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23 Pages·2013·6.44 MB·English

by  Mike Mcconnell

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1
CHAPTER 1 – OVERVIEW ......................... 6 Sanctuary .......................................... 51 House Kimura .................................... 94
Shouye .............................................. 52 House Silva ........................................ 96
Introduction ......................................... 7 Persistent Virtualities ......................... 53 House Tsarya ..................................... 98
What Has Come Before… ..................... 8 Stygia ................................................ 53 CHAPTER 4 – GAMEPLAY ..................... 100
Elements of Nova Praxis .................... 10 The Crossroads .................................. 53
Post-Singularity .................................. 10 Chicago ............................................. 53 Getting Ready to Play ....................... 101
Post-Scarcity ...................................... 10 Technology ......................................... 54 Game Mastery ................................. 101
The Fall of Earth ................................. 11 The Singularity .................................. 54 Campaign Type ................................ 101
Rise of the Houses ............................. 12 Artificial Intelligence ......................... 56 Agents of Shadow ........................... 102
Utopian Prison/Dystopian Freedom ... 12 Computers & Networks ..................... 57 Operations ....................................... 103
Conspiracy and Intrigue ..................... 13 Nanotechnology ................................ 61 The Mission ..................................... 103
The Last Frontier ................................ 14 Power ................................................ 64 The Basics ........................................ 104
Augmented and Virtual Reality .......... 14 Biotechnology ................................... 64 Things You Should Have .................. 104
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Setting Terminology ........................... 26 Entertainment ................................... 73 Taking Action ................................... 106
CHAPTER 2 – THE GALAXY ................... 27 Discrimination ................................... 76 Supplemental Actions ..................... 107
Warfare ............................................. 76 Combining Skills .............................. 107
The Galactic Gazetteer....................... 28 Transportation .................................. 77 Degree of Success ........................... 108
Mercury ............................................. 28 CHAPTER 3 – AGENDAS ......................... 79 Spin and Stall ................................... 108
Venus ................................................. 29 Aspects ............................................ 109
Earth .................................................. 30 The Coalition of Free States ............... 80 Stress and Consequences ................ 109
Luna ................................................... 33 Apostates (“Non-citizens”) ................. 82 Aspects and Fate Points ................... 110
Mars ................................................... 36 Transhumans ...................................... 84 Refresh ............................................ 110
Asteroid Belt ...................................... 41 Purists ................................................. 86 Invoking an Aspect (Spending Fate
Jupiter ................................................ 42 Religion............................................... 87 Points) ...................................... 111
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Maneuvers (Creating an Aspect) ...... 117 Programming ...................................142 Stunts ............................................... 167
Assessments (Revealing an Aspect) . 118 Push/Pull/Throw ..............................143 Savant Programs .............................. 179
Declarations (Declaring a Story Purchasing Items ..............................143 CHAPTER 6 – GEAR ............................. 192
Element or Aspect) ................... 119 Rep-Ratings (Tracking & Using
Example of Play ................................ 121 Reputation) ...............................145 Weapons .......................................... 193
Conflict and Consequences .............. 122 Repairs .............................................149 Railguns/Coil Guns .......................... 193
The Basics of Conflict ....................... 122 Resleeving, Forking, & Merging ........149 Particle Acceleration Guns (“PAc
Stress Tracks & Consequences ......... 122 Size and Weight ...............................151 Guns”) ...................................... 193
Concessions ..................................... 123 Taking Aim .......................................151 Explosives ........................................ 194
Recovering Stress & Consequences . 124 Taking Cover ....................................152 Melee Weapons .............................. 194
Taken Out ........................................ 125 Time .................................................152 Personal Armor ............................... 195
Recovery Facilities ............................ 125 Vacuum ............................................152 Restricted Items ............................... 196
Emergency Aid ................................. 125 Zero Gravity .....................................152 Item Statistics................................... 197
Running Conflicts ............................. 126 Zones ...............................................153 Weapon Rating (WR) ....................... 197
Physical Conflict ............................... 127 CHAPTER 5 – CHARACTERS .................. 154 Armor Rating (AR) ........................... 197
Mental Conflict ................................ 128 Explosive Rating (ExR) ..................... 197
System Conflict ................................ 131 Character Creation ........................... 155 Equipment Rating (ER) .................... 197
Example of Conflict .......................... 133 The Character Concept.....................155 Range Rating ................................... 197
Playing the Game ............................. 135 Step #1 – Select Aspects ...................156 Cost Rating ...................................... 197
Ambushing ....................................... 135 Step #2 – Determine Your Starting Equipment Modifications ................. 198
Beam Weapons ................................ 135 State ..........................................157 Other Notes ..................................... 198
Block Actions .................................... 136 Step #3 – Distribute Skill Ranks ........159 Ammunition ..................................... 198
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Help from Others ............................. 139 Character Advancement ..................161 Explosives ......................................... 204
Hiding, Shadowing, & Camouflage ... 139 Sample Characters ............................ 162 Armor Features ................................ 205
Hold Your Action .............................. 140 Trouble Shooter ................................162 Misc. Equipment .............................. 206
Mnemonic Editing ............................ 140 Soldier of Fortune .............................163 Sleeves ............................................. 213
Out of Ammo, Overheating, & Shadowy Spy Master ........................164 Biosleeve ......................................... 214
Reloading .................................. 141 Renegade Savant .............................165 Cybersleeve ..................................... 215
Poisons and Drugs ............................ 141 Tactical Genius .................................166 Augmentations ................................. 216

3
Off-The-Rack Sleeves ....................... 231 Nova Praxis is my baby. It was a seed,
Drones ............................................. 234 planted in my mind four years ago. And
Controlling a Drone .......................... 234 it sat there, germinating, through the
Creating a Drone .............................. 234 development of Strands of Fate and
Drone Specific Augmentations ......... 235 Strands of Power.
Vehicles ........................................... 237 Now, at last, it sees the light of day.
Steps of Vehicle Creation ................. 237
Step #1: What is the Vehicle? .......... 237 The development of Nova Praxis has
Step #2: Size ..................................... 237 been an interesting journey for me. It
SStteepp ##34:: VCaephaicbuillaitrie Ass ..p..e..c.t..s. .............................. 223388 fwoarcyes,d mcoen tsoid eloro k tahti ntghse wI orlhda din nneowt
Step #5: Specialty Aspects ................ 238 previously considered, and question my
Step #6: Vehicular Features ............. 239 beliefs in ways that were not always very
Stress and Consequences ................. 239 comfortable.
Repairing Consequences .................. 240 Such is the way of Nova Praxis. It’s
Doing Things in Vehicles .................. 240 about rethinking the world, looking to
Driving/Piloting ................................ 241 Nova Praxis Augmented PDF Version 1.1 the future, and trying to see a path that
Vehicular Maneuvers ....................... 241 leads to salvation instead of destruction.
Vehicles and Zones .......................... 242 Credits Topics like the singularity, post scarcity
Vehicular Conflict ............................. 242 societies, and transhumanism require a
Individuals vs. Vehicles..................... 244 Produced by: Void Star Games lot of consideration of some pretty
Sample Vehicular Features ............... 245 Written by: Mike McConnell
Defensive Features .......................... 246 Additional Writing by: Joe Knapp touchy subjects. Technology as savior
Functional Features ......................... 247 Edited by: Joshua Yearsley and destroyer, Capitalism vs. Socialism,
Mobility Features ............................. 251 Additional Editing: Mitch A. Williams, humanity, the soul, religion... It’s deep
Offensive Features ........................... 254 Kristan McConnell, and the fine folks who stuff.
Weapon Ranges ............................... 255 contribute to the errata log (thanks!) So I want to take a moment to say
CHAPTER 7 – APPENDIX ..................... 258 Layout: Mike McConnell thank you to my friends and family, who
Additional Contributions: Leland Dutro, had to put up with my mad ravings, late
Non-Player Characters ..................... 259 nights, and hermit lifestyle.
Rob Stroud, Kyle Stroud, Wes Brown,
Mooks .............................................. 259
Tomi Sarkkinen And a very special thanks to my lovely
NTSahamem GpelMde NN’sP PFCCasst e.... ..P....o....i..n....t.. ..P....o....o....l.. ................................................... 222565909 AArtn: dArnedarse Sec Whraoltlhin, ,M Anikder eMwc CCohnansoelnl , wife and beautiful daMugihktee r.M cConnell
Game Term Glossary ........................ 265 Visit us at: http://www.voidstarstudios.com

4
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cetPrrfraefoedadcetutumscr,tea lrsiodk, ge eonoqstru,i tisyprye mbmgyeibs nttoehtl,rse e,m dooa wrg tnrigcearadral pe oohmfr icta h srdukee p Psecirlrgeonnadasrut;lu yca tr aniIdldd ee ananbnttiiliyfitti yeioe,d tsa h noaedsrr Ritcnhoedamgeti spptaeePtnrirebdodiedli ntuytc T Atr ogarrd Iedeecemomn-ataeridntkyat . p wtiniatY bhoi lutciht oyen aojwugwnrietnchete i ora nonn fyo e twa Tcirthtaho de elemaimn aderwiknc toa otorekrf FAT©DEo n2(Fo0a0gnh3tu abesyt a icEn vdAi ldF Hrveeadnt tHPuirrcoekdss u.i cnt iToanbsl eLtLoCp; AEunttheortrasi nRmobeenrtt)
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its products or the associated products contributed to the of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not Strands of Power © 2010, Void Star Games
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product identity.
5
CHAPTER 1 – OVERVIEW

6
INTRODUCTION Remnants of Earth’s old governments wage a guerilla war on
Coalition forces. Ideological extremists commit acts of terror
Things have changed. We have changed. using the latest horror to spring from a factory or test tube…
Earth is lost to us, but even in the aftermath of this terrible And the value of a human soul is weighed and measured in
tragedy, we grow, evolve, and even prosper. We have lines of code.
witnessed the death of our mother and the birth of a new era. Nova Praxis is a post-singularity sci-fi setting that explores
In what might have been the end, the synthesis of biology transhumanism and post-scarcity societies against a backdrop
and technology proved to be our salvation. Augmentation, of action, adventure, conspiracy, and intrigue.
ranging from basic genetic manipulation to Apotheosis, set us
Nova Praxis is…
on the path of prosperity. Even more, these advances
reinforced the importance of identity, individuality, and what it …a tabletop role-playing game featuring an evolution of the award
means to be human. winning FATE game system used in Strands of Fate, streamlined
The loss of Earth and the resulting Exodus gave us an and tailored specifically for Nova Praxis.
opportunity to start over with a clean slate. And we seized it. …self-contained. You do not need to own, or be familiar with, any
The need for organization, stability, and a reliable other FATE game to play Nova Praxis.
government was clear, but the old ways came to be viewed by …a relatively "hard sci-fi" setting that takes place during the
the survivors as archaic, clumsy, and too easily corrupted. aftermath of a short-lived technological singularity.
It was time for a new way…a Nova Praxis. …an exploration of the tropes of transhuman sci-fi: mind
uploading, resleeving, artificial intelligence, and augmentation.
Today, social networks allow the will of the people to be
…an exploration of the societal impacts of a reputation-based
measured instantly, accurately, and without the need for
post-scarcity economy.
representation. The Coalition, guided by the collective voice of
its people, has established new homes on worlds lit by new …a game in which players play characters who slip between the
cracks of civilization and perform jobs their patrons would rather
suns. Molecular assembly technology has made it possible for
keep off the books.
society to provide a quality of life never before imagined, at
essentially no cost, to everyone. And we are virtually immortal. ...a setting full of conflict. The Houses wage a secret Shadow War
against each other, purist and transhuman ideologies clash
But can this would-be utopia last?
violently, and apostates rebel against the oppression of the
Corruption in the Coalition government fosters decay from Coalition government.
within. The Houses, our benefactors and patrons, run shadowy ...home to railguns, powered armor, starships, security drones,
networks of intrigue, espionage, and assassination. Apostates, bipedal warframes, swarms of nanomachines, kill-sats, and the
who refuse citizenship in the Coalition, condemn those who horrors of accelerated evolution gone wrong.
would trade their privacy for the Coalition’s false security.
7
WHAT HAS COME BEFORE… technology eventually led to a form of immortality—a process
called Apotheosis—that allowed us to transform the conscious
In the year 2042, the exponentially accelerating rate of mind into a type of artificial intelligence: software that could
technological advancement finally gave way to an event that persist forever.
historians call The Singularity. This event was marked by the Even more, what could be done for the mind could be done
birth of a truly sentient artificial intelligence capable of for the body. A process called Synthesis created a union of man
reasoning, creativity, and self-motivation. and machine, an interweaving blend of biological and synthetic
This being, called Mimir, mysteriously shut down after only a life.
short period of activity. Brief though its existence may have Some even gave up the flesh entirely to live in fully synthetic
been, it left behind a legacy of advanced knowledge—seeds of bodies, or as purely digital entities in a virtual environment.
the next technological revolution. This event resulted in a Extreme augmentation and genetic manipulation offered
massive paradigm shift, a new era in which advancements were hope for some, but inspired fear in others. Movements arose to
made by picking up the breadcrumbs left behind by a dead codify the meaning of “human.” Laws were passed to maintain
machine of godlike intellect. the purity of humanity, ensuring that the species did not
Yet even as we prospered, new technologies gave way to diverge, and to protect those who would eschew augmentation
new challenges. More efficient automated manufacturing from obsolescence. In time, these laws became a hotbed of
techniques eventually grew into macro-factories and debate as Purists argued for humanity’s legacy while
nanomaterial fabrication systems that largely removed the transhumanists fought for the right to alter their bodies as they
need for physical labor. This, along with many other saw fit.
developments, caused unemployment rates to skyrocket Yet, despite all the wonders of this new technological
worldwide. renaissance, man continued to fall prey to his baser instincts.
In time, even the harshest critics of social welfare programs Political upheaval gave way to a global war that raged across
found themselves unable to offer alternatives. Millions were the planet for decades. Millions died. In the end, though, the
without jobs, yet the resources needed to provide them with greatest casualty was Mother Earth herself. The planet was
safe and happy lives sprouted in abundance. consumed by a technological horror, and mankind fled to the
Currency values plummeted. The world’s economies and stars in a mass evacuation that came to be called the Exodus.
political power structures began a seemingly unstoppable Scattered and desperate, people turned to the corporations
decline into chaos. All seemed lost, but salvation eventually for leadership. Even before the Exodus, tens of thousands of
emerged in the form of new economies not driven by the people had already left Earth to pursue the off-world interests
traditional concepts of supply and demand. of corporate backers looking for an edge. After the loss of Earth
It was not only societal constructs that underwent massive and the collapse of its governments, it fell to the corporations
changes, but also humanity itself. Advances in augmentation to guide the fate of humanity.
8