So why use Unknown Armies?

Well, it's the most obvious question. UA, for all its strong points, lacks the heavier armament of a game which can include flying saucer dogfights. It doesn't even have the rules to cover them. Nor does it have a system for psychic powers, and converting a disad/ad point-buy system into a system without disads is always a risky proposition.

But I like it. It has the edge of deadliness to the combat system, which is also a very nice and quick system. Advancement is simple, skill lists amenable to great personalisation, and just about any ability can be summed up as a skill. The madness meter is a good replacement for the disadvantage medical traits. Influence is directly convertible to the skill system, which allows me to retain the Cell Creation setup - one of the things I truly prize from the original system. The Zener Test setup, too, can be kept for Basic ESP and grafted on without difficulty.

What does this actually mean for the way the game plays?

  1. You no longer get points for being a supernatural focus, or corrupted. I know, it's terrible.
  2. Certain things are placed more firmly in the hands of the GM. This is purely my personal preference, and it's me who did the conversion.
  3. Psi-Trainings are gone. Instead, certain Disciplines have been divided into levels using the Avatar skill as a model. This should prevent Bio-PK cardiac arrest min-maxing, at the very least.
  4. In certain cases, tests will be easier. GMs are encouraged to impose whatever modifiers they see fit in situations that require them.
  5. In certain cases, tests will be more difficult. Skills start far lower in UA; early on, Influence tests could be very difficult. Give it time, and they'll improve. Certain Strings require two successful Influence tests for one or all of their uses; I suspect players with these will be increasing their Influence as much as they can. That's the way of it.
  6. The long and the short of it is that tests work differently. They should still balance, though they may balance a little differently.
  7. I like the old psychotrons - the version from the core rules. The alternatives in Shadows of the Mind are nice, but they don't fit my mental picture of the word 'psychotron'. Accordingly, they're now known as 'trinkets'. This name's a little harsh; however, I like it.
  8. Working out damage is far simpler, though a lot more variable; even a plasma claw hit might do only two points of damage now. (Joe Average has fifty). Or it might fry you alive.
  9. Combat combos, etc, are gone. UA has a lovely fast combat system; we'll stick with that.
  10. The skill "I've got a shooter, pal" or variant thereof now covers small arms, autofire, and possibly heavy weapons if your GM's generous.
  11. Similarly, the skill "Hurt the bastard" or variant thereof now covers flailing with fists, making like Hulk Hogan, stabbing people with knives and all manner of other close-up tomfoolery.
  12. Psychic powers have different limitations here - peruse the Psychic Disciplines section and examine the Character Generation page and you'll see how. Because they have these different limitations, I've dispensed with Psi Points. I don't want psychics to rule the game; I don't want them to be useless, either.
  13. Atlantean nanotech is now a skill, as is Psink and Void.
  14. Voids are less resistant than they once were; Psinks are the same once the skill hits 50%. Psychic Burnout is folded into Void; in a system like UA, the minor difference isn't large enough to be easily reflected, so whether you're a burnout or a void is now a background matter only. These will affect play, but hopefully not too badly. UA has a good record on reflecting non-skills in the skill system, so don't worry too much.
  15. The same problem that means that UA can't reflect minor differences also means that only two types of psychic are available; Lesser and Greater. Latents just don't fit.
  16. There's no difference between skill types any more - again, UA ain't built to reflect them. This shouldn't make too much difference.
  17. The Luck stat has gone. Sorry. On the other hand, there's no test that relies on it anymore.
  18. Most negative traits are just gone. By all means throw them in as background notes - your GM may well thank you for them. But you won't get a bonus out of them. Again, that's just how the system works.
  19. As a final note: If you're truly insane, you can now add Unknown Armies magical schools and avatars into the mix. I make no comment on what that might do to game balance. But a Saurian might be very perturbed by an automaton...
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