***INCOMING TRANSMISSION***
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This is the discussion thread for the Zako sci-fi tactics RPG. I've posted some background and basic rules and character creation below. Lemme know if things look too complicated - I don't mind simplifying options, or feel free to suggest changes! I'll add the critical tables as I complete them. Feel free to give creating a character a go. I'll post a sample character later.
Edit: I've updated some of the prices and weapon damage.
Background
The Zakolite Empire is an empire ruled by an iron-fisted Empress in a galaxy at war. Unruly colonies, other empires, powerful aliens, and creatures from Beyond threaten its existence and expansion.
Though the Zakolite Empire is 95% female, there is little gender discrimination, and males tend to not be treated very differently from females. However, this attitude does not apply to any beings outside the Empire. Though this isn't universal, subjugated humans and aliens are often treated as lower-class citizens and beings outside the empire are thought of as savages at best.
Part of the Empire's success can be attributed to its advanced cloning technology. Soldiers are often cloned and once the originals have fallen, the clones are sent in waves at the enemy, wearing them down with an endless tide of troops. This is how the Empire has expanded in a galaxy full of enemies with better technology, stronger soldiers, and strange and unusual abilities. However, due to Empire doctrine and tactics, the life of an individual soldier is worth very little. Any amount of casualties are acceptable so long as the mission is a success.
In most other settings the Zakolite Empire would be the Evil Empire, but like the Imperium of Man of the Warhammer universe, most of its foes are even worse.
Basic Mechanics
The game will take place on a grid map. To attack, you'll roll a d20. Rolling 10 or higher means you hit and can roll damage. If you've been stationary this turn before firing, add +2 to the roll. If your target is behind cover, take -2 to the roll. Using a gun against someone in melee range is also -2. Traits and gear will help increase your chances of landing a successful hit. During a turn, you can both move and attack in any order, but you cannot move, attack, and then move again. Rolling a 20 is an automatic hit, and you roll your damage twice and add them together. Some abilities increase the chance by 1 or more, which lowers the critical hit number by that much (i.e. +1 crit chance means you critical hit on a 19 or 20).
Instead of attacking, you can enter overwatch. This means that your character gets one attack on the first enemy that enters their range.
When your character reaches 0 HP, she does not die. Instead, she's in a Critical state, and whenever she takes damage at this point, she'll roll on the Critical Hit table. Some results will be blank, meaning it was a glancing hit or near-miss and nothing happens. Other rolls will result in increasingly messy ends!
Due to Imperial doctrine, you are never allowed to retreat. Imperial troops are expected to fight to the last woman or man, and the drop pods that carry you to combat zones are one-way vehicles.
Character Creation
You'll want to name your character, maybe give them a callsign, and describe them.
All characters start with the following:
You can use trait points to buy from the following lists:
Training and personality:
**The critical save is the roll you make when your character takes damage at 0 HP
Cybernetic parts:
Psionics:
****When you use a psychic power, reduce your PP 1. Trying to use a psychic power at 0 PP forces you to roll on the Psychic Critical table
You start with 300 credits, which can be spent on items from the following list. One thing to keep in mind is that when your character dies, unless someone is able to bring her gear back, it will be left on the battlefield, and the next clone will need to purchase new gear, or retrieve the old gear on a successful mission. You WILL lose your first character. Standard-issue gear comes free.
Weapons:
Weapon mods (applies to weapons individually):
Ranged:
Melee
Armor:
Inventory gear:
edit:
-modified stealth training, equipment prices, melee specialist, added "2 weapons max", modified psionic skills, added grenade range, added psionic ability ranges
-added overwatch/reaction rule
-added biofeedback psionics type, added "doom" ability to precognition, buffed daze to halve movement speed, added "corona" ability to pyrokinesis, added "coordinate" ability to telepathy (not trying to subtly imply you guys should take psionics with the buffs heh, just adding neat new abilities that I think fit. Also... adding them because some enemies might use them against you >:D)
-added electrokinesis psionics type
-buffed deployable cover, added rocket launcher ammo rules, added boost psi power duration
-psychic ability cost reduced to 1
The Zakolite Empire is a proud and noble empire, spreading out to bring peace and order to a chaotic galaxy. Its efforts are spearheaded by its elite troops, carried to its furthest reaches on great Cloneships. This is where you come in: you, the Empire's best and brightest. You will have no fear in even the direst situations, because your clone awaits, ready to step in and take your place should you fall in battle, ready to take up the fight.
You will be as implacable as the Empire itself, an endless tide to smash the Empire's enemies and bring them beneath its heel! For the Empress!
You will be as implacable as the Empire itself, an endless tide to smash the Empire's enemies and bring them beneath its heel! For the Empress!
This is the discussion thread for the Zako sci-fi tactics RPG. I've posted some background and basic rules and character creation below. Lemme know if things look too complicated - I don't mind simplifying options, or feel free to suggest changes! I'll add the critical tables as I complete them. Feel free to give creating a character a go. I'll post a sample character later.
Edit: I've updated some of the prices and weapon damage.
Background
The Zakolite Empire is an empire ruled by an iron-fisted Empress in a galaxy at war. Unruly colonies, other empires, powerful aliens, and creatures from Beyond threaten its existence and expansion.
Though the Zakolite Empire is 95% female, there is little gender discrimination, and males tend to not be treated very differently from females. However, this attitude does not apply to any beings outside the Empire. Though this isn't universal, subjugated humans and aliens are often treated as lower-class citizens and beings outside the empire are thought of as savages at best.
Part of the Empire's success can be attributed to its advanced cloning technology. Soldiers are often cloned and once the originals have fallen, the clones are sent in waves at the enemy, wearing them down with an endless tide of troops. This is how the Empire has expanded in a galaxy full of enemies with better technology, stronger soldiers, and strange and unusual abilities. However, due to Empire doctrine and tactics, the life of an individual soldier is worth very little. Any amount of casualties are acceptable so long as the mission is a success.
In most other settings the Zakolite Empire would be the Evil Empire, but like the Imperium of Man of the Warhammer universe, most of its foes are even worse.
Basic Mechanics
The game will take place on a grid map. To attack, you'll roll a d20. Rolling 10 or higher means you hit and can roll damage. If you've been stationary this turn before firing, add +2 to the roll. If your target is behind cover, take -2 to the roll. Using a gun against someone in melee range is also -2. Traits and gear will help increase your chances of landing a successful hit. During a turn, you can both move and attack in any order, but you cannot move, attack, and then move again. Rolling a 20 is an automatic hit, and you roll your damage twice and add them together. Some abilities increase the chance by 1 or more, which lowers the critical hit number by that much (i.e. +1 crit chance means you critical hit on a 19 or 20).
Instead of attacking, you can enter overwatch. This means that your character gets one attack on the first enemy that enters their range.
When your character reaches 0 HP, she does not die. Instead, she's in a Critical state, and whenever she takes damage at this point, she'll roll on the Critical Hit table. Some results will be blank, meaning it was a glancing hit or near-miss and nothing happens. Other rolls will result in increasingly messy ends!
Due to Imperial doctrine, you are never allowed to retreat. Imperial troops are expected to fight to the last woman or man, and the drop pods that carry you to combat zones are one-way vehicles.
Character Creation
You'll want to name your character, maybe give them a callsign, and describe them.
All characters start with the following:
- 2 HP
- 0 PP (psychic points)
- +0 accuracy
- 0 evade
- 0 crit
- 6 movement
- Standard-issue carbine (assault rifle) (1d6 damage, range 8)
- Standard-issue pistol (1d4 damage, range 6, 1 handed)
- Standard-issue body armor
- 2 weapon slots
- 2 inventory slots (anything not a weapon or armor)
- 3 trait points
You can use trait points to buy from the following lists:
Training and personality:
- (1 pt ) Weapon specialist: +2 accuracy with that weapon type
- Assault rifle, SMG, pistol, sniper rifle, LMG, melee
- (1 pt ) Explosives training: -3 deviation* with grenades
- (1 pt ) Marksman: +1 accuracy
- (1 pt ) CQC expert: +2 accuracy at 4 or less range
- (1 pt ) Sniper: +2 accuracy at 8 or more range
- (1 pt ) Survivor: +2 critical save**
- (1 pt ) Determined: +2 critical save**
- (1 pts) Medic training: allows use of certain advanced medical gear, +1 HP regained with medkits
- (1 pt) Stealth training: better effect from stealth suit, +1 evade if you haven't moved this turn
- (1 pt) Gearhead: weapons upgrades for this character are 50% cheaper
- (2 pts) Command training: allies within 5 spaces get +1 accuracy - does not stack with multiples
- (1 pts) Melee specialist: +2 accuracy in melee, +1 evade in melee
- (2 pts) Assault/shocktrooper training: no penalty for moving and firing, +1 armor
- (1 pt ) Low-profile: +1 evade
- (1 pt ) Brave: +1 HP
- (1 pt ) Headstrong: +1 HP
- (1 pt ) Tough: +1 HP
- (1 pt ) Lucky: 1 re-roll per mission
- (1 pt ) Merciless: +1 damage
- (1 pt ) Clever: +2 crit chance
- (1 pt ) Savage: +1 damage
- (1 pt) Precise: +1 damage
- (1 pt) Encouraging: adjacent allies get +1 accuracy
- (1 pt) Protective/Guardian: any fire directed to adjacent allies is redirected to this character instead, +1 HP
- (1 pt) Lone wolf: +1 crit chance, +2 evade when 5+ spaces away from allies
- (1 pt) Fast reflexes: +1 evade
- (1 pt) Fast: +1 movement
- (1 pt) Organized: +1 inventory slot
**The critical save is the roll you make when your character takes damage at 0 HP
Cybernetic parts:
NOT YET AVAILABLE
- (1 pt ) Cyber eye: takes form of eye patch or replaces original eye. +1 accuracy
- (1 pt ) Cybernetic arm(s): +1 melee damage
- (1 pt ) Cyber legs: +1 movement
- (1 pt) Adrenal glands: +1 evade
Psionics:
- (1 pt ) Psychic potential: +1 PP***
- (2 pts) Pyrokinesis (combustion (single target damage), inferno (set area on fire), corona (adjacent units are set on fire))****
- combustion: range 8, target is set on fire (1d6 damage per round at the start of that unit's turn, fire goes out on a roll of 1 or 2)
- inferno: range 10, AoE 1 on fire for 3 rounds (1d6 damage to everything in the area at the start of that unit's turn)
- corona: gain an aura that causes all adjacent units (friend or foe) to be set on fire, lasts 3 rounds or if ended
- (2 pts) Electrokinesis (shock (single target damage with chance to stun), overload (stun a medium-sized mechanical unit or disable technological weapons), electric field (damage all adjacent units with chance to stun))
- shock: range 6, 1d6 damage, stun medium-sized target for 1 round on roll of 1 or 2
- overload: range 6, stun target medium-sized mechanical unit or disable all tech weapons on target for 3 rounds
- electric field: deal 1d6 damage to all adjacent units, stun for 1 round on roll of 1 or 2
- (2 pts) Precognition (forewarning (auto-succeed on a crit), prescience (reroll an attack or damage roll), doom (allies gain accuracy vs doomed target))
- forewarning: auto-succeed on a crit save
- prescience: re-roll an attack or damage roll
- doom: all allies get +2 accuracy vs the doomed target for 3 rounds
- (2 pts) Telekinesis (crush (single target damage), push, pull)
- crush: range 8, 1d8 damage, automatic hit
- push: range 8, push up to 6 spaces away
- pull: range 8, pull up to 6 spaces in
- (2 pts) Telepath (daze (debuff acc/movement), hallucinate (enemy targets nearest unit), coordinate (nearby allies gain +1 accuracy))
- daze: range 8, target enemy has -4 accuracy and half movement
- hallucinate: range 8, enemy's next attack targets the nearest unit, whether friend or foe
- coordinate: allies within 5 spaces gain +1 accuracy, lasts 3 rounds, stacks with command training
- (2 pts) Biofeedback (rejuvenate (heal), boost (physical buff))
- rejuvenate: target heals up to 2 hp
- boost: target gains +1 move, +2 melee damage, +1 hp for the duration of the battle, can only be cast on a target once per battle
****When you use a psychic power, reduce your PP 1. Trying to use a psychic power at 0 PP forces you to roll on the Psychic Critical table
You start with 300 credits, which can be spent on items from the following list. One thing to keep in mind is that when your character dies, unless someone is able to bring her gear back, it will be left on the battlefield, and the next clone will need to purchase new gear, or retrieve the old gear on a successful mission. You WILL lose your first character. Standard-issue gear comes free.
Weapons:
- (0 credits) Carbine (Assault rifle): 1d6 damage, 8 range
- (25 credits) Assault rifle: 1d8 damage, 10 range
- (0 credits) Pistol: 1d4 damage, 6 range, 1 handed
- (15 credits) Heavy pistol: 1d6 damage, 8 range, 1 handed
- (25 credits) Shotgun: 1d10 damage, 6 range
- (20 credits) SMG: 1d6 damage, 8 range, no penalty for moving and shooting
- (80 credits) LMG: 1d6 damage, 10 range, attack twice, cannot move and attack
- (15 credits) Sword/Axe: 2d6 damage melee, 1 handed
- (15 credits) Spear/Halberd/Whip: 2 range, 1d10 damage, counts as melee, 1 handed
- (80 credits) Sniper rifle: 1d12 damage, 14 range, +2 crit, cannot move and attack
- (120 credits) Rocket launcher: deviation 1d4, 3d6, AoE 1, range 12, 1-shot, additional rockets sold separately
- (15 credits) 1 rocket ammo
- (120 credits) Medgun: dart-launching gun, heal 1d6, must still roll successfully to hit, requires medic training
Weapon mods (applies to weapons individually):
Ranged:
- (20 credits) Heavy caliber: +1 damage
- (20 credits) Armor-piercing ammo: ignore 2 armor
- (30 credits) Laser sight: +1 accuracy
- (30 credits) Advanced scope: +1 accuracy
- (20 credits) Barrel extension: +1 range
Melee
- (30 credits) Monoblade: ignore 3 armor
- (30 credits) Energized blade: +2 damage
- (30 credits) Custom grip: +1 accuracy
Armor:
- (35 credits) Scout armor: +1 movement
- (50 credits) Jump armor: +2 movement
- (40 credits) Tactical armor: 1 armor
- (80 credits) Assault armor: 2 armor
- (80 credits) Stealth suit: Can't be targeted past 5 spaces
Inventory gear:
- (50 credits) Scanning suite: arm-mounted scanning device, while it's active, you can "mark" an enemy within 10 range. Anybody who targets a marked enemy gets +2 accuracy and deals +2 damage. However, while the scanning suite is active, you can only use pistols.
- (20 credits) Smoke grenade (provide cover for 4 rounds, aoe 1, range 6)
- (10 credits) Frag grenade (2d6 damage, aoe 1, deviation 1d4, range 6)
- (20 credits) Incendiary grenade (1d6 damage/round for anyone who starts their turn in flames, aoe 1, lasts 3 rounds, range 6, deviation 1d4)
- (20 credits) Medkit: 1 use, cure a status effect and heal a character +1 HP (with medic training, recover +2 HP and you can exceed your normal max HP)
- (50 credits) Tactical visor: +1 accuracy
- (25 credits) Tactical harness: +2 inventory slots, does NOT take an inventory slot.
- (25 credits) Portable shield: +1 armor, stacks with armor, wield one-handed weapons only
- (60 credits) Deployable cover: Drop a 3x1 piece of cover, no action required. Can only be retrieved after the battle.
- (50 credits) Psi implants: +1 max PP. Stacks to a maximum of 3.
- (50 credits) Neural stabilizer: +3 to psychic crit saves (1 max).
- (50 credits) Neural amplifier: +2 range on psychic abilities (1 max)
edit:
-modified stealth training, equipment prices, melee specialist, added "2 weapons max", modified psionic skills, added grenade range, added psionic ability ranges
-added overwatch/reaction rule
-added biofeedback psionics type, added "doom" ability to precognition, buffed daze to halve movement speed, added "corona" ability to pyrokinesis, added "coordinate" ability to telepathy (not trying to subtly imply you guys should take psionics with the buffs heh, just adding neat new abilities that I think fit. Also... adding them because some enemies might use them against you >:D)
-added electrokinesis psionics type
-buffed deployable cover, added rocket launcher ammo rules, added boost psi power duration
-psychic ability cost reduced to 1
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