After-War Lullaby

BNE 00

01:01 - The signing of the Final Armistice, ending political distinctions among the nation-states of Earth and space.

The end to two-hundred years of endless war which has devastated the Earth's ecology and society.

The beginning of the Brave New Era.

BNE 00

02:30 - The First Winter of Discontent, the remaining military forces of various nations on Earth and in the colonial regions declare resistance against the new government.

BNE 01

05:15 - The end of the First Winter of Discontent.

Mistreated, war-era espers band together in the service of the New Order and use the superweapons of the wars to destroy the resistance.

BNE 03

05:15 - The Edict of Fimbulwinter, the declaration that cryogenically frozen survivors from the wars leading up to the Final Armistice would remain so in permanence, to protect the Brave New Era.

All military forces are dismantled, except for a handful of loyal forces which were given political autonomy.

BNE 5

11:18 - Venus, Mars and the remote trojans of the Inner Orbits come under military control of the New Order.

BNE 12

07:11 - Espers largely come to dominate the military sphere and form their own realms within the Inner Orbits, becoming powers unto themselves called the Peers.

12:25 Catherine Formosa is born on Venus.

BNE 49

05:14 In the special autonomous city of Alta Regio, Formosa leads the Cytherea Convention which demands independence for Venus, claiming mismanagement by Earth and the destruction of Venusian culture as a means of control.

Widespread protests follow and the Venus independence movement is widely imitated elsewhere outside of the Zones d'Euterpe where the New Order administrates people's lives directly.

07:19 Formosa is put under house arrest by the New Order.

Days later she vanishes, but is presumed dead due evidence at the scene.

BNE 50

01:01 - Rebels stage an attack on a military museum, liberating numerous artifacts and cryopods from storage.

They proceed to awaken the Sleeping Giants, legendary heroes from before the Brave New Era, and declare the Second Winter of Discontent on the fiftieth anniversary of the Final Armistice.

Among the items stolen are also the Hræsvelgr, a winged ship from the very end of the war equipped with experimental research and nano-fabrication facilities.

Character Generation

Step by Step

Concept

Who were you before the war? Did you leave anyone behind?

Were you put into stasis as punishment? Did you have to be sealed away for medical reasons? Was your ship lost in space after some terrible battle?

How do you feel about the New Order? The world of mandatory happiness, where culture and identity are controlled to suit the needs of the vast bureaucratic state that controls society? The mismanagement of the uncontrollable periphery? The rise of Espers as the Peers, warrior-clans who enforce the will of the New Order?

Attributes

Assign 8 points between the five cardinal traits with one free in every rank. They are Force, Cunning, Finesse, Poise and Esper.

Spend points from cardinal traits on various talents.

Talents

Choose from a list of existing abilities, or request a new one.

Investing more ranks in a talent will increase the potency.

Some talents may allow the character to explore the research tree in the pre-game, improving the group's starting equipment.

Special Traits

Choose a Lucky Number. When this number is rolled, the character rerolls all die with it as their result and adds them to their total, repeating until no dice have their lucky number.

Choose a Favorable Position. When performing an action in their preferred circumstances, the character may reroll failures but must take the second result even if it is worse. This must be a somewhat specific situation with some sense of position, such as "frontal assault", "side flank", "death from above/below", "rear pursuit", "frantic defense", etc.

Attributes

Force

Force is the trait which defines the abilities of an aggressive, direct and relentless pilot. Frontal assaults are not automatically effective but a character with Force can make them work with their talent, not merely exercising power but also managing it skillfully. High-Force characters can press opponents into a corner and keep them there, wearing down their wits and stamina until they make a mistake, and thrive at the epicentre of large melees.

Force is used for:

• Any melee combat.
• Direct, frontal assaults.
• High-G evasive maneuvers and other speed-based defense.
• Direct social actions where charisma and force of personality are critical.

The archetype for Force is the Steamroller.

Cunning

Cunning is the trait which defines the skills of imagination, improvisation, deception and concealment. As the best laid plans of mice and men may go awry, intellect but also flexibility are necessary for gambits to pay off. High-Cunning pilots are tricksters of the highest sort, using terrain to outflank their enemies, tricks and gadgets to befuddle and misdirect. Although they may not have the most impressive skills, their wit is such that any encounter will be in the terms they have set and go as they please.

Cunning is used for:

• Surprise attacks and maneuvers on unwary or distracted targets.
• The use of countermeasures, EWar systems and disruptive weapons.
• Tactical retreats and other defenses that emphasize positioning, cover and line of sight.
• Deception, smooth-talking and manipulation.

The archetype for Cunning is the Bushwhacker.

Finesse

Finesse is the trait that defines precise gunnery, maneuvering and the knowledge and spatial sense needed to negotiate combat at extreme distances. Rather than depending on trickery and surprise to outflank and outmaneuver to defeat their opponents, high-Finesse characters simply remain far outside the normal range of combat and destroy the opposition with superior firepower and accuracy. When locked into singular combat, they have the ability to end it decisively before their opponent can put them on the defensive.

Finesse is used for:

• Any ranged combat.
• The use of sensors, C3 systems and indirect fire weapons such as missiles.
• Most technical work.
• Social actions where providing the correct information is critical.

The archetype for Finesse is the Sniper.

Poise

Poise is the trait which defines skilled defense, temperament and endurance in combat. Poised characters may not be the best at any singular aspect of piloting, but their balanced skills and steely wills allow them to bear the most grueling encounters alive. A high-Poise character will often spend combat on the defensive, pursued by an opponent at close range or locked into a long-range duel, holding on until the enemy makes a critical mistake they can quickly capitalize on.

Poise is used for:

• Any defense action or counterattack.
• Any physical action taken to protect a teammate.
• Resisting noxious or distracting effects such as injury, esper powers and ECM.
• Any social action where resilience, dignity and respect matter.

The archetype for Poise is the Plugger.

Esper

With the power to read minds and expand their consciousness beyond what the first five human senses, Espers were a new phenomenon at the beginning of the war. Appearing at a rate of around one in a million, they were regarded as oddities in most countries until a certain far-east country with a large population began collecting their Espers and training them to become psychic soldiers. A wealthier country an ocean away countered by effectively buying them out of pauper nations, finally resulting in an arms race between all the great powers of the world.

The emergence of Espers throughout the great war that proceeded the Brave New Era varied greatly due to their treatment. While some where able to have children and led to the rise of Esper political and military families most died young, used as the centerpieces of great superweapons and then discarded or allowed to die as the stepping-stones to the next innovation. Some powers even found taboo ways to artificially apply Esper factor to unborn children through in-utero treatments and more disastrously, techniques to do the same to adults who completely lacked the potential.

With the Brave New Era, many of the esper families have united under the banner of a handful of autonomous city-states across the New Order's territory, now known as the Peers.

Esper is used for:

• Using Esper powers.
• Operating mind-operated remote combat drones.
• Making use of enhanced mind-machine interfaces.

The archetype for Esper is the Lynx.

Derived Attributes

• Health is Poise + Esper.
• Duel Defense is (Force + Poise) x1.5.
• Brawl Defense is (Cunning + Poise) x1.5.
• Skirmish Defense is (Finesse + Poise) x1.5.
• Esper Resistance is Esperx2.

Talents

Universal/Generic

Talents with a * cost double, ** cost triple, etc.

Superior [Attribute] Combat

Adds +3 per rank to the results of all combat actions with the selected attribute.

Superior [Attribute] Social

Adds +5 per rank to the results all social actions with the selected attribute.

Improved Dueling

Adds +4 to the Duel defense. Can be repurchased up to (Force or Poise) times.

Improved Brawling

Adds +5 to the Brawl defense. Can be repurchased up to (Cunning or Poise) times.

Improved Skirmish

Adds +6 to the Skirmish defense. Can be repurchased up to (Finesse or Poise) times.

Dueling Master* (3 Ranks)

Requires 3+ ranks of Improved Dueling. In any Duel-range combat where a character has a Dueling Master trait, the character with the highest rating receives +5 defense per rank and all enemies with lower ratings receive -5 defense. Equal ranks cancel eachother out.

Brawling Master* (3 Ranks)

Requires 3+ ranks of Improved Brawling. In any Brawl-range combat where a character has a Brawling Master trait, the character with the highest rating receives +5 defense per rank and all enemies with lower ratings receive -5 defense. Equal ranks cancel eachother out.

Skirmish Master* (3 Ranks)

Requires 3+ ranks of Improved Skirmish. In any Skirmish-range combat where a character has a Skirmish Master trait, the character with the highest rating receives +5 defense per rank and all enemies with lower ratings receive -5 defense. Equal ranks cancel eachother out.

Bonus [Attribute] Reaction

Gives the character an additional reaction point for that attribute, can be used with any type already unlocked with talents.

Idol* (6 Ranks)

The Idol talent makes the character a superb propagandist, self-promoter or icon as part of their respective movement or organization. During downtime, an Idol character can undertake actions to mitigate the New Order's propaganda efforts against the rebellion and improve their reputation. Depending on the rank, the character may take different actions. Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Rank 1:

Rank 2:

Rank 3:

Rank 4:

Rank 5:

Rank 6:

Researcher* (6 Ranks)

Rank 1: Can choose research direction based on available materials instead of being random.

Rank 2: Research tree visibility extends one more after any available technologies.

Rank 3: Can make use of NPC or PC assistants with the Researcher talent, each one adding a 10% reduction to research time (maximum 50%). Additionally, can do non-exotic research without salvage or special materials.

Rank 4: Can research any visible technology while ignoring prerequisites at a cost of research taking 50% longer.

Rank 5: Research tree visibility extends three more points (includes Rank 2 bonus).

Rank 6: Can engage in two projects at once, and ignore requirements for exotic materials for all research.

Financier* (6 Ranks)

Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Rank 1:

Rank 2:

Rank 3:

Rank 4:

Rank 5:

Rank 6:

Scavenger* (6 Ranks)

Depending on the rank, the character may take different actions. Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Rank 1:

Rank 2:

Rank 3:

Rank 4:

Rank 5:

Rank 6:

Technician* (6 Ranks)

Depending on the rank, the character may take different actions. Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Rank 1: Personal vehicle is always supplied and repaired as long as group supply minimums are met.

Rank 2: Whole unit's vehicles are always supplied and repaired as long as the group's supply minimums are met.

Rank 3: Personal vehicle is automatically equipped with chosen equipment after one maintenance cycle, as long as the expense for gear is paid in materials or money. Additionally, personal unit gains +10% internal and +25% internal spaces.

Rank 4: Whole unit's vehicles are automatically equipped with chosen equipment after one maintenance cycle, as long as the expense for gear is paid in materials or money. Additionally, personal unit gains +25% power capacity.

Rank 5: Build projects are 50% cheaper in materials. Projects which do not incorporate exotic materials are double-yield.

Rank 6: All build projects are double-yield regardless of materials, and projects which consume downtime actions to complete (vehicle construction) take 50% less time.

Vitality (2 Ranks)

Rank 1: Character gains one extra health point, and regenerates health every combat refresh interval.

Rank 2: Adds another attribute dependency of the player's choice to the Health pool, can be any of the attributes besides Poise and Esper.

Force

Harass

(Reaction) When in Duel range, the character can expend a reaction to attack a target which has committed an action besides attacking them in melee or has successfully disengaged from combat.

Counterattack

(Reaction) Requires Harass. When attacked in Duel range by a melee or ranged attack, the character may spend reaction to make a melee attack after the opponent's attack has resolved. This does not cancel the results of the original attack, but may be executed if the opponent's attack has been interrupted by other effects such as Riposte or Supporting Fire.

Riposte*

(Reaction) Requires Counterattack. When attacked in Duel range by a melee or ranged attack, the character may spend a reaction to make an roll of the character's melee versus the opponent's rolled attack. On a success, the character makes the opponent's attack fail and hits with their net successes.

Martial Arts* (6 Ranks)

The character is especially skilled at melee combat, having mastered the arts of a particular school of martial combat and then their application to mechanized warfare. Unlike other traits higher-rating martial arts negate lower rank, so a character only gains the benefits if attacking a character with a lower or no rating. Depending on the rank, the character may take different actions. Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Rank 1: Add +(Force rating) to melee accuracy and subtract it from enemy defense.

Rank 2: Subtract -(Force rating) from the opponent's melee accuracy and add it to the character's Duel defense.

Rank 3: Melee attacks can be downgraded by one level (crit>hit>graze) to instead apply net successes as a negative modifier to the opponent's next action.

Rank 4: Melee attacks resolve their accuracy against a given target twice, taking the better result.

Rank 5: Increase the severity of melee attacks by one.

Rank 6: Melee attacks resolve their damage against a given target twice, three times if a critical.

Charge* (2 Ranks)

Melee attacks can be made at Brawl range at a -5 hit penalty. The character is placed at Duel range to the target after attacking, but can reposition to any point in Brawl or Duel range at Rank 2.

Reckless Charge ** (2 Ranks)

Melee attacks can be made from Skirmish range at a -10 penalty to the attack roll. The character is placed at Duel range to the target after attacking, but can reposition to any point in Brawl or Duel range at Rank 2.

Aggressive Attacker**

The character's effective Duel range is increased by one hex, for the purposes of making melee attacks or using reactions.

Flurry** (2 Ranks)

Requires 3+ ranks invested in Force talents, second rank requires 6+. Make an additional melee attack at no penalty, either on the same target or a second within Duel.

Berserker's Fury***

Requires Flurry and 10+ ranks invested in Force talents. Melee attacks and reactions strike all targets in Duel range. However, all targets apply their defenses separately and all hits on opponents other than the main target have the hit severity reduced one category (crit>hit>graze>miss).

Cunning

Hard Target (3 Ranks)

Every hex a character moves in combat subtracts -1 from the attack roll of the first Duel-range attack at them that round. A repurchase allows this to apply to Brawl attacks. A third applies this to Skirmish.

Take Cover

(Reaction) When the subject of a non-melee attack and within standard movement range of a cover object such as a ship, space debris, asteroids or a structure, the character rolls Cunning and adds the result to the relevant defense. On a successful defense, the attack is negated and the character makes a full movement.

Human Shield

(Reaction) Requires Take Cover. When the subject of an attack and within standard movement range of a hostile enemy, the character may spend a reaction and roll Cunning, adding the result to the relevant defense. On a successful defense, the attack is instead redirected against the enemy used as cover and resolved again. Melee attacks can be defended against with Human Shield, but instead requires a successful melee attack (rolled with Force or Cunning) to grapple the cover target to interpose them. When used to defend against groups of enemies or massed, each additional enemy or salvo adds a penalty of -3 to the defense or melee roll.

Redirection*

(Reaction) Requires Human Shield.

Special Operations* (6 Ranks)

Higher ranks can take the actions of lower tiers.

Shot on the Run* (2 Ranks)

Move 1 hex per rank after attacking in Duel or Brawl range, automatically succeeding on a Disengage action.

Elusive Attacker** (2 Ranks)

Making a melee attack on a character already engaged by an ally makes the attack count as a sneak attack, upgrading the hit one level (graze>hit>critical) if it succeeds and halving the character's static defense values before resolution. Rolled defenses from reactions can still protect against this action. The second rank extends this to ranged attacks in Duel or Brawl range.

Wild Weasel**

(Reaction) When an opposing unit successfully passes a sensors test and detects the character while they were concealed, they are immediately made aware of it. If they spend a reaction, they may make a standard ranged attack against the unit that located them which resolves normally and then roll again to reestablish stealth.

Hide in the Horizon***

Finesse

Reaction Fire

Overwatch

Suppress*

Marksmanship* (6 Ranks)

Sensors Operations* (3 Ranks)

Sniper* (2 Ranks)

Spotter* (2 Ranks)

Weakpoints**

Double-Tap** (2 Ranks)

Alpha Strike***

Poise

Evasion

Defensive Posture

Flash Parry*

Vanguard* (6 Ranks)

Sentinel*

Emergency Override** (2 Ranks)

The character's unit receives an additional 5 'phantom' health points which allow it to continue functioning even if critically damaged- but the unit will be unsalvageable if these points are lost. A second rank requires 7+ points invested in Poise talents and increases the phantom health points to 15. Additionally, successfully ejecting from the unit is penalized by the amount of phantom health points sustained.

Ready Defender**

Requires 3+ ranks in Poise talents. A character's pool for poise reactions is doubled and Sentinel no longer requires spending both the standard reaction type and Poise- instead the character may spend one or the other if they defend others.

Feint Trap**

Successfully defending allows the character to immediately make a ranged or melee attack against the original attacker. Counterattacks made this way can be rolled with Poise instead of the normal attribute.

Last Dance***

If the character is incapacitated or their unit is critically damaged, the character may make any single action as though they were at full health and reactions. This action automatically succeeds as a critical, although it may be evaded or resisted with reactions. If the character's unit was destroyed and they are still in a state where they may act, they may still attempt an ejection roll.

Rules

Combat

Combat in After-War Lullaby runs round-by-round on a hexagonal grid which defines the scale of distances and areas of effect, altitude/height/depth abstracted. Initiative is set by commanders (with the appropriate generic talent), with all non-commander characters acting simultaneously or in voluntary order on their commander's turn.

Summary

Commanders roll Initiative (pool of Cunning + Poise + Commander rating), subtracting -5 for each additional character following the commander's orders over their limit.

Commanders act in order of their results, with all subordinate characters acting simultaneously.

Each commander's action counts as a round.

Independent units roll their Initiative separately (without a commander bonus). Their action does not count as a round but otherwise falls in the normal order, though they may choose to act after their own initiative up to the end of the initiative queue.

Combat last 8 rounds, and then initiative is re-rolled and the field is adjusted.

Attacking is made by rolling the appropriate cardinal trait (Power for melee attacks, Cunning for sneak attacks, etc).

The character rolls their relevant pool and tallies points, comparing the result versus the character's defense value.

An attack's margin of success determines the damage inflicted.

A success of <7 is a graze, dealing minimal damage.

A success of 7 to 20 is a success which inflicts regular damage.

A success of 21+ is a critical, which deals either double base damage or ignores the target's armor (player choice).

Reactions can be made only at their valid trigger.

If a reaction can be made in response to attack as a defense, it must be declared before the attack is rolled and resolved.

Game Information

Characters

PCs

Aletta de'Van-XII

Concept: Before the final war, Aletta de'Van was a minor scion of the orbital de'Van family, and heir to the vast resources of its social wealth and the huge stores of favours it had built up with other orbital houses and various groundlings and deepers. More physically inclined but still media savvy and with a growing Esper talent de'Van parleyed her rep into a backing for various advanced racing and gladiator combat frames before the war, and a series of advanced augmentations which enhanced her latent ability. When the final war begun, patriotism saw Aletta join up with the orbital guards, where her long experience in frames saw her quickly becomes one of their top aces, nicknamed the Red Knight for the distinctive markings on her suit.

Fighting on through the eternal war and multiple different cloned incarnations, Aletta was killed a number of times, but always enough of her off site backups and hardened survival implants survived for another version of her to be quickened. As the fighting went on and the initial reasons for war grew more and more distant, Alette grew more and more disillusioned with the military. By the wars end, she was the Orbital Guards highest scoring ace, and a shadow of her former self.

When the military rose against the Final Armistice, Aletta fought against them without hesitation, joining fully in their suppression. In the last battle of this war her frame was crippled and she went into stasis, hoping to wake in a brighter future. She did not. Instead she awoke in the dystopian new order, a world far worse than she could have imagined. Aletta fights now because of guilt. Guilt at the world she helped create, and survivors guilt for living where so many others did not.

Force 3

Cunning 2

Finesse 2

Poise 4

Esper 2

Lucky number: 8

Favorite Position: In the middle of the enemy formation