THE LAST DAYS
The arcology shook and erupted into flames, filling the air with acrid, choking smoke. Panicked, the people surged into the corridors. As more of the structure collapsed around them, exits became blocked by debris, surging waters, wreckage, and even bodies. Fueled by mounting desperation, the throngs fled deeper and deeper into the complex. The mass of bodies pushed forward, sweeping men, women, and children along at breakneck speed. Gasping for air, eyes stinging from the smoke and grit, all experienced a brief second of searing, unimaginable agony.
As briefly as the pain struck it disappeared, replaced by a blinding, golden light. Slowly, the light cleared and newly restored eyes looked out at a wondrous place. Once familiar aches and pains had disappeared and been replaced with energy and vitality. As people caught glimpses of themselves or others they knew, everyone looked familiar, yet changed. Formerly old faces now possessed a youthful vigor while stubborn love handles had been replaced by taunt muscles. Hearts purred within chests and the world looked and sounded more clear and crisp than ever before. Disoriented and bewildered, the survivors found their memories vague and distorted. A few simply wandered about, with only the slightest idea of who they were (or had once been.) Names had been forgotten, birthdates impossible to recall, years of experience and education had vanished from their minds. While one person could still recite complex math equations, they somehow could not even recall their own name. As shock slowly wore off, the people began to gather together. Over and over the same questions were asked: What had happened to them? Where were they? Deep in their memories were hints of fear, pain, and blackness, echoes of something horrible. Even worse, many found they could not piece together their own identities. Once leading experts in their fields could remember much of their extensive knowledge, yet could not recall their own birthdays or where they had grown up.
In time, some memories began returning. Others began building and rebuilding their own identities on top of what they could recall. Per its programming, D.E.N.A. attempted to assist, recreating belongings and treasured keepsakes. Sadly, these remembrances were often more a source of pain then comfort. Instead of bringing a measure of solace, they were fragmentary reminders of a life stolen; hints of friends or former happiness now forgotten and unrecoverable.....
Reconstruction Effects
The reconstruction has transformed everyone in the Bastion to some degree or another; all have been impacted and forever changed. These effects are now innate to the population and cannot be prevented, mitigated or upgraded; they are now just quirks of the character that they must live with.
Physically, the populace is at the pinnacle of health; fit, strong, and attractive. Most look as if they have spent the last few years of their life at a health spa. While their physical abilities are not quite superhuman, many are at the peak of physical fitness and are stronger, faster, and can push themselves harder than “regular” people. Additionally, no one is really sure how long they may live. Some Bastion members are well into their sixties and are only now beginning to show the slightest effects of aging. Most of the population possesses the youthful good looks and vigor of someone in their early twenties. Some of the researchers estimate they could live another 250 or more years.
Though physically sound, mentally the populace suffers. The reconstruction has taken its toll on their memories, personalities, and identities. Hard earned education or skills have been lost to some; in others, long time colleagues no longer recognize each other. The loss in relationships and knowledge is a heavy price and one that weighs constantly on the mind. Many of the scientists, their lives almost entirely devoted to a particular field, have sunk into a deep melancholy or depression, making their experiments and decisions often more callous and inhumane than before.
At character creation, the player should roll for the “Amnesia” effects on the character. Additionally, each character will also exhibit additional effects: 1D4 from the “Reconstruction Effects” table below. These effects may be chosen or rolled at random.
AMNESIA EFFECTS
Amnesia: All Bastion OCCs suffer from some level of amnesia, based on the following table:
- 01%-35% Mild Amnesia: The character’s memory is fairly complete, remembering everything up to roughly 1 year before their initial “disassembly”.
36%-65% Moderate Amnesia: The character has a fairly significant gap in their memory, losing the memories of the 2 years leading up to their “disassembly”.
66%-80% Serious Amnesia: The character has lost a large amount of their memory, and cannot recall anything that occurred for roughly 4 years prior to their “disassembly”.
81%-90% Total Amnesia: Nearly everything that happened before the “disassembly” is a mystery; the character can only remember the month or so before. Whatever past they may have had has been lost and the character is essentially beginning a new life and identity.
90%-100% Roll again, adding the “Fugue” state detailed below.
RECONSTRUCTION TABLE:
- 01-10% Aggression: When frustrated, angry, or upset, there is a 01-72% likelihood of the character violently lashing out at anybody who gets in the way. This even applies to minor provocations where the character gets caught in a brawl, is insulted, the heat of actual combat, etc. The character pushes, beats and lashes out at the source of frustrations. This is not a true berserker rage and the character can be reasoned with and calmed down by friends and associates. The character may still seriously hurt or kill someone without realizing it. Penalties: Cannot pull a punch, will not dodge, does an extra 1D6 damage in all physical attacks and triple damage on a Natural 20; has extreme difficulty controlling/stopping himself from going too far (may need somebody to pull him off his opponent.)
11%-21% Flashbacks: Certain events, environments, sights, sounds, and other elements may trigger a deep seated and crippling memory of something horrible the character may have suffered. The exact details are left up to the GM and player and could be nearly anything: a near death experience, the death of a friend or family member, almost buried alive, etc. If faced with or witnessing someone in a similar situation, the character must make a Save vs. Insanity and get a 12 or higher (the character gets to add any M.E. attribute bonuses, but no others gained from skills, abilities, etc.) If the save is successful, the character is uncomfortable and nervous (-10% on all skills, -1 on all combat rolls), but essentially unharmed.
If the save fails, the character will immediately begin reacting as if the event is happening all over again (screaming, panicking, “zoning out”, act as if suffering an attack, etc. GM’s, feel free to award bonus experience for exceptional role-playing). This flashback effect lasts 1D4 minutes and nothing short of physical restraint or being knocked unconscious can stop it; it has to run its course. Once the flashback is over, the character is back to normal.
22%-30% Fugue State: Aside from the amnesia, the fugue state is one of the most serious symptoms of the Reconstruction. A fugue state is the involuntary loss of consciousness as the body begins to act of its own accord, as if controlled by some unknown force. While in a fugue state, the character will have no memory of anything that happens while in this state. Once the fugue state ends, the character will be back to a normal state. The character will remember everything that happened up to the beginning of the fugue state, but nothing afterward.
Every 24 hours, the character should make a Save Vs. Insanity of 16 or higher. If the save fails, the character will suffer from a fugue state sometime in the next 24 hours. The state will last 1D6x10 minutes, with the exact actions and details to be determined by the GM. As stated, the character will have no knowledge or memory of what transpired during this state.
Once passed, the character is free from the fugue state for 1D4 days.
31%-45% Hallucinations: The character suffers from mild hallucinations of some sort and frequently sees, hears, and even feels things that are not there. The character is jumpy and irritable, unable to fully trust their own senses. The character has a permanent penalty of -10% on all skills and -1 on all combat related rolls.
46%-56% Migraines: The character gets a severe migraine headache (constant throbbing and shooting pain, mild nausea, etc.) as a reaction to the one of the following triggers (roll once to determine what is always the cause of the migraines): 01-33% having to figure out a puzzle or mystery, 34-66% high stress/life threatening situations, 67-100% frustrated or angry. The headache lasts for as long as the stress remains. While dealing with the migraine, the character is -1 on all combat rolls, -10% skill performance and -10% to Spd.
57%-67% Painless: The character’s nervous system was not completely restored, resulting in a much diminished sense of pain. The character feels very little pain, even with the most extreme injuries. However, they also can’t tell what injuries are serious and the character could suddenly find themselves in dire health. Unless the character can see the wounds or another points them out, the character is likely to continue until they drop. The character must make a Save Vs. Insanity of 14 or higher to gauge their current health.
68%-78% Poor Memory: The character has a difficult time remembering anything in the short term, often forgetting things roughly 1D6 hours after being initially exposed to them. The character must be repeatedly exposed to something to fully keep it in memory. When trying to remember something not yet committed to memory, the character may make a Save Vs. Insanity of 15 or higher to see if anything can be recalled.
79%-89% Seizures: The character is subject to random fits of uncontrollable shaking, usually at the most inopportune times. Most of the time, this can be dealt with, but in a firefight, this can be deadly. In game terms, for every 12 hours, there is a 15% chance the character will suffer a seizure. Characters will feel the seizure coming on, and can resist it with a successful save vs. Insanity of 14 higher with a -2 penalty. Failure indicates a seizure that will continue for 2d4 melee rounds, reducing combat bonuses by -8 and imposing a -70% penalty to all skills.
89%-100% Wandering Mind: The character has a wandering mind making it near impossible to concentrate on anything for an extended period of time. This makes it difficult for the character to earn new skills, improve existing ones, and the like. Penalties: It takes the character twice as long to learn new skills. Additionally, the character suffers a -10% penalty on any skill checks requiring concentration.
BASTION OCCs
Because of the reconstruction, the Bastion populace are superior beings. They roll using the following attributes:
Attributes: I.Q. 2D6+8, M.E. 2D6+8, M.A. 2D6+9, P.S. 2D6+10, P.P. 2D6+8, P.E. 2D6+10, P.B. 2D6+8, Spd. 2D6+14. NOTE: While P.E. is not Supernatural, Bastion characters fatigue at a quarter of the usual rate; D.E.N.A. has essentially designed them to be prime human specimens.
Hit Points: P.E. attribute number x2 to start, +1D6 per level of experience.
S.D.C.: 5D6+10 to start, plus those from O.C.C. and skills.
Height: 5 feet +3D8 inches
Weight: 120lbs to 300+ lbs. depending on height and build, but mostly muscle. The Reconstruction process makes it difficult for them to become obese. Characters do not lose their hair or show signs of aging until quite old.
Age: Due to their re-engineering, no one is quite sure how long they will live. Currently, the populace retains a youthful appearance. Even those that were advanced in age before the Reconstruction look to be in their forties or fifties. Current estimates are 250-300 years, if not more.
Guy's Notes: Specific OCCs to follow!
