Mass Effect Campaign Setting

[Nolgroth]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Linky

Thanks.

[Zeropoint]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Simulating a Mass Effect campaign is very, very simple. Get your players together, sit them down around the table, then say "General Protection Fault!" and get up and walk away.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Simulating a Mass Effect campaign is very' date=' very simple. Get your players together, sit them down around the table, then say "General Protection Fault!" and get up and walk away.[/quote']After reading the tech forums for ME, I have to agree.

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Just poking the concept' date=' but heat buildup is something that I would simulate with an END Reserve. The Reserve is just how much heat the device can withstand and the Recovery is the cool down rate. I'd just build it with a fairly high recovery so it didn't take too long to get back into the fight.[/quote']

 

Nolgoroth: Love this Idea, would probably have to block the weapon from use until it fully recovers if it hits 0. or something like that. I don't know if there is a mechanical way to simulate that is there? (Burnout; only when END <1)

 

Thia: You didn't really post but we had a long chat about it before I even started the Thread. Spread Rep... blah blah..

 

Ship Battles: Don't really want tips on the ship battles, What I am really looking for is actual tips on look and feel for the races. Architecture both on land and space.

 

About the game bugs. Played it on 360 so I haven't really had any of those issues.

 

So far I have focused entireley on building the story line and will use all this info to put togeather the mechanics, and hope I will get more look and feel for the difrent races as I go allong.

[Prometheus]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Nolgoroth: Love this Idea' date=' would probably have to block the weapon from use until it fully recovers if it hits 0. or something like that. I don't know if there is a mechanical way to simulate that is there? (Burnout; only when END <1).[/quote']

 

For snipers it's easy, just make the reserve roughly equal to the END cost of one shot. The other guns are a little trickier.

 

The third option for Side Effects (under When Side Effects Occur) might work. As the GM you can define it as a Time Delay whenever the END Reserve <1. It works out to a -1/4 Limitation. I'm sure you can fine tune it to your flavor.

 

About the game bugs. Played it on 360 so I haven't really had any of those issues.

 

Likewise. Occasionally, the textures will do something funny, but I haven't had any gamestoppers. Hopefully they can put together a solution for the problems PC owners have had- it really is a pretty entertaining game.

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Ok i am working on Biotics.

I'm thinking multipower with all powers drawing endurance form a small end pool with slow recharge rate. This will allow having more than one power up limited by an overall capacity limited by the MP pool.

 

Think I am thinking powers dont have to be ultra slots allowing the biotic to administrate power between defense and attack.

 

The feeling i get from the books is an average Biotic can only release a full biotic surge about once every 30 o 45 seconds. However really powerful biotics can do a bit more, but it takes a savant to pull off more than a few average tricks or one really powerful blast.

 

I feel they should be able to use normal endurance as a fall back but at atleast 4x the cost since it is exhausting. Biotics require greater amounts of food than non biotics(Source for most of this is the novel, Mass Effect:Ascention).

 

Now i want to set some simple guidlines to power creation. Psibly limiting it to certain powers like:

 

• Change Environment
  
• Density Increase
  
• Drain (END, Body, Biotic powers, FF, Armor)
  
• Energy Blast
  
• Entagle
  
• Flight?
  
• Force Field
  
• Force Wall
  
• RKA
  
• Knockback Resistance
  
• Leaping
  
• Misisle Deflection
  
• PowDef (vs Biotics Only)
  
• Shrinking (Only as an atack on objects)
  
• Supress (Biotics)
  
• Telekinesis
  

 

To build Various Powers in the game this is the general basis, however i will probably shape them to adjust to HS instead of the other way around.

 

• Barrier: 8/8 to 20/20 FF lasting from 1 to 2 full turns with a 60s-40s cool down.
  
• Lift Flight 4" UBA only to lift target vertically (must maintain momentum) AOE radius (2-3") continuous (6-12 segments) 60-40s cool down. Side effect -8 to -4 penalty to range for duration.
  
• Singularity TK STR 40-50? AOE radius (2-4") only to drag objects to the center of area. continuous (4-8s) 64-40s recharge time Side effect -8 penalty to range for duration.
  
• Stasis Could be an entangle but nothing is damageable. Not the Oponent, not the stasis field, so this might not be the best option. any sugestions.
  
• Throw TK AOE only to push away from character
  
• Warp Combined RKA and Drain Armor with AOE
  

 

After making the list it seems probably an EC would work better with single charges that recover over time. Since these powers tire the user, use Charges+costs END.

 

However this is still all musings. Any suggestions?

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Biotics, as well as the other skills used in ME, all use time-based recharge. I'd actually avoid the charges thing, and go with the same sort of setup that was proposed for your weaponry -- perhaps part of what biotics need to do is purchase seperate END (as an END Battery) which runs their biotics. Your enhanced biotic tools can then boost the Battery's REC directly, instead of messing with trying to figure out the personal END.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

I wrote a Mass Effect review which is hiding somewhere around here... I think it's even in the StarHERO forums, in fact. Good stuff, you should read it. The game is solid, just grossly overrated.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Well, you know -- it was the girl-on-girl hawt seXXX0rz, or so I've heard...

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Ok haven't really made it work like it does in the game, however i created the base of each power and left it at its minimum effect. Still haven't really found a satisfactory way to make it work like it does in the game with out house rules.

 

The main issue is getting powers to be personal endurance draining (as portrayed in the books), each individual power is only usable every 45s to a minute(as in the game), mean while other powers remain usable.

 

This in essence means 3 things:

1. A biotic can have more than one power active a the same time.
   
2. Each individual power may only be used once every ~minute.
   
3. Using biotic powers is draining on the characters general Stamina.
   

I pretty much have waved away the restrictions making the powers cost normal endurance and usable as often and for as long as the character can pay the endurance for it.

 

However i would like to get as close to cannon as possible with out house ruling.

 

I have attached my version of powers in HDv3 format. Will also post for those who dont use it.

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

13 Throw: +20 STR, Time Delay (Can hold once aactive for up to a minute not fixed; +1/4), AOE (6" Cone; +1); Push Only (-1), Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) 4

 

10 Lift: TK (15 STR), AOE (2" Radius; +1), Two-Dimensional (-1/4); Lift up to half sphear altitude (-1), Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4) 4

 

8 Barrier: FF (10 PD/5 Power Defense), Delayed Endurance (once per Turn; +1/4); Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4) 2

 

9 Shield Wall: FW (5 PD/2 Power Defense), Delayed Endurance (once per Turn; +1/4); Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Limited Range (2" per 10AP; -1/4)

Notes: This is like the Geth field shields

2

 

30 Stasis: Entangle 7d6, 14 DEF; Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Cannot Use Targeting (-1/2), Limited Time (1sec/BOD; -1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4) 10

 

24 Warp: Drain Armor/DEF 0 1/2d6, Limited Range (2" per 10AP; +1/4), Cumulative (6 points; +3/4), AOE (2" Radius; +1), Continuous (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; Assuming Repairs; +1 1/2) (27 Active Points); Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (20 Active Points; -1/4) plus RKA 1 point (vs. PowD), AOE (2" Radius; +1), Does BODY (+1), Continuous (+1), AVLD (PoW D; +1 1/2) (27 Active Points); Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Limited Range (2"/10AP; -1/4)

Notes: 5 END -4skill

6

 

30 Singulariy: TK (23 STR), AVLD (Natural defenses and PowDef; +1/2), AOE (9" Radius; +1), Does BODY (+1); Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Pull to Center point and squeeze (-1/2), Requires A Biotics Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Affects Whole Object (-1/4), Limited Range (2"/10AP; -1/4), No Knockback (-1/4)

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

No takers?

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

So far I have been working on weapons and armor.

I went a head and made an excel sheet copied off the mass effect wiki with all the values for weapons and converted their values with formulas to something usable for HS.

 

The most powerful weapon goes up to 8d6k which might be a bit overkill, but considering the power of armor I think it shoudl work out. It will be prety deadly for unarmored combatants though. but then again it wills t the tone, leaving ights as a last resort,a nd only when you are really ready for them.

 

I think it will make it a DC meets SH type campaign.

 

Atached are prefabs for pistols, Shotguns, Assault rifles and Snipers.

 

C what you guys think.

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Still battling how to do tech powers and biotics but here are my prefabs so far.

 

I have also attached armor so it can be compared to weapons. The armors in the prefab have only the most powerful versions of armor, still working on the others. They also should have up to 30 (approximate) PowDef to resist tech and biotic attacks.

 

 

Biotics will probably have a slow recovering END pool and Techs will have a large end pool in their Omnitools that must be recharged at power sources.

 

If you dont know what i am talking about please see:

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Equipment

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Talents

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Racial Tempaltes are also done... I think.

I jumbled their Every(race) skills in to each one too.

 

C what you guys think.

Hopefully some one is still following this thread.

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Here go the others.

 

Think I am done posting for today. Let me know your thoughts.

PM me if you would like a writeup version for those of you with out HDv3

[manfedmedviq]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Can someone help me to make a Varren?

What are its powers?

are more like dino-like dogs?

[clsage]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Can someone help me to make a Varren?

What are its powers?

are more like dino-like dogs?

 

Not really familiar with the game and/or species but from a quick look online you might want to take a gander at the listing in the back of the 5th Ed rulebook for what I believe are called "warhounds". I don't have my copy at hand but if memory serves they have some similarities which might give you a start at adapting them....

 

I'll see if I can get a look at my copy and attempt to post more later.....

 

-Carl-

[manfedmedviq]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Thanks clsage.

any help would be great.

please post the stats and i'll convert them.

[Sundog]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Thanks for all the work, JAWS. I don't know if I'm going to be able to use it anytime soon, but I'm copying everythng down!

[jaws]

UPDATE: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

UPDATE: After some play testing I realized Weapons and armor are too point heavy, though very "realistic" in simulating the incredible power of these futuristic weapons.

 

There are some draw backs i didn't like.

• Too much focus on Equipment over characters: If it all comes down to who has the bigger gun in such a way that tactics start to not make enough of a difference then they are too powerful to be fun.
  
• DC Resource Points: Since I am using this mechanic most characters cant afford a decent gun, much less armor and other stuff. However if I just up the Resource Points to compensate, then other equipment is too available.
  

 

I am working on he prefabs but in effect am just halving the DC's for weapons and the DEF for armor and shields.

 

It is simple, keeps all the proportions right and makes weapon base damage max out at 4d6k (which is plenty anyway).

 

By the way I didn't really explain the mechanics of the weapons and armor. Kept it as faithful to the HS as I knew how, but a little explaining helps smooth out assumptions and mental gymnastics:

 

• Weapons: Weapons usually have high rates of fire, being Gauss weapons. Their main limiting factor is that over heating causes them to burn out. Burn out rolls are made after the gun has fired non-stop (meaning it has been fired every phase the character has) more shots than are in the burnout comments field. If use continues the burn out target drops one (ex 11- to 10-) every phase it is used. It takes one full phase of not using a weapon for it to cool down. (I wanted something that wasn't dependent on the characters speed, but couldn't find a simple rules valid way for this.)
   
  A failed burn out roll means the weapon is blocked for one turn as the safety mechanisms work to protect the weapon. Should an 18 ever be rolled the weapon burns out permanently and at the GM's option may explode causing it's base damage to the user and anyone near him.
   
  Some weapons are better than others (not reflected in the prefabs yet) and may have higher burnout rolls and are more resistant to tech and Biotic attacks (Represented as Power Defense only to protect the weapon).
   
  
• Armor: Armor has 6 parts:
  
  • Armor: This provides the PD/ED of the armor, weight from mas is calculated off of it.
    
  • Kinetic Field: This is ablative shielding that only blocks super sonic particles and effects. (Guns, explosives, rammed by a super-sonic ship). Melee attacks, being hit by a car and other similar things are transparent to the shield.
    
  • Field Booster: This is a recharging mechanism for the ablative shielding which helps it recover 1 point of shielding per turn.
    
  • END Reserve: Is what the Field Booster for recharging Shields. It recharges in about 5 minutes when plugged in with shields off.
    
  • Biotic/Tech Defense: Is Power Defense that protects the armor and wearer against most biotic or tech attacks.
    

 

This also makes technological powers and biotics work against equipment with out having to be so expensive.

 

NOTE: Armor prefab is updated with the base constructs. Will upload the detailed specs soon.

[Gundill]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Where was I when this started? Oh yeah, I didn't make an account for the boards. Anyway, I've been tirelessly working on a Mass Effect campaign so I'll give you what I've come up with if you'd like. I found that going in the prefabricated sets of the video game were just too limiting and after explaining how biotics and technology worked, I gave my players free reign to make whatever they wanted bearing my approval. I have been tossing around ideas for weapons and armor if they decide to use them. I made up some templates for the major races if you want my take on them. Don't beat your head against the wall with biotics. I gave my players the option of making up their own powers so long as it fit in with the manipulation of dark matter. The more you limit your players, the less fun it is. I made a preset for the beginning of the campaign with a 50AP cap on any given power. Once we had things we could all agree on it worked out nicely.

 

The tech mines were the one thing I just couldn't give up though. I made an NPC who uses Sabotage, Overload, and Damping along with some custom builds that fit. I wrote them like grenades with different powers and effects. For instance I wrote up Overload as a Dispel Shields, Sabotage as a Suppress weapons and Damping as a suppress biotics.(and tech if you'd like) It worked out best when I put them into a multipower. As many others have said, some things don't come over to tabletop very well. That's the reason I wrote them up as physical mines that are thrown like grenades.

 

As far as the world is concerned I put them about a year before Eden Prime gets attacked. Plenty of stability and chances to get a feel of the galaxy. When I feel they have a full grasp on it, I'll start paralleling the game's story for my own amuzement and flavor. (none have played the game yet)

 

But more to the point I would love to bounce ideas off of people here since I only did my introduction last night and still have much work to do.

[Curufea]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

I've just been reading the Ad Astra boards - as I was discussing starship combat wargames over in the general forums here, when I came across a posting by one of the writers for the game Mass Effect. He evidently also plays Squadron Strike which was the game I was mentioning.

Anyhow, he's going to be converting the ships from the game to be playable in Squadron Strike. You can find his post about it here-

http://www.adastragames.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15034#p15034

[jaws]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

Where was I when this started? Oh yeah, I didn't make an account for the boards. Anyway, I've been tirelessly working on a Mass Effect campaign so I'll give you what I've come up with if you'd like. I found that going in the prefabricated sets of the video game were just too limiting and after explaining how biotics and technology worked, I gave my players free reign to make whatever they wanted bearing my approval. I have been tossing around ideas for weapons and armor if they decide to use them. I made up some templates for the major races if you want my take on them. Don't beat your head against the wall with biotics. I gave my players the option of making up their own powers so long as it fit in with the manipulation of dark matter. The more you limit your players, the less fun it is. I made a preset for the beginning of the campaign with a 50AP cap on any given power. Once we had things we could all agree on it worked out nicely.

 

The tech mines were the one thing I just couldn't give up though. I made an NPC who uses Sabotage, Overload, and Damping along with some custom builds that fit. I wrote them like grenades with different powers and effects. For instance I wrote up Overload as a Dispel Shields, Sabotage as a Suppress weapons and Damping as a suppress biotics.(and tech if you'd like) It worked out best when I put them into a multipower. As many others have said, some things don't come over to tabletop very well. That's the reason I wrote them up as physical mines that are thrown like grenades.

 

As far as the world is concerned I put them about a year before Eden Prime gets attacked. Plenty of stability and chances to get a feel of the galaxy. When I feel they have a full grasp on it, I'll start paralleling the game's story for my own amuzement and flavor. (none have played the game yet)

 

But more to the point I would love to bounce ideas off of people here since I only did my introduction last night and still have much work to do.

 

Some good ideas in here. I like making prefabs, mainly because it shortens character creation (especially NPCs), helps standardize and I just love tweaking systems. Also half my players are creative, the others just want to pick and chose.

 

Love the adventure ideas, however I have found that modeling most biotic powers with 50AP doesn't quite cut it. they are usually quite powerful with many limitations. I don't want to create the exact powers but it is important they are representative of what the books and game wish to portray.

 

Techmines are cool too. Loved them but I didn't want to make them items since I am sticking to heroic rules, meaning equipment is something you purchase. This really devaluates the usefullnes of technological knowhow. So techmines are generic explosive devices that allow special programming for those capable enough to use aganist well defended combat systems. (ie RSR, focus OAF, expendable, techmine)

 

I have revamped most of the mechanics for the prefabs i have uploaded. so I will probably be updating sometime soon. I hope. Real life sure eats up a lot of time.

 

I've just been reading the Ad Astra boards - as I was discussing starship combat wargames over in the general forums here, when I came across a posting by one of the writers for the game Mass Effect. He evidently also plays Squadron Strike which was the game I was mentioning.

Anyhow, he's going to be converting the ships from the game to be playable in Squadron Strike. You can find his post about it here-

http://www.adastragames.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15034#p15034

 

That sounds owesome. I'd love to see the results of that work though. Couldn't really find them on the forum.

[Curufea]

Re: Mass Effect Campaign Setting

 

That sounds owesome. I'd love to see the results of that work though. Couldn't really find them on the forum.

 

The link should go straight to his post. His name is Chris L'Etoile. As it's a fairly recent post of intent, you may have to wait a while before he's able to write them up.