It's Actually Our Galaxy (Star Wars D&D 5e, Custom Setting, Potentially Lore-Heavy)

[Dusk Raven]

Very tempting, I do enjoy some space fantasy. My initial character idea would only really vibe with the Freelancers, so I'll make a second more law-abiding character for if things sway the other way.

Oh yeah, forgot to reply to this bit. People seem to have gravitated to Idea 3 the most, so that's what I'm going with, though I'm open to running 1 as well.

In any event, I may offer a bit of leeway when it comes to the PCs of Idea 3. While the party as a whole is meant to be a group of Peacekeeper Rangers (people pretending to be freelancers or mercenaries), Rangers do have the option of working with certain freelancers. These individuals aren't Peacekeepers and haven't been through the same vetting process, but they have shown themselves to be dependable allies. They're mostly used in a support role, as the Peacekeepers prefer to do the heavy lifting themselves, but sometimes you see teams of mostly Rangers with a true freelancer or two.

Ultimately, it's about whoever can work well with the team.

[RandomWombat]

Oh yeah, forgot to reply to this bit. People seem to have gravitated to Idea 3 the most, so that's what I'm going with, though I'm open to running 1 as well.

In any event, I may offer a bit of leeway when it comes to the PCs of Idea 3. While the party as a whole is meant to be a group of Peacekeeper Rangers (people pretending to be freelancers or mercenaries), Rangers do have the option of working with certain freelancers. These individuals aren't Peacekeepers and haven't been through the same vetting process, but they have shown themselves to be dependable allies. They're mostly used in a support role, as the Peacekeepers prefer to do the heavy lifting themselves, but sometimes you see teams of mostly Rangers with a true freelancer or two.

Ultimately, it's about whoever can work well with the team.

Good to know. I've gone back to my first character idea then. 'Craver', a Berserker/Operative with very minor psionics. Current backstory is built for Scenario 3, as an informant/insider for the Ranger party. A Dark character, but intended to clean up and respec later in the campaign into either a Fighter or a different Berserker archetype after some character development.

I was able to make things work with the so-so roll I got, but I'll roll a
(4d6b3)[9]
(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[13]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[11]
Hopefully with more success this time.
Edit: Sticking with the initial roll for now. I'll see how the grid goes if I make it in.

[Peccavi]

This is amazing! Seriously great work!

I am completely on board with helping to keep this game out of the "fizzled out" bin.

I've still got a few things to think about and re-read and, unfortunately, a few "no fun days" ahead. But you will definitely see more of me once I nail down the concept and stuff.

[Dusk Raven]

First off, thanks to everyone who has experessed interest. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help with a character concept, be it with fluff or crunch. And speaking of characters, let me address our first submission!

Good to know. I've gone back to my first character idea then. 'Craver', a Berserker/Operative with very minor psionics. Current backstory is built for Scenario 3, as an informant/insider for the Ranger party. A Dark character, but intended to clean up and respec later in the campaign into either a Fighter or a different Berserker archetype after some character development.

I am always in favor of character development, and I'm pretty generous with respecs as well. Now, for my feedback...

Backstory: Now that's what I like to see. Pretty much nothing here I'd really want to change, or that's really incompatible, with one minor exception I'll get to. I will definitely have to add Villaus to my list of confirmed planets, although from the sounds of it it's not a well-populated world - I'm getting the impression that it's the planetary equivalent of New Zealand or maybe even Iceland. Possibly even more minor - it's no small feat to take over a planet and keep word of it from spreading, but it's at least manageable with a minor world.

And speaking of the person responsible... that whole operation is definitely something Dune would attempt. Even the forced labor part - there aren't a lot of criminal groups that deal in slavery (drones tend to be cheaper and more effective), but the Dune Syndicate is one of them. Not that Gabriel Dune dislikes drones, and he has a lot of experience with them, but drones and AI in general can be hacked by those with the resources and technology, and with the kind of enemies he tends to make... well, best to have a backup. Especially if they can be made dependent through addictive chemicals. Other than that, the timeframe kinda works too - Dune first became a pirate lord (or at least, started making the attempt) about eight years ago, and while the exact timeframe for his arrest is up in the air, I can make that work too. That being said, the Peacekeepers and their Ranger Corps aren't directly responsible for Dune's capture (the exact how regarding the arrest has been the subject of much rumor), although they have done a lot of work in dismantling his criminal empire since.

And thus your character ends up with the party. A bit of a dark past, but the Rangers are all for giving someone a second chance. Strange bedfellows and all that.

Mechanics: The build looks good. I like that we've already got someone using one of the homebrew archetypes. Only correction I'd make is to the cybernetics - this may prove to be a mistake, but I have it so that most cybernetics and genetic modifications don't have drawbacks, except for ones that can be toggled and their drawback is just so you don't have them switched on all the time. And of course, the consequences for having too many. Enhancements are... not as jank in my setting as the ones in SW5e seem to be. So, long story short, you need not have the clause where if you roll a 1, your speed becomes 0 - unless the idea is that the legs really are as jank as a crude replacement job done by pirates is likely to be. In which case go for it!

[RandomWombat]

I am always in favor of character development, and I'm pretty generous with respecs as well. Now, for my feedback...

Backstory: Now that's what I like to see. Pretty much nothing here I'd really want to change, or that's really incompatible, with one minor exception I'll get to. I will definitely have to add Villaus to my list of confirmed planets, although from the sounds of it it's not a well-populated world - I'm getting the impression that it's the planetary equivalent of New Zealand or maybe even Iceland. Possibly even more minor - it's no small feat to take over a planet and keep word of it from spreading, but it's at least manageable with a minor world.

And speaking of the person responsible... that whole operation is definitely something Dune would attempt. Even the forced labor part - there aren't a lot of criminal groups that deal in slavery (drones tend to be cheaper and more effective), but the Dune Syndicate is one of them. Not that Gabriel Dune dislikes drones, and he has a lot of experience with them, but drones and AI in general can be hacked by those with the resources and technology, and with the kind of enemies he tends to make... well, best to have a backup. Especially if they can be made dependent through addictive chemicals. Other than that, the timeframe kinda works too - Dune first became a pirate lord (or at least, started making the attempt) about eight years ago, and while the exact timeframe for his arrest is up in the air, I can make that work too. That being said, the Peacekeepers and their Ranger Corps aren't directly responsible for Dune's capture (the exact how regarding the arrest has been the subject of much rumor), although they have done a lot of work in dismantling his criminal empire since.

And thus your character ends up with the party. A bit of a dark past, but the Rangers are all for giving someone a second chance. Strange bedfellows and all that.

Mechanics: The build looks good. I like that we've already got someone using one of the homebrew archetypes. Only correction I'd make is to the cybernetics - this may prove to be a mistake, but I have it so that most cybernetics and genetic modifications don't have drawbacks, except for ones that can be toggled and their drawback is just so you don't have them switched on all the time. And of course, the consequences for having too many. Enhancements are... not as jank in my setting as the ones in SW5e seem to be. So, long story short, you need not have the clause where if you roll a 1, your speed becomes 0 - unless the idea is that the legs really are as jank as a crude replacement job done by pirates is likely to be. In which case go for it!

I've changed the mention of the Rangers busting Dune to a mysterious entity instead, and left the Peacekeepers breaking up Abysswreck which probably wasn't his primary base of operations after he grew in esteem anyways. That should bring the backstory more in line.

My thoughts for Villaus were definitely along the lines of somewhere like the Northwest Territories. Technically it's part of a larger nation (the Zodine League), but its population suffer from being an afterthought. The planet's habitable strip is very small, comparatively, with its magnetic field and orbit around its sun making its polar regions extremely large. The places that are habitable are largely wet and cold year round, meaning it never got popular as a new colony to move to. There are maybe four 'major cities' with spaceports on the planet that are used for shipping farming equipment in and produce out. The rest is dotted with wide, sparse agricultural sectors being used for farming space rice, space grain, fungi, and algae- or moss-based foodstuffs that the aquatic originating species in the League enjoy.
Word would inevitably get out when the chain of production saw failed deliveries, but that left enough time for Dune to load up on what he wanted - food and workforce. Especially if he hit it during the down season.

Mechanically, I think I'll leave the janky legs the way they are. It's fitting, and I'd probably have been looking for an upgrade down the line anyways.

[flyinglemur]

I totally blanked on making a character for this, got up with work stuff. My apologies. I'll toss my dice here to roll for stats. It'll be done shortly.

(4d6b3)[5]
(4d6b3)[18]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[13]

[razorfloss]

Here we go let's see what I get.

(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[13]
(4d6b3)[13]
(4d6b3)[7]
(4d6b3)[10]
(4d6b3)[18]

Edit:Ouch

[flyinglemur]

Here we go. Zadock, The Hound. Hope the link works. I'm not totally sure of the cybernetics yet, and same goes with the specific tech power spells I chose. I've not played with this system before, so I'm not sure how good the build might be. I think it'll work well; stay close to others firing with high accuracy from my routine and the mod technique plus extra damage from quarry dice, target lock, and the safety net of the minimum roll. Can donate some accuracy to others, or use bonus action help from the Nitatiko racial trait. Fits with the intention of the character, who must be more careful and focus on others to be truly effective.

I hope the character works well. Someone genuinely trying to do better, but lacking in understanding. They're never malicious, which ironically makes it harder for them to realize what they're doing wrong. Left everything as a neutral they for now, since I'm not sure whether failboy or failgirl is funnier in this case. Also it's not actually been established if the Nitatiko are gonadochoric or not, so I didn't want to assume. In general, since we don't have too many details about the Nitatiko, I just had to base what I put on the fact that they are silly creatures, and also reached space first. It seems they have hope more than the rest of the species, at least by default, so casting the first space explorers in this heroic light seems fair. Tell me if anything should be altered.

[RandomWombat]

Here we go. Zadock, The Hound. Hope the link works. I'm not totally sure of the cybernetics yet, and same goes with the specific tech power spells I chose. I've not played with this system before, so I'm not sure how good the build might be. I think it'll work well; stay close to others firing with high accuracy from my routine and the mod technique plus extra damage from quarry dice, target lock, and the safety net of the minimum roll. Can donate some accuracy to others, or use bonus action help from the Nitatiko racial trait. Fits with the intention of the character, who must be more careful and focus on others to be truly effective.

I hope the character works well. Someone genuinely trying to do better, but lacking in understanding. They're never malicious, which ironically makes it harder for them to realize what they're doing wrong. Left everything as a neutral they for now, since I'm not sure whether failboy or failgirl is funnier in this case. Also it's not actually been established if the Nitatiko are gonadochoric or not, so I didn't want to assume. In general, since we don't have too many details about the Nitatiko, I just had to base what I put on the fact that they are silly creatures, and also reached space first. It seems they have hope more than the rest of the species, at least by default, so casting the first space explorers in this heroic light seems fair. Tell me if anything should be altered.

Looks like a cool character! Any party worth its salt in a scifi game needs a hacker type too. I can see some good potential with the annoying little wannabe hero and the jaded giant crab playing off of each other. With their cybernetics specialty and tech skills, they might even be able to fix her janky pirate-tech leg ports, which would go a long way towards earning her loyalty.

[Infernally Clay]

I’m thinking perhaps a Geisim Consular. It just seems to fit. I’d like to think they have a personal code against using their psionic powers to manipulate others, whether by trick or by force. If they can’t convince you’re they’re right with words or deeds alone, this is merely the place where your paths are meant to separate. Since their ambition will be their strongest trait, don’t think they’ll give up easily on following their own path.

Let’s see what the rolls say…

(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[9]
(4d6b3)[16]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[8]

So 16, 15, 15, 11, 9, 8, huh. With the Geisim racial bonuses and the +2 or two +1s from 4th level I guess that can become…

STR 8
DEX 15 > 17 (+2) > 18 (+1)
CON 15 > 16 (+1)
INT 11
WIS 16 > 18 (+2)
CHA 9

Physically weak and not especially charming, but fast, tough and wise.

[Dusk Raven]

Here we go. Zadock, The Hound. Hope the link works. I'm not totally sure of the cybernetics yet, and same goes with the specific tech power spells I chose. I've not played with this system before, so I'm not sure how good the build might be. I think it'll work well; stay close to others firing with high accuracy from my routine and the mod technique plus extra damage from quarry dice, target lock, and the safety net of the minimum roll. Can donate some accuracy to others, or use bonus action help from the Nitatiko racial trait. Fits with the intention of the character, who must be more careful and focus on others to be truly effective.

I hope the character works well. Someone genuinely trying to do better, but lacking in understanding. They're never malicious, which ironically makes it harder for them to realize what they're doing wrong. Left everything as a neutral they for now, since I'm not sure whether failboy or failgirl is funnier in this case. Also it's not actually been established if the Nitatiko are gonadochoric or not, so I didn't want to assume. In general, since we don't have too many details about the Nitatiko, I just had to base what I put on the fact that they are silly creatures, and also reached space first. It seems they have hope more than the rest of the species, at least by default, so casting the first space explorers in this heroic light seems fair. Tell me if anything should be altered.

Looks good, so far as I can tell. ...I decided to look up what the Detatchable Eye's drawback was, and it's "While the eye is removed, you have disadvantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight beyond 5 feet." My immediate reaction was, "Well, what's the point of detaching it if you can't see very much while doing so?" I know I said I'd keep the drawbacks from active-use cybernetics, but... maybe we should do away with that one. Speaking of the eye, it doesn't say what kind of movement it gets what you move it. Does it just roll along the ground? That'd be funny.

Also, Nitatiko are indeed gonochoric - most of my species are, except for the Riltha (who reproduce asexually) and the Ceruleoids (who are all genetically engineered clones). Most of them don't have the same level of dimorphism humans do, though. Also, regarding the Nitatiko... I've been working on writing a series of "recent histories" of each species, from the perspective of that species, but I should probably work on the Nitatiko next. They're so... weird. They're all about being super childlike, and yet it works out because their psychology just... turns things that would be weaknesses for humans and turns them into strengths. They're hyperactive, never stop learning, and down to just be friends with everyone... and they get smarter in groups. They're insane and rational all at once.

I’m thinking perhaps a Geisim Consular. It just seems to fit. I’d like to think they have a personal code against using their psionic powers to manipulate others, whether by trick or by force. If they can’t convince you’re they’re right with words or deeds alone, this is merely the place where your paths are meant to separate. Since their ambition will be their strongest trait, don’t think they’ll give up easily on following their own path.

Let’s see what the rolls say…

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

So 16, 15, 15, 11, 9, 8, huh. With the Geisim racial bonuses and the +2 or two +1s from 4th level I guess that can become…

STR 8
DEX 15 > 17 (+2) > 18 (+1)
CON 15 > 16 (+1)
INT 11
WIS 16 > 18 (+2)
CHA 9

Physically weak and not especially charming, but fast, tough and wise.

Don't forget, in SW5e Backgrounds give a feat, so that's potentially another +1 to some stat or other. Otherwise, the concept is quite sensible. There are a lot of ways to build a Consular, so I'm curious what you end up with.

[razorfloss]

Has giant been slow for everyone else for the past week or is it just me but anyway I'm think of going Sentinel up the path of Synthesis. I was thinking of going Geisim but upon upon another look over the lore of the races the Skipiri seem more of a fit since my character joined the rangers to get off the hell that is his planet and reading their lore that makesway more sense for them.

[flyinglemur]

Looks good, so far as I can tell. ...I decided to look up what the Detatchable Eye's drawback was, and it's "While the eye is removed, you have disadvantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight beyond 5 feet." My immediate reaction was, "Well, what's the point of detaching it if you can't see very much while doing so?" I know I said I'd keep the drawbacks from active-use cybernetics, but... maybe we should do away with that one. Speaking of the eye, it doesn't say what kind of movement it gets what you move it. Does it just roll along the ground? That'd be funny.

It says that it grows 8 little legs in the description. As for the side effect, that is a weird point, but I had assumed that it meant the player had those disadvantages. Like, the cyber eye still does checks normal, but the player character has disadvantage with their remaining eye until the cyber eye is returned, because they literally removed one eye and their depth perception is shot. I guess it doesn’t actually say that though, my brain just assumed.

I’m still torn on exactly what to pick for cybernetics, which matter less than just having them, both in terms of lore and gameplay. This is because mod technique literally can take damage reduction at level 7 based on number of mods, hence my trying to get more mods.

Related to all this, the infiltration package says it, “conceals a security kit and a slicer’s kit”. I just realized it only says conceals, it doesn’t say explicitly whether it comes with those items preinstalled into the thing, or whether it’s just a holster for those two items that you buy separately. What’s your ruling on that.

Also Razorfloss, the website has absolutely been slow. I wasn’t sure if it was just me.

[Dusk Raven]

Has giant been slow for everyone else for the past week or is it just me but anyway I'm think of going Sentinel up the path of Synthesis. I was thinking of going Geisim but upon upon another look over the lore of the races the Skipiri seem more of a fit since my character joined the rangers to get off the hell that is his planet and reading their lore that makesway more sense for them.

Indeed. The Skipiri can best be described as an entire species of high-functioning sociopaths (at least on some level). Fortunately for everyone, they're one of the four species of the Zodine League, which meant that they were talking with other species centuries before actually meeting them face-to-face, and that gave them time to realize how screwed-up they were in comparison to everyone else and clean up their act... mostly. Their homeworld is still a mess of politics and scheming, though.

And yeah, site's been slow for me too.

It says that it grows 8 little legs in the description. As for the side effect, that is a weird point, but I had assumed that it meant the player had those disadvantages. Like, the cyber eye still does checks normal, but the player character has disadvantage with their remaining eye until the cyber eye is returned, because they literally removed one eye and their depth perception is shot. I guess it doesn’t actually say that though, my brain just assumed.

I’m still torn on exactly what to pick for cybernetics, which matter less than just having them, both in terms of lore and gameplay. This is because mod technique literally can take damage reduction at level 7 based on number of mods, hence my trying to get more mods.

Related to all this, the infiltration package says it, “conceals a security kit and a slicer’s kit”. I just realized it only says conceals, it doesn’t say explicitly whether it comes with those items preinstalled into the thing, or whether it’s just a holster for those two items that you buy separately. What’s your ruling on that.

Also Razorfloss, the website has absolutely been slow. I wasn’t sure if it was just me.

Ah, that's what I get for reading while tired. I still think the "rolling" idea is funny though. Also, I can ask in the Discord server, but I think the intent is that you have disadvantage on both your normal vision and through the eye. But I'm still inclined to remove that drawback. Also, on a side note, you're probably right that the disadvantage is meant to reflect lack of depth perception, but that irks me because that's the opposite of how depth perception works. If you close one eye (or lose it), with objects closer to you it's definitely different, but the farther away you look, the less depth perception matters, until it simply isn't a thing anymore. Which is why I wish we saw less one-eyed swordsmen in fiction and more one-eyed archers/snipers.

I infer that the infiltration package comes equipped with a security/slicers kit, which is concealed by the prosthetic itself. If it didn't come with it installed, it'd probably have language stating what kind of kits can be installed.

[RandomWombat]

Would you mind if I wrote some lore for a popular card game and a painkiller drug to replace the Star Wars ones?

[Dusk Raven]

Would you mind if I wrote some lore for a popular card game and a painkiller drug to replace the Star Wars ones?

I don't have any lore for them as it is and would love it if you felt up to writing the lore for them. Although I am curious which game and which drug.

That does remind me though, seeing the Sabaac proficiency for your character made me think, "I probably should come up with different kinds of gambling games for this setting," although realistically there'd be a lot.

[RandomWombat]

I don't have any lore for them as it is and would love it if you felt up to writing the lore for them. Although I am curious which game and which drug.

That does remind me though, seeing the Sabaac proficiency for your character made me think, "I probably should come up with different kinds of gambling games for this setting," although realistically there'd be a lot.

A new card game to replace Sabacc, and a drug to replace Karrak. Karrak's Star Wars lore is actually pretty neat, but the mechanics in SW5e don't actually make sense for it anyways so it might as well be something new the Abysswreck spicers cooked up that started to spread. Craver got to be a beta tester.

Edit:

Cirrick
A four-player card game invented by the skipiri, which has become a growingly popular gambling pastime galaxy-wide. Cirrick, in the language of its origin, means ‘sold out’. Thus, the game has become colloquially known as Sellout or Capital. The goal of the game is to have the least number of cards, with the theme of the game being ‘selling’ your cards to the other players until you run out of product.

There are forty cards in a cirrick deck. Each of the numbers 1-4 is represented in permutations of their combinations, and there are 4 each of the single numbers 0, 6, and 7. The deck has been used and adapted to other games over time. Players begin by drawing a hand of six from one shuffled deck. The first player is determined by turning over a card from the deck, aiming to have the lowest. The deck is then reshuffled.

Each round, players bet on their hand. The first player can play any card on the ‘pallet’ of another player, in front of them. This is called ‘selling’ the card. The next player must play a card sharing one of the numbers on the previous card played. If a 0, 6 or 7 is played, all players collect and shuffle their respective pallets into their ‘stock’ of cards, similar to a discard pile. This is called a ‘delivery’. The next card played no longer needs to follow suit after a delivery.

If a player has two cards in their hand with a shared number, they may play them both at the same time, on the same or on different players’ stacks.

If a turn player does not have a viable card to play, they must draw from the deck or their stock. If the new card is viable, they may play it. If not, they must draw a second time. A player may not draw from their stock more than once per turn. If neither card can be played, the turn is passed to the next player.

There are two ways for the game to end: a player runs out of cards (a sellout), or the deck runs out of cards (a market crash). At this point, the player with the least cards remaining in their hand and stock takes the betting pot. Some variants of the game instead use the total value of the cards held, with the player holding the least value winning the game.

Human spacers have developed a variant called Terran Cirrick, or Grift. This game involves a cup of three six-sided dice which a player shakes to randomize them. These dice are called ‘grifts’. A player covers their dice with the cup, but may peek at their grifts at any time. On a player’s turn, they may remove one of their grifts from the game to play a card with a matching number on it. A third end state is added to the game (the bust), occurring when all players are out of grifts. Players can bluff one another about their available grifts.

Grift has in turn become popular on Skiprae, enjoying the human element of deceit and chance. Both forms of the game, particularly when played among skipiri, encourage players to cut deals, make alliances, and backstab one another to stop powerful rivals and come out on top.

Cicatrix
One goal of the spice lab on Abysswreck was to produce designer chemical combat enhancements for their crews to use, with labor slaves acting as test subjects. Cicatrix began as one of these projects. Standard painkillers are useful, but any potent enough to act fast often cause drowsiness or sluggishness, reducing a soldier’s effectiveness. Cicatrix was an attempt at creating a powerful painkiller that promotes quick scarring to prevent bleedout, and which does not dull the senses in battle.

Unfortunately, cicatrix has a plethora of side-effects. It gives the user a euphoric high and an addictive feeling of invulnerability, leading to reckless behavior in its users. It can also cause a depletion of the body’s resources for forming scar-tissue, leading to old wounds reopening fresh on a bad low or during an overdose. Withdrawal causes both an increased sensitivity to pain and a reduced sensitivity to touch, making coming off of the spice a living hell.

Profitable on the street and entertaining in the fighting pits, but the Dune Syndicate wanted something more reliable for their soldiers. Ultimately, it was scrapped as part of the combat stim project and handed over to the recreational spice labs.

Craver has managed to kick several of the experimental spices she was hooked on during her pit days (not all willingly; she could not find all the recipes before the Peacekeepers got to the labs). Cicatrix remains one of her primary vices, hooked on the confidence it gives in hard times and the relief it offers from her chronic cybernetic pains.

[Argus0]

(6d6)[5][6][6][4][6][2](29) 17
(6d6)[4][5][2][2][6][3](22) 11
(6d6)[1][4][1][5][6][2](19) 15
(6d6)[4][1][3][6][6][1](21) 16
(6d6)[5][2][3][1][3][4](18) 11
(6d6)[4][1][3][3][5][3](19) 12

I don't think there's a code for rerolling 1s so I figured I'd do the math manually?

[Dusk Raven]

A new card game to replace Sabacc, and a drug to replace Karrak. Karrak's Star Wars lore is actually pretty neat, but the mechanics in SW5e don't actually make sense for it anyways so it might as well be something new the Abysswreck spicers cooked up that started to spread. Craver got to be a beta tester.

Edit:

Spoiler: Snip

Show

Cirrick
A four-player card game invented by the skipiri, which has become a growingly popular gambling pastime galaxy-wide. Cirrick, in the language of its origin, means ‘sold out’. Thus, the game has become colloquially known as Sellout or Capital. The goal of the game is to have the least number of cards, with the theme of the game being ‘selling’ your cards to the other players until you run out of product.

There are forty cards in a cirrick deck. Each of the numbers 1-4 is represented in permutations of their combinations, and there are 4 each of the single numbers 0, 6, and 7. The deck has been used and adapted to other games over time. Players begin by drawing a hand of six from one shuffled deck. The first player is determined by turning over a card from the deck, aiming to have the lowest. The deck is then reshuffled.

Each round, players bet on their hand. The first player can play any card on the ‘pallet’ of another player, in front of them. This is called ‘selling’ the card. The next player must play a card sharing one of the numbers on the previous card played. If a 0, 6 or 7 is played, all players collect and shuffle their respective pallets into their ‘stock’ of cards, similar to a discard pile. This is called a ‘delivery’. The next card played no longer needs to follow suit after a delivery.

If a player has two cards in their hand with a shared number, they may play them both at the same time, on the same or on different players’ stacks.

If a turn player does not have a viable card to play, they must draw from the deck or their stock. If the new card is viable, they may play it. If not, they must draw a second time. A player may not draw from their stock more than once per turn. If neither card can be played, the turn is passed to the next player.

There are two ways for the game to end: a player runs out of cards (a sellout), or the deck runs out of cards (a market crash). At this point, the player with the least cards remaining in their hand and stock takes the betting pot. Some variants of the game instead use the total value of the cards held, with the player holding the least value winning the game.

Human spacers have developed a variant called Terran Cirrick, or Grift. This game involves a cup of three six-sided dice which a player shakes to randomize them. These dice are called ‘grifts’. A player covers their dice with the cup, but may peek at their grifts at any time. On a player’s turn, they may remove one of their grifts from the game to play a card with a matching number on it. A third end state is added to the game (the bust), occurring when all players are out of grifts. Players can bluff one another about their available grifts.

Grift has in turn become popular on Skiprae, enjoying the human element of deceit and chance. Both forms of the game, particularly when played among skipiri, encourage players to cut deals, make alliances, and backstab one another to stop powerful rivals and come out on top.

Cicatrix
One goal of the spice lab on Abysswreck was to produce designer chemical combat enhancements for their crews to use, with labor slaves acting as test subjects. Cicatrix began as one of these projects. Standard painkillers are useful, but any potent enough to act fast often cause drowsiness or sluggishness, reducing a soldier’s effectiveness. Cicatrix was an attempt at creating a powerful painkiller that promotes quick scarring to prevent bleedout, and which does not dull the senses in battle.

Unfortunately, cicatrix has a plethora of side-effects. It gives the user a euphoric high and an addictive feeling of invulnerability, leading to reckless behavior in its users. It can also cause a depletion of the body’s resources for forming scar-tissue, leading to old wounds reopening fresh on a bad low or during an overdose. Withdrawal causes both an increased sensitivity to pain and a reduced sensitivity to touch, making coming off of the spice a living hell.

Profitable on the street and entertaining in the fighting pits, but the Dune Syndicate wanted something more reliable for their soldiers. Ultimately, it was scrapped as part of the combat stim project and handed over to the recreational spice labs.

Craver has managed to kick several of the experimental spices she was hooked on during her pit days (not all willingly; she could not find all the recipes before the Peacekeepers got to the labs). Cicatrix remains one of her primary vices, hooked on the confidence it gives in hard times and the relief it offers from her chronic cybernetic pains.

Speaking of Sabaac... I actually have no idea how Sabaac's supposed to work (I'm more of a Pazaak player). As such, I'm quite appreciative of you coming up with rules for a new card game. I still need to come up with a few myself, but I'm not the greatest at it - at least, with coming up with something new.

Flavor for the drug also seems good. ...Hmm, I just recalled that there is one drug I have come up with, though I'm unsure where to put the info for it in my lore doc... seems a waste to come up with a section for spice until I've got more to write about.

[roll0] 17
[roll1] 11
[roll2] 15
[roll3] 16
[roll4] 11
[roll5] 12

I don't think there's a code for rerolling 1s so I figured I'd do the math manually?

Indeed, but you don't re-roll 1s for ability score rolls - just the hitpoint rolls, assuming you don't want to take the average.

[Dusk Raven]

Have a dossier for Ereshkigal, the planet your characters are heading to (And I also found out I've been misspelling the name). I was going to infodump this on you once the campaign started, but realistically speaking your characters would know it in advance and so it might help to get the info now.

Spoiler: Ereshkigal Lore

Show

Ereshkigal was settled by human colonists (and some Nitatiko tagalongs) some 212 Earth years ago (CE 2087 in the Terran calendar). Despite being in its star's habitable zone, it had no life of its own, which meant there was no worry of colonists finding a hostile biome, or of contaminating such a biosphere with Terran invasive species. As such almost all of the life that is there is originally from Earth. Ereshkigal is much drier than Earth, however, so what life is there tends to be adapted to arid or semi-arid climates. To use Earth as a reference point, the better parts of the planet have climates and life like that of the American Great Plains. The capital city of Ganzir is in one such area, next to a relatively freshwater great lake. The worse parts of the planet are deserts of some form or other. While the climate isn't the most hospitable, it does have relatively low gravity compared to Earth, as well as abundant mineral resources, both on the planet itself or in the system's asteroid belt, so industrial manufacturing has long been a staple of the planet's economy.

E was also the last colony established before Earth was invaded by the Kronn, so it would be left to its own devices for two and a half decades, during which it escaped notice by the Kronn. When contact was reestablished, the colonists were mortified by what had happen to Earth in their absence and willing to join the new United Countries and Colonies, but they'd also developed an independent spirit, and lacked the newfound xenophobia of Earth's humans. As such, while they provided manufacturing capability and soldiers to the UCC during its later conflicts with the Gerron, the Ereshkigallans would also criticize the Coalition's treatment of aliens that weren't Gerron - namely, the species of the Corundorian Union.

These criticisms reached a height when the authoritarian Earth Coalition was established 115 years ago, and Ereshkigal declared its refusal to take part in the new nation. The response from Earth was swift and brutal, in the form of a fleet sent to subjugate the colony. The human and Nitatiko defenders, outmatched in equipment and air support, fell in a few days, but not before giving a number of other soldiers and citizens the opportunity to flee the planet entirely (these refugees would soon co-found the Exiled Legion). In the aftermath, the Coalition nationalized the world's industries, including its shipbuilding capabilities, and put its population to work. But while the colonists most passionate about liberty were dead or fled, that didn't mean the remainder were all fans of the Coalition as it was, and there would be simmering resentment all the way to the Coalition's reforms 84 years ago - and beyond.

In truth, the wound left by the Coalition's invasion never healed, and much of the human population today is suspicious of offworld authority. Even the Nitatiko, while willing to cooperate, share the humans' desire for liberty. Of course, their own planetary government has the same checkered history of success and failure as any other. Unfortunately, currently the planet is seeing one of its "low" phases. The planet has lately seen the loss of shipbuilding contracts to rivals at planet Kwenlun, and an accompanying rise in unemployment, crime, and drug use. This wouldn't be as much of a problem on other planets, but Ereshkigal's population has been accustomed to high employment for so long that the safety nets generally aren't there. Some have gone out beyond the capital city and lesser towns to become farmers, but true self-sufficiency is beyond many of them. Far easier, and more lucrative, to do work for the various gangs that reside in the capital city of Ganzir, or the pirates that make the system a clandestine port of call. The latter group might even give them a chance to leave the planet. The pirates for their part sometimes bring in black market goods, or trade goods that otherwise are hard to find at a reasonable price or quantity, but that doesn't mean that dealing with them is all that much better.

On top of all this, there's the rumors of a plague. Details coming out of the planet have been scarce, and response to the disease has been hampered by public distrust of the government, which might not be capable of handling the outbreak any better than it's handled the crime. Indeed, if rumors are true, too much of the government is compromised by corruption or bribery to be reliable. In fairness to the government, the rumors are probably worse than the reality, but no government can function if its people don't trust it. At least the populace isn't at the point of rebellion - they'd rather just stew in mistrust and resentment. That seems to be something of an Ereshkigallan tradition.

Otherwise... I don't have a deadline, but that's partially because I don't really know how many people are working on characters. There's been a bunch of people who've liked the setup but haven't said anything regarding intentions to make a character. Fortunately, I can run this with only three people if need be. And I have no problem with waiting a bit - there's always more prep work I can do.

[RandomWombat]

It's fitting, in a spiritual successor sort of way, that we begin on a desert planet like Tatooine.

Otherwise... I don't have a deadline, but that's partially because I don't really know how many people are working on characters. There's been a bunch of people who've liked the setup but haven't said anything regarding intentions to make a character. Fortunately, I can run this with only three people if need be. And I have no problem with waiting a bit - there's always more prep work I can do.

It's possible that the jankiness of some of the base SW5e system elements (mainly the items) filtered some people. Then again I've often seen games get far fewer completed characters than interest (especially in niche systems or settings), so it's not unusual in play by post. Sometimes inspiration for an interesting character just doesn't hit.

If push comes to shove and it's just myself and flyinglemur, a duo game might not be too bad. Fewer players often means better post turnout rates. If there are too few party members for the 3-4 you'd planned for, each player could potentially run two.

[Lioslaith]

I'm late to this but I wouldn't mind playing in a small group. I'll make whatever happens to fit in with the others if that helps.

[Rokku]

So I'm very interested in playing a geisim sentinel of the Path of Witchcraft because having a monster companion will be hella fun.

[Dusk Raven]

It's possible that the jankiness of some of the base SW5e system elements (mainly the items) filtered some people. Then again I've often seen games get far fewer completed characters than interest (especially in niche systems or settings), so it's not unusual in play by post. Sometimes inspiration for an interesting character just doesn't hit.

It's possible. Either that, or the fact that SW5e gives a player a lot of options compared to standard 5e, especially with martials, and there's a bunch of new mechanics to learn. Still, we should have enough players in the end, and it's for the best that I'm not put in the position of having to turn too many down.

In the meantime, I added a new species to the document, the Ophios. They're in the lore, and there are a few scattered references here and there, but they didn't have stats until now. ...I had written up a lore entry for them for the species document, but I apparently forgot to put it in there. Welp. Anyway, they've got stats now. I originally wasn't going to make stats for them, since they aren't part of the Orion Alliance and are somewhat isolationist. But I figured that enough probably get outside their territory that one could still play as one. That, and the Exiled Legion (which is sort of like my adaptation of the Mandalorians) has a good number of Ophios in it. It was co-founded by Ophios exiles, in fact.

[ProgressPaladin]

I want to play, but don’t know how to make a character sheet. Is there a way?

[RandomWombat]

I want to play, but don’t know how to make a character sheet. Is there a way?

We've just been using google docs so far.

[Dusk Raven]

I want to play, but don’t know how to make a character sheet. Is there a way?

Google Docs works, and there's also a character creator on the SW5e site, although it's a little unpolished, and doesn't allow for custom species, archetypes, or powers. You can get around that somewhat by using the "Custom Features" section on the sheet (and, in the case of species, manually inputting what your ability scores should be), but it can still be a bit awkward. And you'd also have to export it and send it to me somehow so I can actually read it, and that might be a bit of a hassle.

Once characters are actually selected, we'll try and recreate everything on Roll20.

[ProgressPaladin]

Second rolls
(4d6b3)[6]
(4d6b3)[14]
(4d6b3)[14]
(4d6b3)[8]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[9]

[Dusk Raven]

Second rolls

Oh dear... yeah, feel free to re-roll that.

[ProgressPaladin]

(4d6b3)[14]
(4d6b3)[14]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[13]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[14]