Galaxy Rangers RPG Supplement (version 1.0)
Dave Van Domelen
AOJ Rules copyright 1993 Dave Van Domelen, available via Email
Galaxy Rangers copyright someone else.
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It's a tough galaxy, full of alien races which can open childproof caps
without a struggle and the forces of the Queen, and it takes a tough kind of
cop to police it. It takes a Galaxy Ranger.
Avengers of Justice is a game designed for your standard comicbook
superheroes, and is written to accomodate that genre's conventions. Galaxy
Rangers have powers and abilities in the range of many superheroes, but a few
of the conventions are different, so to start, here are some rules
modifications for the Galaxy Rangers.
Pain Effects: Even as enhanced as they are, Galaxy Rangers are still
basically human. Thus they suffer pain effects more than superheroes do. Most
WCs (Writer Characters) will lose their next action if they take a Vicious
wound, and suffer a -3 on their next action if they take a Mental wound or have
Overflow result in a Vicious wound. Characters with Trait Physical are not
immune to Pain effects, but are somewhat resistant, and suffer -3 to their next
action after taking a direct Vicious wound, and -1 after an Overflow Vicious or
a Mental.
Glancing wounds: Many foes of the Rangers will be normals, who drop at a
single Fatigue Wound. As a result, the optional Glancing wound rules are used,
and characters may attack for Glancing damage in hand to hand even if they lack
Trait Physical. The Glancing wound rules will be appended to this post.
Base and Cyber: A Series 5 implanted Ranger will have extra powers when
his implant is activated. Throughout this supplement, Base will refer to the
Ranger when the implant is dormant, and Cyber when it is active.
How to Build a Galaxy Ranger Character:
When designing a beginning GR character, build them like a normal AOJ
character, with the following exceptions:
1: A standard package of abilities must be taken
2: The player must choose if he's a normal ranger or a Series 5 ranger.
If normal, only Traits Physical, Nimble and Mental are available
to the character, and Multipoints may not be used without express
permission of the Referee. If Series 5, take one trait that is
always had, from the above list, and then decide what additional
trait the cybernetics add. This trait can be any of the traits
given in the rules (plus any optional traits the Referee chooses
to use).
3: The player must fill in the remaining power slots, up to the normal
twelve. Any powers chosen to be the result of the implants can
only be used when the implant has been activated.
Standard Package:
Gadget: Sidearm, gives three Offensive Powers:
- Attack (Focused Energy): Routine roll to shoot someone on
Advantage Phase
- Enhanced Attack (Focused Energy): Difficult roll to concentrate
fire to do a Mental wound on Advantage, or to fire on
Responsive for a Fatigue
- Burst (Focused Energy): Difficult roll to fire on multiple
targets, doing a Fatigue to each on Advantage (also known as
Multiple Attack)
Gadget: Android horse, gives an Offensive Power and a Tactical Power:
- Enhanced Attack (Physical): Difficult Roll to get the horse to
lash out at foes with its hooves for a Mental wound on
Advantage or Fatigue on Responsive.
- Range: Routine roll to ride from Not Close range to Close range,
or vice versa. May be combined with other actions at no
Multiple Action Penalty.
Training: Rangers are trained to evade attacks, and to activate the
Series 5 implants of downed Rangers, in order to get them going.
- Dodge: Routine to give one foe -3 to hit, Difficult to give
all foes -3 to hit you. Must be rolled on Advantage Phase.
- Heal (Fatigue): Restore all Fatigue wounds to the a Ranger with
a Series 5 implant, and activate their additional Trait(s).
Does not work on anyone without an implant. Difficult roll.
Series 5 Implant: If a Ranger has an implant, he has an additional
standard power:
-Invigorate (Fatigue): Difficult roll to restore all Fatigue damage
taken. Regardless of success in this roll, cybernetics are
activated when this is done, possibly adding more wounds from
the extra Trait(s).
Note that there are no rules for charges etc. in this game. Instead, if a
Mishap is rolled when activating the implant, it will be out of energy. Also,
of course, a foe may grab the badge away, preventing access to the implant.
The Invigorate and Heal powers will not work if the person has already had
their badge activated, unless they drop out of 'active' state first (which can
be done at any time as a free action).
Once charged up, the implant will stay that way until combat ends (turned
off willingly) or a Mishap result causes it to run out of power (Referee
discretion on when a Mishap turns off the implant)
Series 5 rangers have to take 8 slots, normal Rangers must take 7.
ADVANCEMENT:
When a Series 5 ranger gains all 9 Ignobles, he gains a +1 on a Trait.
Since these rangers have two traits, the Base trait without the implant
activated and the Cyber trait with the implant, how this bonus is taken is very
important.
If used to advance the Cyber trait, it represents a refinement in the
implant, allowing extra power.
If used to advance the Base trait 'normally', it represents training and
the like, but the noncombat effects of using that trait will be more limited.
If used to advance the Base trait with cybers, the noncombat uses of the
Trait will be much more spectacular. For example, Physical +1 normally would
not allow a Ranger to lift more than 200kg, but if the +1 comes from, say, a
cybernetic arm, the ranger can lift a ton.
If a Normal ranger wishes to become a Series 5 later on, he must save up
all his bonus slots for an entire trait advance (5 slots). Then, when he earns
the extra Trait, he chooses what the Cybers will affect (either improving an
old Trait, or giving a new trait: this is an exception to the normal rule about
gaining Traits) and takes the Invigorate power and 4 more powers to represent
the new powers his implant gives. If the ranger buys new skills (or bonuses to
old ones) as he gains the slots, he will be 'passed over' for an Implant.
Example: Carl Bennett is a normal ranger, as is Ari Keyser. After their
first mission, each manages to check off three Ignobles. Ari takes +1 to her
Burst and Enhanced Attack, as she spends time on the shooting range, but Carl
saves his, since he's bucking for an implant (not training up represents that
you're spending training time trying to get accepted into the Series 5
program). A few adventures later, Ari has 2 unfilled slots, and Carl has 5
unfilled as they both check off their 9th Ignoble. Carl gets his implant and
takes the Energized Trait for an electrical mesh beneath his skin which lets
him fire lightning. Ari cannot buy an Implant with her Trait bonus, so she
adds one to her Physical trait and buys some more Physical attacks.
Special Rangers:
Note that some rangers may have special abilities without having implants.
Perhaps a nonhuman Ranger is recruited who has natural magnetic powers. Or an
android like Buzzwang might join, and have Invulnerable trait. Such recruits
cannot get implants (since the implants only work on humans) but can still have
neat powers. In fact, since they have the powers all the time, the Referee
should always think twice before allowing them.
THE GALAXY RANGERS:
Zachary Fox (?)
Traits: Base - Physical, Cyber - Energized, +1 to Physical
Wounds: Base - (4/3/3) KIA=1, Cyber - (7/5/4) KIA=1
Rank: Base - 10, Cyber - 16
Series 5 Standard package (8 slots)
Other Base Powers and Skills:
Attack (Physical): Routine to hit someone really hard for a Fatigue, Adv.
Focus: Find a weak spot on Difficult and next round attack with all his
might for a Vicious wound with whatever attack is used.
+1 to Standard skills of Attack and Enhanced attack with the sidearm
Implant Powers:
Enhanced Attack (Physical): Superstrength in left arm. Note that this
duplicates the Horse's Enhanced Attack, but his is not always with his
mount.
Sacrifice Attack (Magnetic) +3: Hose down field of combat, doing a Vicious
wound to all foes on a Tasking roll. However, since he's standing there
looking like a target, all foes have +4 to hit him if they're still around
on their next action. Note that Magnetic Mode simply means it's a field
effect.
Shane 'Goose' Gooseman
Traits: Base - Physical, Cyber - Invulnerable +2
Wounds: Base - (4/3/3) KIA=1, Cyber - (6/3/7) KIA=3
Rank: Base - 10, Cyber - 16
Standard Series 5 Implant package
Other Base Skills:
Attack (Physical): as per Zach.
Focus: as per Zach
+2 to Burst attack on the gun, as he sights so fast he can target multiple
foes almost as accurately as a single one.
Cyber Powers:
Enhanced Attack (Physical): Becomes stronger, but often gains a form based on
the attack he suffered when he activated his implant. As a result, this
power may sometimes be in other modes, even ones he normally cannot have,
such as Heat if he falls in a lava flow.
Blunt (Ballistic, Chemical, Electrical, Focused Energy, Heat, Magnetic,
Physical): Adaptive powers make him resistant to many forms of damage,
giving foes -4 to attack him with these modes.
NOTE: Goose has 3 more slots than is base for his Trait level. This is because
with all his solo adventuring he's a few Ignobles ahead of his teammates.
Doc (real name?)
Traits: Base - Nimble, Cyber - Mental +1
Wounds: Base - (2/2/2) KIA=1, Cyber - (2/6/2) KIA=1
Rank: Base - 6, Cyber - 10
Series 5 Standard Package
Other Base Powers and Skills:
4 Multipoints, usable to create various effects if he has access to a computer,
generally in Law 3 or 5 (information gathering/code subversion), but may try
other effects if he can access security systems.
Cyber Powers:
Snare (Psychological): Mind Control, only versus machine intelligences
4 more Multipoints
Niko (full name?)
Traits: Base - Mental, Cyber - +2 to Mental
Wounds: Base - (2/4/2) KIA=1, Cyber - (2/8/2) KIA=1
Rank: Base - 8, Cyber - 12
Series 5 Standard Package
Base Powers and Skills:
4 Mental Points. May only be used for involuntary clairvoyant bursts, Referee
decides how many points are used on the roll.
Cyber Powers and Skills:
5 more Mental Points. May use Law 3 and Law 5 violations (see "Head Trips" in
Space Gamer #6 for more details on Mental Points), telepathy and
clairvoyance.
Buzzwang
Traits: Invulnerable
Wounds: (3/2/4) KIA=2
Rank: 9
Standard 'normal' package
Other Powers and Skills:
Blunt (Ballistic, Chemical, Physical, Sonic): Metal body gives -4 versus these
modes of attack.
Barrage: His computer mind allows him to set up multiple attacks with a round
of preparation and a Difficult roll. He must choose which attack
to prepare (only sidearm attacks, he cannot get his mount to Barrage)
and if successful will make d8 attacks with it next round at no multiple
action penalty.
Well, feel free to correct my errors. NWC characters will have to wait until I
read the FAQ again, since I'm really hazy on their abilities and names.
Dave Van Domelen, here's the Glancing wound rules....
Dealing with Normals in the Avengers of Justice game, Optional Rules
copyright 1993 Dave Van Domelen
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In making things simple and streamlined at the superheroic level in
Avengers of Justice, a few things slipped through the cracks. Among them is
what to do when fighting normal people, people who drop at even the first
Fatigue wound. And how to fight them without using your powers, either because
you don't want to hurt them too bad or because you simply don't have powers at
the time. To remedy this, I am introducing the optional wound level of
Glancing, below Fatigue.
Normal people have anywhere from 1 to 4 Glancing wounds that they can take
before it overflows into Fatigue, depending on how tough they are.
Superpowered characters totally ignore Glancing wounds, as does any normal
tough enough to have Fatigue wounds. A Glancing wound may leave a small scar,
or raise a bruise, but it won't break bones or seriously damage a person. The
level of damage a Fatigue wound represents can be fatal to a normal person, due
to the scale shift involved in a superhero game.
A normal person, attacking as an NWC, uses the following attack chart if
fighting with bare hands. Add two if they have a makeshift club, and go to
Ballistic Wound if they use a blade or gun.
Normal: 2-8 Miss
8-14 Glancing
15+ Fatigue
This chart is Physical damage, so defenses against mode Physical stop Normal
attacks cold.
To determine a random person's wound chart, roll d8 and divide by two for
the number of Glancing wounds they can take. If an 8 is rolled, roll again,
with another 8 meaning the person has one Fatigue wound and can ignore Glancing
damage.
When WCs attack normals, they may wish to do only Glancing damage, since
they are less likely to seriously hurt the people (an overflow to Fatigue is
generally less harmful than a direct Fatigue). This can be done in two ways:
1: All characters may try to punch or kick a foe for a Glancing wound on a
Difficult roll. This damage is Physical mode, and can be done even by those
without Trait Physical. If the WC has Trait Physical or Nimble, the roll
becomes Routine. Trait Physical is still required for the attack to be able to
hurt someone with Fatigue wounds, although it can be used to kick them into
hazardous situations if the Editor agrees.
2: Any Offensive Power may be 'pulled' to do only a Glancing wound. The
Editor should decide if this is easier or harder than the normal attack,
depending on the effects of the power. For example, Enhanced Attack from Mode
Ballistic may be used at Glancing level on a Routine roll if it's a sword, but
on a Tasking (with full damage on Mixed) if the attack is a gun, since it's
alot harder to aim for a graze than to just swing less hard.
2a: In addition, a Defensive or Tactical power might be used to do a
Glancing wound if the player is clever about it. For example, if Onyx has a
magical darkness field that she uses for a Confuse power, she might try to use
it to scare normals to the tune of a Glancing wound, but rolling a Difficult
(if it were normal darkness and not magical, this wouldn't be allowed).
When an NWC attacks a normal, the attack charts need to be modified. With
the exception of Ballistic and Focused Energy, use the following method: take
the upper half of the numbers in the "Miss" column and make them "Glancing".
So, for example, Physical misses on 2-5, so now 4-5 is Glancing and 2-3 is
Miss. For Ballistic and Focused Energy, the single number at the top of Miss
becomes Glancing. So for Ballistic and Ballistic Wound, a Glancing is done on
an 8.
You may wish to include Glancing results even when the NWC is firing on
the players, since it can be used for roleplaying effect. The shot that hits
but just stings a bit, or the Emotional attack that causes a slight bit of
nagging fear. This is an extra complication, but can be worth it in the extra
detail it gives to fight scenes.
SAMPLE COMBATS
Tymythy Twystyd is at a local bar when a fight breaks out. Not wanting to
play with spacetime in his favorite hangout, he hangs back. However, some
drunken idiot (3 Glancing) sees him and decides to attack. The lager lout
rolls a 9, hitting Tym in the face with a beer mug. Tym ignores the damage
(having put a mild warp around himself), and decides to punch him back. Tym is
Nimble, so he needs a 6 to hit. Rolling a 16, he Overkills, and breaks the
guy's jaw with a Fatigue, knocking him out. A moment later, the lout's buddy
makes it over to Tym and attacks with a chair, but Tym decides to dissuade him
with a mild mindwarp. Pulling his Psychological Attack to Glancing is ruled as
Automatic, and the buddy (2 Glancing) reels back, then decides to find another
person to beat on.
Later, Tym is walking home with a young lady he met after the smoke
cleared (she was surrounded by the people she had dropped...Wounds (1/1/0)
attacks as Physical), and some idiot tries to mug them. He's half unconscious
from lack of sleep, and has only 1 Glancing. Tym decides to be
nonconfrontational, but his friend attacks, rolling a 5. This does a Glancing
to the punk, and doesn't drop him. He pulls out an Uzi, and Tym gets fed up
and takes his action to warple the gun apart (Mode Supernatural Enhanced Attack
at -2 for targeting a Gadget), which makes the punk flee.