Demond Thompson (order #5681779)

Demond Thompson (order #5681779)

Solar Echoes Orientation Guide

Credits
Authors: Andy Mitchell, Matthew Hannum Cover Illustration: Matthew Hannum, Sarah Carter, Jon Aguillon Character Icon Art: Sarah Carter Robot Icon Art: Jon Aguillon Maps: Matthew Hannum Logos: Grace Hong 2012 Corefun Studios, LLC. Solar Echoes is a registered trademark of Corefun Studios, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and stat blocks, which may be reproduced for personal use only. No other part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than in which it is published. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by Corefun Studios, LLC. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book and other Solar Echoes publications use the masculine pronoun exclusively for purposes of uniformity, and implies no disparagement or prejudice towards females, robots, the androgynous Erwani, or the genderless Omul. This book uses a science-fiction setting for characters and themes. All alien races, locations, and storylines are fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional. This book contains limited mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Visit Solar Echoes online at http://www.solarechoes.com/ PRINTED IN THE USA

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The Solar Echoes Setting

In a distant part of our galaxy, seven alien races struggle to co-exist in an uneasy alliance preserved by agents of the Union Guard. These specialized operatives must do what regional security cannot, dealing with smugglers, pirates, terrorists, and even greater challenges in order to bring stability to a universe that needs it desperately. Without the Union Guard, the races will not be prepared to face a looming alien threat they can only hope to defeat together. As a member of the Union Guard, you must do what regional security forces cannot. Investigate and gather information that adversaries of the Union wish to keep secret, protect the people of the Union from those that would seek them harm, and help facilitate a lasting peace between the races. Union Guard agents must be ready to collect sensitive intel in hostile environments, expose and shut down illegal operations, rescue innocent captives, and pursue elusive criminals and organizations. The universe is a big place, but the Union Guard is committed and ready to stand up for justice and peace throughout known space, and beyond. The Union Guard does not operate under the direct authority of any single government, and their procedures tend to focus on results vs. bureaucratic paperwork. Union Guard members are independent contractors in that they are not under total control of the Guard at all times, nor does the Guard provide all of their gear and supplies much of that is purchased and owned by Guard members. UG members are not above violating the law while on a mission if that is required to prevent a greater disaster, and while they generally try to respect local laws (obtaining warrants before searching locations, etc.) they will gladly break such laws if needed and if plausible deniability can be established later. The Inter-Stellar Union was initially formed by the Reln and Humans, established to unify the races and end the border wars that had plagued civilized space. The ISU does not replace individual racial governments, but acts as a mediator between the races, promotes trade and economic development, and unifies them against external threats. The Union Guard is the specialized force set up by the ISU to serve as an elite interstellar security force and to conduct operations and special investigations. A Brief History... It all began sometime after the Humans found their new home. They had traveled an unknown distance from the home of their ancestors in a ship they called the Ark 3. The humans had been searching for a new home when their craft fell into a wormhole and were catapulted across the galaxy to our region. They found a habitable planet, which they called Sol in memory of their own system, and colonized it. It wasn't long after this event that each of us acquired light-speed technology. Our historians are still puzzling over the seeming coincidental timing of these discoveries, and each of the seven races presents their own stories and theories, but we have yet to verify that it was by some grand design, as many suggest. Regardless, it took most of us over a thousand years before we ventured into space far enough to discover that we weren't alone. When we did discover each other, there were mixed receptions. The Reln discovered the Humans (though they might tell you differently) and we exchanged knowledge and cultural influences. The other races, unfortunately, often exchanged weapon fire more than knowledge. The reptilian Krissethi aggressively attacked anyone entering their region, most likely set on that path by the even more antagonistic Chiraktis Empire, a race of insectoid creatures bordering Krissethi space. Meanwhile, the peaceful, plant-like Erwani were constantly defending themselves against raids by their chaotic neighbors, the unicellular Omul. It was obvious to both us and the Humans that all of this needed to stop. We needed a form of government that reached beyond our homeworlds, beyond our regions of spaceregions that were ill-defined and likely the cause of such warlike disputes. The Inter-Stellar Union (ISU) was formed, and each race joined this government so that we could learn to work together. We all agreed upon our borders (though there are still some occasional skirmishes on worlds that traverse these borders at times) and we developed a language together that we could all use to improve our communication. It wasn't long before trade, cultural exchanges of ideas, and prosperity began to thrive among us. During our joint explorations of unknown space, we then discovered the Archaeloids, a peaceful, aquatic race that had not yet ventured out of their system, though they had also attained light-speed travel when the rest of us had. The Archaeloids seemed quite caught off guard to learn of us, and though they were kind and welcoming, the surge in their military production gave us all pause. The Archaeloids joined the ISU and assured us that they desired peace, but also indicated that they thought it was foolish to assume our treaty would last forever, or that the seven of us were the only intelligent life in the galaxy. How right they were...

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Solar Echoes Combat Tutorial

How squad combat works: Success in combat, like everything else in Solar Echoes, is determined by a simple opposed check. The attacker rolls a number of 6-sided dice equal to the relevant attribute (Reflexes or Strength), picks the highest die roll, adds skill ranks and bonuses, and then compares this total to the roll of the defender. The defender rolls dice equal to his Strength or Reflexes, picks the highest die roll, adds his Dodge score and bonuses, and then compares this to the roll of the attacker. The highest number indicates a success, and a tie indicates either the success of the attacker (if both are the same level) or the defender (if the defender is lower level.) The Combatants: In this scenario, two players are using their level 1 characters, a Reln and a Krissethi, to face a level 1 robotic drone. Basic stats for the combatants are below. For full, playable sample characters so you can try the scenario yourself, see the next page. Krissethi, Jeshath (Level 1) Armor: 2 (Hardness 20) Krissethi Scout Suit Melee Dodge: 1 (4 Strength Dice) Ranged Dodge: 1 (4 Reflex Dice) Movement: 5 Attributes: Strength 4, Stamina 3, Reflexes 4, Concentration 4, Logic 2, Influence 2 Skill Totals: Firearms 1 (4 Ref Dice), Melee 1 (4 Str), Simple Ranged Weapons 1 (4 Ref), Awareness 2 (4 Conc), Stealth 2 (4 Ref), Athletics 1 (4 Ref), Resourcefulness 1 (4 Conc) Weapons: Defender Revolver: 4 ballistic damage, Range 5, SA, Ammo Type: pistol Particle Beam Rifle: 5 energy damage (AP 1), Range 25, SA, Ammo Type: EC Pack (50 charges) G-pulse Grenade: 3 bludgeoning damage (AP 1), Range 6, Blast 3, anyone in blast is pushed 2 squares and knocked prone.

Reln, Alythea (Level 1) Armor: 2 (Hardness 20) Basic Combat Suit Melee Dodge: 1 (3 Reflex Dice) Ranged Dodge: 1 (3 Reflex Dice) Movement: 5 Attributes: Strength 3, Stamina 3, Reflexes 3, Concentration 3, Logic 3, Influence 4 Skill Totals: Firearms 1 (3 Ref Dice), Melee (3 Str), Pilot-Space 1 (3 Ref), Persuasion 1 (4 Inf), Awareness 1 (3 Conc), Endurance 1 (3 Stam), Biotech 1 (3 Log) Weapons: Katana: 3 slashing damage (AP 1) Defender Revolver: 4 ballistic damage, Range 5, SA, Ammo Type: pistol Thermal Grenade: 3 fire damage (AP 3), Range 6, Blast 2 Nanite Razor Swarm: 4 adjacent squares, contact deals 1 slashing damage (ignores armor)

Security Drone (Level 1) Armor: 2 (Hardness 11) Degradation: 4 damage = -1 Movement; 7 damage = -1 Skills,-2 Movement Melee Dodge: 1 (4 Strength Dice) Ranged Dodge: 1 (4 Reflex Dice) Movement: 5 Attributes: Str.4, Stam.3, Ref.4, Conc.3, Log.3, Inf. 1 Skills Totals: Firearms 1 (4 Ref Dice), Melee 1 (4 Str), Simple Ranged Weapons 1 (4 Ref), Awareness 1 (3 Conc), Athletics 1 (4 Ref) Weapons: Firearms = 1: Urban Warrior: 4 ballistic damage (AP 1), Range 10, Ammo: 20 pistol rounds Firearms = 1: Grenade launcher with 3 smoke grenades (no damage, Range 8, Blast 3, Effect: total concealment in area for 6 rounds.)

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Playable Sample Characters Character Name: Jeshath Kerbuul Character Name: Alythea Rodina

Bio-Status: 1Slightly Wounded 1Moderately Wounded 1Seriously Wounded 1Critically Wounded 1Dying

(-1 Skills, Move, Stamina) (-2 Skill, Move, Stamina) (-3 Skill, Move, Stamina) (Unconscious)

Krissethi, Jeshath Kerbuul (Level 1) Armor: 2 (Hardness 20) Krissethi Scout Suit Melee Dodge: 1 (4 Str Dice) Ranged Dodge: 1 (4 Ref Dice) Movement: 5 Attributes: Str.4, Stam.3, Ref.4, Conc.4, Log.2, Inf. 2 Skills Totals: Firearms 1 (4 Ref Dice), Melee 1 (4 Str), Simple Ranged Weapons 1 (4 Ref), Awareness 2 (4 Conc), Stealth 2 (4 Ref), Athletics 1 (4 Ref), Resourcefulness 1 (4 Conc) Talents: Dive For Cover: (Reaction) Move 1 square, drop prone. Gain +1 Ranged Dodge, -1 Melee attacks, -1 Melee Dodge Bullrush: (Action) Push foe back 2 squares if you moved 2 this round. Conceal Location: (Passive) +2 Stealth while still Keen Observer: (Passive) Gain +1 Awareness to find hidden characters. Weapons: Defender Revolver: 4 ballistic damage, Range 5, SA, Ammo Type: pistol Particle Beam Rifle: 5 energy damage (AP 1), Range 25, SA, Ammo Type: EC Pack (50 charges) G-pulse Grenade: 3 bludgeoning damage (AP 1), Range 6, blast 3, anyone in the blast is pushed 2 squares and knocked prone. Other Gear: Backpack, earbud com unit, Medikit, Utility Knife, Charger, Micro-Personal Computer, Security Cuffs, Neural Relay Glasses, Binoculars, 3 Minor Healing Nanites (heals 1 point, Biotech check of 6, weakened while healing), 3 EC clips, 20 rifle rounds
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Bio-Status: 1Slightly Wounded 1Moderately Wounded 1Seriously Wounded 1Critically Wounded 1Dying

(-1 Skills, Move, Stamina) (-2 Skill, Move, Stamina) (-3 Skill, Move, Stamina) (Unconscious)

Reln, Alythea Rodina (Level 1) Armor: 2 (Hardness 20) Basic Combat Suit Melee Dodge: 1 (3 Ref Dice) Ranged Dodge: 1 (3 Ref Dice) Movement: 5 Attributes: Str. 3, Stam.3, Ref.3, Conc.3, Log. 3, Inf. 4 Skills Totals: Firearms 1 (3 Ref Dice), Melee (3 Ref), PilotSpace 1 (3 Ref), Persuasion 1 (4 Inf), Awareness 1 (3 Conc), Endurance 1 (3 Stam), Biotech 1 (3 Log) Talents: Dive For Cover: (Reaction) Move 1 square, drop prone. Gain +1 Ranged Dodge, -1 Melee attacks and -1 Melee Dodge Sheathed Strike: (Action) Draw weapon and attack, gain +1 Melee Deadly Focus: (Movement) Focus instead of moving, gain +2 to hit, +1 damage on next melee attack Surprise Kick: (Action, Chainable) +1 to next melee attack, deals 2 points of Bludgeoning damage. Can be chained to itself. Weapons: Katana: 3 slashing damage (AP 1) Defender Revolver: 4 ballistic damage, Range 5, SA, Ammo Type: pistol Thermal Grenade: 3 fire damage (AP 3), Range 6, blast 2 Other Gear: Backpack, earbud com unit, Medikit, Charger, Micro-Personal Computer, Security Cuffs, Neural Relay Glasses, 3 Minor Healing Nanites (heals 1 point, Biotech check of 6, weakened while healing), 2 EC packs, 40 pistol ammo

ROUND 1:
Movement
Krissethi: Moves to cover Reln: Moves to melee the robot Robot: Continues its patrol

Actions
Krissethi: Shoots at the robot with the Defender Revolver (damage potential = 4 ballistic) Reln: Uses the Chainable Talent Surprise Kick against the robot. Once per round, a Chainable Talent can be used in combination with any other single Chainable Talent. Surprise Kick, along with certain other Talents, can be chained to itself, effectively allowing it to be used twice per round. This gives her 2 attacks, each at +1, for a potential 2 damage each. Robot: Shoots at the Reln with the Urban Warrior (damage potential = 4 ballistic)

Resolution
Krissethi: The Krissethi hits the robot! The Krissethi's Defender Revolver deals 4 damage, but the robot has Armor of 2, so the damage is reduced by 2 and it suffers 2 damage. Ballistic damage has a Threshold of 3, so not enough damage was dealt to trigger the effect associated with that damage type. The robot now has 9 hardness to its armor remaining. A robot is destroyed when its armor is destroyed. Reln: The Reln hits the robot with one of her attacks, but it has Armor of 2, so the Surprise Kick (damage 2) deals no damage. Even if she had succeeded in striking the robot twice, both hits would be considered separate hits, so in each instance, the robot's armor would absorb the damage. If the Reln had equipped Spiked Boots or used the Strike the Weak Point Talent, she could have gained more Armor Piercing potential and bypassed the robot's armor. Robot: The robot hits the Reln! The robot's Urban Warrior deals 4 damage, and the Reln has Armor of 2, so the damage is reduced by 2 and she suffers 2 points of damage. (Her armor also loses 2 points of hardness from the 2 damage it absorbed.) She is now Moderately wounded, and thus suffers -1 to all her skill checks, movement, and stamina.

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ROUND 2:
Movement
Krissethi: Changes weapons and equips a Particle Beam Rifle Reln: Draws her katana as a Free Action using the Quick Draw Talent and spends her Movement to use Deadly Focus to gain +2 to attack and +1 damage. The katana has a damage potential based on the Reln's strength of 3, so the katana could inflict 3 slashing damage, with Armor Piercing 1 (AP 1). However, with the Deadly Focus talent, the attack could deal 4 damage, AP 1. Robot: Stays put

Actions
Krissethi: Shoots at the robot with his Particle Beam Rifle (damage potential = 5 energy, AP 1) Reln: Swings her katana at the robot (damage potential = 3 slashing, +1 from Deadly Focus, AP 1) Robot: Shoots at the Reln with its Urban Warrior (damage potential = 4 ballistic) REACTION! Reln: The Reln dives for cover, falling Prone, but gaining bonuses against ranged attacks.

Resolution
Krissethi: The Krissethi hits the robot with his gun, dealing 5 damage, AP 1. The robot has armor of 2, so the 5 damage would be reduced by 2 to 3 damage. However, because the gun has Armor Piercing 1, another point of damage gets past the armor and the robot takes 4 damage from this attack. This means the robot has taken damage that equals or exceeds the Threshold value for energy damage (which is 3), so the robot suffers the Threshold effect of energy damage. The Threshold effect is Irradiated 1, so the robot suffers irradiation for 1 round (this applies a -1 penalty to the robots skill checks for 1 round.) The robot now has 5 hardness to its armor remaining. Reln: The Reln hits with her attack, despite the penalty from being Prone, dealing 4 damage, AP 1. The robot has armor of 2, so the 4 damage would be reduced by 2 to 2 damage. However, because the katana has Armor Piercing 1, another point of damage gets past the armor and the robot suffers 3 damage from the attack. The robot has suffered just over 7 damage total. As a result, in this round alone it has suffered enough damage to move it to the second penalty on the degradation scale: -1 to Skills and -2 to Movement. These effects take place next round. The robot now has 2 hardness to its armor remaining. Robot: The robot misses the Reln, thanks in part to the bonus gained by Diving for Cover.
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ROUND 3:
Movement
Krissethi: Moves away, pulls out a grenade, and warns his ally that he intends to use it on the robot Reln: Realizes that she needs to be elsewhere and spends 1 Stamina to both get up and move away in 1 round Robot: Stays put

Actions
Krissethi: Tosses a G-pulse grenade at the robot (damage potential = 3 bludgeoning, AP 1) Reln: Tosses out a Nanite Razor Swarm on the robot (damage potential = 1 slashing, ignores armor) Robot: Badly damaged, the robot tries to buy time by tossing out a smoke grenade, which will provide total concealment for everyone in the area (+4 to Dodge) when it goes off at the end of the round.

Resolution
Krissethi: The Krissethis G-pulse grenade lands next to the robot (reducing its damage by 1 point since all blast effects have their damage reduced 1 point per square away from the blast center), but still deals 2 (AP 1) bludgeoning damage. The robot's armor of 2 would have negated the damage, but 1 point gets past the armor because of Armor Piercing 1. The robot is also knocked prone by the gravity pulse and suffers 1 damage. The robot now has 1 hardness to its armor remaining. Reln: The Relns Nanite Razor Swarm activates, covering the robots square. The nanites ignore the robots armor and deal 1 point of damage. The robot is destroyed! Robot: The robots smoke grenade goes off at the end of the round, even though the robot has been destroyed, and would still linger for its full duration.

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