Optional Rules
The rules in this section are optional. The GM may choose which of them to use and which not to use in his/her campaign.
Alternate HP and FP Calculation Methods
Instead of using the methods of calculating HP, PA FP, and PE FP described in the Character Creation Rules, use the following methods. These methods are a bit more complicated, but also a bit more detailed.
Your hit points (HP) are equal to 20 plus an additional hit point for every point your resilience exceeds 1, plus an additional hit point for every point your strength exceeds 3, plus an additional hit point for every point your willpower exceeds 5. For example: A character with a resilience of 4, a strength of 2, and a willpower of 7 would begin with a total of 25 hit points.
Your Psi Atom Force Points (PA FP) are equal to (5 * your ranks in Psi Atom) + (3 * your intelligence) + (3 * your willpower.) So, a character with an intelligence of 5, a willpower of 4, and 4 ranks in Psi Atom would begin with a total of 47 PA FP.
Your Psi Energy Force Points (PE FP) are equal to (5 * your ranks in Psi Energy) + (3 * your intelligence) + (3 * your willpower). So, a character with an intelligence of 3, a willpower of 6, and 5 ranks in Psi Energy would begin with a total of 52 PE FP.
If you use this optional rule, then attack damage becomes equal to the attacker's strength plus dexterity, instead of the attacker's strength plus 5.
Complete Character Creation Rules Using Alternate System
Sample Characters Using Alternate System
Automatic Failure When Ones Are Rolled
When a player (or NPC) makes a skill check of any kind, if either d10 comes up a 1, the skill check automatically fails unless the other die comes up high enough to get a reroll (getting a reroll overrides automatic failure.) This optional rule creates some chance of any check failing. It also increases the value of master ranks (which lower the number needed for a reroll.)
Background-Based Misc Skill Bonuses
Although the simple miscellaneous skill system in Psi Morphs can help avoid certain problems, some players might feel that it doesn't adequately let the abilities of their characters reflect any skills they have written into the character's background. With this optional rule, the GM can give players a +2 bonus to Misc Physical and Misc Mental checks made to use specific types of skills. Each player can either choose to have a character be skilled in a small number of broad areas (such as vehicle piloting, computer usage, or track-and-field events,) or a larger number of narrow areas (such as jet piloting, computer programming, or swimming.) If the player goes for the broad-group option, the character must have an intelligence attribute of at least 3, and the player may choose a number of broad groups equal to 1/4th of his/her character's intelligence attribute (round up.) If the player goes for the narrow group option, then the player may choose a number of narrow groups equal to 1/2 of his/her character's intelligence attribute (round up.) If the GM allows it, a player may choose to have his/her character be a 'jack of al trades' who gets a +1 bonus to al Misc skill checks. All choices must be approved by the GM, and the players should be reasonable with their requests. This optional rule is intended as a way to encourage creativity, not a way to gain free power.
Early Intermediate and Advanced Sciences
Each master rank a character has in a skill group allows him/her to learn intermediate and advanced sciences of that type one level early. Thus, a character with 2 master ranks in Psi Atom could learn Intermediate Psi Atom Sciences at level 3, and Advanced Psi Atom Sciences at level 8. If the character picked up another Master rank in Psi Atom at level 5, he/she would be able to learn advanced psi atom sciences as early as level 7.
Devastating Critical Hits
The core rules state that if the result of a successful attack roll least 2 times that of the target's defense roll, A critical hit is scored which does double damage. Under this optional rule, if the attack roll plus damage is at least 3 times the defender's defense roll, a triple-damage critical hit is scored. If the attack roll plus damage is at least 4 times the defender's defense roll, a quadruple-damage critical hit is scored, etc.
Fixed Robot Attack and Defense Results
Instead of making attack rolls and defense rolls for robots, a given robot's attack and defense rolls always have the same result. Thus, only the player's attack roll or defense roll determines the outcome of attacks.
To get the fixed result for a robot's attack rolls, take all of the bonuses the robot gets to it's attack rolls, add 11, then add 2 for each number that would normally allow the robot to reroll during an attack roll. Thus, a robot with a dexterity of 5, 2 normal ranks in combat, and 2 master ranks in combat would have a fixed attack result of 26 (because the robot has 2 master ranks in combat, it would normally be able to get a reroll on on a result of 8, 9, or 10. Thus, there are 3 numbers that would normally allow it to get a reroll.) When the robot attacks, the GM does not make an attack roll for the robot. Instead, it is assumed the result of the roll would be a 26, and the player who is being attacked must make a defense roll against the 26 to avoid being hit.
To get the fixed result for a robot's defense rolls, take all of the bonuses the robot gets to it's defense rolls, add 11, then add 2 for each number that would normally allow the robot to reroll during a defense roll. Thus, a robot with an agility of 5, 2 normal ranks in combat, and 2 master ranks in combat would have a fixed defense result of 26 (because the robot has 2 master ranks in combat, it would normally be able to get a reroll on on a result of 8, 9, or 10. Thus, there are 3 numbers that would normally allow it to get a reroll.). When the robot is attacked, the GM does not make a defense roll for the robot. Instead, it is assumed the result of the roll would be a 26, and the player who is attacking must make an attack roll against the 26 to score a hit.
The GM may turn this optional rule on or off as he/she sees fit. It is useful for speeding up large battles, and battles that have been dragging on.
Free Human Reserve Body
The GM may choose to give each player character the psi atom discipline of Human Reserve Body for free. This can be useful for campaigns where the entire group of players have to do lots of undercover work.
The players should respect their GM's decision on whether or not this optional rule is appropriate for the campaign. It is intended as a way to make certain types of campaigns more viable, not as a way for players to get free power.
Random Damage
Subtract 5 from the damage dealt by all attacks and psionic forces, but roll a d10 for additional damage. Thus, instead of Energy Blast I doing 25 damage, it would do 20 + 1d10 damage (21 to 30.)
Special Sciences
Special Sciences
Tactical Movement
With this optional additional to the battle system, figures are moved around on a map. Players move figures that represent their characters, and the GM moves figures that represent robots and other NPCs.
It isn't necessary to use actual figures. You can use coins, pieces of paper, or anything else that does the job. Of course, you can use actual figures if you want to.
The maps consist of grids of squares. There should be things on the grids to indicate the locations of walls and other obstacles.
Each character has a movement range equal to 2 + his/her agility. If the character has the Fleet Foot combat discipline, then multiply his/her movement range by 1.5 (round up.) If the character has the Improved Fleet Foot combat discipline, then multiply his/her movement range by 2. If the character has the Great Fleet Foot combat discipline, then multiply his/her movement range by 2.5 (round up.) Each round, a character may only move a maximum number of spaces equal to his/her movement range. The character may move either before or after taking his/her action for the round.
Attacks have limited ranges. When players create their characters, they'll have to determine how long the ranges of their attacks are. Attacks do 2 more damage than normal, but a player must give up one point of attack damage for every 3 squares he/she wishes to add to the character's attack range after the first. Thus, a player who wants to be able to attack from 10 spaces away must give up 3 points of attack damage. A player can not give up all of his/her points of attack damage.
The GM may choose to allow players to have arsenals. If so, then the player gets a number of weapons equal to one-third of his/her strength (round up.) Determine the maximum range of each weapon separately. Thus, a player who has a strength of 5 and can deal 10 damage per attack might choose to have a tech sword which deals 10 damage and has a range of 1, as well as a blaster techpaw which deals 5 damage and has a range of 16.
In order to attack a foe, a player must have a line of sight to the foe in addition to the foe being in range.
Psionic forces can be used normally on any target within 5 spaces that you have a clear line of sight to. However, if the target is more than 5 spaces away, then the roll to use the psionic forces gets a penalty equal to 1/5th of the spaces between the user and the target (round up.) If a psionic force has more than one target, the penalty is based on the furthest target.
Back to Main