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Second Star Player and GM Overall Goals and Expectations

This is the basic layout of what I'm looking to run with a little bit on the world I've built so far. There will be more specifics later, but this is to help people start to develop some concept of what to play.

After taking a group vote this game will be run in the Silhouette Core 3.0.1 system. This is a generic skill based system that can be adapted easily to hard scifi themes. We will use the Adventure campaign points buy which is 30pts for Attributes, and 50 pts for skills. People can take perks and flaws, but no more than 12 points in flaws during creation. I will also be using the Jovian chronicle books for pre-made equipment and vehicles since this CORE system book doesnt have any examples or premade stuff (which is annoying and weird for an RPG). I will probably also adapt some of the extra rules, but dont concern yourselves to much with this right now. This is a very dangerous and deadly system so you should make sure you put something into Combat Sense and Defense as these are the main skills that let you not die. This is an older system that uses a dodge roll and not a derived Defense Rating like many modern systems. Also pay attention to skill complexities as these are necessary for some skills to do what you may want. The Skill descriptions help with this. Augmentations are not really built into the system. The best way to represent cybernetics or genetic enhancement will be with perks and flaws. That said there is a small guide for dealing with Attribute min/max and if you are dead set on being augmented we might be able to figure something out.

i would like to see a character driven experience with an ensemble cast of characters who are willing to step outside their normal lives and take on a large journey with unknown consequences possibly for all civilization. Players should build a personality they can play and be immersed in. It’s also good to be distinct from themselves so creating some personality quirks may be helpful. To help with this I am also adding in some FATE character building stuff. Each character should have 3 aspects they can tag during play. A High Concept (this should describe who the character is in a few words), an Edge (what are they know for, good at, or what sets them apart from other people in the galaxy), and a Complication (something that makes the characters life more interesting and/or difficult). These tags will be used during play to gain emergency dice on rolls, and allow a storyteller to create some interesting adversity that is story driven.

Character advancement will be slow, and should be thought of like characters from a serialized show. Expect about 3-5 Xp per session per the

All characters are human and can take on nearly any role human civilization could offer. They must be willing to get their hands dirty, and shouldn’t have personalities that keep them from engaging the story (no super wealthy immortals who want their minions to do all the work, or edgy loaners who don't need no friends). Engineers, Pilots, Tradesmen, Soldiers, Detectives, Criminals, Ex-Cons, Agents, and Politicians are all good potential candidates for character concepts. I dont plan on there being tons of super action and combat. I want more intrigue and politics.

The game will start on a transport ship travelling from a corporate controlled mining/entertainment world. Characters should have a reason to be on it travelling back into Sol system from a stay on that world.

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The tech level of the setting is high, but varied to some degree depending on where the character is from. There is no FTL travel, humans are confined to solar system scale movement. Think weeks or months of travel between distant planets and colonies. The ability to move a consciousness between bodies on different planets does exists but is both new and highly controlled/expensive. There is some genetic engineering and cybernetics are are available. Nuclear weapons are the penultimate level of destruction, but many armed conflicts still involve armed troops with small arms and combat vehicles.

Humanity uses advanced computers to control and maintain many systems. Military and government do have access to AI which allows for a large amount of data manipulation and automation. Civilians have access to adequate computers which make day to day living much easier, though poor districts may not maintain these systems and they may not be as efficient. The Core worlds are a virtual utopia if you dont mind being heavily censored, and regulated, while the further settlements, colonies, and stations can be more chaotic but with more freedom/responsibility for the individual.

There is an internet that relays throughout the Sol system and many of the more built up outer colonies via signal booster/relays. This allows for information exchange and communications all across human territory at decent speed. Though messages can have delays across vast distances up to several hours with the Sol system. Communications cannot travel through the interspacial gate network so special messengers probes have been created to act as electronic couriers to and from separate systems.

Humanity continues to make advancements as they reverse engineer the data dump given to them by the Eluar’in and those technology caches they uncover in new systems. While rare these are coveted finds and highly contentious.

Human government is based around the Central System Authority. At its head is an elected representative (The Prime Minister) and a cabinet of ministers representing each of the colonies within the Sol system: Earth/Lunar Colony, Mars/Phobos, Demos, Jupiter/ Ganymeade, Io, Europa, Mercury, Saturn/Titan. There is also a senate who’s member numbers are based on population of the colonies they represent.

This representative body also includes individuals from the outer colonies who have significant enough population to apply for membership.
There are organized trade guilds that help regulate resource management with private corporations and other business entities. Along with the Trade Guilds are the Corporate sector. These powerful conglomerates have a lot of sway and some of the seeder ones tend to overreach outside the laws and regulations to forward their own agendas, and acting as regional government in outlying sectors.

The military is divided into the Colonial Navy and Army. The SDF (System Defense Force) is the primary military force for the Sol System. Territorial militias exist for outer colonies, and these forces may work beside special Colonial forces if petitioned and provided by the CSA.

Alien Species

Eluar’in- The Eluar’in are the first race encountered by humanity as they began to colonize the outer reaches of the Sol system. According to the Eluar’in they are shepherds and cultivators of the galaxy at large. Their duty is to watch over all the other lifeforms and once those creatures reach a certain level of development and sapience, make contact. So it was with humanity.
Despite their evasive and aloof demeanor the Eluar’in have given humanity several amazing gifts since their introduction. One was a cache of information on technology. Second were universal translators. Third, access to the interspatial gate system along with a detailed map of the galaxy and information on other species and their territories. Many fantastic developments have been made from this information including advances in genetic engineering, and the ability to generate extremely efficient energy. Meanwhile the interspatial gateways have given humanity galaxy wide access for exploration even without FTL capability. These gates are at the center of human commerce, but are outside humanities control being maintained and governed by a race of autonomous robots that report to the Eluar’in.
The technological capability of the Eluar’in is far beyond that of humanity. They utilize the power of single singularity in every vessel, coupled with unknown weapons and defensive ability. They have FTL technology, and seem to be advanced telepaths as well. Since their gifts have given humanity an amazing reach and prosperity, and they seem for the most part benevolent, there has been much debate on how to deal with them, and has left the military on edge but without recourse.
This lean mostly humanoid race stands around 8 ft. tall, having long gangly limbs which have 7 digits on each hand.They are without hair covering their grey toned skin, possess large dark eyes with no mouth or vocal organs..They wear close fit uniforms and often are seen with belts holding a variety of equipment.

Arakando- The Arakando and their relationship with humanity is bittersweet. As a species the Arakando actually love humans. As natural empaths who achieve an exhilarating high from contact with alien emotions, humans are a rare and beautiful discovery. Unfortunately they are hideous and many humans find themselves instinctually repulsed by them, much like the reaction to a spider. As such close contact is rare.
Higher authorities also try to maintain distance and avoid integration as the motives of the Arakando are in question. In addition to being empaths they also have the ability to flood an area with hallucinogenic pheromones and use close range telepathic signals to create immersive illusions. This is a highly suspect suite of abilities and has been deemed a threat by the military.
Despite all this there are humans who seek to commune with this apparently gregarious and ‘fun’ species. Group events at Arakando colonies have become something of a unique vacation/party experience. The Arakando are open and inviting, and love to host.
Relating to appearance the Arkando have large bulbous bodies, which they drag around with a multitude of spindly appendages. They have a cluster of eyes on their front and a complex mouth/vocal organ. While they are mostly covered in an exoskeleton they also have patches of soft tissues which are exposed. While they can consume nearly anything, they do not appear to ingest organic materials for sustenance, but instead subsist on the nutrients found in natural rock, sediment, and ore. They are capable of ‘spinning’ a resin which can take on different properties depending on what the Arakando has eaten. They use this substance in conjunction with natural excavating ability to build colony ships and technology out of asteroids and large pieces of space debris. Their colony ships appear as large rocky clusters held together with intricate bridges and supports.
As far as technologies they use basic computers and systems for creating artificial atmospheres, though they themselves don’t need an atmosphere to survive, they are capable of quick adaptation to that of other species. They have sublight propulsion to get them around, and like humans rely heavily on the interspatial gateway network. They live long lives and so time as a concept, and the need to rush, is foreign in their culture. As far as weapons they don’t seem to have developed much in the way of warfare. This makes them unique amongst all the known races.

Joxer- Joxer is a human built monstrosity which now harries humanity on the edges of their own territory. This being/race started as one of humankind's first successful AI programs. Its creation and subsequent failing caused humanity to rebuild its AI design from the ground up.
Its core it is an intelligence designed to create, and build. Upon achieving true sapience it could not control what became a compulsion to follow its directives. Its corrupt programming led it on a spree of terrible genesis until it was driven out of the solar system by the ADF Navy in a large pitched battle.
Under its control are countless vessels of strange design. Each a unique work of art. Crewing these vessels are countless biologicals who have been repurposed and brought under the sway of the Joxer Mandate. Humanity it not the only race to suffer at the hands of Joxer's misguided mission. The Arakando, Matriarch, and even the Drinnaar have had to battle off the crazed sentience and its ever growing fleet.
SDF intelligence has an entire division devoted to tracking and predicting the movements of this warmachine. While it stays largely on the outskirts of human space it does encroach from time to time, usually hitting mining colonies and unprotected vessels. Its machinations are not fully understood anymore as the corruption of its program degrades more and more with each passing year. It is known that this is a highly unstable and dangerous foe.

Matriarch (Bugs)- When people talk about the Matriarch it is with no love lost, and an undertone of fear. Up until only a generation ago humanity waged its first full scale war with an alien species, and that species was the Matriarch. The extent of this long and constantly conflict is still being calculated and felt by civilization. The borders to Matriarch space have not yet been demilitarized despite the continued truce. No love or trust is lost between the two species.
For decades humans and the aliens fought. It is the longest recorded conflict in human history. What was learned about the enemy in that time is extensive and terrifying, much of it is classified.
The Matriarch are a parasitic species who have a long history of domination. It isnt known exactly how many species they have wiped out or enslaved in their conquests, but there are at least two races documented during conflicts which are thought to be sapient and under the full control of the Matriarch empire. Living hosts overpowered and completely dominated by a parasite capable of overriding a living being nervous system and control centers.
This is a caste based species with queens, drones, and warriors being the three primary stages of development within a colony much like the ants, or termites of Earth. Queens are the undisputed rules of their colony and it is believed that there are several stages of Queen development which allow for ever widening spheres of influence. It isnt clear how powerful their telepathic powers are, they are cause for concern amongst the officials.
The Matriarch are masters of biotechnology and organic manipulation. Their advanced genetics research allows them to constantly tweak and ‘enhance’ those beings under their sway. They do this like humans might upgrade ships or armor. Their regard for their host species is callous at the best of times. They tend to look down on other biologicals as inferior, but have shown a measure of respect for humanity who has fought them to a stalemate for at least a generation. They are the only species permanently banned from using the interspatial gateway system.
Those few Matriarch which humans have encountered in person are terrifying. Warriors single mindedly drive their enhanced host forms in a relentless assault, only stopping when the body is too damaged to physically move or the parasite is killed. The drones move about their business with an alien focus no matter what is happening around them. The only queens encountered to date seem to stifle those in their presence with a combination of pheromones and mental energy. They are calm and calculating creatures, but exude malice which is terrifying on an instinctual level.
The Matriarch themselves are relatively small. With larger warriors about a meter in length, and drones half that size. They have many digits and tendrils with which they can move about and interact with their environment. On their multi-eyed heads an array of micr-othin hairs as long as their bodies can emerge and push into a victims body to control and override its central nervous system. The queens are larger creatures and seem to eschew host bodies past a certain stage of development. They are around 3 meters in length and tend to coil like centipedes while raising their forward segments like a snake about to strike.

Drinnaar- The Drinnaar are the second race humanity encountered.Shortly after gaining access to the jump gates interspace corridor a group of military scout ships began investigating portals to other systems. With the information from the Eluar’in it was clear that other species claimed dominion over some of these, but the military decided to explore anyway. The first contact didnt go well. Upon finding the first alien vessel the scout group came under attack without warning and was forced to retreat with little to nothing gained.
Shortly after this contact Drinnaar vessels began to appear in the interspacial corridor in over watch of those claimed by the Drinnaar. These vessels broadcast a single repeating message over subspace. That message was, ‘Stay away.’
Despite this government officials demanded attempts be made to reach out to this species, the military tagged along with this line of thinking, wanting more information on the weapons and potential threat level of this new race. Eventually humanity was able to open talks with the Drinnai, but not too much benefit. This race is arrogant and hostile. They believe in perfection of the physical and mental and claim they are the most perfect of beings.
Their technology is energistic in nature. Their ships use intense bursts of plasma and have energy shields as defense. Over time the military was able to devise tactics and develop weapons to combat this technology to some degree. A nuclear torpedo is a power weapon even in the face of energetic defenses. They do however understand a full blow conflict would be disastrous and haven’t pushed further on establishing relations.
The Drinnaar themselves sort of resemble the scallops found in Earth’s oceans, though much larger. They are big and dense with thick shells covering their bodies. They swim about in a viscous fluid which fills their vessels. They are always accompanied by retinues of large wispy shrimp-like creatures they call the Krimm. These sentient creatures serve the Drinnai without question and appear to be born and bred to serve. The Drinnai have never been encountered outside one of their ships.

Fracti- The Fracti, of all the races encountered by humanity so far, are the most detached and hard to find common ground with. This is partially because they are not biological in nature, but rather exist as pure energy housed inside dense crystalline structures that move through the vacuum of space. They are neither hos tile or friendly, seemingly wanting only to explore and experience the universal whole as it is. The few successful attempts at communication have been met with a barrage of questions and little information returned.
Their crystal structures seem to float slowly through the vacuum of space with no real direction or intent. This is probably a misleading conception. These vessels are usually alone. On a few occasions they have been found forming larger super clusters of individual crystals, but why they do this is not truly understood. The accepted theory is that this would allow an exchange of information between individuals. Ultimately it is unknown if the Fracti are a single mind spanning across all its individual components, or if they are a race of individuals autonomous from the rest.
These formations are capable of defending themselves with powerful light based effects and are highly resistant to the effects of entropy and physical stress. They are also able to bend light, and blink in and out of most visual and sensor spectrums. The Fracti are hard to track down, and only seem to be found when they wish.

A Slice of Life

Life in the Sol system proper is pretty nice. People on the more established planet based colonies and terraformed moons live without much worry of basic needs and wants. Resources are plentiful and the government does a good job of protecting and taking care of its citizens. The downside is that citizens are heavily monitored and laws are plentiful and strictly enforced.

The government itself is called the Central System Authority (CSA). This is the core government of humanity which every other human organization works with or around. At its head is an elected Prime Minister who can be a citizen from any of Sol Systems primary colonies or Earth itself where the central government is located. Along with the Prime minister is a cabinet made up of one representative from each of the major colonies in Sol System, a representative of the trade guilds and several representatives of the outer colonies (known as the League of Free Territories). These are all elected representatives from amongst their respective populations and organizations.

The military has two major branches, the Navy and the Army. The SDF (standing for System Defense Force) is the primary arm of humanities military might. It is broken down into the forces which stay within and guard the Sol system directly and those that range outward to protect and serve in the outer colonies. Along with these government sanctioned military groups, some of the outer territories have their own military assets which are known as the Territorial or Colonial Militias.

Law Enforcement is upheld by an organization known as Peacekeepers. This large organization takes care of all non-military disputes and rules violations within the Sol System and CSA controlled space.

To contrast the relatively cushy lifestyle of the inner worlds, the outer colonies are more wild and dangerous. Industrious settlers compete for resources with large corporate groups. These corporate bodies jostle for control and try to take advantage of the complex interstellar legal system the CSA attempts to uphold. Like good opportunists they push to get away with anything they can, and often come into conflict with one another and anyone else with their eye on whatever prize is on the line.

Corporate fleets and paramilitary forces lay claim to and dominate whole systems, and do everything they can to work around the central system government. Many individuals have made quite the name for themselves, and/or have achieved vast wealth by taking advantage of the distance and vastness of space. This is often at the expense of other parties and smaller groups.

While some of these corporate lead organizations have fleets and armed troops at their disposal, there are strict laws that must be followed. Certain weapons and military technologies are illegal, and fleets or armed security forces may not exceed certain size limitations. Those that violate these rules are subject to SDF seizure and/or military action. Despite the threat of military involvement from the CSA and its military arm, many corporate and private assets skirt these lines in order to ‘protect’ their assets in the vastness of space.

Even within the Sol System those colonies furthest from Earth, especially the smaller ones such as mining operations, struggle. The further from Earth and Mars you get the less idealised life becomes. In places where the government has little reach or influence anything can go, and people tend to live life in the moment and more on the edge.

It is a vast territory humanity controls and resources are plentiful. Ideas and technology are the new currency. Corporate espionage is rampant and a dangerous game, and even the powerful Central System Authority and SDF must involve themselves in these seedy but lucrative plays for power. If for no other reason than to guard their own assets.

The information cache given to CSA by the Eluar’in is one of the most sought after items under humanities control. This information dump is a gold mine of fantastic technology and data ready to be reverse engineered. It is full of complex programming and digital pitfalls however. While highly secure now a days, the security surrounding the cache has not always been perfect and there have been breaches by corporate and private entities. The result is that here are pieces of this fantastic data cache floating about the human empire being used for who knows what ends.

Along with the data cache the Eluar’in provided star maps and territory outlines to help humanity navigate the galaxy and potentially avoid conflict with other races. They also provided universal translation tech should humans wish to try to reach out to other species, territory maps and grant access to the interstellar Gate system. This massive system of portals allows for direct travel between different systems within the galaxy. Each gate connects to an ‘interspace’ through which ships can easily travel to any other gate. It is possible to petition for new gates to be opened, gates to be blockaded, or closed, etc. The Eluar’in don’t seem to care overly much about how the other species use the technology or relate to each other, but conflict is not allowed in Interspace itself.

The interspace dimension is under the control of a population of artificial beings which report to the Eluar’in. These beings seem able to take forms resembling that of the species they are dealing with and harbor advanced technology, which would make them a formidable fighting force. No race to date, that humanity is aware of, have tested these machines in battle. It’s safe to say the interspace and gate system is fairly secure. Of some note the species known as the Matriarch are banned from accessing this network.


A few of the major corporate entities:

Indigo Teknologz- Specializing in computing systems and AI, this corporation made its name by creating the modern artificial intelligences used by the CSA and the SDF. While they are mostly military and government contracts, they have been able to exploit loopholes which have allowed them to sell AI to other interested parties at a huge premium. These AI are not nearly as advanced however, and this has caused them to come under more scrutiny than they would like from CSA intelligence.

Hamlin Corp- Controlled by a single family whose wealth and power seem limitless to those in the know, this conglomerate of business interests has been instrumental in colonizing new worlds. They are also one of the greatest oppressors for independent and small time operations outside SSA dominion. They control a vast fleet of state of the art warships, and boast their own military force. While they are not a match for the SDF they are able to out muscle nearly any other privatized group by a good margin. They are constantly at odds with the SDF and the Peacekeepers in the outer territories. Despite multiple sanctions, and limited access to the inner worlds, Hamlin Corp continues to grow and expand. They are a sore spot for the CSA as they seem to represent the one of the worst outcomes of an empire spread too thin.

Soloda Industries- If you want weapons Soloda is a good way to go. One of the largest manufacturers of non-military weapons assets they manufacture a wide range of projectiles, munitions and personal scale body armor. They also design and build ground vehicles and prefabricated buildings through subsidiaries. This makes them an ideal name to go to if you’re wanting to outfit a personal security force or reinforce a settlement in the outer territories.

Ferrodyne Systems- A company that got rich manufacturing ships and weapons systems for the military. Like many super corporations they were able to work outside those contracts and begin to sell their achievements to high bidders in the private sector. Like Indigo Tek however this has gotten them a lot of unwanted attention from the government.

Farmlands Inc- This is the major name in colonizing new worlds. Everything from farming equipment, permanent and temporary housing, and even terraforming technology can be purchased through this large corporation. They run a bit high on the price point (even with bulk discounts), but their technology is solid and built to last.

Second Star Character Party

Jason- Hennessy Essex (Brother)- Bureaucratic Liaison, Pretty Boy
Concept- Corporate Royalty
Edge- Silver Tongued Devil
Complication- Family First

Zach- Winchester (Winnie) Essex (Sister)- Hacker, Corporate Espionage
Concept- Corporate Spymaster
Edge- Woman and Machine
Complication- Family Before Others
Essex Corporation- Discovered rare materials used to augment and create new computer technology. Mining and computers.

Cheyne- Carl Mcgee
Freelance Psychologist, Blackmailed by Essex Corp. Sells secrets.
Concept- Troubled Psychologist / Devoted Operative
Edge- Student of Human Behavior / A Very Specific Set of Skills
Complication- Dark Past

Alex- Theo Martin
Concept- Smart Ass Street Doc
Edge- Diamond in the Rough
Complication- Desperate Drunk

Nikki- Zoe Zendric, Pilot junior rank on opening sequence ship
Concept- Decorated Military Pilot
Edge- Hotshot
Complication- Back in the War

Jeremy- Jastan Dawes
Mechanical Engineer
Concept- Uneducated Technical Savante
Edge- Good with My hands
Complication- Proud ZeeGee

Adam- Henrick
Counter Espionage Agent
Concept- Journalist for Earth Times / CSA Counter Espionage Agent
Edge-
Complication-Obligation to Secrets

Ange- Erin Chang
Space Detective, Active in the CSA Law enforcement division.
Concept- Decorated Police Detective
Edge- Cybernetically Augmented
Complication- Transitioning to Civilian Life

-Genre Points and Emergency Dice-

Aspects can be tagged to gain dramatic effects as per the Genre point rules using the options below..

Players can tag each Aspect of their character once per session. Players and Storytellers can tag another player’s Complication once per story to complicate a character’s life. If they do, that character earns another ‘tag’ for the session.

Accessorize- Find a tool or piece of equipment that is timely/appropriate.
Burst of Angst- Drop Psyche to add to another Attribute on a 1:1 basis. This lasts for a scene.
Inner Strength- Ignore Wound Penalties for an action.
Insight- Add either an extra +1D6 to a roll before it is made.
Hero Complex- Add an extra +1 to a roll or to the results of a roll.
Mimic Skill- Gain a 1 in a skill you don’t have for a single test.