CORELINE (D20 Modern/D20 BESM Setting).

For psionics, I have taken a liking to Green Ronin's The Psychic's Handbook. I like how it complements True Sorcery. We have established powers that "psis" can buff up and doing so burns their endurance, which compilments well the adaptability of magic found in True Sorcery. It shouldn't take much to adapt.

Also, I recommend getting the Mobile Infantry Field Manual. It needs some adjustments, but provides a good look at equipment and character options for MI troopers. You also get the Pathfinder-class, which is an MI light infantry 'commando'-type unit. And it also gives the Light Trooper for those wanting something more like the <SHUDDER!> movie-version troopers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

In any case, here is a new Feat to go with it....

BLOCK
You are so tough that many enemies have a hard time wounding you.

PreRequisite: Constitution 13+
Benefit: Once per combat round, you may attempt to block an enemy's attack. You must be aware of your enemy in order for this feat to function and you must be aware that he is about to attack you. Making a sucessful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) grants you Damage Reduction 5 against the attack. Making a sucessful Fortitude saving throw (DC 20) grants you Damage Reduction 10 against the attack. You may not use Block and Dodge in the same round.

DISENGAGE
You know that, if you go into hand-to-hand combat against a Fiction, it's most probable to end one way. You know how to duck out at the last moment and avoid that fate.

PreRequisite: Run Like Your Tail's On Fire!!!
Benefit: You do not grant opponents a free attack when you leave a melee combat as long as you take a double move to do so. You do not have to move any farther than just out of melee range, but you must still take a double move to use this feat.
Normal: Withdrawing from melee combat offers a free attack to any opponent engaging you.

New Languages: The following Languages are up for players to gain (but GMs most especially would let those with a military background to get them):

+Military Hand Signals: Hand signals taught to soldiers in Basic Training.This encompasses both standard orders (such as raising a fist to signal 'stop') and more advanced 'conversations'.
+Military Code Word: Most commonly taught to radio operators, artillery spotters and field leaders, it consists of a number of code words that, when combined with any other conversation, can confuse overhearing enemies. Usually, they are combined in another language taught to the soldier (like Navajo).

Morgan Keyes said:

For psionics, I have taken a liking to Green Ronin's The Psychic's Handbook. I like how it complements True Sorcery. We have established powers that "psis" can buff up and doing so burns their endurance, which compilments well the adaptability of magic found in True Sorcery. It shouldn't take much to adapt.

Click to expand...

Having a hard time getting Green Ronin stuff over here (ordered a copy of MnM 2nd Edition since, well, FOREVER. My computer's too lousy to try to obtain the PDF, as well).

Morgan Keyes said:

Also, I recommend getting the Mobile Infantry Field Manual. It needs some adjustments, but provides a good look at equipment and character options for MI troopers. You also get the Pathfinder-class, which is an MI light infantry 'commando'-type unit.

Click to expand...

I got lucky getting the Pocket Edition (can you believe that they had a 'waiting time' of months for the Field Manual over at Amazon? Two, when I ordered the Pocket Edition).

Morgan Keyes said:

And it also gives the Light Trooper for those wanting something more like the <SHUDDER!> movie-version troopers.

Click to expand...

I have the Mongoose Publishing Homepage download version (the one on the 'Previews' thing- http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/sstrpglightmi.pdf ). I believe that the Light Trooper's strength comes from the fact that they get more 'group fire' bonuses. Slam a couple dozen of them down into a position, have the enemy (be it, well, an Arachnid or a low-powered Saiyan) charge towards them, and they'll get it dropped real fast.

Now, on an open field combat? They're cannon fodder, all right. I was thinking that they would fit in well for an 'AD Police Trooper' Advanced Class or something. They're just that double-edged (any takers in helping with the adaptation?)

marcoasalazarm said:

Morgan Keyes said:

And it also gives the Light Trooper for those wanting something more like the <SHUDDER!> movie-version troopers.

Click to expand...

I have the Mongoose Publishing Homepage download version (the one on the 'Previews' thing-http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/sstrpglightmi.pdf). I believe that the Light Trooper's strength comes from the fact that they get more 'group fire' bonuses. Slam a couple dozen of them down into a position, have the enemy (be it, well, an Arachnid or a Saiyan) charge towards them, and they'll get it dropped real fast.

Now, on an open field combat? They're cannon fodder, all right. I was thinking about adapting them for an 'AD Police Trooper' Advanced Class or something. They're just that double-edged.

Click to expand...

In the Mongoose version they work well enough. I just have issues with the movie-version that was done. What can I say? The original story by Heinlein in a way motivated me to the Airborne so seeing the movie,...eh, it just grinds on me how it twisted and spit on the original version.

Anyhow, GR's psi rules are similar to True Sorcery, though in most cases a psi can't really avoid taking at least some HP hit in using their powers. Where the difference comes in is that while the powers are much more set compared to True Sorcery spells, 'buffing' them is easier. But one still has to burn endurance (in the form of HP) to accomplish it, whereas skilled magic-users in True Sorcery may have enough talent to avoid similar 'burn' from some of their spells.

One thing to consider in using Starship Troopers is that the class approach is more in keeping for Core D20 as opposed to Modern, in that your base classes are functional professions as opposed to Modern's stat-focused 'generic' classes. This, interestingly enough (or not) has been an issue I've been wrestling with in working on a X-COM D20 setting; do I go with Modern or approach it with a quasi-Modern like in Starship Troopers D20?

Morgan Keyes said:

In the Mongoose version they work well enough. I just have issues with the movie-version that was done. What can I say? The original story by Heinlein in a way motivated me to the Airborne so seeing the movie,...eh, it just grinds on me how it twisted and spit on the original version.

Click to expand...

I understand you now, my man. First I saw the movie, then the animated series, and then I managed to obtain the Heinlein book in E format (unceremoniously formatted (but thankfully untouched) in Text version).

I kicked myself over not trying to get the book sooner.


(On a similar note, I tried my damnedest to copy his narrative style in this story:

http://www.geocities.com/supermanunbound/NEW/ARapidAssault.htm

(this site also contains a D20 Template that-sincerely-I have been wrestling over adding or not adding to this setting. Suffice to say, if I do, there's going to be a good reason to issue Kryptonite bullets...).)

Morgan Keyes said:

One thing to consider in using Starship Troopers is that the class approach is more in keeping for Core D20 as opposed to Modern, in that your base classes are functional professions as opposed to Modern's stat-focused 'generic' classes. This, interestingly enough (or not) has been an issue I've been wrestling with in working on a X-COM D20 setting; do I go with Modern or approach it with a quasi-Modern like in Starship Troopers D20?

Click to expand...

Whatever floats your boat. Possibly going Quasi-Modern will do the trick, IMHO, but I could BE wrong...

Well I have to say I seriously enjoy the animated version, even if I wished they'd been able to push it past "kiddie-show" standards.

As for X-COM,...well I really should start a thread on that m'self here. I look at it not so much as 'what I want', but 'what works for the players'. As I am looking to design the system, while I may have my own biases I still want it to be in a format that works well for those that want to play. On the 'straight Modern level' you have a certain adaptability. Starship Troopers (SST) on the other hand provides a bit more focus for those players that, whether they realize it or not, need more 'hand holding' when they develop a character.

Some of the ideas I have been throwing out here on the CORELINE thread have been coming from my X-COM notes. (yeah,...my own quasi-highjacking to toot m'own horn on my concepts, cleverly veiled as 'commentary' on concepts; what the Hell,....I am a school-trained PSYOP'er and an instructor of the discipline to boot, and that is the core of a good campaign after all; to make the subject believe their idea and (ultimately) behavioral change was solely their own idea )

I can sincerely say that I have appreciated your ideas so far, Keyes.

Happy Newyears everyone.

I kind of figured someone would have made a Bermuda Triangle remark about that Elemental Node post of mine.
I mean, the Bermuda Triangle dissappearing ships legend fits the "navigation is impossible" section of the defenses.

Speaking of defenses, it's not just wildlife that could be the problems for those visiting these places.

Being so close to nature, Druids(I'm sure Coreline has at least a few of these) tend to visit them on occasion.
Oddly enough, these guardians of nature seem to have nothing to fear from these locations.
Perhaps these places can "sense" that the Druid is here for reasons other then acquiring power...

Anyone who thinks that dealing with a druid is going to be less dangerous then the wildlife is probably sorely mistaken.

Most druids don't tend to stay at such nodes for very long periods of time. These tend to be relatively friendly, as long as you don't pose a serious threat to nature.

The Druids that DO make these places their home.... Well, that's probably a different story.
Some theorize that a number of these Druids may well follow the "Ashbound" or even "Children of Winter" approach.
If this theory is accurate is unknown, as Druids are rarely talkative company.

I was not quite thinking of the Bermuda Triangle as a 'power node' actually (maybe as a fully-active gate to another universe, maybe? The base of some advanced civilization? Maybe it's just full of some rather EXTREME electromagnetic anomalies?).

But Stonehenge... yeah, Stonehenge fits the bill.

Just bumping this for now. Expect new stuff soon.