  Cost: 4) This device is installed onto a 
  firearm, and syncs with a Targeting 
  Support System (pg. 230).  
   
  Tele-presence Sensor Unit: (Cost: 3) 
  This device appears to be a small ball, 
  about the size of an adult fist. It contains 
  a number of audio and video sensors, 
  much like an ARIS strip, but offers full 360 
  degree coverage. 
  The sensor unit is generally used by 
  SIMs to view the real world. The SIM can 
  hear and see anything the sensor unit can. 
  If desired, the unit can also project an 
  ARO or hologram of the SIM above itself. 
  This function allows the SIM to attend 
  meetings in the real world without 
  requiring everyone else to jack into a 
  virtuality or having to grant everyone 
  access to their AR stream. 
  Transportation: 
  (Cost: 
  See 
  Below) 
  There are a lot of options for getting from 
  point A to B. 
  The first and most obvious is to 
  purchase a vehicle (pg. 237), but most 
  Coalition cities and habitats offer several 
  public transportation options. 
  Private Skiff or Lancer: (Cost: 2) You can 
  request a skiff via the Extranet to pick you 
  up. It usually takes just a few minutes for 
  a skiff to arrive, and you can either pilot it 
  yourself (with the aid of an AI “co-pilot”), 
  or let the AI do all the work.  
  Most skiffs are one of three or four 
  common models, but by increasing the 
  Cost to 3, you can specify a premium 
  model built for luxury and speed. 
  Lancer rental works the same way and 
  has the same Cost. 
  Once rented, the skiff is yours for an 
  hour. Increase the Cost by 1 if you wish to 
  keep it for 8 hours. 
  Interplanetary: (Cost: Varies) Travel 
  between planets usually requires a ship, 
  either a privately or publicly owned. 
  Most major Coalition cities have 
  spaceports, where atmospheric flight-
  capable spacecraft are docked. Many of 
  these craft travel back and forth between 
  the more densely populated cities. The 
  Cost for a one-way trip is 4, +1 for every 
  planet or isolated habitat along the way. 
  Intersystem: (Cost: Varies) Travel from 
  one system to another is much like 
  interplanetary travel, but requires the use 
  of a jump-capable ship or the jump ring 
  network. 
  In either case, the Cost is the same as 
  an interplanetary trip, +3. 
  Needle Beaming an Ego (Cost: 6) This is 
  the fastest mode of travel for those who 
  have undergone Apotheosis, but it is both 
  costly and dangerous.  
  Your ego is uploaded to a comm-buoy 
  via needle-beam, and then downloaded at 
  the desired location. This process allows 
  you to travel to another system in just a 
  few hours. This method of travel is rarely 
  used, however, since resleeving is so 
  traumatic.  
   
  VR 
  (Virtuality) 
  Interface 
  (“Ego 
  Channel”): (Cost: 3) A VRI is usually a 
  small computer, often a specialized PPC, 
  capable of running a virtuality interface 
  program. With a VRI, the user can cast his 
  consciousness into the computer’s virtual 
  environment and interact with it as if it 
  were a real place. 
  The ego channel usually consists of a 
  series of sensors set into a net-like cap 
  that the user wears on her head. These 
  sensors transfer data between the user’s 
  mind and computer system. 
  This setup allows those who haven’t 
  undergone 
  Apotheosis 
  to 
  enter 
  a 
  virtuality.  
  
   
  213 
   
  SLEEVES 
  This section describes the different types of base sleeves 
  available to characters, and samples of off-the-shelf sleeves 
  available from different manufacturers. 
  Base Cost: This is the Cost of the sleeve. Once purchased, you 
  gain all of the listed Aspects, Skills, and Augmentations. 
  Sleeve Aspects: All Sleeves come with at least one Aspect. 
  These Aspects are in addition to other Aspects you may have 
  and behave exactly like any other Aspects. 
  Physical Skills: Sleeves grant a number of ranks to place in 
  their Physical Skills, arranged however you choose. However, 
  no Skill single rating can exceed 5. 
  Augmentations: All sleeves undergo Apotheosis during one 
  of the last phases of their production. They also have a number 
  of Augmentation Points (APs), which can be spend to customize 
  the sleeve with additional Augmentations. 
  When you purchase a sleeve, you are given a number of APs 
  to customize it with. Each time you add an aug, subtract its 
  Augmentation Value (AV) from the sleeve’s APs. Some augs 
  may be upgraded, which may cost additional APs. 
  When you run out of APs, any additional augs you wish to 
  add must be acquired as aftermarket purchases (pg. 216). 
  A sleeve, or Pure human body, can support a total number of 
  Augmentations equal to its Endurance Skill x2. 
  Sleeve Customization 
  You can elect to increase the Cost of your sleeve by +1 in exchange 
  for one of the following options: 
  • Trade up to 3 Physical Skill Ranks, on a 1 for 1 basis, for a 
  maximum of 3 Augmentation Points or vice-versa. 
  • Make the sleeve a clone of your original body or current sleeve. 
  It takes about two weeks to flash-clone a sleeve. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  214 
   
  Biosleeve 
  This basic biosleeve has been gene-fixed for improved health 
  and resistance to diseases and toxins; it has also been 
  Apotheosized. All sleeves of the same model are clones that 
  stem from a master genetic template, but each biosleeve looks 
  different due to randomizers in the cloning processes. 
  However, despite the randomization, biosleeves of the same 
  model still tend to share some similarities. 
  The most basic models, the cheapest, are the least attractive. 
  For those willing to pay more, more attractive models are 
  available. 
   
  Alpha 
  Base Cost: 6 
  Sleeve Aspect: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, Unattractive 
  Physical Skills: 8 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis 
  Augmentation Points: 2 
   
  Beta 
  Base Cost: 7 
  Sleeve Aspect: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Physical Skills: 9 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis 
  Augmentation Points: 3 
   
   
  Gamma 
  Base Cost: 9 
  Sleeve Aspect: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Physical Skills: 10 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis and your choice of Cosmetic 
  Customization or Striking Looks 
  Augmentation Points: 4 
   
  Delta 
  Base Cost: 11 
  Sleeve Aspect: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Physical Skills: 11 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Exceptional Genegineering, and 
  your choice of Cosmetic Customization or Striking Looks 
  Augmentation Points: 6 
   
  Epsilon 
  Base Cost: 14 
  Sleeve Aspect: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Physical Skills: 12 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Exceptional Genegineering, and 
  your choice of Cosmetic Customization or Striking Looks 
  Augmentation Points: 8 
   
   
   
  
   
  215 
   
  Cybersleeve 
  The basic cybersleeve is a mass-produced humanoid robot, 
  already outfitted with a mindset and prepared for decanting. 
  The inhuman appearance of the cybersleeve can sometimes 
  adversely affect social interaction with biological beings. Living 
  in a cybersleeve can be a real problem around Purists, and even 
  deadly around Purifiers. 
  The underlying frame is a non-ferrous metal skeleton driven 
  by synthetic muscles. Its composition and shielding mean it is 
  no more susceptible to magnetic fields than a biological being.  
  Despite its capabilities, the sleeve’s synthetic biology does 
  not feel alive. This can wear on an ego’s humanity over time. 
  Alpha 
  Base Cost: 5 
  Sleeve Aspect: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance, 
  Dubious Construction 
  Physical Skills: 7 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic 
  Augmentation Points: 3 
  Special: +1 bonus to AR* 
   
  Beta 
  Base Cost: 6 
  Sleeve Aspect: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: 8 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic 
  Augmentation Points: 4 
  Special: +1 bonus to AR* 
   
  Gamma 
  Base Cost: 8 
  Sleeve Aspect: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: 9 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic, and your choice 
  of Bio-Skin Sheath or Cosmetic Customization 
  Augmentation Points: 5 
  Special: +2 bonus to AR* 
  Delta 
  Base Cost: 10 
  Sleeve Aspect: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: 10 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic, Optimized Power 
  Systems, and your choice of Bio-Skin Sheath or Cosmetic 
  Customization 
  Augmentation Points: 7 
  Special: +2 bonus to AR* 
  Epsilon 
  Base Cost: 13 
  Sleeve Aspect: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: 11 ranks to be distributed among Athletics, 
  Endurance, and Perception 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic, Optimized Power 
  Systems, and your choice of Bio-Skin Sheath or Cosmetic 
  Customization 
  Augmentation Points: 9 
  Special: +2 bonus to AR* 
  * This bonus does not stack with the AR bonus provided by 
  wearing armor. 
   
  
   
  216 
   
  AUGMENTATIONS 
  Advanced technology brings with it the ability for mankind to 
  better treat injury or even direct its own evolution through 
  elective augmentation. 
  A lost arm might be replaced by a computer-controlled 
  machine limb capable of interfacing directly with the nervous 
  system. Blindness might be cured by replacing the eye with an 
  optical sensor capable of not only seeing as well as a normal 
  eye, but at much larger distances or even in different 
  spectrums of light. 
  This section contains a number of sample Augmentations 
  available to your character. 
  Cyberware and Bioware 
  There are two basic types of Augmentations. 
  Cybernetic Augmentations either enhance a cybersleeve or 
  introduce synthetic materials into a living body via an injection 
  of nanomachines, which replace existing biological tissue with 
  synthetic structures. In cases that require large amounts of 
  tissue replacement, such as with replacement limbs, the tissue 
  will be mostly removed through surgery. Nanomachines will 
  then be injected where synthetic and biological materials meet, 
  bridging the gap between the synthetic systems and the 
  biological nervous system. 
  Biotech Augmentations (bioware) are created through genetic 
  manipulation. These sorts of genetic modifications are 
  performed via the introduction of a retrovirus specifically 
  designed to modify the human genome, or they can be 
  implemented into the sleeve during its initial design. 
  Bioware augs consist of purely biological material, which 
  means they cannot be installed on a cybersleeve or an synthetic 
  limb and cannot be targeted by Savant Programs. 
  Purchasing Aftermarket Augmentations 
  Pure humans can have their bodies augmented, and you may 
  want to add an aftermarket aug to a sleeve. 
  When you purchase an aug without using the APs provided 
  by a new sleeve, it is considered an “aftermarket” purchase.  
  Aftermarket augmentation requires that you have both the 
  gear and the know-how. Acquiring them may be a little trickier 
  for restricted augs, but the install process is generally the same. 
  The Cost to add an Augmentation to your body or sleeve is 
  equal to the total number of Augmentations you already have 
  plus twice the Augmentation Value (AV) of the aug. 
  Some augs (such as Apotheosis) do not count toward the max 
  number of augs you can support. These augs also do not count 
  when determining the total number of augs you have for the 
  purposes of determining Cost. 
  Aug Cost = Total Number of Augs + (AV x 2) 
  Installation or application is generally a simple matter for a 
  trained medical professional, though most will refuse to apply 
  restricted Augmentations if you aren’t licensed (pg. 173). 
  The procedure generally requires a few hours and an 
  Education test (Diff = 1 + Aug’s AV). 
  Augmentation Limit: Remember that a sleeve can only 
  support a number of Augmentations equal to its Endurance x2. 
  Purchasing Aftermarket Upgrades 
  Sometimes you can only afford the basic version of an 
  Augmentation up-front, but plan to upgrade it later. 
  The Cost of applying an aftermarket upgrade is equal to the 
  total number of augs you already have plus the AV of the aug 
  you are upgrading, plus the total AV of all the upgrades you are 
  applying, x2. 
  Upgrade Cost = Total Number of Augs + (Total AV of Aug + 
  Upgrade(s) x 2) 
  
   
  217 
   
  Type 
  Augmentation 
  Base AV 
   Adrenal Boost Module 
  1
  3 
   Alternative Mobility System 
  1
  6 
   Apotheosis 
  3
  1,5 
   Auditory Amp and Filter Module 
  1 
   Arterial Toxin Filter 
  1
  3 
   Beholder Sensory Suite 
  2
  2 
   Bio-Skin Sheath 
  1
  5 
   Cogware Partition[Restricted] 
  3
  2 
   Cosmetic Customization  
  1
  5 
   Crypto-Laser Link 
  1 
   Custom Built  
  1
  2 
   Data Jack and Storage 
  1 
   ELS System 
  2
  3 
   Esper Vent 
  1 
   Exceptional Genegineering 
  1
  3,5 
   Extra Limb 
  2
  2, 6 
   Fibro-Muscle Weave 
  2
  3 
   Fully Synthetic 
  Special
  4,5 
   Gills Gene-Graft 
  1
  3 
   Gyroscopic Stabilizers 
  2 
   Hidden Weapon System  [Restricted] 
  1 
   Light Screen Camouflage  [Restricted] 
  2 
   Massive Size  
  2
  6 
   Medichine Factory  
  2
  3 
   Nano-Cyber Limb  
  1
  3 
   Neura-Surge  [Restricted] 
  2 
   Optimized Power System 
  15 
   Particle Detection and Analysis Suite 
  1 
  Type Augmentation 
  Base AV 
   Performance Enhanced 
  1 
   Pheromone Control & Sensitivity 
  1
  3 
   Physiological Behavior Mods 
  1
  3 
   Poison  [Restricted] 
  2
  3 
   Reinforced Skeleton 
  2 
   Retinal Implant 
  1 
   
  Retractable Claws  
  1 
   SIM-Cell Module 
  1
  2 
   Skinweave Armor  
  1 
   SMR Transceiver and Translation Suite 
  1 
   Smuggler’s Compartment  
  1 
   Sonar Reception Array 
  2 
   Stillness Body Lock System  
  1 
   Striking Looks  
  15 
   Subdermal Plating 
  2 
   Synthesis 
  3
  2,3 
   Targeting Support System  [Restricted] 
  2 
   Tiny Size  
  2
  6 
   
  1 Free with Sleeve Purchase 
   
  2 Requires Apotheosis 
  3 Human or Biosleeve Only 
   
  4 Cybersleeve Only 
  5 Does not count against your aug limit or the number of augs 
  you have when making aftermarket purchases. 
  6 Violates the HPA when applied as bioware to a human body or 
  biosleeve. 
   Bioware Augmentation 
   
   Cyberware Augmentation 
   Can be taken as either a bioware or cyberware Augmentation. 
  
   
  218 
   
  Adrenal Boost Module [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
   
  Enhancements to your adrenaline system allow you to trigger 
  an adrenaline surge at will. This surge of adrenaline increases 
  your reaction time and muscle strength, but also tends to make 
  you shaky and anxious until the adrenaline clears from your 
  system. 
  You can activate this Augmentation as a Free Action. Upon 
  doing so, you gain a +1 bonus on your Athletics and Melee 
  Skills, and the amount of stress absorbed by any Physical 
  Consequence you take is increased by +1 for the duration. 
  These bonuses last for a number of rounds equal to your 
  Endurance, after which you gain an Aspect called Got the 
  Shakes until the end of the scene. 
   
  Alternative Mobility System 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your legs have been replaced or augmented with biological 
  or cybernetic non-humanoid limbs.  
  Applying this Augmentation as bioware to a human body or 
  biosleeve is a violation of the HPA. 
  You gain a Persistent Aspect that relates to your method of 
  movement. Examples include Wheeled(P), Cyberspider Legs(P), 
  Snake-Like Lower Body(P), Tracked Mobility(P), etc. 
  Upgrades 
  Flight Capable (+2): Some addition to your body or sleeve, 
  such as thrusters or wings, has rendered you capable of 
  flight. In addition to gaining a Persistent Aspect that 
  describes this Augmentation, you can fly at a speed equal to 
  about twice the average human’s top running speed. This 
  upgrade provides a +3 bonus to Hustle, Run, or other related 
  tests. 
  Apotheosis 
  Base AV: 3, or free with sleeve 
  Note: Apotheosis does not count against the total number of 
  Augmentations a sleeve can support. 
  Your sleeve has undergone Apotheosis (pg. 64) and features 
  a mindset and mnemonic core. You gain the Apotheosized 
  Aspect, which reflects the fact that your mind is now software 
  running on a machine instead of a biological brain. 
  The biggest drawback to undergoing Apotheosis is a 
  susceptibility to attacks normally only dangerous to computers, 
  as well as the prejudice of Purists. 
  The Mindset 
  The primary function of the mindset is to host the ego and 
  provide it with the capabilities of an onboard computer system. 
  In most ways, the mindset behaves like an implanted PPC.  
  Digital data can be projected from the mindset directly into 
  the user’s augmented visual cortex (or synthetic equivalent) so 
  that it appears in his field of view. This provides the user with 
  an augmented reality interface. 
  Additionally, the mindset is capable of storing data (including 
  sensory recordings called sensies) and running programs. It 
  connects to the Extranet wirelessly, but also provides the user 
  with a data jack at the base of the skull. Commands are given 
  by thought and interpreted by an onboard Agent (pg. 206). 
  The Apotheosis aug comes with a free Alpha Agent (you can 
  purchase a better one) and a data jack (pg. 221). 
  The Mnemonic Core 
  Deep in the core of the mindset network is a hardened and 
  shielded memory module designed for a singular task: to store 
  the person’s personality and memories. Should this core be 
  removed and placed into a prepared sleeve, the mnemonic core 
  
   
  219 
   
  will direct the resurrection chamber to construct a copy of the 
  old mindset. Once complete, the new mindset interfaces with 
  the core and brings the ego back online in the new sleeve. 
  All digital data stored in the mindset also makes the 
  transition. This is a boon to Savants in particular, because their 
  SINC is also backed up and restored upon resleeving. 
  Despite every attempt at making this transition as easy as 
  possible, resleeving is still a psychologically traumatizing 
  experience. Getting comfortable in the new body also takes a 
  bit of time. When taken as a whole, though, this technology 
  results in virtual immortality. 
  See page 149 for more on the process of resleeving. 
  Upgrades 
  Cognet Capable (+1) [Restricted]: Your mindset is capable 
  of running a Cognet, a restricted but secure multi-channel 
  communications package common among tech-savvy 
  criminals and military forces. You can send text, audio, and 
  live video over the Cognet, confident that it can’t be 
  intercepted by an unauthorized third party. 
  Remote Backup (+1): Your mnemonic core is capable of 
  performing wireless uploads to a secure server while you 
  sleep. Should you be killed and your core lost, you can be 
  restored from a remote backup. In this case, you’ll only be in 
  the dark about events that occurred since the last time you 
  slept. 
  Of course, this only works if your mindset has a reliable 
  Extranet connection. 
  Kill Switch (+1): While not something you’d likely have 
  implanted by choice, a kill switch is just that—it kills you. If 
  anyone with the proper password wishes, he may simply 
  contact your mindset via the Extranet and enter it. Doing so 
  shuts down the mindset and wipes the mnemonic core. 
  Auditory Amp and Filter Module 
  Base AV: 1 
  You have an implant that replaces the majority of your inner 
  ear (or synthetic equivalent). This Augmentation not only 
  allows you to hear sounds a normal person couldn’t, but allows 
  you to filter out sound from specific sources such as 
  background noise. 
  You gain the Auditory Amplifier and Filtering Module(P) 
  Aspect. 
  Arterial Toxin Filter [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  A nanocybernetic filtering system is implanted into your 
  heart, which filters the blood as it flows through. This process 
  cleanses the blood of any toxins or unwelcome bacteria. 
  This filter not only helps you resist the effects of foreign 
  substances, but the reduced chance of infection can aid the 
  body’s natural ability to heal. 
  You gain the Arterial Toxin Filter(P) Aspect. 
  Beholder Sensory Suite 
  Base AV: 2 
  Dozens of tiny sensors are placed all over your sleeve. These 
  sensors feed visual data to a central processing unit at the base 
  of the skull, which interfaces with the mindset and visual cortex 
  (or synthetic equivalent) in an effort to help it interpret the 
  data feed. The end result is full 360 degree vision. 
  You gain the Beholder Sensory Suite(P) Persistent Aspect. 
  Upgrades 
  Hyper-Aware (+1): Not only do you have full 360 degree 
  vision, but the implanted processing unit also features an 
  enhanced interface that allows you to better notice small 
  details. You gain a +3 bonus on initiative tests in physical 
  conflicts as long as it is possible for you to see the threat. 
  
   
  220 
   
  Bio-Skin Sheath 
  Base AV: 1 
  Bio-skin is a natural skin-like substance that can be used to 
  cover cybernetic limbs (pg. 224) or even entire cybersleeves. 
  While it is capable of tactile sensation, it is easily identifiable by 
  its lack of hair, glossy texture, and visible seams. 
  Bio-skin can also register as synthetic to devices such as 
  chemical sniffers, SMR transceivers, and to animals (or 
  augmented people) with a greater-than-human sense of smell. 
  The primary benefit of the bio-skin is the improvement of 
  natural tactile sensation, greatly enhancing a synthetic limb’s 
  sense of touch. This sense of touch also makes the sleeve feel 
  much more alive to the wearer, which in turn helps the wearer 
  feel a bit more human. 
  When used to fully sheath a cybersleeve, the Synthetic 
  Biology Aspect that comes with the Fully Synthetic 
  Augmentation (pg. 223) is no longer Persistent. 
  If you wish to cover a single cybernetic limb, you should 
  instead purchase the Bio-Skinned upgrade for your limb (pg. 
  225). 
  This Augmentation does not count against your aug limit. 
  Upgrades 
  Seemingly Real (+1) (Restricted): Your cybersleeve is 
  covered in a bio-skin sheath that has the appearance of real 
  human skin. Your sleeve does not have the Inhuman 
  Appearance Aspect, and to the naked eye or even a SMR 
  transceiver, is indistinguishable from a real living human 
  body. 
  X-rays however, can penetrate the skin and see beneath. 
  For this reason, it’s a good idea to outfit a seemingly real 
  cybersleeve with a charlatan. 
  Charlatan (+2) (Restricted): See pg. 228. 
  Cogware Partition [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 3 
  Your mindset has a partition set up to store cogware, a 
  special type of mnemonic software designed to stream a self-
  contained packet of data about a specific subject directly into 
  your conscious mind. Cogware allows you to perform tasks you 
  would not normally know how to perform. 
  When you activate this Augmentation, you load a specific 
  piece of cogware into your mindset’s cogware partition. This 
  takes a few seconds, after which time you gain an Aspect 
  representative of the type of cogware you have loaded, such as 
  Kung-fu Master, Shuttle Pilot, Brain Surgeon, etc.  
  Each piece of cogware provides a different Aspect, and must 
  be purchased separately. Standard pieces of cogware provide a 
  standard Aspect, and have a Cost of 4. High-quality cogware 
  provides a Persistent Aspect, and has a Cost of 8. Both types 
  are restricted. You get a single piece of standard-quality 
  cogware for free when you purchase this Augmentation. 
  You may only load one piece of cogware at a time, and you 
  must activate this aug each time a different piece is loaded. 
  Running cogware stresses your mind and internal systems, 
  requiring tremendous amounts of processing power as it feeds 
  data directly into your conscious mind in real time.  
  You must perform a Cohesion test to activate this 
  Augmentation. If you fail, the cogware still loads, but you suffer 
  an amount of mental stress equal to the amount by which you 
  failed. If you Stall, you suffer the stress and it fails to load. 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Difficulty: 4 
  Duration: Scene 
  Upgrades 
  Multi-Partition Cog-Drive (+2): Your mindset is capable of 
  loading two pieces of cogware at once (Execution Diff: 6). 
  
   
  221 
   
  Cosmetic Customization  
  Base AV: 1 
  Exaggerated crystalline canines, glowing reptilian eyes, 
  chrome skin, glossy black horns—these custom features are 
  common among the more rebellious members of society, and 
  especially among backers of the transhumanist/posthumanist 
  agenda. 
  For the most part, cosmetic customizations are generally just 
  that: cosmetic. They don’t really serve any purpose except to 
  look cool and make a statement. 
  When you select this Augmentation, you gain an Aspect that 
  describes your cosmetic modification(s). 
  This Augmentation does not count against your aug limit. 
  Purchasing this aug more than once for a human body or 
  biosleeve violates the HPA.  
  Crypto-Laser Link 
  Base AV: 1 
  Somewhere on your sleeve is an IR laser transceiver. When 
  aimed at another person’s crypto-laser transceiver, the two of 
  you are capable of encrypted, invisible (to the naked eye), and 
  silent wireless communication. 
  If you have a mindset, you can send and receive messages 
  with mental commands. Otherwise, you’ll need to route the 
  communication through a PPC.  
  Custom Built [Sleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your sleeve was custom-built to perform some sort of task. It 
  could have been developed to work on high-gravity worlds, 
  survive in harsh climates, or perhaps for more specialized tasks 
  such as moving about unseen or being especially intimidating. 
  The sleeve gains an Aspect that best describes the task it was 
  specially built to perform. 
  Data Jack and Storage Base AV: 1, or free with Apotheosis 
  Note: Anyone who has undergone Apotheosis gets this 
  Augmentation for free. 
  Somewhere on your body or sleeve is a port that can accept a 
  wired connection to an outside system. This port connects 
  directly to a data storage device hidden somewhere inside your 
  body or sleeve. If you have a mindset, the data port can also be 
  set to allow read or write access to one of its partitions. 
  Upgrades 
  Secured (+0): A portion of your storage device is partitioned 
  to include a highly secure, heavily encrypted, file system that 
  even the owner cannot access without the right passkeys. The 
  keys are set during the upload process. 
   
  ELS System [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Note: If you have the Synthesis Augmentation (pg. 230), this 
  Augmentation’s AV is reduced to 1. 
  The emergency life support (ELS) system is a device installed 
  in the torso, and attached directly to the heart. In the event 
  that you are exposed to life-threatening danger from poison, 
  toxins, starvation, or dehydration, the device automatically 
  activates. The ELS stops the heart, and begins pumping heavily 
  oxygenated blood directly to the brain, organs, and muscles via 
  a secondary circulatory system. It also administers critical 
  nutrients to the rest of the body, making up for a lack of food 
  and water, and dumps a supply of natural pain killers to help 
  you persevere until you can get to safety. 
  Once activated, the system allows you to survive up to three 
  hours without oxygen. It also hydrates your system as well as a 
  gallon of water and provides as many vitamins and minerals as 
  a well-balanced meal. 
  
   
  222 
   
  The pain killers last for about twelve hours, during which 
  time your Severe Physical Consequence (if you have one) is not 
  considered Persistent. 
  The system also prevents you from suffering attacks from 
  poison for twelve hours. 
  Once activated, the ELS cannot be used again for 48 hours. 
  During this time the user needs to eat and drink more than 
  usual, as the ELS resupplies from the user’s blood stream. 
  Esper Vent 
  Base AV: 1 
  Parts of your sleeve’s anatomy have been removed and 
  replaced with hollow synthetic replacements. The extra space is 
  used to store an esper swarm, and comes with vents through 
  which they can emerge from your body. 
  Esper vents are commonly (but not always) placed in the 
  arms, with the arm muscles replaced by much smaller (but 
  equally strong) nanocybernetic fiber bundles. The esper swarm 
  can lie dormant in the arms, and emerge when the user desires. 
  Upgrades 
  Charlatan (+1) (Restricted): See pg. 228. 
  Exceptional Genegineering [Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your bioware Augs were seamlessly implemented, and your 
  sleeve adjusted to the modifications with little effort. 
  Once per scene, you may invoke an Aspect gained from a 
  bioware Augmentation without spending a Fate Point. 
  This Augmentation also increases the total number of 
  Augmentations your sleeve can support by +1, and does not 
  itself count against that total number. 
  This aug may only be installed on a sleeve, and is not 
  available to a Pure character. 
  Extra Limb [Restricted on Biosleeves] 
  Base AV: 2 
  You have one or more additional prehensile limbs. These 
  limbs could be the result of extreme genetic tampering (which 
  violates the HPA), or grafted-on cybernetics. 
  You gain a Persistent Aspect that describes the limb, such as 
  Prehensile Tail(P) or Cybernetic Tentacle(P). 
  You can invoke this Aspect as appropriate to the limb to grant 
  a bonus on grappling, climbing, running, or complex work 
  where an extra hand might come in handy. 
  Fibro-Muscle Weave [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your muscles are woven with synthetic fibers that expand 
  and retract with far more strength than human muscle tissue. 
  You gain the Fibro-Muscle Weave Aspect, which can be 
  invoked on all Athletics tests to represent your super-human 
  strength. 
  The GM should also allow you to invoke this Aspect on attack 
  tests with melee or thrown weapons, but only after it is 
  determined that you have hit your target. After all, while the 
  fibro-muscle weave certainly makes you stronger, it doesn’t do 
  much to improve your accuracy. 
  Upgrades 
  Titan Weave (+2): Your muscles are more synthetic than 
  biological, making you capable of tremendous feats of 
  strength.  
  Your Fibro-Muscle Weave Aspect becomes Persistent. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  223 
   
  Fully Synthetic [Cybersleeve Only] 
  Base AV: N/A 
  Your sleeve is completely synthetic, featuring no biological 
  components. It consists of a non-magnetic metal skeleton, 
  driven by synthetic muscles capable of expanding and 
  retracting just like biological muscle. This combination gives 
  you the fine motor control of a biological entity, but also makes 
  you stronger and more durable. 
  All Fully Synthetic sleeves gain the Synthetic Biology(P) 
  Aspect. This Aspect represents the composition of the sleeve, 
  as well as the tendency for an ego to more easily fragment 
  while in a synthetic sleeve. This Aspect can be compelled during 
  most Cohesion tests, especially when resleeving. It can also be 
  used to defend against certain threats, or cause difficulties 
  when dealing with those prejudiced against posthumans. 
  Your ego is housed in a cyberbrain featuring a mnemonic 
  core similar to those in Apotheosized biosleeves. 
  You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe. You are also 
  immune to drugs and poisons. You are not harmed by exposure 
  to vacuum, and suffer no adverse effects from prolonged 
  exposure to microgravity.  
  All of these advantages come with a downside, however. 
  Unable to touch, taste, smell, or even see the world the same 
  way a living being does, the experience of being fully synthetic 
  erodes the humanity of the inhabiting ego. 
  To compensate, your Agent must constantly work to repair 
  the ego, frayed by the completely unnatural experience of 
  living in a synthetic body. You must still “sleep” for at least two 
  hours each day, during which time your Agent works to repair 
  the psychological damage accrued on the previous day. 
  While this keeps the ego from degenerating into complete 
  insanity, it can only do so much. 
  This Augmentation does not count against your aug limit. 
  Upgrades 
  Reinforced Substrate (+1 to Cost of Sleeve): Your skeleton 
  is designed to take a beating, featuring reinforced structural 
  members and more robust joint systems. 
  Your Endurance is increased by +2, but you also gain the 
  Slow and Heavy(P) Persistent Aspect.  
  Remember that the increase to your Endurance can also 
  increase the number of physical stress boxes you have. 
  High Tensile Muscular Fibers (+2 to Cost of Sleeve): Your 
  synthetic muscles are much stronger than those normally 
  featured on a sleeve of your type. You gain the same 
  benefits that a biosleeve gains from the Fibro-Muscle Weave 
  Augmentation (pg. 222). 
  Gills Gene-Graft [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your neck sports a set of fish- like gills, gifted to you by the 
  marvels of modern science. Through genetic manipulation you 
  are now capable of drawing oxygen out of water filtered 
  through your gills. You can still breathe air as well. 
  Technically this Augmentation violates the HPA, but was one 
  of very few extreme genetic mods to be granted an exception.   
  Gyroscopic Stabilizers 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your wrists and elbows are outfitted with small gyroscopes 
  designed to stabilize your hands when performing tasks that 
  require motor control. They also reduce the effect of recoil 
  from firearms when fired on full auto. 
  You gain the Gyro-Stabilized Aspect, which can be invoked 
  any time you need to perform a delicate task, when making a 
  full-auto attack test (pg. 138), or when performing the test to 
  place the In My Sights Aspect when taking aim (pg. 151). 
  
   
  224 
   
  Hidden Weapon System [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your sleeve features a hidden weapon of some sort. It may 
  be a retractable blade hidden in your forearm, a shoulder- 
  mounted PAc gun that emerges from your back, or any other 
  sort of weapon that could be hidden away inside the body. 
  You must first acquire the weapon, after which you must 
  purchase this Augmentation to have it installed.  
  You may purchase this Augmentation multiple times, but the 
  GM must agree that there is enough room in your body to 
  install all of the weapons. 
  Upgrades 
  Charlatan (+1) (Restricted): See pg. 228. 
  Light Screen Camouflage [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your skin has been woven with a network of dozens of tiny 
  magnetic field generators. These generators bend the light 
  around you, rendering you nearly invisible to visible and IR 
  light, and allowing you to blend in with your surroundings. 
  You gain a +3 bonus on tests to remain unseen while not 
  moving, or a +2 bonus if you are moving. 
   
  Massive Size [Sleeve Only, Restricted on Biosleeves] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your sleeve is huge, towering 3 to 4 meters in height. 
  Cybersleeves of this size are rare, but not unheard of. They can 
  be useful in situations where both heavy lifting and fine motor 
  control are needed. 
  Massive-sized biosleeves are illegal per the Humanity 
  Preservation Act. Still, sufficiently motivated aberrants have 
  been known to inhabit massive bodies designed to hunt, kill, 
  and/ or fight more effectively. 
  Sleeves with this Augmentation are Size 1 and gain a +1 
  bonus to the WR of all melee weapon attacks. In addition, the 
  sleeve gains the Massive Aspect.  
  Medichine Factory [Human or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 2 
  You have a small nanomachine factory implanted somewhere 
  within your body. These “medichines” patrol your blood stream 
  and, should you become injured, rush to aid your body’s 
  natural healing mechanisms to stop bleeding, close wounds, 
  and ward off infection. 
  This Augmentation allows your body to heal from wounds at 
  an incredible rate. The amount of time required for a Physical 
  Consequence to degrade to a lower severity is reduced by 1 
  time increment (pg. 152). 
  Nano-Cyber Limb [Humans or Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  One of your sleeve’s limbs has been replaced with a 
  nanocybernetic prosthetic, a synthetic limb comprised of a non-
  magnetic metal skeleton driven by artificial muscles. The 
  prosthetic is controlled via the nervous system by a nerve-
  machine interface, and is powered with a combination of a 
  power cell and broadcast power receiver. 
  While only capable of transmitting a vague sense of touch (or 
  pain), these synthetic limbs tend to be stronger than natural 
  limbs and are capable of bending or rotating in unnatural ways. 
  You gain an Aspect, such as Cyber-Arm or Shiny New Leg, 
  which represents your nanocybernetic limb. This Aspect might 
  be invoked on attack tests when punching or swinging a 
  weapon with a nanocybernetic arm, when jumping with a 
  synthetic leg, or any time the additional strength and versatility 
  of the prosthetic limb could be of benefit. 
  Continued on next page… 
  
   
  225 
   
  Note: Your nano-cyber limbs can be built to support other 
  types of augs, such as Fibro-Muscle Weaves or Esper Vents.  
  Upgrades 
  Bioskinned (+1): Your limb is covered in bioskin (pg. 220), 
  which not only feels more natural, but also imparts greater 
  sensitivity. The skin may appear natural or obviously 
  synthetic. It is illegal to apply realistic-looking bioskin over an 
  entire cybersleeve, but this is not the case with a single limb. 
  Multiple Limbs (+1): You have not one, but two of the 
  same type of limb replaced. Instead of a regular Aspect, you 
  gain a Persistent Aspect, such as Nanocybernetic Arms(P), to 
  represent this Augmentation. 
  Neura-Surge [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your body or sleeve, whether biological or cybernetic, is 
  threaded with an augmented nervous system (or synthetic 
  equivalent). When activated, the neura-surge system sends 
  your mind and body/sleeve into overdrive, allowing you to 
  move and process information so quickly that the world around 
  you appears to slow down. 
  Activating this Augmentation is an Instant Action, and may 
  even be used to interrupt another character’s turn. Once 
  activated, you may immediately perform a Simple Action. You 
  may not activate this Augmentation more than once per turn. 
  The neura-surge stresses the muscles and nervous system of 
  the body/sleeve, or the data transmitters and synthetic 
  musculature subsystems of a cybersleeve, to their physical 
  limits. As such, you must perform an Endurance test to activate 
  this Augmentation. If you fail, the neura-surge activates, but 
  you suffer an amount of physical stress equal to the amount by 
  which you failed. 
  The activation difficulty is increased by +1 for each 
  subsequent use of this Augmentation in the same scene. 
  Activation Time: Instant Action 
  Difficulty: 4 
  Duration: Turn 
  Optimized Power System 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your cyberware Augmentations depend on a top-of-the-line 
  power management system that distributes and stores power 
  more efficiently than most off-the-shelf power systems. 
  Once per scene, you may invoke an Aspect gained from a 
  cyberware Augmentation without spending a Fate Point. 
  This Augmentation also increases the total number of 
  Augmentations your body/sleeve can support by +1, and does 
  not itself count against your total number of Augmentations. 
  Particle Detection and Analysis Suite 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your olfactory glands (or cybernetic equivalent) are bolstered 
  by a highly sensitive chemical analysis device. Not only does 
  this Augmentation grant you a heightened sense of smell, so 
  acute that you can track by scent. It can also output data to a 
  PPC or mindset, allowing you to determine the chemical 
  composition of any gasses you breathe. 
  You gain the Particle Detection and Analysis Module Aspect. 
  Upgrades 
  Integrated Filter (+1): Your module is able to filter out 
  harmful gasses, making you immune to any harm that may 
  come from breathing any known hazardous gasses. 
  The module also sterilizes the air you breathe, which kills 
  airborne diseases. 
   
  
   
  226 
   
  Performance Enhanced [Sleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your sleeve was well built, and is of a higher quality than 
  most of its class. 
  You gain 1 additional Skill Rank to place in a Physical Skill of 
  your choosing. This bonus allows you to surpass the normal 
  maximum rating of 5. 
  You may purchase this Augmentation a maximum of three 
  times, each time enhancing a different Skill. 
  Upgrades 
  Top of the Line (+2): Your sleeve gains an additional +1 
  bonus rank (to a max of 7) in a Skill that already has a bonus 
  from the Performance Enhanced Augmentation. 
   
  Pheromone Control & Sensitivity 
  Base AV: 1 
  You are able to emit the types of pheromones you desire, 
  subtly influencing the emotions of those around you. In 
  addition, you can actively sense other’s pheromones. 
  Once per scene, you may use this bioware Augmentation to 
  gain a +2 bonus on any test to convince a biological being to do 
  as you wish, or to determine another person’s emotional state. 
  Upgrades 
  Aura (+1): You emit high levels of pheromones that affect 
  everyone around you. You may spend a Fate Point to gain a 
  +1 bonus on all Diplomacy or Guile tests or contests when 
  socializing with biological beings for the duration of the 
  scene. 
  If you have the Exceptional Engineering, you may use it to 
  activate your aura for free instead of getting a free invoke.  
  Physiological Behavior Mods 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your genetic code features modifications tailored to trigger 
  specific emotional responses, such as a desire to bond with a 
  group, an urge to hunt, or an overactive libido. 
  You gain an Aspect that reflects the sort of behavior your 
  sleeve was built for, such as Pack Mentality, Insatiable 
  Curiosity, or Solitary Predator. 
  Poison Gland [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your body or sleeve is capable of producing some sort of 
  toxin. The most common version of this gland can be activated 
  at will, which releases poison into your saliva. It can then be 
  administered via a kiss or bite. 
  The basic version of this Augmentation allows you to produce 
  two uses of a Potency 4 poison per day. 
  Upgrades 
  Lethal Dose (+1): Your poison has a Potency of 6. 
  Increased Production (+1): You can produce four uses of 
  your poison each day. 
  Reinforced Skeleton 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your body or sleeve has been heavily fortified, its bones (or 
  frame) bonded with a composite of ceramics and non-magnetic 
  metals that make it nearly indestructible. While this doesn’t 
  provide much in the way of protection against slashes and 
  punctures, a tremendous amount of force is required to break 
  your bones.  
  The amount of stress absorbed when you take a Severe or 
  Extreme Physical Consequence is increased by +3. 
   
  
   
  227 
   
  Retinal Implant 
  Base AV: 1 
  One of your eyes has been replaced by a nanocybernetic 
  prosthetic. This eye functions like a normal human eye, but is 
  capable of changing zoom levels and can detect a greater level 
  of detail in the dark. 
  In addition, your eye can pair with other computers to 
  function as an entoptic display and AR interface device. 
  You gain the Retinal Implant Aspect. 
  Note: Without this implant, a cybersleeve’s eyes have the 
  same resolution and capabilities as a normal biological eye. 
  Upgrades 
  IR Receiver (+1): Your eye implant allows you to see 
  infrared light. You gain a +2 bonus on rolls to notice objects 
  of a temperature different than the environment, such as a 
  living body in the jungle or the warmth generated by a 
  recently used vehicle compared to one that has been sitting 
  for a while. 
  Optic Drone (+1): Your prosthetic eye is capable of 
  discharging a tiny reconnaissance drone that looks like a 
  winged spider with one large eye. With a command, your 
  eye splits open and the tiny drone flies free of your head. 
  While deployed, you can see what the drone sees. 
  The drone can move up to about a kilometer before losing 
  contact with you. 
  The drone is controlled by remote, and is incapable of 
  independent action. It is destroyed if it takes even a single 
  point of physical stress, and has the following Skills: 
  Athletics: 2, Endurance: 0, Perception: 4, Stealth: 3 
  If destroyed, you gain the One Eyed Aspect until the drone 
  is replaced. It can be replaced at a Cost of 4 so long as you 
  have access to someone who can sell you a replacement. 
  However, the GM should be lenient and allow it to be 
  replaced for free with a bit of down time (about a week) in a 
  location where you could reasonably acquire a replacement. 
  While the drone is active, you can see through both the 
  drone’s eye and your own, though while attempting to pay 
  attention to both locations you gain the Persistent Aspect of 
  Distracted(P). 
  X-Ray Sight (+2): Your eye implant emits X-Rays and reads 
  the backsplash, effectively allowing you to see through most 
  objects. This is a handy way of detecting hidden weapons 
  and Augmentations, particularly cyberware. 
  You may spend a Fate Point to be able to see through walls, 
  clothing, doors, and so forth. Generally you can see through 
  1 ft of material, though this may vary depending on the 
  density of the material. For instance, you may only be able 
  to see through 1 inch of lead, but 2 feet of wood. 
  When this Augmentation is activated, you gain the 
  Persistent Aspect X-Ray Vision (P). 
  Activation Time: Simple Action 
  Difficulty: None 
  Duration: Scene 
   
  Retractable Claws [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Your hands have been outfitted with a set of razor-sharp 
  catlike claws that emerge from beneath your normal 
  human(oid) fingernails. 
  These claws have a Weapon Rating of 2, and are a favorite 
  among assassins and spies. 
  Note: If you also have the Poison Gland Augmentation, you 
  can administer your poison with a claw attack instead of a bite 
  or kiss. 
  
   
  228 
   
  SIM-Cell Module 
  Base AV: 1, Requires a mindset 
  Your mindset has a special partition and second mnemonic 
  core designed specifically to host another ego. 
  The SIM residing in the SIM-cell module can either dwell 
  within his home environment, or view the real world through 
  his host’s senses. He can make use of the host’s mindset as if it 
  were his own, as so long as the host allows. 
  The host maintains full control of his body, senses, and 
  systems. The host’s Agent may aid the visitor, but only if the 
  host allows. The host may also cut off the visitor’s access to his 
  senses whenever he wishes. 
  While inside a SIM-cell, the visiting SIM may launch Savant 
  Programs or do anything else he would normally be able to do 
  while hosted on a computer system. This includes ghosting in 
  AR or just resting in his home environment.  
  Essentially, residing in a SIM-Cell module is the same for the 
  SIM as being hosted on any other system. He just gains the 
  added ability to view the world from his host’s perspective, and 
  the two can communicate without any wireless signals ever 
  leaving the host’s mindset. 
   
  Skinweave Armor  
  Base AV: 1 
  Your skin (or bio-skin sheath) has been woven with a mesh of 
  genetically bolstered spider silk and graphene. This does not 
  affect the outward appearance of your skin, but makes it 
  incredibly strong and resistant to damage. 
  You gain an Armor Rating of +1, which stacks with armor 
  gained from any other source. 
   
   
  SMR Transceiver and Translation Suite 
  Base AV: 1 
  Sensors located in the corner of your eye (or your eye itself if 
  you have a prosthetic eye) emit and receive sub-millimeter 
  radiation, allowing you to see through some objects such as 
  clothing, paper, cardboard, wood, masonry, plastic, and 
  ceramics.  
  Though it cannot penetrate skin, water, or metal, and is 
  hampered by moisture in the air, this Augmentation is a handy 
  way to detect hidden weapons and objects. 
  Unfortunately, this system has poorer resolution than normal 
  sight, so it can actually be more difficult to see fine details. 
  Smuggler’s Compartment [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 1 
  Be it in your thigh, somewhere in your torso, or some other 
  location, you have a compartment in your body in which you 
  can store an item, or bundle of items, about the size of your fist 
  or a small pistol. 
  This compartment is disguised and insulated, and will not set 
  off metal detectors. However, its contents can still be seen with 
  X-Ray scanners unless it is outfitted with a charlatan upgrade.  
  Upgrades 
  Charlatan (+1): This small device employs bleeding edge 
  light screen technology. The charlatan uses a variant of 
  standard light screen tech to fool X-ray, SMR, or other 
  radiation-based sensor systems, making them see a 
  hologram of what should be there instead of what is really 
  there. 
  It will not fool the naked eye, but is useful for smuggling 
  things through checkpoints that utilize scanners.  
   
   
  
   
  229 
   
  Sonar Reception Array 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your body or sleeve is outfitted with a set of tiny sensors 
  along the face and down the sides of the neck. These sensors 
  analyze sound and compile the data before sending the data to 
  the brain’s visual cortex. The user perceives this audio data as 
  visual images, granting him real time sonar. 
  This allows the character to “see” in the dark, and aids in 
  perceiving objects covered by a light screen. 
  You gain the Sonar Reception Array(P) Persistent Aspect. 
   
  Stillness Body Lock System  
  Base AV: 1 
  Your body or sleeve is outfitted with nanocybernetically 
  modified joints that can be selectively locked at will. In 
  addition, the system features an implant that stores a small 
  amount of oxygen with each breath. This allows you to hold 
  your breath for an extended amount of time. 
  This system is popular with transhumans deep into the poser 
  scene, who use the augment to perfectly halt their body in a 
  frozen pose.  
  It’s also popular with precision shooters, who can use the 
  system to better acquire a target by eliminating any extraneous 
  motion caused by involuntary muscle movements or breathing. 
  You gain the Stillness Body Lock System Aspect. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Striking Looks  
  Base AV: 1 
  Note: A cybersleeve must have Bio-Skin Sheath (pg. 220) with 
  the Seemingly Real upgrade to take this Augmentation. 
  Whether male, female, neither, or both—your sleeve is 
  especially attractive. 
  You gain the Striking Looks Aspect. 
  This Augmentation does not count against your aug limit. 
  Upgrades 
  Absolutely Stunning (+1): You are almost unnaturally 
  attractive, a living example of perfection and sex appeal. You 
  gain the Persistent Aspect Absolutely Stunning(P) instead of 
  the regular Aspect that comes standard. 
  Subdermal Plating 
  Base AV: 2 
  You have a layer of thin flexible armor woven beneath your 
  skin or outer exposed layer. While not immediately visible to 
  the casual observer, this armor can deflect bullets and blades, 
  potentially preventing attacks from causing anything more than 
  simple abrasions or bruises. 
  The amount of stress you absorb by taking a Mild or 
  Moderate Physical Consequence is increased by +2. For 
  example, a Moderate Consequence would absorb 6 stress 
  instead of 4. 
  Upgrades 
  Composite Plating (+1): Your subdermal plating is 
  reinforced with lightweight composite materials, allowing 
  you to use thicker plates for the same weight. 
  The amount of stress you absorb by taking a Mild or 
  Moderate Consequence is increased by +3 instead of +2. 
   
  
   
  230 
   
  Synthesis [Biosleeve Only] 
  Base AV: 3, Requires a mindset 
  The Synthesis process weaves a mesh of nanocybernetic 
  fibers through the living tissues of the body, transforming the 
  entire body into a seamless blend of man and machine. This 
  process makes the body tougher and stronger, but also allows 
  for a finer degree of control and sensitivity. 
  Synthesis is a common Augmentation among high-Rep 
  transhumans, and is seen by many as representing a perfect 
  balance of organic and synthetic biology—the pinnacle of 
  human evolution. This belief also means that many, especially 
  hardcore Purists, view the Synthesized as being even more 
  threatening to the future of the human race than a SIM or 
  someone who has been decanted into a cybersleeve. 
  So while transhumanists often hold the Synthesized in awe, 
  Purists tend to view them with disgust. More than a dozen 
  (reported) Synthesized transhumans have been killed by 
  Purifier attacks in the last few years. 
  A Synthesized body or sleeve looks like a normal human 
  body, but the skin has some metallic luster and the eyes tend to 
  feature a slight glow about them. Synthesis makes the body 
  faster, stronger, more durable, and enhances the senses. 
  You also gain the Synthesized Biological Perfection Aspect. 
  This Aspect represents your hybrid physiological nature, the 
  fact that Synthesis improves on the human body’s capabilities 
  in almost every way, and the fact that Synthesized bodies and 
  sleeves are often a source of controversy. 
  You are immune to poisons and disease, and are no longer 
  adversely affected by prolonged exposure to microgravity. As 
  long as you are within range of a broadcast power field, you 
  only need to eat, drink, and sleep half as much as a normal 
  person. 
   
  Targeting Support System [Restricted] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Sensors in the hand, arm, and mindset are capable of syncing 
  with a targeting support module (pg. 212) to enhance your 
  ability to aim a firearm. 
  When a target is selected, the guidance software kicks in and 
  snaps the weapon on target, guiding your arm to keep your 
  enemy in the crosshairs. 
  You gain a +1 bonus on all ranged attacks with firearms 
  equipped with a synced targeting support module. 
  Tiny Size [Restricted in Biosleeves] 
  Base AV: 2 
  Your sleeve is very small, less than a meter in height. 
  Cybersleeves of this size are useful for sneaking into secured 
  locations, or for getting into areas too small for human-sized 
  sleeves. Generally this Augmentation is applied to drones 
  instead of sleeves to avoid the psychological trauma of 
  resleeving, but there are some cases where resleeving an ego in 
  a tiny body can be beneficial. 
  Tiny-sized 
  biosleeves 
  are 
  illegal 
  per 
  the 
  Humanity 
  Preservation Act. But just because something is illegal doesn’t 
  mean it’s never done. Aberrants ignore the HPA and seek to 
  remake themselves into their ideal form. If that form is tiny, so 
  be it. 
  The size of the sleeve must be large enough to house the 
  mindset, which limits it to being no smaller than that of a 
  human baby or small dog. 
  Sleeves with this Augmentation are Size -1 and suffer a -1 
  penalty to the WR of all unarmed or melee weapon attacks. 
  However, you gain a +1 bonus on all Stealth tests and Athletics-
  based defense tests. 
  In addition, the augmented sleeve gains the Tiny Aspect. 
  
   
  231 
   
  OFF-THE-RACK SLEEVES 
  This section describes a number of 
  different 
  types 
  of 
  pre-generated 
  sleeves. These sleeves are available in 
  most resleeving facilities, or can be 
  ordered for quick delivery. 
  It takes about three weeks to 
  customize a biosleeve from scratch, but 
  a cybersleeve can be produced in less 
  than a week.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Courier 
  Beta Cybersleeve [Restricted]   Cost: 6 
  Manufacturer: Black Market Sources 
  The 
  Courier 
  cybersleeve 
  was 
  designed for smuggling, featuring a 
  number of augmentations designed to 
  contain and hide small items. 
  The Courier typically cannot be 
  legally obtained, but can be acquired 
  from numerous black market sources.  
  Its bio-skin sheath makes the Courier 
  appear to be a standard low-quality 
  biosleeve. It is made of inorganic 
  components, some of which are made 
  of materials specifically selected and 
  arranged to disrupt and confuse prying 
  sensor systems. As a result, items 
  carried by a Courier are harder to pick 
  out via sensor tech. It also has a hidden 
  compartment outfitted with a char-
  latan module. 
  Sleeve Aspects:  Synthetic Biology(P), 
  Inhuman Appearance 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 2, 
  Perception 2 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully 
  Synthetic, Data Jack and Storage 
  (Secure), Bio-Skin Sheath, Custom 
  Built (Resistant to Sensor Tech), 
  Smuggler’s Compartment (Charlatan) 
  Armor Rating: +1 
  Ingot 
   
  Alpha Biosleeve 
                 Cost: 6 
  Manufacturer: Extant Worlds (Dalianis) 
  The Ingot biosleeve from Extant 
  Worlds was devised specifically for 
  tight corridors and high gravity worlds. 
  The Ingot is short, averaging around 
  1.5 meters tall and weighing in at 
  around 100 kg. Its bones are especially 
  dense, with a body covered in thick 
  slabs of muscle. 
  While 
  originally 
  designed 
  for 
  operations involving high-gravity work, 
  the Ingot is popular among miners in 
  most any location. It also performs 
  exceedingly well in most heavy labor 
  fields. This makes them popular with 
  House Tsarya, who often makes them 
  available to apostates working to earn 
  House membership. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Unattractive 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 5, 
  Perception 1 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Perfor-
  mance Enhanced (+1 Endurance)  
   
   
  [Versa-Link Log: 13:45-05,24,98] 
  [Micah] – Good to hear from you. 
  [Tess] –  How’s your head? 
  [Micah] – Fine. The headaches 
  stop after the first week. 
  [Tess] – That’s good.  Uhg. You 
  got bugs in your head. 
  [Micah] – Yeah.  
  [Tess] – You going to resleeve?  
  [Micah] – Maybe when I can 
  afford the rep hit. Best I can do 
  now is an Ingot, and I’m already 
  short and ugly.  
  [Tess] – Ha! I’d consider it myself 
  if I could get a Vixen.    
   [Micah] – Promise me you’d get 
  a Vixen and I’d take the hit on 
  getting you Apotheosized.  
   
  
   
  232 
   
  Strife 
   
  Beta Biosleeve 
                  Cost: 7 
  Manufacturer: Gladius Industries (Tsarya) 
  It cannot be denied that the Strife 
  biosleeve was designed for anything 
  but combat. 
  Capable of forcing an injection of 
  adrenaline on command, and outfitted 
  with a skin-woven armor mesh, the 
  Gladius Industries Strife is capable of 
  both dealing punishment and taking it. 
  House Tsarya provides Strife sleeves 
  to many of the other Houses in trade, 
  and sells them on the open market to 
  Coalition Centurions and Legionnaires.  
  They’re also popular with less 
  reputable 
  types, 
  such 
  as 
  bounty 
  hunters, pirates, gangsters, and the 
  like. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Adrenal Boost Module, Built for War 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 2 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Adrenal 
  Boost Module, Skinweave Armor (AR 
  +2), Custom Built (Built for War) 
   
   
   
  Ursus 
   
  Beta Biosleeve 
                  Cost: 7 
  Manufacturer: Avalon Systems (Silva) 
  Large, powerful, hairy, and bestial: all 
  of these words accurately describe 
  Avalon System’s Brute-Series Ursus 
  biosleeve. 
  Popular 
  among 
  street 
  toughs, bouncers, and pit fighters, the 
  Ursus is the result of a number of 
  successful gene splices taken from the 
  Alaskan grizzly bear. 
  While 
  still 
  (barely) 
  within 
  the 
  parameters set forth by the HPA, the 
  Ursus features a large powerful frame, 
  sharp canines set into a short muzzle, 
  and a genetic predisposition toward 
  aggression and ferocity. 
  While it doesn’t have a bear’s thick 
  coat of fur, it certainly sports more 
  body hair than is the human norm. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Bear’s Temper and Ferocity, Ursine 
  Frame and Features, Particle 
  Detection and Analysis Module 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 4, 
  Perception 1 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, 
  Physiological Behavior Mods (Bear’s 
  Temper and Ferocity), Cosmetic 
  Customization (Ursine Frame and 
  Features), Particle Detection and 
  Analysis Suite 
  Jinsoku  
  Gamma Cybersleeve                  Cost: 8 
  Manufacturer: 
  Lotus 
  Cyberworks 
  (Kimura) 
  A favorite of Lotus’ Kage line, the 
  Jinsoku cybersleeve was designed for 
  recon and stealth. The joints are 
  enhanced 
  with 
  shock-absorbing 
  compression pads, while the cutting 
  edge Tango RX7 balance sensitivity 
  module allows for unmatched grace. 
  The outer skin is a matte black 
  composite, wrapping a soundproofed 
  skeleton. 
  The Jinsoku is a favorite among 
  thieves, spies, snipers, and anyone who 
  needs to get in and out of a location 
  without being detected. 
  Sleeve Aspects:  Synthetic Biology(P), 
  Inhuman Appearance, Auditory Amp 
  & Filtering Module(P), Beholder 
  Sensory Suite(P), Retinal Implant, 
  Stealth Mods 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 2, 
  Perception 4 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Bio-Skin 
  Sheath, Fully Synthetic, Auditory Amp 
  & Filtering Module, Beholder Sensory 
  Suite, Custom Built (Stealth Mods), 
  Retinal Implant (Retinal Implant) 
  Armor Rating: +2 
  
   
  233 
   
  Vixen/Satyr 
   
  Gamma Biosleeve 
                  Cost: 9 
  Manufacturer: Luna Illuminated (Silva) 
  The Vixen and Satyr sleeves, female 
  and male, are design for sex appeal. 
  They are favorites among entertainers, 
  sensie stars, and a great number of 
  politicians. 
  Moreover, the Vixen or Satyr sleeve’s 
  appearance is not a generic sort of 
  beauty. These sleeves are pulled from 
  production because they have some 
  exotic feature that makes them stand 
  out from the rest. They are then 
  further augmented and sold at a 
  premium. 
  Not only do they turn heads, but 
  they are also outfitted with pheromone 
  detection capabilities that aid the 
  wearer in their interactions with 
  others. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Absolutely Stunning(P), Players Choice 
  of Aspect from Cosmetic Customization 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 3 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis (Remote 
  Backup), Striking Looks (Absolutely 
  Stunning), Cosmetic Customization 
  (Player Choice of Aspect), Pheromone 
  Control & Sensitivity (Aura) 
  Justicar 
  Gamma Biosleeve [Restricted]  Cost: 9 
  Manufacturer: Helical Rings (Silva) 
  The Justicar sleeve was specially 
  designed by Helical Rings to be the 
  premiere 
  sleeve 
  for 
  Centurion 
  investigators and undercover agents. 
  The Justicar features both offensive 
  and defensive augmentations, as well 
  as enhanced awareness to aid in 
  detecting criminal activity. 
  While most sleeves of the same type 
  tend to strongly resemble each other, 
  the development contract for the 
  Justicar stipulated a wider range of 
  randomization, leading to a more 
  individualized appearance. This feature 
  makes it more difficult to spot 
  Justicars—a boon when it comes to 
  undercover work. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Forgettable Appearance  
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 4 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis (Remote 
  Backup), Cosmetic Customization 
  (Forgettable Appearance), Targeting 
  Support System, Skinweave Armor 
   
  Paragon 
  Epsilon Biosleeve 
                  Cost: 14 
  Manufacturer: Luna Illuminated (Silva) 
  It is believed by many transhumans 
  that the Apotheosis and Synthesis 
  procedures promote biological sleeves 
  to the pinnacle of human evolution. 
  This sleeve model was purpose-built to 
  grant the wearer unparalleled physical 
  performance and survivability in a 
  biological/synthetic hybrid frame. 
  The 
  Paragon 
  sleeve, 
  Luna 
  Illuminated’s crowning achievement, is 
  marketed as one short step away from 
  divinity. The Paragon is very popular 
  among high-Rep transhumans, and is 
  worn by the majority of transhuman 
  celebrities. 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Striking Looks, Synthesized Biological 
  Perfection,  
  Physical Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 4, 
  Perception 4 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis (Remote 
  Backup), Emergency Life Support 
  System, Medichine Factory, Striking 
  Looks, Skinweave Armor, Synthesis
  
   
  234 
   
  DRONES 
  Drones are a common sight in most Coalition cities and 
  habitats, and can be found in many apostate enclaves as well. 
  They usually carry out tasks via a complex narrow AI, but can 
  be controlled by remote as well. 
  Drones are used to perform hazardous jobs such as 
  mining, search and rescue, or exploration. They are also used 
  for security, with the Lonestar drone working hand in hand 
  with Centurion forces. 
  Drones are also common on the battlefield. In fact, most 
  military operations are carried out entirely by drones. 
  However, lag can sometimes be an issue, resulting in the 
  same kind of penalties SIMs suffer (pg. 158) when operating 
  over great distances. 
  This chapter focuses on humanoid, or at least relatively 
  human-sized, drones. These types of drones are generally 
  used to do jobs too dangerous for direct human action. 
  Other types of drones can exist as well. Much like the 
  drones listed here, starships, warframes, and other types of 
  vehicles can be outfitted with an AI or operated by remote. 
  Controlling a Drone 
  Passive Control: Drones feature narrow AIs capable of 
  fulfilling most simple commands to the best of their ability 
  (which is measured by their Skills). 
  Issuing a command to a drone is a Free Action. 
  Active Control: As a Simple Action, you can directly control 
  the drone by remote using a neural link or mindset. Under 
  your control, the drone gains a +1 bonus on its Skill tests. 
  If you are using the Puppeteer Savant Program to possess 
  the drone, this bonus is increased to +2. 
  Creating a Drone 
  Your character, especially if he is a SIM, may want to own 
  a drone. They can be used for security, direct assault, recon—
  the possibilities are endless. 
  Drones are built in the same way sleeves are. In fact, 
  purchasing a drone is almost exactly the same as purchasing 
  a cybersleeve. There are a few differences, however: 
  • Drones gain two Aspects (in addition to Synthetic Biology and 
  Inhuman Appearance) that define what they are, and/or 
  what they are used for. 
  • The drone cannot support a hostware suite. 
  • The Cost of a drone is 1 rank less than a comparable sleeve. 
  • Drones with restricted Augmentations are themselves 
  restricted and cannot legally be owned without a license. 
  • Drones get a number of ranks to spread among their Skills 
  equal to twice the number of Physical Skill Ranks a 
  comparable cybersleeve gets. A drone may put ranks in the 
  standard Physical Skills, as well as Demolitions, Insight, 
  Firearms, Melee, Pilot, Resolve, Stealth and Strategy. A drone 
  may never have more than 5 ranks in a single Skill. 
  • Drones can come with their own weapons and armor, 
  making them restricted. They can have a number of weapons 
  equal to their Strategy rating. No weapon may cost more 
  than the drone’s Strategy +2. Instead of the armor bonus all 
  cybersleeves get, the drone has an armor bonus equal to its 
  Endurance +1. 
  Note that if you have the Drone Jock Stunt (pg. 171), the 
  drone’s Cost is reduced by -1, two of its Skills (your choice) 
  increase by 1 rank, and it gets 1 more Augmentation Point. 
  Drones do not normally have Fate Points, but their user 
  can spend their Fate Points to invoke his drone’s Aspects. The 
  Optimized Power System Augmentation (pg. 225) can also 
  allow for additional Aspect invocations. 
  
   
  235 
   
  Imex V44 Case Spider 
   
  This relatively small drone folds up into what appears to 
  be a small briefcase. When activated, it transforms into a 
  spider-like drone designed for infiltration and surveillance. 
  When required to attack, it does so with either a small 
  railgun that emerges from its back, or by latching onto a 
  target and stabbing it with a piercing spike that ejects from 
  its abdomen. 
   
  Beta Drone 
  Cost: 5 [Restricted] 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance, 
  Cyberspider Drone, Quality Visual Sensors 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 1, Perception 3 
  Other Skills: Firearms 1, Melee 1, Resolve 2, Stealth 3, 
  Strategy 2 
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Custom Built (Suitcase Form, 
  Stealth Enhancements), Alternative Mobility System (Wall-
  Crawling Spider Legs), Hidden Weapon System (Piercing 
  Spike), Very Tiny Size (Size -2) 
  Armor Rating: +2 (+2 on Athletics based defense tests) 
  Weapons:      
   Weapon Rating  Range 
  Hvy Rail-Pistol 
  +4 
  2 
  Armor Penetrating, Small, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Piercing Spike 
  +2 
  0 
  Small 
   
  Aegis System S-11 Wasp  
  The wasp is generally used in personal defense, but also 
  has some surveillance capabilities. It looks like a synthetic 
  wasp, measuring a little less than a third of a meter in height 
  and weighing in at about 1.5 kg. In place of a stinger, it sports 
  a small PAc gun. 
  Typically, the wasp hovers near the user, acting as a small 
  security guard. It can be programmed with a number of basic 
  behavioral routines, and can be given orders via voice in 
  addition to direct control with a neural link or mindset. 
   
  Alpha Drone 
  Cost: 4 [Restricted] 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance, 
  Cyberwasp Drone, Basic Physical Security Programming 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 1, Endurance 1, Perception 3 
  Other Skills: Firearms 2, Resolve 1, Stealth 3, Strategy 3 
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Alternative Mobility System 
  (Flight Capable, Wasp Wings), Very Tiny Size (Size -2) 
  Armor Rating: +2 (+2 on Athletics-based defense tests) 
  Weapons:      
   Weapon Rating Range 
  Lt PAc Pistol 
  +4 
  5 
  Particle Accelerator, Small 
   
   
  Drone Specific Augmentations 
  Very Tiny Size (AV 0): Like Tiny Size, 
  but the drone’s size is reduced by -2. It 
  gains +2 on Athletics-based defense 
  rolls, -1 Endurance, +1 Stealth.  
   
  Armored (AV 2): The drone’s 
  natural armor is increased by +3. 
  The drone may not take this aug 
  more than once. This aug does 
  not stack with Skinweave armor.  
   
  Armed (AV 2): The drone may have a single 
  weapon with a Cost equal to its own Cost. Or, it 
  may carry two additional weapons. The drone 
  may not take this Augmentation more than once.  
  
   
  236 
   
  Black Gate Series III Cerberus Guardian 
  True to its name, the Cerberus drone resembles a large 
  dog. Its purpose is to supplement security forces, or to patrol 
  a designated area as autonomous security. 
  The Cerberus Guardian stands a meter high at the 
  shoulder. Its synthetic musculature makes it look much like a 
  large skinless dog with shiny black muscles. Its “skeleton” is 
  usually gun-metal gray or chrome. 
   
  Gamma Drone 
  Cost: 7 [Restricted] 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance, 
  Canine-Inspired Drone, “The Series III Cerberus can run 
  faster than most land craft.” 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 2, Perception 2 
  Other Skills: Insight 1, Firearms 1, Melee 4, Resolve 2, 
  Strategy 3 
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Cosmetic Customization 
  (Mono-sharp Fangs), Neura-Surge, Particle Detection and 
  Analysis Suite, Skinweave Armor 
  Armor Rating: +6 
  Weapons:      
   Weapon Rating 
  Range 
  Bite Attack 
  +2 
   
  0 
   
  Ardent LS-7 “Lonestar” Armed Responder 
  This drone has a humanoid shape. It was designed to 
  provide active security to locations that are either too 
  inhospitable or too dangerous for living security forces, or to 
  bolster their numbers. 
  The Lonestar is about 2 meters tall, features heavy armor 
  plating, and has hands capable of using human weapons. 
   
  Gamma Drone 
  Cost: 7 [Restricted] 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology(P), Inhuman Appearance, 
  Built for Intimidation, Quality Visual Sensors, Corporate Sigil 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Endurance 3, Perception 2 
  Other Skills: Insight 2, Firearms 3, Melee 1, Resolve 2, 
  Strategy 3 
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Cosmetic Customization 
  (Corporate Sigil), Armed, Armored, Custom Built (Voice-
  Stress Analyzer) 
  Armor Rating: +7 
  Weapons:      
   Weapon Rating 
   Range 
  Hvy Coil Assault Rifle 
   +7 
   
   7 
  Full Auto, Armor Penetrating, Huge(P) 
   
  System Attacks Against Drone Controllers 
  A Savant Program can target either the drone itself or the controller, assuming there is one. 
  If the operator is simply controlling the drone via remote, the attacker can target him to trace and lock on to the signal linking the 
  drone to the operator. The attacker can do this by using a Simple Action to make a SINC or Software Engineering test (Diff: 3). 
  This link is relatively weak, though, with significant security between the drone and its operator. The attacking Savant suffers a -2 
  penalty on his Program execution tests due to this weak link. 
  If the operator is a Savant using the Puppeteer Program, his own systems are much more tightly linked to the drone. The attacker 
  does not need to trace the signal or suffer the -2 penalty. A puppeteer has more precise control over his drone, is also more vulnerable. 
  
   
  237 
   
  VEHICLES 
  This chapter features rules for 
  creating vehicles, from tanks to 
  warframes, skiffs to carrier ships. 
  It also features rules for handling 
  vehicular conflicts, which can range 
  from vehicle vs. vehicle conflict to 
  vehicle vs. personnel conflicts. 
  Steps of Vehicle Creation 
  1. What is the Vehicle? 
  2. Determine the Vehicle’s Size. 
  3. Select three Vehicular Aspects. 
  4. Purchase the Vehicle’s Capabilities. 
  5. Select three Specialty Aspects. 
  6. Purchase Vehicular Features. 
  Step #1: What is the Vehicle? 
  When designing a vehicle, the first question you must ask 
  yourself is, “What is this thing for?” 
   If your vehicle is purely for transportation, it needs to be 
  fast and agile. If it’s for hauling cargo, it needs to be big and 
  powerful, with plenty of storage area. If the vehicle is a 
  weapon of war, it needs to be protected and must have the 
  armament to get the job done. 
  Also, despite the use of the term vehicle, these rules can 
  also be used to create immobile structures, from simple 
  bunkers to space stations or impregnable fortresses. 
  Step #2: Size 
  Size plays an important part in designing a vehicle, 
  determining factors such as its Base Cost, its Capabilities, and 
  the number of modifications it can be equipped with (which 
  take the form of Features). 
  In addition, a vehicle’s Size is also a major factor in 
  vehicular conflicts since bigger vehicles tend to have larger 
  weapons, better electronic systems, more crew members, 
  and thicker armor. A vehicle’s Size should be added as a 
  bonus any time its Size could give it an advantage, 
  particularly in contests. 
  The vehicle has a number of Structural Stress Boxes equal 
  to its Size + Structure + Modifiers. In addition, all vehicles 
  automatically gain an Armor Rating equal to their Size. 
  The vehicle has a number of System Stress Boxes equal to 
  its Size + Systems + Modifiers. 
  The vehicle has a number of Crew Stress Boxes equal to its 
  Size + Crew + Modifiers. 
  Size 
  FP 
  Refresh 
  Capabilities 
  (Max 3) 
  Base 
  Cost 
  Features 
  Sample Vehicles 
  1 
  2 
  7 
  10 
  4 
  Motorcycle, Lancer 
  2 
  2 
  8 
  12 
  5 
  Car, Skiff, Shuttle, Recon Frame 
  3 
  3 
  9 
  14 
  7 
  Cargo Shuttle, Tank, Assault Frame 
  4 
  3 
  10 
  16 
  9 
  Cruiser, Cargo Ship 
  5 
  4 
  11 
  18 
  12 
  Dreadnaught, Small Space Station 
  6 
  4 
  12 
  20 
  14 
  Carrier, Space Station 
  * The vehicle has a number of Structural Stress Boxes equal to its Size + Structure + Modifiers. 
  * The vehicle has a number of System Stress Boxes equal to its Size + Systems + Modifiers. 
  * The vehicle has a number of Crew Stress Boxes equal to its Size + Crew + Modifiers. 
   
  
   
  238 
   
  Step #3: Vehicular Aspects 
  Like characters, vehicles are created with Aspects. These 
  Aspects tend to answer the following questions: 
  1. What does it do? 
  2. Where did it come from? 
  3. How it is seen by the public? 
  Sample Vehicle Aspects 
  Tramp Freighter 
  Massive Bipedal War Machine 
  Created in Secret by the Rebels 
  Designed for Recon and Surveillance 
  Often Associated with Having Poor Owners 
  Step #4: Capabilities 
  Vehicles have seven different Capabilities and a pool of 
  ranks to distribute among them. The max rank a vehicle can 
  have in a single Capability is 3. 
   The vehicle’s Capabilities are added as a bonus to any Skill 
  tests a character might need to perform to effectively 
  operate the vehicle. For example, if the pilot needs to 
  perform a test to weave through some space debris, he’d 
  make a Pilot test and add the vehicle’s Maneuverability 
  rating as a bonus. 
  Note that if a vehicle has a crew, the vehicle’s Crew 
  Capability may be used instead of a character’s Skill. In the 
  above example, instead of the pilot character making a Pilot 
  test and adding Maneuverability, you might instead use Crew 
  + Maneuverability. 
  Crew is the most commonly used Capability that can also 
  be used as a Skill, but some situations may call for others. 
  Crew – For vehicles with a crew, this Capability is the 
  measure of their general competence. It is the bonus 
  added to any action performed by NPC crew members. For 
  NPC Vehicles, it may be used in place of a Skill. 
  Maneuverability – This measures how quickly the vehicle can 
  turn, dodge, and perform high-speed maneuvers. 
  Structure – The amount of physical punishment the vehicle 
  can take; a product of good engineering and/or armor. 
  Sensors – The eyes and ears of the machine, such as long-
  range detection and analysis sensor suites. 
  Speed – The measure of the vehicle’s top speed. 
  Systems – The capabilities and amount of punishment the 
  systems can take from electronic attacks, hacks, viruses, 
  and the like. 
  Weapons – The potency of the vehicle’s onboard weapons, 
  such as guns, missiles, lasers, and so on. 
  Step #5: Specialty Aspects 
  Very similar to the Aspects a character can gain by taking 
  the Specialty Aspect Stunt (pg. 177), Vehicles have Specialty 
  Aspects that better define their Capabilities. These Aspects 
  might represent some special system or modification, crew 
  member, or just a natural product of the design. 
  Vehicles get three free Specialty Aspects when created. 
  Sample Specialty Aspects 
  Particle Acceleration Cannons (Weapons) 
  Advanced Counter-Intrusion Software (Systems) 
  High-Resolution Sensor Array (Sensors) 
  “What a Bucket of Bolts” (Structure) 
  Can Turn on a Dime (Maneuverability) 
  Fastest Ship in the Galaxy (Speed) 
  Dr. Elizabeth Halsted (Crew) 
  
   
  239 
   
  Step #6: Vehicular Features 
  Vehicles have traits called Features, which behave much 
  like Stunts do for characters. The number of Features a 
  vehicle gains during creation depends on its Size, but a 
  vehicle can gain more Features by increasing its Cost. 
  For every +1 added to the vehicle’s Cost, it gains 2 
  Features. 
  If purchased after vehicle creation, the Cost of a Feature is 
  equal to the vehicle’s total Cost minus its Size. For example, a 
  new Feature for a Size 4 vehicle (Cost: 16) would have a Cost 
  of 12 (16 – 4 = 12). The vehicle may never have more than 
  half-again the amount of Features it starts with, rounded up. 
  Vehicle Features may grant bonuses to certain actions, 
  access to special actions, or describe special equipment, 
  weapons, defenses, and more. 
  The Features that vehicles can take tend to fall into the 
  following categories: 
  Mobility – These Features define how the vehicle moves. 
  Without a Mobility Feature, the “vehicle” is really just an 
  immobile structure. 
  Functional/Offensive/Defensive – Ranging from the 
  vehicle’s power plant to its main guns, these Features cover 
  benefits provided by feats of impressive engineering. 
  Crew – These Features represent specialists or elite crew 
  members. 
   
   
   
   
  Stress and Consequences 
  Similar to a character, a vehicle has Stress Tracks that limit 
  the amount of stress it can suffer before it becomes 
  irreparably damaged. 
  Just like characters, vehicles may be treated like mooks and 
  be limited in the number of Consequences they can suffer. 
  See page 259 for more on mooks. 
  Structural Stress 
  Structural stress determines the amount of physical stress 
  the vehicle can suffer before it simply fails. Structural stress is 
  usually the result of collisions and weapons fire. 
  The number of Structural Stress Boxes a vehicle has is 
  determined with the following formula: 
  Size + Structure Rating + Other Modifiers = Structural 
  Stress Boxes 
  Vehicles automatically get an Armor Rating equal to their 
  Size. 
  System Stress 
  System stress determines the amount of stress the vehicle 
  can suffer to its electronic systems or delicate internal 
  workings. System stress is usually the result of cyber-warfare, 
  and represents damage to both software and delicate 
  hardware. A Cyber-Warfare Suite (pg. 255) is required to 
  make system attacks. 
  The number of System Stress Boxes a vehicle has is 
  determined by the following formula: 
  Size + Systems Rating + Other Modifiers = System Stress 
  Boxes 
   
  
   
  240 
   
  Crew Stress 
  While only found on vehicles that actually have an active 
  crew, such as a starship, the Crew Stress Track determines 
  the amount of stress the members of the crew have suffered. 
  Generally, Crew Consequences represent members of the 
  crew who have been hurt or disabled for some reason, and 
  are unable to perform their duties. 
  If the vehicle does not have a Crew Capability rating of at 
  least 1, it will not have a Crew Stress Track. 
  The number of Crew Stress Boxes a vehicle has is 
  determined by the following formula: 
  Size + Crew Rating + Other Modifiers = Crew Stress Boxes 
   
  Who Plays the Ship?  
  Usually the character responsible for each particular task 
  declares the actions that the vehicle takes as they relate to 
  his task.  
  For example, the player of a ship’s pilot would declare the 
  vehicle’s movement actions and make the associated tests; 
  the character responsible for manning the guns would pick 
  the targets and make attack tests; the character in charge of 
  system attacks would make those tests, and so forth.  
  When in doubt, put the player of the pilot/driver in charge. 
  His character probably has some Aspect or Stunt related to 
  piloting or driving, which is a good indicator that he might 
  enjoy the opportunity more than the other players. 
   
   
   
  Repairing Consequences 
  Unlike living beings, machines do not fix themselves; they 
  require the time and money of people willing to repair them. 
  Like a character, stress boxes clear at the end of the scene. 
  It is assumed that the owners provide the necessary routine 
  maintenance to take care of such minor damage. 
  Having access to the proper facilities can make repairing a 
  vehicle much easier by invoking the facility’s Aspects. See 
  page 149 for more on making repairs to broken items and 
  vehicles. 
  When recovering Consequences on your Crew Stress Track, 
  the rules are the same as repairing, but you use Diplomacy 
  instead. Rather than repairing damage and buying parts, you 
  requisition or hire new crewmen to replace those you’ve lost. 
  Doing Things in Vehicles 
  Actions 
  The number of actions that the vehicle can perform in a 
  round can vary, and depends on a few factors. 
  Each PC can perform a Simple Action, and the crew can 
  perform a number of Simple Actions equal to the vehicle’s 
  Size. However, the passengers and crew may be limited 
  based on what the vehicle is actually capable of. 
  Like a character, in addition to Simple Actions, the vehicle 
  may also take Free Actions and Instant Actions. 
  On the vehicle’s turn, it may perform any of these actions 
  as a Simple Action so long as there is a character (PC or NPC) 
  to guide that operation and the requirements are met: 
  
   
  241 
   
   Vehicular Weapon Attack – An attack using onboard 
  weapons. Requires a Weapon Rating of at least 1 and a 
  Weapon Feature. 
   Vehicular System Attack – An attack made against an 
  enemy vehicle’s computer systems. Requires a Systems rating 
  of at least 1 and the Cyber-Warfare Suite Feature. 
   Vehicular Crew Attack – An attack made by the people 
  onboard the vehicle. Requires a Crew rating of at least 1 and 
  the crew must be able to get to the other vehicle’s crew, 
  usually by boarding (pg. 244). 
   Vehicular Maneuver – An action by a PC, an NPC, or the 
  crew that uses some part of the vehicle to place an Aspect. 
   Personal Action – Characters onboard the vehicle can take 
  normal actions, such as communicate with other characters, 
  perform research, or even engage in conflicts. 
  Driving/Piloting 
  Getting from Point A to Point B generally doesn’t require 
  any Skill tests. However, the pilot or driver will sometimes be 
  called upon to dodge obstacles, leap ravines, or pull off other 
  feats of fancy wheel/stick work. 
  In those cases, the person controlling the movement of the 
  vehicle performs a Pilot Skill test. (Even if the vehicle is a 
  ground vehicle, and the character is technically “driving,” you 
  still use the Pilot Skill). 
  The vehicle’s Capabilities, usually either Maneuverability or 
  Speed, will be added as a bonus to this test. 
   
  Vehicular Maneuvers 
  Movies and fiction are rife with little tricks that characters 
  play with their vehicles to give themselves an edge. Most of 
  these tricks can be resolved as Maneuvers. 
  For example, a Piloting/Maneuverability test might be 
  made to place Aspects like Drifting Around the Corners or 
  “I’m on his six!” on your vehicle, invoking them for bonuses 
  during chases or when making weapon attacks. In another 
  case, you might perform a Hardware Engineering/Systems 
  test to place All Power to Forward Guns on your ship to give 
  its attack a little boost. 
  Maneuvers are a great way to handle the techno-babble 
  found in a lot of science fiction. Little tricks like changing the 
  frequency of a data burst or “slingshotting” around a planet 
  for an increase in speed are good ways to get the critical 
  advantage you need in a fight. 
   
  The People Matter 
  The vehicle can also call upon any relevant Features and 
  Aspects of the characters within or in its crew, using its own 
  Fate Points if needed. 
  For example, if a character has the Aspect Hot Shot Pilot, 
  when it comes time to make a test related to piloting the 
  vehicle, either the pilot may spend a Fate Point to invoke his 
  Aspect for a bonus, or a character may spend one of the 
  vehicle’s Fate Points to invoke the pilot’s Aspect. 
   
   
  
   
  242 
   
  Vehicles and Zones 
  Normally a zone is defined by its most obvious borders. At 
  the scale characters normally deal with, zones are usually 
  rooms, hallways, stairwells, a thicket of trees, and so on. 
  At the vehicular scale, a zone might be a city block, a 
  street, an entire building, a lake, or something of similar size. 
  If there are good natural or territorial boundaries you can use 
  to define the vehicular-scale zones, you may want to use 
  them. If not, such as with a conflict that takes place in an 
  open desert, you may want to break the map down on a grid. 
  The zones should be sized and arranged depending on the 
  types of vehicles involved. Dreadnaught starships can 
  certainly move more quickly than skiffs, and need more room 
  to maneuver. 
  It may also be necessary to break a vehicular-scale zone 
  down into multiple smaller zones if the action switches to 
  conflicts featuring individual characters. 
  Vehicular Conflict 
  Stealth and Detection 
  If the vehicle has onboard sensor equipment, the sensor 
  operator’s Perception Skill can be used to detect the 
  presence of other vehicles and gather additional data. 
  Generally this test is against a difficulty of 0, with +1 added 
  to the difficulty for every zone between the detecting vehicle 
  and the hidden vehicle. Certain Features possessed by hidden 
  vehicles may increase the test difficulty. 
  The vehicle’s Sensors Capability is added as a bonus to this 
  roll. If the vehicle is an NPC vehicle, it uses its combined Crew 
  and Sensor Capabilities instead of a specific character’s 
  Perception Skill. 
  Structural Attacks 
  Railguns, missiles, torpedoes, particle accelerators, bombs: 
  these are types of weapons used by vehicles to make 
  structural attacks. 
  A vehicle may make a structural attack as a Simple Action. 
  These attacks are made using the Firearms or Demolitions 
  Skill (whichever is highest) of the character in control of the 
  vehicle’s weapons, with the vehicle’s Size and Weapons 
  Capability rating added as a bonus. The attack has a Weapon 
  Rating defined by the Feature that granted the weapon. 
  The defender can defend by maneuvering to dodge out of 
  the way (Pilot or Crew + Maneuverability), using the vehicle’s 
  armor to harmlessly absorb the damage (Hardware 
  Engineering or Crew + Structure), activating electronic 
  defenses to disrupt weapon targeting and guidance systems 
  (Software Engineering or Crew + Systems), and so on. 
  Remember that all Vehicles automatically get an Armor 
  rating equal to their Size. 
  Ramming 
  Instead of using onboard weapons, there is always the 
  option of simply ramming into your target. The attack is 
  made as a Piloting test, adding the vehicle’s Speed and the 
  attacking vehicle’s Size as bonuses. 
  The defender may choose to defend with his Piloting Skill 
  plus either Maneuverability or Structure, also adding the 
  defending vehicle’s Size as a bonus. 
  If the attacker hits, the defender suffers stress as the two 
  vehicles have collided.                        Continued on next page… 
  
   
  243 
   
  However, upon collision, both participants suffer a second 
  attack (no Skill is used) with a bonus equal to twice the 
  amount of stress the defender suffered in the original 
  exchange. This second attack leads to the defender taking a 
  second wave of stress, but the attacker could be damaged as 
  well. Both vehicles may roll their engineer’s Hardware 
  Engineering (or Crew) plus the vehicle’s Structure to defend. 
  System Attacks 
  System attacks are performed by assaulting another 
  vehicle’s computer systems with your own, by uploading 
  viruses, overloading them with data, and more. These attacks 
  and defensive measures employ a variation of the same 
  technology used to create CISTs. 
  A system attack requires a Simple Action.  
  To make these sorts of 
  attacks you must have the 
  Cyber-Warfare Suite Feature 
  and have someone to operate 
  it, be it a PC, NPC, the ship’s 
  crew, or an AI. 
  A system attack requires 
  the ability to interface with 
  the 
  opponent’s 
  computer 
  systems, which is usually 
  done 
  via 
  wireless 
  trans-
  mission. 
  The attack roll uses the 
  attacking vehicle’s Software 
  Engineering Skill + Systems 
  Capability + Size. The system 
  attack attempts to bypass your 
  target’s defenses and do as much damage as possible before 
  your window of opportunity closes. 
  Such attacks can disrupt enemy communications, weapon 
  systems, environmental controls, and more; this is reflected 
  as stress dealt to the vehicle’s System Stress Track. 
  System attacks are also defended against with the 
  defending 
  vehicles’ 
  Software 
  Engineering 
  + 
  Systems 
  Capability + Size. This represents the effectiveness of the 
  vehicle’s firewalls, anti-intrusion measures, and active 
  electronic defenses. 
  In addition to causing system stress, you may also use your 
  Cyber-Warfare Suite and Systems Capability to perform 
  Maneuvers. For example, you might make a contested 
  Software Engineering + Systems test to place a Disabled 
  Gravity Field Aspect on the enemy vehicle. 
  
   
  244 
   
  Personnel/Crew Attacks 
  Any time a vehicle suffers a Structural Stress Consequence, 
  there is a chance someone onboard could be injured as well. 
  The attacking vehicle makes an attack roll against each of 
  the PCs and/or named NPCs inside. The attack roll is a simple 
  dice roll with a bonus equal to the amount of stress suffered 
  by the vehicle (before being reduced by taking a 
  Consequence) on the attack that caused the Consequence. 
  The passengers can defend with whichever Skill seems 
  most appropriate, most likely Endurance. 
  If the vehicle has the Crew Capability, it also suffers the 
  same attack against its Crew Stress Track. The vehicle may 
  defend against this attack with its Structure Capability. 
  Boarding 
  There are two ways to handle boarding. The first is to run it 
  as a normal conflict scene between characters. As the 
  vehicles come into contact with each other, shift focus away 
  from the vehicles and to the individual characters. Divide the 
  ships into zones, if necessary, and play the scene out like 
  most any other conflict scene. 
  The second way is more abstract. First, the vehicles must 
  be in the same zone. Once in the same zone, the attacking 
  vehicle attempts to close with the defending vehicle by 
  creating a Block using its Pilot/Crew + Maneuverability.  If the 
  defending vehicle overcomes the block, it is able to escape 
  boarding range and leaves the zone. 
  As long as the two vehicles are in the same zone, the two 
  can exchange attacks using their Crew + Size to attack and 
  defend. 
  Individuals vs. Vehicles 
  Generally, rules aren’t needed when individual characters 
  come under fire by vehicles. The main gun of a four-story 
  warframe can usually just be ruled as instant death by 
  vaporization. 
  You may want something a bit more detailed and specific 
  at times, though. In these cases, you can use the following 
  rules: 
  When dealing with vehicles at the character-scale, an 
  attack from the vehicle affects everything and everyone in 
  the target’s zone plus a number of additional zones equal to 
  the vehicle’s Size. A tank’s cannon, a jet’s strafing machine 
  guns, or a starship’s rail-cannons aren’t generally accurate 
  enough to attack a specific person, but instead will attack 
  everyone in the area. 
  When attacking a zone of personnel, roll the vehicle’s 
  attack test as normal, but apply it to everyone in the zone. 
  The GM might decide to change the attack’s Weapon Rating 
  into an Explosive Rating instead. 
  Vehicles with the Anti-Personnel Weapons Feature may 
  elect to attack specific targets instead of attacking the entire 
  zone. 
  When an individual attempts to attack a vehicle, he usually 
  isn’t going to have much of an effect. Even coil assault rifles 
  have no effect on armored vehicles such as tanks or troop 
  transports. 
  Weapons with the Anti-Vehicular Aspect might be invoked 
  to inflict structural stress on a vehicle, but even that might 
  not affect larger vehicles much. When attacking with such a 
  weapon, resolve the attack normally. However, the vehicle 
  gains a bonus to its Armor Rating equal its Size x3. 
  
   
  245 
   
  Sample Vehicular Features 
  Crew Features 
  Crack Shot 
    
   
   
   
  The vehicle’s crew sports a master of the vehicle’s weapon 
  systems—a crack shot. The vehicle’s Crew rating is 
  considered 1 rank higher when attacking with its weapons. 
  Cyber-Warfare Specialist 
  The crew features a computer security specialist trained to 
  infiltrate the computer systems of enemy vehicles. The 
  vehicle’s Crew rating is considered 1 rank higher when 
  making system attacks. This Feature requires a Cyber-
  Warfare Suite. 
  Engineering Elite 
  There are one or more crewmen in engineering that can 
  work magic with the vehicle’s systems. The vehicle gains a +1 
  bonus when using its Crew Capability to perform Maneuvers 
  related to the performance and reliability of the vehicle’s 
  power source, weapons, defenses, sensors, and so on. 
   Hotshot Driver/Pilot 
  The vehicle’s primary driver or pilot is especially gifted. This 
  member of the crew grants a +1 bonus whenever the 
  vehicle’s Crew Capability is used during a chase, to negotiate 
  a difficult environment, or to perform a movement-related 
  Maneuver. 
  Marines 
  The vehicle houses a number of trained warriors. These 
  members of the crew provide a +2 bonus on any attack or 
  defense roll made using Crew Capability. 
   
  Sensor Ranges 
  Generally, if you are mapping out an area in zones, any 
  vehicle within the mapped area will be in sensor range. On 
  the ground, sensors can reach for kilometers. In the air, they 
  can reach even farther. In space, sensors can detect objects 
  hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away. 
  Depending on the situation, the GM may set penalties for 
  Sensor rolls at great ranges. See the table below for 
  suggestions: 
  Close (-0) 
  Medium (-1) 
  Long (-3) 
  Land  
  1 km 
  10 km 
  50 km 
  Air  
  10 km  
  50 km 
  100 km 
  Space 
  100 km 
  500 km 
  5000 km 
   
  Navigations Specialists 
   
  The crew features one or more navigators that perform at 
  an exceptional level. These members of the crew provide a 
  +2 bonus on any test made using the vehicle’s Crew 
  Capability to stay on course while traveling, or to determine 
  your location. 
  In addition, when you roll to determine your position after 
  exiting a jump gate (pg. 251), you may reroll once if you don’t 
  like the result, keeping the better of the two results. 
  Rapid Repair Team  
   
  Onboard the vehicle is a team of engineers that can quickly 
  and accurately assess and repair damage to the vehicle’s 
  structure. These members of the crew provide a +1 bonus on 
  defense tests using the Structure Capability, as well as 
  provide a +2 bonus on tests to make repairs to the vehicle. 
  
   
  246 
   
  Trained Medical Staff  
   
  There are trained medical professionals among the crew. 
  These crew members provide a +2 bonus on tests to recover 
  Crew Consequences. 
  Defensive Features 
  Armored  
  The vehicle is covered in a layer of armor, providing an 
  Armor Rating of 2. This Feature may be taken up to a number 
  of times equal to the vehicle’s Size -2. Each time the Feature 
  is taken, the vehicle’s AR is increased by an additional +2. 
  Electronic Counter Measures  
  The vehicle has been outfitted with some of the best 
  firewalls and anti-intrusion Agents on the market. The vehicle 
  gains a +2 bonus on tests to defend against electronic system 
  attacks. You may take this Feature up to a number of times 
  equal to your Systems Capability, each time adding +2 to your 
  systems defense test. 
  Internal Defense Systems 
  The interior of the vehicle is designed to help repel 
  boarders or even actively attack them. Examples of these 
  systems include alcoves for cover, automated guns, sentry 
  drones, and so on. 
  The vehicle gains a +2 bonus on Crew tests to defend 
  against boarders. 
  Point Defense System 
  The vehicle has several precision weapons designed 
  specifically to ward off small attackers or incoming missiles. 
  When defending against attacks from missiles, the vehicle 
  gains a bonus to its AR equal to its Weapons Capability. 
  In addition, the vehicle may spend a Fate Point to attack 
  every enemy in the same zone it occupies with its Point 
  Defense System. This is resolved as a standard attack roll 
  using only the attacking character’s Firearms + vehicle’s 
  Weapons Capability. This attack has a Weapon Rating of 0. 
  Reactive Armor 
  The vehicle’s armor is covered in a layer of explosives. 
  These explosives are designed to detonate upon sustaining 
  an impact from an enemy's kinetic weapons, absorbing and 
  redirecting the bulk of the energy away from the vehicle. 
  Once per scene, you may increase your vehicle’s AR by +4 
  against a single attack. This cannot be used against PAc 
  weapons. 
  You may use this Feature more than once per scene, but 
  each additional use requires the expenditure of a Fate Point. 
  Reflective Armor 
  The vehicle is covered in a thin layer of highly reflective 
  material, which aids in reflecting and dispersing attacks from 
  beam weapons. 
  The vehicle’s Armor Rating is increased by +2 when 
  defending against beam weapons. 
  Reinforced Structure 
  The vehicle’s structure is fortified with redundant supports 
  and high-quality materials. Increase the number of Structural 
  Stress Boxes the vehicle has by +2. The vehicle may take this 
  Feature a number of times equal to its Structure, each time 
  adding two additional stress boxes. 
  
   
  247 
   
  Reinforced Undercarriage 
  The lower section of the vehicle has been hardened against 
  explosions from below, such as from mines or any type of 
  explosion detonated as the vehicle passes over it. 
  Against such attacks, the vehicle’s Armor Rating is 
  increased by +2. 
  Functional Features 
  Artificial Intelligence 
   
  The vehicle’s electronic systems house a particularly useful 
  artificial intelligence capable of performing any and all 
  system-related tasks. This AI provides a +2 bonus on any 
  Crew tests that make use of the vehicle’s Systems or Sensors 
  Capabilities. 
  It may also act as an Agent for characters who do not 
  otherwise have one, adding a +1 bonus on Research, 
  Education, or Engineering tests. 
  Auto-Repair Swarm 
   
  The vehicle is outfitted with esper swarm systems capable 
  of automatically making repairs, even while the vehicle is in 
  use. 
  Any tests to repair the vehicle gain a +2 bonus. If left alone, 
  the vehicle will attempt to make repair rolls on itself using its 
  Systems Capability. When self-repairing, the vehicle does not 
  benefit from this Feature’s +2 bonus. 
  Cargo Hold 
  The vehicle is outfitted with a hold and the equipment 
  necessary for securing and moving cargo. 
  A vehicle can usually carry two items of a Size category one 
  smaller than itself. For example, a Size 4 vehicle could 
  generally carry two Size 3 items or four Size 2 items. 
  A vehicle that also has the Carrier Feature is considered to 
  be one Size smaller, both for determining what kinds of 
  vehicles it can carry and how much cargo it can hold. 
   The Cost of any vehicle with the Cargo Hold Feature is 
  reduced by 1. A vehicle with the Cargo Hold Feature does not 
  start with any cargo, which must be purchased separately. 
  Carrier 
   
  The vehicle contains an area large enough to house other 
  smaller vehicles, move them around, and prep them for 
  launch. It also includes an area set aside to perform 
  maintenance on the vehicles. 
  A vehicle with this Feature can usually carry two vehicles of 
  a Size category one smaller than itself. For example, a Size 4 
  vehicle can generally carry two Size 3 or four Size 2 vehicles. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature up to three times, 
  each time increasing its own Size for the purposes of 
  determining the number of vehicles it can carry. However, it 
  may never carry any vehicles of a Size equal to or greater 
  than its own true Size. 
  A vehicle that also has the Cargo Hold Feature is 
  considered one Size smaller for determining both what 
  vehicles it can carry and how much cargo it can hold. 
   The Cost of any vehicle with the Carrier Feature is reduced 
  by 1. The Cost of the vehicle with the Carrier Feature does 
  not include the carried vehicles, which must be purchased 
  separately. 
   
  
   
  248 
   
  Cloaked 
  The vehicle is covered with material that absorbs radar, 
  emits some sort of sensor disruption field, stores its own 
  emissions, or otherwise masks itself from detection. 
  While still visible to the naked eye, the vehicle is much 
  harder to detect with sensors. The difficulty to detect a 
  cloaked vehicle is 4. See page 245 for more on sensors and 
  detection. 
   
  Crew Quarters 
   
  The vehicle is outfitted with the equipment and supplies 
  needed for the crew to live within the vehicle for two weeks 
  without resupplying. 
  Enhanced Crew Safety Systems 
  The vast array of safety equipment the crew has at their 
  disposal helps ensure their safety. Any time the vehicle’s 
  passengers suffer an attack due to the vehicle suffering a 
  Consequence from a Structural attack, they gain a +2 bonus 
  on their defense test. 
  
   
  249 
   
  Enhanced Sensor Suite 
  A series of high-quality external sensors gives the vehicle a 
  +2 bonus on rolls to gather information and detect other 
  vehicles at range. 
  Escape Vehicles 
  Whether escape pods, an ejection seat, or a life raft, there 
  are one or more small secondary vehicles stored onboard 
  that are capable of taking at least some of the vehicle’s 
  passengers to safety in the event of a catastrophe. 
  If the vehicle is destroyed, each passenger may spend a 
  Fate Point to Declare that they made it safely to an escape 
  vehicle before the main vehicle exploded, imploded, sunk, or 
  was otherwise destroyed. 
  Gate Crasher 
  The vehicle can send a series of signals that scramble and 
  confuse another vehicle’s navigation systems, preventing 
  them from opening a jump gate. 
  The target must win in a contested Hardware Engineering + 
  Systems roll to activate its jump drive. 
  Fated 
   
  The vehicle’s Refresh is increased by +1. 
  Light Screen Camouflage 
  The vehicle can make itself almost invisible in almost all 
  light spectrums, appearing only as a faintly visible ripple in 
  the air. 
  The vehicle gains a +2 bonus on rolls to remain unnoticed 
  by the naked eye or standard video equipment. 
  Linked Systems 
  Two vehicles with this Feature may remotely link their 
  systems, allowing them to perform actions in unison much 
  more efficiently. 
  Both vehicles must be within the same zone to link. While 
  linked, both linked vehicles are considered one Size category 
  larger than normal. 
  Mechanical Workshop 
   
  Within the vehicle you can find all the tools you need to 
  fabricate and modify a vast array of objects and machines. 
  The vehicle gains the Workshop Aspect, which can be invoked 
  for a bonus on tests to build and repair things. 
  Med-Bay 
  A portion of the vehicle has been set aside as a recovery 
  facility (pg. 125). It features all the necessary supplies to treat 
  the wounded, perform surgery, and apply Augmentations. 
  Mesh System and Extranet Connectivity Suite 
  The vehicle sports its own internal mesh sensor system and 
  can wirelessly connect to the Extranet. However, this 
  requires at least one comm-buoy in the system, and there 
  may be some lag depending on the vehicle’s distance from it. 
  Mining Rig 
  The vehicle is outfitted with the necessary equipment to 
  find and extract raw materials. 
   
   
   
  
   
  250 
   
  Mnemonics Lab and Resurrection Chamber 
  The vehicle features a resurrection chamber, and the 
  necessary gear required to read mnemonic cores and make 
  ego backups. 
  The vehicle also features a few storage pods in which 
  sleeves can be stored. 
  Neural Interface 
  The vehicle is outfitted with hostware (pg. 210) and is 
  capable of being controlled via a data jack, a VR interface 
  device, or by a SIM. Commands can be delivered to the 
  vehicle at the speed of thought, and the vehicle can provide a 
  much deeper level of feedback to the user. 
  When performing any test with a vehicle while wearing a 
  neural interface, you gain a +1 bonus. 
  Salvage Rig 
  The vehicle is outfitted with the necessary equipment to 
  remove and handle salvageable items from wrecks and ruins. 
  Science Lab 
  There is a dedicated science lab within the vehicle. The 
  vehicle gains the Science Lab Aspect, which can be invoked 
  for a bonus on tests to analyze objects or perform 
  experiments. 
  Signal Jammer 
   
  A series of signals can be sent to another vehicle, thereby 
  distorting, scrambling, and redirecting attempts to establish 
  communications with other vehicles. 
  The target must win in a contested Software Engineering + 
  Systems roll to successfully send a communications signal. 
  Social Appeal 
  The vehicle appeals to the masses. Maybe it’s some kind of 
  status symbol or maybe it features some slick customizations 
  that really draw the eye. 
  The vehicle gains the Slick Ride Aspect, which its owner 
  might invoke for bonuses in some social situations. 
  Specialized 
  The vehicle gains an additional Specialty Aspect. 
  Stock Standard 
   
  The vehicle is off-the-shelf, no customizations, no special 
  features, and is generally unremarkable. The vehicle’s Cost is 
  reduced by -1, and it gains the Unremarkable Aspect. 
  Target Designator 
  The vehicle is capable of “painting” targets for other allied 
  vehicles or artillery systems. Painting is useful for 
  communicating complex strategies, but also for guiding 
  attacks made by other vehicles using indirect fire. See page 
  255 for more on indirect fire. 
  Tractor Beam 
  The vehicle can emit a beam of energy capable of locking 
  onto a target and dragging it closer. 
  To use the tractor beam, the vehicle must first succeed on 
  in a contest against its target. The vehicle using the tractor 
  beam may test using its Size + Systems Capability, and the 
  defending vehicle may use either its Size + Speed or Size + 
  Maneuverability.  
  If the attacking vehicle wins, its target is held immobile 
  until the next round. On its next turn, the attacker may 
  
   
  251 
   
  initiate another contest. If it succeeds again, the target 
  vehicle is pulled one zone closer. This contest is repeated 
  each round until both vehicles are in the same zone or until 
  the victim escapes. 
  Once both vehicles are in the same zone, they are close 
  enough to attempt a boarding action. If the attacking vehicle 
  has the Carrier Feature and has the necessary space, the 
  defender is pulled into the attacker’s vehicle. 
  At any time, if the attacker wins the contest and generates 
  Spin, no additional contests are necessary. The defender is 
  caught and can’t resist being pulled in. 
  If at any time the defender wins the contest, it breaks free 
  and may move into an adjacent zone. The attacker may try 
  again on his next turn, as long as the target is within range. 
  Upgraded 
  The vehicle has one additional rank to add to any of its 
  Capabilities. 
  Mobility Features 
  Atmospheric Flight 
  The vehicle may fly about, as long as there’s air to provide 
  lift. Before taking this Feature, make sure one of its Aspects 
  define how the vehicle flies, be it a fixed wing aircraft, a 
  helicopter, or other craft. The average top speed of a vehicle 
  with this Feature is around 500 kmph. 
  In addition to its ability to fly, this vehicle has the 
  additional gear required to land, and may move about on the 
  ground in a very limited fashion. 
   
  Jump Drive 
  The vehicle is equipped with the capability of traveling 
  faster than the speed of light. This feat is accomplished by 
  folding space and punching a hole through the resulting 
  planes in parallel, such that the vehicle changes locations 
  once the plane folding sequence has ended. 
  To the observer, it appears as if a large mirrored ball 
  suddenly emerges from space, swelling from the size of a 
  pinprick to a sphere large enough to encompass the vehicle. 
  It will only stay open a split second before collapsing, shifting 
  the vehicle’s location as it does. 
  This same sphere, the jump gate, actually appears in two 
  different locations at the same time. By passing into one, you 
  emerge from the other. 
  Jump drives have some limitations, however: 
  Distance and Accuracy: The maximum distance that a jump 
  gate can move an object is about two light-years.  
  You may attempt to jump farther by making a Hardware 
  Engineering test (Diff: 2). Each Shift adds another light year.  
  If you fail, you do not jump and the ship suffers an amount 
  of system stress equal to the amount by which you failed +3. 
  It you Stall, the vehicle suffers the stress and jumps to a 
  random location within five light years. 
  Even on a successful jump, precise placement is impossible. 
  While the jump drive is capable of ensuring the vehicle does 
  not arrive inside of a planet or star, you might arrive 
  anywhere inside a target star system. 
  When you make a jump, roll the dice (if the result is 
  negative, convert it to positive) and add +1. Multiply the 
  result by 300 million. The final result is the number of 
  
   
  252 
   
  kilometers between the vehicle’s exit point and its target 
  destination. 
  This lack of precision makes use of a jump drive inside a 
  system nearly useless, or at best, random. Ships must rely on 
  sub-light propulsion or jump rings instead. 
  Spooling Time: It requires some time to charge the jump 
  drive and prepare the necessary calculations and navigational 
  equipment to open a jump gate. This process typically takes 
  about four hours. 
  Minimum Distance: A jump gate cannot be opened near an 
  object that produces a significant gravity well. This interferes 
  with 
  calculations, 
  making 
  targeting 
  the 
  destination 
  impossible. In these cases, the jump drive will simply refuse 
  to open the gate. 
  As a rule of thumb, before a jump drive will work, the 
  distance between the vehicle and any large celestial object 
  (planet, asteroid, sun, etc.) must equal or exceed the 
  diameter of the object x10. 
  For example, Earth has a diameter of almost 13,000 km. To 
  open a jump gate near Earth, the vehicle must be a minimum 
  of 130,000 km away. 
  Jump Gate Generator 
  Using jump gate technology, the vehicle is capable of 
  creating a stable, sustained gate in space. Vehicles not 
  equipped with jump drives may be piloted into the gate to 
  achieve faster-than-light travel. 
  This gate is identical to the gate that a normal jump drive 
  produces, but stays open longer and can be created without 
  the creating ship automatically moving through it. 
  Ships with this capability are usually very large, each 
  featuring a ring-like structure inside that houses the open 
  gate. Once opened, the ring can be maintained for up to an 
  hour, after which it expands briefly to encompass the ship 
  that created it and collapses. 
  An open jump gate looks like a mirrored sphere that exists 
  in two places at once. To use it, you need only pilot your craft 
  into the sphere. Direction and speed are maintained; a ship 
  that enters the top-right quadrant of one side of the gate at 
  100 kilometers per hour would exit from the adjoined 
  location from the bottom left going the same speed. 
  Jump Jets 
  The vehicle is capable of making short leaps into the air. A 
  vehicle with jump jets can leap as much as three times its 
  own height into the air. 
  This grants a +2 on any rolls to Hustle or Run (pg. 127). 
  Tracked 
  Instead of wheels, this ground vehicle gets around on 
  tracks. It gains the Aspect Tracked. The average top speed of 
  a Vehicle with this Feature is around 50 kmph. 
  A tracked vehicle moves at the same rate as a wheeled 
  vehicle (see below), but its Tracked Aspect may be compelled 
  to force a penalty on rolls to Run. 
  Transitional 
  By itself, this Feature does nothing. When taken in 
  conjunction with two other Mobility Features, this Feature 
  allows the vehicle to switch between them with a Simple 
  Action. 
  For example, a vehicle may take Transitional, Walker 
  (Multi-Legged), and Atmospheric Flight to be able to 
  transform between a spider-like warframe and a flying troop 
  transport. 
  
   
  253 
   
  Two-Wheeled 
  With only two wheels, the vehicle is more agile but is also 
  more unstable. It gains the Two-Wheeled Aspect. The 
  average top speed of a Vehicle with this Feature is around 
  100 kmph. 
  A two-wheeled vehicle moves at the same rate as a 
  wheeled vehicle (see below) in a vehicle-scale conflict. 
  Space Flight 
  The vehicle is capable of traversing the vacuum of space 
  with sub-light drives. The average top speed of a vehicle with 
  this Feature is around 600,000 kmph, though this speed takes 
  up to an hour to achieve.  
  The speed limit in Coalition space within 500 km of an 
  inhabited planet, moon, or habitat is 30,000 kmph. Within 10 
  km of a habitat, the vehicle’s speed must be matched to the 
  habitat’s and may not vary by more than 100 kmph. 
  However, without also taking Atmospheric Flight, the 
  vehicle will crash upon entering atmosphere. 
  In addition to its ability to fly in space, this vehicle has the 
  additional gear required to dock with other vehicles or space 
  stations. 
  Spacecraft tend to fall into one of the following types: 
  - Alpha Type “Corvette” (Size 2) 
  - Beta Type “Frigate” (Size 3) 
  - Gamma Type “Cruiser” (Size 4) 
  - Delta Type “Dreadnaught” (Size 5) 
  - Epsilon Type “Carrier” (Size 6) 
   
   
  VTOL 
  The vehicle is capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The 
  vehicle may rise and hover in place, not requiring a runway or 
  special launching pad to take to the air. Note that this 
  Feature is virtually useless by itself. The vehicle will also need 
  Atmospheric Flight. 
  Walker, Bipedal 
  Called warframes, vehicles with this Feature move around 
  on a pair of legs similar to those of a human or a bird. The 
  average top speed of a vehicle with this Feature is around 50 
  kmph. 
  The Vehicle gains the Bipedal Walker Aspect. 
  Warframes tend to range in height from three meters to as 
  tall as ten meters. They are generally used as mobile artillery 
  platforms, but also for recon on occasion. 
  Walker, Multi-legged 
  Instead of two legs, the warframe uses three or more legs 
  to provide locomotion and greater stability. Six- or eight-
  legged bug or spider-like configurations are common. The 
  vehicle gains the Multi-legged (P) Aspect. 
  Waterborne 
  The vehicle is capable of moving on the surface of water, 
  but may also dive beneath the surface. It gains the 
  Submersed Aspect when diving. The average top speed of a 
  vehicle with this Feature is around 75 kmph. 
  Wheeled 
  The vehicle moves about on three or more wheels. 
  The average top speed of a Vehicle with this Feature is 
  around 100 kmph. 
  
   
  254 
   
  Offensive Features 
  Anti-Personnel Weapons 
  The vehicle is outfitted with a weapon or weapons 
  specifically designed to attack personnel instead of other 
  vehicles. When making attacks with this weapon, the attacks 
  are made and resolved as if they were fired by a human-sized 
  individual character, meaning that the weapon attacks 
  specific targets instead of entire zones. 
  Attacks are made using Firearms (or Crew) + the vehicle’s 
  Weapons Capability. The weapon has a Weapon Rating equal 
  to the vehicle’s Size +4. 
  If used against another vehicle, this weapon is treated as if 
  it were fired from a man on foot. 
   
  Auto-Cannon 
  Though smaller than a standard cannon, the auto-cannon 
  boasts a much higher rate of fire. When making an attack 
  with the auto-cannon, roll Firearms (or Crew) + the vehicle’s 
  Weapons Capability. The auto-cannon has a Weapon Rating 
  equal to the vehicle’s Size +2. 
  In addition, the vehicle has the option to spend a Fate 
  Point to attack every vehicle in a specified zone that it does 
  not occupy with its auto-cannon. When doing this, make an 
  attack against every enemy in the targeted zone, but reduce 
  the attack’s WR by 3. If the Auto-Cannon is part of a weapon 
  battery, add +2 to the attack’s WR. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time increasing the auto-cannon’s Weapon Rating by another 
  +2. 
   
  
   
  255 
   
   
  Weapon Ranges 
  The Range of any weapon on a vehicle is equal to the 
  vehicle’s Weapons Capability. Thus, if the vehicle has a 
  Weapon Rating of 2, the Range of all of its weapons is 2 
  zones. Just as with other weapons, attacks suffer a -1 penalty 
  per zone beyond the weapon’s Range. 
  System attacks are limited to sensor ranges. If the vehicle is 
  within sensor range and has been detected, it is susceptible 
  to a system attack. 
  Boarding Capsules 
  The vehicle is capable of launching a craft dedicated to 
  transporting boarders to another enemy vehicle. 
  When attempting a boarding action against a mobile 
  vehicle, the boarding vehicle gains a +2 bonus on its attack 
  tests. 
  Bomber 
  The vehicle is capable of dropping large bombs on the 
  battlefield. When dropping a bomb, the vehicle makes an 
  attack against all ground forces in the targeted zone using 
  Demolitions (or Crew) + Weapons Capability. The bomb has 
  an Explosive Rating equal to the vehicle’s Size +3. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time increasing the bomb’s Explosive Rating by +2. In 
  addition, it may affect one additional zone adjacent to the 
  targeted zone. 
   
   
  Cannon  
  The vehicle is outfitted with a large cannon that is capable 
  of doing tremendous damage to other vehicles. When 
  making an attack with this cannon, roll either Firearms or 
  Demolitions (or Crew) + the vehicle’s Weapons Capability. 
  The cannon has a Weapon Rating equal to the vehicle’s Size 
  +4. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time increasing the cannon’s Weapon Rating by +2. 
  Cyber-Warfare Suite (CWS) 
  The systems aboard the vehicle have been upgraded to 
  feature CIST technology. The vehicle is capable of making 
  electronic attacks against the systems of enemies within 
  sensor range. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time gaining a +1 bonus on system attack rolls. 
  Indirect Fire Capability 
   
  The weapons used by the vehicle do not need a direct line 
  of sight to their target. The weapons can be fired into the air, 
  arcing to hit their target. However, this requires someone or 
  something to provide the vehicle with the location of the 
  target, such as a spotter capable of delivering coordinates or 
  another vehicle with the Target Designator Feature. 
  When making indirect attacks, the vehicle suffers a -1 
  penalty on the attack roll. However, its weapon’s Range is 
  multiplied by five. 
   
   
   
  
   
  256 
   
  Melee Weapon 
   
  The vehicle, usually a warframe, is outfitted with a melee 
  weapon attached to a limb capable of wielding it. The 
  weapon could be a massive axe or sword, or maybe a giant 
  saw. Regardless of its actual form, the vehicle can attack with 
  it using Melee + Maneuverability, and the weapon has a 
  Weapon Rating equal to the vehicle’s Size +2. 
  The vehicle may only use its melee weapon to attack 
  vehicles in the same zone. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time increasing the melee weapon’s Weapon Rating by +2. 
  Mine Dispenser 
  The vehicle may deploy mines as it moves through a zone, 
  placing the Mined Aspect on that zone. In addition, whenever 
  a vehicle moves into the mined zone, it suffers an attack. 
  This attack is resolved as a simple dice roll with a +3 bonus. 
  The mines have a Weapon Rating of +4. 
  Missile Bay 
  The vehicle is outfitted with a missile launcher and a 
  number of missiles. The vehicle may fire a single large missile 
  or torpedo, or a swarm of smaller missiles. 
  Once per scene, the vehicle may attack with its missiles. 
  Additional attacks cost a Fate Point each. When making a 
  missile attack, roll Firearms or Demolitions (or Crew) + the 
  vehicle’s Weapons Capability. The missiles home in on their 
  target, granting a +2 bonus to the attack roll and adding +2 to 
  the weapon’s effective Range. The missiles have a Weapon 
  Rating equal to the vehicle’s Size +4. 
  The vehicle may purchase this Feature multiple times, each 
  time increasing the missile’s Weapon Rating by +2. 
  Reinforced Prow 
  The front of the vehicle is reinforced for ramming other 
  vehicles. When initiating a ram, the vehicle gains a +2 bonus 
  on both attack and defense tests. 
  Weapon Battery 
  By itself, this Feature does nothing. You must also select 
  the Cannon, Auto-Cannon, or Missile Bay Feature. 
  Instead of having a single weapon of that type, the vehicle 
  has several. This allows the vehicle to spend a Fate Point to 
  either focus all of its attacks on a single enemy or split its fire 
  among all the enemies in a zone. 
  When attacking a single enemy with all the weapons in its 
  battery, the vehicle gains a +2 bonus to the attack roll and an 
  additional +2 bonus to its Weapon Rating. 
  Alternatively, the vehicle can target a zone it does not 
  occupy to make an attack against every enemy in that zone, 
  which is resolved as a normal attack with that weapon 
  against each target. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  257 
   
  Silverpike  
  Size: 4 
  Refresh: 4 
  Cost: 16 
  Modified Cargo Ship 
  “Outfitted for Smuggling by House Turin” 
  Looks like a Stock, Standard Freighter 
  Capabilities: 
  Crew: 
   
  N 
  Speed: 
   
  2 
  Maneuverability: 
  2 
  Systems:  
  1 
  Structure: 
  2 
  Weapons:  
  0 
  Sensors:  
  3 
  Specialty Aspects: 
  Dozens of Hidden Compartments (Structure) 
  “She can build some real speed in a straight-away.” (Speed) 
  Heavily Compartmentalized (Structure) 
  Features: 
  Space Flight – The craft is capable of flying through space. 
  Atmospheric Flight – The craft is capable of flying in atmosphere. 
  Cyber-Warfare Suite – Can make system attacks. 
  Crew Quarters – The ship provides living space for its crew. 
  Network Connectivity Suite – Wirelessly connects to local networks. 
  Cargo Hold – A vehicle can usually carry 2 items of a Size category 
  one smaller than itself. 
  Upgraded – Adds 1 additional Capability rank. 
  Fated – Vehicle’s Refresh is increased by +1. 
  Neural Interface – Gain a +1 bonus on all Skill tests related to use of 
  the vehicle as long as you are jacked in. Also sports hostware. 
  Structural Stress: 
   
  AR: 4 
  System Stress: 
   
  Crew Stress: 
  N/A 
   
  Honey Badger 
   
  Size: 3 
  Refresh: 3 
  Cost: 14 
  Light Assault Warframe 
  Tsarya-Designed Direct Assault Platform 
  Not Subtle, Not Pretty, and Loud as Hell 
  Capabilities: 
  Crew: 
   
  N 
  Speed: 
   
  0 
  Maneuverability: 
  0 
  Systems:  
  1 
  Structure: 
  3 
  Weapons:  
  3 
  Sensors:  
  2 
  Specialty Aspects: 
  Heavily Armored for Frontal Assault (Structure) 
  “Good at strafing, but don’t ask her to pivot” (Maneuvering) 
  “The HS-47 Hornet Swarm Missile System can chase down a cat on a 
  bobsled.” (Weapons) 
  Features: 
  Armored – Vehicle gains an Armor Rating of 2. 
  Reinforced Structure – The vehicle gains two additional Structural 
  Stress Boxes 
  Walker, Bipedal – Gains Bipedal Walker Aspect 
  Cannon – WR: +7, Range: 4 
  Missile Bay – Costs 1 FP, Gain +2 on attack tests, WR: +8, Range: 6 
  Anti-Personnel Weapons – Can target individual characters instead 
  of attacking entire character-scale zones. WR: +7 
  Upgraded – Adds 1 additional Capability rank. 
  Structural Stress: 
   
  AR: 5 
  System Stress: 
   
  Crew Stress: 
  N/A 
  
   
  258 
   
   
  CHAPTER 7 – APPENDIX 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  259 
   
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS 
  Mooks 
  Mooks are the nameless masses of people your characters 
  will encounter on a day-to-day basis. For the vast majority of 
  them, these characters don’t even need a name, much less a 
  full write-up with stats. 
  When you need to introduce a new NPC, simply start with 
  a blank character sheet and fill in a few critical pieces of 
  data—their best Skills, their most important Aspects—while 
  leaving the rest blank. When a situation arises where the 
  mook needs to test a Skill or use an Aspect you haven’t 
  written down, go ahead and write it down, then roll 
  appropriately. This results in mooks getting fleshed out over 
  time without needing to invest a lot of time up-front. 
  The number of stress boxes for each of a mook’s Stress 
  Tracks is calculated the same as it is for PCs. However, mooks 
  cannot take the full complement of Consequences. They are 
  not an important part of the story, and in a conflict they will 
  be quickly Taken Out. 
  The two types of mooks, the Consequences they can take, 
  and the number of Fate Points they get are described below: 
  Minor mooks are nameless guards, bartenders, back-alley 
  thugs, and so on. Minor mooks may only elect to take a Mild 
  Consequences to reduce stress. 
  Major mooks are equally nameless individuals, but serve 
  greater roles in obstructing the PCs and challenging them. 
  They can take two Consequences, Mild and Moderate, before 
  being Taken Out. 
  Named NPCs 
  These characters are the most important characters in the 
  game that aren’t your PCs. A named NPC typically fills the 
  role of one of the big bad guys, or maybe a beloved mentor. 
  Named NPCs should be approached with the same level of 
  care as a new PC. They should have the full assortment of 
  Aspects, Skills, Stunts, Consequences, equipment, and so on. 
  The GM’s Fate Point Pool 
  Non-player characters do not have a Refresh Rating. 
  Instead, they all draw from a pool of points controlled by the 
  GM. 
  The GM’s Fate Point pool is refreshed every scene. It 
  contains 1 Fate Point for every mook participating in the 
  scene, and 3 Fate Points for every named NPC. 
   
  Static Dice Rolls for Mooks 
  One trick for greatly increasing the speed of play during a 
  conflict is to let the players roll all the dice. To do this, simply 
  assume that all dice rolls required by mook characters result 
  in “0”. 
  This results in more predictable results all around, but 
  allows the GM to focus his attentions more on the narrative. 
  NPC Only Stunts 
  These Stunts are not available to PCs. 
  Combat Training – The NPC gains a +2 bonus on all attack 
  tests. 
  Multi-Attacker – The NPC gains one additional Free Action 
  each turn, which can be used only to attack. This is common 
  with non-humanoid creatures with multiple limbs. 
  
   
  260 
   
  Sample NPCs 
  Apostate Street Tough 
  Sleeve: None (Pure)  
   
  Size: 0  
   
  Aspects: 
  • Walking Promise of Violence 
  • “I take gold.” 
  Sleeve Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 2 
  Notable Skills: Firearms 2, Intimidation 
  3, Melee 3, Pilot 2, Resolve 2 
  Relevant Stunts/Augmentations: 
  • Payback 
  Physical Defense: 
   
    AR: 1 
  Reinforced Clothing 
  Physical Attacks:  
   
  Light Rail-Pistol  
   
   WR: 3 
  Armor Penetrating, Small, Reduce WR by -
  2 for Silent 
  Dagger, Mono-Edged  
   WR: 2 
  Small 
  Notes: The Payback Stunt allows the 
  Street Tough to spend an FP to make 
  an attack against the person who 
  injured him or her as an Instant Action 
  any time he or she is physically 
  attacked and suffer a Consequence. 
   
   
   
  Cyber-Merc 
  Sleeve: Cybersleeve (Beta)  
   
  Size: 0  
   
  Aspects: 
  • Synthetic Biology 
  • Inhuman Appearance 
  Sleeve Skills: Athletics 4, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 1 
  Notable Skills: Cohesion 1, Firearms 3, 
  Intimidation 4, Melee 2, Resolve 2 
  Relevant Stunts/Augmentations: 
  • Apotheosis 
  • Fully Synthetic 
  • Bio-Skin Sheath 
  • Counter Attack 
  Physical Defense: 
   
   AR: 4 
  Heavy Battle Armor 
  Physical Attacks:  
   
  Heavy Coil PDW 
   
  WR: 4 
  Full Auto, Reduce WR by -2 for Silent 
  Gravitic Baton  
   
  WR: 3 
  Notes: The Counter Attack Stunt 
  allows the Cyber-Merc to make a free 
  melee attack as an Instant Action when 
  they generate Spin on a test to defend  
  against a melee attack, or close (same 
  zone) ranged attack. 
   
   
   
  Security Guard 
  Sleeve: Biosleeve (Beta)  
   
  Size: 0  
   
  Aspects: 
  • Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Sleeve Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 3, 
  Perception 3 
  Notable Skills: Cohesion 1, Firearms 3, 
  Intimidation 4, Melee 2, Resolve 2 
  Notable Stunts/Augmentations: 
  • Apotheosis 
  • Combat Training 
  Physical Defense: 
   
   AR: 3 
  Light Battle Armor 
  Physical Attacks:  
   
  Heavy Rail-Pistol  
   
  WR: 4 
  Armor Penetrating, Small, Reduce WR by  
  -2 for Silent 
  Gravitic Baton  
   
  WR: 3 
  Notes: 
  The 
  Security 
  Guard 
  has 
  received professional Combat Training, 
  granting him a +2 bonus on all attack 
  tests with ranged or melee weapons. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  261 
   
  Gabriel Adams 
  State: Biosleeve (Epsilon)  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: House Silva 
  Rep: 8 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “I am a teacher of those in need, 
  whether they appreciate it or 
  not.” 
  • “We are capable of achieving 
  divinity.” 
  • Manager of the Monolith Casino in 
  Rho 
  • House Silva’s Willing Lab Rat 
  • “I practice the art of trickery, not 
  treachery.” 
  • Apotheosized 
  • Bleeding Edge Epsilon Biosleeve 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve, 
  Absolutely 
  Stunning, 
  Synthesized 
  Biological Perfection 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 5, Endurance 
  5, Perception 4 
  Notable 
  Skills: 
  Guile 
  5, 
  Melee 
  4, 
  Networking (House) 4, Diplomacy 4, 
  Insight 3, Strategy 3 
  Relevant Stunts: Agenda Celebrity, Dual 
  Assault, Razor Tongue, Signature Item 
  (Bleeding 
  Edge 
  Epsilon 
  Biosleeve), 
  Transhumanist 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis 
  (Remote 
  Backup), 
  Exceptional 
  Genegineering, 
  Fibro-Muscle 
  Weave, 
  Medichine 
  Factory, 
  Neura-Surge, 
  Performance 
  Enhanced (x2), Pheromone Control and 
  Sensitivity (Aura), Skinweave Armor, 
  Striking Looks (Stunningly Gorgeous), 
  Synthesis 
  Gear: Mono-Edged Dagger x2, Light PAc 
  Pistol, 
  Armored 
  Suit 
  (Reinforced 
  Clothing), 
  False 
  CID, 
  Resurrection 
  Chamber, Resleeving Insurance 
  Created by Shaun Davis 
  Notes: Patient 87 was not the normal 
  type of “vacationed” guest in House 
  Silva’s Research Facility on Luna.  
  Whilst it was true he was initially 
  placed there against his will, he found 
  both the setting, and the testing, to his 
  liking. 
  “87” became a keen participant in 
  the rigorous body-altering regime he 
  was exposed to by Virologist Dr. Kylie 
  Doherty. Doherty’s work with 87 
  resulted in a number of improvements 
  to existing augmentation procedures, 
  and even resulted in a few new ones…   
  Fieldwork began on some of the new 
  augmentations that 87 possessed, and 
  her 
  prolific 
  success 
  caused 
  Dr. 
  Doherty’s reputation to flourish. 
  Patient 87’s natural charisma also 
  won over the staff at the research 
  facility, along with many influential 
  benefactors 
  within 
  the 
  House.  
  Eventually the House came to consider 
  him too valuable a commodity to keep 
  locked away.   
  Gabriel Adams was born. 
  As an Auxiliary for House Silva in the 
  Shadow War, Gabriel carried out 
  numerous successful missions. Even 
  though his methods were sometimes 
  considered 
  a 
  little 
  unusual, 
  his 
  continued success bought him a lot of 
  forgiveness within the House. 
  Adams 
  eventually 
  maneuvered 
  himself 
  into 
  the 
  Silva-operated 
  Monolith Casino in Rho, and became 
  manager of the venue in just a few 
  short years. Ms. Doherty, now a trusted 
  ally, acted as his able assistant.  
  The Monolith gave Adams the 
  perfect opportunity to rub shoulders 
  with 
  both 
  the 
  elite 
  and 
  the 
  downtrodden, 
  to 
  work 
  with 
  the 
  Coalition and the apostates.   
  He purchased his own Fray team, all 
  the while gathering information and 
  carrying out missions for House Silva 
  and pursuing his personal agenda. 
  Gabriel’s reputation and contacts 
  have landed him a place in the upper 
  echelon of House Silva, though he 
  largely operates on his own. He follows 
  his 
  own 
  agenda, 
  setting 
  up 
  or 
  managing deals within the Monolith 
  Regardless 
  of 
  his 
  success 
  and 
  standing, Gabriel’s motivation has 
  always 
  remained 
  the 
  same: 
  the 
  
   
  262 
   
  betterment 
  of 
  oneself 
  and 
  the 
  opposition of those that hinder man’s 
  self-evolution. 
  The back-alley jobs that Gabriel hires 
  crews and agents to perform not only 
  push them physically, but also tend to 
  put them through the psychological 
  wringer. 
   In truth, Gabriel is often more 
  interested in the process his contract-
  ors go through than whether or not the 
  mission 
  succeeds. 
  Not 
  everyone 
  questions who they are, but Gabriel 
  does. And sometimes he makes other 
  people question whether they want to 
  or not. 
  Gabriel Adams is not exceptionally 
  tall, though he exudes charm.  He 
  mingles throughout the Monolith, 
  always adorned in an expensive black 
  suit, a drink in one hand and a wry 
  smile permanently shadowing his lips.   
  He makes his guests feel as though 
  they are the most important people in 
  the room, giving them full attention no 
  matter what the conversation. 
  Adams is almost always flanked by a 
  pair of non-descript goons. His mousy 
  assistant, Ms. Doherty, is rarely far 
  from his side.  
   
  Greyton 
  State: Cybersleeve (Gamma)  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: Apostate 
  Rep: N 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “For the Clan!” 
  • “We have not, and never shall, be 
  defeated.” 
  • Memories Pre-Date the Exodus 
  • A Head Full of Lifetimes 
  • “One shot is enough.” 
  • Apotheosized 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology, 
  Inhuman 
  Appearance, 
  Forgotten 
  Design 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 
  4, Perception 3 
  Notable Skills: Firearms 5, Networking 
  (Apostate) 4, Resolve 4, Engineering 
  (Hardware) 3, Assets 3, Cohesion 3 
  Relevant Stunts: Non-Citizen, Assassin 
  Shot, 
  Combat 
  Reload, 
  Fame, 
  Marksman 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis, 
  Fully 
  Synthetic, Custom Built (Forgotten 
  Design), Optimized Power System, 
  Performance 
  Enhanced 
  (+1 
  Endurance), 
  Reinforced 
  Skeleton, 
  Stillness Body Lock System 
  Gear: Heavy Sniper Rail-Rifle, Heavy 
  Pac 
  Pistol, 
  Heavy 
  Battle 
  Armor 
  (Vacuum Sealed, Shielded) 
  Created by Lorenz Aschaber 
  Notes: Greyton is a member of a long-
  forgotten and lost clan of assassins 
  dating back to before the Exodus. His 
  true age is unknown, but rumors say he 
  is one of the oldest human minds in 
  existence. 
  Greyton is a myth to most hired guns 
  and respectable mercs. Many claim he 
  was real, but has been dead for years. 
  Occasionally an influential member of a 
  House, or an exceptionally influential 
  apostate, will threaten to loose the 
  Grey One on their foes—most take this 
  as an empty threat these days. 
   But once in a while someone sees the 
  old and battered cybersleeve he always 
  uses, the gray skull and the black eyes, 
  and knows that someone is going to die 
  soon. 
  His goals, like his past, are a mystery. 
  Some speculate that the clan of 
  assassins he came from still exists. The 
  theory states that Greyton is just one 
  of several assassins, all wearing the 
  same gray skull cybersleeve and 
  answering to the same name. Or 
  perhaps they are all forks of the same 
  person. 
  What Greyton truly is, and what his 
  (or their) motivations are, is a popular 
  topic often pondered by the crews 
  fighting the Shadow War. 
  
   
  263 
   
  Sample Crew 
  Jace Welder, a strong-hearted and 
  good-willed pilot, came home satisfied 
  with his victories in Titan’s speed 
  shuttle pro circuit. Years later, after 
  hearing that his previous record had 
  been broken, Jace used the remainder 
  of his winnings to purchase a salvage 
  ship, The Ebon Jackal, with hopes of 
  scouring the galaxy and scavenging ship 
  parts to build a new shuttle that could 
  compete with the next generation of 
  racing shuttles. 
  A ship needed a crew, though, and 
  an advert heeded the call of four 
  strangers: 
  Durian Konrad, a warmonger with 
  strong political ties and dark ambitions. 
  Tiver Andlat, a Savant working for 
  the secretive organized crime syndicate 
  within House Kimura. 
  Xavier Wilhelm, an idealistic apostate 
  hoping to unite mankind regardless of 
  race, creed, or state. 
  Christov Draiku, a SIM with an 
  obsession 
  with 
  programming 
  and 
  cooking. 
  Blinded by his eagerness and good 
  faith, Jace accepted all onboard with no 
  thoughts of what these strangers’ true 
  goals might actually be. 
  Jace Welder 
  State: Pure  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: Apostate 
  Rep: N 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “Records were meant to be broken, 
  no matter the cost.” 
  • “A memory lasts a lifetime, a 
  legacy lasts forever.” 
  • Corporate Sponsors and Fellow 
  Racers 
  • Out of Place When out of Space 
  • “This 
  next 
  maneuver 
  would 
  probably kill us all if it was 
  anyone but me doing it...” 
  • Scar Across Left Eye 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 
  2, Perception 3 
  Notable Skills: Pilot 5, Resolve 4, 
  Engineering (Hardware) 4, Networking 
  (Apostate) 3, Firearms 3, Education 3 
  Relevant Stunts: Carpe Diem, At Home 
  Behind the Stick, Refreshed, Signature 
  Item 
  (The 
  Ebon 
  Jackle), 
  Skilled 
  (Education) 
  Gear: Light PAc Pistol, Light Battle 
  Armor (Computer Gauntlet, Alpha 
  Agent), Light Rail-Pistol, Backpack, 
  Flashlight, Credisk, The Ebon Jackle 
  Created by Andrew Demetriou 
   
   
  Durian Konrad 
  State: Biosleeve (Delta)  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: House Silva 
  Rep: 6 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “A few simple words can easily get 
  me what I want.” 
  • A Necessary Evil, a Bringer of 
  Balance 
  • Ties to Apostate Arms Dealers 
  • Distrusted by Superiors 
  • “You shouldn’t have shown a 
  weakness so easy to exploit!” 
  • Apotheosized 
  Sleeve Aspects: Gene-Fixed Biosleeve 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 
  4, Perception 5 
  Notable Skills: Diplomacy 5, Guile 4, 
  Networking (House) 4, Resolve 4, 
  Assets 3, Cohesion 3, Education 3 
  Relevant Stunts: Genius at Work, Razor 
  Tongue, Licensed, Skilled (Diplomacy) 
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Cosmetic 
  Customization, Exceptional Genengin-
  eering, Emergency Life Support System 
  Gear: Light Assault Armor (Vacuum 
  Sealed and Shielded, Air Pack, Thermal 
  Regulation System, Reinforced Cyber-
  Musculature, Jump Jets, Hydrostatic Gel 
  Layer), Frag Grenade x3, Heavy Rail 
  Pistol, PPC (Beta), White business suit 
  with purple silk tie, white loafers 
  Created by Kalem Murray 
  
   
  264 
   
  Xavier Wilhelm 
  State: Pure  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: House Cipriani 
  Rep: 4 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “Divided we fall.” 
  • “Humanity must stand together.” 
  • Uranian, Born and Raised Among 
  the Apostates of the Colony 
  • “Suffer not the traitor.” 
  • “Outdated doesn't mean useless.” 
  • Tall and Proud 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 
  3, Perception 2 
  Notable Skills: Firearms 4, Melee 4, 
  Insight 4, Cohesion 3, Resolve 3, 
  Stealth 3, Diplomacy 3 
  Relevant Stunts: Carpe Diem, Assassin 
  Strike, Cover of Darkness, Licensed, 
  Five Minute Friends, 
  Gear: Light Battle Armor (Jump Jets), 
  Mono-Edged Short Sword, Light Rail-
  Pistol, Smoke Grenade, Knife, PPC 
  (Alpha Agent) 
  Created by Shae Hercelinskyj 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Tiver Andlat 
  State: Cybersleeve (Jinsoku)  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: House Kimura 
  Rep: 4 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • “One day I’ll captain this ship.” 
  • Surprise Is Everything 
  • The Family Business Was Black 
  Market Smuggling 
  • Confidence 
  Is 
  a 
  Double-Edged 
  Sword 
  • “I can get us in.” 
  • Apotheosized 
  • Speaks with an Odd Accent 
  Sleeve Aspects: Synthetic Biology, 
  Inhuman Appearance, Auditory Amp 
  and Filtering Module (P), Beholder 
  Sensory Suite(P), Stealth Mods(P) 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 3, Endurance 
  2, Perception 4 
  Notable Skills: Engineering (Software) 
  4, Insight 4, Stealth 4, Guile 3, Melee 
  3, Research 3, SINC 2 
  Relevant Stunts: Savant, Esper Lord, 
  Eminent Domain, Skilled (SINC) 
  Augmentations: 
  Apotheosis, 
  Fully 
  Synthetic, Auditory Amp and Filtering 
  Module, Beholder Sensory Suite, 
  Custom Built (Top of the Line Stealth 
  Mods) 
  Gear: Mono-Edged Short Sword, Plasti-
  Rope Dispenser, Spider Gear Kit 
  Created by Jordan Matts 
  Christov Draiku 
  State: SIM  
  Size: 0 
  Allegiance: House Tsarya 
  Rep: 4 
  Character Aspects: 
   
   
  • Dreams of Becoming a Celebrity 
  Chef 
  • “All ingredients have their use. It 
  just depends on the dish.” 
  • “I know a guy on Shouye who can 
  get us what we need.” 
  • Strongly Dislikes Leaving His Home 
  Environment 
  • The ship is my body. The security 
  system my eyes, and the galley 
  my heart.” 
  • Apotheosized 
  • SIM State (P) 
  Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Endurance 
  3, Perception 2 
  Notable Skills: Insight 4, Research 4, 
  Engineering (Software) 4, Education 3, 
  Resolve 3, Strategy 3 
  Relevant Stunts: SIM State, Artist 
  (Rising Star in the Culinary World), 
  Geek Speak, System Slip 
  Gear: Black Gate Series III Cerberus 
  Drone 
  Created by Danial Merrifield 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  265 
   
  Game Term Glossary 
  Aspect: An Aspect is a word, phrase, 
  quote, or sentence that describes some 
  particular trait of a person, place, or 
  thing. You can spend a Fate Point (FP) 
  to draw attention to (invoke) a 
  particular Aspect, or gain an FP when 
  an Aspect harms (compels) you. 
  Aspects are generally written in 
  italics in this book. (pg. 110) 
  Assessment: You may use your Skills 
  to study a person, place, or thing in an 
  effort to discover Aspects it may have. 
  (pg. 118) 
  Armor Rating (AR): Armor, shields, 
  and some Augmentations grant an 
  Armor Rating. If you are successfully hit 
  with an attack, your AR is subtracted 
  from the amount of stress you would 
  suffer. (pg. 197) 
  Campaign: A series of game sessions 
  strung together to form a shared and 
  evolving story. 
  Character Aspect: An Aspect that 
  describes who a character is. It answers 
  the questions of where they are from, 
  their outlook on life, their guiding 
  principles, etc. (pg. 155) 
  Concession: You may end a conflict 
  by conceding, offering your opponent 
  your terms of concession in exchange 
  for your safety. (pg. 123) 
  Consequences: Instead of suffering 
  stress on your Stress Track, you may 
  elect to take a special kind of Aspect 
  called a Consequence. There are four 
  types of Consequence: Mild, Moderate, 
  Severe(P), and Extreme(P). (pg. 122) 
  Declaration: You may use a Skill or 
  Aspect to Declare some fact about the 
  setting, or apply an Aspect to some 
  part of it. (pg. 119) 
  Determination: The “armor” used in 
  mental conflicts. Determination ratings 
  derive from the defender’s motivation 
  and morale. (pg. 129) 
  Difficulty (Diff): The number that 
  your total Effort must meet or exceed 
  to successfully perform an action. (pg. 
  105) 
  Edge: The “weapon” used in mental 
  conflicts. Edge ratings are granted from 
  exceptional role-playing or cleverness 
  on the part of the attackers. (pg. 129) 
  Effect Aspect: A short-lived Aspect 
  created as a result of generating Spin 
  or Stalling on a Skill test, attack test, or 
  defense test. (pg. 108) 
  Effort: The result of making a test. 
  Effort is calculated by rolling dice, 
  adding relevant the Skill and any 
  modifiers. 
  Equipment Rating (ER): The bonus a 
  piece of equipment grants you when 
  using it to aid you in performing an 
  action. (pg. 197) 
  Fate Point (FP): Fate Points are used 
  as narrative currency. They can be 
  spent to invoke or compel an Aspect of 
  a particular person, place, or thing. (pg. 
  110) 
  Game Master (GM): The GM helps 
  the group tell a story by devising the 
  plot, background, setting, and enemies. 
  The GM also plays the roles of NPCs 
  and enemies. 
  Initiative: A test that takes place at 
  the start of a conflict, determining the 
  order in which the acting characters get 
  to take their turns. (pg. 126) 
  Invoke (an Aspect): Spend a Fate 
  Point to make an Aspect impact your 
  character in a positive way. (pg. 111) 
  Maneuver: An action taken to place 
  an 
  Aspect 
  on 
  yourself, 
  another 
  character, an object, zone, or the 
  scene. (pg. 117) 
  Melee Attack: An attack made 
  against an opponent with your fists, 
  feet, knives, spears, or other handheld 
  weapons. 
  
   
  266 
   
  Milestone: After a certain number of 
  game sessions, players gain the option 
  to change certain things about their 
  characters and gain new Stunts. (pg. 
  161) 
  Mook: Mooks are the faceless 
  masses of characters the PCs might 
  interact with, but do not play major 
  roles in the story. One may be the 
  bartender, the crossing guard, or one 
  of the local farmers. They tend to have 
  simplified statistics and are Taken Out 
  much more easily than PCs or Named 
  NPCs. (pg. 259) 
  Named NPC: These NPCs are the 
  other major characters in the story 
  besides the PCs. They could be a PC’s 
  boss, a major ally, or enemy. (pg. 259) 
  Non-Player 
  Character 
  (NPC): 
  Characters under the control of the 
  GM; the cast of people on the fringe of 
  the story. NPCs are either mooks or 
  Named NPCs. 
  Persistent 
  Aspects 
  “(P)”: 
  These 
  Aspects impact a person, place, thing, 
  or scene to such a degree that they can 
  be invoked or compelled for free. It 
  does not cost a Fate Point to invoke a 
  Persistent Aspect for a bonus or reroll, 
  and no one gets a Fate Point if it is 
  compelled. Invoking or compelling a 
  Persistent 
  Aspect 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  Declaration still costs a Fate Point. (pg. 
  115) 
  Persistent Aspects are denoted with 
  a (P) at the end of the Aspect’s name. 
  Player: One of the people playing in 
  the game that is not the Game Master. 
  Player Character (PC): The imaginary 
  person that a player acts as in the 
  game, created from your imagination 
  using the rules found in this book as a 
  guide. You control this character, 
  making their decisions to help them 
  overcome their obstacles. 
  Ranged Attack: An attack made with 
  a pistol, assault rifle, thrown spear, or 
  any other type of ranged weapon. 
  Refresh: A period during play, usually 
  at the start of the game session, where 
  the GM grants you an allotment of Fate 
  Points equal to your Refresh Rating (pg. 
  110). 
  Refresh Rating: The number of FPs 
  you get during a Refresh. 
  Round: A round consists of about 
  three seconds of in-game time. During 
  that time, each character in the scene 
  gets a turn. 
  Scene: Action is broken up into 
  scenes, much like in a movie. Many 
  types of scenes exist: interaction 
  scenes, action scenes, chase scenes, 
  etc. The exact length of a scene varies, 
  but one generally begins and ends 
  when there is a significant shift in the 
  story’s focus or a change in the setting. 
  Scope: Aspects fall into certain 
  categories called scopes. You may only 
  invoke one Aspect from each scope per 
  test. (pg. 110) 
  Session: A game session. The time 
  you and your friends devote to playing 
  the game on a given day. 
  Shift: The amount by which you 
  succeed on a test. For example, if the 
  test has a difficulty of 3, and the Effort 
  you generate is 5, you’ve succeeded 
  with 2 Shifts. 
  Skill: Your Skills paint a picture of 
  your character, defining his training or 
  innate aptitude for certain tasks. Every 
  Skill 
  has 
  an 
  associated 
  rank, 
  determining its strength. (pg. 159) 
  Spin: When you generate three or 
  more Shifts, you generate Spin. Spin 
  indicates that you succeeded with 
  finesse, precision, style, and/or flare. 
  Spin can result in an Effect Aspect (pg. 
  108). 
  Stall: When your total Effort falls 
  short of the difficulty by three or more, 
  you have Stalled. Stall indicates that 
  you failed spectacularly. Spin can result 
  in an Effect Aspect (pg. 108). 
  
   
  267 
   
  Stress Track: A Stress Track is used to 
  track the amount of stress you have 
  taken, measured in stress boxes. Once 
  all the stress boxes in a track have been 
  filled, you are Taken Out. You may elect 
  to take Consequences to reduce the 
  amount of stress suffered from an 
  attack. (pg. 122) 
  Stunt: 
  These 
  attributes 
  further 
  define what your character can do. 
  While Skills cover your natural talents 
  and/or training, Stunts represent the 
  exceptional ways you’ve learned to use 
  them. (pg. 167) 
  Taken Out: The exact nature of being 
  Taken Out depends largely on what 
  type of conflict you lost. For a physical 
  conflict, it could mean a coma or even 
  death; while for a mental conflict, you 
  could be reduced to a gibbering 
  vegetable. (pg. 122) 
  Test: A test is a simple roll of the 
  dice, plus your relevant Skill and any 
  additional modifiers, compared to a 
  difficulty rating set by the GM. Your 
  result is called your Effort. 
  Temporary Aspect: An Aspect that 
  goes away with time. Temporary 
  Aspects go away after they are 
  intentionally removed or something 
  happens to remove them. (pg. 115) 
  Turn: Your chance to act during a 
  round. 
  Weapon Rating (WR): Weapons and 
  some Savant Programs have a Weapon 
  Rating. After you successfully attack 
  your enemy, this bonus is added to the 
  amount of stress your target suffers. 
  (pg. 197) 
  Zone: The area in which a physical 
  conflict takes place is divided into 
  zones by the GM. Zones usually have 
  clearly defined boundaries, such as 
  walls or changes in elevation, and are 
  sized based on the scale of the conflict 
  (pg. 153).  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  268 
   
  Special Thanks 
  Nova Praxis was published as a direct result 
  of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That 
  campaign was funded by the following 
  generous egos, all of which have Void Star’s 
  sincerest thanks. 
  OPPORTUNIST 
  RetrO 
  Ignite LLC 
  Ernesto Ramirez 
  Jim Ryan 
  FORWARD THINKER 
  wraith808 
  Andrew Hayford 
  Duane Moore 
  Mikhail Gordin 
  Daniel Jackson 
  DysonFountain 
  Pierre Toulouze 
  simon 
  Michael W. Mattei 
  Michael Thompson 
  cglasgow 
  countercheck 
  Caffeineforge LLC 
  Susan Davis 
  Blake Hutchins 
  Ratfink 
  Daniel Ryan 
  Daniel 
  Mike Gerdes 
  Marc Tietgens 
  Naomi McArthur 
  Matthew C H Winder 
  Vojtech Pribyl 
  Richard Fannon 
  Robert Bell 
  william 
  Mark 
  Curt Meyer 
  Svend Andersen 
  Mircea 
  Ron Müller 
  Grimpen 
  Robert Huss 
  Peter Trueman 
  Stephan Bedford 
  Kris Knives 
  Indi Coyote 
  Amy 
  Shannon Ryke 
  Kevin Veale 
  Scott Dicken 
  Brad Robins 
  Zakharov Sawyer 
  Luke Moran 
  Andrew Laliberte 
  Bryce M. 
  Markus Schoenlau 
  adamnemo42 
  Colin Fredericks 
  Tamoline 
  Christian Eilers 
  Vincent Arebalo 
  Jamas Enright 
  Emiricol 
  Angus MacDonald 
  gabriel 
  Mark Kilfoil 
  Edward Durant 
  Gordon Thomas 
  Sergio Silvio 
  Herrera Gea 
  Julianna Backer 
  David Ross 
  Benjamin Davis 
  Steven Code 
  Dana Bayer 
  Leonardo Prunk 
  Mark Shocklee 
  Joe Maron 
  Thorsten Panknin 
  Ben Hailer 
  Aron Peterfy 
  Jules Andreae 
  Shane Cumming 
  Jason 
  Joshua Morris 
  Sjut Brethauer 
  Alexander Rodriguez 
  John Kammer 
  Listan 
  Todd Zircher 
  oliver specht 
  Reed 
  Adam Rajski 
  Adam Whitcomb 
  Eze Abuwali (OFFO) 
  (DSO) 
  Bill V 
  Patrice Hédé 
  Fletcher 
  Ozymandias30 
  Brian Hon 
  Matthew Jensen 
  M Alexander Jurkat 
  martin 
  Alan Reusnow 
  Dillon Mills 
  Colin Matter 
  Adrian Maddocks 
  Phillip Gates-
  Shannon 
  Ian Borchardt 
  John Hacker 
  Tory Republic 
  Cody Black 
  John Robertson 
  Laura Qualey 
  Jason Italiano 
  Irven Keppen 
  Joshua Reader 
  fm graves 
  Tobie Abad 
  Evan Saft 
  Karl Maurer 
  Jon Leitheusser 
  Mike 
  D Rog 
  Sven Piper 
  Jeffrey Allan Boman 
  Ben Hall 
  Robert M. Ramus 
  Dave Brown 
  Paul Vogt 
  Michael Multhaup 
  Stefan Kapahi 
  John Fiala 
  Jason Williamson 
  Selim 
  Felix Laurie von 
  Massenbach 
  Lian 
  runester 
  Juan Cruz Balda 
  Berrotarán 
  Eric Thornber 
  Steve 
  Jake Mandel 
  Geoff Dash 
  Timo Scala 
  Hideo Kuze 
  Steve Hughes 
  DivNull Productions 
  Aguinaldo Lenoir III 
  Lowell Francis 
  Jeffrey Petersen 
  Ryan O'Grady 
  James 
  Lonesteban 
  Jamie Mason 
  Deudanann 
  Charlotte M Ellett 
  Ghirardi Gianluca 
  Thomas Vie 
  Darren Leneghan 
  David Treen 
  Mook 
  Ant Holloway 
  Brian Lavelle 
  Alex Constantino 
  Kirt Dankmyer 
  Steven Lord 
  Calvin 
  Markku Tuovinen 
  WOoDY 
  lordharrier 
  sbr 
  Simon Berström 
  Joshua Chewning 
  David Sarachman 
  William Hoek 
  Daniel P. Espinosa 
  Steve Moore 
  Chris Caporaso 
  JustJessie23 
  Kevin Munn 
  Jourdan Perla 
  Lobo 
  DrewSouth 
  Gary M 
  Andrew McMenemy 
  Don Kirk 
  Forrest Johnson 
  Joshua Little 
  Randall Padilla 
  Barrantes 
  Simon Hunt 
  fanguad 
  Stras Acimovic 
  Alfred Arthur 
  Granger 
  Hyun Toves 
  Martin Nerurkar 
  Francisco Blanca 
  Alexander Valentin 
  Nielsen 
  Ed S 
  Festy_Dog 
  Mark Townshend 
  robert gonia 
  Adrasto 
  Theron 
  Avi Zacherman 
  Steven Warble 
  Chris Collins 
  Andreas 
  Jacob Carpenter 
  Steven Edwards 
  Brantley Love 
  Brian Rock 
  Patrick O'Connell 
  James Fullerton 
  Andreas Graef 
  Ian ONeil 
  Robin Hermansson 
  Gareth Hodges 
  Jonathan Cliffen 
  Paul Frack 
  SUBSTRATE INDEPENDANT 
  MIND 
  Jimmy Plamondon 
  Daniel Markwig 
  
   
  269 
   
  Manu Marron 
  Gianadda 
  Ollie Gross 
  Angelo Pileggi 
  Michael Carscadden 
  Matt McKennie 
  Thomas Ladegard 
  Duane Cathey 
  Kurt Zdanio 
  Dave Rezak 
  Loic Prot 
  Bryan Chavez 
  Owen Thompson 
  Michael Broggy 
  Sean 
  Andrew S 
  Kyle Uzumaki Joseph 
  nathanolla 
  Neil Ford 
  Zu Long 
  Jan Henning Peters 
  Sascha Bornhorst 
  Marzio Spairani 
  Thomas Walters 
  Pablo Palacios 
  Jorge Idarraga Lazaro 
  D Howard 
  Minder 
  Eric 
  Yong Siong Oon 
  Alan Howard 
  Riley Crowder 
  Ian Hughes 
  Andrew Chason 
  Jakob Törmä Ruhl 
  Andy 
  Chase Rude 
  Ville Halonen 
  Phillip Bailey 
  Christian Geschkat 
  Vincent 
  Juan Jimenez 
  Marcel Rohn 
  Daniel Bayn 
  Riccardo Colucci 
  Moustafa Gawish 
  Jerry Lynch 
  Gareth Lawrence 
  Tai 
  dallardj 
  Martin Kuhne 
  Daniel Eichling 
  Jonathan Ly Davis 
  Russell G Collins 
  Bob Page 
  Julian 
  Sunergy 
  Lambor 
  Angelus 
  BreakerOfThings 
  Mark Harris 
  Nate Miller 
  INFUSED SIM 
  Chris Jahn 
  Joshua Stull 
  Max Kaehn 
  Arthur Dent 
  chapel 
  SirJAGman 
  Robert Stehwien 
  Robert Klaus 
  Jonathan McCulley 
  Mike Bowie 
  Quasi 
  Mike de Jong 
  Chris Edwards 
  Jaime Robertson 
  Liam Bourret-Nyffeler 
  James Rouse 
  recrispi 
  James Robertson 
  Tony Popowski 
  Herman Duyker 
  Che Webster 
  Dan Hall 
  smxfr 
  Barry Sheppard 
  gsugu 
  David Lai 
  Jeffrey Buckoltz 
  sparky1479 
  hitmahip 
  Mark Perneta 
  Lourentius te Beest 
  John Haines 
  James Grainger 
  Blake Mizzi 
  Steven Watkins 
  Isthiriel 
  PURIST 
  Longeye 
  Morgan Weeks 
  Jay Sharp 
  fantomas 
  Kevin Donovan 
  Redfuji6 
  Doug Grimes 
  Damien Swallow 
  glyptodont 
  Bethany Doherty 
  Adam 
  fugggi 
  Peter Aronson 
  Benedikt Quarthal 
  Paul Shipman 
  Charles 
  Paul Scarrone 
  Adam M H 
  Nocker 
  Christian Leonhard 
  Alessandro La Valle 
  Jack Gulick 
  Aaron Roudabush 
  Tai 
  James 
  Daniel O'Hea 
  Cylenia 
  Ellis Creel 
  Krister Looveer 
  Stephen Dewey 
  Mark K. Emmert 
  Tim Rudolph 
  Matt U 
  Ben Barling 
  Gauthier Descamps 
  Mark S 
  Frederick Tremblay 
  Jason Alexander 
  Ben Madden 
  AussieNinja 
  David Mathis 
  Jim Burzelic 
  Roo James 
  Robert De Luna 
  Mattia Norando 
  Ryan H 
  Darren Johnson 
  David Havelka 
  robert flinchum 
  Matthew Grant 
  robdeobald 
  Hunter Harrell 
  Jurri van Meerveld 
  Lars Bengtsson 
  Paul Wilcox 
  Boden Ronda 
  furstenberger 
  Ian Phillipchuk 
  ASH LAW 
  Pratap Gajjala 
  Narayan Bajpe 
  Steve Marsh 
  Nathaniel Sheppard 
  Smule 
  James Vogel 
  Rob Schubert 
  Louis 
  Nick Farley 
  James Martin 
  Mauricio Quintana 
  Jonathan Beverley 
  natb 
  Alexis O'Neil 
  Andrew Chang 
  Søren Moskjær 
  Lauridsen 
  ben shultz 
  Chris Snyder 
  NEURAL NETWORK 
  Ronald Pyatt 
  erikschmidt 
  Devlin Bentley 
  Matei-Eugen Vasile 
  Alexander Wood 
  HUMANIST 
  José Luis Porfírio 
  John Everett Till 
  (fatesf.blogspot.com/) 
  Cgeist7 
  Michael Richards 
  Eric Coates 
  Vicente Cartas 
  östen 
  Liam Knights 
  Minje Lee 
  Ryan Percival 
  Craig Maloney 
  Joshua Munsell 
  Chris Gunning 
  Kevin Caldwell 
  Adam Boisvert 
  Andrew O'Catháin 
  anderland 
  Matthew Broome 
  Patrick McGouirk 
  Jerry Sköld 
  David Snodgrass 
  Brad Osborne 
  Chris Slazinski 
  Simon York 
  Alexander Gräfe 
  JJ Kahrs 
  Panagiotis 
  Grigorakakis 
  Brennan Dawson 
  Josh Salyers 
  Adam Derda 
  David Ackerman 
  Kevin Flynn 
  Matt and Nykki 
  Boersma 
  Wajanai Snidvongs 
  Allan MacKenzie-
  Graham 
  Petri Wessman 
  Steve Ellis 
  Peter Chicuorka 
  Brandon Doxtater 
  Adrian Long 
  Trip the Space 
  Parasite 
  Martin Dickson 
  James Dillane 
  LegolaSS 
  Reto M. Kiefer 
  Sean 
  Ardoss Hawk 
  Ryan Blackstock 
  Chris Backhuus 
  Tucker 
  Psybernary 
  The Dragons Eye Games 
  Robert J. Finamore 
  
   
  270 
   
  ThuleX 
  Drew J Cass 
  Atarun 
  olothmeryl 
  Anthony Ellerd 
  Christian Lajoie 
  Ethan Rex 
  Enedino Fernandez 
  Tim Yore 
  Mark 
  Estevan Garcia 
  Co Ro 
  Cavill Skeahan-Heugh 
  Shawn Stutzel 
  Robert Wood 
  NexAdruin 
  Oliver Lind 
  Kirill Rumyantsev 
  Derek Guder 
  Tom DellaFera 
  Jason Schindler 
  Henrik Backlund 
  Daniel 
  Ardid 
  Colin Urbina 
  David Parrier 
  Jose Lozada 
  Ezra 
  Nathan Domagalski 
  Ted Johansson 
  Michael McGee 
  Oh Seung Han 
  Sproul 
  bobrunnicles 
  jtc1975 
  Marzio Ombra 
  Jeff Scifert 
  Neal Tanner 
  Andrew Leach 
  Timothy Carroll 
  Leo Matoush 
  Matteo Signorini 
  Bruce Harlick 
  elandys 
  Adrian Breau 
  Brian Kreuzinger 
  Allan Rodda 
  Doug Connelly 
  Siliconavatar 
  Contesse 
  Jussi Myllyluoma 
  Justin Loudermilk 
  Kyorou 
  Jason Pelloni 
  Ramón Domingo 
  Herreras 
  Colin Booth 
  Scott Thede 
  Seth 
  Terry Colligan 
  Anne-Sylvie Betsch 
  Nikolaus Rusalew 
  Jorge Santiago 
  callithrix 
  Legendsmiths 
  Stephen Cheney 
  Wil Patrick 
  Robert Bailey 
  Andrew Parran 
  Ray Beckmann 
  adamsmith 
  Gregory Morris 
  Patrick Forbeck 
  Matt Hildebrand 
  Chris Flipse 
  Brian Creswick 
  Robert Slaughter 
  Guillermo Rebollo 
  Rodríguez 
  Cero 
  Sergey Baluhto 
  Ruben Lopez 
  canisPRIME 
  Eric Harris 
  Scott Synowiez 
  Scott Green 
  Zack Bowman 
  Luke Skinner 
  Paul Echeverri 
  Raymond Anderson 
  Aaron W 
  Alice 
  AsmodeusDM 
  Rafael Valera 
  Simon Ward 
  Brian 
  Pmatthew Trad 
  Eoin Burke 
  Stephen Marchand 
  TRANSHUMAN 
  John Rudd 
  Taiyri 
  Daniel Jacobsson 
  Marcello Pellegrino 
  Kurt McMahon 
  Steven Sick 
  Lauri Hirvonen 
  Justin Hukle 
  Sherwin Jones 
  Ben Higginbottom 
  David Dorward 
  jasonkurtz 
  Dave Ellingwood 
  Ben 
  FULL-SYNTHESIS 
  TRANSHUMAN 
  Jochen Linnemann 
  Robert Kim 
  Carl Walter 
  walterhisownself 
  Basileus 
  Kirk Foote 
  Jacob Trewe 
  Richard Harrison 
  e.carletti 
  Christian Nord 
  Ray Duell 
  Simon Stroud 
  Kevin Schantz 
  Mark Solino 
  Markus Raab 
  Shannon Maclean 
  Mark Butler 
  Richard Doemling 
  Aidan Domogalla 
  Edgar 
  Scott Henry 
  Roger Eberhart 
  Eric Haste 
  Robert Loper 
  Gregory Matyola 
  Travis Enright 
  Paul West 
  Matt Rollefson 
  Drew Arrigoni 
  Alvin Uthke 
  Sleet 
  marcus 
  Arcane Snowman 
  Beebo_Whatzitz 
  J Phillips 
  James Arthur 
  Leath Sheales 
  Matthew Wasiak 
  Cameron Hattrick 
  Daniel Campos 
  Richard Libera 
  Andrew Hurley 
  AJ Carrington 
  Kyle Pinches 
   
  POSTHUMAN 
  Scott Carlson 
  Shaun Davis 
  Phill Krosnar 
  Eloy Cintron 
  Lorenz Aschaber 
  ASCENSION CULT 
  Alexander W. Hanson 
  TRANSCENDENT BEING 
  Brett Easterbrook 
  Murray Smith 
  John Lambert 
  Andrew Walker 
  jason 
  PARADIGM SHIFTER 
  Michael O'Neill 
  Kalem 
  Mario Meo 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  HERALDS OF  
  THE SINGULARITY 
  The Heralds of the 
  Singularity went above 
  and beyond. 
  Wil Patrick 
  Michael Ramsey 
  David Sarachman 
  Lorenz Aschaber 
  Terry Colligan 
  Aaron Roudabush 
  Michael Richards 
  Travis Enright  
  Brian Lavelle 
  Neil Ford 
  Colin Fredericks 
  Gareth Lawrence 
  Max Kaehn 
  Jeff Scifert 
  Martin Dickson 
  Marzio Ombra 
  Che Webster 
  Liam Bourret-Nyffeler 
  Barry Sheppard 
  Ernesto Ramirez 
  Jacob Trewe 
  Tony Popowski 
  Anderland 
  Simon Berström 
  Mario Meo 
  Jonathan McCulley 
  Justin Loudermilk 
  Daniel Perez Espinosa 
  Damien Swallow 
  runester 
  Jimmy Plamondon 
  Seung Han 
  walterhisownself 
  Samuel Hart 
   
  
   
  NNAAMMEE::   
   
  SSKKIILLLLSS  
   
  PPHHYYSSIICCAALL  
  PPllaayyeerr:: 
    
  Assets 
   
   
   
  Sleeve:  
  RReeffrreesshh  RRaattiinngg:: 
    
    
   
  Cohesion 
   
   
   
  SSLLEEEEVVEE AASSPPEECCTTSS 
  AASSPPEECCTTSS  
   
  Networking, Apostate 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Networking, House 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Demolitions 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Diplomacy 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Education 
   
   
   
  Athletics 
   
    Perception 
   
   
   
   
  Engineering, Hardware  
   
   
  Endurance 
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
  Engineering, Software 
   
   
   
   
      
    
   
  Firearms 
   
   
   
  AAUUGGMMEENNTTAATTIIOONNSS  //  NNOOTTEESS 
  SSTTUUNNTTSS  
   
  Guile 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Insight 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Intimidation 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Melee 
   
   
   
   
   
  Mnemonics 
   
   
   
   
   
  Pilot 
   
   
   
   
   
  Research 
   
   
    
   
   
  Resolve 
   
   
   
   
   
  Stealth 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Strategy 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  SINC 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  List bonuses provided by Agent in parenthesis. 
   
   
   
  PPHHYYSSIICCAALL  SSTTRREESSSS  
  MMEENNTTAALL  SSTTRREESSSS  
  SSYYSSTTEEMM  SSTTRREESSSS  
  RREEPPUUTTAATTIIOONN  
   
   
   
   
  Mild(-2) 
   
   
  Mild(-2) 
   
   
  Mild(-2) 
   
  Moderate (-4) 
   
  Moderate (-4) 
   
  Moderate (-4) 
  Severe (-6) 
   
  Severe (-6) 
   
  Severe (-6) 
  Extreme (-8) 
   
  Extreme (-8) 
   
  Extreme (-8) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Weapons/Gear/Notes:   
   
   
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
   
   
   
  
   
  
  oo
  oo
  oo
  0
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/FATE (fudge) [multi]/Nova Praxis/Nova Praxis [Augmented] [v1.4] [FATE].pdf