Planet Mercenary

[Duggan]

Working on the Planet Mercenary system. It's a relatively simple one, so it seemed like a decent one for me to strike out on. Unfortunately, I do seem to do a lot of striking out... it's a slow learning process.

Because all of the cool kids seem to be doing it, the parameters of the system:

• Skills (They have a rank from 0 to 9 at character start, and a selection of specialties. Command Packages, Backgrounds, and Sophont Types can add skill ranks that count against the cap)
  • 10 Combat skills
  • 11 Mental skills
  • 9 Physical skills
  • 8 Social skills
• 7 Command Packages (chosen at character creation, adds to particular skill bonuses. There are some either/or items like "+2 Computers or Mechanic")
• 10 Background Packages (as Command Packages, skill ranks stack)
• Sophont Types (basically Races, includes skill ranks, skill specializations,
  skill check penalties, abilities, and natural attacks)
  • 5 Common Sophont types
  • 9 Uncommon Sophont types
  • 2 Advanced Sophont types (AI/Robots may be a stretch goal because they're handled differently. Carbosilicate Amorphs are not as bad, but change skill costs)
• 3 Derived statistics (well, 2 really. RiPPs is based on what the GC and the cards give you)
• Company Creation and Equipment (not certain how smoothly this will go... basically, all players are assumed to be drawing from the same resources, so a portfolio should have 1 Company, and purchases should be drawn from it)
  • AI Rating
  • Company Resources (this is a numeric value)
  • Reputation
  • Supplies (also the numeric value)
  • Ship (has its own statistics)
  • Equipment (bought via Supplies and which players then pick from)
  • Fireteams (up to 3 (or higher via cards?) grunts who have 1 of 5 roles that add to the Fireteam's total damage and skill bonus). Fireteams may also have one or more Qualities attached to them permanently or temporarily that offers bonuses.
  • Grunts (the named ones, which have a name and the number of times they survived Ablative Meat. They can be used to create characters or replace Fireteam members)
• Equipment (There's Armor, Weapons, General Material, and Vehicles. All but General Material can be customized, although I plan to start with the preconfigured ones)

Github repository for the system