CYBERTRON v.2 Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 02:44:17 -0500 From: Roundhouse To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [TORG:2433] Cybertron repost X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: The Torg Mailing List First, I want to thank Saxon for sending me the follow up posts to my original posting of Cybertron. They reminded me that I had never gotten around to postng part 2, which involved explaining a lot of the problems people had with the original posting. I also forgot to include the advantages that one of my co-developers came up with for the Law of Allegiance. What follows is a rewrite of the original post as well as the follow up material wihch I never got around to posting. There are some changes to the Axioms and World Laws. Cybertron: Where Reality Is More Than Meets the Eye Developed by Daniel J. Macchia and James Prego Co-Developed by Joseph Gergis Axioms and World Laws Tech 32 Cybertron's tech axiom is almost completely developed. They have FTL travel and have built teleportation machines capable of transporting sentient beings light years in a few seconds. Medical technology has progressed to the point where all major diseases have been eradicated. Only extremely powerful diseases, such as the Hate Plague, cannot be cured through purely technological means. The Transformers have also experimented with time travel and are, in fact, pushing the axiom limit and could conceivably achieve tech 33 withing a century. They have also found that the nature of their reality helps to protect them from disconnecting in the different reality of their past. Social 23 The social axiom is as high as it is mostly because of the influence of humans and the other non-robitic races which inhabit the cosm. They have developed galaxy spanning orginizations and many planets have managed to unite into one planetary government (including Earth.) The advanced technology has allowed for the elimination of many social problems, such as poverty and hunger. Money is still used to purchase luxury goods, but basic needs, such as food shelter and clothing, are met in all but the most remote corners of the galaxy. Spiritual 10 This axiom has recently been raised. When Optimus Prime unleashed the combined wisdom of the ancients to eradicate the hate plague he inadvertently confirmed many people's belief in divine powers. This has had the effect of raising the Spiritual axiom. All current human religions still exist. None of the leaders of these religions know of the true cause of the cure of the Hate Plague and all credit it to the divine intervention of their particular diety or dieties. The Transformers have a form of ancestor worship, each faction worships its own ancestors only. Transformer priests are very rare and frequently very old and anticipating joining the ancestors soon. They are all respected, even by those of the opposing sect. Magic 4 Magic is not a major part of Cybertron's reality. It fell out of favor on most worlds because of the high tech axiom. Apportation is still possible, but only as an extremely complex ritual which usually does not always yield the desired reults. Even when the ritual goes as planned, it is often not worth the effort. World Laws The Law of Robotic Survival The Law of Robotic Survival exists to allow Transformers to exist outside their own reality and make it easier to transform them back to Cybertron reality. The first part is accomplished by making the existence of the Transformer never a contradiction. Should they transform for other reasons in a reality that has a tech axiom below 30 they will remain sentient, but unable to use any of their special powers, including transformation and any enhancement packages that they may have. Should a transformer become transformed to a different reality that does not support them, they will immediately transform into their non-robot mode and become non-sentient. The vehicle mode will still work because of the Power Chip Rectifier. The Power Chip Rectifier will be explained in detail later. The transformed Transformer (and yes, I do enjoy typing that) can be transformed back to Cybertron reality by returning them to an area under Cybertron's axioms. If he is then given one point of energon (see below) plus an additional point for each enhancement package or power that he has he will be traansformed back to Cybertron reality and become sentient again with a hole in his memory for the time he was transformed. He may also be stormed as normal. The Law of Energon The Law of Energon allows normal energy sources can be converted into possibility energy. Only raw sources of energy, such as hydro-electric, lightning, unrefined oil, matter/anti-matter explosions can be used for this purpose. Processed sources of energy, such as gasoline, nuclear power and steam turbines cannot be used for this purpose. The raw source of energy is fed into the energon cube which converts it into possibility energy. It takes 1,000 55 gallon drums of oil, or the equivalent potential energy, to fill an energon cube with one possibility point. The Law of Allegiance The law of allegiance breaks the Transformers and other sentient machines into one of three factions. These factions are the Autobots, the Decepticons and the Quintessons. It is possible for a sentient machine that is not a Transformer to ignore this world law by never swearing allegiance to any side. Once one does it is trapped by the Law of Allegiance until it dies. At that point he is freed from the law and its effects. The Autobots have sworn to protect all life from the Decepticons and any other evils that they may encounter. They are also sworn to maintain the memory of the ancients and contribute their wisdom, if possible, to the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. All Autobots have taken an oath to follow the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. The Decepticons have have sworn to dominate all other life forms and destroy the Autobots. They choose their leader by a "Leadership-of-the-Fittest" rule. All other Decepticons are bound by oath to his orders. They also strive to maintain the memory of the ancients, but do so using statues in a hall of heroes on Cybertron. The Quintessons are a third group of sentient machines. They also strive to dominate all life forms and also regain control of all Transformers, who they originally created. They have no fixed leader and decide a course of action based on consensus. Each faction receives a bonus of +2 to any action which is in accordance with their code. The Autobots receive the bonus for obeying their leaders orders and defensive actions. Orders must be specific and the action must be attempting to promote it according to the GM. The Decepticons receive the bonus to any offensive action taken in an attempt to either destroy the Autobots or gain control of a world. The Quintessons receive the bonus when taking any action against the Transformers. These include combat, combat interractions and any other action in which a Transformer is their opponent. Any action which is directly opposed to the factions interests cause suffers a -3 penalty. There is also a -1 penalty for any action going against a direct order from a superior officer. It is possible to change factions by spending 5 Possibilities and getting the new faction to accept him. SPECIAL ABILITIES: (All possibility costs are peradventure unless otherwise specified) All Transformers have the special ability to transform into a second mode. Decepticons tend to transform into air vehicles or weapons. Autobots tend to transform into land vehicles. The Quintessons do not transform. All attributes and skills are identical in each mode. The Transformers can also have any number of enhancement packages. These cost one possibilty each. Decepticons must take a Flight package. This costs them three possibilities. They get the special ability Flight at a value of 10 in their robot mode and at an appropriate value for their vehilce mode, provided it can fly. They also receive three free adds in the Flight skill, which is used in both modes. Autobots may take this package at a cost of four possibilities if their second mode is an air vehicle. All Transformers may also take additional powers from among the following. The parenthesis refer to where in the rule books the full power description can be found. When this list uses a different possibility cost use this cost instead of the one listed in the books. WB= World Book NE= Nile Empire Dazzle (WB 46) 3P's Darkness (NE 69) 3P's Fear (NE 70) 4P's Force Field (NE 70) 5P's Illusion *****SEE BELOW***** Invisibility (WB 46) 4P's Jump (NE 71) 2P's *****See additional note below***** Mega-Hearing (WB 46) 3P's Mega-Scent (NE 72) 3P's Mega-Sight (NE 72) 3P's Mind Control (NE 72) 5P's *****See additional note below***** Running (WB 46) 3P's*****See additional note below***** Teleportation (NE 73) 5P's Ultra Sight (WB 46) 1P ILLUSION Adventure Cost: 4P's Value: MIN+5 Range: Sight The Illusion power that is available to the Transformers is different in nature than the one listed in the Nile Sourcebook. The illusion is a holographic projection. The power cannot create illusiory sounds or smells, though anyone who fails a perception check will feel what they expect when they touch the illusion. The illusion effects everyone, though those who know it is there do not have to react to the illusion and do not have to make Perception checks to move through the illusion. They cannot, however, see through the hologram as it is actually there. In order to project a hologram the power user must have seen the object or be creating a variation on somehting he has seen. It is therefore possible to project an illusion of a gun and alter the barrel length or other physical features. One can project a diner that they have scene and change the name as well as the color scheme size and other physical character istics of the diner. JUMP Adevnture Cost: 2P's Value: DEX Range: NA In all other ways this power is the same as the one in the Nile Empire Sourcebook. MIND CONTROL The only difference with the mind control the Transformers have available to them is that it requires a small electronic device be planted on the head or neck of the one to be controlled. It requires a Find or Perception total of 20 or greater to locate it. It can then be safely removed. RUNNING Adventure Cost: 3 Value: DEX+3 Range: NA In all other ways this power is identical to the one in the Worldbook. POWERCHIP RECTIFIERS The powerchp rectifier is a small chip located deep inside every sentient machine. It is this chip that keeps a transformed Transformer functioning. It also controls all of their powers and special abilities. The powerchip rectifier is actually a small eternity shard of Cybertron reality. They are different from all other known shards in that they do not have a group power. They can only be tapped for possibilities if they are removed from a live Transformer or through the use of a special machine. Powerchip Rectifier Cosm: Cybertron Tapping Difficulty: 25 Possibilities: equal to the adventure cost of the Transformer plus one Purpose: To preserve the life of the Transformer it is in Powers: Serves as a conduit from the Cybertron reality to the Transformer allowing the Law of Robotic Survival to be used without contradiction in other realities. The powerchip provides the benefits of the Law of Robotic Survival to a disconnected Transformer. Maintains the tech axiom for a transformed Transformer allowing him to more easily be returned to Cybertron. Can be used to transform the Transformer it is in back to cybertron reality as per the Law of Robotic Survival. Restrictions: Cannot be tapped unless removed from a still living Transformer. Powers can only be used by the Transformer it was originally in. Group Power: None HUMANS: Humans have expanded their influence in the galaxy and are the second most influential race. They are allowed to take one enhancement package which results in them gaining four additional attrobute points. They can divide these points as they wish. The enancement package is genetic in nature and requires a tech axiom of 30. Humans, as a result of their long alliance with the Autobots, have more equipment available to them than any other race. They are the only race besides the Transformers to take full advantage of the high tech axiom. ALIENS: Cybertron cosm has several races besides Tranformers and humans. Other robotic races will tend to be far less powerful than the Transformers. They are limited to one enhancement package and no more than one special power. The alternate humanoid races are likewise limited to one enhancement package. They, like humans, cannot choose any special abilities. However, they may have useful natural abilities such as flight or an enhanced scent reulting in bonuses to tracking, find and other perception skills if the GM permits. Unlike humans, their enhancement package only provides three extra points and connot be divided among multiple attributes. CHARACHTER LIMITS: The Transformers, as one would expect, have higher limits on climbing, lifting etc. The limits are still based on the same attributes listed on page They are as follows: Running 13 Swimming 5/8* Long Jumping 7 Climbing 5** Lifting STR * The number before the slash is for the heaviest Transformers who may or may not be boyant depending on the GM. The second number is for the lightest Transformers who are all naturaly boyant. Other Transformers may fall in between the numbers. Most auotbots are boyant. ** Remember that the heavier weight of most Transformers would make climbing more difficult, if not impossible. This descion should be made on a case by case basis by the GM based on the needs for the story. Aliens may also have a higher limit. These should be handled by the GM on a case by case basis based on the type of alien. I recommend that no more than two. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL If there is any desire for a history of Cybertron I can write one. I can also write several equipment lists if anyone wants. I also plan on writinf some miracles for the Transformers. That should be fun, especially if I can make them fit with what we saw on the show.