The following section contains modifications to the Fading Suns rules, as well as discussions of the the game system. In particular I tend toward a much 'harder' stance on reality and science, and will try to logically explain certain features of the system (particularly the spaceship rules).

• New Autofire Rules
• New Initiative System
• Summary of Combat Sequence and List of All Combat Methods
• New Shield Rules
• Fading Suns effect
• New and additional weapons
• New Comprehensive CyberWare listing (still being constructed...)
• Death and Medicine options.
• Optional Dice Rolling System - 2d10

Autofire rules.

Rather than get a simple +1 dmg for firing three bullets at someone I thought it would be more realistic if each bullet were determined seperately...

The player rolls as many dice as they are firing bullets. They allocate the dice results as they see fit. A modifier of -4 is applied to the second bullet, -6 to the third, -8 to the fourth and -10 to the rest. The effects of a dodge are applied to ALL bullets.

Eg: a player fires three bullets at an opponent, they roll 12, 16 and 9. Their goal was 13.

For the first bullet they assign result 12, target is 13, so it hits, 4 successes.

For the second bullet they assign 9, target is 13-4=9, a critical hit (if you allow them), 3 or 6 successes.

For the fourth bullet they assign 16, target is 13-6=7, a miss.

The target rolls 4 successes on their dodge so only bullet one would hit unless you allow critical rolls.

With regard to critical rolls, I am of the opinion they should be ignored, simply inflicting normal damage.

This system also allows you to determine the number of hits against a shield as well.

For full autofire I suggest a straight penalty of -6, roll dice equal to bullets, spread hits over targets in the area affected. Normally a 2 meter area is covered, each extra meter might cause an extra -2 to goal.

Suppression fire can be used by firing a number of bullets over a specified area, bullets divided evenly. Anyone enetering each meter area is attacked at the appropriate goal. Bullets that didnt hit remain to attack the next person entering the area, but get a further -2 modifier to goal for each successive target. Rolls of 19 or 20 cause the bullet to vanish.

BIOWARE

CYBERWARE.

Improvements.

Cyberware Listing (incomplete)

OrganicWare listing.

The following sections are a compilation of cyber rules from various RPG games, such as Cyberpunk and Shadowrun. They have all been converted to Fading Suns with extra comments that I feel appropriate. They are all my own interpretations.

Each item will have information as follows:

Basic Technology Level, based around FS 1-10 levels.

For my own purposes I have categorised medical and cybertech into the following levels.

TL4 - Equivalent to modern medicine, c1980.

TL5 - somewhat in our future, some organicware*, basic cyberware.

TL6 - real cyberware, more organicware, begin nanotech**.

TL7 - very good cyberware, good organicware, improved nanotech.

TL8 - very good organicware, start designer organicware***, real nanotech.

TL9 - very good nanotech, start designer nanotech, better designer organic.

TL10 - Designer Organic, Designer Nanotech.

*Organicware is the use of organic parts to suppliment or enhance natural organs etc

**Nanotech is the use of molecular machines, either mechanical and/or chemical, to alter the structure of the body at the cellular and molecular level.

*** Designer items are genetically coded to the individual or work at both the cellualr and genetic level to acheive their changes

Surgery Codes - the minimum level of medical service required to install the cyberware.

M - Minimal, day clinic or similar walk in walk out surgery. Most operations require about 1 hour, do minor damage (1 point).

N - Notable, Medical center or advanced day clinic. Most operations require 1-3 hours and do 2-4 damage.

C - Considerable, Hospital surgery or major medical centre. Most operations take 3-6 hours and do 3-6 damage

S - Severe, hospital surgery. Most operations take 4-12 hours and may need multiple sessions over a period of time (two weeks). Damage to the body is life threatening (75% of wounds).

A - Awesome, advanced hospital surgery. Most operations take 8-24 hours and will be spread over a month or more. The client dies from this level of surgery so needs the appropriate support equipment to keep them alive and to allow healing. Damage to the body is 100%.

Cybernetic Rating

The number of cyber points the equipment is worth, which must be matched to your Alien trait on a two for one basis. In general organicware is less soul destroying then cyberware, but may suffer from rejection or stress malfunctions.

Further, organicware comes in two forms; 'homegrown' and 'out of the vat'.

Homegrown organicware is grown from your own cells and DNA, removing any problems with rejection etc. It costs twice as much as listed and takes longer as the 'equipment' needs to be grown.

'Out of the vat' is grown from genetically neutralised stock, so that rejection and other problems are reduced to a minimum. Users of this equipment however must maintain a regular monthly injection of medicine to avoid complications. This medicine is reasonably harmless. If not taken then maintenance rolls should drop 1 level. If the organicware is injured or becomes infected or damaged their is a chance the body will reject it entirely (roll d20 less than Endurance). This will be represented by an initial attack where the body does 4 pts of damage to itself (treat Endurance as armour). The victim breaks out into fever and all rolls are at -4 (including your Endurance rolls). A further 1 damage will be inflicted every 6 hours until the organicware is removed or the attack is over come by taking the appropriate medicine. Medical treatment can heal damage done but cannot remove the attacks.

Benefice Costs.

Cost to purchase the item at character creation time.

Concealability

How obvious the equipment is to a casual viewer in normal circumstances, such as meeting in the street. Extended contact or scrutiny will make it easier to detect. The value is a modifier to any perception based roll. If it is marked with an "A" then the perception must be deliberate. If it is marked with a "P" then passive observation may notice it, in which case an active observation will be at +4 better.

Maintenance

A rough guide to the amount of maintenance required to support the cyberware.

A - simple device, care once per week by owner, no tools and no skill required.

B - ordinary device, care once per week, tools required, no TR skill roll required.

C - detailed device, care once per week, tools and kit required, TR skill roll required at +3 goal.

D - complex device, care once per week, tools and kit required, TR skill roll at +1 goal.

E - very complex device, care once per week, tools and kit required, TR skill roll.

In all cases the Tech Tedemption (TR) skill required is High Tech or Cybernetics. A failed TR roll MAY! cause problems, up to the GM and the situation.

Organicware is mostly automaintaining but at no extra cost (this is built in to the cost).

A - fully self maintaining.

B - Minor medication required once per week.

C - Major medication required once per week.

D - Major medication required every 2 to 3 days

E - You need it every day!

Stability

The devices inherent sturdiness and reliability under stress situations, or when they take damage or shock. The GM should ask for this roll when she feels it is warranted. If the player rolls greater than the goal the device is damaged or may malfunction. Increased TL will usually mean increased stability, each TL above the base will increase the value 1 point.

Cyberware Listing (incomplete)

OrganicWare listing.

Optics

Audio

Tactile

Olfactory

Cyber Limbs

Cyber Limbs

Hands & Feet

Built Ins

Cyber Weapons

Linear Frames

Body Plating

Death and Medicine

Characters that reach 0 or less wounds are unconscious and dying. Without medical aid they will quickly die. With it they may be saved. Once they reach wound 0 or less they will continue to lose 1 pt per 10 turns upto their Vigor+Endurance, at which point they are really dead. To save them before this will require medical skill and equipment.

To stop them from losing further points a STABPATCH must be applied, this will begin stablizing the body in the short term, to prevent further lose and shock. This must then be followed by medical treatment to properly stabilize the patient.

Treatment can commence with a diagnosis roll (PERC+MED), this can be used as a complimentary roll for the following Treatment roll (WITS??+MED). The diagnosis roll will require 2 rounds to perform, although it can be done in one round with -2 to goal. Once this is settled then treatment can begin. Treatment can begin without diagnosis but will be at -2 to goal.

Treatment consists of a single roll with a goal modified by the number of points the patient is negative. Each treatment will take 10 + (5xnegative wounds) rounds. A successful treatment roll will reduce the current wounds by its VP level, but not above 0. Repeated rolls may be made if unsuccessful but the second is at -2, the third at -6, and each requires the same amount of time. Once successful the patient is stablized and must be taken to a medical centre of rest and recovery. The patient should then make an END+VIGOR roll, less remaining negative wounds. If they pass then they will recover with time. If they fail they will have suffered some major permanent effect (limb or organ damage) and will likely need a cybernetic or organware replacement. If they fumble then something goes wrong and they die anyway.

Field treatment will be good for 1 + VP hours, after which the patient begins taking damage again, 1 point every 15 minutes, but this cannot be stopped without proper hospital level care.

Eg: George has Endurance 6, after a fight he takes a final wound that carries him to -3 wounds, he falls down unconscious and dying. With a Vigor of 5 he will take 80 rounds (4 minutes) to die. His friend Julie is a doctor and rushes to help him. She starts by getting out her MedStik and setting it up (2 rds), this will give her +1 to her diagnosis roll. She spends a full 2 rds examining him and then makes her roll (PERC+MED=5+7=12). She rolls 10 and gets 3VPs which she can add to her treatment roll.

She gets out a StabPatch and applies it (2rd), applies some GOO (2rds), and uses Sealer to close off. Her WITS+MED goal is 6+7=13. This is reduced by 3 due to the wound level. She has goal modifiers of 2 + (1+1)/2 = 3 for medical stuff, and 3 from her diagnosis. She rolls 12, which is less than her goal of 16. This is 5VPs so Georges wound state is reduced by that many points, but not past 0.

The following equipment can be used to assist field treaments. The value in brackets is a goal modifier applied to Treatment or Diagnosis rolls. With treatment only the first modifier applied is at full effect, any others used count only half their value.

Dice Rolls

The following was sent to the mail list by Jay, I have stolen it for others to have a look.

The table below shows:

CDFs: cumulative mass functions (discrete distributions don't have densities--forgive my little pedantries :).

PMFs: probability mass functions.

E(R): expected value of a roll given the goal number in the left-most column.

I assumed: (a) you always get at least 1 VP and (b) a botch is worth -1.

Just so you know.

Jay Verkuilen jayv@uiuc.edu

The Fading Suns

The stars are fading.... that would mean ice ages, death of plant life etc etc etc. I rationalise it as follows:

On the subject of Fading Suns... someone suggested it was metaphysical, that idea occurred to me after I wrote the original message. You could say that Gods flame is fading rather than the physical nature of the stars themselves, this would allow life to go on but spiritualism is fading s the pancreators light is not reflected onto his/her believers. This fits in nicely with the church, as it would be them that would see this mostly, which gives them extra power etc. It also means that something really is wrong with the way the universe is going, at least in the pancreators eyes.

Other suggestions were that the end of the galaxy guess has been dropped from 100,000,000 to 50,000,000 years. The church then leapt upon this for propaganda purposes and played it up as a divine effect. All it really was, was a recalculation of the end of the universe.

New and Additional Fading Suns Weapons

Last updated Sunday, December 13, 1998

The Fading Suns roleplaying game has been in existence for just over a year now, and there are many elements of the game system that have aspects to them that make the players, and GamesMasters, think a little bit. This particular page presents a whole series of new and additional weapons for the roleplaying game, and there's some really dangerous (but highly innovative) stuff here.

A Few Weapon-related Combat Changes

The following are a series of option rules for weapons combat and the like, all of which are courtesy of Paul Monteleoni. Use these as you see fit.

1. All melee weapons have an extra +1 initiative to reflect their increased reach compared to hand-to-hand attacks.
2. Rapiers have +2 initiative (instead of the +1 I use for other melee weapons) because of their lightness (this is to give them some advantage over broadswords, and is pretty realistic.
3. Rapiers, scimitars and main-gauches also give +1 goal on parries. This is to make them good at parrying, which in reality they are supposed to be.
4. Ranged Weapons (not bows, but guns, energy weapons, etc) have +1 initiative (for parity with melee weapons- - the idea basically is that hand-to-hand combat is not a high-initiative thing).
5. Guns, blasters, grenades, etc. do +2 dice of damage. This is both for reality and to make them worse against shields and emphasize the necessity of hand-to-hand combat to slip under shields (as one can see in Frank Herbert's Dune). As it stands, light pistols will just about always slip through shields, and do as much damage as a karate kick.

New Melee Weapons

Crucible Sword

Tech Level: 5

Benefice Cost: 4

Firebird Cost: 500

A weapon actually developed after the fall of the Second Republic, the Crucible Sword was developed by a Li Halan weaponsmith, incorporating leftover Second Republic temperature-resistant polymers and heating cores, producing a broadsword with a milky, translucent blade. Although the polymer plastic which forms the blade is too blunt to hold a good edge, when the heating core in the hilt is activated, the blade quickly heats up, glowing a fiery yellow-white and searing anything it touches. It takes 3 turns for the core to fully heat up the blade, but once it does, the blade delivers +2 DMG, and those two extra dice can leak through armor and shields like a flamegun. The heating core can last for 20 turns on a fusion cell. Still used by the Li Halan, the Crucible Sword has also found popularity amongst Brother Battle monks, Avestites, and the occasional Hawkwood.

Initiative: +1, Goal -, DMG 5 (+2), STR 4, SIZ L.

This weapon was created by Author Unknown.

Glaive

Tech Level: 1

Benefice Cost: 0

Firebird Cost: 20

Glaives are pole-arms that feature a slicing blade set atop a 6' pole, and include the medieval weapon of the same name, as well as other sword-staffs such as the Japanese naginata. The peasant scythe is somewhat similar, if more unwieldy (-2 penalty on attack rolls).

Roll Dx+Melee, Initiative +1, DMG 6, STR 6, SIZ XL

This weapon created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin)

Halberd

Tech Level: 1

Firebird Cost: 30

Halberds are good, general-purpose pole-arms used among some regiments of guards in the employ of noble houses. Halberds are essentially 6' long spears, with a single axe-head attached, opposite which is a curved spike or hook. Similar weapons include the jedburg axe and voulge. A halberd could be used to chop, thrust, or hook and forcibly dismount rival cavalry. To hook a mounted opponent, the character must make an attack with a -2 penalty. If successful, the rider must make a Ride skill roll or be forcibly dismounted.

Roll Dx+Melee , Initiative +1, DMG 7, STR 6, SIZ XL

This weapon created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin)

Polar Blade

Tech Level: 5

Benefice Cost: 1

Firebird Cost: +15

A favored Decados dueling weapon, this rapier is built around a high-powered electromagnet which can be activated by a contact pad on the handgrip. This magnet, which can be activated 20 times on its power-cell, can give a +2 goal (cumulative) to the Disarm maneuver, as the Polar Blade sticks to the opponent's weapon, helping to yank it from his grip. Usually built into a normal-looking rapier, this device can also be incorporated into a main-gauche. It has the same stats as whichever weapon it appears as.

This weapon was created by Author Unknown.

Quicksaber

Tech Level: 7

Benefice Cost: 4

Firebird Cost: 1500

A rare weapon cherished by those Hazat who can get their hands on one, the Quicksaber is a dueling saber with a Second Republic inertial damper built into the basket hilt, making the saber unnaturally fast and easy to swing. It may be used for the same action up to three times in a turn, like a firearm.

Initiative: +3, Goal -, DMG 6, STR 2, SIZ L.

This weapon was created by Author Unknown.

Trick Blade

Tech Level: 5

Benefice Cost: 2

Firebird Cost: 40

The Trick Blade, also used gleefully by Decados across the Known Worlds, appears to be a normal rapier, but servo-motors can rotate the blade in its housing at the flick of a switch, causing the entire blade to whip around into a new position. This gives a +2 goal to any Feint or Counter Parry maneuver, but will only work twice on any particular opponent in any particular engagement, in addition to his two regular feints.

Initiative: +2, Goal -, DMG 5, STR 3, SIZ L.

This weapon was created by Author Unknown.

Trident

Tech Level: 0

Benefice Cost: 0

Firebird Cost: 3

Tridents are the two or three pronged spears used by some primitive fishermen, that can be used to stab or thrown short distances. Peasant's pitchforks are similar, although they are less suitable for throwing (-2 attack penalty).

Roll Dx+Melee, Initiative +1, DMG 5, STR 3, RNG -, Rate -, SIZ XL

Roll Dx+Throwing, Initiative +1, DMG 5, STR 3, RNG 10/20, Rate 1, SIZ XL

This weapon created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin)

Two-Handed Hammer

Tech Level: 1

Benefice Cost: 0

Firebird Cost: 20

This includes the large sledgehammers and mallets used by labourers and peasants, as well as the mighty crushing hammers and maces crafted specifically for battle.

Roll Dx+Melee, Initiative +1, DMG 7, STR 6, SIZ XL

This weapon created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin)

New Ranged Weapons

Machine Pistol:

Tech Level: 5

Benefice Cost: 3

Firebird Cost: 250

A finely-crafted light autofeed pistol, styled to look like the ones on the cover of Lords of the Known Worlds, Machine Pistols are usually not mass-produced, but made especially by weaponsmiths for their clients. These guns are often one-of-a-kind, and sometimes have names, such as Serfbane, famed sidearm to the deceased Baron Frederick Lancaster Hawkwood.

Initiative: +1,* Goal -, DMG 6,* RNG 10/20, 13 Shots, Rate 3(A), SIZ S.

This weapon was created by Author Unknown.

Repeating Crossbow

Tech Level: 1

Benefice Cost: 1

Firebird Cost: 20

Repeating crossbows are unusual 45 lb. pull bows, based on the ancient Chinese chu-ko-nu. They feature a wooden hopper of 12 small bolts on top, rapidly cocked between each shot using a fixed lever. However, while this does mean this weapon can fire its 12 bolts rapidly without reloading, it does reduce the overall power and range. It uses the same light bolts as the Hand Crossbow that cost 3 wings each. It should be noted that it takes 1 action to open the hopper, and 1 action to reload each bolt.

Roll Dx+Shoot, STR 3, DMG 3, RNG 10/20, Shots 12, Rate 3, SIZ M

This weapon was created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin).

Voroxian Bolorang

Tech Level: 1

Benefice Cost: 1

Firebird Cost: 5 for Vorox, 15 for non-Vorox

This unusual Voroxian hunting weapon is a large bolas, with 3 thongs, each 4' in length. Each thong is weighted with a chipped and polished flatstone as large as a human hand. Stiff feathers are knotted at regular intervals along the length of each thong. Only feral Vorox, or those raised in their culture, can use the bolorang with any effectiveness; even civilised Vorox have proven unable to master this weapon. Thrown with accuracy, the bolorang is a superb hunting weapon, especially with the brute power of a Vorox propelling it, and skilled users can send the bolorang along a trajectory that will return it to the thrower's hand if it misses the intended target. Even more impressive is the fact that this weapon defies all known laws of aerodynamic physics, as it will entangle small prey and continue along its return path to the thrower. It can also be used to entangle larger targets up to human sized although these are too large to be returned; choke targets when thrown around their necks; or even used as a makeshift flail in close combat. The feral Vorox are nearly as touchy about their bolorangs as the civilised Vorox are about their glankesh swords, a fact that the Engineers (who regard the bolorang as an enticing puzzle of aerodynamic principles) often seem oblivious to. The bolorang requires the Throwing skill for effective use, or Melee skill in those rare occurrences it is used in close combat.

Dx+Throwing, Initiative -, Goal -1, DMG 4*, STR 6, RNG 15/25, Rate 1, SIZ L

* A character may add his Strength damage bonus.

Entangling and Returning Small Prey: If the character elects to make his attack roll with a -2 penalty, he can have the bolorang return to him, even if it hits a target the size of a rabbit or smaller. In such cases the target is entangled in the bolorang and returned to the thrower, unharmed, as the bolorang continues along its trajectory. It arrives, still entangled, and is then easily despatched. Even if the attack misses the target, the bolorang will continue back to the thrower. The thrower can, of course, elect not to have the bolorang return, and make the attack without the -2 penalty, simply entangling the target.

Entangling Larger Targets: If the thrower attempts to entangle a larger target, such as a human being, he simply makes a standard attack roll. If successful, the entangled target is impeded, suffering a -6 penalty on all actions until she spends two actions escaping. No roll is required to escape.

Going for the Neck: If the thrower succeeds in an attempt to entangle the neck of a target (-6 attack penalty) the target suffers 3 DMG per turn until the bolorang is removed. Due to the bolorang's long, tangled, weighted thongs, the victim must make a Strength + Vigor roll with a -4 penalty to rip it off. The bolorang can be cut off using two actions if someone, including the victim, has a suitable tool on hand.

This weapon was created by Colin (Psychedelic Goblin).

New Initiative System

Card based actions system...

The number of cards you get per turn is equal to a roll vs DEX+WITS, converted to VPs (divided by 3). If you roll more then you are limited to one action.

Each extra card will be performed at -2 accumulative after the first. This modifier however will be added to your fumble result roll, so if you fumble a -6 action you get +6 to the fumble roll (bad).

If you roll a critical you get twice as many cards but only keep half of them (get better cards).

Red joker is free action.

Black joker is discard, no action.

Actions are performed in card order, starting from Aces and going down. As a card is called you must decide to do one of three things:

• perform an action.
• perform no action, discard.
• keep the card as a held action, but only one such card may be held at anytime, and it is lost at the end of the round. A held card may be used as any lower card. It will inherit the next appropriate penalty based as if played in that order.

You can complement an initiative roll with a 'focus action' by spending a whole action (the last for that round) before on it. Any penalty is applied to this roll. A focus action is a skill roll but actions of the next turn must use that skill or be non-activity based (no other skills).

Eg:

Kevin has D+W of 12, he rolls 8, which means he can tale 2 cards. He MAY perform upto 2 actions. The second action will be at -2.

Eg:

Kevin has D+W of 12, he rolls 12, he draws 8 cards and keeps only 4. He may perform four actions with mods of 0,-2,-4,-6. If he picked a red joker he may take a free, no mods action at anytime. If he draws a black joker he discards immediately, then reduces to 4 cards.

Eg

Kevin has D+W of 12. He has Shoot+Dex of 16. He decides to prepare for a concentrated round of shooting, so he spends an entire action complementing his next action, which is specified as a "shoot" round. He rolls 13 and gets +4 to the SUCCESSES of his next rounds initiative roll. Next round if he rolls 13 or more he only gets one action! If he rolls less then 4 is added to that value and that is counted as his roll. If he rolled 8, +4 = 12 which is 4 cards.