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8/21/2019

Age of Ravens: Colony Zero

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On Sunday I ran the first f2f session of my Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri reskin/hack of Mutant: Year Zero. The group had chosen that back in late June. I figured I had plenty of time to put that together, given time off for surgical recovery, and gaps in running due to Gen Con. Cut to my mad rush to get stuff put together from Thursday onwards.
 
My plan from the start has been to run a more classic survival game, rather than a generational one. I think SMAC has lots of room for that play—and I would go to Legacy’s Worldfall if I want to do that. The PCs would be on isolated group crashing on the planet and struggling with minimal resources. They would have their pod, some broken equipment, and a diminishing pool of resources. That’s parallel with MYZ’s set up and most things mapped easily.
 
I made a couple of other significant departures from SMAC besides the timespan. The colony would be made up of several factions, rather than a single one. This would allow for political challenges and intrigue. Each player had to choose a different faction, and then I pick a fifth one outside that. I also had earlier missions to the planet (a terraforming ship and a research ship). Things would have gone wrong with those. That gives the players some human mysteries and ruins to investigate, in addition to the alien ones.

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For session one I focused on getting the character creation tools together and making some choices about the MYZ mechanics. Between Mutant, Alien, Forbidden Lands, Coriolis, and Tales from the Loop, I had a rich pool of pieces to work with. Generally I stuck with vanilla Mutant, with a few changes.
  1. Renamed Strength as Body; renamed Empathy as Rapport.
  2. Changed some of the skill names (Human Perception instead of Sense Emotion; Planet Lore instead of Know the Zone, Science instead of Comprehend).
  3. Added four new skills, one to each attribute. Dexterity for the Agility group to represent fine manipulation, holdout, sleight of hand. Technology to the Wits group for using and understanding devices and computers. Society to Rapport for dealing with groups and organizations. Finally I split Fight into Melee and Unarmed. This last one isn’t the best choice, but I was hard pressed to figure out another useful Body skill.
  4. Modified pushing a roll. If players push a roll and get 1-2 “1s” they can either mark a point of trauma on that stat or give the GM a Drama Point. If they roll 3+ “1s” they do both. Drama Points work a little like Darkness Points from Coriolis, but with a wider span—more like floating GM soft move triggers.
  5. Modified Willpower. WP in Mutant fuels mutations. There’s less of that here—although there are a few talents that cost WP. Players may spend WP 1 for 1 to add attribute dice to a roll.
 
ROLES
I went with nine roles. In Mutant: Year Zero, roles give a focus to your character, but don’t tightly restrict them. Each role gives access to a unique skill and three unique talents. The “playbooks” for them also include some unique relationship elements. I added an XP question for each role—a key they can hit for an extra point each session.

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ADMIN: 
You coordinate and foresee problems, giving instructions leading to solutions.
SPECIALIST SKILL: Take Measure which is a modified version of Measure Enemy from Genlab Alpha
ROLE TALENTS: Connected, Factionalist, Juicy Info
XP QUESTION: Did you propose a plan and get at least one person to agree?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …seems to be hiding something.
  • …is useful and willing to help, but may be a bit slow.
  • …shoots first and asks questions later, but you trust that they have your back.
  • …has dangerous faction associations.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The admin Manuel, who manipulated things to have one of your plans vetoed. The scientist Egyed, who got a position that was rightfully yours.  The solider Arshak, who is reckless with equipment and resources.
You need to protect: The pilot Leona, who looks up to you and tries to gain your respect.  The support Promire, who has defended you from attacks.  The talent Xaranda, who you feed secrets to about rival factions.

EXPLORER
You know how to assess dangers, read the terrain, and lead a team into the unknown.
SPECIALIST SKILL: Recon which is Find the Path renamed.
ROLE TALENTS: D-COM, Hunter, Scavenger
XP QUESTION: Did you identify or warn about a danger?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …appreciates the dangers of this world.
  • …might understand you. Can you open up to them?
  • …is always talking. One day you’ll have to do something about that.
  • …always looks gloomy. What’s eating them?
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The admin Nene, who tricked you out of an artifact you found.  The explorer Dhana, who brags about how far out they've scouted.  The solider Arshak, who deeply hurt your unrequited love.
You need to protect: The mechanic Grigol, a former lover you still confide in.  The pilot Leona, who got severely injured because of you.  The scientist Egyed, who has been further out than anyone else and has promised you secrets.
 
MECHANIC
You have expert knowledge of repair, maintenance, and the manufacture of technology. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Fabricate which is Jury Rig renamed.
ROLE TALENTS: Inventor, Motorhead, Patch Master
XP QUESTION: Did you create something new?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …treats you like a common laborer.
  • …is your closest friend. You can talk about anything with each other.
  • …is slow on the uptake about tech. Best to explain stuff in detail to them.
  • …has stood up for you in disputes.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The admin Nene, who restricted your access to resources. The explorer Cam, who never pays when they owe you.  The worker Ilgun, who you think stole some of your material.
You need to protect: The scientist Egyed, who always does well by you for work.  The support Promire, who fell out with our faction leaders. The talent Xaranda, who is your younger sibling.

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PILOT
Anyone can drive with computerized vehicles, but you can pilot anything with complete manual control. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Pilot. You may use this skill in place of a vehicle’s handling, protection, or combat scores. If your Pilot is less or equal, then add +1 to the vehicle’s handling. Failure: You wipe out or damage something you don’t want to.  Success: You make your maneuver, reduce the damage, or hit the target.  Stunt: Extra successes can be added to combat effects, changing range in chases, or pulling off a sweet trick.
ROLE TALENTS: Drone Pilot (gives them a drone), Gunner (bonus to vehicle mounted weapons), Interceptor (allows them to move vehicle to block damage to others)
XP QUESTION: Did you risk something to show off?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …thinks that you're a cart driver. This annoys you.
  • …can take a four gee turn without throwing up. Impressive.
  • …is a good friend, someone to trust.
  • …thinks they’re the leader of this team. You know that’s far from true.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The mechanic Hyun-Joo, who got your friend killed.  The pilot Kong, who is your life-long rival.  The support Promire, who saw you have a major meltdown.
You need to protect: The solider Birca, who saved your life. The worker Ilgun, who used to be a pilot before the accident. The admin Manuel, who was your co-conspirator in a plan that went badly awry.
 
SCIENTIST
You assess data and come to conclusions, unlocking the secrets of this world. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Hypothesize. You know everything. That’s what others say about you anyway. Roll for Hypothesize when the road ahead is unclear and you or your colleagues need a pointer. Depending on your success, you can make a declaration about the situation. This should be based on scientific knowledge or reasoning, and couched in that language.
Failure: You think you know something, but in fact the conclusion you’ve drawn is false and leads the group in the wrong direction. You’re convinced you’re right.  Success: You may make a basic declaration that reveals or changes something about the situation. The effect should be beneficial, but modest.  Stunt: Additional successes can be spent to increase the scope (how wide reaching this is), scale (how potent it is), or duration (how long the phenomena lasts that you’re declaring about).
ROLE TALENTS: Archaeologist, Crucial Insight, Know the Angles (sub Science for Shoot).
XP QUESTION: Did you learn something new about the planet?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
…is almost as smart as you. Impressive.
…has no clue. How can someone possibly be so dumb?
…makes you insecure. You don’t know how to interact with them.
…has knowledge you thought was unimportant that proved to be otherwise.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The explorer Cam, who left you behind on a scouting mission.  The scientist Felicia, who doesn't appreciate how delicate this ecosystem is.  The support Promire, who keeps important research from you.
You need to protect: The explorer Dhana, who always comes to you first after scouting. The soldier Birca, who you have a secret crush on.  The talent Takayoshi, who seems to have deeper understanding of the planet than anyone else.
 
SOLDIER
You’re trained combatant specializing in security, weaponry, and sacrifice. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Intimidation
ROLE TALENTS: Barge Through, Mean Streak, Sucker Punch
XP QUESTION: Did you follow someone’s orders?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …took one of your punches and kept going.
  • …fought by your side.
  • …left you to die.
  • …thinks too much.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs.
You hate: The solider Birca, who beat you in a public throw-down. The talent Takayoshi, who won the heart of the person you love.  The worker Ilgun, who continually questions your judgement.
You need to protect: The admin Manuel, a childhood friend who belongs to another faction.  The explorer Dhana, who has always been reliable back up.  The support Senedra, who always saves back some foodstuffs for you.

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SUPPORT
You provide aid and assistance to all the other roles: healing, therapy, logistics. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Inspire
ROLE TALENTS: Agitator, Judge of Character (modified), Trauma Media
XP QUESTION: Did you take a risk to come to the aid of someone?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …needs to open up to someone, you hope you can be there for them.
  • …is very blunt. You don’t understand each other.
  • …is good with words. You respect that.
  • …appreciates your skills and is deserving of your time.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The pilot Kong, who swore revenge for you humiliating them. The support Senedra, who makes shit up and people believe them. The talent Xaranda, who cut short your investigations.
You need to protect: The explorer Cam, who has been isolated due to contamination. The mechanic Grigol, who loves you and won't admit it. The worker Ilgun, who can't look out for themselves.
 
TALENT
You possess strange abilities carefully groomed in your genome via engineering, virotech, or other means. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Weirdness
ROLE TALENTS: This role gets access to a curated set of Mutation powers from MYZ. They start with all three abilities from one power, and can buy others later on. They use their Weirdness skill to roll for these gifts. They don’t suffer the same burn-out as Mutants in MYZ.
XP QUESTION: Did you elicit a powerful response when you utilized your gifts?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …doesn’t understand your gifts and place in the colony.
  • …thinks before they speak. Someone you can really talk to.
  • …has a hidden agenda. You’re going to find out what it is.
  • …is skillful but a little naïve.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The mechanic Hyun-Joo, who thinks they're the smartest person in the room all the time. The talent Xaranda, who left your lover behind on the ship. The worker Jesenia, who always pokes their nose in.
You need to protect: The pilot Kong, who spoke up for you when you came under fire. The scientist Felicia, who knows what you did but will never tell. The solider Arshak, who never treats you differently.

WORKER
Every colonist has training, but those with diverse but shallow skills can find themselves doing the grunt work. 
SPECIALIST SKILL: Shake It Off
ROLE TALENTS: Adaptive (as the Human talent from Forbidden Lands), Contamination Resistant, Foreman (bonus to Colony projects)
XP QUESTION: Did you suffer or take up a burden in someone else’s place?
RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PCs
  • …is someone you would follow into death, if needed.
  • …keeps hurting one of your close friends.
  • …is your ticket to getting somewhere in the colony. Keep them close.
  • …is principled. A shame it’s the wrong principles, though.
RELATIONSHIPS TO NPCs
You hate: The mechanic Grigol, who made big promises to you and never delivered.  The pilot Leona, who won't leave you alone.  The scientist Felicia, who uses their authority to boss you around.
You need to protect: The admin Nene, who could actually be a better leader. The mechanic Hyun-Joo, who always treats me with respect.  The worker Jesenia, because folks at the bottom need to stick together.

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FACTIONS
I lightly reskinned the factions from SMAC, but I also added in an 8th, Transhumanist. It’s echoes the Cybernetic Consciousness from Sid Meier’s Alien Crossfire, but isn’t as monolith or negative. I only provided players with a little guidance about what their factions actually believe. I want that to be something they develop in play over time. Each Faction has a “special” which they can use once per session at the cost of giving the GM a drama point. The specials are simply reskinned versions of the potent Icon Talents from from Coriolis.

COLLECTIVE aka HIVE
You believe that only through strong central control and authority can the colony survive. The state must lead and colonists must obey, subordinating their own feelings. Begins with The Lady of Tear’s Talent.
XP Question: Did invoke an authority to control a situation?
 
CORP
You believe the only sustainable way to maintain a colony is to establish a marketplace for goods and ideas. Distribution of resources must come through a capitalist system. Begins with The Gambler’s Talent.
XP: Did you barter, trade, or make a deal?
 
ECO aka GAIAN
You believe that actions taken by colonists have to be in harmony with the planet, avoiding destroying the eco-system, even if it costs the colony. Begins with a free per session use of the Scientist’s Hypothesize ability. 
XP: Did you act to protect or preserve something from the native eco-system?

FAITHFUL
You believe in a religious faith of some kind. Only by following and studying the doctrines of that faith can the colony survive. Its fundamental philosophies apply to all sectors. Begins with The Dancer’s Talent. 
XP Question: Did you reference an idea, quotation, or koan from your faith in a tense situation?

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THE LIBRARY aka UNIVERSITY
You believe the only way to survive in this world is to study and understand it. Until we have sufficient knowledge, any building we do is liable to collapse. Begins with The Traveler’s Talent. 
XP Question: Did you learn something new about the world? (Something distinct from the base XP question)
 
SPARTAN
You believe that the colony must be prepared to deal with threats: from native lifeforms, from other colonies, or from something else. Security can only come through expansion and force. Begins with The Judge’s Talent. 
XP: Did you push for an aggressive solution to a problem?
 
TRANSHUMANIST aka FARUNNER
You believe humans cannot survive and thrive on this world as they are. Instead they must adapt and transform via implants, cybernetics, viroware, and so on. Begins the game with an implant ability from a separate list.
XP Question: Did you demonstrate your superiority via your upgrades?
 
UNITY aka PEACEKEEPERS
You believe only by negotiation, cooperation, and democracy can the colony survive. Decisions must come from consensus, otherwise they are unstable. Begins with The Messenger’s Talent.
XP Question: Did you settle a dispute with negotiation?

When I have more of the tech and planetary exploration rules, I'll post those. If anyone wants to see the full CC materials, message me on Twitter ATedige23.
​

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For the full backlog of Age of Ravens posts on Blogger see here. ​​

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