So, last time I tried to do one of these I got too ambitious in thinking of making SO MUCH...
Swords, Sorcery and STARSHIPS [Redux and Stripped]
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So, last time I tried to do one of these I got too ambitious in thinking of making SO MUCH CUSTOMIZATION!!! that it ended up actually scaring people away. With this new ruleset my intent is to have enough customization that players feel like they're not exact cookie cutters of one another but where it is not a daunting and terrifying prospect.
My primary goal with this thread at this time is not open recruitment yet! Because I want to give the "public" a chance to look at the rules and give some feedback on how I did and if they have suggestions for quality of life improvements I can add to the rules.
Once those have been hashed out I'll change the thread title with magic powers! [ask the mods if that is what it'll take lol] to reflect when we're recruiting which I hope will be soon if I did a good job of stripping down the rules to easy to understand mechanics.
The basic rules. Economics have been trimmed down to basic resources:
ISC [money]
Military Infrastructure [represents how much stuff you can build]
Black Star Crystals [these are used for when you want to use the in game FTL system]
There will be some special resources you discover as you play and they'll grant nations access to some special stuff.
Colony Tracker this will allow you to easily track your colonies and territories which will also show you your total ISC value from these territories.
Military Upkeep and Jump Calculator as titled this lets you put in your military units and their costs and gives a quick and easy upkeep calculation. It also has a jump calculator in case you forget or don't want to double check the rules for how many crystals it'll take to jump a fleet you want to move.
Further notes on features:
A rather large map consisting of several "sectors" including unknown space. Several hundred star systems to explore and or conquer.
A large number of NPCs [something like 30 at the moment] to interact with and or conquer.
A "living" galaxy with the intent that players will all be aware of each other and the NPCs that exist at the start of the game [well...for the most part
]. This is a universe that has a history and while most of the galaxy you're entering is back to being unexplored wilderness you will not be existing in a void without contact with one another or NPCs. My hope here is that players will feel like they always have stuff to do and can start their gaming early rather than just having to send out explorers in the hope that someday the find another player.
At the moment I am looking forward to feedback so I can make sure when we do launch we are good to go and everyone has a fun experience. Hopefully even some co-GMS.
My primary goal with this thread at this time is not open recruitment yet! Because I want to give the "public" a chance to look at the rules and give some feedback on how I did and if they have suggestions for quality of life improvements I can add to the rules.
Once those have been hashed out I'll change the thread title with magic powers! [ask the mods if that is what it'll take lol] to reflect when we're recruiting which I hope will be soon if I did a good job of stripping down the rules to easy to understand mechanics.
The basic rules. Economics have been trimmed down to basic resources:
ISC [money]
Military Infrastructure [represents how much stuff you can build]
Black Star Crystals [these are used for when you want to use the in game FTL system]
There will be some special resources you discover as you play and they'll grant nations access to some special stuff.
Colony Tracker this will allow you to easily track your colonies and territories which will also show you your total ISC value from these territories.
Military Upkeep and Jump Calculator as titled this lets you put in your military units and their costs and gives a quick and easy upkeep calculation. It also has a jump calculator in case you forget or don't want to double check the rules for how many crystals it'll take to jump a fleet you want to move.
Further notes on features:
A rather large map consisting of several "sectors" including unknown space. Several hundred star systems to explore and or conquer.
A large number of NPCs [something like 30 at the moment] to interact with and or conquer.
A "living" galaxy with the intent that players will all be aware of each other and the NPCs that exist at the start of the game [well...for the most part
]. This is a universe that has a history and while most of the galaxy you're entering is back to being unexplored wilderness you will not be existing in a void without contact with one another or NPCs. My hope here is that players will feel like they always have stuff to do and can start their gaming early rather than just having to send out explorers in the hope that someday the find another player.At the moment I am looking forward to feedback so I can make sure when we do launch we are good to go and everyone has a fun experience. Hopefully even some co-GMS.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
Swords, Sorcery and Starships: A strategy game in a universe of magic and science.
The Beginning:
Many tens of thousands of years ago a great swirling vortex of energy appeared in the void between stars; from this vortex poured a stream of thousands upon thousands of starships of all shapes and sizes ranging from small in-system crift to the giants of interstellar travel. Calling themselves Solarians, these refugees were made up of dozens of species evolved or uplifted from the natives of a single system that had spread across three galaxies before encountering a threat from "the outer dark" that even their might could not match. After two millennia of constant warfare against this nameless foe the last remnants of the Solarian civilization deduced that their only hope was to flee their universe entirely and so they dedicated their vast knowledge of science and what remained of their dwindling resources to the endeavor until at last "The Great Rift" was born and they fled to their new homeland and the hope of salvation.
The Age of Rebuilding:
As soon as the refugee fleet's leaders were certain the fleet had crossed in its entirety into this new universe they sealed the rift behind them, leaving any of their kin that hadn't made it to their fate. For weeks the great fleet waited in the void to be certain their nameless enemy could not follow them before at last attempting to set out for the nearest star system in the hopes of finding a new home. Unfortunately for the Solarians their trials were not yet over as it would turn out this new universe they had fled too did not obey all the same rules as the one they had departed. To their shock the refugee fleet discovered that their FTL sensors did not work at all and their slipstream drives –essential for FTL travel at the time- were only capable of short dangerous hops rather than the long range precision jumps of their former realm.
No records survive of how many refugee ships were lost to slipstream accidents or –in the case of the towed STL vessels- how many were simply lost in the slipstream itself as the desperate fleet made its way to the nearest star system. What is known is that a journey that in their home universe would have taken mere days ended up taking nearly six months and by time the fleet arrived the survivors were in dire straits indeed.
Thankfully for the refugees they were in possession of wondrous technologies that did work and they were able to terraform several planets and dozens of moons to suit their needs and allow them to finally settle down and begin the process of rebuilding in the new system they had named Hope.
The First Republic:
In the year 356 S.Y [Salvation Year] with a stable civilization now built the Solarians began launching "slip scouts" to explore the space around their new home system. These early and dangerous explorations were followed by colonization efforts as brave pioneers took to the stars to ensure their civilization was as disaster proofed as possible.
In 402 S.Y the Solarians of the Hope system declared the founding of the Great Solarian Republic and created the Senate of the Stars with representatives from each world deciding the direction of the Republic. It is important to note that during this time there was no way to communicate across interstellar distances save for the use of slipstream capable messenger crift as the subspace communications technology the Solarians had brought with them did not work in the new universe.
Despite the difficulties of maintaining an interstellar civilization without instantaneous communication and with slow and dangerous FTL methods the First Republic made many great advancements and continued to prosper and endure for another two centuries.
The First Psions:
In the year 615 S.Y fate would again deliver a terrible blow to the Solarians for it was in this year that the consequences of generations in this universe began to at last manifest in the children of Sol. The first mutation to appear were the psions, beings from most –but notably not all- Solarian species who were born with mental powers out of the darkest stories of the ancient past. While psions could not read the minds of others –and could only communicate telepathically with another willing psion- they could manipulate the perception and even will of another being with little effort. More frightening still is that "second generation" psions began to display superhuman abilities beyond simple mental tricks. It did not take long for fear and paranoia to spread across the Republic as distorted and often incorrect reports of psionic activity were carried from system to system via messenger ship. Many feared that the new psionically active beings would attempt to take over the Republic or worse still already had in some secret conspiracy; these fears were more rampant among the Solarian species that did not manifest any psions of their own.
While weak and undisciplined by the standards of later generations the appearance of the first and second generation psions was enough to shake the very foundation of the Republic's society and would prove to be the beginning of the end for the First Republic.
The First Magi:
In the year 672 S.Y the final blow to the rule of the First Republic was dealt, for even as the worlds of the Republic continued to struggle with the "Psionic Question" a new mutation appeared. The first confirmed magi was reported on the world of New Prospero where she was said to have performed many "miracles" and acts that utterly defied the laws of science known to the Solarians at that time. Fearing the powers this being possessed the Republic government dispatched a team of scientists and soldiers to investigate the New Prospero situation.
As if some flood gate had been opened reports quickly began to reach the central government of similar beings appearing on worlds all across the Republic. While many of these new beings were as benevolent as "The First" others used their abilities to benefit themselves, uncaring of the cost to anyone else while others were simply driven mad by the new and alien energies flowing through their bodies and changing their minds.
The Fall of the First Republic:
In 680 S.Y the situation spiraled out of control; the Central Government instituted a number of cruel and uncompromising policies that saw psions and magi declared a clear and present threat to the Republic rather than citizens. After developing technologies to control or neutralize the powers of the paranormal beings the central government then began rounding these beings up and forcing them to either serve the Republic or report to "containment camps" where they could not prove a "threat" to other citizens. Many worlds opposed the severity of the central government response however as they believed the new technologies that allowed psionic and magical powers to be controlled were sufficient to neutralize the threat and that the forced servitude or imprisonment were unnecessarily cruel.
Matters came to a head when a Republic fleet came to blows with the Orinoco System Defense fleet after the Orinoco system government refused to allow the Republic to carry out a "sweep" of psions and magi.
This single event sparked a war that lasted for over a decade with catastrophic results as psionic and magical powers were employed in war for the first time in Solarian history. Whole colonies were eradicated and in the end nobody "won" the war as economies collapsed and whole systems lost their ability to maintain interstellar ships. By 710 S.Y the First Republic was dead and what few interstellar capable powers the remained in the wake of the collapse were often still feuding with one another.
The Lonely Time:
When the First Republic fell it took the idea of a singular united Solarian government with it; the dangerous and slow nature of slipstream travel combined with the inability to maintain real time communications over interstellar distances proved to be too challenging to overcome. Thus began the period known as "The Lonely Time" as the mightiest and most advanced Solarian states spanned two or three systems at most and were tightly packed together; often spending years or even decades without making contact with other star nations while many systems could not even maintain a system wide government as individual worlds and colonies broke away and looked to themselves for governance and control. This period of history was also marked by brutal wars, purges –of psions, magi and even "mundanes" depending on system and war- as ideologies and societies further diverged and clashed with one another thanks to the limitations of the era. Technological innovation and progress also seems to have come to a crawl during this time as it could take years or even decades for technological breakthroughs to disseminate across the known worlds while some of the once common technologies of the Republic were "lost" as the worlds and governments capable of maintaining them fell or hoarded them as state secrets.
New Dimensions:
The Lonely Time persisted for over six thousand years without any apparent hope of coming to an end; until a breakthrough none could have expected occurred. What star nation and what system this breakthrough came to be in have long since been lost to history; ironically the very era that was ushered in by their development consumed them so thoroughly that not even their name remains. What is known is that psions and magi were allowed to work together with "mundane" scientists for the first time ever and after decades of research they developed an arcane piece of technology that would come to be known as the Dimensional Energy Grid. This wonder of technomancy opened a "tunnel" to an energy made up of pure raw energy on such a scale and with such efficiency it rendered obsolete all of the fusion and antimatter energy sources available up to that point; what made this system all the more desirable was when the same system was able to be used [albeit with another "node"] to shunt the waste heat from the DEG into still another dimension dubbed the "cold" dimension for its utter lack of apparent energy sources.
Approximately a century and a half after the DEG was developed and began seeing dissemination throughout the known worlds the star nation of Anabrasax developed the first Dimensional Rift Drive; based on the foundational work of the DEG the DRD opened a stable rift in space to still another dimension where the rules of reality did not seem to apply. A ship could open a rift in one system and –with the use of a psionic navigator- arrive in another system many light years away. Interestingly while the time it takes to charge a DRD for "transit" is based on the distance between points; the actual travel time once the rift has been created and "pulled" over the ship the actual travel time between systems is instantaneous.
The Era of Chaos:
At first the DRD proved to give the Anabrasax an unassailable advantage as their fleets could venture further and faster than any other nation in the known worlds. However after barely a century of their Empire building the DRD and DEG technologies had spread to nations and rebels across the known worlds and soon the whole of the galaxy was in a state of ceaseless war unlike any in millennia.
The "Era of Chaos" lasted for ten full millennia as powers rose and fell, Empires consolidated and lost power and it looked as if civilization itself was on the verge of collapse again.
Second Republic:
After millennia of war and destruction the world of Balolam III was at the heart of a movement to restore peace, prosperity and order to the galaxy; not as conquerors ruling over an Empire but as a free and open society. It took centuries for the Balolam government to make headway but through hard work, a great deal of diplomacy and no small number of skirmishes and battles the foundation for the Second Solarian Republic was built.
It took another thousand years before the "civilized" galaxy was more or less under the control of the Second Solarian Republic.
While many wars and skirmishes are known to have taken place during the next twenty five millennia the names and nature of the enemies the Republic fought in this era have long been lost to history. For all these conflicts the era of the Republic was by and large one dominated by technological growth, peace and personal liberties across the whole of settled space. It was also during this era that at long last the psions and magi of civilization were fully harnessed and "stabilized" so that their powers no longer ran out of control or drove them mad through a mixture of genetic manipulation and arcane alchemy.
Great Solarian Empire:
The event that saw the "fall" of the Republic and the "rise" of the Empire is shrouded in the mists of history. In fact most historians argue that the "fall" and "rise" terms are themselves highly inaccurate and often used to either romanticize or demonize the Republic/Empire transition. It is –many historians argue- far more accurate to say there was a transition between the Second Solarian Empire and the Great Solarian Empire approximately seven thousand years ago. While many things changed between the Republic and Empire the Empire itself was still at least on the surface a democratic society albeit far more "tiered" and centralized than the Republic that had preceded it.
The End of the Empire and the New Night:
The Empire only lasted for another six centuries before it began to come apart as provinces and individual systems began to break away. In the end there was no spectacular rebellion; it was simply corruption, rot and a population increasingly fed up with the greed and corruption of their government that brought about the end of the Empire. It was slow at first, the military began to degrade in strength as more and more procurement money was shifted into personal accounts or to companies that personally benefited senators across the Empire. Thousands of ships were put into stasis or sold off as budget shortfalls began happening; over time the Senate began passing more bills giving increasing tax breaks and benefits to the wealthy to the point that the richest citizens of the Empire were effectively being paid by the government simply for existing and running corporations. Worlds were allowed to break away –so long as they possessed nothing of "import" to the Senatorial class- while other worlds were facing increasing pressure on their environments and citizens alike as the corporations and Senatorial class exploited them in increasing demands for wealth.
Most historians argue that while the Empire existed for six centuries it spent most of the last two falling until in the end only a few core provinces remained truly under the control of the government that called itself the Great Solarian Empire.
It was not war in the end that again brought down civilization; well not war entirely. It was the "Great Collapse" an economic collapse brought upon the galaxy by the fragmentation of the past two centuries followed by the spread of the "Ice Plague" across the known worlds. What exactly the "Ice Plague" was remains a mystery as –thankfully- no samples survive of this virulent and horrible disease. It is estimated that in the wake of the collapse and the ice plague almost 80% of the population of the galaxy died as the plague spread and jumped species. Space travel became rarer and rarer not only because the financial cost but for fear of encountering the plague until even that staple and necessity of galactic civilization faded.
The Voice and the Cycles:
Seventeen centuries ago the first two races confirmed to have been "touched" by the voice rose were uplifted; these were the Proceyrans and the Craveyx who are regarded today as the most advanced and powerful races in the galaxy.
And so began the "cycles"; where the entity or entities known only as "The Voice" send massive psionic pulses throughout the void to directly touch, influence and uplift the minds of selected worlds. Nobody knows why or how the Voice chooses those to be uplifted; or what the end goal is but every century or so another pulse reaches out into the void and another group of worlds are "uplifted" and begin making their way to the stars. Of interest to many is that with each of these cycles it seems a larger and more diverse group of worlds are chosen to be uplifted.
The setting today:
Swords, Sorcery and Starships is a sci-fantasy setting with influences from Flash Gordon to Warhammer 40k and some other fun stuff. As such magic, technology and psionic powers all exist side by side. Each player takes on the role of a newly uplifted race –newly here being about a century- that finds itself in a galaxy divided between a few existing nations and a great many empty –or are they?- star systems
The Beginning:
Many tens of thousands of years ago a great swirling vortex of energy appeared in the void between stars; from this vortex poured a stream of thousands upon thousands of starships of all shapes and sizes ranging from small in-system crift to the giants of interstellar travel. Calling themselves Solarians, these refugees were made up of dozens of species evolved or uplifted from the natives of a single system that had spread across three galaxies before encountering a threat from "the outer dark" that even their might could not match. After two millennia of constant warfare against this nameless foe the last remnants of the Solarian civilization deduced that their only hope was to flee their universe entirely and so they dedicated their vast knowledge of science and what remained of their dwindling resources to the endeavor until at last "The Great Rift" was born and they fled to their new homeland and the hope of salvation.
The Age of Rebuilding:
As soon as the refugee fleet's leaders were certain the fleet had crossed in its entirety into this new universe they sealed the rift behind them, leaving any of their kin that hadn't made it to their fate. For weeks the great fleet waited in the void to be certain their nameless enemy could not follow them before at last attempting to set out for the nearest star system in the hopes of finding a new home. Unfortunately for the Solarians their trials were not yet over as it would turn out this new universe they had fled too did not obey all the same rules as the one they had departed. To their shock the refugee fleet discovered that their FTL sensors did not work at all and their slipstream drives –essential for FTL travel at the time- were only capable of short dangerous hops rather than the long range precision jumps of their former realm.
No records survive of how many refugee ships were lost to slipstream accidents or –in the case of the towed STL vessels- how many were simply lost in the slipstream itself as the desperate fleet made its way to the nearest star system. What is known is that a journey that in their home universe would have taken mere days ended up taking nearly six months and by time the fleet arrived the survivors were in dire straits indeed.
Thankfully for the refugees they were in possession of wondrous technologies that did work and they were able to terraform several planets and dozens of moons to suit their needs and allow them to finally settle down and begin the process of rebuilding in the new system they had named Hope.
The First Republic:
In the year 356 S.Y [Salvation Year] with a stable civilization now built the Solarians began launching "slip scouts" to explore the space around their new home system. These early and dangerous explorations were followed by colonization efforts as brave pioneers took to the stars to ensure their civilization was as disaster proofed as possible.
In 402 S.Y the Solarians of the Hope system declared the founding of the Great Solarian Republic and created the Senate of the Stars with representatives from each world deciding the direction of the Republic. It is important to note that during this time there was no way to communicate across interstellar distances save for the use of slipstream capable messenger crift as the subspace communications technology the Solarians had brought with them did not work in the new universe.
Despite the difficulties of maintaining an interstellar civilization without instantaneous communication and with slow and dangerous FTL methods the First Republic made many great advancements and continued to prosper and endure for another two centuries.
The First Psions:
In the year 615 S.Y fate would again deliver a terrible blow to the Solarians for it was in this year that the consequences of generations in this universe began to at last manifest in the children of Sol. The first mutation to appear were the psions, beings from most –but notably not all- Solarian species who were born with mental powers out of the darkest stories of the ancient past. While psions could not read the minds of others –and could only communicate telepathically with another willing psion- they could manipulate the perception and even will of another being with little effort. More frightening still is that "second generation" psions began to display superhuman abilities beyond simple mental tricks. It did not take long for fear and paranoia to spread across the Republic as distorted and often incorrect reports of psionic activity were carried from system to system via messenger ship. Many feared that the new psionically active beings would attempt to take over the Republic or worse still already had in some secret conspiracy; these fears were more rampant among the Solarian species that did not manifest any psions of their own.
While weak and undisciplined by the standards of later generations the appearance of the first and second generation psions was enough to shake the very foundation of the Republic's society and would prove to be the beginning of the end for the First Republic.
The First Magi:
In the year 672 S.Y the final blow to the rule of the First Republic was dealt, for even as the worlds of the Republic continued to struggle with the "Psionic Question" a new mutation appeared. The first confirmed magi was reported on the world of New Prospero where she was said to have performed many "miracles" and acts that utterly defied the laws of science known to the Solarians at that time. Fearing the powers this being possessed the Republic government dispatched a team of scientists and soldiers to investigate the New Prospero situation.
As if some flood gate had been opened reports quickly began to reach the central government of similar beings appearing on worlds all across the Republic. While many of these new beings were as benevolent as "The First" others used their abilities to benefit themselves, uncaring of the cost to anyone else while others were simply driven mad by the new and alien energies flowing through their bodies and changing their minds.
The Fall of the First Republic:
In 680 S.Y the situation spiraled out of control; the Central Government instituted a number of cruel and uncompromising policies that saw psions and magi declared a clear and present threat to the Republic rather than citizens. After developing technologies to control or neutralize the powers of the paranormal beings the central government then began rounding these beings up and forcing them to either serve the Republic or report to "containment camps" where they could not prove a "threat" to other citizens. Many worlds opposed the severity of the central government response however as they believed the new technologies that allowed psionic and magical powers to be controlled were sufficient to neutralize the threat and that the forced servitude or imprisonment were unnecessarily cruel.
Matters came to a head when a Republic fleet came to blows with the Orinoco System Defense fleet after the Orinoco system government refused to allow the Republic to carry out a "sweep" of psions and magi.
This single event sparked a war that lasted for over a decade with catastrophic results as psionic and magical powers were employed in war for the first time in Solarian history. Whole colonies were eradicated and in the end nobody "won" the war as economies collapsed and whole systems lost their ability to maintain interstellar ships. By 710 S.Y the First Republic was dead and what few interstellar capable powers the remained in the wake of the collapse were often still feuding with one another.
The Lonely Time:
When the First Republic fell it took the idea of a singular united Solarian government with it; the dangerous and slow nature of slipstream travel combined with the inability to maintain real time communications over interstellar distances proved to be too challenging to overcome. Thus began the period known as "The Lonely Time" as the mightiest and most advanced Solarian states spanned two or three systems at most and were tightly packed together; often spending years or even decades without making contact with other star nations while many systems could not even maintain a system wide government as individual worlds and colonies broke away and looked to themselves for governance and control. This period of history was also marked by brutal wars, purges –of psions, magi and even "mundanes" depending on system and war- as ideologies and societies further diverged and clashed with one another thanks to the limitations of the era. Technological innovation and progress also seems to have come to a crawl during this time as it could take years or even decades for technological breakthroughs to disseminate across the known worlds while some of the once common technologies of the Republic were "lost" as the worlds and governments capable of maintaining them fell or hoarded them as state secrets.
New Dimensions:
The Lonely Time persisted for over six thousand years without any apparent hope of coming to an end; until a breakthrough none could have expected occurred. What star nation and what system this breakthrough came to be in have long since been lost to history; ironically the very era that was ushered in by their development consumed them so thoroughly that not even their name remains. What is known is that psions and magi were allowed to work together with "mundane" scientists for the first time ever and after decades of research they developed an arcane piece of technology that would come to be known as the Dimensional Energy Grid. This wonder of technomancy opened a "tunnel" to an energy made up of pure raw energy on such a scale and with such efficiency it rendered obsolete all of the fusion and antimatter energy sources available up to that point; what made this system all the more desirable was when the same system was able to be used [albeit with another "node"] to shunt the waste heat from the DEG into still another dimension dubbed the "cold" dimension for its utter lack of apparent energy sources.
Approximately a century and a half after the DEG was developed and began seeing dissemination throughout the known worlds the star nation of Anabrasax developed the first Dimensional Rift Drive; based on the foundational work of the DEG the DRD opened a stable rift in space to still another dimension where the rules of reality did not seem to apply. A ship could open a rift in one system and –with the use of a psionic navigator- arrive in another system many light years away. Interestingly while the time it takes to charge a DRD for "transit" is based on the distance between points; the actual travel time once the rift has been created and "pulled" over the ship the actual travel time between systems is instantaneous.
The Era of Chaos:
At first the DRD proved to give the Anabrasax an unassailable advantage as their fleets could venture further and faster than any other nation in the known worlds. However after barely a century of their Empire building the DRD and DEG technologies had spread to nations and rebels across the known worlds and soon the whole of the galaxy was in a state of ceaseless war unlike any in millennia.
The "Era of Chaos" lasted for ten full millennia as powers rose and fell, Empires consolidated and lost power and it looked as if civilization itself was on the verge of collapse again.
Second Republic:
After millennia of war and destruction the world of Balolam III was at the heart of a movement to restore peace, prosperity and order to the galaxy; not as conquerors ruling over an Empire but as a free and open society. It took centuries for the Balolam government to make headway but through hard work, a great deal of diplomacy and no small number of skirmishes and battles the foundation for the Second Solarian Republic was built.
It took another thousand years before the "civilized" galaxy was more or less under the control of the Second Solarian Republic.
While many wars and skirmishes are known to have taken place during the next twenty five millennia the names and nature of the enemies the Republic fought in this era have long been lost to history. For all these conflicts the era of the Republic was by and large one dominated by technological growth, peace and personal liberties across the whole of settled space. It was also during this era that at long last the psions and magi of civilization were fully harnessed and "stabilized" so that their powers no longer ran out of control or drove them mad through a mixture of genetic manipulation and arcane alchemy.
Great Solarian Empire:
The event that saw the "fall" of the Republic and the "rise" of the Empire is shrouded in the mists of history. In fact most historians argue that the "fall" and "rise" terms are themselves highly inaccurate and often used to either romanticize or demonize the Republic/Empire transition. It is –many historians argue- far more accurate to say there was a transition between the Second Solarian Empire and the Great Solarian Empire approximately seven thousand years ago. While many things changed between the Republic and Empire the Empire itself was still at least on the surface a democratic society albeit far more "tiered" and centralized than the Republic that had preceded it.
The End of the Empire and the New Night:
The Empire only lasted for another six centuries before it began to come apart as provinces and individual systems began to break away. In the end there was no spectacular rebellion; it was simply corruption, rot and a population increasingly fed up with the greed and corruption of their government that brought about the end of the Empire. It was slow at first, the military began to degrade in strength as more and more procurement money was shifted into personal accounts or to companies that personally benefited senators across the Empire. Thousands of ships were put into stasis or sold off as budget shortfalls began happening; over time the Senate began passing more bills giving increasing tax breaks and benefits to the wealthy to the point that the richest citizens of the Empire were effectively being paid by the government simply for existing and running corporations. Worlds were allowed to break away –so long as they possessed nothing of "import" to the Senatorial class- while other worlds were facing increasing pressure on their environments and citizens alike as the corporations and Senatorial class exploited them in increasing demands for wealth.
Most historians argue that while the Empire existed for six centuries it spent most of the last two falling until in the end only a few core provinces remained truly under the control of the government that called itself the Great Solarian Empire.
It was not war in the end that again brought down civilization; well not war entirely. It was the "Great Collapse" an economic collapse brought upon the galaxy by the fragmentation of the past two centuries followed by the spread of the "Ice Plague" across the known worlds. What exactly the "Ice Plague" was remains a mystery as –thankfully- no samples survive of this virulent and horrible disease. It is estimated that in the wake of the collapse and the ice plague almost 80% of the population of the galaxy died as the plague spread and jumped species. Space travel became rarer and rarer not only because the financial cost but for fear of encountering the plague until even that staple and necessity of galactic civilization faded.
The Voice and the Cycles:
Seventeen centuries ago the first two races confirmed to have been "touched" by the voice rose were uplifted; these were the Proceyrans and the Craveyx who are regarded today as the most advanced and powerful races in the galaxy.
And so began the "cycles"; where the entity or entities known only as "The Voice" send massive psionic pulses throughout the void to directly touch, influence and uplift the minds of selected worlds. Nobody knows why or how the Voice chooses those to be uplifted; or what the end goal is but every century or so another pulse reaches out into the void and another group of worlds are "uplifted" and begin making their way to the stars. Of interest to many is that with each of these cycles it seems a larger and more diverse group of worlds are chosen to be uplifted.
The setting today:
Swords, Sorcery and Starships is a sci-fantasy setting with influences from Flash Gordon to Warhammer 40k and some other fun stuff. As such magic, technology and psionic powers all exist side by side. Each player takes on the role of a newly uplifted race –newly here being about a century- that finds itself in a galaxy divided between a few existing nations and a great many empty –or are they?- star systems
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
Yeah I'll probably get around to setting up a discord. Especially when it is time for the game proper to start.
- Location
- United States
The 30 is the correct number. Good catch on that.
- Location
- United States
I created a Discord; let me know if you have interest in getting access and joining up.
A critical thing to point out right now is I might be changing the ship rules so that there are pre-set ship sizes points wise and that players can then buy extra points to apply to specific areas.
Or just lowering/altering the number of build points a given ship size has.
A critical thing to point out right now is I might be changing the ship rules so that there are pre-set ship sizes points wise and that players can then buy extra points to apply to specific areas.
Or just lowering/altering the number of build points a given ship size has.
- Location
- United States
A sample military "building template" for the rules that will be published soon.
My hope is we can start this game in January since I know most folks are probably busy in December.
This is a military that has TL 2 as its native tech base but has some TL 3 units purchased from elsewhere.
Kuronat Worlds Military:
The KWA military has a large and powerful mostly TL2 military with a few elite TL3 units.
Planetary Forces:
Planetary Militias
Planetary Guard Brigade:
Cost: 20 ISC / 2 MI
Combat Value: 1.5
Build Time: 2 Quarters
Elite Guards: [Protect the Capitol and Qijact 8]
Cost: 26 ISC /3 MI
Combat Value: 2.5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Mobile Regular Forces:
Standard Assault Brigade
Cost: 30 ISC /3 MI
Combat Value: 2.5
Build Time: 2 Quarters
Rhinox Assault Brigade
Cost: 40 ISC / 4 MI
Combat Value 3.5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Kuronat Shock Brigade [Battlesuits]
Cost: 59 ISC / 6 MI
Combat Value 5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Special Forces:
Psi Commando Brigade
Cost: 60 ISC /6 MI
Combat Value ~
Build Time: 4 Quarters
Kuronat Knights Corps:
These are the forces that pilot the dreadnoughts and dreadnought carriers of the KWA:
Kuronat Knight
Cost: 300 ISC/ 30 MI
Combat Value: 30
Build Time: 8 Quarters
Knight Carrier
Cost: 100 ISC / 10 MI
Combat Value: ~
Time to Build: 4 quarters
Kuronat Space Forces:
The KWA Space Force is the space military of the KWA.
Starships:
Defender class Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Area Defense System
Secondary Batteries
Stinger class Guard Ship
Defender class Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
All Big Guns
Disruptor Banks
Defiance class carrier Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Carrier Module
Carrier Module
Dauntless class planetary assault Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Planetary Assault Module
Planetary Assault Module
Patrol Ships
Punisher class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
All Big Guns
Capital Turret System
Pursuit class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7 + 2 = 9
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
Enhanced Drive Core
Interstellar Pulse Com
Patriot class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7 + 2 = 9
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
Area Defense System
Secondary Batteries
Line Ships:
Retribution class Line Ship
Attack: 17/15/13
Defense: 15
Speed: 6
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 4
Build Time: 10 quarters
ISC Cost: 750
MI Cost: 100
Perks
All Big Guns
Capital Turret System
Kuronat class Line Ship
Attack: 17/15/13 +2 [pp] = 19/17/15
Defense: 15 + 2 [pp] = 17
Speed: 6 +1 [pp] =7
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 4
Build Time: 10 quarters
ISC Cost: 750 + 250 [5 purchased points +2 attack, +2 defense +1 speed] = 1,000
MI Cost: 100
Perks
All Big Guns
Heavy Defenses
My hope is we can start this game in January since I know most folks are probably busy in December.
This is a military that has TL 2 as its native tech base but has some TL 3 units purchased from elsewhere.
Kuronat Worlds Military:
The KWA military has a large and powerful mostly TL2 military with a few elite TL3 units.
Planetary Forces:
Planetary Militias
Planetary Guard Brigade:
Cost: 20 ISC / 2 MI
Combat Value: 1.5
Build Time: 2 Quarters
Elite Guards: [Protect the Capitol and Qijact 8]
Cost: 26 ISC /3 MI
Combat Value: 2.5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Mobile Regular Forces:
Standard Assault Brigade
Cost: 30 ISC /3 MI
Combat Value: 2.5
Build Time: 2 Quarters
Rhinox Assault Brigade
Cost: 40 ISC / 4 MI
Combat Value 3.5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Kuronat Shock Brigade [Battlesuits]
Cost: 59 ISC / 6 MI
Combat Value 5
Build Time: 2 quarters
Special Forces:
Psi Commando Brigade
Cost: 60 ISC /6 MI
Combat Value ~
Build Time: 4 Quarters
Kuronat Knights Corps:
These are the forces that pilot the dreadnoughts and dreadnought carriers of the KWA:
Kuronat Knight
Cost: 300 ISC/ 30 MI
Combat Value: 30
Build Time: 8 Quarters
Knight Carrier
Cost: 100 ISC / 10 MI
Combat Value: ~
Time to Build: 4 quarters
Kuronat Space Forces:
The KWA Space Force is the space military of the KWA.
Starships:
Defender class Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Area Defense System
Secondary Batteries
Stinger class Guard Ship
Defender class Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
All Big Guns
Disruptor Banks
Defiance class carrier Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Carrier Module
Carrier Module
Dauntless class planetary assault Guard Ship
Attack: 5/5/4
Defense: 4
Speed: 8
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 1
Build Time: 4 quarters
ISC Cost: 200
MI Cost: 20
Perks:
Planetary Assault Module
Planetary Assault Module
Patrol Ships
Punisher class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
All Big Guns
Capital Turret System
Pursuit class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7 + 2 = 9
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
Enhanced Drive Core
Interstellar Pulse Com
Patriot class Patrol Ship
Attack: 7/6/4
Defense: 6
Speed: 7 + 2 = 9
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 2
Build Time: 6 quarters
ISC Cost: 263
MI Cost: 35
Perks:
Area Defense System
Secondary Batteries
Line Ships:
Retribution class Line Ship
Attack: 17/15/13
Defense: 15
Speed: 6
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 4
Build Time: 10 quarters
ISC Cost: 750
MI Cost: 100
Perks
All Big Guns
Capital Turret System
Kuronat class Line Ship
Attack: 17/15/13 +2 [pp] = 19/17/15
Defense: 15 + 2 [pp] = 17
Speed: 6 +1 [pp] =7
Dimensional Rift: 6
Hull Points: 4
Build Time: 10 quarters
ISC Cost: 750 + 250 [5 purchased points +2 attack, +2 defense +1 speed] = 1,000
MI Cost: 100
Perks
All Big Guns
Heavy Defenses
- Location
- Florida
I'm interested.
- Location
- Estonia
Good to see it returning. If it's possible, would be interested in joining, assuming it goes off.
- Location
- United States
Good to see some responses
I'm pretty much solid on the rules now and am just hammering out the NPCs because there's a lot of them and I want players to be able to kick in to gear when the game starts.
I'm pretty much solid on the rules now and am just hammering out the NPCs because there's a lot of them and I want players to be able to kick in to gear when the game starts.
