MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS - Recombineering: diseño de un targeting vector

a systems failure, the gamemaster rolls 3D (including the Wild Die) and consults the “Systems Failure” table.

Furthermore, some cyberware systems are poorly maintained or manufactured. Devices fitted by underground doctors using secondhand parts are subject to system failure rolls on when a 1 shows up on the Wild Die when using the cyberware, regardless of whether the attempt itself was also a failure.

The gamemaster may adjust the “Systems Failure” table as desired.

SYSTEMS FAILURE

Result Effect

3–6 Cyberware functions sluggishly. It does not impart any Special Abilities to the character for that round.

7–8 Cyberware surges, imparting none of its Special Abilities to the character for one round. Also, the character suffers a +2 difficulty modifier to one action for that round.

9, 15 Cyberware fails to operate and locks for one round, providing none of its Special Abilities to the character. Until repaired, the cyberware is subject to systems failure on a 1 on the Wild Die, regardless of whether the skill total failed.

10, 16 Cyberware shuts down, requiring repairs by a skilled technician.

11–12 Cyberware goes erratic: Limbs start to convulse; sensory apparatus boost signals to uncomfortable levels or blank out entirely; chargers and boosters release potentially lethal doses into the bloodstream; etc. Requires repairs by a skilled technician.

13–14 Cyberware malfunctions. It goes erratic as above. In addition, the character is affected by an electrical surge with a damage value equal to the systems failure result; armor and protection abilities provide no protection from this surge. The system then shuts down, requiring repairs by a skilled technician.

17–18+ The character experiences cyberpsychosis. For a general overview of this mental disorder, see pages 46–47 of the D6

Space Rulebook. It’s best for gamemasters to negotiate the specific effects on a player’s character, but here are some

ideas. The same option may occur repeatedly, or something new might happen each time.

1. The character experiences major emotional pain, with corresponding physical pain. All difficulties are at +3 for the next round.

2. The character strongly doubts the ability of his flesh to work well with his cyberware. All Knowledge and Persuasion difficulties are at +5 for the next two rounds.

3. The character fears that her cyberware is failing; all of the character’s cyberware malfunctions, imparting none of their Special Abilities to the character for 1D rounds.

4. The character permanently gains a Hindrance Disadvantage that affects her mental abilities. This effect may be cumulative with future instances of this cyberpsychosis effect, or she may gain a new Hindrance each time.

5. The character’s body begins to reject the cyberware; future systems failure checks occur when a 1 appears on the Wild Die, regardless of whether the skill total failed. The character needs intense psychological help to overcome this self-imposed limitation.

6. The character goes into a coma for at least 1D days. (This could increase to weeks or months on future cyberpsy- chosis occurrences.) To recover from the coma, the character must receive medical aid as if he were Incapacitated or had lost 90% of his Body Points.

The Luminous Station in Apollos has a subterranean chamber that’s normally inaccessible to the public. The chamber is part of the largest black market on Luminous. Virtually any tech can be bought or sold from the vendors who set up their booths here. The existence of the marketplace is a closely guarded secret. Little do the Rangers know that it rests beneath their feet whenever they come and go from the city.

Plots

Luminous is a world of technology and high adventure. Unlike some of the other worlds in Amatsumara, Luminous has little of the frontier feel to it. It’s more like the large town that the frontier folk always talk about visiting before they die. It’s well suited for gritty, slight grungy-style science fiction tales, as well. Its heroes tend to be either tech-heads or hardboiled types, with villains who fall into similar categories. Characters like Burroughs and Shendoi are good examples of characters that were specifically tailored to this world. Seeing them leap from hover-bus to hover-bus can be very exciting, but it wouldn’t exactly suit the style of play associated with Verdant, for instance.

Several storylines could be spun off from the Meran organization. If left unchecked, the group might try to steal the position of prime senator from Sue Ellen Wallace when she comes up for re-election. Since Landon isn’t a senator, he’d be unavailable for the role himself, but it would be just like him to put a puppet up for the post. He’d then act as the power behind the throne, so to speak. Eventually, Landon’s ego will force him to reveal himself, but he’s smart enough to hide behind others until he’s gained enough power that he’ll feel safe coming out into the open again. One possibility might be for Landon to sway the Senate against the Rangers so that he could form his own militia group. These anti-Rangers would stand in opposition to the Colonel’s forces and could also double as an impe- rial guard of sorts for Landon himself. If things got to this stage, Landon would be very close to re-establishing his control over the system. His role as a tool of the White Dragons could even become a thing of the past. If he got powerful enough to reveal himself as the manipulator of the Senate, he might try to oppose his old masters and seize complete power for himself. This could create an unlikely alliance between the White Dragons and the Rangers.

Landon’s hatred of the Rangers could lead him to try and sabotage the Lighthouse. The perfect time for this would be the grand opening of the facility. It’s quite likely that Colonel McDonald would be there, along with the majority of the Senate. If the Merans were to warn their members not to attend, it would provide a perfect opportunity for Landon to remove a large number of his enemies in one fell swoop. Considering the vast number of credits that the Rangers have poured into the Lighthouse’s construction, it’s possible the group would be bankrupted for years to come.

An alternative campaign centered around the Senate is possible, one that barely focuses on the Merans at all. The work of the Senate is important and grueling, with a number of rivalries popping up as senators vie to get the best result for their world or city. Characters could earn good money providing security to senators or, from the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s good money to be had for threatening a senator into changing his vote to better suit the needs of a player’s character’s employer. If characters actually take on the roles of senators and their aides, then a campaign filled with political intrigue and backstabbing is possible.

The presence of large amounts of cyberware can also be fodder for numerous stories. Perhaps a player’s character suffers a terrible injury that requires an “augmentation” procedure to save her life, or at the very least to restore her sense of self-worth. This could lead her into the black market, where she could cross paths with Dr. Eric Holland. Holland is brilliant, to be sure, but his drug addiction means that there’s a good chance the character could end up worse off than before. Holland might lead the characters into an encounter with Thulsa Krill, which would be bound to go poorly for one or the other. Krill is a despicable man, and he’s been augmented enough that he’d pose a threat for many adventurers.

Another alternative could be that the characters learn that someone is selling dangerous or untested tech in the black market. It could be that the rumors regarding certain types of quartz found on Scintilla are true, and the criminal element is about to come into possession of large amounts of super-blasters, capable of slicing through any known metal and shielding. If the White Dragons or one of the dangerous cults on Tenebrous were to gain this tech before the Rangers, it would seriously alter the balance of power in the system.

Technology plays an essential role on Luminous and should figure prominently into nearly every adventure set on the planet. Characters should find themselves involved in deadly aerial battles using jetpacks or discover that their lives literally hang in the balance as they clutch the railing of a hover-bus.

The presence of cyberware-enhanced villains means that the level of opposition can vary wildly on this planet. Characters might find themselves facing ordinary thugs one night and surrounded by robotic-arm wearing assassins the next.

Because the system’s top technology comes from Luminous, it makes sense for characters based off-world to come to Luminous seeking the latest weapon or the much-needed spare part to repair their jungle skimmer. They might even learn that someone has cre- ated a new genetically modified food packet for use with raptors. What raptor-loving cowboy wouldn’t want to make sure his mount got the best available chow?

The characters should immediately be made to feel the difference between Luminous and the rest of the system. Solaris and the like are crowded. Furthermore, some of the cities are quite filthy and pol- luted, as well, and characters may find themselves forced to make

stamina checks to avoid becoming sick from the unfamiliar air.

The hovering cities in which characters will either live or visit are deathtraps waiting to happen. If someone were to sabotage the hover-jets — or if an unexpected outbreak of city slugs were to drain them of power — the entire city could begin to tumble from the sky. Given the fierceness of the planet’s electrical storms, it’s also possible that a city could simply be overwhelmed by the elements, meaning that even a skilled city pilot might be unable to save them all. In such a case, evacuation would be in order and the Rangers would be at the forefront of trying to get people to safety.

The local phenomenon known as God’s Eye might be an intrigu- ing basis for a story. It’s been theorized by some that the cloud for- mation’s intense electrical storms might cloak an interior of relative calm. In effect, the center of God’s Eye could be the equivalent of being in the eye of a hurricane. If someone could manage to sur- vive the trip to the interior, it would make the perfect hiding place. Perhaps it already is and there’s a White Dragon Society base lurk- ing within, or something even more sinister.

Characters who adventure on Luminous will find a number of people waiting to help or hinder them. Someone in need of scientific assistance might turn to Gregor or Nadia Romanov. Gregor would be the harder of the two to convince to offer help, but he might be persuaded if the characters seem sincere or it’s a cause he believes in. Nadia and her boyfriend, Harrick St. James, are willing to help just about anyone, but Nadia has one area of her life that she will hesitant to discuss: the Arcanists. Other sources of aid might be the Masque or the bounty-hunting duo of Burroughs and Shendoi. Bartleby Booth — the Masque — is a good-natured man who could serve a humorous role, as well. Imagine the characters confronting the masculine Booth, only to discover that the foppish Masque is the same fellow. Burroughs and Shendoi, for their part, are quite capable of helping out a group of characters, but they seem to carry disaster with them, as well. Think of them as action-movie heroes: They get the job done in spectacular fashion, usually with a city block of two ending up in ruins. Hover-bike chases through the crowded streets, weaving in and out of hover-bus traffic should be the norm where they’re involved.

The war that’s looming between the Arcanists and the cyberware crowd should eventually become too big to ignore. If the militants within the Arcanists win out, it could turn very ugly, very fast. An electromagnetic bomb unleashed in the tech market could not only cost some people millions of credits, it could also cost many people who are augmented their lives. Such an escalation of the conflict would force the companies and individuals profiting from cyberware to strike back at the Arcanists, perhaps going so far as to put out con- tracts on the known members. More than likely, however, Professor

Romanov will retain enough power over the group to keep things from becoming overly violent.

His studies into the psychological effects of augmentation might sway some public opinion, but it could also be that the proverbial genie has been let out of the bottle and no amount of work on the part of the Arcanists is going to change that. Even so, their work at reversing the augmentation process might eventually win some converts, and their speciality organ work that makes up the heart of the reversal process could lead to any number of adventures down the line. If they can create individual organs and limbs, what’s to stop someone from eventually growing entire humans?

Saurian

Secrets

There’s a very good reason why lifespans on Saurian are shorter than elsewhere in Amatsumara. The truth has nothing to do with the harsh nature of frontier life, either. What no one realizes at pres- ent is that raw settlepot contains a carcinogenic compound. This deadly quality is so slight that most people who come into contact with it do not suffer any ill effects, but years of exposure to settlepot dust is cumulative. Miners and ranchers who live near mines are the ones who suffer the fastest. The gray skin malady is actually evidence that that layers of skin that handle the metal the most have become saturated with the carcinogenic deposits. This malady will fade if settlepot exposure is avoided for several years, but the damage has been done and the cancers can then spread throughout the body.

Settlepot is generally located only deep within the soil, where it builds up thanks to an odd combination of local minerals and the high cobalt levels found in the soil. Humanity has exposed large amounts of this metal into the surface soil and atmosphere now, and the thin- ning numbers of raptors in the wild is related partially to this. While people have obviously abused the raptors, it’s also true that the set- tlepot is beginning to

affect water supplies and grasses, both of which are consumed by the raptors. If Saurians were more welcoming to out- siders, it’s very likely that scientists would have pieced all this together by now, but local xenophobia has led to a planet that’s on the verge of a widespread crisis.

Although there are some true rap- tor rustlers (pos- sibly encouraged by the White Dragon Society), for many raptor raiders, it’s a case of ranchers not

fully understanding the situation. Men and women like Dr. Carlos Rivera have been arguing for years that the raptors are being mis- treated. They have written articles and pamphlets about the natural beauty of the raptors in their native environment and how humanity are repeating the mistakes of the past. In their eyes, people leeched Earth of its resources, leaving it a dry, barren world in need of new energy sources. On Saurian and elsewhere, this process is being repeated as psiron is mined dry and raptors are driven into extinc- tion. Hoping to put a dent in the raptor industry, Dr. Rivera and others have begun liberating the creatures from captivity, returning them to the wild. The raptors being stolen are not being sold at all, but that’s the first inclination that greedy ranchers would have. It’s unthinkable to them that someone could take a valuable resource like a raptor and just set it loose. Once the truth becomes known, the ranchers will have a different kind of war on their hands: it will be one of ethics, not dollar signs.

Adding fuel to this fire could be the revelation of exactly how far Phage’s cruelty with raptors goes. He has trained several of them to fight and has been selling tickets to the blood sporting events. The battles are horrific displays, but there are enough people willing to pay to see them that Phage has gotten fairly wealthy off their staging.

The monsters that allegedly live in South Flagg actually exist. Anyone who makes it through Hell’s Pass will find themselves in Saurian’s equivalent of dense forest. Thick grasses far taller than a grown man can hide many things from aerial reconnaissance. In this case, they’ve hidden a race of reptiles that are related to the raptors. These creatures are 2.4 meters tall and quite fierce, with the ability to tear a person to pieces in seconds. Given their size and ferocity, it’s unlikely that they could used in the same way that raptors have been, but with fewer and fewer raptors in the wild, it could be that some

rancher would like to try and domesticate these beasts — or at least hunt them for sport and their meat.

Plots

Saurian is a perfect setting for Old West-style adventures. Any characters who visited from another planet would find themselves treated with suspicion, and any Ranger investigations that might have lured them here will be made all the more difficult by the natives’ distrust of the organization. Most adventures will probably be set in Evergreen, where the trio of Wilcox, Oleander, and Earp dominate. The threesome is tight-knit, but it might be possible for smart characters to drive a wedge between them, especially if they focus on Earp. He’s taken a lot of abuse over the years from the other two, Oleander in particular. Of course, any adventure involv- ing these men will bring in Jonah Mosley and the other members of the Brigade. A group who stands in opposition to these evil forces will no doubt gain an ally in Rusty Bedingfield. Rusty is a good man and his burgeoning psiron-inspired abilities means that he could accomplish more than another man might.

An interesting campaign idea might be for the characters to be Saurian ranchers themselves, coming under pressure from Wilcox and his gang. The characters could either be part of the same family, fighting to protect their lands, or else members of various ranches who have decided to band together to end the continuing threats