Hey all, I've got a hankering to start another game. I've got lots of time to write recently, and I've noticed that not too many people are starting new recruitments lately, let along recruitments for Starfinder. So! I'm here, to offer up some science fiction goodness.
The Premise,
We will be beginning on Old Earth in the year 2717. For the past several hundred years after the invention of hyperspace travel, humanity has been spreading through the stars. In their travels, they have met and gained relationships with several other alien races: the lashunta, vesk, shirren, ysoki, and kasatha. Because of the wide net its cast, humanity has begun colonizing dozens of other worlds, and those who were able largely left Old Earth behind, as the decrepit and abused planet was polluted and overcrowded. Those who stayed were the nostalgics who believed Earth was humanity's home, the rich who were too proud of their generations-old estates to abandon them, and the poor who did not have the resources to get a job or a home on one of the newer, more fertile colonies.
Ever since first contact, the psychic abilities of the lashunta and the shirren have captivated the imaginations of humans. They have also captivated the theoretical minds of human scientists who saw, like humans have seen in fascinating things throughout history, a new weapons that could be built. With lashunta and shirren "volunteers", humanity experimented with gene therapy, selective breeding, radiation, and gene grafting. Over the course of the last few decades, they created an entirely new force, one which is formally called T.P.K.A (tele-pathic-kinetic aptitude) but which most people just call magic. For years, all T.P.K.A-users were confined in government complexes in the Sol system for maximum security. They weren't ready for field testing certainly, and knowledge of the government's experiments going public would be a disaster.
The campaign begins when a lashunta terrorist organization crashes the party at several of these complexes, destroying them and freeing the magic users inside. The Earth military is strong, especially in the Sol system, so very few of these lashunta actually escaped the system. However, many hundreds of mystics and technomancers were freed on that day, and they were scattered all over the Sol system by circumstance or a combination of luck and unluck.
The Game, the Party
Your party is a gang. Whether gang means criminal or simply a friendship is up to you. Whether you are rich or poor is up to you. Whether you have a steady job, a tragic past, or a whatever else backstory element is up to you. What is not up to you is that the characters I choose all be good friends. What is not up to you is that you live on Old Earth, and that Old Earth kinda sucks unless you're ultra rich.
What is not up to you is that your life is shaken up by the appearance of one or more of these escaped spellcasters. If somebody wants to be a technomancer or a mystic, it could be them. If nobody does, this will be an NPC. Whether out of a good heart or because you're forced to out of self-preservation, your lot is thrown in with this science experiment/fugitive. All you know is, you can no longer go back to your old life whether for good or ill.
This will be a player-driven, low magic, classic sci-fi adventure. Cyborgs! Transhumanism! Artificial Intelligence! Starship battles! Planets with crazy climates! Weird aliens! Wherever you end up, there will be all the excitement found in a growing, changing universe. Inspirations include Mass Effect, the Hyperion Cantos, anything by Neal Stephenson or William Gibson, and classic sci-fi anime like Ghost in the Shell or Akira.
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So, anyone interested?
This will use the base Starfinder character creation rules. 10 point buy, level 1, you may choose any race or class. We begin on Old Earth, though where is up to the players.
The only exception is that if you want to play a Technomancer or a Mystic, you must be human, and you must be an escaped science experiment.
The Starfinder SRD can be found HERE.
I am looking for, I think, 5 players. Well-written, well-thought-out characters. Players who plan to stick around, and who love science fiction.
Recruitment will be in two stages. Stage one is application, and will last until December 21st. During that stage, you may post new characters. After December 21st, recruitment will be closed and we move into the refinement stage, where we figure out how the different applications mesh together, where the game might start, and so on. I will slowly narrow down applications during that stage.
Hmm...
Interesting...
Will there be deities?
Is interstellar travel still by Drift Engine? (and is there an equivalent to the Starstone in this universe?)
Are Solarians allowed? And are they also "science experiments?"
I don't think that there will be dieties in the fantasy-D&D sense, no. That's not to say that religion is disallowed, or that some spiritual or non-physical things are impossible. It depends on what kinds of characters there are. The most prominent banking and trading corporation, rather than being AbadarCorp, is the similar Royalton Enterprises, a supercorporation led by a secretive council which employs billions across all industries.
Interstellar travel is still by Drift Engine, although it was an invention by people rather than by the tri-god as it is in Starfinder. There is no stone (as yet discovered) that allows one to reach godhood, although such a Stone would serve as a mightily good plot hook if one were to be discovered, don't you think? There is, however, still a galactic hub more easily reachable through hyperspace routes.
Solarions are allowed. I forgot to mention them, but I did have an idea for them already. I think they are a product of interstellar radiation. Thus, if you were to play a solarion, I would have the backstory requirement of "has been to space," and perhaps "has had a traumatic experience involving being in raw outer space, untethered and unprotected, for too long".
Largely, backstories and themes in this campaign will be up for player prerogative honestly. I prefer to under-develop my worlds until I have players, and let them fill in a lot of the blanks.
That is, of course, not to say that there will be a dearth of things to do. Just that I really like to see a player's goals and preferences fulfilled in my campaigns.
Dotting for interest.
You had me at Stephenson and Gibson. Dot!
This looks fascinating! Question: what are the status of solarians? Do they exist? Are they also escaped science experiments?
I think I would be interested, depending on the pace. I can really only be counted on to post once a day or so at most. Games that run much faster than that I tend to get lost in. I would probably want to go either mechanic/engineer or some sort of medic (not sure the best rules route for the latter, but given your earth related setting, medical healing is probably more common than magical).
This looks fascinating! Question: what are the status of solarians? Do they exist? Are they also escaped science experiments?
Here you go...
Solarions are allowed. I forgot to mention them, but I did have an idea for them already. I think they are a product of interstellar radiation. Thus, if you were to play a solarion, I would have the backstory requirement of "has been to space," and perhaps "has had a traumatic experience involving being in raw outer space, untethered and unprotected, for too long".
To clarify about Solarians: On my reading, being a solarian is basically having a superpower that allows you to control gravity and light. I am partial to superhero comics of course, and imagine that becoming a solarian is a lot like becoming a superhero. Probably something awful and unlikely happened to you related to gravity or light. Maybe your spaceship got destroyed while you were in Hyperspace and you drifted for a few days. Maybe your radiation shields got taken down and you got doused with a solar flare and miraculously survived. Maybe you were involved in a terrible science experiment like Doctor Manhattan or something. I guess it doesn't have to be terrible either.
Being a solarian would be exceedingly rare but not completely unknown. Space's huge population and the many dangers would result in a fair number of these accidents. Some of them would result in deaths of course, but the rest would result in a solarian.
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I am expecting to houserule some of things because of the light number of rules for Starfinder. If there is something from Pathfinder (like a spell or a feat, for instance) that you want but hasn't been replaced in Starfinder, go ahead and ask me and we can work something out.
I am (strongly) considering implementing something like Pathfinder's alternate Wounds and Vigor subsystem, which would change how fast hit points (but not stamina points) are recovered naturally and with magic. What it does is it makes you only recover 1 hit point per night of rest (2 per day of full rest) and healing spells only recover 1 point per dice of healing.
- - - - -
Another note: As 1st-level Old Earth inhabitants, your characters are probably not "adventurers" in the traditional sense. You probably gained your skills from a mentor, your parents, or your profession. You probably have a job (legal or not), and you probably have a small apartment that you go home to every night.
Extraordinary circumstances are certainly possible, of course, but unless you have a specific idea, your character probably has a sort of normal life at the moment.
I think I would be interested, depending on the pace. I can really only be counted on to post once a day or so at most. Games that run much faster than that I tend to get lost in. I would probably want to go either mechanic/engineer or some sort of medic (not sure the best rules route for the latter, but given your earth related setting, medical healing is probably more common than magical).
As GM, I post a few times per week per game. I try to keep up with the pace of my players, basically.
I haven't had a chance to actually play Starfinder yet, so I would love the chance to give it a shot! I'd probably go for a Human Mystic.
... sooo I am feeling the heavy Akira/Biomega/Blame!/Blade Runner vibes here. What is the environment of Earth like these days? Large wastelands? Massively dense urban sprawl?
Could I use Android stats to represent a human that has undergone heavy cybernetic modification?
Is there any chance of some homebrew motorcycles of higher tier than the wimpy offerings in the core rulebook?
My initial offering, stats only, no background yet. Link to PDF included in profile. Support character.
(Just noticed Maneuver AC (KAC +8) is wrong; I used a previous sheet. If any other are incorrect I will update before starting).
... sooo I am feeling the heavy Akira/Biomega/Blame!/Blade Runner vibes here. What is the environment of Earth like these days? Large wastelands? Massively dense urban sprawl?
Could I use Android stats to represent a human that has undergone heavy cybernetic modification?
Is there any chance of some homebrew motorcycles of higher tier than the wimpy offerings in the core rulebook?
@Environment - Massively dense urban sprawl in most populated areas of the world. Abandoned and ruined urban areas in some areas of the world. Wastelands and desert in other areas. Significant flooding due to rise in sea levels. Terrible air in most parts of the world, to the point that the rich live in environment-controlled bubbles.
@Android - Sure! As long as we're talking like... you have maybe only a few human body parts left (brain, spinal column, heart, maybe digestive tract if you're feeling generous). If you want robo-arms and eyes and skin and stuff but to stay mostly human, you're better off purchasing cybernetic items. Think Ghost in the Shell cyborgs.
@Motorcycles - Sure! I can see flying motorcycles, invisi-motorcycles, rocket bikes, etc. All types. Just ask if you need something and I'll work it out.
My initial offering, stats only, no background yet. Link to PDF included in profile. Support character.
(Just noticed Maneuver AC (KAC +8) is wrong; I used a previous sheet. If any other are incorrect I will update before starting).
So your character is... some sort of biologist or doctor? Seems to be best at Medicine, and otherwise just a general skill monkey.
@Environment - Massively dense urban sprawl in most populated areas of the world. Abandoned and ruined urban areas in some areas of the world. Wastelands and desert in other areas. Significant flooding due to rise in sea levels. Terrible air in most parts of the world, to the point that the rich live in environment-controlled bubbles.
@Android - Sure! As long as we're talking like... you have maybe only a few human body parts left (brain, spinal column, heart, maybe digestive tract if you're feeling generous). If you want robo-arms and eyes and skin and stuff but to stay mostly human, you're better off purchasing cybernetic items. Think Ghost in the Shell cyborgs.
@Motorcycles - Sure! I can see flying motorcycles, invisi-motorcycles, rocket bikes, etc. All types. Just ask if you need something and I'll work it out.
Cool! I'm definitely going to run with the concept. I'm caught between putting together an Operative or a Exocortex Mechanic but the basic idea will be a 'e-man' so called because he has paid off the majority of the debts he owed for his body and is no longer held as an indentured worker.
Where do the Vesk come from? Is there an equivalent to the Veskarium in this universe?
I know Solarians are sub-optimal but I like the concept. I am thinking of a Vesk Solarian.
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The idea:
He was a former Marine in a mercenary company. His unit was part of a group whose primary duty was to board crippled ships in space and overwhelm the crew. He was trained in close-in fighting techniques.
On his third boarding mission, an explosion blew open the compartment he was in out into space. For several hours he drifted in space, until eventually picked up by a rescue craft. But the explosion had damaged his visor, and though he survived his eyes had been burned out by the intense sunlight. He was blind.
Not having achieved much as a mercenary, he was cashiered out and dumped planetside with a small severance award. Unable to afford replacement eyes, he resigned himself to a life as a blind man. He began to consider suicide.
But he was contacted by a group of Lashunta telepaths. They were willing to finance his replacement eyes, in return for him doing a job for them. Take part in a simple raid on a "science lab." It turned out the lab was a part of a major government project to produce human telepaths, and while hundreds of these telepaths escaped, most of the Lashunta terrorist group were rounded up and arrested or killed in the raid.
Now the Vesk mercenary is on the run and has gone into hiding, trying to lose himself in the underworld of Old Earth.
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This might make a decent lead-in for a joint submission with a technomancer or mystic, who this character might have "rescued" as a part of the raid on the lab.
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Basically this concept is going for the "blind samurai" schtick. Except that he has cybernetic or vat-grown eyes as replacements. They would function as normal eyes so they would not cost anything at the start of the game, but they would look odd, and it would be apparent to everyone that they are not the eyes he was born with.
I did it that way because I don't think there's any way to mechanically do the "I'm blind but I fight with other senses" schtick.
I have some questions that I feel may help to guide character creation: They need not be answered in Q/A format, or indeed answered at all... I just thought that I'd post a list of some things you can use to flesh out your backstory or character.
2. What does your character look like? Describe their fashion sense, their hair, their eyes and skin. Is there a reason they dress or act the way they do? How do they carry themselves when they don’t think anyone is looking?
3. Where was your character born? A Space Station? Old Earth? An offworld colony? The Moon? If they aren't from Old Earth (which is most likely if they are an alien) why did they move to Old Earth? Feel free to do some invention here. There's a whole galaxy out there, and a whole range of places to be from.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
6. What is their personality like?
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them. Something like “Jessica is lawful good because she wants to stamp out evil and eradicate it. She would sacrifice herself to attain her goals.”
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races? Some people will always be conservatives, but some embrace technological advance wholeheartedly.
For Peet...
Where do the Vesk come from? Is there an equivalent to the Veskarium in this universe?
Yes, there is a Vesk civilization out there. It is indeed warlike.
Seems like an interesting concept! If you want (thought the story looks perfectly fine as is) we can port in something like Blinded Blade Style from Pathfinder.
So your character is... some sort of biologist or doctor? Seems to be best at Medicine, and otherwise just a general skill monkey.
Yes, sorry. Went with the medic idea. It will leave me without a big role in ship combat, but that's fine. She's also got the Envoy "Get 'Em" deal, so combat buffing for the other PCs.
Dotting in. I've been craving a Starfinder game
1. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family? A desperately poor character with a rich family tells a very different story than a desperately poor character with a poor family.
Whatever passes for middle class. Separated parents, father is probably a doctor.
2. What does your character look like? Describe their fashion sense, their hair, their eyes and skin. Is there a reason they dress or act the way they do? How do they carry themselves when they don’t think anyone is looking?
Mabel is average height, somewhat overweight. She has narrow brown eyes that appear exotic compared to her overall caucasian appearance. Her hair is a sort of pixie cut. She has a full grinning smile that makes her approachable.
3. Where was your character born? A Space Station? Old Earth? An offworld colony? The Moon?
She lives in the greater New York area of the Bos-Wash sprawl (Boston to DC), though she lived off-planet for her training at Hopkins Luna Medical Institute.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
Mabel is a bit of a medical savant. She graduated highschool at age 14, achieved a bachelor of science degree in Biology by age 16, and completed her nursing training just before her 18th birthday.
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
She probably works as an RN for some urban hospital in Bos-Wash somewhere.
6. What is their personality like?
Mabel is approachable and helpful, but can be emotional and prone to hot-headedness and recklessness.
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
Mostly agnostic, though she retains cultural ties to her Jewish heritage.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them.
Mabel is first and foremost good, because of her commitment to assisting the injured and sick. She's chaotic because she has little respect for authority and can behave erratically.
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races?
Mabel loves technology, it's helped save so many lives. She sees other races as very interesting and an opportunity to learn. To her life-modifying technology is most appropriately used for medical purposes, but she doesn't judge others for different uses.
I have some questions that I feel may help to guide character creation: They need not be answered in Q/A format, or indeed answered at all... I just thought that I'd post a list of some things you can use to flesh out your backstory or character.
Qs for Cs:1. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family? A desperately poor character with a rich family tells a very different story than a desperately poor character with a poor family.
2. What does your character look like? Describe their fashion sense, their hair, their eyes and skin. Is there a reason they dress or act the way they do? How do they carry themselves when they don’t think anyone is looking?3. Where was your character born? A Space Station? Old Earth? An offworld colony? The Moon? If they aren't from Old Earth (which is most likely if they are an alien) why did they move to Old Earth? Feel free to do some invention here. There's a whole galaxy out there, and a whole range of places to be from.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
6. What is their personality like?
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them. Something like “Jessica is lawful good because she wants to stamp out evil and eradicate it. She would sacrifice herself to attain her goals.”
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races? Some people will always be conservatives, but some embrace technological advance wholeheartedly.
Thanks for posting the Qs for Cs, gives me a much better idea of the level of detail you are looking for.
For what its worth, I'm looking at a human mechanic (outlaw), with an outside shot of multiclassing into operative.
I have some questions ...
Re: the Vesk Solarian:
1. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family? A desperately poor character with a rich family tells a very different story than a desperately poor character with a poor family.
The character (I'll call him "Brox" for now but I might change that) is flat broke. Basically he has the gear the Lashunta terrorists equipped him with for the raid (and he may have sold a few things to get by) but he's pretty broke.
His family back in the Veskarium are working class, but they don't know what has happened to him and think he's still in the mercenary company.
2. What does your character look like? Describe their fashion sense, their hair, their eyes and skin. Is there a reason they dress or act the way they do? How do they carry themselves when they don’t think anyone is looking?
Brox wears big baggy trenchcoats over his armor when trying to "fit in," but he doesn't really know much about human fashions. He has cybereyes that look like small goggles implanted directly into his face, which glow faintly red. His scales are scarred and in bad shape generally, but he looks at people as if daring them to say something.
When able to wear armor and carry weapons openly, Brox has the confident swagger of a soldier. But lately he has had to try to hide his identity and his paranoia is always close to the surface.
3. Where was your character born? A Space Station? Old Earth? An offworld colony?
A frontier colony of the Veskarium. His parents were terraforming workers. He came to Earth as a part of the Lashunta Terrorist raid and fled in the aftermath.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
Pretty much explained this in the original post.
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
He's on the Lam and joined up with the "gang" both for protection and as a way to make some quick money.
6. What is their personality like?
In flux. Originally he was a dutiful and boisterous soldier, brave and dedicated. But after losing his sight he became useless and ashamed. After gaining his sight again he feels like he has new value but at the same time also that he has made a bargain with the devil, who will soon come to collect.
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
Brox doesn't think about it too much. The Vesk army has household gods that he would make offerings to as a matter of rote, but it was just a part of the life and he never believed that it was anything more than a cultural ritual. He hasn't done anything like that since getting kicked out of the mercenary company.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them. Something like “Jessica is lawful good because she wants to stamp out evil and eradicate it. She would sacrifice herself to attain her goals.”
Not sure what alignment Brox will be as his life is in a state of flux. Originally it would have been LN - follow orders, do what you're told, and everything will work as it should. But things didn't go as they should, and Brox's faith in that system has been shattered. I think he will end up being NG or CG since actual evil will piss him off, though he doesn't believe that he is a "good" guy. But he has been vulnerable and helpless, and gets angry when he sees people in a similar position getting taken advantage of.
It does seem like alignment is a lot less important in Starfinder than in Pathfinder.
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races? Some people will always be conservatives, but some embrace technological advance wholeheartedly.
Brox accepts technology without thinking about it. It is simply a part of his way of life.
Definitely interested! Just created a human mystic who I can see working well in this world. I'm also a huge sci-fi fan and could TOTALLY get into a Blade Runner-like setting. Also ok being an escaped experiment =)
1. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family?
- Maldor was raised by his hard-working father, who made just enough to keep him, his younger sister Kayla, and Maldor in a one-room flat with almost enough to eat.
2. What does your character look like?
- Maldor used to dress in third-hand clothes that were the norm for most of the kids in the neighborhood. The colors were drab, but good for blending in to the surrounding environment. The heavy cloth and denim made them sturdy enough to withstand normal activities, and he had learned to stitch patches and rips to eke out as much life from them as possible. He is medium build - perfectly average 24 year old - although a bit lighter after his ordeal in the station...
3. Where was your character born?
- In the city (think Chicago), although closer to what used to be the suburbs than towards the inner city.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
- Maldor was taken when he was 13 - and experimented upon for the past 10 years. While in the station, he discovered that he had a caring nature and often found himself caring for the other kids in there with him. He learned how to bind wounds, and ease sickness, and basic first aid. His mystic connection came as part of the regime he was subjected to, and it amplified his healing talents. But he also learned some means of self-protection, like how to thrust into others' minds, or move small objects at dangerous speeds.
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
- He is on the run now, living on the streets and hiding from the hunters. He trades his healing skills for food and scavenges equipment, although he is very careful to not do anything TOO miraculous for fear of being discovered.
6. What is their personality like?
- Maldor is caring, introverted, a bit snarky, easy to laugh, quick to cry at the suffering of girls who remind him of his little sister - and to try and protect them from the bad people who roam the streets.
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
- He is religious - he explains his mystic connection as his revelation experience with the One. He did not enjoy his experience in the station, but has accepted that the One has used his suffering to further His plan on Earth, and Maldor is hearing the quiet voice in his mind that he needs to embrace his path and stop hiding his gift.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them. Something like “Jessica is lawful good because she wants to stamp out evil and eradicate it. She would sacrifice herself to attain her goals.”
- Maldor is neutral good because of his religious beliefs in the One. He follows a loose code of ethics, but he interprets it as a fairly wide path!
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races?
- Maldor was always excited about tech and the prospect of meeting alien races. As a youngster, he would get lost in adventure vids of space heroes and explorers like Commander Shepard, or Rey the heroine.
@Mabel, Talomyr, Peet, Maldor - Those questionnaires look great! I can definitely see those characters in the world. I'm sure I'll have some more questions for you eventually, but I'd like to see each of you put together a statblock and some kind of backstory beforehand. I don't think I want to be doing any judging until I see what you put forward as a sort of "finished product". The synthesis of stats and story are important to me.
I have a couple that might be important to think about now:
@ Vesk Solarian - Have his powers manifested? When did that happen and how does he feel about his powers?
@ Maldor - What happened to his family? What happened to the lashunta who broke him out of science prison?
My human mystic entry. I assumed we'd be starting right after the escape, and limited my equipment to things she was likely able to grab on the way out.
NG human female
Class: Mystic 1
Theme: Xenoseeker
Init +0; Perception +8
DEFENSE
EAC 10, KAC 10, Manever AC 18
HP 10; Stamina 6; Resolve 5
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +6
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Baton +0, (1d4 B)
Ranged Needler +0, (1d4 P, 1d4 nonlethal, first two shots only) or (1d4 P);
Ranged Pulsecaster pistol +0, (1d4 E, nonlethal)
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 13
Base Atk +0;
Feats Spell Penetration; Greater Spell Penetration
Languages Common (English?), plus two more (int, culture rank)
SKILLS
* = Trained only, (X) = Class skill
Ranks: 6+Int/Level, +1/level (human) = 8/lvl
()Acrobatics Dex
()Athletics Str
(X)Bluff +5; Cha, 1 rank, +3
()Computers* Int
(X)Culture* +5; Int, 1 rank, +3
(X)Diplomacy +5; Cha, 1 rank, +3
(X)Disguise +1; Cha
()Engineering* Int
(X)Intimidate +1; Cha
(X)Life Science* +6; Int, 1 rank, +3, +1 (xenoseeker)
(X)Medicine* Int
(X)Mysticism* +8; Wis, 1 rank, +3
(X)Perception +8; Wis, 1 rank, +3
()Physical Science* +2; Int, 1 rank
()Piloting Dex
(X)Profession* Cha, Int, or Wis
(X)Sense Motive +8; Wis, 1 rank, +3
()Sleight of Hand* Dex
()Stealth Dex
(X)Survival
SPELLS
Mystic Spells Known (CL 1; +4 to overcome SR)
Wis Bonus spells/day, 1/1/1/1
1st (3/day): Detect thought; Share Language; Mind Thrust.
0 (at will): Psychic Hand; Telekinetic Projectile; Telepathic Message; Token Spell.
EQUIPMENT
Credits: 248
Weapons
Tactical Baton; lvl 1, 90cr, 1d4 B, bulk L; Analog, operative
Pulsecaster pistol; lvl 1, 250cr, 1d4 E, range 30 ft., 20 charges, use 1, bulk L; Nonlethal
Needler pistol; lvl 1, 105cr, 1d4 P, range, 30 ft., crit Injection DC +2, 6 darts, bulk L; Analog, injection
Tier 1 Sedative, 2 doses; 300cr, 1d4 nonlethal
Armor
"I hope no one shoots me."
Other
Backpack; 3cr, bulk 1 (bulk 0 and +1 Str for carrying when worn properly)
Field Rations, 2 week supply; 2cr, bulk 2
Personal Comm; lvl 1, 7cr, capacity 80, use 1/hour; bulk L
Flashlight; lvl 1, 1cr, capacity 10, use 1/hour; bulk L
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Human; +2 any (Wis); bonus feat @1st, bonus skill rank each level. 4hp
Xenoseeker theme, +1 Cha
THEME KNOWLEDGE (1ST)
Reduce the DC to identify a rare creature using Life Science by 5.
Life Science is a class skill for you, though if it is a class skill from the class you take at 1st level, you instead gain a +1 bonus to Life Science checks.
Mystic; 6+Con hp, Prof. with Light armor, basic melee, and small arms.
HEALING TOUCH (SU) 1st Level
Once per day, you can spend 10 minutes to magically heal an ally up to 5 Hit Points per mystic level.
Connection: Empath
Associated Skills: Perception and Sense Motive
Spells: 1st—detect thoughts, 2nd—zone of truth, 3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, 4th—mind probe, 5th—telepathy, 6th—true seeing
Empathy (Su) 1st Level
As a full action, Sense Motive to read the emotions of a particular creature (DC = 20 or 10 + its Bluff modifier, whichever is higher). If you succeed, you learn its general disposition and attitude toward creatures within 30 feet of it, and you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks against that creature for 1 hour. Whether you succeed or fail, after opening your mind to read emotions, you take a –2 penalty to saving throws against mind-affecting effects for 1 minute.
While both telepathic and telekinetic abilities were easy for her to grasp, telepathy and empathy came more naturally to her. Emily was able to read people’s emotional states with little effort, and her developmental regimen was steered toward mind-reading and thought projection. She excelled at both, and the researchers began testing her with non-human minds. By the age of eight, Emily was able to read the surface thoughts of those around her with relative ease, project her own thoughts to communicate, and even implant some of her own understanding on others -- in many successful experiments, she was even able to temporarily transfer language to other life forms, temporarily enabling them to speak English.
The researchers deemed that she would be useful for establishing communications with unknown races. Emily was offered limited access to television to learn some cultural understanding, and developed a habit for ‘listening in’ on the thoughts of those around her.
Things soon changed, however. With little warning control of the lab was given to the military, and a host of new scientists and researchers replaced the ones she’d grown up with. Emily sensed their intentions, and listened to their darker thoughts before they even spoke them. They wanted to weaponize her, and train her to kill instead of communicate. It did not take long for them to notice her mental eavesdropping, and new protocols were put in place to limit her contact with others outside of experiments.
After the better part of a decade, MLE-1138 awoke one morning to the sounds of explosions, gunfire, and chaos. She did not know what was going on, but the facility had been breached and there were fires everywhere. She was able to slip out of her quarters and scan the thoughts of some of the soldiers; escape was far easier than it should have been. Emily threw on a lab coat and grabbed a duffel from storage, with as much food as she could cary, and with what little she could find to defend herself. She left the facility for the first time in her life -- with no idea what to expect...
2. What does your character look like?
3. Where was your character born?
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
5. What does your character do for a living?
6. What is their personality like?
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them.
9. How does your character feel about technology? About other races?
EDIT also, what languages are there?
@MLE - 1138: The most prominent human languages are English, Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, and Hindi. Each race has a common language as well. I suppose it would make sense for the other races to also have a variety of languages, but learning uncommon alien languages seems like something a specific character would have to be interested in before I put in work to detail.
I'm not expecting language to be a big deal in this campaign, honestly.
Submission looks good. I may have some questions for you later.
@ Maldor - What happened to his family? What happened to the lashunta who broke him out of science prison?
Maldor has not seen his family since he was taken to the station, although he has been looking for them since he escaped. The lashunta who helped him escape could either be a travelling companion, helping him continue his growth in the mystic powers, or a contact in the area that Maldor can go to for help. Guess it depends on how organized your lashunta overthrow was, and how connected they are on Earth. It could be that Maldor is helping the lashunta survive, since he was born and raised in this setting and was able to rapidly pick up his urban survival skills =)
@ Vesk Solarian - Have his powers manifested? When did that happen and how does he feel about his powers?
Yes, Brox' powers manifested shortly after losing his sight. Since he was blind at the time, he thought they were strange but weren't really of any particular use to him. He saw them as a cheap "consolation prize" for losing his sight.
Brox is not really very introspective. So it doesn't really occur to him to try and figure out how his powers are possible or why they work.
However, he knows that the Lashunta terrorists made him their offer because of his powers. So his powers were what allowed him to get his sight back, and now he has both sight and powers. But now he feels he is hunted by the law.
So overall he wouldn't mind if things just went back to the way he was before he lost his sight. But since he knows he can't do that, he intends to leverage these powers as much as he can to survive.
Race: Vesk
Theme: Mercenary
Class: Solarian (weapon)
STR 16 DEX 13 CON 12 INT 08 WIS 10 CHA 14
HP: 13
SP: 8
RP: 3
EAC: 15, KAC 18
Fort: +3, Ref +1, Will +2
Move: 25 feet
Initiative: +1
Combat Gear:
Returning tactical starknife 230 cr
Basic Iridishell Armor 755 cr
Melee Attacks:
Solar Weapon +4, 1d6+3B (1d6+4 in photon mode)
Returning tactical starknife +4, 1d4+3P (1d4+4 in photon mode)
Natural Weapon +4, 1d3+3 (1d6+4 in photon mode)
Ranged Attacks:
Returning tactical starknife +4, 1d4+3P (1d4+4 in photon mode)
Skills:
Acrobatics: +3 (1 rank, +1 DEX, +3 Class, -2 ACP)
Athletics: +5 (1 rank, +1 STR, +3 Class, -2 ACP)
Intimidate: +6 (1 rank, +2 CHA, +3 Class)
Solarion Powers:
Photon Mode: +1 damage
Graviton Mode: +1 Reflex
Supernova: 2d6F in 10 radius (reflex 1/2) when fully attuned photon mode
Black Hole: Pull targets within 20 feet 10 feet towards me (fort negates) when fully attuned graviton mode
Character sheet updated with stats and crunchy stuff!
So here's what I thought - Maldor wasn't taken until he was about 13 - that seems to correspond to about the time your lab was taken over by the military. We could have been in the same place and known each other. Your mystic abilities leaned toward empathy, and mine toward healing. Because I was missing my little sister, we became friends despite the harsh environment. Now that we are free, I am helping you survive because I at least grew up on the outside, and together we are trying to evade the hunters. Anyways - up to you if you want to set up a player link =)
I think that's a great idea, Maldor! I'm willing to explore some shared background elements with our characters.
Alright, this is Han's stab at a character. I've got the questions mostly answered to my satisfaction and am caught between two different builds for the character.
Talomyr checking in with my submission, Korvan Vosh - Human Mechanic (Outlaw)
Crunch and background are in the profile, I still need to purchase starting equipment but otherwise he's complete.
Hoping you're willing to consider Starfinder newbies. I haven't had the time to sit down and do more than glance through my book, but I have been planning to.
Already conceiving some kind of scrounger/rigger mechanic concept.
Edit: Didn't see you there, Talomyr! And of course, I start stepping on your submission's toes already.
@leinathan: Any chance you'd be willing to take on a technomancer and a mystic? I'm starting to brainstorm on a concept of a couple of escapees maybe siblings who arrive together, and I'd be more than willing to collaborate with someone on just such pair.
I have no problem with Starfinder newbies, nor with accepting more than one spellcaster. I am a Starfinder newbie, and am starting this campaign to explore the system and see how it works.
@Cross - Looks great! I can see the personality of your character quite clearly. So it looks like his parents sold him, and then he worked off his debt by mining and then came back to Old Earth? Has he ever tried to find his parents? Also, what do you think the legality on slavery is? I mean, normally that sort of thing would be illegal... maybe they signed a contract that signed over all their rights?
@Korvan - How does Korvan feel about his friends? People who have proven that he can trust them? Your character is well fleshed out, but the deal with paranoid and selfish characters is that they tend not to fit into a group very well.
Fair question. He's slow to trust, but once someone has proven to reliable and they happen to trust him as well, he becomes very protective of those individuals. His past has not allowed him very many healthy relationships, so when he feels that he has gained one of those, he very much does his best to protect that.
I would be interested in making a character for this, are Witchwyrds too weird for this party? I had in mind a Mechanic who is sort of a science-y type. Maybe if the party ever gets a ship i could upgrade it with one of those exclusive planar drives they use.
Edit: To be clear im asking basically before i go and start crafting a backstory about it, just so i don't waste time on something that clashes with the setting.
I would be interested in making a character for this, are Witchwyrds too weird for this party? I had in mind a Mechanic who is sort of a science-y type. Maybe if the party ever gets a ship i could upgrade it with one of those exclusive planar drives they use.
Edit: To be clear im asking basically before i go and start crafting a backstory about it, just so i don't waste time on something that clashes with the setting.
Is witchwyrd a playable race for Starfinder? I'm only finding the CR 6 four-armed monster.
Is witchwyrd a playable race for Starfinder? I'm only finding the CR 6 four-armed monster.I would be interested in making a character for this, are Witchwyrds too weird for this party? I had in mind a Mechanic who is sort of a science-y type. Maybe if the party ever gets a ship i could upgrade it with one of those exclusive planar drives they use.
Edit: To be clear im asking basically before i go and start crafting a backstory about it, just so i don't waste time on something that clashes with the setting.
They are in the Alien Archive, here's a link to them on the Starfinder SRD.
Oh! Okay, well... sure, go ahead! Shoooow meeee whaaaat yooooou goooot.
@ Maldor - What happened to his family? What happened to the lashunta who broke him out of science prison?Maldor has not seen his family since he was taken to the station, although he has been looking for them since he escaped. The lashunta who helped him escape could either be a travelling companion, helping him continue his growth in the mystic powers, or a contact in the area that Maldor can go to for help. Guess it depends on how organized your lashunta overthrow was, and how connected they are on Earth. It could be that Maldor is helping the lashunta survive, since he was born and raised in this setting and was able to rapidly pick up his urban survival skills =)
I see the lashunta plot as something which was planned for a very long time via prep, weapon smuggling and spying, which was then exploded into one weekend of violence as heavily armed terrorists stormed into the research labs, blowing up all the samples they could find, assassinating the head researchers and freeing the subjects.
There would be this great battle supported by some lashunta military efforts but which largely ended in the death of the lashunta warriors and the scattering of all of the freed spellcasters.
I don't want to explain too much, because I plan for the game to take place directly after this and investigating what happened to be some of the first quests, but that's the basic idea.
When the residents of Old Earth began experiments on grafting alien DNA into humans, he was one of a few alien researchers that were offered an opportunity to participate in the experiment. He helped developed gene grafts and biological augmentations to allow members of other species to replicate the psychic abilities of the Shirren and Lashunta.
What he didn't know at the time was how far the experiments actually ran, and though the volunteers he worked with were cheerful and cordial for the most part and he did his best to make sure they were well taken care of, he slowly began to piece together how others gifted to less scrupulous scientists were being treated.
Eventually, he accidentally ended up letting the location of the facility slip to some Lashunta claiming to be representing the family of some of his patients and left the project a few months before the strike on the labs. Since no one was ever able to pin the blame for the attack on to him, he got off free.
His family are wealthy from trade and due to the sensitive nature of his expertise, he is used to being well compensated for his work. As a result he has rarely dealt with living in low class conditions and has maintained a reasonably high standard of living for most of his life.
2. What does your character look like? Describe their fashion sense, their hair, their eyes and skin. Is there a reason they dress or act the way they do? How do they carry themselves when they don’t think anyone is looking?
He is pale grey-blue skin like most of his race as well as eyes that faintly glow a shimmering gold, he is tall with a somewhat thinner frame for a witchwyrd (which is still rather stocky by most racial standards). He dresses mostly in well fitted, practical clothing with a duster or rarely a lab coat (in the correct setting) over it to help match racial fashions while retaining a level of practicality that the long flowing robes popular among his people lack.
3. Where was your character born? A Space Station? Old Earth? An offworld colony? The Moon? If they aren't from Old Earth (which is most likely if they are an alien) why did they move to Old Earth? Feel free to do some invention here. There's a whole galaxy out there, and a whole range of places to be from.
I think i mostly answered this in the backstory.
4. How did your character become whatever class they are or learn the skills they have?
His skill in the sciences were mostly the result of his formal education, while his skill with computers and mechanical devices came from his personal studies into how things function.
5. What does your character do for a living? How did they get into doing that?
Usually he is able to find lab work, or else freelance medicine, but sometimes his income is supplemented by repairing machines and cybernetics.
6. What is their personality like?
He is friendly, compassionate, practical, and usually willing to lend a hand. He has a habit of not always choosing his words right but his natural charm has a tendency to shine through despite that.
7. If your character is religious, explain why and how. If not, there may be a reason for that as well.
He's not really religious, not against it but he has always had more important things to do.
8. Explain what your character’s alignment means to them. Something like “Jessica is lawful good because she wants to stamp out evil and eradicate it. She would sacrifice herself to attain her goals.”
Jin is chaotic neutral because he has a tendency to sometimes value his own wants over rules and regulations, and because he constantly is changing as a vehicle for improvement. Though he leans more towards the good end of the alignment spectrum, his somewhat selfish focus on himself and those close to him keeps him from reaching it entirely. He would might be willing to help someone out, sometimes even quite generously, but not necessarily if he thinks it might cause trouble for himself or his friends.
9. How does your character feel about technology? About trans-humanism? About other races? Some people will always be conservatives, but some embrace technological advance wholeheartedly.
Technology is the path forwards, with every new advance we create bigger and better wonders and it can only grow more impressive as time continues to pass. Jin is always interested to get his hands on new and improved tech and even works to design his own gene splices and augmentations to improve himself and others. As for other races he is pretty open minded, preferring to judge people by their actions rather than species.
Male Witchwyrd Scholar Mechanic 1
CN Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init: +3 Senses: Darkvision 60ft. Perception: +7
SP: 5 HP: 10 RP: 5
EAC: 14 KAC: 15 (Armor: +1/+2, Dex +3)
Fort: +1 Ref: +5 Will: +0
Defensive Abilities: Absorb Force Immunities: Drowning
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee: +0 Unarmed Strike (1d3 B, Archaic, Nonlethal)
Ranged: +4 Azimuth Laser Pistol (1d4 F, Critical: Burn 1d4)
Offensive Abilities: Force Bolt (1/day), Target Tracking
Str: 10 Dex: 16 Con: 9 Int: 18 Wis: 10 Cha: 12
Skills: +9 Computers, +9 Engineering, +8 Life Science, +8 Physical Science, +8 Medicine, +7 Perception (+4 without Cassius), +7 Diplomacy, +7 Bluff
Feats: Skill Synergy (Diplomacy & Bluff)
Languages: Witchwyrd, Terran, Ignan, Auran, English
Other Abilities: Exocortex AI (Cassius), Memory Module (Perception), Custom Rig, Bypass +1 (to Computers and Engineering), Four-Armed, Haggler (+2 to Diplomacy & Bluff), Theme Knowledge (Life Science: Bio-Engineering)
Combat Gear: 1 spare battery (20 charges) Other Gear: 1 Second Skin, 1 Azimuth Laser Pistol, a flashlight, a medpatch, 10 fancy R2Es, a consumer backpack, a set of everyday clothing, a set of formal clothing (traditional robes), a Hygiene Kit, a flask of imported spiced wine, a credstick (25 credits) Augmentations: Custom Rig (Brain), Gill Sheath (Lungs), Vocal Modulator (Throat)
Force Bolt (Sp): Witchwyrds can cast magic missile as a spell-like ability once per day. For every two magic missiles caught using its absorb force ability, a witchwyrd can use its force bolt ability an additional time each day.
Absorb Force (Su): As a reaction, a witchwyrd can use any number of its free hands to catch magic missiles (from the spell of the same name) fired at it. Doing so absorbs the missile and manifests as a glowing nimbus around that hand (which is no longer considered free). The energy lasts 6 rounds or until it is used to create an additional force bolt. To use this ability, the witchwyrd must be aware of the incoming magic missile and cannot be flat-footed.
Combat Tracking (Ex): Your exocortex provides you with enhanced combat ability, granting you proficiency with heavy armor and longarms. At 3rd level, you gain weapon specialization in longarms just as if your class granted proficiency. As a move action during combat, you can designate a foe for your exocortex to track. As long as that target is in sight, the exocortex feeds you telemetry, vulnerabilities, and combat tactics, allowing you to make attacks against that target as if your base attack bonus from your mechanic levels were equal to your mechanic level. Designating another target causes you to immediately lose this bonus against the previous target.
Memory Module (Ex): You can use your exocortex’s memory module to enhance your own knowledge. Once per day, as a reaction while not in combat, you can reroll a failed skill check to recall knowledge. In addition, your exocortex grants you the Skill Focus feat as a bonus feat. You can’t use your exocortex’s memory module while combat tracking is activated. Every time you gain a mechanic level, you can rebuild your exocortex’s memory module, replacing the exocortex’s bonus Skill Focus feat with Skill Focus in a different skill.
Theme Knowledge (Ex): You are an expert in one particular field of study, and your passion for the subject shows. Choose either Life Science or Physical Science and then choose a field of specialization. If you pick Life Science, you can specialize in bio-engineering, biology, botany, ecology, genetics, xenobiology, zoology, or another field of biological science. If you pick Physical Science, you can specialize in astronomy, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics, or another field of physical science. The DC of skill checks to recall knowledge about your specialty is reduced by 5. Your chosen skill is a class skill for you, though if it is a class skill from the class you take at 1st level, you instead gain a +1 bonus to checks with your chosen skill. In addition, you gain an ability adjustment of +1 to Intelligence at character creation.
Body Augmentations: Jin possesses several biotech modifications that he designed and developed personally. All cybernetic implants listed above benefit from the adaptive biochains biotech modification, and are not considered cybernetics for the purposes of things that can detect or affect cybernetic implants.
Clothing: Jin's everyday clothes consist of what amounts to a shirt and pants that he wears over his Second Skin (which matches his skin tone to be nigh-imperceptible), covered over with a duster with many pockets. His formal clothing is a traditional set of many layered red and gold witchwyrd robes, complete with conical hat and a face-mask that leaves only his shimmering golden eyes unhidden.
What do you think?
Also, @MLE-1138 if you are interested in crossing backstories i'd be down. I could totally see Jin having been one of the nicer original scientists that got removed when the military group came in.
I like your idea for the setting, so I'm going to go ahead and dot.
The concept I had for my character is that his family are all naturally psionic (the first member of their family known to have psionic powers appeared during the first world war). For the most part his family has kept hidden and moving around a lot, but when the Shirren and Lashunta made contact and the government decided to create their own superweapons, someone his family trusted ratted them out and the government captured them.
He knows his sister is still alive somewhere, but both his parents are dead from experimentation. His powers manifested in a way that truly excited the researchers. They assumed they had a superweapon.
My character was just biding his time and playing along until he could escape...
1. My parents are both deceased and I am on the run. Before we were caught, both of my parents were travelling salespeople.
2. My character is in good shape, but on the skinny side, as he has almost no body fat. Part of his daily regime included combat training and physical conditioning. Like all of the test subjects, his hair is close-cropped, and he has just started growing facial hair. His skin color is a mix of Asian and African American, and he has purple colored eyes. He is currently dressed in grey sweat pants and a plain white tee-shirt; other than military fatigues, these are the only real clothes he has ever seen, much less owned.
3. My character was born on Earth, in Seoul, South Korea. He mostly had a normal childhood, except that his family moved around a lot. It wasn't until later that he found out why.
4. Painful and prolonged experiments lasting years turned on his innate telekinesis.
5. My character was being trained to be a living weapon, and his entire education has been geared towards that.
6. Cold, distant, logical and hyper-focused. He hasn't had any people in his life in a long time that haven't been put there specifically to try and create a living weapon, so he doesn't really know how to relate to people.
7. Before he was caught, my character was Christian. Afterwards, he doesn't really believe in anything except himself.
8. My character is lawful evil because he believes that the ends always justify the means and no sacrifice is too great to complete the mission.
9. My character is fairly gifted when it comes to technology; He has found that he has a natural knack for using it.
I am going to be making a Human Technomancer.
@Hazrond - Looks like a good initial submission! I have a few questions. For one, why did you want to play a witchwyrd? For two, does your character have any personal flaws? For three, why would a secret human research experiment take on an alien researcher? Does he have specialized knowledge in genetics or psionics? Does he have a reputation for discretion?
Also, I think your ability scores may be a little high. As far as I understand, every race gives net +2 to stats and themes give +1. Then, you have 10 points to give to your stats evenly, so your abilities should be net cumulatively points above 10. Yours are 16.
In addition, you'll want to change three of your languages. As this is future-real-world, there are no Elemental Planes, and thus no elemental languages to learn. If you have a goal in mind for what sorts of languages your character may have learned, go ahead and let me know and I can help guide you towards some appropriate language choices :)
@ Vrog Skyreaver - An interesting concept that implies a certain idea for worldbuilding: that a certain rare percentage of humans are already predisposed towards psionic powers. How does he know his sister is still alive?
Perhaps a slightly more relevant question: Most PCs are bound to be Neutral or Good, which means an evil character with unscrupulous tactics may cause a moral dilemma on occasion. How would your character handle someone attempting to stop him from doing what he thinks is the most efficient course of action?
@Hazrond - Looks like a good initial submission! I have a few questions. For one, why did you want to play a witchwyrd? For two, does your character have any personal flaws? For three, why would a secret human research experiment take on an alien researcher? Does he have specialized knowledge in genetics or psionics? Does he have a reputation for discretion?
1. Mostly I just like the racial lore of them and they sit in that sweet spot of being alien enough to be interesting without being weird and cumbersome. Also I like the idea of coming from an ancient society that's way ahead on the tech scale and has access to secret tech, but keeps it for their own use.
2. He's a bit too caring to the point of being a little naive and has a hard time phrasing things sometimes which can lead to him being in trouble as a result.3. He's a multidisciplinary genius with a specialty in Bio-Engineering, I take that to mean he would be a very desirable candidate for a project primarily focused on genetic manipulation and biological augmentation.
Also, I think your ability scores may be a little high. As far as I understand, every race gives net +2 to stats and themes give +1. Then, you have 10 points to give to your stats evenly, so your abilities should be net cumulatively points above 10. Yours are 16.
I spent 5 points on Int, 4 points on Dex, and 1 on Con, that equals out to 10 points total. The other modifiers are racial (+2 Cha & Int, -2 Con) or theme (+1 Int).
Looking over it again I made a mistake with the Dex bonus, but I can't edit the post here, so when I get home I'll adjust the stats to fit in an Alias. Even then though, it's only 2 extra points, where are you seeing 4 more? (You know that SF point buy is 1 to 1 right?)
In addition, you'll want to change three of your languages. As this is future-real-world, there are no Elemental Planes, and thus no elemental languages to learn. If you have a goal in mind for what sorts of languages your character may have learned, go ahead and let me know and I can help guide you towards some appropriate language choices.
Are the planes non-existent or merely non-reachable by the people of Earth? I mostly put the Elemental languages due to Witchwyrd's racial lore going on that they are legendary traders that trade with places across the universe and the planes (and they even have a racial Drift Engine that travels through planes). Will that need to be rewritten?
What languages do you think would be more appropriate as common trade languages?
Perhaps a slightly more relevant question: Most PCs are bound to be Neutral or Good, which means an evil character with unscrupulous tactics may cause a moral dilemma on occasion. How would your character handle someone attempting to stop him from doing what he thinks is the most efficient course of action?
He is willing to work with people less scrupulous than himself with only a minor amount of teeth clenching, it would take a major breach of his morals (like killing a harmless civillian) to convince him to step in, though he will usually try to offer more palatable options to avoid staining his conscience when he can.
@Cross - Looks great! I can see the personality of your character quite clearly. So it looks like his parents sold him, and then he worked off his debt by mining and then came back to Old Earth? Has he ever tried to find his parents? Also, what do you think the legality on slavery is? I mean, normally that sort of thing would be illegal... maybe they signed a contract that signed over all their rights?
No, he has distinctly not sought to find his parents. They contracted him out in order to secure a decent living for themselves and while they probably did not think he would end up like he has, he still more or less blames them for giving him to the people that cored him.
As for slavery, it is surprisingly easy to get away with something when you have power and call it something else. Cross and his fellows were not 'slaves' they were 'indentures,' all with perfectly legal contracts. In return for some highly expensive service like taking care of debts or providing high-end medical treatments, indentures often accept a less than benevolent contract to work for a corporation until they manage to either buy out their contract or die. Most of the ones that ended up as cores like Cross were minors, as the higher neuroplasticity of younger subjects allows them to adapt to the technology better and their parents having made the decision on their behalf as their legal guardians.
@Hazrond - you're right about the ability scores. I totally only put in part of what I meant to say. You're supposed to have 13 points over 10 cumulatively, but I mis-counted. Still, you did have too many.
As for the other dimensions... You know, I dunno. Do you think that other dimensions exist? Like, in real life? I suppose I'd be willing to concede that it's possible they might. My vision of such a thing might be slightly more complicated than the PF/D&D idea of "planes" (mostly being.... alternate realities of some sort or other) but... it's possible.
@Hazrond - you're right about the ability scores. I totally only put in part of what I meant to say. You're supposed to have 13 points over 10 cumulatively, but I mis-counted. Still, you did have too many.
As for the other dimensions... You know, I dunno. Do you think that other dimensions exist? Like, in real life? I suppose I'd be willing to concede that it's possible they might. My vision of such a thing might be slightly more complicated than the PF/D&D idea of "planes" (mostly being.... alternate realities of some sort or other) but... it's possible.
its an interesting idea, but I mostly am curious about it in relation to my character. So are the Witchwyrd's in this setting planar travelers or no, if not what about their special Drive? Also what languages would you suggest for a trade-focused culture? (And do I get English for free as a "common" in addition to my racial language? Or do I need to spend a bonus language on it?)
Edit: Also yes, I am a believer in divergent timelines forming parallel universes if that's what you are asking, it just makes sense to me.
@ Vrog Skyreaver - An interesting concept that implies a certain idea for worldbuilding: that a certain rare percentage of humans are already predisposed towards psionic powers. How does he know his sister is still alive?
My idea is that she telepathically contacted me during the experiments, but I mostly ignored her. When the escape happened, she wished me well, but said that she didn't like the person I'd become.
Perhaps a slightly more relevant question: Most PCs are bound to be Neutral or Good, which means an evil character with unscrupulous tactics may cause a moral dilemma on occasion. How would your character handle someone attempting to stop him from doing what he thinks is the most efficient course of action?
It entirely depends on the context of the situation. When the game begins, he's going to be in a situation that he's not had in his memory: He may end up seeing whoever saves/he first meets as his new commanders, so he would follow their orders and only act efficiently when the orders are unclear. I think it will entirely depend on the group I'm with though. I like the idea that he could be influenced towards good again by the group he's with.
Also, I have a rather complex homerule/custom idea for my character after doing some reading last night. I'm going to spoiler it since it's rather long:
So I'm going to start by saying that if you don't want this idea, I'm more than fine with it, but I think it might be pretty neat.
I was looking at the options for building a character who's telekinetic but not telepathic (since his sister was the telepath and mind controller and he's the telekinetic but not a telepath) and there...really aren't any good ways to do it. As I was reading, though, I had a wacky idea: What if I could use the rules for equipment to simulate powers? For example, instead of wearing physical armor, he has telekinetic forcefields that protect him. Instead of using a gun, he lifts and throws objects at his enemies.
Here is how I see it working: Instead of taking time to put on physical armor, he will instead have to meditate to activate his forcefields. As he levels, his armor will improve, but only through spending time practicing and paying for space to practice (kinda like a danger room, that has scaling levels of difficulty for different prices. He would eventually have to go multiple times and pay for the highest difficulty, including bribes to keep the person working the controls quiet.
As far as the weapons go, for melee I was thinking that I would take improved unarmed strike, which scales unarmed damage over time. For the ranged piece, he would have to spend money at a place like a junkyard to practice hurling large objects accurately.
In other words, I would still have to spend the money that armor and weapons would cost, but he would instead be paying it in bribes and fees to rent space. Mechanically, it would work just like wearing armor and using weapons but he couldn't change the armor he's wearing or the weapon he's using until he gained a level. He would also only be able to use the equivalent of projectile weapons.
I realized that after reading last night that what I really wanted was a soldier that could be telekinetic, and that's where this entire idea came from.
Let me know what you think.