The Campaign Builder's Guild

Special Items of note.

Any items colored Green are given to the PCs free of charge.

Omni-Tools: Omni-Tools incorporate the rules for Datapads, Audiorecorders, Videorecorders and Toolkits.

Medi-Gel Pack: Medi-Gel packs work slightly differently than normal Medkits. To use a Medi-Gel Pack, make a DC 10 Treat Injury Check as a Swift Action. If successful, the Medi-Gel can be used to either heal your character for 1d4+4 Damage or move your character +1 up on the condition track. You can only use 1 Medi-Gel Pack per encounter. Omni-Tool devices can store 2 Packs.

Kinetic Barrier/Shields: Shields grant the user X Shield Rating to their user. Shields act as a buffer between yourself and damage. The PCs begin with shields that grant SR 5. Note, the shields given to the PCs only require a DC 10 Mechanics check to recharge.

I wouldn't be concerned about making a Salarian too much like Mordin because I seee all Salarians like him, even though the way he acts does make sense for the race. It's because of how much I like Mordin. He is, without question, my favorite Mass Effect character.

Well, if you don't mind, I'll step up and take a spot to fill out the ranks more.

...Once I can get my hands on some Saga material and see what I have to work with. Hard to say, given my lack of familiarity with the system.

I do recall having a good time running an Officer with some scary social skills in the Pre-Saga days. That may be worth looking into (as well as the Kushiban Jedi. Damn that was fun).

Quote from: Ninja D!I wouldn't be concerned about making a Salarian too much like Mordin because I seee all Salarians like him, even though the way he acts does make sense for the race. It's because of how much I like Mordin. He is, without question, my favorite Mass Effect character.

I see, you're more worried about aping him because you love him so much rather than unintentionally doing so because he's one of the few frames of reference for the race.

Quote from: CoyoteCamouflageWell, if you don't mind, I'll step up and take a spot to fill out the ranks more.

...Once I can get my hands on some Saga material and see what I have to work with. Hard to say, given my lack of familiarity with the system.

I do recall having a good time running an Officer with some scary social skills in the Pre-Saga days. That may be worth looking into (as well as the Kushiban Jedi. Damn that was fun).

The Saga Edition ruleset is very simple. Its a lot like other d20 systems. The big difference being classes (which are all 20 levels with talents and feats, like d20 modern), saves are gone in favor of a static Defenses, the elimination of AC and the use of the Reflex Defense, the standardization of the actions (Standard, Move and Swift, and the ability to trade longer actions for shorter actions (i.e. trade a Move Action to gain a second Swift, trade a Standard to gain an extra move, trade a standard and a move for 2 extra swifts, etc.)), a new skill list that streamlines d20 a bit (less skills that individually do more)... That's about it. Its a very easy system, if you know d20, you won't have any trouble transitioning. :)

Quote from: Elemental_ElfI see, you're more worried about aping him because you love him so much rather than unintentionally doing so because he's one of the few frames of reference for the race.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Are we doing anything for tech powers? Maybe similar to force powers but requiring a Use Computer check to work? Or nothing at all?

I'm still going to read through the codex entries for the different races and see if something really jumps out at me but I have three ideas at the moment. I'll put them here so I don't forget, anyway, but it would be great if anyone else had feedback on them (such as what would be good for the group or they would most like to play with).

1. A Salarian commando. He's related to Mordin, though they're not personally close. That makes sense because of how Salarians handle breeding and because Mordin mentions a nephew which tells us he has at least one sibling with at least one child. That also would explain why this individual is as exceptional as they are to even be considered for Specter status as well as explain away and similarities to Mordin that creep into the character. This Salarian has always been very gifted. He intended to join the Special Tasks Group but was at first rejected. A short time later, he somehow proved himself in a very public way and now the STG wants him but he's moved on, claiming to have set his sights higher. Now he wants to be a Specter and do good for the whole of the galactic community, not just his own race. He is being considered only after breaking into the council chamber (which is very heavily guarded, making this difficult to do) and flat out asking to be made a Specter. Hyperactive, tough, and smart but unusually cocky for a Salarian. He's damn good and he knows it.

2. A Quarian that was raised to be a Specter. I'm assuming that there aren't a lot of Quarian Specters since they're usually focused on the Migrant Fleet and are usually trained very well in only one area, thus lacking the generalist sort of skill set expected of Specters. This individual, however, was trained in many different areas growing up. He has applied to become a Specter because he was ordered to do so by the Admiralty Board. This assignment is to take the place of his Pilgrimage as well as his career. He resents being sent away to serve the Council (in a role he sees as little better than assassin or errand boy) and would rather use his unique skills to serve only the Migrant Fleet. Being a good and obedient Quarian, however, he obeys the Admiralty Board.

3. A Volus with something to prove. I figure if there have been Volus Specters at all in the past, they have been few and far between. This particular Volus is extra bitter about the way his race is viewed and treated by the rest of the galactic community. He thinks that the Council discriminates against his people. He is very skilled in combat by Volus standards...which means very little, when compared to most races. However, he is clever, charismatic when he chooses to be (again, by Volus standards), and good with tech. He seeks to become a Specter to prove that a Volus can be a good Specter. In this, he does think a bit more in terms of "for the greater good" than most Volus.

All three characters look very interesting to me.  As the Quarians aren't even considered a Citadel race though - unlike humans, turians, elcor, asari, salarians, hanar, and volus - would it even be possible for them legally to become a Spectre?  Maybe some kind of new experiment designed to improve relations between the Citadel and the Fleet...

EDIT: Glad you're onboard, Coyote!

Ah, I guess I didn't realize that. You're right, they don't carry normal relations with the Citadel. I guess I'm not positive if there are supposed to be restrictions on that or not.

Specters can be drawn from any race but primarily from Council Races.

Thanks, Steer!

@Quarians: My ME knowledge is not very robust aside from material directly addressed in the games, but I thought that most Specters were chosen from the ranks of those who had already proven themselves numerous times through the course of their own personal careers. While I don't think a Quarian being a Specter is necessarily a no-no, I do think it would take some major balls to go ahead and earn the props that it would take to be considered in the first place-- much more than the aspirants from the Citadel races, never mind the Council races. In this case, I think the 'Rule of Cool' should be applied. If you can be bad-ass enough to deserve it, you should have it. Still, playing a Specter aspirant could essentially function the same way, just without the official title.

@Character: Alright, here's a brief concept of what I'm working on.

Human Noble (Starting with Master of Intrigue Talents, Galaxy of Intrigue, Pg. 20).

Considering a former Naval Officer type character who used to work with the Alliance, but was made a scapegoat by incompetent superiors and dishonorably discharged under suspicion of gross negligence that led to the damage of a heavy cruiser and the deaths of numerous crewmen during a training exercise. Lacking any obvious work, he's mostly been using his talents as a spokesman or charlatan, doing whatever his skills can earn him. Despite his military officer training, he favors guile, misdirection, and manipulation much more than traditional military values-- values, he hastens to add, that did humanity little good during the First Contact War with the Turians.

Hates both Cerberus and the Alliance with a passion: the former is little more than radical fanatical terrorists, and the latter is run by pompous, inbred morons who lack both neurons and the necessary equipment to taint the gene pool by siring any offspring. His opinion of humanity outside these two examples, however, is quite bright and pleasant, if not tempered by rational thought and reason. He genuinely believes that Humanity asserting itself and becoming a Council race may lead to a beneficial exchange of culture. Begrudgingly, he admires the Turian military discipline, and hopes that such discipline-- and more cultural benefits-- could be a result of humanity becoming more involved with the other races of the Citadel.

Except for Batarians. To hell with them.

Yet Humanity has plenty of selling points, in his mind, between crafting worlds such as Eden Prime (the Geth were hardly expected, and with Sovereign there, would any system defense fleet have really mattered?) and ____ (the "Human Illium" from the Kasumi DLC. I forget its name, and I'm too lazy to check it right now). Expect both a Pro-Human and Pro-Alien mix as far as his interactions with others. Unless its Alliance Military, then they go have fun sticking torpedoes up their arses.

Subject to some alteration, of course, if something feels out of place or as a logical addition once he becomes a fully-fledged character.

[ooc]Ok, I am in class right now but decided to write up some Biotic and Tech powers. [/ooc]

[note]Two new feats:

Tech Training: Works exactly like Force Training save for the fact that it uses Intelligence instead of Wisdom. The feat also grants Training in Use Tech.

Biotic Training: Works exactly like Force Training save for the fact that it uses Charisma instead of Wisdom. The feat also grants Training in Use Biotics.


Two New Skills:

- Use Tech (INT)
- Use Biotics (CHA) [/note]




TECH:


Overload:
Utilize Tech powers to destroy an enemy's shields and/or a synthetic.
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: Single target that has shields or is synthetic within 6 squares.
- Effect: Make a Use Tech check. The result determines how much damage the attack does to an enemy's shields. If a Synthetic life form is the target, Overload deals damage to the creature's shields first.

DC 15: Deals 2d6 points of damage
DC 20: Deals 4d6 points of damage
DC 25: Deals 6d6 points of damage
DC 30: Deals 8d6 points of damage
DC 35: Deals 10d6 points of damage


Cyro Blast
Utilize your Omni-Tool to shoot a blast of frigid particles to freeze enemies.
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One target within 6 squares
- Effect: Make a Use Tech Check. Compare result to the Target's Fortitude Defense. If successful, the target is frozen (Can't take any actions) until the start of your next turn. For every 5 points you beat the targets fort defense by, the target is frozen for an additional turn (max 5 turns).


AI Hacking
Using Tech, you can temporarily take control of an enemy synthetic
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One Synthetic within 6 squares
- Effect: Make a Use Tech check. If the check exceeds the Will Defense of the target, you may take control of that creature until the start of your next turn. For every 5 points you exceed the target's will defense by, you may control the target for an additional turn (max 5 turns).


Combat Drone
Using Tech, you create a small drone to aid you in combat
- Time: 1 Swift action.
- Target: None
- Effect: Make a Use Tech check. The check determines the abilities of the Combat Drone generated. Every Drone has 10 + 1/level hit points. Each Drone has the following abilities: Strength 1, Dexterity 12, and Intelligence 10. Drones do not have a Constitution, Wisdom or Charisma score. Every Drone comes equipped with a gun that deals 1d4 damage. You can only have 1 Drone out at a time. You may move the drone as a free action and command it to fire as a swift.

DC 15: The Drone gains 5 hit points and deals 1d6 points of damage
DC 20: The Drone gains 10 hit points and deals 1d8 points of damage
DC 20: The Drone gains 15 hit points and deals 1d10 points of damage
DC 25: The Drone gains 20 hit points and deals 1d12 points of damage
DC 30: The Drone gains 25 hit points and deals 2d8 points of damage
DC 35: The Drone gains 30 hit points and deals 2d10 points of damage


Tech Armor
Using tech, you generate a protective suit of body armor
- Time: 1 Swift Action
- Target: Self
- Effect: Make a Use Tech check. The check determines the strength of the tech armor. The Tech Armor begins at SR 5. The Armor persists until either depleted or the end of the encounter. Tech Armor does not stack with a character's normal Sheilds. When the Tech Armor is depleted, it violently explodes, staggering nearby enemies.  The Use Tech check made to generate the armor is compared to the Reflex Defense of all enemies within 2 squares. All enemies affected by the explosion move -1 down the condition track.

DC 10: The Tech Armor generates +2 SR
DC 20: The Tech Armor generates +6 SR
DC 30: The Tech Armor generates +10 SR



BIOTIC


Lift
Utilize your biotic powers to lift an object or creature up to 6 squares off the ground.
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One character or object within 6 squares.
-  Effect: Make a Biotics Check. The result of the check determines the maximum size of the target you can lift. If a target resists your attempt, your check must also exceed the target's will defense. The effect of Lift raises the target directly up into the air. If the lifted target collides with an object (such as a ceiling) then it takes damage determined by your Biotics Check. The target stays suspended in the air until either dead or the beginning of your next turn.

DC 10: Lift Object up to Small Size (1d6 points of damage)
DC 15: Lift Object up to Medium Size (deals 2d6 points of damage)
DC 20: Lift Object up to Large Size (deals 4d6 points of damage)
DC 25: Lift Object up to Huge Size (deals 6d6 points of damage)
DC 30: Lift Object up to Gargantuan Size (deals 8d6 points of damage)
DC 35: Lift Object up to Colossal Size (deals 10d6 points of damage)


Pull
Utilize your biotic powers to pull an object or creature towards you
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One character or object within 6 squares.
-  Effect: Make a Biotics Check. The result of the check determines the maximum size of the target you can pull as well as the effect's maximum duration. If a target resists your attempt, your check must also exceed the target's will defense. To maintain the effect, you must, at the start of each of your turns, make a Use Biotics Check as a swift action and exceed the Target's will defense.

DC 10: Pull Object up to Small Size (1 turn)
DC 15: Pull Object up to Medium Size (1 Turn)
DC 20: Pull Object up to Large Size (2 Turns)
DC 25: Pull Object up to Huge Size (3 Turn)
DC 30: Pull Object up to Gargantuan Size (4 Turn)
DC 35: Pull Object up to Colossal Size (5 Turn)


Throw: See Force Thrust. Use Biotics instead of Use the Force.


Singularity
Utilize your biotic powers to create a miniature black hole that stuns nearby foes
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One character or object within 6 squares.
- Effect: Make a Biotics Check. The result of the check determines the effect's maximum duration. The singularity is formed in an unoccupied square. All enemies within 2 squares of the singularity are affected. If a target resists your attempt, your check must also exceed the target's will defense. If successful, the Target loses its Standard and Move Actions. To maintain the effect, you must, at the start of each of your turns as a swift action, make a Use Biotics Check and exceed the Target's will defense.

DC 20: 1 Turn Duration
DC 25: 2 Turn Duration
DC 30: 3 Turn Duration
DC 35: 4 Turn Duration


Warp
Utilize your biotic powers to harm enemies
- Time: Standard Action
- Target: One character or object within 8 squares.
-  Effect: Make a Biotics Check. The result of the check determines the effect's maximum duration as well as the damage dealt each turn. The damage is inflicted at the start of your turn. If a target resists your attempt, your check must also exceed the target's will defense. To maintain the effect, you must, at the start of each of your turns, make a Use Biotics Check as a swift action and exceed the Target's will defense.

DC 15: Pull 1 Turn Duration, 1d3 points of damage per turn
DC 20: Pull 2 Turn Duration, 1d4 points of damage per turn
DC 25: Pull 3 Turn Duration, 1d6 points of damage per turn
DC 30: Pull 4 Turn Duration, 1d8 points of damage per turn
DC 35: Pull 5 Turn Duration, 1d10 points of damage per turn

Who is our human councilor? I'm leaning toward the Salaran and was thinking of writing out his encounter with the Council. I think Anderson would be amused where Udina would be outraged.

Also, that tech stuff is exactly what I needed. Looks great.

Is Use Tech a class skill for anyone or is a feat always necessary?

Quote from: Ninja D!Who is our human councilor? I'm leaning toward the Salaran and was thinking of writing out his encounter with the Council. I think Anderson would be amused where Udina would be outraged.

Also, that tech stuff is exactly what I needed. Looks great.

I'm trying to find the default storyline for Mass Effect 1 but my efforts have been fruitless thus far (i've only see others reference it being more grim than they expected and it eliminated lots of characters).

EDIT: Found out Udina is the Councilor. Now I just have to find out if Humanity took full control or they created a new council.

I'm glad you like the tech abilities :)

Quote from: SteerpikeIs Use Tech a class skill for anyone or is a feat always necessary?

My initial thought was to rename Use Computers as Use Tech but there isn't anything I could similarly crib for Use Biotics (save for move light object from Use the Force). In an effort to not only keep the two skills on the same playing field of non-power usability and not forcing you guys waste a trained skill, I decided to just give you the skill as a part of the Feat.

I'm open to all suggestions on this matter :)

Quote from: CoyoteCamouflage@Character: Alright, here's a brief concept of what I'm working on.

Human Noble (Starting with Master of Intrigue Talents, Galaxy of Intrigue, Pg. 20).

Considering a former Naval Officer type character who used to work with the Alliance, but was made a scapegoat by incompetent superiors and dishonorably discharged under suspicion of gross negligence that led to the damage of a heavy cruiser and the deaths of numerous crewmen during a training exercise. Lacking any obvious work, he's mostly been using his talents as a spokesman or charlatan, doing whatever his skills can earn him. Despite his military officer training, he favors guile, misdirection, and manipulation much more than traditional military values-- values, he hastens to add, that did humanity little good during the First Contact War with the Turians.

Hates both Cerberus and the Alliance with a passion: the former is little more than radical fanatical terrorists, and the latter is run by pompous, inbred morons who lack both neurons and the necessary equipment to taint the gene pool by siring any offspring. His opinion of humanity outside these two examples, however, is quite bright and pleasant, if not tempered by rational thought and reason. He genuinely believes that Humanity asserting itself and becoming a Council race may lead to a beneficial exchange of culture. Begrudgingly, he admires the Turian military discipline, and hopes that such discipline-- and more cultural benefits-- could be a result of humanity becoming more involved with the other races of the Citadel.

Except for Batarians. To hell with them.

Yet Humanity has plenty of selling points, in his mind, between crafting worlds such as Eden Prime (the Geth were hardly expected, and with Sovereign there, would any system defense fleet have really mattered?) and ____ (the "Human Illium" from the Kasumi DLC. I forget its name, and I'm too lazy to check it right now). Expect both a Pro-Human and Pro-Alien mix as far as his interactions with others. Unless its Alliance Military, then they go have fun sticking torpedoes up their arses.

Subject to some alteration, of course, if something feels out of place or as a logical addition once he becomes a fully-fledged character.

Sounds great! Really like it :)

Hm. I was staying out of this thread because I don't have Star Wars Saga and I didn't actually think this was going to get off the ground. I might be able to jump in depending on the time... though my schedule is a bit limited for games.

But I love Mass Effect. I have a few pages written of a take on the Mass Effect adventure (filling in what happened during the ME1/2 year gap, starting with the funeral).. Also if anyone is interested, I can probably dig up a few links to some of the better FanFiction stories on FanFiction.net that were 'takes' on the ME1 storyline.

If so:

1. Quarian Saboteur/AI Expert

Lini'Leera vas QueeQueeg hated the stultifying atmosphere of the Armada ever since her father was assigned to the helm of the hated foreign-registered ship, the QueeQueeg. With the honors that he won, he should have had his choice among the ships in the Fleet. His service to the Armada was resolute, his guidance fair and firm, and his results were admirable. Although father put an outward veneer of thanks as he took command of the ship, Lini'Leera could sense his inner pain.

Lini'Leera successfully completed her Pilgrimage a few years ago, and she returned to the fleet to be thrust into a matter of politics. Her father had come out on the wrong side of a decision related to dealing with the Geth, and it appeared that due to politics she was going to be punished for his decision and assigned to a dinghy of a ship named the Lorvayyah--the third-oldest and smallest ship in the fleet, commanded by the insipid drunkard Rell vas Lorvayyah--one of the few Quarians who could consume alcohol without suffering dire consequences--and one who partook quite generously. Rell vas Lorvayyah only remained a captain because of his powerful autoimmune system which permitted him to take the Lorvayyah to deal with Krogan and Hanar emissaries.

Lini'Leera does not share her father's interest in appeasement of the Geth; although she does support his idea of establishing an eventual homeworld for Quarians, so the race can expand in freedom--rather than being kept on an incessant state of martial law. She certainly does not agree with the idea of allying the Quarians with brutal, and virus-ridden Krogan, Vorcha, Hanar, or Drell races--this view is perhaps informed by her terrible autoimmune system, which can go into shock overdrive when surrounded by those races' germs.

Lini'Leera is strongly libertarian, if not anarchist. She would be the first to say "down with the fleet," should an internecine conflict spread among the Quarians. On receiving her fleet orders to transfer her name and her body to the Lorvayyah ship, she did something quite un-Quarian--she stood up to the Admiralty board and requested that her name not be changed from nar'QueeQueeg to vas Lorvayyah because she rejected that assignment--she requested instead to have her name end in Lini'Leera vas ____, with no ship since she was assigned to none. Instead, she demanded to be sent on another Pilgrimage. She was the first Quarian in decades to request another Pilgrimage...and after much intra-council bickering, it was granted. However; she received the name vas QueeQueeg because every Quarian is to be associated with a Ship, and she did successfully complete her first Pilgrimage, so she merited a vas rather than a 'nar. She did not appreciate this, but she accepted it since her major wish--freedom, had been granted.

Her First Pilgrimage ended in record time--9 months, when she brought back a data cache from the Protheans, a cache of data hacked from Cerberus Systems Level A security files. She could not decrypt the cache, so it generally was not useful to the Quarians. However, other incidental data that she discovered and decoded, also from Cerberus' Lazarus Research Base, on reconstructive genetic engineering and autoimmune system restoration provided valuable data for Quarian scientists, even if it applied mostly to human bodies. No Quarian or any member of a species other than perhaps the Asari, Protheans, or Geth (according to some Geth-sympathisers like Ullen nar'Xoam, who currently resides in the prison-brig on Xoam for his heresy), unlike the human Shepard, had every been restored to life.

For her second Pilgrimage, Lini'Leera has decided that she is either not coming back to the Migrant Fleet, or she is going to come back with information that can break the back of the Admiralty Board by either destroying all Geth and returning the fleet to home, or by finding information to safely colonize another planet. Practically though, she knows that neither of those possibilities will happen; as far as she's concerned, she's done with the Fleet and it with her.

Physicality Lini'Leera is shorter than the average Quarian and one of her arms is shorter than the other after being broken numerous times while she insisted on training her reflexes despite being injured. Lini'Leera walks in rapid, short steps in a nervous, but piquish fashion.

Personality Lini'Leera is basically hostile. (Think Tinkerballa from the Guild...or possibly a classier 'Jack' from ME2? Or possibly Miranda at some points?). She has a superiority complex and looks down on anyone unless they've proved their worth to her, or if they've bested her in a game of Quarian Nomadic Chess, which she dallies with from time to time. Politics are terrible and boring--she has little respect for the Citadel or its Council or anyone who plays Council games, except to the extent that they are a meal-ticket for her to duck some notice. She is very concerned with getting sick from being near non-Quarians, but she interacts with them constantly since she cannot be with the migrant fleet; she has sublimated this general fear into a more specific fear of being touched or having her suit ripped.

Redeeming Qualities 1- She's a big believer of "Information wants to be free." She knows better than to immediately leak the valuable information she stole from Cerberus, since the Migrant Fleet would know wherefrom it likely came; but she kept a copy on the sly for herself. She shares any data she receives, even data that would allow others to replicate her hacking techniques. If she can't keep getting better than others who follow her techniques, then it's her own d*** fault. 2- She is a believer in self-improvement and she's always learning and practicing on the firing range with her mobile AI unit.
3- She really does respect people who have proved they are not fools.

Other Issues It's probably for the best that she left the Migrant Fleet; she is very interested in VIs. She studied a great deal of the historical material on the creation of the Geth, and during her Pilgrimage she appropriated as much information on AIs as she could. She is currently digesting that information and is considering creating a "killer AP" to create programming for microbots, perhaps, robots loyal to organics that would destroy the Geth. It's all very conceptual though. For now, she just keeps tweaking the AI optics, and strategy of her mobile AI unit.
- She spends a great deal of her wealth on power sources for her mobile AI unit and her sabotauge tools.

Note: How does she get with Spectre (Depends on who is the spectre) but Probably because of her sabotauge/combat drone techniques. Her position on the squad: Engineering.

Stats: Con is 8. Int 18. Dex 18. Str is 8. Wis is 10. Cha is 10. (Or something around there).