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Original art © R. Talsorian Games Inc.
The year is 2539. Humanity has flung itself into the stars, well beyond the confines of the Solar System. An overpopulated Earth population realized that the only way to sustain its way of life was via cooperation and coexistence. Thus, the United Earth Federation spearheaded the journey beyond its blue and green planet, to colonize sectors of space both known and unknown. At first, colonization of the Solar System was achieved via slower-than-light travel. Generations later, the invention of the spacegate system allowed mankind to send matter from one location to another. Years of travel became weeks, allowing for the seeding of colonies on the very periphery of known space. Scientists, volunteers and entrepreneurs willingly leapt farther and farther on a quest to discover new worlds, stars and lifeforms.
Eventually, the probe UES Pathfinder found some.
The World of FRAMES
Our story is set within the sphere of Glaistig, a terrestrial world belonging to the Argos System. The system sits on the periphery of known space, and was first settled by colonists from the United Earth Federation (UEF) in the 23nd century. For centuries, its only hospitable planet, Glaistig, was occupied by settlers under UEF sovereignty. However, it mysteriously withdrew its support and dropped communications in the year of 2483.
Without direction from the UEF, the colonists of the Argos System fell into disarray. Despite a solid infrastructure and prospects in the form of cities, agricultural centers, schools and industries, the lack of a central political administration gave rise to anarchy. In the UEF’s wake, groups led by charismatic leaders sprang up, laying claim to local geographical assets.
In time, these administrations reestablished a semblance of order among the territories they controlled. These centers, isolated from each other by vast miles of wilderness, became independent city-states. These either pooled their resources for mutual protection and well-being, or fell to one another in campaigns of domination. As years passed, alliances and conquests molded the city-states into two distinct confederations: the United Territories of Shizawa (UTS) and the Arenstad Union (AU).
Each of these confederations sought to expand their spheres of influence while diminishing the other’s. There remained clusters of independent states that were ripe for taking, and resources on Glaistig that were yet to be exploited. Tensions that seemed only capable of escalating gave rise to the first all-out war between the two major powers. Many smaller states were drawn into the fighting, forced to pick sides to resist total destruction. Some of these banded together in small alliances, creating buffer zones of free republics and neutral states.
Three decades after the start of the war, neither side was closer to achieving its goal. Both sides were losing the will to fight, having suffered major losses and atrocities on both fronts. They finally sued for a shaky peace in 2502. However, in the years afterwards, they would continue - unofficially - to undermine each other’s efforts via spies, power brokers, false flag operations and sanctions.
Today, Glaistig is still locked in a tense cold war, and a second planetwide war seems imminent. The UEF is still a distant memory, having given no signal of its existence since 56 years ago. Without a system-wide UN equivalent to keep order, the confederations seem poised at each other’s throats once more.
Here’s where you come in…
While the storm brewing between the confederations makes life difficult for the civilians on Glaistig, it also comes as a rich opportunity for others. Mercenaries, pirates, assassins and other unscrupulous characters can find work where war is concerned. Among these desperados is the the crew of the Samigina. Calling themselves _, this team of brigands specializes in FRAME combat. They go where the promise of cash takes them, into the thick of combat, or the emptiness of space. Their sights are set on Glaistig’s natural resource deposits, the assets of weaker city-states and the thrill of the fight.
You’re one of these hotshot pilots onboard the Samigina. Whether you’re a new addition to the crew or have a long history of piracy, Glaistig presents a wealth of opportunities for profit and for play. While you’ve vowed loyalty to the ship and your comrades, your first loyalty is likely to yourself. You might have a personal stake in the events on Glaistig. Whatever the case, you’re in this for the long-haul, and should be prepared to do whatever it takes to fill your pockets, no matter how unsavory.
FRAMEs
The invention of Fully Reactive Armored Mobile Engines (FRAMEs) had an enormous impact on the nature of war. They were developed from construction walkers used in the 22nd century, prior to the invention of the spacegate system. The first were little more than civilian machines with improvised weapons, but as advancements were made, they became more and more formidable, outgrowing their duties in labor and becoming near-synonymous with military use.
The FRAME combines the mobility and flexibility of an infantryman with the resilience and firepower of an armored vehicle, though must compromise between the best of both. They adapt well to different kinds of terrain and retain excellent mobility in most. Each is capable of bringing the firepower of an infantry fighting vehicle to bear, a far larger payload than any ordinary soldier. They’re extraordinarily flexible, able to swap handheld weapons on the battlefield and completely change their load-out in a matter of hours. They can perform a range of battlefield tasks, fulfilling niche roles in conventional armies. Mass-produced FRAMEs are cheap enough to form a major part of any modern fighting force.
Despite their strengths, FRAMEs still depend heavily on combined arms support. A lone FRAME may be overwhelmed by an infantry unit, outgunned by main battle tanks, outranged by artillery and reduced to a wreck by aircraft it can’t see. For this reason, they are not the end-all military solution, but remain a valuable asset that can fill any gap in a pinch and do well in numbers.
FRAMEs are controlled by a single pilot located in the torso. The cockpits are usually very snug with little room to spare. The interior vaguely resembles that of an aircraft - a pair of joysticks, each sporting several thumb switches and triggers, as well as foot pedals are used to control the machine. The pilot receives information about the outside world by way of a sophisticated VR helmet. Multiple external cameras capture views of the outside and feed them to the helmet. This allows the pilot to see as if the cockpit were open to the outside, with relevant computer readouts superimposed over the landscape.
All-terrain capability is achieved by the two movement systems equipped by FRAMEs. The primary is the standard bipedal movement system, used for rough terrain or precise maneuvering. The secondary is a powered wheel or tread system, which allows the FRAME to ‘skate’ over ground surfaces. The secondary system cannot handle rough terrain as well as conventional walking, but provides considerably more speed.
The feat of engineering that allows FRAMEs to mimic human movement is a system of myomers, thin tubes of artificial musculature. These sheathe actuators, which are more or less the joints of a FRAME. These are connected to a neural network CPU, which translates information from the pilot into precise, humanlike movements. While pedals and joysticks control the FRAME’s basic functions, all complicated maneuvers are executed via this neural network. These CPUs aren’t sentient, but are capable of learning from their pilot’s input.
Character & FRAME Sheets
Character Sheet
Frame Sheet
Example Frame Template
(I'm using the Scopedog from Armored Trooper VOTOMS as an example of what a FRAME sheet will look like, and what sort of data will go in each section. All data sourced from mahq.net. Feel free to elaborate on the contents of your sheet beyond what is shown.)
