Future (4e Sourcebook)/Settings

Future Settings Guidelines[edit]

Creating setting resources for Future is a case of selecting which Origins, Prototypes, Techniques and Creatures you wish to use and creating new ones as necessary. Here are a few guidelines:

Origins

If possible, break down character concepts into tropes to use as origins. For many settings, this may be as familiar as a race and class, but be prepared to reconcile rolling two race origins at character creation - if an actual hybrid is not possible, then the character might be the race of the primary origin who has picked up some of the skills of the secondary origin.

If an origin is reliant on technology, it has the Fusion source. It is okay to declare a piece of "signature gear" that the character can never be parted from for her powers or traits to function: this gear itself has no game function beyond this. Try to avoid making a fusion origin with signature gear that could reasonably be a Prototype instead.

Origins with magical, psionic, extradimensional or otherwise spooky abilities have the Psi source. All other origins fall under the Bio source, which covers raw talent and physical abilities.

Prototypes

Any equipment that would not normally be purchased - that is, only granted by the DM - needs to be a Prototype. They are Future's "magic items", and will include many signature items from a particular setting.

Weapons with a high damage output (light sabers), effects not suitable for at-will attacks (bursts or blasts; ongoing damage or conditions),
Stat-boosting equipment,
Defensive items that do not occupy an item slot (energy shields),
Small vehicles suitable for normal encounters,
Consumable items like grenades.

Remember that any non-consumable high-tech will eventually burn out, and should have details for salvaging it. Salvaged high-tech should be slightly more interesting than normal equipment but not overpowered. If your high-tech is important to your setting, then you might allow it to be "repaired" or otherwise reinstated as the equivalent of a treasure parcel.

On energy shields: The default is to use temporary hit points to represent energy shields. If necessary, your setting might have special rules: for example, your Borderlands setting might allow electric damage to cause double damage against temporary hit points granted by shields.

Techniques

Techniques have a source. In the case of Fusion there can be a fine line between a technique and a piece of equipment. As a rule of thumb, if it can be dropped then it's not a technique. Fusion techniques include cybernetics and implants: retraining them might represent that implant returning to a nominal state, or having it removed entirely. Bio techniques can be as simple as mutations and physical feats, or represent a contract or other social influence. Psi, as usual, represents transient psionic, magical or other weird abilities.

Equipment

Weapons and Armor - You may wish to pre-generate a list of equipment with fixed mods, rather than allowing the players free reign over what mods they can buy.