Out of Game Stuff

2d20 System

An essay on the GM's conception of the game setting

Experience Costs

Raise Characteristic - Current Level x3
Buy New Standard Skill - 3 experience
Raise Standard Skill - Current Level x1
Buy New Lore Skill - 2 experience
Raise Lore Skill* - Current Level x0.5
Buy Combat Action - Action Level x1
Buy New Blessing - Creation Cost x2
Buy Off Curse - Creation Plus x2
Buy/Raise Occult Power - Power Level x1
Benefices/Afflictions - In Game Only

Other Rules Modifications

Occult powers do not work by rolling Characteristic + Skill.  Instead, substitute Psi or Theurgy (as appropriate) for the skill in all occult power activation rolls.  For example, Farhand 3 Crushing Hand is normally activated by rolling Extrovert + Fight.  In this system it is activated by rolling Extrovert + Psi.

Standard Chat Formatting

Use the following rules for formatting text in the chat rooms:

For words spoken by your character, use unformatted text:
Example_Guard: Greetings, Lord Hazat, I hope your stay is pleasant.

For purely in character actions taken by your character, use double colons on each side:
Example_Guard: ::Walks his rounds, on special guard against hidden attackers::

For actions that reference out of game character traits, generally followed by a roll, use double number signs on each side (including your trait total is also recommended):
Example_Guard: ##Shoots at the lord's assailant; Dex + Shoot = 15##

After rolling, use single carats to contain successes/victory points on the roll:
Example_Guard: <3>

For out of character comments or questions, use double parenthesis on either side:
Example_Guard:  ((what do I roll to search the body for clues?))

To note speech that is sung, use double squgglies:
Example_Guard: ~~My bonnie lies over the planet, my bonnie lies out through deep space!~~

To use summary expressions/formatting, contain the abbreviation in carats
<w> = whispers, <q> = quietly

To roll dice in the aol/aim chats, use the following formula://roll-diceX-sidesY
where X is the number of dice, and Y is the sides
//roll-dice2-sides20 rolls two twenty sided dice
//roll-dice5-sides6 rolls five six sided dice

Setting Bit Use

Since we're two chronicles in, I figure it's time to note some of the assumed setting pieces of Fading Suns that get more or less screen time in the plot. This might give everyone a better idea of what is likely to be important in the third chronicle, and what is likely to be a red herring. Of course, this could be a trick, too, couldn't it? If something's not on any of the lists, then it could be something major, or it could be something unimportant.

Major Bits

These are parts of the setting that come up a lot, usually in critical plotlines.

Minor Bits

These have come up before, and may come up again, but generally mostly because they're specifically important to PCs or because they're briefly necessary to the plot; i.e. this stuff, when it comes up, will usually be to forward personal plotlines, rather than universe-spanning ones.

Unimportant Bits

These are the big parts of the setting that have basically gotten tossed by the wayside. In order to run a game inside the vast possibilities of the Fading Suns universe, these bits had to be roped off with "Closed for Cleaning" sign hung on them. They're still in the setting, and might even get mentioned from time to time, but will rarely, if ever, be important to the plot.  Basically, they just had too much damn backstory that would serve only to dilute the backstory of the stuff that is getting used. So they were voted off the chronicle.

 

Modified Game Rules

Experience Costs

2d20 System

Other Rules Modifications

Misc.

Standard Chat Formatting for Elemental

An essay on the GM's conception of the game setting

A breakdown of used and unused FSuns setting bits