Working on Space & Wizardry

[simonw]

This game is basically Swords & Wizardry in a space opera-type setting. There are familiar fantasy races, such as Dwarves, Elves and Orcs. Some of these races are alien, such as the Elves, some are genetically modified humans, such as Dwarves. Others, like Orcs have uncertain origins. They could be an alien race but they might have been bred for warfare. Certainly no home planet has ever been found and no young ever encountered.

Classes are Deacons, Fighters, Space Rats, Mages, Dwarves and Elves.

Here are Deacons:

THE DEACON
The Deacon is a miracle-working fighter-healer who uses the “powers of faith” to restore the sick and the injured and to protect and enhance. These powers are what we would call psychic gifts, which have been honed over many years by the Church and kept secret from common folk. Most ordinary citizens view Deacons with the same degree of awe as ancient civilizations viewed their priests and shamans.

Deacons belong to a Guild where they learn their secret medicines and techniques, which are not to be revealed to anyone from outside the Guild. The Guild Masters rigidly apply these rules and will send their enforcers out to deal with anyone found guilty of passing on Guild secrets.

Table 4: Deacon Advancement

Level HD (d8) To Hit Bonus Deacon spells by level
1 1 +0 - - - - -
2 2 +1 1 - - - -
3 3 +1 2 - - - -
4 4 +2 2 1 - - -
5 5 +3 2 2 1 - -
6 6 +3 2 2 1 1 -
7 7 +4 2 2 2 1 1
8 8 +5 2 2 2 2 2
9 8+2 +5 3 3 3 2 2
10 8+4 +6 3 3 3 3 3

Deacon Class Abilities
Weapons: Whilst not as highly combat trained or experienced as a Fighter, the Deacon is a combat medic and therefore has some basic skill in weapons and armour. As such, they may use all types of armour as well as simple weapons.

Saving Throw: Deacons receive a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. poisons and paralysis.

Healing Hands: A Deacon can cure 2 HP per level per day by the power of mind (faith) alone.

Spells: Deacons cast spells per the table above.

Deacon Spells are from the Cleric spell list, with a few changes for space-adventuring.

[simonw]

Here are Dwarves:

THE DWARF
Dwarves are genetically modified humans. Sometime in the dim-distant past, at the dawn of the space age, mankind commenced a scientific breeding program to adapt people for life in the harsh environments they found out in the stars. Some of these failed miserably and others worked. Amongst the most successful were the Dwarves, so called because they resembled the squat, thick-bearded dwarves of folk tales back on Earth.

These Dwarves were bred to work on asteroid mines and in other harsh places, where their short but powerful physiques enabled them to flourish. Dwarves have adapted well to the stars. The conditions of sunless confinement and the kind of pumped-in, stale air you find on starships, space stations, and remote outposts suits their metabolisms perfectly.

Some of the most wealthy and ambitious dwarves have claimed entire planetoids for themselves, burrowing their tunnel fortresses deep into the rock.

Dwarves love machinery (the bigger the better) and especially they love working with stone and metal. They are excellent craftsmen and metallurgists as well as being the best miners and prospectors in the known universe. They are however gruff and taciturn, though this isn’t because they are necessarily unfriendly it’s just that they think why use five words when one will do.

Table 7: Dwarf Advancement

Level XP HD (d10) To Hit Bonus
1 0 1 +1
2 1100 2 +2
3 3300 3 +3
4 6600 4 +4
5 11000 5 +5
6 16500 6 +6
7 23200 7 +7
8 30800 8 +8
9 39600 9 +9
10 49500 10 +10

Dwarf Class Abilities
Attributes: Dwarves receive +1 to their CON. However, they receive -1 to CHA.

Weapons: Dwarves can wear any armour and use any weapons.

Saving Throw: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. death and poisons. Dwarves also have a +4 on saving throws against any magic and radiation.

Gravity Sense (WIS): Dwarves are especially sensitive to gravity. With a simple ST, they can tell exactly what the local gravity is. With a similar ST dwarves can tell the direction of the strongest gravitational pull affecting them at any given time, even in the dead of space.

Infravision: Dwarves eyes have been adapted to be able to see normally as well as into the infrared spectrum. So they can see the heat signatures of as varying shades of yellow through orange and up to red. They can switch freely between normal vision and infravision.

Stone & Metal (WIS): Dwarves easily takes note of certain features of stone and metal work: sloping corridors, moving walls, and traps made of stone, iron, alluminium, steel or any other metal (in particular: falling blocks, rigged ceilings, pressure plates and tiny arrow slits designed to release poison gas or darts). They always know which direction they are facing and how far it is to the surface when underground.

Weapon Specialist: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to hit and damage using one type of weapon, chosen at outset (see the equipment section).

[simonw]

The basis of the gaming comes from The Dark Zone (the “Zone”) - a vast expanse of space where there was some huge space battle several millenia ago leaving vast city-sized (and rumours say, planet-sized) space wrecks just hanging there in the void, waiting to be explored and plundered.

The Zone is at the far edges of the frontier (I envisage a wild west “gold rush” feel) where lawlessness rules and adventurers, outlaws, prospectors, miners, traders and outcasts gather to make their fortunes or die trying. It is rough and dangerous but the rewards can be great.

[legopaidi]

It looks nice. I have enjoyed every single of your S&W based games in the past especially Woodland Warriors

[wulfgar22]

Mar 5, 2013 4:00:05 GMT -6 legopaidi said:

It looks nice. I have enjoyed every single of your S&W based games in the past especially Woodland Warriors

+1 and ditto