Powers as Tech Devices

So, I worked up the basic outline of using Savage Worlds: Adventure Edition for Mass Effect but, while I was working on it, I realized that a LOT of powers might exist as Tech devices, and that I don't have much in the way of clear guidelines as to what would work that way, or how much it would cost.

While these devices all list a cost, that alone is not sufficient to power the device; they also need supplies of Power Points, and most will have a built-in charger to regain power points.  Smaller power supplies run about 20 credits per power point, and standard rechargers cost 50, and recharge at a rate of 1 point per minute. Rapid chargers, which recharge at 3 points every 2 minutes, cost an additional 100 credits. Such power supplies weigh about 1 pound per 10 power points, with rapid chargers only adding a negligible amount to the weight. Cybernetic power supplies (ones designed to be integrated into a body) are about 50 credits per power point, but add nothing to encumbrance. Cybernetic power supplies are frequently regulated. Power point pools do not recharge while devices are in use; some devices will have several pools built in, both for redundancy and for endurance.

In addition, expert systems can be acquired, letting powers be activated more easily. +1 on the Tech roll will require an additional 100 credits; +2 will require 200 credits. Higher-end, fool-proof systems (i.e. adding a +3 or more), require a fair bit more space and processing, and add 200 credits per plus to the cost (so a +3 on the activation roll is 600 credits), and an additional pound per plus. Conversely, some systems are finicky, and can be "shorted", as described on page 151. Such devices inflict a penalty on the activation roll, but can reduce the power point cost of any power modifiers (not the base power, itself). These can be paired with an expert system; a Damage Field power might be shorted 1 or 2 points to allow for a cheaper increase in damage, but with expert systems reducing some of the penalty. Failures with these devices are always critical failures!

Many powers have a range based on Smarts; for devices, consider that a d6. Devices that only function at touch range receive a +1 to their activation roll. Many powers have set durations; devices can be set to deduct power to maintain them without action, though with the attendant 1 Power Point per additional duration.

Savage Worlds: Mass Effect Deluxe Edition

Like my recent revision of my Savage Worlds: The Elder Scrolls to Adventure Edition, I am intending to do the same with my Mass Effect conversion. Since I don't want to get rid of all my work (and it's nice to have an archive copy), here's the Deluxe edition work


This is an updated set of rules for Savage Worlds: Mass Effect, based on feedback I've received and, hopefully, actual playtest changes that need to be made. It was written with the Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition and a lot of help from the Mass Effect Wiki. I'm open to comments and suggestions on how to update the rules and make them better fit Mass Effect and Savage Worlds.


Races:
Human: Humans start with the Lucky edge and one other of choice, but also have the Flaw: Outsider. While a growing power in the galaxy, the human rise to power has created a number of enemies.

Salarian: Salarians slight build results in them having the Small hindrance. However, their quick minds mean they begin with a d6 in Smarts, and the Quick Edge.

Turian: Turians begin the game with a d6 in both Fighting and Shooting to represent their military training.

Asari: All Asari begin with a single novice Biotic Power of choice, 5 Power Points, and a d4 in the Biotics skill. If they choose they Arcane Background: Biotics, they gain these in addition to the powers provided by the background. Asari also have Mind Reading as a bonus power. Mind Reading is a separate skill from Biotics, based on Spirit, and begins at a d4. Asari have strong personalities, however, and have a minor personality hindrance, usually tied to their stage in life (Maidens tend to be Curious; Matrons tend to be Cautious).

Krogan: Krogan are perpetual Outsiders, but all have the Healing Power, which functions only for themselves, and operates off their Vigor attribute. This is a free action every 10 minutes. They begin with a d6 in Vigor, but their Smarts requires two points per dot to increase at character creation. All are considered to have the Brawny Edge.

Quarian: Quarians begin play with a d6 in the Repair skill, but also have the Outsider flaw and a -4 against poison and disease. However, the also begin with an environmental suit, which provides +2 Armor, +2 against negative environmental conditions, and negates their penalty against poison and disease unless breached. Armor designed for Quarians takes this suit into account.

Drell: Drell have a +4 to resist heat. They also have an Eidictic Memory, allowing them to recall any information they have been exposed to; this results in a +2 to all knowledge skill checks, including common knowledge. However, their memory can be triggered involuntarily whenever they roll a 1 (on either die) while making a Knowledge or Smarts test, requiring a Spirit roll lest they fall into a fugue state and 4 point penalty to all trait rolls while in the grip of memory. With success, there is only a 2 point penalty. With a raise, there is no penalty. A Bennie may be spent to remove the penalty, as well. Checks against the fugue state may be made every round during combat, or every minute when out of combat, and the fugue will last until either two successes are made, or a success and a raise.

Hanar: Hanar are fully aquatic, and thus cannot drown, move at full speed while swimming, and have a d6 in swimming at character creation. They likewise possess four additional limbs, allowing them to take multiple actions. They also secrete poisons from their limbs, allowing them to paralyze in hand to hand combat. They move by means of levitation packs powered by mass effect fields, giving them the equivalent of Flight. However, they also possess significant disadvantages. As jellyfish, they lack physical strength, so their Strength can never advance beyond 1d6, and requires two points to raise at character creation, or two advances during gameplay. Their Vigor and Agility likewise require two points per step, but do not have caps. Their stilted speech and strong religious beliefs also marks them as Outsiders.

Elcor: Elcor move very slowly, having a base pace of 3 and only a d4 running die. Likewise, they are unusually Cautious, compared to most other species. Their speech patterns cause them to be regarded as Outsiders, and their slow reactions require that they spend 2 points per upgrade to Agility, with a cap of d6. However, they have great strength, beginning with a d8 and able to increase it to d12+2 through normal advancement. They are also quite large, gaining +1 to Size, and tough, gaining +2 to Armor and the Brawny Edge. They also have a base d6 in Vigor.

Batarian: Batarians have a rough reputation, resulting in Outsider status, but they also begin with a d6 in Intimidation. They have also earned the racial enmity of Humans, bringing their penalty to Charisma regarding humans to a -4. Unsurprisingly, they have exceptional vision, getting a +2 to Notice when vision is involved, and the equivalent of low-light vision.

Mass Effect: Volus, and how they suggested a setting rule

On the Giant in the Playground boards (where I am a mod), I've been getting some feedback on my Savage Worlds/Mass Effect... including someone who wished I'd included the Volus. I shied away from them because they seemed difficult to do, but I thought of a method on the way home, and decided to post it.

Since Volus are native to high-pressure, ammonia-based atmospheres, the Earthlike conditions that prevail on most Council worlds are deadly to them. As such, they live in heavily armored pressure suits, and breaking those pressure suits is deadly to them. However, it occurred to me that, in Mass Effect, you frequently find yourself in hostile environments, buttoned up inside your armor. So, I'm adding a general setting rule: Armor Breach.

Any attack whose AP exceeds your Armor bonus, or which causes 2 or more wounds, represents an armor breach, and the full effects of the environment you find yourself in begin. Breaches may be repaired using the Repair skill, or by using the mechanical application of the Healing power.

In short, really big hits, or hits with weapons that blow through your armor, might kill you a lot easier.

However, let's look at the Volus. The numbers given are for the purposes of race creation, from the Savage World's Explorer's edition; Volus are +2, which is where every race is supposed to be.

-2 Pace 4, with d4 running die (similar to Lame Hindrance)
-2 Agility requires 2 points to raise during character generation. Volus are not clumsy, per se, but they are also not very agile.
-2 Strength requires 2 points to raise during character generation. Volus are small and physically weak.
-2 Fragile: Volus whose armor is breached must make a Vigor check at -4 to avoid instantly dying from explosive decompression and fatal oxygen poisoning. This check must be repeated each round until the volus is returned to their proper environment, either in a pressure chamber, a Vol-formed world, or by repairing their armor. During a breach, all actions taken by the Volus are at -4.
+2 Free Edge: Rich. While the Vol Protectorate doesn't have the wealth to field vast fleets, individual Vol have a lot of money compared to the average citizen, and can draw on clan funds.
+2 Start with d6 Smarts.
+2 Start with d6 Spirit.
+2 Free Equipment: Armor suit. Volus pressure suits are equivalent to Medium Armor (+8), providing indefinite life support and a +4 v. environmental hazards. It does not have a strength minimum. Volus armor does not incorporate HUDs, but frequently incorporates omni-tools and shield generators.
+2 +2 to Charisma. Though some volus are abrasive, their trade-based society gives them a great advantage in wheeling and dealing.

I find it amusing that the Charisma-mavens in SW Mass Effect are the grumpy hobbits, not the alien hot chicks. As one of the few races without the Outsider flaw, they have great advantages on top of their +2 to Charisma.

Savage Worlds: Mass Effect Page

I created a page for my previous Savage Worlds Mass Effect posts, cleaned up and with most of the redundancies and errors removed. As I get more feedback (or, as I call it, "Validate me, you bastards!"), I'll fix problems, and hopefully keep a change log.

http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/p/savage-worlds-mass-effect.html

Savage Worlds Mass Effect: Gear

Most Savage Worlds Mass Effect gear is similar to modern and futuristic gear in the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition, pages 48-56. Many things function differently, but have similar statistics.

Savage Worlds Mass Effect: Powers

For those wondering, I will eventually compile these into a single document, edited into something a lot clearer. First, a basic overview of the two Arcane Backgrounds, then considering the individual powers.

Tech v. Biotics

While there's an obvious in-universe reason for the difference between the two, Tech and Biotics share many of the same powers. What's the differences?

1) Tech is not unique. Everyone can take the Tech skill, even without the Arcane Background. Tech represents the advanced technology of the Mass Effect Universe, and most people have a passing familiarity with it. The Arcane Background, however, represents a real flair with tech, being able to manipulate devices to share power pools and enact unique powers without necessarily having a device that does exactly that. With Tech, ANYONE can try to hack a computer with their omni-tool, use an acid-thrower weapon, create barriers with a portable barrier emitter, or activate the shields on their armor; someone with the Arcane Background might be able to use a Mind Reading power to simply learn executive level-passwords, or use their omni-tool to throw bolts of acid, create barriers, or create shields on armor that doesn't have it. The Arcane Background is Flexibility with tech, and the ability to learn new tricks.

2) Biotics have a bit of extra power. Though most biotics prefer to keep their slow replacing, natural points for emergencies, they can all make use of bio-amps for a pool of freely usable power points. While 500 credits isn't cheap, it's affordable to a lot of people and biotics find those 10 points to be enough for most uses. If someone has both Arcane Backgrounds, they can use Power Points from other objects to recharge their Bio-Amps; recharging a bio-amp from another device requires an action and a successful Tech check.

Edges and Hindrances in SW Mass Effect

We're looking at beginning a SW Mass Effect game, soon, and so I've been looking at a few Edges and Hindrances for what they might mean in the ME universe.

Now, one thing I should make clear; anyone, whether they have the Arcane Background: Tech or not, may learn and use the Tech skill. However, that is ONLY to use powers built into devices; you can use Tech to turn on shields in your military-grade armor (i.e. Activate the Armor Power built in). If you have the Arcane Background, you can use your learned Armor power to create shields whenever you have an omni-tool. Without the background, you can learn no powers, only use the ones already there. Civilian omni-tools only include the Healing and Speak Language powers, allowing them to dispense medi-gel and translate most common languages.

Savage Worlds Mass Effect

I wrote this about a year ago, and initially posted it on my old blog and the Giant in the Playground boards. Since I like it, I thought I would port it over here.

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These are designed to take place between Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2, and are pretty preliminary. They're also designed to be pretty plug-n-play with SW, focusing more on mechanical representation than making sure that prices are accurate and all.

Please, feel free to feedback.