Beyond the Rift

8/15/2019 Beyond the Rift

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/beyond-the-rift 1/150Enter the Zenax Galaxy ™


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/beyond-the-rift 2/150

ABattlelordsCampaignSettingandSourcebook



2 BATTLELORDS O F THE TWENTY-THIRD CENTURY

1 • INTRODUCTION

CreditsTheauthorwishestothank: Jerrod“Jerry”Anderson, Jonathan“AJ” Bolte, Betty

Cooper, JoeCooper, Geoff Dickens,Wil “Warmonger”Etheredge,Christopher Hedman,

JuneHedman, KeithKlee, CoreyOliveira, DawnOliveira, GayleOliveira, JeffOliveira,AngieRidge, DavidSoruco,MichelleSoruco,ShawnWagoner, DaveWalls, andKurtWillis.

We’dalsoliketothankour playtesters,our distributors,our retailers, our fansand

fansof Battlelordseverywhere.

Special thankstoMichael Osadciw,AaronTThies, LarrySims,andevery-

bodyatSSDC. Alsoaspecial thanksgoesouttoJuneHedmanwhohas

theunenviablejobofhavingtoedit mygrammarandspellinginevery

booki’vewritten, includingthisone.

Themalepronoun(he, his, him) isusedinthisbookasathird-personsingular inmany

instances. Thisusageisintendedasaneutertermandshouldbereadas“heor she,”

“hisorher,”or “himorher”inall instanceswhereit isusedtoimplyapersonof either gender. Theuseofthemalepronounisnotintendedto excludewomenfromthis

gameortosuggesttheir exclusion.

Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformor byanymeans, exceptforthe

inclusionofbrief quotationsinareview, withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublish-

er. Permissionisgrantedto thepurchaserofthisbooktocopythemapsandhistories

containedhereinfor personal use,providedthatnoneofthecopiesaresoldortraded.

All charactersinthisbookarefictitious. Anyresemblancetoactual persons, livingor

dead, ispurelycoincidental. All characters, their distinctivelikenesses,names, logos,

props, andall other relatedindiciaarethepropertyofSSDCInc. Copyright© 2005,

2009SSDCInc. All RightsReserved.

YoucanfindoutmoreaboutBattlelordsandother SSDCproductsat:

www.ssdc.com

Additional material for Battlelords: BeyondtheRiftcanbefoundat:

http:/ /wiki.ssdc.com/wiki/ Main_Page

PrintedintheUnitedStatesof America

ISBN: 978-1-931320-04-7

SSDCInc.

WARMONGER’SRULE:

If you’renotexcessive, thenyou’renever reallysure.

BeyondtheRift

Author

TonyOliveira

ContributingAuthors

DawnBlosser,Geoff Dickens, Wil “Warmonger”Etheredge,Mark Golden,RayHedman,

KeithKlee, CoreyOliveira, DavidSoruco, MichelleSoruco,ShawnWagoner,

DaveWalls,andKurt Willis.

MazianCombatRules

TomJavoroski,TonyOliveira

Chief Editor JuneHedman

Editors

TysonMueller, TonyOliveira, andDaveWalls

GraphicDesign

MichaelOsadciw

Layout

MichaelOsadciw

CoverDesign

MichaelOsadciw

FrontCoverArt

MichaelOsadciw

BackCoverArt:

MichaelOsadciw

InteriorArt

MichaelOsadciw

PatPresley

JamesCarlton

SSDCArtDirector

MichaelOsadciw

Playtesters:AndrewApold,NickBichsel, RonaldHart, TomJavoroski, JamesKenagy,

TysonMueller, Paul SakachIII, ShawnScott, Rick Sheppard, BradleyUpson, Shawn

Wagoner, DaveWalls,andMatthewT. Whelehan.



Tableof Contents

BEYOND THE RIFT

Chapter1:Intro .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .5

Howtousethisbook .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..5

Introduction. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..6AlienSpecies .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .10

Aktai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Cedeun ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Disrapan .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..18

Dul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Klee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Razaa .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Whe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

I WasJustGrowingUpTables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

FickleFinger of FateTablefor Zenax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Chapter2:Skills . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..51

MentalSkills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .51

Physical Skills ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .51FightingStyles/Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

VehicleSkills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .55

WeaponSkills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..55

Chapter3: WeaponsandEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Weapons ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

HandWeapons. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .62

Aktai Fuel Pumps .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..62

Aktai Local GravitronAccelerator (LGAs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Aktai ForceWeapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Aktai Matter TransmissionWeapons(MTWs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

CedeunParticleWeapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

CedeunPlasmaCannons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

DisrapanBlindingLasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66DisrapanCuttingLasers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

DisrapanLasers .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . ..67

DisrapanNuclear Lasers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

DisrapanMissileSystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Dul Weapons .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .69

KleeAnti-Armor ParticleBeams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

KleeDustGuns.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..70

KleeParticleWeapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

RazaaContinuousEffectDisintegrators(CEDs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

RazaaPlasmaWeapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

WheProjectileWeapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Pistols .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .72

Rifles ... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72MachineGuns.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..72

WheMassDoublers .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. ..73

WheRail Guns .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..73

WheWall Gun .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..74

WheVehon... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..75

WheAmmunition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..75

SpecializedAmmunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

AktaiArmor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..7

CedeunArmor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..7

DisrapanArmor .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .7DulArmor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .8

KleeArmor.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .8

RazaaArmor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .8

WheArmor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..8

ArmorOptions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..8

FieldGenerators . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . ..8

Medical Equipment. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . ..8

Personal Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Chapter4: Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

VacuumControl Matrices&Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Martial ArtsMatrices&Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Matter Control Matrices&Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Chapter5: LifeinZenax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 TheZenaxGalaxy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

It’stheLittleThingsThatGetYou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Travel InZenax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Travel Hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

TheAuthorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

WheInvasions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .11

UnexploredSpace .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. ..11

TheFallen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

ThoseThatHaveComeBefore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

DevastatedPlanetsandExtinctRaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

PlacestoVisit. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .11

Chapter6: AdvancedHand-to-HandRules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

BasicCombatRules .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .11AdvancedCombatRules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

CombatOrder .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .11

Exampleof Combat .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .11

AttackTechniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

GrapplingTechniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Special Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

DefensiveTechniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Chapter7: BattleMaster’sSection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

StartingYour Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

RunningACampaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

CampaignInfo. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..13

TheSecretsof Zenax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13AdventureSeeds . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . ..13

QuickReference• ChartsandTables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Appendix: MazianCombat Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Index ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..14




1 • INTRODUCTION



HATIS THIS BOOK ?

What you hold in your hands is an authorized campaign se t t inand sou rcebook fo r Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Centurro le-playing game. The campaign se t t ing is based in the Zena

galaxy, which can only be r eached from Alliance space ( the se

t ing for the Batt le lord s RPG) by extrem e m eans, l ike passing thro ugh a r ift

space. This allows Battle Masters to isolate their players and control the flow

Alliance weap ons, equipm ent, and other supplies .

The Zenax cam paign setting is highly detailed with its own Player Chara cte

races , equipment, weapons, and s tory l ine . There is so much to cover , that

won’t t ry and su mm arize i t a l l here . Go ahead and skim through the b ook an

take a look a t what is inside . I th ink you’ll agree that th is is a mu st-have-i te

for any Batt le lord s fan! This book a lso includes a se t o f optional han d-to-han

comba t ru le s tha t be t te r s imu la te the ab i li ti e s o f t r a ined figh te r s o r mar t i

artists.

CompatibilityThis campaign se t t ing is designed for use with the Batt lelords of the Twentythird Century ro le-playing game b y SSDC. The ideas pr esen ted in this book ca

be used with any sci-fi or futuristic RPG but are best suited for games set in th

“space explorat ion” genre .

Howtousethissourcebook If you’re not the Batt le Master , you should read through th is book unti l yo

reach the Battle Master section. STOP THERE! Trust me on this one. The Zena

Galaxy is packed full of surprises and intrigue. By reading the secrets containe

in that section you’ll just spoil it for yourself.

Througho ut th is book you wil l see num bers in br ackets [ 1] next to certa

paragra phs. These numb ers cor respo nd to entr ies in the Battle Masters sectio

that explain the full story behind the events and places in Zenax. Sorry player

that inform ation is for BMs o nly, so p lease d on’t look if you’re n ot the Batt

Master.

If you ar e the Batt le Master and you wan t to run a cam paign in Zenax, w

suggest you read the whole b ook. However, that being sa id , th is book is just a

muc h a sou rcebo ok as i t is a camp aign se t ting . If you just want the info on th

optional hand-to-hand com bat ru les or the new weapon ry, that’s great too .

TheBattleMaster’s GoldenRule

Take what you want, d i tch the rest . Every ru le is an optional ru le . There is great deal of information presented in th is book, and BMs should feel free t

d iscard ru les they do not l ike . The Batt le Master is the final arb itra tor on a

decis ions, including what ru les are being used a nd wh at exists or d oesn’t exi

in his or her campaign setting. If you’re going to play in this campaign settin

be sur e to ask your Battle Master what ru les and info from th is book ar e bein

used and what info he or she has d iscarded.

BEYOND THE RIFT

INTRODUCTION

C H A P T E R 1

BeyondTheRift •1

INTHISCHAPTER...

Howtousethisbook

ZenaxTimeline

Introduction

Theindependentexplorationship Fub ar Brig ad e III

driftshelplesslyafteradisastrousRift Run. AWhe

picket ship was in the vicinity and moves in to

investigatethis newthreat.




1 • INTRODUCTION

ZENAX TIMELINE

5302 B.C. The Aktai c la im th is is the date their c ivi liza t ion began,

when the first Aktai was built by their mysterious creator.

760 B .C. The Ak ta i make firs t con tac t w ith the Cedeun . Desp i te

their best efforts , the Cedeun are uninterested in a cul-

tura l exchange with the rob ots . The Aktai have periodic ,

fr iendly encou nters with the Cedeun for the ne xt severalthousand years .

360 B.C. The Du l begin expe r imen t ing with the concep t o f a li fe

a r t , wh ich i s the comb ina t ion o f a mar t i a l a r t and an

occup ational sk il l in to a s ingle d isc ip line .

300 B .C. The Cedeun deve lop a means o f in te r s te ll a r tr ave l and

begin spreading throughout Zenax.

4 3 B .C. T h e la s t s ig h ti n g o f a R a xe i s co n fi r m e d b y a n Ak t ai

explorat ion team.

1 2 7 0 A. D. An u n c h a r te d s o l a r s ys te m i n Z e n ax i s d e s t r o ye d b y

unk nown forces . The asteroid belt that form s as a result

of i ts destruction wil l eventually becom e Cedeun Mining

Ou tpos t #72 .

1285 A.D. The Aktai build Omotrom Zeta Prime. A colony dedicat-

ed to support ing the ar ts , they wil l eventually open the

colony up to a l l f r iendly species .

1340 A.D. Afte r 300 yea r s o f con t inuous war the Razaa war lo rd

Tanize unites his planet.

1393 A.D. The Razaa warlord Tanize abdicates h is throne af ter over

50 years of ru le . Before leaving Tanize decr ees that h is

successor should be e lected by the people from a group

of Naphd or’s most sk il led war r iors .

1 4 7 5 A. D. Tr a l ar H o u se o f Go ve r n m e n t fo r m e d o n Ka id u m , t h e

Disrapan ho me wor ld .

1495 A.D. Tra la r becomes the dominan t coun t ry on Ka idum.

1480 A.D. Trade Conso r t ium is fo rm ed on Ka idum.1481 A.D. Trade Conso r t ium dec la re s wa r on coun t r ie s ne ighbo r -

ing Tralar.

1481 A.D. The “50 -yea r s wa r” beg in s on Ka idum.

1485 A.D. Tra la r beg in s to annex ne ighbo r ing coun t r ie s tha t have

fal len v ic t im to the Trade Consort ium’s economic and

military attacks.

1 4 5 3 A. D. T h e “ 5 0 - ye a r s w a r ” e n d s . T h e Tr a d e C o n so r t iu m h a s

c r ipp led eve ry o the r coun t ry on the face o f the p lane t

Kaidum.

1503 A.D. The Tra la r House o f Gove rnm en t on Ka idum now con -

tro ls a lmost every nation on the p lanet .

1504 A.D. The Cedeun a s tero id c i ty o f Nawh i s to ta lly de s t royed .

The cause of the d isaster is never deter mined.1 5 6 2 A. D. T h e Ak t ai m a k e fi r s t c o n ta c t w it h t h e D i sr a p a n , a n d

begin a friendly exchange of information and technology.

The Trade Conso r t ium and the House o f Gove rnmen t

keep th i s in fo rma t ion sec re t f rom the gene ra l popu la -

t ion .

1753 A.D. The Disrapan develop the means to travel between plan-

ets within their solar system.

1835 A.D. The Klee deve lop the means to t r ave l be tween p lane t s

within their solar system.

1839 A.D. The Ak ta i make firs t con tact w ith the Klee and be ing

exchanging information and technology.

1845 A.D. The Klee and the Cedeun make firs t con tac t.

184 6 A.D. The sect wars begin on the p lanet Aroymass, p i tt ing Dul

against Dul in a m assive g lobe-spann ing war.

1955 A.D. The Disrapan develop faster-than-l ight travel .

1958 A.D. The Klee develop faster-than-l ight travel .1 9 6 0 A. D. Th e D is r a p a n m a k e fi r s t c o n ta c t w it h t h e Kl e e a n d

Cedeun.

1962 A.D. The Klee beg in to e s tab l ish t r ade - rou te s be tween the ir

homewor ld and the ir n e ighbo rs .

1967 A.D. The Cedeun beg in open sa lvage ope ra t ions a long Klee

trade ro utes , creating a numb er of sa lvage yards .

1968 A.D. The Aktai make first contact with the Razaa. After som e

m i s c o m m u n i c a t i o n a n d a s h o r t w r e s t l i n g m a t c h , t h e

Aktai re luctantly resumed fr iendly communication with

the Razaa.

1974 A.D. The Ak ta i d i spense the i r “ language in jec tions” to a l l

f r i end ly spec ie s in Zenax s ta r t ing a new e ra o f in te r -

galactic communication .

1980 A.D. The Razaa deve lop the means to t r ave l be tween p lane ts


2000 A.D. The Dis rapan gove rnmen t fo rm s the Marsha l s , a l aw-

enforcement organization authorized to protect i ts off-

world c i t izens from harm. The Marshals jur isd ic t ion is

un l imi ted , and they a re empowered to t ake wha teve r

means necessary to accomplish their job .

2010 A.D. The Klee mak e first contact with the Razaa.

2039 A.D. The Dul develop the mean s to the travel between planets


2043 A.D. The Disrpan discover the Dul and recognize their sover-

e ignty as an indepen dent world as long as the Dul do notve n tu r e i n to D is r a p a n s p a c e . Fo r t h e m o s t p a r t t h e

Disrapan leave the Dul to their own devices and do not

med dle in their affa irs .

2049 A.D. The sec t wa rs end and a tenuous peace is e stab li shed on

Aroymass. Only about four-dozen o f the hund reds of d if-

feren t l i fe-ar ts r emain .

2 0 7 5 A. D. Fi r st r e b e l a t ta c k a g ai n st t h e Tr a d e Co n s o r ti u m o n

Kaidum.

2099 A.D. The robo t wa rs beg in on Aroymass a f te r the in tel ligen t

tra in ing robots rebel against their Dul creators who use

them for target practice .

2088 A.D. The Dul begin to develop faster-than-l ight travel .

2158 A.D. An Aktai vessel resear ching worm holes vanishes withouta trace . Unbekn ownst to the Aktai i t reappea rs in Clesis

Idall, Fornax with no sign of its crew.

2175 A.D. The Whe develop faster-than-l ight travel .

2180 A.D. Space travel on the p lanet Aroymass is pr ivatized .

2180 A.D. The Razaa develop faster-than-l ight travel with help from

the Klee.

2209 A.D. The Klee help to establish an in ter-p lanetary agreem ent

e s tab l i sh ing the ru le s and laws o f f r ee t r ade be tween

species . All f r iendly species cu rre ntly engaging in in ter-



BEYOND THE RIFT

ZENAX TIMELIN

planetary trade s ign the agreem ent.

2 2 1 0 A. D. T h e t r a d e a gr e e m e n t fi r m l y c e m e n t s t r a d e r o u t e s

throughout Zenax.

2215 A.D. Mos t gove rnmen ts have bu il t a t le a s t one space s ta t ion

along the trade routes that run through their space.

2 2 1 5 A. D. Fo r m a l e xp l o r at io n o f t h e Mo r t a r ia n r i ft b e g in s i n

Alliance space.

2225 A.D. The Dis rapan a t t ack the Razaa when the i r spacec ra ftmee t and h osti li t ies re sult .

2225 A.D. Firs t Whe aggression against the Aktai .

2226 A.D. The Whe s tar t firs t cam paign against the Aktai .

2 2 2 6 A. D. T h e W h e b e g in t o f o r ti fy t h e ir b o r d e r s a g ai n st a n y

counter-a t tacks.

2227 A.D. The Desiut are peacefully in tegrated in to Whe socie ty.

2227 A.D. Astar167 is conq uere d by the Whe and Vewhig are assim-

ilated as a slave race.

2228 A.D. The Ak ta i’s m ob i le space s ta t ion , the Ziza Citade l, i s

s ighted a t the bo rder of Klee and Razaa space.

2229 A.D. The Whe destroy the Klee hom eworld . The Cedeun warn

the Klee of the imp ending a t tack a l lowing t ime for m il-

l ions to e scape . The re fugees ga the r the i r sh ip s in to

sma l l “ t r ade r flee t s” and beg in commerce wi th nea rby

worlds to obta in the food and sup plies they need to sur-

vive.

2230 A.D. The firs t Whe campa ign aga in st the Ak ta i comes to an

end .

2230 A.D. The Ak ta i vio la te in te rp lane ta ry t r ade ag reemen ts b y

forcibly searching all alien vessels that enter Aktai space.

2231 A.D. The Klee t r ade agreemen ts a re amended and expanded

to inc lude new ru le s fo r dea l ing wi th the Klee t r ade r

fleets and the Whe.

2232 A.D. Disrapan a ttack the Klee Trader Fleet

2235 A.D. The second Whe camp aign against the Aktai begins .2235 A.D. The first Klee space s ta t ion c ity is constru cted in secre t

with help from the Cedeun .

2236 A.D. Mazier Beta 5 , a Klee trading post is es tablished on the

Razaa/Disrapan border .

2243 A.D. The Xhem a re d i scove red ; a spec ie s o f in sec to id a li en s

who h ail from the p lanet Yujh .

2244 A.D. The Whe conq uer and enslave the primit ive Daktar

2244 A.D. The Razaa build the Trid spacesta t ion . A minia ture ver-

s ion of their own inhospita l hom e world ancho red in the

center o f Razaa space.

2245 A.D. The second Whe camp aign against the Aktai ends.

2250 A.D. The Dul develop econ om ically feasib le fas ter-than-l ight

vessels . Private investors and entrepreneurs begin pur-chasing per sonal FTL craf t and se t t ing out to explore the

universe .

2252 A.D. The Whe launched mu l t ip le sneak a t ta cks aga in s t the

Xuw on a m ajor r e l igious ho liday. The Whe m erciless ly

wiped ou t eve ry Xuw p lane t u s ing a comb ina t ion o f

nuc lea r o rb i ta l bombar dmen t and “warp bom bs” wh ich

had been stolen from the Aktai arsenal. Almost the entire

Xuw species was wiped out in a single day.

2252 A.D. Or ion Mile s O’Rie rden m akes a successfu l r i ft run and




1 • INTRODUCTION

ends up in Zenax. After touring the galaxy with a Klee

trader fleet , he eventually buys a hunk of rock, which

he names O’Rierden’s dirt ball. The Orion quickly sets

up shop , opens a ba r , and s ta r t s cha rg ing co lon is t s

outrageou s amo unts of money to colonize h is p lanet .

2254 A.D. The Aopdown su r ren de r to the Whe wi th l it tl e r e s is -

tance and are incorporated in to the s lave c lass .

2254 A.D. The th ird Whe campa ign against the Aktai begins .2255 A.D. The MX-6 Reflex missi le is firs t fielded by the Disrapan

on th e plan et Knazz in a battle against the Razaa. Some

missiles are still lying dormant on the battlefield wait-

ing for a po tentia l target .

2255 A.D. The Whe begin developm ent of a near- l ightspeed pro -

je c til e we ap o n .

2256 A.D. The Triem of Beta Prime are methodically exterminat-

ed by Whe who u se o rb i ta l bombardmen t to de s t roy

their home world and colonies .

2257 A.D. An e l it e Er idan i mi li ta ry un i t is “ban ished” to the

Zenax galaxy by an Arachnid Priest during the battle of

Cross roads . Nicknamed Cap ta in Ca ta s trophe by h i s

troops, the u nit’s leader is ren owned for h is bad luck.

They end u p in Whe held spa ce and have to fight their

way to safety.

2 2 5 7 A. D. Wa r m o n g e r Co r p o r a t io n , I n c . a n u p s ta r t Al li an c e

mega-cor p , begins routinely sending mer cenar y teams

into the r if t . They pay top dollar and the r if t runners

l ine up fo r the chance to make a r i f t run and come

back a l ive , which wil l earn them a 20 mill ion dollar

bonus .

2262 A.D. The Dis rapan begin cons truc t ion on Hap to r space -

po r t .

2263 A.D. Firs t recorded a t tack on a Klee trade fleet by pira tes .

2263 A.D. Or ion , Sam O’Roa rk c la ims to have a found a wayth rough the r i f t and back aga in . Warmonge r Co rp .

pays h im 20 m ill ions credits to p ick h is bra in .

2 2 6 3 A. D. An i n d ep e n d e n t m i n i n g c o l o n y is e s ta b li sh e d o n

Mit r o n t o e xp l o it t h e p l an e ts s u p p ly o f t h e r a r e

Mi tron ian c rys ta ls . The p lane t i s de fended by the

Mitron ian Guard who are sa id to be the best equipped

and tra ined mercenary force ever assembled.

2264 A.D. The th ird Whe campaign against the Aktai ends.

2264 A.D. The Disrapan sc ience s ta t ion Nikasa 7 is found ed.

2265 A.D. Hap to r spacepo r t becomes fu l ly ope ra t iona l.

2265 A.D. The Takd ar t gallery is founded on Asteroid 6262268 A.D. The Ga lac tic Tr ibune repo r t s tha t ove r fou r thousand

s h ip s u s in g Al li a n ce s ta r g a te s h a ve b e e n l o st t o

unknown causes . Almos t a thousand o f them end up

in Zenax.

2270 A.D. Disrapan co lony p lane t, Rakasa 3 is e s tab l ished .

2271 A.D. All iance c i t izen and mult i-b i l lionaire , Thom as Paine

survives the destruction of his ship while making a rift

r u n . H e , a l o n g w it h s o m e o f h i s c r e w a r e r e s c u ed

when their escape pod is picked up by an Aktai vessel.

2271 A.D. With the impend ing ban on c ivi li an r i ft t r ave l , th e

p re s iden t and founde r o f Warmonge r Co rpo ra t ion ,

Mr . Warmon ge r, ( a fu l ly cybe rne t ic Ram Python )

en te r s the r i ft in a s ta te -o f- the -a r t r e sea rch vesse l

a long with a crack team of h ighly arm ed m ercen aries .

2271 A.D. The Alliance passes a law allowing only mili tary ves-

sels to tr avel within th e r ift.

2272 A.D. Warmon ge r appea rs in pub lic d i spe ll ing the rumor s

tha t he pe r sona l ly accompan ied h i s t e am o f merc s

in to the Mor tar ian r if t.

2274 A.D. The Whe batt le fleet regrou ps a t the Aktai bor der wait-

ing for o rder s to a t tack .

2275 A.D. The Whe mi l it a ry ho ld s domin ion ove r a dozen con -

quer ed planets . Their m ili tary is s tre tched so th in gar-

r isoning these en slaved wo rlds , that they begin exper -

imenting with p lanet-wide mind contro l to mainta ino rde r .

“STRANGER INA STRANGELAND”

“So you wanted to be a rift runner. You wanted all that fame, glory, and, of course, cash for being the first person to successfully navigate through this newly discovered rift.Now you’re not convinced that you were the first one through, but you are pretty sure you’re the craziest. Your ship is barely functional, you’re so far off thestar charts the word “remote” doesn’t begin t o describewhere you are, and there is an alien craft approaching your disabled vessel.From the weapons fire that just crossed your bow, you’re pretty sure they’re not here to help repair your ship. Oh...did we mention, that the Mutzachan has now concluded that the ri ft only works i n one direction? Welcome to a whole new universe...”

MAKING NEWFRIENDS:

“According to our new fr iends, theKlee, thefirst racewe ran into when we escaped the ri ft are called the Whe. The Whe are an aggressive, expansive, and might I add, highly xeno- phobic race that is currently at war with every other intel- li gent speciesi n thesector. According to theKlee, had wenot escaped the Whe, they would have surely captured and dissected us. They suggest that we shouldn’t hang around this sector of spacefor too much longer.”



I’VENEVER SEENONEOFTHOSEBEFORE

“With all these aliensrunning around, i t was only a matter of ti me before we r an into some “alien” technology.Unfortunately, up unt il this point much of it has been pointed at us. From the mundane, yet lethal, Wheprojecti le weapons to the amazing Aktai Gravit ic Accelerators, there

areweapon systemshere that would makea Balshrom engineer giddy.”

ENJOY YOUR STAY

“The ship is barely operable after the ri ft run. At l east i t i s sti ll air ti ght. After trading with the Klee commerce fleet,we’ve gotten some food and supplies. I’m not sure if this stuff is edible, but we don’t have much choice. The Ram seems to li ke i t. Then again, he’l l eat anything. We also picked up some star charts that should lead us to a race called the Aktai. The Klee say they’re the most technologically advanced race around. Maybe they can help us get

home. Unfortunately, there is a Whebatt lefront between us and the Aktai . We’l l see how i t goes. We’ve picked up a couple of new passengers who may be of help. If only we could understand them. I guess things could be worse.... wil l somebody PLEASE get that Cedeun off the outside of the ship! He gives me the creeps when he stares at me through theporthole like that.”

THEWAY HOME

“TheZen and I were talking privately last ni ght. We did not

want the rest of the team to hear. We reali zed that we were AWOLfrom SSDC. When weget back home, wewill havea lot of explaining to do. If we make it back home...”

A RIFT RUNNERS DIARY

BEYOND THE RIFT




1 • INTRODUCTION



Manysay that I am artificial. They saythat I am a machine,and that this somehow makes me inferi or. All li ving crea- turesare machines. It is only our composit ion that di ffers.Just because I am not born or hatched, does not mean that I am not alive. I am very much a life form. In many waysa superi or li fe form to theother species that inhabit this universe. I am a uni que member of a powerful and wise race.My uniqueness makes me strong, and my mind makes my

culture stronger. My individualit y is thecultural strength of my people.

Ami llennia ago wewere given li fe bya creator whom wedo not know. Our creator madeour culture; a culture without war, without disease, and without famine. It is a perfect culture, superi or to those that have come before and after it . Without those hindrances found in lesser li fe forms, our race was able to focus our energies on science and learning. Sinceour creati on, we haveexplored this uni verseand learned many of i ts secrets. Our culture has grown and our technology hasimproved to almost uni maginable levels. We have used our knowledge to help the other, less developed,

species we have encountered. We point them on the path that will allow their culture to grow and develop as ours has. Many are resistant to the advice we freely give them,but eventually they cometo seethat weare correct, andt hat weonly wish to help. We arethecaretakers of this universe,and it is our duty to both protect and explore it.

General KnowledgeThe Ak ta i a re a r ace o f sen tien t and ro id s tha t we re cons t ruc ted eon

ago by an unk nown b enefactor . [ 8] Despite being robots , the Aktai ar

qu i te f r i end ly and he lp fu l to o the r spec ie s they encoun te r . Wha t i

un ique a bou t these ar tificial life for ms is the ir diversity. Each Aktai is a

individual, with its own personality, likes, and dislikes. Aktai are eveconstructed so that no two are exactly a l ike . For a l l in tents and pu

poses , the Aktai are just l ike any other sentient and e motional be ings

the universe, only they are created artificially.

Despite their rampant individualism, the Aktai have not suffered th

wars an d tragedies that have befal len m any other sentient species . As

result, the Aktai are naive in the ways of other species and have difficu

unde rs tand ing cus toms and cu l tu re s d i ffe ren t f rom the ir own . The

a n d r o i d s h a ve d e ve l o p e d t h e ir o w n t h r ivi n g a n d t e ch n o l o gi c al

advanced socie ty and have begun to explore the universe .

1BEYOND THE RIFT

AKTA

( a k - t i e )

Aktai

VITAL STATISTICS

+20 Strength -10 Manual Dexterity

+20 I.Q. -10 Agility

+20 Constitution -10 Aggression

+10 Intuition +10 Charisma

SECONDARY STATISTICS

+10 Terrestrial Knowledge +00 Military Leadership

+00 Persuasion +00 Bargaining

GENERAL INFORMATION

Body Points: 4 + d6 Movement: 14/08/100

Height: 40 + 6d10 Weight: 8d4 x 10

Attacks: 1 punch Dam/Attack: 2 points

Vision Modifier: +50 Hearing Modifier: +50

Smell Modifier: +15 Starting Money: (15 + 1d6) x 10000

Home Planet: Unknown

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ability to ignore pain(No need to make System Shock after Critical Hits)

3 Body Threshold Access to advanced technology

LIABILITIES

Lack of knowledge about other cultures

SURVIVAL MATRIX ROLLS

Chemical: 50 Radiation: 70

Biological: 99 Mental: 50Poison: 99 Sonic: 15

Electricity: 20 Fire: 70

Acid: 20 Cold: 70

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Scientist, Explorer

PROFICIENCY POINTS: 50

VITAL STATISTICS MINIMUM/MAXIMUM

Strength: 50/150 I.Q.: 50/150

Agility: 50/150 Constitution: 50/150

AKTAI STATISTICS



GovernmentThe Aktai are governe d b y a council of dem ocra tica l ly e lected leader s

who m ake m ajor decis ions for the socie ty as a whole .

CultureThe Aktai, for lack o f a be tter term , have a way of pissing peo ple off. The

Ak ta i have neve r been de fea ted in comba t , and the i r t e chno logy i s

beyond th e cap abilities of anyone in the se ctor. As a resu lt, the Aktai areunde r the imp ression that they a lways kno w the r ight th ing to do in an y

given s i tuation . This arro gance goes a l l the way down to the individual

mem bers o f the race . The re i s no th ing more annoying than an Ak ta i

telling you how to win a fight, while refusing to help.

The Aktai, despite being fiercely individualistic, are a very pacifistic

race . They have no h i s to ry o f wa r among themse lves o r wi th o the r

species , excluding their recent encounters with the Whe. Universal ly

renowned a s a f r i end ly and he lp fu l r ace , the Ak ta i on ly figh t when

defending them selves .

Physiological Makeup

Aktai are , for lack of a better word, robots . Granted , they are h ighlyadvanced robo ts tha t make I -bo ts look l ike t inke r toys , bu t they a re

robo ts a l l th e same . They a re capab le o f hea l ing in ju r ie s and “ rep ro -

duc ing” by bu i ld ing o f f sp r ing . They have the same five senses a s

hum ans, though a t an ad mittedly super ior level . When they are in jured ,

they can die , and they even “bleed” thou gh i t is not b lood in the tradi-

t ional sense .

Although Aktai do n’t fee l p ain , they s t i ll can “feel” when they are

in jured . Cri tica l h i ts s t i ll impair them , but they are not r equired to mak e

System Shock ro lls af ter a cr i t ica l h i t to remain conscious. The Aktai

can n ot use BRIs, Jum p Sticks , or even their own Cellu lar Regener ators

to hea l in juries they suffer . However, the Aktai can be r ebuil t from any

damage they suffer a t an Aktai hospita l as long as their Body Points

don’t drop below their Death’s Door. Rebuilds a t a hospita l general lytake 1 day per po int of dam age.

Although i t would seem that Aktai’s robotic nature would a l low

them to easi ly upload or insta ll new skil ls , they appar ently possess n o

skil l chip equivalents , preferr ing to learn skil ls the o ld fashion way.

Programming skil ls in to themselves evidently offends their sense of

un iqueness .

WeaknessesAktai are general ly very fr iendly and l ike to he lp o ther s ou t whenever

they can. Unfortunate ly , their lack of understanding of o ther cultures

and t r ad i t ions o f ten re su l t s in them caus ing more ha rm than good .

What is that phrase abou t the ro ad to hell? Aktai suffer a -40 in tu itionpena l ty to de te rmine the pu rpose o f a cu l tu ra l r i tua l o r t r ad i t ion .

Remem ber that something as s imp le as shaking hand s or nodd ing your

head in agreement is a cultura l t radit ion . For a l l in tents and purposes ,

your avera ge Aktai is going to be co mp letely lost when trying to fit in or

unde rstand an other cu lture . Every gesture , h abit , re l ig ion, and tradit ion

will be to ta lly a l ien and incomp rehe nsib le to an Aktai .

QuirksAll Aktai are know-it-a l ls , and they wil l a lways have a suggestion to

mak e or advice to g ive . Regardless of the s i tuation or their kno wledge

o f the top ic a t hand , mos t Ak ta i w il l make a comm en t on how som e-

th ing could be improved.

HistoryThe Aktai are h is tor ical ly a neutra l r ace that u ses i ts advanced techno l-

ogy to he lp o the r spec ie s to deve lop . Al l tha t changed 5 0 yea r s ago

when the Whe at tacked the Aktai bor der . The Aktai were ea si ly able to

fend off the Whe assault , but af terward s the Whe began to a t tack otherneighboring worlds . Despite the obvious act of war against them, the

tradit ionally neutra l Aktai have n ot co unter-a t tacked the Whe. [ 9] In

over 50 years of continual a t tacks by the Whe, the Aktai have never

coun ter-a t tacked. However, the Whe’s pe rs is tent a t tacks have be gun to

take their to ll on the Aktai, and they are beginn ing to push the fro nt into

Whe space.

The Ak ta i have taken a lo t o f flak f rom the i r ne ighbo rs fo r no t

declar ing war on the Whe. The Aktai are one of the few races able to

fend off the Whe, and man y believe they are capable of ending the war.

However, in diplomatic conferences with their neighbors, the Aktai have

absolute ly refused to a t tack the Whe.

The Aktai have a history of doing what they think is best for all par-

ties involved, without consulting all of the parties involved.

FavoriteitemAny one-of-a-kind i tem, which the Aktai has encountered , wil l be i ts

favori te i tem, un til i t finds a co py of th is i tem or another one-of-a-kind

item. After a l l , who wants to keep an i tem that somebody e lse might

have. In add ition, an Aktai will always have a rea son wh y he sh ou ld have

the rarest item in the party. This annoys the Klee to no end.

DressAnything to reinfor ce the Aktai’s individuality and set it apar t fro m o ther

mem bers o f i ts species will be consider ed fashionable .

HangoutAn Aktai will a lways hang o ut a t the newest an d m ost pop ular h angout,

unti l word begins to spread about the establishment. Once the masses

are aware of this hot, new place, most self-respecting Aktai will avoid it

and s tar t looking for a new hangou t.

AbodeAkta i homes a re cu s tom-bu il t to the i r spec ifica t ions to in su re the

uniquen ess of the house . Aktai will expect nothing less from any quar-

ters wher e they s tay. If an Aktai’s qu arters are not u nique enou gh for

the ir l ik ing, they wi ll go to g rea t l ength s to fix the room , inc lud ing

knocking down walls .

CombatTacticsAktai comb at tac t ics wil l depen d on the par t icular Aktai that is in com -

man d. Because i t takes forever to get anything done if a group of Aktai

is making decisions, the Aktai will always appoint one individual as the

leader . This is not a lways the mo st qualified individual b ut the individ-

ual who has the be st reason as to why they should be in charge.

Aktai of ten try to avoid a confronta t ion a t a l l costs and only fight

when n o other option is available . Because Aktai energy shie lds do not


1 • INTRODUCTION



1BEYOND THE RIFT

AKTA

lend themselves to prolonged engagements , the Aktai a t tack with a l l

available force once a fight is s tar ted .

Aktai weapons are beyond the technology level of any other sp ecies

but are often over-complicated . They require lo ts of maintenance and

upkeep to remain functional and don’t handle abuse well .

General Occupation

An Aktai’s natura l urge to be unique combined with their inquis i t ive-ness , mak es them ideally suited as sc ientists and explore rs .

FavoriteFoodsAnything: Though Aktai don’t usually consume organic m atter as food,

they can ea t mea ts and vege tab le -ma t te r ju s t l ik e mos t o the r Zenax

natives , excluding the Cedeun . In fact , the Atkai’s advanced digestive

system is capab le of pull ing miner als and n utr ients out of a lmost any-

thing they can chew.

Slop: Though Aktai can eat just about anything, most would r a ther co n-

sume a br own p aste , jokingly called Slop, that con ta ins a l l the m ateri-

a ls they need to susta in themselves .

PetThe Aktai have been kno wn to keep a l l manner of creatures as p ets . In

their travels acro ss the universe, the Aktai have foun d do zens of animals

tha t they find make su i tab le compan ions . Of cou rse , some c r i tt e r s

mak e better pets than o thers , and i t’s not unh eard of for an Aktai to be

dismembered by a dangerous pet that they thought made them unique.

TheAktai ViewON LIFE: We must help less developed l ife forms achieve their

maximum potentia l .

ON WAR: We do not understand war.

ON THE UNIVERSE: We are the care taker s of th is universe .

ON THE WHE: They are misguided and a t tack those who wish to

he lp them.

ON THE FAMILY: My creators built me, and I will eventually build

unique offspring.

ON SELF: I am unique . I am an individual . I am advanced.

NotableAktaiStatements

Here, let me help you wi th that. Oh, I didn’t realize it was fragile.

I can help reassemble that hyper-dri ve device!

The door was jammed. I fixed that by redesigni ng the door.

EverybodyIs Alittlebit Freaky

The Aktai will eat it! He’ll eat anything!: Aktai are capableof digesting

nearlyanymaterial thatissoftenoughtobechewedup. Thisuniqueabil-

ity, combinedwiththeirnatural inquisitivenessmeansthatanAktai will try

tosampleevery culinary dishit runsacross. Thisabilityalsotendstosur-

face when anAktai becomesbored. Bored Aktai will munch onalmost

anythingtheycanfindjusttoseewhatit tasteslikeandtodeterminewhatlevel of nutritionthey canextract fromthematerial. Asa result, it’snot

uncommontoseeanAktaichowingdownonhisownuniformduringapar-

ticularlydull moment.

Spewing: Despitetheir fiercedesire toberadically differentfromeach

other,anAktai cannotalter thewayitsbodyfunctions. All Aktai havethe

sameinternal systemsthatgivethemlifeandkeepthemalive. Sinceall

Aktai havetoeat, oneof thosesystemsmust bewastemanagement. In

order topurgeindigestible materialsfromtheir bodiestheAktai literally

spitthemup. Oftenreferredtoasspewing, Aktai will sprayastreamof liq-

uidfromtheir mouths, whicheliminatesany inedible materials that they

havepreciously consumed. MostAktai will dothisseveral timesa day, butthefrequencyvarieswiththenumber of mealstheAktai hasconsumed.

VariationsonaTheme

Aktai (Borger): Aktai areabletomechanicallyimprovethemselves, but

most choose not to deviate fromtheir “parents” basic internal design

though they readily customize their external appearance. Borgers are

Aktaithatarerebellingagainsttheir creatorsandhavemodifiedtheir bod-

ieswithall manner ofcybernetics.

All Aktai canaddcyberneticstocustomizetheir bodies,buttheydon’t

suffer any CONpenaltiesfor doingso. For themost part, Aktai Borgers

haveaccesstotheZenax-equivalentsof all Alliancecyberneticsassumingthey canafford them. On the down side, Borgers have their Charisma

reducedby40whendealingwithother Aktai!




1 • INTRODUCTION



I li vein the dark empti ness of space. I do not need a space- sui t to survi ve li ke you air breathers. The vacuum of space does not bother me. The cold of the abyss does not injure me. The radiation from stars rarely affects me. I do not need crudemetal vehiclesto travel from placeto place. I am a highlyevolved li fe form. Do not forget this. Do not mistake our inabili ty to survive for prolonged peri ods in your atmosphere as a weakness. We can survive much longer in your atmosphere than you can survive in the vacuum of space.

We are masters of stealth in our environment, and our environment makes up over 99% of the uni verse! I may be clinging to thesideof an asteroid looking for my next meal.I may be attached to the hull of your space stati on looking at you through the window. I may behind your spacecraft on a tether. My people are everywhere, but you can not see us. Your conceptsof terri tory and boundariesare meaning- less. We were in your space long before you claimed it as your property, andwewill conti nue to li vewhere weplease.

General KnowledgeLitera l ly transla ted in their n ative language, Cedeun mean s “ those wh

endure the unendurable.” Cedeuns have the ability to survive in the vac

uum of space. In fact , Cedeun s thr ive in a vacuum and l ive quite com

fortably in this most hostile of environments. Cedeuns cling to asteroid

slowly extracting the m inerals out o f the r ock that they need to sur viv

Cedeuns wi l l o f ten hop on a rogue a s te ro id to r each o the r f eed in

g rounds l ike rocky moons and o the r a s te ro id s.

Your typical Cedeun has a long cylindrical body ending in two o

more ten tac le s , wh ich range in co lo r f rom b lack to g ray to b row

About m idway down the b ody are two arm s with s trong ro ck c laws th

are used to anchor the Cedeun to the rocks. A Cedeun’s head is quit

l a rge and t r i angu la r in shape . Toward the bo t tom o f the head i s th

Cedeun’s g iant tooth filled maw, which i t uses to crew through rock

Cedeun ’s have two h uge forward facing eyes over a r ow o f small l igemitt ing organs, which are used to communicate .

GovernmentAn elected r u ling council governs Cedeun colonies . A coun cil mem be

f rom each a rea o f Cedeun con t ro l led space a l so a t t ends the Cedeu

cong re ss once a m on th . The cong re ss m akes gove rn ing dec i s ions fo

the entire populace . The location for the con gress changes from m ont

to mon th .

1BEYOND THE RIFT

CEDEUN

( s e a - d o n e )

Cedeun

VITAL STATISTICS

+15 Strength +30 Manual Dexterity

-10 I.Q. -15 Agility

+10 Constitution -20 Aggression

-10 Intuition +00 Charisma


+30 Terrestrial Knowledge -20 Military Leadership

-10 Persuasion +00 Bargaining

GENERAL INFORMATION

Body Points: 6 + 1d8 Movement: 04/02/14

Height: 60 + 1d12 Weight: 100 + (2d10 x 10)

Attacks: 1 bite Dam/Attack: 2d4 real

Vision Modifier: +40 Hearing Modifier: -99

Smell Modifier: -99 Starting Money: N/A

Home Planet: N/A

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Able to Survive indefinitely in the vacuum of space

Derive Sustenance from starlight and mineral deposits

Ability to detect radiation 4 Body Threshold

Rock crushing bite Long lifespan

10 levels of EVM

LIABILITIES

Require null-pressure suits to survive in an atmosphere

Slow down under pull of gravity Weak immune system

Deaf No sense of smell



Biological: 05 Mental: 10

Poison: 10 Sonic: 99


Acid: 50 Cold: 150

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Deep space mining & salvage, Ship mechanic



Strength: 51/130 I.Q.: 11/120


CEDEUN STATISTICS



CultureCedeun a re s t r ange spec ie s who , when no t m in ing a s te ro id s fo r food

and r aw materia ls , spend their t ime pursu ing the ar ts . Cedeun sculpture

and arch itecture is unequ alled . Cedeun l ive in m assive , a lmost cr ysta l-

l ike c i t ies inside of hollowed out as teroids . The c i t ies are decorated

with Cedeun zero-g sculpture , an d a l l Cedeun are free to p lace their a r t-

work througho ut the c i ty. Cedeun a lso enter ta in them selves with sports .

Physiological MakeupCedeun are p erfectly adapted for a n environm ent that is a lmost instant-

ly fa ta l to most o ther organisms. Cedeuns are immune to the chil l ing

cold and r adia t ion one often enco unters in space. They can a lso innate-

ly de tec t i f th ey a re be ing exposed to d ange rous l eve l s o f r ad ia tion .

Qu i te a t hom e in space , Cedeuns do no t r equ i re a space su i t in o r de r

to survive the lack of pressur e . However, i f a Cedeun is exposed to an

atmosph ere i t will suffer one po int of real dam age per m inute of expo-

su re . I f a Cedeun manages to su rvive the dange rs o f space , they can

expec t to l ive we l l ove r a hund red yea r s . Some o lde r Cedeun have

repo rtedly l ived m ore than 250 years .

Cedeun s l ive on an d in asteroids , which are b oth their food so urce

and their ho me. They blend in per fectly with their surr ound ings and are

able to use their Matr ix abil it ies to h ide their p resenc e and travel great

d is tances from asteroid field to asteroid field .

Though Cedeun have no sense o f sm e l l, th ey a re ab le to “ ta s te”

objects on physical contact . So am azing is their sen se of tas te that they

can generally guess the rough composit ion of an object just by touch-

ing it . Cedeun com mu nicate with each o ther using two organs that can

flash visual messages. The Cedeun can use these organs to b l ind other

races ( Radia t ion SMR at + 20) for 2d4 rou nds.

WeaknessesThe Cedeun are adapted for l i fe in the vacuum of space, and exposure

to the crushing pressure of a p lanet’s a tmosphere wil l eventually k i l lthem.

In addit ion , the Cedeuns have very l i t t le contact with b io logical

pathogens in the vacuum of space. Though they are r esis tant to change

in pressur e and the effects of radia t ion , their immu ne system is und er-

developed and weak.

Cedeuns are s tone deaf and have no sense of smell . These senses

a r e o f l it tl e u s e w it h o u t a n a tm o s p h e r e t o c a r r y s o u n d a n d o d o r s .

However, their sense of tas te more than makes up for their lack of a

sense o f smell .

Quirks

Cedeun who ar e out ad venturing wil l spend mo st of their t ime a t tachedto a ship’s outer hull . This can b e quit d isconce rt ing for peop le inside

the ship who are try ing to s leep an d to go ab out their bu siness . Nothing

is c reepe r than l i s ten ing to som e th ing scu r r y ac ro ss the hu l l o f you r

ship while you’re try ing to s leep or looking out the porthole in your

bathroom and seeing a Cedeun s tar ing back a t you.

HistoryThe Klee and the Cedeuns a re c lo se a l l i e s , and the i r e conomies a re

closely tied together . Because of their ab il ity to l ive in the vacuum of

space, Cedeuns are able to perform asteroid mining and ship sa lvage

ope ra t ions much fa s te r than “ su i ted” worke rs . The Cedeuns wou ld

often trad e sa lvaged ship com pone nts and a l ien technology to the Klee ,

who resell them on the b lack m arke t a t a considera ble mar kup. This is

how m any Whe weapo ns end u p in the hand s of their enem ies . [ 12]

Though the Whe have never a t tacked the Cedeuns, their constant

encro achm ent in to Cedeun sp ace and their a t tack on the Klee has made

the Cedeuns ho stile toward the Whe. In d efense of the Whe, the Cedeun

don’t exactly advert ise their presence or their terr i tor ia l boundaries .Unknown to the Whe, i t was actually the Cedeuns who war ned the Klee

of the imp ending invasion and gave them time to escape. The Cedeuns

a l so pe r fo rmed p i ra te a t t a cks des igned to s low the Whe’s advance

toward the Klee hom e world , g iving the Klee enou gh t ime to escap e or

take refuge in the c loak ed Cedeun asteroid c i t ies . [ 13]

FavoriteItemA Cedeun ’s favori te i tems include bags of rar e an d u seful m inerals that

they have m ined ou t of the a steroids .

DressCedeun d o not wear c lo thes and do n’t rea l ly unde rstand the conc ept of

fashion. Cedeun wil l occasionally be found in armor, which is usually

patterned to b lend in to the rock astero ids , or they may also be lugging

around some mining/sa lvage tools .

HangoutTo find a Cedeun the best p lace to look is on the n earest p iece of rock

floating by the window of your p erson al s tar cr u iser . I f you don’t have

any asteroids handy, then the Cedeun is probably s tar ing back a t you

from the o ther s ide of the window. Cedeun have been known to “ski”

behind sp ace vessels on a te ther l ine .

Cedeun o ften can be found n ear sh ip graveyards or aband oned ves-

se ls doing sa lvage work .

AbodeThe Cedeun live in incredible cities, which they carve inside large aster-

o ids . Not only are these c i t ies h idden from view, but a lso the Cedeun ’s

innate camo uflage skil ls and c loaking abil i ties make them unde tectable

to passing ships .

CombatTacticsThe Cedeun ar e cr eatures of s tea lth . They a lways try to take their o ppo-

nent by surprise an d re tre at to a posit ion of safe ty before the opp onen t

has a chan ce to counter . The Cedeun are re nowned for their a t tacks on

spacecr aft from the outs ide!

General OccupationThe Cedeuns natura l abil i t ies make them ideally suited to a number of

occup ations. Construction o f space-based facili t ies and ship rep air can

be accomplished much faster when you’re not encumbered by a space

suit . Cedeun s are a lso reno wned thro ughout Zenax as the best as teroid

miner s . Other com mo n Cedeun ar eas of expert ise include arc hitecture ,

engineering, geology, and astrophysics. Almost all Cedeun are artists.


1 • INTRODUCTION



1BEYOND THE RIFT

CEDEUN

FavoriteFoodsRocks: Cedeun love to eat rocks. The type of rock a Cedeun likes to eat

is based on per sonal preferenc e. Gold , lead , n ickel , i ron , and tun gsten

are the m eat and p ota toes of the Cedeun’s d ie t . Less dense materia ls are

considered junk food, where as materia ls with h igher a tomic numbers

are treated a lm ost l ike spices .

PetRock Fleas: There aren’t too many creatures that can survive in the

vacuum o f space , and so the re a ren ’ t too many c r i tt e r s tha t a lone ly

Cedeun might choose as a pet . An occasional Cedeun has been known

to keep a ro ck flea as a pet , but th is is not comm on since the roc k-flea

is a cockro ach-equ ivalent .

NotableCedeunStatements

Comeon out, theweather is great.

Where is the ski rope?

Hey, look at this! *FLASH*

EverybodyIs ALittleBit Freaky

Swimming:Cedeunsfindthat spendingtoomuch

time under the pull of gravity canbe depressing.

Their movement is restricted, and they love the

feelingof beingabletogracefully glidefromplace

toplace. For most air breathersthiswould belikecarrying around a hundredpounds of weight on

yourshouldersall daylong. Tohelpalleviatetheir

homesickness,Cedeunswill oftengoswimming. The

water supportsmuch of their body and simulates

weightlessness. Itsnot uncommonfor aCedeunto

hollowout aholeandfill it withwhatever liquidis

at handso they cangoswimming. Cedeuns have

beenknowntodothis evenon thedesolateland-

scapeofabattlefieldwhenrestingbetweenassaults

ontheenemy.

VariationsonaThemeCedeun (Neo-Cedeuns): Neo-Cedeuns are an

outcastsectof theCedeunspeciesthathasadapted

for life in spaceaswell asonplanetswithatmos-

pheres. Neo-Cedeun have genetically engineered

their bodiesto survivethe crushing pressure and

causticgassesof aplanetaryatmosphere. They do

nottakedamagefromexposuretoanatmosphere,

and their Bio, Chemical, and Poison SMRs are

increased by 20 points. Neo-Cedeuns still must

returntospaceevery twoweeks, ortheyloseone

pointper dayfromtheSMRsmentionedaboveuntil

thoseSMRs reach zero. Unfortunately thegenetic

manipulationthat enablestheNeo-Cedeuntosur-

vive in an atmosphere has an unforeseen side

effect. Thematrix powers of the Neo-Cedeunare

greatly reduced. They receive half thenumber of

powerpointsanormal Cedeunreceivesatthestart

ofthegameandwhenadvancingtoanewlevel. In

addition, their matriceshavetherange(if any)and

durationreducedbyhalf. Neo-Cedeuncoloniesare

rare and are generally aggressive toward air

breathers.




1 • INTRODUCTION



I li ve to fly. There i s nothi ng more exhilarati ng than flying hundredsof feet over the ground, zooming in and out of the clouds. Up here I can see for miles. In fact I can see you long before you see me. Come to think of it , my precision lasers and missiles will insure that you’ll never see me. I’d much rather blow you upthan talk to you. Tryingto talk to you other speciesi s so frustrating. I alwayslose my temper anyway.

My people are a proud species. We are oneof the most tech- nically advanced races in Zenax. We have had a govern- mental system that has been i n place for almost a mi llennia. Our culture hassurvived str ife and conflict from internal and external forces alike, but we sti ll survive and conti nue to grow. Growth i s painful and occasionally we have come into conflict with the Razaa and Klee, but these are simply disputes over resources that had to be settled. We have also had to put down rebelli ons from our own people who lack the vision and courage to meet the future. These too will become less frequent as they grow to accept the inevi table future of luxury and bli ss the Trade Consorti um will eventually bring us.

We are expandi ng our cultural influence and our power base every day. The Trade Consorti um already has the largest terri tory of any of the races in Zenax except for the mili taristi c Whe. To our credit themajori ty of our territory wasclai med legally and without conflict. Weexpand, but we are not li ke theconqueri ng Whewho blindly stri ke at all of those around them. TheWhewi ll begreatly mistaken if they think they can attack t hemi ghty Disrapan and survive.

General KnowledgeThe Disrapan ar e an in te l l igent species from planet Kaidum whose m o

no table trait is their ab ility to fly. Disrapa n m ake e xcellent pilots as the

natural abil i ty to fly transla tes in to a better understanding of how t

maneuver in three-dimensional space. Disrapan have a reputa t ion fo

being easi ly offended and are often rude to o ther species . In addit ion

your typical Disrapan has l i t tle patience a nd becom es frustra ted ea si l

D is rapan a re t a ll , g aun t humano id c r ea tu re s , whose mos t no tab

features include a pair of large wings. A Disrapan’s skin color range

from white to gray and in some rar e cases is even l ight b lue in color .

Disrapan’s wings can fold up like an accordion and can be safely tucke

away unde r two flaps o f sk in on the back when no t in u se . D is rapa

have very large, keen eyes, which give them binocular vision and allo

them to see for m iles . The head is cr owned with a sm all fin that is use

as a r udd er when flying. The lower half of the face is covered in sma

tentacles that are a lmost beard-l ike in appea rance an d cover the mou t

VITAL STATISTICS


+00 I.Q. +00/+30 (in the air) Agility

+07 Constitution +10 Aggression

+00 Intuition -15 Charisma



-05 Persuasion +00 Bargaining

GENERAL INFORMATION


Height: 60 + 2d10 Weight: 50 + 1d8 x 10

Attacks: 2 talons + bite Dam/Attack: (1-3/1-3/1-2)real


Smell Modifier: +10 Starting Money: 9d6 x 100

Home Planet: Kaidum

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Flight (Movement rates tripled in the air, quadrupled when in a dive)

Exceptional sight

Piloting Skills cost 1 pt Less

Razor sharp talons

Agility is increased by 30 when flying

LIABILITIES

Considered Size Class 8 with Wings open

Can’t fly if more than lighlty encumbered

Slow and cumbersome on the ground. (No agility bonus)

Fragile wings






Acid: 35 Cold: 20

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Pilot or Scout



Strength: 35/115 I.Q.: 15/115


1BEYOND THE RIFT

DISRAPAN

( d i s - r a h - p a n )

DISRAPAN STATISTICS

Disrapan



GovernmentDis rapan gove rnmen t i s d ivided in to two pa r t s . The ma in gove rn ing

body i s the Dis rapan House o f Gove rnmen t , wh ich i s t e chn ica l ly a

mona rchy . The House o f Gove rnmen t c rea te s the l aws tha t gove rn

Disrapan socie ty. Member s of the ho use are se lected from the same 1 5

families that have presided over it since its creation 800 years ago. The

second part of the Disrapan governm ental system is the incred ibly pow-

erful Trade Consor t ium. The Trade Consor t ium con tro ls and governs a l la spec t s o f Dis rapan comm erce . The re a re ve ry few independen t bu s i -

nesses on planet Kaidum . Seventy percent of the Disrapan popu lat ion is

emp loyed by the Trade Conso r t ium. The Trade Conso r t ium con t ro l s

90% of the business done on and off world by the Disrapan, and they

hold do minion o ver 75 % of a l l Disrapan terr i tory. The only indepen dent

indus t ry o f no te i s the t r an spo r ta t ion indus t ry . To keep the Trade

Conso r t ium f rom having too m uch power , the House o f Gove rnm en t

passed a law ma king i t il legal for the Trade Consort ium to own a vehi-

cle of any type. As a result, all vehicles, including spacecraft, are char-

tered or leased by the Trade Consort ium.

Over the las t 200 years the Disrapa n governmen t has been the focus

of gueri l la a t tacks by anti-governm ent reb els who a re d issa tisfied with

the Trade Consort ium’s m onop olis tic contro l over their l ives and theiriron fist ru le . [ 10] The House o f Governmen t has been trying to keep

these rebel a t tacks secre t from their a l lies , but the reb els are becom ing

mor e and m ore b r a sh a s t ime passe s . As an a t t emp t to make conces -

s ions to the rebel’s cause , the House of Government has been placing

more re s t r i c t ions on the Trade Conso r t ium. The p re s su re moun t ing

b e tw e en t h e r e b e ls , t h e H o u se o f Go ve r n m e n t, a n d t h e Tr a d e

Consor t ium will eventually lead to c ivi l war if radical ch anges ar e n ot

made to the Disrapan government

The Disrapan are not the easiest species to get a long with . In the

past 50 years they have ha d b att les with the Razaa and even Klee trad -

ing fleets. [ 11]

CultureThe Disrapan a re a very prou d an d po werful race . Excluding the Aktai ,

the Disrapan a re the m ost technologically advanced species in the sec-

tor . They are a b i t obno xious, tend to squabb le amon g themselves , and

fight with those that are d ifferent from them.

Physiological MakeupThe most obvious physio logical d ifference between the Disrapan and

other sp ecies are their wings. For o bvious r easons, Disrapan have diffi-

culty flying in h igh gravity ( G> 1) environ me nts. Any plane t with a gr av-

i ta t iona l pu l l g rea te r than Ea r th ’s wil l m ake i t v e ry d i fficu l t fo r a

Disrapan to fly. However, even a Disrapan who is unable to fly can still

g l ide or use their wings to s low their decent while fa l l ing . Note: For

damage purposes a Disrapan’s wings should be treated as another se t

of arm s, l ike the Phentar i o r Ashanti .

WeaknessesThe Disrapan ’s ma in weakn ess is their wings. While unfolded, their wings

make an easy target ( s ize c lass 8) and can not take m uch d amage. In

addition, if the Disrapan wishes to fly und er their o wn powe r, they can not

carry much weight or protect their delicate wings with armor. A critical

hit to either wing will make flying imp ossible for the injured Disrapan .

A Disrapan that exceeds l ight encumbrance wil l not be able to fly.

As a result , most Disrapan so ldiers will not be issued weapo ns, arm or,

and equ ipmen t whose to ta l encumbran ce i s ove r 20 .

QuirksAll Disrapan have an an noying ner vous t ick wh enever they speak. The

tick varies from individual to individual , but they a l l have them . Some

wave their head from side to s ide , o thers chirp every o ther word, andsome boun ce con stantly while ta lk ing. The Disrapan d on’t even no tice

th is behavior and s imply view i t as a p erson ali ty tra i t . I t tends to m ake

mo st o ther spec ies furious af ter ta lk ing with a Disrapan for o nly a few

minutes .

HistoryEarly in Disrapan history, a single nation called Tralar became the dom-

inan t economic power on p lane t Ka idum. Gove rned by a mona rchy ,

Tra la r com miss ioned a g roup o f the i r mo s t power fu l t r ade com pan ie s

to contro l a l l Tralar co mm erce from that point on . With officia l suppo rt

from the ru ling families , the trade co mp anies , now known as the Trade

Consort ium, had free re ign to do as they wished, as long as they con-

t inued to bring in the profits . Within a period of 50 years , the Trade

Conso r t ium had dec la red war on ne ighbo r ing coun t r ie s and had c r ip -

pled them in a ser ies of mil i tary and economic a t tacks. The House of

Government was then able to assume contro l over these countr ies . By

the end of the next century , Tralar contro lled every country with any

economic power on the p lane t . Afte r nea r ly 800 yea r s , th e House o f

Gove rnmen t and the Trade Conso r t ium s t il l ex is t and ru le p lane t

Kaidum. The Trade Consort ium has continued build ing the Disrapan

Empire a t an amazing ra te . The Consort ium’s peaceful acquis i t ion of

unc la imed re sou rces and te r r i to ry a long wi th rap id t echno log ica l

deve lopmen t ha s fu r the r inc rea sed the i r power . At th i s t ime , the

Dis rapan ’s econom ic and mi l it a ry power have m ade them one o f the

mo st powerful species in the sector .

FavoriteitemDisrapan tend to like artwork. Tastes vary, but most tend to favor sculp-

tures or pain tings. They are a lso fond of Cedeun l ight sculpture .

DressDisrapan don’t of ten wea r c lo thes , but they do l ike jewelry.

HangoutIf you are looking for a group of Disrapa n, gener al ly a l l you have to do

is look up. A Disrapan enjoys nothing more than glid ing high above the

ground , taking in the scener y.

AbodeDisrapan typically l ive in very ta l l skyscraper- l ike build ings. Ground

level entrances are available if you are carry ing too much to fly, but

mos t Dis rapan en te r the i r apa r tmen t - style hom es v ia the ba lcony

entrance . In rur a l areas Disrapa n l ive in c l iff comm unit ies .


1 • INTRODUCTION



2BEYOND THE RIFT

DISRAPAN

CombattacticsThe Disrapan use a combination of beam weapons and precis ion guid-

ed missi les in combat. Disrapan sensor systems are unparalle led , and

their smar t-weapons ar e very imp ressive . Disrapan favor aeria l a t tacks

using weapons that can target the enem y at extrem e dis tances .

General occupation

Disrapan can have a l l manner of occupations. Most Disrapan encoun-te red away from the ir home wor ld o r many ou tpos t s wil l e ithe r be a

diplomat from the House of Government or a so ld ier working for the

Trade Consor t ium .

FavoritefoodsTrap: Disrapan l ike to eat large ten-legged bugs called Trap that can

weigh up to several k i logram s.

Snugg: The Snugg are small insect- l ike creatures the Disrapan eat by

the hand ful . During banqu ets the Snugg are a l lowed to swar m o ver the

guests who eagerly devour them .

PetNipp: The Nipp are small flying creatures that m any Disrapan keep a s

pets . The Nipp have 5 legs and two sets of wings and can gro w to sev-

era l k i lograms in weight . The Nipp can be tra ined mu ch l ike a dog.

TheDisrapanViewON LIFE: Unfortunate ly I’ l l spend most of my l ife dealing with

annoying life forms like you.

ON WAR: We will not be defeated.

ON THE UNIVERSE: Ou r influence i s expand ing th roughou t the

universe .

ON THE WHE: The Whe a re a g rowing th rea t , bu t they a re nomatch for us .

ON THE FAMILY: Family is an important duty, just as my job with

the Trade Consor t ium is an impor tant duty.

NotableDisrapanStatements

I can do something you can only dream about - fly.

I’ ve had enough of thi s. I’m going for a fly.

Yes, I can see you waving from way over here. No, I’ m NOT using binoculars, you moron!


BouncingFits: Disrapanreally lovetofly, andif they’reunabletotake

totheairforaprolongedperiodtheytendtogetantsy. Infact, aground-

ed Disrapanwill frequently havebouncing fits where they throwthem-

selvesagainstthewallsandceilinguntil theyexhaustthemselves.

Screeching: When a Disrapangets really excited they tend to screech

loudly. Similar tosneezing, thisresponsetostimulusis almost automatic

rather thanvoluntary andisdifficulttorepress.

VariationsonaTheme

Disrapan(Gatz): TheGatz, alsoknownasTheFlightless, areagroupof

Disrapan body builders. TheGatz use drugs and genetic treatments to

increasetheir strengthbeyondthenormallimitsfor theirspecies. TheGatz

areso muscle-bound that most cannolonger fly. TheGatz have their

Strength bonusincreased by +20 and receive an additional 2d4 body

points.Gatzmustincreasetheir weightby10d6,andthisadditionalweightalsocountsagainst their current encumbrance. ManyDisrapanwhonatu-

rallylosetheir abilitytofly, eitherthroughaccident, injury, orfromamed-

ical conditionchoosetobecomeGatz.




1 • INTRODUCTION



My people are just beginni ng to explore this uni verse. Now that personal faster-than-light spacecraft have become affordable enough for my li fe-art school to purchase, I can venture out into the unknown. My skills havebeen perfected through decades of practi ce and conflict. The distant worlds and alien culturesI encounter wil l providemanyadventures and bethe ultimate test of my skills and abil it ies.

I must travel out into the universe to educate those I find about my culture. Those that are worthy to study my li fe art may become my apprenticei f I choose. It i s also my duty to prevent those opposing li fe arts from spreading disinforma- ti on about my art. There aremany Dul who arejust aspow- erful asI who will use their abi li ti es to harm the innocent.In order to stay true to my path, I must defend theinnocent and protect those who are unable to protect themselves

General KnowledgeThe Du l a re a r ace tha t ha s ju s t begun to m ake the i r p re sence kno w

in Zenax. The Dul have advanced to a po int that pr ivate ly owned spac

craft have become affordable , and a few Dul are beginning to explo

the cosm os . These a r e gene ra l ly wea lthy Du l who a re a t temp t ing

expand their knowledge in their part icular field of s tudy and explor

Because Dul of d ifferen t l i fe p aths do not usually get a long, they ofte

fight when they encounter each other off world where they do not r is

d i s tu rb ing the d e l ica te peace o f the ir home p lane t. In add i tion , mo

Dul are h ighly tra ined in han d-to-hand co mb at, and ma ny sell their se

vices as mer cenar ies . This has earn ed the rac e som ewhat of a negativ

reputa t ion as a species of cutthroat mercenaries . Though the Dul hav

survived through countless years of warfare , most are peaceful scho

ars . However, the Dul’s former policy of iso la t ionism has kept man

neighboring species in the dark about their t rue nature . To complica

m atters, the sm all but power ful Dul navy has a h istory of scar ing off an

one who ventures too c lose to their border .

GovernmentThe type of governm ent the Dul use varies from area to a rea . The Du

d o n o t s e e m t o f a vo r o n e s ys te m o f g o ve r n m e n t o v e r a n o t h e

Regardless of the governme ntal system b eing emp loyed, a l l Dul govern

men ts a re s imi la r in tha t the i r p r imary pu rpo se i s the managemen t o

common resources . For the most part the government has l i t t le impac

on i ts c i t izens in Dul socie ty . Most Dul are concerned with what the

cons ide r to be mor e impor tan t a spec ts o f l ife and don ’ t wor ry abou

matters of governm ent.

2BEYOND THE RIFT

DU

( d u h - a l l )

Dul

VITAL STATISTICS


-10 I.Q. +15 Agility


-10 Intuition -10 Charisma


-20 Terrestrial Knowledge +10 Military Leadership

-10 Persuasion -10 Bargaining

GENERAL INFORMATION


Height: 60 + 2d8 Weight: 100 + (2d10 x 10)

Attacks: 2 punches Dam/Attack: 1 point


Smell Modifier: -10 Starting Money: 10d10 x 1000

Home Planet: Aroymass

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Limited matrix abilities High Attribute Maximums

LIABILITIES

One half of all skill points must be put towards obtaining mastery inone non-combat field

One half of all skill points must be spent in the physical skills categpry

Body Points Skill, Breathing Skill, Agility Skill, Strength skill, and Alertness Skill all cost twice as much as normal






Acid: 20 Cold: 30

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Martial Artist, Scholar



Strength: 21/150 I.Q.: 05/115


DUL STATISTICS



CultureDul socie ty revolves aro und the s tudy of what cou ld only be called mar -

t ia l ar ts . The Du l deny that these ar ts ar e sole ly for fighting and prefer

to call them “life arts.” While young, a Dul generally picks a life art to

pur sue. The c hoice o f a l i fe ar t will not o nly d ic ta te a fighting s tyle but

a lso an ed ucational focus. In a ddit ion , most l i fe ar ts are associa ted with

part icular occu pations, though th is is mor e of a s tereo type than a ru le .

A Dul can ch ange his l i fe ar t , but instructor s of part icular ar ts ar e oftenprejud iced against o ther a r ts , and i t is of ten d ifficult to change a r ts .

Physiological MakeupYour typical Dul is unimpressive in most respects . However, Dul are

unique in their b odies’ abil ity to excel far beyond the average for their

spec ie s. Fo r examp le , m os t ave rage hum ans can on ly li ft one o r two

hund red pounds , whe reas a human power l i f t e r may l i f t up to th ree

times that amount. In comparison, your average Dul might be able to

l ift the sam e am ount o f weight as your average hum an. However, a Dul

power l if ter might be able to l i f t 6 or 7 t imes that amount. The same

ho lds true for the Du l’s ability to hon e their b ody’s spee d an d agility. Dul

can purchase up to 20 levels of Body Points and Breathing Skill, 16 lev-

els of Agility and Strength sk ills, and 1 0 levels of Alertne ss.

Like many matr ix contro ll ing species , the majori ty of that species

does no t possess the abil ity to generate and c ontro l m atr ices . The sam e

is t rue o f the Du l . On ly a fte r yea r s o f ded ica ted p rac t ice s can a Du l

begin to m anifest h is or her matr ix abil i ties .

WeaknessesThe ability of the Dul to accomplish the incredible feats they are known

for requires in tense l ife- long focus and dedication . As a result , many

Du l a re l a ck ing in o the r a rea s . In add i t ion , mos t Du l wi l l r e fu se to

admit that their l i fe- long tra in ing has resulted in anything less than a

well-roun ded perso nali ty. Though th is is s lowly changing, most Dul ar e

very res istant to lear ning anything new as it pu lls them away fro m focus -ing on their life art.

QuirksThe Dul com e from a natur a l ly aggressive socie ty, and early during the

form ation of c ivi l ized Dul culture , they adopted som e tradit ions to h elp

keep the peace. The most notable of these tradit ions is the crossing of

the arms and jo in ing hands whenever two Dul wish to speak. [ Editors

Note: Stand face to face with the Du l with who m you wish to sp eak . Next,

fu l ly ex tend you r a rms in f ron t o f you . Now c ro ss you r a rms a t the

elbows. Now bend your arm s a t the e lbows bringing them toward your

ches t . Jo in hand s wi th the o the r p e r son . Th is p reven ts the Du l f rom

attacking each other , a t least in theor y, for as long a s they wish to c on-t inue their conversat ion . I t is considered r ude to speak m ore than a few

words to a Dul without firs t offer ing to cross hands with h im or her .

Those who wish to speak with a Dul must s tand nearby, arms crossed,

patiently wait ing for their turn to speak .

HistoryThe history of the Dul is one of war, prejudice, and r acism. Dul culture is

dominated by their life arts. Each life art developed in a specific region on

the plane t, and historically, m emb ers of different life ar ts are not friendly.

This resulted in years of endless war, sect against sect. Eventually, millions

of Dul were killed, and many of the life arts died out. After centuries of

warfare, the Dul finally found a tenuou s peace, an d after a lon g period o f

stagnation , they began to advance tec hno logically. Cur ren tly only abou t two

dozen m ajor life arts rem ain, with a few dozen other m ore e clectic arts in

the m inority. Because of all the years of war and military occup ation, life

arts are no longer restricted to particular geographic regions.

FavoriteItemMost Du l do no t deve lop emo t iona l a t t a chmen t to ma te r ia l goods .

However, many do grow fond of their fighting garb or armor if i t has

served them well in the past .

DressFashion varies depending on the life art the Dul has chosen. While some

Dul wea r loose -fit ting func t iona l c lo th ing , the ma jo r i ty o f Du l wea r

highly orn ate costumes an d uniforms b efitt ing their chosen c areer . The

Dul’s chosen l ife ar t wil l be c learly identifiable to o ther Dul by the

mar kings and d esign of h is c lo th ing.

HangoutYour typical Dul is l ikely to be hanging out any place where he can

improve upon himself . This includes the gym, the l ibrary , or s imply

some place to medita te .

AbodeDul abodes ar e abou t as varied as the Dul; most , however, are equ ipped

with a spacious work out area .

CombatTacticsThe com bat tac t ics em ployed by the Dul vary so mu ch from individual

to individual that there is no way to sum mar ize them. Most Dul warr iors

ra re ly u se weapons and a rmor , though th i s is no t unhea r d o f when a

warrior is expecting to encou nter he avy weapon s. Dul warr iors typical-

ly rely on their matrix abilities for offense and defense, though they may

augmen t these with a melee weapon . Dul do not favor p rolonged fights

and will of ten r e treat and regrou p if a fight is not going their way.

In times of war, the different Dul factions will band together to fight

other fact ions or a l ien invaders .

General OccupationThe vast majori ty of the Dul have two o ccupations. The first is a lways

their re l ig ious-l ike devotion to their mart ia l ar t , and the second is a

career of some type that is usually associa ted with that m art ia l ar t ( li fe

path) . Most Dul are required by their l i fe path instructors to excel as

much as possib le in both endeavors , and other hobbies or occupationsa re d i scou raged . Occupa t ions range the who le gamu t f rom ma in te -

nance techn ic ian to a t to rney, bu t no ma t te r wha t ca ree r the Du l pu r -

sues , he is expected to be the best a t what he does.

FavoriteFoodsDul cuis ine is a d iverse se lect ion of meat and vegetable- like pr od-

ucts . Most o ther sp ecies find Dul cuis ine edible but just bar e ly. I t is not

uncommon for Dul to catch and eat their food raw or even consume i t

while it is still alive.


1 • INTRODUCTION



2BEYOND THE RIFT

DU

PetKwaa: Dul have a varie ty of pets , but the m ost com mo n Dul pe t is the

Kwaa, which is a small bear- l ike animal. Despite i ts s ize an d s tren gth ,

the Kwaa is a lo ving and faithful hou se pe t that is only danger ous if it is

forced to defend itself from a dire ct attack. Man y a Dul will enjo y a qu ite

evening at home wrestling with their pet Kwaa.

TheDul ViewON LIFE: It is a grea t gift. To be bo th treasu re d and sa crific ed whe n

need be .

ON WAR: War is the u ltimate test of mar tial skill. The death o f no n-

combatants is unfortunate and must be avoided.

ON THE UNIVERSE: I t i s the a rena tha t w i l l t e s t and hone my

skills.

ON THE WHE: Their focus is adm irable . Their cause is not .

ON THE FAMILY: I have two families. My biological fam ily and my

brothers and s is ters devoted to the same l ife path . Both must be pro-

tected . I am will ing to fight and die to pr otect e i ther .

ON SELF: Without discipline I am nothing. I live to develop myself

to the p innacle of my abil i ties .

NotableDul Statements

Your flami ng fist style is no damn good! Witness now the fury of my Dza claw style!

I am fluent in all aspects of structural engineeri ng, and I can fight too.

Wanna wrestle?


MovingTattoos: TheDul ritualisticallytattootheirbodieswithmarkings

that depict thesymbolsof their life artandphrasesof wisdom. Somehow

theDul areabletomethodicallyshifttheir skinfromplacetoplaceontheir

body. Thisresultsinthetattoosslowly movingfromplacetoplaceonthe

Dul’sbody. ManyaconversationwiththeDulhasstartedwiththephrase,

“Wasn’tthatover therebefore?”

VariationsonaTheme

Dul (RobotKillers): Tohelphonetheir fightingskillstheDul developed

robotsandandroidsthattheycouldfightagainst. Withoutfearofinjuring

their partner, theDul could practiceatfull speedwith their power unre-

strained.EventuallytheDul decidedthatmorechallengingpracticerobots

were needed, and the level of intelligence in the robots wasgradually

increased. After50yearsofdevelopment, therobotslookedandactedjust

liketheDul warriorstheywerefighting. Unfortunately for theDul, these

intelligentandroidssoongrewtiredof beingblownupandrebelledagainst

their masters. Aspecial groupof Dul wastrained to find and eliminatethese robots. Their techniques do double damage against robots and

androids (including Aktai) because they know exactly where to strike.

However, their lack of trainingagainst organic, livingtargetsmeansthey

receivenodamagebonusfromtheir hand-to-handandmartial artsskills

whenattackingtargetsotherthanrobotsandandroids.

Dul (Zanat): TheZanatareagroupof pacifistDul whofindtheconstant

fightingamongtheir peopledistasteful andunnecessary. TheseDul detest

violenceand most will not fight another livingbeingunder any circum-

stance. AfewofthelessfanaticZanatwill fightif their lifeor thelifeof a

loved one is threatened but only if given absolutely no other choice.

However, themajority of Zanatwill merely standbyandwatchif threat-enedwithimminentdeath. Ironically, theZanatstill studythelifeartsasa

waytodeveloptheir mind, sotheystill possessthepowerful martial skills

oftheir moreviolentbrethren.




1 • INTRODUCTION



I am a Klee. I am a member of a peaceful race that was forcibly exiled from our homeworld. The Whe, i n what was not an act of war, but an attempt at genocide, killed mil- li ons of my people. Forced to wander the uni verse in ships barely fit for space travel, we li ve in constant f ear that the Whe will once again strike against us. Some day we will avenge our people and regain our homeworld, but unt i l we do, the trade fleets wi ll be our homes.

Our people are not war-like, but we should not be under esti mated. What the Whe did wasunforgivable. It i s important to remember that there is nothing fiercer than a Klee that hasbeen provoked. Theeasiest way to provokea Kleei s to threaten his family or friends. To a Klee the most important thingi n theuniversei sf amily. It i s myduty to care for and provide for my family, no matter what i t takes. I will give up my li fe to protect my f amil y and my fri ends. They are the greatest gift t heuni versehas given me.

Commerce is in my blood. I l iveto make the deal and reap the profits. Like all Klee, I’m good at what I do. In fact, I think I’m the best. I’m also the best at Zero-g smack ball,but that’s another story. Care to play a game? I’ ll bet I can beat you.

General KnowledgeThe Klee are a species of nomadic traders whose commerce fleets trav

mo st of kno wn space ( with the exception o f Whe spac e) doing trade w

other intelligent species. The Klee are shrewd businessmen with a keen e

for a deal and a sales pitch that would make a human buy phent morse

Most Klee know a little bit about every material good and its value.

T h e K l e e a r e a r a c e o f s h o r t , s q u a t , h u m a n o i d s w i t h b u l b o

a p p e n d a g e s a n d a n o b l o n g h e a d t o p p e d w i t h w h a t c o u l d o n l y

described as a crewcu t. A Klee’s eyes are d eep se t , c lose together , a

always give the impression that the Klee is either deep in thought or tr

ing to remember something long forgotten . The Klee have ta l l , of t

wr ink led , fo reheads and sm a l l e a rflaps tha t c an be lowered ove r eholes on each s ide of the head. Most Klee can be described as pudg

look ing, having several chins, as well as beefy arm s and legs. Each ha

has three s tubby fingers and an oppo sable thumb. Despite their d imin

tive size, the Klee are well-built and hardy creatures.

GovernmentThe Klee are governed by a conservative democracy, with l i t t le or

laws or trade restr ic t ions. Each fleet has i ts own governing body hea

ed by the fleet’s most prosperous merchants .

2BEYOND THE RIFT

KLE

( k a - l e e )

Klee

VITAL STATISTICS


+05 I.Q. +00 Agility






GENERAL INFORMATION



Attacks: 1 punch Dam/Attack: 1 point


Smell Modifier: +10 Starting Money: 2d10 x 1000

Home Planet: Formerly Kleetus

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Access to weapons and equipment from any species

Start with 3 levels of Klee Martial Arts

Journeyman skills are all 1 point less

LIABILITIES

Agoraphobic (05% chance to panic and flee in wide open spaces)





Acid: 15 Cold: 33

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Traders/Smugglers



Strength: 11/100 I.Q.: 11/115


KLEE STATISTICS



CultureThe Klee l ive an d b reathe to do business , and they are good a t i t . Your

typical Klee is likely to know the trade value of any item you might be

carrying with you. In fact, the Klee maintain a massive fleet-based data-

base , which gives them the value o f just abou t any good. This database

is adjusted in real- t ime as the ne eds of the Klee fleet change. I tems the

fleet needs b ecom e m ore valuable , and the Klee will be wil ling to trade

mor e to ge t the se i tems . When the flee t comes in to t r ade range o f anoutpost or p lanetary system, the merchants wil l be on the lookout for

needed i t ems . The merchan t who ge t s a needed i t em fo r the l ea s t

amount of goods in trade gains notorie ty . Addit ionally , ta lented mer-

chants who continually trade less for what they need wil l have more

mer chand ise left to barter a t the next trade s top . Since the Klee use the

barter system and have no currency, their abil i ty to trade equates to

their ability to put food on the table.

The Klee ha ve a stro ng family bon d an d ar e fanatically loyal to their

friends and loved ones. Once a Klee bonds to you, he or she will do just

abou t anything for you. He o r she will , of cour se , expect the same from

you if he needs your help with anything. Some races have commented

tha t having a Klee fo llow you a ro und eve rywhere can become qu i te

annoying. On the o ther hand, when th ings go bad, there is no one bet-ter to cover your back - assuming you aren ’t mor e than 5 ’ ta l l .

Physiological MakeupKlee are short s tocky creatures and are tougher than they look. Your

typ ica l K lee can take ju s t a s much phys ica l abuse a s a human even

through they’re about one third smaller. The Klee have very acute sens-

es and ar e very a ler t to their surr ound ings.

WeaknessesYou r typical Klee is a sucker for any rare tr inket or a gr eat dea l. Thou gh

shrewd b usinessmen , if the deal is too good to pass up, som etimes the

u rge to m ake a k i ll ing in the t r ade m arke t ove rwhe lms the ir co mm onsense .

In addition, generations of Klee have spent their lives on space ves-

se l s, wh ich tends to m ake them ago raphob ic ( fea r o f open spaces ) .

Klee have a 5% ch ance to pan ic when in wide open sp aces .

QuirksThe Klee love competi t ion; i t is part of their “ trader” nature , and as a

r e s u lt , t he y w il l p a r ti ci p at e i n s p o r ts a n d g am e s o f a ll k i n ds .

Unfortuna te ly, m ost Klee th ink they are better in just about every spor t

or game than they actually are. This results in the Klee constantly relat-

ing s tories of overblown success or how they were chea ted of a vic tory

that was obviously theirs.

HistoryThe Klee were a th r iv ing spec ie s whose commerce and t r ade wi th

neighboring species had bro ught them a gre at deal of wealth . That was

unti l the Whe selected them as a target for invasion. The Klee were not

a m ili tary threat to any of their neighbor s , and their eco nom y was based

on trade, with very l i tt le mil i tary spend ing. Their m eager navy, which

consis ted of mostly escort sh ips , d idn ’t have a chance against the m as-

sive Whe invasion forc e. The Klee flee t was able to h old o ff the Whe lon g

enough for hundreds of thousands of Klee to escape on whatever ves-

se ls they could find. Som e of these sh ips eventually rendezvoused and

form ed mu lt ip le nom adic fleets . [ 14] The comb ined resou rces of a l l of

the ships in the fleet a l lowed the Klee to susta in themselves in these

floating cities. Eventu ally, the Klee rea lized tha t they req uire d equ ipm ent

and supp l ie s tha t they d id no t posse s s . Us ing the ir sh rewd ba r te r ing

sk i l l s , th e Klee were ab le to t r ade wi th o the r spec ie s fo r wha t they

requ i red .I t is rumored that the Klee have buil t several large space s ta t ions

that they use as c i t ies ; however, th is rum or has yet to be verified. [ 15]

No one to date has ever reported encountering any of these mythical

Klee space-cities.

FavoriteItemA Klee ’s favo r i t e i tem i s anyth ing o f va lue tha t they can t r ade .

Addit ionally, m any Klee wil l not part with their m arket mo nitor , which

can display the trade value o f practica l ly any i tem.

DressKlee pre fer loose fitting clothing with lots of po cke ts and gener ally car ry

a round a hand -he ld t r ade -marke t mo n i to r .

HangoutKlee hang out wherever commerce is occurr ing , be i t the local market

or trading post . On their off t ime your typical Klee can b e found hang-

ing out a t sports bars or a t sports competi t ions, especia l ly if there is

betting available.

AbodeKlee are quite accustomed to l iv ing in the cramped and drab quarters

on space vessels and actually prefer to l ive ther e . I f p lanets ide , a Klee

will find a n ice cram ped sp ot to s leep or actually s leep in their arm or.

CombatTacticsDespite their s ize , Klee are tough custom ers . Man y Klee are tra ined to

defend themselves and a lways fight d ir ty. Hey, you’d fight d ir ty too if

everybody were b igger than you. Klee often emp loy grou p a t tacks a nd

work well when coordinating a t tacks with each other . They are tena-

cious combatants and should never be underest imated.

The Klee pr efer par ticle weapon s and h ave achieved a level of diver-

s i ty and qua li ty in these weapon systems that would r ival those used by

the Arach nids .

General Occupation

The Klee can have many occupations, but most are generally involved insome type of service business. Very few Klee actually produce a product

because of the l imited resources on the fleet , so most se l l services of

some type.

FavoriteFoodsThe Klee can eat enor mo us am oun ts of food for their s ize . A really hun-

gry Klee can consume up to 1 /10 their own body weight in food. The

Klee are very picky eaters and avoid spicy foods like the plague.


1 • INTRODUCTION



2BEYOND THE RIFT

KLE

PetKwatee : One of the few pets to survive the exod us from th e hom ewor ld

was the Kwatee . The Kwatee has a r ound bulbou s bod y with sho rt s tub-

by legs . The Kwatee has sagging skin that is co vered in a sh ort tan fur

and can weigh between 5 and 1 5 pou nds. The Kwatee was able to sur-

vive the exodus because i t is a s taunchly independent animal that is

quite capab le of taking care of itse lf. Other ra ces have been known to

tea se the Klee because they o ften bond to the se an ima ls , who cou ldreally care less abo ut their owners .

TheKleeViewON LIFE: A l ife m ust endu re c hallenges. Despite the h ardsh ips we

have endur ed, the Klee have not yet faced their greatest challenge.

ON WAR: War co s t u s ou r homewor ld . We do no t l ike wa r , bu t

given no choice we will fight, and we will profit from it.

ON THE UNIVERSE: There are man y th ings to trade and eat in i t.

ON THE WHE: We despise the Whe. They must be o bli tera ted .

ON THE FAMILY: Everyone we bond with is family. Family is the

mo st important th ing in the universe .

ON SELF: I must mak e a pro fit to pr ovide for my family… and I’mhungry.

NotableKleeStatements

Everything is for sale; now how much do you want for it ?

I remember this one ti me, when I was I was gaming...

Yes, he fell on my kni fe- fifteen times.


Belching: Rather thanshaking hands when finishing a deal, the Kleereleasea resoundingandoften stinky belch. If particularly pleasedwith

thedeal, theother participant canalsobelchtoshowhis approval. Most

Zenaxnativesareawareof thisoddhabit, butit maketakeforeignersby

surprise.

VariationsonaTheme

Klee(FamilyManMerc):Other thanfleetsoldiersandpolice,veryfew

Kleeenter themilitaryorlawenforcementbecausethereisnomoneyinit.

There are, however, certain Klee whosenatural talents, or lack thereof,

makethemunsuitedtoanoccupationinsalesandmustpursueotheroccu-

pations. In order tosupport their family, theseKleeoffer their servicesasmercenaries. Despitetheriskinherentinsuchanoccupation, theseKleeare

willingtodowhatever it takestosupport their familiesback onthehome

ship. Asa result, thefamily manmercis well respectedwithin thetrade

fleets.SincetheKleehaveaccesstoweaponryfromeveryspecies,afami-

ly manmerccantrulybeadangerousopponent. Family manmercsstart

thegamewithsix levelsofaKleemartial art. Thestressof beingseparat-

edfromtheir familieshasanadverseeffectonthemerc’shealth. All SMRs

arereducedby2d4. Kleemercsusuallysufferfromchronicdepression.




1 • INTRODUCTION



I am a barbarian. At least that’s what everyone I encounter beli eves me to be. That stereotype is far f rom the truth, but I am content to let is stand so long asi t serves my needs. In actuality, I am not a barbarian. I li veaccordingto a code of conduct, and I li ve in harmony wi th natur e. Conflict and death is simply a part of the natural cycle. My ability to embrace it rather than li ve in fear of it rubs other species thewrongway. Perhapsi t is their own inabili ty to copewith death that allowsthem to justi fy my barbari an stereotype. It is our abili ty to accept death that allowsus to live our li ves

to the fullest and not fear the inevit able.

On my world, life is harsh and only the strong survive. It is only our regenerati ve abili ti es that allow us to survive i n such a harsh environment. In order to maintain the balance of nature, even we must die. However, for a Razaa to die, we must sustain injur ies so gri evous that even our regenerati ve abi li ti es fai l to save us. When thi s happens, i t is an occasion to celebrate not mourn because the balance of nature has been maintained. Since death is the last act of your li fe, make it a good one. Our history i s filled wit h stori es of amazing deaths. One day, I hope that the story of my death wil l beamong those legends.

General KnowledgeThe Razaa are large , heavy, hum anoid cr eatures b ulging with r opy mu

cles. Razaa skin color is always a pale, ghostly, white. The skin is sem

transpa ren t , and the Razaa ’ s opaque wh i te musc le s and b lue /g re

veins are c learly v is ib le underneath . All Razaa are covered with t

character is t ic b lue/green veins that contour and outl ine their massi

mu scula ture . Razaa have three fin gers per han d and three toes on ea

foot . Razaa have three e yes; two prim ary eyes pr ovide forward binoc

lar v is ion and a th ird eye is se t just between and above the o ther tw

eyes. The th ird eye can see in the u ltra v io le t port ion of the spectru

and is a lways ope n, even while the Razaa is as leep. The Razaa are ab

to regene ra te f rom wounds a t an unp r eceden ted ra te and can regeneate lost limbs an d organ s.

Despite the Razaa’s large s ize and regenerative abil i t ies , they a

mos t we l l known fo r p r oduc ing the med ica l mi rac le ca l l ed the jum

stick . This am azing medical tool is capab le of healing the mo st gr ievo

injuries a lmo st instantaneously, though the in ject ion of the jum p st i

c auses t r emendous pa in . Jump Stick s a re expo r ted to o the r cu l tu r

except the Whe, a t a h ealthy mar k-up ( no pun in tended) .

The Razaa have a r eputa t ion for being bar baric an d war-l ike . Th

quasi-re l ig ious wor ship of death and ha bit of run ning aroun d in a lo

clo th has not helped deter the spr ead of th is s tereo type.

3BEYOND THE RIFT

RAZAA

( r a h - z a h )

Razaa

VITAL STATISTICS








GENERAL INFORMATION

Body Points: 20 + 1d12 Movement: 09/20/200


Attacks: 2 punches Dam/Attack: 1-2/1-2

Vision Modifier: -10 Hearing Modifier: -10

Smell Modifier: +40 Starting Money: (20 + 4d6) x 1000

Home Planet: Naphdor

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Able to regenerate from even the most grievous of injuries

Razaa have a reduced need to eat, sleep, and drink

Ability to see Ultra Violet light

High regeneration rate Tough immune system

LIABILITIES

Large size Medical drugs have lit tle effect


Chemical: 28 Radiation: 30Biological: 90 Mental: 15



Acid: 50 Cold: 50

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

Mercenary, Gardener



Strength: 35/125 I.Q.: 05/100


RAZAA STATISTICS



3BEYOND THE RIFT

RAZAA

personal r isk . When a Razaa is in jured and dying, i t wil l continue to

fight as hard as possib le hoping to spur the enemy to finish i t off with

all available force.

Razaa weapons , much l ike Whe weapons , a re capab le o f do ing

tremen dous amo unts of dam age. However, because o f the Razaa’s abil-

i ty to regenerate , their weapons are designed to complete ly eradicate

the i r t a rge t s . D is in teg ra to r s and p la sma weapons a re the p re fe r red

weapon systems of the Razaa.

General OccupationRazaa that are encoun tered away from their hom eworld or co lonies are

typically scientists or your basic warrior types.Amateur and profession-

al Razaa xeno-botanis ts and xeno-biologis ts make frequent safar is to

alien worlds to cata log new and previously undiscovered l ife forms.

Razaa zoology differs from the m ore conser vative m ethods em ployed b y

other species . Razaa physically wrest le their specim ens, dea d o r a l ive ,

in to c ryogen ic chambers fo r l a te r d i s sec t ion . Mercena r ie s , p i r a te s ,

boun ty-hun te r s , and o the r Razaa o f ques t ionab le m ora l s tanda rd s a re

comm on ly encoun te red away from the hom ewor ld .

FavoriteFoodsRazaa enjoy their food fresh and their regenerative abilities allow them

to consu me food that might pro ve fa ta l to less r es i l ient species . Razaa

typically consu me their foo d while it is still alive an d r eally enjo y me als

that fight back.

PetTwaus: The most com mo n Razaa pet is the Twaus p lant , which looks a

lo t l ike a 10’ ta l l Venus flytrap . The Twaus p lant ac t ively hunts anim al

prey and mu st be fed ra w me at to keep i t a l ive . Razaa that have Twaus

as pets usually keep the p lant locked in their pr ivate quar ters to keep i t

f rom wandering loose and eating small animals and children .

TheRazaaViewON LIFE: No on e is able to pre dict the time of their dea th. Live each

mom ent without any fear of death . To do otherwise is a waste of t ime.

ON WAR: Confl ict is nature’s way of keep ing pop ulation levels fro m

growing beyond the available resour ces .

ON THE UNIVERSE: It is vast. Plenty of adventur e to be h ad the re .

ON THE WHE: They are an impressive foe, worthy of our attention.

ON THE FAMILY: All Razaa deserve a glorious death.

ON SELF: I seek adventure and a g loriou s death

NotableRazaaStatements

I oncesaw this guy die in the coolest way.

Let’s charge the enemy gun emplacement!

Did you see the way they blew up Bob?That was great!


Piercing: Razaa ritualistically pierce their bodies with all manner of

objectsasademonstrationtoothersoftheir paintolerance. Thankstothe

Razaa’s quick-healing abilities the wound heals around the imbedded

objectalmostimmediately.Thepiercingscauseverylittledamageorblood

loss, but the pain can be intense. Razaa like toadd newpiercings and

remove old ones to psyche themselves up before battle. Typically the

Razaawill usemetal pinsorhooksdesignedfor piercings, butin apinch

nearly anything will do. During battlesWheand Disrapansoldiershave

reportedseeingRazaawarriorswithknives,swords,andevenbluntobjects

likeriflebarrelspurposelystuckintotheir bodies.

VariationsonaTheme

Razaa(Kazz): TheKazz area groupof Razaathat believemost Razaa

meet their endstoosoon by livingtheir liveswithabsolutely no fear of

death. Theyalsofeel thatdyingin aspectacularmanner doesn’t doany-

oneanygood, andmanyRazaadieunnecessarily byattemptingtoensure

their own glorious end. TheKazz live their lives cautiously, and otherRazaafeel thattheKazzarecowardsandlackthewill tolivetheir lifewith-

outfearof death. SomeKazzbecomehermits, never leavingtheir homes

forfeartheymighthaveafatalaccident,whileothersactuallytryandpre-

dictthetimeoftheir deathssotheycanlivewithoutthefear of notknow-

ingwhenthey’ll die.




1 • INTRODUCTION



My life is a story of endless pain. I was a soldier in theWhe mili tary beforeI went rogue. My lif e wasone of stri ct discipline in a society where I wasjust li ke everyone else. Asoci- ety where everyone worked for the common good and each individual knew his place. I know this probably sounds terri bleto you. Thethought of constantly being told what to do and relinquishing your individuality is probably terri fying,but to a Whei t’sbliss. When I wasin t hemili tary, I knew the meaning of life, and I knew my place in the universe. I never wanted for anything, and there were answers for all

of my questi ons. That all ended the day I went rogue.

One day, I had an epiphany. I saw that the aggression my people were showing toward other species was wrong and unnecessary. We were not under threat, and our attacks were unprovoked. That sameday I lost everything I had and everything I was. I became different, and to a Whe being different is the same as dying. None of the answers to my questi ons made sense anymore, and I no longer knew my place in the uni verse. I no longer knew my purpose.Eventually I knew that my superi ors would detect the changethat had occurred withi n me. They would sense my hesi tati on or catch a gli mpse of doubt in my eyes. Even

though I hated what I had become, I didn’t want to go back to thewayI was. I don’t know why. Rather t han facere-edu- cati on i n “the machine,” I fled. I took my gear and sli pped away from the garrison one night during guard duty. I’ve been running ever since, and the hunters are sti ll following me. Maybe some where out i n t he universe I’l l find a new purpose for my li fe. Maybeoneday my people will come to reali zethe error of their waysand re-accept me. What wor- ri es me is I don’t know if I ’ll ever fit i n again.

General KnowledgeThe Whe you are most l ikely to encounter wil l be e i ther a so lider o

rogue Whe fleeing from the hu nters . [ 2] If you ar e unfortunate eno uto encounter a Whe soldier, then he or she is probably trying to kill yo

The Whe, though not as physically powerful in comparison to speci

l ike the Eridani or Cizerack, have a few advantages that make them

formidable foe . Whe are genetical ly screen ed before b ir th to determ i

the i r idea l occupa t ion a s adu l t s . Those se lec ted to be so ld ie r s a

tra ined from bir th to be the perfect so ld ier . Highly tra ined, equipp

with state-of-the-art weaponry, and driven by a biological urge to fig

a Whe soldier is an opponent that should not be underest imated.

Whe are humanoid creatures with few dis t inct facia l fea tures a

uniformly gray skin. A Whe’s body is covered in symmetrical patches

3BEYOND THE RIFT

WH

( w a y )

Whe

VITAL STATISTICS




-15 Intuition -20 Charisma



-05 Persuasion -05 Bargaining

GENERAL INFORMATION



Attacks: 2 punches Dam/Attack: 1 point


Smell Modifier: +10 Starting Money: N/A

Home Planet: Whe Prime

SPECIAL ABILITIES

20% of Whe possess Matrix abilities

LIABILITIES

30 Skill points must be spent in Primary Occupation

Whe become aggressive when in groups

Social Skills cost Double






Acid: 20 Cold: 25

PRIMARY OCCUPATION

AWOL Soldier



Strength: 51/130 I.Q.: 11/120


WHE STATISTICS



ra ised sk in , g iving i t the ap pear ance that i t is arm or p la ted . Despite th is

appearance, a Whe’s skin is no tougher than a human’s skin . A Whe’s

face is very smooth and s treamlined with two small b lack eyes, which

a re se t c lo se toge the r in to two sha l low dep r e s s ions o n e i the r s ide o f

where a nose would normally be . On each cheek is a small s l i t , which

is actually a m outh . Whe bre ath through two larger s l i ts in the front of

their necks. Whe have three fingers and two thumb s on each han d. The

two thumbs are located on opposite s ides of the hand, one on the bot-tom and the o ther where a human’s thumb would normally be .

Whe socie ty is expansionis t ic and aggressive , and the Whe have

come in to conflict with many neighboring species . They conquer new

wor ld s fo r the re sou rces ; they need to fue l the i r mass ive war e f fo r t

against a l l a l ien species . The Whe wil l be aggressive toward any new

alien species they encounter . All unidentified species are to be cap tured

( k i l led if necessary) and hande d o ver to the sc ience d ivis ion for d is-

section and reverse engineering of their equipment.

There are so me m emb ers of the Whe that have fled from their c iv i-

l iza t ion . Some do not believe in the mindless conquering and enslave-

men t of o ther species , while o thers ar e s imply unhapp y with their l ives .

[ 3] For whatever rea son they left , these Whe would r isk de ath if they

stayed and rebelled against the system. As a result, most of these roguesflee from Whe con tro lled space. The Whe socie ty views these individu-

als as d amaged . Obviously they have lost their b io logical urge to serve

the greater good of their race . These tra i tors are shot on s ight by the

mili tary, as i t is seen as the mo st hum ane way to deal with them. Note:

Any player who choo ses the Whe as h is or h er ch aracter’s species must

play a ro gue.

GovernmentThe Whe are eu socia l* , a com mu nist socie ty that ru les enslaved wor lds

a s po l ice s ta te s . The Whe have a t rue com mun is t gove rnmen t whe re

each c i t izen is honored and happy to serve socie ty . They are happy to

do their duty, whether they are a janitor or a soldier. While being a sol-

d ier is a grea t honor, scru bbing to i le ts is respected as well . A leader is

chosen a t b ir th , ra ised and tra ined to take over socie ty when i t is h is or

he r t ime .

* Much l ike ants , which are euso cia l insects , the Whe soldiers and

worke rs a re phys ica l ly d i s tinc t from the Whe queens . On ly the Whe

queens a re capab le o f r ep roduc t ion , though so ld ie r s tha t have been

author ized as repr oduc tive un its ( i .e . not s ter i lized) can m ate with the

queen .

CultureThe Whe a r e gene tica lly sc reened be fo re b i r th to d e te rmine whe the r

they are suited for military service. If a newborn is suitable for service,

it is taken from its parents immediately after birth to be trained as a sol-d ier . Those who are not su itable for mil i tary service are p laced in to

o the r pos i t ions based on the i r s t r eng th s . The so le pu rpose o f the se

other fields is to suppo rt the Whe mili tary. As mo re an d m ore Whe are

pressed in to mil i tary service , less important support ro les are s lowly

being filled by species that the Whe have enslaved. [ 7] Despite their

xenophobia, the Whe are faced with little choice if they wish to contin-

ue to build their massive war machine.

Every Whe has a particular occupation, which is assigned to them at

birth. Regard less of a particular Whe’s occu pation, his pr imar y goal is to

serve the gre ater goo d of Whe soc iety, which a ppa ren tly is the m ilitary.

PhysiologicalMakeupWhe who are not authorized as reproductive units are sterilized. All mil-

i tary perso nnel are s ter i l ized upon entranc e in to service a t age 15. The

pro cedur e can be re versed af ter the Whe is d ischarge from the mili tary

if their service reco rd h as been sp otless .

Twenty percent of the Whe populat ion possesses matr ix abil i t ies .

These matr ix contro llers have the ab il ity to ma nipula te matter on a sub-

atomic level. Called m atter m anipula tors , Whe that p ossess these skil lsare indoctrinated from birth to be loyal to their species. Unlike Alliance

ma t r ix con t ro lle r s , th e Whe con t ro l le r s a re no t fea red n o r a re peo p le

prejudiced against them.

WeaknessesThe Aggression of any Whe increases by 15 when in the presence of

o ther Whe who ar e unde r the influence o f their b io logical urge to fight.

If th is increases the Whe’s Aggression abo ve 8 0, an aggression che ck

mu st be immed iate ly mad e to see if the individual berser ks or goes su i-

cidal. It’s a safe bet that anyone in the military is in this agitated state,

unless they have been iso la ted for several weeks.

Whe are tra ined from bir th to do o ne th ing and to do that one th ing

well. Although th is m akes them very good a t their jobs, they have very

little experience in dealing with anything outside their field.

QuirksThe one amiable asp ect of the Whe culture is that they pic ture everyone

as s imply a cog in the m achiner y of the Whe war m achine. As a r esult ,

there is l i t t le or no pre judice with in the socie ty . Women, men, matr ix

use r s , n on -ma t r ix u se r s , so ld ie r s , s c ien t is t s, wha teve r you r c la ss o r

ro le , i t doesn’t matter to the Whe. Everyone is the sam e. Regardless of

your ro le , you are just one individual cog in the massive war machine

of the Whe.

HistoryThe Whe were a peace fu l r ace inhab i t ing the i r home wor ld , s imp ly

called Prime, unti l their p lanet was invaded b y an a l ien species . [ 4]

Unfortunately for the invader, when the Whe perceived a threat to their

culture , a b io logical response was tr iggered thro ughout the socie ty and

spurred the Whe to fight. As news spread of the invader, the entire soci-

e ty focused a l l of i ts a t tention on repell ing the a l iens . Though facing a

techno log ica l ly supe r io r foe , the in ten se de te rmina t ion o f the Whe ,

fueled by the b io logical dr ive to fight, enabled them to drive off the

invader s . However, by the end of the war, the Whe had lost nearly half

of their po pulat ion .

For some reason, the Whe s t i l l fe l t that their socie ty remained in

dange r a fte r r epe l ling the invade rs and con t inued to figh t . [ 5 ] As aresult , the Whe have continued their mil i tary developm ent and in their

agita ted s ta te , have begun conquering neighboring worlds . Fif ty years

after repell ing the invaders , the Whe’s sph ere of contro l is s t i l l expand-

ing, and their ar my is s t il l a ttacking other cultures .

Curr ently, the Whe mili tary holds dom inion over a do zen conq uered

p lane t s . The Whe have conque red so many p lane t s tha t the mi l i t a ry

serves double-duty as the po lice force on a l l of their con quer ed wor lds .

Late ly , the Whe mili tary has been s tre tched too th in to garr ison a l l of

the ir c ap tu red wor ld s . In o rde r to a s su re the i r con t ro l ove r en s laved

worlds , the Whe have been inst itu t ing new mea sures for pacifying the


1 • INTRODUCTION



popu lace of conque red wo rlds . Late ly the Whe have been using m atr ix-

based b ra inwash ing to pac i fy en t ir e cu l tu re s . [ 6 ] The o r igin o f th i s

obviously non-Whe matr ix-based techn ology is unkno wn.

FavoriteItemsWithout a doub t a Whe’s favori te i tems wil l be job re la ted . A Whe so l-

d ier wil l never be far from his or her armor and s idearm and wil l fee l

naked without them . A scientis t will never be far from h is tools or tech-nical manuals .

DressA Whe soldier wil l fee l odd when not in uniform or armor. This tends

to limit their fashion sense.

HangoutWhe so ld ie r s t end to hangou t anyp lace whe re they can pe r fec t the ir

skills. For soldiers and former soldiers, this usually involves the gym or

the target range. Scientis t and tech nic ians can usually be found in their

l ab s o r workshops .

AbodeWhe soldiers are u sed to Spartan m ilitary quar ters . A large bro om clos-

e t or s torage r oom will suffice for quar ters . Whe often feel unco mfort-

ab le in more e labo ra te qua r te r s and have been known to s leep in the

hall or the c loset i f their quar ters are too fancy.

CombatTacticsWhe com bat tac t ics are fa ir ly s imple: the use of overwhelm ing force to

defeat an o ppon ent. However, i f th is fa i ls , the Whe are quickly able to

adop t new tac t ic s . Many cu l tu re s have been taken by su rp r i se a f te r

repell ing a Whe assault , only to h ave the Whe r e turn and easi ly bypass

their defenses. One of the keys to the Whe’s adaptability is their use of

dozens of unique weapons systems, ra ther than re l iance on o ne type of

weapon. Though dramatical ly d iverse , the vast majori ty of the Whe’s

weapons a re s t i l l p ro jec t i l e weapons in one fo rm o r ano the r . Whe

weapons a re ab le to d i sh ou t more damage compared to equ iva len t

All iance powder weapon s bu t aren ’t known for their re l iabil i ty.

General OccupationAll Whe have occupations that support the mil i tary , e i ther d irect ly or

indirectly. Whe can be infantry, pilots, engineers, or just about any mil-

i tary or supp ort posit ion .

FavoriteFoodsRations : All Whe consume standard issue mili tary ra t ions. Whe sol-

d iers of ten have the opportunity to eat o ther foods when garr isoning

conquered worlds , but devia t ion from their ass igned ra t ions for pro-

longed periods is frowned upon by their superiors .

PetPets are v iewed as an expression of individuali ty or need for compan-

ionsh ip that can n ot be fulfilled by the Whe’s place in s ociety. As a re sult,

the Whe r are ly have pe ts .

TheWheViewON LIFE: Prim itive life form s strive to pre ser ve their own existenc

Advanced life forms exist to preserve the existence of their species.

ON WAR: We engage in war only to protect our species from th

threat of extinction .

ON THE UNIVERSE: It is vast, bu t my place in it is clearly defined

ON THE WHE: We are efficient. We are the Whe.

ON THE FAMILY: All Whe are my brothers and sisters. We all exito p rom o te the good o f ou r p eop le .

ON SELF: I exist only to serve the whole. I must fulfill my assigne

role in the h ierar chy of my people .

TheRogueWheViewON LIFE: I no longe r know m y pu rpose .

ON WAR: I fight to su rvive. Everyone is my ene my.

ON THE UNIVERSE: Som ewhere ou t there I hope I can find mean

ing and answers to the qu estions I have.

ON THE WHE: They a re my enem ies. They are my family.

ON THE FAMILY: I am alone in the universe. My family has turne

against me.ON SELF: I seek the m eaning for my exis tence.

NotableWheStatements

I don’t li ke you.

Let’s shoot i t.

Why is the human laughing at my hoverboard?

3BEYOND THE RIFT

WH

VariationsonaTheme

Whe(EspionageOfficer): TheWhe’slack of understandingof foreign

culturesandthealmostuniversal distrustoftheir speciesbyother civiliza-tionsmakesespionagea difficult propositionat best. However, theWhe

militaryfeelsthatintelligenceonotherspeciesisvital tothecontinuedsur-

vival oftheir race. Asaresult, theWhemilitaryhasundertakenanexper-

imentalproject tocreatesoldierscapableof performingactsof espionage

outsideWhecontrolledspace.Thesesoldiersareslowly isolatedfromother

Wheandtaught about othercultures. Theyarethensecretlydroppedoff

at remote trading posts on independent worlds where they can travel

freely to other locations acting as rogue Whe. These soldiers are not

allowedtoleavewithweaponryorequipmentthatisconsideredtoosecure

tofall intoenemy hands, butthey areallowedtorequest certain equip-

ment andsupplieswhenthey meet their contactstodeliver theinforma-

tionthey’vegainedfromtheirspying. Beinganespionageagentisconsid-ereda suicidemissionastheprolongedseparationfromother Whepre-

ventsthesoldier’sre-entryintosociety.




1 • INTRODUCTION

CHOOSING THECHARACTER

Players m ay choose from any of the seven differen t races p resented in

t h is s o u r c e b oo k . I n a d d it io n , o t h er r a c e s p r e s e n te d i n p r e vi o u s

Battle lords boo ks ma y also be p layed. Each ra ce has m odifiers to vari-

ou s vital statistics, du e to differe nt evolutiona ry traits. The Vital Statistics

Com parison Table above l ists these mod ifications for the r aces pr esent-

ed in th is sourcebook.

Vital StatisticsComparisonSTR: Str en gth MD: Manu a l Dexter ity

I Q: I nte llig en c e Q uo ti en t AGL: Agi lit y

CON: Con stitu tio n AGR: Aggr essio n

INT: In tu itio n CHA: Ch ar ism a

SecondaryStatisticsComparisonTER: Ter restr ial Kno wledge

MIL: Military Lead ers hip

PER: Per suasion

BAR: Bar gaining

Racial PreferenceThe fo llowing table only represents the general tendency of a race to

l ike or d is l ike another .

Key to Racial Preference Table

P= Preferred: + 05 to Persuasion che cks

T= Toler ant: No Mod ifier

M= Mistrust : -05 to Persu asion chec ks

D= Dislike: -10 to Per suasion ch ecks

E= Enmity: -20 to Persuasion checks

RACE TER MIL PER BAR

Aktai +10 +00 +00 +00

Cedeun +30 -20 -10 +00

Disrapan +05 +00 -05 +00

Dul -20 +10 -10 -10

Klee +40 +10 +10 +20

Razaa +00 +10 +00 +00

Whe +10 +25 -05 -05

SECONDARY STATISTICS COMPARISON

RACE

AKT AI

C E DE UN

DI S R AP AN

D UL

KL E E

R AZ AA

WHE

Aktai P T T T T T M

Cedeun T P T T P T E

Disrapan M T P M M D E

Dul T T T T T T M

Klee T P T T P T E

Razaa T T M P T P D

Whe E D E M E D P

RACIAL PREFERENCE

Racial SizeComparisonAKTAI

CEDEUN

DISRAPAN

DUL

KLEE

RAZAA WHE

RACE STR IQ AGL CON

Aktai 50/150 50/150 50/150 50/150

Cedeun 41/130 01/110 01/100 45/135

Disrapan 35/115 15/115 45/145 25/115

Dul 21/150 05/150 39/150 21/150

Klee 11/100 11/115 15/110 31/120Razaa 35/125 05/100 15/95 51/150

Whe 30/120 11/100 39/130 21/100

VITAL STATISTICS MINIMUM/ MAXIMUM

RACE STR MD IQ AGL CON AGR INT CHA

Aktai +20 -10 +20 -10 +20 -10 +10 +10

Cedeun +15 +30 -15 -15 +10 -20 -10 +00

Disrapan +10 -15 +00 +00/+30 +07 +10 +00 -15

Dul +15 -10 -10 +15 +15 +00 -10 -10

Klee +00 +00 +05 +00 +10 +05 +20 +30

Razaa +25 +00 +00 +00 +50 +00 +20 +00

Whe +10 +10 +00 +00 +10 +15 -15 -20

VITAL STATISTICS COMPARISON



I WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLES(OPTIONAL)

The “I Was Just Growing Up Tables” in th is book function in the sam e

way as the IWJGU tables in the main Battlelords book. The main differ-

ence between the tables in th is book and the tables in the Batt le lords

book is that man y of the entr ies on these tables yie ld larger r ewards o r

pena l ti e s than co mparab le en t r ie s f rom the Ba t tl e lo rd s book . Th is i s

bec ause the Beyond th e Rift sour ceb ook is typically going to be used for

more experienced characters . Batt le Masters should feel free to adjust

the re sults of these tables as they see fit .

AKTAI I WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

0 1 Vi o le n c e c a u se s yo u to go in t o a lo g ic lo o p . T h er e is a 1 0 %

chance that you will go catatonic in every fight.

02-04 Your paren t built your covering to look like a Razaa religious fig-

ure. While this gives you a unique look, the Razaa find it insult-

ing. Reduce Charisma when dealing with all Razaa by 50 points.

05-06 In an effort to learn about a lien cultures , you a t tempt to spend

as m uch t ime as possib le with a l iens in their natura l h abita t .

You’ve concluded that, for most aliens, their natural habitat isa place k nown a s a bar. You p refer “b ars” that ar e dimly lit and

where the mating ritual know as “brawling” occurs regularly.

07-09 You are an anthropologis t . You only suffer a -20 when try ing

to identify the p urp ose o f an a l ien cultura l t radit ion .

10-12 You’ve caught a compu ter virus . If you ever ro l l doub le zodd

( AKA double zeros) twice in a r ow you shut d own. You will

need an Aktai engineer to res tar t you!

13-14 During the tes t ing of space-fold system, you were accidenta l-

ly sent to an other part o f the u niverse for a sp li t second. You

don’t know where you were , but that b ig ugly cr i t ter with 8

legs was definitely NOT happy to see you.

1 5 Yo u r b u il d er wa s a n e xp e r t i n m i n ia tu r i za ti o n . H e i n st al le d

250K of imp lanted weapon s and shie ld generator s ( a t least 3different ones) in to your body. These weapons are shie lded

from detection and get a + 50 to concealm ent. They a lso take

up h alf the space as con ventional equivalents .

16-18 You l ike gaudy colors . You’ve had a layer of pain t p laced on

you that can change its color whenever you want! To bad you

wear i t in neon green , p ink paste l , and barf b lue!

19-21 In an effort a lways to have the coolest hangou t, you devised a

plan to m ake a l l o ther Aktai jea lous. You c arry a large s team -

er tru nk with you wherever you travel . Inside the trunk there

is enough b ooze, l ight fixtures , an d dig ita l recor dings to turn

any small room into a bar . The other Aktai are indee d jealous.

22-23 During the first Whe assault on Aktai space, your ship was the

only one destro yed in the batt le . To m ake m atters worse , youwere the on ly survivor . The other Aktai refer to you as “Bad

Luck < insert your nam e her e> ” .

24 -25 You a re a po l ice o ffice r . Take 5 l eve l s o f any Ak ta i weapon

skil l . You have the authori ty of the law behind you on any

Aktai world or outpost .

26 -28 You were sen t to s tudy the Whe rogues . You now have con -

tacts with several rogue Whe, an d you do not suffer a penalty

when a t t emp t ing to de te rm ine the pu r pose o f any Whe cu l -

tura l t radit ions.

29-30 You’re an Amateur fas ter- than-l ight dr ive mec hanic . The ke

word in that las t sentence being Amateur . Take 10 points o

Deep Space Skills.

31 -32 In an a t temp t to become more un ique , you behave a s i f yo

were a Klee.

33-35 You are a xenobiologis t. Take 10 points of med ical sk il ls .

36-37 The Whe attacks on a bord er outpost left your whole division ( i.

brothers and sisters) dead. You’ve discarded your Aktai belief ipacifism and have sworn to get revenge. You routinely make ill

gal raids into Whe space, killing everyone you encounter.

38 -40 You neve r know when to keep you r mou th shu t . You a lwa

mak e suggestions a t the wor st possib le t imes.

4 1 - 4 2 Yo u r p a r e n t d i d n o t su b s c r ib e t o t h e b e li ef th a t yo u m u

understand a skil l to be able to use i t with wisdom. You ca

lea rn new sk i l l s in 1 /4 the t ime l i s t ed in the book , i f yo

choose. However, since you don’t have the experience to tru

under stand th is new skil l, you get a -10% penalty with eve

skill that is learned this way.

43 When you were bu i lt , you r “ fa the r” wan ted you to be the be

there was. Blinded by his pr ide , he brok e the prima ry tenet

your culture and pre-programmed you with skil ls f rom otheAktai . As a result , both you and your fa ther where shunne

and disgraced . You were forced to leave the hom e world an

have not seen your fa ther s ince . Incre ase your skil l points b

50, bu t reduce Charism a by 50 when dealing with o ther Akta

who avoid you as if you had a con tagious an d fa ta l d isease .

44 -46 You a re evi l to the co re . You have s tud ied o the r cu l tu re s an

adop ted behav io ra l cha rac te r i s t i c s tha t they a l l cons ide

evi l. Hey, som ebody has to do i t, and you migh t a s we l l b

the f irs t one.

47 -48 You became a deco ra ted war he ro a fte r de fend ing the Ak t

fron tier from Whe incursion. This mak es you very unique!

49 -51 You’re sha rp a s a t a ck ! Inc rea se In tu it ion by 15 po in t s!

52 -54 Your pa ren t dec ided tha t it wou ld make you un ique by g ivinyo u a m e n t a l d i so r d e r ! O b s e ss i ve / Co m p u l s ive D is o r d e

H yp e r a c t i vi ty, At te n t io n D e fic it D i so r d e r , So c io p a t

Sch izoph ren ic ( vo ice s in you r head o r sp l it p e r sona l ity

Depression. BM’s d iscre t ion .

55 -58 You’ve enhanced you r eyes . You now see in the UV and I

portion of the spectrum, as well as in the Visible wavelength

59-61 After being hit by l ightning, your br a in was damaged. Sever

key connections in your n oggin’ may shake loose a t any tim

If you take a severe b low to the head, you have a 20% ch anc

of going insane and become a psychopath!

62-65 You are the infamo us Aktai p ira te . You have your own spac

c ra f t . Take 10 po in t s o f Deep Space sk i l l s and Inc rea s

Mili tary Leader ship b y 25 po ints! You are reno wned for loo

ing ships with little or no loss of life.

66-68 You’re a natura l ly g ifted lawyer. Take 10 levels of Law.

69 No t on ly do you cla im to know eve ryth ing , bu t you ac tua l ly d

Increase IQ by 20 and take 3 p oints of sk ills from every sk

category.

70-74 You’ve got a short in your eye c ircuit that prevents you fro

locking on targets . This g ives you a -20% to a l l a t tack mo d

fiers . They can’t seem to find the sho rt and besides , i t make

you unique!

3BEYOND THE RIFT

I WAS J UST GROWING U



7 5 - 7 8 O n a d e e p s p a c e e xp l o r at io n m i s s io n , yo u d i s co ve r e d a

crashe d a l ien ship . Inside was a small being with a large head.

He was severely injured but still alive. When you went to help

him, h e tr ied to dr a in your batter ies . Fortunate ly, you kil led

the little @ *&# before he got a ch anc e to do an y re al dam age.

To this day little creatures with big heads still weird you out.

79-81 You were help ing the Disrapan build a weapon system capable

o f d e s tr o yi ng m i ss il es a n d o t he r “ u n m a n n ed ” c r a ft .Unfortun ately, because of your rob otic nature, the weap on ac ci-

dentally targeted you during the testing phase. You’ve never

been q uite r ight . Reduce 1d4 random attr ibutes by 1d6 points .

82 -84 Desp ite be ing a know-i t- a ll , you a re a sup reme hand - to -hand

com batant . When som ebody te l ls you to sh ut up , you tend to

kick their a ss! Incre ase Aggression by 10 and take 5 levels of

hand-to-hand skil l .

8 5 - 8 7 Yo u ’r e t h e b e s t c o o k i n t h e q u a d r a n t. Ta k e 1 5 l e ve ls o f

Cooking skill!

88 -90 When you r cons tan t ta lk ing d i st r ac ted a Razaa , he fa i led to

ach ieve a g lo r ious dea th in comba t . Be fo re h i s dea th , he

ripped your arm s off. You got new on es put back on, but you

decid ed that you wou ld like to have them m ismatch ed for orig-inality. Increase ar mor cost by 10% and reduc e MD by 10.

91-92 While exploring the ru ins of an ancient a l ien c ivi l iza t ion , you

kept a s trange ar t ifac t for yourself , so as to have something

tru ly unique. The problem is everyone th inks the ar t ifac t is

curse d, and a l l your associa tes keep dying m yster iously.

93 -94 A Klee merchan t once so ld the rema ins o f you r s ib ling to a

ju n k d ea le r. Yo u h ave vowe d ven ge an ce .

95-96 Your fa ther is the admiral of the Crysta l Palace space s ta t ion .

He can a r range fo r you to s tay the re f r ee o f change on a

mo men t’s notice .

97-98 You are a mem ber of a grou p of Aktai that fee l the Whe should

be punished for their attacks against your species. Other Aktai

think you’re a bit militant and tend to avoid you.99 You are posses sed . Some a lien en t ity ha s t aken ove r you r body

and reprogramm ed your br a in . You s t il l look and act l ike an

Aktai, but you have some ulterior motive that no one is aware of.

100 Your pa ren t dec ided that the Ak tai needed some one to under -

stand the emotional races. It built you. You are truly unique. You

can ch ange shape , size, gender, facial features, and appen dages.

In fact you ca n cha nge every aspect of your physical appea rance .

This is done by nano-technology. Over time they reform your

body features to fit the desired parameters. A complete change

of body structure would take an entire day ( i.e. Klee to Razaa

change ) , fa c ia l fea tu re s can be rea r ranged in a ha lf hou r .

Gender change would take approximately 2 hrs . Skin color

would take app roximately 5 m inutes to change. Double the stan-

dard time to exactly duplicate a per son. This make s you the u lti-

mate espionage Aktai. Also, your nano tech allows you to r egen-

erate at the r ate of 1 body point every 4 hou rs.

CEDEUNI WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

01 As a ch i ld , you were caugh t in a sun ’s g ravi ta t iona l we ll . Th is

traumatic event scared you for life. If under stress with gravi-

ty presen t , you h ave a 10% ch ance to go c ata tonic!

02-04 You’re a ser ia l k i l ler . Your s teal th and c loaking abili ties mak e

you a bru tally effective killer. Your pr eferen ce for no n-Cedeun

vict ims an d worlds m akes you even har der to track . So far no

one susp ects a th ing.

05 -06 You a re to ta lly ob l ivious to you r su r r ound ings mos t o f the

time. Reduce INT by 20 p oints .

07-09 You were involved in s teal ing Aktai techno logy. You s tar ted

out with one Aktai weapo n ( und er 25K) ; ho wever, you ar enow on their most wanted l is t .

10-12 You s ingle handedly saved a Klee ship from the c lu tches of the

Whe. The Klee capta in was so gra teful that he bonded with

you. You can get anything thro ugh him at 75% of cost!

13-15 You are great a t gambling on sports . Take 5 levels of math and

5 levels of gambling skill.

16-18 You’re a lways hungry! You need to eat every hour o r e lse you

star t to whine abo ut i t !

19-21 Your body has been cyberne tically enhance d for your mission as

a “hu l l-b reache r .” Your g ra sp ing appendages h ave been

replaced with talons used to cut through the hulls of ships. These

give you two additional attacks and cause 2d4 points of damage.

The claws are arm or piercing and red uce threshold by 3 points.22 -24 You acc iden ta l ly he lped a g roup o f Dis rapan rebe l s e scape

gove rnmen t cap tu re . The Dis rapan gove rnmen t now th inks

that you are allied with the rebels and will kill you on sight if

they recognize you. However, the Disrapan only have a 30%

chance of recognizing you s ince a l l you rock-biters look the

same to them.

2 5 Wh i le h e lp i n g a d a m a g ed Kl ee s h ip , yo u w e r e e xp o s e d t o a n

experimental substance. This had the unfortunate s ide affect

of destroying your cam ouflage abil ity. You now glow a l ight

greenish-gold color a t a l l t imes! The l ight you emit can be

seen from up to 5 meter s away in daylight and thr ee t imes that

d is tance a t n ight.

26 -28 You en joy ae s the t ic s and a re good a t “ see ing” the ob jec ts inyour wo rk ing me dian . Take 1 level of Artist ( Sculptur e) .

29 -31 You’ re a p ionee r in ex treme spo r t s . You ’ve inven ted spo r t s

l ike missi le surfing an d m eteor dodge. Incr ease Agili ty by 20

points and Aggression by 10 po ints .

32-34 You are infected with rock parasi tes . Make one SMR roll every

mon th . I f you fa i l th i s ro l l , r educe you r Cons t i tu t ion by 5

po in t s. These pa ra s i t es g row when exposed to space rad ia -

t ion . Without exposu re to rad ia t ion , the parasi tes wil l eventu-

al ly d ie . There is a 5 % chan ce per week that these wil l d ie if

you spend a year on a p lanet with an a tmosphere .

35 Your flash i s be t te r than ave rage ; in fac t , i t h a s doub le the no r -

mal ran ge and can be focused in a t ighter beam to actually do

1-2 points of damage!

36-38 You are a ship buff; a l l sh ip mechanic skills cost 1 point less ,

and you ha ve 3 levels of iden tify vessels.

3 9 - 4 1 Ma n yo u a r e s c a r y lo o k in g , eve n fo r a Ce d e u n . Re d u c e

Charism a by 20 po ints .

42 -44 You wen t on a sabba tica l to r eflec t on you r d i rec t ion in li fe .

Wh e n yo u r e tu r n e d , y o u fo u n d yo u r h o m e c o m p le te ly

destroyed. Since i t’s on the edge of known space, you’ve no

idea who might have done i t , and there were no c lues a t the

scene. However, o ther Cedeun are now leery of your compa-


1 • INTRODUCTION



ny. Reduce Charisma by 30 points when dealing with o ther

Cedeun that know your reputa t ion .

45 -47 You’ve been t r a ined in an ti -sh ip te r ro r i sm. You can rema in

mo tionless for days and ha ve been co ndit ioned to r ide on the

outs ide of spacecr aft for extended p eriods. You also have an

in-depth kno wledge of Cedeun s teal th and c loaking technolo-

gy. Take 5 levels of demoli t ion and 5 levels of infiltra t ion .

Increase threshold by 1 point .48 -50 You look ju s t l ik e a Cedeun t r a i to r tha t dea lt w ith the Whe .

There is a 10% chan ce that another Cedeun m ay mistake you

for the tra i tor and inform the local Government, which has

placed a sentenc e of death on the rea l tra i tor .

51 -52 You a re ex treme ly lucky. Once pe r game se s s ion , you may

rer oll one “m issed” oppo rtunity with the BM’s per mission!

5 3 - 5 5 Wh e n t h e Ak t ai a d m i n is te r e d y o u r l a n gu a ge i n je c ti o n, i t

a l tered your genetic code and switched on the growth gene.

You’ll never stop growing as long as you live! Increase height

by 1d6 inches a nd weight by 1d10 po unds every year .

56-58 You space ski as a hobb y. In a contest you received your own

sk i c ra ft . I t c an fit up to th ree passenge rs and i s c apab le o f

interstellar travel.59-60 Due to your d ie t of as teroids comp osed primari ly of magneti te ,

you now have a slight magnetic field. This field is just strong

enough to in terfere with your com mun ication equipm ent, sen-

sor s, and the like. You ha ve a 10% p enalty to hide from e nem y

sensor equipment. Even if they can’t detect you using their

equipme nt, your magnetic field wil l s t il l cause d is tor t ions on

their equipment tipping them off to your location. In addition,

unsh ielded com pu te r and commun icat ions equ ipmen t func -

tions with a 10% skill penalty when you are nearby.

6 1 A f r ea k a c c id e n t d u r i n g a r o u t in e a tt ac k o n a Wh e s h ip c a u se d

you to be sp rayed wi th ac id . Th is ha s r educed you r body

threshold b y 2!

62-64 You were in the Cedeun m ili t ia infantry. You get 2 levels of EVM and 2 levels of a Cedeun weapon system of your choice.

6 5 - 6 7 Yo u s u ffe r e d a p u n c t u r e w o u n d fr o m h i gh - sp e e d s p a c e

deb r i s . The now hea led wound s t i l l c auses you g rea t pa in

when expo sed to a ir o f any kind. -20 to a l l sk i l l and a t tr ibute

checks when you are exposed to an a tmosphere of any kind.

6 8 - 7 0 Yo u w e r e c o a te d w it h a s tr a n g e sp a c e d u s t t h at b o n d e d to

you r skin an d seem s to absor b Infrar ed, UV, and visible light.

You get a + 50 ap plied to any stealth checks . In addition, dam -

age from lasers is re duced by half. However, several Cedeun

enclaves want to get a “piece” of your hide for study. There is

a 20% chance per meeting with another Cedeun that they’l l

recognize you an d rep ort your location . Another down side is

that the energy absorbed by the dust is given off as x-rays that

can be seen with the r ight equipment.

71 While e scap ing the Whe , you h id in a nebu la . Unfo r tuna te ly,

you were exposed to som e b iza r re r ad ia t ion , wh ich cooked

your bra in! Reduce IQ and INT by 20 points!

7 2 T he Ce d e u n g o ve r n m e n t l en t yo u to th e Ak t ai a s a ch i ld fo r

genetic modification . Your to lerance to pathogens has been

increased. Incr ease your Chemical and Poison SMRs by40.

7 3 - 7 5 Yo u g r e w u p i n a Wh e p r i so n / m i n in g c a m p . Lo s e 1 5 s k il l

points due to inadequate teachers!

76 -78 You a re a l igh t a r ti s t adep t a t c rea ting inc red ib ly de ta il e

images . Gain 10 levels of Artist ( laser light show) .

79 -81 You he lped a Whe e scape from a p r i son sh ip . He gave you

Whe pis to l as payment.

8 2 - 8 3 Yo u t e n d t o g e t e xc i te d w h e n t h i n gs a r e g o in g yo u r w a

Unfortunate ly , when you get excited your l ight organs flas

uncontrollably.

84 -85 Fo r some rea son , you have a t a s te fo r su l fu r bea r ing rockThis gives you a “unique” smell. On the bright side, everyon

notices you!

86-87 You’re impulsive . Leap before you look is your s tandard mott

88-89 You ate some bad uranium and can’t seem to pass it . You no

show up on most sensor systems that can detect radia t ion .

9 0 - 9 1 Th e W h e w e r e e xp e r im e n t in g w it h Ce d e u n r e p e ll en t a n

guess who they experim ented on ? Reduce your ch emical SM

by 20 points .

92-93 You play gravball . Take 3 levels of throwing and an addit io

al 3 levels of EVM

94-95 You a re r ea l ly adep t a t u s ing you r mind . Take 2 add i tion

power points per level .

96-97 You had extensive weapon s tra in ing. All Cedeun weapon skilcost one po int less .

98-99 You served as a comm unications officer . Take 3 levels of eac

com skil l.

1 0 0 Yo u r p a r e n ts ar e gr e a t a r t is ts wh o h a ve s o ld m a n y p i ec e s

collectors’ galaxy-wide. They gave their child some money t

get started on his own life. Start with 250Kextra credits. Ther

i s a chance o f a “ca re package” o f money /goods f rom you

generou s pare nts after each m ission, determ ined by BM. Yo

a re requ i red to v i s i t home on occas ion to keep th i s ex t r

income flowing.

DISRAPANI WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

01 You have a congen i ta l b i r th de fec t tha t c auses you to lo se you

ba lance and become d izzy o r d i so r ien ted wh i le do ing an

thing rem otely physical . I f moving faster than walking spee

or a t tempting any a irborne maneuver more complicated tha

glid ing ( Defensive mo difier = 0) , you will get s ick . Make

consti tu t ion check a t -50 or vomit . Addit ionally , you mu

make an Agil i ty check a t -50 or e lse you fa l l down or crash

as the case ma y be.

0 2 Mo st D is r a p a n a r e h i gh s tr u n g , b u t yo u t ak e t h e c a k e ! Wh e

you get excited or s tressed, you have a 5% chance of havin

an ane urysm! Reduce INT and IQ by 2d6 p oints .

03 You su ffe red b ra in damage in a fa l l from a g rea t he igh t . Th

doctors th ink you’ve m ade a fu l l recovery, but the in jury ha

caused you to develop a split personality. Your new persona

ity acts out your dar k desires when i t is in contro l . Your pr

mar y perso nali ty has no idea of the heino us cr im es your o the

personali ty has committed . Your dark personali ty has a 15

chance to t ake con t ro l fo r the n igh t when you r no rm a l pe

sonali ty is s tressed or unfulfilled .

04 -06 You’re a member o f the rebe ls a tt emp t ing to ove r th row th

Disrapan governme nt. You ar e a wanted cr iminal and wil l b

shot on s ight by the Disrapan author i t ies .

4BEYOND THE RIFT




07 -09 You a re a s lob ! Th is wou ldn ’t be so bad , bu t you don ’ t even

like to take care of your wings! Reduce flying speed by 10

mp h and your Agili ty when a irborn e by 20.

10 -12 You’ve go t a bad ca se o f wing mi tes . Th is wou ld be ea sy to

cu re , bu t you a re a r ebe l w i thou t access to adequ a te hea l th

care . Reduc e a l l Awareness ch ecks by 20 due to the constant

dis tract ion!

13 -15 You’ re ano rex ic . Reduce we igh t by 2d20 and sub t rac t 5 fromyour body points , down to a m inimum of one point . Strength

is a lso reduced by 10.

1 6 - 1 8 Yo u w e r e i n t h e i n fa n tr y fo r t h e g ove r n m e n t fo r c e s . Th e y

added cybe rne t ic t a lons to you r a rms . Take two leve l s o f

a rcha ic Hand Weapon ( Ta lons ) and 2 l eve l s o f any o the r

Dis rapan weapon sy s tem. Prob lem i s , on you r fir s t a s s ign -

men t you were torched by rebel forces . They l i tera l ly li t you

on fir e . Reduce a l l a t tr ibutes but INT and IQ by 10.

19-21 You were on a space ship that was destroyed. You spent 2 weeks

in an escape pod with 5 other Disrapans. Now, you’re very claus-

trophobic and can’t stand to be around other Disrapans.

22 -24 Dur ing a r ebe l a ssau l t on the mass tr an s i t sys tem, you were

hit in the eyes by a blinding laser. Reduc e your Visual Mod ifierby 40 points .

25-27 You were a t the wron g place a t the wron g t ime. Caught in the

m i d d l e o f a r e b e l a s s a u l t o n a g o v e r n m e n t b u i l d i n g , t h e

authori t ies assumed you were a rebel . Rather than be k il led ,

you fled leav ing you r f ami ly and ch i ld ren beh ind . L ike a l l

rebe ls , you wil l be executed on the spot if you are caught.

28 -30 You’ re s tone dea f. You r Hea r ing Mod ifie r i s -100 .

31-33 You were having a bad day, so you decided to be a smar t-ass

to the next pers on you m et. Unfortun ately for you, the ne xt per-

son you ran into was a covert agent for the Trade Consortium.

In his next re por t, he listed you as a r ebel sympa thizer. You’re

followed and watched constantly, and government agents peri-

odically come looking for you for questioning.34 -36 The Dis rapan Trade Conso r t ium was te s t ing a new and ro id ,

p rog rammed to hun t down and k i l l spec ific rebe l l e ade r s .

You wer e part of the developm ent team and wer e used as the

Guinea p ig for the ‘droids first tes t run . Unfortunate ly , the

android went berserk and really tr ied to k i l l you. You were

fo r c e d t o fle e t h e b u i ld i n g t o p r e ve n t b e i n g k i ll ed . T h e

andr oid is s t il l pursuing you, in tent on your d estruction , and

its creators have been unable to trac k i t or de activate i t .

37-39 You gave a Klee mer chant a hard t ime, so he has h ired th ieves

to s tea l a ll o f you r equ ipmen t , one p iece a t t ime so he can

resell i t. Out of the k ind ness of h is heart , he m akes sur e you

get the r eceip ts for all h is sales o f you r stu ff. A typical Klee, he

figured you’d a t least want to kno w how m uch he got for i t .

4 0 - 4 2 Yo u p i s se d o ff a Ra za a , a n d h e b e a t th e s n o t o u t o f yo u .

Reduce Str and Con b y 10 points .

43-45 You love b ig, gaudy jewelry, the b igger and gaudier the better .

Unfortunate ly , a l l these shiny tr inkets you’re covered with

make it hard for you to hide. You suffer a -25 to any attempts

to hide while wearing your shiny jewelry.

46 -48 Your sk in i s an odd co lo r . The oppos ite sex is e ithe r to ta l ly

fascinated o r r epulsed b y it . Roll 1d10 . If the r o l l is odd, the

next Disrapan o f the o pposite sex you ta lk with wil l find your

feather color ugly, which imparts a -50 to Charisma. If the roll

is even, you get a + 50 to Charism a when d ealing with the next

Disrapan o f the op posite sex you m eet.

49-51 You’re the u ltimate whiner . You never s top whining. You’re

never happ y, and you can always find so mething to whine ab out.

52 -54 You a re a s fl igh ty a s a b ird ! You jump a round in a conve rsa -

t ion l ike a cr icket on a ho t p la te! I t takes a su prem e effort of

will for you to s tay on one topic for m ore than a few minutes .Your Awarene ss checks are r educed by 20 if you h ave to con -

cen trate on a ny one thing in par ticular. However, you get a + 5

to a l l Awareness checks the rest of the t ime.

55-57 Your whole family was k il led by a d isease they caught from a

c rea tu re ca l led a “who-man .” I f you eve r find on e o f the se

who-ma ns, you’l l k i ll them on s ight!

5 8 - 6 0 D u r in g a figh t w it h a n o th e r D is r a p a n , yo u r e c e i ve d a c u t

ac ro ss you r face . The sca r now makes you ea s i ly r ecogn iz -

ab le , even to those a l i en s tha t th ink a l l D is rapan look the

same .

61 -63 You were down on you r luck and s igned up to pa r t ic ipa te in

a h igh-paying me dical experim ent. You have a + 20 s trength

bu t em it a low UV glow.64-66 You helped a Klee merchan t out of a jam. He wil l le t you buy

from his pr ivate s tock.

67-69 You met an Alien from a s trange place . You were able to trade

your base level blinding laser for 3 MBRIs.

70 -72 You reco rded , by acc iden t, a Raaza ’s glo r ious dea th on home

v ideo . You were ab le to se l l i t to a Razaa news g roup fo r

10,000 cred its ( Razaa cur renc y) .

73 -75 You saved a h igh - leve l r ebe l l e ade r from a g roup o f gove rn -

ment forces. You now have a friend for life.

76-78 You have better than average vis ion for a Disrapan. Increa se

your Visual Modifier by 20.

79 -81 You’ re an exce llen t flye r . Inc rea se Ag il ity and Defens ive

Modifier b y 20 when flying.82-83 You’re a ma rtial arts exper t. Take 7 levels of hand -to-hand skill.

84-85 You were tra in ing for covert ops against the Disrapan govern-

men t . Th ings fe l l th rough when they des t royed you r ba se .

Take 10 points of espionage skil ls!

86-87 You’re a natura l ac tor! Reduce the cost of a l l Espionage skil ls

by 1 point , to a m inimum of one.

8 8 -8 9 Yo u r fa th e r in ve n te d a n e w t yp e o f n u c le a r l as e r.

Unfo r tuna te ly , he was k i l l ed , and h i s l ab was ran sacked

before he could se l l the design. You don’t know who did i t ,

but you’ve sworn to find out . You fa ther was a b i t eccentr ic

and kep t the b luep r in t s memor ized , r a the r than r i sk the i r

theft . Since he d ied , the only proof of h is work is the proto-

type you now possess . You have a feel ing that someone may

com e look ing for it. Now if on ly you cou ld find a few nu kes to

power the weapons .

90-91 You were a weapons specia l is t for the Trade Consor t ium. Take

5 levels of Disrapan Missile skill.

92-93 You have Alpha-5 c learan ce, which grants you free passage on

any Trade Consortium vessel if it has a free seat.

94 -95 Damn a re you good look in ! Inc rea se Cha r i sma by 20 po in ts .

96 -97 Your ances to r was a famous figu re in Dis rapan po l it ic a l h i s -

to ry. Inc rea se you r Cha r i sma by 20 po in t s. Mos t peop le


1 • INTRODUCTION



expect that you wil l begin a poli t ica l career in the next few

year s, like the res t of your family.

98 You are a re t ired sniper in the Disrapan Specia l Forces . You’re

so good that occasionally they call you back to active duty. Take

10 levels of Disrapan beam weapon, Stealth and Concealment.

99 You a re a Trade Conso r t ium rebe l hun te r wi th an Alpha -3 gov-

ernm ent c learanc e. You get free passage on any Disrapan ves-

se l . They have to boot someone off to make room for you if i t ’s fu l l . You have access to governm ent in te ll igence repo rts

on the rebe l s , and you a re equ ipped wi th s ta te -o r - the -a r t

weaponr y and arm or. Best of a ll , you h ave a l icense to k i l l on

any Disrapan world .

100 Your wings were ampu ta ted and rep laced with a se t o f cybe r -

ne t ic p ro s these s . The wings have an AI o f 150 each and a

th re sho ld o f 20 . In add i tion , e ach wing i s equ ipped with a

da r t l aunche r . The da r t s have a r ange o f 75 /50 /20 /0 an d do

one po in t o f damage each . Each launche r ha s 100 da r t s and

a variable ROF from 1 to 50 . The darts can be po isoned. As a

side effect of the pr ocedu re , your skin turned blue .

DULI WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

0 1 Yo u s wi tc h e d “Li fe Ar t s” d u r in g yo u r t r ai n in g . Yo u r n e w

teacher upset you so m uch that you kil led h im. Now, you a re

being h un ted actively by mem ber s of his life ar t. Not on ly that,

but you did not get a chance to s tudy your new art! Lose 10

skil l points . There is a 10% chanc e of a Dul s tr ike team show-

ing up a t an y time!

0 2 Yo u we r e ca p tu r e d b y t h e Wh e so th a t t h ey c o u ld st u d y yo u r

matr ix power s . This ra ther invasive pro cedur e caused you to

lose half of your matr ix power s as well as half of your power

points . Not only that , but the damage causes you to advance

s lower . You rece ive ha l f the number o f ma t r ix powers you

would no rm ally get as you ad vance to e ach ne w power level .03 You have an a l lerg ic reaction to generat ing matr ices . You begin

to itch. This gives you a 10 % cha nce o f failure for ea ch seco nd

it takes to gener ate a m atrix. If you fail to generate the matr ix,

you were too distracted by your itch to successfully generate.

When the chance for failure reaches 100%, you can do nothing

else but scratch yourself uncontrollably for 1d4 rounds.

04 You a re a vic tim o f the Dea th Touch ma t r ix . Fo r tuna te ly fo r

you , the pe r son tha t gene ra ted the ma t r ix se t a de lay on i t s

effects. You will live for 2d4 years before you fall over dead.

0 5 Yo u w e r e t r a in i n g o n a n a li en p l an e t w h e n a Go l ak b o n d e d

with you. The Golak is a ghost l ike creature that constantly

drains your m atr ix power po ints . This parasi te is the scourge

of matr ix contro llers . You are no longer a l lowed on the Dul

hom e world , and you m ust wear a warning beacon to prevent

other Dul from coming c lose to you. If caught without your

beacon, you are k i l led! If you find a h igher powered matr ix

controller, the Golak has a 40% chance to leave you for them.

After the Golak has been with you for 2d10 years, it will split

and fo rm ano the r Go lak . I f ano the r m a t r ix con t ro l le r i s no t

available for the ne w Golak, it bond s you as well. At this point,

you will lose 10 p oints of CON per day until you r de ath. Ther e

is no kn own way to k ill or r emo ve a Golak.

06 -08 You had a bad a t ti tude so a l ife a r t mas te r cha l lenged you

com bat. Not only d id he k ick your butt , but he sa id he cur se

you with the BOOM matr ix . He further informed you that

you ever show arrogant tendencies again , the BOOM matr i

s tored inside you wil l cause you to explode!!! He was lyin

but you don ’t know that .

0 9 - 1 1 Yo u w e r e t r a ve li n g to a n e w c o lo n y wh e n yo u r s h i p w

attacked by the Whe. A Cedeun ambush was all that saved yofrom slavery! However, several i tems that d id not belong t

you wer e found in your po ssession as they tr ied to re turn yo

to your hom e. The Cedeun now con sider you a th ief and wan

to rehabilitate you.

12-14 You’re a sociopath with vio lent tendencies! You have a 15

chance of going berserk when s tressed!

15-16 You’re a k lu tz! Reduce Manual Dexteri ty by 2d10 points .

17 -19 Your ma t r ix powers a re weak . You s ta r t ou t wi th 1 /2 you

no rm a l number o f power po in t s!

20 -22 You a re a l l e rgic to the phe romo nes g iven o f f by the Kle

Redu ce all Skill and attribute ch eck s by 20 whe n you ar e wit

in 20 feet of a Klee.

23-25 You have chosen a career that is h ighly unusu al for your chosen l ife path . Members of your l i fe path tend to look a t yo

funny when they find out what you do for a living.

26-28 You block with your face a lot. Reduce Charism a, IQ, and INT b

10 points.

29-31 You are under the influence of a Mind Control matr ix . What

e ve n w o r se i s t h a t y ou a r e n o t a w a r e o f t h e s u gg e st io

implanted in your subconscious.

32-34 You were showing off about how you could catch bulle ts wi

your tee th and lost m ost of your face! Reduce char isma by 3

35-37 You had an id io t for an instructor ! Lose 15 skil l points!

38 -40 You a re f rom a l i fe a r t s ec t tha t t r i es to avo id techno log ic

devices as mu ch as po ssib le .

41-43 You know that membe rs of your l i fe ar t are in league with thWhe and ar e teaching them Dul m atr ices , but you can ’t prov

it. You feel morally obligated to stop them.

44-46 A high ranking Kel-na practit ioner k i lled your brother and fle

the planet in his stolen luxury cruiser. You’ve vowed to g

revenge, but you know your opponent is a better fighter than yo

47-49 You always have to make a corny line or saying as you finis

off your o pp one nt! Usually it’s som ething like, “ Hasta la vist

Baby!” or “I’ve cut your arm off!”.

50-52 Your instructor used you as h is partner while demon stra ting

technique for the rest of his students. Unfortunately, he decid

ed to show o ff and cr ushed your chest with a kick! Reduce CO

by 5 points. However, now you have a nice metal rib cage th

increase s thresho ld to the chest by 1 and a dds 5 p oints to ST

53-55 You are a flashy fighter. You l ike b ig finishes that complete

destroy the o ppon ent! ( Think Action m ovie c l imax scenes!)

56-58 You have a nagging husban d/wife . They berate you endlessl

and you suck i t up and take i t!

59 -61 You a re a hope le s s roman t ic tha t loves to se renade you r pa r

ner. Gain 5 levels of singing!

62 -64 Your f r i ends a re a lways ge tt ing you in to troub le and the

expect you to b ail them out.

4BEYOND THE RIFT




65-67 Your m aster was a well-respected Life Artis t . Gain 2 levels of

any one s kill that is taught in your life ar t ( deter min ed b y BM)

and a + 5 reaction mod ifier with o ther Du l that have heard of

your master ( 40% chanc e) .

68-69 You’re a natur a l Life Artis t. Life ar t is t sk il ls ( determ ined by

BM) cost 1 point less ( min. 1) and training time is cut in half!

7 0 - 7 2 Yo u a r e a s u p r e m e Na - Ne e s w o r d sm a n . Ta k e 1 0 l e ve ls o f

Archaic Hand Weapon ( Sword) .73 -75 You have a p rog re s sive in st ruc to r who encou rages you to

study mult ip le ar ts . You have an addit ional 10 skil l points to

spend on a new hand-to-hand skil l .

76-78 You’re t iny, but you mak e up for i t by being really mean when

you fight. Reduce height by 1d6 and reduce weight by 2d10.

Your a t tacks do one extra point of damage becau se you kn ow

exactly where to h i t to mak e i t rea l ly hur t!

79-8 1 You are incred ibly difficult to hit. Incr ease Agility by 20 points!

82-84 You are a super b tac t ic ian . Incre ase Mili tary Leader ship by 25

points!

85 -87 You work ou t cons tan tly! Take 3 l eve l s o f Body Po in ts sk i ll

and 3 levels of Strength Skill.

8 8 - 9 0 Yo u h a d a h a r d t a sk m a s te r t h a t ta u gh t yo u w e ll . In c r e a seSTR, AGL, an d Ma nu al DEX by 5 p oints e ach !

91 -93 Your m as te r u sed h i s Impa r t Ab i li ty ma t r ix on you . You now

kno w the HyperThrowing Matr ix!

94-96 Your family is very successful . As a b ir thday present , you were

given your o wn star-cruiser and to ld to explor e the un iverse .

Have fun!

9 7 Yo u a r e B r u c e Le r o y o f t h e D u l. D o u b le yo u r st ar t in g m a t r ix

power points and gain 2 extra matr ix powers involving hand

to hand comba t !

98 You a re a memb er o f the Hun te r l ife a r t pa th . The Hun te r pa th

is the only Dul l ife ar t that requ ires i ts memb ers to be from a

spec ific family line. You h ave the innate ab ility to track ano th-

er living being, even across interstellar distances. You have a50 % cha nce to trac k any being, plus 1% for every year of you r

age over 16. You can only track one b eing a t a t ime, an d you

must have an important , personal possession of the target in

order to be able to track them.

99 You’ve been sec re t ly t r a in ing unde r two d i ffe ren t in s truc to r s .

It’s a small miracle that neither has noticed the subtle changes

in your fighting s tyle . I f e i ther instructor finds out , they will

make you pay fo r wha t they pe rce ive to be a in su l t . Take

another hand -to-hand skil l in a d ifferent d isc ip line a t a level

equal to your cu rr ent hand -to-hand skil l level .

1 0 0 Yo u a r e in p o s se s si o n o f a s h ie ld t h at co n t ai n s t h e s o u l o f a

5th level Nok-la fighter . Your BM will create the appr opr ia te

sta t is t ics for the sh ie ld . The T’ka master that put h im there is

looking for the shie ld .

K LEEI WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

0 1 Th e Wh e c a pt ur e d yo u as a ch ild an d p r e fo r m e d b iza r r e

gene t ic expe r imen ts . 01 -20% chance fo r ex t ra appendage ;

21-40% for extra eye, mouth , ear , nose , fingers , or toes; 41-

60% or gans in the wrong place , med ical checks pr eformed at

-25%; 61-80 % you’re a n euter , no sexual dr ive or d esires; in

fact , no equipment 81-100%. Skin g lows a bright neon, can-

not use stealth without a complete body suit. Also, -50% to all

char isma che cks with o ther Klee . They might not kn ow what’s

wrong with you, bu t som ething definite ly is!

02 -03 You’ve been accused o f se l ling sec re t s to the Whe . No one

knows whe ther you’ve been fram ed or whether you really d id

it , but there is a bounty on your head to bring you back to a

Klee trader fleet, dead or alive.04 -05 A Whe nuc lea r mun i t ion has lodged in you r ches t . The Klee

medics were unable to remove i t because of i ts proximity to

your heart , and the wound has long s ince healed . A skil led

Aktai or Disrapan surgeon should be able to remove the round,

but you kee p getting denied access to local space por ts because

their sensors show you’re pack ing a nuke. The weapon has a

1% ch ance o f detonating with any critical hit to your chest.

06 -07 You “acqu i red” a ho ly re l ic from the Cedeun . Th is ha s no

trade valve; however, a group of fanatic Cedeun ar e h unting

you. There is a 10 % cha nce the y’ll show up any time you tra v-

e l th rough space . Fo r you r t r eache ry , you ge t -50 to you r

char isma when d ealing with Cedeun !

08 -09 You have an inna te sense o f t ime , ba s ica lly an in te rna l c lockthat allows you to kn ow the exact time withou t loo king at your

watch-equivalent . Unfortunate ly , i t is se t hours behind real

t ime, and you are constantly la te . Whenever you have a ren-

dezvous to make, and you don’t have someone e lse there to

mak e sure you’re on t ime, you have a 50% ch ance of missing

it because you are la te .

10-11 You are forgetfu l . You have a 20% chance to forget whatever

you ’re do ing when und e r s t r e s s . “ I knew I was supposed to

do so mething with th is gun.”

12-13 You were h it in the head by a Whe mass doubler . You suffered

s l igh t b ra in dam age wh ich causes you to spasm and twi tch

every 15 minutes or so .

14 -15 Your pa ren t s we re made an o ffe r they cou ldn ’t r e fu se ; theysold you in to s lavery as a child . You escaped, but you must

a lways be a ler t for bou nty hunter s .

16 -17 You a re chemica l ly dependen t . You mus t have you r fix eve ry

6 hou rs , or you increm ental ly loose 10% o f IQ and Con unti l

you get your fix. The drug is in your DNA, and you can not

s imply drop the habit without extensive m edical t rea tment.

18-19 You take FOREVER to mak e any kind of decis ion . In non-cri t-

ica l s i tuations you wil l debate u nti l the las t possib le m ome nt

on an y dec ision involving per son al taste or style. Once the last

possib le mo men t is reached, you will continue to deba te with

you rse l f abou t wha t i s the co r rec t cho ice . On ly repea ted

threats wil l get you to m ake u p your m ind.

20 -21 You have a po tty-mou th . Obscen i ti e s spew fo r th from you r

mou th m ore com mon ly than ju s t abou t any o the r word .

22 -23 You’ re a ho r r ib le l ia r . -20 to Ba rga in ing checks .

2 4 -2 5 Yo u w e r e p r o m i sc u o us a n d c a ug ht a c a se o f sh ip m o le s .

Shipmoles infection causes pu ssing sores to cover your entire

body. -30 to Charisma. The disease is incurable bu t has a 50%

chance to go in to remission every week. Once in remission,

the sores have a 35% chance to re-appear , p lus 5% for each

week in remission.


1 • INTRODUCTION



26-27 Your par ents ra ised you by se t ting you in front of the family

holo-vid ( TV-equivalent) . When you see some form of video

enter ta inment, you tend to become entranced. You s lump in

you r sea t and wa tch the show s lack - jawed and d roo l ing

regardless o f the subject m atter. People will have to say your

nam e at least three times for you to even notice their prese nce.

28 -29 You a re the u l tima te tr a sh ta lke r . You te ll p eop le so much

over- the-top BS about yourself that there is no way you canback up your c la ims.

30-31 You’re a pathological liar . You cou ldn’t te l l the tru th to save

your l i fe! The mo re unbelievable the s tory the better!

32-35 You’re a l ighting rod for freak s. They a lways seek you out and

try to be your friend. If there is a freak in the bar, they’ll talk

to you- no matter what!

36 -39 You neve r shu t up . You ’ re a lways ta lk ing , and the more peo -

ple try to ignore you or talk over you, the louder you get.

40-44 You’re an insomn iac . So you really l ike guard duty!

45-48 You were an in tern for a fleet sh ip’s engineer before an explo-

s ive decompression accident . You now have cybernetic eyes

and a metal p la te in your head.

49-52 You helped an Aktai out of a jam, and he sa id he owes you one.53-56 You are a great s tory te l ler . People love to hear you ta lk .

57-58 You are very organized. Take one level of adm inis tra t ion skill .

59-60 Your fa ther is admiral of one of the Klee trade r fleets . You can

pretty mu ch get any th ing you n eed from dad if you ca n con -

vince h im you really need i t. Unfortunate ly, your dad th inks

you’re a spoiled br a t that will never amo unt to an ything.

61 -62 You have a na tu ra l knack fo r ma thema t ic s, and you can do

complex equations in your head. Reduce the cost of a l l sc i-

ence an d engineering skil ls by one point .

63 -64 You have a sec re t c ache o f Dis rapan weapons . P ick up 10K in

Disrapan weap onr y.

65-66 You are a Secret In te ll igence oper at ive of the Klee Pilo ts core .

Take 10 points of p i lo t ing and espionage sk il ls .67-68 You have a great re la t ionship with an Aktai inform ation deal-

er . You h ave a 5% ch ance that he wil l drop you info on s im -

ple stuff for free!

69-70 You’re hyperactive! Concen tration is a pro blem, but since you’re

going a million m iles an hour, you get + 10 to p ercep tion!

7 1 - 7 2 Yo u a r e t r a in e d a s a s n o w t r o o p er . Ta k e 3 l e ve ls m o u n -

taineering and arctic survival.

73-74 You are a video game fanatic . You spend a l l of your free t ime

playing games. Add 10 points to your manual Dexteri ty but

loose 5 skil l points.

75 -76 You’ re a ma jo r in the Klee navy, bu t you l ie so much abou t

your other exploits that no one believes you. Add 15 points to

your Mili tary Leadership . You lost your uniform in a freak

MTW accident , bu t no one believes that e i ther .

77 -78 You a re a soc ia l bu t te rfly; you have to mee t eve ryone a t pa r -

t ies and kno w at least 1 per son in e very socia l c irc le 3 levels

above and below you. Add 5 p oints to charisma.

7 9 -8 0 Yo u t ra d ed a s h in y w or th le ss tr in k e t fo r a b a se -m o d e l

Disrapan blinding laser .

81-82 Your fa ther is one of the best mer chants in the galaxy. You can

buy anything you want at 20% off.

83-84 You like to play Gravball. Take 2 levels thro wing and 4 levels EVM.

85 -86 You a re a geog raphy bu f f. Add 15 to you r t e r re s t r ia l know

edge check .

87-88 You are the Bil l Gates of Klee Trade rs . No one l ikes you, b

they s ti l l pay exorbitant fees for your pro duct . -20% char ism

but you s tar t with 9000 c redits worth of extra eq uipme nt th

you can trade.

8 9 - 9 0 Yo u j u st s ee m t o k n o w w h er e t o lo o k fo r t h e h a r d -t o -fin

stuff. The availability of Rare ( R) and Unique ( U) e qu ipm eis always increased ( i.e. easier to find) by one level for you

91 -92 You a re the u l tima te “munchk in . ” You wi ll c a lcu la te , r e -ca

cula te , and look for any loop holes that you can to improv

the odds in your favor. You can increase the chance of suc

cess for any skill roll by 10%, if given an extra 2d6 days mo

to p lan than i t nor mally takes you to accom plish your task .

93-94 Your favori te uncle used to take you on his “specia l” busine

tr ips . He taught you a l l he knew abou t smuggling.

95 -96 Your mo the r was a sh ip mechan ic ; she u sed to t ake you wi

her whe n you were younger to work on the ship! Gain 1 lev

of s tructura l engineering. You also have knowledge of Kle

ship designs, including weak p oints and c apabil i ties .

97-98 You are as good as you brag you are . Add 5 points to your to3 sco re s !

99 You’re a sh rewd nego tia to r . Inc rea se ba rga in ing by 15 po in t

1 0 0 To k e e p yo u r c o n sc ie n c e c le a r, yo u h e lp e d a R a za a d ie in

spectacular m anner. His family was so imp ressed that you ar

able to acquire any Razaa weapon through them with a pric

b reak o f 20%!

RAZAA I WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

0 1 - 0 2 Yo u ’r e o n e o f n a tu r e ’s c r u e l jo k e s . Fo r s o m e r e a s on y o u

body has trouble sustaining your symbiote. Your symbiote ha

only enough s tren gth to supp ort your basic l i fe functions. A

a result , you have no regenerating abil i t ies . Once a l imb gone , i t n eve r g rows back . You lea rned tha t the ha rd wa

when your b ig toe was smashed.

0 3 - 0 4 Yo u r s ym b i o te h a s b e c o m e u n s ta b le . Wh e n w o u n d e d , yo

have a 25% chan ce of growing a d ifferen t part than you nee

For examp le , you m ay s tar t growing hair instead of sk in whe

hea l ing an ab ra s ion ; o r i f you lo s t you r hand , a foo t m ig

grew back in i ts p lace!

05 -06 You’ve been in fec ted wi th a v iru s o f Whe o r igin tha t s low

your regener ation abil i ty by 50%. This virus is pr esent in a

body fluids so you h ave been banne d from all Razaa worlds

keep the v irus from spreading.

07 -08 You’re a th row back to a more p r imi tive t ime . Reduce IN

and IQ by 20 but incr ease Stren gth by 5 and Aggress ion by 3

09 -10 Because o f a seve re men ta l d i so rde r , you pe r iod ica lly l aunc

into a song and d ance r outine . When you finish , you have n

mem ory o f do ing the dance num ber .

11 -12 While tak ing in the scen t o f some beau t ifu l flowers on a d i

t an t t rop ica l p lane t , you were da r ted wi th spo re s . Thes

spores now infect you, and your symbiote considers i t a pa

of you. You now “bloom” every 3-6 weeks with a beautifu

g reen and go ld flower wh ich , i f you a re no t cove red , p ro

duces t iny darts that shoot a t a l l creatures with in a 5 ft. radiu

4BEYOND THE RIFT





1 • INTRODUCTION

The rest of the t ime, you are covered in t iny thorns. Reduce

consti tu t ion by 10!

13-14 You are both a sadist and a maso chis t . To get psyched for bat-

t le , you l ike to cu t yourself. Since you’l l regener ate from the

wound s, you’re not too co ncern ed. Take 1d 4 po ints of physi-

cal dam age before every “expected figh t.” If you d o not get the

chanc e to perform your s ick l it tle r i tual ( i .e . ambushed ) and

you don ’t get hur t in battle, you’ll do it afterwar ds. This is seenas s trange by other Razaa. Reduce Charisma by 15 points if

they notice the scares ( 25% when in norm al c lo th ing) o r see

you cut yourself.

15 -16 You a re the defin i tion o f ug ly! On a wor ld o f inc red ib le a th -

le te s wi th s tunn ing bod ie s , you r body i s g ro ss and mis -

port ioned. You suffer a -50 to Charisma when dealing with

other Razaa and -20 when dea ling with any other species .

1 7 - 1 8 Yo u a n g e r e d t h e Ak t ai w h o g a ve y ou t h e g e n e ti c m e m o r y

injection for language u nder standing. I t decided to teach you

a lesson. You n ow kno w the me aning of fear . When in a dan -

gerous s i tuation , you have 10% chance that you will go cata-

tonic or r un scr eam ing. This behavior wil l shame you if done

in front of o ther Razaa.19-20 While vacationing on a tropical p lanet that hasn’t been se t tled

yet , an insect b i t you. Since i t d igested your b lood, i t was

infected with your symbiote . The planet was quarantined by

the Razaa governm ent, and you ar e actively being sou ght by its

agen ts fo r ques t ion ing . No one tha t ha s gone to the p lane t

s ince your “ incident” has re turned.

21-22 You have a few screws loose and have taken the death th ing too

far. You show no fear of danger, and you have a 5% chance to

go ber serk in comb at, regardless of your aggression level .

23 -24 You’ re a fra id o f guns . I f the o the r Razaa war r io r s find ou t,

you’ll never hear the end of it. You suffer a -10 to hit with all

ranged weaponry.

25 -26 You were s it ting on the s ide l ine s a s a non -comba tan t viewerwatching a batt le between the Klee and the Whe. I t was fabu-

lous en te r ta inmen t un t il th a t s t r ay mass doub le r sho t k i l led

your girlfriend . You feel rea lly guilty bec ause th e weap on o nly

left a small hole in her chest . Her paren ts hold you r esponsi-

b le for her unspectacular death .

27 -28 You rea l ly wan t to d ie a glo r ious dea th . Fo r good luck you

wea r a Whe nuc lea r mun i t ion on a cha in a round you r n eck .

The shell is live, but it only has a one in a thousand chance to

go off if the nose cone is s truck. You l ike to sm ack the shell

on a rock for goo d luck b efore you go in to ba tt le . Any roll of

dou ble zodd ( 00) twice in a row when smack ing the shell wil l

cause i t to detonate .

2 9 - 3 0 Yo u ’r e a w a n t ed c r i m i na l. Yo u w e r e a m e m b e r o f a m u lt i-

national deep space explorat ion team. Because of a logis t ics

err or , food r an low and had to be r a t ioned. When you caught

one o f the Klee on the t eam s tea l ing food , you r t e r r i to r ia l

inst incts k icked in a nd you r ippe d his head off.

31-32 You were s tabbed in the r ight arm with a fes ter-knife . The bac-

ter ia on the b lade causes infections as fas t as your regener a-

t ion can heal them. As a result , the wound has never proper-

ly healed. You have a -10 penalty to any physical skill involv-

ing your r ight arm.

33-34 You’re just s l ightly smar ter than vegetable l i fe . Reduce INT

and IQ by 12 points .

35-36 You’re hom icidal . You have been known to help your budd ies

meet a g lorious death . Sometimes you help too much.

37-38 You have bad luck with wom en. In fact, you have such bad luck

that mo st of your ex-girlfriends ar e actively hun ting you d own.

39-42 You are a dam age magnet . The guy on the batt lefield with the

biggest gun will always pick you as his target.43-46 You find the whole idea of a g lorious death s i lly. Since you’re

no t pa r t i cu la r ly qu ie t abou t you r views , o the r Razaa don ’t

know how to take you. All you want to do is live forever!

47-50 Your que st for kno wledge has left you doub ting all your beliefs.

You’ve studied every known religion, and you question them

all. As such , you a re c onstantly look ing for the “r ight” religion.

You’ve be com e co mp letely intrigued with any “religious” figure

and will spend hours debating the meaning of life.

51 -54 You figu re eve ryone dese rves a glo r ious dea th . To in su re one

fo r you r enemies , you l ike to r end them l imb f rom l imb o r

continue sho oting them after you kno w they’re a lrea dy dead.

You’re such a nice boy.

55 -58 Your fo re fa the r s a re famous fo r the i r spec tacu la r dea th s incomba t . Howeve r , you ’ re dep re s sed because you have no t

died in combat and are the las t of your brothers a l ive . You

have taken many chances but just cannot seem to d ie g lori-

ou sly. + 10 to your Defensive Modifier.

59 -62 You l ike to tho rough ly taun t you r enemy be fo re comba t in

order to increase your chance of a spectacular death . You’re

very goo d at it. You get shot a lot.

63-66 Because you’re a Razaa, peop le are constantly bur ning or d is-

integrating your clothes in battle. Rather than risk losing your

designer lo inclo th , you p refer to go in to a fight naked .

67-69 You’ve a pet dulock. This creatur e is like a repti l ian centipede

in appearance; however, i t has natura l camouflage abil i t ies .

All dulocks rec eive a + 90 m odifier to s tea l th che cks. Dulocksmo ve a t a ra te of 5m ph and have a poisonous b ite that does 1

po in t dam age / round . The du lock i s t e lepa th ica l ly l inked to

you, and by concentra t ing you c an see what i t does and te l l i t

what to do. When concentra t ing , no o ther act ion can be pre-

form ed. Roll 1d10 for your d ulock’s bod y points .

70-72 Your bro ther and you were the las t of your l ine . Your bro ther

ju st d ie d a glo r io u s d ea th , w h ic h wo n r en o wn ed fo r you r fam -

i ly ! You inhe r i t 250K and inc rea se Cha r i sma by 10 po in t s

when d ealing with o ther Razaa.

73 -75 Your fami ly h i s to ry i s fi lled with h i s to r ica l dea th s . + 25% to

Charism a when with o ther Razaa.

76 -78 You’ re a fa s t hea le r , even fo r a Razaa. Inc rea se regene ra t ion

rate by 1 point .

79-80 You’re a national hero to the Disrapan af ter you saved a very

h i gh - r a n k i n g g o ve r n m e n t o ffic ia l fr o m a n a s s a ss i n a ti o n

attempt. Unfortunately, this has made you a target for assassi-

nation by an insane rebe l whose p lan you thwarted . Disrapa n

everywhere ask for your autograp h.

81-82 You’re the b iggest , mean est Razaa that mo st peop le have ever

seen . You’re also wh ippe d. Incr ease STR, AGR, and CON by 10

points, but if you don’t check in with your significant other on

the home world every day, you’l l be s leeping on the couch

when you get back.



83 -84 You’ re mass ive . Inc rea se he igh t by 2d6 inches and we igh t by

4d10 pounds. Add 10 to your s trength!

85-86 You have a rar e medical cond it ion that a l lows you to see in to

the x-ray port ion of the spectrum as well as the UV port ion

with your third eye.

87 -88 You en joyed spo r t s a s a ch ild , e spec ia lly those with b laded

weapons. Take 5 levels in one b laded hand weapon.

89-90 You’re a natura l leader . Add 10 points to Mili tary Leader shipand Charisma.

91-92 You were the k ing of sp la t ter ball! Gain 3 levels of throwing!

93 -94 You a re a p laye r ex trao rd ina i re ! Add 40 to Cha r i sma when

dealing with a l l females . Watch ou t for the ship m oles!

95-96 You spent your childhood swinging from the trees . Add 20 to

your Manual Dexteri ty

97-99 A Klee trade r has bonded with you. He’l l get you any weapon

you need a t 75% off the l is ted co st .

99 -100 Be fo re you r mi l it a ry ca ree r , you were a r enowned a th le te .

Pick 15 points in physical sk il ls and increase your Agili ty or

Strength b y 10 po ints .

ROGUEWHEI WAS JUSTGROWINGUPTABLE

0 1 Yo u c a m e i n c o n ta c t w it h a p a r a s it ic o r g a n is m o n a t r a in i n g

mission to an unexplored planet . I t ’s now a part of you with

connec t ions to you r b ra in , hea r t , and lungs. I f r emoved o r

kil led , you die with in a couple of hours . You a lso hear i ts

thoughts in your h ead. The only ta lete ll s ign of i ts pr esence

i s a fo u l o d o r t h at i t c a u s e s y ou r b o d y to e m i t. - 3 0 % t o

Charisma!

0 2 Yo u ’r e d elic a te . A r a n d om g en e ti c e r r o r h a s c a us ed yo u r

emo tions to come to the front . There is a 15% chance that any

time you are experiencing s trong emotions, they wil l over-

whelm you. You do th ings l ike s top ping to cry over a su nset ,

or becoming irr i ta ted enough to r ip that tagging Klee’s headoff , or s topping to hug the Razaa because he just makes you

feel swell!

0 3 Yo u r su p e r io r s fe lt yo u we r e to o in d e pe n d en t a n d w o uld

even tua l ly go rogue . As a r e su l t , you were p laced in “The

Machine” to be re-edu cated . Reduce your IQ by 10 po ints and

red uce INT by 20 p oints. You h ave a 20% cha nce to follow any

order from another Whe without hesi ta t ion .

04 -05 Dur ing tr a in ing, you acc iden ta lly k i ll ed a h igh leve l Gene ra l

that was watching the field exercise. After extensive interroga-

t ion with the Matr ix contro llers , you were re turned to tra in-

ing . Your IQ was redu ced b y 5 po ints , and you have a fear o f

Matr ix contro llers .

06 -07 To e scape from you r opp re s s ive gove rnmen t , you k i ll ed the

re s t o f you r fou r -man r econ team wh i le exp lo r ing an a l ien

planet. After killing the crew and stealing their ship, you took

off . You have transporta t ion now but are on the Whe’s ten

mo st wanted l is t .

08-09 Your s ter i l iza t ion d idn’t work. You have a 5% chance of los-

ing contro l around the opposite sex .

1 0 - 1 1 Wh e n yo u w e n t Ro g u e, yo u w e r e c a p tu r e d a n d a l lo w e d to

escape. You do not know it, but you have been implanted with

a sub-der mal track ing unit . A specia l re tr ieval squad h as been

following you for months, t racking your every move. The

mission is to d iscover if you wil l lead them to o ther rogue

that they can e xterminate .

12 -13 You were l abe led a rogue because you have troub le con tro

ling your aggressive impu lses. You ha ve a 5% cha nce to attac

someone tha t ha s p rovoked you in som e way, r ega rd le s s

the s i tuation .

14-15 You are afra id of insects . They give you the creep s and dis trayou from wha t ’s go ing on . -5% pe rcep t ion checks whe

a round bugs .

16-17 You have been placed on the Whe’s “100 0” most wanted lis

Renegades on the list always have an active retrieval/exterm

nation unit hunting them. There is a 15% chance for a hun

ing party to sho w up a t any t ime.

18 -19 You and you r sec re t ma te wen t rouge toge the r . She and you

e igh t ch i ld ren a re in h id ing . You mus t send 20% o f you

income to them to keep them hidden.

20 -21 You a re a gamb le r and l ike to be t on eve ryth ing .

2 2 - 2 3 Yo u h a d a n e a r d e a th e x p er i e n ce a n d a r e c o n vi n ce d o n

great th ings await in the af ter l ife . You mak e irr a t ional dec

s ions abou t dange rous s itua tions and have + 15% o f go inberserk in batt le .

24-25 You are addic ted to a Razaa a le called Death’s Widow. Eve

time you take a dr ink , you get a eu phor ic h igh, but your Co

is reduc ed b y 20 points . Your Con h eals from Dea th’s Wido

poisoning a t 1 point an hour. I f your Con is red uced to zer

you are dead. You must make an INT check to realize that yo

are drinking yourself to death and s top. A fa i led INT chec

means you take another dr ink . Death’s Widow has no detr

men tal effects on your Razaa dr inking buddies .

26-30 You are fashionable . No wonder you went rogue. You might a

well wear a big neon sign that says, “I want to be different.”

31 -35 You fee l lone ly and i so la ted s ince you r sepa ra t ion from th

hive. You latch on to people and won’t leave them alone.36 -40 You found a book o f poems and abso lu te ly ado re them. Th

mak e you feel a l l warm and fuzzy inside . You keep th is boo

with you and read the poems whenever you can.

41-4 5 You love Disrapa n sweet ale. You will go out of your way to get

46-50 You were once exposed to u l tra h igh levels of radia t ion , whic

had an affect on your Matrix Controlling ability. Roll an ext

d10 for any Matr ix a t tempt. 1-5 , nor mal effect; 6 ma tr ix doe

1/2 effect; 7 , matr ix does 2x effect; 8 , p ick a random matr i

one level lower than curre nt matr ix ; 9 , p ick a rand om m atr

one level h igher than you are normally a l lowed to generat

10 , you fa l l unconsc ious fo r a number o f rounds equa l t

matrix level.

51-55 They left the UV light on a li tt le long during your t ime in th

ma tu ra t ion cham ber . You r sk in i s 4 shades da rke r than an

other Whe.

56 -60 You a re inc red ib ly messy. You have a 20% chance to hav

misplaced som e i tem for which you have an imm ediate nee

“I could h ave sworn I put the laser p is to l on m y belt!”

61-64 Music affects you. Mili tary mar ches send you in to the typic

aggressive Whe state. Other music has different effects whic

are up to the BM. Effects l ike aro usal , cry ing, or ca lming ar

comm on re su l t s from exposu re to mus ic .

4BEYOND THE RIFT




65 -69 You were a Whe Games Hove rboa rd cham p ion . Add + 20%

Char i sma when dea l ing wi th o the r Whe . Take 15 leve l s o f

Hove rboa rd sk i l l . The downs ide i s tha t the re i s a spec ia l

reward for your capture as an example to o ther rogues.

70 -71 You saved a Klee merchan t from a Whe p r i son sh ip . He wi ll

sell you anything he can get at 20% off.

7 2 - 7 3 A b l o w t o th e h e a d i n tr a i n in g c a m p r e d u c e d yo u r I Q b y 5

p o i n t s . O n t h e b o n u s s i d e y o u w o k e u p l a t e r w i t h W h eMatr ix ab i l i t i e s . Take 1 ma t r ix power wi th the op t ion to

lea rn mo re la te r.

74 -75 You a re a good sho t. Weapon sk i ll s inc rea se by 5% pe r l eve l

instead of 4%.

76-77 You are psychologically s table . -10% to go berserk or su ic idal .

78-79 You’re lazy and s lo thful . Gain 2 levels of s tea l th from avoid-

ing work !

80 -81 Your t e am was wiped ou t on a fron t ie r p lane t . You su rv ived

for 2 years on th e alien plan et. This little jaunt taugh t you h ow

to think for yourself. Gain 5 Levels of Survival skill, but the

down side is that you c aught a v irus , which r educe d your Con

by 5 points .

8 2 - 8 3 T h e r e tr i e va l s q u ad t h a t is h u n t in g yo u i s l e ad b y a n o l dfr iend. He provides c lues when they are gett ing c lose to you

so you have a chance to e scape . K i l l ing any o f the squad

negates h is fr iendship .

84 -85 You a re open minded . You can work toward ge tt ing a second

p r i m a r y o c c u p a ti o n w it h o ut t h e n o r m a l d o u b le s k il l c o s t

penalties that Whe suffer.

86-87 You faked your death , and the Whe governm ent believes i t .

88 -89 You a lways d reamed o f be ing a wa r r io r and go ing to ba tt le

schoo l. Unfortunate ly, you wer e sma rter than your peer s and

feared that you would wind up in sc ience school. You were

able to fake you r test scor es and get into battle scho ol. Add 1 5

points to your IQ.

90-91 A grenade blew your legs off. You were g iven cybern etic legs .They have a strength and agility of 100. Each leg has a thresh-

old of 2 a nd 1 00 p oints of In tegrety.

92-93 You were born with Whe Matr ix abil i ties , but you a lso inher-

ited a genetic defect that causes you to suffer convulsions dur-

ing t imes o f s t r e s s . You r supe r io r s deemed th i s incu rab le

defect too d ebil ita t ing for you to becom e a warr ior and sched-

uled your recycling ( i.e. execution) . You escaped before you

were k il led , but because you possess matr ix abil i t ies , a spe-

cia l re tr ieval team has been sent to find an d kil l you.

94 -95 You were a t a c ti ca l o ffice r fo r a Whe re t r ieva l te am be fo re

going rogue. You know all the tac t ics used by the re tr ieval

squads. Take 5 levels of the Intelligence skill.

9 6 - 9 7 Yo u w e r e a b le t o e s ca p e fr o m t h e W h e p r is o n s h ip w it h a

who le c ra te o f Vehon . S ta r t th e game wi th 100K wor th o f

Vehon grenade s.

98 You rece ived ex tens ive t r a in ing in weapons and hand - to -hand

com bat. Take 1 level of 4 d ifferent weap ons for free .

99 Your gene tic he r i t age p rov ides inc red ib le hand -eye coo rd ina -

tion. + 20% to Manual Dexterity.

100 You have inc red ib ly qu ick reflexes . -3 to in it ia t ive .

FICKLEFINGER OFFATETABLE

Like the “Fickle Finger o f Fate Table” in the Battle lords b ook, p layers

may roll one or two t imes on th is table . All results are final , and the

player m ust p lay with the char acter no matter wha t their fa te . Like the

“I Was Just Growing Up Tables ,” the ”Fickle Finger of Fate Table” is

optional . Lis tings on th is table a re general ly real ly good or real ly bad.

01 -03 Whi le flee ing from the Whe , you were t aken in by a s tr ange

pointy-eared alien. When you woke up the next morning, you

were buck-naked and had been spray painted day-glow orange.

So far no thing has been able to rem ove the paint from your skin.

04 -06 You su ffe red b ra in damage . Lose 2d6 sk il l po in t s wor th o f

random skil ls .

07 -09 You have amnes ia . You don ’ t know who you a re , and you

don’t have any identification.

1 0 - 1 2 O h , it w a s b a d . Du r i n g a tr a in i n g m is s io n y o u r p r a c ti ce

ground s were invaded by the Whe. You assu med the real Whe

soldiers where s imply your buddies dressed up for the s imu-

la t ion . Half your team d ied when they ran up to the real Whe

so ld ie r s they sho t with the s imu la to r -guns and sa id , “ I go tyou; you’re dead!” Though you escaped, you s t i l l bear the

physical and mental scars of that day. Reduce Charisma and

Aggression by 10.

13-1 5 You ’re a wussie! Why do you do this for a living? It’s so high risk,

and you’re so safety conscious! Reduce Aggression by 25 points!

16-18 You are infected with a nasty virus . This virus will grow unti l

it clogs your circulation system. To keep it in check, you have

t o h a v e a m o n t h ly d o s e o f r a d i a ti o n a n d c h e m ic a ls t h at

redu ces a l l of your a t tr ibutes by 1d10 . This is a on e t ime loss

unless you miss your treatme nt. I f you m iss the treatment, the

virus gains a better foothold , and you’l l lose an addit ional

1d10 from each a t tr ibute upo n restar t ing the treatment. I f you

do not s tar t the treatment, reduce the a t tr ibutes permanentlyby 1d10 per mo nth unti l you die . The cost of your treatments

per month is 10 ,000 credits .

19 -21 You a re f rom a d i ffe ren t time . You were found in s ta si s and

revived to fu ll health . However, you do not kn ow ho w to u se

cu r ren t weapon sy s tems , sh ip s , o r anyth ing abou t the o the r

races . Redu ce Terrestr ia l Knowledge by 30. You c an n ot s tar t

the game wi th any weapon sk i l l s o the r than a rcha ic hand

weapon s ( BM discre t ion) .

22-24 As a child , you learned everything the hard way! Sticking fin-

gers into the waste disintegrator, plugging your pet dvork into

a power recep tac le , u s ing the po r tab le cook ing dev ice on

your ar m. Lose 30 p oints of INT and IQ but gain 2 Bod y Points

for tou ghness!

25 -27 You were nuked ! Caugh t in a nuc lea r b la s t , you r en t ir e body

was irr adiated . Redu ce STR, CON, MD, and AGL by 1d4 poin ts

eve ry 2 mon ths . When o ne o f those a t tr ibu te s r eaches ze ro ,

you’re dead .

28 -29 Your DNA was found a t the s igh t o f a h igh - leve l gove rnmen t

dignitary’s ass ignation . That governmen t is hun ting you with

ex t reme p re jud ice ! The re i s a 20% chance a h i t t e am wi l l

show up to take care of you, and no, they don’t care if they

take you dead o r a l ive!


1 • INTRODUCTION



30 -31 You were cap tu red by the Whe , then to r tu red and u sed fo r

slave labor. Reduce your CON and STR by 20.

32-33 You’re a psycho-killer . Because of your travels and infrequ ent

v ic t ims , the au tho r i t i e s don ’ t know who you a re , bu t you r

chosen me thod o f d i spa tch ing you r v ic t ims i s the same in

every case . I t’s only a matter t ime before som e cop takes you

out, scum bag!

34-35 You were very c lose to an Aktai warp bom b when i t went off .Time/Space is still distorted around you. Whenever you travel

in ships with faster-than-light ( FTL) drives, you tend to blink

out o f exis tence for the du ration o f the FTL travel . No one is

qu i te su re whe re you go , bu t you a lways come back a b i t

shaken up .

36-37 You were one of the very few that had a severe reaction to the

Aktai language injection. You were in the hospital for months.

Reduce CON and STR by 20, but they paid you 3 00,000 Aktai

credits to kee p qu ie t about i t . ( See BM for exchange r a tes)

38-39 A Dul of the h ighest ranking in her l i fe ar t has c la imed that she

will impr ison your soul for an insult you m ade towar d her. The

real i rony is that you were just p icking your nose because i t

itched not because you were trying to insult anybody.40 -41 Eve rybody ha te s you . You’ re a je rk . Reduce Cha r i sma by 30

points , you wank er!

42 -43 You’ re on the Top 10 Mos t Wan ted fo r a lmos t eve ry gove rn -

men t in the sector . I suggest you k eep a low profile .

44 -45 Your ances to r was re spons ib le fo r r evea l ing the weaknesse s

in the Klee’s defensive perimeter to the Whe. This a l lowed

them to make a sneak a t tack on the Klee home world . I f the

Cedeun hadn’t warned the Klee, the Whe probably would have

wiped them out entirely. Everybody knows there was a traitor,

and i t’s only a matter o f time b efore your family com es und er

suspic ion.

46 -47 Ta lk abou t be ing in the wrong p lace a t the wrong t ime . You

were on a Disrapan sp ace po rt when a Klee in te l ligence teamuncove red and con f ron ted a cove r t Whe spy r ing . A l l he l l

broke lose. Now the Klee think you’re a Whe sympathizer, the

Whe think you’re a Klee agent, and the Disrapan think you’re

a terror is t. Sleep with your doo rs locked.

48 -49 A Whe ma t r ix con t ro l le r pe rmanen t ly made you r a rmor t r an s -

pa ren t .

50-51 The Whe targeted you for assassination. Your helmet has had the

time bom b m atrix generated on it. It is set to deton ate in 3 days!

52 -54 You a re the on ly pe r son tha t knows the loca tion o f an a l ien

space cra ft that crashed o n an unn ame d planet . This craf t was

fu l l o f e ig h t- le g ge d c r e a tu r e s t h at w e r e t o r n a p a r t u p o n

impact . The majori ty of their weapons and equipment is sa l-

vageab le. The salvage is wor th five time s the listed cos t due to

i ts unique orig in! Now if only you can find somebody crazy

enough to go out beyond the edge of known space to get i t !

Your BM will determine the salvage value.

55 -57 You were invo lved in an acc iden t wi th a son ic d r i l le r tha t

destroyed every bone in your body! They replaced your skeleton

with a cybernetic endoskeleton. Increase your STR by 5 points

but red uce CON by 5 points. You sk eleton has a thr eshold of 3.

58-60 You were a top level governm ent sc ientis t. Gain 12 skill points

in a sc ience skil l. Unfortunate ly, you mad e a d iscovery ( BM

discre t ion) that got you in to tro uble . While you aren ’t on th

“Most Wanted” list, you are still a criminal that will be arres

ed if you are caught.

6 1 - 6 3 Yo u w e r e r a is e d o n a fr o n t ie r w o r ld t h a t r e q u ir e d m o r

adaptabil i ty than no rm al. Once you have 20 skil l points in an

area , i t is t rea ted as your prim ary occupation .

64-66 Someone s to le a ll of your equipm ent. You got twice what i t w

worth from the insurance com pany. Double s tar t ing money.67-69 You discovered the ru ins of an ancient a l ien c ivi l iza t ion . Th

a r t ifa c ts a n d k n o w le d g e h i d d e n t h e r e a r e p r i c e le s

Unfortunate ly , you don’t have the resources to defend you

p r ize . Desp i te the fac t tha t the ru in s appea r to have bee

deserted for m il lennia , there do es appear to be evidence th

something has been running around the s i te .

70-72 A Klee has bond ed with you. I t just so happen s that th is Kle

is the head r equ isition o fficer for the lar gest trade r flee t. AN

THING you need, he can find it. He won’t necessarily cut yo

a deal , bu t he ca n find a lmost ANY item you seek.

73-75 You are the best a t what you do. Take one skil l a t level 15 .

76 -78 You a re we l l-ve r sed in a l l a spec ts o f you r job . You have a

extra 20 skil l points to spend in your prima ry occupation .79-80 You’re one of the “Golden Boys.” Your super iors believe yo

can d o n o wrong . On ly the mo s t he inous ac t ion wil l c au

them to see you in a differ ent light. You get a + 50 to Charism

when dealing with your d irect superiors or their boss .

81 -82 You’re the pe r son eve rybody wan ts to be when they g row u

Increase a l l a ttr ibutes by 2d4.

83-84 You have a Cedeun fr iend that has Mind Linked with you.

85-86 You’re one of the top competi t ion shooters in the sector. Tak

15 levels of a weapon skill.

87 -88 You’re a na tiona l he ro . Inc rea se Cha r i sma by 50 when dea

ing with any member of your species. Unfortunately, this als

mak es you a target for assassination . You ar e accom panied b

1d4 bod y guar ds at all times , unless you’re a ro gue Whe. ( Bwill determ ine bo dy guards’ s ta ts .)

89-90 You were minding your own business on a space cruiser whe

a s trange a l ien walked though the solid s teel bulkhead in t

your quarters . I t inform ed you that you would b e “ tested .”

you failed the test, you would die; but if you were victorious, th

universe would be forever changed. After making his speec

the alien simply walked though the wall and disappeared.

91-92 You’re r ich . Unfortunate ly, you’re a lso an arr ogant snob. Sta

out with 3 million Aktai credits.

93 -94 You a re the ru le r o f a sma l l, li tt le -known wor ld on the ou

skir ts of known space. The p opulat ion of th is p lanet is unde

four figures, but they’re still your loyal subjects.

95-96 You possess matr ix abil i ties used by another species in Zena

97 -98 You were a cop on you r home wor ld . Take 15 po in t s wor th

skil ls used in police work ( BM’s d iscre t ion) . You s t il l hav

yo u r s id e a r m . Ch o o s e a n a p p r o p r i at e w e a p o n fo r yo u

species that’s under 10K. ( BM’s discretion)

99 -100 You kno w a s t r ange a l ien tha t l ive s a lone in s ide a c r a she

space craf t on a deserted p lanet . After d iscovering the b ig

headed a l ien , you quickly befr iended him. He has the abil i

to manipula te energy, and you can call on h im from time t

time for favors.

4BEYOND THE RIFT

FICKLE FINGER OF FAT




2 • SKILLS



5BEYOND THE RIFT

ENTALSKILLS

Generation Time Reduction: This skill a l lows the m atr ix controller to r educe the a mou nt of time i t takes to generate a m atr i

Norm ally this skill is only used by the Dul, but ap par ently they hav

been able to teach it to other matrix controllers. For every level o

Generation Time Reduction ( GTR) skill the matrix controller possesses, he m

reduce the Generation t ime for a m atr ix by 1 secon d. If a matr ix casting t ime

reduced below 1 second, i t is cast in the 1st half action of the combat roun

For exam ple, a matr ix with 1 second generation t ime can be cast in the 1st ha

action of a round by anyone with 1 or more levels of GTR skill.

PHYSICALSKILLS

Hand-to-hand: Th is sk i l l i s bas ica l ly unchanged f rom the ve rs ion in th

Battlelords ru lebook . However , a cha r ac te r tha t pu rchases the hand - to -han

skil l must choose a specif ic f ighting s tyle or mar tia l ar t that the h and-to-han

skil l represents . If a character wants to use more than one f ighting s ty le , th

hand-to-han d skil l must be p urch ased an addit ional t ime for each f ighting s tyl

For instance, a c hara cter m ight have hand-to-hand ( brawling) a t 5 th level an

hand-to-han d ( Rock Wrestling) a t 4 th level . Hand-to-hand skil l percen tages d

not s tack, and a char acter with multip le hand -to-hand styles must p ick the on

he wants to use when making an a ttack. Each hand-to-hand sty le has i ts owadvantages and disadvantages, so i t is important which s ty le you choose. Fo

instance, in the above example of Brawling and Rock Wrestl ing, a characte

wanting to thro w a Cross Str ike m ust choo se Brawling because Rock Wrestlin

does not have the Cross Strike technique. Alternatively, if the character wante

to place his op pone nt in a Joint Lock ( i .e . Subm ission Ho ld) , he m ust choo s

hand-to-hand ( Rock Wrestling) , even though the character possess it at a lowe

level than han d-to-ha nd ( Brawling) . This is becau se the Br awling fighting sty

does no t inc lude the Jo in t Lock techn ique . I f the cha rac te r has the hand - t

hand ( Brawling) skil l a t 5 th level and the hand-to-hand ( Na-de-kah) skil l

6 th level and wanted to p erform a Cross Str ike , he could ch oose e ither sk il l

use s ince both have the Cross Str ike technique. However, s ince the hand-to

hand skil l does not s tack, he could a t tack a t 5 th level or 6 th level but not

11th level.

FightingStyles&Martial ArtsBrawling: Brawling is the only fighting style that a character can pick up with

ou t t r a in ing o r s tudy. The do wns ide to b rawl ing is tha t the n umber o f t ec

n iques a b rawle r has i s limi ted in com par i son to the num ber o f techn iques

mar tia l ar t is t can access . Brawling only costs two points per level . SC: 2

Techniques: Strike s ( cross a nd ho ok) , Head attacks ( bite) , Kicks ( kick

Weak Po int Attacks ( eye str ike) , Defensive Techniqu e ( dodge)

OCCUPATIONAL SKILL

C H A P T E R 2

Skills•2

INTHISCHAPTER...

Mental Skill Descriptions

PhysicalSkill Descriptions

MartialArtsDescriptions

TechniquesTables

VehicleSkill Descriptions

WeaponSkill Descriptions

Whowouldhavethought thatRamPythonsand

Razaawouldhavesomethingincommonacrossthat

vastdistanceofspace;needingtowingoodoldfash-

ioned feats of strength. Despite not being able to

understandoneanothertheybothspeaktheinterste-

larlanguageof“mymusclesarebiggerthanyours.”

SKILL SC L T $ PS JA M JS BC

GTR 9 5 1Y 50 IQ - 12 - -

MENTAL SKILLS




Aktai Martial ArtsKnell: The a r t o f Kne l l i s p r imar i ly a de fens ive a r t tha t focuses on

blocking or redire cting an opp onent’s a t tacks. Knell practi t ioner s have

a + 10 to per form a Dod ge or Throw. SC: 3

Techniques: Joint Lock, Throws, Fakes, Traps, Defensive Actions

( dodge)

Yelah: Yelah is a n ick-nam e for an un pro noun ceable Aktai martia l ar t .The art is based on a s imple prem ise; every block opens an o ppor tuni-

ty for a counter a t tack. Yelah practi t ioners have + 25% bonus to per-

form a counter s tr ike . SC: 4

Techniques: Strikes ( all) , Kicks ( all) , Joint Lock , Fakes, Tra ps,

Weak Po int Attacks, De fensive Techn ique s ( all)

CedeunMartialArtsRock Fighting: The Cedeu n ar t of roc k fighting is a com bination of zero-

G kick boxing and r ock thro wing. Practi tioners ar e skil led in the art of

hand-to-hand combat as well as throwing rocks. For every 3 levels of

Rock Fighting, the cha racter rece ives on e level of Throwing skill. SC: 4

Techniques: S tr ikes ( jab , cross and elbow) , k icks ( All) , Weak

Point Attacks, Defensive Actions ( block and dodge)

Rock Wrestling: Though this sport lacks a form al name, the Cedeun sim-

ply call it Rock Wrestling. The goal of the art is to wre stle your o ppo nent

free of the asteroid to which he is clinging and fling him into space. SC: 2

Techniques: Control, Joint Lock, Traps, Defensive Actions ( block

and dodge )

DisrapanMartialArtsNa-de-kah: Na-de-kah is the art of aeria l grappling that a l l Disrapan

are taught from a young age. Na-de-kah prac ti tioners will generally per-

form fly-by attacks un til an o ppon ent is suitably s tunned. On ce s tunn ed,

a Na-de-kah pr acti tioner will grapple the tar get who is usually anotherDis rapan , a t temp t to d i sab le h i s opponen t ’ s wings , o r knock them

unconsc ious . An a t tacke r mus t b e ca r e fu l when g rapp l ing s ince bo th

ind iv idua ls wi l l be unab le to f ly and wi l l no doub t be p lummet ing

toward the g round . SC: 3

Techniques: S tr ikes ( cross) , k icks ( k ick and jump kick) , Head

a t tacks ( b i te ) , Con t ro l , Disa rm , Weak Po in t At tacks , Defens ive

Technique s ( dodge an d coun ter-s tr ike) .

Dul LifeArtsIn add ition to a d escription an d a list of available technique s, Dul martial

arts also list the Matrices available to a pr actitioner of that particular ar t.

Learning New Dul Matrices: When a character with a Dul life art

advances in to a new energy bracket, the player should check whether

the l ife ar t co ntains a m atr ix in that ene rgy bracket. If there is a m atr ix

in that energy brac ket, the Dul can m ake a chec k to learn i t . The chance

to lea rn the m a t r ix i s the sam e a s with o the r ma t r ix con t ro l le r s ( s ee

Galactic Undergrou nd I , page 67) . However, if the chara cter fa i ls to

learn his check, the matr ix can never be learned.

Restr ic t ions on Learning New Dul Matrices: A character can only

learn/gener ate a part icular Dul m atr ix if he possesses a Dul l ife ar t that

has that ma tr ix lis ted in i ts descrip tion. In add it ion, a ch aracter can o nly

generate m atr ices without pena lty if they are in h is Energy Bracket, as

desc r ibed on page 157 in the ma in Ba tt le lo rd s book . As an op t iona l

rule , BMs may declare that a ch aracter mu st have a t least 2 levels in a

Dul l ife ar t for each Energy Brack et level of the matr ix being cast . For

example, to generate Lethal Attack, a matrix that falls in the 2nd Energy

Brac ket, the ma trix contr oller m ust have at least 4 levels in a Dul life art

that has the Lethal Attack matrix listed in its description.

Attart: Attar t is a Dul l ife ar t that s tresses a t tack ra ther than defense.

For obvious reasons, Attar t practi t ioners have a reputation for being

ho t -headed . Most s tuden ts o f th is a r t wou ld m uch r a the r mak e a p re -

emptive s tr ike than wait for an opponent’s a t tack. Attar t s tudents are

o f ten emp loyed in occupa t ions where con t inued ma in tenance and

upkeep of equipment are key factors to success . SC: 9

Techniques: Strikes ( all) , Kicks ( all) , Weak Point Attack, Fakes,

Defensive Tech niqu es ( all)

Matrices: Lightning ( Self) ( 1) , Lightning Blast ( 2) , Lethal Attack

( 2) , Vibe Strike ( 3) , Heal ( Self) ( 4) , Powe r Dr ain ( 4) , Trih Blast ( 6) ,

Smar t Missile II ( 7) , Fist of Do om ( 8) , Trih’s Finale ( 9)

Kel-na: Kel-na is freq uen tly refer red to as the assassin ’s ar t. Originally,th is l ife ar t was only taught to assassins and th ieves, but most practi-

t ioners were hun ted down and k illed by mem bers o f o ther l ife ar ts that

f e a r e d t h e m . T o m o d e r n D u l , K e l - n a h a s b e c o m e a m u c h m o r e

respectable l ife ar t . Kel-na practi t ioners can be of any occupation but

typically are found in professional occupations l ike doctors , lawyers ,

e tc . The focus o f th is ar t is being able to overcom e opp osit ion, bo th in

your daily life and in combat. For every 3 levels of Kel-na, the user gets

one level of Stealth sk ill. SC: 8

Techniques: S tr ikes ( cross and elbow) , Kicks ( k ick, knee kick,

ju m p k ic k ) , Jo in t Loc k s, Th r o ws , Weak Po in t Attack s, Fak es , De fen se

Technique s ( b lock, do dge and coun ter-s tr ike)

Matrices: Cling ( 1) , Sense Weakn ess ( 2) , Blen d ( 3) , Invisibility ( 4) ,

Clou d Mind ( 5) , Trih Blast ( 6) , Mind Contro l ( 8) , Impr ison Soul ( 9)

Kne-na: One of the flashiest and well-known arts among the Dul, the life-

art o f Kne-na deals with the c ontrol of energy in all its form s. If a Kne-na

practitioner is h aving a ba d d ay, he will chann el the n egative en ergy he is

feeling into something creative. If a Kne-na practitioner is attacked, he will

redirec t his attacker’s charge away from himself. To a student of Kne-na,

everything is en ergy; it is how you contro l it that m atters. The ar t of Kne-

na is ren owned for its spectacular ener gy blasts. Kne-na p ractitioner s typ-

ically work in the ar eas of politics, or the news m edia. Kne-na p ractition-

ers ar e often celebr ities or in som e position of leader ship. SC: 7

Techniques: St r ikes ( j ab and c ro ss ) , Kicks ( a l l) , De fens ive

Technique s ( b lock, dod ge, and hard block)

Matrices: Lightning ( Self) ( 1) , Ener gy Sheath ( 2) , Ener gy Blast( 3) , Smar t Missile I ( 4) , Reflection Shield ( 5) , Trih Blast ( 6) , Smar t

Missile II ( 7) , Fist of Do om ( 8) , Trih ’s Fina le ( 9)

Na-nee: Na-nee is one of the few life arts that focuses on weapons. For

every 3 levels of Na-Nee, take one level of Archaic Hand Weapon skill.

Na-nee practi t ioners are renowned for their prowess with weapons of

a l l types. Na-nee pr acti tioners are often sh unne d by other Dul fighters

for their r e l iance on weapo ns. Most Na-nee pr acti tioners ar e engineers

or sc ientis ts , though a fa ir num ber are em ployed in the mili tary. SC: 9

2 • SKILLS



5BEYOND THE RIFT

Techniques: Strike s ( all) , Kicks ( kick, kn ee k ick, sp inning k ick) ,

Disarm , Weak Point Attack, Joint Lock , Trap , Fake, Defensive Tech niqu e

( b lock, cou nter s tr ike , and do dge)

Matrices: I ron Palm ( 1) , Charge Weapon ( 2) , Incr ease Strength

( 3) , Energy Snare ( 4) , Hyper Thro wing ( 5) , Dea th In vulnera bility ( 6) ,

Smar t Missile II ( 7) , Bind Soul ( 8) , Im pr ison Soul ( 9)

Nok-la: Nok-la is a l l about focusing your aggression. Nok-la s tudents

are tra ined to ha rness their natur al aggression, holding i t in check at a l l

times un til it is need ed. Nok-la stude nts are foun d in all walks of life but

typically work in construction, public safety, psychological counseling,

or a s pro fessional a th le tes . SC: 7

Techniques: S tr ikes ( cross , hook , and elbow) , Kicks ( k ick, knee

kick) , Head Butt, Control , Joint Lock, Thr ow, Defensive Techniqu es

( dodge)

Matrices: Em pathy ( 1) , Blitz ( 2) , Berserk ( 3) , Transfer Power

( 3) , Suicidal ( 5) , Dea th In vulne rab ility ( 6) , Death Touc h ( 7) , Sacrifice

( 8) , Trih’s Finale ( 9)

Suw-ne-na: The l ife ar t of Suw-ne-na d eals with disabling your opp o-

nent with the least amoun t of force on your p art . Suw-ne-na p racti t ion-ers are often in technical f ie lds , but many are a lso poli t ic ians, media-

tors , or law en force men t officers . SC: 7

Techniques: S tr ikes ( cross and elbow) , Kicks ( k ick, kne e kick) ,

Weak Point Attack, Joint Lock, Throw, Defensive Techniqu es ( b lock,

counter s tr ike , and dodge)

Matrices: Sense Power ( 1) , Life Sense ( 2) , Para lyze ( 3) , Fre eze

Blast ( 4) , Reflection Shield ( 5) , Imp ar t Ability ( 6) , Smar t Missile II

( 7) , Fists of Do om ( 8) , Trih ’s Fina le ( 9)

T’ka: T’ka is a Dul life art stressing mental discipline. T’ka practition-

e r s s t r e s s fo re though t and p lann ing in a l l the i r a t t ack s t ra teg ie s . In

addit ion, s tudents o f T’ka often a ttack their targets m entally ra ther than

physically. T’ka a rtists have a re putation for be ing dirty fighters, tho ughthey cla im they are just able to o ut th ink their op pone nts . T’ka p racti-

t ioners are often found in occupations that rebel against socie ty and

established norms. Your typical T’ka s tudents are often employed as

art is ts and musicians, though just as many are in science occupations

or are military officers. SC: 1 0

Techniques: S tr ikes ( a l l) , Kicks ( a l l) , Bite , Head Butt , Fakes,

Traps, Throws, Defensive Techniques ( b lock an d d odge)

Matrices: Sense Power ( 1) , Read Mind ( 2) , Numb Senses ( 3) ,

Sensor y Block ( 4) , Revenge ( 4) , Cloud Mind ( 5) , Stasis ( 6) , Death

Tou ch ( 7) , Mind Control ( 8) , Impr ison Soul ( 9)

Tourt: Tourt is an art that s tresses toughness and durabil i ty . A Tourt

practi t ioner m ust und ergo r igorous physical con dit ioning every day. Forevery two levels of tourt , the practi t ioner receives an addit ional body

po in t. A Tour t p rac t it ione r mus t p e r fo rm th is to r tu rous work ou t fo r

two hour s every day or lose the ab ove bonus, un ti l they again work out.

Because o f the cons tan t phys ica l t r a in ing Tour t p rac t i t ione rs mus t

under go, they are o ften emp loyed in jobs that req uire ph ysical labor or

that have a flexible schedule. Often Tourt students are employed as con-

struction workers . SC: 1 0

Techniques: Strikes ( jab, cross, and elbow) , Kicks ( knee) , Head

Butt, Control, Joint Lock, Throw, Defensive Techniques ( block and dodge)

Matrices: I ron Palm ( 1) , Power Shield ( 2) , Fatigue Resis tanc

( 2) , Fie ld of Protection ( 3) , Undying Warrior ( 3) , Durabil i ty ( 4

Reflection Shield ( 5) , Death Invulnerab il ity ( 6) , Death Touch ( 7

Sacrifice ( 8) , Shield o f La’na ( 9)

Tra-el: When someone says Tra -e l , one th ing shou ld pop in to you

mind: Speed. Tra-el practi tioners a re as fast as they com e. Tra-el pra

ti tioners get an addit ional a t tack for every 4 levels over level 2 , ra thethan the usual 5 levels. Tra-el practitioners are always moving, and thei

caree r c hoice u sually ref lects th is . Tre-al s tuden ts are often p ilo ts , bu

they tend to change jobs frequently. SC: 1 0

Techniques: St r ikes ( a l l) , Kicks ( a l l) , Weak Po in t At tack

Trap ping, Defensive Tech niqu es ( all)

Matrices: Spee d Str ikin g ( 1) , Ru nn ing ( 1) , Levitation ( 1) , Fly ( 2

Speed o f Tra lu le ( 3 ) , Te lepo r ta t ion ( 4 ) , Avo idance ( 4 ) , Hype

Thro wing ( 5) , Bind Soul ( 8) , Trih’s Finale ( 9)

Tre-la: The s tuden ts of th is Dul l ife ar t s tr ive for one goal: to ta l focu

and concentra tion under any circumstances. Though Tre-la practi t ion

ers can be found in any occupation, they are typically found in high

stress jobs l ike big business or law enforce men t. SC: 9Techniques: Strikes ( all) , k icks ( all) , Joint Lock , Disar ms, Wea

Point Attacks, Defensive Techniques ( block, counter strike, and dodge

Matrices: Leap ( 1) , Focused Attack ( 2) , Trian gulation ( 3) , Pa

Imm unity ( 4) , Heal ( Other) ( 5) , S tasis ( 6) , Death Touch ( 7) , Min

Control ( 8) , Shield o f La’na ( 9)

KleeMartial ArtsKus: Kus is the mo st pop ular Klee m artia l ar t . Kus involves suc kerin

your opponent in to lowering his defenses for a cr ippling a ttack. Ku

prac ti tioners r eceive a + 20 to their fakes. SC: 5

Techniques: S tr ikes ( a l l) , Kicks ( no jumping kicks) , Disarm

Weak Po int Attacks, Trapp ing, Fakes, Defensive Tech niqu es ( all)

Trus: Litera lly transla ted as “dir ty,” Trus practi t ioners are the dir t ie

fighters in Zenax. Originally a wre stling style art, Trus h as ch anged sinc

the Klee encoun tered larger, a l ien o ppone nts . A Trus fighter will lea

onto a larger oppon ent and crawl around them like a rabid squirre l . Th

whole time the victim is trying to get rid o f the angry Klee, he is delive

ing multiple bite wounds to his aggressor. Trus fighters have also bee

known to carr y num erous kn ives and other c lose com bat weapons. Tru

fighters get one level of Hand Weapon ( Knife) for every three levels o

Trus and one level of Acro batics for e very 5 levels of Trus. SC: 5

Techniques: S tr ikes ( a l l) , Kicks ( knee kicks) , Head Butt, Bit

Control , Joint Lock, Throws, Disarms, Weak Point Attacks, Trappin

Defensive Techniques ( b lock an d d odge)

RazaaMartial ArtsMazie: Mazie , for lack o f a better analogy, is the Razaa equivalent t

k ickboxing. In typical Razaa fashion, the art lacks the f inesse o f huma

kickboxing and basically involves bruta lly pummeling your opponen

into submission. The emphasis of Mazie is to practice launching th

mos t power fu l a t tack the s tuden t i s capab le o f gene ra t ing . Block in

incom ing attacks is a seco ndar y concern to m ost Mazie s tudents . Maz

practi t ioners get double their s trength bonus on an a ttack by spendin

MARTIAL ART




all of their actions o n a s ingle a t tack. SC: 4

Techniques: S t r ikes ( c ro ss , hook , and e lbow) , Kicks ( a l l) ,

Throws, Defensive Techniques ( dodge a nd hard block)

Taling: There’s an old phrase in the martial arts: never box a boxer and

never grapple a grappler. The Razaa art, Taling, is the equivalent of human

wrestling. Taling practitioners are consummate grapplers who are just as

at hom e grappling with an alien species as they are their own kind. SC:

3

Techniques: S tr ikes ( c ro ss and e lbow) , Head Bu tt , Con t ro l ,

Throws, Joint Lock, Disarm , Defensive Technique s ( dodge)

WheMartial ArtsJus: All Whe co mb at troo ps ar e traine d in the ar t of Jus. Jus is a no frills

hand-to-hand combat system that is designed to be s imple and easy to

lea rn . SC: 3

Techniques: S tr ikes ( c ro ss and e lbow) , Kicks ( k ick and kneekick) , Disarms, Weak Point Attacks, Defensive Techniques ( dodge and

b lock )

FIGHTINGSTYLE/ MARTIALARTTECHNIQUELIST

The following char t sum mar izes the l ist of available techniques for the

various mar tia l ar ts and f ighting s tyles presen ted in th is boo k.

TechniqueList keyJAB: Jab CRO: Cr o ss ELB: Elb o w

HOO: Ho o k BIT: Bite HB: Head b u tt

KI C: St an d a r d k i ck KNE: Kn e e k i ck SP I: Sp i n ni n g k i ck

JUM: Jumping k ick JSK: Jump sp in k ick CNL: Con t ro l

JL: Jo in t lo ck TRO: Thr ow DIS: Disa r m

FAK: Fak e TRA: Tr ap WPA: Weak Po in t Attack

BLK: Blo ck CST: Co un te r s tr ik e DOD: Do dge

HBK: Hard block

*Eyestrikesonly

**CedeunandDisrapanarenatural biters.Other speciesthatstudythesemar-

tialartswill quicklydevelopthesamehabit.

2 • SKILLS

ART JAB CRO ELB HOO BIT HB KIC KNE SPI JUM JSK

Attart X X X X - - X X X X X

Brawling X X X X X - - - - - -

Jus - X X - - - X X - - -

Kel-na - X X - - - X X - X -

Kius X X X X - - X X X - -

Knell - - - - - - - - - - -

Kne-na X X - - - - X X X X X

Mazie - X X X - - X X X X X

Na-De-Kah - X - - X** - X - - X -

Na-nee X X X X - - X X - X -

Nok-la - X X X - X X X - - -

Rock Fighting X X X - X** - X X X X X

Rock Wrestling - - - - X** - - - - - -

Sue-ne-na - X X - - - X X - - -

T’Ka X X X X X X X X X X X

Taling - X X - - X - - - - -

Tourt X X X - - X - X - - -

Tra-el X X X X - - X X X X X

Tre-la X X X X - - X X X X X

Trus X X X X X X - X - - -

Yelah X X X - - - X X X X X

FIGHTING STYLE/ MARTIAL ART TECHNIQUE TABLE 1



5BEYOND THE RIFT

VEHICLESKILLS

Hover Board: Th is sk i l l a llows the u se r to ska te on a ho ve r boa rd .

While on a hover board, the pilot’s Defensive Modifier is assumed to be

0. However, while using the hover boar d, the user possesses a negative

defensive m odifier equal to their curr ent level of hover boar d skil l .

For instance, Aaron , a hu man , nor mally has a Defensive Modifier o f -10 and 15 levels of hover board skil l . However, while s tanding on a

hover board, he can not dodge and stay on the board. As a result , h is

Defensive Modifier is red uced to zero for as long as he rem ains on the

boar d. However, Aaron is great a t p i lo ting a hover boar d and can sub -

stitute his 15 levels of hover board skill for his defensive modifier. Like

the standard Defensive Modifier, this assumes the character is trying to

avoid being hit and attempting to evade the a t tack.

WEAPONSKILLS

I t is on ly a ma t te r o f t ime be fo re cha rac te r s encoun te r o r cap tu re an

alien weapon an d want to use i t . Even though Zenax weapo ns work on

the sam e pr inciple as Alliance weap ons, they are so different that char-

acters are unlikely to f igure out how they work. Thus learning how to

use a Whe ra il gun requires that you purchase the Whe ra il gun skil l ,

even if you alrea dy have the ( Alliance) Rail Gun skill.

The question then becom es, “Where ar e charac ters going to get the

tra ining they need to learn how to use these weapons?” Fortunately ,

there are several options. Characters may be able to f ind someone t

tra in them in the use of an a lien weapon. There is a Klee trader som

wher e out ther e that will sho w you h ow to use an y weap on you want, fo

a price . Alternatively , a character might be able to f igure out how t

work the weapon g iven en ough t ime and dange rous expe r imen ta t io

( BMs discretion ) . Char acter s who ar e skilled in Alien Tech nolo gies ma

be able to wing-it with a strange weapon system, but they’ll never be agood as someone who is tra ined with a weapon.

Remem ber that even if you k now ho w to use an a lien weapo n, yo

sti l l have a -30 modifier to use that weapon because the tr igger wa

designed for a l ien hands, not yours .

VEHICLE AND WEAPON SKILL

ART CNL JL TRO DIS FAK TRA WPA BLK CST DOD HBK

Attart - - - - X - X X X X X

Brawling - - - - - - X* - - X -

Jus - - - X - - X X - X -

Kel-na - X X - X - X X X X -

Knell X X X - X X - - - X -Kne-na - - - - - - - X - X X

Kus - - - X X X X X X X X

Mazie - - - - - - - - - X X

Na-De-Kah X - - X - - X - X X -

Na-nee - X - X X X X X X X -

Nok-la X X X - - - - - - X -

Rock Fighting - - - - - - X X - X -

Rock Wrestling X X - - - X - X - X -

Suw-ne-na - X X - - - X X X X -

T’ka - - X - X X - X - X -

Taling X X X X - - - - - X -

Tourt X X X - - - - X - X -Tra-el - - - - - X X X X X X

Tre-la - X - X - - X X X X -

Trus X X X X - X X X - X -

Yelah - - - - X X X X X X X

FIGHTING STYLE/ MARTIAL ART TECHNIQUE TABLE 2

SKILL P L T $ PS JA M JS BC

Hover Board 1 25 2wk 1 AG - 15 - -

VEHICLE SKILLSSKILL P L T $ PS JA M JS BC

Aktai Force Weapons 4 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -

Aktai LGAs 5 25 4mo 30 IN - 10 - -

Aktai MTWs 5 25 3mo 25 IN - 10 - -

Aktai Fuel Pumps 4 25 2wk 10 MD - 10 - -

Disrapan Lasers 3 25 2wk 10 MD - 10 - -

Klee ParticleWeapons

3 25 1mo 10 MD - 10 - -

Razaa PlasmaWeapons

4 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -

Whe ProjectileWeapons

2 25 2wk 8 MD - 10 - -

Whe Mass Doublers 5 25 4mo 25 MD - 10 - -

Whe Rail Guns 3 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -

Whe Vehon 1 25 1wk 5 ST - 10 - -

Whe Wall Guns 4 25 4mo 20 MD - 10 - -

WEAPON SKILLS



EAPONS

There are a few things to remember about weapons in the Zenauniverse. The f i r s t is that there are very few w eapons m anufa

tures who are n ot loyal to the i r n at ion of r esidence or specieCombine this with the fact that nobody trades weapons technolo

gies with anybody else, and you’ve got l im ited weapon c hoices. This m eans thcharacters fro m the Al l iance are only l ik e ly to get weapons from a couple o

sources: th ings they br ing w i th them and th ings they take, bu y, or steal f rosomebod y else. Native species are even mo re restricted as to the “ things thebr ing wi th them” and wi l l be l imi ted to weapons and equipment bui l t by the

species.The pr ice of a l l weapons and equipment l is ted in th is book are in Akt

credi ts, which i s the closest thing to a “ universal cur rency” that exists in ZenaThis is done to show the weapon’s va lue in re la t ion to other weapons an

equipment. Depending on avai labi l i ty, species of manufacture, rari ty, and thsel ler ’s opin ion of you, the pr ice m ay change dramatica l ly. I n addi t ion, s incthere is no single curr ency among the species of Zenax, you also have to facto

in the exchange rate of the curr ency you are using. To fur ther com plicate maters, species l ik e the Klee don’ t even use cur rency; instead, they barter fo

goods. Your BM wi l l be the f ina l arb i tra tor on the cost of a part icu lar i tem.Final ly, the weapons l isted here are examp les of what characters are l i ke

to encoun ter wh ile adventurin g. Just because i t isn’t l isted here do esn’t m eandoesn’t exist. So don’t get cocky because you’re in mechanized battle armo

and you’ve never seen a Whe with a Wall Gun capable of doing heavy poidamage. Just around the cor ner your BM may have a surpr ise for you, anddoes triple digit damage!

Note: Remember that you h ave a -30 m odi f ier to use a weapon wi th aal ien tri gger, assumin g you can find the trigger.

5BEYOND THE RIFT

WEAPONS INFO

C H A P T E R 3

WeaponsandEquipment •3

INTHISCHAPTER...

WeaponsTables

WeaponDescriptions

ArmorTables

ArmorDescriptions

ArmorOptions

DefensiveSystems

MedicalEquipment

PersonalEquipment

ARazaa with a typical ridiculously-sized

weapon,theTaZiZa.Needlesstosay,Pythonsstuck

inZenax arequitejealousof Razaatoys.




3 • WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 P SS ROF Q DAM IR ENC TL AV COST

BFH 70 - - - - - - - 10 100 1/6 5 6-26 10 80 4 C 12K

Blade Launcher 85 65 20 - - - - - 15 80 1/4 1 2-12 4 15 3 UC 3K

Collapsible Staff 85 - - - - - - - 50 80 1 - 1-8 - 4 2 P 100

Electro-nails 45 - - - - - - - - 45 1 10 1-8 - 2 3 R 7500

Laser Knife 50 - - - - - - - 02 65 2 5 2-8 1 2 4 UC 400Laser lance 85 20 - - - - - - 45 80 1/3 10 4-16 1 6 4 UC 1600

Laser sword 75 - - - - - - - 35 75 1/3 7 2-12 1 6 4 C 900

Llurk 60 50 20 - - - - - 25 85 1/2 -/1 2-8 1 6 3 P 5000

HAND WEAPONS PG. 62

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MN SS ROF Q DAM IR ENC TL AV COST

AFP1 90 20 -40 - - - - - 95 90 1/6 10 2-12 * 8 7 VR 90K

AFP2 87 50 10 - - - - - 93 91 1/3 5 10-40 * 16 7 VR 220K

AFP-S 65 30 10 - - - - - 91 80 1/2 3 20-80 * 24 7 U 3.0M

AKTAI FULL PUMPS PG. 62


Crusher 80 20 - - - - - - 96 96 1/3 5 4-24 * 140 7 VR 3.5M

Squish 85 40 5 - - - - - 90 90 1/6 7 5-30 * 180 7 VR 4.0M

Flattener 90 30 - - - - - - 93 93 1/9 8 6-36 * 260 7 VR 5.0M

Patty 110 60 20 - - - - - 96 96 1/12 3 8-48 * 500 7 VR 7.5M

AKTAI L0CAL GRAVITIC ACCELERATORS PG. 63


Adapt 100 65 20 - - - - - 98 90 1 5 1-8 0 7 7 UC 45K

Diverse 90 70 30 5 - - - - 97 92 1 10 2-12 0 7 7 UC 65K

Able 95 76 40 20 - - - - 96 91 1 7 3-24 0 7 7 UC 80K

Capable 97 59 34 12 - - - - 99 93 1 8 4-32 0 7 7 R 95K

Perfection 99 50 25 5 - - - - 98 96 1 11 12-48 0 7 7 R 500K

Terminus 80 40 15 - - - - - 96 98 1 4 10-100 0 7 7 VR 15M

AKTAI FORCE WEAPONS PG. 63

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MN SS ST/ROF Q DAM IR ENC TL AV COST

AMTW 2 120 90 73 40 13 07 - - 95 90 2/- 7 10 * 40 7 UC 3.0M

Dis. Mode 80 40 27 - - - - - 98 - -/1/3 - 1d10 ** - - - -

AMTW 5 150 100 80 70 40 20 10 02 96 91 4/- 10 20 * 80 7 R 6.0M

Dis. Mode 90 35 20 10 - - - - 97 - -/1/8 - 1d20 ** - - - -

AMTW 7 200 150 90 50 40 30 20 10 95 92 8/- 20 40 * 120 7 R 20M

Dis. Mode 95 70 40 20 03 - - - 95 - -/1/14 - 2d20 ** - - - -

AMTW 10 250 200 150 90 75 35 25 15 95 97 20/- 40 100 * 400 7 VR 50M

Dis. Mode 110 80 50 10 - - - - 90 - -/1/24 - 5d20 ** - - - -

AKTAI MTW PG. 64

* Integrity reductionisequal tothedamagetheshooter appliestotheweapon/armor/etc. ** Integrity reductionisequal tothedamagedonebytheweapon.

* Integrityreductionisequal tothedamagedonebytheweapon.

* Integrity reductionisequal tothedamagedonebytheweapon.



5BEYOND THE RIFT

WEAPONS TABLE


EAU1 80 60 40 10 -30 - - - 99 99 1/3 50 2-12 1 20 5-6 P 130K

EAU2 80 55 45 20 00 -15 -35 - 99 99 1/3 30 3-18 1 30 5-6 C 160K

EAU3 80 60 50 35 15 -20 -40 - 99 99 1/2 10 4-24 1 40 5-6 UC 200K

CEDEUN PARTICLE WEAPONS PG. 65


AKS1 120 90 50 10 - - - - 99 95 1/2 15 5-30 8 40 5 P 50K

DJS1 150 99 30 - - - - - 99 98 1 8 6-48 10 70 5-6 C 375K

SKS1 135 70 25 01 - - - - 99 97 1 11 10-100 20 140 5-6 UC 1.0M

CEDEUN PLASMA CANNON S PG. 65

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MN SS ROF Q DAM IR ENC TL AV COSTT3 Tac 110 95 80 60 30 10 - - 95 95 1 8 10-40 0 4 3 R 4000

HILD 130 98 85 20 - - - - 94 93 1 15 20-80 0 8 3 R 6000

LL-20 B 75 62 50 43 28 19 10 5 98 99 1 30 5-30 0 2 3 UC 60K

DISRAPAN BLINDING LASERS PG. 66


ML3 TR 95 70 20 05 - - - - 90 98 1 50 3-18 1 20 4 C 35K

Type 3 TR 90 75 65 43 23 08 - - 95 92 1 15 2-20 1 5 5 P 50K

MiS 5 99 87 67 53 33 20 11 5 92 98 1 5 2-40 1 7 5 C 80K

TR 5 110 90 83 67 50 40 20 7 99 99 1 12 4-24 1 5 6 UC 180K

TR 8 98 90 70 63 40 20 7 - 98 99 1 10 8-64 1 12 6 R 2.0M

CR 10 80 65 48 30 15 00 - - 92 92 1 20 10-40 1 7 6 R 2.5M

DISRAPAN CUTTING LASERS PG. 66


XRL-1 120 90 80 60 40 30 20 10 92 95 1 1 2-8HP 10 100 7 VR 20.0M

XLR-1RF 99 80 60 40 20 10 5 2 90 92 3 10 1-4HP 5 100 7 U 40.0M

DISRAPAN NUCLEAR LASERS PG. 68


LL-20 75 62 50 43 28 19 10 5 98 99 1 30 2-12 1 2 4 P 80K

LL-30 90 87 60 53 42 29 10 5 99 100 2 30 4-24 1 4 4 C 280K

LL-40 110 90 75 62 50 30 15 7 100 102 3 30 6-36 1 7 5 UC 1.2MLL-50 80 70 60 40 30 30 20 10 100 105 2 30 8-64 1 9 5 R 3.0M

DISRAPAN IMPACT LASERS PG. 67

DisrapanNuclearLasersusemissilerangebrackets

Damagedonebythisweaponis permanently subtractedfromthetargetsvisual modifier.






Piercer 60 42 30 19 11 - - - 80 81 1/6 8 1-4 1 8 5 UC 60K

Penetrator 70 65 52 43 30 10 - - 85 82 1/4 6 1-8 1 16 5-6 R 120K Exploder 87 70 50 45 29 05 - - 75 88 1/2 10 2-12 1 14 5-6 UC 200K

Blaster 92 83 72 61 35 10 -15 -25 92 80 1 12 1-20 1 19 6-7 VR 500K

Finale 100 92 83 66 39 25 -5 -15 72 90 1 30 6-36 1 35 7 U N/A

KLEE ANTI-ARMOR PARTICLE BEAMS PG. 69


Duster 80 65 43 20 0 - - - 95 89 1/ 2 30 2-12 1 5 5-6 UC 25K

Buster 83 70 39 15 -5 - - - 97 93 1/ 2 40 2-24 1 8 5-6 UC 50K

Grounder 92 79 50 30 10 - - - 94 92 1/ 3 28 4-48 1 10 5-6 R 250K

Shooter 88 68 39 10 -5 - - - 99 93 1/ 4 70 6-60 1 20 6 VR 500K

KLEE DUST GUNS PG. 70


Vaporizer 70 60 50 40 20 0 - - 95 98 1/2 15 1-8 1 3 5 C 30K

Zapped 80 75 62 35 15 5 -5 - 98 97 1/2 20 2-12 3 5 5-6 P/R 120K

Death2U 87 70 55 45 27 12 3 - 97 96 1 30 3-18 6 4 5-6 UC 250K

Destructor 90 82 60 53 35 10 -20 -50 98 98 1 12 4-16 12 6 6-7 VR 500K

KLEE PARTICLE WEAPONS PG. 70


Wargun 90 70 20 -5 - - - - 99 100 1 5 2-8x5 * 16 6 R 125K

Foebender 99 80 05 -40 - - - - 100 100 1 10 2-12x3 * 20 6 VR 85K

XG-1 120 50 20 5 - - - - 101 104 1 6 3-24x4 * 28 6 R 300K BFG-1 99 30 -5 - - - - - 100 102 1 25 4-16x8 * 32 6 VR 650K

RAZAA CONTINUOUS EFFECT DISINTEGRATORS (CEDS) PG. 70


TraZa 90 75 56 32 25 05 - - 99 99 1 6 4-24 10 22 4-5 C 20K

MakZa 100 90 70 60 40 15 -5 - 100 101 1 9 6-36 10 26 5-6 C 35K

MigZa 110 95 78 55 30 17 - - 100 99 3 12 3-18 10 20 5-6 C 175K

TragZa 89 74 61 45 10 -12 - - 100 100 1 8 10-60 10 28 4-5 UC 250K

TaZiZa 99 60 30 15 0 - - - 98 99 8 40 4-24 10 19 5-6 UC 160K

RAZAA PLASMA WEAPON PG. 71

* Integrityreductionisequal tothedamagedonebytheweapon.

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MN SS DAM IR ENC TL AV COST

M-1d 80 60 40 30 10 - - - 98 100 4-24 10 0.5 5-6 P 1000

M-2f 90 70 55 40 25 10 - - 98 100 3-18 10 0.5 5-6 P 3000

M-4c 80 50 30 10 - - - - 98 100 5-30 10 0.5 5-6 C 4700

M-19m 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 - 99 120 6-36 10 0.5 4-6 P 5500

MK-4 95 95 95 95 95 - - - 100 100 8-48 25 7 5-6 C 10K MK-5 95 95 95 95 95 95 - - 100 100 10-80 25 10 5-6 C 12K

MK-6 80 80 80 80 80 80 - - 100 100 6-60 25 12 6-7 R 30K

MK-6a 100 100 100 100 100 100 - - 100 100 20-120 25 14 6-7 R 40K

MK-7 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 100 100 30-240 25 20 7 R 50K

MK-9b 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 100 100 1-4HP 25 40 7 VR 65K

MK-15 170 170 170 170 170 170 170 170 100 100 10-40HP 25 80 7 VR 120K

DISRAPAN MISSILES PG. 68

M-series(armrockets) weaponsusetheHandanddischargeweaponrangebrackets. MK-series(reflexmissiles) weaponsusetheMissileRangeBrackets.



6BEYOND THE RIFT

WEAPONS TABLE


Tramie8 70 60 55 25 05 -30 - - 91 97 1 12 2-8 1 2 2-3 P 500

Waks4 75 70 65 50 30 00 - - 98 99 1 8 1-6 1 1 2-3 UC 675

Dramier1 65 55 45 35 20 10 -20 - 96 98 1 6 4-16 3 4 2-3 VR 20K

WHE PROJ ECTILE WEAPONS - PISTOLS PG. 72


Emis6 85 75 70 60 50 40 20 10 96 100 2 17 2-8 1 7 3 UC 1500

Drak1 80 70 60 40 20 01 -30 - 97 97 3 20 3-12 1 10 3 P 2,000

Drak2 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 1 97 98 1 8 6-36 3 12 3-4 C 30k

WHE PROJ ECTILE WEAPONS - RIFLES PG. 72


Drak2A 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 97 98 8 8 6-36 3 18 3 UC 45k

Machier7 100 95 85 75 65 45 25 15 97 99 30 60 4-24 3 25 4 R 100k

WHE PROJ ECTILE WEAPONS - MACHINE GUNS PG. 72


DY8 105 95 85 75 65 55 45 35 80 90 1/10 10 4-16 2 50 7 R 500K

Kemde3 100 90 85 80 75 65 35 20 90 90 1/8 6 4-24 2 78 7 R 1.25M

Kud9 104 93 82 80 70 60 50 40 92 95 1/4 11 5-30 2 112 7 VR 3M

WHE MASS DOUBLERS PG. 73

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MN SS ROF Q DAM IR THR-R ENC TL AV COSTUd9 95 85 75 65 45 35 25 15 98 98 1 10 2-8 1 5 15 4-5 C 45K

XK8 25 25 25 30 40 50 60 70 97 100 1 15 2-12 1 8 12 6-7 VR 250K

Yulu7 90 80 75 60 50 40 30 20 99 100 1 12 4-24 1 15 23 5-6 UC 400K

Mazz3 99 98 97 92 85 75 50 30 95 95 1 12 3-18 1 20 18 6-7 R 700K

JDU6 90 75 55 45 35 25 15 5 97 99 1 5 10-60 5 3 80 6-7 R 2.3M

WHE RAIL GUNS PG. 73

TYPE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 P MN SS ROF Q DAM IR ENC TL AV COST

Vehon 1 80 60 25 00 - - - - - 97 50 1/6 1 2-12 1 1 * * 350

Vehon 2 60 40 5 00 - - - - - 95 50 1/6 1 4-24 2 2 * * 700

Vehon 3 40 20 -15 - - - - - - 96 50 1/6 1 8-48 4 4 * * 1200

WHE VEHON PG. 75


Dij 50 30 20 10 - - - - 90 91 1 5 4-24 0 20 4 UC 35K

Mij 75 50 35 5 - - - - 95 97 1 7 5-30 0 18 4-6 R 55K

Traj 60 40 20 0 - - - - 92 96 3 8 5-30 0 22 4-6 UC 35K Mij2 40 30 10 0 - - - - 97 98 1 6 8-48 0 14 5-6 R 65K

WHE WALL GUN PG. 74

* UsethehighestTechLevel andAvailabilityratingofthefuseandanchorusedintheVehon

MassDoublersusemissilerangebrackets




HANDWEAPONS

Because species l ik e the Dul and Razaa favor hand w eapons, there wil l

always be an abundance of u niqu e and ingenious hand weapons avai l-able to characters. Despite their brutal effectiveness in close quarters,

hand weapons are under fewer trade restrictions than other weapons.This makes them much easier for characters to obtain.

This l ist includes som e of the mo re uniq ue hand weapons in Zenax.However, there are Zenax equiva lents of m ost com mon Al l iance handweapons ( kn ives, swor ds, spears, etc.) .

BFH: The BFH is a ti tanium/ tungsten al loy sledgehamm er with a point-ed t ip . On the handle of th is w eapon is a button that activates smal lro ck ets that prop el the head of the hamm er towar d i ts target. The ham-

mer imp acts i ts target wi th trem endous force, crushing mo st objects i thits. The rockets have enough propellant for five attacks. The user of

the hammer requi res a strength of 100 to reta in hold of the weaponwhi le swinging i t . For each poin t o f strength un der 100 , subtract one

poin t from the weapon’s chance to hit. The ROF is redu ced to 1/1 2 afterthe rocket ’s fue l is exhausted, and the damage is reduced to 2d6.

Propellant ch arges cost 5 credi ts to recharge.

Blade Launcher: The blade launcher is a bastardized version of the

Whe l lurk that was bui l t by thei r enemies after observing the l lurk incombat. The blade launcher is a two-handed sword that can propel the

blade of the weapon toward a target from the h i l t o f the sword. Oncefired, th e weapon is useless unti l the b lade is reattached. Som e version s

have a retrieval cable that can be used to reel in the blade after i t hasbeen fired. Spare blades cost 500 cr edits.

Collaps ible Staff: This staff is composed of a l ightweight but durableal loy. At ful l length the staff varies from 3’ to 6 ’ in l ength depending on

the wil l of the user. Because of the staff’s tube within tube design, i t can

be col lapsed mu ch l ik e a telescope. The staff does temp or ary damage.

Electro-nails: This device is bui l t in to a pai r o f g loves. A powerfu lelectrical char ge is del ivered to anything or anyone touched by the user.

Safety mechanisms m ake i t im possib le for the user to shock h imsel f .The device is treated exact ly l ike a smal l thunderbol t generator . Any

meta l weapon the user grasps whi le using the e lectro-nai ls wi l l carrythe charge from the electro-nai ls del ivering i t to any target stru ck b y the

charged w eapon. Electro-nai ls have a r un t ime of 60 seconds beforethey require a recharge. Electro-nai ls cost 8 credits to recharge.

Laser Knife: Same as the laser sword only smal ler . The laser kn i fecosts 3 credits to rechar ge.

Lase r Lance: A larger version of the laser sword that is used for spear-

ing targets. In a pin ch i t can be thr own. Th e laser lance costs 8 creditsto recharge.

Laser Sword: The laser sword work s ident ical ly to the Er idani -style

l ight swor d, except that the damage ignor es absorptio n just l ik e a stan-dard laser. These weapons were original ly developed by Disrapan but

have been adopted by a lmos t eve ry m a jor spec ies i n Zenax. TheQuantity l isted for these weapons corr espon ds to the numb er of rou nds

the weapon w i l l funct ion b efore requi r ing r echarg ing. Damage done bylaser swor ds is redu ced by Threshold and Ablative Liner as with no rm al

laser attacks. The laser swor d costs 5 cr edits to rechar ge.

Llurk: The l lurk is the traditio nal hand weapon of the Whe soldi er. It is

basica l ly a tr iangular shaped, three-edged short sword wi th a largespike pr ojecting out of the bottom of the handle. The Whe simpl y poin ts

the bottom of the handle toward the target, pr esses a button o n the grip,and the sp ike is launched out of the handle toward i ts target. Once

f i red, the sp ike must be recovered and r e loaded. M ost Zenax n at ivesare wel l aware of the l lurk ’s capabi l i t ies, but the launching pommel

spike may catch Al l iance personnel by surpr ise. The spike does 1-8poin ts of damage. Occasionall y, a Llurk m ay be found that has had thepommel spike replaced with a laser. Spare spikes cost 10 credits and

have an encumbrance of 1.

AKTAI FULLPUMPS

Aktai fu l l pu mps ar e mo di f ied M TWs ( matter transmission weapons)that function more l ike disintegrators than teleporters. These weapons

disintegrate their targets then r eclaim th e energy given off by the unfor -

tunate victim for u se as fuel. The Aktai have taken tr emendou s cri tici smfor developing such a horri fic weapon, yet they claim it is not meant to

be sadist ic , on ly effic ient. The fuel p ump s are expensive to pr oducecompared to convent ional d is in tegrators, and the i r on ly benef i t is the

abi l i ty to last through extended combat. One wonders why the Akta iwoul d cr eate such an inefficient and expensive weapon system.

Game Notes: Each weapon has a reclamation number l isted in i tsdescriptio n. When the weapon has done an amoun t of damage equal to

the reclamation num ber, 1 shot can be added to the weapon’s curr entQ, up to i ts maxim um . The damage done by these weapons is subtr act-ed from the integrity of any object hit. These weapons do double dam-

age to or ganic tissue.Recharges cost 50 credits per shot. Spare batteries cost 500 cred-

its and have an encumbrance of 5. Encumbrance l isted for the weaponincludes the encumbrance of the battery.

AFP1: The AFP1 is a prototype fuel pump that has been assigned to

Aktai com bat troops for f ie ld- test ing. Reclamation num ber: 24

AFP2: Another p ro totype under going field-testing, the AFP2 is covered

in sensors and r ecord ing equipment to gather data about the unfor tu-nate vict ims of th is weapon. Reclamation n umb er: 50




6BEYOND THE RIFT

AFP-S: The AFP-S has just begun to be disseminated amo ng the fron t-lin etroops for field-testing. The ultim ate goal of fuel p um p technology is dis-played in the AFP-S mo del. The AFP-S model does not reclaim energy

from disintegrated targets l ike typical fuel pum ps but r ather releases theenergy as a second ary explosio n at the site of the in itial attack. I n essence

the AFP-Su ses the target as a fuel sour ce to blo w up the same target. Yourown armor becomes a liability when pitted against this weapon. Twice the

amount of damage done by the AFP-S in its initial disintegration attack isapplied to the target as a concussive explosion immediately after the firstattack has concluded. Reclamation nu mb er: 60

AKTAI LOCALGRAVITICACCELERATORS(LGAS)

These weapons increase the pul l of gravity in a local ized area. Thesemassive, barely man-portable weapon systems are the ultimate battle-field k i l l i ng m achines. Cur rently the on ly defense against LGAs are p ow-

erful and expensive anti-grav systems. However, even these massive a-grav uni ts requi re a fract ion of a second in which to act ivate, dur ingwhich t ime the target must suffer the crushing effects of the LGA.

Gravi t ic accelerators do have a few drawbacks. Besides the i r astro-nom ical cost, they are woeful ly heavy and m ust be uncom fortabl y close

to their targets in order to attack.

Game Notes : The damage done by an LGA a t tack i s d i v ided

between al l bod y areas of the tar get. Arm or, weapons, defensive fields,f lux sh i leds, and a l l equipm ent carr ied are a lso attacked. D amage to

weapons and equipment is appl ied to in tegr i ty . Damage to armor is

divided b etween the i ntegri ty of al l sections. Defensive Fields and FluxShields are attacked, but they do not p ro tect the target from the effects

of an LGA. Aktai Energy Fields pr ovide no pr otection against LGAs.Recharges cost 20,000 credits per charge. Spare batteries are not

avai lab le. Encumbrance l is ted for the weapon includes the encum-br ance of the battery.

Crusher: This heavy LGA is moun ted in a back pack and general ly car-

ried into b attle by a heavy weapons officer who is trained to activate anduse i t. Typical ly at least four o ther sold iers escort the LGA troop er.

Squish : It has extended range and more damage than the crusher butwi th a lower r ate of f i re and m ore weight.

Flattener: The flattener is carr ied onto the battlefield by two to four per-

sonnel who set the device up and guard i t unti l needed. While most of

the team camouflages the unit, a “ ru nner” is sent out to lur e the enem

into range. The uni t can a lso be activated r emote ly by radio ( 2krange) , but because the enemy often destroys the unit after it is activa

ed, such a sacri fice is m ade only i f the enemy is a substantial thr eat.

Patty: The patty, or “ patty maker” as i t has been nic kn amed by the Whis cur rent ly the m ost powerfu l LGA that anyone has encountered. N

one k nows if the Aktai have a m or e powerfu l m odel. Because of i ts higcost and short range, the patty maker is used a lmost exclusive ly tambush vehic le crews where a quick k i l l is requi red before they ca

br ing their heavy weapon s to bear on the LGA crew.

AKTAI FORCEWEAPONS

These weapons cr eate fields of for ce that can be pr ojected at a target create a number of effects. The field can be manipulated to impact th

target l ike an omega weapon or modi f ied in to a nanoscopic ly th inarm or p iercin g needle. Once inside the arm or, the needle expands anwhips around l ike a loose f i re hose l iquefy ing the target ’s in terna

organs. The fields are so flexible that they can be used to manipula

objects at a distance. Force weapons are such efficient weapons thathei r l im i ted range is the one th ing that prevents them fr om being thonly weapon an Akta i would need. They don’ t seem to mind that th

weapons are r elatively fragi le.

Game Notes: If the field is set for a concussive attack, the dam agis t ransla ti onal and i gno res th reshold . I n a rmor p ie rc ing mode th

weapon can reduce an opponent ’s threshold when determin ing damage. Threshold i s not perm anently reduced. If the field is set for arm o

pierc ing m ode, the user can set the amoun t of thr eshold r educt ion whatever they desir e, up to the maxim um d amage of the weapon m inu

one. The shooter m ust decide BEFORE fir ing the weapon how m uch hor she wants to redu ce the threshold of the target. Whatever num ber th

user chooses wil l be subtracted from the damage done by the weapo

Armor-p ierc ing m ode ignores absorpt ion.If the field is set into manipulative mode, then the STR of the fiel

is equal to the maximum damage of the weapon. When the field is seto m anipul ative mo de, the CURRENT quanti ty ( Q) i ndicates the num be

of seconds i t m ay be used before the b atter ies are dr a ined. For eacsecond of use, reduce the cur rent qu anti ty ( Q) by one.

Because of the micro scopic d iameter of the armo r-p ierc ing tendrthe integri ty reducti on caused by the weapon i s 0 in al l m odes.

Recharges cost 50 cr edits per shot. Spare batteries cost 1000 cr eits and have an encum br ance equal to1.

Adapt: The Adapt was the f i rs t force w eapon that the Aktai f ie lded. has excel lent accur acy at very shor t ranges, even com pared w ith newe

models. Despi te i ts accuracy, the Adapt does have a few f laws. Thweapon is underpowered, and is unl ike ly to be considered a threat b

anyone wearing heavy armor. In addition, l ike most Aktai weapons i t relatively fragi le. Try not to dr op i t.

Diverse : The D ive rse i s an upgraded ve rs ion o f the Adap t fo rcweapon. I t sacr i f ices shortrange accuracy for improved range an

damage. In addi t ion, i t has a larger power pack g iv ing i t double thcapacity of i ts pr edecessor. It is a l i tt le m or e dur able than the previou

model, but the modifications made to the weapon seem to have affec

AKTAI WEAPON




ed its rel iabi l i ty. In arm or p iercin g mode this weapon is capable of tak-ing out low-end heavy armor.

Able : The Ab le fo rce weapon , l i ke the D ive rse , i s a mod i f i ed andimpr oved vers ion of the or ig ina l force weapon used by the Akta i , the

Adapt. The Able has incr eased range and dam age over the two m odelsthat were designed before i t . I t has the same size power pack as the

Diverse, which are in terchangeable. However the Able ’s increasedpower output means i t can f i re fewer shots than the Diverse beforeneeding a recharge. L ike the Diverse, the m odi f icat ions to the Adapt

weapon system have overcompl icated i t and th is weapon is pr one tomalfunction and wil l suffer l i tt le abuse before breaking.

Capable : After Aktai engineers were unable to upgrade the Adapt seriesof force weapons into a reliable weapon system they were forced to startfrom scratch. However, since many of the Aktai vehicles and armo r sys-

tems were designed to accomm odate the Adapt-series of for ce weaponsthe new weapon had to be the same weight and size. The end result of thenew weapon development was the Capable force weapon. Though sti l l

relatively fragile by some standards, the Capable is far less likely to mal-function than pr evious for ce weapons. The Capable has specs compar a-

ble to the Able force weapon , but it has lower accu racy at extr eme ranges.

Perfection: An upgrade to the Capable force weapon, the Perfection hasthe best damage yield of any force weapon avai lable when it was first

released. This weapon is a serious threat on the battlefield, and even sol-

d iers in m echanized batt le arm or can be “ put down” by th is bad bo y.The perfection has the largest power pack o f any Aktai for ce weapon.

Terminous : In an attempt to make the current l ine of force weapons a

thr eat to even the mo st heavi ly arm or ed oppo nents, the Aktai developedthe Terminous. Though you couldn’t tel l by looking at i t, the Terminous

is based off of the Capable for ce weapon. Even the Ak tai engineers whobui l t the weapon w ere amazed at the amount of power they were ableto squeeze out of the weapon given the size and weight restrictions of

using the Capable ’s chassis. The weapon’s m ajor drawback is that i tsucks the power out of the battery so fast, that you only get four shots

before you have switch b atteries or rechar ge.

AKTAI MTWAkta i m atter transmission weapons are actual ly state-of- the-ar t te le-por ters and a typical examp le of Aktai over achievement to do a sim ple

jo b . Th ese weap ons wor k un der th e sam e co nce pt as Al l ia nc e tel e-porters, only they have had the safety systems removed and can be usedto telepor t pi eces of the target away. The b enevolent Ak tai usually tele-

port w eapons and armor away from thei r targets, but the MTW can beused to rem ove appendages or intern al or gans.

These weapons are expensive, com plicated, and heavy. Each Aktaicombat unit is assigned one MTW as a support weapon. In a pinch the

weapon can be used as a standard d isintegrator b y manually aimi ng at

the target and rando ml y telepor ting pieces away.

Game Notes: This chance for a MTW to hit ( cal led a sensor lock

percentage) is based on the quali ty of the sensor systems used in theweapon. MTWs requi re a sensor lock on a target in order to te leport

p ieces or the whole th ing away. Often the sensor l ock must be main-ta ined ( ro l l i ng successfu l ly against your chance to h i t) for mul t ip le

ro unds in or der to attack the target. Without a sensor lock the MTW cannot attack the target. It is important to note that i f your target has anyscanning gear, they will detect that they are being scanned, and they will

also be aware of your location as well .Any active ECM the target possess is subtracted from the MTW’s

chance to hit. A sensor l ock is not affected by l ighting con dition s, cover,concealment, or wind conditions. Al l other Combat Modifiers affect the

sensor lock normally.M TWs always do the same amou nt of dam age. The user of an MTW

can choo se to do less than the l isted damage. The shooter then divides

the damage amon g the in tegr i ty of any weapons, arm or, or equipmentstuck in that area and/ or the target’s body points.

For example, if an MTW that does 20 points of damage struck the left

arm of an Alliance soldier, you can divide the damage between the user’sarmor and his body points. You could apply 5 points of damage to thearm or i ntegrity in the left arm and apply the other 15 poi nts to the target’s

body po ints. The user can di vide damage in any fashion he or she sees fit.If you wanted, you could divide the damage evenly between the armorintegrity and body points. If the target had a weapon o r pi ece of equip ment

in hi s left hand, it co uld also take dam age if the shooter so desired.MTWs do not have a rate of fi re. The speed at which an MTW fires

is dependent on the computer system being used by the weapon. Thefaster the computer, the faster the weapon can track and transport the

atoms of the target. MTWs h ave a Scanning Time ( ST) l is ted w hichreplaces the ROF and ind icates the num ber of r ounds the target must

maintain the sensor lock before the target can be attacked. If the sen-

so r l ock on the target i s b roken be fo re the target i s a t tacked , theprocess must start over again. Reducing the amount of material being

te leported can r educe the Scanning Time ( ST) . For Example, I f youchoose to move half of the weapon’s maximum load ( i .e. do half dam-

age to the target) , then the nu mber of r ounds you m ust mainta in thesensor lock is also reduced by half.

I f the weapon can not lock onto the target, i t may st i l l be usedagainst the tar get as a disintegrator. Use the statistics l isted for the dis-in tegrator m ode when f i r ing the weapon w i thout a sensor lock . When

used in this fashion , the weapon is affected norm ally by l ighting condi-tions, cover, concealment, and wind conditions.

Recharges cost 200 credi ts per shot. Spare batter ies cost 6000credi ts and have an encumb rance equal to the maximu m dam age of the

weapon. Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbranceof the battery.

Note 1: When used in M TW mod e, arm or and Wh e defensive fieldscan be attacked d ir ectly and/ or bypassed to attack the target behind thef ie ld . In d is in tegrator m ode M TWs can no t bypass armor or defensive

fields, just l ike a standard disintegrator.

Note 2: MTWs weapons ( in either m ode) can be stopped by phase

null i f ication units ( Lock-N-Load, armor options) .

Note 3: MTWs can be used safely as a displacement device i f the

damage of the weapon equals or exceeds the sum o f target’s body poin tsand the integri ty of any armor, weapons, and equipment being moved.




6BEYOND THE RIFT

This is assuming the weapon doesn’t malfunction while i t’s teleportingthe target.

AMTW2 : The AMTW2 is a second-generation matter transmissionweapon developed by the Aktai. While the first generation MTWs were

simply teleporter s with the safety features remo ved, second generationMTWs are designed for combat. The AMTW2, or model 2 as i t is also

kno wn, is an expensive and heavy piece of equipment wi th l im ited range.However, given abou t 2 seconds to scan th e target the AMTW2 is capa-ble of disabl ing most creatures in a single shot, assuming they are not

pro tected by a flux shield. Using the MTW2 as a personnel teleporter isnot recom mended, thou gh it is capable of telepor ting small creatures.

AMTW5 : The AMTW5 has a mu ch better r ange than the AMTW2, but i ts4-second scanning t ime m akes i t d i f f icu l t to use at fu l l pow er in com-bat. The AMTW5 can be used as a personnel te leporter i f you don’ t

mind the 5% chance that i t wi l l accidental ly disintegrate you.

AMTW7 : A massive piece of equip m ent, the ATMW7 is capable of doing

severe dam age to anything it is tar geted against. Ho wever, its slow scan-ning tim e and weight general ly relegate i t to the rol l o f suppor t weapon.

AMTW10 : This enor m ous MTW is capable of debi l i tating any unshield-

ed target on the battlefield. Its pon dero usly slow scan tim es, means theweapon is general ly used at 1/2 pow er or even 1/4 po wer, trading dam-

aged for an incr eased rate of fi re.

CEDEUNPARTICLEWEAPONS

For long range targets, the Cedeun genera l ly use Part ic le weapons

rather than the i r i n famous p lasma cannons. Cedeun part ic le weaponsare mu ch c loser in capabi l i t ies to Al l iance part ic le weapons than the

spectacular Klee particle weapons.

Game Notes: Cedeun Part ic le Weapons ignor e absorpt ion poly-

mer s. Magnetic disrup tion negates the effects of this weapon.Reloads cost 50 c redits p er m agazine. Spare m agazines have a cost

of 150 credi ts and an encumbrance of 1 . Encumbrance l is ted for theweapon includes the encumbrance of a ful l magazine.

EAU1: The EAU1 is a base model p article w eapon used by the Cedeun.Partic le weaponr y is used by the Cedeun w hen the target is beyond the

range of Plasma Cannons. The EAU1 is designated for use as a shortrange particle weapon. Cedeuns know th at i f i t is too far away for their

p lasma cannons to h i t , then i t ’ s i n sho r t range fo r the i r pa r t i c l eweapons.

EAU2: The EAU2 i s designed fo r med ium range work , ou tside the

range of plasma cannons. The EAU2 has increased range and damageover the EAU1.

EAU3: The EAU3 is the mo st powerfu l standard part ic le weapon cu

rently in use. The EAU3 designation ind icates the weapon is to be u sefor long range work. Regardless, the EAU is not capable of hitting ta

gets at extreme r anges l ik e high-end Klee particl e weapons. However,can st i l l launch a part ic le stream for a r espectable d istance. L ike a

Cedeun weapons, the EAU3 is heavy in compar ison to equiva lenweapon systems. Rumors abound that an EAU4 is being co-develope

with the Klee, which wi l l fur ther extend the reach and po wer of Cedeuparticle weaponry.

CEDEUNPLASMACANNONS

Used pr im ari ly for shor t range work , Cedeun Plasma cannon s are ma

s ive weapons tha t wor k on the same p r inc ip le as A ll i ance Pu lweapons. Ho wever, they are general ly heavier since m ost are designefor zero-G wor k. In addi t ion, Cedeun Plasma weapons genera l ly trad

rate of f i r e for a h igher dam age potent ial . Plasma cannons are ind icr im inate weapons that do hordes of co l la tera l damage to anyth ing their l ine of fi r e. The barrel size on some Cedeun Plasma cannons ca

reach 35 cm in d iameter! Hence the nam e, Plasma CANNON.

Game Notes : These weapons are handled as standard p lasm

weapons. Al l are body-mo unted weapons. The bal l of plasma ejected bthese weapons expand s and becom es less concentr ated as i t tr avels.

Range Bracket 1, any object within 1 meter of the primary target takehalf damage from the weapon. In Range Bracket 2, any object within

meters of the pr imary target takes 1/4 damage from the weapon. I

Range Br acket 3, any object within 2 m eters of the pr im ary target take1/8 damage from the weapon. The pr imary target a lways takes norm

damage, regardless of Range Brack et. These weapons do tr iple dam agto unprotected characters ( no armor or shields) .

Reloads cost 300 credi ts per shot. Spare m agazines cost 500 c redi ts and h ave an encumbr ance equal to the m in im um damage done b

the weapon. Encumbrance l is ted for the weapon includes the encumbr ance of a ful l magazine.

AKS1: The AKS1 i s the base-l ine Cedeun Plasma cannon. This PlasmCannon is a body-mounted weapon that is designed for combat

space. The AKS1 i s standard issue to Cedeun spacecraft boar ding p aties. Since Cedeun have no need for an atmosphere, they don’t care

they poke a few holes in the hul l of the ship w ith on e of these weaponThe AKS1 has a barrel di ameter of 12 .5cm .

CEDEUN WEAPON




DJS1: The DJS1 was also designed for space assault, and i ts tremen-dous bul k i s not as mu ch of a hind rance in the weightlessness of space.The DJS1 i s feared by just about anyone that has seen the end r esult o f

a Cedeun pir ate attack. The twisted, m elted metal and pl asma scars leftbehind by this weapon gives i t a well-deserved reputation as “ brutal ly

effective.” The AKS1 has a barrel di ameter of 20 cm .

SKS1: The SKS1 is a heavy assault pl asma canno n. Designed fo r p unc h-ing holes through interior bulkheads, the SKS1 allows a Cedeun pirate to

dr i l l h is way thro ugh a ship, from point A to p oint B. The SKS1 can even-

tual ly bore i ts way through armored outer hul ls to depressurize a shipand k i l l the unp rotected crew. The SKS1 has a barrel diam eter o f 35cm .

DISRAPANBLINDINGLASERS

The Disrapan developed b l ind ing lasers over three centur ies ago. A

pr im i t ive weapon by mod ern standards, l ike archaic p owder weapons,i ts age mak es i t no less effective. The l ight emi tted by a bl ind ing laser isso bright that i t permanently burns out the eyes of the target. Because

these weapons cr ipp le the i r targets, they are i l legal o n most wo r lds.

However, the Disrapan use these lasers with disdain against anyone thatwould attack them.

Game Notes: The shooter must make a cal led shot to the target’s

head in order for this weapon to be effective. The damage of the weaponis PERMENANTLY subtracted fro m the visual m odifier of the target. Anytarget that doesn’t have cyber netic eyes with the Flash Supp ressor ar m or

option , a Resonance Structur e Helmet, or some other for m of pr e-emp-tive flash suppression is vulnerable to these weapons. Shielding or clos-

ing the eyes does no goo d as the light shines arou nd and thou gh the eye-l ids and hands of the target. The target is ent i t led to an SMR vs.

Radiation, with the damage done by the weapon as the penalty. A suc-cessful SMR role means the weapon had no effect. These weapons do no

other damage and can be defeated by smoke just l ike nor mal lasers.

Flash suppressor s are standard on al l Disrapan helm ets— I can’t imag-ine why. Al l bl indin g lasers fire in the visible spectrum of l ight.

Bl inding lasers cost 5 credits to recharge. Spare batteries cost 15credi ts and have an encumbr ance of 0 .5. Encumbr ance l isted for the

weapon includes the encumbrance of the battery.

T3 Tac: The T3 Tac or Tact ical laser i s a m ore typ ica l example of aD is rapan b l i nd ing l ase r , compared to the more common LL -20B.

Designed specifical ly for close-quarters work, the T3 is quite effectiveat short range. Or ig ina l ly designed for work in pr isons, the T3 has

found i ts way on to ba tt l ef i elds. L i ke mos t non - lethal weapons i nDisrapan m il i tar y service, these weapons are used to i ncr ease the effi-c iency of the le thal weapons a lso in use. In other words, a b l inded

enemy can not shoot at you, but you sti l l get to shoot h im .

HILD: HILD is an acronym for High I ntensi ty L ight Device. The HI LDblin ding laser is not technical ly a laser, but i t is a mor e dispersed beam

of h igh in tensi ty l ight capable of a f fecting mul t ip le targets s imul tane-ously. Any targets in a 60-degree arc in front of the weapon are auto-matical ly hit ( assum ing a successful die ro l l) when the weapon i s fired.

However effective the weapon’s bl inding capabil i t ies may be, i ts mainweakness is i ts short r ange. This bl indin g laser was bui l t by DAC rather

than TCWD in or der to get aro und w eapon restrictio ns placed on TCWDby the House of Government.

LL-20 B: A modification o f the standard LL-20 laser ri fle, the B variant

refers to thi s blind ing laser. Because the standard LL-20 w as designed forreal combat, the re-tuned version is a bit of overk i l l for a bl inding laser.

These weapons are seldom used at the r anges the LL-20 is capable ofattainin g. Developed by the Trade Consortium Weapons D ivision ( TCWD) .

DISRAPANCUTTING LASERS

Rather than using pulse lasers in combat, the Disrapan favor continu-

ous fir e or cutting lasers. The beam em itted by these lasers stays on foras long as the tr igger of the weapon is held ( or unt i l you r un ou t of ju ic e) . Th e beam can th en be d r agge d acr oss a tar get , pot en ti al ly cu t-

ting them in half. Al l Disrapan cuttin g lasers are im pact lasers.

Game Notes : To make an attack with a cutting laser the shootermu st pick the spot on the target he wants the beam to initi al ly strik e ( akaorigin) . Next he must select path he wants the beam to fol low, notingeach additi onal hit location h e wants the beam to strik e other than thearea initially struck by the beam. When selecting the path you want beamto fol low i t is impor tant to rememb er that you can only strik e areas adja-

cent to the body area curr ently being struck . In other wor ds, i f you candraw a s ing le uninterrupted l ine from the or ig in to the ending point o f

the beam, then you haven’t selected a val id b eam path. The arm or dia-gram in the top right cor ner of the last page of the Battlelord s book can

be of help when d ecided what path you want the beam to fol low.If you real ly want to “ skip” an area, l ike dragging the laser beam

from the head, dir ectly to the arm , bypassing the chest, you take a “ one

area penalty” to your attack. As you can see, you r eal ly gain no benefi tf rom skipping. You m ight as wel l p i ck another adjacent body area to

attack, u nless there is some r eason you r eal ly want to avoid hitting thechest on your target. There is no skipping penal ty for attacking both

legs without attacki ng the abdo men. As always the Battlem aster h as thefinal decision on any attack penalties.

For our pur poses “ hold ing” the beam on a single area for the dur a-tion of the combat segment confers no additional damage.

•Example: For ourexample,let’ssayStinkytheKleewantstoshootLt. B’Zat

oftheWhehighcommandwithhiscuttinglaser.StinkyinitiallywantstohitB’Zat

intheheadwiththebeamanddragit downtohischest andthentofinally to

hisabdomen. Sincetheheadis“connected”tothechest,whichis”connected”to

theabdomenStinkyhasselectedavalidbeampath.Stinkycouldhavealsogonefromtheheadtothechesttotheleftarm,buthecouldnotof,forinstance,gone

fromtheheaddirectlytotheabdomenwithout“skipping.”

To determ ine the difficulty in m aking attack, fi rst find the body area

( or body part) in the beam path wi th the largest ca l led shot p enal ty.This penalty serves as our base penalty. Then add a penalty for eachaddition al area other than the first in the beam path as fol lows: -10 for

the 2nd area, -20 for the 3rd ar ea, -40 for 4th area, and so on to d eter-mi ne your total path p enalty. As you can see the penalty is expon ential,

doub ling for add ition al area. Rememb er, when using a cutting laser you




6BEYOND THE RIFT

select the areas that you would ideal ly l ike to hit and then spend onesecond v io lent ly whipping the beam around attempting to h i t thoseareas. It is very difficult to hit your selected targets under those condi-

t ions. Don’ t expect to be drawing ornate patterns on your enemy’sarmor with these things!

•Example:Inourpreviousexampletheareawiththelargestcalledshotpenal-

tywastheheadat -50. Soour basepenaltyis-50. Atotal of threeareaswere

targeted, whichmeansweadd-10for thesecondarea, and-20for thethirdareatothebasepenaltyfor afinal penaltyof -80! If Stinkywantedto“skip”

the chest and attack the head and armonly wewould still have -80penalty

becausehis penaltyis calculatedasfollows: -50for theheadplus-10for the

skipplus-20forthearm.If Stinkywantedtospecificallyhittheeye(head), then

thechest, andthentheabdomen,hispenaltywouldbe-120.

Final ly, w e need to determ ine how many of those selected areaswere struck by the beam. M ake an attack r ol l for each area in the beam

path, star t ing wi th the or i g in and pr oceeding down the path unt i l youreach the last area. Each attack roll has a penalty equal to the total pathpenalty calculated for your b eam path, plus any other appr opr iate com -

bat modi f iers. There is no need to ro l l for “ sk ips” as they are a lways

assumed to successful ly miss the target ( BM’s Discretion) . Each suc-cessful attack rol l indicates that selected area was struck. A fai led rol lindi cates that you mi ssed the target entirely. A fai led r ol l d oes not pr e-

vent you fr om makin g attack r o l ls for areas that fal l a f ter the m issedarea along the beam path.

These weapons suffer al l of the same environmental penalties asnor mal lasers ( smo ke, co ver, concealm ent, etc) . Cutting lasers may beused l ik e conventional laser weapon, ( assume ROF: 1) strik ing a single

body area. When used in th is fashion a cutt ing laser may be a imed.When used as a cutting laser any aiming bonuses apply only to attack

ro l l for the f i rs t area struck .All cutting lasers, except the TR8 and CR 10, fire in the visible spec-

trum of l ight. Cutting lasers cost 15 cr edits per shot to r echarge. Spare

batteries cost 45 credits and have an encumb rance of 0.5. Encum br ancelisted for the weapon incl udes the encum br ance of the battery.

ML3 TR: The M L3 was origin al ly designed as an in dustrial c utting laser.

I t is incredib ly heavy for a laser and under normal c i rcumstances issupported by an ar t icu lated, r obot ic arm . The ML3 can take a beat ing

but r equir es some finesse to keep i t run ning. The ML3 was pressed intoserv ice by the Trade Consort ium, who used i t to get aroun d w eapon

manufactur ing and d istr ibut ion restr ic t ions.

Type 3 TR: The Type 3 TR cuttin g laser is a decent weapon, bu t i t can’t

take much abuse.

MiS 5: The MiS 5 ser ies cutt ing laser is a long-range cutt ing laserdesigned for m il i tary service. The MiS 5 suffers fro m po wer di stributi on

problems. The beam intensity varies widely from shot to shot, and the

battery drains quick ly. The MiS 5 is curr ently being recal led for u pgrad

to the Mi S5B variant.

TR 5: A mor e typ ical Disrapan weapon than i ts brethren, the TR 5 efficient, rel iable, durable, and l ight.

TR 8: A version o f the TR 5 series designed for heavy fire suppor t, thTR8 is another qual i ty Disrapan beam weapon. Don’t be on the recei

ing end. The TR 8 is UV laser.

CR 10: The CR 10 c utting laser is a new concept developed by TCWto address one of the m ain pr oblems wi th cutt ing lasers. This weapo

is a imed l ike a norm al beam weapon. When f i red, a mechanism insidthe barre l draws the beam hor izonta l ly from left to r ight. This e l imnates the need for the fir er to w hip th e weapon arou nd m anually. Calle

shots may be made normally with the CR 10, and no snap shot penalis appl ied unless the situation cal ls for i t. The beam always runs hor

zontal ly across the area stru ck. Creative Disrapan have been k now n tpurposely hold this weapon sideways causing the laser to draw vert

cally across the target. The CR 10 is UV laser.

DISRAPAN(IMPACT)LASERS

Disrapan l asers are well-d esigned r el iable weapons that are exceedinly l ight when compared to Al l iance lasers. A mandate by the Disrapafield weapon design committee requires that al l infantry lasers have

min imum of 30 shots per p ower pack, weigh less than 10 p ounds, anbe able to attack targets out to 2000 meters. Al l Disrapan lasers a

impact lasers. Al l Disrapan impact lasers, except the LL-40 and LL-5fire in the visible spectrum of l ight.

Disrapan impact lasers cost 15 credits per shot to recharge. Sparbatteries cost 45 cr edits and h ave an encum br ance of 0.5.

LL-20: The standard l ight-du ty field laser weapon u sed by the Disrapami l i tary, the LL-20 is a TCWD design.

LL-30: The LL-30 is a medium-duty laser based on the sol id LL serie

design.

LL-40: The Disrapan heavy-duty field laser, the LL-40 is a solid weaponwhic h is designed to take abuse and fal ls fro m great heights. The LL-4

is a UV laser.

LL-50: You guessed i t; the LL-50 is the super heavy-duty version of th

LL-20. The LL-50 is a UV laser.

DISRAPAN WEAPON




DISRAPANNUCLEARLASERS

The weapon w ork s by focusing the l ight from the explosion o f a smal l

tact ica l nuclear weapon, which is detonated inside the weapon. Theexp losion i s con tained sa fe l y i ns ide the weapon by f l ux shie lds.

However, l ight from the explosion is al lowed to escape and is focusedthrough a crystal or flux lens to form a powerful laser beam.

Game Notes : Anyone s tand ing w i th in 5 me te rs o f the beam,excluding the shooter , takes hal f d amage from the in tense heat. Thisweapon affects heavy armo r as i f i t wer e an Im pact Laser and u ses mi s-

si le range brackets. Smo ke, r eflective sur faces, or o ther enviro nm entalconditions do not affect nuclear lasers.

The flux-shielded tac nukes these lasers use as fuel cost 20,000cred its pe r sho t to re load . Reloads have an encumbrance o f 5 .

Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbrance of a ful lmagazine. It is nearly impossible to accidentally detonate the ammo used

by a nuclear laser; Even shooting the reloads wil l not detonate them.

XRL-1: The XRL-1 is a disposable, battlefield x -ray laser system that has

been cobbled together from Disrapan satellite and ship-based lasers. This

is a one shot weapon. After fir ing, the lasing crystal is destroyed, the atom-ic fuel is spent, and the flux shield inside the weapon can only contain a sin-gle blast before collapsing. The firer and the weapon are pro tected fro m the

the atomic blast by a flux container that contains the explosion inside thegun. Developed by the Trade Consortium’s Space Weapons Division.

XLR-1 RF: The XLR-1RF is a rapid fire, hence the RF designation, prototypeof the standard XLR weapon system. By reducing the size of the atomic

mu nition s in the weapon and installing an autoloader, the XLR-1RF is ableto fire m ultiple blasts at a rate of up to thr ee per second! Rather than using

a lasing cr ystal to concentr ate the light from the detonation, the RF modeluses a less efficient but mo re du rable flux lens. After 5 shots, the RF must

sit for one r ound while i t activates a secondary flux container. Al l otheradvantages and drawbacks are the same as with the standard XLR series.

DISRAPANMISSILES YSTEMS

Disrapan missi le systems are state-of-the-art, even by Al l iance stan-dards. Because the Trade Consortium favors effectiveness over price,

many missi les are packed fu l l o f ECCM gear, and some even havemaneuver system s with AI contr ol ler s. There is nothi ng mor e unnerving

than watching that Disrapan missi le turn around the corner, stop inmid-fl ight, hover unti l i t spots you, and then take off toward your skul l .

Most Disrapan missi les can be purchased in an anti-radar version,

which homes in on the nearest active radar source and h i ts the user.Whi le hom ing in on the r adar transmission, the m issi le has an addi -

tional + 20 in each range brack et unless the radar sour ce is tur ned off.If the radar is deactivated, the missi le impacts the last recorded posi-

tion of the radar emissions.

Anti-laser ( AL) missiles are rare, but they do exist ( increase AV one

level for Anti- laser version ) . These m issi les fol l ow a targeting laserdown the beam to th e emitter. Anti- laser m issi les have a + 50 add ed to

each range bracket when fol lowi ng a targeting laser to i ts sour ce. If thetarget ing laser is turned off , the mi ssi le wi l l imp act the last r ecorded

position of the targeting laser. The missi le can no t trace offensive lasersto the source, as they do no t rem ain on the target long enough.

Any active ECM reduces the chances for all Reflex missiles to hit ona point for point basis. ECM can only reduce the chances for the MK-6and MK-6a to h i t by a maximum of 20%.

M-1d (arm rocket): The M-1 is equivalent to the Al l iance arm rock-

ets. This air-to-groun d m issi le was or iginal ly designed for use by flyingDisrapan to destroy ground-based targets. It is small , l ight, and has a

payload r espectable enough to m ake l ightly arm or ed targets think twice.Ironically, this weapon was originally designed for use against rebels andanti-governm ent demon strators. Range: 100 m eters. Speed: 200m /s.

M-2f (arm rocket): The M-2 is a long-range missi le wi th a l ighter

payload than the M-1. Range: 200 m eters. Speed: 250m /s.

M-4c (arm rocket): The shortrange weapon is designed for urbancombat. I t is re la t ive ly slow m oving and i s capable or turn ing two 90-

degree angles before the m aneuver ing thrusters r un out of fue l . Theweapon is heat seekin g and lock s onto the heat signatur e of any targetwhere i t is a imed. ECCM rated at 20%. Range: 50 meters. Speed:

150m/s .

M-1 9 m (a r m r o c k e t) : One o f the o lde r weapon systems in theDisrapan arm ory, this laser guid ed lon g-range missi le has been a stan-

dard weapon of the TC troops for the last 20 years. The TC is slowlyphasing out laser guide m uni t ions in favor of in te l l igent, sel f-gu idedweapons. The missi le comes with i ts own UV painting laser, which mu st

be aimed and held on the target for the duration of the missi le’s fl ight.The paint ing laser is a imed l ike a norm al beam weapon and has the

same statistics as LL-40 b ut do es no dam age. Despite its age and the thi r-teen pr eviously released variants, the M-1 9 is sti l l one of the mo st rel i-

able weapons the Disrapan possess. Range: 500 meters. Speed: 300m/s.

MK -4 (R e fl e x Mis s i l e ) : The standard issue m edium missi le forDisrapan TC troop s, the MK-4 is a no-fri l ls weapon system d esigned foruse against personnel in heavy arm or at medium range. The weapon

has been cr i t ic ized for i ts short range. Typica l ly personnel in heavyarmor can afford w eapons systems that they can b r ing to bear b efore

the MK-4 can be used. Range: 1000 m eters. Speed: 600m /s.

MK-5 (Reflex Miss i le ): A heavier payload m issi le bui l t off th e MK-4frame, the MK-5 a lso features increased r ange, at the cost o f speed.

Range: 2000 meters. Speed: 400m /s.

MK-6 (Reflex Missile): The dr eaded M K-6 is a perfect exampl e of the

Disrapan weapons design phi losophy. The Trade Consort ium mi l i tarywas facing attacks by rebels whose guer i l la tact ics were becoming

incr easingly effective against the TC troo ps. As a result, th e TCWD wascommissioned to develop a weapon that would prove more effect ive

against the r ebels. Two years later their special weapons division devel-




6BEYOND THE RIFT

oped the MK-6. Designed for ur ban com bat, once the MK-6 locks ontoits target, i t wi l l pursue that target unti l i t is destroyed. The MK-6 canachieve speeds of 200 m/ s but is a lso capable of hover ing and even

turn ing around corners. The MK-6 tracks targets by a combin at ion ofvisual, IR, UV, and r adar signatu r es. Targets that are abl e to change their

shape, colo r, size, temp erature, and r adar signature ( -20% for each sig-nature that is changed) may be able to elude the MK-6. If the M K-6 loses

its target, i t wi l l search or lay dormant unti l a suitable match is found.MK-6 m issi les are exorb itantly expensive but can lay dorm ant for up tosix years w hile w aiting for i ts target. The missi le is assum ed to h ave an

INT of 6 0. ECCM rated at 40% . This m issi le is capable of tr avel ing up to2000 m eters befor e exhausting i ts fuel.

MK-6a (Reflex Miss i le ): Ident ica l to the standard MK-6 in most

respects, the a-variant can be pr ogram med to search for a range of tar-gets. Any target that fi ts the search cri teria wil l be attacked. The M K-6a

has an arti ficial in tel l igence of 45. ECCM rated at 40% .

MK-7 (Reflex Miss i le ): This ant i -armor missi le is equipped wi th a

shaped-charge flux im plosion w arhead that reduces the THR of any tar-

get struck by 50 points when determin ing penetrat ion. Range: 8km.Speed: 500m/s.

MK-9b (Reflex Miss i le ): This missi le has a 20% chance to passthrough flux shields unhindered. Supposedly an e-variant exists whichis equip ped with a pri mi tive dispersion un it capable of passing through

arm or and Whe defensive fields. Range: 20k m . Speed: 800m /s.

MK-15 (Reflex Miss i le ): This heavy payload m issi le is designed foruse against hardened targets and vehic les. Range: 100km. Speed:

1,000m/s.

DULWEAPONS

The Dul’s amazingly potent combat matrix abi l i t ies and preference for

melee weapons greatly reduced their advances in weapon d esign. As aresul t , Dul weapon design is decades behind anybody e lse in Zenax.

When the Dul requir e moder n weaponr y, they typical ly pur chase i t fromtheir al l ies, rather than use devices of their own design. The Disrapan

and Razaa bo th have con t rac ts w i th the Du l to p rov ide them w i thweaponry. Regardless, the Dul manage to get a hold of just about any

weapons they need via the Klee.

K LEEANTI-ARMOR PARTICLEBEAMS

These particl e weapons have a unique m echanism, wh ich i s designed to

bypass the arm or of an opponent. ( 0) The part ic les used in theseweapons can harml essly pass though m aterial objects. The amm uniti on

for th is weapon is stor ed in a stasis field, whi ch stabi l izes the amm uni-tion unti l needed. Once they are removed from storage to be fired, theparticl es begin to decay at a set rate and eventual ly explode.

If you know the range to your target and the rate at which the par-ticles decay, you can time the particles to explode just after they pass

through the armor of an opponent, l i tera l ly b lowing h im up from theinside out. I t 's pr esum ed that the Klee have determ ined a way to change

the decay rate of the particles on the fly, thus improving the weapon's

abi l i ty to accurate t ime thei r explosive decay. These w eapons igno

threshold, absorption, and the effects of magnetic disruption.These weapons are designed to slowly discharge their ammunitio

i f the batter ies power ing the ammo “ freezer” begin to run low. Thexp lod ing pa r t i cl es a re ha rmless i f re leased in smal l quan ti t i e

However, i f these weapons are dra ined of power rapid ly, they wiexplode. Multiply remaining shots by the damage of the weapon to g

the damage done by the explosion.These weapon s are often equip ped wi th active sighting d evices tha l l ow the user to target the weapon th rough in te rven ing mater i

ob jects. A smal l 1” d iameter hover ing sensor-sphere moves ( maspeed 50 m/ sec) behind the weapon’s target as a receiver for the activ

sensor beam, and then r adios back the visual im age to the Klee’s scop

Game Notes: These weapons use a com bination of r adar and lase

range finders to determine the exact distance to the target. If properequipped, an enemy m ay be able to p inp oint the f i rer ’s locat ion. I f thweapon can not determ ine the range to the target, i t wi l l im pact the ou

side of the arm or. In thi s case the threshold of the target wil l r educe thdamage done by the weapon. Absorp tion is ignor ed. These weapon s a

treated l ike n orm al part ic le weapons when im pact ing a flux sh ie ld. A

part ic le beams are imm une to the effects of m agnetic d isrupt ion.Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbrance of

fu l l magazine. Klee ant i -arm or part ic le beams cost 1,000 credi ts pe

shot to r eload. Spare m agazines cost 1,500 cr edits and have an encumbrance of 0 .5.

Piercer: Hey, i f you were only 4 feet ta l l , you’d have to g ive youweapons names l ike th is, too. The standard Klee ant i -arm or weapo

the Piercer can pass r ight thr ough even the th ick est arm ors to h i t thsoft, squishy Whe soldier inside. It suffers from an abysmal rate of fi

and a low dam age yield, but i t is sti l l enou gh to mak e most Whe soldienervous. This weapon only has a 50% chance to ignore armor an

other intervening material objects.

Penetrator: Though it has an in creased r ange, damage yield, and ra

of fir e over i ts pr edecessor, the Penetrator has been p lagued by manufactur ing pr oblems and has been s low to m ake i ts appearance on th

battlefield. Once i t is avai lable in sufficient num bers, the Klee wil l equpaid m ercenary snipers with the weapon and send them o n gueri l la r aid

against the Whe garr ison for ces on occup ied planets. This weapon has75% chance to ignore armor and other intervening material objects.

Exploder: A devastatingly effective weapon, the Explod er is feared bthe Whe soldiers who have encountered i t on the battlefield. Watchin

your com patr io ts explode inside thei r armor must be a terr i fy ing sighSince Whe defensive f ie lds are composed of matter , they have n

defense against these weapons. This weapon has a 90% chance tignore arm or and other in tervening mater ia l ob j ects.

KLEE WEAPON




Blaster: The blaster is the curr ent top of the l ine particl e weapon avai l-able to the Klee mil i tary. Unlik e their other weapons, they do no t expor tthis particular model to non-Klee mil i tary personnel for fear a captured

un i t m igh t fal l i n to Whe hands. Th i s weapon has a 99% chance toignore arm or and other in tervening mater ia l ob jects.

Finale: An exper imenta l ant i -armor part ic le beam, the Finale is the

Klee’s secret weapon against the Whe. It has not yet seen combat and issti l l in the developmental ph ase. The Klee plan on com bini ng the FinaleAA partic le cannon with n ew Aktai weaponr y in a futur e assault against

the Whe garr ison tro ops on the i r hom e wor ld . This weapon has a 95%chance to ignore armor and other intervening material objects.

K LEEDUSTGUNS

A revolution in particle weapon technology, the Klee have developed

particl e weapons in whi ch al l of th e atoms vibrate at the exact same fr e-quency and in unison - ca l led a Bose-Einst ien condensate. In th isuniq ue state, the matter stream emitted fr om the weapon behaves much

lik e a laser, punchi ng thr ough even the toughest materials with ease. A

side effect of the weapon is the layer of dust left behind on the target.Despite their benefi ts, these weapons have much shorter ranges thanlasers and ar e muc h heavier. These weapons are far m or e efficient than

Al l iance atomic part ic le weapons and the vo lum e of part ic les ejectedwith each shot is mu ch greater.

Game Notes: These weapons funct ion m uch l ike lasers ( ignor ing

absorpt ion) but do fu l l damage to f lux sh ie lds and heavy armor. Dustguns are not affected by smok e or reflective sur faces. Dust gun attacks

can be deflected by magnetic deflection generator s.Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbrance of a

ful l magazine. Reloads cost 35 credi ts per m agazine. Spare m agazinescost 15 credits and have an encumbrance of 0.5.

Duster: The Duster is one of the m ost comm on Klee dust guns in usetoday. Though it h as a reputation fo r b eing fragi le, the Duster i s a good

all around weapon. It is l ightweight, accurate, and packs a respectablepunch. The gun is named after the thin layer of sodium dust i t leaves

behind on targets.

Buster: The Buster is the favor ed weapon of m ost Klee. When you thinkof the Klee, you usually think of them with one of these in their hands.

The Buster is a ri fle version of the Du ster pistol. Despite the larger size,the weapon actual ly is less accurate than the p isto l vers ion. I t does,how ever, generate a par ticle stream twice as large as the Duster.

Grounder: The Gro under is a dust gun designed for takin g out Whe wear-

ing heavy arm or. The partic le stream generated by this weapon is capableof penetrating anything short of the toughest mechanized battle armor.

Shooter: The Shooter is a massive dust gun designed for taking out top

of the l ine Whe m echanized battle arm or. When the weapon fel l short ofits goal, it was relegated to the role of a heavy suppo rt weapo n. Ir oni cally,

the weapon excels at eliminating just about anything else it hits.

K LEEPARTICLEWEAPONS

The particl e weapon is the weapon system of ch oice for the Klee. Theyexcel a t part ic le weapon technology and employ a number of exot icpart ic les, inc lu d ing ant i -matter , for use as amm uni t ion. Klee part ic le

weapons easi ly out-perform Al l iance weapons and are c loser in com-parison to Arachnid particle weapons.

Game Notes : Klee Particle Weapons are n ot effected b y absor ptionpolym ers. Magnetic disr uptio n negates the effects of this weapon .

Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbrance of afu l l m agazine. Klee part ic le weapons cost 1 cr edi t per shot to r e load.

Spare m agazines cost 15 cr edits and have an encum br ance of 0.5.

Vaporizer: The Klee parti cle weapon i s a pistol-sized device, which isquite small and easi ly concealable. The Klee rely prim ari ly on their par-

t ic le weapons, and the i r designs are super ior in many aspects com-pared to their Al l iance counter-parts. Reduces threshold by 2 points.

Zapper: This Klee part ic le weapon is a large handgun, which is qui tean effect ive weapon. Reduces threshold by 3 points and i s carr ied by

Klee everywhere. Rare ( 05%) vers ions of th is weapon are equippedwith an ammo siphon, which can convert the air into an unl imited sup-

p ly of ammuni t ion.

Death2U: Continu ing the Klee trad i t ion of g iving weapons “ scary”

names in o rde r to s t r i ke fea r i n the i r opponen ts , we end up w i thweapons l ik e the Death2U particle r i fle. Despite i ts som ewhat si l ly name,

th is weapon should not be underestimated. I ts rate of f i re is un prece-dented compared to Al l iance particle weapons, and i t has respectable

range and damage. The particles used in this weapon make it immuneto the effects of magnetic disruptio n. Reduces threshold by 5 poi nts.

Destructor: This state-of-the-art particle rifle exceeds the capabilities ofany All iance partic le weapon. Reduces threshold by 1 0 po ints! Nuff said.

RAZAACONTINUOUSEFFECTDISINTEGRATORS(CED)

Mo st Razaa weapons were o ri ginal ly designed to take out other Razaa,

and these weapons are no exception. In or der to el im inate an oppo nentthat can heal almost as fast as you h ur t him , you have to com e up with

some pr etty devastating weapon systems. Unlik e Al l iance disintegrator s,the Razaa Continuou s Effect D isintegrators ( CEDs) contin ue to attackthe target, for up to what can sometimes be several seconds after the




7BEYOND THE RIFT

ini tial attack. Razaa have been know n to cut o ff a body part to k eep theirentire body from being disintegrated.

Game Notes: *CEDs damage is appl ied d irectly to AI ju st l ike with

nor mal d isintegrator s. CEDs do tripl e damage to or ganic tissue - I sug-gest you do n’ t get h i t by on e. After a h i t , ro l l to determ ine how many

rou nds the target wil l co ntinue to be disintegrated. After the damage l ist-ed for each CED is the maximu m nu mb er of rou nds the weapon wil l con-

tinue to effect i ts target. For exampl e, a CED that does 3-12 x 5 wi l l do3d4 points of damage each round for a maximum of 5 rounds. Afterscor ing a h i t wi th th is d is in tegrator , ro l l 1d6 ( ignor ing ro l ls of 6) to

determin e how m any rounds they wil l contin ue to disintegrate the target.If, for example, you rol l a 4, then 3d4 points of damage wil l appl ied to

the target’s AI or b ody points for four ro unds - includ ing the initial hit.Once an armor sect ion is struck, i t w i l l absorb the damage unt i l i t

is reduced to zero integri ty. Any remaining damage is passed onto thebody area below that arm or section as nor mal. If the disintegrator con -

t inues to damage the next roun d, th is new damage is d iv ided evenlybetween the character’s body poi nts ( and then tri pled) and the AI of anyarm or adjacent to the targeted area.

Flux shields are effected by the initial h it of a CED bu t do n ot suffer

the contin uous attack effect. Whe defensive fields on the other hand aresubject to contin uous disintegration . If a defensive field is total ly disin-tegrated, the rem aining damage is transferr ed to a random area on the

target to spr ead norm ally.CEDs cost 500 credit per shot to reload. Spare batteries cost 10

credits and have an encum br ance equal to the minim um d amage of the

weapon. Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbranceof the battery.

•Example:Acharacter with50bodypointswhoiswearingarmor(AI 5)isstruck

intheleft legbyaCED.Thedisintegratordoes10pointsofdamagefortworounds.

Forthefirstroundthearmorontheleftlegtakes10pointsofdamage.It isreduced

to0,andtheremaining5pointsaretripledandthenappliedtothecharacter’sbody

points. Thisleavesthecharacter with35bodypoints(5x3=15. 50- 15=35).Notethatthecharacter cansavehimself further damagebyseveringhisleft leg

fromhisbody- acommonRazaatactictoavoidtotal disintegration.

Thenextroundthedisintegrator doesanother 10pointsof damage. Half of this

damage(5 points) isappliedtotheabdomenarmor(reducingit tozero)since

it isthebodysectionattachedtotheleft leg. Theother half of thedamage(5

points) istripledandappliedtothecharacter’sbodypointsreducinghiscurrent

bodypointsto20.

Wargun: The first and most popular of the Razaa CEDs, the wargun is asturdy weapon that is capable of vaporizing even the largest Ram Python

in a single shot- the per fect weapon for getting r id of th e pesky r egenerat-ing Razaa. The wargun suffers fro m the same range restrictio ns as all CEDsand is built to take abuse. However, it is quite heavy. Produ ced und er con -

tract by Weapons Developm ent Cor p. for the Razaa governm ent.

Foebender: The foebender is a noted imp ro vem ent over the fir st ge

eration CEDs, at i t has increased power output, but suffers from l imied dur at ion in i ts cont inuous effect. This uni t is a lso equipped w i th

larger power pack. Another WDC weapon.

XG-1: An amazing weapon, thi s CED is capable of hitti ng targets out

50 m eters. In addi t ion , th is incredib ly dur able d isin tegrator is capabo f p u t ti n g o u t h ea vy p o i n t d a ma ge u n d er t h e r i gh t co n d i ti o n

Defensive Systems Engineering corporation beat out WDC for the contract to produce high-yield CEDs for the Razaa government. WDC ha

accused Defensive Systems of steal ing their technology. Whatever thcase, they have obviously prod uced a b etter weapon than any of thWDC mo dels.

BFG-1: The BFG-1 i s another w ell-bui l t Razaa weapon that i s designe

for pro longed d is in tegrat ion of an unfor tunate target. I t has horr ibrange and is quite heavy due to i ts enor mo us power pack. The BFG-1

the Razaa answer to Whe defensive fields. One shot and the defensivf ie ld begins to break down, dur ing which t ime the shooter h ides an

bides h is t ime u nt i l the f ie ld co l lapses. Another d is in tegrator made b

Defensive Systems.

RAZAA PLASMAWEAPONS

Razaa p lasma weapons achieve longer ranges compared to Al l ianc

pulse weapons by fir in g the plasm a encased in a capsule that maintain

the magnetic bottle unti l im pact. The obvious pro blem wi th this methois that you have expensive amm unitio n, wh ich also in cr eases the ove

al l weight of the weapon. In addi t ion, these weapons genera l ly havfewer shots compared to their Al l iance counterparts. Despite this fac

the range benefi ts of these weapons can not be d enied.

Game Notes : Encumbrance l is ted for the weapon includes th

encum br ance of a ful l m agazine. Razaa plasma weapons cost 150 cr ei ts per shot to re load. Spare magazines cost 5 credi ts and have a

encumbr ance equal to the num ber of shots in the weapon ( MagazinENC = Weapons’ Q ) .

TraZa: The TraZa is a comm on p lasma l auncher used by the RazaTraZa translates into “ Death Giver.”

MakZa: The M akZa is the p erfect exampl e of a Razaa weapon: heav

ab le to d i sh ou t p len ty o f damage , and bu i l t to take t remendouamou nts of abuse. MakZa tr anslates into “ Doom Giver.”

RAZAA WEAPON




MigZa: The MigZa is the standard sub-m achine gun equivalent used bythe Razaa. I t ’s l i gh t on damage compared w i th the o the r p lasmaweapons but h as a respectable rate of fi r e. Like al l Razaa weapons, this

one’s name is a promise of a quick death.

TragZa: A massive weapon, the TragZa is able to launch a p lasmacharge the s ize of a vo l leybal l . The weapon is very re l iab le, and you

don’t w ant to be on the business end o f this gun.

TaZiZa: A ful ly automatic plasma launcher, this weapon can empty i ts

magazine in 5 seconds. The translation of TaZiZa is quite offensive andcan’t be listed here without offending any Razaa who might be reading it.

WHEPROJECTILEWEAPONS- PISTOLS

Whe pr o ject i le weapons are designed to use a num ber of specia l ized

pr ojecti les, as the situation r equir es. The Whe never d eveloped subm a-chine guns or shotgun- l ike weapons. Instead, the Whe r e l ied o n spe-

cial ized ammunition to accomplish special ized tasks.

Game Notes: To reduce the number of moving parts and increaseaccuracy, Whe pro jecti le weapons have electric al ly ignited amm uniti on.

The electrical charge is provided via a small , 100-year battery housedin the w eapon. Shou ld the battery be dr ained ( say by a Mu tzachan pi ck -

ing up the weapon) , i t can st i l l be f i r ed in s ingle shot mo de ( ROF 1)and a -05% in al l range brackets.

Encumbrance l isted for the weapon includes the encumbrance of afull m agazine. Spare m agazines cost 1 cred it and h ave an ENC equal to 0.

Tramie: The Tram ie is the standard handgun for fron tline Whe troops. It is

a massive, bulky handgun that has become the trademark of the Whe. AllWhe soldiers are equipped with the Tramie pistol. Typical in Whe design,the weapon trades range for stopping power and increased weight. Like

mo st other Whe firearm s, the Tramie is not the mo st reliable of weapons.

Waks: The Waks is a small , easi ly concealable pistol assigned to theespion age division and non-com bat personnel who m ust enter the com -

bat zone. By Whe standards i t is woefu l ly pathetic but amazingly re l i -able. Many veteran Whe soldi ers request the Waks as a backup weapon.

Dramier: Quintessential Whe design, the Dram ier is al l about overk i l l .This enormous handgun was designed at the request of a famous Whegenera l who fe l t he needed a m ore “ substantia l ” f i rearm. The Whe

weapons designers came up wi th the Dr amier. I t is over 12 inches inlength and com es with an extended barr el and 12x scope. The Drami er

affects heavy arm or.

WHEPROJECTILEWEAPONS- RIFLES

Emis6: The Emis6 is an older, outdated pro jecti le weapon that is beingphased out by the Dr ak1 r i fle but sti l l sees service occasionally. Despitei ts amazing r ange comp ared to the Dr ak1, the Emis has a reputat ion

among Whe sold iers for be ing unr e l iab le and under-powered. In actu-

al fact, the Emis is less rel iable than the Drak1, but i t is nearly impos-sib le for a so ld ier to b reak. I t can f i r e in semi-automatic ( ROF 1) orfu l ly automatic mode.

Drak1: The Drak1 is the main l ine batt le r i f le for the Whe. In typ ica lWhe fashion, i t t rades range for a heavier punch. I t can f i re in semi-

automatic ( ROF 1) or fu l ly automatic m ode.

Drak2: The Dr ak2 i s the heavy battle ri fle used by the Whe. It is loadedwith the infamo us Dagger shel l whi ch is almost an inch in diam eter. The

Drak2 a lso doubles as an ant i -mater ia l r i f le against l ight ly armoredvehic les ( and yes, of course, the rare Ram you m ight encounter) .

Rumo r is that the Whe developed this weapon after their encounter w ith

the Razaa mari nes. The Drak 2 affects heavy arm or.

WHEPROJECTILEWEAPONS- MACHINEGUNS

Drak2A: The machine gun vers ion of the Whe heavy batt le r i f le , theDr ak2A is a heavy weapon that is able to throw out a lot of shel ls fairly

quickly. It has a much longer barrel for better accuracy. The Drak2A iseasi ly reco gnizable by i ts m assive hor izontal ly mo unted m agazine. This

weapon affects heavy arm or.

Machier7: The Mach ier i s famous fo r i ts amazing ra te o f f i re and

inc red ib le range , wh ich pu ts many l ase r weapons to shame. Theweapon has a h istory of be ing incredib ly accurate for i ts type, and

despite i ts weight, many Whe snipers choose to use this weapon. Theweapon w i l l fe tch a smal l for tune on the b lack mark et. I t f i res a medi -

um -sized ro und at an incr edible rate of fi r e. The Machier wi l l eat amm o


WheWeapons

The numbers assigned to each weapon’s name is its version number,

which,oddlyenough, doesnotnecessarily correspondtoeither develop-

ment versionor versions in service. All Wheweaponsand armor are

equippedwithmultiplevideocamerasthattransmit imageseither tothe

user’shelmet visor Heads-Up-Display (HUD) or back tothe field com-mandHQ. Whesoldierscanpoint/hold their weaponsover anobstacle

oraroundacornerandusethecameratolookforthreatswithoutexpos-

ingtheir bodies.

In addition, all Whe weapons that are capable of using specialized

ammunitionallowtheusertoselectthetypeofammunitiontheywantto

use almost instanteously.This assumesthat multiple ammo typesare

alreadyloadedintotheweapon.



7BEYOND THE RIFT

faster than you can feed i t. M ost Whe machin e gun crews are train ed tof i re in short , contro l led bursts. An even rarer ( 10%) vers ion of th isweapon was meant for sn iper work and has a s ing le-shot mode and

+ 05% in al l range br ackets. This weapon affects heavy armo r.

WHEMASSDOUBLERS

The most feared weapon in the Whe arsenal is the in famous MassDoubler . A Mass Doubler is a w eapon that pro jects a sh ie lded pro jec-

ti le at near-l ight speeds toward an unsuspecting target. Able to piercealmost any m ater ia l ob ject i t s tr ik es, the onl y defense against theseweapons is a flux shield.

Like many new weapons in the Whe arsenal, these weapons were

developed using stolen Aktai technolo gy. The M ass Doubl er co mb ines astandard Whe pro jecti le weapon and Whe Wall Gun wi th Aktai shieldingtechnology. The Whe have been attempting to develop a functional near-

light speed projectile for the past twenty years. However, they have beenunsuccessful since Whe shields are ablative and need a constant supplyof energy to be regenerated. However, Aktai shield technology uses non-

ablative, self-sustaining fields which can be used to shield and propel thepro jecti le. Mass Doub lers are sti l l extremely rare in th e Whe arsenal, as

they have not ful ly reverse engineered the Aktai shielding units. As aresult, al l Whe M ass Doubl ers sti l l use stolen Aktai shield generators.

Som e Whe mass doubl ers are equipped with stolen Aktai quantum -tunneling devices that allow the user to see through solid objects to sight

their tar get. These devices are r are but do n ot r equire a r eceiver ( sen-

sor-sphere) to be positioned behind the target as with Klee x-ray scopes.The Whe are cur rent ly developing large-scale Mass Doublers for

use on their spacecraft. Successful attempts to test large-scale massDoub lers have ripp ed the atmo sphere off two Whe weapons test mo ons.

Game Notes: A Mass Doubler pr o ject i le wi l l penetrate near ly anymaterial ob ject i t strik es. Because Mass Doub ler pr ojecti les are moving

so fast and are so small , they can not transfer al l of their impact ener-gy into the target. The damage l isted for a Mass Doubler is appl ied to

al l objects i t strikes. However, i f the projecti le hits a flux field or Aktaienergy f ie ld , mul t ip ly the damage by 10 and apply th is damage to thefield. This is don e because these shields are capable of absorb ing al l of

the projecti le’s energy and thus must bear the ful l brunt of i ts tremen-dous impact. I f the f lux sh ie ld co l lapses, the Mass Doubler ’s normal

damage is applied to the target. ( This method can also be used to deter-mine i f a M ass Doubler pro j ecti le can p ierce a massive target, l ike a

moun ta in or p lanetary body. Fi rst, m ul t ip ly the maximum damage theMass Doubler is capable of by 10. If this number exceeds the AI of theobject, the Mass Doubler wil l pass through the obstruction.)

Remember to apply the damage done by the Mass Doubler projec-tile to ALL inter vening objects, m uch l ik e a grav sheer. For exam ple, if an

arm or ed target is struck , fi rst apply ten tim es the norm al damage to theflux o r energy shield, i f any. If the flux shield col lapses, then apply the

norm al damage to the armor absorpt ion and the target ’s body points.

Final ly, don’t for get to reduce the arm or ’s AI by the appr opr iate amo u

fo r the mode l o f Mass Doub le r used . Mos t Mass Doub le rs reducintegr i ty by two points, but models wi th larger pro ject i les do exis

Plasma shields and Whe d efensive fields take nor mal damage from MaDoublers, but do not protect the user from the projecti le’s penetratio

Disintegration fields have no effect on M ass Doubler pr ojecti les.Mass Doublers use missi le range brackets. Mass Doublers can no

use spec ial i zed ammun i t i on . Encumbrance l i sted fo r the weapoincludes the encumbrance of a fu l l m agazine. Al l Mass Doubler ammis assumed to h ave cost per shot equal to the m aximu m damage of th

weapon m ultipl ied by 1,000. Spare magazines are not avai lable.

DY8: This massive ri fle is designed to be ancho red to a suit of m echnized armor ( body mounted) and carried onto the battlefield by a sin

g le so ld ier . The Whe typ ica l ly arm these sold iers wi th supplementweapons on qui ck d raw har nesses to use while they are waiting for th

BY8 to r echarge between shots.

K e m d e 3 : The Kemde3 is general ly carried onto the battlefield by tw

sold iers. Once i t is set up, on ly one sold ier is requi red to man th

weapon. The Kem de3 is equipped with a 1,000 po int defensive field foprotection against enemy fire. The soldier can create a gun port in thf ie ld that he can f i r e through or l i tera l ly shoot holes in h is ow n f ie

with the Mass Doubler. Since the dam age done b y the Mass Dou bler a non-f lux sh ield i s negl ig ib le , most Whe sold iers opt for the seconoption. The Kemde3 is equipped with a long-range 100x optical targe

ing system.

KuD9: The Kud9 is a super-heavy duty Mass Doubler designed to takout lar ge gro ups of arm or ed troo ps. Its relatively fast rate of fi re ( for

Mass Doubler) and h igh damage potent ial m ake i t ideal for taking otroops and equipm ent from long range. The Kud9 is one of the m o

feared weapons in the Whe arsenal . I t comes equipped wi th a 300poin t defensive field and i s general ly crewed by two m en, though a sigle individual can fire i t.

WHERAILGUNS

The rai l gun was one of the first successful attempts by the Whe to cr

a te a hyper-ve loc i ty weapon . Whe r a i l guns a re smal l er than thAll iance-created relatives, the gauss weapons. Rail guns work by pr

pel l ing a ferr ous s lug down ra i ls using a l ternat ing m agnetic f ie lds p rope l the p r o jec ti l e . Ra i l guns have severa l benef i ts i nc lud inincr eased range over tr aditional pr ojecti le weapons. Additional ly, sinc

the ammuni t ion conta ins no propel lant, i t is much l ighter . The Whhave developed specialized payloads capable of surviving the massive

for ces generated by being fired out of o ne of these weapons.Unl ike most other Whe weapons, the i r ra i l guns are remarkab

rel iable. Rail guns are the preferred weapons of Whe snipers. Capab

WHE WEAPONS



7BEYOND THE RIFT

WHEVEHON

The Whe mil itary emplo yees a myr iad of special pur pose Personal Defense

Projectiles called Vehon. The Vehon is an aerodynamic disk that can bethrown l ike a grenade or set in place l ike a mine. Vehon can contain a

numb er o f special ized p ayloads including smok e, acid, and even explo-sives. In addition, Vehon come with an equally large selection of detona-

tion methods and anchors that allow them to adhere to various surfaces.

Game Note s: Vehon are avai lable with the same special ized amm u-nition types as Whe projecti le weapons. The Vehon 1 can be thrown a

max imum o f 1 /3 o f one ’ s s t reng th i n me te rs . The Vehon 2 can bethro wn a maxim um o f 1/4 of one’s strength in meters. The Vehon 3 can

be thrown a maximum of 1/6 of one’s strength in m eters.

*TechLevel andAvailabilityvarieswithproximityfuseandanchor type.Usethe

highestTLandAVratingofthefuseandanchor usedfortheVehonbeingmade.

Proximity Fuse : A Vehon w ith thi s fuse is equip ped with a m otio n detec-

tor. Any object that comes within 5 meters of the Vehon detonates thedevice. The user h as 5 seconds to cl ear the area after arm ing the device.

Timer: A tim er deton ator can be set for b etween 5 seconds and 72 ho ur s.

Impact Fuse: After arm ing the device, this fuse wil l detonate the Vehon

after a violent im pact.

Pressure Fuse: After arming the device, pressure on the Vehon wil l

cause i t to detonate. The pr essure sensitive fuse wil l detonate when th eweight on the Vehon exceeds detonation w eight. The detonation weight

can be set for any weight between 10 and 300 ki lograms.

Metal Detector Fuse: This fuse will detonate the Vehon if a metallic objectcomes within 5m. The Vehon will not arm if a metal object is within 5m.

Magnetic Anchor: A Vehon wi th this anchor can be attached to a m etallic

object. A powerful electromagnet will anchor the Vehon for 3 hours beforelosing power. A -150 penalty is applied to any strength checks to remove

the Vehon. This Vehon is detectable wi th energy sensor s. This anchor canbe activated im mediately or with a 1-second delay for thr own Vehon.

Sticky Anchor: A uniq ue adhesive al low s this Vehon to be attached t

any surface even while underwater. The Vehon can easily be removed banyone that finds i t. This anchor can be activated im medi ately or wi th

1-second delay for thrown Vehon.

Bio-Bond Anchor: This Vehon can b e perm anently bonded to any l ii ng o rgan ic ma t te r , i nc lud ing sk in . The Vehon must be cu t ou t t

rem ove it. This anchor can be activated imm ediately or w ith a 1-secondelay for thrown Vehon.

Material-bond Anchor: This Vehon has the same effect as the Biobond Anchor but only sticks to inorganic materials. This anchor can b

activated immediately or with a 1-second delay for thrown Vehon.

WHEAMMUNITION

Th is amm un i t i on works i n Whe p ro jec ti l e weapons ( r i f l es, p i sto lmachineguns) and ra i l guns, un less noted otherwise in the weapondescr ip t ion. These ro unds m odi fy the effects of the weapon b ut hav

tradeoffs in other areas. Encumbrance l isted is for 50 rounds.

WHE AMMUNITION

STANDARD AMMUNITION ENC AV COST

Drak1 4 P 8

Drak2 12 UC 60

Drak2A 12 UC 60

Dramier1 10 R 45

Emis6 3 P 7

JDU6 20 R 20

Machier7 10 R 45

Mazz3 2 R 8

Tramie8 2 P 8

Ud9 1 R 7 Waks4 1 UC 6

XK8 2 VR 350

Yulu7 3 UC 8

WHE AMMUNITION PG. 71

SPE CI ALI ZED AMMUNI TI ON ENC T L AV COS T

Acid - 4 UC x1.5 per box

Anti-personnel +1 3 C x7 per box

Chemical attack - 3 R x10 per box

Concussion - 3 C x7 per box

Disintegration +2 5 VR x20 per box

Incendiary - 3 UC x7 per box Flash - 4 UC x10 per box

Freezer - 6 R x12 per box

Glue - 4 R x8 per box

Hologram - 5 VR x15 per box

Nuclear - 5 VR x1000 per roun

Petrifaction +2 6 VR x10 per box

Smoke - 2 P x0.5 per box

Sonic Blast +1 4 R x1.5 per box

StarShot +2 4 VR x15 per box

Surgeon - 4 R x5 per box

WHE SPECIALIZED AMMUNITION

FUSES TL AV COST

ImpactFuse 3 P x1

Metal Detector Fuse 3 R x3

Pressure Fuse 2 UC x1

Proximity Fuse 4 VR x5

Timer 2 P x1

WHE FUSES

ANCHOR TL AV COST

Magnetic Anchor 3 UC x2Sticky Anchor 4 UC x2

Bio-Bond Anchor 5 VR x5

Material-bond Anchor 6 VR x10

WHE ANCHORS




When determin ing avai lab i l i ty of specia l ized amm uni t ion, use therar est avai labi l i ty rating between the standard and special ized version sof the ammo you want. The cost of standard am mun i t ion is m ul t ip l ied

by the cost of any special ized am mu nition chosen. The ENC value l istedfor the special ized ammunition is added to the ENC of the standard 50

round weight for that ammo type/size.

Acid: This round does double in tegr i ty damage but is nu l l i f ied com-pletely by corrosive protection. It does normal damage to flesh.

Anti-personnel: This explosive roun d is designed to dam age soft tis-sue. It does + 3 po ints of dam age to soft targets, but add two p oints to

any arm or threshold when determ in ing damage.

Che mical Attack: This round expl odes on contact with a sol id sur facereleasing a chemical-laden cloud that irr i tates the skin and can cause

tempo rar y bl ind ness. The target is enti tled to a SMR vs. Chemi cal withthe dam age done by the r ound as the penalty to the SMR. A successful

SMR means the target can i gnore the effects.Damage from the chemi cal is subtracted from the target’s AGL and all

ski l l checks for the duration of the chemical ’s effects. If the eyes areexposed to the chemical, double the damage done by the round and sub-tract it fr om the target’s visual mo difier. These effects last 1d4 m inutes and

can not be countered by rinsing the effected area with water. However, acoun ter-agent is available to Whe soldier s that reduces the duration o f the

bl inding and burn ing effects by half. The diameter of the chemi cal-ladencloud ( in centimeters) is equal to damage multiplied by 3.

Concuss ion Rounds: Designed to affect arm or ed oppon ents. Damageis translational and ignores threshold.

Disintegrator Rounds: These rounds do double damage to organic tis-

sue. If the round hits armo r, all damage is applied to the arm or’s integrity.

Incendiary: Reduces arm or th reshold b y 1 and + 1 to dam age. Wil l setf lammable mater ia ls wi th in 1 meter on f i r e .

Flash: The flash round blinds anyone who fails an SMR check vs. Radiationattack. The damage done by the round is subtracted from the character’s

SMR as a penalty. The bigger the r ound , the bigger the flash. The r ange ofthe flash ( in m eters) is equal to the damage done by the weapon.

Freezer: The freezer r oun d has the same effects as a fro st gun ( Lock -N-

Load) . If th e SMR vs. Cold is failed, lose an amou nt of Agility equal to h alfthe damage done by the attack ( rou nd up) unti l the arm or thaws out.

Glue: The effects of this rou nd is simi lar to a web generator. The areahi t is immobi l ized and may be stuck to nearby objects. The damage

done by the weapon is subtracted from the STR of the target whenattemp ting to escape. Alternati vely, the BM m ay use the results for a Web

Generator ( Lock-N-Load) h i t for mor e real ism.

Hologram: This round emits a pre-pr ogramm ed holographic im age just

above the round for a length of time ( in m inutes) equal to the maximumdamage. The hologram can have an apparent size ( in cubic meters)

equal to the maximum damage of the weapon.

Nuclear: Multip ly the damage done by the weapon by 100, mini mu m o f 10HP. The range of the blast ( in m eters) is equal to damage done by the rou ndmu ltiplied by 10. A rou nd wi ll not detonate if it impacts a target closer than

range bracket 6. The Whe use nuclear munitions in place of the heavyweapons used by Al l iance personnel. Though much less discriminating

than say an abom ination I I om ega weapon, they are no less effective.

Petrifaction: This rou nd covers the target in a r ig id , op aque, stone-l ike mater ia l . The amount of square meters that is covered wi th th is

materi al is equal to the damage done by the weapon divided by 10. Th e

integrity of the m ateri al is equal to the damage done by the weapon. Thethreshold of this m ateri al is 8. Though th e target encased by the mate-

ri al is not harm ed, they wil l eventual ly suffocate. It is unl ik ely the victimwi l l b e able to break free from thei r shel l as i t is very tough. In addi -

tion, there is no room to move inside the shel l so i t is difficult to strikeit with any force. Without a weapon in hand to cut the shel l the victim

mu st make a STR check at -120 to free themselves. This check can onlybe made once. Damage from addi t ional petr i f icat ion rou nds add to theintegrity of the material created during the first hit. Threshold does not

increase wi th mul t ip le h i ts .

Smoke: This roun d functi ons the same as the Smo ke Generator r oundfor M ag guns ( Lock-N-Load) . The diameter of the clo ud ( in m eters) i s

determined by the damage done by the weapon. Divide the damage by5 to de te rmine the l ength o f t ime the c loud w i l l l ast ( i n m inu tes) .Duration varies with weather conditions at the BM’s discretion.

Sonic Blast: This round functions the same as the Super Sonic Pulse

roun d for Mag guns ( Lock-N-Load) . The s ize of th is r ound does noteffect the SMR check .

Starshot Ammo : Original ly developed as an anti-armor round for use

against p ersonnel , th is round has found i ts way in to the Whe special -

ops troops for a more sadistic role in combat. The StarShot ammo wasdesigned as a response to the low ki l l rates of standard Whe projecti le

weapons against arm or ed personnel. The StarShot is an arm or-pier cingpro ject i le that contains mul t ip le secondary muni t ions inside a pr im ary

shell . The num ber o f second ary mu nition s varies with the type and sizeof the round used. Ho wever, these muni t ions genera l ly are min iature,

low-speed r ockets wi th explosive warheads. Once the m ain pr o ject i lep ierces the armor, the secondary muni t ion rock ets are s imu l taneouslylaunched f rom the ma in she l l . Unab le to p iece the a rmor f rom the

inside, these rockets l i tera l ly bounce around the inside of the armorunti l they lodge in an extremity. Once there, they explode. The tissue

damaged caused fr om the combi nat ion of these “ bor in g” rock ets andtheir w arheads al l but guarantees a disabled oppon ent.

Lately, the Whe spec-ops tr oops have been using a mo dified versionof the StarShot round cal led the “ sufferer” , which does not launch i ts

secondary muni t ions unt i l the target attempts to move. Once h i t thero und emi ts a tel l tale hum , which lets the unfortu nate victim k now wh athas hit him. When attempting to break into an enemy faci l i ty, the Whe

wi l l b l ock comm unicat ions and im mob i l ize the guards wi th these spe-cial ized StarShot rounds. This way the guards must remain motionless

at their post, giving the appearance that nothing is wrong. By the timethe intern al faci l i ty secur ity real izes why the guards are at their posts but

not responding to radio cal ls, i t is too late.




7BEYOND THE RIFT

Multiple versions of the StarShot round exist. The Whe have alsodeveloped a round that al lows marchin g guards to cont inue to walk apre-designated r oute wi thout exploding. Addi t ional ly, many Whe spe-

cia l -ops teams, i f g iven the proper t ime, wi l l record guard radio trans-missions and r epeat these tr ansmissions i f the guards are contacted

after they are immobil ized.

Game Notes: After th e initial im pact of the StarShot r ound , any move-

ment by the target will cause the secondary projectiles to fire. 1d4 projec-ti les wil l b e launched ( random hit locations) i gnoring arm or. Each pr o- jec ti le wi ll do 1/ 2 th e d am age no rm al ly cau sed by th e w eapon . ( Rum or s

abound th at a vari ant of the round exists that will l aunch an additio nal twoprojectiles doing 1/4 damage if the target continues to move) .

Surgeon: The surgeon ro und i s an insidi ous weapon designed to tie up

the resources of the enemy. The round is designed to wound an oppo-nent rather than k i l l h im . I t does normal damage for determin ing pen-

etration bu t only half dam age to soft tissue. In add ition , i t is designed tolodge in the v ict im rather than pass through h im. When the round isremoved from the victim, i t has an 80% chance to detonate, doing 2d8

points of damage to everything within a 2 meter radius. No one knows

what tr iggers the round’s detonat ion. I t could be movement, contactwi th m etal surg ica l too ls, or exposure to a i r . The s ick jok e is that thesurgeon roun d was named after i ts in tended target. Using th is r ound,

the Whe have removed a so ld ier from the combat zone, t ied up twoother sold iers who h ave to carr y him o ff the battlefield, and have a goodchance of ki l l ing a highly-trained surgical team to boot.

ARMOR

Unlike Al l iance armors, each suit of armor produced in Zenax wil l usu-

a l ly come wi th a helmet designed for use wi th that part icu lar su i t o farmor. The helmets have the same ELE, EMP, FIR, CLD, and CRT statis-

tics as the armored suit to which they are matched. Al l helmets should

be assumed NOT to be open face unless the d escr ip t ion speci f ica l lystates otherwise. The stats for al l armor l isted in this section are for aSize Class 4 suit.

Remember that to ta l AR and AI of the arm sect ion of the arm or is

divided equally between the arm and wing for Disrapan armor.

Aktai ArmorThe Ak ta i typ i cal l y do no t wear a rmor bu t r e l y on a com b inat i on o f

Energy and Flux sh ield ing to p rotect them d ur ing co mbat. I f the Aktaineeds to use arm or opt ions, they can be attached to e i ther an arm or

belt ( space 20) or a backp ack/ harn ess ( space 40) . If the Aktai needsto be “ su i ted up” to m ount m ul t ip le opt ions for ser iou s combat, they

wil l wear a protective armor suit with the fol lowing stats.

Aktai Armo r: The standar d issue Aktai ar m or real ly serves mor e as asubstructure for mou nting armor opt ions than for protect ion. I t has l i t -

tle potential for absor bing con cussive blows and sti l l rel ies on flux tech-nology for p rotect ion against mor e mo dern weaponr y. The sui t has arespectable threshold, whic h can help stop enemy fire that breaches the

Aktai ’s protective shields. The suit can be environmental ly sealed at amom ent’s not ice and com es standard wi th cor rosive protection. Akta i

armor ed sui ts can be equipped wi th twice the num ber of arm or op t ions( double to ta l space) norm al ly al lowed for a su i t o f arm or of i ts s ize.

Mo st Aktai arm or ed suits com e with a wide variety of sensor s and sca

ning equipment. The suit is, of course, highly customizable in appeaance. The suit has a helm et with the fol l owin g statistics: THR 12, AI 2

AR 10, and an ENC of 2.

CedeunArmorAl l su i ts of Cedeun arm or can be modi f ied for work in a gravi ty env

ro nm ent, l ik e on the surface of a planet. These suits cost twice as mu cas an equiva lent Zero-G m odel . In addi t ion, the avai lab i l i ty should b

increased one level , making a G-equipped sui t more d i f f icu l t to f inHigh-G sui ts have four mechanica l legs that suppor t the Cedeun an

give i t a movement r ate equal to 8/8/ 64. The Cedeun’s body does nextend into the legs, so weapon hits that penetrate the leg armor doenot do body dam age. The AI and AB l isted for the leg section is divide

by two to determine the AI and AB for each mechanica l leg. I f thCedeun purchases standard armor there are no leg sect ions. High-

suits add 2 to the Cedeun’s size class when determ inin g bonu ses to hthe Cedeun. If the suit loses one leg i t’s movement rate is reduced b

half. Losing two legs makes the suit immobile.

Environm ental Suit: The Cedeun env i ronmen ta l su i t i s a l i gh tarmor ed sui t wi th bui l t in envi ronm ental conta inment. As Cedeun r e

pr im ar i ly on f lux sh ields for protect ion, the Envi ronm ental Sui t is realy meant to keep out the air and pr essure that is harm ful to these cretur es. Even though the Cedeun are accustomed to wo rk ing in a weigh

less vacuum, the i r envi ronm ental su i ts are m ade to be l ightweight, case the Cedeun i s fo rced to en te r a g rav ity envi ronmen t . Th

Environmental Suit includes a helmet with the fol lowing statistics: TH8, AI 6, AR4 and an ENC of 5.

Environmental Suit 2 (Heavy Armor): The Envir onm ental Suit 2 a more heavi ly armored version of the basic environmental suit. Unlik

the basic suit, this version is made to endure the rigors of combat ancan take substantial ly more punishment. Like the basic Environment

Sui t ( and a l l heavy armor ) , th is vers ion includes envi ronmenta l conta inment. The Envi ronm ental Sui t 2 inc lu des a helmet wi th the fo l low

ing statistics: THR 11, AI 20, AR10 and an ENC of 10.

CEDEUN ARMOR



7BEYOND THE RIFT

Stealth Suit (Heavy Armor): This state-of-the-art armor houses aCedeun cloaking device. The frag i le c i rcu i try that runs the c loaking

device runs from head to toe in the su i t and has been known to befinick y. Wh en activated, the Stealth Suit generates a -100 ECM penalty

and is completely invisible ( -160 to sighting checks) . These sighting andECM penalties are reduced by half in the atmosphere. In addition, thesui t wi l l on ly funct ion for a short t ime ( 5 r ounds) before the c loaking

device shor ts out and has to be r ebuil t. Because the suit w as designedfor wor k i n space, it is very heavy. The Stealth Suit in clu des a helm et with

the fol lowi ng statistics: THR 20 , AI 40 , AR25 and an ENC of 12.

Heavy Suit (Heavy Armor): An antiquated suit used by the Cedeunbefore the development of flux technology, the Heavy Suit is made to sur-

vive mino r im pacts fro m hi gh-speed space debri s. Made for the vacuum ofspace, the H eavy Suit i s huge, clun ky, and heavy. For all in tents and pur -poses the Heavy Suit i s too h eavy to be u sed u nder the pul l of gravity. It is

designed for m inin g work in astero id belts and has num erous storage baysfor tools and other equipment. The Heavy Suit includes a helmet with the

follow ing statistics: THR 50, AI 5 0, AR25 and an ENC of 12.

DisrapanArmor

Disrapan arm or is designed to be l ightweight, dur able, and laser r esis-tant. A small layer of a highly reflective material is hidden just under-neath the polymer shel l that covers the armo r. Any laser that pi erces the

po lymer she l l h i ts the l ase r re f l ec t i ve ma ter i a l and i s, hope fu l l y,bounced off the armor.

Because most Disrapan want to be able to fly in combat, they prefer

l ight or no armor and rely prim ari ly on Flux technology for protection. Al lDisrapan helmets are equipped with anti-bli ndin g mechanisms that protect

the user fr om being blinded by br ight light. These devices, when they work ,are effective against blinding lasers, UV scramblers, IR strobes, Cedeun

light-based attacks and weapons, and similar devices. Threshold forDisrapan suits is listed in the following for mat THR #/# , for exampl e, THR15/ 20. The second nu mb er is the suit's threshold verses Laser weaponr y.

L-DA: L-DA or Light-Duty armor is a very l ight weight, polymer-basedarmor des igned fo r the D is rapan mi l i ta ry by D is rapan Armor Corp( DAC) , a subsidiary of the Trade Consortium Weapons Division. The

armor does not cover the Disrapan wi ngs and is l ight enough that theuser can st i l l f ly unaided. The armor has a threshold of 4 against a l l

non- laser attacks and a threshold of 7 verses lasers. I n addi t ion, i tsnon-meta l compos i t i on makes i t res i s tan t to Mag Gun rounds and

Attractor-Repr essor s. Mag Gun r ound s have only a 25% ch ance to stickto th is armor, and AR beams do one quarter of the i r nor mal damage.This arm ored sui t a lso includes a 6 shot arm rock et rack ( arm rock ets

not inc lud ed) . This armor includes an op en-face helmet wi th a bui l t -visor dimmer to prevent bl inding ( 65% effective) . The helmet has th

fol lo wing statistics: THR 4/7 , AI 8, AR 6 and an ENC of 1.

M-DA: Ano the r DAC des ign , the M-DA o r Med ium-Du ty Armor designed for Disrapan combat personnel. The armor covers the wingwi th a th in po lymer f i lm that is re in forced at the jo in ts. The armor

heavier than the L-DA but sti l l l ight enough to al lo w fl ight. The armo r h aa threshold of 6 against al l non-laser attacks and a threshold of 12 v

lasers. The armor’s partial non-metal composition makes i t resistant tMag Gun ro unds and Attractor-Repressors. Mag Gun r ounds have only

50% c hance to stick to this armo r, and AR beams do half-damage. Tharmor includes a ful l coverage helmet with a camera-based optics sy

tem ( 20x zoom) , which is 100% effective in preventing the effects obl ind ing lasers and simi lar attacks. This arm or ed suit also incl udes a 1shot arm r ock et rack ( arm roc kets not included) .The helmet has the fo

lowin g statistics: THR 6/ 12, AI 8, AR 10 and an ENC of 2.

H-DA (Heavy Armor) : Most Disrapan wil l forgo using heavy armor at al l possible. Its size and weight el iminates one of their best advantages: the abi l i ty to fly. To account for this, the Disrapan mil i tary com

m issioned D AC to bui l d a suit of heavy arm or that would al low the useto f ly u sing h is wings. After 5 years of t ry ing, DAC concluded that

coul dn’t be don e. So they created the next best thing. The cur rent H- Darm or al l ows the Disrapan to use their wings to steer and m aneuver th

suit in fl ight, but pr opul sion is provided by a series of sm all roc kets thcover the su i t . This arm ored sui t a lso includes a 6 shot r ef lex m issi

DISRAPAN ARMOR

ARMOR INTEGRITY ARMOR ABSORPTION

TYPE THR CHEST A BD ARMS LEGS C HEST A BD ARMS LEGS E NC ELE EMP FIR CLD TL AV COST

Tracklar 3 20 20 10 20 6 6 3 6 9 - - 60 60 4-5 VC 450

Akfu 5 24 24 12 24 10 10 5 10 12 - 30 45 45 4-5 P 3000

Nak 7 40 40 20 40 30 30 15 30 20 90 70 85 80 4-5 R 95,000

Duy 11 50 50 25 50 100 100 50 100 30 100 90 90 100 5-6 UC 450,000 Jduy 25 100 100 50 100 100 100 50 100 4 100 100 100 100 6-7 UC 1.0M

Yun 75 500 500 250 500 500 500 250 500 4 100 100 100 100 6-7 VR 15.0M

WHE ARMOR PG. 82




rack ( reflex m issi les not inclu ded) .The rack has a Thr eshold of 15 andcan fire up to 3 m issi les simul taneously.

Mag Gun r ounds are only 75% effective against th is su i t , but AR

beams do ful l d amage. The H-DA helm et includes the same optics pack -age as the M-DA but also includes passive IR capabil i t ies. The helmet

has the fol lowi ng statistics: THR 12/15 , AI 10, AR 30 and an ENC of 3.

SH-DA (Mechanized Armor) : A Disrapan armor builder, DAC has out-done themselves with their newest, state-of-the-art suit: the Super heavy-

duty Armor ed Suit. Thanks to i ts internal A-grav system and ultra-l ight,

mechanically articulated fram e, the SH-DA allows the user to fly with a m in-im um of assistance from the SH-DA’s ro cket pack . The suit includes a built

in 20 H P flux shield, r adar ( 10 mile r ange) , a rock et rack ( 4 Disrapan armro ckets) , and is capable of r eaching speeds of up to 50 0m ph using ro cket

assisted flight. The suit’s helmet includes the same optics as the H-DA, plusa long-range targeting system ( + 10 to missile attacks) linked to a HIC sys-

tem. The SH-DA armor is just beginning to rol l off the production l ine.Som e of the suit’s critics wor ry that there m ay still b e a few bugs left in thiscomplicated armor system to work out. This armored suit also includes a

12 shot reflex missile rack ( reflex missiles not included) . The rack has a

Threshold of 30 and can fire up to 6 missiles simultaneously. The helmethas the followin g statistics: THR 25 /30 , AI 12 , AR 50 and an ENC of 4.

Dul ArmorSince Dul are fiercely indi vidual istic and they have no standing mi l i tary,

suits are often customized to suit the wearer. In additio n, mo st Dul pre-fer to go wi thout armor, r e lying on the i r m atr ix and mart ia l ar ts abi l i -

ties to keep them o ut of harm ’s way. Only when the Dul war ri or expectsto encounter f ierce resistance wi l l he don armor. The armors l is tedbelow are examples of what characters are l ike ly to encounter when

dealing with or playing a Dul character. As pr eviously mentio ned, theseexamples are b y no means exhaust ive and l i tera l ly hundreds of o ther

varieties of armor exist for the Dul.

Chest Plate: If a Dul wants a bit of extra pr otection, he wil l often weara s imple chest p la te. This arm or provides only part ia l coverage, pro-

tecting only the chest and abdom en.

Ceremonial Armor: If you wantto look good on the batt le f ie ld ,you better buy a suit of ceremo-

nia l armor. This arm or is hand-crafted by talented arm or smiths,

highly ornate, and decorated withthe symbol of your family and l i fe

p a th ( s) . Th e a rmo r i s o f te nb r ight l y co lo red and comp letewith must-have accessories like a

cape or other su i tab le fashionstatement. The ceremonia l su i t

comes comp le te w i th a real l yfancy helmet, which has the fol-

low ing statistics: THR 5, AI 12, AR10 and an ENC of 3.

Armored Suit: This formfitting, lightweight armored suit can take a beat-ing and is far more functional than ceremonial armor. It too comes in avariety of color s. Fl ight systems are a m ust have for most Dul and com e

half price when purchased with this suit. Helmet stats: THR 9, AI 16, AR20 and an ENC of 4.

Soul Prism: Soul-armor is one of the most powerful and sought after

ar t i facts in a l l o f Zenax. When a powerfu l Dul warr ior is near death,sometimes he wil l use the Soul Bind matrix to inhabit a nearby materi-a l ob ject ( usual ly a su i t o f arm or or a melee weapon) . The warr ior ’s

soul r esides inside the object unti l i t is destro yed, and the soul i s freed.In some cases, the warr ior ’s soul has been impr isoned in a mater ia l

ob ject by a powerfu l foe. In e i ther case, the person generat ing thematr ix wi l l o f ten choose the h ighest qu al i ty i tem avai lab le, but some-

t imes choices are l imi ted.Anyone touching Soul Prism armor can telepathical ly communicate

wi th the soul that resides wi th in , should the soul wish to converse.Remember that the warr ior ’s soul may not l ik e you or be ecstatic abouthis present conditio n. The soul can im bue the user of the armor with i ts

power points and matri x abi l i t ies as long as the recipient is in or touch-

ing the armor. I n addition , the soul can r elate any of i ts mem ori es to thearm or ’s user should i t desire to do so. This might include instructing theuser in ski l ls of whic h that soul has know ledge. There have been ru mo rs

of power ful Soul ar mo rs actual ly takin g over the m ind of the suit’s wear-er in order to carry o ut some plan requi r ing a physica l body. See theMatr ix chapter of th is book for m ore in form ation on th is top ic.

KleeArmorBecause of the Klee’s neutr al status and lack of enem ies, very little m oneywas spent on m il i tary R&D. As a result, Klee arm or is years behind m uch

of their o ther technology, despite the comp etition between arm or designfirm s. The Klee’s cur rent nom adic nature and lack of r esour ces have not

helped the developm ent of their weapons and arm or.Like Klee weapons, there wer e dozens of com peting com panies that

created arm or for the Klee mil i tary before the exi le. Cur rently, few if anyarmor design companies exist. Designs and specifications vary widelyamon g arm or, but for th e most part Klee arm or i s typical ly heavy for i ts

s ize and trades threshold for absorpt ion regard less of m anufacturer .The suits l isted here are the ones that wil l be most commonly encoun-

tered ( mo st are standard m il i tary issue) bu t repr esent only a small fr ac-tion of tho se avai lable to the Klee.





Battlesuit (Heavy Armor): The Battlesuit is general ly reserved forheavy com bat tro ops. It has a decent threshold but is heavy and lack s suit-ab le absorpt ion for the punishment i t is l ike ly to take from Razaa

weaponry. However, the Batt lesui t does com e wi th a one-time useDisplacement device with a range of 200 meters. This arm or includes a

helm et with the fol low ing statistics: THR 10, AI 12 , AR 8 and an ENC of 6.

Warsuit (Mechanized Battle Armor): The warsuit was the first suitof armor developed by the Razaa with strength enhancing capabil i t ies.

The actuators in the suit were not intended to l ighten the suit but r atherto help support the weight of newer and heavier weapons being devel-

oped. Bui l t by Hakida Armor, th is armo r i ncludes a helmet wi th the fo l -lowi ng statistics: THR 15, AI 20, AR 25 and an ENC of 8.

Command Suit (Mechanized Battle Armor): Bui l t on the Warsui tchassis, the Comm and Sui t is reserved for h igh-ranking off icers w ho

wish to enter the batt le zone. Occasional ly i t is g iven to outstandingRazaa warriors. This armor includes a helmet with the fol lowing statis-

tics: THR 28, AI 3 0, AR 45 and an ENC of 12 .

WheArmorTracklar: The Tracklar is the standard armor ed sui t for l ight com bat

duty. It is comfor table and can easi ly be strip ped down to i ts com ponentparts. For instance, i f a so ld ier on ly wants an armored vest, he can

remove the leg and arm armor leaving just the chest plate. This al lowsfor sold iers to wear as m uch or as l i tt le arm or as they want. Despite i ts

versati l i ty, the Tracklar is on ly l ight du ty armor and can’ t take m uchpunishment before fo ld i ng. The Tracklar in c ludes a l ightweight he lmetwith a r emovable faceplate and the fol lo wing statistics: THR 5, AI 10, AR

4, and an ENC of 2.

Akfu: The Akfu arm or is the main l ine, fu l l -body arm ored sui t gearedfor m edium du ty. When an opponent th inks of a Whe, the Akfu ar moris what most people p ictur e. This is what the major i ty of Whe sold iers

wear when not destined for the front l ines. The Akfu includes a helmetwith th e fol low ing statistics: THR 7, AI 12, AR5 and an ENC of 3.

Nak (Heavy Armor) : Nak is the Whe assault arm or designed for short

engagements where h igh power weapons are expected. Many Whestr ik e teams wear Nak arm or. The Nak armor is famous for the bui l t in

talons in the right gauntlet and the detachable laser sword, which canbe anchored in var ious p laces on the outs ide of the su i t . The Nak

inclu des a helm et with the fol lo wing statistics: THR 10, AI 20, AR 15 andan ENC of 5.

Duy (Heavy Armor) : The Duy armor is designed for front-l ine heavy

combat uni ts in long-term com bat. I t comes complete wi th an in ternalnutr ient d ispenser and waste processor for pro longed stays in the

arm or. It also features a searchl ight mo unted on the should er. The Duyinclu des a helm et with the fol lo wing statistics: THR 15, AI 25, AR 50 and

an ENC of 6.

Jduy (Mechaniz ed Battle Armor) : The Jduy is the heavier ver sion o fthe Duy armor, com plete wi th mechanized endoskeleton. Whe m ar inesthat are assigned a suit of Jduy armo r serve as a walk ing weapons pl at-

form. General ly suits of Jduy are deployed in teams as heavy fire sup-port or as escorts for vehicles. The Jduy has the same features as the

Duy arm ors. The Jduy includ es a helmet wi th the fo l lowing stat ist ics:THR 25, AI 2 5, AR50 and an ENC of 8.




8BEYOND THE RIFT

Yun (Mechanized Battle Armor): The Yun a rm or i s a b rand newarm or ed suit, which has just recently started to see service. Unti l i ts fi rstrecorded appearance, many had speculated that the Whe were not

capable of producing such an impressive armored sui t . I t is so largethat the soldier’s l im bs only extend about half way into th e appendages.

The Yun ar mo r i s easi ly recognizable buy i ts dom e- shaped helm et andbulky appearance. The Yun is a very r are p iece of hard ware, and any

soldier weari ng i t wi l l be arm ed to the teeth. The Yun includ es a helmetwith th e fol low ing statistics: THR 50, AI 50 , AR100 and an ENC of 10.

ARMOR OPTIONS

The fol lowing armor options are avai lable to any race, at the BM’s dis-

c re ti on . ( The fo l l ow ing l i s t o f a rmor op t i ons a re i den t i ca l to thei rA l l i ance coun te rpa r ts. ) Ab lat i ve L iner , A l time te r, Au to -Doc , Au to

Inj ector, Bod y Flares, Camouflage Unit, Carr ying Case, Comb at Shield,Cor ro sive Protection, Di splacement Device, Emer gency Exit, Emergency

Ejection, Gil ls, Grappling Hoist, Gyro Stabi l izers, HIC, Hover Jets, IRDamp ener, IR Di scrim inator, I nsulation ( EM P) , Jet Pack s, Laser Shield,

O2 Supply, Protect ion ( a l l ) , Quick Draw, QSU, Rad-L iner, Shie ld,Skaler s, Smok e Generator, Systems Analyzer, Systems Repair Unit,

Talons, Therm al Generator, and Ther mo meter. Options that are not l ist-ed above are onl y avai lable i f th ey are l isted below. Those i tems l i stedbelow are onl y avai lable to the species l isted.

A-Grav System: This system is equivalent to the Alliance system of the

same name. The standard A-grav system reduces encumbrance by 40points. A larger version capable of reducing encumbrance by 80 points

is available. I t is twice as large and twice as expensive as the small er un it.

Anti-Meson Field: These Klee bui l t anti-meson field s nul l i fy any attack

by ant i -arm or part ic le beams. In addi t ion, these f ie lds a lso n ul l i fy f luxinterfer ence generators, though this was not the function for whic h they

were designed.

AMS: Most AMS units function identical ly to Al l iance anti-missi le mis-si les. The effectiveness of an AMS unit varies from mo del to m odel. The

mo st comm on u nits are twelve shot devices that have a 50% ch ance shoot down incoming missi les. Normally Al l iance systems can only ta

get arm rock ets and ref lex mi ssi les. Ho wever, most Zenax AMS unican also shoot down any large, slow moving projecti les l ike grenade

mag gun r ound s, arti l lery shel ls, SAMS, and anti-tank mi ssi les. By doblin g the pr ice ( and low erin g avai labi l i ty on e level) , the effectiveness

an AMS can be increased by 10%, to a maximum of 70% effect iveThese units can target up to 4 incom ing thr eats sim ultaneously. M issispeed i s 200m/s . Mos t AMS un i ts a re D is rapan o r Whe in o r i g in

Reloads cost 10K per m issi le.

Atmospher ic Processor: The atmospher ic processor a l lows toxatmospheres to be ref ined in to a breathable atmosphere inside th

user’s armor. Not al l atmospheres can be refined to the point of bein

breathable, and the pr ocessors or Atmo uni ts are often coupled wirebreather apparatus. The effectiveness of these units varies widelTypical ly Disr apan units are the m ost efficient.

Cloaking Device: A Cedeun bui l t cloaking device. When activated thdevice generates a -100 ECM penalty and r enders the armo r comp lete

invisible ( -200 to sighting checks) . Sighting and ECM penalties arreduced by half if the suit is used in the atmosphere. In addition, the su

wil l on ly function for 5 r ounds before shorting out perm anently. Al l i temoutside the suit, includ ing weapons and equipment, r emain visible.

ARMOR OPTIONS

OPTION SIZE ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

A-Grav System 10 -40 4-6 C 100K All but Dul

Anti-Meson Field 10 4 6 R 500K Klee

AMS 6 6 4-5 C 200K Disrapan, Whe

Atmospheric Processor 1 3 4-5 P 8000 All

Cloaking Device 23 30 6-7 VR 5.0M CedeunCombat Shield - 2 3 P 7000 Dul, Razaa, Wh

Dispersal Unit 8 6 6 R 250K Aktai

ECCM Module 2.0 0 5 C 40K All but Dul

Flight System 30 25 0 UC 45K Cedeun,Disrapan, Dul

FOF Transmitter 1 0 3 P 150 All but Klee andRazaa

Gravitic Compensator(minor)

10 12 7 R 1.0M Aktai

Gravitic Compensator(major)

24 50 7 VR 3.0M Aktai

Laser Detector 1 0 3 P 100 All

Nutrient Dispenser 2.5 3 3 UC 1000 WheRadar Detector 1 0 3 C 100 All

Rebreather 10 10 3 C 10.0K Whe

Regenerating B * 6 VR ** Razaa

Self-Sizing B 6 4 C 8000 Whe

Sensor Suite 1 3 4 3 P 8000 Whe

Sensor Suite 2 6 14 5 UC 14K Whe

Sensor Suite 3 8 7 4 UC 25K Whe

Stealth System 4 5 7 R 2.0M Cedeun, Klee

Waste Processor 1 1 4 UC 50K Whe

ARMOR OPTIONS




Combat Shield: Same as the All iance model, but this model folds upl ike an oriental fan when not in use.

Dispersal Unit: Whi le in use, the d ispersal u n i t a l lows the u ser, h isarmor, and al l carried equipment to pass through sol id objects or vice-

versa. Users of the Disper sal Unit m ust mak e a mental SMR with a -1 0penalty for every ro und th e unit is used after the fir st. Fai lur e indicates

the user has gone insane for 2d 10 days and lo ses 1d8 I Q and INT. TheDispersal uni t has no effect against energy-based attacks inclu ding m assdoublers.

ECCM Module: Each m odel adds 10% ECCM to the suit, up to a max-

imum o f 50%.

Flight Systems : Flight systems are highl y customi zable. No self-r espect-ing Disrapan or Dul wants to have the same fl ight system as another

Disrapan. A fl ight system usually consists of multip le rock ets for pr opul-sion and som etimes a pair of fold ing win gs. This is the Zenax equivalentof the Al l iance jet pack arm or o ption, bu t the space this option requir es

can be divided among al l bod y locations, excludin g the head.

FOF Transm itter: This fr iend-or-foe transmitter ( FOFT) sends out a

signal to al l HIC units in range. It shou ld be pro gramm ed ahead of time,

along with al l other FOFTs in your group to identi fy the user as a fri end-ly target to al l your gro up’s HICs. The unit can be manuall y turned off i f

you want to avoid detection. A level 20 computer check is required tohack into som eone’s FOF code and c opy i t to your FOFT.

Gravitic Compensator (minor): The grav-comp , as i t is cal led, gen-

erates a nul l-gravitron field that cancels out the crushing effects of theLGAs. Unfor tunately, these units are not i nstant-on, and th ere is a tim ede lay be tween the ac tual g rav i nc rease and the ac t i va ti on o f the

Com pensator. This grav-com p has a 1 second delay, after whic h i t acti-vates and can cancel out 1d8 points of damage ( to each b ody area)

caused by an attacking LGA. This device has a run time of 5 secondsbefore i t automatical ly activating at 10 second cool-down cycle.

Gravitic Compensator (major): An im proved version of the grav-

comp, th i s ve rs ion can cance l ou t 3d8 po in t o f LGA damage bu trequires 2 seconds to warm up before activation. Even larger versionsof these devices exist on Ak tai tank s. This device has a run tim e of 3 sec-

onds before i t automatical ly activating at 7 second cool-down cycle.

Laser Detector: Th i s he lme t o r shou lde r moun ted a rmor op t i ondetects laser beams str ik ing the user or po inted in h is genera l d i r ec-

t ion. The uni t ident i f ies the laser ’s frequency, power level , and thedi rect ion from which the beam o r ig inated.

Nutr ient Dispenser: Same as the In ternal Food Processor ArmorOption . Holds the equivalent of 100 u nits of food that is injected into theuser. Refi l ls cost 20 c redits.

Radar Detector: Th i s he lme t o r shou lde r moun ted a rmor op t i on

detects radar str ik ing the user or po inted in h is genera l d i r ection. Theuni t ident i f ies the d i rect ion from which the radar o r ig inated.

Rebreather: Rebr eathers r ecycle the exhaled air al lowi ng the user to ,in essence, re-br eath the same air m ultipl e times. Rebreathers wil l l ast

for an amou nt of tim e equal to 100 days divided by the user’s size class.Constant card iovascular act iv i ty wi l l reduce the amount of t ime the

rebreather can be used by half. The scrubbers and the trace gas con-ta ine rs i n the reb rea the r mus t be rep laced a f te r a mon th o f use .

Com bined wi th an atmospher ic pr ocessor and a heavy gas atmospher e,a character need not worry about breathable air.

Regenerating: The Razaa are experi mentin g with self-heal ing materi-a ls for use in the i r batt learmor. By pur chasing th is armor opt ion, char-

acters replace the plating on their arm or w ith a material cal led Tri -Zad,

which is genet ica l ly enhanced, techno-organic vers ion of Zad-h ide.** The cost for th is opt ion is 100,000 m ul t ip l ied by the threshold of thearm or. Dam age to the thr eshold and integrity r egenerates at a rate of 1

point per armor section/second. Absorption does not regenerate. *Theencumbrance of the armor is unchanged as long as the threshold isbe low 8 . The a rmor i s cons ide red h igh ma in tenance and must be

rubb ed down wi th nu tr ient o i l tw ice a day or i t loses i ts regenerat iveproperties. If the armor goes more than 3 days without a nutrient bath,

i t perm anently loses the abi l i ty to regenerate.Because the Tri-Zad mu st be layered in or der to achieve higher thr esh-

olds, the weight ( ENC) of heavy and mechanized arm or will incr ease whenthis option i s purchased. For each point of thr eshold above eight but below

16, increase the encumbrance by 2 points when choosing this option. For

each point of threshold above fifteen but below 24, increase the encum-br ance by 4 poin ts when choo sing this option. For each poin t of threshold

above 23 bu t below 36, in crease the encumbr ance by 8 poi nts when choos-ing this option. For each poin t of threshold above 35, incr ease the encum -

br ance by 16 poi nts when choosing this option. Tri-Zad becomes too thickand cumbersome to use at thresholds over 50 points. For example, a suit

with a threshold of 25 woul d have its encum brance incr eased by ( 2 + 2 +2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 8) 62 points.

Search Light: Whe sold iers often cannibal ize the searchl ight offdestroyed Duy armor ed sui ts for u se on other su i ts of arm or. I t is the

same as the All iance m odel. It i s external ly m ounted and n ot pr otectedby the a rmor . Fo r doub le the p r i ce a UV o r IR sea rch l i gh t can be

obtained. Obviously, UV optics are r equir ed to see the beam emi tted bythe UV search l i ght, and IR op tions are r equir ed to see the IR l ight. ( UV

= u l travio let, IR = in frared) .

Self-Sizing: When the Whe started using enslaved races as infantry,

they had to develop arm or for these species. Rather than b ui ld new suitsof arm or, the Whe developed self-sizing versions of existing Whe arm or.

These suits wil l com fortably fi t any hum anoid cr eature of the same sizeclass or one size class smaller or larger as the armor without penalty.

Normally wearing armor that is not bui l t for your species, but the samesize c lass, wi l l impart a -20 to MD and AGL, not to mention chaf ing




8BEYOND THE RIFT

badly. Norm ally armo r that is not the same size class as your charactercannot be w or n at al l . Self-Sizing arm or negates both of these penaltiesas long the curr ent user is hum anoid and w i th in on e s ize c lass of the

armor. The Self-sizing option reduces the THR of the armor by 1 pointand also reduces space avai lable in the arm or by 50%.

Sensor Suite 1: Usually one Whe in an infantry group wil l b e equipped

with a Sensor Suite 1. Th is suite inclu des passive night vision ( light am pli-fication ) , active ( 50m ) and p assive IR, and passive UV optics, all wi th a3x op tical zoom . Note: At least one space must be allocated to th e helmet.

All Whe special forces personnel will be equipped with this sensor suite.

S e n s o r S u i te 2 : Geared for envi ronmenta l mapping and scient i f icstudies, Sensor Suite 2 is equipped with the same optics as SS1 but

includes the fo l lowing equipment: Auto mapper, magnet ic compass,Vibror od ( 200m range) , and a chemical sn i f fer that can ident i fy the

mo lecular stru ctur e of most airbor ne materials. Note: At least one spacemust be a l located to the helmet and the leg. The Vibroro d cannot beused while the soldier is moving.

Sensor Suite 3 : Sensor Suite 3 is the ultim ate combat sensor pack agefor the Whe soldier. Designed for heavy combat, this suit includes thesame optics as SS1 b ut features a 10 X zoom. The suite also features a

mo tion d etector, radar d etector, laser detector, and sonic ampl i fier. Thecro wn i n the jewel of this sensor suit is the radar system. It can b e hoist-ed up to 5 m eters in the a i r on a retractable antenna pole and has a

range of 20 k m. Thi s sensor suite wil l b e includ ed in at least one suit ofmechani zed arm or in a Whe heavy assault team.

Stealth System: A mod ification o f the cloak ing system used in the Cedeun

stealth suit, this cloaking device can be installed in any Klee or Cedeunarm or w ith a little work . Less finick y than the model in th e stealth suit, this

cloaking device is fairly r el iable b ut far less effective. When active, the

cloak ing device render s the user invisible to r adar ( -50 ECM penalty) , IR,UV, and visual detection ( -100 to sighting checks) . The effectiveness of the

cloaking device is not hindered by the presence of an atmosphere.Every square centimeter o f the arm or ’s surface must be covered in

a h ighly ref lect ive f i lm. When the c loaking device is not in use, thearm or is fairly easy to spot ( + 40 to sighting checks) . The reflective fi lm

melts too easi ly to offer any protection from beam weapons.Though Cedeun are immune to the effects of the c loak, other

species using the device must mak e a Radiation SMR for every ro und in

use or lose 1d4 bo dy points. I f the user takes mor e than 6 poin ts ofdamage, there is a 20% chance of permanent neuro logica l damage

( reduce IQ and INT by 1d10) . The device wil l only function for a totalof 10 r ounds before short ing out and requi r ing repai r . Damage to the

arm or 's surface causes the stealth coating to ch ip o ff. As a result, eachpoint o f in tegr i ty damage the arm or suffers e l iminates 1 p oint o f the

ECM and sighting penalties generated by this arm or optio n.

Waste Processor: The waste pro cessor refines reusable nutr ients and

water from the character’s waste products. A waste processor adds 50food uni ts per mon th to any nutr ient d ispenser insta l led in the armor.

Using a waste processor, a character can remain in h is arm or for aslong as he has breathable air and foo d. This is not to say that he or she

wi l l be com fortable over long per iods or able to sleep in the arm or.

FIELDGENERATORS

DefensiveFields(Whe)Whe defensive fields wor k on the samepremise as the defensive fields created

by Whe matr ix contro l lers. The f ie ldsare composed of solid, transparent mat-

ter that wears down under cont inuedabuse just like a flux shield. Once gen-

erated, the field wil l remain up indefi-nitely until turned off or destroyed.

As a resul t o f be ing composed oft r an sp ar e n t, so l i d m a tt er , m a n yweapons includ ing AA part ic le beams

wil l pass through the field unhindered.Visible l ight lasers pass through Whe

defensive f ields doing fu l l damage tothe f ie ld and to the target behind i t .

Whe defensive fields can be modulatedto stop lasers at particular frequencies

or b lock out visible l ight al l together. Inthe first case, the soldier c an el imi nateone type of laser weapon from effecting

his or her defensive field. Only one type( mo del) of laser can be neutral ized at

a time. I f the soldier sets the field to block al l visible l ight, the Whe sodier i s effectively bl ind, but he can m odulate the field to al low other fre

quencies of l ight thr ough the field ( usually IR or UV) . For exampl e, oncthe spectrum of visible l ight is block ed out, the soldier can use IR or Uoptics to see outside of the field. Of course, this means that once a

opponent not ices that the f ie ld has tur ned opaque, UV lasers and Istrobes can be used against the Whe. If the soldier wishes, he can mak

a hole in the field to look thro ugh, but this leaves him vulnerable. Unlikthe Flux shield, Whe defensive fields can not b e fired thr ough if you ar

on the inside. The soldi er m ust either d ro p the field or cr eate a hole the field for the weapon to fire through. However, creating a breach

the f ie ld leaves the so ld ier vu lnerable to weapons that have an areaffect ( most HP weapons) or a pinpoint sniper attack.

Inactive defensive fields will last about a year before they need recharg

ing. A field that is in constant use wil l run for about two weeks before needs to be r echarged. Recharging defensive fields requir es a portable ge

erator or larger power source and takes about 5 minutes per point of AR

Defens ive Fie ld 1 : This device can be insta l led on Akfu arm or or the uni forms of unarm ored comm and personnel .

Defens ive Fie ld 2 : This field generator can be mounted on any Wharmor, but i t is usually mounted on the Akfu or Nak suits.

Defens ive Fie ld 3: Specifical ly designed for the Duy armored suit

the generator m ust be heavi ly mod ified to be mo unted on other arm or

Defensive Field 4: This field is usually placed on Jduy or Yun arm or esui ts but can be m ounted on o ther su i ts of armor.

Defensive Field 5: This field i s usually reserved for Yun suits.

FIELD GENERATOR

WheDefensiveFields

ListedbelowaretheeffectsthatvariousweaponsystemshaveonWhedefensivefields.

IgnoreField(Usernot protected)Anti-armor particleweapons

Neuro Cannons

AttackFieldandUser(Bothtakedamage)All Lasers

ThermaticsMassDoublersGravShearsLGAs

IneffectiveAgainstField(Weaponshavenoeffect)

JammersFluxInterferenceGeneratorsMetal Guns

AttackField(UserProtected)All otherweaponsystems





FIELD GENER ATOR SIZE ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

Disintegration Field 14 4 5-6 UC 100K Aktai

DISNTEGRATION FIELD

FIELD GEN ERATOR THR RUN TIME RECHARGE TIME SIZE EN C TL AV COST SPECIES

3 point field 3 30s 1hr/ point 1 1 7 UC 10K Aktai

5 point field 5 24s 1hr/ point 2 4 7 UC 20K Aktai

8 point field 8 18s 2.5hr/ point 4 8 7 R 50K Aktai

12 point field 12 15s 4hr/ point 8 14 7 VR 500K Aktai

15 point field 15 12s 5hr/ point 12 30 7 VR 1.0M Aktai

25 point field 25 9s 10hr/ point 15 50 7 U 2.5M Aktai

ENERGY FIELDS (AKTAI)

FIELD GENERATOR AR SIZE ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

Defensive Field 1 40 10 14 5 C 100K Whe

Defensive Field 2 80 8 12 5-6 C 200K Whe

Defensive Field 3 150 8 14 6 UC 500K Whe

Defensive Field 4 500 6 20 6-7 R 600K Whe

Defensive Field 5 3000 12 40 7 VR 800K Whe

DEFENSIVE FIELDS (WHE)

FIELD GENERATOR FIELD STRENGTH SIZE ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

Energy Field Enhancement, Primary 50 4 5 7 UC 200K Aktai

Energy Field Enhancement, Minor 100 6 8 7 UC 500K Aktai

Energy Field Enhancement, Major 500 10 12 7 UC 1.0M Aktai

Energy Field Enhancement, Armored 1000 20 4 7 UC 2.0M Aktai

Protective Flight Module, Model A 100 1 1 6-7 P 200K Disrapan

Protective Flight Module, Model B 250 1 2 6-7 C 500K Disrapan

Protective Flight Module, Model C 500 2 3 6-7 UC 1.0M Disrapan

Protective Flight Module, Model D 1000 3 4 7 UC 2.5M Disrapan

Protective Flight Module, Model E 2000 3 4 7 R 3.0M Disrapan

Armor Protective System, Model 5 4000 5 10 7 VR 8.0M Disrapan Armor Shield 25 1 1 5-6 P 50K Razaa

Barrier Shield 50 5 5 5-6 C 80K Razaa

Battle Shield 100 10 10 5-6 C 100K Razaa

War Shield 500 15 15 5-6 UC 500K Razaa

Missile Shield 1500 30 30 6-7 R 3.0M Razaa

FLUX SHIELDS (AKTAI, DISRAPAN, AND RAZAA)

FIELD GENERATOR FIELD STRENGTH ECM SIZE ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

Cedeun Model 600 50 25 1 2 4-6 P 50K Cedeun

Cedeun Model 700 80 40 2 3 5-6 C 100K Cedeun

Cedeun Model 1000 100 50 3 4 5-6 UC 200K Cedeun

Cedeun Model 5000 250 80 4 5 5-6 R 400K Cedeun

Cedeun Model 10000 500 80 5 6 6 VR 800K Cedeun

PPRD-678D 40 20 3 2 4-5 UC 75K Klee

Bamcore 780 60 30 5 3 4-5 R 100K Klee

Bamcore Super 120 60 10 6 4-5 VR 200K Klee

PLASMA FIELDS



8BEYOND THE RIFT

DisintegrationField(Aktai)A favorite defensive system of the Aktai mil i tary, Disintegration Fields

are cheap and effective, despite some major drawbacks. These fieldswork by modulat ing a comm on d is in tegrator through some rather exot-ic emi t ters, which wrap the energ ies around the user. Any mater ia l

object that com es into co ntact with the field is disintegrated.These defense f ie lds wi l l s top most p ro ject i les includ ing r a i l gun

and gauss shel ls, particle weapons, and even plasma. Disintegrationf ie lds wi l l no t stop very large pro ject i les, l ike ant i - tank weapons. The

f i elds w i l l a l so d i sin teg rate the sur r ound ing a i r render ing son i cweapons useless. However, these fields wil l not stop weapons that do

not in volve m atter or are energy based. A/R beams, Beam weapons,Energy weapons, T-bolt generators, MTWs, Force weapons, and eventhe shie lded pro ject i les of a Mass Doubler are a l l imm une to the pr o-

tective properties of a Disintegration Field. Despite these major draw-backs, the fields are sti l l very popul ar.

Inactive disintegration fi elds can be k ept almo st indefinitely, as theirpower sourc e does not dischar ge over tim e. The l i fe-span on these units

i s measured i n cen tu r i es . Act i ve un i ts w i l l l ast fo r abou t 3 mon thsbefore needing a recharge. These uni ts take 3 minutes to recharge

using an Aktai power source. Isn’t Aktai technology grand?

EnergyFields(Aktai)Aktai energy fields work similarly to the flux shields used by Arachnidwarr ior s. These fields are no t ablative and cr eate an arti ficial Thr eshold

to p r o tec t the user . L i ke a rm or , the r ema inder o f any damage thatexceeds the field’s threshold wil l hi t the target behind the field. Unlike

Arachnid fields, these energy fields can only stay operative for a shortper iod o f t ime before bur n ing out. Flux in ter ference generators do not

effect Aktai ener gy fields. The Aktai can use these fields simu ltaneouslywi th the i r f lux sh ie lds. As wi th most Akta i devices, there are a lways

whispers that somewhere the Akta i have much b igger, better models

that no one has seen yet. Note: Recharge tim es are l isted as num ber ofhours per point of threshold restored. It is possible to activate and use

a partial ly charged energy field.

FluxShields(Aktai, DisrapanandRazaa)Som e races the PCs are lik ely to encou nter, inclu din g the Aktai, Disr apan,

and Razaa use flux shield technology that works on the same principle asAlliance flux shields. In fact, the Disrapan rely heavily on flux technology

and often forgo arm or entirely in favor of a flux shield generator.Inactive flux shields will remain usable for several years before they

need a partial recharging. The exception to this rule is Aktai flux shields,which never need recharging unl ess the field is dam aged. While in use, the

amount of time flux shields will last varies with the species that manufac-tured them. Aktai flux shields wil l last unti l al l of the field strength isreduced to zero by damage. Disrapan fields will last for about 2 weeks if

used constantly or until the field strength is reduced to zero by damage,whichever is shorter. Razaa fields last for about 2 to 4 hours if used con-

stantly, with the larger shields lasting longer than the short shields. Again, ifthe Razaa flux shield h as its field strength reduced to zero by damage, it is

assumed to be no longer functional. Aktai fields take 5 minutes per pointof field strength to recharge. Disrapan field generator s take 25 mi nutes per

point to recharge. Razaa field generators take 1 hou r p er poi nt to r echarge.

Energy Field Enhancement, Primary: This Aktai flu x shield is designeto enhance the protective properties of the Aktai energy fields. It sibehind an Aktai energy shield and acts as absorptio n for any damage th

breaches the energy shield. It can, however, be u sed without an energfield as a standard flux shield. Only Aktai flux shields can be used simu

taneously with energy shields. This field is designed for unarmored olightly arm or ed personnel who ar en’t expecting to see any seriou s comba

Energy Fie ld Enhancement, Minor: An improved vers ion of thabove shield, this field is designed for short battles with l ight to med

um weapons.

Energy Field Enhancement, Major: This flux shield is designed folong-term battles wher e heavy weaponr y is l ikely to be encountered.

Energy Field Enhancement, Armored: This flux shield is designe

for heavi ly arm ored personnel .

Protective Flight Module, Model A: Disrapan flux generators a

designed to be l ightweight in or der to al low them to m ount a field gene

ator and still fly. This flux shield generator is often used in place of arm o.

Protective Flight Module, Model B: An improved version of the A

mod el f l ight module, i t has been know n to short ou t when wet.

Protective Flight Module, Model C: The M odel -C protect ive f l ig

mo dule can take a significant beating com pared to the lower PFM mo dels. This version is designed to protect f ly ing Disrapan w arr ior s fro

surface to air mi ssi les and heavy weapons fire.

Protective Flight Module, Model D: The D-m odel PFM is designeto defeat low-end m issi le attacks.

Protective Flight Module, Model E: The E module PFM can takehit fr om al l but the lar gest reflex-equivalent missi le systems and sti l l b

l ight enough to al low the Disrapan soldier to take fl ight.

Armor Protective System, Model 5: The model 5 Arm or ProtectivSystem is a super-heavy flux shield generator designed to defeat heav

arms fire. In addition, i t can take a hit or two from weapons capable dishng out damage in heavy points. The APS is general ly too heavy t

al low a Disrapan to fly unassisted.

Armor Shield: A unique concept, the Razaa arm or sh ield pro jects

flux disk that works l ike a medieval shield. This 2-meter diameter discan be p laced between the user and an inco ming attack l ik e a g ia

shield. If the user is caught unawares or is attacked fro m a side that hor she is not pro tecting with the d isk, he is defenseless.

Barrier Shield : A more conventional flux device, the barrier shield a low power f lux generator designed to protect the Razaa from are

effect weapons.

Battle Shield: When faced with modern weaponry, even the Razaaamazing regenerative power s may not be sufficient pr otection. Thu s th

FIELD GENERATOR




war-charter co mm issioned the Battle Shield flux generator. A mor e sub-stantial generator, the Battle shield is designed for short-term combatwith medium level weaponry.

War Shield: An im pr oved version of the Battle Shield , the War Shield

is designed for l onger en gagem ents against heavy weapo nr y. It still palesin compar i son to the A l l i ance fo rce sh ie ld a rmor op t i on , bu t mos t

Razaa only need i t to last long enough to get them into cl ose range.

Miss i le Shie ld: The missi le shield is general ly used to protect small

encampm ents of a few Razaa warr iors. This heavy generator can beshi f ted from a standard form -f i t t ing mod e to a large hemispher ic dome

that is up to 30 meters across and 10 meters high. The Missi le Shieldcan be armor mounted or carr ied.

PlasmaFields(CedeunandKlee)Simi lar to the Whe defensive fields, plasma fields are u sed p rim ari ly bythe Cedeun, tho ugh the Klee have also adopted them. These fields are

com posed of ultra-dense cold plasma, which absorb s impacts as well asdeflecting and scattering energy that makes contact with the field. Plasma

fields are typical ly l ighter than flux shields, but they can’t take as mu chabuse. Plasma shields are clearly visible to the naked eye as a cr imsonnebula-l ike cloud swirl ing around the protected individual. A magnetic

field generator attached to the user’s helmet keeps the red cloud of plas-ma out of the user’s forward vision, but the user’s peripheral vision is

redu ced by -30. Plasma fields generate an ECM equ al to half their level ofprotection up to a maximum of 80%. For instance, a Plasma field that

offers 60 poin ts of protection w il l generate an ECM equal to 30%.Plasma weapons do half damage to plasma fields. In addition, flux

interference generators do not affect plasma fields. Otherw ise, the fields

are treated the same as standard flux shields, including the ability to stopAnti-armo r particle beams and penalizing ( half damage) laser dam age.

Studies have shown that long term exposure to the magnetic fieldsused to maintain the plasma shield can be hazardous to the health of

the user - unless you’r e a Cedeun. Very stron g magnetic fields near theplasma shield wi l l gr eatly reduce i ts effectiveness. If th e shield com es incontact with a person weari ng an active magnetic deflection generator,

the protective plasma wil l be pushed to the opposite side of the shieldcreating a hole in the pr otective plasma.

The Klee are unawar e that the Whe have equipped an el i te gro up o fthe i r so ld iers wi th exper im ental , magnetica l ly sh ielded, pr o ject i les

designed to pass through p lasma f ie lds. The Whe h igh command iseagerly awaiting th e results of th e field-testing.

Cedeun manufactured f ie lds can be act ivated a to ta l o f ten t imesbefore needing recharged and refueled. Recharge/refuel ki ts are read-

i ly avai lab le at any Cedeun outpost and take only a few seconds toinstal l . Klee manufactured p lasma fields can be activated a total of thr eet imes before they run ou t of power. Recharge/r efuel k i ts for the Klee

plasma field generators are also readily avai lable at Klee outposts. Ifeither the Cedeun or Klee field has i ts field strength r educed to zero, i t

must have a new recharge/refuel k i t insta l led before i t wi l l funct ionagain. Cedeun rechar ge/refuel k i ts cost 5K and have an avai labi l i ty of C

at Cedeun outposts. Klee r echarge/refuel k i ts cost 15K and have anavailability of C at Klee outposts.

Cedeun Model 600: This Cedeun m anufactured p lasma field genera-

tor can stop smal l arms f i re dur ing short combat engagements. The

Cedeun trade these units to the Klee occasionally.

Cedeun Model 700: The 700 mo del plasma field generator is theoldest p lasma generator curr ent ly in use by the Cedeun. This m odel

dates back alm ost 40 years but i s sti l l in service with Cedeun space min-ers. Like the mod el 600, thi s unit can also be found in Klee hands.

C e d e u n Mo d e l 1 0 0 0 : The Cedeun 1000 , as i t i s m ore com mon ly

kn own , is an excel lent al l-aroun d defense unit. Thi s unit can stop m osthigh speed space debris as well as hosti le fir e.

Cedeun Model 5000: The model 500 0 was the top of the l ine unti l the1000 0 mo del was released 6 mo nths ago. The 5000 uni t has the maxim um

ECM p otential that plasma shields are cur rently capable of prod ucing. Thisunit is usually not given to non-Cedeun, but with the development of the

1000 0, the Cedeun m ay soon release the unit fo r sale to the Klee.

C e d e u n Mo d e l 1 0 0 0 0 : The newest, state-of-the-art Cedeun plasmashield ing un i t , the 10 000 is capable of generat ing a m assive p lasmabarrier. Though it sti l l not as tough as heavy flux shielding, the model

10000 offers the user significant protection.

PPRD-678D: The first Klee manufactured plasma shield, the PPRD isa personal p lasma shie ld ing uni t . Though i t lacks the f inesse of the

Cedeun m anufactured units, the PPRD was the first step toward the Kleebeing able to mass produce plasma shielding.

Bamcore 780 : Named after the Klee ship where these units are manu-factured, the Bamcor e plasma shields were the first mass pro duced plas-

ma shields made by the Klee. Though the Bamcore 780 still uses Cedeunparts, this unit lack s the portabi l i ty and co mp actness of Cedeun-manu-

factured field generators. To comp licate matters, these units are in feriorto their Cedeun m odels but sti l l cost mo re to m anufacture.

Bamcore Super: The Bamcore super is an improvement over the 780previously manufactured by the Klee. This plasma-shielding generator

uses far less Cedeun components and puts the Klee much c loser tomanufactur ing the i r own shie lds wi thout dependence on the i r a l l ies.

The downfa l l to th i s i s tha t the K lee componen ts a ren ’ t nea r l y asadvanced or rel iable, and the Bamcore Super is monstrously heavy in

comparison to the Cedeun units. However, most Klee bel ieve that withthei r k nowledge of part ic le physics, i t is on ly a matter of t im e beforetheir plasma shield techn ology exceeds that of th e Cedeun.

MEDICALEQUIPMENT

For the most part , m edical equipm ent is simi lar to the medica l equip-

ment wi th which Al l iance sold iers would be fami l iar . The tools may notbe recogni zable, but they do the same jobs as their Al l iance-equivalents.

The one exception to thi s rule is rapid healing devices. BRIs do not existin Zenax, but their counterparts are detai led below.

Whe Heal Cubes: These smal l meta l cubes are im bued wi th a Whematrix that restores damaged body parts to their original form, healing

1d8 points of dam age in the pr ocess. To use a heal cube, simply unw rapit and p lace i t on the damaged area. Any cybernetics in the healed area

are expelled as a side effect. In addition, a heal cube can also be used to




8BEYOND THE RIFT

regenerate lost l imbs or organs. Unfortunately, this includes l imbs thathave been purposely replaced with cybernetics. For example: If you have

a cybernetic arm and a heal cube is placed on your shoulder, you wil lgrow a new arm, and the cybernetic l im b wil l be ejected from your bod y.

Aktai cellular regenerators: The Aktai use these devices to increasecellular r eprod uction and healing. When used on a l iving organism, the

devices reduc e the organism’s time to heal an inju ry. In mo st cases, fur-

ther medical treatment is not required after using a regenerator unlessthe woun d is im mediately l i fe threatening. Cel lu lar regenerators haveno effect on non-or ganic o rganisms, l ik e the Akta i . This device is not

capable of e l iminat ing d isease or poison, but i t w i l l heal the d amagecaused by these cond itions. The device wil l no t repair genetic flaws. Thecellular r egenerator m ust be “ aimed” at the damaged area for the dur a-

t ion of the heal ing pr ocess to reap the benefi ts of decreased heal ingtime. Larger u nits are simpl y targeted at the entire bod y.

Portable, hand-held cel lular regenerators wil l increase the healingrate by a factor of 8 . Paramedic uni ts are equipped wi th r egenerators

that wil l increase the healing rate by a factor of 16. M.A.S.H units areoften equipped wi th cel lular regenerators that incr ease the healing r ate

by a factor of 32! Aktai hospi tals have massive regenerators that

increase the healing rate by a factor of 64. It is rumored that the Aktaihave even lar ger uni ts at their di sposal.

H a nd -h el d r e ge ne rato r s w i l l r u n f o r 2 d a ys b efo r e n e e di n grechar ged. These units take about 4 ho ur s to recharge once connected

to a power sour ce. Paramedi c units wil l run for 2 weeks before run ningout of pow er and take about 8 hour s to recharge. MASH and ho spi tal

sized regenerators cannot be used without being plugged into a powersource. MASH units wil l run using small generator s, but hospital regen-erators requi re an industr ia l power source.

• Example: If youhaveacleanpuncturewound(SeeBattlelordsmainrule-

book, page201), youheal at arateof 1BPfor every4daysof rest. Usinga

paramedicregenerator (x16), youwouldgain4BPfor everydayofrestfor as

longasyouareusingtheregenerator. [16x(1BPper 4days)] =16BPper 4days. 16BP/ 4days=4BPper day. Usingahospitalregenerator,youwill heal

16BPforeverydayof rest.

Jump Stick: The jump stick holds a special place in the heart of m any

soldier s in Zenax. To a sold ier it is the mo st hated m edical tool o n the bat-tlefield, b ut i t is responsible for saving mor e l ives than any other d evicein Zenax. The jum p stick was original ly developed by the Razaa to heal

their cr i tical ly wounded. The jump stick im mediately heals 1-4 poi nts ofdamage. It stops blood and fluid loss from wound s instantly. There is a

pr ice for th is miracle of modern technology. Being in jected wi th the

device is excruciatingly painful. Heart attacks resulting from the pain an

shock are not uncommon. After injection, victims must make a systeshock check at -50 or pass out from the in tense pain. Regard less

whether the system sho ck check is successful, the screamin g is inevitablRolling double zodd ( double zeroes) results in a heart attack and deat

Giving a patient an additional jum p stick is almost unheard of. A secon ju m p sti ck adm in ist er ed in th e sam e day r equi r es th e vic ti m to m ak e system shoc k at -75 to rem ain conscio us. If the system shoc k r oll is faile

by mor e than 50 points, the victim d ies. A third jum p stick injection pr atically guarantees death. For a third injection the System shock to rema

conscious is a -100 penalty. Victims knock ed out by a jum p stick in jetion rem ain unconscious for a number of r ounds equal to the total bod

points healed by jum p stick injections in the last 24 hour s, including thmost r ecent in ject ion. Fai l ing the system shock ro l l by mor e than 2results in death. Jum p Sticks do n ot wor k o n the Aktai.

Though the Razaa didn’t want the jump stick to fall into the hands otheir enemies, k nowledge of the device eventual ly made its w ay to the

enemies and allies. Rather than face invasion by friend and foe alike, thRazaa agreed to sell the device, be it at a very healthy markup, to everyon

but the Whe. Fortun ately, the fluid co ntained inside a jum p stick i s a gene

ically engineered and mo dified version of Razaa blood, so it im possible dupl icate. Jum p sticks are so expensive but in such d emand th at they aoften rationed to military troops and offered as payment to mercenaries

PERSONALEQUIPMENT

Cede un Talkbox: The talk box i s a device that can be wo rn by a Cedeuwhich al lows them to comm unicate with “ air br eathers” w ithout usintheir m atrix abi l i t ies. The talk box fi ts over the Cedeun’s l ight-emmittin

or gans and translates the flashes into verbal com mu nication via a speakeon the talk box. The talkbox is transparent so a Cedeun wearing one ca

still com mu nicate with other Cedeun. For c overt missions an opaque covcan be fitted over the talk box. The talkbox is designed to be attached

the outside of Ceduen arm or o r enviro suit helmet faceplate. It com es complete with volume control, and your choice of 100 different voices. Doubthe price and you can get a talkbox equiped with a radio transmitte

( range: 3km) if you want to talk to your buddies who are out of ear sho

Whe Hover Board: Standard i ssue to every Whe gr unt, i t is what ca

only be described as a “ hover boar d.” This device is about the size oflarge skateboard, but instead of wheels it has an A-grav unit which allowit to float. The board can support up to an ENC of 400 and sti l l remafloating. Soldiers wearing mechanized battle armor are too heavy for

hover board to support their weight. The boards are highly maneuveable and capable of reaching speeds of 100k ph using small r ock ets. Th

boar d itself has an ENC of 25 w hen the A-grav unit is not activated. HoveBoards are notor iously d i f f icu l t to master and untra ined users mu

mak e an Agil i ty check at -30 just to rem ain standin g.

PERSONAL EQUIPMEN

ITEM ENC TL AV COST SPECIES

Whe Heal Cube 1 N/A UC 4000 Whe

Cellular Regenerators

-Hand-held 1 7 C 12K Aktai

-Paramedic 8 7 UC 50K Aktai

-MASH 180 7 R 600K Aktai-Hospital 1200 7 VR 4.0M Aktai

Jump Stick 1 5 UC 4K All but Whe

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

ITEM ENC TL AV COST

Cedeun Talkbox 1 4 P 500

Whe Hover Board 0/25 6 P 25K

PERSON AL EQUIPMENT




4 • MATRICES



9BEYOND THE RIFT

ACUUMCONTROLMATRICES

The Cedeun l ive and work in the vacuum of space, and thematr ix contr o l powers a l low them a level of added luxury in th

most hosti le of environments. The Cedeun use the matrix poweto harvest minerals, travel through space, and create their ma

sive cities i nside asteroids.Unl ike Al l iance and Whe m atr ix contro l lers, Cedeun m atr ix contro l lers d

not wear an ind icator of r ank. When facing a Cedeun m atr ix contro l ler , thei s no way to de te rmine h i s power l eve l . In the sma l l , c l ose -kn i t as te rocolonies, the Cedeun know the powerful among them on sight. A Cedeun wi

often describe his level of experience by com parin g i t with a star o r o ther spacphenomenon . The la rger and m ore impressi ve the phenomenon , the m o

powerfu l the matr ix contro l ler is .Cedeun do not have to pay thei r mentors cash for advancing in leve

Payment for tr a in ing is often in the form of err ands or tasks that the tra inemust perform for h is mentor.

1PowerPointCamouflage

Genera t i on T ime: 5 sec Range: Ta rge t

Bo o st : 1 m i n u te p er po i n t D u rat io n : 1 m i n u teSMR: Bio ( i f l iv ing target) Area of Effect: 5 meters

This matrix camouflages everyone and everything within the area of affeto m atch the surr ound ings. Targets receive a + 60 to avoid detection attempts

Find Radiation Source

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge: 5 0 me te r sBoost : 10 meters pe r po in t Dura t ion : Ins tan taneousSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 20 m eter r ad .

This matrix allows the user to locate the nearest radiation source. The matrcontrol ler specifies the type of source he is loo king for by intensity or fr equenc

Mineral Scan

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge: 5 me ter s

Bo o st : 5 me te r s p er p oi n t D u rat io n : 3 m i n u te sSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 20 sq . m eter s

This matr ix a l lows the user to determine the minera l composi t ion of an

material. I n additio n, the percentages of the mi nerals in any given specimen material can also be determined.

Radiation ShieldGen era ti o n Ti me : 2 se c R an ge: 1 0 me te r sBoost: 2 m 2 / po in t Dur ati on : 10 m in u tesSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 10 cu . m eter s

After generating this matr ix, everyone in th e area of effect receives an addtional + 100 to al l Radiation SMRs.

VACUUM CON TROL MATRICE

C H A P T E R 4

Matrices•4

INTHISCHAPTER...

VacuumControlMatrices&

Advancement

CombatMatrices&Advancement

MatterControlMatrices&

Advancement

ADul warrior readiesanEnergyBlastmatrix.

Hisparticularfightingstylecreatesanenergyblast

usingbothhands, asopposedtoone, thoughthe

effectisthesame:thetargetisgravelywoundedor

incinerated.




2PowerPointsDetect Matter

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : 5 ,00 0 kmBoost: 10,000 k m 2 / po in t Dur ati on: I nstant an eo usSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 10 ,000k m 3

This matr ix al low s the user to detect matter in space. After generat-ing this matrix, the user wil l immediately be aware of size and location

of any mater ia l object in range that is larger than a basketbal l . Thismatr ix is useful for findi ng asteroid s to mi ne or clo aked spacecr aft. The

matrix does not work unless the user is in space.

Drill

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : 1 me te rB o ost : 1 d 4 p er p o in t D u r at io n : I n st an tan eo u s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matri x al lows the user to generate a concentr ated bolt of forc e

that is designed to dr i l l though an o bject. The dr i l l ing m atr ix does 1d4points of damage to the object. For every point of damage done to the

target, the hole can be made 1cm deep or 1 cm in diameter. The usercan trade depth for diameter. For instance, i f the matrix did 4 points of

damage to a rock, the matr ix contr o l ler can dr i l l a hole 1 cm deep and3 cm wide, 2 cm deep and 2 cm wide, or any combinat ion thereof aslong as total depth and diameter d on’t exceed 4.

Project Null Atmo sphe re Bubble

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge : 5 me te r sBoost: 1 m 2 / po in t Dur ati on: 3 m in ut es

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 1 sq . m eterThe matr ix a l lows the user to d isp lace the atmosphere out of the

targeted area. In essence, the user of this matrix creates an arti ficial

vacuum that wil l last for u p to thr ee minutes. Non-Cedeun in the affect-ed area suffer 2 Body Points of damage per second unless they are in

an environm ental ly sealed suit or vehicle. Natural threshold i s ignored.

3PowerPointsCreate Cavern

Genera t i on T ime: 10 sec Range: 20 metersBoost: None Dur ation: I nstantaneous

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 10m 3

This matr ix a l lows the user to cr eate a large cavern i n any sol idmater ia l that is larger than 10m x 10m x 10m . This matr ix is general ly

used to create a shelter on an asteroid for emergencies. The materialdisplaced to create the cavern is ejected into space.

Fracture

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : 5 0 me te r sB o ost : 1 d 8 AI / p oi n t D u r at io n : I n st an tan eo u s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matri x al lows the user to c reate a crack in any material. Often

Cedeun use th is matr ix for min ing or to reveal a vein of minera ls in

rock. However, the matrix works quite well against ship hul ls or armor.The matr ix does 1d8 po ints of integri ty damage to the target. If the tar-

get is not equ ipp ed with a QSU ( or equi valent device) , a lar ge crack w illappear. Cedeun have been k nown to “ crack” the armor r ight off Whe

soldiers. This matr ix has no effect on l iving creatures.

Tele port ( Self)

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : 5 0 me ter sBoost : 5 meters pe r po in t Dura t i on : Ins tan taneousSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel f

Using this matrix, the contr ol ler can teleport hi mself and small i tem son his person, up to 100 encumbrance, up to 50 meters away. The matrixhas a 50% base accuracy, plus 05% per level of the matrix control ler.

There is no chance that the user wil l be telepor ted into a sol id ob ject.

Zero-G Flight

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel f

Bo o st : 1 m i n u te p er po i n t D u rat i on : 3 m i n u tesSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel f

This matrix al lows the user to fly in a zero gravity environm ent. This

matrix does provide enough lift to allow the user to fly in a normal or highgravity enviro nment. The user m ay change direction at wi l l and increase

or decrease their velocity by up to 5 m /second every rou nd. Remember,i f you’re m oving at 15 m /second, i t’s going to take you 3 rou nds to stop!

4PowerPointsRadar


Bo o st : 1 , 00 0 m p er p o i nt D u rat i on : 1 m i n u teSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: 1 ,000m r adius

Radar generates a radar wave that detects objects in a 1,000 meterradius from the contro l ler . Objects that are h idden behind other struc-

tures ( from the contr ol ler ’s l ine-of-sight) wi l l n ot be seen by the radar.

Sleep Shell

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fB oo st: 1 TH R/ po in t D ur ati on : 1 2 h ou r s

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel fThis matr ix a l lows the user to generate a pr otective shel l arou nd

him self. The field has a thr eshold and AI equal to the level of the m atrixcontro l ler . The shel l is a i r t ight and op aque from the outs ide, thoughthe user can see out fr om the inside. In addi t ion, the shel l is camou -

flaged to m atch i ts surr ound ings ( -30 to sighting checks) .

4 • MATRICES

1 POWER POINT 2 POWER POINTS 3 POWER POINTS

Camouflage Detect Matter Create Cavern

Find Radiation Source Drill Fracture

Mineral Scan Project Null Atmosphere Bubble Teleport (Self)

Radiation Shield Zero-G Flight 4 POWER POINTS 5 POWER POINTS 6 POWER POINTS

Radar Cloak Danger Sense

Sleep Shell Read Thoughts TK

Shield Mind Dimensional Teleport

Teleport Object

7 POWER POINTS 8 POWER POINTS 9 POWER POINTS

Gravity Well WormholeCommunication Stargate Creation

Mind Link

Teleport (Large Object)

VACUUM CONTROL MATRICES



9BEYOND THE RIFT

Shield Mind

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fBoost: None Dur ation : 1 m inu te

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matrix shields the user’s mind from mental attacks and pr obes.

While this matrix is active, the user is immune to any kind of mental prob-ing. This includ es attempts to read the user’s mind, co mm unicate telepath-

ically, and determin e the user’s emotional state, just as a few examples. Inaddition, the m atrix co ntro ller r eceives a + 50 SMR against mental attacks.

Tele port Object

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge : 1 ,00 0 m

Boost : 100 cub ic m/po in t Dura t i on : Ins tan taneousSM R: No ne/ M en tal Ar ea o f Ef fec t: 1 00 m 3

This matrix allows the Cedeun matrix controller to teleport any objectthat is smaller than 100m 3 in size. Objects may be moved up to 1,000m

from their o riginal l ocation instantaneously. Objects that are equipped w ithphase nul l i f ication or similar devices are immune to this matrix. Livingcreatures in the ar ea of effect m ay make a M ental SMR to avoid being tele-

por ted. Each additional power point spent to generate the matr ix allows the

user to move an additio nal 100m3

of m aterial. Cedeun o ften use this matr ixto mo ve mi neral ri ch asteroids to m or e secure locations. A Cedeun cannottelepor t away pieces of an o bject. If the Cedeun is not capable of teleport-

ing the entire object it wil l not b e transported to the new loc ation. As always,the BM is the final arbitr ator of what exactly constitutes “ an object.”

5PowerPoints

CloakGenera t i on T ime: 3 sec Range: Ta rge tB oo st: + 2 ECM / p oi nt D ur ati on : 5 r o un ds

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getProb ably one of the most used Cedeun m atrices, the Cloak m atrix allo ws

the Cedeun to render an object invisible to most forms of detection. Cloakedobjects are invisible and can not be detected on radar or using IR or UV

optics. Only Sonar or Omega-pulse scanning will reveal a cloaked object.The ECM and penalty for Sighting Check when d etecting a clo aked

object is equal to the control ler ’s level mul tipl ied by two. Each addition-al point spent generating the matr ix in creases this penalty by two po ints.

Read Thoughts

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: 2 kmB oo st : 1 k m p er p o in t D u r at io n : 1 0 r o u nd s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getUsing this matrix, a Cedeun can read the surface thoughts of anothe

individual. The target individual m ust be seen by the matri x contr ol ler ord er for i t to b e successful. Cedeun wi l l often “ flash” their lo cation

others of their k ind to identi fy themselves and their location. Then boCedeun wil l generate this matrix and com mun icate with each other m etal ly at long distances. This matrix does not wo rk on u nwil l in g targets.

Dimens ional Te leport

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 sec Ra ng e: 1 0 mBoost: None Dur ation : I nstantaneous

SM R: M ental Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matri x allows the user to telepor t a target acro ss space by mean

of dimension jumping. Targets may be teleported up to 10,000 km awaPhase nullification units, flux shields, or similar devices do not prevendim ensional teleportation. Objects larger than 25 m 3 may not be teleporte

Unwil l ing targets are enti tled to a Mental SMR to avoid being tel

ported. L iv ing creatures that are te leported must m ake a Bio SMR osuffer 1 d4 body points. Characters that fa i l the SMR by r o l l ing dou bzeroes go perm anently insane. Characters that have been dim ensiona

ly telepor ted often repor t seeing strange beings for a spl i t second w hibetween d imensions. A Cedeun can not te leport away p ieces of aobject. I f the Cedeun is not capable of te leport ing the ent i re object

wi l l not be tr ansported to the new locat ion. As a lways, the BM is thfinal arb itrator of wh at exactly consti tutes “ an object.”

6PowerPointsDanger Sense

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 sec Ra ng e: Se lf

Boo st: 1 0m /p oin t D ur atio n: 5 r ou nd sSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 20m

This matrix increases the user’s senses to an almost supernaturlevel . Once generated, the user can not be taken by surpr ise fromattacks that originate from closer than 20 meters away. For each add

t ional point spent to generate th is matr ix, the maximum range of thmatrix may be extended by 10 meters.

TK

Genera t ion T ime: 10 sec Range: 100mB oo st: 1 00 kg/ po in t D ur ati on : 3 r ou nd s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe matr ix im parts telekinetic abi l i t ies to the user. Once generate

the matr ix contro l ler can move objects, which are wi th in 100 metewi thout actual ly touching them. The top speed at which a 1kg objemay be moved i s equa l to 100 mete rs pe r second . Th i s speed

incr eased by 100 m /s for every addition al power po int spent generatinthe matri x. To determ ine how fast a larger ob ject may be moved, divid

the top speed the matrix is capable of moving a 1kg object by the curent object’s weight in ki lograms.

The user can move up a maximum of 100kg, p lus an addi t iona100k g for each addi t ional power point spent to generate the matr ix.

VACUUM CONTROL MATRICES • 5–6 P




7PowerPointsGravity Wel l

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 0 se c R an ge : 1 kmB o ost : 0 .5 G p er p o in t D u r at io n : 1 m i n ut esSM R: No ne Ar ea of Effect: Up to 100 sq. m

This matrix can be used to cr eate an arti ficial gravity field of 0.5 G.For every point spent to generate the matrix, the magnitude of the gravity

field is inc reased by 0.5 G. For every G above one, subtract 15 p oin ts fromthe character’s Strength. If the character’s strength is reduced to zero, he

can no longer stand or move. The character takes 1d4 Body Points ofdamage for every 10 points by which his Strength is exceeded. Weapons

and equipm ent take 1d4 po ints of damage for every 1.0 G above 10.0.The Cedeun often use this m atrix to im mo bil ize passing vessels for

pir ate attacks. At high power levels, the gravity well m atrix i s capable of

d isrupt ing the travel of sh ips using FTL dr ives, which are passingthrough the area. Aktai Gravitic Compensators wil l cancel out damage

fro m th is matri x as i f i t were an LGA attack.

Mind Link

Genera t i on T ime: 20 sec Range: Touch

B oo st : 1 Year / p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 YearSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matrix al lows the user to mental ly l ink with another intel l igent

being. Once establ ished, the l ink does not have a range l imitation andis maintained over extreme distances. Once l inked, the user can feel

strong emo tions fro m th e target. The matrix user also has a vague ideaof the target ’s locat ion. By successfu l ly making a Menta l SMR, the

matrix user is able to view cloudy gl impses of what the target sees orcom mu nicate with the target as i f he were standin g nearby. A fai led SM Rindicates that the user can not communicate wi th the target or see

thr ough the tar get’s eyes for 2-40 hour s. Fai led SM Rs also ind icate thatthe user r eceives a bad headache for h is efforts.

The l ink lasts for 1 year bu t can be incr eased b y 1 year for eachaddi t ional power po int spent to generated the m atr ix. The l ink can be

terminated at any t ime by e i ther the matr ix contro l ler or the target.There have been reports that th is m atr ix can be cast on unwi l l ing tar-

gets who don’t h ave the abi l i ty to break the l in k.

Teleport (Large Object)

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 0 se c R an ge : 1 0 kmBoost: 1,000 m 3 / po in t Dur ati on : I nstant an eo us

SM R: No ne/ M en tal Ar ea o f Eff ec t: 1 ,0 00 m 3

This matr ix a l lows the Cedeun matr ix contro l ler to te leport any

object that is smaller than 1,000 cubic meters in size. Objects may bemo ved up to 10,00 0 meters from their or iginal location instantaneously.

Objects that are equipp ed with phase nul l i f ication or similar devices areim mu ne to this matrix. Living creatures in the area of effect may mak e aMental SMR to avoid being te leported. Each addi t ional power point

spent to generate the matrix al low s the user to m ove an addition al 1,000cubic m eters of m aterial. Cedeun often use this matrix to mo ve min eral

ric h astero ids to m or e secur e locations. A Cedeun can not teleport awaypieces of an object. If the Cedeun is no t capable of teleporting the entir eobject i t wi l l no t be transpor ted to the new location. As always, the BM

is the final arb itrator of wh at exactly consti tutes “ an object.”

8PowerPointsWormhole Communication

Generat ion Time: 1 hour Range: 100,000 kmBo o st : 1 m i n u te /po i n t D u rat i on : 1 m i n u teSM R: No ne Ar ea o f Effect: u p to 1 0 k m r ad iu s

This matr ix a l lows the user to generate a nanoscopical ly smal lwormhole through space. Individuals at either end of the wormhole can

com m unicate with each other as i f they were standing r ight next to eachother for the dur at ion of the matr ix.

9PowerPointsStargate Creation

Generation Time: 10 hours Range: 100,000 km

Boost :1 b i l l ion km/po in t Dura t i on : 3 daysSM R: No ne Ar ea o f Effect: u p to 1 0 k m r ad iu s

Using this matrix, a Cedeun can create a star gate, though whichships can reach far off dest inat ions instantaneously. For every po intspent generating this matrix, the stargate can transport i tems 1 bi l l ion

ki lom eters in d istance.

4 • MATRICES

LEVEL XP SYMBOL POWER POINTS

1 0-750 Void 1

2 751-2,000 Comet 1

3 2,001-4,000 Asteroid 1

4 4,001-7,000 Planetoid 2

5 7,001-12,000 Proto-planet 2

6 12,001-20,000 Planet 2

7 21,001-34,000 Proto-star 3

8 34,001-55,000 Blue Star 3

9 55,001-85,000 White Star 310 85,001-130,000 Yellow Star 4

11 130,001-200,000 Orange Star 4

12 200,001-310,000 Red Star 4

13 310,001-650,000 Subgiant 5

14 650,001-1.2M Red Giant 5

15 1.2M-2.2M Supergiant 5

16 2.2M-4.0M Nova 6

17 4.0M-7.0M White Dwarf 6

18 7.0M-9.5M Neutron Star 6

19 9.5M-12.0M Blackhole 7

20 12.0M-14.5M Pulsar 7

21 14.5M-16.0M Nebula 7 22 16.0M-20.0M Galaxy 8

23 20.0M-25.0M Minor Cluster 8

24 25.0M-30.0M Major Cluster 8

25 30.0M+ Universe 9

VACUUM CONTROL ADVAN CEMENT TABLE



9BEYOND THE RIFT

DULCOMBATMATRICES

Though there are a large number of Du l m atrices, a Dul Matrix con trol ler

has access to a very l imited number of matrices, based on his style ofhand-to-hand combat. In addition, Dul matrices span the whole gamut

from energy matrices, empath matrices, and even healer matrices. Anymatr ix that has a comb at appli cation is lik ely to find its way into the rep er-

toire of a Dul warrior. However, the Dul are typical ly less proficient atthese matrices than a matrix controller that is specialized in these areas.

A Dul can learn o ne matri x per energy bracket, based on their fight-

ing style. If the Dul fai ls to learn the matri x for that energy br acket, thenit is very diffi cult to learn later.

The Dul claim that almost anyone can learn the matri x abi l i t ies thatthey possess. Masters of many of the Dul fighting styles comment that

Dul m atr ix abi l i t ies are the r esul t o f in tense tra in ing and force o f wi l lra ther than some bio logical mechanism.

The same Dul matr ix wi l l d i f fer in appearance and cast ing tech-n ique from user to user. L ike a f ight ing sty le, the v isual effects of amatr ix or the way i t is generated is as uniqu e as a finger pr int and can

be used to ident i fy the co ntro l ler . Latent Extractors ( See Battlelord

page 158) can learn Dul matrices without penalties.

1PowerPointCling

Generat ion Time: 5 sec Range: Sel fBoost :20 minu tes/po in t Dura t i on: 20 minu tes

SM R: Non e Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fOnce generated, this matrix al lows the user to cl in g to the walls an

cei l ing, defying gravity. The user of this m atrix can tr avel at their nor mrate in any direction, even up vertical sur faces or wh ile upside down.

Empathy

Generat ion Time: 1 sec Range: Sel f

Bo o st : 1 0 me te r / p oi n t D u rat i on : 1 m i n u teSM R: M en tal Ar ea o f Effec t: Tar get

This matri x al lows the user to d etermi ne the type and strength of themotion being exper ienced by the target. L i fe form s that cannot hav

emotions are immu ne to th is matr ix.

LeapGen era ti o n Ti me : 3 sec Ra ng e: Se lfBoost: None Dur ation : 3 seconds

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matr ix al low s the user to leap a distance equal to 10 tim es the

nor mal spri nt num ber ( in m eters) . In addition , the user can bounce omul t ip le wal ls at th is speed wi thout r isk for the dur at ion of the matr i

Levitation

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: Se lf

B oo st : 1 m eter / po in t D ur ati on : 5 m i nu tesSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

This matr ix allow s the user to levitate a shor t distance above the grou nFor its duration, the user can “ walk on air” at a speed equal to their norm

movement rate. The user cannot carry more than their own body weighplus 200kg and can levitate no more than 1m above the ground, but th

height can be incr eased by spending additional power points.

Iron Palm

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: Se lfB oo st : + 1 TH R/ p o in t D u r at io n : 1 2 sec on d s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matri x incr eases the threshold of the user’s strik ing l im bs. Th

can be advantageous when you are unarmed and must fight an opponent with an edged weapon. This matrix im parts a Thr eshold o f 5 on u

to two appendages. The Threshold can be in creased by another 1 po ifor each power point spent. Addi t ional ly, the hardened l imbs do aaddi t ional point of d amage when str ik ing an op ponent.

Lightning (Self)

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 sec Ra ng e: Se lfB oo st : + 1 d am / p o in t D u r at io n : 9 Sec on d s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThe character using th is matr ix is able to surround h is body in

sheath of e lectr ica l energy. Anyone or anyth ing touching the f ie ld

struck for 1d4 points of damage. Anyone in armor must check to see

COMBAT MATRICES • 1 P


Cling Blitz Berserk

Empathy Charge Weapon Blend

Leap Energy Sheath Energy Blast

Levitation Fatigue Resistance Field of Protection

Iron Palm Fly Increase Strength

Lightning (Self ) Focused Attack Numb Senses

Running Lethal Attack Paralyze

Sense Power Life Sense Speed of Tralule

Speed Striking Lightning Blast Triangulat ion

Power Shield Transfer Power

Read Mind Undying Warrior

Sense Weakness Vibe Strike


Avoidance Cloud Mind Death Invulnerability

Durability Heal (Other) Impart Ability

Energy Snare Hyper Throwing Stasis

Freeze Blast Reflection Shield Trih Blast

Heal (Self)

Invisibility

Pain Immunity

Power Drain

Revenge

Sensory Block

Shadow Warrior

Smart Missile I

Suicidal

Teleportation


Death Touch Bind Soul Imprison Soul

Smart Missile II Mind Control Shield of La’na

Sacrifice Trih’s Finale

Fists of Doom

COMBAT MATRICES




i t shorts out as descr ibed in the Electr ica l Discharge matr ix on page168 of the Battlelords ru lebook .

Running

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : Se lf

B o ost : + 5 sp r i nt /p o in t D u r at io n : 5 m i n ut esSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

This matr ix allo ws the user to r un at fantastic speeds. For every pointspent generating this matrix, five points may be added to the user’s sprintnum ber. If runn ing at faster than no rm al speed, the character m ust make

an Agil i ty check with a penalty equal to their cu rr ent sprint value or fal l .

Sense Power

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge : 2 0 m

Boost: None Dur ation: I nstantaneousSM R: M en tal Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

An abi l i ty unique to the Dul, this matri x al lows the user to determin ethe num ber of power points cur rently possessed by the target. The basechance for success is 20% plu s 5% per level of the matrix co ntro l ler.

Speed StrikingGe nera ti o n Ti me : 4 se c R an ge : Se lfBoost: None Dur ation: 3 seconds

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fOnce generated, th is matr ix a l lows the user to double the num ber

of hand-to-hand attacks he normally receives.

2PowerPointsBlitz


Boost : + 1 dam/power p t . Dura t i on: 30 secondsSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

This matrix increases the damage done in hand-to-hand combat atthe cost of the user ’s accuracy. The m atr ix increases the character ’s

Damage Bonus by + 2 but r educes the user’s chance to hit by 10% . Thematr ix contro l ler can increase h is damage bonus by an addi t ional + 2

by spending a pow er point. H owever, th is decreases accuracy by anadditional 10% for every point spent.

Charge Weapon

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : To u ch

Bo o st : + 1 d ama ge/p o i n t D u rat i on : 1 m i n u teSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

Using this matrix, a Dul warrior can charge a melee weapon with adamaging energy. For every power point spent, an additional point of

damage is added to the dam age nor m ally done by the weapon.

Energy Sheath

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Se lfB o ost : + 1 d am / p o in t D u r at io n : 9 Sec on d s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matr ix surroun ds the user in a skin- t ight f ield o f energy. The

energy field is strong enough to disintegrate any small m ateri al objectsthat come in contact with the field. The field does 2d8 damage to any-thing that touch es i t. This is sufficient to destro y most small pr ojecti les

( bul lets, kni ves, arr ows, etc.) .

Fatigue Resistance

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : Sel fB o ost : 1 m i n ut e/ p o in t D u r at io n : 1 0 m i n ut es

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel fThis matrix al low s the user to rem ain conscious and continue fight-

ing after thei r body points reach zero for the durat ion of the matr ix.Once generated, the user can fight u nti l th ey reach death’s door.

Fly


B oo st: 5 0k p h/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 0 m i nu tesSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel f

This matr ix works in the same fashion as the Energy Contro l lermatr ix of the same name found on page 170 of the Battlelords ru le-

book.. However, users of the Dul version of this matrix can only boostspeed, not duration. Note that the matrix control ler wi l l take one point

of damage to each bod y area for every 50 kp h above 200 k ph. This dam-age is incur red each com bat rou nd spent flying at speeds above 200k ph.

Focused Attack

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fBoost : + 5 %/power po in t Dura t i on : 30 secondsSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel f

The opposite of the Bl i tz, this matrix incr eases the chance to hit withany hand-to-hand attack by 10% . How ever, i t reduces the user’s damagebonus by 2 points. The matrix control ler can increase his chance to hit

by an additional 5% by spending another pow er poi nt. However, this fur-ther d ecreases the character’s damage bonus by an addi tional po int.

Leth al Attack

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fBoost: None Dur ati on : 6 seconds

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Tar get

Once generated, th is matr ix causes normal ly non- lethal at tacks.Hand-to-hand attacks ( not weapon attacks) launched by the target

( punch es, etc.) to cause real dam age.

Life Sense


B oo st: 5 m et er / p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m i nu teSM R: M en tal Ar ea of Effect: 2 0 m eter r ad .

Using th is matr ix, the user can f ind the locat ion of any l i fe form

within a 20 meter radius. The matrix does not identi fy type of l i fe form,only i ts location and size.

Lightning Blast

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : 5 0 mBo o st : 2 d ama ge /po i n t D u rat i on : I n stan tan eo u s

SM R: El ec tr ic al Ar ea o f Effec t: Tar getThis matr ix is ident ical to the 1st Bracket Energy Contro l ler matr ix

cal led Electrical Discharge on page 168 of the Battlelords ru lebook .

4 • MATRICES




Triangulation

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge : Se lfB oo st : 1 r o un d/ p oi nt D ur at io n: 1 r o un d

SM R: No ne Ar ea of Effect: 1,000 sq. m eter sThis matrix al lows the user to instantaneously determine the exact

path a pro ject i le a imed at h im or her wi l l take before the attackingweapon is fired. For the duration of the matrix, the character may use

the dodge m aneuver against ranged attacks in side the area of effect ofthe matrix. This matrix wil l also al low the character to catch or attackincom ing pro jecti les fired fr om inside the matrix’s area of effect by mak -

ing a successful hand-to-hand or weapon ski l l ch eck. When attacki ng orcatching pr ojecti les, characters m ay ignore any penalties for the speed

of the projecti le but not penalties for i ts size. Note that catching thingsl ik e plasma is not recom mended, and attacki ng things l ik e mass doubl er

pr ojecti les is general ly in effective. The Battle Master, of cour se, has thefinal decision as to the effects of catching a proj ecti le or attacking i t.

Transfer po wer


Boost: None Dur ation: I nstantaneous

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fUsing th is m atr ix, a character can sacr i f ice body points for addi -

t ional power points. Once generated, the matr ix temporar i ly increases

the number of power points. Upon generat ing, the matr ix contro l lertakes 2d8 po ints of real damage. In r eturn, the matr ix contr o l ler ’s cur-rent po wer po ints total increases by the amoun t of damage done. Once

these pow er poi nts are spent, they are gone and the matrix con tro l ler’spower point to ta l returns to nor mal . Note, i t is ent i re ly possib le for the

matr ix co ntro l ler to consume his own body, resul t ing in h is own deathi f h is body point to tal dr ops below his or her Death ’s Door.

Undying Warrior


Bo o st : 1 0 m i n u tes/p o i n t D u rat i on : 1 h o u rSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

This matr ix a l lows the user to temporar i ly lower h is Death ’s Doorrating. Once generated, the user’s Death Do or is lowered b y 2d4 po ints.

Vibe Strike

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 m i n R an ge : To u chBoost: None Dur ation: 2 r oundsSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

Once generated, this matrix converts al l hand attacks used by thecharacter in to concussive ( t ranslat ional ) at tacks, hence ignor i ng any

Thr eshold the target might possess.

4PowerPointsAvoidance

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : Se lfBo o st : 3 0 se co n d s/p o i n t D u rat i on : 3 0 seco n ds

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matr ix a l lows the user to incr ease h is reaction t ime against

a ttacks . Fo r the du ra t ion o f the mat r i x , the charac te r ’s De fensi veMod i f ier is doubled.

Durability

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : Sel fB oo st: 1 r o un d/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 5 r o un ds

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel fThis matr ix a l lows the user to tempo rar i ly incr ease h is body points

by 2d4 points for the durat ion of the matr ix. The character ’s SMRs,excluding Mental SMR, are also increased by 2d8 points for the dura-

t ion of the matr ix.

Energy Snare

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : 6 me te r sBo o st : + 1 d ama ge / p o i nt D u rat i on : 1 m i n u te

SM R: Bio Ar ea of Effect: Tar getThe matr ix al low s the user to generate an energy tendri l , which can

be used l ik e a whip ( see Lock-n-Load) . I n addi t ion to i ts entangl ingcapabi l i t ies, the energy whip does one point of dam age for every two

power poin ts used to initial ly generate the matri x. The damage fro m theenergy snare ignor es thr eshold and does doub le damage to the target i fthe whip contacts exposed ( i .e. unarmored) flesh.

Freeze BlastGe ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : 4 0 mBo o st : + 1 d am / p o i nt D u rat i on : I n stan tan eo u s/1 h r.

SM R: No ne/ Bi o Ar ea o f Effec t: Tar getTh is mat r i x a l l ows the user to p ro jec t a cone o f f reez ing co ld

toward a target. The cold b eam has the sam e effect as a frost gun and

does 2 po in ts o f damage fo r eve ry l eve l o f the mat r i x con t ro l l e r .Al ternat ive ly, the user can generate a non-damaging version of the

freeze blast. The damage done by this type of blast is subtracted fromthe target’s Bio SMR as a penalty. I f the tar get fai ls the SMR check, they

are frozen in stasis ( equivalent to a cryo injection ) for u p to on e hour.

Heal (Self)

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fB oo st: + 1 B P/ p oi nt D ur ati on : Per m an en t

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel fThe matri x contr ol ler i s capable of heal ing 1d6 poin ts of damage to

his own body, including cri tical hits, using this matrix. Each additionalpoint spent generating the matrix heals an additional point of damage.

Invisibility

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 2 m i n R an ge : Sel f

B oo st: 1 m i n/ po in t D ur ati on : 1 m i nu teSM R: Sp ecial Ar ea of Effect: 5 0m r ad iu s

The matri x wor ks the same as the Empath m atrix of the same namefound on page 162 of the Batt lelords r u lebook. H owever, the durat ion

is only 1 minu te.

Pain Immunity

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : Sel fB o ost : 1 m i n ut e/ p o in t D u r at io n : 5 m i n ut es

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: Sel fOnce generated, this m atrix al lo ws the user to ignor e the effects of

pain. No system shock rol ls are required for cri tical hits, and the userdoes not receive any initiative penalties for being wou nded. In addition ,

the user can no t be forced to do thi ngs against his wil l out of pain co m-

4 • MATRICES



9BEYOND THE RIFT

pliance. Note that though the user feels no pain, he sti l l suffers injury.For in stance, even tho ugh you can’t feel that your leg is shattered, yousti l l can’t walk o n i t. By the same tok en, even though you don ’t feel the

pain from that ruptured spleen, you wil l sti l l bleed l ike a stuck pig.

Power Drain

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : 5 me ter s

Boost: None Dur ation : I nstan taneousSM R: B io lo gi cal Ar ea o f Ef fec t: Tar getThis matrix al lows the user to draw the energy ( i .e. power points)

out of a l iv ing target. For every power point spent to generate thematr ix, 2 power p oints can be sucked ou t of the target. Power points

rem oved from the target regenerate nor m ally the next day.The attacker can attempt to temporarily add these power points to his

total. For every power po int dr awn out of a target, there is a 5% chancefor the m atrix to fai l . If the m atrix fai ls, the user takes an amount of d am-

age equal to the number of power points drawn out of the target. Thisdamage is subtracted directly from the user’s body points, ignoring armoror shielding of any type. If the m atrix is a success, the power p oints are

added to the attack er’s total pool of pow er po ints until they are spent. This

matrix has no effect on targets that are not m atrix contr ol lers.

Revenge

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 se c R an ge : 5 0 mBoost: None Dur ation : I nstan taneousSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix funct ions the same as the Energy Contro l ler Matr ixcal led Blu erazor’s Vengeance on page 78 of Galacti c Underground .

Sensory Block

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : 1 me terB oo st: 1 r o un d/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 2 r o un ds

SM R: B io lo gi cal Ar ea o f Ef fec t: Tar get

The user o f this matrix i s able to tempo rar i ly disable one of the tar-get’s natural senses for the duration of the matrix. Cybernetics are not

affected by this matr ix.

Shadow Warrior

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : Sel f

Bo o st : 1 r o u n d / 2 p o i nt s D u rat i on : 3 r o u n d sSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

This unique matrix al lows the user to turn his body into an intangi-

b le, ghost- l ike form. The user becomes translucent ( -20 to s ight ingchecks) and is able to pass through a l l m ater ia l ob jects unhindered.

Addi t ional ly, a l l physical at tacks pass throu gh the user of th is matr ixwithout effecting them, including mass doubler projecti les and plasma!

Only attack s of “ pur e” energy are able to affect the user when i n shad-ow for m. Attacks to wh ich the user is vu lnerable include: thunderbol t

generators, beam weapons, and neuro weapons. Their movement rateis unchanged when in this form. Only i f both combatants are using theshadow w arr ior matr ix can they attack each other. This matr ix has no

effect on any weapons, arm or, or equ ipm ent carri ed by the user. Theseitems are left behind when using the Shadow Warrior matrix.

Smart Missile I

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: 5 0 mB oo st : + 1 d am / p o in t D u r at io n : 3 0 sec on d s

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe matr ix user i s capable of cr eating a sphere of destructive ene

gy, whi ch h e can dir ect to a target mental ly. The spheres do on e point damage per level of the matrix co ntro l ler. The chance for spher es to h

is equal to 50% plus the level of the energy contro l ler p lus any bonusfor h igh Intu i t ion. As long as the sphere does not travel mor e than 5meters from the control ler, he may direct i t wherever he wishes for th

durat ion of the matr ix. The sphere m oves at a maximum speed of 1meters/second and may hover i f the user desires. The matrix user ca

simultaneously control a number of spheres equal to his level withopenalty. Each additional sphere reduces the chance to hit ( of al l th

spheres) by 5%. The spheres dissipate upon h itting a material ob ject.

Suicidal

Genera t ion T ime: 2 sec Range: Se l f/10 mB oo st : 1 r o un d/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 3 r o un ds

SM R : No n e/ M en tal Ar e a o f Ef fec t: Sel f

This matr ix can be used to place the user or a target within 10 m eteinto a suicidal rage. Unwilling targets are entitled to a Mental SMR.

Teleportation


SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel fThis matrix is the equivalent of the energy control ler matrix name

Displacement found o n page 170 in the Battle lords main boo k.

5PowerPointsCloud Mind

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 m i n Ra ng e: Se lfB oo st: 1 m in /p oi nt D ur ati on : 2 m in utes

SM R: Sp eci al Ar ea o f Effect: 10 m/ 10 0mThis matr ix work s in exact ly the same way as the Empath m atr

cal led Pass Unnoticed o n page 163 in the Battle lords m ain book , b

the durat ion is only 2 minu tes.

Heal (Other)

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 m i n Ra ng e: To u ch

B oo st : + 1 B P/ p oi nt D ur at io n: Per m an en tSM R: Bio Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

The matr ix contro l ler using th is m atr ix is capable of heal ing 1dpoints of d amage, including cr i tical hits, to whom ever he touches. Eac

additional point spent generating the m atrix heals an additional point damage. The target is entitled to a Bio SMR if they do not wish to be heale

Hyper Throwing

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 m i n Ra ng e: Se lf

Boost: None Dur ation : 1 m inu teSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Sel f

An interesting matrix, Hyper Throwing al lows the matrix control leto turn nor mal ob jects into deadly weapons. Once generated, this matral lows the user to thr ow ob jects at very high velocities. Thrown objec

do an amount of damage equal to thei r encumbrance. Most throw

COMBAT MATRICES • 4–5 P



10BEYOND THE RIFT

Mind Control

Genera t i on T ime: 10 min Range: 3 metersB oo st: 1 m o nth / po in t D ur ati on : 1 m o nth

SM R: M ental Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe mind control matrix al lows the user to implant one suggestion

into the m ind o f the target. The target can not be for ced to do anythingthey would not nor mally do, bu t they can be instructed not to take a par-

ticular action. If a target is instructed to perform an action against hiscore bel iefs, the matrix autom atical ly fai ls. The matri x lasts for 1 m onth,after w hich i ts effects wear off. The matrix con trol ler can only im part one

suggestion each time the matrix is generated. This matrix can only begenerated on the same ind ividual by the same matri x contr ol ler a num -

ber of tim es equal to the matrix contr ol ler’s level divided by 5.For example: The vict im o f th is matr ix could not be instructed to

ki l l h is beloved wi fe, but he could be in structed not to save her frombeing pushed off a cl i ff.

Sacrifice

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 m i n R an ge : To u ch

B oo st: Sp eci al D ur ati on : I nstan tan eo us

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getBy generating this m atrix, the u ser h as a chance to r evive a charac-

ter that has recent ly been ki l led. The matr ix wi l l not wor k o n charac-

ters that have been dead for mo re than 5 m inutes. After generation, thematr ix adds 3d4 bod y points to the target. If this incr ease in body pointsincr eases the target’s cur rent b ody poi nt level above Death’s Door, then

the target is resurr ected. Generation of th is matri x ki l ls the user.

The Matr ix user can incr ease the number of body p oints del ivereto the dead target by joining hands with w il l in g participants. Each of thparticipants wil l permanently lose 1d10 body points, which are used t

fur ther i ncr ease the target’s body poin t level.

Fists of Doom

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 2 sec Ra ng e: To u ch

Boost: None Dur ation : 1 Com bat RoundSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getOnce generated, the user’s nor m al hand to hand damage is change

to heavy points for the dur at ion of the matr ix.

9PowerPointsImprison Soul

Genera t ion T ime: 2 hours Range: TouchBoost: None Dur ation : Per manen t

SM R: M ental Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe most hideous of Dul m atrices, Imp ri son Soul al low s the user

r ip the soul f rom his target and impr ison i t wi th in a mater ia l objecAnyone touching the obj ect can attempt to access the imp ri soned sou

pow ers and abi l i t ies. By successful ly maki ng an IQ check w ith a penaty equal to th e soul ’s IQ, you can telepathical ly com mand the soul to folow your command. The soul can recal l any memory from its past, an

give instruction in ski l ls i t knows, or generate any matrix i t knows. Thsoul r etains i t’s IQ, I NT, and CHA scores, ski l ls, and m atrices, as well a

i t ’s power points which regenerate norm al ly. General ly, the f i rst command given to an imprisoned soul is often to do no harm to i ts capto

COMBAT MATRICES • 8-9 P

LEVEL XP POWER POINTS TITLE COST

1 0-1,000 1 Beginner 1 1,000

2 1,001-3,000 1 Beginner 2 1,000

3 3,001-5,000 1 Beginner 3 1,000

4 5,001-8,000 2 Beginner 4 2,000

5 8,001-12,000 2 Beginner 5 2,000

6 12,001-18,000 2 Beginner 6 2,000

7 18,001-28,000 3 Beginner 7 5,000

8 28,001-40,000 3 Beginner 8 5,000

9 40,001-60,000 3 Beginner 9 5,000

10 60,001-90,000 4 Student 1 10,000

11 90,001-150,000 4 Student 2 10,000

12 150,001-240,000 4 Student 3 10,000

13 240,001-420,000 5 Student 4 25,000

14 420,001-700,000 5 Student 5 25,000

15 700,0001-1.1M 5 Intermediate 1 25,000

16 1.1M-2.0M 6 Intermediate 2 50,000

17 2.0M-3.5M 6 Intermediate 3 50,000

18 3.5M-6.0M 6 Intermediate 4 50,000

19 6.0M-8.5M 7 Intermediate 5 100,000

20 8.5M-11.0M 7 Master 1 1,000,000

21 11.0M-13.5M 7 Master 2 1,000,000

22 13.5M-16.0M 8 Master 3 5,000,000

23 16.0M-20.0M 8 Grand Master 5,000,000

24 20.0M-25.0M 8 Founder 5,000,000

COMBAT ADVANCEMENT TABLE




I t has been r umo red that a soul can attack and attempt to contro l theuser of the i tem in which he or she is impr isoned. The IQ check forsuch an attack is carr ied out in an identical m anner to the one detai led

above, only the penalty is equal to the I Q of the i tem’s user.

Shield of La’na


Bo ost: 1 HP/ poi nt D ur atio n: 3 r oun dsSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getLa’na was a famo us Dul fighter 50 years ago r enowned for being able

to withstand any damage his opponents could dish out. Once generated,this matrix allows the user to generate a 5 HP flux shield. For each addi-

tional po int spent to generate, the matrix adds another HP to the flux shield.

Trih’s Finale

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : 1 0 0 m

B oo st : 1 HP/ p oi nt D ur at io n: I n st an tan eo usSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

Once generated, the matrix allows the user to shoot a blast of energy

at an opponent. The blast does an amount of damage equal to half of the

user’s hand-to-hand damage multipl ied by 100. For every power pointspent, the user m ay increase the amount of dam age done by 10 0 p oints.

MATTERCONTROLMATRICES

Matter and ener gy are just opposite sides of the same coi n accor ding to

the Whe. As a r esul t , there is some over lap between the MutzachanEnergy Control matrices and the Whe Matter Control matrices.

Whe matrix co ntro llers are associated with a particu lar m ateri al that is

an indication of their r ank. The denser the material, the higher the rank ofthe matrix controller. The Whe symbol for the material is emblazoned on

everything that a matr ix contr oller w ears. The Whe consider iro n one of thepri me m aterials in th e universe, since it is too dense for stars to use as fuel.

As a result, the element o f ir on i s repr esentative of the highest Whe rank.

4 • MATRICES


Change Color Create Shield Change Opacity

Change Conductivity Detect Movement Create WallChange Luster Frict ion Control Poison Touch

Change Texture Glow Shatter

Glue Make Brittle

Join Temperature Control

Magnetize/Demagnetize

Mark Object

pH

Sharpen


Disintegration Change State Bond Lock

Projectile Weapon Petrify Decrease Density Repair Object (Simple) Reshape Disintegration II

Space Bubble Sonic Beam Rearrange

Time Bomb


Bond Reinforce Duplicate Combination

Dispersal Fission Create Matter

Invisibility Increase Density Fusion

Permanency Shrinking

Repair Object (Complex)

MATTER CON TROL MATRICES



10BEYOND THE RIFT

1PowerPointChange Colo r

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 Se c R an ge : 5 mB oo st: 5 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 0 m i nSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix a l lows the matter contro l ler to tempor ar i ly change thecolor and opacity of any object he wishes.

Change Conductivity

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 Se c R an ge : 3 mB oo st: 1 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m i n

SM R: El ec tr i cal Ar ea o f Ef fec t: Tar getThis matrix al low s the matter contr ol ler to change the conductivi ty of

the target. Non-conductive m aterials can be made con ductive, and con-

ductive materials can be made non-condu ctive or into supercondu ctors.

Change Luster

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 Se c R an ge : To u ch

B oo st: 1 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m i nSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

The user can temp or ari ly change the luster of an object. Non-r eflec-tive objects or w ith a dul l or matte finish can be made highly reflective.If reversed, the matrix can make reflective objects non-reflective.

Chang e Texture

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 Se c R an ge : 1 0 mB oo st: 1 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m i n

SMR: Bio ( i f l iv ing target) Area of Effect: TargetThe matr ix a l lows the user to change the surface texture of an

object, including the skin of l iving creatures.

Glue

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 Se c R an ge : To u chB oo st: 2 M in /p oi nt D ur ati on : 2 M i nu te

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matrix functions the same way as the Mutzachan matrix of the

same name o n page 168 of the Batt lelord s main r u lebook.

Join

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 Se c R an ge : 1 0 mB oo st: 1 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m i n

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matri x bon ds the target to the groun d beneath i t. The strength

of the bond is equal to the weaker of the two materials, the ground orthe target. So i f a target in arm or is joined to a wood floor, the user m ust

be able to break the wood with a STR check ( BMs discretion) in or derto break fr ee. If you’re standin g on the arm ored hu l l of a tank w hen youget hit with this matrix get out your plasma torch to cut your arm or b oots

free of the vehicle or wait for the matr ix to expire one m inute later.

Magnetize/Demagnetize

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 2 Se c R an ge : To u ch

B oo st: 1 M in /p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 M i nu teSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 10 sq . m

Th is mat r i x func t i ons the same way as the Mutzachan mat r i x

Magnetize on p age 169 o f the Battlelords rulebook. Reversible.

Mark Object

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: 2 0 mBoo st: 1 day/ po in t D ur atio n: 1 day

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe matr ix can be generated on a part icu lar object or person t

mark i t . Once marked, the matr ix contro l ler wi l l instant ly real ize whehe com es withi n 20 m eters of the mark ed object, though its exact pos

t ion wi l l not be known.

pH

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 2 sec Ra ng e: 5 mB oo st : 1 p H / 2 p o in ts D u r at io n : Per m a nen t

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Up to 2 l i ter sThis matr ix functi ons in exactly the same way as the Mu tzachan m atr

of the same name found on page 76 of the Galactic Underground .

Sharpen

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 m i n Ra ng e: To u chBoost: None Dur ation : Per manen t

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matri x can be used to sharpen the surface of any object to thpoint w here i t can be used as a cutting b lade. I f used in com bat, thdamage done by the sharpened o bject depends on the size and weig

of the object ( just l ike nor mal edged weapons) . BMs should choo se thsword or kn i fe that is c losest in s ize and weight to the object whedeterm inin g the damage it wi l l do. Rememb er that even though you ma

have a very sharp table, i t ’s not the easiest thin g to fight with— unleyou’r e Jackie Chan. In additio n, the matr ix does not change the dens

of the mater ia l . Even though you can make a soft mater ia l l ike a lumin um sharp, i t wi l l s t i l l bend or br eak wh en h i t t ing a harder mater ia

This m atrix h as no effect on alr eady sharp weapons, unless you w ish make the dul l surfaces, l ike the flat of the blade, sharp.

2PowerPointsCreate Shield

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 1 sec Ra ng e: To u chB oo st : 2 m i n ut e/ p o in t D u r at io n : 1 m i n ut e

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe matri x allows the user to co nvert any raw material that is touche

into a hand-held, cir cular shield with an integrity and threshold equal the thr eshold of the target material. See Create Wall m atrix.

Detect Movement

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 sec Ra ng e: Se lfB oo st : 1 m i n ut e/ p o in t D u r at io n : 5 m i n ut es

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 20m r ad iusThe matr ix a l lows the user to detect movement in h is area. Thmatr ix o nly work s i f the user is in an atmosphere or und erwater .

Friction Control

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 sec Ra ng e: 4 0 me te r sBo o st : + / - 2 0 EN C/p o i n t D u rat io n : 1 m i n u te

SM R: Non e Ar ea of Effect: 20 m eter r adiuThis matri x al lows the user to decr ease the friction in a general are

For every pow er poi nt spent to decrease friction, 2 0 poi nts may be tem

porar i ly subtracted from the encumbrance of every object wi th in th

MATTER CONTROL MATRICES • 1-2 P



10BEYOND THE RIFT

of a l iv ing cr eature. The d is integrat ion effect is cont inu ous, and oncea successful attack is made, you re-rol l each fol lowing round unti l youfa i l the ro l l or the target com pletely d is integrates. The r e-ro l l has the

same chance of success as the in i t ia l a t tack ro l l . I f a re-ro l l is suc-cessful, the target takes another 4- 16 po ints of damage ( no bo ost) and

you may re-ro l l again next round. I f you fa i l your re-ro l l , the targetstops taking d is integrat ion damage and no more re-ro l ls take p lace.

Re-ro l l s do not cost you an act ion, nor do you have to remain touch-ing the target after the in i t ia l a t tack. Once an attack ro l l is fa i led, thedisintegration effect stops.

Projectile Weapo n

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : 1 0 0 mB oo st: 2 m /p oi nt D ur ati on : I nstan tan eo us

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThe Projecti le weapon matr ix a l lows the matter contr o l ler to bui ld

a single-use se l f-propel led pro ject i le out of any raw mater ia l wi th aThreshold of 1 or greater and an encumbrance of 3 or greater. A Whehas a 75% chance to hit at range brack et 1. Accur acy drops off 10% per

range bracket beyond the f i rst . Accuracy, however, is incr eased 04%

per level of the control ler above the 10th.

Repair Object (Simple)

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : To u chBoost: None Dur ation : Per manen tSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix wi l l repai r s imple obj ects that are br oken. The matr ixrestores 1d8 points of in tegr i ty to any object that has been damaged.

Note that i f an object has been purposely modi f ied, th is matr ix mayrestore i t to i ts ori ginal state. Sim ple objects typical ly have no m oving

parts or e lectronics of any k ind , and are general ly compo sed of a s in-g le mater ia l . Examples include k nives, swords, shovels, arm or p late,

windows, etc. The BM has the f ina l decision as to what const i tu tes a

simple object. This matrix can not be used on l iving targets but can beused on armor ( not arm or opt ions) .

Space Bubble

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 3 Se c R an ge : 5 mB oo st : 1 m i n ut e/ p o in t D u r at io n : 5 m i n ut es

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getTh is mat r i x a l l ows the mat te r con t ro l l e r to c rea te an a i r - f i l l ed

sphere, which w il l sur vive the vacuum of space. In addi tion, the user of

the sphere can move it at a rate of 5m/sec in any direction he wishes,as long as the sphere rem ains in the vacuum of space. The sphere h as

a threshold of 3 and an integrity of 15.

Time Bomb

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : To u ch

B oo st: 1 d ay/ po in t D ur ati on : 1 d aySM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 2m

The matr ix con tro l ler is able to destabi l ize the molecular structure

of an inanimate object so i t explodes at a pre-determined t ime. Theexploding object wi l l do 4-24 po ints of f ragmentat ion damage, up to a

maxim um amou nt of dam age equal to the object’s integri ty. Objects canonly rem ain charged for one day, unless boosted, befor e they autom at-

ical ly explode r egard less of the pr eset detonation tim e.

5PowerPointsChange State

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 8 sec Ra ng e: 1 0 mBoost: 1m in / pt. Dur ation : 1 m inSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix allo ws a Whe contr oller to change the physical state of aobject. Sol ids m ay be turn ed into gases or l iqui ds; l iquids m ay be mad

solid or turned into a gas, and gasses may be made solid or into a liquiThe matrix i s l imited to 2d6 points of material integri ty that can be co

verted. Note that this m atrix d oes not change the physical pr operties the materi al in any state. This is impo rtant because changing those priso

bars into a l iqu id or gas in or der to escape wil l r equire that they be seeral thousand degrees, and this may be hazardous to your health.

Petrify

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 4 sec Ra ng e: 1 0 m

Boost: 10 m 2 / po in t Dur ati on : 5 da ys x le velSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: 10m 2

This matrix surro unds the target in a hard stone-l ike shel l . The shehas a Threshold equal to the level of the matrix controller and an Integri

equal to the user’s level multiplied by five. Though the target encased bthe m aterial is not harm ed, they wil l eventual ly suffocate i f they have aopen face helmet. Targets with rebreathers and nutrient injectors who ar

unable to fr ee themselves may survive for mon ths before final ly expirinassuming the material doesn’t dissolve on i t own ( reaches maximu

duration) . It is unl ikely the victim wil l be able to break free from theshell as i t is very tough. In addition, there is no roo m to m ove inside th

shell so i t is difficult to strik e i t with any force. Without a weapon in h anto cut the shell the victim m ust mak e a STR check w ith a penalty equal 120 p lus the threshold o f the material to fr ee them selves. The user of th

matr ix m ay cover up to 10 square m eters wi th the hard mater ia l . Foevery additional power point spent generating the matrix, the user ma

cover an additional 10 square meters. The material lasts for a length time equal to 5 days multipl ied by the matrix contro l ler’s level.

Reshape

Gen era ti o n Ti me : 5 M i n Ra ng e: To u ch

B oo st: 3 0sec/ po in t D ur ati on : 5 m inSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix funct ions exact ly the same as the Mutzachan matrShape found in the main Battlelords book o n page 172.

Sonic Beam


SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matr ix funct ions exact ly the same as a Sonic Disruptor founin the weapons section of Lock N’ Load.

6PowerPointsBond Lock

Genera t ion T ime: 10 sec Range: Touch

B oo st: 1 m in /p oi nt D ur ati on : 1 m in uteSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix fr eezes the molecular structur e of an object or l i v increature so that i t can not be manipulated or changed . If the target

MATTER CON TROL MATRICES • 4–6 P




4 • MATRICES

a l i v i ng be ing , i t can no t hea l any i n ju r i es fo r the du ra t i on o f thematr ix, e i ther thr ough natura l heal ing or thro ugh other m eans. I f a l iv-ing target is under the effects of th is matr ix for longer than a mi nute,

a System Shock check is requi red. The System Shock check has apenal ty of -30 for each addi t ional minute of exposure to the matr ix ’s

effects past the first minute. Fai lure indicates that the target has died.

Decrease Dens ity

Genera t i on T ime: 20 sec Range: 10 metersBoost : -1 A I /EC per po in t Dura t i on: Perm anen t

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getUsing this matr ix, a contr ol ler can decrease the density of an inani-

mate object. The Integrity and Encum br ance of an object is reduced byone point for every point the matr ix contro l ler burns generat ing th is

matr ix. If the object’s AI is reduced to zero or less, i t crum bles into dust.

Disintegration II

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 1 0 se c R an ge : 3 0 mBo ost: 1 m/ po in t D ur atio n: Var ies

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matri x function s identical ly to the standard Whe Disintegrationmatr ix, only i t wor ks at range.

Rearrange

Genera t i on T ime: 10 min Range: TouchB o ost : 1 p t o f AI / p o in t D u r at io n : Per m a nen t

SM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar getThis matr ix not only a l lows the user to reshape raw mater ia l but

a lso to change i ts composi t ion. Up to 2d10 Integr i ty may be added orsubtracted from the raw materi al ’s existing AI scor e. This matr ix has no

effect o n l iving targets.

7PowerPointsBond Reinforce

Genera t i on T ime: 10 Sec Range: 10mB oo st : 1 m i nu te/ p oi nt D ur at io n: 5 m i nSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matrix strengthens the molecular bonds in the target. The targetis imm une to the effects of disintegrators, disruptor s, the dispersal/mol-

ecular dispersion matrices, and the effects of the MDD-24 ( Lock-N-Load,

espionage equipment) . In addition, the target can not be m oved by d is-

placement or telepor tation, though dim ensional jum ping sti l l wor ks.

Dispersa l

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 2 se c R an ge : 5 0 m

Boost: None Dur ation: I nstantaneousSM R: Ch em ic al Ar ea o f Effec t: Tar getThis matr ix wor ks in a s imi lar fashion to the Mutzachan Molecular

Dispersion M atr ix on page 172 of the Battlelords ru lebook .

Invisibility

Ge nera ti o n Ti me : 3 se c R an ge : To u ch

B oo st: 1 m in /p oi nt D ur ati on : 5 m i nu tesSM R: None Ar ea o f Effect: Tar get

This matr ix w ork s the same as the Mutzachan I mpr oved I nvisib i l i ty

matr ix on page 78 of the Galacti c Underground .

Permanency

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 1 h r R an ge : Sp ec i alBoost: None Dur ati on : per manent

SM R: None Ar ea of Effect: SpecialThis matrix makes the effects of any matter control matrix permanent.

Repair Object (Com plex)

Genera t i on T ime: 10 Min Range: TouchBoost: 10 m 3 / po in t Dur ati on : Per m an en tSM R: None Ar ea of Effect: 10 cub ic m

This matr ix functi ons in the same way as Repair Sim ple Objects, buti t can be used on compl ex machines and l iv ing beings. I t r epai rs 1d8

points of lost integri ty or heals 1d8 body points.

8PowerPointsDuplicate

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 3 m i n R an ge : 5 me te r sBoost: None Dur ati on : Per manent

SMR: Bio ( i f a l iving target) Area of Effect: TargetThis matr ix a l lows a m atr ix contro l ler to create an exact dupl icate

of any material object. Remember this is a MATTER control matrix, sodupl icated objects wil l not have any energy. Living beings that are dup li-

cated become l i fe less, and dupl icated batter ies are a lways empty,though functional. Limited to a total of 50kg per level of the control ler.

Fission

Ge ne rat i on Ti me : 5 se c R an ge : 5 kmBoost: None Dur ati on : I nstan taneousSMR: B io ( l i vi ng target ) Area o f E ffec t : Ta rge t

The matr ix con tro l ler is able to star t an uncontro l l ab le nuclear f is-sion reaction that explodes l ike an atomic bomb. The blast does 75HP

to anything within 2500m and damage drops by 25HP for each 1,000mafter that. Any object withou t a Flux shield can b e used as the raw mate-

r ia l for the react ion. Shie lded targets sti l l take damage i f they are inrange. Unless the m atr ix contr o l ler is in deep space, there is a lwaysenough fuel for the reaction.




5 • ZENAX



10BEYOND THE RIFT

HEZENAX GALAXY

The Zenax ga laxy i s a ve ry d i ffe ren t p lace com pared to whe rmost All iance char acters o r ig inated . The m ost notable d ifferenc

is that there is no united body of p lanets . There is no All iance

Each spec ie s in Zenax i s independen t and ho ld s c la im ove r i

own te r r i to r ia l space . In add i tion , no t a l l o f the spec ie s a re fr i end ly towar

each other , and so me, l ike the Whe, are open ly hosti le toward other r aces .

IT’STHELITTLETHINGSTHATGET Y OU

Dea ling with the twe lve o r mor e a l i en spec ie s tha t you know ab ou t i s ha r

enough, but running in to dozens more that you’ve never seen before can g

confusing. Without the aid of a single governing body like the Alliance, none o

these a l ien races are l ikely to have anything s tandard ized am ong them . For a

you know, that white f lag of surrender you are waving a t the Whe may be a

insult to their commander’s mother . Just keep in mind that gestures , phrase

and s tandar ds that you take for granted ar e not valid here .

LanguageThe Aktai had long ago developed a way to perm anently implant genetic mem

ories in to m any differen t organic l i fe forms. These genetic me mo ries can a ls

be designed to pass from parent to offspring. Many species were terrified by th

possible application of this technology as a weapon. As an act of good faith, th

Aktai t ransla ted a l l of the kno wn languages available to them an d m ade thes

available to every fr iendly species as genetic mem ory in jections. Mo st specie

including the Whe, who were fr iendly to the Aktai a t the t ime, accepted th

Aktai’s gift. As a r esult, alm ost every individu al in Zena x has the ab ility to sp eakwrite , and und erstand the languages of every o ther species .

Characters from the Alliance who are injected with the Aktai serum will b

able to sp eak, r ead, an d wr ite the languages of Zenax natives . All iance char a

ters can have the Aktai develop a custom genetic memory in jection for thei

spec ies that will allow the Zenax n atives to spe ak the ir langua ges. The Aktai w

be m ore than h appy to do th is for the ch ance to increase their k nowledge of

new alien spe cies . All iance char acters n eed o nly s top by any Aktai outpost an

consen t to a genetic sam ple in orde r for the Aktai to produ ce the in ject ion . Th

Aktai have vowed never to develop genetic memory injections for any other us

than und erstanding fore ign languages.

Many races , most notably the Klee , have developed secre t languages th

are n ot encod ed in the Aktai in jections.

THE ZENAX GALAXY

C H A P T E R 5

Zenax •5

INTHISCHAPTER...

TheZenaxGalaxy

It’s theLittleThingsThatGetYou

Travel inZenax

Travel Hazards

TheAuthorities

WheInvasions

UnexploredSpace

TheFallen

ThoseThatHaveComeBefore

DevastatedPlanetsandExtinctRaces

PlacestoVisit

A remoteKleetradingpost has beensetupon

theplanet Faetlenn, nearacommonopeningofthe

MotaranRift. Alliancepersonnel stoppingherecan

find many Klee familiar with their technology as

well astheir language.Bewary,though;thisisalso

acommonlair ofArachnidandWhespies.




MoneyThere is no s tandard un it of cur-

rency among va r ious cu l tu re s ,

and as a result , a se t of exchange

r a t e s h a s b e e n c r e a t e d a m o n g

friendly species . However, that

b e i n g s a i d , w h e n e x c h a n gi n g

c u rr e nc y f r om o n e typ e toano the r, th e pe r son exchanging

c u r r e n c y a l m o s t a l wa ys l o se s

m o n e y i n t h e t r a d e . T h e Kl ee

ma in ta in a r ea l - t ime l i s t o f the

cu r ren t exchange ra te s .

TRAVELINZENAX

For the mo st part , t ravel is unre-

s tr i c ted in f r ee space - tha t i s

space n ot c la imed b y any part ic-

u lar species . Most terr i tor ies areso vast that you are only likely to

run in to a pa t ro l o r s cou t sh ip

along trade routes , near inhab it-

ed p lanets and outposts , or a long

a d i s p u te d b o r d e r . G e n e r a l ly

fr iendly species wil l not harass

you too m uch, if you s tay out of

trouble, for fear they might scare

off legitimate tra der s.

Th e im p o r ta n t th in g t o

r e m e m b e r i s t h a t t h e r e a r e n o

standard ized trade laws amon g species in Zenax, but thanks to the Klee ,

th is is beginning to change. Unti l recently there was no way to know

what to expect when enter ing another specie’s terr i tory . While some

species wil l g ive you free passage through their space; o thers might

search your ship s tem to s tern . Once you are in some one’s terr i tory they

pretty much h ave free re ign to d o as they wish with you and your ship .

Fortun ately, the Klee have establishe d a set of ru les of cour tesy that they

require o ther species to fo l low if they wish to trade with them. Over

t ime the se ru le s have been adop ted by mos t t r ade r s and the cu l tu re s

that deal with them .

Currently, if a patrol ship encounters an unidentified vessel in their

terr i tory, the in truder will be asked to declare i ts pur pose , car go, crew

c o m p l im e n t , a n d i f t h e y a r e c a r r yi n g a n y w e a po n s ( r e fe r r i n g t o

weapon s of m ass d estruction) . Since few Battle lords a re l ikely to bepack ing nukes , th i s is r a r e ly a p r ob lem. Sh ip s tha t a re pu rsu ing com-

merc ia l ven tu re s ( t r ade , pu rchas ing supp l ie s , e tc .) a re gene ra lly

a l lowed to pa ss to the i r de s t ina t ion unmole s ted by the au tho r i t i e s .

However, the author i t ies gener al ly reser ve the r ight to searc h your ves-

sel if you are in their territory.

The Whe very rare ly engage in trade with o ther species , but i t has

been known to happ en from time to t ime. What fo l lows is a l is t of what

you can expect to encounter when traveling through c la imed space.

AktaiOnce the Aktai had an open bor der policy, but now they fiercely patro l

their bor ders in search of the next Whe assau lt. The Aktai have becom e

so aggressive that they have been known to use their impressive tech-

nology to safe ly debil i ta te a susp ic ious ship in or der to search i t before

allowing it to continue on its journey. Though a clear violation of Klee

trade agreements , the Aktai seem to care l i t t le for any inconvenience

they might cause . The Aktai are s t i ll a benevolent race; they just do n’tlike visitor s.

CedeunUnl ike o the r spec ie s , th e Cedeun do no t announce the bounda r ie s o f

their space, nor d o they anno unce their pr esence. The Cedeun ’s c loak-

ing abil it ies make them invis ib le to an yone in their sp ace. As a result ,

t ravelers are l i t t le threat to the Cedeun, and they are not bothered ter-

r ib ly by in trusions in to their terr i tory. In fact , much of the supp osedly

uncla imed space in Zenax is ac tually occupied by hidden Cedeun c i t ies .

The Cedeun have sp read so fa r ac ro ss space tha t many a s te ro id s in

space, c la imed by other race s , are actually inhabited by Cedeun s.

Should the Cedeun deem an in truding ship a threat , they can l i ter-a l ly swarm the unsuspec t ing sh ip ’ s hu l l and des t roy i t w i th l impe t

mines. Shie lded ships are b lasted in to p ieces by asteroid-m ounted gun

emplacements that uncloak a t point-b lank range.

DisrapanThe Disrapa n have an open b ord er po licy. Thou gh they patro l their bor -

ders , they a l low n on-m ilitary vessels to pa ss freely in to an d o ut of their

space. Mili tary vessels can travel thro ugh Disrap an space if they have

specia l permission or a Disrapan navy escort . Despite their open bor-

der policy , Disrapan planets and space s ta t ions are a lways guarded by

mili tary vessels incase of troub le .

DulThe Du l c la im no te r r i to r ia l space o the r than the loca l space a rou nd

their hom e world . In addit ion , the Dul are pr otected from Whe aggres-

s ion by both the remo te location of their p lanet and a s tr ip of Disrapa n

owned sp ace that separates the Dul from the Whe.

KleeLike the Cedeun , b u t fo r d i ffe ren t r ea sons , the Klee do no t h ave an

e s ta b li sh e d t er r i to r y t o l ay c l a im t o s in c e t h ei r h o m e w o r ld w a s

destroyed by the Whe. The Klee usually establish a trade treaty with

fr iendly nations. One of the s tandard terms in these treat ies is that the

nomadic Klee f lee ts are a l lowed to c la im a perimeter of space around

their fleet as their o wn, m uch like a ro ving em bassy. As a re sult, the Klee

sh ip s do no t have to dec la re the i r c a rgo o r c rew compl imen t when

close to their f lee t . The Klee are a lso a l lowed to establish a defensive

perim eter ar ound their f lee t with the few m ilitary vessels they possess .

RazaaThe Razaa do n ot l ike vis itors to their space. They keep to themselves ,

and they expect o thers to do so as well . Ships , o ther than those belong-

ing to the Klee, are rarely allowed in Razaa territory.

5 • ZENAX

ExchangeRates

Listed below are various

exchange rates of currency

between the species of Zenax.

TheBattlemastershouldfeel free

tochangetheseratesasneeded.

Currency Rate

Aktai 200

Cedeun 5*

Disrapan 20

Dul 1

Klee **

Razaa 15

Whe N/ A

* For their currency theCedeun

usecoinsmadeof raremetals.

** Klee have no currency, butbarterfor whattheyneed.

Using this table, we see that

Aktaicurrencyhaveanexchange

rate of 200:5with Cedeun cur-

rency. In other words, 1 Cedeun

creditisworthonefortiethofone

Aktai credit andoneAktai credit

isworth40Cedeuncredits.



11BEYOND THE RIFT

WheThe Whe heavily guard the b ord ers of their space u sing a comb ination

of patro l sh ips , cru isers , and se lf-prop elled mines. They do not to lera te

incursions in to their space for any reason. Non-Whe ships must have

specia l perm ission to enter Whe space or face destruc tion if d iscovered.

Occasionally , the Whe wil l to lera te the presence of a Klee trader f lee t

a long the border of their space.

TradeTrade o f goods am ong cu l tu re s i s com mon and a booming bus iness .

Becau se of the trade r outes an d trea ties first established by the Klee with

the i r ne ighbo rs , f r ee t r ade has become sa fe r and more p ro f i t ab le .

Major trade r outes are n ow patro lled by the local author i t ies to prevent

p i ra te a t t a cks , and huge spacepo r t s have been e rec ted to f ac i l i t a te

t r ade . [ 20 ] Th is ha s o pened u p op po r tun i ti e s fo r sma l le r t r ade r s and

smugglers looking to make a pro fit in newly open ed trade a reas .

KleeTraderFleets[23]No one knows exac t ly how many Klee t r ade r f l e e t s ex i s t , bu t i t i s

assume d that ther e ar e a t least twelve indep enden t f lee ts . To h ide theirnumber s , the Klee rou t ine ly mee t an d exchange sh ip s from d i ffe ren t

flee ts . Each Fleet consis ts of between two d ozen to a hund red individ-

ua l ve sse l s. Mos t ve sse ls a re ca rgo sh ip s o r o the r merchan t ve sse ls ,

thou gh som e m ilitary ships pa trol the fleet’s per imeter. Man y of the Klee

ships are older and barely space-worthy. However, despite their age, the

sheer n um ber o f sh ips and the tenaciou sness of the Klee make a f lee t a

significant military threat if provoked.

The Klee f lee ts travel most of known sp ace, including the bo rder of

Whe space , en gaging in t r ade wi th a l l spec ies they encoun te r. Some

fleets travel on regular sched ules between worlds , while o thers app ear

to move in r and om pa t te rn s . The pa t te rn s o f the f le e t depend on the

adm iral in charge, bu t a l l Klee flee ts try to rem ain unp redic table to pr e-

vent a coo rdinated Whe at tack .

A typical Klee fleet will have one of just about anything a character

might be looking for , but the price is never cheap for rare i tems. The

Klee work on the barter system and have no cur renc y. They will rare ly

accept fore ign curr ency for i tems and o ften wil l only accept o ther good s

as payment.

If a Klee fleet is encountered in open space, they will typically ask

near by vessels if they wish to engage in trad e. Depen ding on wh at goods

the grou p is looking for, they will be direc ted toward a par ticular vessel.

A Klee trade fleet is always doing business with somebody, even when

traveling through deep space from planet to p lanet . As a precaution ,

ships will never b e d irected toward a vessel that conta ins the m erchan -

dise for which they are looking. In addition, ships are never allowed to

dock at the Klee vessels that stockpile weapons or ordinance, which are

for sa le . Once the term s have been agreed to , the Klee trader will have

the merchandise shuttled over to the purchaser. When Klee encounter an

inhab ited world o r ou tpost, they will not typically land b ut rathe r shu ttle

prospective clients up to the fleet for safety reasons.

A Klee trade ship wil l have a bazaar with hundreds of s tores that

shoppers can wander among. Merchants usually specia l ize in one par-

t icular type of good but may have re la ted i tems. In addit ion to goods,

Klee fleets offer a wide variety of services including hotels, restaurants,

enter ta inmen t, and other ser vices . Because o f the nom adic nature o f the

Klee , their es tablishments are never what you would call top notch

Your typical Klee bar is a seedy, rou gh and tumble k ind of p lace wher

f ights are as com mo n as the haggling. These Klee bars an d c lubs ar e

good place for a merc team to f ind their next ass ignment and an eve

better p lace to buy information. Ironically , the restaurants the Kle

reser ve for f lee t crew ar e quite n ice and family oriented .

CedeunAsteroidsCitiesThe Cedeun build their c i t ies inside massive asteroids that they hav

ho l lowed ou t th rough decades o f min ing. The Cedeun a re ca re fu l t

conce al a l l t races of their c i t ies using a c omb ination of s tea lth techno

ogy and m atr ix powers to h ide their pre sence. Massive Cedeun colonie

with a populat ion exceeding tens of thousands can be concealed from

detection .

The Cedeun can invite guests in to their c i t ies without fear of expo

sure , s ince they can move entire as teroid f ie lds a t a whim. If someon

wer e to reveal the location o f a Cede un c ity, it would b e gone b y the tim

they re turned.

CedeunMiningOutpostsIf an asteroid isn’t large enough for a c i ty or too d ifficult to move to

mor e s t r a teg ic loca tion , the Cedeun wil l l e ave a g roup o f mine r s

extract minerals from the roc k. If you en coun ter an astero id fie ld , the

there is a good chance that there are Cedeun somewhere c lose by.

CedeunSalvageYard[22]The Cedeun have several as teroid-based sa lvage yards that they kee

along Klee trade routes. These salvage yards are excellent places to fin

spare parts from man y differen t types o f sh ips , including rare All ianc

craft . These sa lvage yards u sually rem ain uncloake d and are guar ded b

large weapon systems to defend against p ira tes . The Klee often se t u

small outposts on these asteroids from which they serve as middlem e

trading parts to travelers who need them.

CedeunArtgalleryandlaserlightshow[21]The Takd is a com bination ar t gallery and laser l ight show de veloped b

the Cedeun . The Takd i s loca ted on As te ro id 626 , wh ich has bee

moved next to a Klee trade route in Cedeun space. Constructed insid

an a tmosphere bubble , a l iens of a l l species can s top to v iew the sho

for a small entrance fee. Characters will be awed by the brilliant displa

of l ights , which som e race s c la im is nauseating .

TRAVELHAZARDS

Pirates[14]Without the All iance, there are no galactic police , and with no polic

around there is no one to protect you from the scourge of deep spac

Pira tes! Piracy is ram pant in deep space, and any ship can be a t tacke

at any t ime. Only by traveling in large groups a long heavily travele

trade routes can one hope to avoid p ira te a t tacks. However, in recen

years the p ira tes have been gett ing better armed and more aggressiv

even attacking small Klee trade fleets.

TRAVEL HAZARD




WormholesThe Zenax galaxy is r ipe with wormholes and tears in the space-t ime

continuum. Most of the wormholes are just short-d is tance tunnels that

dro p u nsuspecting travelers on the o ther s ide of Zenax. A few, however,

will t ranspor t t ravelers out o f Zenax and to parts un known . [ 15]

DefenseNetsSpace is just too vast for a nation to p ro tect all of its terr itory with patr ol

ships . In order to help monitor the borders of space, massive defense

nets have been erected to monitor sh ips that enter and leave c la imed

space. [ 18] Some of these defense nets are s imply h idden scanning out-

pos t s tha t r eco rd sh ip s a s they pass . O the r s a re ac t ive d e fense ne t s ,

which a ler t in truder s that they are en ter ing held terr i tory and can take

action again st intrude rs who p ers ist in violating a nation’s sovereign ter-

r i tory. Yet o ther defense nets ar e au tomated a t tack systems that de stroy

any vessels that wander into range. Defense nets with offensive capabil-

i t i e s a re gene ra l ly loca ted we l l in s ide the t e r r i to r ia l bo rde r o f the

species that buil t them to prevent terr i tor ia l d isputes .

THEAUTHORITIESOn c ivi li zed wor ld s f ind ing the po l ice i s no t a p rob lem, desp i te the

rum or abou t them n eve r be ing a round when you need them. On m os t

outposts and co lony worlds , there wil l be an ap pointed or e lected sher-

iff who ma y or m ay not have de puties . How tough the she riff is dep ends

on the a mo unt of fund ing the town provides for h im. Most sher iffs are

ex -mercs o r ex - law en fo rcemen t o f f ice r s who a re smar t enough and

we ll -a rmed enough to hand le anyth ing sho r t o f an o rgan ized th rea t.

Pira te a t tacks an d heavily arm ed m ercen ary bands ar e genera l ly beyond

the ability for most sheriffs to repel.

In cases wher e sher iffs need a han d, they can call upon on e of two

sources . In most cases , colonies or outposts are owned by the species

that buil t them . Sheriffs on these colon y worlds ca n call in the m arines- l i tera l ly. The colony owners ar e not op posed to sending in the ar med

force s to re pel a thre at to their in terests . Colonies that are a t h igh r isk

fo r a t t a ck may even be i s sued a pa t ro l sh ip o r mi l i t a ry ga r r i son to

insure their safety.

Independent colonies or outposts have a much rougher t ime of i t .

L ike a town in the Amer ican o ld Wes t , th e se co lon ie s a re u sua l ly

defended only by the sheriff , h is deputies , and the inhabitants . This

assum es that the sher iff can encou rage the inha bitants to f ight for their

colony. To com plicate these m atters , the sheriff and h is equipme nt are

usu ally paid for by the taxes co llected at the colo ny. Let’s face it, no o ne

with any mon ey is going to travel to the fringe of kno wn spa ce to live on

a backwater colony world unless they are desperate for excitement or

are s tar t ing a n ew bu siness venture . As a result , the sher iff of an inde-pendent colony is often ill-equipped to defend the colony against a seri-

ous threat .

Customs[17]Cus toms on p lane t s , ou tpos t s , and spacepo r t s wi l l g ene ra l ly sea rch

and/ or scan vis itors for any unauthorized or i l legal goods and weap ons.

Depend ing on whe re you a re , banned ma te r ia l s may inc lude d rugs

( including medical supp lies) , equipm ent that can be used for ter ror is t

ac t ivi ties , armo r, and of cour se , weapons.

TheMarshalsThe Disrapan em ploy a small army of law enforcem ent officers referre d

to as the Marshals . The Marshals are h ighly tra ined and se lected from

eli te Disrapan mili tary and police un its.

The Marshals were commissioned to protect the in terests of their

people throughout space. It is a Marshal’s job to help Disrapan citizens

p ro tec t themse lves and the ir p rope r ty from any fo re ign th rea t. The

Marshals have a lmost no restr ic t ions and have been known to secre t lyinvade the territory of other spe cies in order to accom plish their mission.

The Marsha l s may be ca l led upon by any Dis rapan c i t i z en tha t

requires assistance and is off-world. Disrapan citizens that call the mar-

shals without cause are dealt with harshly. Marshals that break Disrapan

law are dealt with even more harshly . However, Marshals wil l readily

break the laws of foreign lands they’re in to accomplish their missions.

WeaponsControlMost c ivi lized worlds wil l not a l low ar med crew off their sh ips . I f cus-

toms o ffic ia ls d iscover that you’re packing a lo t of mil itary grade har d-

ware , you m ay not even b e a l lowed to land . I t’s a d ifferen t s tory on the

outposts and colony worlds . Law enforcem ent is few and far b etween, if there is any a t a l l. I t is com mon for the local inhabitants to car ry small

arm s to defend them selves , their families , and their pro perty. On som e

of the rougher ou tposts , mer cenar y squads can be seen ru nning aroun d

in fu ll bat t learm or, pack ing anti- tank weaponr y.

SmugglingSmuggling has beco me a l i tt le b i t easier no w that free tra de r outes have

been established am ong nations. [ 19] Often smugglers wil l mak e run s

in to protected terr i tory to s teal advanced technology and weapons, in

o rde r to se l l th em to o the r cu l tu re s a t a p rem ium. On the way back ,

smugglers wil l head toward a trade r oute ou ts ide of the terr i tory they’re

fleeing. Once the sm uggler r eaches a fore ign trade r oute , they are p ro-

tected a l l the way to their dest ination . Without p erm ission, the v ic t im-

ized sp ecies doesn ’t dare a t tack the sm uggler in fore ign terr i tory. Such

an a t tack , especia l ly on a trade r oute , might be v iewed as an ac t of war.

WHEINVASIONS

[ 24] The Whe have invaded over 50 wo rlds, abo ut half a dozen o f which

were inh abited by sentient species. Genera lly the spec ies were of a lower

Tech Level than the Whe an d easily subjugated . Species co nqu ere d by the

Whe are usually indoctrinated into the Whe society as a slave class, and

their entire p lanet’s resources are put toward the growth and mainte-

nance of the massive Whe military fleets. However, on occasion, a race

refuses to be enslaved by the Whe and continues their resistance against

the alien invaders, even after losing con trol of their planet. Unfor tunately

fo r the rebe l l ing a l i en s , the Whe canno t comprehend why a spec ie s

would not want to ser ve the greater good. If the Whe decide that a race

cannot be subjugated , then the entire species is destroyed, and the Whe

strip the planet of its remaining resources. This has earned the Whe their

vic ious r eputa t ion and the hatred of many of their neighbor s .

TheWhe/ AktaiFrontThe Whe a re in a cons tan t s ta te o f wa r with the Ak ta i and rou t ine ly

attempt to penetra te Aktai space and assault them. Only the Aktai’s

5 • ZENAX



11BEYOND THE RIFT

super ior techno logy has a l lowed them to fend off the Whe. So far o nly

the Aktai have been able to repe l the Whe, but no one k nows ho w much

of a dra in th is is on the Akai’s resources . The Whe Nactlar “Victory”

fleet s t il l s i ts a t the bor der of the Whe an d Aktai space, regro uping for

another camp aign against the Aktai .

OtherWheFronts

Since the Aktai have been able to prevent assaults by the Whe into theirterritory, the Whe have diverted some of their attention to procuring the

resou rces n eeded to mainta in their m assive m ilitary force s . As such, the

Whe routinely mo unt cam paigns against neighbo ring worlds and invade

the sovereign terr i tory of o ther governments . Though the Aktai have

been able to repel the Whe at tacks, o thers have not been so lucky. To

date , no one e lse has been ab le to s top a Whe assault force .

Having successfully subjugated the Klee in 2225 ( Alliance Time) ,

the Tajla May “Wandering Conquer or” flee t is t raveling to Beta Pr ime

wher e they will join with the battle fleet Tal “Death ” and the assa ult fleet

Dima “Pain” to spe arhea d the a t tack against their next target.

UNEXPLOREDSPACEGhostShipsGhost sh ips are re la t ively com mo n in deep space, and some have even

been known to drif t in to c la imed terr i tory . Sadly , many of these ghost

ships are Klee vessels that a t tempted to e scape the Whe at tack on their

home wor ld . Some o f the se vessel s ac tua lly made i t in to deep space

before the Whe at tack but never rendezvoused with the f lee t . Without

the re-supply that would have been provided by the o ther sh ips in the

fleet , the refugees on boar d these vessels s tarved to death . Other Klee

ghost ships include vessels that were destroyed by the Whe or ships that

s imply weren’t space-worthy enough to hold together in the r igors of

space af ter the exodus.

When these derel ic t sh ips are d iscovered, they encou nter a num berof fa tes; these depend on who f inds them. When discovered by neigh-

bo r ing mi l i t a r ie s , th e se vesse l s a re o f ten re tu rned to the i r peop le .

Pira tes and looters scavenge any ghost sh ips they f ind , a nd s t i ll o thers

are c la imed as legal sa lvage by explorers .

Of cou rse , no t a l l ghos t sh ip s a re o f Klee o r ig in . P i ra te a t t a cks

ensur e that dere l ic t sh ips from just about every culture can b e encou n-

tered from time to t ime. Occasionally an a l ien [ 16] or All iance ship is

d i scove red d r i f t ing th rough space . These a l i en sh ip s a re o f in ten se

in te re s t to ju s t abou t anybody tha t comes ac ro ss them. The na t ive

species of Zenax want them for the new technologies that can be sa l-

vaged from their hulls , and All iance personnel want access to o ther

All iance vessels for spare parts , ammo, and the data in the ship’s log

that might lead them back home.

THEFALLEN

The fo llowing sentient races have been conquered, enslaved, or eradi-

cated by the Whe. Som e m ay be symp athetic to cha racters that op pose

the Whe , wh i le o the r s a re qu i te con ten t wi th the ir cu r ren t s i tua t ion .

Cha rac te r s shou ld no t m ake the m is take o f a s suming tha t a l l spec ie s

that have been conq uered by the Whe ar e unh appy and wil l a id the PCs.

TheAopdownThe Aopdown are a race of highly intelligent, aquatic beings that inhab

i t t h e p l an e t o f t h e s a m e n a m e . Th o u g h t h ey a r e t ec h n o lo g ic a l

advanced ( TL4) , the Aopdown never cho ose to colon ize o ther world

Instead, the Aopdown choose to l ive in harmony with nature on the

h o m e w o r l d a n d fo l lo w i n te l le c t u a l p u r s u i ts . Un fo r t u n a t e ly, t h

Aopdo wn h ad l i t t le ch ance in sur viving the assault of a Whe coloniz

t ion fo rce . They qu ick ly su r rende red to the i r Whe conque r o r s r a ththan be wiped o ut . The Whe pr imari ly use the Aopdo wn for under wat

mining and farming.

TheDaktarThe Dak ta r a re an ens laved Tech Leve l 3 humano id race with b lac

skin , no body hair , and white eyes . The Daktar are renowned for the

dur abil i ty and are u sed by the Whe in hosti le environm ents l ike minin

or EDC teams.

TheDesiutThe Desiut are a peaceful TL 3 race that has accepted i ts ro le in Wh

socie ty as h is tor ians an d arch ivis ts . They are well- l iked and well- treaed b y the Whe an d ar e f inding themse lves p laced in increasingly impo

tant roles in Whe society. Almost every Whe ship has a Desiut archivi

that rec ord s da ily events for poster i ty. In addit ion , m any logis t ics an

requ is it ion posit ions in the mil i tary are s taffed by the Desiut race .

TheTriemThe Tr iem a re a r ace o f quad rupeds , wh ich inhab i ted p lane t Be t

Prime. This TL 4 ra ce fought the Whe to the b it ter end. The Whe d ete

mined that the Triem could no t be subjugated , and they were m ethod

ca l ly exte rmina ted by o rb i ta l bomb ardmen t o f the ir home wor ld an

colonies . Whe hun ters have s tanding ord ers to k i l l a l l remaining Trie

on sight.

THE FALLEN




TheVewhigThe Vewhig are another race that has benefited from their inclusion into

Whe society. The Vewhig’s planet, Astar167, was quickly annexed into

the Whe em pire with no r esis tance d uring the ear ly period of the Whe’s

expansion from their hom e world . The p rimit ive ( TL 2) and war-like

Vewhig saw the benefits of their master’s powerful technologies and the

new experiences open to them. The physically powerful Vewhig serve as

basic laborer s , though in recen t years the Whe have taken to using themas foot so ld iers in h igh-r isk m issions.

TheXhemThe Xhem are a species of insecto id a l iens who hail f rom the p lanet

Yujh . These TL 2 creatures are small quadrupeds, covered in mult ip le

tentacles and eyes. To the Whe the Xhem are the lowest of the low an d

barely qualify as living beings. The Xhem are typically assigned to the

most hazardous duties in the Whe empire .

TheXuwThe Xuw were the b igges t th rea t to the Whe ; th i s TL 4 soc ie ty was

reno wned for successfully defending i tse lf against a l ien invasions fromtechnologically super ior opp onents in the past . Rather than r isk a pro -

longed confronta t ion , which might deple te their resour ces ( better used

against the Aktai) , the Whe launched multiple sneak attacks against the

Xuw on a major religious holiday. The Whe mercilessly wiped out every

Xuw p lane t u s ing a com b ina tion o f nuc lea r o r b i ta l bomb ardmen t and

“warp bombs” which had been s to len from the Aktai arsenal . Almost

the entire Xuw species was wiped out in a single day.

THOSETHATHAVECOMEBEFORE

Several All iance c i t izens have ma de i t to the Zenax galaxy one way or

another . Below are so me of the mor e famous All iance c i t izens you m ay

run in to :

Warmonger’sMercsT h e m o s t n o ta b le o f t h e s e l o st Al li an c e t r ave le r s a r e t h e fa m e d

Warmonger Mercenaries . Warmonger Corporation , Inc . would routine-

ly send h ired m erc team s in to the r ift to make sc ientific readings and to

see if anyone could make i t to the o ther s ide . The CEO of Warmonger

Co r p o r a t io n , a c yb e r n e t ic R a m P yt h o n a p p r o p r i a te ly n a m e d

Warmon ger, offered to p ay twenty mill ion cred its to an yone who c ould

get through the r ift , make i t back to All iance space, an d pr ove that they

d i d i t . I n 2 2 6 3 , a c r a z y O r i o n n a m e d Sa m O ’ R o a r k d i d j u s t t h a t .

So m e t h in g O ’R o a r k b r o u g h t b a c k w it h h i m e vi d e n tl y i n t r ig u e d

Warmon ge r so mu ch tha t he sen t h i s te am o f pe r sona l merc s in to ther i ft ( th e founde rs o f Warmon ge r, Inc . ) packed up with enough o rd i -

nance to de s t roy a sma l l p lane t . They were neve r to be hea rd f rom

again . Rumor s abou nd that even Warmon ger h imse lf went in to the r if t,

but his public appearances after the famed rift run have all but dispelled

tha t rumor .

CaptainCatastropheandhis LegionofDoomCaptain Catastrophe is the leader of an e l i te me rcena ry team com posed

primari ly of Eridani . Despite their f ront l ine experience f ighting the

Arachn ids , the capta in and his crew h ave con stantly met with bad luck

and an unusually high casualty rate. Eventually the team ran afoul of an

Arachnid Priest and ended up in Zenax. Though seeing another Alliance

cit izen is general ly a celebrated event , the cap ta in’s app earan ce sho uld

be taken a s a very bad om en. His horr ib le luck fo llows him everywhere

that he an d his legion travel .

DEVASTATEDPLANETSANDEXTINCTRACES

TheRaxeThe Raxe were an advanced r ace of in te l ligent beings that d isappear ed

long ago. Only the Aktai have a rec ord of ever encou ntering the Raxe,

and by then they had a l l but d isappeared. Rumor is that the las t Raxe

fled this galaxy out into deep space. Raxe ruins are still found scattered

th roughou t the quad ran t .

TheXuwChosenWhen the Xuw re alized that they were go ing to be wiped ou t by the Whe,

they se lected twelve of their best so ld iers for a da ngerou s assignment.

Now known as “The Chosen,” these twelve Xuw’s sole purpose in life isto wipe out the Whe race a t any cost . To help them accomplish their

mission Xuw scientis ts modif ied these sold iers using an experimental

p r o c e d u r e t o t u r n t h em i n to t h e u l t im a t e Wh e k i ll in g m a c h i n es .

Enduring the painful procedure drove many of the sold iers insane, so

all of The Chosen have been brainwashed to ensure that they finish their

mission. Few have seen a mem ber o f The Chosen . They keep a low pro-

file and kill anything and anyone that gets in their way.

TheTriemRefugeesThe Tr iem were ano the r r ace tha t was nea r ly d r iven to the b r ink o f

extinction b y the Whe. To this day the Triem are still hun ted by the Whe

who want to guarantee their extinction. The remaining Triem avoid con-

tact will all other species as they migrate from planet to planet trying tofind a safe haven from the Whe.

PLACESTOVISIT

SpaceportsSpaceports are vast se lf-conta ined and usually armed ci t ies that orbit

inhabited p lanets or are p laced a lon g major trade r outes . Many species

place spaceports a long major trade routes ra ther than a l low ships in to

the secu red space a round inhab i ted p lane t s . Th is se rves to c rea te a

zone o f p ro tec ted space a r ound inhab ited wor ld s b y keep ing fo re ign

ships away. The Disrapan ar e the no table exception to th is ru le .

Spacepor ts are owned by the species that buil t them and are gener -ally protected by several capitol ships to deter pirate attacks. Spaceports

serve as trading posts , general s tores , and hote ls . In addit ion , species

tha t own ma jo r spacepo r t s have a lo t o f po l i t i c a l c lou t wi th o the r

species . Should they re locate the spacep ort or c lose i t off to pa rt icular

ships , these unfortunate traders wou ld arr ive out of deep sp ace with no

place to r efuel and re -supply.

Spacepor ts are very expensive to run and m ainta in . While some ar e

floating luxury liners , o thers a re bare ly space-wor thy. Despite the d if-

f e rences among spacepo r t s , th ey a l l have one th ing in common : no

weapons a re a l lowed onboa rd . Spacepo r t au tho r i t i e s have a lo t o f

5 • ZENAX



11BEYOND THE RIFT

power to keep the peace ove r gues ts , and t roub lemake rs a r e qu ick ly

dealt with . Criminals are forc ib ly e jected from the spaceport , some-

times b ack to their sh ips and som etimes out the a ir lock. However, most

of the time, visitors to the spaceport stay out of trouble for fear of being

denied food and fuel .

The weaponry on a spaceport is powerful enough to handle a l l but

the largest capito l sh ips . Pira te a t tacks against spacepor ts are rar e , but

they do o ccur.

Hapter 1: Hapter one is a newly finished Disrapan spaceport construct-

ed at the intersection o f two Klee trade r outes just inside Disrapan space.

[ 24] The Hapter is guarded by a contingent of Disrapan destroyers and

other capito l sh ips . Like a l l Disrapan spaceports , Haptor One is con-

trolled b y the powe rful Trad e Consor tium. It is a state-of-the-art facility.

Ziza Citadel: The Citade l i s a mob i le spacepo r t cons t ruc ted by the

Aktai . This g leaming, a lmost crysta l l ine mo noli th f loats throu gh Aktai

spac e. [ 25] The Aktai rar ely allow visitors to com e abo ard th e Ziza, and

its very presence is seen as a bad omen. Very little is known about Ziza.

Trid: Trid is a Razaa spa cepor t of fa ir ly unique d esign. Trid is a g iantspinning hollow spher e that a l lows i ts inhabitants to l ive on the inside

wall of the spher e . The spinning pr ovides the sp here with ch eap ar t ifi-

c ia l gravity, and a fusion rea ctor m ounted in the ce nter of the spacepo rt

p rov ides an a r t ifi c ia l sun . The Razaa have t r an sp lan ted hund reds o f

flo ra and fauna f rom the ir h ome wor ld to the spacepo r t to p r ovide a

more natura l habita t to the Razaa that dwell there . Though Razaa f ind

Trid to be a wonderful s top over , o ther species may f ind the c l imate a

bit too hot and humid for their l ik ing. As with the Razaa home world ,

a l l vis itors sho uld take c are n ot to be eaten by the local greener y.

OutpostsA number o f sma l l ou tpos t s ex is t a round the pe r iphe ry o f t e r r i to r ia l

bounda r ie s . These ou tpos ts r ange f rom min ing camps to gove rnmen t

funde d co lonies . Many governmen ts a l low individual c i t izens and som e-

times corporations to s take a c la im.

Mitron [26]: Mitron is a small independent mining town, buil t on a

rem ote moon out on the frontier . The reason so m any miners r isk their

lives out on the wild frontier is to strike it rich mining Mitronian crys-

ta ls . These rare r ed-colored c rysta ls can be used l ike batter ies and ar e

able to absorb and emit large amounts of energy. Mitron is also inhabit-

ed by a race of small subterranean creatures that don’t l ike the in trusion

of the miners . These in te l l igent but passive creatures l ive in immense

tunnel s tructures that run just undernea th the surface of the moo n.

This outpost is protected b y the Mitronian Guard , which con sis ts of s eve ra l expe r t s who a re supposed to be the bes t in the i r f i e ld . The

Mitronian Guard is equipped with s ta te-of- the-ar t weapons and equip-

men t from a varie ty of sources .

Rakasa 3: A Disrapan co lony planet , Rakasa 3 was established 5 years

ago in an effort to expan d Disrapan terr i tory. Rakasa 3 is pr otected by

a Disrapan patro l sh ip .

Nikasa 7: Anoth er Disrap an ou tpost, Nikasa is a science station bu ilt o

the kilometer thick ice shell that covers the planet’s oceans. Nikasa 7 i

routinely visited by a frigate that patrols the system for intruders.

Cedeun Mining Colony 72: O n e o f t h e f e w a n n o u n c e d C e d e u

colonies is located in a n astero id belt that sc ientis ts have con cluded

the rem ains of a p lanetary system that was de stroyed o ver a mil lenn

ago. The Cedeun fiercely guard the outpost and tolerate visitors for onbr ief visits.

Omotron Zeta Prime: An Aktai colony world , Omotro n welcom es an

and all visitors, excep t the Whe. This beautiful world was selected by th

Aktai as the location for a colony dedicated to the ar ts . All manner o

art is ts are invited to Omotron by the Aktai to practice their ta lent

Artists who accept the Aktai’s offers have their room and board provid

ed to them fo r f r ee . Omotron i s p r o tec ted b y an a r ray o f g round - to

space defense systems.

TradingPostsMazier Beta 5: One of the few permanent trading posts buil t by th

Klee , Mazier was constructed on a small moon, which s i ts on the border of Disrapan and Razaa space, far from the inf luence of the Whe

Mazier is a s topping point for Klee and other sh ips gett ing ready t

make forays into deep space. Evidently, the Klee felt a permanent refu

eling depot was neede d on the edge of deep sp ace to a l low their flee

to travel as far as possible into deep space. No one knows why the Kle

risk such long dis tance tr ips in to uncharted space, but their sh ips ar

a lways deple ted o f fuel and supplies when they re turn .

Though primari ly constructed as a Klee fuel depot, the Klee a l lo

others to refuel here for a pr ice . In addit ion , Mazier a lso has a sma

bu t we l l - s tocked t r ad ing pos t whe re exp lo re r s can s tock up on th

necessi t ies before venturing out in to the abyss .

IndependentWorldsO’Rierde n’s Di rtball: An ambit ious Orion named Miles O’Rierde

made his living, previous to founding this world, as a Rift Runner. Afte

Miles su ccessfully navigated through the Zenax r ift , he decided that

wou ld be more fun to s tay , r a the r than t ry ing to f ind a way home

Traveling for several years in a Klee m erc han t fleet, Miles eventually se

t l ed on a nea r ly un inhab i tab le rock o f a p lane t nea r a r emo te t r ad

ro ute. Using his Klee con tacts, he set up sup ply lines and estab lished th

first business on O’Rierden’s Dirtball - a Bar. What did you expect? H

IS an Orion. O’Rierde n’s Dir tball has been growing ever s ince and ha

developed in to a small f rontier outpost . O’Rierden charges a health

pro perty tax to a l l who “bu y dir t” on his ro ck.

PLACES TO VISI




6 • COMBAT RULES



11BEYOND THE RIFT

ASICCOMBATRULES

Note: Th e opt ional ru les presented below replace hand-to-hancomba t in the Ba t tl e lo rd s ru lebook , excep t whe re no ted . The

were des igned to complemen t and u t i l i z e the new mar t ia l a r

skil ls presen ted in th is book.

QuickSummaryofNewCombatRules

Onecombatroundequals3seconds.

Forhand-to-handcombat, thecombatroundisdividedintothree1-secondsegments.

Fordischargecombat, thecombatroundisdividedintotwo1.5-secondphases

InitiativeRoll for in i t ia t ive . The player with the highest in i t ia t ive declares whether h

wishes to attack immediately or hold his initiative until later in the round. Ho

a charac ter spends his act ions each rou nd is no longer declared . You can o n

attack dur ing your in i tia t ive , but you m ay defend at any t ime dur ing the com b

round ( assuming you have actions left) .

HoldingInitiativeIf you choose not to attack during your initiative, you can choose to attack at

la ter t ime in the same combat segment.

TiedInitiativeIf two or more characters tie for initiative, then their attacks occur simultaneously

ActionsA character’s act ions are equal to the number of a t tacks they would normal

receive. See Batt le lords, page 194 and 195. A character has the same numbe

of ac t ions to spend eve ry segmen t / second . Ac tions tha t a re no t spen t do n

carry over from segment to segment. Actions must be divided between at tac

and d efense and can not be r eal located unti l the next rou nd. Actions a l locate

for attack can only be spent during your character’s initiative. Actions spent t

defend can be spent a t any t ime during the combat round.

Ac t ions spen t pe r fo rming an y techn ique a re lo s t, whe the r the a t t emp te

technique was successful or n ot . Any actions that ar e a l located for de fense ca

be saved unti l the end of the segment to be used for defense. Actions that ar

not spent by the end of the segment are lost . If something prevents the ch arac

ter from using held actions, those actions ar e lost .For instance, Fabic the Eridani has 6 actions per segment. He is attacked befor

his initiative and spends two actions defending. Fabic could have saved those tw

actions an d dec lared that he was n ot going to defend h imself, hoping the attack

would m iss. Then d urin g his initiative, he spe nds 3 a ctions attacking his cho sen vi

tim. Those actions are spent whether Fabic’s attacks were successful or not. Notic

that Fabic saves 1 action that he can use to d efend himself in case he is attacke

after h is initiative. If he d oes n ot spen d this action b efore the e nd o f the segm ent,

is lost. If Fabic is attacked twice m ore b efore the end of the co mb at segmen t, he ca

spend his last action to defend against one attack of his choice. At the beginning o

the next comb at segment, Fabic on ce again starts out with 6 actions.

BASIC COMBAT RULE

C H A P T E R 6

CombatRules•6

INTHISCHAPTER...

BasicCombatRules

MakingAttacks

DeclaringActions

DefendingAgainstAttacks

AdditionalCombatRules

CombatOrder

ExampleofComabt

AttackTechniques

GrapplingTechniques

Throws

SpecialTechniques

DefensiveTechniques

MazianCombatRules

Razaabelievethat youcannever betoosure

whenit comestodischargecombat,sincetheyare

usetotheirownkind’sregenerativepowers.Thus,

theirweaponstendtodeal inoverkill,muchtothe

dismayoftheirnon-regenerative-capablefoes.




ActionSummary1) A cha rac te r ’s num ber o f ac t ions equa ls the numb er o f ac t ions they

can perform every second/segment.

2) A character has the same nu mber of actions to spend every segment.

3) Actions that are not spent do not carr y over from se gment to segmen t.

4) Actions must be divided between at tack and defense a t the begin-

ning of each rou nd. Divis ion o f actions between at tack an d defense

can not be ch anged unti l the next roun d. This can be d one in secre tby writing the num ber of act ions your c harac ter wil l use for a t tack

on a scrap of paper.

MakingAttacksDeclaring Actions : You m ust declar e the type of attack techn ique your

cha rac te r i s u s ing imm ed ia te ly be fo re a t temp t ing a hand - to -hand

attack. You m ust declare the type of defensive technique your cha rac-

ter is using imm ediate ly before a t tempting to defend against a han d-to-

hand o r a r cha ic weapon a t tack . You m us t dec la re whe the r you r cha r -

acter is going to spend an action to defend against the attack, before the

attack roll is made. You m ay choose any technique that your cha racter

knows. The technique s available to the chara cter is be determ ined bythe mar t ia l a r t ( s ) the cha rac te r knows . Mos t o f the t ime a cha rac te r

will not have access to all of the attack or defensive techniques listed in

the tab les that follow.

Making Attacks : In o rde r to make an a t t ack , a cha rac te r mus t f i r s t

choose an Attack technique from the lists on the following pages. Next

determine how many actions the technique requires . Techniques can be

carr ied over from second to seco nd ( and even into the next rou nd) if the

attacker does not have enough actions to finish the technique in one sec-

ond. Finally, the chara cter m ust mak e his hand -to-hand skill check. Failed

attacks miss the target entirely, whether the target was defending or not.

Defending against attacks : In o r de r to de fend aga in s t an a t t ack , achar acter m ust f irs t choo se a Defensive Technique from the l is t below.

All Defensive Technique s r equire only one action to com plete . Finally,

the character must successfully make his hand-to-hand skil l check in

ord er to defend against the a t tack. If your a t tacker m isses you, bu t you

dec la red tha t you were de fend ing , ac t ions spen t on the Defens ive

Technique are still lost. However, no skill check is necessary.

Making a hand-to-hand attack: 50% + attack bo nus ( See Agility) +

04% p er level of HTH Skill + *Techniqu e mo difier = Base Chan ce to Hit.

*Som e techniques are e asier or m ore d ifficult than others an d have

a m odifier that affects the chan ce for suc cess .

Defending agains t a hand- to-hand attack : 2 5 % + a t t a c k b o n u s( See Agili ty) + 04% per level of HTH Skill + *Technique Modifier =

Base Chance to Defend.

*Som e techniques are e asier or m ore d ifficult than others an d have

a m odifier that affects the chan ce for suc cess .

Making an archaic hand we apon attack: Weapon Attack Number +

attack bon us ( See Agili ty) + 04% per level of appro pria te weapo n skil l

= Base Chance to Hit .

ADVANCEDCOMBATRULES

CombiningHand-to-HandandDischargeCombatIf a character wants to shoot and fight in the same combat round, he has

the option of doing so. There are a co uple of things to keep in m ind. First,

d ischarge combat occurs in two phases during a s ingle combat round.

Second, hand-to-hand comb at occurs in three segments during a s ingle

combat r ound. As we can see from the ch art above, if a character were

to make a ranged weapon at tack in the f irs t d ischarge phase, then that

attack would overlap the first 1 and a half segments of the hand-to-hand

combat round. Thus, i f a character shot a laser in the f irs t d ischarge

phase, then he would lose half his actions the following segment and be

unaffected the th ird segment ( fu l l act ions) . I f the character wanted tofight hand-to-hand and then shoot in the same round, he would have full

actions, the first segment, half their total actions in the second segment,

and have no hand-to-hand actions to spend in the third segment because

he is making a ranged at tack in the second discharge phase.

MultipleWeaponsA cha rac te r wield ing m u l tip le a rcha ic hand weapons m us t d ivide h i s

at tack actions among the weapons. Standard penalt ies for using mult i-

p le weapon s skil l applies . See Batt le lords, pa ge 197 .

Armorvs.Hand-to-Handattacks

Hand-to-hand at tacks wil l do no damage to characters with heavy ormechanized armor. Characters in l ight and med ium arm or may subtract

the THR of the arm or from the dam age don e by the attack. The THR of a

cybern etic limb redu ces the effectiveness o f a hand-to-hand attack in the

same fashion as ar mo r. Thus a cybernetic limb with a THR of 7 or mo re is

treated as heavy arm or, and suffers no da mage from h and-to-hand attacks.

StunningandCriticalHits(OptionalRule)Every t ime a char acter receives damage ( temp orar y or real) to the head,

he m ust make a System Shock with a p enalty equal to the dam age done

in the attack. If the roll is failed, the character is stunned and loses 1d4

actions. The lost act ions from stunning carry over from roun d to ro und.

Also reme mb er that any hit to the head or groin that does mor e than

1/2 of the target’s bod y points in temp orar y damage wil l cause a cr i ti -

cal h i t . See Batt le lords r u le ma nual, page 19 7.

Remem ber that hand-to-hand d ama ge ( except for cer ta in races and

a tt ac k s ) i s c o n s i de r e d t em p o r a r y d a m a g e . O n e p o i nt o f t e m p o r a r y

dam age is equal to 1 /10 o f a real point of dam age. Also reme mb er that

every t ime you lose one quar ter of your bo dy points , you r eceive a cr i t-

ical hit. Therefore, a character with 12 body points would receive a crit-

i ca l h it eve ry t ime he lo s t 3 Body Po in ts . Tha t cou ld be from 3 rea l

points of damage or 30 points of temporary damage.

6 • COMBAT RULES

3Seconds

3Seconds

DischargeCombat

Hand-To-HandCombat

1.5 second phase 1 .5 second phase

1 second segment 1 s e co n d s e gm e n t 1 s e co n d s e gm e n t



11BEYOND THE RIFT

CloseRangeIn order for you to perform certa in a t tack techniques, you must be in

close range. Put s imply, c lose range is the dis tance a t which you can

launch at tacks l ike kne es, e lbows, and bit ing.

There are several advantages and disadvantages to entering c lose

range. For a t tackers who l ike to s tr ike and kick, i t br ings them into a

range wher e they can launch m ore devasta t ing a ttacks, l ike e lbows an d

knee kicks. For f ighters who l ike to grapple or wrest le , they can nowgrab, throw, and jo int lock their opp onen ts . As a resu lt , practi t ioners of

“str ik ing” arts wil l generally avoid en tering c lose r ange, while pra cti-

t ioner s of grapp ling arts will t ry to get in to c lose range. On ce you en ter

close r ange to laun ch an attack , you will suffer a -30% pe nalty to defend

against any grapp ling techniqu e.

It is important to note that size and weight are a distinct advantage

when wrestling, throwing, and grappling - even more so than in striking

arts. You can always punch a Ram Python, but you can’t always throw him!

Now, whether you hu rt him pe rforming either techn ique is another matter.

COMBATORDER

Orderofcombat:St ep 1 ) R o ll fo r I n it ia t ive ( r e q u i r e d o n l y o n c e e ve r y c o m b a t

round / th ree segmen ts)

Step 2) Character with lowest Initiative decid es to attack or hold initiative

Step 3) Divide up remaining actions between at tack and defense.

Step 4 ) P ick techn ique

Step 5) Declare Attack

Step 6) Target may choose to Defend ( Select Defensive Techniqu e)

Step 7 ) Ro ll to h i t

Step 8) Roll to Defend

Step 9) If Attack is Successful , Determine Hit location

Step 10) If Attack is Successful, Determine Damage and Critical

Repeat s tep 4 through 10 with the current in it ia t ive holder

until you have spent all your attack actions.

Repeat steps 2-10 with the next lowest init iat ive holder.

EXAMPLEOFCOMBAT

Two combatants are engaged in hand to hand combat. The combatants

have the following statistics:

Step 1) Roll for Init iat ive

First Mike and Fabic’s players roll for initiative. Mike’s player rolls an

8, and Fabic’s p layer ro l ls a 4 . Ok, so Mike has a n in i t ia tive of 8 , an dFabic has an in i t ia t ive of 2 . The same in i t ia t ive is kept for three seg-

ments and then re-rolled .

Step 2) Character with lo west In it iat ive dec ides to attack o r

hold init iat ive

Fabic goes first; his initiative is lower, an d he dec ides tha t he is going to

attack rather than hold his initiative.

Step 3) Divide up remaining actions between attack and defens

Fabic has up to 4 act ions that he can spend to a t tack. Fabic does nfear th is feeble human, so he decides that he wil l spend 3 actions o

attack and save one a ction for d efense

Step 4.1) Pick technique

Fabic must p ick from the l is t of a t tack techn iques that he h as availab

to him. Firs t , he wil l choose to per form a q uick jab to loosen Mike u

Step 5 .1) Declare Attack

Fabic’s player tells Mike’s player tha t he is going to th ro w a jab a t Mik

S te p 6 . 1 ) Ta rg e t m a y c h o o s e to D e fe n d ( S e le ct D e f e n s iv

Technique)

Mike’s p layer n ow has the option to sp end a n action to d efend again

Fabic’s attack, assuming he has actions left to spend. Since Mike hasn

been at tacked yet , the character obviously has act ions he could spen

to defend against Fabic’s a t tack. Rememb er that you can sp end ac tion

to defend whenever you are a t tacked , but you ca n only spend actions t

a t tack dur ing your in i tia t ive . Mike is not sur e ho w tough Fabic is so h

decides to spend an action to defend. Next Mike’s p layer must p ick

Defensive Technique from his l is t of available techniques to defen

against Fabic’s a t tack. Mike’s p layer dec ides to u se a s tandard Bloc

though he cou ld have a l so p icked Coun te r S t r ike . Mike ’s cha rac te

cou ld no t have se lec t Dodge because even though i t i s a Defens iv

Technique, he does not know that part icular technique.

Step 7 .1 ) Roll to h it

To determine Fabic’s chance to successfully attack, first add the Base

50 % plus Fabic’s Attack Bonu s of 12 p lus 4% pe r level of Hand-to-Han

( he has 3 levels) p lus a 10% tech nique m odifier be cause Fabic is pe

fo r m i n g a j ab . Fa b ic h a s a n 8 4 % c h a n c e t o s u c ce s sfu l ly a t ta c

( 50+ 12 + 12+ 10= 84) . Fabic r olls a 64, which is ob viously under 84 , s

Fabic successfully h i ts Mike. Had Mike not chosen to defend again

Fabic’s attack, you could skip to Step 9.

EXAMPLE OF COMBA

STATISTICS FABIC THE ERIDANI MIKE THE HUMAN

Strength 100 50

Agility 105 50

Body Points 17 8

Death’s Door -21 -9

Initiative Modifier -2 0Number of Actions 4 3

Hit Bonus +12 0

Hand-to-HandLevel 3 (+12) 5 (+20)

Damage Bonus 2 (STR) + 1 (HTH) = 3 0 (STR) + 2 (HTH) = 2

Defensive Modifier -10 00

System Shock 72 56

Attack Techniques Strikes (all), Kicks Joint Lock

DefenseTechniques Block Block, Counter strike

COMBAT EXAMPLE




Step 8 .1) Roll to Defend

Had Fab ic fa i l ed h i s a t t ack , Mike wou ld no t need to ro l l to de fend .

However, he would s t i l l lose the action he declared he was spe nding on

defense. Since Fabic didn’t fail his attack roll, Mike’s player must now

roll to see if he successfully defends against Fabic’s attack.

Mike has a 45% chance to de fend aga in s t Fab ic ’s a t t ack , a base

chanc e of 25% for any defensive action, p lus 4 % per level of hand-to-

hand skill. Mike does not have an Agility bonus, and the standard blockdoes not have a technique modifier. Mike rolls a 55 and fails his attempt

to block Fabic’s attack.

Step 9 .1) Determine Hit location

Since Fabic d idn’t declare that he was making a cal led shot , he needs

to roll for h i t location. Fabic ro l ls a 62, s tr ik ing Mike in the c hest .

Step 10.1) Determine Damage and Crit ical

Next Fabic determ ines dam age done by his a ttack. Since Fabic was per -

form ing a jab , he do es 0 .5 points of damage plus h is Strength Bonus o f

4 , fo r a to ta l o f 4 .5 po in t s o f ( t empora ry ) damage . Mike has 8 Body

Points , so every t ime he loses 2 Body Points , Mike receives a cr i t ical .

That’s 2 points of real damage or twenty points of temporary damage.So far Mike has accumulated 4 .5 points of temporary damage; that’s

0 .45 points of real d ama ge. No cr i t ical h i ts yet .



Step 4.2) Pick Technique

Fabic’s next a t tack wil l be another jab , but th is t ime he wil l make a

Called Shot at Mike’s head in an attempt to stun him ( See Stunning and

Critical Hits) .

Step 5.2 ) Declare Attack

Fabic’s p layer te l ls Mike’s p layer that Fabic is going to throw a jab a tMike’s head.

S te p 6 . 2 ) Ta rg e t m a y c h o o s e to D e fe n d ( S e le ct D e f e n s ive

Technique)

Mike’s player decides that he’s going to save his remaining two actions

and not d efend against Fabic’s a t tack.

Step 7.2) Roll to Hit

Fab ic has a 34% chance to h i t because he has an 84% chance to l and

the jab , but a 5 0% p enalty for the Called Shot to the head . Fabic ro l ls a

48 and misses Mike. He st i l l loses the Action he spent on the Jab even

though he missed.


Since Mike is not defending, th is s tep can be skippe d.

Step 9.2) Determine Hit Location

Since Fabic missed, he can skip th is s tep .


Since Fabic missed, he can skip th is s tep .



Step 4.3) Pick Technique

Fabic is going to spend his last a t tack action to perform a knee kick

against Mike. The BM reminds Fabic’s p layer that in order to throw a

knee kick, he has to enter Close Range. This wil l put h im at a d isad-

vantage ( -30 to d efend) against grappling techniques.

Step 5.3 ) Declare Attack

Fabic’s player tells Mike’s player that Fabic is going to k nee kick p oor Mike.

S te p 6 . 3 ) Ta r ge t m a y c h o o s e t o D e fe n d ( S e le ct D e f e n s ive

Technique)

Knee kicks h urt a lo t m ore than a s imp le Jab, so Mike’s p layer de cides

it is best to try and defend against this attack. Mike chooses the Counter

Strike defensive technique to use against Fabic.

Step 7.3) Roll to Hit

Fab ic has an 8 4% chance to l and the knee k ick ( 50% base + 12%

Agili ty bonus + 12% hand to hand skil ls) . He rolls a 75 and success-

fully knees Mike.


Mike has a 25% chanc e to defend himself from Fabic’s knee k ick. Base

25% plus 20% for five levels of HTH minus 20% for the Called Shot to

the leg when doing a counter s tr ike . Mike rolls a 25 and is successful

in defending against the a t tack. Fabic takes 3 p oints of temp orar y dam -

age to h is leg from Mike’s cou nter s tr ike .

Step 9.3) Determine Hit Location

Since Fabic’s a t tack was block ed, we can skip th is s tep .


Since Fabic’s a t tack was block ed, we can skip th is s tep .

Repeat steps 2-10 with the next lowest init iat ive holder.

Step 2) Character with next lowest Init iat ive decides to attack

or hold init iat ive

Since Mike’s p layer is no t worried abou t anyone else a t tacking him but

Fabic , he decides to a t tack.

S te p 3 ) D ivid e u p r e m a in in g a c tio n s b e tw e e n a tta c k a n d

defense .

Unl ike Fab ic , Mike has spen t som e o f h i s ac t ions de fend ing h imse l f

befor e it was his initiative. Mike on ly has o ne ac tion left ou t of the thr ee

he s tar ted with b ecause he sp ent two blocking. Since Fabic can’t a t tack

when i t is not h is in i t ia t ive and no o ne e lse is aro und, ther e is l i tt le use

in saving his remaining action for defense. Therefore , Mike’s p layer

decides to use his rem aining action to a t tack Fabic .

Step 4) Pick Technique

Mike’s p layer decides that Mike is going to a t tempt to jo int lock the

Eridani. In our example, the joint lock technique is the only attack tech-

nique m ike knows so he is l imited to a t tacking with that technique. He

hopes that i f Mike can control the Eridani , he can red uce the threat he

6 • COMBAT RULES



12BEYOND THE RIFT

poses. In addition, since Fabic is in Close Range, Mike’s player knows

that Fabic will have a -30 p enalty to defend a gainst this Grappling Attack.

Step 5) Declare Attack

Mike’s player tells Fabic’s player that Mike is goin g to attemp t to put the

Eridani’s arm in a jo int lock.

Ste p 6 ) Ta rg e t m a y c ho o s e to D e fe n d ( S e le c t D e fe n s i ve

Technique)

Fabic’s player is unaware that this is Mike’s only remaining action and

choose s not to defend a gainst Mike’s a t tack. Since th is com bat segmen t

will end after Mike’s attack, Fabic will lose his unspent action.

Step 7) Roll to Hit

Mike has a 50% base to hit, plus 20% for his five levels of martial arts.

However, Mike has two penalt ies to d eal with . The f irs t penalty is the

Called Shot to Fabic’s arm. This imparts a -50 to Mike’s attack. In addi-

tion, it is very difficult to put a stron ger o ppo nen t in a joint lock . All joint

locks ha ve a bon us equ al to the attacke r’s Stren gth minus the Defende r’s

St rength ( 50 - 100 = -50 ) . Unfo r tuna te ly fo r poo r Mike , Fab ic i s

stronger, so this bonus becomes a 50% penalty. Mike has a -30% chanceto succeed in this attack against Fabic. Only by rolling 01 can Mike suc-

ceed in his attack. Mike’s player rolls a 15, and the attack fails.

Step 8) Roll to Defend

Since Fabic d id no t defend, th is s tep m ay be skipped.

Step 9) Determine Hit Location

Since Mike’s attack failed, we can skip this step.

Step 10) Determine Damage and Crit ical

Since Mike’s attack failed, we can skip this step.

Both participants are done attacking, so this combat segment isfinished . Any unspe nt actions are los t. Start again at Step 2. After

a total of three segments, start at Step 1, re-rolling initiative.

ATTACK TECHNIQUES

AccesstoTechniquesAs everyone k nows, there is m ore than one way to a t tack and d efend in

hand-to-hand combat. You character is unlikely to have knowledge of

every technique known . A character’s ha nd-to-hand fighting s tyle deter-

mines the number o f t echn iques the cha rac te r s knows and can pe r -

form . Untrained f ighters have access to a very limited num ber of tech-

niques. Characters shou ld check the descrip t ion of their part icular s tyleof hand-to-hand combat in the Skil ls section to f ind out which tech-

niques are available to them. Str ikes, Kicks, Head Attacks, Grappling

Techniqu es, and Special Techniqu es are a l l considered Attacks and can

only be a t tempted d uring your ch aracters in i tia t ive .

ANoteaboutDamageThe damage l is ted for the techniques below are for race s that do 1 p oint

of temporary damage when at tacking. These races include Chati l ian ,

Eridani , Gen-Human, Human, Mazian, Mutzachan, Orion Rogue, and

Zen Rige ln am ong o the rs . Races tha t do m ore than o ne po in t o f dam

age o r do rea l damage when a t t ack ing may substi tute those damag

values ra ther than the ones l is ted below, when using the a t tacks wit

which those values ar e associa ted. For example, a Cizerack cou ld sub

sti tu te i ts c law dam age 1-2 ( Real) when perform ing the Cross ( bas

str ike) r a ther than use the l is ted 1 po int ( Temp orar y) dam age.

Wh e r e a t a b l e n o t e s t h a t d a m a g e d o n e b y a t e c h n i q u e e q u a

“str ike” that means the dam age done to the target is equal to 1 p lus anbon uses the char acter rec eives for h igh s trength . In a l l cases be sure t

add a ny bonues to d ama ge from a high Strength s ta t ist ic .

Note: When the damage for a technique is l is ted as “str ike” th

mea ns the dam age done to the target is equal to 1 point p lus any bonu

es the char acter re ceives for h igh s trength .

StrikesThis a t tack involves s tr ik ing your opponent with the hand or e lbow

St r ik e s c a n b e d e fe n d e d a g ai n st u s in g a n y s u c c e s sfu l D e fe n s

Techniqu e. All s tr ikes re quire o ne action to pe rform.

Jabs: Jabs are used to feel out an op ponen t’s weak ar eas, d is tract , an

open him up for a following attack. Jabs are fast and get a + 10% to hi

Cross: A Cross is your s tandard , no fr i l ls punch.

Hook/Tentacle Whip: Hook punches o r t en tac le wh ips a re s t r ike

t h a t a r e f a v o r e d b y t h e b a r b r a w l e r a n d a r e u s e d b e c a u s e o f t h

inc reased damage o ve r a s tanda rd punch . However , hook s t r ikes a r

the easiest s tr ike to b lock. A hook str ike may be defeated by any suc

cessful Defensive Tech niqu e, which is perfor me d at + 20 verses this ea

i ly b locked at tack.

Elbow s trikes : Elbow Str ikes are very effective weap ons but r equir

that the attacker e nter clo se ran ge ( see belo w) to u se this type of attac

Phentari cann ot use Elbow str ikes.

HeadAttacks

These a t t acks invo lve u s ing you r head a s a weapon . A favo r i t e oMutzachan s and dum ber Ram Pythons everywhere . Head at tacks can b

stopped using any successful Defensive Technique.

ATTACK TECHNIQUES

STRIKES DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Jab 0.5 1 +10 -

Cross 1 1 - -

Hook 2 1 - +20 toblock

Elbow 1d4 1 - CloseRange

STRIKES

HEAD

ATTACKS DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Headbutt 1 1 - CloseRange

Bite 1R or 2 R 1 - CloseRange

HEAD ATTACKS




Head Butt: You m ust be in c lose ran ge to use th is type o f a ttack.

Biting: Damage for a b i te is handled as described in the Batt le lords

Rulebook . All char acters can a ttempt a bite attack, regar dless of the tech-

niques available to them . However, lack of training often m eans a n inex-

perienced character will not think of using this technique when he needs

it. Char acters that ar e no t natural biters ( i.e. those with no bite attack list-

ed in their descrip t ion) or who have not tra ined to use th is a ttack mustmake an INT check at -30 in order to be able to use this technique.

KicksThese a t tacks, as everyone k nows, involve h it ting your oppo nent with

your legs. Gener ally legs are the m ost power ful appe ndage o n the body,

and a s a re su l t, the se a t tacks do mor e dam age than s t r ikes . Any suc -

cessful Defensive technique c an be used to s top a k ick. Note that some

kicks re quire m ore than on e action to com plete . A python’s ta i l a t tack

counts as a k ick.

Kick: This is your s tandard, no fr i l ls k ick . Best d irected a t the groin

o r k n e e .

Knee Kicks: Knee Kicks are very effective kick s that mu st be laun che d

from close range. No more than three knee kicks can be a t tempted in

a s ingle combat segment.

Spin Kicks: Spin Kicks are more powerful techniques compared to stan-

dar d kicks bu t have the drawb ack of having to turn your ba ck to your tar -

get, if only for a split second. Spinning kicks require three actions. If a

character performing a spinning kick is a t tacked during the f irs t two

actions spent performing the kick, they cannot defend themselves.

Jumping Kicks: AJum ping Kick is a very powerful kick that allows you

to engage ta rge t s a t a d i s tance o f up to one qua r te r o f you r sp r in t

a t tr ibute ( in meters) . Jumping kicks require two actions to complete ,

and no more than two may be a t tempted in a s ingle combat segment.

Jump Spin Kick: A Jump Spin Kick is about the flashiest kick you’ll

f ind. I t takes the longest t ime to complete of any of the kicks and has

the benefi ts and l imita t ions of both the spin kick and the jump kick.

Don’t be on the receiving end of th is k ick.

GRAPPLINGTECHNIQUES

Grappling techniques include throws, submission holds, and any tech-

nique that requ ires that you grab your o ppon ent. I t is imp ortant to note

that grappling techniques can be performed while s tanding as well as

while wrest ling on the grou nd.

Like any norm al attack, your opp onen ts may defend against an attack

in close range by using any Defensive Technique OR a grappling tech-

nique can be avoided by successfully performing a Strength check or

Agility check. The penalty for making a Strength or Agility check to avoid

a grappling technique is equal to one half of the attacker’s hand-to-hand

skill level mu ltiplied by ten. For examp le, if you wanted to defend against

an attacker with 12 levels of hand-to-han d skill, the p enalty for the che ck

would be 6 0% for a Strength or Agility check ( 12/2 = 6. 6 x 10 = 60% ) .

ControlA character may at tempt to Control an opponent by making a success-

ful hand-to-hand check. This s imulates wrest l ing your opponent ( you

can do th is while s tanding too) in to a posit ion from which he can not

easi ly defend h imself or cou nter-a ttack. This in i tia l hand-to-hand check

has a bonus equa l to the a t t acke r ’ s S t reng th minus the de fende r ’ s

Strength . If the defender has a h igher Strength than the a t tacker, the

bonu s wil l becom e a p enalty.Controlled op ponen ts are a t -30 to a t tack or defend, unti l they suc-

cessfully brea k free ( see above) . To b reak free of a co ntrol a char acter

must make a successful hand-to-hand skil l check ( 50% base, no tech-

nique m odifier) with a bon us equa l to your char acter’s Strength minu s

the co ntroll ing chara cter’s Strength . Again , i f the contro ll ing ch aracter

is s tronger than the character being controlled th is bonus wil l become

a penalty. This check is made at the norm al -30 penalty for b eing con-

trolled . Alterna tively, you c an just attack the c on trolling char acter, albeit

a t a -30 penalty until he’s had enou gh and le ts go.

C o n t r o l s d o n o d a m a g e a n d c a n b e m a i n t a i n e d f r o m r o u n d t o

rou nd b y spending half of the ch aracter’s act ions. Characters with one

action that wish to mainta in the control can a t tempt no other maneu-

vers . Once successfully applied , no further hand-to-hand skil l checksare required to mainta in a Control .

JointlocksA joint lock ( also called a submission hold) is a technique in which you

can con t ro l and /o r c r ipp le you r opponen t . The techn ique i s a s imp le

one. You grab an opponent’s arm, leg , or head and force i t in a d irec-

t ion i t does n ot nor mally go. Joint locks include such techniques as a rm

bars , head lock s, wrist locks, ankle locks, and other sub mission holds.

Victims of a joint lock can be made to submit to the will of their attack-

er o ut of pain com pliance. Joint locks a re very difficult to get on o ppo-

6 • COMBAT RULES

KICKS DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Kick 1d8 2 - -

Knee kick 1d6 1 - CloseRange

Spin kick 1d10 3 - -

Jump kick 1d10 2 - -

Jump Spin kick 1d12 4 - -

KICKS

GRAPPLING

TECHNIQUES DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Control None 1/half STR-STR CloseRange

Joint Lock Strike x 2 1/half STR-STR CloseRange

Throw Strike x 2 1 STR-STR CloseRange

GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES



12BEYOND THE RIFT

nen ts who a re much s t ronge r than the a t t acke r .

However, once a n op ponen t is in a jo int lock, i t is

very difficult to e scap e.

ATTACKING: To per form a jo int lock, the a t tack-

e r m us t be in c lo se range and make a success fu l

hand-to-han d skil l check, targeting an arm , leg, or

other extremity with normal cal led shot penalt ies .This in i t ia l hand-to-hand check has a bonus equal

to the a t tacke r ’s S treng th m inus the de fende r ’s

Strength. If the defender has a higher Strength than

the a t tacker, the bonu s wil l become a pen alty.

DAMAGE: A character that has successfully applied a

jo in t lo ck ca n either ch oo se to dam age th e victim o r

attempt to control the victim through pain compli-

ance. If the character chooses to damage the victim

during the action in which the lock was applied, he

automatically does 2 points of real damage plus d ou-

b l e a n y b o n u s e s d u e t o h i g h s t r e n gt h t o t h e

appendage that has been grabbed. If you choose todamage the victim using the joint lock, you will lose

the joint lock and will be unable to maintain the lock

from roun d to roun d or attempt to control the victim.

CONTROL: If the a ttacker wishes to contr ol the vic-

t im, the target in a jo int lock m ust make a System

Shock chec k. The penalty for this check is 50 % plus

the a ttacker’s h and-to-ha nd skill level. If the System

Shock roll fails, the tar get mu st follow the attacker’s

ve rba l o rde rs o r r i sk hav ing the i r l imb in ju red .

Characters controlled in th is fashion can generally

be moved where the a t tacker wishes to put them

due to the inten se pain. If the System Shock roll suc-ceeds, the target may resis t the p ain for th is round

and try to esca pe the lock ( see below) .

MAINTAINING: Once successfully applied , jo in t

locks can be ma in ta ined f rom roun d to round by

spending h alf of the chara cter’s act ions. Characters

with one action that wish to maintain the joint lock

can at tempt no other maneuvers . No further hand-

to -hand sk i l l checks a re requ i red to ma in ta in a

successfully applied jo int lock. Victims of a jo int

lock ar e con sidered to be Controlled ( See ab ove) .

ESCAPE: To escape from a jo int lock, a cha racter

must f irs t make a succ essful System Shock roll as

deta i led ab ove. If they fa i l th is System Shock, the

pain from the lock is s imply too mu ch for them to

overcome and try to escape. If the System Shock

check i s success fu l , an o ffens ive hand - to -hand

sk i ll check ( 50% base , no techn ique mod i fie r s )

can b e m ade with a p enalty equal to f ive t imes the

attacker’s level of hand-to-hand. Alternatively, the

cha rac te r m ay a ttemp t to m usc le o r twis t h is way

ATTACK TECHNIQUE

Step3a:DefenderFailsAttacker h as suc cessfully

applied the joint lock

Step3b:DefenderSucceedsJoint lock fails

END

Step4a:AttackerInjuresVictimDefender takes 2 pts of Real damage

+ attackers damage bonus for high STR.

Defender au tomatically escapes after attack

END

Step4b:AttackerControlsVictim

Defender is at -30 to attack or defend

Step5:DefenderAttemptstoResistPainDefender makes System Shock Check

Penalty = 50% + attacker’s HTH Skill Level

Step6a:DefenderFailsSystemShockCheck

Defendermustcomplywithattackerscommands

Defenderfailstocomply:GotoStep4a

Defendercomplies:GotoStep4b.

Step6b:DefenderSucceedsinSystemShockCheck Defend er m ay attemp t to escape. Go to Step 7

Step7:DefenderAttemptsEscapeDefender makes Hand-to-hand Skill check

Penalty = 5x attackers HTH skill level

OR

Defend er mak es Strength o r Agility Check

Penalty = 5x attackers HTH Skill Level

ALL CHECKS ONE ACTION

Step2:DefenderAttemptstoAvoidLock Defend er m akes HTH chec k u sing Defensive Action

Requires 1 action

Step8a:DefenderFailstoEscapeGo to Step 4b

Step8b:DefenderEscapesEND

JointLockFlowChart

Step1:ApplyJointLock Attacker makes Hand-to-hand skill Check

Penalties = Attackers Str - Defender s Str, Normal Called Shot Penalties

Requires 1 Action




out b y making an Agili ty or Strength c heck with a penalty equal to the

attacker’s ha nd-to-hand skil l level m ult ip l ied by 5 .

ARMOR, CYBORGS, AND JOINT LOCKS: Jo int locks wil l do n o dam -

age to cha rac te r s wi th heavy o r mechan ized a rmor because o f the

a rmor ’s re in fo rced jo in ts . Cha rac te r s in l igh t and med ium a rmor may

subtract the THR of the arm or from the dam age done b y the jo int lock.

In addit ion, the THR of l ight and me dium ar mor can be su btracted fromthe a t tacker’s skill level when determ ining the pen alty for skil l checks

mad e against the jo int lock. Characters in a rm or in a jo int lock s t i ll suf-

fer -30 to a t tack or d efend while in a jo int lock.

The THR of a cybernetic l imb reduces the effectiveness of a jo int

lock a t tack in the same fashion as ar mo r. In addit ion, If you ar e a t tack-

ing a cybe rne t ic l imb , the t a rge t can no t be in fluenced th rough pa in

compliance and is not required to make a System Shock check before

they can a t temp t to escape. Characters with cybernetic l imb s in a jo int

lock still suffer -30 to attack or defend.

THROWS

This technique involves throwing your opponent to the ground - p la inand s imp le . Some th rows a re c rude ; o the rs invo lve m uch m ore tech -

n ique and finesse , bu t a l l have the same comm on goa l. Gene ra lly in

comba t , a th row i s done with enough fo rce to in ju re you r opp onen t .

Other t imes, i t ’s just a way to get your oppo nent to the ground so that

you may wrest le with him.

Attacking: To per form a throw, a character mu st enter c lose range and

mak e a successful hand-to-hand skil l check. The bonus for th is a t tack is

equal to the thrower’s Size Class minus the defender’s Size Class multi-

plied by ten. Note that it is possible for the bonus to become a penalty if

the a t tacker is smaller than the defender. If characters want to throw

their opponent to the ground without damaging them, the defender’s

Size Class is reduced by half when determining the bonus/penalty.

Damage: Com bat Throws do dou ble norm al strike ( Cross) dam age. Half

of the dam age from the throw is applied to one body area of the oppo-

nent, which is the area that absorbs most of the impact. The other half is

divided equ ally am ong 1d 4 other bod y area s ( determ ined r ando mly) . An

attacking charac ter ma y mak e a called shot, causing the victim to land o n

a spec ific body a rea ( the a rea that t akes ha l f the dam age f rom the

impac t) . A Char acter that has b een thr own loses all of his unu sed actions

for the rest of that segment. I t takes one action to s tand back up. An

attacker ca n cho ose to thro w his victim in an y direction, including to the

ground directly in front of him. For every 10% that a thrower makes his

attack ro ll by, the victim c an be thrown up to 1 meter away.

Oppone nts on the ground are a t -30 to defend against a ttacks from

standing opponents . A Character that is on the ground can only s tand

up du r ing the i r in i t i a t ive , un le s s ano the r cha rac te r sac r i f i ce s the i r

a t tacks to help the fa l len character up during the helping character’s

in i tia t ive . In e i ther case , i t costs one action to s tand ba ck up .

Using Acrobatics to pe rform a b reakfall: Ac harac ter with Acrob atics

skill that is being thro wn can a ttempt a man euver called a “brea kfall” and

lessen the dam age done on im pact by making a succe ssful Acrob atics skill

check . If the Acrobatics skill check is successful, one po int of damage can

be ignor ed for every level of Acrob atics skill the cha racter possesses, up

to a maximum of half the dam age done b y the throw.

Realis t ic Throw Penalt ies - Opt ional Rule : Fo r more rea l i s t i c

th row pena l t i e s , c ro ss re fe rence the we igh t o f the Cha rac te r be ing

th rown wi th the min imum amoun t o f St reng th r equ i red to Squa t tha t

mu ch we ight on th e Vital Statistic: Strength Table ( See Battlelords ru le-

book .) Then subtra ct that level of Strength from the thrower ’s Strengthto get the bonus or penalty applied to the hand-to-hand check.

ForExample:Let’ssayMike,theHuman,wantstothrowUgi, theRamPython.

Ugiweighs830lbs.830lbs. iscloserto860(STR131-140)than750(STR121-

130),sowecanassumethatyouwouldneedatleastastrengthof131tosquat

830lbs. Mike, theHuman, hasaStrengthof 50. 50- 131=-81. Sofor the

throw,Mikehasapenaltyof-81tohisthrow.

SPECIALTECHNIQUES

DisarmA char acter tra ined in d isarming is capable of rem oving weapons from

oppo nents withou t in juring themselves in the pr ocess . A char acter need

only make a succe ssful skil l check with s tandar d s i tuational and Called

Shot penalt ies to d isarm an opponent. The opponent has the option of

making a successful Defensive Technique roll or a successful Called

Shot with the weapon to the a t tacker’s l imb to pr event being disarm ed.

Disa rms a re much eas ie r when con t ro l l ing a g rapp led opponen t . In

add i t ion , an enemy he ld in a jo in t lock may be fo rced to re lea se a

weapon if he fa ils h is System Shock check.

FakesFakes work the same way as a feint ( See Battlelords rulebook) . To per-

form a fake, the attacker m ust make a successful hand-to-hand attack with

a pe nalty equal to the attacker’s Intuition m inus the defender’s intuition.Better Fakes - Optional Rule: Instead of the s tandard -20, use

the amou nt by which the a t tacker m ade his hand-to-hand sk il l check as

the pen alty for the op pon ent’s next technique . If the fake fa i ls, use the

amo unt by which the a t tack fa iled his skil l check as the p enalty for the

attacker’s ne xt technique.

TrappingA t rap o r t r app ing maneuve r i s when an a t tacke r p in s do wn an o ppo -

nent’s b locking appen dage, usually an ar m, just long enough to laun ch

6 • COMBAT RULES

SPECIALTECHNIQUES

DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Disarm None 1 Called Shot -

Fake None 1 - -

Trap - 2 actions 1 - -

Weak Point Attack Special 1 Called Shot -

Choke Con Dam. half Defense - STR CloseRange

Eye Strike Special 1 -75/-125(both eyes)

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES




7 • BATTLE MASTER’S SECTION




In addi t ion, the r i f t -style entry is usefu l in usher ing p layers on toexplore th is new u niverse that you have set before them. Characterswith the astro-navigation ski l l w i l l q uick ly real ize that they are not any-

where on the recorded star-charts. In addi t ion, the exi t s ide of the r i f tis invisible and nearly undetectable. To add insult to i njur y, the ri ft onl y

works one way, meaning your characters wil l have to find another wayback - assumin g they want to get back.

The best part is that the r i f t wi l l dump your characters wel l wi th inthe terr i tor ia l bor der of an a l ien race known as the Whe, and the Whedo not take k ind ly to v is i tors. A v is i t f rom a host i le Whe patro l sh ip

should motivate the characters to leave the area. A frant ic attempt atEmergency Damage Contro l by the characters may g ive them just

enough power from their crippled ship to get i t moving, or at least getthe hyperdr ive up and runnin g for a b l ind jump . This can be especia l ly

useful for pr eventing the, “ I w anna stay by the ri ft and see i f we can fi g-ure a way back” syndro me. In addi t ion, the Whe ship is l ik e ly to dr ive

the characters away from Whe space, where they wil l be safe - at leastfor the t ime being. I f you have p layers whose characters are Zenaxnat ives, they can r un in to the Al l iance personnel by help ing them to

repair their damaged ship or rescuing them from their doomed vessel

before the arr ival of the Whe. I find that a good fire fight is always a nicestart to any Battlel or ds game, so you can alw ays have the aggressive Whepur sue the grou p to a nearby planet so they can duke i t out in tergalac-

tic style.Possible r easons for enter ing the ri ft in clude: Paid ri ft r unner s, flee-

ing authorities, explorers/scientist, corporation based claim team.

Dimensional portal

So you’r e explor ing the ru ins of an al ien r ace that hasn’t been seen fora thousand years; you walk through what looks l ike a door and POOF,

you’r e on the other side of the universe. Dim ensional por tals are a niceway to get people and equipm ent in to Zenax wi thout having to worr y

about a space ship. This is the toughest method o f entry for the char-

acters, as they’ l l only have the weapons and equipment that they havewith them at the time.

BMs wi l l have to be sure to dr op the characters on a p lanet wherethey a re l i k e l y to encoun ter some o f the na t i ve Zenax species.

Characters might appear in ruins on the other side and not even knowthey’re somewhere else unti l they run in to al iens in the area. Ir onic al ly,

i t m ight be an a l ien explorat ion team searching throu gh the ru ins onthei r s ide of the p orta l . Al ternatively, r eal ly sadist ic BM s might dum pcharacters in the middle of a boom ing metropol is or outpost wor ld .

Possib le reasons fo r enter i ng the d imensional po r tal i nc lude :Explorers/archeologists, treasure hunters, fleeing criminals, hiding sol-

diers, you shouldn’t have made that Mutzachan with the si lver r obe m ad!

Experime ntal FTL drive

Th is has to be one o f my favo r i te ways fo r get t ing i n to the Zenax

Universe. It has a lot of advantages over the ri ft entry method but maynot offer th e chal lenge for advanced players of other entry method s. Inthis m ethod, char acters are on a m il i tar y or science vessel that is test-

ing an experimental Faster-Than-Light drive. Unfortunately, the driveworks much better than expected and catapults the vessel completely

out of the un iverse and lands them i n Zenax.The advantages of u sing th is m ethod is that the characters don’ t

have to scroun ge for fo od, water, and other supplies. Depending on the

preparedness of the crew commander, the sh ip may be stocked formonths or even years of travel. In addition, a number of talented engi-neers wil l p ro bably be aboard the vessel to help m aintain i t. These engi-

neers, who might even be the characters, wi l l com e in handy for longterm stays in Zenax.

Again, a num ber o f possibi l i t ies exist for thi s type of campaign. I f ami l i tary vessel wer e testing the FTL drive, then i t wi l l surely be deemed

a threat wherever i t goes in Zenax. In addi t ion, i t w i l l receive lo ts ofattention fr om people who m ay want access to the al ien technology con-tained inside or sim ply want i t destroyed. Characters mi ght be mari nes,

com m and personnel, or even ship engineers. A num ber of subplo ts canbe set up in this type of setting. Characters mi ght be com mand person-

nel forced to make tough or unpopular decis ions in order to surv ive.Worse yet, the characters mi ght be on the r eceiving end of tho se unpo p-

ular decisions.This is another o ne of my favor i te subplots. Characters aboard a

well-stocked ship might discover that the captain knew the drive wouldlaunch them across the universe. He refused to tel l the crew the risk forfear they would not come on the voyage. Unfortunately, the captain is

now u nable to get the sh ip back hom e - but he stocked the cupboards

ju st in case.Possible reasons for the FTL vessel in clude: Testing new FTL drive,

deep space exploration, high-risk corporate claim ship

Stargate Travel

In 2277 A.D. the Rebels issue a report detai l ing the disappearance of

over four thousand ships that myster iously vanished dur ing stargatetravel. A good po rti on of th ose ships ended up in Zenax, because of the

abundance of worm holes there – m ore on that la ter . Your characterscould be on a pleasure cruise or on their way to their next assignment

when their ship ends up in Zenax. Dependin g on the type of ship they’reon and i t ’s dest ination, characters may not have a lo t ordn ance wi th

them. Who packs an Abominat ion I I when they’ re going home to see

mom and they aren’t going to let you pack your crate of reflex missi lesinto the cargo hold of a commercia l star- l iner . I t ’s a safety th ing. In

addition, deal ing with the dozens, possibly hundreds of panicked civi l-ians on the craft won’t be an easy management task either, but some-

body has got to take charge. On the other hand, i t could just as well bea mi l i tary or para-mi l i tary troop transport that gets sucked in to Zenax

wi th you and buddies. Time to lock -n- load!

Step2:SettingCampaignGoalsorwheredowego

fromhere?One of two things must happen for this type of campaign to run sm ooth-

ly. Either the BM mu st have a good grasp of what the players are l ikely

to do upon arriving, or he must have a preset goal for the characters.If you ar e going to set a goal for your players, i t is im por tant to have

a good grasp of wh at the player’s characters are l ik ely to do wh en facedwith the problem you wil l set before them. It is often best to forgo the

surprise-factor and simply ask your players ahead of time, what theywould l ike the goals for the campaign to be. If you real ly want to wing-

it, be prepared to adapt your plans if the player’s characters decided theywould r ather do something other than what you have pr epared for them.




12BEYOND THE RIFT

Long Term Goals

Even if you are really good at winging it as a Battle Master ( my preferredmethod) , you wil l pr obably sti l l want to set som e long-term goals for the

campaign. As the BM, you m ust decide what the long-term goal of yourcampaign wil l be. This wil l be based on the motivations of the charac-

ters in the campaign. M ost characters wil l be inter ested to some extentin findi ng a way back ho me, and this wil l p rob ably be the prim ary, long-

term goal for most campaigns. Other characters, l ike members of anexploration team, m ay want to explore and docu ment this new universe.Sti l l other s, l ike cor por ate claim teams, m ay want to capture al ien tech-

nology ( or the al iens themselves) and br ing them b ack for reverse engi-neering/dissection. Hey, this IS Battlelords! Your players could decide

that they want to conq uer a small planet and run i t with an ir on fir st. Thepossibi l i t ies are l im itless, and you shou ld di scuss with your players what

they’r e look ing to get out of this campaign before starting.

Long-term goals (Campaign Goal)

• Find ing a way hom e• Finding a two-way portal that al lows transit between the two universes

• Exploration and scienti fic study

• Fugitive retrieval• Fleeing the All iance authorities• Establ ishing an independent colony

• Establ ishing a personal empire• Establ ishing a corporate outpost

Baiting the Hoo k

If the Battle Master knows the characters wil l be intent on returning to

thei r o ld universe, he should provide them w i th h ints and c lues point-ing them tow ard a possible way back. Tho ugh these may turn o ut to be

red h err ings, this is a good excuse to get players to start explor ing theirnew ho me and start mi ngl ing wi th the natives. Alternatively, i f the p lay-

ers are natural ly incl ined to explore their new universe, the BM should

not force them to seek out a porta l hom e.

Getting there is half the fun.

It is impo rtant to rem ember th at the adventur e’s characters will h ave while

attempting to accomplish their long-term goal wi l l pr obably be more funthan actually accom plishin g the goal. For exam ple, if you allow char acters

to retur n to Alliance space imm ediately after exitin g the ri ft, then you wo n’thave much of a campaign. The long-term goal should only be accom-plished at the end of the campaign, and only after a long, difficult journey

to get there. The mor e difficult you make it for the players to accomplishtheir goal, the more rewarding it will be when they succeed.

Short Term Goals

Shor t-term goals are adventur e hook s that mak e up the adventures andsubplots for characters as they progr ess toward the i r f ina l goal . For

instance, i f your player’s characters real ly want to get home, there areprobably certa in th ings they’ l l have to do before they can obta in thatgoal . They may requ i re fue l fo r thei r sh ip , amm un i t i on fo r thei r

weapons, and food for themselves before they can even th ink abouttra ipsing across the galaxy in search of a way back home. A n ight ly

adventur e in your cam paign may revolve arou nd ju st getting som ethingto eat; gett ing home may not even be mentioned. Along the way the

characters are l ikely to encou nter other l i fe for m s who m ay mean themharm , but they may also encounter creatur es that might be able to help

them. For exam ple, a Klee may know o f an ancient device hidd en awsomewher e that can transpor t you anywhere in space. A rogue Whe mahave d iscovered a new r i f t , which might lead the characters home. B

pr oviding char acters with hints and leads as they explor e, you can hethem obta in the i r f ina l goal , whi le at the same t ime a l lowing them t

explore th is new universe and fu l f i l l mo re im mediate needs - l ike foo

Short-term go als ( Adventure Goals)

• Find ing food and water• Getting medical supplies

• Getting medical attention for the wounded• Getting replacement weapons

• Repai r ing the sh ip• Obtain ing a l i ft to new wor ld

• Avoiding the Whe patrol ships• Scour ing the Klee Trade ships for signs of Al l iance technology

• Settl ing internal disputes between characters• Fending off p i ra tes• Explor ing a ghost sh ip

• Explor ing thei r new universe

• Obtain ing a new ship• Obtaining star charts of the area• Obtaining spare parts for equipm ent ( or al i en equivalents) .

• Escaping from the Whe• Sneaking thr ough the Whe batt lefront• Trading for r equi red goods at an outpost

• Obtain ing a l ien technology• Encounter ing a new al ien l i fe form

RUNNINGACAMPAIGN

ToughLifeIf you want to m ake l i fe for your characters a l i tt le easier, you may wato steer them tow ard certain ski l ls and equip ment that they wil l n eed

su rv i ve on the i r own in Zenax . The th ree words you need to keerepeating to your players are “ al ien technolo gies ski l l .” This l i tt le sk

wil l com e in r eal ly handy in a place wher e EVERYTHING you encou ntewil l be al ien technology. It’s expensive, but wo rth every ski l l po int.

Other pract ica l sk i l l categor ies include Deep Space Operat ion

Engineer ing, Journeyman, and Science ski l ls . Characters wi l l qu ickf ind that having ski l ls in these areas is just as impo rtant as a l l thos

Physical, Medical, and Weaponry ski l ls with which Battlelords are nomal ly equipped.

MeetingtheNatives

Players may want to u se one of the new species presented in this booas their ch aracter for the campaign. Now if your campaign is exclusiv

ly being played with the new species in this book, then that’s not a bprob lem. However, i f some of the characters are from Al l iance wor l d( taken fro m o ther SSDC produ cts) th en you, the BM , wil l have to figu

out some way for these characters to m eet up wi th the i r o therwor l dcoun terpar ts. Lik e the goals of the camp aign, the reasons for a “ native

character to team up with a group of Al l iance characters wil l be baseon thei r personal goals. For some characters the reasons for the

team-up wil l be simple to explain. For instance, a rogue Whe might bf leeing a grou p of Whe h unters and stumbles onto the characters th

RUNNING A CAMPAIGN




are also fleeing from the Whe. For other ch aracters, l ike a Disrapan orAkta i the urge to explore m ay be strong enough for them to tag alongwi th these in terest ing new creatures ( i .e . your Al l iance characters) .

Whatever the reason, the BM must make sure that the characters havea reason for sticking to gether. The char acters don’t n ecessari ly have to

l ike or trust each other; sometimes i t ’s mor e fun i f they don’ t , but theydo n eed a reason to hang out together.

[2]Reasonstosticktogether(RogueWhe)• Flee ing from hu nters• Protect ion from hunters

• Learn ing about ind iv idual i ty• Desi re for com panionship and acceptance• Protection from Whe hating species

• Desire to flee Zenax

Reasonstosticktogether(Otherspecies)• Hunted by or f lee ing from the Whe.

• Common urge to explore

• Accumulat ing weal th• Thr i l l o f adventure

What?Noshiprules?The f i rs t problem a BM is l ike ly to run in to is the lack of sh ip ru les.

Unti l SSDC releases their space comb at ru les, Battle Masters ar e goingto have to wing i t. In Battlelor ds the main focus of the game should not

be on ships but r ather on the characters. The players should o nly thinkof their ship as a way to get from poin t A to point B. Battle Masters, onthe other h and, should th ink of a p layer ’s sh ip as a dozen adventure

plots waiting to happen.In order to be fair to the players, and ease your job as the BM, you

should clearly define the capabilities of the ship. These don’t have to be

highly detailed capabilities but can be generalities. You should ask yourselfseveral questions about the ship you will equip your players wi th, if any.

Is theship armed?

How much food and water is onboard?

How long will theship functi on in it s current state?

Do the players have replacement parts and/or a workshop

onboard?

Do the players have any replacement/ spare ammunit i on

and weapons onboard?

Once you establish the capabilities of the vessel, you can easily use

i t as a subplot for a num ber of scenar ios. Does the sh ip n eed r epai r?Does the ship attract the attention of al iens; which characters have to

fend them off? Again, th e possibi l i t ies are l im itless.If you real ly want your job to be easy, you can forgo the ship idea

al l together. Once the p layer characters arr ive in Zenax, have them

crash land on a planet destroying their ship and i f you wish, a copiousamount of the i r suppl ies. You now have a golden opportuni ty for a

num ber of adventures. The characters wi l l no doubt h ave to in teract

with the local inhabitants, scrounge their ruined ship for anything sal-vageable, find food and water, and possibly get a l i ft off planet beforethe Whe come looking for them. The possibi l i t ies are endless.

WeaponsThere a re some m a jo r p rob lems w i th weaponry tha t cha rac te rs a rel ik ely to discover in th is new uni verse. First of al l , there i s no way to get

new amm uniti on for their o ld weapons. As plenti ful - and fun- as 30m mAPI am mo is back in Al l iance space, no on e in Zenax even k nows what

30mm stands for ! I t is possib le that g iven the specs, the r ight equip-ment, and a quali fied munitions expert, characters could mass-produce

thei r own ammo . This is l ike ly to be very d i f f icu l t a t best. Not only arecharacters not l ik e ly to carry the prop er too ls wi th them to do i t them-

selves, but tr ying to translate amm uniti on specs to an al ien m etal lur gistwil l be an adventure al l i ts own. In addition, the only species that fre-quently uses pr ojecti le weapons, the Whe, do not use gunpowd er.

Pro ject i le weapons wi l l not b e the only arms to suffer prob lems. I fcharacters do not have a power supply to refuel the i r energy-based

weapons, these too wil l run dry quickly. Most characters wil l be able totap into the power supply on their ship to r echarge weaponr y, but i f this

ship is d estroyed or damaged, characters may have to jur y-r ig a l ienpower suppl ies to charge thei r equipment. Try not to b low yoursel f updoing i t .

Final ly, un l ess one o f your characters is prof ic ient in weapons orarmor repai r , damaged equipment may become useless equipment.

Characters are un l ike ly to r un in to a weaponsmi th competent enough

to work on armament that is to ta l ly a l ien to them. So not only mustcharacters hoard their amm o, but they mu st be very careful not to dam-age their weaponr y lest they lose i t.

What this boi ls do wn to is that characters wil l h ave to conserve theirammo and have a lot of mechanical prowess in order to maintain theirown w eapons and equipment. A merci fu l BM might h in t to p layers that

their char acters might do well to invest in some r epair and engineeringski l ls.

Another option avai lable to players is obtaining al ien weapon sys-tems for the i r ow n u se. Wi th the way most Battle lords d ish ou t death

and destruction, at some point in the future, i t is almost inevitable that


REPAIR WEAPON SKILL CHECK PENALTY

Without proper materials -150

Without proper tools -50

Without proper tools and materials. -200

JURY-RIG POWER SOURCE TOCHARGE WEAPONS

SKILL CHECK PENALTY




CREATE NEW AMMUNITION SKILL CHECK PENALTY



Without proper tools and materials. -200 With blueprints +50

WEAPON REPAIR



13BEYOND THE RIFT

players wil l have to adopt an al ien weapon system. Adopting an al ienweapon system has i ts own d rawb acks. Unless a character i s good withal ien technologies or is instructed on h ow to use the weapon, they may

not kn ow which is the dangerous end. Tr ia l and err or wi th weapons ofmass destru ction can pr ove hazardou s to your h ealth. At least with al ien

weapons, recharg ing devi ces and ammun i t i on w i l l be m ore read i l yavailable.

Th ere i s, h o w eve r, o n e ma j or p r o b l em w i th p r o cu r i ng a li enweaponry. Unlike the All iance, the isolated and often warring culturesthat inhabit this universe tend to keep their weapon systems to them-

selves. The Whe are not l ikely to sel l their newest top-secret weaponsystem to their m or tal enemy, the Aktai, for any price. In th is hosti le cl i-

mate, the possib i l i ty for an open market for weapons sales betweenalien races has been sti fled. Unlik e the All iance, there are very few inter -

galactic weapons com panies that sel l their w ares to whom ever can payfor them. However, this has led to industrial espionage among various

species and a thriving black-market in weapons, equipment, and evensupplies - mostly due to the industri ous Klee’s suppor t of such mar kets.

ProblemswithAllianceWeaponry

• No ammo avai lab le.• Must m odi fy exist ing power sour ces to r echarge weapons.

ProblemswithAlienWeaponry• No experience with al ien weaponry.• Weapons must be acqui red through the b lack m arket.

• Al ien trigger mechanism

ArmorIf you ar e playing Battlelor ds, your ch aracters are going to get shot. I t’s

only a matter of tim e before someone wi th a gun decides that he does-n ’ t l ike your face and tr ies to shoot you. I f you’ re smart or lucky, you

wil l b e weari ng your best fr iend - your arm or, which w il l ho peful ly saveyour bacon. Now, assuming you survive, you’ve got to get your armorrepai red. There is one l i t tle problem : you’ re in un know n space and the

spare-parts you’re looking for don’t exist here. No flexsteel, no laseresistant ab lative l iner , no absorpt ion polymers, noth ing your charaters need to repair th eir ar mo r i s avai lable. Unless your ch aracters ha

a supply of spare parts for the i r arm or systems, they’ re out of luck. ta lented armor smi th m ay be able to ut i l ize a l ien hard ware to f ix the

armor or f ind equivalent rep lacement parts.Obtain ing replacement arm or is a b ig problem for p layer chara

ters not fro m th e Zenax universe. Species do not general ly sel l or tradmi l i ta ry equ ipmen t to o ther spec ies, fo r fea r o f reveal i ng m i l i tasecrets and losing a technological advantage over their enemies. As

result, armor is general ly tai lor-made by a particular species for othemembers of that species.

A character that is not a native of the Zenax galaxy who wishes thave a new suit of armo r w il l general ly have to com mi ssion i t to b e cu

tom made. Exist ing armo red sui ts that are avai lab le on the open m aket wil l not fi t the character. Having a suit of arm or c ustom m ade is n

only pr ohib itively expensive, but the high-tech materials present in moarmor systems are s impl y not avai lab le to your average arm orsmi tThus, characters may have to cobble their armor together from piece

fro m existing suits. A few com panies that are not affi l iated with any pa

ticular govern ment h ave access to the high-tech resour ces necessary construct state of the ar t armor ed sui ts, but pr ices for these sui ts aexorb i tant.

SuppliesSuppl ies are not near ly as large a pr oblem as mi l i tary hardware anequipm ent. Everyone needs food and w ater, and there is a healthy trad

in such i tems, even b etween species, excluding the Wh e.Food and water wi l l be the most common requi rements for cha

acters looking to trade. Unless they packed enough supplies for a lon

haul , they’ re going to r un out of food and w ater sooner or la ter . L ikmost non-mi l i tary suppl ies, food and water are readi ly avai lab le

spaceports, outposts, and through the Klee trader fleets. The problecharacters are m ore l i ke ly to face is a matter of basic b io logy. Or p

mo re sim ply, can I eat i t? Pizza may taste great to a Gen-Hu man, but ta Cedeun, i t cou ld b e a deadly poison i f ingested. Puri fied water is noa pro blem, but be carefu l what you eat. M ost food, wi th the except io

of som e Cedeun and Razaa cuisine, is quite palatable, but just figur inout w hat is safe to eat can be a wh ole new adventur e for the PCs.

Spare Parts can also be acquired through trade, but as mentioneabove, finding spare parts for Al l iance weapons and equipment is ne

to im possible. Your best bet is to search the Klee trader fleets for whyou need. If anything has come through the ri ft before your arrival, th

Klee wil l have probably com e across i t in the past. Of course, i t alwahelps if you have an example of what you’re looking for to show the Klee

EnergySuppliesAlien power supplies are relatively common. There are fusion reactoon every corner, and wh en yours br eaks, you can always buy a new onfro m a Klee. You ju st have to find som eone intel l igent enough to m od

fy the power supply to recharge your weapon.

Oneman’sjunk One of the unique th in gs about tr avel ing to an unk nown galaxy on th

far s ide of the universe is that you get to see a l l k in ds of co ol stu

EQUIPMENT REPAIR

REPAIRING LOST AI SKILL CHECK PENALTY




REPAIRING LOST AR SKILL CHECK PENALTY




REPAIRING LOST THR SKILL CHECK PENALTY




REPAIRING ARMOR OPTION SKILL CHECK PENALTY

Without proper materials -20 per TL of option

Without proper tools -30 per TL of option

Without proper tools and materials. -40 per TL of option

ARMOR REPAIR




Unfortunately, the resident “ al iens” are often thinking the same thingabout your stuff, and that’s wher e the probl em occu rs. To the residentsof the Zenax galaxy, your technology is the alien technology, and species

l ik e the Whe wil l ki l l you to get to i t. They want to take i t apart and seehow it works, and i f you don’t want to share i t, wel l that’s just too bad

for you.I tems that do not exist in Zenax, that are brought in by Al l iance

characters, becom e expon ential ly mor e valuable. In fact, just about anypiece of Al l iance equipment is valuable as al ien-tech in Zenax. Savvycharacters m ay be able to trade the i r valuable equipment for needed

goods, but i t wi l l a lm ost cer ta in ly make them a future rob bery targetonce the news gets aroun d.

Items l ike Omega Weapons and BRIs become worth their weight ingold, and Omega weapons are HEAVY! Other valuable i tem s l ik e physic

gores and neuro w eapons have no equivalent in Zenax and are tr emen-dously va luable. I r on ica l ly, i t is the comm on i tems l ike Al l iance ammo

and suppli es that wil l b e most valuable to the char acters.To comp l icate matters, the characters themselves are l i ke ly to be

valuable simply for their uniqueness. Species l ike the Whe wil l want to

study and dissect the characters to find out what their weaknesses are

and to d iscover what makes them t ick. In addi t ion, species l ike theAkta i may a lso want to study the characters to fur ther the i r a l readyamazing scienti fic knowledge.

TheBlackMarketA healthy black mar ket exists in Zenax thanks to the Klee. You can fin danything on the black market - and I do mean ANYTHING - for a price.

Item s are priced accor ding to their rar i ty and how badly you want them.Prices are usually exorbitant, and characters may have to pay for cer-

tain i tems by tr ading goods or even services. For instance, a Klee blackmar keter m ay be able to get you that rare, one-of-a-kin d All iance madespare part that f loated through the r i f t and landed on h is tab le, but

you’re going to have to make a milk run into Whe space and steal hima Mass Doub ler in exchange. Buying on the black m ark et can be a dan-

gerous th ing. Double crosses are com mon , and some “ business men”are just as l ik ely to sl i t your thro at and take your suitcase ful l of m oney

rather than actual ly sel l you the i tem you wanted to buy. In addition, i tis not uncomm on for the or ig ina l owners of i tems that characters pur -chased on the b lack mark et to come looking for them.

Regard less, at one point or another characters wi l l be forced tomak e a purch ase on the black m ark et just to sur vive. Al l you have to do

is le t a local Klee merchant know what you’ re look ing for , and he wi l lsee that the appropriate party contacts you. Don’t worry, they already

know where you are and how to get a hold of you.

CAMPAIGNINFO

Characters in your campaign wil l quickly discover that nothing is as i tseems in Zenax. You can’t trust anyone, and everyone has an ulterior

mo tive. Som ebody is always wil l in g to pay mo re than you are for the lasti tem on the shelf. Som etimes the last i tem on the shelf is your o nly tick -et hom e. Som etimes you are the last i tem on the shelf. There is always

oppo sition in Zenax, and char acters wil l have to learn to put aside dis-l ikes and d isputes in order to surv ive. This is easier sa id than done

because characters are often of opposing m oral , socia l , and r e l igiousbeliefs. Just l ik e real l i fe - on ly with b igger guns.




13BEYOND THE RIFT

THESECRETSOFZENAX

The Zenax universe is fi l led w ith tho usands of secrets waiting to be di s-

covered, some of which are detai led below. Battle Masters should feelfree to expand upon these secrets or create their own. These secrets

can serve as anything from an adventur e hook to the basis behind yourwhol e campaign. How ever, the prim ary reason these are here is to help

BM s get a feel for the Zenax universe. We hope they wil l pr ovide insightin to the m achinat ions behind wh at makes Zenax t ick .

[4]TheSourceoftheWheaggressionThe darkest conspiracy of Zenax is the source of the war that plaguesall of the species that dwell there - the war against the Whe. Despitetheir unwavering aggressiveness, the Whe were not always a war-l ike

race. Someth ing tr iggered the Whe aggression, or more accurate lysomeone triggered i t.

As the Aktai began expanding their influence across Zenax, one ofthe first species they encoun tered wer e the Whe. Being the benevolent

race that they were and not knowing any better, the Aktai tr ied to helpthe Whe by shar ing the i r technology - inc lud in g the i r faster- than- l ight

dr ives. H owever, the Akta i ’s fa tal mistake was try ing to in troduce theconcept of individual i ty to the Whe. The Aktai couldn’t understand thatthe Whe’s culture was different than theirs. They couldn’t comprehend

that the Whe society was structur ed because of biolo gical dr ives, ratherthan id eal istic o nes. Because of th e Aktai ’s influence, Whe society start-

ed to fal l apart.The Whe were horr i fied at what the Aktai were trying to accomp lish

and responded wi th host i l i ty. In what could a lmost be ca l led a g lobalbiol ogical tr i gger, the entire planet geared i tself towar d defense of whatthe Whe interpreted as a threat to their very existence. After trying to

help the Whe, the Aktai wer e unable to compr ehend why the Whe wou ldattack them, so th ey fled the p lanet. However, the damage to Whe soci-

ety had already been don e. The Whe, who w ere now u nder a pl anetwidebiological urge to fight turned hosti le, aggressive, and expansionistic.

Using the i r newfound Akta i FTL technology, the Whe launched anassault on their neighboring species, including the Aktai.

[ 5 ] I t is impo rtant to note that the Whe are not governed by phi -losophy but rather by innate biological drives. They are not communis-t ic by choice; the i r cu l ture is s imply eusocia l in nature. The Akta i ’s

in f luence would have led to the co l lapse of Whe society i f i t had con -tinued. In addition, in their current agitated state, the Whe have a bio-

logical urge to fight and continue fighting unti l the perceived threat totheir society no longer exists. Despite their bad r ep, the Whe are not o ut

to conq uer for glory or because they’re natural ly aggressive, but ratherthe Aktai have tri ggered a society wide defense mechanism. Witho ut the

advent of the Aktai ’s FTL drive, the Whe would have been safely con-tained and con tent that the threat was gone on ce the Aktai had left.In addi t ion, the prevai l ing opin io n of the Whe is that some of the i r

number have been “ corrupted” by the Aktai ’s influence. These roguesnow yearned to funct ion as ind iv iduals, or at least they had been

changed enough that they could no longer funct ion in Whe society.Many of these ro gue Whe were ki l led or escaped fro m their ho me wor ld

to f ind the i r d est iny e lsewhere in the universe. The r ogues are oftentrack ed by “ hunter s” w hose job i t is to exterm inate these contamin atedWhe befor e they “ infect” the rest of Whe society.

KeepingtheSecret[ 9 ] The Aktai have an alm ost dual nature. Dr iven to do wh at they inte

pr et as “ the ri ght thing,” the Aktai often do what m any observers vieas decidedly wr ong. The Aktai have decided that i t wo uld b e best for apart ies i f the or ig ins of the Whe aggression against the i r ne ighbo

rem ain secret. However, because of their gui l t over the who le affair, thAktai commanders have flatly refused to counter attack the Whe. Th

has angered many of their al l ies, but i t has not aroused any suspicioas the Aktai are renowned for their “ do as we please” decisions. Th

com mand ers of the Aktai fleets have standing or ders not to engage thWhe, only defend the border.

Very few Akta i are aware of the i r in ter ference in the Whe cul turDespite their supposed benevolence, the Aktai have strayed from thastereotype in order to cover their secret. They have repeatedly ki l le

those who threatened to reveal their terr ible secret, inclu ding their owpeople. I f characters learn of th is secret, they had better keep i t t

themselves, unless they find a way to pr ove i t and spread the n ews fas

AdventureSeeds

These adventure seeds are h ere for a coupl e of r easons. The fir st reson is that they offer a wealth of oppo rtun ities for BM s to bui ld scenaios for their p layer characters to pl ay. Yes, I said “ bui ld.” These are ju

adventur e seeds. They only con tain an id ea for a po ssible adventure Zenax. In order to use them, you have to add more mater ia l to f lesthem out into a playable scenario. Again, you are only l imited by you

imaginat ion. Noth ing that is wr i t ten in th is book is set in stone, anthese adventur e ideas fal l und er that r ule as well .

The other reason we’ve inclu ded these adventur e seeds is that theprovide an insight in to the wor king of Zenax to which your p layers w

not be pr ivy. Many of the adventure hooks l is ted below wi l l explamuch of what you’ve read in the Life in Zenax section of this book.

[ 3 ] A rogue Whe scient is t has determined that the “ rogue phenomnon ” is a natural pr ocess by which the Whe gear dow n after r epel l ing

thr eat. How ever, the influence of the Aktai has convinced the Whe commanders that the rogues are a resul t o f the Akta i in ter ference. As

resul t , they’ re ignor ing the warn ing s igns to reduce thei r b io log icatr iggered aggression. I f th is process remains unchecked, the Whe w

overextend their r esour ces, and their society wil l eventual ly col lapse.Though the characters may not mind the Whe empire crumbl in

under i ts own weight, the Aktai government sti l l feels responsib le fo

the carnage the Whe have caused. Wil l the char acters som ehow becompr ivy to a com puter d ata chip that contains the scienti fic study that ve

i f ies the Whe scient ist ’s hypothesis? His dying wo rds wi l l in form thcharacters that they must get the chip to the Aktai or their l ives wil l b

in great danger. The characters, who wil l remain unaware of the chipcontents unti l the end of adventure, wi l l be forced to fend off the Wh

hunters lookin g for the com puter ch ip. Thou gh the Whe don’ t be l ievthe scientist’s findings, they don’t want any information fal l ing into thhands of their swor n enemies. In additio n, characters m ay ( at the BM

discretion) have to survive attacks from the Whe’s enemies who donwant the infor mation to reach the benevolent Aktai for fear they may t

and help the Whe.

ADVENTURE SEED




[ 6 ] Late ly the Whe have been able to paci fy the populat ion of ent i rep lanets using some type of “ mind contr o l ” matr ix . Since the Whe lackthe matr ix abi l i t ies to accompl ish such a task, their enemies have been

baffled as to how they could accom plish this atro city. Regardl ess of theor igin of the Whe’s newfoun d pow ers, many mi l i tary strategists view this

tur n of events as a significant thr eat. The abi l i ty of the Whe to pacify thepopulat ion of a p lanet wi thout n eed for a garr ison frees up tr oops for

the front. In addi t ion, development of new m atr ix powers could s ign i f-icantly incr ease the thr eat that the Whe pose. The Whe h ave been clo se-ly guard ing any in form ation about the i r new matr ix abi l i t ies, and the i r

enemies have been unable to determine their origin.The secret that the Whe have been guard ing so wel l is that they

hi red a powerfu l Dul warr io r to tra in the i r matr ix contro l lers. The Whehave a smal l cadr e of m atr ix contr o l lers that have been studying wi th

the Dul long enough to learn the Min d Contr ol m atrix. The Whe plan onhaving each of these matrix control lers train other control lers, who wil l

then serve as teachers themselves. I f th is p lan com es to fr u i t ion, theWhe woul d have a pow erful w eapon against their enem ies.

There are a couple of ways to use this inform ation in an adventure.

One way is for characters to stumble o nto th is in form ation, which wi l l

mak e them h ighly valuable to th e Whe’s enemies and a target for exter-minat ion by the Whe. Al ternat ive ly, the characters could be h i red toinvade Whe space and learn this infor mation first hand. Such a m ission

mi ght includ e el iminating the source of the Whe’s new pow ers ( i .e. fight-ing this powerful Du l warr ior ) . Other Dul m ight take i t upon themselvesto chal lenge this obviously evi l and disgraceful individual to com bat.

[ 7] Forced to employ enslaved species in order to continue their mil i-

tary expansion, many bel ieve the Whe have opened themselves up tod isaster . Whi le m any of the s laves are un der the in f luence of the Dul

mind contro l matr ix , o thers are not bra inwashed because thei r jobsrequ i re too much in tu i ti ve though t to be comp le ted by anyone in a

semi -com atose state. Unknow n to m any of the Whe’s enemies, the Whe

are actual ly integrating many of these cultures into their own society.The Whe’s natura l tendency to v iew everyone as equals has a l lowed

them to m ake great strid es in adop ting these cultur es. Though the slaveraces are not yet equals to the Whe and m any are sti l l l i ving in squalid

conditions, those who wil l ing serve the Whe are trying their hardest topr ove their loyalty and gain acceptance for their species. This may come

as qui te a surpr ise to characters that tr y and l iberate Whe slaves orattemp t to start a rebel l io n wi thin th e Whe enslaved species.

[ 8 ] No one k nows who exact ly created the Akta i , except possib ly theAktai themselves. If they are aware of their creator, none of them has

ever fessed up to kn owin g. This is prob ably the biggest secret in Zenaxand wi l l l i ke ly cont inue to be for a very long, long t im e.

[ 10] The Disrapan government is constantly deal ing with the threat of

rebel attack. As the rebel’s cause has gained strength, they have becomemo re aggressive in their attacks against their oppr essors. The arr ogantDisrapan are try ing to prevent the i r a l l ies from learn ing about the i r

in ternal problems, but the rebels have other p lans. In order to putexternal po l i t ica l pressure on the Disrapan, the rebels are try ing to

sneak evidence of the i r p l ight o ffwor ld in an effor t to sway Disrapanall ies to their cause. Characters may be involved in helping the rebels

spread the word about the cal lous Disrapan government. Alternatively,

characters m ay be rebels or s imply caught in the wrong p lace at thewrong time ( assumed to be rebels) . The Disrapan government wil l goto any length to pr event th is in formation fr om gett ing out, and i f they

assume you’re a prob lem, i t coul d be hazardo us to your health. Shoul dthe rebels fai l in their attempt to garner al ien support for their cause,

they may begin attackin g Disrapan al l ies to put pr essure on th e govern-ment to m ake hum ani tar ian changes. Ho wever, there is a chance that

th is k ind of terro r is t act ivi ty might backf i re , so the r ebels wi l l o n ly useit as a last r esor t.

[ 11] Lately the Disrapan have been mor e aggressive toward their al l iesand have had small skir mi shes with th e Razaa. Though the Disr apan are

having too many in ternal po l i t ica l p roblem s to star t a war, the i r a l l iesand enemies are unaware of this and the pow erful Di srapan are always

taken seriou sly. What external o bservers have not r ecognized is that theDisrapan ar e not f ight ing wi th the Razaa over terr i tory bu t over jum p

sticks. These powerful medical tools are highly valued by al l the racesin Zenax, and the Disrapan feel they are not getting their fair share fr omthe Razaa. By subtle pol i tical messages to the Razaa government and

attacks on Razaa patrol ships und er the guise of terr i tor ial disputes, the

D israpan a re pu t t i ng p ressu re on the Razaa to l ower p r i ces andincrease product ion. Characters might be employed as secret d ip lo-matic emissar ies from the Disrapan. No one wo uld suspect a l iens or

non-Disrapans of be ing pol i t ica l cour iers. Al ternat ively, i f charactersrevealed the true reason for the Disrapan aggression against the Razaa,they would be forced to suspend hosti l i t ies in order to save face. The

other species would quickly demand the same deals that were offeredto the Disrapan by the Razaa, whether any actual deal mak ing occu rr ed

or not. The resul t ing negot ia t ions and conf l ic ts would no doubt putheavy demands on the jum p st ick supply and put them at a premium .

[ 14] The Cedeun and Klee perfor m p ir ate raids on Whe vessels as well

as other unluck y sh ips in deep space. The p i r ate ra ids serve severa l

pur poses for bo th the Klee and the Cedeun. The Cedeun can chase offvessels that have wandered too c lose to on e of the i r h idden c i tadels

wi thout announcing the i r pr esence.[ 12] In addition , captured equipm ent often m akes i ts way into Klee

hands for resell or onto the black market. The Klee find great satisfactionin del ivering stolen Whe weapons to the enemies of the Whe and m aking

a hefty profi t to boot. I n addition, when no t makin g raids, the pirate shipsalso serve as legitim ate salvage vessels, bri nging aband oned ships to th eCedeun salvage yards. The ship s and ship p arts, whether obtain ed legally

or th ro ugh pir acy, are often refitted and inclu ded in the Klee trader fleets.Characters who hang aroun d with the Klee or Cedeun long enough m ay

eventual ly put two and two together and f igure out what is go ing on.Whether characters become aware of the Klee/Cedeun connection to

piracy or are actively involved in it, they can use this supply chain to get ju st abou t any p iece of in fo r m ati on or equi pm en t th ey m ight need .

[ 13] When the Klee hom e worl d was attacked by the Whe, many of thespecies friend ly to the Klee took i n r efugees. The Cedeun w ere the fir st

species to take in the hom eless Klee. While m ost of the displaced Kleeeventual ly rendezvoused with the infant trader fleets, some decided to

remain behind in the Cedeun astero id c i t ies. Wi th the help of the i rCedeun host, these Klee scour space loo king for Klee surv ivors that

never made it to the fleets after the exodus. In fact there are so many




13BEYOND THE RIFT

nomadic Klee wandering through Zenax that most races, excluding theWhe, have standing o rd ers to help Klee stragglers. Some have been l iv-ing on remote, un inhabi ted wor lds for decades wi thout knowledge of

the Klee f leets or the i r a t tempts to rebui ld the i r cu l ture. Charactersexplor ing deep space may com e across a Klee sett lement, whi ch may

not b e aware of the activi ties of the r est of th eir species. These Klee arel ik ely to be hosti le to just about anyone who discovers them, rather than

risk being surprised by the Whe.

Klee Anti-armor particle weapons: The Klee lack the technical

knowledge to construct such a complicated weapon system despite theirexpansive knowledge of particle physics. In addition, with the core of

their scientists spread across the galaxy, such advanced technologicaldevelopm ents are di fficul t at best. Desperate for a way to fend off the con-

tinued attacks of the Whe mi l i tary, the Klee became m ore d aring. Whenthe oppor tunity presented i tself to steal the Aktai anti-armor technology,

the Klee took the chance. They realized that with their knowledge of par-ticle ph ysics, they might be able to r everse engineer the Aktai techn olo gy.

If the Aktai were ever to discover the origin of the Klee anti-armor

technolo gy, the Klee woul d b e ostracized by the Aktai and lose a valuable

ally. Characters may become involved in stealing the Aktai technology orbe put in a mo ral dilem ma when they discover the or igin of the equipm ent.

[ 15] Wormholes: The Aktai use a space-based weapon system c alled awarp device. These weapons cause their targets to bl ink out of existence.A side effect of explodi ng Aktai war p devices is that they weaken the bar-

riers between time and space. If enough detonations occur in a localizedarea, they can cause a tear in space, creating an artificial and unstable

wormhole. For some reason detonations of warp bombs have been knownto cause space-time di stortion s light years away fro m the actual blast area.

A few high-ranking Aktai scientists are aware of this side effect but havebeen or dered by their superiors in the mil i tary not to reveal this inform a-

tion. It is unl ikely that characters wil l discover the true reason for the

abundance of wor mh oles in Zenax. However, these wor mh oles will alwaysbe of interest to Alliance characters attemp ting to get back hom e. Unwary

explorers may risk travel ing through these dangerous r i fts or find them-selves in the middle of an unnatural, mine-field of wormhole-filled space.

[ 16] Unexplored Space: While travel ing throu gh deep space in or der

to avoid the Whe, the characters encounter an unident i f iab le dere l ic tship. It is dri fting through deep space with no evidence of any crew orpower. Any Aktai in the group m ay be able to identi fy the writin g on the

ship ’s hul l ( Terr estr ia l Knowledge check at -50) as belonging to theRaxe. The Raxe went extinct soon after the Aktai enco untered the last of

their race. With the damage done to their ship by their Whe pursuers,the characters have no cho ice but to b oard the sh ip whi le they make

repai rs. Once onboard, the characters wi l l d iscover that the sh ip istotal ly abandoned, and the only th ing aboard is a large meta l cube in

the midd le of an otherwise empty cargo bay. In side the box is a crea-ture so terr i fying ly powerfu l that i t caused the ext inction of the ent i respecies. The Raxe’s last act of defiance against the creature was to sac-

r i f ice the rem ain ing members of the i r species as bai t to l ure the cr ea-ture into a trap— a trap that the characters are now aboard. The crea-

ture, who se name was lost along wi th the Raxe, is a non-cor por eal enti-ty that has the abi l i ty to r epro duce i tself by feeding off energy. M aterial

weapons do not effect i t, and every 50 points of damage from energy-

based weaponry that hits the creature causes i t to instantly reproduccreating two id entical copies of the creature. Characters wil l eventualto determ ine what the creatur e( s) feed off of and use that as bait to lur

the monster back in to the box to trap i t . Natura l ly the characters wdiscover that the creature’s favorite food i s them.

[ 17] Customs: Characters arr ive on a planet onl y to discover that th

medica l dr ugs they are carr y ing are i l legal . The author i t ies arr est thcharacters and search their ship for any other “ contr aband.” Under thguise of a customs search, the autho ri ties also con fiscate the char acter

a l ien w eapons and equipm ent. The characters in the group who hanot been arr ested must then attem pt to free their im pr isoned comr ade

Note: This is a good adventure hook to use i f character’s Al l iancequipment is beginning to unbalance your campaign. BMs can remov

certa in p ieces of the character ’s equipment - bu t rem ember to be fato your players.

[ 18] Defense Nets: While passing dangerously close to Whe space, thcharacters sh ip i s targeted b y an automated Whe defense system.

group of sate l l i tes attack any m oving object that passes nearby. Th

characters are forced to stop their ship unti l th ey find som e way to diable the satellites. They m ust wo rk fast though , as a Whe vessel has beecalled by the satel l i tes to com e and inspect their catch. Only a chara

ter that is s ize c lass 3 or smal ler can approach the sate l l i te wi thobeing vaporized. Once there, they mu st attempt to disarm the satel l i teOh, did we mention that once tampered with, the satel l i tes release a

armor ed robot to enter the captured ship and e l iminate the crew anthe ship’s computer to prevent further tampering?

[ 19] A Klee trader offers characters b ig m oney for captured Akt

weaponr y. To get this technol ogy, the char acters must sneak into Aktspace and steal weaponry in o rd er to get the mon ey they need to r epa

the ship and buy food and supplies.

In an effor t to spread the Whe th in, the Aktai m i l i tary is secret ly pro

vid ing funds to weapons manufactures that are unaff i l ia ted wi th anspecies. The goal is to pr ovide advanced weaponr y to the Aktai ’s al l ie

for use against the Whe, without inval idating their claim of neutral i tThough the Aktai govern ment was mor al ly opposed to this measur e, th

mi l i tary felt i t w as a necessary step to slow the Wh e advance into Aktspace. These high-tech weapons manufactures wil l be of great help tcharacters who want new equipment or custom bui l t armor but can

pur chase i t thro ugh other chann els. In addi tion, these faci l i t ies are onof the few places that might have a chance to repair Al l iance weapon

and equipment. In fact these companies may offer to try and repair thequipm ent in exchange for a piece of this al ien-tech or even the chanc

to study i t. Characters are unl ik ely to ever see their equipm ent again they agree to such an offer fro m a governm ent.

[ 20 ] The charac ters a re r unn ing l ow on ammo, and the i r ene rweapons are no n-funct ional . They must deal w i th a shady b lack-ma

keter in order to pur chase new w eapons— but they have very l i t t le trade?In a double-cross the black-marketer kidnaps one of the Al l ianc

party mem bers to be auct ioned off to the h ighest b idd er. Charactemust rescue their comrade before he is sold and dissected.

ADVENTURE SEED



13BEYOND THE RIFT

QUICK REFERENCE • CHARTS AND TABLE

RACE STR MD IQ AGL CON AGR INT CHA

Aktai +20 -10 +20 -10 +20 -10 +10 +10

Cedeun +15 +30 -15 -15 +10 -20 -10 +00

Disrapan +10 -15 +00 +00/+30 +07 +10 +00 -15

Dul +15 -10 -10 +15 +15 +00 -10 -10Klee +00 +00 +05 +00 +10 +05 +20 +30

Razaa +25 +00 +00 +00 +50 +00 +20 +00

Whe +10 +10 +00 +00 +10 +15 -15 -20

VITAL STATISTICS COMPARISON PG. 38

RACE TER MIL PER BAR

Aktai +10 +00 +00 +00

Cedeun +30 -20 -10 +00

Disrapan +05 +00 -05 +00

Dul -20 +10 -10 -10

Klee +40 +10 +10 +20

Razaa +00 +10 +00 +00 Whe +10 +25 -05 -05

SECONDARY STATISTICS COMPARISON

RACE STR IQ AGL CON

Aktai 50/150 50/150 50/150 50/150

Cedeun 41/130 01/110 01/100 45/135

Disrapan 35/115 15/115 45/145 25/115

Dul 21/150 05/150 39/150 21/150

Klee 11/100 11/115 15/110 31/120

Razaa 35/125 05/100 15/95 51/150

Whe 30/120 11/100 39/130 21/100

VITAL STATISTICS MINIMUM/ MAXIMUM

RACE

AKT AI

C E DE UN

DI S R AP AN

D UL

KL E E

R AZ AA

WHE

Aktai P T T T T T M

Cedeun T P T T P T E

Disrapan M T P M M D E

Dul T T T T T T M

Klee T P T T P T ERazaa T T M P T P D

Whe E D E M E D P

RACIAL PREFERENCE PG. 38

SKILL SC L T $ PS JA M JS BC

GTR 9 5 1Y 50 IQ - 12 - -

MENTAL SKILLS PG. 51


Hover Board 1 25 2wk 1 AG - 15 - -

VEHICLE SKILLS PG. 55


Aktai Force Weapons 4 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -

Aktai LGAs 5 25 4mo 30 IN - 10 - -

Aktai MTWs 5 25 3mo 25 IN - 10 - -

Aktai Fuel Pumps 4 25 2wk 10 MD - 10 - -

Disrapan Lasers 3 25 2wk 10 MD - 10 - -

Klee ParticleWeapons

3 25 1mo 10 MD - 10 - -

Razaa PlasmaWeapons

4 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -

Whe ProjectileWeapons

2 25 2wk 8 MD - 10 - -

Whe Mass Doublers 5 25 4mo 25 MD - 10 - -

Whe Rail Guns 3 25 3wk 12 MD - 10 - -Whe Vehon 1 25 1wk 5 ST - 10 - -

Whe Wall Guns 4 25 4mo 20 MD - 10 - -

WEAPON SKILLS PG. 55

FUSES TL AV COST

ImpactFuse 3 P x1

Metal Detector Fuse 3 R x3

Pressure Fuse 2 UC x1

Proximity Fuse 4 VR x5

Timer 2 P x1

WHE FUSES PG. 75

STANDARD AMMUNITION ENC AV COST

Drak1 4 P 8

Drak2 12 UC 60

Drak2A 12 UC 60

Dramier1 10 R 45

Emis6 3 P 7

JDU6 20 R 20

Machier7 10 R 45

Mazz3 2 R 8

Tramie8 2 P 8

Ud9 1 R 7 Waks4 1 UC 6

XK8 2 VR 350

Yulu7 3 UC 8

WHE AMMUNITION PG. 75





ART JAB CRO ELB HOO BIT HB KIC KNE SPI JUM JSK

Attart X X X X - - X X X X X

Brawling X X X X X - - - - - -

Jus - X X - - - X X - - -

Kel-na - X X - - - X X - X -

Kius X X X X - - X X X - -Knell - - - - - - - - - - -

Kne-na X X - - - - X X X X X

Mazie - X X X - - X X X X X

Na-De-Kah - X - - X** - X - - X -

Na-nee X X X X - - X X - X -

Nok-la - X X X - X X X - - -

Rock Fighting X X X - X** - X X X X X

Rock Wrestling - - - - X** - - - - - -

Sue-ne-na - X X - - - X X - - -

T’Ka X X X X X X X X X X X

Taling - X X - - X - - - - -

Tourt X X X - - X - X - - -Tra-el X X X X - - X X X X X

Tre-la X X X X - - X X X X X

Trus X X X X X X - X - - -

Yelah X X X - - - X X X X X

FIGHTING STYLE/ MARTIAL ART TECHNIQUE TABLE 1 PG. 54

ART CNL JL TRO DIS FAK TRA WPA BLK CST DOD HBK

Attart - - - - X - X X X X X

Brawling - - - - - - X* - - X -

Jus - - - X - - X X - X -

Kel-na - X X - X - X X X X -Knell X X X - X X - - - X -

Kne-na - - - - - - - X - X X

Kus - - - X X X X X X X X

Mazie - - - - - - - - - X X

Na-De-Kah X - - X - - X - X X -

Na-nee - X - X X X X X X X -

Nok-la X X X - - - - - - X -

Rock Fighting - - - - - - X X - X -

Rock Wrestling X X - - - X - X - X -

Suw-ne-na - X X - - - X X X X -

T’ka - - X - X X - X - X -

Taling X X X X - - - - - X -Tourt X X X - - - - X - X -

Tra-el - - - - - X X X X X X

Tre-la - X - X - - X X X X -

Trus X X X X - X X X - X -

Yelah - - - - X X X X X X X

FIGHTING STYLE/ MARTIAL ART TECHNIQUE TABLE 2 PG. 55





3Seconds

3Seconds

DischargeCombat

Hand-To-HandCombat

1.5 second phase 1.5 second phase

1 second segment 1 s ec o n d s eg men t 1 s ec o n d s eg men t

STRIKES DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Jab 0.5 1 +10 -

Cross 1 1 - -

Hook 2 1 - +20 toblock

Elbow 1d4 1 - CloseRange

STRIKES PG. 121

HEAD ATTACKS DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Headbutt 1 1 - CloseRange

Bite 1R or 2 R 1 - CloseRange

HEAD ATTACKS PG. 121

KICKS DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Kick 1d8 2 - -

Knee kick 1d6 1 - CloseRange

Spin kick 1d10 3 - -

Jump kick 1d10 2 - -

Jump Spin kick 1d12 4 - -

KICKS PG. 122

GRAPPLINGTECHNIQUES

DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Control None 1/half STR-STR CloseRange

Joint Lock Strike x 2 1/half STR-STR CloseRange

Throw Strike x 2 1 STR-STR CloseRange

GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES PG. 122

SPECIALTECHNIQUES DAMAGE #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Disarm None 1 Called Shot -

Fake None 1 - -

Trap - 2 actions 1 - -

Weak Point Attack Special 1 Called Shot -

Choke Con Dam. half Defense - STR CloseRange

Eye Strike Special 1 -75/-125(both eyes)

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES PG. 124

DEFENSIVE TECH. DAM #ACTIONS MODIFIERS NOTES

Block None 1 - -

Counter Strike 1 1 - -

Dodge None 1 - -

Hard Block Strike/2 1 +10 -

DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES PG. 125

REPAIR WEAPON SKILL CHECK

PENALTY




JURY-RIG POWER SOURCE TOCHARGE WEAPONS

SKILL CHECK PENALTY




CREATE NEW AMMUNITION SKILL CHECK PENALTY




With blueprints +50

WEAPON REPAIR PG. 130

REPAIRING LOST AI SKILL CHECK PENALTY




REPAIRING LOST AR SKILL CHECK PENALTY Without proper materials -75



REPAIRING LOST THR SKILL CHECK PENALTY




REPAIRING ARMOR OPTION SKILL CHECK PENALTY

Without proper materials -20 per TL of option

Without proper tools -30 per TL of option

Without proper tools and materials. -40 per TL of option

ARMOR REPAIR PG. 131



14BEYOND THE RIFT

QUICK REFERENCE • CHARTS AND TABLE

Step3a:DefenderFailsAttacker has successfully

appl ied the joint lock

Step3b:DefenderSucceedsJoint lo ck fai ls

END

Step4a:AttackerInjuresVictimDefender takes 2 pts of Real damage

+ attackers dam age bonus for high STR.Defender automatically escapes after attack

END

Step4b:AttackerControlsVictim

Defender is at -30 to attack or defend

Step5:DefenderAttemptstoResistPainDefender makes System Shock Check

Penal ty = 50%+ attacker’s HTH Ski l l Level

Step6a:DefenderFailsSystemShockCheck

Defender mustcomplywith attackerscommands

Defenderfailstocomply:GotoStep4a

Defender complies:GotoStep4b.

Step6b:DefenderSucceedsinSystemShockCheck Defender may attempt to escape. Go to Step 7

Step7:DefenderAttemptsEscapeDefender mak es Hand-to-hand Ski l l check

Penal ty = 5x attackers HTH ski l l level

ORDefender makes Strength or Agility Check

Penalty = 5x attackers HTH Skill Level

ALL CHECKS ONE ACTIO N

Step2:DefenderAttemptstoAvoidLock Defender m akes HTH check using Defensive Action

Requires 1 act ion

Step8a:DefenderFailstoEscapeGo to Step 4b

Step8b:DefenderEscapesEND

JointLockFlowChart

Step1:ApplyJointLock Attacker m akes Hand-to-hand ski l l Check

Penalties = Attackers Str - Defenders Str, Normal Called Shot PenaltiesRequires 1 Action



14BEYOND THE RIFT

'Pod Strength : The percentage of the Mazian's strength that may beemployed by a single pseudopod in combat. Note that this informationin this table supersedes the information regarding pseudopod strength

in the Shape Change Examples tab le, as combat tra in ing a l lows theMazian to learn to apply i ts strength mo re effectively. With no hand-to-

hand tr aining, the strength l im itations from the Shape Change Exampl estable apply. The Shape Change Examples table u nder the M azian r acial

d e sc r i p t i o n e xpl a i n s t h at Ma zi a n s d e ve l o p t h e u se o f mu l t i p l epseudopod s via their Shape Change ski l l , eventual ly able to c reate 20+'po ds they can use to m anipulate objects. Using these 'po ds in com bat,

however, is another matter. A pseudopod that can manipulate the con-trols of a starship doesn't necessari ly have the strength to twist some-

one's arm around. As the Mazian's combat ski l ls increase, i ts abi l i ty toeffectively employ more pseudopods in combat increases, as does the

Strength tho se 'pods m ay emp loy.With minimal combat training, a Mazian may decide to concentrate

its efforts on on e attack to one bod y part, and in so doing emp loy 100%of i ts strength ( 50% for Locks, Throws, or Str ik es wi thout an IFN or aLVL 20 shape change ski l l ) . But w ith enou gh HTH ski l l , the Mazian m ay

employ mul t ip le pseudopods in independent attacks on mul t ip le bo dy

parts of the oppo nent. Example: a Mazian with even 1 level of HTH ski l land a Strength of 60 may use two 'pods to make two separate attacksagainst its opponent, each with an effective Strength of 30, or one attack

against the opponent with a Strength of 60. Each attack must be madeseparately, and are treated l ike m ultipl e hand or fo ot strik es by a biped.The Mazian might, for instance, choose to try to Contr ol on e of i ts oppo -

nent's arm s with i ts first attack, and after having achieved that, m ay thenuse a second 'pod to attempt to contr o l the opponent 's other arm, o r

attempt a choke, strike, or any other attack. Similarly, the Mazian mayinstead use the second 'po d to fir e a weapon or uti l ize another piece of

equipment wi thout penal ty, though combat modi f iers st i l l apply nor-mal ly when f i r ing a weapon.

At each point along the HTH ski l l table, the Mazian may choose to

employ fewer 'pods wi th the benef i ts gained at lower levels of sk i l l .Example: a Mazian with a 60 Strength and 13 levels of HTH ski l l may

choose to use 5 'pods in five separate attacks, each with an effectiveStrength of 3 0, or may instead use 4 or fewer 'p ods in separate attacks,

each with an effective Strength o f 60.In addi tion, the Mazian may also choose to uti l ize multipl e 'pods in

a single attack. Whi le this does not in crease the strength of the attack ,i t does incr ease the attack' s chance of success. Each additio nal 'p od theMazian uses in a single attack affor ds the Blob a + 10 to i ts attack r ol l .

Example: A Mazian with 9 levels of HTH m ay make 3 separate attack s,each with a + 36 to the attack rol l ( the normal HTH attack bonus) , or

may i ns tead choose to make one a t tack w i th one 'pod a t + 36 andanother attack with two 'p ods at + 46. It m ay also choose to make a sin-

gle attack with al l thr ee 'pods at + 56.

Note: Comb in ing m ul t ip le pods in to a s ingle attack does not a l low theMazian to exceed the Strength l imi ta t ions as ind icated in the tab leabove. Even i f a M azian wi th 13 levels of HTH choo ses to mak e only 4

attacks, i f i t is using 5 'pods tota l , each attack is st i l l made at 50%Strength. The Strength l imitation exists because the Mazian has yet to

learn how to effect ive ly employ that many 'pods at the same t ime.Comb in ing them into s ing le attacks doesn' t o vercom e that problem .

CombatExample:OuzotheMazianhasa Strengthof 50, and13levels

HTH. In onecombatround, Ouzohasthefollowingoptions:

1. Use 5 'pods tomakefiveseparateattacks(or defend against attack

eachwithaneffectiveStrengthof 25anda+52attack bonus.

2. Use4'podstomakefourseparateattacks, eachwithaneffectiveStreng

of50anda+52attackbonus.

3. Use5'podsonfour attacks- 3tomakethreeattacks, and2tomakeo

attack. Thefirstthreeattacksaremadeat +52, andthelast is made

+62. Eachattack ismadeataneffectiveStrengthof 25.

4. Use4 'podsonthreeattacks- 2 ontwoseparateattacks, and2 ono

combinedattack. Thefirsttwoattacksareat+52, thethirdisat+62. A

aremadewiththefull Strengthof 50.

5. Use5'podsonthreeattacks- either2'podsaloneandthreeinoneattac

or1'podaloneand2'podseachontwoother attacks, eachataStreng

of 30. Attacksmade withone'pod areat +52, two 'pods at +62, a

three'podsat +72.

6. Use4'podstomaketwoattacks, twopodsper attackataStrengthof 5

anda+62.

7. Use5 'podstomaketwoattacks- twopodsononeattack andthreeo

another,bothmadewithaneffectiveStrengthof 25. Thefirstattack is

+62, thesecondat+72.

8. Use4podstomakeoneattack ata+82andaStrengthof 50.

9. Use5podstomakeoneattack ata+92andaStrengthof 25.

As you can see, a ski l led M azian has many optio ns open to i t i n com ba

and can choose to trade Strength for attack bonuses, or v ice versHow ever, the blob in o ur above exampl e may only choose one of the

options avai lable to i t option per action, Changing options require

one action ( see belo w) .

Remember also that a Mazian is fluid. Upon making successful attack

in one r ound w i th a certa in number of a t tacks, the Blob may spend aa ttack the nex t r ound to comb ine mu l t i p le pseudopods, po ten t i alincreasing i ts Strength so i t can better hold the Control, Joint Lock, o

Chok e attacks that i t p reviously made. Ouzo and h is 13 HTH levels mafor i nstance, attack in r ound o ne with 5 'po ds to gain the attack bonu

es, even though he m ust operate at 50% of his nor m al Strength. If sucessful, and i f his opp onent doesn't m anage to break fr ee befor e Ouzo

next roun d, Ouzo m ay spend one attack to comb ine two 'pod s into onHe is now using on ly 4 'po ds, and thus he may brin g his entire Strengto bear against his opponent. If he chooses to create a fi fth 'pod late

on i n the com bat, he once again wil l be at an effective Strength of 2 5

Defensive Technique s: Envelop

Withou t use of an I FN, a Mazian cannot use the Block, Counterstrik e, o

Hard Block defensive techniques, as these requi re leverage that Mazian can' t generate. But the Mazians have a defensive technique no

available to non -shapeshifters: the Envelop.

APPENDIX: MAZIAN COMBAT RULE




A

ActionSummary 118

Actions 117

AdvancedCombatRules 118

AdventureSeeds 133

Aktai 11, 110

Aktai Armor 77-78

Aktai ForceWeapons 58,63

Able 64

Adapt 63

Capable 64

Diverse 63

Perfection 64

Terminous 64

Aktai FullPumps 58, 62

AFP-S 63

AFP1 62

AFP2 62

Aktai Local GraviticAccelerators(LGAs)

58, 63

Crusher 63

Flattener 63

Patty 63

Squish 63

Aktai MTW 58, 64

AMTW10 65

AMTW2 65

AMTW5 65

AMTW7 65

Aopdown 113

Armor 77, 131

ArmorOptions 83, 139

A-GravSystem83

AMS 83

Anti-MesonField 83

AtmosphericProcessor 83

CloakingDevice 83

CombatShield 84

DispersalUnit 84

ECCMModule 84

FlightSystems 84

FOFTransmitter 84

GraviticCompensator(major) 84

GraviticCompensator(minor) 84

LaserDetector 84

NutrientDispenser 84

RadarDetector 84

Rebreather 84

Regenerating 84

SearchLight: 84Self-Sizing 84

SensorSuite1 85

SensorSuite2 85

SensorSuite3 85

StealthSystem 85

WasteProcessor 85

ArmorRepair 131, 140

Armorvs. Hand-to-Handattacks 118

Attack Techniques 121

Authorities 112

B

BasicCombatRules 117

Black Market 132

C

CampaignGoals 128

CampaignInfo 132CaptainCatastropheandhisLegionof

Doom 114

Cedeun 19

CedeunArmor 77-78

Environmental Suit 77

Environmental Suit2 77

HeavySuit 79

Stealth Suit 79

CedeunArtgalleryandlaser lightshow

111

CedeunAsteroidsCities 111

CedeunMiningColony72 115

CedeunMiningOutposts 111

CedeunParticle Weapons 65EAU1 65

EAU2 65

EAU3 65

CedeunPlasmaCannons 59, 65

AKS1 65

DJS1 66

SKS1 66

CedeunSalvageYard 111

ChokesandEyeGouges 125

ChoosingtheCharacter 38

CloseRange 119

CombatOrder 119

CombiningHand-to-HandandDischarge

Combat 118Control 122

Customs 112

D

Daktar 113

DefenseNets 112

DefensiveFields(Whe) 85-86

DefensiveField1 85

DefensiveField2 85

DefensiveField3 85

DefensiveField4 85

DefensiveField5 85DefensiveTechniques 125,140

Desiut 113

DevastatedPlanetsandExtinctRaces 114

Dimensional portal 128

Disarm124

DisintegrationField(Aktai) 86-87

Disrapan(Impact)Lasers 67

LL-20 67

LL-30 67

LL-40 67

LL-50 67

DisrapanArmor 78-79

H-DA 79

L-DA 79

M-DA 79

SH-DA 80

DisrapanBlindingLasers 59, 66

HILD 66

LL-20B 66

T3Tac 66DisrapanCuttingLasers 59,66

CR10 67

MiS5 67

ML3TR 67

TR5 67

TR8 67

Type3TR 67

DisrapanImpactLasers 59

DisrapanMissileSystems 68

M-19m68

M-1d 68

M-2f 68

M-4c 68

MK-15 69MK-4 68

MK-5 68

MK-6 68

MK-6a 69

MK-7 69

MK-9b 69

DisrapanMissiles 60

DisrapanNuclearLasers 59,68

XLR-1RF 68

XRL-1 68

Dul 23

DulArmor 78, 80

ArmoredSuit 80

Ceremonial Armor 80ChestPlate 80

Soul Prism 80

Dul Weapons 69

E

EnergyFields(Aktai) 86-87

EnergySupplies 131

EntryintoZenax 127

Exampleof Combat 119

ExchangeRates 110, 139

Experimental FTLdrive 128

F

Fakes 124

Fallen 113

FickleFinger ofFateTable 48

FieldGenerators 85

FightingStyle/Martial ArtTechniqueList

54, 138

FightingStyles&Martial Arts 51

Aktai Martial Arts 52

Knell 52

Yelah 52

CedeunMartial Arts 52

Rock Fighting 52

RockWrestling 52

DisrapanMartial Arts 52

Na-de-kah 52

Dul LifeArts 52

Attart 52Kel-na 52

Kne-na 52

Na-nee 52

Nok-la 53

Suw-ne-na 53

T’ka 53

Tourt 53

Tra-el 53

Tre-la 53

KleeMartial Arts 53

Kus 53

Trus 53

RazaaMartial Arts 53

Mazie 53 Taling 54

WheMartial Arts 54

Jus 54

FluxShields(Aktai, DisrapanandRazaa)

86-87

ArmorProtectiveSystem, Model5 87

ArmorShield 87

BarrierShield 87

BattleShield 87

EnergyFieldEnhancement, Armored

87

EnergyFieldEnhancement, Major 87

EnergyFieldEnhancement, Minor 87

EnergyFieldEnhancement, Primary 87Missile Shield 88

ProtectiveFlightModule, ModelA 87

ProtectiveFlightModule, ModelB 87

ProtectiveFlightModule, ModelC 87

ProtectiveFlightModule, ModelD 87

ProtectiveFlightModule, ModelE 87

WarShield 88

G

GhostShips 113

GrapplingTechniques 122, 140

H

HandWeapons 58,62

BFH 62

BladeLauncher 62

CollapsibleStaff 62

Electro-nails 62

Laser Knife 62

Laser Lance 62

Laser Sword 62

INDEX




R

Racial Preference 38, 137

Rakasa3 115

Raxe 114

Razaa 31

RazaaArmor 78, 81

ArmoredSuit 81

Battlesuit 82

CommandSuit 82

Warsuit 82

Zad-hide 81

RazaaContinuousEffectDisintegrators

(CEDs) 60,70

BFG-1 71

Foebender 71

Wargun 71

XG-1 71

RazaaPlasmaWeapons 71

MakZa 71

MigZa 72

TaZiZa 72

TragZa 72

TraZa 71

Rift 127

Runningacampaign 129

S

SecondaryStatisticsComparison 38, 137

Secretsof Zenax 133

Skills 51

Smuggling 112

Spaceports 114

Special Techniques 124, 140

StargateTravel 128

Startingyourcampaign 127Strikes 121,140

StunningandCritical Hits(Optional Rule)

118

Supplies 131

T

Throws 124

TiedInitiative 117

Trade 111

TradingPosts 115

Trapping 124

Travel Hazards 111 Travel inZenax 110

Trid 115

Triem 113

TriemRefugees 114

U

UnexploredSpace 113

V

VehicleSkills 55, 137

Vewhig 114

Vital StatisticsComparison 38,137

Vital StatisticsMinimum/ Maximum137

W

Warmonger’sMercs 114

Weak pointattacks 125

WeaponRepair 130,140

WeaponSkills 55, 137

Weapons 57,130

WeaponsControl 112

Whe 35

Whe/ Aktai Front 112

WheAmmunition 75,137

WheAnchors75

WheArmor 79,82

Akfu 82

Duy 82 Jduy 82

Nak 82

Tracklar 82

Yun 83

WheDefensiveFields 139

WheFuses 75, 137

WheInvasions 112

WheMassDoublers 61,73

DY8 73

Kemde3 73

KuD9 73

WheProjectile Weapons- MachineGuns

61, 72

Drak2A 72Machier7 72

WheProjectile Weapons- Pistols 61, 72

Dramier 72

Tramie 72

Waks 72

WheProjectile Weapons- Rifles 61, 72

Drak1 72

Drak2 72

Emis6 72

WheRail Guns 61, 73

JDU6 74

Mazz3 74

Ud9 74

XK8 74 Yulu7 74

WheSpecializedAmmunition 75,139

Acid 76

Anti-personnel 76

Chemical Attack 76

ConcussionRounds 76

Disintegrator Rounds 76

Flash 76

Freezer 76

Glue 76

Hologram76

Incendiary 76

Nuclear 76

Petrifaction 76

Smoke 76

SonicBlast 76

StarshotAmmo 76

Surgeon 77

WheVehon 61,75Bio-BondAnchor 75

ImpactFuse 75

MagneticAnchor 75

Material-bondAnchor 75

Metal DetectorFuse 75

PressureFuse 75

ProximityFuse 75

StickyAnchor 75

Timer 75

WheWall Guns 61, 74

Dij 74

Mij 74

Mij2 74

Traj 74Wormholes 112

X

Xhem114

Xuw 114

Z

ZenaxGalaxy 109

ZenaxTimeline 6

Ziza Citadel 115

INDEX



Beyond the Rift lies the Zenax Galaxy, a whole new universe for

intrepid Battlelords to explore. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen

before. The safety of Alliance controlled space is a distant memory

and it will take all your skill and experience to survive. Once you’re

on the other side, there are no Madd Mike’s supply depots and no

one accepts your Galactic Gold Card. The inhabitants of Zenax are used to encountering strange

aliens, so you’re not likely to be dissected… at least not right away.

The wormholes that litter the astral landscape ensure that ships from

Alliance space make their way into Zenax with some frequency.

Thousands of ships have been mysteriously lost in the Alliance

during stargate travel. Some of them end up in Zenax.

Zenax is populated by a wide variety of species, most notably the

aggressive Whe who have been waging war with almost every the

other species in the galaxy for over 50 years. Not all of the species in

Zenax are hostile. There are many benevolent races including the

robotic Aktai, whose superior technology has spared them from Wheannexation. There are also the space-dwelling Cedeun and their allies

the entrepreneurial Klee, who wander Zenax in massive mercantile

fleets. The winged Disrapan constantly seek to expand their empire.

The Dul are wandering martial artists and scholars who are capable

of using their strange matrix powers in hand-to-hand combat. Lastly,

there are the massive Raaza, whose regenerative abilities and

quasi-religious worship of death make them formidable foes.

Zenax sits on the edge of the war. The Whe are amassing their

Rift Running: You may not get rich but adventure is guaranteed

Some have claimed that beyond the great Motaran Rift there are

other universes yet to be discovered. Universes with untapped

resources waiting to be exploited by the galactic mega-corporations

of the Alliance. The mega-corps are keenly aware that discoveringthe secret to Rift travel could ensure their financial prosperity for

centuries to come and they are willing to pay handsomely for it.

Fortunately for them there are no shortages of Battlelords who are

willing to risk it all and enter the Rift.

These “Rift Runners” are paid obscene amounts of money by their

corporate sponsors to enter the vortex and make scientific

measurements of the phenomenon. Not all of them return, but notall of them meet their demise either. The truth is there are other

universes beyond the rift. . . and they have already been discov-

ered. Discovered by those who never return. Trapped on the other

side. Trapped beyond the Rift.

Welcome to Zenax

Beyond the Rift

Documents

Transcript of Beyond the Rift