Uncle Jimbo's Bug Huntin' Range
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They left it out in the Oort before we crawled from the sea. The gate of Paradise. Or the mouth of Hell. |
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Bug Huntin' Home |
Species Briefing: Sesheyan Nature and Society The sesheyans are a species with primitive technology and a timeless mindset which seems dreamy and simple. They are also known to have travelled through both human and t'sa space not more than 3000 years ago. Their genetically corrected bodies do not suffer cancer or birth defects and remain strong and healthy for centuries. This does not surprise or disturb the sesheyans; in fact, very little can disturb the mind of a sesheyan, as they seem to be the most well-adjusted intellects ever discovered. Sesheyans react to every event with the same calm inscrutability. Rather than suppressing their knowledge and emotions, they seem to ignore inconsistencies and continue in serene confidence that everything is as it must be. Even the most sophisticated sesheyans believe that their life is guided by the will of the Ancient Ones, wise and hidden beings who have great power. Young sesheyans perform a vision quest in which the Ancient Ones give obscure prophecies for the sesheyan's future life. Humans are often disturbed to learn that the Ancient Ones grant insight into super-technology, such as Forerunner artifacts and the Gates themselves. The Populations Sesheyans are found on two isolated worlds, which can be treated separately. Sesheyans of Ketann: Many of the earliest intelligent colonists of Ketann-Sa are part of the mixed t'sa and human culture which is developing there. They remain in their own communities or in clan rookeries within human and t'sa towns. Some perform labouring and semi-skilled jobs that do not require great strength, working at night or in darkened buildings. Others are trained by the corporations and t'sa groups for covert work, impressed by their unique abilities and steady reliability. More sesheyans work for t'sa than for humans, since the Fifth Line cheerfully interferes while UN humans are loath to disturb sesheyan culture. Ketann-Sa is a warm, damp planet with one medium and several small continents. Gravity is 0.85g. The sea life of Ketann-Sa is quite advanced, but native land plants and animals are similar to those of Old Earth's Cambrian era. Plants are soft-stemmed and do not grow higher than about 2m. Native animals are small-brained amphibians, up to about dog-sized, and non-flying arthropods similar to sandhoppers. Geological processes have formed extensive cave systems where the more primitive sesheyan clans still live. The ruins on Ketann-Sa are assumed to be of the race, or races called Forerunners. Dating has proved difficult due to the unfamiliar radiation response of many Forerunner materials. The remains are heavily decayed and difficult to find visually. Sesheyans are also found on Ketann-Ozen, as crew on the in-system shipping of Ketann, and even in Old Sol and O'a. Those who have left their homeworld have greater technical knowledge and have abandoned many of the spiritual beliefs of groundling sesheyans. Sesheyans of Tau Ceti: The UN has interdicted this system for human trade and colonisation, due to the unknown dangers of the Tau Ceti Object. The Cetian sesheyans remain in their millennia-old isolation. Tau Ceti II is an Earthlike planet with ruins of an advanced PL 6 culture. At an unknown time in the past it was heavily bombarded with advanced weapons (at least equivalent to human carbon bombs). The planet was deforested by global fires, causing major and long-lasting climatic damage. Two sub-continental land masses were destroyed, leaving crustal rifts that continue to pour lava and gases in shield volcanic systems considerably larger than the Martian Olympus Mons. The planet's orbit has become more eccentric, and its axial tilt is shifting in a chaotic manner due to core disturbances. The persistent particulate clouds and albedo shift caused by these events has pushed the planet into a highly unstable Ice Age cycle. The sesheyans had no part in these events, and in fact, seem to have arrived on the planet after the worst environmental effects had subsided. As humans have come to expect, sesheyan oral traditions say almost nothing about how they arrived, much less where the sesheyans might have come from. Sesheyans live in the former race's underground complexes and ruined buildings, avoiding the worst damaged areas which are still radioactive. They hunt the animals which remain on the planet. Their staple prey is a medium-sized omnivore species which seems to have once been domesticated. On their vision quests, a few young Cetian sesheyans of particular skill find (or, by some theories, are led to) artifacts of high technology. Choose Mutations Sesheyans do not have Spacer adaptations or mutations. Determine Ability Scores Find the character's ability scores in order by the following rolls: Str 5+d6, Dex 11+d4, Con 4+d6, Int 4+d10, Wil 7+d8, Per 5+d6. Choose a Profession and career. A sesheyan Combat Spec may have a Strength score of 10. A sesheyan Diplomat may have a Personality of 10. Species Abilities Sesheyans have the species abilities described in the Player's Handbook (flight, zero-G ability, falling, night vision, light sensitivity). In addition, sesheyans are unused to human and t'sa technology and suffer skill penalties for using some items. Sesheyans of Ketann have a +1 penalty to use items of PL 5 to 7, which can be eliminated by paying 4 skill points. Sesheyans of Tau Ceti have a +2 penalty to use items of PL 3 to 7, which can be reduced to +1 (but not eliminated) by paying 4 skill points. Note that sesheyans have no penalties to use Forerunner artifacts of PL 8 or higher. Purchase Skills See Chapter 4: Skills, with the following changes: Free Skills (Sesheyan) Melee Weapons, Acrobatics, Stamina, Knowledge, Awareness, Awareness-intuition, Resolve, Interaction. Modified Skills Armor Operation: Not available to sesheyans. Vehicle Operation-land: The character can drive two of the following: bikes (including skybikes), cars (including skycars), heavy vehicles (including grav-trucks and grav-armour). Vehicle Operation-space: The character is skilled in piloting one type of spacecraft: orbital (planetary thrusters only), light commercial (up to Light Freighter), heavy commercial. Knowledge-language: Sesheyan language covers both Ketann and Tau Ceti populations. For sesheyans of Ketann, English language and t'sa language are Open skills with cost 1. For Cetian sesheyans, English language is a Diplomat skill with cost 2. Sesheyans may not begin play with other languages than those listed here. Medical science-xenomedicine: T'sa (Ketann) or human cost 3 Tech Op. Tech Science-repair: The following skill is available to sesheyans of Ketann only: New Skills Melee Weapons-staff: Cost 3 Combat Spec. Staff weapons are the quarterstaff, spear, polearm and pulse staff. Opponents with shorter weapons are treated as if under suppressive fire (+2 to skill checks to attack, unless the opponent ignores the staff weapon and automatically takes damage) Melee Weapons-thrown blade: Cost 3 CF. Requires blade. Covers the dagger, spear, hand axe, combat knife, javelin, shuriken. Modern Ranged Weapons-grenade: Cost 3 Combat Spec. Base ability Strength. Gives the equivalent of broad skill check to throw other objects. Physical Science-Gate knowledge: Available to Cetian sesheyans only. Cost 4 DT. Allows guess of an unexplored Iteration's likely point of arrival (+1 difficulty) and gives a probability of falling into Darkness (+2 Difficulty). Craft: Broad skill (Dex). Cost 3 Open. Specialty skills (eg. woodcarving) 2. Awareness-detect evil: Cost 3 Open. Sesheyans do not gain bonuses with a graviton detector. Resolve-disbelieve: Cost 3 Open. Resolve-resist drugs: Cost 4 FD. Buying Specific Skills at Higher Ranks PCs can increase a skill by one rank per level (maximum rank 2 at 1st level, 4 at 2nd level etc.) Rank 3 cannot be purchased at 1st level. Select Perks and Flaws Modified Perks and Flaws Alien Artifact: Available to Cetian sesheyans only. Those who are gifted with alien artifacts (not those with Flaws) may purchase the skills to use them at list price –1. Filthy Rich: Not available. Powerful Ally/Powerful Enemy: Replace with Corporate Involvement (no cost) or Alignment Involvement for sesheyans of Ketann (2 skill points). The character has done secret and sensitive work for one of the power blocs (excluding Non-Integrated) or t'sa alignments. While he/she can call on favors and assistance, the character is also marked by one, or several other intelligence services as an agent of that bloc. Sesheyans with Alignment Involvement may examine the t'sa species briefing. Psionic Awareness: Not available. Dirt Poor: Starting cash is E100-1000. The character has at least one debt. The sesheyan can go into debt to a second creditor, gaining starting cash of E1000-4000. The character's debts are E10-35x1000 (5+5d6) to each creditor. Phobia: Not available. Choose Motivation Choose from the following, or some other suggested motivation: Idealist Moral Attitude and Character Traits: As desired Complete Character Action check (M/O/G/A), actions per round, combat movement, durability, unarmed attack damage, encumbrance (see p56), throwing distance (see p57), skill check (M/O/G/A) Starting Cash Unless stated under Perks/Flaws, each sesheyan has E1000-10000 starting cash. This represents a FTO balance which can be spent on any personal equipment (not vehicles or employees) or saved. Characters have the following free equipment: |