New Edges (Fantasy)

I came up with a handful of new edges the other day, and these are the ones that best fit into a Fantasy style game.

Master Bowman
Requirements: Veteran, Smarts d6+, Shooting d10+, Notice d6+
By paying attention to prevailing winds, relative positioning between himself and his targets, and having a solid understanding of his weapon itself, a Master Bowman may increase the base range of his bow by +1/3rd when using it.

Warrior Monk
Requirements: Seasoned, Martial Artist, Spirit d8+, Fighting d8+
A warrior monk's extensive training has lead to his ability to land more focused attacks, resist minor aches and pains, and to natually roll with incoming attacks.  The Warrior Monk gains AP1 on all of his Hand to Hand and Melee Attacks.  Additionally, the character has +1 Armor versus Melee, Hand to Hand, and Thrown attacks, but not attacks from other Ranged sources.

Arrowcutter
Requirements: Seasoned, Agility d8+, Notice d6+, Fighting d8+
If a hero is aware of the incoming attack, then his opponent must use the hero's Parry value (modified by Range) instead of a flat target number to hit him with missile weapon attacks.  In campaigns with firearms, this edge may apply against them as well (with the GM's permission, of course), but only if the character spends a benny to use this Edge for the duration of the encounter.

[FUTURE PERFECT] Bioaugmentation

What follows is the ruleset for Bioaugmentations in Future Perfect. The list of available options is by no means exhaustive, and was intended only to give an idea of what is available for characters. I have also not included Costs, simply because they may vary from campaign.

BIOAUGMENTATION

Deliberate alterations to the human body for the purposes of cosmetic or enhanced functionality are called Bioaugmentations. These differ from mutations in that they are changes made with little impact on the human genome. Cybernetics involves the implanting of machine technologies to artificially augment (and sunder) what is humanly possible, but it does so through the use of tools – microscopic ones perhaps, but tools nonetheless. Even Bioenhancements simply seek to extend human capabilities to their maximum, whereas mutations redefine them entirely. Some folks do, however, skirt the line between human and something more.

• Bioaugmentation as a result of deliberate alterations to body physiology and/or function that leaves no discernable causal agent is termed “Bioenhancement”. In general, if an augmentation cannot be removed from a character, it is usually of this type.

• Bioaugmentation as a result of implanted materials and systems that remain relatively unchanged within the human body are referred to by the term “Cyberware”. In short, if an augmentation can be removed from the character, it is generally of this type.

Almost every type of bioaugmentation has a listed Alteration Value in points. A character may have a total number of Bioaugmentations (including cyberware) valuing not more than half of the lower of their Spirit or Vigor dice, plus 2, before they begin to exhibit complications. This value is called their Bio-Threshold, and should be considered a new Derived Statistic. Attributes use only their natural value, and not their augmented one, when determining Bio-Threshold.

For Example: Nick Nasty has a Spirit of d8 and a Vigor of d10. He has to use the lower of these characteristics (his Spirit) when determining how many points of Bioaugmentations he may take before becoming compromised. Thus, Nick Nasty has a Biothreshold of 6.

The nature of these complications vary from individual to individual, but are caused by a multitude of factors, including the body’s rejection of foreign materials, changes to an individuals psyche due to the formation of new identity constructs, and latent genetic instabilities. When a character's total Alteration Value exceeds their Bio-Threshold, these complications are noted as an equal value of Hindrances.


BIOENHANCEMENTS

Bioaugmentation as a result of deliberate alterations to body physiology and/or function that leaves no discernable causal agent is termed “Bioenhancement”. In general, if an augmentation cannot be removed from a character, it is usually of this type.

Some people call them forced mutations, others call them controlled biogenic manipulations. Either way, Bioenhancements are a popular – if expensive – means of enhancing human capability with little risk of genetic instability or the stigma (and mechanical limitations) of cybernetic implantation. Bioenhancements are natural, in the sense that they are made to occur within a person’s own body, without having to implant machines or graft synthetic materials. The downside to Bioenhancements is the increased likelihood of introducing genetic instability. While not so prominant a feature as with Mutates who have clearly crossed over certain genetic boundaries, Bioenhanced characters are pushing their biological limits, keeping within “safe” constraints, though in some cases, only barely.

BIOENHANCEMENT OPTIONS

[0 pts] Limb / Body Part Replacements: Limb Replacements and other body parts use cloned tissue from the host in order to restore what was lost.

[3 pts] Cognitive Repatterning: +1 to Smarts and Smarts Skill Rolls

[3 pts] MCS (Motor/Coordination Sequencing): +1 to Agility and Agility Skill Rolls

[2 pts] Defensive Reflex Response Increase: +1 Parry

[3 pts] Biosystem Refinement: +1 to all Vigor Rolls

[2 pts] Decreased Trauma Sensitivity: +1 Toughness

[1 pt] Neuromuscular Locking: Character can remain perfectly steady; +1 to any skill rolls where such steadyiness is relevant (for example: Surgury, Disabling a Bomb, Resisting the Wind during a Climb, partially negating unstable platform penalties, etc).

[1 pt] Perfect Balance: Negate up to four points of penalties to Agility rolls due to narrow of difficult terrain; Character may make an Agility roll to negate the movement penalties over such terrain.

[1 pt] Eidetic Memory: Character can remember even the smallest of details, provided he makes a Smarts roll.

[3 pts] Equilibrium Response Mechanisms: +1 to Spirit and Spirit Skill Rolls

[1 pt] Lowlight Vision Upgrade: Lowlight Vision

[1 pt] Hyper-Efficient Endurance: +2 to Resist being Fatigued

[1-2 pts] Multi-Ambulation Muscular Enhancements (MAME):

• (1) +2 Pace, +1 Leaping
• (2) Fleetfooted, +2 Leaping

[2 pts] Digestive Dietary Upgrade: Character can extract nutrients from nearly anything he can ingest, including garbage, biopolymers, and even soil.

[2 pts] Respiratory Refinement: Character needs only to make a vigor roll every 10 minutes he/she is unable to breathe.

[1 pt] Offensive Bone Spurs: Body Weapon, Str+1d4

CYBERNETICS & CYBERWARE

Bioaugmentation as a result of implanted materials and systems that remain relatively unchanged within the human body are referred to by the term “Cyberware”. In short, if an augmentation can be removed from the character, it is generally of this type.

CYBERNETIC OPTIONS:

[2 Pts] Full Limb Replacement: Normal STR, Any Appearance; Implanted System Total Cost is halved; Implants only affect Limb; Matching limbs cost half for each additional limb; Paired systems on matching limbs have Total Cost halved yet again. Modular limbs that may be swapped as needed cost an additional point.

[1pt] Hand Replacement: Normal STR, Any Appearance; Implanted System Total Cost is halved; Implants only affect Limb; Paired systems on matching limbs have Total Cost halved. Modular limbs that may be swapped as needed cost an additional point. Cybernetic Hands may have no more than 3 AV points of implants.

[0 pt] Eye Replacement (Simply to restore vision)
Optical Enhancements:

• [1 pt] Lowlight Vision: Character can see normally in all but total darkness.
• [1 pt] Infravision: Character sees heat sources, and halves all penalties imposed by darkness.
• [1 pt] Telescopic Vision: Negates up to four points of penalties for range.
• [1 pt] Microscopic Vision: Negates up to four points of penalties for size.
• [1 pt] OES (Optical Equilibrium System): Character gains a +4 to all attempts to resist being blinded or dazed due to optic stimuli.
• [1 pt] Internal Systems Display: The Status of any implanted cybersystem is superimposed over character’s normal vision.

[2 pts] IPlugs: Any number of plugs; No more than Half Smarts Die in concurrent links may be active at one time. Character may link to pluggable devices including vehicles, weapons, computers, etc.

[2 pts] Neural Multiprocessor: Character is considered +1 Die type to Smarts for the purposes of Iplug and Skillware Connections; May perform distinct tasks with independent cyber systems at the same time.

[1 pt] Certified Neurostorage System: Character may hold one standard data unit of information in their brain. The information is not something that is accessible the user without the use of Iplugs (yes, it means a character whould have to rig his own brain to stream the data).

[2 pts] Biopolymer Muscle Enhancements: +1 Strength Die

[2 pts] Bio-Tuning and Organ Enhancements: +1 Vigor Die

[2 pts] Skeletal Reinforcement: +1 Toughness

[1 pts] Dermal Reinforcement: +1 Armor

[2 pts] Body Plating: +2 Armor, Visible unless covered

[1 pt] Joint Replacements: +2 to Agility based Grappling, Escape, or Contortion Rolls

[2 pts] Implanted Gyroscopic Balance with BioFiber Grafting: +2 to Pace

[1 pt] Retrograde Knee Joints: Character is a -1 Pace while walking and takes a -1 to all Climbing rolls, but gains +2 to Pace while running, and 2” of leaping with a running start.

[3+ pts] Skillware Chipset: 2 Points for Skill System, +1 pt per Maximum Skill Value, Able to use one Skill Chip with system, plus any available iPlug slots. Cannot exceed Smarts Die in Chip Value (Max d8) and subject to same concurrent system limits as IPlugs (no more than 1/2 Smarts Die in multiprocessing).

[Var] Body Weaponry - Assumes Weapons are retractable. Subtract one from the cost if they are not.

• (2 pts) Str+1d4 Damage
• (3 pts) Str+1d6 or Str+1d4 AP1
• (4 pts) Str+1d8 or Str+1d6 AP1
• (5 pts) Str+1d8 AP1

[2 pts] Shock Dispersion Dampers: +4 to Resist being “Stunned” by Stun Weapons, the Stun Power, or a similar source.

[1 pts] Nano-Purification System: +2 to rolls resisting the effects of toxins

[2 pts] Nano-Repair System: Character may make a Natural Healing roll once per Day.

[4 pts] Advanced Nano-Repair System: Character may make a Natural Healing roll once per Hour.

[1-2 pts] Bio-Compartment - Character has a hidden compartment in their body.

• (1 pt) Can fit something concealable in palm of one’s hand.
• (2 pts) Can fit something concealable in one’s pocket.

[3 pts] Secondary Shoulder Mount (Requires Skeletal Reinforcement): Character’s torso has been augmented to support a second set of shoulders capable of mounting two cyberlimbs. Any limb so mounted is automatically considered to be Modular, and need not pay for that advantage.

[1 pt] External Power Mount: May power a cyber system with a normal power cell; must define what system(s) the power cell may be used to power.

[4* pts] Implanted Jump-Pack: Fly, with 20 Power Points per Day (Standard cycle charge). *May be split over the cost of two matched cyberlimbs if desired, or mounted on a secondary shoulder mounts for only 3 points if no additional limbs are being attached.

[4 pts] Implanted Defensive Screen: Deflection, with 20 Power Points per Day (Standard cycle charge); No roll for power effect, double point expense increases the effect to -4.

[4 pts] Implanted Ranged Weapon, Choose from among the following:

• Blaster System: Bolt, 20 Power Points per Day (Standard cycle charge)
• Pulse Grenade System: Blast, 20 Power Points per Day (Standard Cycle Charge)
• Flamer: Burst, 20 Power Points per Day (Standard Cycle Charge)
• Stickyball Restraint System: Entangle, 20 Power Points per Day (Standard Cycle Charge)
• Stunner: Stun, 20 Power Points per Day (Standard Cycle Charge)

[5 pts] Implanted Force Projector: Barrier, with 20 Power Points per Day (Standard cycle charge); Maximum effect is 3 contiguous inches, enough to encircle character entirely or create a decent wall of force. Multiple barriers cannot be made; new barriers supercede the old ones.

[0 pts] Cosmetic Wear: Any cybersystem that affects how one looks, but not how one works or operates is purely cosmetic in nature. Cosmetic Wear has no intrinsic complication value.

[2 pts] Targeting System: Character gains a +1 bonus to Shooting and Throwing rolls if the Targetting system is appropriately connected to an Optic System, Cyberoptic IDS, or similar device. Character gains an additional +1 bonus to Shooting rolls when linked (via IPlugs) to a properly rigged weapon.

[1] Enhancement Systems: This is a generalized type of Cyberware that accounts for cybersystems that enhance the usage of normal skills by providing a bonus to the skill roll. Enhancement systems differ from Skillware in that they augment a character's own skills and abilities, whereas Skillware Chips create "false" skills that supersede a character's own capabilities. The player and GM should decide what a particular system is and how it works; combat skills should not be purchased as Enhancement Systems. An enhancement system may grant up to a +2 bonus to the rolls of one skill, if/when appropriate.

BIOAUGMENTATION EDGES

Enhancement happy characters aren’t left totally out in the cold – two new edges exist to help characters manage additional bioaugmentations.

• Bioattunement (Spirit d6 or Vigor d6): A character with this edge has an easier time managing the psychological and physiological impact of cybernetic implants, grafts, and bioaugmentation. The Bioattunement Edge allows a character to use the higher of their Spirit or Vigor, plus an additional point, to determine their Bio-Threshold value.

• Improved Bioattunement (Bioattunement, Seasoned): This Edge allows a character two additional points of augmentation (it grants +2 to Bio-Threshold) before complications begin to arise. Improved Bioattunement may be taken once per rank after Seasoned.

[House Rules] Alternate Experience System

Assigning Experience:

Every Skill gains its own set of Improvement Experience (IXP) that may be spent only on improving that skill. General Experience, however, may be spent on anything, provided the GM approves an improvement. General XP may be spent as IXP when a character is improving a Skill.

Skill Experience:

Listed below is how skills gain their individual Improvement Experience Points, assigned at the end of the play session. Unlike General Experience awards which are added together, Skill Experience is assigned singly to each skill.

The Skill was:

• Used in a common way, but failed [1 IXP]
• Used in an uncommon way, but failed [2 IXP]
• Used successfully one or more times [3 IXP]
• Used successfully in a unique way(s) [4 IXP]
• Used in a way that had a strong impact on game events [5 IXP]
• Used multiple times in ways with a strong impact on game events [6 IXP]
• Used exceptionally well, and changed the course of the game [7 IXP]
• Used exceptionally well, in a unique way, and changed the course of the game [8 IXP]

Skill Improvement Experience Points are tracked for each skill individually. When a skill's current IXP total meets or exceeds ten times the die rating of the next skill die, the skill improves and the current IXP total for a skill is reset back to zero. If a skill die will exceed or already is higher than a skill's governing Attribute, then it costs twice as many IXP to improve the skill.

General Experience:

The Character:

• Was active/present in the game [+1 XP]
• Contributed meaningfully to the game [+1 XP]
• Had an outstanding contribution to the game [+2 XP]
• Overcame a major personal obstacle [+3 XP]
• Met a major personal goal [+3 XP]

The Group:

• Was successful in their efforts [+1 XP]
• Succeeded admirably due to skill and ingenuity (not sheer luck) [+1 XP]
• Overcame a major obstacle [+3 XP]
• Achieved a significant long-term goal [+3 XP]
• Completed a minor storyline [+3 XP]
• Completed a major storyline [+5 XP]

Both Character and Group bonuses add together to total a character's full general experience points for a session. It may be noted that in any given game session, experience earned may fluctuate significantly. Average gains tend to be 4-7 points per session, but may range much higher in those sessions where more dramatic vistas were reached. Character development and advancing the story tend to present more significant bonuses.

Unified Experience Costs:

Skills	Edges*	Characteristics**	XP Cost
New Skill (d4)	New Edge	---	40
d6	Seasoned	d6	60
d8	Veteran	d8	80
d10	Heroic	d10	100
d12	Legendary	d12	120

*In the case of those Edges where there is a demonstrable progression of a single ability (called an Edge Track), the cost of an Edge of superior rank includes those points already spent in earlier, lesser versions of the ability. Edges where there are normal, and then Improved versions tend to be good examples of Edge Tracks.
**For non-humans, consider each improvement value as the basic die before racial modifiers are added. For example, Dwarves, who would gain a +1 Vigor Die and suffer -1 Agility Die (from their maximum), treat Vigor as being one step down the table, and Agility as one step up. So, a Dwarf increasing Vigor from a d8 to a d10 would pay 80 (instead of 100) XP and increasing his Agility from d6 to a d8 would pay 100 XP (instead of 80).

House Rule Musings, Part 2 (Edges)

Alright, so if the question becomes a matter of relative value, we need first to identify precisely what values are relative.

Stock Savage Worlds assigns Edges a value equal to that of Characteristics. Improving a Characteristic is the same, roughly, as acquiring a new edge or a new skill, insofar as experience is concerned. Its all very neat and simple, at least as first glace.

However, unlike Characteristics and Skills, Edges do not improve vertically. In stock Savage Worlds, improvement within a vertical progression retains a fixed cost – it costs no more to improve from a d4 to a d6 than it takes to improve a d10 to a d12. Instead, factors external to the progression system impose limits – Characteristics can only be improved once per rank; Skills higher than controlling attributes require the full Advancement to increase. Edges only have rank requirements and prerequisites.

Generally, the acquisition of Edges represents the broadening of a character’s abilities. Like Feats in the d20 system, Edges are what differentiate characters (on paper, at least), especially those who may have similar skills and characteristics. We want Edges to be accessible and affordable. Similarly, we want prerequisites to remain generally in effect, although only Rank will have any impact on cost. Initial discussion yielded a set of rough comparative values:

Basic Edges have a value similar to becoming well trained in a skill (equivalent to improving to a d6). Seasoned Edges have a value similar to becoming very well trained in a skill (equivalent to improving to a d8). Veteran Edges have a value similar to becoming extremely well trained in a skill (equivalent to improving to a d10). Heroic Edges have a value similar to achieving Mastery of a skill (equivalent of improving to a d12). Legendary Edges have twice the cost of Heroic Edges.

However, those costs seemed ridiculously high when considering that, with the IP tracking system, Skills gained experience constantly. Edges would have to be gained through general experience alone. Furthermore, many of the Legendary Edges were just means of improving Characteristics and Skills beyond the normal maximums. The new experience system could easily accommodate such improvements without using Edges; the few remaining Edges really were not worth the steep additional cost, especially when considering the often stringent prerequisites. A new cost breakdown was needed.

Earned general experience should be between half and a third of what any well used skill will gain per session. Using this as a guideline, the next step involved taking the skill improvement experience costs and dividing them by 3 to yield what could be a better result. Assuming a 10x multiple for skill improvement, and calculating total cost of the skill acquisition (not just from, say d6 to d8, but its cost all the way from nothing) yielded the following:

• Basic Edges: 33 XP (100/3)

• Seasoned Edges: 60 XP (180/3)

• Veteran Edges: 93 XP (280/3)

• Heroic and Legendary Edges: 133 XP (400/3)

Better, but still pretty rough. 3’s, let alone remainders, aren’t helpful for fast play, so we figured rounding the numbers should help. But even at 30-60-90-130 the breakdown was not particularly intuitive. Adjusting the final cost for the Heroic/Legendary group could at least result in costs being multiples of 30, a method much easier to remember. The new working cost values were as follows:

• Basic Edges: 30 XP

• Seasoned Edges: 60 XP

• Veteran Edges: 90 XP

• Heroic/Legendary Edges: 120 XP

Now we were getting somewhere. The range of point costs is more in line with where we want to be. Edges are not prohibitively expensive, but are not incredibly easy to acquire, either. However, when we looked back at the design progression from the process of brainstorming we recalled a couple of things. First, was noting that new edges cost the same as new skills in stock Savage Worlds. And secondly, keeping that in mind, we realized that perhaps the initial assumption - costs should be calculated reflecting skill advancement from unskilled all the way to its current value - was incorrect. From the costs we'd just derived, higher ranked Edges mirrored the costs of Skill advancement from one tier to the next relatively closely. So, we decided to keep costs closer to that standard -- resulting in less to remember and maintaining the spirit of the "FFF" philosophy.

The final costs for Edges in General experience points is:

• Basic Edges: 40 XP (same cost as a new Skill; buying d4)

• Seasoned Edges: 60 XP (Improving to d6)

• Veteran Edges: 80 XP (Improving to d8)

• Heroic Edges: 100 XP (Improving to d10)

• Legendary Edges: 120 XP (Improving to d12)

This method results in generally lower costs, except at the lower ranks. Prerequisites, aside from rank, remain standard. The progression syncs up nicely with the Skill experience system so there is less to learn. Obviously, some edges may need to be modified (or removed) to account for these changes. But otherwise, it works.

Of course, we still need to examine how to improve Characteristics.