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		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71787</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71787"/>
		<updated>2024-03-08T05:24:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 35&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6999/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Perception +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 4 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Intelligence +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Ballistic Skill +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 2 (7100/9999)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;1700 Unspent&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 5 (700)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Session 6 (800)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71786</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71786"/>
		<updated>2024-03-08T05:24:22Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 35&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6999/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Perception +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 4 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Intelligence +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Ballistic Skill +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 2 (7100/9999)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;100 Unspent&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 5 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
Session 6 (800)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71772</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71772"/>
		<updated>2024-03-01T02:37:16Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 35&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6999/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Perception +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 4 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Intelligence +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Ballistic Skill +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 2 (7100/9999)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;100 Unspent&#039;&#039;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71771</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71771"/>
		<updated>2024-03-01T02:37:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 35&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6999/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Perception +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 4 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Intelligence +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Ballistic Skill +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 2 (7100/9999)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;100 Unspent&#039;&#039;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71770</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71770"/>
		<updated>2024-03-01T02:35:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6999/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Perception +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 4 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Intelligence +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Ballistic Skill +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 2 (7100/9999)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;100 Unspent&#039;&#039;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71757</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71757"/>
		<updated>2024-02-22T01:29:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Trade (Astromancy) (Ag)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Sound Constitution x1&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Awareness +10 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 3 (500) (100 Unspent)&lt;br /&gt;
* Sound Constitution (200)&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Trade (Astromancy) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71754</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71754"/>
		<updated>2024-02-01T02:44:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (6200/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Awareness +10 (250)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71753</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71753"/>
		<updated>2024-02-01T02:41:55Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 55&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple, Intermediate&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Session 2 (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Toughness +5 (250)&lt;br /&gt;
* Intermediate Awareness +10 (250)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71721</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71721"/>
		<updated>2024-01-19T06:42:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Raised apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71720</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71720"/>
		<updated>2024-01-19T06:41:15Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Overview */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Details ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quaddis (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Backstory ===&lt;br /&gt;
Navigators of House von Sauron are a strange and wicked sort, obsessing over the killing power of the Navigator&#039;s warp eye and indulging in experiments of warp-manipulation technology that veer towards heresy. The house survives by the inherent secrecy of the navis nobilite, such that nobody knows &#039;&#039;why&#039;&#039; the von Saurons are banned from the Navigator Quarter on Holy Terra, and continued collaboration with members of the Radical Xanthist faction of the Inquisition, providing the services of some of its kin to associates of that faction in exchange for certain concessions, such as access to juvenat treatments of the highest quality for the Novator and the services of bespoke replicae- who are brought to term as infants so as to not stunt the development of the warp eye. Nearly a third of all living von Saurons are gene-copies of the first House Novator Miranda von Sauron or one of her more successful progeny, and most who are not actively serving aboard a ship live in their modest (for Navigators) hidden fief in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortuna was born on the paradise world of Quaddis, the result of a rare successful negotiated marriage by the von Saurons with an impoverished and desperate navigator family seeking to renew their fortunes with a generous dowry. Subsequently, her upbringing was comparatively modest- growing up on one of the planet&#039;s famous vineyards and having to do some actual manual labour. Apart from the main of the family, she grew up internalizing an orthodox view of the Imperial Creed and cared little for the strange schemes of the von Sauron Novator. Devout in a way few navis nobilite are, she would have gladly lived on in ignorance- using her abilities sparingly only to pay for a pilgrim&#039;s lifestyle, if not for a fateful voyage where she witnessed a long and terrible failure of a Geller Field. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The potential of her tainted blood unleashed. The raw stuff of the warp, that true and terrible power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She would spend the rest of her days mastering them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71719</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71719"/>
		<updated>2024-01-19T05:14:59Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Gender:&#039;&#039;&#039; Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Build:&#039;&#039;&#039; Svelte&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skin:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hair:&#039;&#039;&#039; Black&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Eyes:&#039;&#039;&#039; Completely Black [Mutation]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Planet of Birth:&#039;&#039;&#039; Reth (Paradise World)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; Aquiline Nose&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71718</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71718"/>
		<updated>2024-01-19T04:37:54Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unchecked Mutation: When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page 182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71717</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71717"/>
		<updated>2024-01-19T04:31:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Ciphers (von Sauron) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Intimidate (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scrutiny (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
** Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Experience (500)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rank 1 (5700/6999)===&lt;br /&gt;
Session 1 (700)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Scrutiny + 0 [Elite Advance] (300)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Intimidate +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Ciphers (von Sauron) (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71708</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71708"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T02:10:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;From Character Creation&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Blessed Ignorance: –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Renegades: All tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71707</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71707"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:59:52Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Items===&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71706</id>
		<title>Talk:Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71706"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:57:14Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Homeworld: Imperial World ==&lt;br /&gt;
Characteristic Modifiers: +3 Willpower&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Blessed Ignorance: Imperial citizens know that the proper ways of living are those tried and tested by the generations that have gone before. Horror, pain, and death are the just rewards of curiosity, for those that look too deeply into the mysteries of the universe are all too likely to find malefic beings looking back at them. Their wise blindness imposes a –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hagiography: Widespread scriptures describing the lives—and, more importantly, the deaths—of the Emperor’s blessed saints and warmasters, and the sequence of endless wars, crusades, and terrors that make up history, grant Imperial citizens a comparatively wide knowledge of the Imperium of Man. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Imperial worlders gain Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), and Common Lore (War) (Int) as untrained Basic Skills.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Liturgical Familiarity: Surrounded as they are by the zealous and the faithful, Imperial citizens are accustomed to the tutelage of the Ecclesiarchy. Imperial world characters gain Literacy (Int) and Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) as untrained Basic Skills.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Wounds: Imperial world characters double their starting Toughness Bonus and add 1d5 to the result to determine their starting number of Wounds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Fate Points: Roll 1d10 to determine an Imperial world character’s starting Fate Points. On a 1–8, he begins with 3 Fate Points; on a 9–10, he begins with 4 Fate Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Birthright: Child of the Creed ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: You gain the Unshakeable Faith Talent and a bonus of either +3 Willpower or +3 Fellowship (your choice), but you suffer –3 Weapon Skill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Lure of the Void: Zealot ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: Choose one of the following results and apply it to your character.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Blessed Scars: You gain +10 to Intimidate Tests and –10 to Charm Tests, and one poor-Craftsmanship bionic (you may spend 200 xp to upgrade it to common-Craftsmanship or a total of 300 xp to upgrade it to good-Craftsmanship).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unnerving Clarity: You gain +5 Willpower. You also suffer your choice of –5 Fellowship or 1d10 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
Favoured of the Faithful: You gain +5 Fellowship and the Peer (Ecclesiarchy) Talent. You suffer –5 Toughness.&lt;br /&gt;
== Trials and Travails: Dark Voyage ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: You may gain a single Forbidden Lore Skill pertaining to your experiences (or may increase a Forbidden Lore Skill you already possess by one level), or may gain the Resistance (Fear) Talent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Marked by Darkness: Haunted by your experiences, you gain 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Motivation: Pride ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: You gain an Heirloom Item (see Table 1–2: Heriloom Items) or +3 Toughness (your choice).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Career: Navigator ==&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Skills&lt;br /&gt;
:Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Forbidden Lore (Navigators, Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Navigation (Stellar, Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
:Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Talents&lt;br /&gt;
:Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
:Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Gear&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship hellpistol or good-Craftsmanship hand cannon&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship metal staff&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship xeno-mesh armour&lt;br /&gt;
:Emperor’s tarot deck&lt;br /&gt;
:Silk headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
:Nobilite robes&lt;br /&gt;
:Charm&lt;br /&gt;
:Micro-bead&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Warp Eye: All Navigators begin with the Lidless Stare Navigator power as detailed in Chapter VII: Navigator Powers and may either select one additional power or improve an existing power. As the Navigator develops, he may select more powers or improve existing powers by selecting the Navigator Power Advance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Boons of Lineage: A Navigator hails from a lineage of a particular type that grants him a number of advantages and quirks. The Lineages which a Navigator may hail from are Nomadic Houses, Magisterial Houses, Shrouded Houses, or Renegade Houses. The details and effects of each of these lineages may be found on pages 176 to 178 in Chapter VII: Navigator Powers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Navigator Mutations: The Navigator begins play with a number of Navigator Mutations determined by the nature of his Lineage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Lineage: Renegade House ==&lt;br /&gt;
The Fruits of Corrupted Blood: In tampering with the fundamental nature of their bloodlines the Renegade Houses have created both monsters and marvels. The Navigator begins play with an additional Navigator Power. Additionally, the Navigator may also choose three Navigator Powers; these may include powers he does not yet have, but plans to later acquire. He gains a +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unchecked Mutation: The Navigator is more prone to mutation and mental instability that any others of his kind, representing the tampering of his family line and a life overshadowed by doom. When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page&lt;br /&gt;
182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10) and he begins play with 1d5 Insanity points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Renegades: The price of dabbling in the unknown is high, and it has cost the Renegade Houses in both security and status. Navigators from Renegade Houses begin play with 1d5 Corruption points and the watchful eye of the Inquisition ever waiting to uncover wrongdoing. Also, all tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Initial Mutation: Navigators from a Renegade House begin play with two Navigator Mutations rolled randomly from Table 7-1: Navigator Mutations. They may develop additional mutations as normal when they acquire new Navigator Powers or increase their mastery of existing powers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Eyes as Dark as the Void: Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Strange Vitality: You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Starting Experience==&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71705</id>
		<title>Talk:Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71705"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:56:54Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: Created page with &amp;quot;== Homeworld: Imperial World == Characteristic Modifiers: +3 Willpower  Blessed Ignorance: Imperial citizens know that the proper ways of living are those tried and tested by...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Homeworld: Imperial World ==&lt;br /&gt;
Characteristic Modifiers: +3 Willpower&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Blessed Ignorance: Imperial citizens know that the proper ways of living are those tried and tested by the generations that have gone before. Horror, pain, and death are the just rewards of curiosity, for those that look too deeply into the mysteries of the universe are all too likely to find malefic beings looking back at them. Their wise blindness imposes a –5 penalty on Forbidden Lore (Int) Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hagiography: Widespread scriptures describing the lives—and, more importantly, the deaths—of the Emperor’s blessed saints and warmasters, and the sequence of endless wars, crusades, and terrors that make up history, grant Imperial citizens a comparatively wide knowledge of the Imperium of Man. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Imperial worlders gain Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), and Common Lore (War) (Int) as untrained Basic Skills.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Liturgical Familiarity: Surrounded as they are by the zealous and the faithful, Imperial citizens are accustomed to the tutelage of the Ecclesiarchy. Imperial world characters gain Literacy (Int) and Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) as untrained Basic Skills.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Wounds: Imperial world characters double their starting Toughness Bonus and add 1d5 to the result to determine their starting number of Wounds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Fate Points: Roll 1d10 to determine an Imperial world character’s starting Fate Points. On a 1–8, he begins with 3 Fate Points; on a 9–10, he begins with 4 Fate Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Birthright: Child of the Creed ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: You gain the Unshakeable Faith Talent and a bonus of either +3 Willpower or +3 Fellowship (your choice), but you suffer –3 Weapon Skill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Lure of the Void: Zealot ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: Choose one of the following results and apply it to your character.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Blessed Scars: You gain +10 to Intimidate Tests and –10 to Charm Tests, and one poor-Craftsmanship bionic (you may spend 200 xp to upgrade it to common-Craftsmanship or a total of 300 xp to upgrade it to good-Craftsmanship).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unnerving Clarity: You gain +5 Willpower. You also suffer your choice of –5 Fellowship or 1d10 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
Favoured of the Faithful: You gain +5 Fellowship and the Peer (Ecclesiarchy) Talent. You suffer –5 Toughness.&lt;br /&gt;
== Trials and Travails: Dark Voyage ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: You may gain a single Forbidden Lore Skill pertaining to your experiences (or may increase a Forbidden Lore Skill you already possess by one level), or may gain the Resistance (Fear) Talent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Marked by Darkness: Haunted by your experiences, you gain 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Motivation: Pride ==&lt;br /&gt;
Effect: You gain an Heirloom Item (see Table 1–2: Heriloom Items) or +3 Toughness (your choice).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Career: Navigator ==&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Skills&lt;br /&gt;
Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Forbidden Lore (Navigators, Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Navigation (Stellar, Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Talents&lt;br /&gt;
Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
Starting Gear&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship hellpistol or good-Craftsmanship hand cannon&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship metal staff&lt;br /&gt;
:Best-Craftsmanship xeno-mesh armour&lt;br /&gt;
:Emperor’s tarot deck&lt;br /&gt;
:Silk headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
:Nobilite robes&lt;br /&gt;
:Charm&lt;br /&gt;
:Micro-bead&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Warp Eye: All Navigators begin with the Lidless Stare Navigator power as detailed in Chapter VII: Navigator Powers and may either select one additional power or improve an existing power. As the Navigator develops, he may select more powers or improve existing powers by selecting the Navigator Power Advance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Boons of Lineage: A Navigator hails from a lineage of a particular type that grants him a number of advantages and quirks. The Lineages which a Navigator may hail from are Nomadic Houses, Magisterial Houses, Shrouded Houses, or Renegade Houses. The details and effects of each of these lineages may be found on pages 176 to 178 in Chapter VII: Navigator Powers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Navigator Mutations: The Navigator begins play with a number of Navigator Mutations determined by the nature of his Lineage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Lineage: Renegade House ==&lt;br /&gt;
The Fruits of Corrupted Blood: In tampering with the fundamental nature of their bloodlines the Renegade Houses have created both monsters and marvels. The Navigator begins play with an additional Navigator Power. Additionally, the Navigator may also choose three Navigator Powers; these may include powers he does not yet have, but plans to later acquire. He gains a +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unchecked Mutation: The Navigator is more prone to mutation and mental instability that any others of his kind, representing the tampering of his family line and a life overshadowed by doom. When taking tests for mutation for gaining a new power or increasing an existing one (see page&lt;br /&gt;
182), his tests are Challenging (+0) rather than Ordinary (+10) and he begins play with 1d5 Insanity points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Renegades: The price of dabbling in the unknown is high, and it has cost the Renegade Houses in both security and status. Navigators from Renegade Houses begin play with 1d5 Corruption points and the watchful eye of the Inquisition ever waiting to uncover wrongdoing. Also, all tests that involve interacting with the official bodies of the Imperium are at a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Initial Mutation: Navigators from a Renegade House begin play with two Navigator Mutations rolled randomly from Table 7-1: Navigator Mutations. They may develop additional mutations as normal when they acquire new Navigator Powers or increase their mastery of existing powers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Eyes as Dark as the Void: Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Strange Vitality: You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Starting Experience==&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
*Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71704</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71704"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:50:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
Wounds: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Current: 3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Insanity Points: 13&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Madness: 1&lt;br /&gt;
:Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
Corruption Points: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Degree of Corruption: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
**Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
**Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;The Fruits of Corrupted Blood:&#039;&#039;&#039; +10 bonus to all tests with these powers (in addition to bonuses for being an Adept or Master). In addition, all tests by others to resist these powers suffer a –10 penalty.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Improved Powers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* The Lidless Stare&lt;br /&gt;
* Held In My Gaze&lt;br /&gt;
* Void Watcher&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Lidless Stare (Master)===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Novice:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Navigator makes an Opposed Willpower Test with anyone looking into his Warp Eye. Make a single test for the Navigator and compare it to the results of each of his opponents. If the Navigator achieves more degrees of success, the opponent suffers 1d10+ the Navigator’s Willpower bonus in Energy damage. This damage is not reduced by armour or Toughness Bonus. Anyone taking damage from this power is also Stunned for 1 round as they are ripped with agony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Using this power is taxing and inflicts a level of Fatigue on the Navigator. If the Navigator fails this Test by one degree of failure or more, he suffers two levels of Fatigue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, however, the damage is increased to 2d10+ (the Navigator’s WP bonus) and the time the victims are Stunned increases to 1d5 rounds. Victims also suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Master:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; As above, with the additional effect that any creature possessing an Intelligence of 20+ suffering damage from this power must make an immediate Difficult (–10) Toughness Test or be slain. If they pass, they suffer 1d10 Insanity points rather than 1d5.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Equipment ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Max Carry Weight:&#039;&#039;&#039; 45kg&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Current Weight:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 18kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Combat Gear ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Hellpistol (Lucius-Pattern)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Pistol &lt;br /&gt;
:Range: 35m &lt;br /&gt;
:RoF: S/2/– &lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+4 E, Pen 7&lt;br /&gt;
:Clip 40, Rld 2 Full&lt;br /&gt;
:Never Jams or Overheats&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 4kg +10kg Backpack&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Metal Staff&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Class: Melee&lt;br /&gt;
:Damage: 1d10+I E, Pen 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Balanced, Primitive, +10 WS&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 3kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Best Craftsmanship Xeno-Mesh Armour&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Locations Covered: Arms, Body, Legs&lt;br /&gt;
:AP: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Weight: 1kg&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Bionics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Good Quality Cortex Implants&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Grant the trait Unnatural Intelligence (×2) (see page 368) and in addition perform all the functions of a cogitator system. +10 bonus to any Literacy, Logic, or Scholastic Lore Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Other Items&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Micro-Bead&lt;br /&gt;
* Silk Headscarf&lt;br /&gt;
* Nobilite Robes&lt;br /&gt;
* Emperor’s Tarot Deck&lt;br /&gt;
* Charm&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Advancement ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Starting Experience ===&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Intelligence +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Perception +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Simple Willpower +5 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Awareness +0 (100)&lt;br /&gt;
* Trained Common Lore (Imperial Navy) +0 (100)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Silence_Trader&amp;diff=71702</id>
		<title>Talk:Silence Trader</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Silence_Trader&amp;diff=71702"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:39:18Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Octavia Auriga auf du Maar af Chlodechildis Al-Medea==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Pysker.jpg|thumb|right|All the hexagrammatical wards]]&lt;br /&gt;
Homeworld: Noble Born of Medea Prime&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career Path/Rank:&#039;&#039;&#039; Astropath, Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Tainted - Deviant Philosophy&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Trial:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Fortune&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Divination:&#039;&#039;&#039; &amp;quot;&amp;quot; &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Parents: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Gender: Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Build: Noodly&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Height: m&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Weight: kg&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Hair Color: White&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Skin Color: Pale&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Eye Color: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Age:&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Statistics ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Attributes&lt;br /&gt;
:Weapon Skill: 38 (-3) Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Ballistic Skill: 40 Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Strength: 28 Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
:Toughness: 36 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Agility: 34 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Intelligence: 40 Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Perception: 34 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Willpower: 39 (+1) Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Fellowship: 36 (+5) Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Status&lt;br /&gt;
:Wounds: 10&lt;br /&gt;
::Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
::Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
::Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
::Current: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Insanity Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:: Degree of Madness: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
:Corruption Points: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Degree of Corruption: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mutations&lt;br /&gt;
: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combat&lt;br /&gt;
:Initiative. 1d10+AG Bonus&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Skills and Traits ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skills&lt;br /&gt;
:Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
:Psyniescence (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
:Common Lore [Adeptus Psykana] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Forbidden Lore/Psykers (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Forbidden Lore/Xenos (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Scholastic Lore [Cryptology] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Invocation (WP)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Trained +10&lt;br /&gt;
:Language [High Gothic] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Language [Low Gothic] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Trained +20&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talents&lt;br /&gt;
:Peer (Nobility)&lt;br /&gt;
:Peer (Academics)&lt;br /&gt;
:Unshakeable Faith&lt;br /&gt;
:Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)&lt;br /&gt;
:Pistol Training&lt;br /&gt;
:Heightened Senses (Sound)&lt;br /&gt;
:Psy Rating 2&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Traits&lt;br /&gt;
:Etiquette; +10 on interaction skill test when dealing with high authority and formal situations&lt;br /&gt;
:Legacy of Wealth; +1 starting Profit Factor&lt;br /&gt;
:Supremely Conected&lt;br /&gt;
:Warp Affinity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Equipment ====&lt;br /&gt;
Income:  &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Weapons&lt;br /&gt;
:Laspistol (Best)&lt;br /&gt;
:Shock Staff (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Armor&lt;br /&gt;
:Guard flak armor (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
:Synskin (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Misc&lt;br /&gt;
:Charm&lt;br /&gt;
:Psy-Focus(+10 Invocation)&lt;br /&gt;
:Micro-bead&lt;br /&gt;
:Void Suit&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Experience Points ====&lt;br /&gt;
Total XP: 5,000 XP&lt;br /&gt;
:4,500 XP Base&lt;br /&gt;
:500 XP Initial&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Points Spent =====&lt;br /&gt;
:500 XP - Warp Affinity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Lexander Damiyen]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
OP&#039;s Seneschal&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Lissah Quattiel]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Orthesian Kreen]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Fortuna von Sauron]] ==&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71701</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71701"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:38:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
*Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
*Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
*Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71700</id>
		<title>Fortuna von Sauron</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Fortuna_von_Sauron&amp;diff=71700"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:38:23Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: Created page with &amp;quot;== Overview == &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Career:&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1 &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Homeworld:&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; Imperial World &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Birthright:&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; Child of the Creed &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Lure of the Void:&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; Zealot &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Trials a...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career:&#039;&#039;&#039; Navigator (Renegade House), Rank 1&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Homeworld:&#039;&#039;&#039; Imperial World&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Zealot&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Trials and Travails:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Pride&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Statistics ==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Attributes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapon Skill (WS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 25&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Ballistic Skill (BS)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Strength (S)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Toughness (T)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 45&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Agility (Ag)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intelligence (Int)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50 (x2)&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 10&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Perception (Per)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 50&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 5&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Willpower (WP)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 61&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 6&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: Simple&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fellowship (Fel)&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;
** Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
** Advances: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Skills&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Basic Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
**Common Lore (War) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trained Skills&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
*Common Lore (Imperial Navy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Common Lore (Navis Nobilite) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Forbidden Lore (Navigators) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Navigation (Stellar) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Navigation (Warp) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Psyniscience (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
*Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
*Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int) &lt;br /&gt;
*Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Talents and Traits&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Navigator&lt;br /&gt;
** Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)&lt;br /&gt;
** Resistance (Fear): Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unshakeable Faith: The Explorer may re-roll failed Fear Tests.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Traits&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Dark Sight: A creature with this Trait sees normally even in areas of total darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of dim or no lighting.&lt;br /&gt;
** Regeneration: Creatures with this Trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the start of its turn the creature tests Toughness to remove 1 point of damage. It loses this Trait when slain.&lt;br /&gt;
** Unnatural Intelligence (x2): x2 Intelligence Bonus. During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus multiplier is added to the degree of success.&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mutations&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
** Eyes as Dark as the Void (Navigator): Your eyes are completely black and without iris; you gain the Dark Sight Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
** Strange Vitality (Navigator): You possess a vitality and resilience that is at odds with your physical form; wounds bleed translucent fluid and close quickly, bones knit together after being horrifically broken. You gain the Regeneration Trait.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Powers ==&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Silence_Trader&amp;diff=71698</id>
		<title>Talk:Silence Trader</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Talk:Silence_Trader&amp;diff=71698"/>
		<updated>2024-01-18T01:15:39Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Octavia Auriga auf du Maar af Chlodechildis Al-Medea==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Pysker.jpg|thumb|right|All the hexagrammatical wards]]&lt;br /&gt;
Homeworld: Noble Born of Medea Prime&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Career Path/Rank:&#039;&#039;&#039; Astropath, Rank 1&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Birthright:&#039;&#039;&#039; Child of the Creed&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Lure of the Void:&#039;&#039;&#039; Tainted - Deviant Philosophy&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Trial:&#039;&#039;&#039; Dark Voyage&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Motivation:&#039;&#039;&#039; Fortune&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Divination:&#039;&#039;&#039; &amp;quot;&amp;quot; &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&#039;&#039;&#039;Quirk:&#039;&#039;&#039; &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Parents: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Gender: Female&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Build: Noodly&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Height: m&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Weight: kg&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Hair Color: White&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Skin Color: Pale&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Eye Color: &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Age:&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Statistics ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Attributes&lt;br /&gt;
:Weapon Skill: 38 (-3) Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Ballistic Skill: 40 Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Strength: 28 Bonus: 2&lt;br /&gt;
:Toughness: 36 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Agility: 34 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Intelligence: 40 Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Perception: 34 Bonus: 3&lt;br /&gt;
:Willpower: 39 (+1) Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Fellowship: 36 (+5) Bonus: 4&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Status&lt;br /&gt;
:Wounds: 10&lt;br /&gt;
::Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
::Fatigue: 0&lt;br /&gt;
::Critical Damage: 0&lt;br /&gt;
:Fate Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
::Current: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:Insanity Points: 4&lt;br /&gt;
:: Degree of Madness: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Disorders: None&lt;br /&gt;
:Corruption Points: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Degree of Corruption: &lt;br /&gt;
:: Malignancies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mutations&lt;br /&gt;
: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combat&lt;br /&gt;
:Initiative. 1d10+AG Bonus&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Skills and Traits ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skills&lt;br /&gt;
:Awareness (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
:Psyniescence (Per)&lt;br /&gt;
:Common Lore [Adeptus Psykana] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Forbidden Lore/Psykers (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Forbidden Lore/Xenos (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Literacy (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Scholastic Lore [Cryptology] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Invocation (WP)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Trained +10&lt;br /&gt;
:Language [High Gothic] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
:Language [Low Gothic] (Int)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Trained +20&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talents&lt;br /&gt;
:Peer (Nobility)&lt;br /&gt;
:Peer (Academics)&lt;br /&gt;
:Unshakeable Faith&lt;br /&gt;
:Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)&lt;br /&gt;
:Pistol Training&lt;br /&gt;
:Heightened Senses (Sound)&lt;br /&gt;
:Psy Rating 2&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Traits&lt;br /&gt;
:Etiquette; +10 on interaction skill test when dealing with high authority and formal situations&lt;br /&gt;
:Legacy of Wealth; +1 starting Profit Factor&lt;br /&gt;
:Supremely Conected&lt;br /&gt;
:Warp Affinity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Equipment ====&lt;br /&gt;
Income:  &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Weapons&lt;br /&gt;
:Laspistol (Best)&lt;br /&gt;
:Shock Staff (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Armor&lt;br /&gt;
:Guard flak armor (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
:Synskin (Common)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Misc&lt;br /&gt;
:Charm&lt;br /&gt;
:Psy-Focus(+10 Invocation)&lt;br /&gt;
:Micro-bead&lt;br /&gt;
:Void Suit&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Experience Points ====&lt;br /&gt;
Total XP: 5,000 XP&lt;br /&gt;
:4,500 XP Base&lt;br /&gt;
:500 XP Initial&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Points Spent =====&lt;br /&gt;
:500 XP - Warp Affinity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Lexander Damiyen]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
OP&#039;s Seneschal&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Lissah Quattiel]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Orthesian Kreen]] ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== [[Winter von Sauron]] ==&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=FTA3_Espionage&amp;diff=71662</id>
		<title>FTA3 Espionage</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=FTA3_Espionage&amp;diff=71662"/>
		<updated>2023-10-21T20:07:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Safehouses */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Thousands of years of simulated existence failed to snuff out those essential human vices: the desire to observe, pass judgment on others and then at the behest of society, enforce that judgment. Groups likewise observe one another, pass judgment and enforce their desires on each other through influence, subterfuge and violence, sometimes discreetly but more often not. &lt;br /&gt;
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The human being which, in all its permutations has failed to evolve beyond the status of a social animal, continues to use tools of observation, judgment and enforcement in the pursuit of myriad goals. Those emerging anarchist polities may have abolished their institutions of policing and carceral states, but continue to investigate crimes, protect the community with militias and hold councils to enact their particular visions of justice. Certain genera Homo Extremis may download their mental patterns into a substrate of self-organizing nanomachines and abolish biological death, but their new existence presents other risks: deletion, copying, theft and torture of mental duplicates in absentia and other horrors unimaginable to those who live in the blasphemous corpus of the Real, requiring network security with unfathomably bloated budgets.&lt;br /&gt;
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It is often said that no person is safe from bad actors. Such phrases are often said by spies and policemen, who would obviously like to enjoy the milk and honey of state funding in a time of crisis.&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;&#039;Navigation&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
#[[From the Ashes 3]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Thread Index]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Military and Combat]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Ship Design]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Economy]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Espionage]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Ethos &amp;amp; Politics]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Research &amp;amp; Development]]&lt;br /&gt;
#[[FTA3 Exploration]]&lt;br /&gt;
Continue to Table of Contents:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Tools and Concepts in Espionage=&lt;br /&gt;
==The Agency==&lt;br /&gt;
The Agency is the ‘ship’ of the espionage rules, though rather than using standard templates each one is fairly unique. Agencies are created by spending an Espionage Token and gain 6 points to spend on their attributes. They can be further upgraded by spending additional Espionage Tokens, which grants an additional 3 minus Y points, with Y being the number of Espionage Tokens previously spent on upgrading that agency the same year. Rapidly setting up a brand new service has sharp limits and diminishing returns, even pouring all the resources of the state to build.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All players may choose to begin with a single Agency with 12 points for free. There is no limit on how many Agencies a player can have: they are fundamentally conduits for action that require Token spending to be useful,  and having too many things covering the same purview can be deleterious to performance or provide leverage to a hostile power.&lt;br /&gt;
===Agency Statistics===&lt;br /&gt;
Agency Statistics represent core competencies in one of four categories of action, each significantly important in the scope of espionage operations. Statistics are assigned every time a new Agency is created, and whenever tokens are expended to upgrade an existing Agency.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Agency statistics have no inherent maximum or minimum, though if an attribute drops to 0 or less the agency becomes Compromised, and cannot be utilized for any actions for the rest of the game year. Agencies with extremely low negatives are particularly dangerous, being essentially exploitable targets for other players’ intel operations.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Agency Decay===&lt;br /&gt;
Agency statistics decay in the following circumstances:&lt;br /&gt;
* Every year, all Agencies lose 1 point from their highest statistic if they are above 12 total points, not including specializations&lt;br /&gt;
* Whenever an Agency engages in an intelligence operation, it loses 1 point (player choice).&lt;br /&gt;
* Whenever an Agency is the subject of an intelligence operation, it loses at least 1 point (attacker’s choice) and may lose more.&lt;br /&gt;
* If the territory the Agency is headquartered in goes into low Stability (3 or less) or is subject of a violent attack, it loses 1 additional point from their highest statistic that year. &#039;&#039;&#039;Flag of Freedom ignores this penalty.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* If the territory the Agency is headquartered in is conquered by a hostile power, the Agency is destroyed. However the player may spend an Espionage token to have everyone evacuated, allowing the Agency to evacuate and limiting the damage to 5 Statistic points (defender’s choice).&lt;br /&gt;
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===Operations===&lt;br /&gt;
Operations comprises the ability to plan, engage in and protect the secrecy of espionage actions.&lt;br /&gt;
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Each point of Operations:&lt;br /&gt;
* Counters a point of a relevant Intelligence Gathering to prevent early warning.&lt;br /&gt;
* Allows an additional intelligence operation to be ‘well planned’ per Game Year.&lt;br /&gt;
* Allows an additional military asset (warship, ground unit, etc) to be ‘well integrated’ into the Agency without harming effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Security===&lt;br /&gt;
Security provides passive protection from hostile actions, and provides effectiveness in counterintelligence operations.&lt;br /&gt;
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Each point of Security:&lt;br /&gt;
* Increases the difficulty of hostile actions.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Intelligence Gathering===&lt;br /&gt;
Intelligence Gathering provides passive warning of hostile actions, as well as analysis of hostile actors and debris to determine responsible parties when the state or organization is subject of an operation.&lt;br /&gt;
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Each point of Intelligence Gathering:&lt;br /&gt;
* Provides a potential pool of human (or near-human) assets that can be subverted to improve espionage and other hostile actions against a target nation, upon request.&lt;br /&gt;
* Provides improved technical analysis of signals, footage, debris and other artifacts and detritus to determine the origin and potential intentions of a hostile party that was not previously identified.&lt;br /&gt;
* Grants increased early warning of potential hostile actions, and limited understanding under fog of war.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Deniability===&lt;br /&gt;
Deniability is a special mechanic to give a legitimate cover of “no I didn’t” for as long as possible. It is not a blanket ability to refuse responsibility in every single way, but a way to mitigate consequences, control narratives and prevent immediate unilateral intervention by a coalition looking to make some justified conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
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Deniability works as follows:&lt;br /&gt;
* Higher deniability provides better control over domestic narratives. At high ratings, your people may simply not care, patriotically view your actions as a necessary evil for the sake of the nation or have a completely warped understanding of reality thanks to your strong psychological operations division.&lt;br /&gt;
* Deniability provides a ticking clock, delaying the authentication of documents, debris, etc by unvarnished, unbiased third parties. While it can be penetrated by strong TECHINT or a defector (cultivated via HUMINT), in theory it provides a long buffer by which point the worst anger will have subsided and you will have made concessions and agreements that make reprisal undesirable.&lt;br /&gt;
* Deniability allows the cultivation of a number of proxies equal to its rating. Proxies are non-government groups which can act on your behalf, occasionally, but are mostly self-motivated and self-interested. Proxies do not reveal your backing initially, but as they take casualties, are subject to intelligence operations or become large and powerful enough to negotiate on the level of nations and powerful organizations, that loyalty may subside. Caveat emptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Deniability Clock==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;“We didn’t do it, but you deserved it and if you don’t watch yourselves we’ll do it again!”&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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The Deniability Clock is a mechanic that exists to mitigate the immediate consequences of intelligence operations, particularly disproportionate responses by larger powers against their perceived inferiors for minor slights or skullduggery, as well as the formation of large unjustified coalitions responding to minor slights with the well-honed knives of partition. Of course, there are natural limits to such things: particularly grandiose acts of terrorism, surprise attacks on military infrastructure and the killings of heads of state: these are all basically just acts of war and one gets what they deserve for pushing on them.&lt;br /&gt;
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The Deniability Clock instead is meant to delay response for a player who has invested in the relevant statistics, buying time to negotiate deals and for tempers to cool.&lt;br /&gt;
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The clock is measured as follows: measure up the difference between attacker’s Deniability vs the defender’s Intelligence Gathering. The numerical difference (if positive for the attacker) is how many game years they get before their complicity is revealed. If the defender’s gathering score is higher, the attacker is revealed immediately after the attack resolves.&lt;br /&gt;
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Proxies are a special Agency Asset class that work differently from standard deniability. They are instead tracked separately and have their own conditions for exposure.&lt;br /&gt;
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Finally, Deniability hinges to some extent on the discretion of the launching state. The most extreme acts will in fact break the most strident measures of secrecy. Practically speaking, if your actions cause a calendar day or a named harbor to become perpetually associated with infamy, there isn’t much you can do. Moderators will always tell the player if a certain act is Too Loud.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Extending the Clock===&lt;br /&gt;
The Deniability Clock is not meant to be played with or extended, generally. Even using the correct assets, having a well-designed Agency and planning carefully can’t buy you unlimited time. Despite this, there exist three ways to add Deniability Clock time:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Plot Armor&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;: Spending a Plot Token (and only a Plot Token) will make narrative intervention to buy you time. The amount depends on the event that is generated by the Plot Token and how serious the operation being concealed is, but consider a minimum buff of 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Burning the Agency&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;: Burning your Agency to the ground right after it carries out a loud attack produces a lot of loose ends, especially since it means having to orphan or liquidate every single asset connected to it at the time of the op. The potential gain is similar to Plot Armor, with a minimum of 50%... but will also create a lot of burned agents and left-behind special forces to join the mercenary business.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Betrayal&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;: First strike betrayal of close allies will always help you out. As allies (PC or NPC), add a 50% buff. Betraying close allies (PCs who cooperate with you on intel, Blood Brothers) adds a 100% buff. &#039;&#039;&#039;You can only claim this bonus once per game.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Loudness==&lt;br /&gt;
Loudness is an overall measure of how noticeable the actions taking place over the course of an intel operation really are. To a conspiratorial, web weaving mindset, certain acts, outcomes and means of achieving them will always be Too Loud and to be avoided (or mitigated) at all costs- but not all people are endowed with identical sensibilities, so it’s the responsibility of the moderator to work with the player to explain their understanding and establish a good consensus.&lt;br /&gt;
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Loudness is broken down into 3 general phases:&lt;br /&gt;
* Planning Loudness represents the noise of putting assets into place. Conducting an all-hands fleet review before you carry out a big surprise attack on an enemy harbor is loud. Buying all the antitoxin to a specific nerve gas to cripple civilian response to a terror attack is loud.&lt;br /&gt;
* Operational Loudness represents the noise of conducting the mission. Having a fleet punch down a capital tramline all at once screaming the national anthem is loud. Gassing a stadium during an internationally televised concert is loud.&lt;br /&gt;
* Outcome Loudness represents the noise and fury that follows getting what you want. Taking out a whole regional harbor before your war declaration has hit the presses is loud. Killing a hundred thousand people in a highly public and televised manner to sow fear and terror is loud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Loudness is mitigated in a few ways:&lt;br /&gt;
* Operations and Operational Security directly mitigate all loudness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Deniable and Q-Ships do not contribute to Planning Loudness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Cloaked ships do not contribute to Planning Loudness if they haven’t been to port since the operation began planning. They do not contribute to Operational Loudness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Spec-Ops Ground Units do not contribute to Operational Loudness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Taking out comms buoys and suppressing courrier ships will directly mitigate Outcome Loudness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Proxies can mitigate loudness at all stages, though Outcomes less than the other two. People might not blink at a crime family dumping a few activists in a ravine but no amount of ‘boys being boys’ will forgive killing a head of state.&lt;br /&gt;
* Rumpus states have roughly halved loudness: not being taken seriously cuts both ways.&lt;br /&gt;
* Certain special events or system conditions such as space storms may limit maximum loudness by sheer isolation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Upgrading Agencies=&lt;br /&gt;
Once rolled, an Agency is a feature-complete tool for intelligence with basically full access to the mechanics, requiring no further investments other than regular expenditure of Tokens to upkeep its statistics. Agencies have a number of ways to expand and improve their functionality, called Specializations and Assets.&lt;br /&gt;
==Specializations==&lt;br /&gt;
{| class=&amp;quot;wikitable&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|+ Specialization Progression Table&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! !! Mission Successes !! Mission Failures/Counterintelligence Successes &lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 1st Unlock || 1 || 2&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 2nd Unlock || 3 || 6&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 3rd Unlock || 6 || 12&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 4th Unlock || 10 || 20&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 5th Unlock || 15 || 30&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 6th Unlock || 21 || 42&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 7th Unlock || 28 || 56&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 8th Unlock || 36 || 72&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 9th Unlock || 45 || 90&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 10th Unlock || 55 || 110&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 11th Unlock || 66 || 132 &lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! 12th Unlock || 88 || 176&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Specializations are the manifestation of institutional know-how and culture as organizations gain experience through trial and error, and hone in on particular functions. Security organizations get better at security, information gathering services begin to infer details by accumulating masses of data and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
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In addition to the specific effects described in their writeup, each Specialization acts as a permanent +1 to the Attribute it corresponds to. Unlike regular attributes, these are not diminished in the regular action of conducting or being the target of intelligence operations.&lt;br /&gt;
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There are 12 specializations, which are unlocked as Agencies successfully complete operations. Mission failures also contribute to the development of specializations, but half as quickly, as do successful defenses against hostile espionage actions. &lt;br /&gt;
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The results are cumulative: four failures and four successes (effectively 6 successes) is enough to unlock a 3rd specialization.&lt;br /&gt;
===Operations Specializations===&lt;br /&gt;
====Operational Security (OPSEC)====&lt;br /&gt;
The ability to maintain secrecy and mitigate OSINT observation of troop numbers, assets, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Your agency is functionally immune to OSINT from powers without the OSINT Specialization or relevant assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: INFORMATION BLACKOUT - You can completely suppress all internal documentation for a single operation at a time. Doing so is conspicuous (people know something is up) but obscures details to anybody without assets on the ground or inside your Agency.&lt;br /&gt;
====Operational Capacity (OPCAP)====&lt;br /&gt;
OPCAP is the logistical overhead of your operations, and how well your agency can maintain them. Stealing Data and Killing Senators isnt easy to do at the same time, all while on a shoestring budget, after all.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: One operation at a time does not cost a Token to start. It is treated as ‘well-planned’.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: ALL HANDS - You can combine your ‘well-planned’ operations, providing a stacking bonus to effectiveness that scales.&lt;br /&gt;
====Operational Coordination (OPCOR)====&lt;br /&gt;
OPCOR represents how your agency integrates with the militant arm of your nation, and how effective they are at utilizing those military assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Your agency can integrate military units instantly and without any penalties to their operational effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: ZERO-DARK THIRTY - You can rush a single operation at a time with no serious impacts to loudness or chances of success.&lt;br /&gt;
===Security Specializations===&lt;br /&gt;
====Infrastructure Security (INSEC)====&lt;br /&gt;
The protection of the built environment, digital networks and other assets of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Non-complete damage (i.e.: wasn’t destroyed, in lost CI/DI or repair cost) to Landmarks, Territories or Convoys received from hostile operations is halved if your agency was defending against it.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: NEVER FORGET - If a Landmark, Territory or Convoy or other meaningful structure has been the target of an hostile operation but wasn’t destroyed, you may declare it Secured. If it was destroyed, you can always rebuild for 80% of the time and cost to build or a GM assessment of the value (OPF structures are subject to GM fiat and may be exorbitantly expensive and involve a quest to gather materials).&lt;br /&gt;
====Personal Security (PERSEC)====&lt;br /&gt;
The protection of named individuals within the government and armed forces, as well as other persons of interest.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: It is basically impossible to insert human assets into your state. Actively conducting operations, as well as active powers provided by other Specializations, can bypass this.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: INTERNAL AFFAIRS - When you become aware of a Double Agent, Defector or similar human asset operating in your territory, you can instantly acquire a Special Agent with a close relationship to the hostile asset. These do not cost Tokens to create, but you may only have one at a time per agency.&lt;br /&gt;
====Public Security (PUBSEC)====&lt;br /&gt;
Nominally the goal of most domestic agencies, PUBSEC in particular focuses on the protection of the public, their exposure to dangerous information and people, as well as their methods of contact with foreign entities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Hostile operations to destabilize your regime or territories can never inflict more than half the Stability of a single territory, unless you are already at 3 or lower.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: SECTION 9 - Non-Militia Special Forces assigned to this Agency have Show the Flag inside your own territory and that of any allies who cooperate with you in intelligence&lt;br /&gt;
===Intelligence Gathering Specializations===&lt;br /&gt;
====Human Intelligence (HUMINT)====&lt;br /&gt;
The development of informants, defectors and other human assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: You can ‘flip’ captured human assets without an operation. This takes 1d6 turns of intel resolution, longer for high cost (2+ Token) and/or Secured assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: OUR MAN IN X - Whenever there is a major event (the GM can clarify what is major or not), you can declare you have an asset of any type on the scene. This asset is temporary and lasts as long as you keep interest in the event.&lt;br /&gt;
====Technical Intelligence (TECHINT)====&lt;br /&gt;
Analysis of the situation via technological systems and understanding. Also covers SIGINT, decryption, measurement and signature intelligence and geospatial intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: You can reuse captured technical assets. This takes about a quarter to swap the keys over.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: Q DIVISION - One operation at a time has a ‘budget’ of 1d3 (GM roll) free technological assets, which spawn instantly and cease to exist after the resolution of the op.&lt;br /&gt;
====Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)====&lt;br /&gt;
Understanding of a situation via publicly available knowledge, interpolation of data from press releases and trade publications, financial information and hear-say on the tradelanes.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Your open source intelligence gathering pierces the OPSEC specialization’s protection.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: BELLING THE CAT - Gain an Espionage Token the first time you produce a significant OSINT writeup on your own active intelligence operations that year.&lt;br /&gt;
===Deniability Specializations===&lt;br /&gt;
====Domestic Deniability====&lt;br /&gt;
The ability to mitigate the domestic consequences of intelligence operations. Domestic Deniability is significantly more effective than Proxies and Foreign Deniability, but only applies domestically.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: In territories that have your Culture, Stability loss caused by backlash from failed or Ethos-contradicting espionage operations is capped at 2.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: TRUTH SOCIAL - Once per Year, you may completely eliminate the consequences (Stability Loss, Insurrections, ect) of one of your operations domestically. Any foreign consequences still remain, but your population simply accepts whatever reason you gave without questioning it.&lt;br /&gt;
====Foreign Deniability====&lt;br /&gt;
Secret assets, open source technology, cloaking and other means to delay (but not prevent) the discovery of foreign intelligence operations.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Every power (PC or NPC) that voluntarily corroborates your alibi/denials adds to your total Deniability Clock time.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: FALSE FLAG - When using Deniable or foreign-built assets in an operation, you can lay evidence to imply another power is responsible. Credibility of such evidence will be based on resources allocated to the operation, and lasts as long as the Deniability Clock.&lt;br /&gt;
====Proxies====&lt;br /&gt;
Proxies are foreign agents, non-state actors and other assets that can mask your activities. Proxy-based deniability lasts as long as they do, though both the survival and loyalty of such cutouts is inherently more questionable than your own forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passive Benefit: Your proxies are more competent and able to use non-Deniable equipment and funds directly from you without it tying back to you.&lt;br /&gt;
* Active Benefit: PRODIGAL SON - One of your proxies gains the full benefits of your Doctrines, Agency specializations and other intangibles. The enhanced proxy is more resilient and loyal than normal, able to survive serious setbacks and willing to fight it out to the end.&lt;br /&gt;
==Assets==&lt;br /&gt;
Assets are human resources, secure locations, specialized tools and other forms of capital used in the execution of espionage operations. While an Agency is assumed to contain any number of employees or members who act on behalf of the group, human assets are exceptional examples of such people, talent to be cultivated, protected and compensated for the relevant efforts. Likewise, technological assets represent above-standard issue equipment, archeotechnological devices and one-off prototypes that cannot easily be reproduced.&lt;br /&gt;
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Assets are not acquired without significant effort: while any intelligence agency can reliably train assassins (indeed, most ‘assassins’ are simply any competent, disposable associations on the margins of an agency’s rolodex), Special Agents represent a significant investment of genetic, cybernetic, or pharmacological enhancement to personnel. Therefore, Assets have to be Unlocked before a state can reliably produce them. Certain Specializations or Doctrines may allow unlocks to be bypassed on a limited basis.&lt;br /&gt;
===Unlocking Assets===&lt;br /&gt;
Assets are unlocked in one of several ways, becoming permanently available to an Agency of that player’s choice.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Spending an Espionage or R&amp;amp;D token unlocks any one asset type and produces a single prototype.&lt;br /&gt;
* Achieving a Specialization also unlocks an Asset type for that agency.&lt;br /&gt;
* Certain factions may reward players with Asset unlocks which they may apply to any one of their agencies.&lt;br /&gt;
* If an asset is claimed as an exploration reward, it also becomes permanently unlocked for an agency of the player’s choice.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It should be noted that asset unlocks are on a per-Agency basis. Burning Agencies also burns all their core competencies, including institutional knowledge to train specific kinds of agents or build certain kinds of assets.&lt;br /&gt;
===Asset List===&lt;br /&gt;
These asset lists are not exhaustive. New asset types may become available over the course of play, created by events or player research.&lt;br /&gt;
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====Military Units (Free Unlock)====&lt;br /&gt;
Limit: 5 + (Operations x2)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Allows for the integration of military units into Agencies to function as flagships, stealth insertion craft or provide some muscle for a raid. These units are considered to be well-trained and integrated into the command loop of espionage, providing their full benefits as units and suffering no penalties unless particularly inapplicable. While the CIA Death Star is a perfectly valid option, this system is meant to represent Zumwalts and Navy Seals (assuming maximum theoretical competence for both). If an Agency ever winds up over capacity in military units, they must be removed from service (for the agency) or transferred to another one.&lt;br /&gt;
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Military units assigned to an agency are subject to Supply, as in the regular ship rules. Check LINK HERE OR SECTION TAB for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
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====Human Assets====&lt;br /&gt;
Limit: Intelligence Gathering&lt;br /&gt;
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Grants a number of special agent types that can enhance intelligence operations. Human Assets do not cost upkeep, but if an Agency ever goes over capacity on them they are expected to be put on stand-by (unavailable for the rest of the fiscal year), reassigned to another Agency or retired.&lt;br /&gt;
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=====Defectors=====&lt;br /&gt;
Defectors are an advanced category of human asset, who have been persuaded that spying against their home country will allow them to enter a better life in yours.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Defectors double a single total score, offensive or defensive, against a specific polity for the duration of one Operation. Then, they demand some means of escape (typically via another Operation, safehouses or the assistance of Proxies) and cease to be of use.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset operations to acquire defectors.&lt;br /&gt;
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=====Embassy/Consulate [Unlocked for Free]=====&lt;br /&gt;
While mostly known as places to get a new passport and send some letters, Embassies are often dens of spies working for the foreign services.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: A safehouse without a stat boost, but an anticipated level of diplomatic immunity.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: You have one with everyone, and you should theoretically have consulates in major cities and trade stations too. If it takes me more than 5 minutes to figure out if you don’t have one or not, you have one. You always have one. Jesus Christ.&lt;br /&gt;
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=====Safehouses=====&lt;br /&gt;
Managed by a loyal long-term infiltrator and staffed by local helpers, a safehouse provides shelter to operatives before, during and after operations take place, as well as a good place to stash defectors.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Grants a single-point Statistic boost to an agency when built (list bonus per safehouse), and provides protection to other human assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset Operation to build a Safehouse.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Deep-Cover Agent=====&lt;br /&gt;
A special category of agent meant to enter a hostile state and infiltrate its highest functions. Deep-Cover Agents are powerful tools, stronger and more effective than Defectors and reusable. On the other hand, the lack of a clear exit strategy means they are prone to ‘going native’ and their exposure in a botched operation could be catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Deep-Cover Agents can fully replace the effect of any other Human Asset, but are fully reusable. As their cover careers progress there’s a chance that their clearance and access to classified materials increases. There’s a 5% chance any time a Deep-Cover Agent is used that something bad happens.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset Operation to place a Deep-Cover Agent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Double Agent=====&lt;br /&gt;
A special category of Human Asset that takes time to activate. A Double Agent operation creates an ongoing defense against a hostile state attempting to create a Human Asset in your own state, with a chance to make the resulting agent a double agent.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Double Agents expose any intelligence operations they are involved with, and can cause them to fail on-demand. Double Agents generally require an exit strategy, involving an operation to extract them, a safehouse or similar measure. As they often operate in your territory, this is somewhat simpler to manage than a regular Defector.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset Operation to create a Double Agent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Special Agent=====&lt;br /&gt;
Highly trained intelligence operatives, Special Agents are often (but not exclusively) highly trained and augmented sophonts, inhuman by deed if not by nature. They are to the Agency what the cloaked ship is to the fleet, a powerful if brittle (for the expense involved) tool.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Special Agents provide a reroll to a single operation they’re attached to per year. They are fairly durable but have a non-zero chance of going off-radar if an operation goes bad or loud (or both).&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending 2 Tokens creates a Special Agent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Access Agent=====&lt;br /&gt;
Agents are inserted into the crew of a high-value military asset or the social life of a high-value named person (such as a researcher or head of state). When the Access Agent uses emotional or sexual intimacy, they are sometimes referred to as a honeypot.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Access Agents consistently provide the whereabouts of whatever thing they were attached to and make espionage actions involving them much easier.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset Operation to create an Access Agent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Informants=====&lt;br /&gt;
Informants are a typical boots-on-the-ground type of asset that provide small improvements to intelligence gathering.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Informants can be called upon once per Game Year to improve an Early Warning result by one step. They can even be called upon if you have no Early Warning at all, revealing hostile operations against you by the power they are embedded in. Informants have a 50% chance of getting burnt when called upon.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Human Asset operations to acquire informants.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Technological Assets====&lt;br /&gt;
=====Supply Cache=====&lt;br /&gt;
A single-use Supply Base in the middle of nowhere. Stealthed and off-the-books.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Functions as a hidden Supply Base for one, maybe two missions (assuming a round trip). Usually scuttles after the fact, though occasionally they might persist as interesting space detritus that gets colonized by cosmobarnacles or sundogs a thousand years later.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Spy Satellite=====&lt;br /&gt;
Hidden satellites provide up-to-date observation on goings on in a specific planetary neighborhood.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Gain passive observation over a specific planet for FISCAL TIME UNIT. Intelligence Gathering operations require no additional on-the-ground assets to work.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Technological Asset Operation to place a Spy Satellite.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Punishment Sphere=====&lt;br /&gt;
Using the same virtualization technology that was the basis of the Spires, the Punishment Sphere reconstitutes and perpetually tortures a perfect simulacra of an individual or group of individuals. Poorly understood noetic-resonance effects allow these experiences to be asynchronously beamed directly into the minds (or virtual mindstates) of the individuals in question, traumatizing them into uselessness. Most polities arrive at a policy of declaring these machines illegal one way or another, for moral or security reasons.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Make a single unit or asset useless for a single FISCAL TIME UNIT, or if used as part of an intelligence operation, nonlethally ‘kill’ a target for an extended period of time. The asset is then expended.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Have good relations with an elder race or their black market smugglers. Spend a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Secret Weapons=====&lt;br /&gt;
Exploding shoes, designer diseases meant to eliminate entire lineages and fountain pens that kill you instantly: since the dawn of spycraft the spy has imagined himself the modern Prometheus, armed with killing tools from the imagined future.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: When conducting an operation involving harming a specific target, there is a 50% chance it works perfectly with no complications, a 1% chance of backfiring and a 0.5% chance of serious collateral damage. The asset is then expended.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Deep Space Observation Satellite=====&lt;br /&gt;
Built in the Oort Clouds of systems of interest, DSOSes provide passive observation of places of interest. Cross-referencing light bounce from 1-2 years ago with more recently flight logs purchased from data brokerages or secured via OSINT provides further insights. DSOSes are long-lasting and hard to locate but easy to blow up once discovered.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: See what someone was up to 1-2 years ago. With good OSINT, also gives an accurate view of what they’ve built up since.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Darkspace Terminal=====&lt;br /&gt;
While roads to nowhere may seem counterintuitive when there remains an entire (post)human cosmos to retake, these gateways allow agencies to build hidden redoubts in interstellar space. Connecting to zones potentially a dozen light years away from any known star, they are protected by obscurity and the sheer time it would take for light emitted by station mastheads and drive plumes to reach civilization. Darkspace Terminals were made famous by a censured species known as the Marenghi, who would abduct entire planetary populations on their glassships to hidden hospital stations where inimitable atrocities would take place.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Access a lot of nothing. Each gate can ‘dial’ a single location, and also ‘call back ships’ that have previously used the terminal.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Darkspace Black Site=====&lt;br /&gt;
A gravitational anchorage that makes it possible for ships with the coordinates to A-Drive to interstellar space.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Requires a Darkspace Terminal. You can build infrastructure in the middle of nowhere and ships can A-Drive to your location without using the Terminal. Less secure, particularly if someone steals the coordinates from your CIA-flagged cargo haulers.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Dark Exordium=====&lt;br /&gt;
Exordiums, so-called Oracle Machines or Deep-Time Augers, are machines created to access messages sent from the future. Infocorruption weapons deployed by [REDACTED] during the collapse of the High Human-era OPF has made mechanical prognostication a fraught science and these captured whispers may contain curses by those defeated in that bygone era.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: The GM works with the player to present a worst-scenario for every aspect of their intelligence operation. Provides a stacking reroll to the operation, but has a 1% chance of backfiring (2% if a Special Agent is assigned, as fate blesses and curses great men with interesting lives).&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Have good relations with an elder race or their black market smugglers. Spend a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Pattern Box Cache=====&lt;br /&gt;
Pattern Boxes (sometimes called Theseus Boxes or Shell Matrices) are a black box OPF-era technology theorized to be some sort of asynchronous transmat portal. Ships and only ships (as Pattern Boxes rarely work on anything without a significant displacement) can be totally gutted and cast adrift for extreme periods of time. Upon the activation of the Box, the ship is reconstituted to its prime functional state and is immediately ready to use. Pattern Boxes have been used a few times to smuggle entire armadas deep inside enemy territory over a matter of decades, the perfect tool to stage a coup or launch a rebellion.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Scrap a single ship, recouping resources as appropriate. The ship remains unusable (obviously) until recalled into being with the Pattern Box.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Have good relations with an elder race or their black market suppliers. Spend 2 Tokens.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Black Chamber Cache=====&lt;br /&gt;
The archeotechnological devices known as Black Chambers produce so-called Carbon Copies of sapient beings, perfect duplicates that scan correctly down to nanometer-precise analysis of brain patterns and biometrics. These are not clones and suffer no issues in terms of shortened telomeres or other genetic disorders, but complete copies. Their minds however are completely different, often created to-spec by their users. Over time these differential patterns exert themselves and their brains diverge physically from the originals, as does the regular wear-and-tear of life. For whatever reason Black Chambers cannot easily replicate extremely dense species like Chelonians, leading to a preference for ‘heavy’ races in high-security positions.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Perfectly duplicate an existing non-ship unit or asset. Has no mechanical benefits beyond this, but may have some uses for intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Have good relations with an elder race or their black market suppliers. Spend a Token.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Proxies===&lt;br /&gt;
Limit: Deniability&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Proxies are cutouts and buffers between agency involvement and immediate identification of their activities by other parties. Proxies are generally assumed to already exist in the world in some form before the players bring them into being: they are not created whole cloth by the agency, even front companies emerge from intelligence agencies presenting themselves as financiers to organizations that would have sought to create them regardless. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They provide complete deniability in the terms suggested by their SECRECY section, so PMCs will only affect domestic deniability, cults will generally cover up unless founded by a spiritualist state (in which case the fiction is paper thin) and so on. Proxy-based deniability always fails in two cases, however: if destroyed by a hostile state (a controlling state can purge their own proxies without any issues) or if infiltrated by a hostile party. Deniability can also falter in logical conditions, such as mistreated PMC forces being captured or cults betraying their sponsor state for co-religionists, though this is moderated on a case-by-case basis and will usually require an operation and/or expenditure of espionage or diplomacy tokens.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finally, even with any amount of cloaking, carefully unmarked hulls or proxy forces acting as cutouts-to-cutouts, too much heat will always blow the lid on an op. A shot heard around the world will usually result in every party down the chain ratting you out to save their own skins.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Private Military Contractor=====&lt;br /&gt;
Privatizing the edges of a conflict is the least credible way for a state to distance itself from any atrocities taking place but provides a level of separation that can be accepted by a domestic audience. Mercenaries are often veterans and their hangers-on, and develop relevant complexes: when they feel forgotten or disrespected, they tend to take it poorly and go to various lengths to redress these grievances, imagined or otherwise.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: PMCs become a de-facto independent, self-sufficient force that can be hired by other players to make you a tidy profit. They are a great clearinghouse for old equipment and political unreliables, but are only loyal provided you maintain your support: money, a steady trickle of equipment and work that isn’t obvious suicide missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Only affects domestic opinion.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spend a Military, Espionage or General Token and assign some units to create their initial roster.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Crime Syndicate=====&lt;br /&gt;
Criminal organizations emerge naturally in periods of instability or weak government, taking up duties left behind by the authorities in marginal regions. Doubly so when the state declares a particular substance, act or state of being to be illegal when it is desirable or necessary- syndicates prosper in such repressive climes. Sometimes states will fund their own mafias, creating a loyal and controlled opposition to suppress the real rebels. One should be careful to not make them too powerful- an allegedly patriotic mafia may have plans of their own for the nation running, against the wishes of the government.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Criminal undergrounds soak up resentment against the government and provide a recruiting pool for skilled (and unskilled) auxiliaries to conduct intelligence operations. Like PMCs, they mitigate the domestic consequences of espionage, and can be trivially eliminated under the guise of anti-corruption purges. As a side benefit: when business is good, you might get a little money for the slush funds!&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Crime syndicates provide solid cover for foreign and especially domestic operations but fold hard under pressure.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spend an Espionage Token on any state that has recently suffered Stability Loss to spawn a new crime syndicate. Even yourself.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Insurgency=====&lt;br /&gt;
Conquered territory rarely goes happily, and authoritarian regimes often host malcontents and countercultures that are always happy to take the fight to the government. Formal resistance often develops in the shatterzones where government authority is the weakest: the mountains and the hills, the islands, and in space the shoal zones, the warrens of moons and on hostile planets. Unlike crime syndicates, controlling the opposition by founding your own rebels is often much more difficult and is only something states do when they already know they’re about to go into civil war and want to ensure the leading coalition is as weak and/or unpalatable to foreign aid as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: Insurgencies will turn swathes of enemy territory unsafe and continue to be a thorn in the side of the state they were founded against. They tend to fight above their weight- lethal aid and other resources tend to perform very well in their hands. Should they ever win their war against the authorities, they might also readily form the new government.&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Insurgencies tend to be opaque and take secrets to the grave, but can be infiltrated due to a big tent, all-hands-on-deck approach to organizing.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spend an Espionage Token on any state that has recently conquered territory, has territory with an incompatible ethos or is at low Stability. Insurgencies will sometimes spawn by themselves when a region is conquered, aligning themselves to their former government and/or allies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Coup D’Etat Faction=====&lt;br /&gt;
Movements that arise from the dissatisfied elite of society, whether the military, judges, merchants, priests or aristocracy seeking to depose the current leader to install a new one.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: A coup faction is an inert force until a moment of exceptionally weak government, at which point they stake their claim. In the intervening time until they push their luck, they are a useful vessel for foreign influence and after taking over, will remain friendly to whoever put them there unless there are serious material, ethical or geopolitical reasons not to be. Coups that fail their takeover can run off to become Insurgencies, Cults or PMCs instead.&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Coup D’Etat Factions tend to be pretty discrete until they aren’t. After the coup happens and the tanks roll into the capital, player culpability is pretty cut and dry.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spend an Espionage Token on any state with 3 or less Stability. The Coup will activate their plans, regardless of your own, if their state hits 1 or less Stability. Once they accomplish their goals, the faction dissolves and assumes control of the state. As a rule, Coup D’Etat Factions manifest through the Dominant ethos of a state. For this reason, Dominant Egalitarian states are immune to coups as their democratic institutions are too resilient to external pressure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Front Company=====&lt;br /&gt;
A fairly common proxy for intelligence services, most fronts are shipping, import/export or security companies that can justify their outsized access to government materiel. Other types of companies may exist but may have difficulty justifying having large flotillas of warships on hand, even if they’re off-brand Deniable hulls that look like common cargo hullforms.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: A front company requires a large up-front investment and appears naturally on public markets, offering the services implied by their cover. Acting as an instrument for their founding agency, fronts also spy on their clients and give additional insights into whatever industry they have been put into. On the other hand, particularly large and prosperous front companies tend to get a little out of hand, seeking to accomplish the interests of their stakeholders and employees over those of the agency. Front Companies generate a single specialized token representing their area of expertise, which they spend at their own discretion (in this manner it is a fully independent NPC).&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Front companies are extremely secretive, particularly as they grow beyond their original scope. They are not however fanatical, and will quickly bow to pressure by a powerful state. On the other hand, a country that threatens every company with extermination unless they divulge their secrets may become something of a pariah.&lt;br /&gt;
ACQUISITION: Spend an Espionage or Economy Token and spend a minimum of $5000 in initial startup cash, which is efficiently converted to CI, hulls and other assets. Individualist states double the value of the initial investment, as do Prosperity states (x3 if you have both).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Cult [Unlocked for Spiritualists]=====&lt;br /&gt;
A favorite of intelligence services, cults are self-contained, secretive and hierarchical- perfect patsies to do as they like. They run newspapers, small businesses, gated communities and death squads with equal aplomb. Occasionally a cult may outgrow its bounds and come to take over entire nations, a grim result for those who might fall under their sway.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: A cult is a relatively straightforward proxy to use, providing one or two degrees of separation from the agency proper as orders go to leaders and then are laundered down to lay persons or hopeful outsiders on the edge of the community. &lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: Cults have very little to do with the founding state and tend to run a strict code of silence versus outsiders, UNLESS formed by Spiritualist states who absolutely cannot help themselves in making their allegiance and philosophies clear. The code of silence will still be in place, of course, but the origin of such a group will be obvious.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending an Espionage or Diplomacy token forges a connection with a cult to put it at an Agency’s disposal. Spiritualist states can instead spend Unity tokens, and can create a new Cult any time they suffer Stability loss by sending schismatics and renegades away to help the cause in a faraway land. They are likewise immune to subversion by Cults, for obvious reasons.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Revolutionary Army=====&lt;br /&gt;
Like insurgencies and coups, though rather than being a product of popular or elite resentment, the revolutionary army arises somewhere at the confluence of marginalized social movements, academic speculation and reactionary elites. The revolutionary army grows outside the borders of the nation, attracting fellow travelers and emigres, building parallel power through media, fronts and enclaves in friendly states, waiting for a crisis to intervene in.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: A revolutionary army is like an insurgency from without, building power in the bordermarches until the state is too weak to resist. They can be negotiated with, but will settle for nothing less than becoming the new center of power in their target state. A revolutionary army is not necessarily targeted at a single state, but may aim to impose its rule or ideology across multiple states. A revolutionary army has an explicit Dominant Ethos with the benefits and penalties this implies, representing their desired social order.&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: As with insurgencies, though hosting them in your borders makes their allegiance much more obvious.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spending an Espionage or Diplomacy token creates or forges contact with a revolutionary army. The conditions are identical to insurgencies with two differences: no ethos provides immunity and their Dominant Ethos must be compatible with the player states’.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Free Station [Unlocked for Flag of Freedom]=====&lt;br /&gt;
Microstates where anything goes, these crop up and vanish quickly in the scope of galactic history. Today’s hot new pirate port is often tomorrow’s floatsam as the venal and fractious nature of pirate lords takes its toll.&lt;br /&gt;
* EFFECT: It’s a pirate port on the edge of civilization with 1d10 CI and 1d5 DI, adding to that roll every time someone invests in it. Easy access to all kinds of freebooters and miscreants make espionage much, much easier. Anyone can invest in a Free Station, resulting in byzantine networks of patronage and allegiance. The station keeps this income and production to itself, of course, but can be coaxed to various agreements.&lt;br /&gt;
* SECRECY: You can buy secrecy. Other players can buy your secrets. Don’t be outbid. Of course, no small number of these stations have ultimately been destroyed by their former patrons in a bid to keep their master’s activities a secret.&lt;br /&gt;
* ACQUISITION: Spend any two Tokens. Flag of Freedom halves this to one.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Better Units===&lt;br /&gt;
Higher TL spaceships and ground units assigned to Agencies provide soft quality improvements in espionage operations. Generally speaking, high-TL units can shrug off penalties from not having the right traits or modules for a particular mission, and in competitions between comparatively evenly matched Agencies, ties will break in favor to whichever side has more TL 5-6 units assigned.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Agencies and the espionage system themselves do not directly use the TL system, since these organizations can much more easily access advanced technology in excess of the norms in their own states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Doctrine=&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to the Specialization and Asset system (which generally applies to a single Agency at a time), there is also an Espionage Doctrine which will improve the performance of all player Agencies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Generic Espionage Actions=&lt;br /&gt;
These do not have loudness and are not moderated, except for resolution of outcomes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Disruptive Operations&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token, plus any reinforcements or extra pay the player wants to assign.&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Creates a non-specific pirate taskforce that will attack a single target non-suicidally for a limited amount of time.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: It’s relatively easy to identify who hired pirates to attack a random colony.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Diplo Jockeying&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: When a player suffers Stability Loss, double the cost of their first stability increase (i.e.: double money, double Stab building output, double Unity Tokens, etc). Can be repeated multiple times in a turn, affecting one additional expenditure or territory.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: You have to shelter guilty parties responsible for the stab loss (whistleblowers, religious minorities, deposed dictators who ran off with the national savings, etc), who can be kind of annoying.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
PsyOps&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Lower the Stability of a single territory. Territory under siege is more likely to surrender.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Obscure Breakthroughs&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Hide research progress or the results of exploration Tokens can be ‘assigned’ to this in perpetuity, keeping your developments secret (until they are so obvious as to be impossible to hide) at the cost of not regenerating.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: Hurts national prestige when everything is a secret.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Security Operation&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token, plus any resources the player wants to assign.&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: ‘Take care’ of any named character or group that shows up in your borders. Dead or alive.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: Caveat emptor when it comes to normalizing political assassination.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Smuggle Assets&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Move anything, anywhere, anytime. Does not calculate based on the travel map.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: You have to abide by a potentially quite inflated travel time that scales based on ‘how much stuff’ you’re moving around.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Protect Trade&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Sift through OSINT, foreign ministry reports, and more to maximize the safety of your trade on the Grid.&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: Pirates only have to be lucky once and nobody can play perfect defense.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Assist Privateering Operations&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Sift through OSINT, foreign ministry reports, and more to maximize the take of your pirate operations&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: Actively running intelligence operations in support of flag of freedom operations makes it rather more likely someone’s going to pin down you’re taking their stuff.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Great Game&lt;br /&gt;
* Cost: 1 Token&lt;br /&gt;
* Effect: Counter one token invested by another player in an NPC&lt;br /&gt;
* Complications: It’s very obvious you’re acting against the other player’s interests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Advanced Espionage=&lt;br /&gt;
This section covers the ins and outs of planning and executing intelligence operations, using the Agency and various other tools to accomplish those goals. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Passive Benefits==&lt;br /&gt;
These are things that simply having a decently-built Agency and some well-placed assets provides, no actions required.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Warning===&lt;br /&gt;
Early Warning is an option that appears when intel is resolved. If the defending nation has a higher total Intelligence Gathering score than the attacker has Operations, they get a warning that something is about to happen. If their Intelligence Gathering (plus Specializations) total is more than double than the opposing pool, the defender gets a rough estimate of numbers and types of assets being deployed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In either case, Early Warning permits the redeployment of relevant assets, within reason. Ships with Fold Drives can always be moved around to intervene, while other types of assets (particularly ground units, aerospace craft and small vessels with limited A-Drives) must be reasonably close to act.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Counterespionage===&lt;br /&gt;
Agencies, even if never used to conduct hostile operations, passively provide their controlling states with a buffer against intelligence operations. Intelligence Gathering can root out spies, while the Security statistics prevent direct attacks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Policing and Counterinsurgency===&lt;br /&gt;
Intelligence agencies can contribute to law enforcement and keep an eye on goings-on in civil society. Forces that are assigned to intelligence agencies will generally do better at jackboots and hearts and minds campaigns than regular forces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is one other advantage to clearly delineating which of your services (if you have more than one) is putting boots on the ground in lawless or contested territory: it simplifies who’s going to be defending against hostile actions by other players. The moderation team thanks you for the consideration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laundering Actions===&lt;br /&gt;
Players always have the option of using their agencies and their proxies to conduct diplomacy, commerce or leak information. OOCly, they can request that a GM (even those other than the attending Espionage GM) post a relevant item in their stead to conceal that it is being done as part of the espionage system. They can also write entire IC posts as their proxies and have those posted by moderators, muddying the waters as to which organizations are working at the behest of intelligence services and which are doing so of their own initiative.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Other players always have the option of looking into the origins of such requests, but Tokens are a scarce resource and few people have the resources to look into every single off-the-cuff news item.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Planning Operations==&lt;br /&gt;
===Determine Objective and Scope===&lt;br /&gt;
All operations have an objective, the specific outcome desired by the player: this can be killing a named person, kidnapping someone, sabotaging a landmark, damaging stability in a region, etc. The scope covers both the geographical scale of the region affected, the area of operations and the extent of the opfor. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Assassinating a local drug kingpin to raise stability in an area that got hit by a negative event in the yearly rollover is straightforward and low-scope, assassinating a head of state to send a whole region into a tailspin of conspiracy and national mourning for a year is just about the same act and tools involved but the scope is orders of magnitude larger. Particularly large-scope actions may involve multiple opposing players, such as hitting major international trade stations on the TKK or Chelonian sides of local space.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An operation can have multiple objectives and scopes. It’s best to list everything you can think of, that you actually want to happen than not.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Objective and Scope should ideally be composed as follows:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
OPERATION POD OF VERSAILLES&lt;br /&gt;
:* Objective: &lt;br /&gt;
::* Kidnap the Dauphin of Grand Dolphy of Oceania (attacking a named person).&lt;br /&gt;
::* Cause widespread panic (lower stability).&lt;br /&gt;
:* Scope:&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Summer Palace at Insert Dolphin Pun (landmark at X territory).&lt;br /&gt;
::* The entirety of the Grand Dolphy of Oceania (all territories).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Allocate Resources===&lt;br /&gt;
Every operation needs an Agency assigned, at least. With literally nothing else except an Agency, players can conduct espionage. Other resources like human or technological assets, proxies and military units can significantly improve the results. When kidnapping named persons for example, it’s always useful to have an exit vehicle prepared.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Continuing from the example operation, resources might look like this:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
OPERATION POD OF VERSAILLES&lt;br /&gt;
:* Agency: MI666 (Operations 4 [OPSEC], Security 3, Intelligence Gathering 3, Deniability 1 [Foreign Deniability])&lt;br /&gt;
:* Military Units:&lt;br /&gt;
::* Moon Whaler-class Cloaked Cruiser ‘Ahab’&lt;br /&gt;
:* Human Assets:&lt;br /&gt;
::* Special Agent Jerman Bieville&lt;br /&gt;
::* Access Agent at Summer Palace&lt;br /&gt;
:* Technological Assets:&lt;br /&gt;
::* None&lt;br /&gt;
:* Proxies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Present to the GM===&lt;br /&gt;
After allocating resources, the player can optionally provide a step-by-step writeup of how they expect the operation to go, what contingencies they have in place and how they want their operatives to behave. While these are mostly qualitative differences, it’s better for the speed and quality of moderation that these things are hashed out in advance in as much fine detail as possible so that every party is satisfied. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Once ready, the operational write-up is sent to the GM via private message (ideally a regular PM convo on SB). A good format would be a PM with a linked google document, as it can both be edited in response to discussion and has a built-in log to show edit history to prevent tampering after resolution takes place.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A completed writeup for POD OF VERSAILLES might look like this.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
OPERATION POD OF VERSAILLES &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Deepest England is intervening in the affairs of the hated Dolph people to limit their ambitions in a mutual area of interest. To do this MI666 is authorizing a bold direct action to kidnap the Dauphin ahead of his coronation (after the planned abdication of his father, Louis) to cause a succession crisis and public panic. Mechanically this will result in stability loss, particularly in the capital region and other areas with Noble Estates (a unique landmark type the Grand Dolphy possesses).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Special Agent Jerman Bieville is deploying into Oceanian territory via gravchute and will be presented with fake documents procured by the informant at the Summer Palace. He will use the bustle of the leadup to a major presentation of the Dauphin (a pre-party to the abdication and coronation events) to enter palace grounds, neutralize the guards and exfiltrate with the Dauphin before anyone is the wiser. He will then use a Grav-Fulton to get up to the HDMS (Her Deepest Majesty’s Ship) Ahab, which will skim the lower atmosphere.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:* Objective: &lt;br /&gt;
::* Kidnap the Dauphin of Grand Dolphy of Oceania (attacking a named person).&lt;br /&gt;
::* Cause widespread panic (lower stability).&lt;br /&gt;
:* Scope:&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Summer Palace at Insert Dolphin Pun (landmark at X territory).&lt;br /&gt;
::* The entirety of the Grand Dolphy of Oceania (all territories).&lt;br /&gt;
:* Agency: MI666 (Operations 4 [OPSEC], Security 3, Intelligence Gathering 3, Deniability 1 [Foreign Deniability])&lt;br /&gt;
:* Military Units:&lt;br /&gt;
::* Moon Whaler-class Cloaked Cruiser ‘Ahab’&lt;br /&gt;
:* Human Assets:&lt;br /&gt;
::* Special Agent Jerman Bieville&lt;br /&gt;
::* Access Agent at Summer Palace&lt;br /&gt;
:* Technological Assets:&lt;br /&gt;
::* None&lt;br /&gt;
:* Proxies: None&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are a few problems with this, to a prospective moderator: it’s very loud, given it involves a potential shooting match in the most secure grounds in Grand Dolphy territory. A future head of state is also a well-protected and constantly scrutinized target.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The moderator’s responsibility is to offer up some suggestions at this point, like using a Front Company to assist the Special Agent’s insertion into the Palace, and using a Black Chamber to create a duplicate of the Dauphin. While costly investments (1 Token apiece) they significantly improve the odds and quiet the process of the operation itself. Emboldened by the extra resources invested and the better odds, the Deepest England player decides to have the clone surgically modified with an biomodded explosive implant with a large yield as a Secret Weapon to slaughter the party in attendance, spending yet another Token and adding another objective.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Assessing and Managing Loudness===&lt;br /&gt;
As mentioned in the Loudness section under Key Concepts, the success and utility of missions can be affected by their Loudness. While it may be tempting to go for a maximalist outcome (killing a head of state or an entire legislature with high explosives), the diplomatic consequences  and failure chance may overwhelm the perceived benefits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The actual player interface with Loudness is abstracted, the moderator simply tells them which parts of the mission are Loud and gives them an opportunity to redress them using the guidelines above.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Waiting for Resolution...and Rushing===&lt;br /&gt;
With discussions concluded, all that’s left is for moderation to happen. All espionage is resolved every new FISCAL TURN UNIT. However, sometimes player initiative or random events may require a rushed result for an outcome the player in question desires.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In which case there’s the option to Rush, which requires spending an additional Token (in addition to the one for simply planning the Operation, and for all the assets taken to carry it out).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the case of our example OPERATION POD OF VERSAILLES, the Deepest England player has gotten word that Grand Dolphy Louis Jean MCCCXIII de Oceania has died in his sleep and the Dauphin will be crowned well before the FISCAL TURN UNIT ends. Not only that, but security will be raised because the Oceania player had an informant in Deepest England and expended them, being alerted to the fact there is a hostile scheme against his uncrowned princeling.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Deepest England player decides to go all-in, and revises the plan. The plot will be to replace the Dauphin with the Black Chamber clone to act as a puppet king, and the whole attack will intentionally fail to cause confusion. Since the operation was revealed by an informant, the Deepest England player is confident of his opsec and that the fine details have not been exposed yet. He makes a final revision to the orders… and rushes POD OF VERSAILLES through.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It resolves the moment a moderator has time to look at it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The mission is chaotic and violent, killing many at the palace in the course of the attack. Special Agent Jerman Bieville is MIA (likely to reappear at some inconvenient time for the England player) but has sacrificed himself for the success of the mission. The real Dauphin is imprisoned in the  Borehole of London, sealed in an iron mask, and his clone sits atop the gilded throne, a puppet of the English. There have been political consequences, which the English were more than happy to pay, but a war has been averted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Of course with so many loose ends and so many lives lost, both sides will spend a great deal of time dealing with the aftershocks and the truth may some day come out…!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category: From the Ashes 3]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71024</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71024"/>
		<updated>2022-09-13T03:27:28Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Diplomacy */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Sensor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 20% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 5, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it and at Rank 10 your concealment is so complete as to often even foil your allies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Structure:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Redundancy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nacelles/Secondary Drives:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Melee Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Exotic Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Armor:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Shields:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;ECM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sensors:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Control:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Stealth:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
All action points provided by faction ranks are expended when assigned and last until the intended mission completes, or the player cancels it. After the action is assigned, the GM tells the player how long it will take and how much is already completed (usually just 1 turn by the time the initial report gets back). There are no refunds for stopping a mission half-way through.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
Supply ships and built infrastructure can be structure arbitrarily. Outside of target consolidation and gateway travel, there is no difference between a 500-point supply ship and 500 1-point supply ships. The same goes for built or captured infrastructure. Extremely outdated, malfunctioning or DRM-locked infrastructure may occasionally have arbitrary limits set on its production. This is specific to the structure in question and will be outlined in the specific writeup. Players are encouraged to maintain an up-to-date ledger of their construction assets in the same manner as they have an up-to-date OOB, tracking their location and size as appropriate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources assigned.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
Command represents the expedition&#039;s superb flag officers, their abilities as field commanders, administrators and project leaders. Command &#039;actions&#039; are called Objectives.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for successful Command Objectives include things like newly discovered territory, decisive military wins, well-administered territory or the gratitude of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Command Objectives&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Lead an effective survey of a target region, chosen by planetary zone or a specific discovered location.&lt;br /&gt;
* Provide a force of units with a particularly skilled strategist, enhancing their effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Organize the political and economic restructuring of captured territory.&lt;br /&gt;
* Help train an ally&#039;s special forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhance security during a peace conference.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct R&amp;amp;R to improve expedition morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* Root out spies and other infiltrators.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
Represents the expedition&#039;s engineers, quartermasters and other underappreciated problem-solvers. Logistics &#039;actions&#039; are called Tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for completed Logistics Tasks are very material: new infrastructure, new ships, new technology.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Logistics Tasks&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct research as your various traits permit, increasing an Aptitude or Magic Path.&lt;br /&gt;
* Assist research, increasing the ratings of friendly states.&lt;br /&gt;
* Build infrastructure or other useful structures, which can be held by the expedition or given as a gift to a local power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Excavate ruins, looking for secrets or artifacts of power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exploit resources, ensuring supply ships are highly productive.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lay down new ships. Yields are semi-random and depend on your baseline industry, access to resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
Diplomacy is, of course, a measure of the expedition&#039;s diplomatic corps, merchants (if any), entertainers, as well as unsavoury contacts like fixers and smugglers. Diplomatic &#039;actions&#039; are called Missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for well-executed Diplomatic Missions are usually useful intangibles like healthy relations with Sol powers, mutually beneficial trade deals or secrets obtained via intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Diplomatic Missions&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Perform diplomacy, understanding and befriending local powers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Decipher unknown language/teach language.&lt;br /&gt;
* Trade missions: put some resources or materiel up for grabs and see if that can be parleyed into useful supplies and connections.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct covert ops, create spies, obtain OSINT and horse trade with other schemers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Spread your incomprehensible space religion/adopt the local incomprehensible space religion.&lt;br /&gt;
* Put on a good show for the locals (nonviolent) to demonstrate the glory of your culture.&lt;br /&gt;
* Recruit volunteers to crew your ships and serve in your ground troops.&lt;br /&gt;
* Hire mercenaries. Semi-random, will have varying tech traits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (25 Supply per Size allowed, per year, i.e.: a gate that allows large battleships to pass would cost 500 per year to operate). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71023</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71023"/>
		<updated>2022-09-13T02:38:45Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Sensor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 20% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 5, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it and at Rank 10 your concealment is so complete as to often even foil your allies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Structure:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Redundancy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nacelles/Secondary Drives:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Melee Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Exotic Weaponry:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Armor:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Shields:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;ECM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sensors:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Control:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Stealth:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
All action points provided by faction ranks are expended when assigned and last until the intended mission completes, or the player cancels it. After the action is assigned, the GM tells the player how long it will take and how much is already completed (usually just 1 turn by the time the initial report gets back). There are no refunds for stopping a mission half-way through.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
Supply ships and built infrastructure can be structure arbitrarily. Outside of target consolidation and gateway travel, there is no difference between a 500-point supply ship and 500 1-point supply ships. The same goes for built or captured infrastructure. Extremely outdated, malfunctioning or DRM-locked infrastructure may occasionally have arbitrary limits set on its production. This is specific to the structure in question and will be outlined in the specific writeup. Players are encouraged to maintain an up-to-date ledger of their construction assets in the same manner as they have an up-to-date OOB, tracking their location and size as appropriate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources assigned.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
Command represents the expedition&#039;s superb flag officers, their abilities as field commanders, administrators and project leaders. Command &#039;actions&#039; are called Objectives.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for successful Command Objectives include things like newly discovered territory, decisive military wins, well-administered territory or the gratitude of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Command Objectives&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Lead an effective survey of a target region, chosen by planetary zone or a specific discovered location.&lt;br /&gt;
* Provide a force of units with a particularly skilled strategist, enhancing their effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Organize the political and economic restructuring of captured territory.&lt;br /&gt;
* Help train an ally&#039;s special forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhance security during a peace conference.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct R&amp;amp;R to improve expedition morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* Root out spies and other infiltrators.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
Represents the expedition&#039;s engineers, quartermasters and other underappreciated problem-solvers. Logistics &#039;actions&#039; are called Tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for completed Logistics Tasks are very material: new infrastructure, new ships, new technology.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Logistics Tasks&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct research as your various traits permit, increasing an Aptitude or Magic Path.&lt;br /&gt;
* Assist research, increasing the ratings of friendly states.&lt;br /&gt;
* Build infrastructure or other useful structures, which can be held by the expedition or given as a gift to a local power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Excavate ruins, looking for secrets or artifacts of power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exploit resources, ensuring supply ships are highly productive.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lay down new ships. Yields are semi-random and depend on your baseline industry, access to resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
Diplomacy is, of course, a measure of the expedition&#039;s diplomatic corps, merchants (if any), entertainers, as well as unsavoury contacts like fixers and smugglers. Diplomatic &#039;actions&#039; are called Missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for well-executed Diplomatic Missions are usually useful intangibles like healthy relations with Sol powers, mutually beneficial trade deals or secrets obtained via intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Diplomatic Missions&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Perform diplomacy, understanding and befriending local powers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Decipher unknown language/teach language.&lt;br /&gt;
* Trade missions: put some resources or materiel up for grabs and see if that can be parleyed into useful supplies and connections.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct covert ops, create spies, obtain OSINT and horse trade with other schemers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Spread your incomprehensible space religion/adopt the local incomprehensible space religion.&lt;br /&gt;
* Put on a good show for the locals (nonviolent) to demonstrate the glory of your culture.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (25 Supply per Size allowed, per year, i.e.: a gate that allows large battleships to pass would cost 500 per year to operate). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71022</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71022"/>
		<updated>2022-09-13T02:26:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Supply Ships and Infrastructure */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
All action points provided by faction ranks are expended when assigned and last until the intended mission completes, or the player cancels it. After the action is assigned, the GM tells the player how long it will take and how much is already completed (usually just 1 turn by the time the initial report gets back). There are no refunds for stopping a mission half-way through.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
Supply ships and built infrastructure can be structure arbitrarily. Outside of target consolidation and gateway travel, there is no difference between a 500-point supply ship and 500 1-point supply ships. The same goes for built or captured infrastructure. Extremely outdated, malfunctioning or DRM-locked infrastructure may occasionally have arbitrary limits set on its production. This is specific to the structure in question and will be outlined in the specific writeup. Players are encouraged to maintain an up-to-date ledger of their construction assets in the same manner as they have an up-to-date OOB, tracking their location and size as appropriate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources assigned.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
Command represents the expedition&#039;s superb flag officers, their abilities as field commanders, administrators and project leaders. Command &#039;actions&#039; are called Objectives.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for successful Command Objectives include things like newly discovered territory, decisive military wins, well-administered territory or the gratitude of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Command Objectives&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Lead an effective survey of a target region, chosen by planetary zone or a specific discovered location.&lt;br /&gt;
* Provide a force of units with a particularly skilled strategist, enhancing their effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Organize the political and economic restructuring of captured territory.&lt;br /&gt;
* Help train an ally&#039;s special forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhance security during a peace conference.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct R&amp;amp;R to improve expedition morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* Root out spies and other infiltrators.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
Represents the expedition&#039;s engineers, quartermasters and other underappreciated problem-solvers. Logistics &#039;actions&#039; are called Tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for completed Logistics Tasks are very material: new infrastructure, new ships, new technology.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Logistics Tasks&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct research as your various traits permit, increasing an Aptitude or Magic Path.&lt;br /&gt;
* Assist research, increasing the ratings of friendly states.&lt;br /&gt;
* Build infrastructure or other useful structures, which can be held by the expedition or given as a gift to a local power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Excavate ruins, looking for secrets or artifacts of power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exploit resources, ensuring supply ships are highly productive.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lay down new ships. Yields are semi-random and depend on your baseline industry, access to resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
Diplomacy is, of course, a measure of the expedition&#039;s diplomatic corps, merchants (if any), entertainers, as well as unsavoury contacts like fixers and smugglers. Diplomatic &#039;actions&#039; are called Missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for well-executed Diplomatic Missions are usually useful intangibles like healthy relations with Sol powers, mutually beneficial trade deals or secrets obtained via intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Diplomatic Missions&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Perform diplomacy, understanding and befriending local powers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Decipher unknown language/teach language.&lt;br /&gt;
* Trade missions: put some resources or materiel up for grabs and see if that can be parleyed into useful supplies and connections.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct covert ops, create spies, obtain OSINT and horse trade with other schemers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Spread your incomprehensible space religion/adopt the local incomprehensible space religion.&lt;br /&gt;
* Put on a good show for the locals (nonviolent) to demonstrate the glory of your culture.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (25 Supply per Size allowed, per year, i.e.: a gate that allows large battleships to pass would cost 500 per year to operate). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71021</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71021"/>
		<updated>2022-09-13T02:23:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Actions, Economy and the Action Economy */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
All action points provided by faction ranks are expended when assigned and last until the intended mission completes, or the player cancels it. After the action is assigned, the GM tells the player how long it will take and how much is already completed (usually just 1 turn by the time the initial report gets back). There are no refunds for stopping a mission half-way through.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
Supply ships and built infrastructure can be structure arbitrarily. Outside of target consolidation, there is no difference between a 500-point supply ship and 500 1-point supply ships. The same goes for built or captured infrastructure. Extremely outdated, malfunctioning or DRM-locked infrastructure may occasionally have arbitrary limits set on its production. This is specific to the structure in question and will be outlined in the specific writeup. Players are encouraged to maintain an up-to-date ledger of their construction assets in the same manner as they have an up-to-date OOB, tracking their location and size as appropriate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources assigned.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
Command represents the expedition&#039;s superb flag officers, their abilities as field commanders, administrators and project leaders. Command &#039;actions&#039; are called Objectives.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for successful Command Objectives include things like newly discovered territory, decisive military wins, well-administered territory or the gratitude of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Command Objectives&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Lead an effective survey of a target region, chosen by planetary zone or a specific discovered location.&lt;br /&gt;
* Provide a force of units with a particularly skilled strategist, enhancing their effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
* Organize the political and economic restructuring of captured territory.&lt;br /&gt;
* Help train an ally&#039;s special forces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhance security during a peace conference.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct R&amp;amp;R to improve expedition morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* Root out spies and other infiltrators.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
Represents the expedition&#039;s engineers, quartermasters and other underappreciated problem-solvers. Logistics &#039;actions&#039; are called Tasks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for completed Logistics Tasks are very material: new infrastructure, new ships, new technology.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Logistics Tasks&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct research as your various traits permit, increasing an Aptitude or Magic Path.&lt;br /&gt;
* Assist research, increasing the ratings of friendly states.&lt;br /&gt;
* Build infrastructure or other useful structures, which can be held by the expedition or given as a gift to a local power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Excavate ruins, looking for secrets or artifacts of power.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exploit resources, ensuring supply ships are highly productive.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lay down new ships. Yields are semi-random and depend on your baseline industry, access to resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
Diplomacy is, of course, a measure of the expedition&#039;s diplomatic corps, merchants (if any), entertainers, as well as unsavoury contacts like fixers and smugglers. Diplomatic &#039;actions&#039; are called Missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The rewards for well-executed Diplomatic Missions are usually useful intangibles like healthy relations with Sol powers, mutually beneficial trade deals or secrets obtained via intelligence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Diplomatic Missions&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Perform diplomacy, understanding and befriending local powers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Decipher unknown language/teach language.&lt;br /&gt;
* Trade missions: put some resources or materiel up for grabs and see if that can be parleyed into useful supplies and connections.&lt;br /&gt;
* Conduct covert ops, create spies, obtain OSINT and horse trade with other schemers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Spread your incomprehensible space religion/adopt the local incomprehensible space religion.&lt;br /&gt;
* Put on a good show for the locals (nonviolent) to demonstrate the glory of your culture.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (25 Supply per Size allowed, per year, i.e.: a gate that allows large battleships to pass would cost 500 per year to operate). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71020</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71020"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T16:54:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Travel Times */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (25 Supply per Size allowed, per year, i.e.: a gate that allows large battleships to pass would cost 500 per year to operate). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71019</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71019"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T16:07:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Faster than Light (FTL) Travel */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star. They pay no costs or penalties to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (about 500 supply per week bypassed, per year). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71018</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71018"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T16:05:47Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Travel Times */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
Major disruptions to FTL mean that all ships have to conduct normal burns between planetary bodies, stations and other places of interest. By default travel times assume a &#039;safe&#039; .1G burn or equivalent. Factions with higher Mobility aptitude naturally can cut down on these times as described in the relevant section, as can relevant magics and unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Travel Time Table&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Inner System (Mercury &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Mars): 2 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inner System to Belt or Jupiter: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Saturn: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter Jovian Space (Belt &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Saturn): 4 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Belt or Jupiter to Outer System (Uranus &amp;lt;-&amp;gt; Neptune): 5 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Saturn to Outer System: 3 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Inter-Outer System: 6 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
* Outer System to Leviathan: 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Faster than Light (FTL) Travel ===&lt;br /&gt;
The ongoing calamity in much of the Milky Way prevents the cheap, easy faster-than-light travel that was the basis of previous eras of civilization. As a rule, FTL is now either expensive, dangerous or unreliable, though mercifully rarely all three at once.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When ships conduct FTL transit, they bypass travel times and instantly arrive at their destination. &#039;&#039;&#039;In the process they must pay ONE penalty, selected from below:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* 10% of the total FP mass being moved must be paid in unspent Supply.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must spend the entire bypassed transit time in an uncharted subdimension, during which it may be assaulted by unknowns and unknowables. If it survives, it arrives &#039;on time&#039; at the desired destination.&lt;br /&gt;
* The flotilla must conduct a difficult Sensors + Control test to arrive at the correct destination. Failure could result in misjumps to hostile locations, damage or outright ship loss.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are four exceptions to these rules:&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers can always move to and from their red dwarf star.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigator&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; powers only suffer one-quarter of their FTL hazard (i.e.: pay 2.5% mass to travel, spend 1/4 of time in dangerous subspace, have a 1/4 as hard navigation test).&lt;br /&gt;
* Gateways can be found throughout Sol, inert and unfueled but often repairable if the owner has a matched pair. They are always designed in pairs and allow any number of ships to move between locations for a lump sum (about 500 supply per week bypassed, per year). Some gateways lead to far-off corners of the Oort Cloud, to places best forgotten...&lt;br /&gt;
* During periods of relative warp stability (i.e. when reinforcements arrive), FTL is even cheaper. It costs a mere 1% of FP in supply to transit, uncharted subspace is mostly harmless and navigation is trivial. Gates often flicker to life automatically, reactivating on reserve power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tactical teleportation is unaffected by these rules. If you&#039;re in orbit, you&#039;re basically there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71017</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71017"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T14:50:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Maneuvers */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the location where the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71016</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71016"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T14:48:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor. You may use the Sun as an Emergence point and more safely navigate the solar atmosphere and other near-Sol conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Travel Times ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution, and certain traits provide additional benefits. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Combat takes place in STEPS as follows:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 1:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker and defender conduct recon. Objects in environment can be located (such as Soft/Hard Cover) or created via relevant effects. If the defender critically succeeds on recon and the attacker fails, skip to STEP 3 on the defender&#039;s preferred terms.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 2:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Attacker declares their expected initial combat range (Close, Medium, Long) and attempt to engage at that band. This does not consume Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 3:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Combat begins at the range chosen (success in STEP 2) by the attacker or the one favourable to the defender (failure).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 4:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides declare Maneuvers.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 5:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Both sides then declare combat actions (shooting, deploying ECM, space magic, etc). All damage and other effects resolve simultaneously.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;STEP 6:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Repeat from Step 4, Step 1 if a major disruptive event (nukes, space magic, etc) went off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Assume the following:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee is the best offensive aptitude at close combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM is the best defensive aptitude in long-ranged combat.&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors help to-hit numbers, reconnaissance and quality of ongoing combat intel.&lt;br /&gt;
* You always need some Control to benefit from complex tactics. For ground combat, landing ships provide intrinsic C3.&lt;br /&gt;
* Bigger targets are easier to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By default combat ends by gentleman&#039;s agreement, when one side is able to withdraw, or when all but one side are completely defeated.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default, engagements begin and end at the initial engagement the two (or more) participants locate one another. Players begin with a set number of Maneuvers per engagement equal to their Mobility aptitude, which can be expended to shift the spatial relationship between the combatants. Certain upgrades may provide additional Maneuvers. Maneuvers are resolved round by round before players take any other actions, in an auction, winner-take-all approach. If one player declares intent to Close Distance and another to Extend Range, both have to bid Maneuver points, with the most points contributed being the effective maneuver. For diametrically opposing movements (like Close Distance vs Extend Range), matching bids results in status quo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If multiple groups are in combat, all movement actions relate to the nebulously defined battlespace rather than any specific player.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Maneuvers List:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Close Distance:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Close range, increasing effectiveness of Melee and weakening ECM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Extend Range:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Move to Long range, increasing effectiveness of ECM and weakening Melee.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Soft Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Including debris fields, gas fields, etc, located during the initial recon phase. Increase difficulty to hit.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Use Hard Cover:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Includes megastructures, asteroids, anything much larger than the unit in question (includes particularly large ships). Limits what can hit the target to weapons logically capable of doing so (hyperpenetrating beams, missiles, etc).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Screen:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Make less damaged/tougher/cheaper ships take hits for more important ones.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Combat Boarding:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Hard to execute without a teleportarium or specialist troops, but potentially effective with high Melee. &#039;Locks&#039; the affected ship to Close range.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Delousing:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Close range, attempt to shake off an ongoing boarding attempt by doing a high-G burn.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Disengage:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; If at Long range, withdraw from a fight.&lt;br /&gt;
* The list of example maneuvers is not exhaustive, and are simple recommendations. Other actions may be allowed by unique technology or a clever plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can specify where they want their ships to be and how many Maneuvers they can expend to get there. Additionally they can reserve Maneuvers for conditionals like Delousing, escape from unfavourable combat, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rerolls ===&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Control provides a reroll, represent error-checking, good instincts and command experience among leadership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When writing orders, players can either trust local commander initiative or specify what maneuvers they absolutely need to succeed (assigning X rerolls to it, for example).&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71015</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71015"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T05:53:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 2 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If separated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer w/ Zombie Horde: [Mage + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars + Regulars]: Cost: 44FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When designing any military unit, it&#039;s generally highly recommended (and looked upon favourably by the GM) to add a little blurb about what it is and what it does, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of every unit. Not only does this make GMing a breeze, but it also adds a little unique flavor to each design!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Actions, Economy and the Action Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Supply Ships and Infrastructure ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Free Actions ===&lt;br /&gt;
By default players can conduct most of the behaviours expected in a story debate: war, diplomacy, building new ships, securing new resources, etc. A player does not have to pay any points to attempt any of the actions listed in the subsections below, but will need some kind of a) clever plan b) significant resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Command ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Logistics ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Diplomacy ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Combat ==&lt;br /&gt;
Combat backend is hidden. Players can provide orders to guide resolution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Recon Phase ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Maneuvers ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Control ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71014</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71014"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T03:03:45Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes. Combination units which incorporate aerospace may further forgo their landing craft support, halving their cost in exchange for bring particularly brittle in transit and being slower to repair without magic, unique technology or some sort of support ship or infrastructure present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* WW2/Cold War Paratroopers: [Veterans + Aerospace (Redundancy), no Landing Ship]: Cost: 2FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;br /&gt;
Spend any GM freebies given, add some flavor text to units, prebuild any formations.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71013</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71013"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:37:50Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Combination Units */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional ground template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71012</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71012"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:30:18Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Special Rules */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars (B)&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume single flights of independently operating superfighters. For real carrier-based craft, ships may assign Hangar (B) allocations which house a single 1FP-fighter equivalent. While limited in their complexity, the likes of drone fighters, soldier cosmobees or cheaply nanofabricated craft crewed by disposable meatbags, their attached flights refresh (read: regen without being paid for) after the engagement as long as the carrier survived, making them a useful support to elites. Hangars are also mostly empty and tool-accessible, valuable real-estate for a variety of other missions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71011</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71011"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:18:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Negative Traits */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects: mere proximity causes some backlash and your hostile magic always hurts worse.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71010</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71010"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:17:32Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Neutral Traits */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as your expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71009</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71009"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:16:29Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Tech Theory */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as you expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71008</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71008"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:16:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Tech Theory */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as you expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning.Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71007</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71007"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:15:47Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Tech Praxis */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as you expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. Increase the potential compatibility of tech bases limited by Divergent Advancement by 1. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71006</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71006"/>
		<updated>2022-09-12T01:13:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Knights the Sky:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All of your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Elites. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds.  Captured pilots are always bad news, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Night Witches:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; All your Aerospace costs 4 FP extra (after all modifiers) but has an innate attachment equal to a unit of Mages. Moreover, these pilots have a resistance to dying in combat unless confronted by truly awful odds. Captured pilots are always big deal, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&#039;O Crown of Mine:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The leader of your expedition is a King, an Emperor, a God. Your starship interiors (particularly your flagship) represent this in gilded opulence, and you have great stores full of useless yellow rocks and priceless cultural artifacts.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sun-kissed:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a pod of sunwhales. It is a good omen, and they will continue to show you favor.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;A City At The End of the World:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You arrived in the harbour of civilization, well-armed and already mired in its own internal disputes. The NPC you meet is scaled so that your first encounter can only ever result in an absolutely Pyrrhic victory (or equally gruelling defeat), should it be provoked to hostility.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Boutique Engineering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You do not suffer cost increases from Overengineering or creating Combination units. However, no two units can &#039;&#039;ever&#039;&#039; be alike. You cannot even make replicas of lost or stolen units.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses. The vulnerability can be compensated for with tougher ships and careful design, but can never be fully overcome.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Behind Enemy Lines:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your pilots have habit of surviving when it&#039;s incredibly inconvenient, and have no special abilities to compensate. On the bright side, rebuilding Aerospace units (and related Combination units) is 33% cheaper (rounding down).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dishonorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You are a repulsive snake and nobody believes anything you say. In fact, people trust you more when you tell them they can&#039;t trust you. Atrocities and deception never hurt crew morale or indeed, your rock-bottom reputation. On the other hand, you may overestimate just how much people hate you.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Poor Mariner&#039;s Hymn:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships produce 5 supply instead of 4, as you expedition is run spartan and often engages in corner-cutting. Your merchant marine are highly susceptible to infiltration.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Rival:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Another expedition has come here and they are in your shit constantly. Treat as a peer that has a roughly 10% chance of showing up to anything you do, though the relationship is not completely hostile.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;We&#039;re All Trying To Find the Guy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your diplomats are capable maintaining total kayfabe after the fruits of your schemes are revealed and you are clearly the perpetrator. While infuriating, it can cause a useful moment or so of doubt among affected NPCs.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Whalers:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your weapons have tasted the flesh of the enigmatic sunwhales. You have discovered the valuable minerals within their bodies, but now bear their scorn and the hatred of superstitious spacers everywhere.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormhunted:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have the scent of prey, or perhaps your soul bears a brand of sacrifice. The creatures that were born from the Leviathan&#039;s world-body are driven to hunt and devour you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your homeland has befallen a terrible curse, perhaps a designer plague or an invading enemy. You must save it from the peril, or all this will be for nought. Every year the Doomsday Clock will tick up a random amount (reduced somewhat by the Reinforcements rating). Once it strikes Midnight, your entire fleet suffers a massive crisis of faith as your forlorn homeland dies gasping (or cursing you).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Expedition:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Perhaps this adventure was ill-fated after all. Choose one of the following:&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 4x as strong.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 2x as strong and grows 2x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is 1x as strong and grows 4x as quickly.&lt;br /&gt;
** An enemy who is trivially weak at a glance but will continue to hound and disrupt your efforts until the end of the game, requiring significant effort to overcome, or a similarly onerous inconvenience for the fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose any 8 traits. Any factions that have these traits are automatically on your shit-list and you cannot cooperate with them or be seen to cooperate with their allies. With NPCs with is abstracted somewhat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. Any transit other than STL has negative consequences for you and magic has worse effects.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Wormfodder:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Everything relating to the Outer Leviathan is utter anathema to you and your destiny is to be meat. Troopers melt the moment the atmospheric locks on armor break, ship drives fail and gravity drags them to their doom against the cratered worldspine of the Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have a degree in theoretical physics. That is to say, you theoretically have a degree in some physics. You cannot do research-type Logistics actions.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You understand fundamental forces and first principles. When you obtain a definite example of a superior technology (an artifact, salvage from a powerful enemy) you can devote research to increasing your Aptitudes or Paths.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You are able to unravel deeper mysteries. When you encounter a group willing to exchange secrets, you can conduct actions to increase your or their Aptitudes and Paths towards that of the more advanced party.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You are constantly learning. When you encounter any example of a technology unlike your own, you can conduct actions to increase your Aptitudes and Paths. You may also adept foreign methods to your own and gain new Unique Technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Those who cannot do, teach. You can do neither. You cannot Overengineer or create Combination units beyond your starting fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): When you bang some rocks together and pray, sometimes sparks fly. New units obtained via Reinforcements can be Overengineered or Combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): It&#039;s a scientific fact that the red paint scheme makes it go three times faster. You can Overengineer or create Combination units after you arrive in Sol.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Built in the womb of a collapsed star or looted off a graveyard in Eurasia, a gun&#039;s a gun. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Hangars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, aerospace rules assume&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functioning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Combination units with aerospace components (representing troop gunships or transatmospheric mecha) can be paid for from any combination of ground or naval FP. For the sake of simplicity any Aerospace additions, including multiple stacking Aerospace allocations in the style of Overengineered craft described in the Naval section, are treated as an additional template for cost purposes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71005</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71005"/>
		<updated>2022-09-07T02:17:20Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Negative Traits */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners/It&#039;s A Cruise Ship!:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71004</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71004"/>
		<updated>2022-09-07T02:15:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Negative Traits */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your initial warships cannot allocate more than 5% of their FP to Offence and 20% to Defence. At least 50% of your free allocation on any starting ship must be to the special Cargo (B) allocation, which works identically to Supply Ship FP. You may continue building ships with Cargo after game start.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71003</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71003"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T14:19:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Example Ships */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71002</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71002"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T14:11:51Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Allocation Types */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW2, 3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW2, x3 at EW4, etc) or extra damage (+50% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Additional Drive&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71001</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71001"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T14:08:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Adept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Gain +2 to an Aptitude or Path of Magic. Related Unique Techs are also slightly stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Inept Tech/Magic:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Choose one Aptitude or Path of Magic. Your starting cap in it is 0. Furthermore, the GM will design a unique tech representing your particular weaknesses in that field.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns with every 2 ranks doubles the cost (so Rank 3-4 costs 2 points, Rank 5-6 costs 4 points, and so on). Stealth, Sensors, Control, Production and Mobility instead double every 4.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 50%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal. Once support is exceeded by more than double, all construction stops as all logistics shifts towards just barely keeping the lights on. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW4, 3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW4, x3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Additional Drive&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71000</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=71000"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T03:45:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Ground Units */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns- every 4 ranks over 0 (10 for Production) doubles the cost for the next rank.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal until it reaches 25% more ships than its fleet support rating, at which point it drops to 25% of the usual rating. at +75% of fleet support, no more construction maybe performed. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW4, 3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW4, x3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Additional Drive&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=70999</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=70999"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T03:44:05Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Example Ships */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns- every 4 ranks over 0 (10 for Production) doubles the cost for the next rank.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal until it reaches 25% more ships than its fleet support rating, at which point it drops to 25% of the usual rating. at +75% of fleet support, no more construction maybe performed. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW4, 3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW4, x3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Additional Drive&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even a trio cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=70998</id>
		<title>March Upon Sol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=March_Upon_Sol&amp;diff=70998"/>
		<updated>2022-09-06T03:19:34Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Exhack: /* Positive Traits */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;You have been called home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The most ancient histories declare that humanity has been spacefaring for twenty-eight millennia, reaching the innermost folds and furthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been traders, conquerors, guides and slaves. Since a precipitous fall ten thousand years ago, no united human polity has existed. All imaginable governments have been tried, all evolutionary paths pursued. The human species is one with untold children. To some races, man is a reviled parasite, a despoiler, a slaver, to others a beloved friend and sworn ally. As many races have been shepherded to enlightenment and prosperity as were sent to oblivion through conquest and genocide. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is the galaxy you left behind, still smouldering in this longest of nights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The perilous journey towards a forgotten star, the long-dreamed of Urheimat of Mankind, has come to an end. Now the galaxy writhes in warp storms, and you are marooned in boneyards of humanity&#039;s rise to prominence. The system is strange, crowded with the detritus of thirty-six thousand years of history, aliens, technobarbarians and stranger things still hidden amid the ruins. The voice that called you to Sol has grown only stronger still, radiating out from the ruined third planet of the system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prize awaits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= March Upon Sol =&lt;br /&gt;
March Upon Sol is a nation game that uses modified [[Nexus]] rules for nation creation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The players take the roles of spacefaring fleets that have returned to a long-forgotten Sol, in a galaxy where FTL travel has become dangerous and unreliable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Game Themes&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Technobarbarians: Lots&lt;br /&gt;
* Space Magic: Some and Dangerous&lt;br /&gt;
* Deep Lore/Metaplot&lt;br /&gt;
* Imperialism&lt;br /&gt;
* Madness: Max&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Setting Details ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Races ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Sol: What Was and Shall Be ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol ====&lt;br /&gt;
The star burns brightly, yet undimmed. The ruins of various attempts to farm antimatter or weaponize solar light glitter in the heliosphere, slowly disintegrated by heat, radiation and the passage of time. The solar atmosphere brims with the sweet, sorrowful tones of whalesong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-1 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* E-NK&lt;br /&gt;
* Naboo&lt;br /&gt;
* Elmes&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrcvrivs&lt;br /&gt;
* Budha&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-1 was terraformed some time ago, but these efforts have been undone by a lack of maintenance and the solar shade that makes it livable is in a one-thousand year decaying orbit that will eventually end the experiment of life here. The planet is presently in a state of sustained desertfication, and is covered by long strip-mining channels. The locals are landlocked by vast orbital debris and likely fighting over diminishing water resources.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-2 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* I-NNA&lt;br /&gt;
* Ishter&lt;br /&gt;
* Afrodite&lt;br /&gt;
* Vinvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Sukra&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-2 was successfully terraformed, but the various artificial ecosystems appear to have gone into overdrive. The borders between exotic engineered biomes are literal warzones, and there are signs this evolution is beginning to outpace human ability to adapt to respond to it. Technic ruins here are lavish and well-maintained, but besides a few very prominent cities civilization as a whole appears to be unsophisticated and a mix of hunter-gatherers and scavengers. Orbital debris are light and navigable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-3 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur&lt;br /&gt;
* Land&lt;br /&gt;
* Gaya&lt;br /&gt;
* Terameter&lt;br /&gt;
* Prithvi&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3 is currently in a long period of recovery after a nuclear winter, with competing introduced biomes and ecological devastation so severe it&#039;s impossible to tell what the planet&#039;s original biosphere was like. Vast technic ruins dot the surface, with entire continental cities in ruins stretching miles above and beneath the surface. Signs of warfare are continuous, with extremely well-armed locals. Orbital debris are severe but can be breached carefully.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sol-3&#039;s moon is dotted in the ruins of massive cities, some of which appear to be occupied.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The signal came from here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-4 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* G-LANE&lt;br /&gt;
* Nergal&lt;br /&gt;
* Ars&lt;br /&gt;
* MⱯRS&lt;br /&gt;
* Mangala&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A minimally terraformed world, cold, rocky and unpleasant, but covered in vast industrial works. The atmosphere is breathable and provides tolerable pressure but is mostly composed of industrial pollution. Appears to be in a continuous state of warfare between various polities. Orbital debris are severe, but the locals appear to have the capability to clear them themselves and are actively harvesting them for war materiel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Belt ====&lt;br /&gt;
A variety of polities thrive out here, surviving through the processing of the asteroid belts, comet capture as well as trade between the inner and outer system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-5 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-LLL&lt;br /&gt;
* Marduk&lt;br /&gt;
* Zos&lt;br /&gt;
* Dispater&lt;br /&gt;
* Brhaspati&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The system&#039;s largest gas giant is a tempestuous ball of hard radiation, but its orbits are resource-rich and show generations of attempts to harvest fuel from the atmosphere. The moons are almost all inhabited by a variety of human and alien polities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-6 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* N-NRTA&lt;br /&gt;
* Korone&lt;br /&gt;
* Cistvrn&lt;br /&gt;
* Sani&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful ringed gas giant is home to more sustainable fuel mining operations. The moons are all inhabited to one degree or another.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-7 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Ur-Novo&lt;br /&gt;
* Caelvs&lt;br /&gt;
* Mrtyu&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several potent alien polities have settled around Sol-7 for unknown purposes, scavenging the vast shipyards and fuel works built here. The moons are heavily settled and many of them have been terraformed to host alien ecologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sol-8 ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Ancient Names&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Neptvn&lt;br /&gt;
* Poseidal&lt;br /&gt;
* Varuna&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold, icy gas giant at the edge of the system is isolated by distance and shows little to no sign of habitation, though an abundance of technic ruins dot the orbits.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== The Outer Leviathan ====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;HAZARD WARNING&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scholars debate whether there was ever ninth planet in Sol, believed to have been named Hades, King Yama or JOKER if such histories were true. No sign of that planet exists now, after twenty-eight thousand years. In its place is the Leviathan, a segmented serpentine creature neither living nor dead, composed of stone and chitin and endless fields of churning, bubbling viscera, sustained by an unknown source of power- a biomechanical terror beyond comprehension. On an irregular orbit at the outer edge of the system, it occupies the path the lost ninth planet is believed to have one followed. Nose to tail it is around 140000 KM-long (nearly half a light second), and 6000 KM in diameter, writhing in legions of skittering horrors birthed from the dark crevices of its world-body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Leviathan is disinterested in anything beyond continuing its steady orbit, and the organisms it hosts lack the means to trouble the rest of the solar system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far, no expeditions have returned from the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Nation Creation ==&lt;br /&gt;
Nation creation is &#039;&#039;slightly&#039;&#039; more complex than regular [[Nexus]] due to the smaller scope and need to break up statlines into more discrete units. Do not fret, it&#039;s all neatly laid out in a step by step guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 1: Basic Information and Traits ===&lt;br /&gt;
Players are asked to fill out basic information providing the answers to basic questions like who their state is, where they came from, what kind of government they have, etc. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally every player begins with 2 Trait Points to spend on Positive Traits. &#039;&#039;&#039;Additional Trait Points may be acquired by taking on Negative Traits, to a maximum of 2. Players can take as many Neutral Traits as they like, but the total number of traits (Positive, Negative or Neutral) cannot exceed 8.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic Information&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Faction Name: The name of your group.&lt;br /&gt;
* Type: Are you a pirate band, an expeditionary group sent by a far-flung polity, the last exiles of dying race?&lt;br /&gt;
* Emergence Point: Where did your fleet leave FTL? It can be any location on the system atlas, except for Sol-3 for unknown reasons. Note this is also where reinforcements will arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Positive Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Chosen One:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your group is led by/are the custodians of a paranormally gifted human being who led you to Sol, heeding the call to gather from Sol-3. This individual has plot armor and is a powerful exemplar of your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of your faction can be aliens, but the individual in question &#039;&#039;must&#039;&#039; be human.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Far Traders:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your path to Sol led you across the galaxy, allowing you to build better maps of both the stars and galactic history. Once per budget turn, discover a &#039;secret&#039; in your archives (i.e.: the GM will answer a lore question).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fleet of Fog:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Relying on advanced mental models, you can build and crew ships without local recruits or reinforcements. Your ships also have the advantage of being hardy and limping away from most fights that aren&#039;t a decisive loss.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gene Army:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Thanks to the vats and/or robot assembly bays, you can build ground units without access to local recruits or reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Hetaroi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your leader&#039;s bodyguard unit are truly exceptional special forces, providing a layer of plot armor against assassinations and a tool for special missions.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Kataphractoi:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have a select group of powerful warrior post-humans who represent the tip of the sphere in terms of leadership, boarding actions and ground combat. You may build &#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Macrofabricators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Starting Year 2, your newbuild ships build instantly when ordered. You still only benefit from that production cycle once per year, as normal.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mr Magoo Diplomacy:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your agents have a habit of blundering into adventures and getting kidnapped. Useful source of war justification.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mothership Cryo-Trays:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You can freely raise ground and fleet assets without local recruits. On the other hand, losing your flagship would absolutely cripple morale.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Navigators:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Freely assign your starting forces between any location on the solar atlas. Furthermore, your future reinforcements can arrive at any location you have eyes on, not just your initial emergence point.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Recall Point:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You retain limited FTL capability even with the disruptions to travel, and are able to jump back to the last system on your trip to Sol. An empty red dwarf system with a small debris field, it provides a safe place to keep assets and for reinforcements to arrive.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Space Hulk:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship absorbs destroyed ships, like a gyre collecting floatsam. Provided you are able to linger on the battlefield, absorb 25% of all fleet casualties as free FP added to your ship. Combat damage has a tendency to shear these additions off, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;The Mighty:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Through augmentation, superior genetics, occult enhancement or by your alien natures, your species is beyond standard humans in several useful ways. Provide a writeup of the ways your people are superior to human beings as though it were a Unique Tech, with a specific scope or set of adaptations in mind. This can be repurchased a second time for a second effect, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Worm-kin:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The Outer Leviathan does not see you as enemy, allowing you to safely navigate using it as an emergence point. The sentients it hosts may regard you differently, however.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warrior Cult:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your culture believes in the transformative power of war. When you win major engagements, turn 10% of your naval FP casualties (except for Supply Ships) and 25% of your ground FP casualties into new build units of a superior type.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Neutral Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Bussard Scoops:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships do not produce supply and your ships don&#039;t need any to function. On the other hand, every vessel in your fleet is much more fragile due to the large vulnerable tanks full of volatile gasses.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Gros Michaelship:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your flagship is larger and better-engineered than usual. You may trade 2 points of escorts for 1 extra point of mothership, and &#039;store&#039; half its total mass in Support Ship FP.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Honorable:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You command and crew very admirably have exceptionally rigorous ethics, but perhaps fail to grasp the situation in the Urheimat. You can trust everyone you meet without any consequences, I promise.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Internationalism:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you have to perpetuate. Groups with a pre-existing affinity towards that ideology make natural allies, but you have trouble doing anything diplomatically besides proselytizing and bloc-building.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Realpolitik:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You have an ideological axis (political economy, economic system or religion) that you see yourself as the natural gatekeeper of. Diplomacy with fellow travellers is more difficult, but your people tend to not mind (or are unable to express annoyance with) treaties with ideological enemies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Negative Traits====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Blood Vendetta:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Anyone who kills even a single one of your units, steals a claim or manages to tarnish your reputation becomes an enemy for life. Blood must be paid with blood.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Brannigan&#039;s Wake:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Military intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy is much weaker than it really is. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Creeping Paranoia:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You will occasionally receive false intel reports of various threats.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Doomed Homeland:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; In 5-10 years your reinforcements will be cut off completely. If you didn&#039;t take Reinforcements, the threat instead arrives for you in the Urheimat.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Heart of Darkness:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Units may occasionally Go Native. This is caused by units either being defeated without being destroyed or achieving a too-overwhelming victory. Your captains are much more vulnerable to having space madness whispered into their ears by spies.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Intolerant:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You cannot meaningfully cooperate with factions that do not share 50% or more of your exact Traits and intangible rankings (Advancement, Magic, etc). For NPCs, this is abstracted by the GM.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Just Miners:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; None of your initial ships are armed beyond point-defense, and the technobarbarians will not respect you until you start earning some serious victories. If you have to fight a war, you&#039;ll have a lot of work to do.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Lonesome Road:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; You never developed FTL, and arrived via slower-than-light relativistic ship, so-called &#039;lighthuggers&#039;. Reinforcements always arrive via the outer system and may pass through the path of the Outer Leviathan.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Mobile Pleasure Palace:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your ships are extra spacious and luxurious at the cost of combat effectiveness. The Fleet Points assigned to Structural allocation are increased by 10% (to 60% default).&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Nanofab DRM:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your supply ships cannot construct ships. You will have to capture or build infrastructure, or rely on reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;On Strange Shores:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; The journey to Sol had few detours and you are displaced in time from the other arrivals. Start without translation protocols, a star chart of Sol or any &#039;common sense&#039; regarding the Urheimat. Other players attempting to remedy your issues must commit considerable resources to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Trevelyan&#039;s Tax Ledger:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Any territory you take control of will seem to be exceptionally productive. This is because of corner-cutting, onerous tariffs and abuses by your magistrates. Rebellions will be constant and natural disasters will be especially catastrophic.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Scattering:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Your emergence location is random and a percentage of your initial force will be sent to a second location. Worse, so is the emergence location of any potential reinforcements.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Sneering Imperialists:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; Open source intel reports will always lie, suggesting the enemy&#039;s territory is inefficient, impoverished and mismanaged. If you cooperate with other players, this penalty affects them so long as you work together. Your diplomacy is also penalized since you have no respect for others.&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Warpburned:&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt; FTL, psychic phenomenon and other effects are anathema to you. You may still develop the relevant competencies but do so at your own peril.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 2: Rankings ===&lt;br /&gt;
Simply assign your points to each of the categories until you run out. That&#039;ll give you the basis around which to write up the details of your faction. &#039;&#039;&#039;You have 35 points to build your faction.&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Size====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): They only sent you. One ship of up to 18 Fleet Points.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): A small expeditionary force. One flagship of up to 18 Fleet Points, and additional 100 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): A decent navy. One flagship of up to 20 Fleet Points, and an additional 250 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): A grand armada. One flagship of up to 30 Fleet Points, and an additional 450 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (4 Points): A migrant fleet. One flagship of up to 40 Fleet Points, and an additional 700 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (5 Points): A wagon train to the stars. One flagship of up to 200 Fleet Points, and an additional 1000 Fleet Points in escorts.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 1 Point each and add 50 FP to the flagship and 200 to the escort pool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expedition Support====&lt;br /&gt;
Support skiffs, mobile spacedocks and bulk fuel transports. 1 FP of supply ship can support 4 FP of ships for a whole year. Alternatively, 5 FP in support ships provides 1 construction point. Supply must be assigned one way or the other and the assignment must be made at the start of the year.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): 0 Fleet Points of supply ships. Ouch.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): 100 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 20 point of construction or supply 400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): 200 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 40 point of construction or supply 800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): 350 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 70 point of construction or supply 1400 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): 500 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 100 points of construction or supply 2000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 5 (10 Points): 700 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 140 points of construction or supply 2800 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 6 (12 Points): 1000 Fleet Points of supply ships, which can perform 200 points of construction or supply 4000 points of ships for a year with a fuel source.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 5 cost 2 Points each and add 100 FP of supply ships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Expeditionary Troops====&lt;br /&gt;
Marines and specialty troops. Each comes with their own sturdy transports which can&#039;t really fight but won&#039;t immediately evaporate in combat. Every 2 Fleet Points in Expeditionary Troops translates to a full supported company of regular units or fewer numbers of elites and armor.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You have an away team available for the odd misadventure on a planet but nothing more. 2 Fleet Points in Auxiliaries, or 1 company.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a few brigades of marines. 20 Fleet Points in marines and their landing craft, or 10 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You brought a legion. 200 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 100 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (5 Points): You brought five legions. 1000 Fleet Points in troops and their landing craft, or 500 companies.&lt;br /&gt;
:Ranks over 3 cost 5 Points each and add 1000 Fleet Points in troops.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Reinforcements====&lt;br /&gt;
Reinforcements use the sum of the initial Expeditionary Fleet and Troops, but not Support Units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You&#039;re it. Good luck.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Reinforcements are trickling in over time. You&#039;ll get 5% of your initial expedition or 10 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): The homeland takes this operation very seriously. You&#039;ll get 10% of your initial expedition or 40 Fleet Points every time the warp lanes clear up, whichever is bigger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Command====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your ships operate more or less independently, as do any potential conquests.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Command Objective per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Command Objectives per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Logistics====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No infrastructure except for what you conquer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Logistics Task per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Logistics Tasks per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Diplomacy====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No diplomacy except for threats and what people send your way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You can set 1 Diplomatic Mission per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): You can set 2 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): You can set 3 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (12 Points): You can set 4 Diplomatic Missions per Turn.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====General Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
General Advancement represents broad-base mastery of mass and energy, and general performance. Units built with only General Advancement will typically be &#039;vanilla humantech&#039; designs, with railguns, lasers, missiles, solid armor and kinetic or laser-based PDW to intercept projectiles. Every point of General Advancement also grants 5 points of Aptitudes (see Derived Stats).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Kardashev Type 0 civilization, primitive technology just barely capable of interplanetary flight.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Kardashev Type I civilization, the basic level of technology over much of the Milky Way.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Kardashev Type I+ civilization, planetary mastery of mass and energy with the ability to travel faster than light.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Kardashev Type II civilization, the height enjoyed for much of human civilization. Planets were transformed into glittering city-worlds and terraformed into paradises, whole stars were harnessed to power the demands of human enterprise.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (9 Points): Kardashev Type II+ civilization, the peak of human civilization before the Long Night and the Age of Strife. Humanity had begun to transform planets into vast engines of industry and computation, bent space-time to small but useful ends and had laid the foundations of megastructures which now seem impossible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Divergent Advancement====&lt;br /&gt;
Divergent Advancement represents a departure from purely numerical superiority to more specific qualitative ones, combining emergent technologies like nanomachinery, exotic biology, psychic crystals or paranormal but not particularly miraculous capabilities. As opposed to the Magic trait, &#039;mystical&#039; divergent advancements are highly repeatable and mass-produced. Each point of Divergent Advancement provides 5 points that can be allocated towards Aptitudes, which stacks with General Advancement but also restricts interoperability. States with Divergent Advancement can only service, repair or reuse equipment produced by states within 1 deviation of their Rank (i.e.: a DA3 state can repair eq. DA2 or DA4 equipment).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No deviations from the historical galactic norm.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): Some sideways developments from the standard paradigm, nanoswarms or bio-engineered organisms as tools, or exotic materials to bypass certain engineering constraints.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Exotic particle physics, ontological weaponry (bullets inscribed with killing curses), bio-engineered organisms acting as battlefield actors or vehicles, resurrection via mind-engram consciousness transfer.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Ubiquitous biotech, outright incorporation of stable esoterica into industry (gatling guns made of so-called &#039;magic wands&#039; fixed on a rotary mount, runic energy shields), extradimensional energy sources and entities (so-called daemons).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (8 Points): Battleship hulls made of the remains of undying worm-gods, acausal weaponry (guns that invert the target&#039;s entropy and cause them to disintegrate in agony as their particles drift backwards in time towards the Big Bang), outright resurrection of an &#039;essential&#039; self without concern for continuity of consciousness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Theory====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand your own tech base, you can only reproduce what you already have. Reinforcements have to be copies of your initial designs. If the last example of something you have is destroyed, it becomes Lostech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have a good understanding of your own tech base, and are never at risk of permanently losing access to it. Your reinforcements and new builds can be of any design you are capable of.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (3 Points): Where others have forgotten secrets in the Long Night, you continue to learn. Gain a point of Aptitude every year you make a promising find. Particularly dramatic discoveries may result in 2.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): The enemy is using ion cannons, (beat) we are now capable of deploying ion cannons. You can copy units that you recover intact, and restore salvaged examples and conduct research (via Logistics Tasks) to turn them into Unique Techs to exceed your General/Divergent Advancement rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Tech Praxis====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): You do not understand technology that isn&#039;t native to your tech base. You can&#039;t use salvage or teach NPCs how to use your designs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (2 Points): You can reliably use and maintain recovered artifacts and purchased goods, as normal. You can teach NPCs within 1 Rank of your Divergent Advancement how to use sold equipment.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (4 Points): As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Logistics Tasks to permanently raise the General Advancement, Divergent Advancements, Unique Technology or Aptitudes of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (6 Points): Your understanding of alien technology is such that you can improve upon foreign designs and contribute know-how. When you refit foreign units, they are treated as having the best-of either faction&#039;s Aptitudes (theirs or yours) and any unique techs you want to share. Once per production cycle you can designate such a unit being a Masterwork, providing +10% free FP to spend on BODS allocations and a character shield.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Unique Technology====&lt;br /&gt;
Provides unique advantages in excess of what is provided by General/Divergent Advancements. These can be situational bonuses to a specific action (ECM that specifically jams long-range targeting and inhibit radio transmissions) or systems that provide somewhat intangible benefits (psychic-controlled attack drones).&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Nothing special beyond what&#039;s implied by your Advancement ranks.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): 1 unique tech.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): 2 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (3 Points): 3 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (5 Points): 4 unique techs.&lt;br /&gt;
:Every Rank over 4 costs 2 Points and grants 1 extra Unique Tech.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Magic====&lt;br /&gt;
Every point of Magic also provides 5 points of to assign in Magic Paths, which represent specific highly specific disciplines that you have reliable access to.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): No magic rests at your call.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Point): This is fairly small-time stuff like Jedi Mind tricks and similar cantrips, or the presence of just a (literal) handful of more talented individuals. Some of it may even be ‘scientific’; cyberpunk mind-reading, memetic engineering or the like. 10% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): More powerful and more systemic paranormal powers are present in your nation. You may have a psy-corp or other telepathic group. 25% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): Your force is accompanied by a powerful organization of sorcerers capable of wielding supernatural power above and beyond what is normal. 50% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 4 (6 Points): The people of your nation have evolved or somehow manifest nearly ubiquitous ‘magic’, and may even use it on a large scale, capable of attacking starships and turning the course of entire battles. 100% of your ground units can be Mages or related combination units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Occult Lore====&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 0 (0 Points): Your powers may be great, but lack context. You know nothing of the paranormal other than your own capabilities.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 1 (1 Points): You have accumulated some occult lore. At this stage you can broadly identify differences between the origins and sources of occult power, and with some effort conduct appropriate countermeasures.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 2 (2 Points): Your library is well-stocked and smells of rich mahogany. If you ever suffer a magical effect, you always identify it in hindsight and get some hints as to countermeasures. You can tech NPCs within 1 Rank of your Magic rating how to perform rituals and powers of the same sort as yours, and borrow theirs as well.&lt;br /&gt;
:Rank 3 (4 Points): You leave the matters of the occult to &#039;&#039;top men&#039;&#039;. As above, but increase the limit to 2 Ranks. Furthermore, you can conduct Diplomatic Missions to permanently raise the Divergent Advancements, Magic or Paths of NPCs 1 step closer to your own rating, if higher.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 3: Derived Attributes ===&lt;br /&gt;
====Aptitudes====&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes is the improvement your state has over the generally-accepted galactic baseline. (or, in some cases, inferiority relative to said!) While having more aptitudes does tend to correlate with being more &#039;advanced&#039;, aptitudes also represent habits, doctrines, lessons learned and the result of iterative design improvement as opposed to simply scientific advances. A nation with no aptitudes in a field may not actually be intrinsically bad at them, merely that they do (for example) do not normally fit large radar arrays to their battleships or high-angle dogfight missiles to their interceptors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitude is broken into various functional fields such as armor, propulsion, etc. Nations start with 0 aptitude levels in all fields and may spend Aptitude Points to increase these. Higher ranks have diminishing returns- every 4 ranks over 0 (10 for Production) doubles the cost for the next rank.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aptitudes are coded using &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039; from the ship design system to show dependencies, representing the various elements of unit design.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Basic:&#039;&#039;&#039; Intrinsic, universal design elements such as engines, superstructure, life support, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Offensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Defensive&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;&#039;Systems:&#039;&#039;&#039; Quality of life systems, sophisticated electronics, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Melee Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Melee Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is a broad collection of ways to inflict harm up close. These range from the classic (laser) sword to hand grenades, shotguns and iron palm strikes on the level of individuals. On vehicles it more commonly takes the form of weapons optimized for extremely short ranges as opposed to literally touching distances, such as carronades, low-velocity demolition rockets, kinetic lances, high-intensity but rapidly dispersing cutting beams and the like. In aircraft, smaller caliber machineguns can also be considered melee, as they have ample magazines and shorter ranges. Melee aptitude can also be assumed to come with training in brutal, close-quarters fighting, such as urban or jungle battles. Finally, melee aptitude improves the ability to survive in up-close fights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Melee Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; is the general, all-purpose Make Things Explode Satisfyingly aptitude. Conventionally it covers &#039;guns&#039; - kinetic or energy - ranging from lasguns to kinetic macrobatteries. Rockets and missiles sometimes fall under this category, but larger and more deadly ones are more typically better represented by Exotic Weaponry (see below).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=====Exotic Weaponry (O) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Exotic Weaponry&#039;&#039;&#039; are weapons that inseparably combine the virtue of devastating power with limited uses. While this may not be literally only two or three missiles on a ship, in practical terms they have sharply limited shots. They also tend to sidestep (eg: top attack) or simply ignore (eg: shield-piercing) more conventional forms of defenses, but are more vulnerable to disruption from other sources such as ECM. Exotic weapons have the most breadth when it comes to missiles, ranging from thermobaric RPGs to shipkiller missiles. Some forms of powerful energy weaponry (either self-destructive or requiring large capacitors/E-caps that cannot be meaningfully replenished during combat) would also apply, as does the common plasma torpedo, one of the most popular small-ship weapons. Even things like a selection of exotic munitions to slam into your tank cannon could count. All this said, it is also important to know that exotic weapons scale less significantly than other, more conventional weapons; a destroyer can fire a plasma torpedo just as powerful as a battleship, though the latter will have several backup plasma chambers so it can fire several more times. As exotic weapons are rather broader and more varied than convention pew-pew guns, it helps to show some specificity in what they are. (eg &#039;Plasma torpedoes&#039; or &#039;Swarmer missiles&#039; - different effects might apply!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Exotic Weaponry allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Armor (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039; is the use of passive protection methods to improve survivability; this includes both actual physical armor to resist damaging penetration and clever design coupled with redundancy and internal subdivision to mitigate the damage done to internal systems and thus combat effectiveness. Due to the sheer mass of fitting significant armor along with the design compromises it forces – after all you want to poke as few holes as possible in your protective scheme – it is typical for armor to be concentrated on the most important sections or arcs of a unit, leaving other parts more lightly protected. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Armor allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Shields (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Shields&#039;&#039;&#039; are the middle tier of defenses, wrapping the valuable object – be it a soldier or a superbattleship – in a boundary field of force. Shields work to dissipate energy strikes and decelerate physical projectiles, deflecting them away from actually striking the enemy’s target. Most shields are reactive of varying complexity and quality, pulling power from large capacitor banks to automatically reinforce themselves as they are penetrated. In many cases shields can also be angled, dynamically adjusting their angles to provide reinforced protection against likely impact vectors. By their nature shields are less effective at providing complete protection against weapon fire than armor, but shields can be used to protect external fittings like sensors and fire control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of Shields allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== ECM (D) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;ECM&#039;&#039;&#039; is the third and final tier of defense, covering all forms of active defense ranging from various sophisticated jamming systems to decoys and chaff to short-range hard-kill systems. These all share the protective method of attempting to keep enemy fire from ever impacting. While not getting hit is the best way of surviving, ECM does nothing to protect a unit if it does get hit and generally needs some time/distance to function most effectively – not to mention warning. ECM is particularly effective against exotic weapons and essentially irrelevant in melee, and due to its disruptive effects is one of the better ways of protecting against strategic magic.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every assigned rank improves the effectiveness of ECM allocation by 25%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Sensors (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Sensors&#039;&#039;&#039; are the various technologies used to find and track things, often hostile things. While this has obvious application, sensors are also quite helpful in fire control, especially at long-range. Tactically, Sensors lower the target numbers of Weaponry and Exotic Weapons and ignore ECM and environmental penalties. Strategically, Sensors provide various insights when exploring and surveying and negate the strategic effect of Stealth at a 2-1 ratio if the player issues orders to picket or perform long-range scans in the direction of an observed fleet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Control (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Control&#039;&#039;&#039; is mostly your technical abilities in the various alphabet abilities; C3ISR etc etc. It covers both command and communication; essentially getting your orders where they need to in a timely manner. It does not necessarily make your troops more disciplined or more likely to follow orders, though a better OODA loop probably does mean your leaders will be giving a few less wrong orders. Tactically, every point of command provides a reroll to an unlucky dice. Strategically, it provides a hedge against orders being ignored or misunderstood by commanders and adds to espionage defence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Stealth (S) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Stealth&#039;&#039;&#039; represents both doctrinal and technical dedication to avoiding detection. This ranges from techniques like burst communications and an emphasis on passive sensors to technologies like low probability of interceptor radars and radar-absorbing materials. Stealth&#039;s primary benefit is strategic, where it allows a certain amount of public movement to be concealed (this must be clarified in private orders), allowing 10% of the FP value assigned to be obscured or hidden (ships still require some amount of system mass assigned to Stealth to benefit). At Rank 10, people generally know what you&#039;re up to but never what you send to do it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mobility (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039;&#039; represents the efficiency and performance of your propulsion systems, and doctrinal emphasis on agility and rapid deployment in ground combat. Mobility has two effects: tactically, it provides a single Maneuver per rank per engagement, so factions with 0 Mobility must simply accept fights at whatever range and tempo the opponent sets. Second, it divides all strategic distances by (rating +1), so a 2-week burn from Earth to Jupiter takes 1 week at Mobility 1, 5 days at Maneuver 2, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Production (B) =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Production&#039;&#039;&#039; represents efficiencies in unit production, interoperability of parts and economies of scale. Unlike the other Aptitudes, Production is straightforward. Every tier improves the output of Construction from any source (Supply Ships, built infrastructure, captured and converted shipyards, etc) by 10%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Paths====&lt;br /&gt;
Humanity has delved into the paranormal since before the dawn of spaceflight, practising theurgy and drawing on the names of long-forgotten gods to perform miracles, practising fortune telling, mind-reading and other minor feats. It was only well into mankind&#039;s first age of space colonization that these phenomenon became a verifiable scientific fact. Most forms of &#039;magic&#039; draw on lower or higher planes, using sheer force of will to compel these alien energies to service the caster&#039;s will. With the warp storms disrupting FTL travel, the incidence of such individuals and their power has been steadily increasing, as have other forms of willworking such as sorcerous rituals, which turn the collective unconscious of the attendees into an ontological circuitboard to direct these arcane energies to the sorcerer&#039;s ends, and reality-defying artifice (so-called &#039;mad science&#039;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Paths are the most common patterns for these practices, evoking specific behaviours. Each can furthermore be defined into Generalist and Specialist, the latter representing a thematic or elemental focus. &#039;&#039;&#039;Specialized Paths gain a +1 Rank or +33% effective Rank, whichever is higher.&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The function of Magic Paths is further detailed in the magic section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Life =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Life is the primordial magic of humanity. For as long as humans have existed, there has been injury and disease and with that the prayers and herbal remedies of priests to cure it, the charms of wise women for good births and offerings to the gods for good harvests and fat cattle. While the technological god of industrialized agriculture and scientific medicine replaced these practices, they returned in force every time the light of civilization faded even a little.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To follow this Path is to control the stuff of life, healing injuries, commanding plagues and warping flesh with equal leisure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Disease&lt;br /&gt;
* Transformation&lt;br /&gt;
* Mutation&lt;br /&gt;
* Healing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Mind: Second Wind&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Superhuman Strength&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create/Slay Cyborgs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Force =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Force is the second-oldest magic. Warfare came about sometime after humanity separated from a single survivor band into many tribes and clades, their differences seemingly irreconcilable. For the tip of the spear to pierce flesh, the arrow to fly true, for lightning to strike dry August fields and steal away the enemy&#039;s harvest with fire, prayers onto gods of war and storms were often uttered. These miracles were eventually surpassed by the cannon, but the Long Night has seen the birth of new breeds of willworker who can surpass the greatest weapons with only their killing words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Force&lt;br /&gt;
* Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Protection&lt;br /&gt;
* Enhancement&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Bio-Lightning&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Exotic High-Energy Matter&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Implosion&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Mind =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of the Mind was developed as humans created more sophisticated societies. Language, images and stories became means to control and guide myriad human wills towards various purposes. Eras where individuality has been the dominant spirit in social organization have become rarer since mastery of the mind has been realized. Only the essential &#039;soul&#039; remains unconquered by this discipline, should it truly exist.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Organism&lt;br /&gt;
* Emotion&lt;br /&gt;
* Memory&lt;br /&gt;
* Control&lt;br /&gt;
* Insanity&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Telekinesis&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Addiction&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Create Intelligent Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Matter =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Matter sprang into being as human civilization grew to truly staggering heights and people began to view the artifice around them with near-religious awe. Around that time, the ancient practice of alchemy became commonplace, as mystics attempted to transform common lead and other metals into noble substances such as gold. Now with the era of technological miracles long-passed, sorcerers aspire to recreate greater things than mere gold.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Specialties&lt;br /&gt;
* Specific Object or Material&lt;br /&gt;
* Constructs&lt;br /&gt;
* Reinforcement&lt;br /&gt;
* Reconstruction&lt;br /&gt;
* Transmutation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combinations&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone&lt;br /&gt;
* Space: Bag of Holding&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: (Magic) Missile&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Space =====&lt;br /&gt;
The Path of Space was born when humans realized the terrifying vastness of the world they were born to. As civilization spread beyond a single city, and cities themselves became vast and divided by class, desire and yearning formed in the hearts of those first practitioners of the Path. Such innocent love is not the only conduit for the Path however, as the jealous gaze of paranormal stalkers and the covetous hoarding of sorcerers concealing their richest in long-forgotten pocket realms have fuelled equally great achievements. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hate too drives innovation, for there is no greater yearning than the warrior who wishes his aim were only slightly more true the moment before he dies in battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Specialties&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation&lt;br /&gt;
* Scrying&lt;br /&gt;
* Propulsion&lt;br /&gt;
* Distortion&lt;br /&gt;
* Pocket Dimensions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Combinations&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Force: Affect Time&lt;br /&gt;
* Life: Enlarge/Shrink Life&lt;br /&gt;
* Matter: Enlarge/Shrink Object&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Unique Technologies ====&lt;br /&gt;
Unique technologies are highly personal, situational bonuses that add flavor to the state. Each one is vetted by the GM but either adds a single use of a special action per single engagement, qualitative upgrades to ground or space units, a useful strategic action that can be used now and then or the equivalent to a +3 to a single Aptitude in a specific circumstance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Example Unique Techs&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Anti-Beam Armor: Increased protection vs energy weapons only.&lt;br /&gt;
* Teleportation Packs: Ground units can teleport to the planetary surface without being contested by orbital defences.&lt;br /&gt;
* Psychic Bits: Energy-based Exotic Weaponry that has more ammo and all-range attack but can be destroyed by point-defense.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lightsabers: +3 Melee Weaponry for Mage/Superelite combo units only.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 4: Unit Design ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Naval Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
From the smallest corvettes to the largest dreadnoughts, all ships in March Upon Sol are designed via the allocation system and &#039;&#039;&#039;BODS&#039;&#039;&#039;, which stands for &#039;Basic, Offensive, Defensive and Systems&#039; as also described in the Aptitudes section, representing the four possible allocations for ship mass. When designing naval units, the size of the craft is based on their FP, with more FP equalling larger ships. &#039;&#039;&#039;50% of the ship&#039;s FP is pre-assigned to structural and critical elements like reactors, engines, life support, point-defence screens and cargo space (the B in BODS) and the remaining FP can be divided between offence, defence and systems (the ODS).&#039;&#039;&#039; The effectiveness of these assignments corresponds to Aptitude ratings, as described in each section (i.e.: 10 points of Weaponry with 4 Weaponry Aptitude is equal to 20 points of basetech Weaponry), rounding up in the case of fractions. Certain allocations have special rules described in their own writeups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ships up to size 10 are bought in small groups called squadrons, which consist of four warships. Some of these warships may carry their own small (Size 0) vessels along with them, either because they&#039;re carriers or some form of omniship with its own fighter compliment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Construction is done yearly, and unused construction points can be carried forward into subsequent years. A faction builds at its full construction up to its fleet support rating. Once it exceeds this rating, it&#039;s construction drops to 50% of normal until it reaches 25% more ships than its fleet support rating, at which point it drops to 25% of the usual rating. at +75% of fleet support, no more construction maybe performed. Note that having more fleet than you can support is not recommended as it also causes spare parts shortages and a degradation of combat effectiveness.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your starting fleet works just the same as ships built in game, but you have a number of points equal to your space fleet rating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Construction Table =====&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighters and fighter bombers, carrier launched aircraft. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 0, if included in larger ships;&#039;&#039;&#039; &#039;&#039;&#039;Independent squadrons: 1&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:FTL capable single ships, Calions and large strategic bombers. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 2&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Very small combat starships: missile boats, torpedo boats or E-boats &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 4&#039;&#039;&#039;   &lt;br /&gt;
:Miniature multi-purpose combat starship: Corvettes or cutters   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 6&#039;&#039;&#039; &lt;br /&gt;
:Small escorts: Modern Frigate. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 8&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large escorts: Modern destroyers, Age of Sail Frigates &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 10&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Medium Fleet Ship: a standard cruiser, a monitor &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 12&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Heavy Fleet Ship: small ship of the line, heavy cruiser &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 14&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Small Capital ship:  Battle Cruiser/Fleet Carrier &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 16&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Capital Ship: Battleship &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 18&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Large Capital Ship:  Super Carrier, Very large battleship   &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 20&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Very Large Capital Ship: Super dreadnought, Juggernaut &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 30&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Mobile Base: Mother Carriers, City Ships  &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 40&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Battle Moons, Fortress Iserlohn. &#039;&#039;&#039;Cost: 200+&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Allocation Types =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Basic&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Structure: By default, 50% of the total FP cost of a ship must be pre-allocated to this type. This represents all of the essentials to make a ship space-worthy. If you start taking hits to Structure, people start dying and the engines go dark, very fast.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redundancy: Extra assignments to Redundancy give a ship extra resiliency. Not extra useful in combat, but can mean the difference between life and death when an anomaly pops and melts the bridge.&lt;br /&gt;
* Nacelles/Secondary Drives: Every 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) of FP assigned to Secondary Drives provides an additional &#039;&#039;Maneuver&#039;&#039; per engagement, and adds to the transit time reduction from the &#039;&#039;Mobility&#039;&#039; aptitude.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Offence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Melee Weaponry: This represents everything from short-ranged laser bores, short-ranged batteries, to things like damaging plasma fields, ramming prows and boarding pods. Works best at Short range.&lt;br /&gt;
* Weaponry: Your bread and butter, consisting of any weapon that can engage at most ranges for the length of the battle.&lt;br /&gt;
* Exotic Weaponry: Highly damaging, limited-use weapons with additional nasty effects like shield-piercing, armor-piercing, radar disruption or setting off nuclear payloads in the ammo stores. Comes in two varieties:&lt;br /&gt;
** Arrays: Fire once per engagement with the full force of your EW allocation. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (2 shots at EW4, 3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
** Batteries: Fire once per EW allocation, almost always hits harder than regular Weaponry. The Exotic Weapons aptitude bonus can either add extra shots per engagement (x2 shots at EW4, x3 at EW8, etc) or extra damage (+25% per rank), choose one.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Defence&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Armor: Absorbs hits before any other component is damaged.&lt;br /&gt;
* Shields: Provides damage mitigation before Armor and Structure are affected.&lt;br /&gt;
* ECM: Negates hits outright before damage mitigation and ablative HLs are burned through. Also provides some magical protection.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Systems&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* Sensors: Provides a general bonus to surveys, science and other non-combat actions. Supports up to 10 points of Offensive allocation, reducing target numbers in combat and negating some ECM. Friendly ships in formation can picket for one another.&lt;br /&gt;
* Control: Allows the ship in question to benefit from the faction&#039;s Command (the Ranking) and Control (the Aptitude) benefits. By designating a flagship for a given group of naval units with Control allocation, it also allows for coordinated maneuvers, focused fire, screening and picketing. Extra Control allocation prevents your admiral from being sniped, sending the whole force into disarray.&lt;br /&gt;
* Stealth: Allows the ship to benefit from the faction&#039;s Stealth benefits. Minimum of 10% (or 1 FP, if the design is Size 14 or less) for full function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Rules =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Overengineering&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Ships may be built with FP in excess of their apparent size. Basic FP must still be allocated as normal, but half of this surcharge is treated as Redundancy rather than Structure. For example a corvette overbuilt to 8 FP has 3 Structure and 1 Redundancy instead of 4 Structure. The cost for overengineering increases 100% every double of the apparent FP base, so a Corvette with 3 times the &#039;stuff&#039; in it would cost a total of 4 times the Construction, 4x overengineering would cost 6 times, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Marine Ships&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:By default, Expeditionary Troops fly around in their own transports. Players may attach ground unit FP to warships and make them into landing ships, battle barges and the like. While this has the advantage of protecting vulnerable ground troops in transit, it prevents the ship from doing anything else but support and coordinate the ground force. If seperated from their mothership, marine units of this type suffer serious maluses in performance.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace Craft&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Fighter craft have a single BODS assignment on them to represent their specialization. Melee, Weaponry, Exotic Weaponry and Stealth are self-evident, while Armor, Redundency and Shields produce heavy fighters that hold up in combat but are only armed with point-defence. ECM, Sensors and Command make for EWACs planes. Finally, Additional Drives produces particular fast, fragile craft like interceptors. Aerospace units can be Overengineered as normal naval units.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Example Ships =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Magmotor-class Corvette&#039;&#039;&#039; [Standard Corvette]: A hardy ship suited to this little dark age.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 6&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 6&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Weaponry&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Verizon-class Battleship&#039;&#039;&#039; [Overbuilt Heavy Battleship]: Mythic vessels from a by-gone era, when man first began to unearth the tombs of long-extinct races.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 60 [Base 20]&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 80&lt;br /&gt;
::20 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::10 Redundancy&lt;br /&gt;
::11 Weaponry [Dainslef Railgun]&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Exotic Battery [Silencer Missile, 6 shots, does not break Stealth]&lt;br /&gt;
::1 Exotic Array [Ragnarok Siege Railgun, 1 shot, ignores Armor]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Shields&lt;br /&gt;
::1 ECM&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Stealth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Cormorant-class Strike Cruiser&#039;&#039;&#039; [Marine Cruiser]: A vessel designed by a disgraced shipbuilder, the ship is various described as &#039;rotund&#039;, &#039;stately&#039;, &#039;handsome&#039;, &#039;smiling meanly&#039; and having too few bathrooms.&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: 16&lt;br /&gt;
:Cost: 16 +6&lt;br /&gt;
::8 Structure&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Additional Drive&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Weaponry [Plasma Macrobatteries]&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Armor&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Command&lt;br /&gt;
::2 Sensors&lt;br /&gt;
::3 Marines Squads [Superelites]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ground Units ====&lt;br /&gt;
Ground units in March Upon Sol are relatively easy to design and come in 5 standard varieties. 2 troop FP provides one military unit, chosen from one of the options below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Regulars&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Battalion&lt;br /&gt;
:Ordinary men and women with mass produced equipment and enough training to be competent. Good for holding ground and necessary for taking it, at some costs.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Veterans:&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Company&lt;br /&gt;
:The backbone of an army, consisting of experienced troops and specialists. Your do-anything types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Elites&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Platoon&lt;br /&gt;
:Special forces and recon troops, armed with the best equipment. Your go-anywhere types.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Armor&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Practically speaking armor can consist of anything from well-organized columns of MBTs to armored hover SPGs to battlemechs or 20-meter tall plasma spitting bugs, even a trio cyborg tyrannosaurs with shoulder-mounted plasma chainguns. Good at breaking lines and defending clear, open terrain.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Mages&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Varies&lt;br /&gt;
:Psi-corps erasure squads, mystical martial artists or sorcerous cabals leading throngs of pleading thrall-mages or even singular elite mages of exceptional power. In addition to being able to one-person death squads, they also allow for the use of big-M magic in engagements and provide options in non-combat scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Special Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Superelites&#039;&#039;&#039; [Requires Kataphractoi]&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Squad&lt;br /&gt;
:These superhumans are rarely trained, but made, often raised from birth or put through such tortuous processes as all hints of their previous selves are erased. Armed with the very finest gear possible (often to the detriment of the rank and file), these posthuman (or alien) warriors are unparalleled in their ferocity, resilience and determination but must be used as the tip of the spear as part of a larger campaign.&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Aerospace&#039;&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
:Size: ~Flight&lt;br /&gt;
:Air units can supplement ground engagements. See naval rules for aerospace design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===== Combination Units =====&lt;br /&gt;
While simple ground units provide plenty of utility to the aspiring commander, thirty-six thousand years of doctrinal evolution has yielded all manner of designs over the years, from sophisticated mechanized infantry to mutant war psychics led by a telepathic commander, or even combined aerospace warmechs capable of functionning equally well in space as on land. Combination units combine any two or more units desired into a single template. The cost scales additively after the first combination however, so 3-unit combinations cost 4 times the FP, and 4-unit combinations cost 7 times as much, and so on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Example Combination Units:&lt;br /&gt;
* Terminators: [Superelites + Armor], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Airmechs: [Armor + Aerospace (Additional Drives)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Sorcerer Lord: [Superelites + Mages], Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Mobile Infantry: [Veterans + Aerospace (Armor)]: Cost 2 +1FP&lt;br /&gt;
* Necromancer: [Mage + Regulars]: Cost: 4FP&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Step 5: Finishing Touches ===&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Exhack</name></author>
	</entry>
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