Setting:Nutopia/Rules

NUtopia: FATE Edition

Hiving Mechanics

1. Describe the feedstock used in the hiving action. Example: Junk in the environment, mineral rock, desert sand, an organic opponent’s body. Feedstock quality affects the Intensity rating of the nanite swarm when it is used to assemble an item, make a maneuver or construct an obstacle: the Intensity rating of the swarm cannot exceed the Quality of the feedstock when blocking, maneuvering or constructing items. By default, feedstock from the surrounding environment is rated at a Quality of Mediocre (0) and thus needs to be enriched with quality materials in order to be viable for hiving. A Hiver can use a “High-grade feedstock” item to increase feedstock quality to +5 for one hiving action.

2. For combat hiving: Describe the effect in terms of one of the following basic conflict actions: disassembly, block, maneuver, or counterhive.

2.1 In a disassembly attack, the Hiver instructs the nanoswarm to inflict physical stress on an opponent by taking it apart on the molecular level. A disassembly attack automatically succeeds unless the opponent has anti-nanite weapons or armor with anti-nanite properties. 1 shift of Intensity can be used to:

2.1.1 Increase the attack’s duration by 1 turn. By default, the opponent takes 1 point of physical stress for each turn of combat that the disassembly continues.

2.1.2 Increase range by 1 zone.

2.1.3 Attack a specific part of the body (e. g. eyes), or a specific item of equipment (e. g. an opponent’s weapon).

2.2 A block is a barrier that is designed to absorb an enemy attack. For each shift of Intensity the block can absorb 1 additional point of the attack. Optionally, instead of block strength, you can opt to have the effect work as Armor (2 shifts add 1 point of Armor) or as a zone border instead. 1 shift of Intensity lets the block resist 1 additional attack. 2 shifts of power allow the effect to cover multiple allies within the same zone.

2.3 A maneuver places a temporary aspect (free-taggable) on an opponent or zone. A maneuver on a zone succeeds on a default of +3, a maneuver on an opponent must beat the skill value of whatever skill the opponent is attempting to resist with.

2.4 Counterhiving is attacking an opposing hiver’s nanoswarm with your own nanoswarm. Use your Hiving skill to assess the opponent’s power and beat that power to succeed.

3. For noncombat hiving: if you’re trying to assemble or repair an item, a successful Engineering roll is required in order to initiate the action. The Hiver can then spend 1 point of Intensity to reduce the time needed to assemble or repair the item by 1 unit.

4. Decide how many shifts of Intensity you want to put into the hiving attempt. The more nanites your mind needs to control, the more mental stress you take – if you invest a greater amount of Intensity in a swarm, you take mental stress equal to the difference between the Intensity score and your Hiving skill. Thus, a hiving action with Intensity 8 would cause 4 points of mental stress to a character with Hiving 4.

5. Make a Discipline roll with a difficulty equal to the Intensity score of the swarm to perform the hiving action. The roll is modified by any hiving-relevant augs and any relevant aspects you wish to invoke.

Skill List

Skill Trappings Alertness Avoiding Surprise, Combat Initiative, Passive Awareness, Stealth Detection Athletics Climbing, Dodging, Falling, Jumping, Sprinting, Other Physical Actions Burglary Casing, Infiltration, Lockpicking Contacts Gathering Information, Getting the Tip-Off, Knowing People, Rumors Cracking Interfacing, Intrusion, Countermeasures, Subversion Culture Culture Savvy, Language, Adaptation, Lay of the Land Deceit Cat and Mouse, Disguise, Distraction and Misdirection, False Face Forward, Falsehood and Deception Discipline* Concentration, Emotional Control, Mental Defense Engineering Breaking, Building, Fixing, Tech Awareness Driving/Piloting[Type]

       	Chases, One Hand on the Wheel, Navigation

Empathy Reading People, A Shoulder to Cry On, Social Defense, Social Initiative Endurance* Long-Term Action, Physical Fortitude Fists Brawling, Close-Combat Defense Guns [Tech Level]

       	Aiming, Gun Knowledge, Gunplay, Other Projectile Weapons

Hiving Common Scripts, Sustaining Effect, Range, Counterhiving, Catabolic Hiving, Anabolic Hiving, Hiver’s Perception Intimidation The Brush-Off, Interrogation, Provocation, Social Attacks, Threats Investigation Forensics, Eavesdropping, Examination, Surveillance Medicine* First Aid, Pathology, Implant Handling Might Breaking Things, Exerting Force, Lifting Things, Wrestling Performance Art Appreciation, Composition, Creative Communication, Playing to an Audience Presence* Charisma, Command, Reputation, Social Fortitude Rapport Chit-Chat, Closing Down, First Impressions, Opening Up, Social Defense Resources Buying Things, Equipment, Lifestyle, Money Talks, Workspaces Scholarship Answers, Declaring Minor Details, Exposition and Knowledge Dumping, Research and Lab Work Stealth Hiding, Shadowing, Skulking, Camouflage Survival Animal Handling, Riding, Scavenging, Tracking Tactics Combat Maneuvering, Positioning, Cover Use, Ambush Weapons Distance Weaponry, Melee Combat, Melee Defense, Weapon Knowledge

Gettin' kinda crunchy

An orderly society.. or an almost anarchistic future needs Some kinds of rules. Presenting, in its somewhat crunchy glory, Nutopia.

Character Generation

Soldiers

Ghosts

Requires at least DX 14

Ghosts are soldiers with superhuman agility and stealth, and they are possessed of a swift, efficient brutality. When you want something killed or destroyed but with discretion and precision, you need a Ghost.

Basic implants: bionic eyes, ears, filter implant. (UT, p.209, 211) Required skills (minimum total of 14, preferably higher) (GURPS Basic Set; Characters): brawling, camouflage, Guns (rifle, pistol, shotgun, submachinegun), jumping, karate, Melee (Knife), running, soldier, stealth, jumping, running.

Recommended advantages: Daredevil, Enhanced defences (Dodge), extra attack, fit, fearlessness, silence. Recommended disadvantages: bully, callous, code of honour, duty, fanaticism, loner, sense of duty, vow. Recommended additional implants: Reinforced skeleton, Boosted reflexes, Accelerated reflexes, Two bionic arms, Two bionic legs, Bionic organ transplants, Boosted heart, Cyber claws, Gyrobalance, Neural Jack and Computer implant.

Reavers

Requires at least ST 14

Reavers are the grunts of soldier types. They do the hard work of beating down and breaking an enemy in open combat, going to where hulks cannot and bringing heavy firepower to wherever its needed.

Basic implants: bionic eyes, ears, filter implant, Neural Jack and Computer implant, reinforced skeleton, subdermal armour. (UT, p.209, 211) Required skills (minimum total of 14, preferably higher) (GURPS Basic Set; Characters): Artillery (guided missile) brawling, camouflage, Guns (grenade launcher, rifle, pistol, shotgun, submachinegun, light machinegun, LAW), Gunner (machine gun, rockets) karate, soldier, throwing. Recommended advantages: Daredevil, Enhanced defences, combat reflexes, extra attack, fit, fearlessness, gunslinger. Recommended disadvantages: Addiction (combat drugs of various types), bully, callous, code of honour, duty, fanaticism, hidebound, impulsiveness, loner, sense of duty, vow Recommended additional implants: Boosted reflexes, Accelerated reflexes, Two bionic arms, Two bionic legs, Bionic organ transplants, Boosted heart, Cyber claws, biomonitor implant, nanoweave subdermal armour. Recommended additional skills: Leadership, Tactics.

Hulks

The largest of the soldiers, Hulks are massive war machines. The core of the Hulk is the Human 'brain in a jar', though far more accurately described as in an armoured case, linked into every part of the machine body that it inhabits with artificial replacements for nearly all bodily functions and organs. When only the most withering firepower and the heaviest armor can get the job done, it's time to bring in these metal monsters.

Requirements: Size modifier +1 (9') Strength 20 and up (and up and up...). No fine manipulators on many tanklike models. HP 20+, Machine meta-trait (GURPS Basic set Characters p. 263) Basic advantages: Damage resistance 100+ (can't wear armour), Protected senses (all of them), Extra Attack, Enhanced Tracking (1), Combat reflexes, Doesn't Breath, nictitating membrane(2), night vision(4), telescopic vision, Hard to kill(2). Basic Disadvantages: Electrical, Maintenance (1 basic, increasing with size), Numb, Noisy. Basic implants: Neural Jack and Computer implant. Required skills: Innate attack (projectile) gunner (machinegun, rockets), guns (rifles, light machine guns, grenade launchers, LAW), brawling, Artillery (guided missile), mechanics (robotics), computer operation, Soldier. Recommended Advantages: fearlessness, vibration sense, ultra hearing, telecommunication, sealed, scanning sense, payload, 360 degree vision. Recommended Disadvantages: bully, callous, code of honour, duty, fanaticism, hidebound, impulsiveness, loner, sense of duty, vow, no fine manipulators, social stigma, restricted diet, overconfidence.

Equipment Lists

Equipment Ideas in Need of Crunch

Railguns- These use pairs of rails (go figure) made from room temperature superconducting magnets to fling small darts at incredible speeds. They have superior armor penetration characteristics but can be loaded to deal with soft targets.

Pistols, Rifles, Long Rifles, Railcannons

Coilguns- Uses a series of electromagnetic coils (go figure, again) to heft large projectiles that would normally require a much longer barrel.

Coil Launchers (Grenade), Coil Launchers (Artillery)

Superposed Load Weapons- Uses ammunition blocks stacked nose to tail inside a barrel (See the Metal Storm family of weapons). Firing is electronic, allowing the user to decide the number of rounds fired and even from which barrels. Characterized by a potentially incredible rate of fire. Ammunition Cassettes are bulky, being comprised of multiple disposable barrels and the blocks inside of them.

Pistols, SMGs, Assault Rifles, Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers

Caseless Weapons- Uses a simple improvement on modern cased ammunition, each round is made from a bullet enclosed in propellant (See the Heckler and Koch G11 Rifle). Since there is no need to eject spent casings the rate of fire is commensurately higher than a cased weapon, though still no where near as great as that of a Superposed load gun. The firing mechanism is also somewhat more complex than most other weapons.

Pistols, SMGs, Assault Rifles, Machine Guns, Shotguns

Cased Weapons- More or less any conventional modern firearm. A firing pin strikes a percussion cap in a metal cartridge, igniting the encased powder and propelling a bullet out of the barrel.

(In addition to most actual modern weapons) Rotary Shotguns, Rotary Cannons, Auto Cannons, Shotgun Pistols

Other Stuff- Anything that doesn't fit above.

Flamethrowers (compressed gas & jellied fuel), Sound Based Riot Guns, Automatic Hypo-Dart Gun, LoSAT/LoSAA Missiles (Line of Sight Anti-Tank/Air Missiles)

Hiver Mechanics Discussion

Hiver Operation Mechanics This is discussed generally, without a specific system in mind, but one can see how it might be adapted to any system that rolls for success against a set difficulty.

A Hiver wishing to perform an action with his Implants in the world needs to worry about two things on his character sheet. Firstly, what programs relevant to the task at hand he has slotted into his implants at the moment, and what skills he might have that would allow him to better know how to achieve his task.

Programs are general instructions that help gear a Hiver’s (dis)assemblers towards a specific task, and assist their utility fog reach optimum density and power distribution for a given type of task. Programs come in many varieties, perhaps broadly split into construction and deconstruction, or some other method of categorization. They can be as broad as a simple “Deconstruct” program, or as specific as “Deconstruct: Organic Tissue” or even “Deconstruct: Aluminum”. The more specific the program, the greater a bonus it provides to its niche and a Hiver should be able to work with computer literate team mates to write new software, and work out the bonuses and purview of that software with their Signal Man.

Skills are anything in the Hiver’s repertoire that the SM considers relevant to the task at hand. General skills like “Hiver Implant Use” that come with the character package would be the base part of every test, and others might be added on depending on the situation. Again, like with programs, Hivers who find themselves doing a lot of the same thing or want to specialize in a specific task might be given leeway to create their own niche skills that give them higher rates of success within their narrow purview. Also, skills not directly associated to Hiving but related to the task might also be included. For instance, a Hiver attempting to weaken the supports of a decaying suspension bridge to halt an advancing horde of shelljacked husks would be best off specializing in deconstruction of metals, or perhaps something even more specific. However, a Hiver who did not have such a specialization, but who had knowledge of structural engineering, should be able to substitute speed and power with accuracy, picking out the weakest supports and accomplishing the job in a comparable amount of time. If he had both, then it’d be over all the quicker.

The net effect of these two factors governs both what a Hiver can do and with what speed/efficiency/effectiveness he might do it. Still needed for clarification is the precise way in which skills interact. The two ideas that I have are thus: Either skills provide a bonus directly to a single check governed by how high the skill is and its relevance, or more skills equals more chances. That is to say, factor in the relevant program, and then roll against a DC with the highest, most relevant skill. If that fails, move on to the next highest and so forth, effectively giving the Hiver another shot albeit at a lesser chance of success. The second option prevents having to cap bonuses in order to prevent automatic successes in percentile systems (like DH or EP). Critical successes increase speed or effectiveness depending on the situation or even have unintended bonuses at SM discretion, while critical failures vary similarly.

Anyway, that’s the way I’ve got it arranged in my head, I await your input eagerly. Tell me what you think works, what doesn’t etc. This is just the best way I’ve seen yet that allows a Hiver to be creative whilst still operating within realistic constraints.

Skill List

Academics: [Field] COG Knowledge

Baseline Animal Handling: SAV Active, Social

Chimeric Animal Handling: WIL Active, Social

Art: [Field] INT Knowledge

Bioengineering: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Climbing SOM Active, Physical

Cyber Intrusion WIL (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Deception SAV Active, Social

Demolitions COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Drone Operation WIL (no defaulting) Active, Combat

Disguise INT Active, Physical

Engineering: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Flight SOM Active, Physical

Fray REF Active, Combat

Free Fall REF Active, Physical

Freerunning SOM Active, Physical

Gunnery INT Active, Combat

Geography: [Area] COG Knowledge

Hardware: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Impersonation SAV Active, Social

Infiltration COO Active, Physical

Infosec COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Interest: [Field] COG Knowledge

Interfacing COG Active, Technical

Intimidation SAV Active, Social

Investigation INT Active, Mental

Kinesics SAV Active, Social

Language: [Field] INT Knowledge

Medicine: [Field] COG Active, Technical

Melee [Blades]: SOM Active, Combat

Melee [Clubs]: SOM Active, Combat

Melee [Exotic]: [Field] SOM Active, Combat

Melee [Unarmed]: SOM Active, Combat

Navigation INT Active, Mental

Networking: [Field] SAV Active, Social

Palming COO Active, Physical

Perception INT Active, Mental

Persuasion SAV Active, Social

Pilot: [Field] REF Active, Vehicle

Profession: [Field] COG Knowledge

Programming COG (no defaulting) Active, Technical

Protocol: [Area] SAV Active, Social

Combat Hiving WIL (no defaulting) Active, Mental, Hiving

Psychosurgery INT Active, Technical

Research COG Active, Technical

Ranged [Beam]: COO Active, Combat

Ranged [Exotic]: [Field] COO Active, Combat

Ranged [Kinetic]: COO Active, Combat

Ranged [Seeker]: COO Active, Combat

Ranged [Spray]: COO Active, Combat

Ranged [Throwing]: COO Active, Combat

Scrounging INT Active, Mental

Detect Nanites INT (no defaulting) Active, Mental, Hiving

Swimming SOM Active, Physical

Vehicular Movement SOM Active, Physical