ESCENARIO C

Character

Creation

Higher Starting Characteristics. This allows characters, even at the “normal” level, to be fairly good at what they want to do in the game. This allows for an easy time of finding and playing a character concept, as a player’s desired charac- ter can be done from the start of play and grow from there, rather than starting sub-standard and moving into their actual concept later in play.

Point Based Character Creation. Along the same lines as the Higher Starting characteristics, this option allows the player a greater chance of making the character they want to play, as well as making sure they are competent in the areas the player desires.

Step 6 of Character Creation. Not only does this give the character a handy boost in

certain skill areas, thereby making them better able to perform the tasks the player desires, it also serves as a good short-hand for character personality. This is especially important in the early stages of play, when a character’s person- ality hasn’t had a chance to really set in.

Increased Personal Skill points. Characters in Fractured Hopes all come from a background that includes a wide variety of experienced out- side what one would normally expect for the character’s occupation.

Total Hit Points. One of the main influ- ences for Fractured Hopes is fiction, where main characters, even if horrifically injured, are not in constant, serious threat of death. The world of the setting is a harsh place already, and char- acter who constantly fear for their lives will become cautious, which can slow a game to a crawl. Important characters will use the Total Hit Points rule to reflect their quality as main characters. They can take a big hurt, but con- tinue to function.

Distinctive Features. Not only a roleplay- ing tool, Distinctive Features help give a short- hand to character, which is especially important in the early stages of the game. Also, features don’t need to be expressly human. A character wishing to be a strange transhuman being can assume that one of their features is blue furry skin, for example, without needing any special rules to determine how this came to be.

Freeform Professions are optional, but a good idea, especially for players who have a character concept that doesn’t readily fit into

one of the pre-defines ones. The Gamemaster should consider only allowing this option for characters who already know the setting and how their concept might fit in.

Skills

Complementary Skills. This allows for char- acters to get a realistic bonus to a skill if they have a related skill to fall back on. Gamemasters should encourage the use of this rule, as it gets players thinking about the character in an extra dimension.

Skill Ratings over 100%. Characters begin the game more competent than in other Basic games, and through experience, they’ll likely become more powerful. This optional rule will allow characters to grow in power in the direc- tion the player desires.

Powers

Projection. A must-have skill for any character using super powers.

System

Opposed Skill Roll System. This is really a mat- ter of preference. Personally, I prefer the first option, as it seems like the easiest to use in play without slowing the pacing.

Fate Points. As the only optional rule that has not seen print in other Basic games, Fate Points may be seen as a big departure from the traditional way Basic games look at success and failure. They really have no place in a gritty, se- rious game, but for something like Fractured

Hopes, their inclusion makes a certain kind of

sense. However, there are a few considerations regarding Fate Points:

It gives non-power using characters a rea- son to use their Power Points for something.

It promotes an active style of play, because the characters have a layer of insulation from the danger of the game. They will be more will- ing to take risks and try new things.

It might be a good idea to determine that super-powered characters with the Extra En- ergy power be unable to use the bonus Power Points to affect their Fate.

Only player-characters and very impor- tant NPCs are protected by Fate.

Combat

Eliminating Statements of Intent. Instead of making the characters declare what they wish to do and forcing them to follow through, even when that action is no longer a good idea, robs players of low DEX character’s a sense of con- trol over their own actions. At the start of each round, I ask the players what they are going to do in very general terms, and resolve specific actions as the character’s DEX rank comes up.

Power use in the Action Phase. Having powers go off before anything else gives them a big advantage over non-powered characters. To alleviate this, have powers go off at the char- acter’s normal DEX rank, just like any other ac- tion. For some variety, Gamemasters may opt to have a powered character use their INT instead of DEX to determine when a power activates.

Attacks and Parries over 100%. As with other high skills, a high weapon skill is some- thing that will come up often in the setting. At allows for extra attacks, and increases the chance for a critical or special die result.

Dodging Missile Weapons. Ranged attacks in Fractured Hopes can be avoided just like any other attack. If this bothers the sense of realism some player bring to the game, assume that the character is not actually “dodging” the actual projectile or energy beam so much as they are diving under cover or ducking just before the

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shot goes off. Also remember that bad guys can do this too.

Dying Blows. In fact, it might be fun to al- low a “dead” character to accomplish something they couldn’t do in life, allowing the passing of a beloved character to have a major impact on the setting.

Miscellaneous

Allegiance. While I’m not sold on using this op- tional rule for this setting, some Gamemasters may wish to develops its use as a measure of alignment with the various factions within the game. While the supernatural does exist in the setting, the gods do not take a personal hand in the lives of mortals (for the most part.) In Frac-

tured Hopes, there are three main factions to

which a character can express alignment with: The Eigen. Beyond their desire to con- trol and consume, the Machine Race are also preeminent organizers and tacticians. If there were a force for Order in the world, the Eigen would be its representative. Those who achieve apotheosis to the Eigen become cold, uncaring immortal agents of stability, as each time they “die” more machine parts are added to their body.

Humanity. Brought to the brink of de- struction by larger, uncaring forces, human- ity has become a hardier, more careful species. Amongst its members are those who consider it their mission to guard their fellow people and protect them from the harsh realities of survival in the new world. Those who undergo apotheosis are drawn into Astral Space by the a guiding spirit. After a period of rest where they are visited by their loved ones who have died, their body is reconstructed from Void energy and they re-enter the world, ready to serve hu- manity again.

The Sholloboth. More than anything, the extinct alien race were a force for dynamic, constant change, both to the human body and

to the mind. There are those still alive who see the Sholloboth as agents of change, who ar- rived on Earth just in time to prevent humanity form becoming completely in thrall to the Ei- gen. The characters who attempt to further the Sholloboth agenda of changing humanity into something bigger and grander often unlock a peculiar set of mutations hidden within their genetic code. This form of apotheosis occurs when the character dies. At such a time, their body becomes enveloped in a thick cocoon, sturdy enough to withstand the immense ex- tremes of temperature. After a period of time, the character emerges from the cocoon com- pletely transformed into something new and wonderful (See Transformation in the Muta- tion section of the Basic rulebook), as well as being healed of all injuries.

New Optional Rules