Ship Designing: Cruiser/Escort Models Omake Reward:
Late in the year, as a follow-up on the success seen with the expanded number of Dreadnought models, Cruisers saw an expansion to the number of different types they possessed. While lower resource investments on an individual level, there were about 5 times as many of them.
Unlike Dreadnoughts, a general improvement to Cruisers is economical. This is the idea behind the Dauntless Model, nicknamed the Heavy Cruiser. With the exception of speed and expense, the Dauntless is 50% longer, and more heavily armed and armored than its original form. This causes some loss of speed and mobility, but Cruisers are fairly maneuverable compared to Dreadnoughts to begin with, so it's less of a trade-off than it might otherwise be. While significantly more expensive than one of the original models and slightly more time-intensive (which the blueprints for will be retained in case the shipyards lack the resources for a special model for whatever reason) they would handily win a confrontation with one, and potentially even a Blitz Model Dreadnought, given proper support. It would serve best as a flagship for a fleet that didn't rate a proper Dreadnought, but still benefited from a flagship.
Where the Dauntless is designed to punch above it's weight class, the Pioneer Model doesn't possess much difference in firepower or direct durability relative to a regular Cruiser. Instead, it is intended to serve as a combination of patrol craft and surveyor. With increased reserves of materials, from ammo to ship parts, and the presence of a small forge (combination reclamation and mining unit), it can go far longer without stopping for maintenance, and repair itself enough to limp to the proper facilities after taking a significant beating. In addition, it's sensor banks are tuned towards in-depth surveys, as opposed to quick returns which, while an advantage in battle, might miss something better hidden, such as a hidden pirate enclave, or a Hulk without any active components. It also retains a number of beacons onboard at all times, to better know where it is relative to the rest of the galaxy, in order to aid in navigation. This makes it better suited towards surveying a system than a regular survey craft.
While the Dauntless can certainly hurt a Dreadnought, it is unlikely to mission-kill one outside of ideal circumstances and with proper support. The Vengeance Model is the answer to this, dedicated to killing capital ships, and nothing else. They have a ridiculous number of missiles and missile bays for their size, allowing them to put out a few huge waves of missiles, which will overwhelm the Dreadnoughts' defenses and cripple if not outright kill it. However, this comes at the cost of little ability in an extended brawl between fleets.
Their armor is paper-thin, and they will rapidly exhaust their missile supply. Relatively few of these will be made, as they exist for the sole purpose of destroying Dreadnoughts, and are unlikely to survive a battle after depleting their missile reserves. They are, in essence, meant to be sacrificed to kill a Dreadnought, without needing to have one on your side, or without having them engage in a slug-fest that would likely result in mutual annihilation or the surviving Dreadnought being crippled. They'll do their best to avoid being killed, and, on the bright side, their lack of armor means much greater speed than most ships their size.
The Escorts also gained sub-types. One for scouting, and one for stealth. Both of these sacrifice direct combat ability, so the original model will still serve that role in many situations.
The Pathfinder Model will serve in the capacity of a fleet scout. It sacrifices some armor and long-range weapons for the sake of greater speed and stealth, in addition to somewhat greater difficulty in targeting it. The Pathfinder also has better scanning equipment than average, to better serve in it's intended role. In addition, it isn't useless in a fight, allowing it to take part in standard battles, though as a support unit used to avoid 'assassination' strikes and generally provide more information to the fleet.
Speaking of stealth, the Shade Model is a dedicated stealth unit. While it's much slower, as quiet engines are much less powerful by simple nature of the difficulty in hiding large quantities of energy. Even a combination of a stealthy design, the use of Runes, careful management of heat, and, of course, low-power engines, a dedicated team could find it, and likely will given significant time to work in. To that end, while it's armor and weapons are lesser than the baseline Escort, it does have a few of the stealthier varieties of torpedoes, though these are intended for assassination strikes. It is, however, useful to serve as an early warning for an incoming fleet, and potentially to delay them for a short period by launching an alpha strike to force the enemy to approach cautiously.
Reward: Cruiser/Escort Models. These redesigned Cruisers and Escorts drastically expand the ability of the fleet to respond to different situations. +250 to fleet rolls. Model Pioneer and Model Shade reduce garrison requirements. Significant reassignment of allied ships to Bastion Fleet. GDE Survey Actions doubled due to Pioneer making Survey actions quicker and more efficient.
A Mad Lancer Omake Reward:
The man who put forward the initial designs for the Stellar Bellows and Arcologies puts forward another design. This time, for a defensive laser battery to placed in orbit around the worlds under The Bastion's control, known as the Skylance Defense System. It was about 134 meters squared, mostly composed of the pair of vehicle-grade fusion generators which powered the maneuvering jets used to alter the battery's target, the ship-grade generators powering the weapon itself, and the 42 meter laser.
The batteries were small, even compared to an escort, as the structure wasn't meant to move very far, fast, or jump into the Warp, not unaided at least. Therefore, many of the components of a ship, such as the Gellar device, were unnecessary, especially since the battery had much lower crew requirements than an Escort, and therefore less need for the facilities they would require. However, should the enemy actually manage to get in range of the battery, it has little beyond some relatively thin armor and a fairly low amount of maneuverability to protect it. Of course, ideally it would remain to the rear of the engagement, but the enemy would prioritize their destruction once their power became obvious. Though it was fairly stealthy thanks to its relative size and would probably get off at least one shot before being targeted.
As for it's capabilities as a weapon, it's maximum effective range against even a Dreadnought was, in theory, on the order of 100000 km. However, the current generation of sensors was not up to the task of accurately designating targets at that range, which was enough that even light (and therefore radar) had a delay of roughly a third of a second. On the bright side, the energy was concentrated enough at the 100-1000 km range current sensors allowed for that, even though the hole would be less than a single centimeter, it would take less than a tenth of a second to slice through a Dreadnought's armor, and offload enough energy to equal half the sun's core temperature, instantly killing everyone onboard (unless the ship was impressively compartmentalized) from the atmosphere instantly turning to plasma. Though, this would be less effective against Space Hulks since a) grabbing any lost technology onboard would be difficult if the interior was slagged, and b) being a bunch of ships and asteroids crushed together, the Hulks often were fairly compartmentalized.
One of the best parts is that a Dreadnought can use a slightly modified version as it's main cannon, though the design of the ship has to be modified to have a fourth generator present if enough power to keep the Void Shields online is to be held in reserve while the weapon is activated, even if it can only be used in ten second bursts while requiring an equal period of cooldown time. With the exception of the Gandiva and Blitz Models, this can be used as the main gun on most Dreadnoughts, the majority of standard, Bulwark, and Blitz Models. The former exception is because the laser is much less effective at orbital bombardment, and the latter because the main gun was removed for a reason.
Reward: Skylance Defense System. A laser battery which has massive firepower, which is generated from placing virtually all of the power used in an entire ship into an anti-capital weapon. +500 to fleet rolls while these are present. Additional permanent +250 to fleet rolls due to improved Dreadnought main guns.
AN: Your weapons have officially outstripped your defenses. I suggest you get on that.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Magnus the Red (x2)
Magnus paused in his studies as a familiar presence made itself known. 'Hello Serras. You seem troubled. What's the problem?' he asked as his sister established a mental link.
'There's two things. First, you know the Crystals? Well, I've been pushing them up to their highest possible form. I'll explain more about them later, but the important thing is that as I made them, I sensed a change in the Warp, and, upon investigation via backtracking the changes caused by several more instances of tenth-tier Crystals, discovered a nascent Warp entity being formed from the echoes of their advancements. I'll admit, I'm panicking a little bit.' Serras explained.
'Wait, you did what?' Magnus asked. She created a Crystal Daemon? That could either be really good, or really, really bad. It kind of depended on it's temperament really.
Power Check: 5 Checks Passed.
Control Check: 4 Checks Passed.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. - 995 to Check difficulty.
Psyker: Esoteric + Navigator: 280+ Education: General + Advanced: 290+ Education: Esoteric + Navigator: 280 +17540(Psyker bonuses)+9220(Education bonuses X 2)=27610. Required: 5, 505, 1005, 1505. Passed.
4920/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
'I think I've accidentally created the beginnings of a what most people would refer to as a god in the Warp. Specifically of the Crystals. I'm not entirely sure why, since I don't think there's a god of Wraithbone or Orichalcix, but it might have to do with the sheer breadth of things Crystals can do, granting the entity more power due to a wider 'support base' if you will.' she answered.
'Well, breaking this to father is going to have to be done very delicately.' Magnus mused as that sunk in. That was certainly interesting. There were Daemons that represented things other than the basic vices, they were just relatively rare, since people tended to think less about fire than their hopes and desires. Something like the Crystals, which were already psychic phenomena, and which had connections to a number of different ideas and substances would likely draw in that small amount of energy devoted to each, and the sum of these would be far greater than the individual parts. Serras gave the impression of a nod as he explained his theory.
'I'm almost afraid to ask, since I already have an idea about the reason, but why might Father not take it well?' she asked as he finished.
'Father has a very negative opinion of religion. He views it as a crutch at best, and a bomb waiting to spew atrocities at worst. He's probably not going to be well-disposed to a god of any kind, by default. His goal is for humanity to stand on it's own, and depending on a god is pretty much the exact opposite of standing on your own.' In fairness, Magnus could see where he was coming from. It was very easy to grow dependent on anything that made life easier, and a lot of people could be seduced by a path that seemed easy, as opposed to one that was difficult, sometimes even knowing how much worse the end result of the first path would be.
Serras Karma Check: 2720. Required: 500. Passed. Gained 100 Karma.
'Well, sometimes people need a crutch, until they can learn to walk on their own. Almost everyone has some kind of ideal they're striving for, whether they're a head of state, or a common pickpocket. People want to believe in something, and if they don't already have something to believe in, they'll be easy prey for the first demagogue spouting their ideology at them with pretty rhetoric backing it up to make it sound better than it actually is.
Even very intelligent people can get taken in that way, and I could probably pull it off with almost anyone if I really wanted to. I wouldn't, but I can't vouch for everyone else in the galaxy. I've personally put down cultists who used to be good people before they started listening to the wrong people. About the only defense besides being strong-willed, which we can't count on every time, is faith in something else.' Serras was clearly very opinionated about this. The again, if he'd had to kill people and then found out they were perfectly pleasant individuals before they became part of a cult, he'd probably want to set up some kind of countermeasure. Still, he was kind of surprised.
'That sound like the sort of experience that would turn you off from religion.' he gave voice to that surprise.
'It did, but I recognize that removing religion entirely is not only impossible, but likely actively counter-productive. I certainly don't want to be worshiped, the very idea disgusts me a bit, as a matter of fact, but if the choice is between leaving people easy prey for a cultist to convert by giving them answers to questions like 'Is there a higher power?' where the authorities failed or actively avoided doing so, or having them worship something relatively safe, like Father, or potentially this new Crystal deity assuming it's not malicious, then I'm going to choose the later' she explained.
'Hm, I can see your point. Father would absolutely hate the idea of humanity worshiping anything, but if it's a choice between that, and having them worship other things, then he might grudgingly accept. The problem will be convincing him he can't snuff religion out. Speaking from experience, once he's decided on something, especially something he's seen fail before like this, trying to talk him out of it is going to be like smashing your face against adamantium.' Magnus summarized.
'Would you be willing to support me when I bring this up with him? I'm not sure he'd listen past 'accidentally created a god' if I were the only one talking to him.' she queried.
Magnus thought that over. On the one hand, Father would want to know exactly what was going on, on the other hand, he might reflexively react badly to a god being created. 'That… might happen, yes. I'll help you out. Now, I believe there was something else as well?'
'Right. Have you heard of the Orks?' Serras asked.
'Father's mentioned them a few times. They sounded like a xenos race of idiots.' Magnus replied bluntly. They really did. What kind of moron charged into battle with a sword when your gun still had ammunition and the enemy wasn't already in your face?
'Well, my homeworld had an infestation until recently. I put the last hundred of them inside of a dome with a partition across the middle, covering a square kilometer and observed them. They reproduced at a frightening pace, going from a single hundred to 100000 within six months, and worse, despite not having any major combat experience, every single one of them did nothing but eat, sleep, and fight or work to prepare for a fight, for the next 12 months.'
'That is… disturbing, but I fail to see how they could be a major threat. Yes, they breed quickly, but how advanced could their technology be? I mean, they certainly don't sound like the type of xenos that does research.' Magnus wondered. Serras seemed very disturbed by them for some reason, but they didn't sound so bad. More like a rodent infestation than anything else.
'That's the thing. Despite having no expertise or knowledge on the subject, they started to develop Middle Ages technology with nothing but a few scraps of metal! They didn't learn it from anywhere, it was more like they suddenly remembered it than anything else. My best guess is genetic memory taken to its logical conclusion, and then pushed beyond that, by a Precursor race looking to create a warrior race to serve them. The Orks refer to them as 'Brain Boyz' if my theory is correct.'
'That's… amazing! Off-putting to be sure, since they're apparently universally screaming murderers, but I didn't think that degree of engineering was possible!' Magnus exclaimed. The possibilities of that level of manipulation were endless! 'It's a shame they used that sort of expertise to create what sounds like a race of insane warriors incapable of doing anything besides war.'
'Yes, but there's more. I've suspected that the beliefs of individuals have an effect on the local Warp, which in turn influences the Materium for some time. That is to say, if a planet's population believes a red car goes faster than a blue car, then assuming all else is equal, the red car will go faster. The Orks seem to have a far more potent version of it, drawn from their collective psychic energies, and affecting the locality's reflection in the Warp enough to tint it green.
Machines were more effective than they should have been, guns worked better than they should have, or outright worked when they shouldn't have. Even their psykers drew from this collective pool of 'Waagh!' energy. The name is for their favorite word, which is probably a degenerate form of 'War!' though I'm not sure if they simply can't pronounce it correctly because their mouths are shaped differently, if they're just that stupid, or some of both, as they have no trouble pronouncing 'Warboss'. Anyway, if the Orks weren't so stupid and sloppy, they'd have a degree of control over their psychic powers humans couldn't match, by simple virtue of not needing to worry about Daemonic influences, as they don't draw on the Warp directly.'
'So? They are stupid and sloppy. Evolution doesn't rectify things like that over the course of a generation.' he didn't really seem the problem. Sure, they were potentially dangerous, but they'd need huge numbers to accomplish much of anything. Technology could only do so much to overturn the disadvantages caused by stupidity. Heck, the race responsible for their creation may well have made the stupid on purpose to limit the chances of a potential rebellion!
'That's the thing. The Waagh! Fields affect the Orks themselves, not just their equipment. As the Orks age and fight, they grow larger, stronger, tougher, and smarter. It's not as quick as their physical development, but I haven't found any sort of upper limit.
To put this into perspective, I once fought an Ork Warboss who'd managed to unite the vast majority of the Orks in the sector into a single WAAGH. He was about the same size as I am now, and far more powerful and intelligent than his underlings, and I saw an Ork declare himself Warboss among my test subjects once all his rivals were dead. I suspect 'Metalbitah' was once in a similar position, perhaps only a decade before. If I'm right, and I usually am, there might not
be an upper limit, or if there is, then Metalbitah might have been constituted the 'Kaptin' of a single ship under that particular Ork. We cannot allow the Orks to build up, or we'll drown under an ocean of green flesh and war-madness.' she explained.
'...That is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever heard.' Magnus responded after a full 30 seconds. If she was right, and she certainly seemed to believe so, then the Orks were a far graver threat than he'd envisioned. Father must have been too busy with Terra to explain in detail, since he was too busy to have extended conversations in general. He'd been more focused on teaching Magnus the basics of… pretty much everything when he'd still been in his pod, but he had mentioned that the Orks were a threat.
'I need to tell our other brothers and ask father about this. Shall I leave you to think all of this over?' Serras asked, sensing his desire for some thinking time.
'Yes, that would be nice.' After Serras psychic presence faded, he realized 'Wait, I forgot to tell her about Jack. Oh well, I should wait until he's actually present before introducing him.'
*** A Few Weeks later ***
This time, Magnus made sure Jack was present for their conversation. Of course, the other major difference was that he was initiating this time. The two of them had talked it over, and the main reason she didn't already know was that Serras was usually in a hurry to convey something she felt was important, or vice versa, and long-distance telepathy was not conducive to long conversations. Though the Tenth-tier Communication Crystals she'd recently made were certainly helping there.
'Serras?' Magnus asked as he attempted to form the link, having back-tracked her origin some time ago.
'Yes?' Serras asked, a clinking sound echoing across the link as she put her tools down. She must have been working with metal for whatever reason.
'I probably should have done this sooner, but to be completely honest I was so caught up in what you said last time that I forgot to introduce you. The incident that scattered us and created you seems to have split a fragment of my soul off and created another Primarch. Meet my twin brother, Jack.' he explained.
'Hello, you're Serras right?' Jack focused more on the direct combat applications of his psykery, and on the mundane world as a whole. As a result, his 'voice' across the link was a bit fainter than Magnus' own.
'Yes, you must be Jack. I'd say Magnus has told me good things about you, but he hasn't told me anything about you.' Magnus winced at that.
Karma Check: 2820. Required: 1000. Passed. +200 Karma.
'I wouldn't have told a voice in my head the intricacies of my private life either, so I can't judge him for it. Let's rectify my ignorance shall we?' Luckily, she didn't seem to hold it against him.
'Remind me to tell you about the book-burning incident to make it up to you.' Jack responded with a smirk. Surely Serras wouldn't be interested in that.
'Oh? That sounds interesting.' Well, she might hold it against him a little. Magnus suddenly regretted everything ever.
Reward: Magnus SL has advanced to 3. Jack SL now available. Karma has advanced to 3020, +15 to Pysker and Education skills. +15 to Evasion Skills.
Education: Advanced: 90. You are nearing another new tier of knowledge on mundane subjects. Education bonus is now 190 for General.
Education: Advanced: 105. You are on another new tier of knowledge on mundane subjects. Education bonus is now 205 for General.
Education: Cultural Analysis: 90. A few xenos races require your personal intervention to acquire their allegiance to the greater state, but you can assimilate the vast majority of them without problems. Can assimilate xenos cultures which are slightly worse than neutral towards you.
Education: Cultural Analysis: 105. A very few xenos races require your personal intervention to acquire their allegiance to the greater state, but you can assimilate the vast majority of them without problems. Can assimilate xenos cultures which are somewhat worse than neutral towards you.
Education: Seer: 90. You are one of the greatest scholars on the Warp in the nearest 10 sectors. Education: Esoteric bonus has increased to 190.
Education: Seer: 105. You are one of the greatest scholars on the Warp in the nearest 11 sectors. Education: Esoteric bonus has increased to 205.
Education Advanced: All 100. Knowledge Collector. You seek to collect as much knowledge as possible, expanding the horizons of such amongst humankind. +200 to all Checks. +4 Major Actions. +4 Minor Actions.
Gained 300 Exp! 5060/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
Psyker: Sorcery: 90. You are nearing another new tier of esoteric knowledge. +90(190 total) to yourself in combat, +45(95 total) to allies within 19000 meters.
Psyker: Sorcery: 105. You are on another new tier of esoteric knowledge. +105(205 total) to yourself in combat, +50(100 total) to allies within 20000 meters.
Psyker: Spirit: 80. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +180 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a small chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Spirit: 95. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +195 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a minor chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Navigator: 80. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to roughly the same degree as the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 800 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 800 days hence. +180 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +90 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Psyker: Navigator: 95. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to the same degree as the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 950 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 950 days hence. +195 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +95 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Evasion: Lying: 135. You can tell lies a great deal better than the instructors who teach people in the Witch Hunters and Watchdogs how to lie. Similarly, you are amazing at discerning the lies of others, as you know very well what to look for. Incredible bonus to Intrigue actions.
Evasion: Lying: 140. You can tell lies immensely better than the instructors who teach people in the Witch Hunters and Watchdogs how to lie. Similarly, you are amazing at discerning the lies of others, as you know very well what to look for. Incredible bonus to Intrigue actions.
Evasion: Lying: 150. You can tell lies as well as the advisers to the heads of the departments that monitor society. Similarly, you are amazing at discerning the lies of others, as you know very well what to look for. Amazing bonus to Intrigue actions.
Evasion: Dodging: 135. You can dodge extremely numerous projectiles and/or strikes that aren't supersonic, and it's much more planned than instinctive. You've even managed to combine conscious actions and reflexes into a seamless whole. Incredible bonus to Combat Checks.
Evasion: Dodging: 140. You can dodge incredibly numerous projectiles and/or strikes that aren't supersonic, and it's much more planned than instinctive. You've even managed to combine conscious actions and reflexes into a seamless whole. Incredible bonus to Combat Checks.
Evasion: Dodging: 150. You are on a level with the absolute best of the Champions where mundane dodging is concerned. You've even managed to combine conscious actions and reflexes into a seamless whole. Amazing bonus to Combat Checks.
Evasion: Trickery: 135. You can manipulate the vast majority of people into harming themselves or their causes without them realizing, as well as hide medium-sized objects on your person, though someone who's really looking has the potential to see through your efforts. Your disguises are better when compared to the experts in the Witch Hunters. Incredible bonus to attempts to hide small objects and disguising your intentions. Huge bonus to attempts to hide medium-sized objects. Small bonus to attempts to hide large objects.
Evasion: Trickery: 140. You can manipulate the nearly anyone into harming themselves or their causes without them realizing, as well as hide medium-sized objects on your person, though someone who's really looking has the potential to see through your efforts. Your disguises are slightly better when compared to the experts in the Witch Hunters. Incredible bonus to attempts to hide small objects and disguising your intentions. Extreme bonus to attempts to hide medium-sized objects. Minor bonus to attempts to hide large objects.
Evasion: Trickery: 150. You are entirely capable of manipulating entire social gatherings into your favor, even amongst experts, as well as large objects on your person, though someone who's really looking has the potential to see through your efforts. Your disguises are somewhat better when compared to the experts in the Witch Hunters. Amazing bonus to attempts to hide small objects and disguising your intentions. Immense bonus to attempts to hide medium-sized objects. Medium bonus to attempts to hide large objects.
Gained Evasion All: 150. Intrigue Adviser. You are qualified to advise a spymaster on their job. This necessitates being nearly as qualified as they are in matters of intrigue. +150 to Evasion Checks.
Gained 150 Exp! 5210/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
AN: The Karma Checks for Primarch and Emps SLs are a lot higher because these guys have a lot more 'weight' behind them, both in the Warp and in terms of how they could affect the galaxy's destiny. Also, not all SLs need to be giant productions, before anybody complains that the second part was way too short. Karma Perks for having Karma show up at every 2500 from this point on.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Celestine Salnus (x3)
You consider some big extravagant gift or something, briefly at least.
Karma Check: 3020. Required: 350. Passed. +70 Karma.
However, you don't think that's the right decision. There's a difference between making your siblings comfortable, and spoiling them. While you still can't spend extended periods of time with them without unnerving them, that's no excuse to try and use material items to replace personal interaction. That almost never solves more problems than it causes, in the long-run anyway.
Instead, you spend a little more time around them than before. While it feels a bit wrong to compare them to animals, the origin of their trepidation in the animalistic hindbrain makes the tried and true tactic of gradually acclimating them to your presence in much the same way that animals have been (and are) domesticated works best.
Intrigue Check: 3 Checks Passed. -550 to Check difficulty.
Perception: People+Image: 230+ 4820(Perception bonuses)=5050. -200, -175, -150, and -125 Checks Passed.
5280/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
You are very careful to avoid pushing too much too soon, however. In addition to a distinct desire not to upset them, there is the entirely practical concern of traumatizing them and undoing a great deal of work. You believe you succeed, as you quickly gain a sense for when you're stressing their limits and retreat whenever that occurs. You do make sure to give them lots of interesting experiences and do your best not to coddle them (on the conscious level at least) despite a very insistent desire to do so. Wouldn't want them to get spoiled. While you trust your parents not to let that happen, you are distinctly less trusting of yourself in that regard.
Meanwhile, you also helped your mother with her work.
Karma Check: 3090. Required: 400. Passed. +80 Karma.
Not by directly intervening in her work, as trampling over the work of other scientists had been crippling the R&D department besides yourself as scientists were constantly being shuffled between projects. Not to mention that while making her feel inferior through your achievements wasn't really something you could help, but you weren't going to start taking over her projects. Instead, you worked to minimize your impact on them.
Administration Check: 2 Checks Passed.
Diplomacy Check: 2 Checks Passed.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. -850 to Check difficulty.
Combined Score Check: Education: General+Advanced: 320+Speech: Persuasion: 175+Electronics: Programming: 150+ 4810(Education bonuses)+ 47050(Speech bonuses)+ 13595(Electronics bonuses)=66100. 275, 350, 425, and 500 Checks Passed.
5390/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
The task itself is simple. You already decide what you plan to do in general terms at the beginning of the year, and how much effort you plan to put into each. All you have to do is write it down and send it to the Scientific Enterprise, at least in theory. In practice, having their research dictated to work around your schedule chafes at a lot of them, though all but the outright delusional will admit that you are a far better scientist than virtually all of them.
Of course, you work to smooth things over, and the change is accepted with only moderate reluctance once it sinks in that they won't be constantly having their research made obsolete or having it abruptly moved up or down in priority thanks to this. You plan to have the schedule automatically sent to their servers over a secure connection within the first few weeks of the year. This should keep you from constantly stepping on the toes of most of the union's scientists, and provide a boon to your efforts to advance technology a great deal.
***
Karma Check: 3170. Required: 450. Passed. +90 Karma.
Your mother was at times a distant figure in your life, but some of your earliest memories were of her taking the time to personally tutor you. She was always understanding, personable, loving. Qualities you sought to emulate. Your father was certainly a good person, but he'd shown how deep that ran later than your mother had, and so, made less of an impact on your psyche. It was only fair that you try to live up to the hopes and dreams invested in you by the people around you, when you'd been lucky enough to have just about the best parents you could ask for. A lot of people couldn't say that.
Reward: Celestine Salnus SL advanced to 10. Karma is now 3260. +15 to Education Skills. +30 to Psyker Skills. Gained R&D Coordination. While you advance technology and research at a ridiculous pace, you are only one person. Therefore, properly coordinating with your fellow scientists can improve the speed of technological advancement even further. Gained Special Invention Action. SIA dependent on total number of planets (216) multiplied by 10, with a bonus equal to that of Production, multiplied by 1.25(1+0.05 per Education tier), currently totalling 5330*1.25= 6660 (rounded down from 6662.5). This may be added to any other Invention action, or divided up between them, if you so choose.
AN: The latter is for when you have 1000+ planets, unless you don't have quite enough to pass a Check, or both.
Celestine Salnus SL 10 Perk. Job Experience. You learn by doing, as your mother does. Experience gained from Passed Checks doubled.
5490/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
Education: Advanced: 105. You are on another new tier of knowledge on mundane subjects. Education bonus is now 205 for General.
Education: Advanced: 110. You are considered a once-in-a-century genius for how much you've advanced human knowledge. Education bonus is now 210 for General.
Education: Advanced: 120. Your knowledge is great, even by the standards of those being educated with curriculum created from what you've discerned. Education bonus is now 220 for General.
Education: Cultural Analysis: 105. A very few xenos races require your personal intervention to acquire their allegiance to the greater state, but you can assimilate the vast majority of them without problems. Can assimilate xenos cultures which are somewhat worse than neutral towards you.
Education: Cultural Analysis: 110. A very, very few xenos races require your personal intervention to acquire their allegiance to the greater state, but you can assimilate the vast majority of them without problems. Can assimilate xenos cultures which are significantly worse than neutral towards you.
Education: Cultural Analysis: 120. A very, very few xenos races require your personal intervention to acquire their allegiance to the greater state, but you can assimilate the vast, vast majority of them without problems. Can assimilate xenos cultures which are much worse than neutral towards you.
Education: Seer: 105. You are one of the greatest scholars on the Warp in the nearest 11 sectors. Education: Esoteric bonus has increased to 205.
Education: Seer: 110. You are one of the greatest scholars on the Warp in the nearest 12 sectors. Education: Esoteric bonus has increased to 210.
Education: Seer: 120. You are one of the greatest scholars on the Warp in the nearest 13 sectors. Education: Esoteric bonus has increased to 220.
Psyker: Sorcery: 105. You are on another new tier of esoteric knowledge. +105(205 total) to yourself in combat, +50(100 total) to allies within 20000 meters.
Psyker: Sorcery: 115. You are a great sorcerer, with abilities that leave normal sorcerers impressed. +115(215 total) to yourself in combat, +55(105 total) to allies within 21000 meters.
Psyker: Sorcery: 125. You are a great sorcerer, with abilities that leave normal sorcerers somewhat impressed. +125(225 total) to yourself in combat, +60(110 total) to allies within 22000 meters.
Psyker: Sorcery: 135. You are a great sorcerer, with abilities that leave normal sorcerers rather impressed. +135(235 total) to yourself in combat, +65(115 total) to allies within 23000 meters.
Psyker: Spirit: 95. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +195 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a minor chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Spirit: 105. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +205 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a medium chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Spirit: 115. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +215 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a moderate chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Spirit: 125. Your soul rejects Daemons who do nothing more than enter your personal space. +225 to attempts at mind-reading/domination, and to defending against such attempts. Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses whether they try force or stealth. Greater Daemons will find your soul impossible to take by force, and will get themselves killed on your passive defenses if they try force anyway, with a large chance of dying to them if they attempt subterfuge. Even a Chaos God wouldn't be able to just waltz in without a very noticeable struggle. Lesser Daemons will be destroyed simply from coming into contact with you.
Psyker: Navigator: 95. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to the same degree as the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 950 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 950 days hence. +195 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +95 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Psyker: Navigator: 105. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to a slightly greater degree than the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 1050 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 1050 days hence. +205 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +100 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Psyker: Navigator: 115. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to a somewhat greater degree than the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 1150 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 1150 days hence. +215 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +105 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Psyker: Navigator: 125. You can read and manipulate the Warp around you to the same degree as the senior members of a Navigator House. You can reliably predict events 1250 minutes into the future, and get some flashes of events up to 1250 days hence. +225 to ritual-disruption Checks and similar esoteric uses of psychic power such as divination and guiding ships through the Warp. +110 to ritual-disruption Checks among allied psykers.
Psyker Advanced All: 100. Warp Practitioner. You use the Warp's energies for a wide variety of tasks, large and small, simple and complex, granting a great deal of skill through that most ancient of methods: practice. +300 to Psyker Checks.
5790/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Roger Cazanus (x1)
Roger could use some help with a number of things. He doesn't quite need it in any one area, but he has enough on his plate with getting the new territories' spy networks in decent shape that if he wants to get his major but lower-priority tasks done in a timely manner he'd like some assistance. Getting a proper handle on the Grimm on Remnant was as much an espionage game as anything else, for example, and Deathworlders tended to be more resistant to spy network than the average planet's inhabitants, due to a general sense of 'everyone's out to get you' which discouraged even the perception of disloyalty.
Karma Check: 3260. Required: 450. Passed. +90 Karma.
As such, he set up an exercise so he could get on with his work, while she helped him set up the networks of agents amongst the newly admitted planets. It was the least you could do for taking up time from his valuable schedule, when he was already doing so much on your government's behalf.
In this case, he gave her a suit with a built-in tracker, to simulate having had her intelligence organization compromised, and placed her in a maze, representing a ship without standardised design, as the soldiers tried to tag her with rubber bullets as stand-ins for a tranquilizer potent enough to kill a normal person 10 times over. Such chemicals were required to bring her down, and required multiple doses to accomplish the effect. Ths suit had a secondary function of restricting her movements to accurately reflect the degree of incapacitation a 'tag' would manage, including the fading of the effects as a relatively short period of time passed.
Her goal was to take out the reactor without destroying it, as there were high-priority capture targets on-board, in order to bring down the shields and weapons, and allow the 'Dreadnought' to be taken by boarders. This created the additional restriction of a 10-minute time limit, as the fleet would be taking a beating as long as the enemy's most powerful piece remained active which would affect the number and quality of the boarding parties, as well as the simulated fleet's ability to carry the prisoners to a secure facility for proper interrogation.
If she was successful in her primary objective, she was to assist in the capture, though this also had a time limit. If the counter-boarding operations were going badly enough, the enemy might silence the targets, or they might kill themselves, depending on their nerve, in order to deny critical information to them. This was a much more flexible time limit, and as such, difficult to plan for.
She could sense the faux-reactor's energy just fine with her powers, though the chances of there being a straight path there were effectively zero. She could just blast her way through the walls, especially since her stealth was already compromised, but that would rather defeat the purpose of this exercise. Besides, what if she accidentally blew up a munitions dump? It was unlikely to seriously harm her, but it would be a risk on an actual Dreadnought. Teleporting would similarly render the lesson pointless.
Intrigue Check: 3 Checks Passed. -425 to Check difficulty.
Evasion: Dodging Check: 150+ 4835(Evasion bonuses)-2500 (Tracking Device)=2485. 25, 75, 125, and 150 Checks Passed.
5930/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
She easily avoided the shots from the guards, in part because their souls made them just as easy for her to track as she currently was for them to track. Huh, was this what it was like for the soldiers that took part in her exercises? Anyway, she reached the reactor with 2 minutes to spare, which was impressive considering how labyrinthine the ship was.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. -600 to Check requirement.
Combined Check: Forging: Gear: 200+ Electronics: Wiring: 150+ 6810(Forging bonuses)+ 13595(Electronics bonuses)= 20755. -300, -200, -100 and 0 Checks Passed.
6070/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
Disabling the reactor so that it was relatively easily fixed provided you knew exactly what was wrong was fairly simple. The hard part was doing it in such a way that it wasn't a simple fix, but nothing you couldn't accomplish. As the guards began to fight with 'boarders' you made your way to the bridge, which you'd found on your way, but ignored as the only sure-fire method of securing the ship was doing it manually, as the soldiers weren't guaranteed to obey and order to stand-down given by a superior under duress.
With prior knowledge of where it was, and the sort of speeds you could accomplish even in the relatively confined corridors, you reached the command center in less than 5 minutes. The guards were downed before they could so much as raise their guns, and you had a knife to your target's throat within 5 seconds of that. Using biomancy to knock him out without risking death or brain damage, you considered the scenario won only when you moved him behind 'friendly lines' amongst the boarders. Assassination was still a possibility, but a faint one compared to before.
Reward: Roger Cazanus SL advanced to 10. Karma is now 3350. +15 to Evasion Skills.
Roger Cazanus SL 10 Perk. Infiltration, Assassination, Stolen Information... Roger has taught you a lot of tricks that aren't part of the standard package for infiltrators and covert operations, and ones he normally reserves for his top agents. +50 to Combat, Evasion and Perception Checks.
6170/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
Evasion: Lying: 150. You can tell lies as well as the advisers to the heads of the departments that monitor society. Similarly, you are amazing at discerning the lies of others, as you know very well what to look for. Amazing bonus to Intrigue actions.
Evasion: Lying: 165. You can tell lies very slightly better than the advisers to the heads of the departments that monitor society. Similarly, you are amazing at discerning the lies of others, as you know very well what to look for. Amazing bonus to Intrigue actions.
Evasion: Dodging: 150. You are on a level with the absolute best of the Champions where mundane dodging is concerned. You've even managed to combine conscious actions and reflexes into a seamless whole. Amazing bonus to Combat Checks.
Evasion: Dodging: 165. You very slightly past level with the absolute best of the Champions where mundane dodging is concerned. You've even managed to combine conscious actions and reflexes into a seamless whole. Amazing bonus to Combat Checks.
Evasion: Trickery: 150. You are entirely capable of manipulating entire social gatherings into your favor, even amongst experts, as well as large objects on your person, though someone who's really looking has the potential to see through your efforts. Your disguises are somewhat better when compared to the experts in the Witch Hunters. Amazing bonus to attempts to hide small objects and disguising your intentions. Immense bonus to attempts to hide medium-sized objects. Medium bonus to attempts to hide large objects.
Evasion: Trickery: 165. You are definitely capable of manipulating entire social gatherings into your favor, even amongst experts, as well as large objects on your person, though someone who's really looking has the potential to see through your efforts. Your disguises are somewhat better when compared to the experts in the Witch Hunters. Amazing bonus to attempts to hide small objects and disguising your intentions. Immense bonus to attempts to hide medium-sized objects. Moderate bonus to attempts to hide large objects.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Isker Vagahen (x1)
Isker had an idea for use of detonation-cord, the fast-burning cord used to initiate explosives at range in instances such as clearing blockages. Mining, tunneling, carving paths through areas of rough or rocky terrain, destroying enemy barricades/fortifications, and demolition in general. Even if there were multiple explosions set to go off, they would detonate almost simultaneously. He wanted to improve it further.
Karma Check: 3350. Required: 450. Passed. +90 Karma.
Naturally, you agree to help him test the various chemical compositions as quickly as possible to get the research done quickly.
Administration Check: 2 Checks Passed.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. -745 to Check requirement.
Combined Check: Explosives: General: 135+ Forging: Weapons: 200+ Invention: Necessity: 210+ 12595(Explosives bonuses)+ 6810(Forging bonuses)+ 29195(Invention bonuses)= 49145. -605, -455, -305, -155. Checks Passed.
6350/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
With the aid of your facilities, the slog of testing the concoctions for a more effective mixture was cut down immensely, so Isker and yourself could work on improving the formula. This proved very successful. Isker was very happy with the results, and thanked you for your help, both with this, and with all his previous endeavors.
Isker Vaghen SL has advanced to 10. Karma is now 3440. +15 to Explosives Skills. Reward: Improved Fuse. Detonation cord was used in military matters, and civilian ones. The improved fuse reduced the time for the explosives to be detonated, and reduce the difference in time between when multiple explosives were set off. +50 to PDF rolls. +50 to industry.
Isker Vagahen SL 10. Bomb Crafter. You know a great deal about the making of bombs, from the largest to the smallest, hardened or delicate. +50 to Explosives, Tactics, Medicine Checks.
6450/6500 to Level 56. Currently possess 14 Perk points.
Explosives: General: 135. You know more about using explosives than the large majority of the teachers of those who've made a career out of their production and use. Of course, you cheat a little bit with your psyker powers, but who wouldn't use their powers to prevent premature detonations? Incredible bonus to use of explosives and prevention of their going off when you don't want them to.
Explosives: General: 140. You know much more about using explosives than the very large majority of the teachers of those who've made a career out of their production and use. Of course, you cheat a little bit with your psyker powers, but who wouldn't use their powers to prevent premature detonations? Incredible bonus to use of explosives and prevention of their going off when you don't want them to.
Explosives: General: 150. You are roughly equivalent to a 'Hero Unit' amongst explosive-using soldiery. Of course, you cheat a little bit with your psyker powers, but who wouldn't use their powers to prevent premature detonations? Ridiculous bonus to use of explosives and prevention of their going off when you don't want them to.
Explosives: Extravagant: 135. You know more than most experts in the field about dealing with pressure plates, timers, and explosives which open vortexes to the Immaterium. Incredible bonus to use and dealing with Void munitions, landmines, explosives on a timer, etc.
Explosives: Extravagant: 140. You know much more than most experts in the field about dealing with pressure plates, timers, and explosives which open vortexes to the Immaterium. Incredible bonus to use and dealing with Void munitions, landmines, explosives on a timer, etc.
Explosives: Extravagant: 150. You are one of the most prominent experts in the field when dealing with pressure plates, timers, and explosives which open vortexes to the Immaterium. Ridiculous bonus to use and dealing with Void munitions, landmines, explosives on a timer, etc.
Explosives: Preparation: 135. You know how to safely make grenades, provided you have the proper materials, or safely create a makeshift one if you have no other option. Similarly, you can make somewhat larger explosives even without all the proper materials, with utter certainty of their safety. Large explosives, as well. Truly enormous explosives, of the type known to destabilize continental plates, are not something you can make without dedicated facilities unless you wish to roll the dice with every few feet you move it, and even with them, it's risky. Incredible bonus to creation of small explosives. Incredible bonus to creation of large or complicated explosives. Immense bonus to the creation of large and complicated explosives. Small bonus to the creation of mantle-cracker explosives. Makeshift small explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift medium explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift large explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift huge explosives have a moderate chance of not exploding as you make them.
Explosives: Preparation: 140. You know how to safely make grenades, provided you have the proper materials, or safely create a makeshift one if you have no other option. Similarly, you can make even somewhat larger explosives, even without all the proper materials, with utter certainty of their safety. Large explosives, as well. Truly enormous explosives, of the type known to destabilize continental plates, are not something you can make without dedicated facilities unless you wish to roll the dice with every few meters you move it, and even with them, it's risky. Ridiculous bonus to creation of small explosives. Incredible bonus to creation of large or complicated explosives. Incredible bonus to the creation of large and complicated explosives. Minor bonus to the creation of mantle-cracker explosives. Makeshift small explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift medium explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift large explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift huge explosives have a large chance of not exploding as you make them.
Explosives: Preparation: 150. You know how to safely make grenades, provided you have the proper materials, or safely create a makeshift one if you have no other option. Similarly, you can make even somewhat larger explosives, even without all the proper materials, with utter certainty of their safety. Large explosives, as well. Truly enormous explosives, of the type known to destabilize continental plates, are not something you can make without dedicated facilities unless you wish to roll the dice with every few dozen feet you move it, and even with them, it's risky. Ridiculous bonus to creation of small explosives. Ridiculous bonus to creation of large or complicated explosives. Incredible bonus to the creation of large and complicated explosives. Small bonus to the creation of mantle-cracker explosives. Makeshift small explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift medium explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift large explosives won't explode as you make them. Makeshift huge explosives have a major chance of not exploding as you make them.
Explosives All 150. Bomb Craftswoman. You are a well-renowned maker of bombs, both small and large. +150 to Explosives Checks.
Gained 150 Exp! Advanced to Level 56! Currently possess 17 Perk points. 100/6600 to Level 57.
Perception: Environment: 145. You are nearing the level of environmental awareness the average expert scout. +70 to detection rolls. Incredible boost to Combat and Tactics Checks.
Perception: Environment: 150. You are at the level of environmental awareness the average expert scout. +75 to detection rolls. Incredible boost to Combat and Tactics Checks.
Electronics All 150 Skill. Computer Creator. Well, you still can't make computers out of a tin can and a paperclip, but with actually serviceable materials you can build a great computer from scratch. +150 to Electronics Checks.
Perception All: 150 Perk. Watson. You aren't quite at the peak of human perception, but you can draw general conclusions from even very small details. +150 to Perception Checks. Malus of 75 to enemy assassination and scouting rolls.
400/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
Speech: Persuasion: 175. You can convince even the most fanatical of people of your viewpoint with ludicrous ease. Even the greatest fanatics can be persuaded of your views being correct ridiculously easily.
Speech: Persuasion: 180. You can convince even the most fanatical of people of your viewpoint with ridiculous ease. Even the greatest fanatics can be persuaded of your views being correct ridiculously easily.
Speech: Diplomacy: 175. Compromising between two groups of howling fanatics is amazingly easy for you. Compromises you broker will stick even if the governing body is entirely replaced, even after mass public executions carried out at your order, followed by many unpopular edicts over an extended period.
Speech: Diplomacy: 180. Compromising between two groups of howling fanatics is amazingly easy for you. Compromises you broker will stick even if the governing body is entirely replaced, even after mass public executions carried out at your order, followed entirely by unpopular edicts over an extended period.
Speech: Intimidation: 175. You are an unspeakable terror when you want to be, despite seeming like a peaceful giant under most circumstances. Only die-hard fanatics, rallying around some kind of champion, will avoid a ludicrous morale debuff when fighting you and will, suffer at least a small one regardless, breaking immediately upon losing their champion.
Speech: Intimidation: 180. You are an unspeakable terror when you want to be, despite seeming like a peaceful giant under most circumstances. Only die-hard fanatics, rallying around some kind of champion, will avoid a ludicrous morale debuff when fighting you and will, suffer at least a moderate one regardless, breaking immediately upon losing their champion.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Captain Matt (x1)
Captain Matt was attempting to more thoroughly integrate Shift weaponry into the doctrine of the Champions, and you were the most potent single combatant in known space.
Karma Check: 3440. Required: 450. Passed. +90 Karma.
While it was a bit of a drain on your time to fight everyone who planned to use the weapons, which was a major portion of the Champions, a couple thousand people wasn't outside the scope of reason with a few days set aside for it.
Combat Checks: 3 Checks Passed. -515 to Check difficulty.
Combat Skill: Melee + Warrior: 230+ 86508(Combat bonuses)= 86738- 1000(Outnumbered)-2500(Skilled Enemies)=83238. -65, -15, 35, and 85 Checks Passed.
540/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
With your skills, the Champions quickly learned to use their Shift weapons properly, or were punished with injuries, which you healed and sent them to attack you again. They soon learned from experience, and managed to improve their teamwork a bit, which was their major area of deficiency, since they were used to working solo or with the backing of lesser combatants, rather than with equals.
Captain Matt was very appreciative of the dual lesson, as few could have managed to teach them both so quickly. He also admitted he had little left to teach you, as stealthy combat was his weakest area, and you were already nearly as good as him there, and better elsewhere.
Reward: Captain Matt SL 10. Karma is now 3530. +15 to Combat Skills.
Captain Matt SL 10 Perk. Professional Soldier. As an experienced soldier, you excel at combat, and discerning details. +50 to Combat, Perception, and Evasion.
640/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
Combat: Warrior: 60. You are beyond a new tier of combat ability, beyond even what Grandmaster's achieve. Combat Checks reduced greatly in difficulty.
Combat: Warrior: 75. You are slightly beyond a new tier of combat ability, beyond even what Grandmaster's achieve. Combat Checks reduced very greatly in difficulty.
Combat: Sniper: 30. The art of long-distance strikes, generally for assassination purposes. Minor bonus to Combat Checks in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus. Reduces difficulty of sniping targets smally in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus. Slight bonus to avoiding assassination and hidden strikes in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus.
Combat: Sniper: 45. The art of long-distance strikes, generally for assassination purposes. Medium bonus to Combat Checks in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus. Reduces difficulty of sniping targets minorly in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus. Small bonus to avoiding assassination and hidden strikes in addition to Combat: Ranged bonus.
Combat: Stealth: 150. You are on the level of the top-tier stealth operative among the Witch Hunters. Difficulty of Evasion and Combat Checks reduced ludicrously. Difficulty of assassinations greatly reduced.
Combat: Stealth: 165. You are very slightly beyond the level of the top-tier stealth operative among the Witch Hunters. Difficulty of Evasion and Combat Checks reduced ludicrously. Difficulty of assassinations largely reduced.
[X] [Minor Action] [SL] Meera Yerala (x2)
Meeras was trying to take all the advanced polities genetic technology and genetics information in general to create an archive in order to prepare for any plague outbreaks that weren't immediately solvable (likely Warp-influenced, though some of the nastier viruses and other pathogens weren't easily cured with current medical technology). There were plans in place to do this anyway, but Meera wanted to a) make sure it was done right, and b) get it done as soon as possible. The only ones she entirely trusted to accomplish the task while fulfilling both criteria were herself, and yourself. Very few could sort through genetic information on this sort of scale very quickly without making mistakes. Meera could do it because of her sheer skill, you because of your prodigious intellect. She'd need your help to accomplish it in a short frame of time though.
Karma Check: 3530. Required: 400. Passed. +80 Karma.
You agree to assist her.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. -605 to Check difficulty.
Combined Check: Medicine: Surgery: 115+ Medicine: Narcotics: 115+ Medicine: First Aid: 115+ 42555(Medicine bonuses X 3)- 10000(Rushed)= 32900. 595, 745, 895, and 1045 Checks Passed.
780/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
While the speed of at which you worked would have made a normal person incapable of accomplishing the task at all. General medical knowledge is compiled from existing medical reports and databases, before testing of various drugs and the examination of cadavers. With your abilities and Meera's expertise, any permanent damage is avoided, so there were plenty of volunteers for the former.
With the database compiled, there was still one other thing she wanted help with: improving the medical scanners further.
Karma Check: 3610. Required: 450. Passed. +90 Karma.
While you think the current version is adequate for your current needs, increasing the buffer never hurts.
Administration Check: 2 Checks Passed.
Learning Check: 3 Checks Passed. -725 to Check difficulty.
Combined Check: Forging: Gear: 200+ Electronics: Wiring: 150+ Electronics: Programming: 150+ 6810(Forging bonuses)+ 27190(Electronics bonuses X 2)= 34500. 625, 775, 925, and 1075 Checks Passed.
960/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
The previous iteration was indeed adequate for your current needs… but only barely. As the number of planets and species increases, the number and variety of potential subjects does the same. While most inhabitants of the various planets are human, a few thousand years in isolation has led to some very slight divergences, even between the inhabitants of almost identical worlds. Not enough to be considered different species or even sub-species, but enough for some minor differences, such as tolerance for certain chemicals among Deathworlders being much higher on average. Most Deathworlders would only be made sick by doses of their native toxins, and to a lesser degree toxins in general, that would kill off-worlders, for example. In addition, the increasing number of xenos races drastically increased the possible threats to potential patients.
What one species might consider a pleasant meal could cause a quick, yet horrific, death in another, so the med-scanner's functions were expanded to include nearby substances, allowing the user to tell whether or not something was safe for consumption by another life-form without having to spend time in a laboratory. Of course, this was of little help to the inhabitants of worlds that had only just been integrated, or xenos races with poor medical sciences, but the current 'generation' if those had had their problems fixed by the efforts of Meera and yourself. The compilation of the medical research of the component planets, as well as some new research to fill the gaps, had fixed that problem for the forseeable future.
Reward: Meera SL has advanced to 10. Karma has advanced to 3700. +40 to Medicine Skills due to Tags. Gained Genetic Database. The genetic and general medical information of the inhabitants of your polity. Provides a bonus to medical treatments across your polity. Auto-updates as new races/sub-species are added.
Meera Yerala SL 10. Head Practitioner. You know a great deal about the making and use of medicine, to the point of running your own clinic not being a problem. +50 to Medicine, Tactics, Explosives Checks.
1060/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 17 Perk points.
Improved General Med-Scanner. This handheld device allow the user to scan a member of many species, including humans, and discover the causes of their distress, as well as possessing a large database on how to treat the problem. Is extremely user-friendly. +100 to morale rolls. Huge increase to first-responder and isolated teams' ability to handle casualties. Medium increase to level of integration of xenos races, and reputation with them.
AN: Meera's invested heavily in Medicine Perks, allowing her to pass that Check if you were wondering.
Medicine: Surgery: 110. You have slightly exceeded conventional mastery of surgical procedures, performing slightly better than doctors who've dedicated their lives to the practice. Huge bonus to extrication and/or implantation of pre-existing organs removed. Extremely unlikely to cause damage in the process.
Medicine: Surgery: 120. You have somewhat exceeded conventional mastery of surgical procedures, performing somewhat better than doctors who've dedicated their lives to the practice. Extreme bonus to extrication and/or implantation of pre-existing organs removed. Extremely unlikely to cause damage in the process.
Medicine: Surgery: 130. You have exceeded conventional mastery of surgical procedures, performing better than doctors who've dedicated their lives to the practice. Immense bonus to extrication and/or implantation of pre-existing organs removed. Immensely unlikely to cause damage in the process.
Medicine: Surgery: 140. You are nearing the sort of mastery of surgical procedures that other doctors turn to for advice, performing much better than doctors who've dedicated their lives to the practice. Immense bonus to extrication and/or implantation of pre-existing organs removed. Immensely unlikely to cause damage in the process.
Medicine: Surgery: 150. You are a medical prodigy, who other doctors would consult even if your personality were far more abrasive, performing far better than doctors who've dedicated their lives to the practice. Incredible bonus to extrication and/or implantation of pre-existing organs removed. Incredibly unlikely to cause damage in the process.
Medicine: Narcotics: 110. You have slightly exceeded conventional mastery of the production, use, and dosage of various drugs, and the treatments and symptoms of a wide variety of poisons. Chance of misdiagnosing an obscure poison or drug immensely reduced. Immensely increased effectiveness of attempts to cure common poisons.
Medicine: Narcotics: 120. You have somewhat exceeded conventional mastery of the production, use, and dosage of various drugs, and the treatments and symptoms of a wide variety of poisons. Chance of misdiagnosing an obscure poison or drug immensely reduced. Immensely increased effectiveness of attempts to cure common poisons.
Medicine: Narcotics: 130. You have exceeded conventional mastery of the production, use, and dosage of various drugs, and the treatments and symptoms of a wide variety of poisons. Chance of misdiagnosing an obscure poison or drug incredibly reduced. Incredibly increased effectiveness of attempts to cure common poisons.
Medicine: Narcotics: 140. You are approximately at the level of mastery of the production, use, and dosage of various drugs, and the treatments and symptoms of a wide variety of poisons, a (non-immoral) corporation would require from an independent scientist. Chance of misdiagnosing an obscure poison or drug incredibly reduced. Incredibly increased effectiveness of attempts to cure common poisons.
Medicine: Narcotics: 150. You are at the level of mastery of the production, use, and dosage of various drugs, and the treatments and symptoms of a wide variety of poisons, a (non-immoral) corporation would require from an independent scientist. Chance of misdiagnosing an obscure poison or drug ridiculously reduced. Ridiculously increased effectiveness of attempts to cure common poisons.
Medicine: First-Aid: 110. You have slightly exceeded conventional mastery of first-aid, from minor cuts, to loss of limbs and major organ damage. Can relatively quickly stabilize those with injuries both internal and external, barring instantly lethal maiming, such as total failure of important organs such as the brain, heart, or lungs.
Medicine: First-Aid: 120. You have somewhat exceeded conventional mastery of first-aid, from minor cuts, to loss of limbs and major organ damage. Can relatively quickly stabilize those with injuries both internal and external, barring instantly lethal maiming, such as total failure of important organs such as the brain, heart, or lungs.
Medicine: First-Aid: 130. You have exceeded conventional mastery of first-aid, from minor cuts, to loss of limbs and major organ damage. Can relatively quickly stabilize those with injuries both internal and external, barring instantly lethal maiming, such as total failure of important organs such as the brain, heart, or lungs.
Medicine: First-Aid: 140. You are at the rough equivalent of the sort of skill in first-aid expected of a military paramedic in the field who'd been intentionally sent behind enemy lines. Can relatively quickly stabilize those with injuries both internal and external, barring instantly lethal maiming, such as total failure of important organs such as the brain, heart, or lungs.
Medicine: First-Aid: 150. You are at the equivalent of the sort of skill in first-aid expected of a military paramedic in the field who'd been intentionally sent behind enemy lines. Can quickly stabilize those with injuries both internal and external, barring instantly lethal maiming, such as total failure of important organs such as the brain, heart, and even delay brain-death should there be a problem with the lungs.
Medicine All: 150. Physician. You are the sort of doctor usually portrayed as the lead in medical dramas, if significantly less abrasive and, you know, actually a doctor. +150 to Medicine Checks.
Combat All 150 Perk. Contender. You can perform at the level of special forces at any direct combat task. This doesn't mean you have no specialties, but your weak areas are still at least average when direct combat comes into play. +150 to Combat Checks.
Skill All 150 Perk. Extreme Proficiency. You are extremely proficient in every field. Your skills synergize extremely well, shoring each other up. You find yourself getting far more done as you take shortcuts available thanks to your huge breadth of knowledge. +300 to all Checks (applies multiple times if multiple Skills are involved). +1 Major Action. +15 Minor Actions. +15 Perk points.
1510/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 32 Perk points.
AN: I apparently forgot to put a bunch of All Skills in when you reached their thresholds. Sorry.
RER: 9+10(Arthur's bonus)+10(FBTW)+ 20(Level Perks)=49. Meh result.
A small band of Orks run smack into a patrol and are annihilated. While there were no major casualties among the ships or their crew, the fact that there are bands simply roaming around near your newest holdings is a bad sign.
AN: Nothing bad actually happened, but there's indication there could have been something pretty bad and that there probably is on the horizon. A result of a minor battle degrading into a skirmish thanks to Arthur's bonus.
Exploration Roll: 50+10(FBTW)+20(Level Perks)+10(Explorer Corps)=90. Great Result.
The Explorer Corps have discovered another Forgeworld on the edge of the space known to the locals among your newest worlds.
Diplomacy Check: 2 Checks passed. -550 to Check requirement.
Information, Non-Aggression Pact, Full Alliance, and Allegiance Checks autopassed.
1630/6600 to Level 57. Currently possess 32 Perk points.
Apparently, they've been fighting off the occasional Warband for some time, and they appreciate the help promised by the agents of the Mechanicus who accompany the Explorer Corps vessels for pretty much this exact type of situation.
Reward: Gained 1 Forgeworld. Currently possess 217 planets.
Galactic Rumor Mill: There are likely major Ork holdings near yours, it is probable that you will encounter an actual polity of them, instead of a horde of green flesh attacking a planet or an invading fleet, in the near future. Upside, you'll get to see how creatures that only think of war can actually manage a semi-functional inter-planetary nation.
