I probably need to actually dig out the Cypher PDFs we own (which is pretty much all of them) rather than just using the SRDs available; it's clear that the abilities are sourced from multiple worldbooks and there's some world-specific stuff in there (such as the Serv-0 abilities).
I've been contemplating how to portray a botship character, within the bounds of Tier 1, given the fact that Cypher doesn't have any kind of disadvantage/negative points system to offset what might otherwise be an unreasonable number of Abilities.
A starship is obviously going to have off-the-charts Might in some senses, but on the other hand it simply isn't going to come into play except relative to other ships, so I'll have to think about how to handle that. It might just be that I treat the ship itself as an object, and the character as a mind inhabiting it (a limited Machine Bond, etc.)
Alternately, maybe a bot can't be a starship at Tier 1 at all. I've been thinking, background-wise, that an artificial mind would be purpose-built to run a starship. But maybe that's wrong. Maybe a bot volunteers (or rather, applies) for the job. This makes more sense, at least in Inukari and Zhdez space, given that bots have rights and it would be awkward to build an entire starship only to have it go "don't wanna work for you though."
(This doesn't solve my issues of "why would any corporation create an independent being" though.)
More on whaling
".. freighted with savages, and laden with fire, and burning a corpse, and plunging into that blackness of darkness..."
The butchering and rendering of a whale at sea is pretty wild (the former happens in an earlier chapter), and I feel like I want to incorporate that somehow, but it's hard to imagine this kind of imagery with an energy creature. Gonna hafta "hmm" on that for awhile.
More to the point: whaling and fishing had different aims, and even types of whaling had different aims (whale oil, spermaceti, whalebone/baleen, and ambergris), which makes me wonder: what happens if the voidwhales are the only source of the fuel that gets you to space?
Back to whaling
Tentatively:
Whaling was originally a universal pursuit, with everyone suspecting but choosing not to believe that voidwhales were sentient. Some psionicist, probably a Zhdez, finally figured out how to make (primitive) contact with them, and both Zhdez and Inukari whaling stopped. It is not entirely without controversy, since the sorts of people who commune with whales don't seem to be entirely reliable narrators.
Terrans, on the other hand, depend on whaling for almost all of their brightspace energy, since voidsharks and shoalers are considerably less prevalent through Terran space. (Inukari assume this is a result of overfishing, though there doesn't seem to be enough Terran traffic to explain that either.)
Because the voidwhales migrate from "south" to "north" (bottom of the map to the top) and back again, so do the Terran whaling fleets: unwelcome at nearly every port, they drop into realspace at the fringes of systems, just to jump back into voidspace as quickly as possible.
There, now they have long isolated trips.
Inukari Flavor
Update: There is now a wiki entry for Inukari, which supercedes this.
This flavor is for characters who are humans of Inukari descent. If they are Inukari raised in other societies, the flavor cannot grant them asterisked abilities, but they can instead select asterisked abilities from the society in which they were raised.
First-Tier Inukari Abilities
Demeanor of Command
Privileged Nobility*
Fast Talk
Knowledge Skills*
Second-Tier Inukari Abilities
Negotiate
Extra Skill*
Impart Ideal
Third-Tier Inukari Abilities
Flex Skill*
Oratory
Fourth-Tier Inukari Abilities
Heightened Skill*
Quick Wits
Take Command
Fifth-Tier Inukari Abilities
Work the Friendship
Multiple Skills*
Sixth-Tier Inukari Abilities
Mind of a Leader
Coordinated Effort
Having defined them as the Goldilocks society, I had some trouble deciding what Inukari would tend toward. Going with "they are good at people skills, and their society prioritizes education." Presumably non-PC Inukari are good at taking orders. Which actually works, Goldilocks-wise: Terrans all want to give orders, no Zhdez wants to give orders.
Engineer Example
Update: There is now a wiki entry for Anzhie, which supercedes this.
Shahid wants to create an Engineer for an Inukari free trader. He distributes the additional points equally, giving him a Might 9, Speed 11, Intellect 14. His Engineer is smart and quick. She has an Intellect Edge of 1, a Might Edge of 0, and a Speed Edge of 0. As a first-tier character, her Effort is 1. As her initial abilities, he chooses Junkmonger (Electronic and Metallic) and two instances of Tech Skills (Crafting, Computers, Engineering, and Repair), which should come in handy on a rickety vessel. She's not much in combat, but is pretty good at breaking things: Scramble Machines.
Engineers can bear three cyphers. Shahid's Engineer has a battery-operated motion sensor that will work for five days, and a piece of salvage from a Chirper ship (like other Ancient-adjacent tech, it's a black box, but if she can just figure out the inputs it will fuction as a Level 7 Equipment Cache). She also has the possibility of inspiration (a subtle cypher, level 6).
I am Fiench Anzhie, a Calm Inukari Engineer who Would Rather Be Reading.
Anzhie gets +2 to her Intellect Pool, four noncombat skills (Shahid chooses Navigation, Tinkering with Devices, History, and Identifying), and a knowledge of Trivia for being Calm, but is hindered in physical attacks plus climbing, running, jumping, and swimming tasks.
For her focus, Anzhie gets Knowledge is Power (so, two more noncombat skills: Physics and fluency in the primary Zhdez language).
None of the abilities from the Inukari flavor seem appropriate for Anzhie (except skills, which she already has plenty of!), so Shahid doesn't trade any out.
For her character arc, Shahid chooses Aid a Friend - Anzhie has bailed on a very promising career with a major passenger line to come out to the Ring to crew a starship for her Zhdez friend Zero.
Engineer Type
Update: There is now a wiki entry for Engineers, which supercedes this.
You master abilities outside the understanding of the layperson, and combine knowledge across a broad set of specialties: a brilliant grasp of mechanical functions, deep knowledge of advanced power generation, and an intuitive sense of the fields interacting with the void.
Individual Role: Engineers are usually thoughtful, intelligent types. They often think carefully before acting and rely heavily on their technical abilities.
Group Role: Engineers are not powerful in straightforward combat, although they often wield abilities that provide excellent combat support, both offensively and defensively. They sometimes possess abilities that facilitate overcoming challenges.
Societal Role: Engineers are the practical face of a variety of vital technologies.
Advanced Engineers: Even at low tiers, Engineer skills and abilities are impressive. Higher-tier Engineers can accomplish amazing deeds that can reshape matter and the environment around them.
Engineer Player Intrusions
When playing an Engineer, you can spend 1 XP to use one of the following player intrusions, provided the situation is appropriate and the GM agrees.
Advantageous Malfunction: A device being used against you malfunctions. It might harm the user or one of their allies for a round, or activate a dramatic and distracting side effect for a few rounds.
Convenient Idea: A flash of insight provides you with a clear answer or suggests a course of action with regard to an urgent question, problem, or obstacle you’re facing.
Inexplicably Unbroken: An inactive, ruined, or presumed-destroyed device temporarily activates and performs a useful function relevant to the situation. This is enough to buy you some time for a better solution, alleviate a complication that was interfering with your abilities, or just get you one more use out of a depleted cypher or artifact.
Engineer Stat Pools
Stat
Pool Starting Value
Might
7
Speed
9
Intellect
12
You get 6 additional points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish.
Engineer Background Connections
d20
Background
1
You served your apprenticeship in a shipping line respected and feared by many people. Now you carry their reputation.
2
You studied in a school infamous for its risk-taking and poor safety procedures.
3
You learned your abilities in the school of an obscure genius. Their instructors and graduates, although small in number, respect and admire your talents and potential.
4
While serving on a ship, you saved the life of a powerful person. They remain indebted to you.
5
Your parent was a brilliant Engineer while she lived, mentor to many others. They look upon you kindly, but they also expect much from you.
6
You owe money to a number of people and don’t have the funds to pay your debts.
7
You failed disgracefully at your initial studies with your teacher and now proceed on your own.
8
You learned your skills faster than your teachers had ever seen before. The powers that be took notice and are paying close attention.
9
You killed a well-known criminal in self-defense, earning the respect of many and the enmity of a dangerous few.
10
You trained as a Marine, but your Engineer predilections eventually led you down a different path. Your former comrades don’t understand you, but they respect you.
11
While studying to be an Engineer, you worked as an assistant for a bank, making friends with the owner and the clientele.
12
Your family owns a sensor company known to all for its fine craftsmanship and fair business dealings.
13
You trained for a time with a group of influential Engineers, and they still look upon you with fondness.
14
You worked in the yacht berths of an influential noble or person of wealth. They wouldn’t remember you, but you made friends with their young daughter.
15
An experiment you conducted in the past went horribly awry. The stationers there remember you as a dangerous and foolhardy individual.
16
You were trained in a distant polity where you were well known and regarded, but people here treat your abilities with skepticism.
17
You don't go anywhere without your tool bag, and can't stop tinkering with other people's things.
18
Your best friend is also an Engineer. You and your friend share discoveries and secrets readily.
19
You know a particular shipyard very well. Since you give them so much business, they offer you discounts and special treatment.
20
You belong to a secretive social club that gathers periodically to drink and talk.
First-Tier Engineer.
Effort: Your Effort is 1.
Genius: You have an Intellect Edge of 1, a Might Edge of 0, and a Speed Edge of 0.
Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time.
Starting Equipment: Appropriate clothing, plus two expensive items, two moderately priced items, and up to four inexpensive items of your choice.
Weapons: You can use light weapons without penalty. You have an inability with medium weapons and heavy weapons; your attacks with medium and heavy weapons are hindered.
Special Abilities: Choose four of the abilities listed below. You can’t choose the same ability more than once unless its description says otherwise. The full description for each listed ability can be found in Abilities, which also has descriptions for flavor and focus abilities in a single vast catalog. (Engineer abilities require at least one free hand unless the GM says otherwise.)
Hacker
Junkmonger
Handy
Machine Affinity
Machine Hunting
Machine Interface
Modify Device
Natural Crafter
Scramble Machine
Tech Skills
Tinker
Second-Tier Engineer
Choose one of the abilities listed below (or from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier abilities with a different one from a lower tier.
Machine Efficiency
Overload Machine
Computer Programming
Robot Assistant
Robot Builder
Tool Mastery
Third-Tier Engineer
Choose two of the abilities listed below (or from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier abilities with a different one from a lower tier.
Device Insight
Disable Mechanisms
Enhanced Intellect
Expert Crafter
Expert Skill
Improvise
Knowledge is Power
Machine Companion
Passing Mechanic
Robot Upgrade
Ship Footing
You Studied
Fourth-Tier Engineer
Choose one of the abilities listed below (or from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier abilities with a different one from a lower tier.
Greater Enhanced Intellect
Machine Vulnerabilities
Master Crafter
Remote Control
Robot Fighter
Robot Improvement
Fifth-Tier Engineer
Choose two of the abilities listed below (or from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier abilities with a different one from a lower tier.
Control Machine
Deactivate Mechanisms
Effective Skill
Further Mathematics
Innovator
Inventor
Jury-Rig
Machine Companion
Using What's Available
Sixth-Tier Engineer
Choose one of the abilities listed below (or from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier abilities with a different one from a lower tier.
Improved Machine Companion
Like the Back of Your Hand
Master Machine
Robot Evolution
Robot Fleet
Weird Science Breakthrough
More on character types
Update: There is now a wiki entry for Cypher, which supercedes this.
I suppose the Types could be careers (do Cypher characters ever change Type?), at least sometimes. Certainly some characters would have a statement like "I am Kolvox, a Risk-Taking Gvazda Engineer who Scavenges."
The Brigadier, a Learned Bot Lawyer who Interprets the Law
Merlin, a Clumsy Dragon Navigator who Sees the Currents
Cap'n Marshie, a Jovial Terran Navigator who Leads
