Science Fiction

"hard" and "soft" SciFi

"Science Fiction" covers a very broad range of different settings. One way to categorize them is the question how much the setting complies with our current scientific understanding of the world. Hard SciFi describes a world that evolved in small steps from ours and does not conflict (much) with our current knowledge. Cyberpunk is typically close to the hard end of the spectrum. Soft SciFi contains many concepts that, in our current scientific understanding, are thought to be impossible or extremely impractical. It is usually not concerned with explaining how these things work. A typical example for soft SciFi are "Space Operas" like Star Wars. Between them is a wide range of ideas that may be somewhat impractical but not strictly impossible, or that would require technologies far beyond our current capabilites. The concepts in this Module are labeled as Hard, Medium or Soft behind their title when possible. Most expand and supplement rules in other Modules and should be used together with those.

Kardashev Scale
The Kardashev scale is a way to categorize a civilization's technological development. It is based on its energy consumption, and thus indirectly on its ability to colonize and exploit its environment. The scale is mostly independent from the division in hard and soft SciFi, although soft SciFi tends to allow faster and further advancement on the scale. When possible, concepts are also assigned the necessary development on the Kardashev scale. A civilization can also be in between different steps on the scale. Carl Sagan suggested K=0,1*log 10(P/MW) as a rule of thumb, with P as the total amount of power (energy per time) consumed by the civilization. By this rule, humanity has currently reached about 0.72 on the scale.

Type 0
The civilization is limited to the resources on its home planet and uses only a small portion of these (usually wood and fossil fuels). It has next to no influence outside its planet. Once a civilization starts using nuclear power and space flight, it is leaving this stage. For humanity, this began by the middle of the 20th century.

Type 1
The civilization uses almost all resources on its home planet, controls the space around it and is able to colonize its moons (if any). It starts to exert influence on its solar system.

Type 2
The civilization uses all resources of its solar system and starts to explore nearby stars. This level can be easily reached even within hard SciFi.

Type 3
The civilization has colonized a sizable part of its galaxy and knows somewhat safe, fast and reliable means of interstellar travel and communication.

Type 4
The civilization is able to travel between galaxies and expand to the whole universe. Even soft SciFi rarely needs to go to this level.

Type 5+
The civilization controls its complete universe and is able to influence parallel universes (if any). Its abilities are so far beyond what we could imagine that any attempt at giving rules for them would be absurd. At this level, anything and everything is possible.

Miniaturization
Any technology will become smaller, cheaper and more common with more advanced civilizations. A device that would fill a whole building and would only be affordable to powerful organizations in a Type 1 civilization could be a common item that fits in a pocket for a Type 2 Version 1.00 EN

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civilization and would be manufactured as micro- or nanotechnology with negligible costs in a Type 3 civilization. The differences between steps on this scale are vast enough that technologies of the lower would be completely obsolete for the higher one, while technologies of the higher would be far beyond the understanding and ability of the lower one.

Power Supply

A civilization's ability to store and transfer energy grows with the amount available to it. Devices that need an external power supply on one level will run from batteries on the next and would not need any visible power supply on the levels after that. It would be either so small and long-lasting that it could be ignored in practice, or the device draws its power from the environment.

Inhomogenous Development

Not every technology available at the current level has to be developed simultaneously. They might be simply impossible in this setting, a crucial breakthrough might have never happened, or the development of these technologies is forbidden in these societies. In addition to this, most civilizations are not at an exact level on the scale but move between them.

Prototypes
Technologies might be available, but not fully developed. The GM may apply one of the options below for each 0.05 points lacking on the Kardashev scale. The same option may be applied multiple times. Further developed devices may instead use the opposite of these options. It is even possible to mix positive and negative options for a device that is ahead of its time in some aspects but lags behind in others.

Big/Heavy Inefficient

The device is about twice as large and heavy as listed.

The device uses about twice as much energy as listed. Either its energy supply is twice as large and heavy, or it only lasts half as long.

Weak
The device performs noticably worse than listed. Reduce all stats by 10% or one by half, but at least by one point.

Expensive
The device is twice as expensive as listed.

Unreliable

The device is prone to malfunctions. Roll 1D6 with each use. A one causes a malfunction. The first level of this option renders the device inoperable until repaired, the second level is dangerous to the operator and potentially bystanders (the GM decides the specific effects). This option can only be used twice. A device with the opposite option will not fail even under the worst possible circumstances.

New Technologies

This section discusses technologies that have more impact than just making stuff smaller, cheaper and better. The GM should decide carefully which ones to allow. The cost is given for the first level of development on which the technology becomes available and should be used as a loose guideline. Use the rules for prototypes otherwise and don't hesitate to change costs and properties in any way you like to control their use.

Antimatter (M2)
Antimatter is (currently) the most efficient way imaginable to store large amounts of energy. The challenge is to produce it in sufficient amounts and store it safely: One gram of antimatter Version 1.00 EN

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has roughly the explosive force of 40kt TNT (about twice as much as the bomb dropped on Nagasaki). One of the two imaginable methods of storing it are magnetic traps that can contain a few micrograms on M2 (~100kg TNT), cost about 100000$, weigh roughly 100kg and need a constant external power supply to keep it from exploding. The other method would be to embed it in fullerenes, nanotubes and other macromolecules (S3) to create a substance that can be handled about as safely as modern plastic explosive. This reduces its explosive force to about one kt of TNT per gram (but is usually diluted much further). Pure fullerened antimatter costs about 1000$ per gram at this level.

Artificial Intelligence (H2)

Self-aware computer programs are called Artificial Intelligence (AI) in these rules. AI may be treated as characters lacking physical Attributes. All devices equipped with a neural interface (especially robots and vehicles) may also be controlled by AI. Humanoid robots with a built in AI are often called Androids. They can be treated the same as a person who replaced all body parts with bionics. AI as player characters may invest EP in physical Attributes to start with an Android body and/or buy another "home" like a vehicle or computer for money. It may be possible to upload a character's memories into a computer to turn him into an AI (at S2).

Bionics (H1)

Sufficiently advanced protheses will become better than their natural counterpart and may be used to augment someone's abilities. Their most importent applications are augmenting Talents, Initiative and physical Attributes. They cost 25000$ times the new level (Dexterity costs twice as much). More specific augmentations are also possible: A Talent may only recieve a bonus when used with a specific Skill. This costs 5000$ times the new level. The GM may combine multiple effects for some implants and only allow these to be bought as a package, or rule out some augmentations. It is also possible to implant devices, weapons or armor. This costs twice as much as the item plus 5000$. Finally, artificial limbs cost 25000$ apiece for a functional replacement and 100000$ or more for a copy that's almost indistinguishable from the original. Implantation and repair of bionics in living tissue (not in artificial limbs!) require an operation that is about as difficult as restoring five HP. Attributes and Talents may only augmented by 50% (rounded up) of their base score at H1.

Chameleon Paint (H1)

Chameleon paint is applied over a mesh of thin wires and can change its color by application of a small voltage. Besides screens and billboards, this may also be used for camouflage patterns that adapt perfectly to their environment (+2 to Camouflage and Sneak). The paint costs about 1000$ per m at H1.

Cloaking (M1)

Special materials and force fields may be used to bend light around an object and make it effectively invisible. If the system does not work perfectly, a shimmer in the air might be visible. It is also possible to even out sound waves and suppress noise. These systems provide an additional Success for Camouflage and Sneak Checks per level. At M1, they cost level x10000$ and weigh one kg per level. It is also possible to cloak objects for other frequencies (e.g. infrared, radar or ultrasound), which raises cost and weight by 50% each. The GM can (and should) limit the maximum level and/or forbid cloaking for some frequencies.

Fabbers/Replicators (variable)
Even today, rapid prototyping devices can autonomously print three dimensional objects from metal or plastic. Fabbers take this to the next level and allow the construction of bigger and more complex objects. They need raw materials costing about 10% of the object to be build, can print about one liter per hour at H1 and can't build electronics. These limitations are relaxed at higher development (no microelectronics at H2, no nanotech at M2) and the devices become faster (by about factor 1000 per step on the scale). A fabber using state of the art technology costs about 1.000.000$ per m of work space. Replicators (S3) improve on this concept and create objects directly from energy (or any other type of matter, using antimatter as catalyst). Version 1.00 EN

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Force Fields (S3)

Force fields ("shields") are selective barriers that may be used as doors, air locks or armor. They can be bought separately against slow solid objects (people, melee weapons and most vehicles), fast solid objects (projectiles from firearms and gauss guns), gases, lasers, particle beams, etc. They have a Hardness score against weapons. Attacks with less Penetration bounce off, equal Penetation is still stopped but reduces the fields Hardness for the next Round by one. If the Penetration exceeds the Hardness, the force field breaks down and can only be restored after one minute. Switching a force field on or off takes a full Round. A force field generator costs Hardnessx1000$ and weighs Hardnessx1kg per m at S3. Including multiple types in the same device increases cost and weight by 50% each. They require either external power supply or batteries that weigh 10% of the generator per minute of run time. Mobile force fields with a complex shape (e.g. around a person) cost ten times as much and are twice as heavy. The GM may also decide that there are no force fields that stop some object categories, or limit their Hardness.

Gene Splicing/Cloning (H1)

Advances in biotech allow the growing of artificial tissue and organs amd their improvement beyond their natural counterpart. Regrowing lost body parts costs about 10000$ and takes a month for each kg (but never less than a week). It is also possible to grow them in advance and freeze them to have a replacement on hand immediately. Gene splicing and artificial tissue can also be used to enhance physical capabilities. Raising a Talent or Attribute costs the new score times 50000$ (twice as much for Dexterity, Focus and Intelligence). A bonus die for a particular Skill costs 10000$ times the total number of dice (Talent+Bonus). Small or cosmetic modifications like changing eye or hair color, enhanced senses like thermographic vision or cat's eyes and natural weapons like claws and fangs cost about 10000$ each. Attributes and Talents may only augmented by 50% (rounded up) of their base score at H1. At higher levels of develoment, much more fundamental changes may be possible.

Ghost Particles (S2)

Practical methods for creating or detecting particles that usually pass through matter without leaving a trace (e.g. neutrinos or tachyons) may open up interesting applications in sensor and weapon technology. Sensors using these methods ignore cloaking that is not specially designed to counter those, and a beam of ghost particles transforming into other particles inside their target ignores all regular armor and force fields. Once this technology becomes available, all sensors, cloaking, particle weapons, armor and force fields may be purchased seperately for ghost particles. In the beginning, moste of these may not yet be available, and some might never be found, leading to an interesting arms race. Extensive use of prototype rules is reccomended. Once all applications are known and used for some time, these rules may be disregarded again since the countermeasures are already used almost everywhere.

Monowire (M1)

Monowire is a wire with very high tensile strength that is only one (or few) molecules wide, e.g. made from carbon nanotubes. It is almost impossible to see (three Successes with Awareness) and cuts throgh any material with a Hardness below four with virtually no resistance. It can not cut anything harder. A character running into a monowire takes one point of damage for each meter he intended to move in that round (if the wire can cut his armor). Monowire can also be used as weapon (as a garotte or whip), deals a damage of 4/8 with a Range of 0m or 1m, but will not deal Stun Damage when it fails to penetrate armor. The skill used is Brawling for the former and Flails for the latter. If the attacker fails to roll any Successes, he hits himself with half damage. Monowire costs about 100$ per meter at H1, weight is negligible.

Nanobots (M1)

Nanobots are machines the size of a virus that may be used for various tasks. The simplest form of nanobots are known as smart acids or cutters, and can be used to attack and dissolve specific materials. They cost about 100$ per gram at M1 and can dissolve about 1kg per minute. With higher develompent, new options become available: Nanobots can be controlled Version 1.00 EN

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and programmed using electric and magnetic fields, reproduce themselves from dissolved materials, and even build new objects out of them. These "builder" nanobots cost about 1000$ per gram on M2 and assemble 1kg of material per Round (or slightly more than a ton per hour). Nanobots can also be used for medical tasks. They cost 1000$ per dose at M2 and have the same effect as one Success with a medical skill (close an open wound, restore a HP, etc). They are consumed with each application. Having more doses of nanobots in one's body than the sum of Endurance and Strength can lead to serious medical problems (up to thromboses and strokes). Unused nanobots decay after 3D6 days in the body.

Neural Interface (H1)

A neural interface allows the brain to communicate with devices like vehicles and computers and to control them with thoughts alone. This makes physical controls obsolete and reduces reaction times. The user of a neural interface may substitute Focus for his Dexterity when calculating Talents and Initiative. The most basic form of neural interface is a net of electrodes worn over the head. It can only recieve inputs, though - answers have to be relayed to the user via screen or head up display. An electrode net costs (with all necessary accessories) about 1000$ and weighs 500g at H1. It may also be integrated in a helmet. Using the full abilities of this technology requires an implant costing about 5000$ at M1. This allows the interface to relay feedback to the brain and makes the use of expert systems possible that enhance Talents, Initiative and Skills. These are tailored to the user, follow the same rules as bionics, cost half as much, can't increase Attributes and do not have to be implanted themselves, but can only be used with the neural interface.

New Weapons

There are lots of different concepts for new weapon systems in Science Fiction. Wepons of the same size at the same level of development will usually only differ in technical details. A laser, a rail gun and a particle beam of the same size have almost the same game stats and are used with the same Skill. Pistols and Rifles use the Skill of the same name (if used together with firearms, Rifles is identical to Assault Rifles). Cannons are used with Heavy Weapons.

Type Pistol Rifle Cannon

Damage Range Ammo Wgt. 2/4 20m 10 1kg 4/6 200m 20 5kg 6/8 300m 50 15kg

Cost 500$ 1000$ 5000$

Range

Every multiple of the weapon's Range the target is away from the shooter reduces his effective Skill by one. If the taget is further away than five times the Range, damage drops by -1/-1. Targets further away than ten times the Range can not be engaged.

Fire Modes

All weapons can, unless stated otherwise, fire in pulsed mode ("P") and beam mode ("B"). Pulsed mode allows one shot per round, but increases Penetration by two. Beam mode allows splitting the damage between multiple targets. Roll separately for each target.

Covering Fire

Weapons with beam mode can be used for Covering Fire. For this, the shooter splits the weapon's damage over a number of squares of 1m to cover. Any character trying to enter these squares until the shooter's next action has to roll a Contest with Athletics against the shooter's Skill. The shooter deals one point of damage per Net Success (but no more than put on this square). The shot is used up even if nobody actually enters the squares.

Weapon Technologies

This section lists a few different weapon types and their description to distinguish them from one another and give them a little more flavor. In theory, each of these types requires a separate type of armor, but most armors available are actually a combination against all commonly available weapon systems. Version 1.00 EN

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Electro (M2)

Electric guns create an electric discharge and project it at their target. The most common type is the electrolaser, which ionizes air with a short laser pulse to create a path for the discharge. Ion guns based on plasma weapons may also be possible. They don't work in vacuum or under water and only against grounded targets. They may be set to Stun Damage and deal double damage against unshielded electronics.

Gauss (H1)
Gauss guns accelerate a projectile with electrified rails (rail gun) or an array of coils (coil gun) to supersonic speeds. They may also be tuned down to subsonic speeds, which reduces Penetration to two and gives a penalty of four to all Perception Checks to hear the shot. There are two common subtypes: Bolters fire a single, large projectile and are thus unable to fire in beam mode. They may however use explosive projectiles that deal 50% more damage if they penetrate the armor, but cost twice as much. Needlers fire a large number of thin needles in a continuous beam or (in pulsed mode) in a cloud with some spread. This increases the chance to hit a target: The distance to target does not reduce effective Skill, but each multiple of the range reduces Damage and Penetration by one instead.

Laser (H1)

Laser weapons use coherent light to burn through their target. They are typically red or infrared, but may be manufactured in every wavelength from microwaves to x-rays. Lasers in invisible wavelengths do still have a visible beam in atmosphere because they ionize the air in its path ("blooming"). They only have half the modifiers for Range when fired in beam mode. In vacuum, lasers have twice as much Range, but full modifies in both modes.

Particle (W2)
Particle beams accelerate subatomic particles to relativistic speeds. While they may technically only be used in beam mode, their Penetration in this mode is increased by two, combining the advantages of both modes.

Plasma (W2)

Plasma guns fire a cloud of extremely hot gas, usually created by the fusion of deuterium with a short laser pulse and focused with a magnetic field. Beam mode only allows to engage targets up to five times the range, but the beam may also be defocused a little. In that case, distance to target does not reduce effective Skill, but each multiple of the range reduces damage by -1/-2 instead. Plasma weapons can set flammable materials on fire.

Modifiers
Fire Mode

The Modifiers below may be used to model weapons slightly different from those in the table.

The weapon only has one of the two fire modes. Incompatible with particle beams and bolters, which only have one mode anyway. Weight and Cost -20%.

Light
The weapon is smaller and lighter than others in its category. Damage 0/-1, Range -50%, Weight -40%

Heavy
The weapon is bigger and heavier than others in its category. Incompatible with light. Damage +1/+1, Range +50%, Weight and Cost +50%.

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Overcharge

The weapon may use two shots at once and increase Damage by 50%. Gauss guns increase Penetration by one instead. A weapon that's overcharged twice in a minute has a chance of one in six of breaking. Cost +10%.

Civil
Possession of military weapons is strictly regulated in most societies. There are, however, limited versions that comply with these regulations and may be purchased with licenses that are easier to come by. Civil weapons lack a beam mode and do not increase Penetration in pulsed mode. Civil versions of cannons are usually not available. Cannons are illegal, period.

Vehicle Weapons

Heavy cannons for vehicles use the same rules as written in the Module "Vehicles", no matter how they actually work. Normally, they can only fire in pulsed mode. Instead of using autoloaders, they may be equipped with a beam mode which increases their weight by 50%. In this mode, their Penetration Factor drops by 0.25. Gauss weapons may use all ammunition types detailed in that module (but at half the weight), all others draw their power from the vehicle's generator and do not need ammunition.

Ammunition
Ammo clips cost and weigh about 10% of the weapon. (Electro-)Lasers may also use rechargable batteries from H2 on, which cost twice as much and can be recharged in about one hour at a typical power outlet or one minute at specially designed chargers. All other clips may be refilled for 75% of their cost.

Plasma Swords (W3)

Plasma Swords are magnetically contained tubes of plasma sometimes used as melee weapons. They can block each other, but cut straight through most normal melee weapons. The blade can be switched on or off in one Round. At W3, they cost about 1000$, weigh 1kg, deal a damage of 4/8 with a Range of 1m and are used with Swords or Staffs.

Armor

The table on the right makes some suggestions for different types of armor. The armored vest is an example for light, flexible armor to be concealed under other clothing. Security armor is a combination of hard and soft elements worn by police and security forces on dangerous missions. Military armor looks somewhat like medieval plate armor and is way too bulky to have much use outside the battlefield. It has to be specially fitted to the owner. The armor listed here protects equally well against all types of damage. Armor specialized on one type (and only protecting with half its value against all others) costs and weighs 40% less. Especially heavy armor is also available. It weighs 50% more, costs twice as much and has one point less Flexibility but one point more Hardness and Absorption. Armor may optionally use the rules for Coverage, Called Shots and Flexibility detailed in "Ancient Weapons" or "Modern Firearms". Armor covering the whole body may be sealed and used as hazmat or space suit. Military armor may also be equipped with an exoskeleton, doubling weight and cost but negating all penalties for Flexibility and incrasing the wearer's Strength to 15.

Type armored vest security armor military armor

Armor Flx Wgt. 2/2 8 1kg 4/4 6 5kg 6/6 5 10kg

Cost 200$ 1000$ 5000$

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