House Rules and Tweaks

5) Hit Points - PCs start with maximum hit points at level 1. Each subsequent level players have the option of rolling and adding the next hit die or re-rolling all hit dice and using the higher of the new total or the old total.

6) Alignment - Broadly speaking, Law is an affinity for order, structure and civilization. Chaos is associated with anarchy and disregard or dislike for civilization and law. Neutral is self-interest. The PCs should be Lawful or Neutral.

7) Skills - I'm removing the Piloting skill; my reasoning is that when piloting a ship, the computer is doing all the heavy lifting...you just tell the computer where you want to go.

Repair and Science start at 0% for Fighters, Clerics and Magic-users.

Weapon Systems starts at 0% for Fighters and is unavailable for Clerics and Magic-users.

Spacers start with 15% Repair, 10% Science and 5% Weapon Systems.

Intelligence modifies Science. Technology modifies Repair and Weapon Systems.

8) Experience:
- 100 XP per HD of creature killed or overcome, divided between the party
- 1 XP per GP spent; doesn't matter what you spend it on
- 100 XP per star system surveyed; every character in the party gets this amount
- 100 XP per planet surveyed; every character in the party gets this amount

So, early on, there's a strong incentive to go out and explore the galaxy.

9) Religion - It's a big, big galaxy out there, filled with a lot of different people holding a lot of different beliefs and value systems. Therefore, I'm not even going to try to create a pantheon. Player's of clerics are free to come up with their own deity. A dissertation isn't required; a few sentences on the beliefs and proscriptions of the deity will suffice.

10) The Spacing Guild - The Spacing Guild is about the only thing left resembling an interstellar organization. Born from the remnants of the Imperial Spacing Authority, the Guild claims to act in the interest of promoting interstellar trade and starship safety.

It's closer to the truth to say the the Spacing Guild is more like an organized criminal organization running a massive protection racket. The Guild claims ownership of all FTL capable ships. Anyone wishing to operate a ship in known space must, at least theoretically, pay them a monthly fee to lease a starship. The lease is typically 2% of the ship's total cost. Leases may be paid in advanced as well, if you anticipate being out of contact for a while.

Of course, as with any criminal racket, the weakest are the most heavily impacted. Most pocket empires and technologically advanced worlds can effectively ignore the Guild's policy with little repercussion. It's the small time operators (like the PCs) who get stuck paying the bills.

Mind you, you don't have to give the Guild its geld. But if you don't, every other Guild member in good standing is 'legally' authorized to attack you on sight and 'repossess' your ship in the name of the Guild. There are 'repo men' who specialize in this type of work.

The Guild also provides services to its members, such as job placement, transport scheduling, training, space charts and so forth. They also pay a bounty on salvaged and 'repossessed' ships, and are usually in the market for star system and planetary survey data (but then, lots of people are).

11) Supply Points - Instead of purchasing and tracking many individual pieces of adventuring equipment, you purchase abstract 'supply points.' Each supply point costs 5 GP and weights 1 lb.

When you need a piece of equipment, the item is 'in play' and you subtract a supply point. That item stays 'in play' as long as you're in the same area/encounter/dungeon, but as soon as you leave, the item is 'gone' (it was left behind, lost, broken or whatever). Of course, consumable items, such as rations or holy water, are consumed right away.

The cost and weight of supply points is assumed to average out over time. For example, using a supply point for your day's rations is grossly expensive at 5 GP, but this will average out when you pull out a length of mono-rope, grav manacles or some other piece of expensive equipment.

Supply points are not used for weapons, armor, vehicles, grenades or rockets.

This leads into the second abstract rule...

12) Ammo Levels - I'm sort of borrowing this concept from Barbarians of the Aftermath and a few other places. Instead of tracking every last bullet and laser shot, ammo consumption is tracked through abstracted 'ammo levels.' The characters are assumed to have plenty of magazines and power cells tucked into belts and bandoleers, within easy reach.

Characters start at Full Ammo. When a sufficiently low roll is made on the attack die (d20), the character goes from Full Ammo to Low Ammo; when a low roll is made again on the attack die, the character goes from Low Ammo to Out of Ammo.

At this point, the player may expend a supply point, and a combat round, to bring their character back up to Full Ammo (actually, this may be done at Low Ammo level as well, if desired). This represents the character digging out extra mags/power cells from a backpack or satchel.

Standard fire = d20 roll of 1 to reduce ammo level
Burst fire/lasers weapons = d20 roll of 1 or 2 to reduce ammo level
Suppression fire/plasma gun/grav rifle/phase lance = d20 roll of 1, 2, or 3 to reduce ammo level

Flamers do not use this system, each fuel tank having 6 shots (easy enough to track), though replacing a spent fuel tank would consume a supply point.

Also, the DM has some discretion in a situation where you just reloaded and then have the misfortune of rolling a 1 on your next attack. In such a situation, I might rule that a weapon jam or misfire occurs, or maybe just rule it as a normal miss.

Combat Houserules

Binding Wounds - Once after each combat, if your character took any damage you may bind wounds to recover 1d3 hit points. A first aid kit adds +1 to this rule; and advanced medkit adds +2. Binding wounds takes 1 turn.

Character Death - Characters reduced to 0 hit points are unconscious or incapacitated. Characters reduced below their level in negative hit points are killed (i.e. a 1st level character reduced to -2 hit points dies).

Primitive Armor - In most cases, primitive armor provides no protection against modern or advanced weaponry. Treat as base AC 10, plus Dexterity modifier. An exception is Leather armor, which provides its AC bonus against Phase weapons.

Shields Will Be Shattered - After damage is rolled for an attack, a player may sacrifice their hand-held shield to negate the attack. Note that this only works against primitive weaponry and creature attacks, not modern or advanced weaponry.

Shields Collapsing - A variation of the above rule for shield generators. A shield generator may be sacrificed to take the brunt on an attack from any kind of weapon, excepting only Phase weapons. A repair roll is required to get the shield working again. This rule may also be used in space combat, if desired.

Dual Wield - One hand melee weapons and pistols may be dual wielded. This grants a +1 bonus on the attack roll.

Zero-G Movement and Combat - Movement in Zero-G is halved (excepting Spacers) and all characters suffer a -2 on attack rolls in combat (again, excepting Spacers).

Firearms - Do not function in a vacuum, underwater or in the absence of oxygen. In some hazardous atmospheres, discharging a firearm can be quite...explosive.

Burst Fire - Assault Rifles, Combat Shotguns and Machineguns may fire in bursts. A burst consumes more ammo, but adds +1d6 bonus to the attack roll (so, a d20+d6 is rolled for an attack). Bursts increase the chance of inflicting a hit, but not the amount of damage inflicted.

Suppression Fire - Machineguns may conduct suppression fire, affecting a 10'x10' area. This consumes a large amount of ammunition. Make a single burst style attack roll (d20+d6) and compare the result to the AC of everyone in the area of effect; those hit take a d6 damage. Also, a morale check is made; those failing immediately go diving for cover (PCs are not required to make a morale check).

Area Effect Weapons - The RPG launcher and hand grenades have an area effect. The attack roll is made against the general area (AC 10). If the attack hits, everyone within the area of effect gets a saving throw (modified by DEX) to avoid the damage. If the attack misses, it scatters and could wind up somewhere you don't want it to go.

Plasma Gun - If a 5 or 6 is rolled on the damage die, roll again and add to the first result. Keep re-rolling and adding as long as a 5 or 6 is rolled.

Grav Weapons - Grav Rifles and Hammers inflict a knockback effect if a 6 is rolled on the damage die. Treat this as the equivalent of falling approximately 10' (thus, another 1d6 damage is added to the result). At least a full round is required to recover from the knockback attack. Large creatures may receive a save to avoid the effect (at the DM's discretion).

Fire Damage - Molotovs, flamers and plasma grenades inflict additional fire damage over time. Roll 1d6 each combat round to determine damage inflicted. If a '1' is rolled, the fire burns out or is extinguished and no further damage is inflicted. Someone on fire may also spend an action to 'stop, drop and roll' to extinguish the flames.

Phase Weapons - Phase Lances and Phase Swords ignore artificial armor and most shield generators (treat as AC 10, plus DEX modifier). Leather armor still provides its AC bonus. Phase Shield Generators stop phase weapons completely (no attack roll permitted).

Mi'go Blaster - A pistol-like weapon that has an internal, self-charging power cell. When the attack roll comes up '1', the cell is depleted and requires a few hours to recharge.

Needle Pistol - A small, easily concealed pistol that fires darts. The dart itself only inflicts a single point of damage, but they are usually coated with a paralytic or lethal poison, requiring a saving throw to avoid. These weapons are associated with the criminal underworld and assassins, so being caught with one can lead to...misunderstandings.

Just a few rules questions..

Can modern armour stack with cyborg armour? Eg combat armour (+5) with cyborg armour (+6) for total +11?

Do shield generators use up one hand in combat?

Does +1 with advanced tech weapons for Technology attribute apply to hit only, or to damage as well?