Be a Ranger! Babylon 5: Outrageous Fortune (Re-recruiting)

[Shayuri]

Yee. Only 1 less than the maximum. That pleases me.

Which means I can push to P17...if I want to kill myself. Which is cool...

Sobeit!

Thanks, by the way.

Also, any chance we without access to bookage could get a list of setting-specific feats? No detail necessary...just a quickie list, with the understanding I might ask for details on one or two of them.

 

[Dr Simon]

Specific Feats (that might be relevant. I've omitted the various feats geared towards military commanders and starfighter pilots).

Telepathy Feats
Ability Focus: +2 to Telepathy checks for abilities in one discipline
Adaptive Mind (6 ranks Telepathy): remove penalty for scanning aliens
Combat Teep: like Combat Casting
Gestalt: bonuses from holding hands with other teeps
Greater Gestalt (Gestalt): bigger bonuses
Meditation (Wis 13): gain Wis bonus to Telepathy checks if you meditate in a room first.
Mental Fortress (P6): gain DR2 against telepathic damage
Mindshredder (P8): cause +2 telepathic damage
Synergist (P5, Concentration 13, Telepathy 13): maintain multiple telepathic abilities at the same time.

Other Feats of note:
Alien Empathy (Sense Motive 6): bonus to SM an alien
Armour Familiarity (lower ACP)
Brawler: some improved uinarmed ability
Contact: gain a contact
Data Access (Wis 13, Computer Use 4): faster research
Devoted Friend (Contact): as it says
Fluency: speak a language
Harm's Way (Alertness, Improved Initiative): take damage for someone else
Hobby: a skill becomes a class skill
Independently Wealthy: what it says
Martial Arts: improved unarmed ability, differs from Brawler
Natural Athlete (Athletics 4): further bonus to Athletics
Nerves of Steel: less likely to be pinned in a firefight
Sixth Sense (Alertness, Improved Initiative): danger sense
Spacecraft Proficiency
Surface Vehicle Proficiency

Most of the standard d20 feats (Weapon Focus, PBS etc. are to be found). I think only Alertness of the "+2 to two skills" type feats are there, but these can be ret-conned.

 

[Shayuri]

Is Skill Focus: Telepathy a valid feat choice? +3 to all Telepathy checks?

Oh oh, and are the mechanics patterened after d20 Modern rules? I assume so, but it's good to be sure.

 

[Blackrat]

Yee. Only 1 less than the maximum. That pleases me.

Which means I can push to P17...if I want to kill myself. Which is cool...

Sobeit!

Besides, you will never need to push that far . The greatest power level of any ability is 16 if I remember correctly. Damn, we're going to have almost a psi-cop capable teep around. There are some very scary things you can do when your skill gets high enough .

 

[Shayuri]

Hee! Almost a psi-cop? They only take the people who roll 4 and 4? They can't be common.

 

[Blackrat]

Here's a quick list of telepathic abilities in the Core Book for you Shay. It includes the power level and the basic skill DC. Most abilities have greater functions that raise the DC. Most should be self-explanatory but if you want to know more what some do, just ask.

[sblock]Warning
Power 4, DC 10

Extend Shield
Power 5, DC 17

Sense Telepathy
Power 5, DC 14

Mind Mirror
Power 6, DC 18

Message
Power 6, DC 12

Surface Scan
Power 7, DC 16

Second Sight
Power 7, DC 18

Daze
Power 8, DC 14

Idea Seed
Power 8, DC 16

Deep Scan
Power 10, DC 16

Locate Mind
Power 10, DC 24

Pain
Power 10, DC 18

Nerve Stimulation
Power 12, DC 20

Action Block
Power 14, DC 22

Jamming
Power 15, DC 16

Psychometry
Power 15, DC 24

False Memory Implantation
Power 16, DC 25

Reality Fabrication
Power 16, DC 22[/sblock]

Aside of these there are three common abilities that don't require active trying:

Accidental Scan: You have no control over this. For example when someone you touch is under strong emotions you get a glimpse etc...

Danger Sense: Every teep of P-7 or higher can sense if something threatens her. When you are about to be surpriced the GM rolls a telepathy check for you against DC 20. If you succeed you're not surpriced.

Mind Shield: You add your P-rating to Will saves against telepathic abilities. You can lower the shield if you want as a free action.

 

[Dr Simon]

Is Skill Focus: Telepathy a valid feat choice? +3 to all Telepathy checks?

No, 'fraid not. They spotted that one, it's explicitly not allowed in the rules! I'd say the same for any "+2 to two skills" variant that includes Telepathy too.

Oh oh, and are the mechanics patterened after d20 Modern rules? I assume so, but it's good to be sure

Nnnno, I don't think so. I'm not that familiar with d20 Modern, but B5 uses vocation-based classes rather than ability score based classes plus professions.

Other specific variants to B5 d20:

You get a Defence Value based on class/level plus Dex. Armour counts as Damage Reduction.
Hit points are rare - combat tends to either be fist-fights or, if the PPGs come out, ducking for cover and hoping for the best.

Vehicle and Spacecraft combat is covered by almost a mini-game within the game, rather than being a direct conversion of interpersonal combat (Star Wars d20, I'm looking at you). Elements are the same (roll d20 plus attack modifier against defence value), but it allows more for tactical decisions and it also means you don't need to roll for every pulse cannoon on a battleship.

Some skills are combined (Notice, for example, is Spot and Listen), but most things are the same as in standard d20.

Influence is a subsystem that uses 3d6 + influence score to get favours from a particular group, from a loan, information, diplomatic pressure to the use of a war fleet (that one has a DC of something like 45).

I think there are a few specific rules relating to firefights, such as autofire, aiming and being pinned by enemy fire, but they'll come up as and when. Otherwise it's pretty much the same as other d20 games.

 

[Shayuri]

Good stuff...good stuff. Thanks, guys.

What about taking 10 and 20?

I assume taking 20 isn't possible with Telepathy checks, but what about 10?

 

[Dr Simon]

You can't take 10 or 20 with a Telepathy check, apparently.

 

[Blackrat]

Gah. Seems there's not much interest... Bummer...