The Modern Dispatch 120 - Cyber-State Avatar Toolkit, Podreczniki RPG, The Modern Dispatch
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THE MODERN DISPATCH
C Y B E R -
Though his face never betrayed it, Nex knew fear.
Before him loomed something out of a nightmare-
-tentacles, teeth and claws, backed by a hatred as
palpable as all three. Not a monster, but a man hid
behind that image. Still, what an image. Nex’s mouth
had gone dry. Rationally, he knew he didn’t face a
monster, it was a facade and only that. Those animal
instincts buried deep in his psyche didn’t do rational.
Scared or not, Nex had no choice but to bury this
thing, and maybe its host.
If one can imagine it and represent it, one can have it
as one’s Avatar.
But none of this has any mechanical game effect. No
matter what the Avatar’s appearance, the character’s
Charisma score does not increase, nor does the
character gain bonuses to Intimidate. So really, the
appearance of the Avatar is simply a matter of style.
S T A T E
A V A T A R
TOOLKIT
Everyone in the CS is aware that Avatar’s represent
nothing, save perhaps creativity and artistic talent.
“You best stand-down, Gash.” Nex offered a smile for
effect. Fashionable sunglasses hid his eyes. “That’s
pretty, but just like your skull, it’s empty.”
Why a Toolkit?
There are multiple styles and concepts provided
here in regards to building the Avatar. We’re calling
this approach a toolkit because just like a toolkit,
it provides you with a variety of tools (styles) that
may serve different functions in different situations.
We’re not telling you how to create an Avatar, we are
providing you with the tools you need to do that.
What is the Cyber-state?
It ain’t nothing but a name. In most near-future,
dystopian settings, the network we now know as
the Internet or the World Wide Web has become an
all-encompassing virtual reality leading into every
computer and electronic device on the planet. Upon
entering such a network, an individual can travel
into all types of devices and attempt to take control
of them. One might wish to steal information from a
database or disable a security device. Such a network
has many names and many more incarnations. Let’s
just call ours the cyber-state or the CS for ease of use.
The Host
Other than a critically acclaimed Korean horror movie
which the author has not yet seen, the Host refers to
the individual controlling the Avatar. The Host is the
character, while the Avatar is the character’s character,
if you follow that. The Host exists
outside
the CS
while the Avatar exists
inside
the CS. Other than that,
they are essentially the same individual.
#20
AUTHOR:
FRASER RONALD
Avatar Qualities
There are many ways to deal with the Avatar within
game mechanics. We’ll call these our styles, and they
can be mixed, matched, ignored or modiied as the
GM sees it. The basic premise is that the Avatar is not
the Host. Due to the fact that the Avatar is a translation
of the Host, and can be modiied through technology
or skill, the Avatar may be superior or inferior to the
Host.
What is an Avatar?
The Avatar is an individual’s representation in the CS.
While this may simply be a doppelganger of the actual
individual, it may be something completely different.
The Avatar may be better looking, may be itter, and
may have a better fashion sense. All of this is possible.
In fact, the Avatar might not even be Human. Think
of all the characters one might play or encounter in a
video game and you have an idea regarding the variety
of Avatar’s available.
LAYOUT:
CHRIS DAVIS
AND
FRASER RONALD
ART:
DAVID BOYD
SWORDSEDGEPUBLISHING.CA
CYBER-STATE AVATAR TOOLKIT
PAGE
THE MODERN DISPATCH
Avatar Qualities can be assigned at different times
within the game, either before entering the CS or
while immersed in it. However, some styles do not
lend themselves for assignment while in the CS, and
these will be noted in their individual entries. If a style
indicates that the qualities must be assigned before
entering the CS, it cannot be used once the Host has
entered the CS and become the Avatar.
suddenly become the brawny barbarians of the CS.
The Host’s non-physical abilities are represented in
the CS as the Avatar’s physical abilities. Further, those
non-physical abilities remain as the Avatar’s non-
physical abilities. There is no way for the technology
to modify the Host’s smarts or willpower, and we will
assume that one’s personality is the deciding factor for
attraction or persuasion.
Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma of the Avatar.
Those ratings can be static or variable, depending on
the desires of the GM. The equipment’s total points
is equal to one half its purchase DC. Therefore,
equipment with a purchase DC of 40 would provide
20 points with which to designate non-physical ability
scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma).
Abilities
The Avatar may be different from the Host on a
basic level. Abilities refer to the general mechanical
building blocks of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution,
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. There are three
general styles to deduce the abilities of an Avatar
compared to the Host.
The drawback of
It’s All In the Mind
is that it
overpowers characters with high non-physical
abilities and puts characters with poor non-
physical abilities at a great disadvantage. This
will lead to unbalanced play within the CS and
may lead certain players to avoid operating in
the CS altogether, as the environment provides
them with no enjoyment.
All
Abilities
must be assigned before entry into the
CS. No style from the
Abilities
section can be applied
while in the CS.
If one is using this style, the Host’s Intelligence
is used for the Avatar’s Dexterity and
Intelligence scores; the Wisdom is used for the
Strength and Wisdom scores; and the Charisma
is used for the Constitution and Charisma score.
WSIWYG
What you see is what you get. The Avatar is no
different than the host. The technology that connects
the Host to the CS builds the Avatar based on the
Host, including the Hosts physical abilities. In such
a case, the character does not change when entering
the CS, merely projects into it, maintaining the same
abilities.
Sweet Rig
The Host’s non-physical abilities become the
Avatar’s physical abilities while the Avatar’s
non-physical abilities are based on the
technology used to enter the CS. In such a case,
while the Avatar of an intelligent or charismatic
Host might have physical power, the intelligence
of the Avatar would be based on the Host’s
equipment.
This is certainly the easiest way of dealing with the
CS. It basically makes the CS the extension of the
setting, in which no changes or required. However,
the technology to draw accurate physical data in such
a way may shatter the players’ willing suspension of
disbelief.
With this style, the Host’s Intelligence becomes
the Avatar’s Dexterity score, the Wisdom
becomes the Strength, and the Charisma
becomes the Constitution. The equipment,
whatever its game designation (cyber-deck,
implanted Net-chip, etc.) includes ratings for
It’s All In the Mind
The Host’s non-physical abilities do double duty,
and those who might have been school-yard wimps
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THE MODERN DISPATCH
All scores default to 8. Scores from 9 to 11 cost 1
point; 12 and 13 cost 2; 14 and 15 cost 3; 16 and 17
cost 4; and 18 costs 5 points. A cost is paid for each
score increase, therefore to gain a score of 12, one
must pay to increase from 8 to 9 (1 point), 9 to 10 (1
point), 10 to 11 (1 point), and 11 to 12 (2 points), for a
total of 5 points.
to reach a certain level of proiciency with skills at
a given level due to a greater number of skills over
which to spend skill points. This supplement does
discuss one new skill, Cyber Savvy, but the addition
of one new skill should not unbalance the game. The
addition of four, however, likely would.
Avatar.
The Avatar Qualities based on this style must be
assigned before entry into the CS. This style cannot be
applied while in the CS.
The Same, But Different
For this style, the Avatar advances in classes with
the corresponding class features just as the Host
does, except the Avatar’s class and level is based
on experience within the CS. In order to track this
consistently, the Avatar would require a separate
character sheet for use inside the CS. When in the
real world, the Host would not have access to the
class features of the Avatar’s class, and inside the CS,
the Avatar would not have access to the Host’s class
features.
On the assumption that the GM adopts Cyber Savvy
as a skill for the campaign, the skills linked to
non-physical abilities would be as follows, ranks
in Computer Use would be used for the Avatar’s
Intelligence score; ranks in Cyber Savvy would
be used for the Wisdom score; and Knowledge
(technology) would be used for the Charisma score.
The points from the equipments purchase DC that
are used toward Abilities, may also be used for
Class
and Level
, if
Sweet Rig
is used for
Class and Level
,
but cannot be then used for
Skills and Feats
. This is
further explained in the
Sweet Rig
paragraph under
Class and Levels
.
Skilled Abilities
As the Avatar’s actions are based to a certain degree
on the skill of the Host, those skills can also be used
as the basis for the Avatar’s abilities. After all, the
Avatar is the embodiment of the commands the Host
is inputting into a computer or similar electronic
device. Using
Skilled Abilities
, the Host’s ranks in a
certain skill becomes the Avatar’s ability. Thus, if a
Host has 10 ranks in a particular skill, the Avatar has a
10 in the linked ability.
Possible skills for use with physical skills without
creating new technology skills could be Intimidate
for Strength, Diplomacy for Dexterity, and Craft
(electronics) for Constitution. The linkage between
these skills and Avatar abilities within the CS are
tenuous and there may be dificulties providing
narrative explanations.
Basically, while the Avatar is the representative of the
Host, two characters would exist in the rules, one for
use inside the CS and one for use outside the CS.
The Avatar Qualities based on this style must be
assigned before entry into the CS. This style cannot be
applied while in the CS.
Class and Level
Depending on the lavor of the campaign, an Avatar
may be a template of certain of the Host’s features,
such as those represented by class and level. Things
such as hit points, base attack bonus, and savings
throws of the Avatar, may vary from that of the Host
or might match them completely.
The greatest dificulty in using
Skilled Abilities
for an
Avatar is deciding what skill decides which ability.
Unless extra skills are added, only the mental abilities
should be based on skills. With this method,
Skilled
Abilities
adapts
Sweet Rig
to apply to the physical
abilities. Therefore, as with
Sweet Rig
, the equipment
would have ratings for Strength, Dexterity and
Constitution. These ratings would be based on a form
of point-buy, as discussed in
Sweet Rig
above.
Sweet Rig
The
Sweet Rig
referenced is the equipment used by the
Host to enter the CS. Whatever that equipment might
be, it includes modules or components that control the
class and level of the Avatar. In such a case, should a
Host require a stealthy Avatar, a speciic component
would be included in the Host’s equipment to provide
the Avatar with the speciic classes and levels for use
in the CS.
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get. In this style, the
experiences that accumulate to provide for class
advancement are as much mental as physical, and thus
when the technology translates the Host to the Avatar,
the Host’s class and class features are provided for the
Avatar. This means that the class, level, base attack
bonus, etc. are the same between the Host and the
Extra skills might be adopted in order to cover all
the abilities, physical and non-physical, but this
should only be done with great care. Extra skills
may unbalance the game as it lessens the capability
The number of class levels available to be provided by
equipment is a function of the cost of the equipment.
For each 10 Purchase DC, the equipment provides
1 level in 1 class. Therefore, if the equipment has a
CYBER-STATE AVATAR TOOLKIT
PAGE
THE MODERN DISPATCH
purchase DC of 40, it provides 4 total levels, perhaps
2 in Fast Hero, 1 in Strong Hero and 1 in Tough Hero.
The assignment of levels in a class automatically
includes assignment of class skills, talents, class
features, and/or bonus feats.
environment inside the CS may not be real, the Host’s
knowledge regarding how to bluff another or the
Host’s strong kung-fu translate directly.
equipment provides a number of skill points equal
to its purchase DC. To select a skill as a
class skill
--
meaning that 1 skill point purchases 1 rank--costs 4
skill points. If a skill is not purchased as a class skill,
it is considered a
cross-class skill
and it costs 2 skill
points to purchase 1 rank in the skill. Feats can be
taken on a ratio of 1 feat per 4 skill points.
The Avatar Qualities based on this style must be
assigned before entry into the CS. This style cannot be
applied while in the CS.
The points from the equipment’s purchase DC that
are used toward
Class and Level
, may also be used
for
Abilities
, if
Sweet Rig
is used for
Abilities.
However, while class skills, talents and bonus feats
are determined by class, skills and number of feats
are assigned separately, as per
Sweet Rig
in
Skills and
Feats
. The points used for
Class and Level
may not
also be used for
Skills and Feats
. Therefore, if the
equipment has a purchase DC of 40, that translates
into 20 points of abilities (as per
Sweet Rig
in
Abilities
) and 4 class levels, the purchase DC would
not translate into any skills or feats per the
Skills and
Feats
section.
The Same, But Different
This follows the style of the same name regarding
Class and Level
. The skills and feats available to
the Avatar are based on that Avatar’s class and level.
If using this style, the Avatar may have completely
different skills and feats than the Host. These skills
and feats would only be available to the Host when
operating as the Avatar inside the CS. The Host could
not use these skills or feats outside the CS.
Therefore, if the purchase DC of the equipment is 40,
the Avatar may have 5 class skills and 2 feats, with 27
skill points remaining with which to purchase skills. If
the Host spends those skill points on the 5 class skills,
the Avatar would have a total of 27 ranks in those 5
skills.
Swap Out
In this case, the Avatar may know different skills and
have different feats than the Host, but everything is
based on what the Host possesses. By “swapping out,”
the Host purchases new skill ranks in different skills
by removing existing skill ranks in existing skills. For
example, if the Host had 5 ranks in Ride, the Host
could swap those ranks out so that the Avatar could
have 5 ranks in Tumble, or perhaps Bluff. The skill
ranks and feats are swapped out at a rate of 1 to 1. The
class skills and cross class skills do not change unless
the Host’s equipment allows the Host to do so.
In this method, the skills and feats are different than
those possessed by the Host, but the choice of skills
and feats are dependent on the class and level of the
Avatar. It is important that the rules for skill and feat
selection are maintained, including the different costs
for class and cross-class skills, and are based on the
class and level of the Avatar.
Should the Avatar not have points remaining with
which to purchase skills, all skills are at 0 ranks, and
the Avatar may only use those skills which may be
used untrained.
Skills and Feats
In many representations of an Avatar in the CS, the
skills possessed by the Avatar are greater or otherwise
different than those of the Host. The Avatar may
know kung-fu while the Host is merely a spindly
programmer. The Avatar may be a smooth and smug
player while the Host is shy and withdrawn. Then
again, perhaps there is no discernable difference.
The Avatar Qualities based on this style must be
assigned before entry into the CS. This style cannot be
applied while in the CS.
As the above indicates, the swap is done through
technology. The purchase DC of the equipment used
to access the CS, whatever that equipment might be.
The Host can swap out 1 skill rank per 1 purchase DC.
The Host can only swap out as many skill ranks as
he possesses, no matter what the purchase DC of the
equipment might be. To change a cross class skill to
a class skill costs 2 skill ranks. If the Host changes a
cross class skill to a class skill, a class skill must then
be changed to a cross class skill. The cost for doing
both remains 2 skill ranks.
Sweet Rig
The skills and feats available to the Avatar are based
on the equipment used by the Host to enter the CS.
The Host does not actually have the skill or feat
provided, and could not perform as such outside of the
CS, but the equipment allows him to mimic this skill
or feat through the Avatar.
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get. The skills and feats
the Host character has available remain available to
that Host’s Avatar. This style assumes that skills and
feats are as much mental as physical, that while the
The number of skill points and the number of feats
are based on the purchase DC of the equipment. The
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PAGE
THE MODERN DISPATCH
before entry into the CS. Such styles
also cannot be applied while in the CS.
Assignment By Equipment
If the assignment is being done based on the
equipment’s memory modules, those modules also
need to be rated. The rating, as with most aspects so
far covered, is based on the purchase DC. The costs
are mostly outlined above in the various sections,
however the difference is that when using the
equipment to store AQD, the rating cannot be shared
between tasks. The costs are as follows:
Should the Avatar encounter a skill
check, combat, or saving throw
situation, certain aspects of the Avatar
Qualities would require addressing. For
example, if
Sweet Rig
is used for both
Class and Level
and
Skills and Feats
,
then both would need to be addressed
in any challenge or encounter that
requires mechanics to decide. That
would include any skill use, combat,
feat use, or saves.
Quality
Purchase DC per 1
Class
6
Skill
4
Feat
4
Not everything needs to be done at
the same time. If the
Swap Out
style
in
Skills and Feats
is used, a certain
number of skills might be swapped
out to meet a given situation, leaving a percentage of
available skill or feat swaps available for later in the
adventure. The equipment recycles after every exit
from the CS, so during a single entry into the CS, the
equipment’s rating is used up to its maximum. If it
can provide 20 skill points, those 20 can be used at
different times and in different situation, but until the
Host exits the CS, those 20 are all with which he has
to work.
Those qualities held as AQD in the equipment have
no limits in ranks or levels. The AQD for a class
includes all its levels, just as the AQD for a skill had
no maximum rank attainable. The costs and factors
provided in the various styles deine the further usage.
This cost is merely to have the AQD available in
the equipment. Further, the purchase DC applied to
maintain AQD cannot be used for any other purpose.
Therefore, for equipment with a purchase DC of 40, if
it maintained data on 4 skills and 1 feat, it would have
20 skill points remaining to use for assigning skills
and feats.
Feats can be swapped at 1 per 4 skill ranks. Like skill
ranks, the Host cannot swap out more feats than he
possesses.
Therefore, if the purchase DC of the equipment is 40,
if the Host could swap 2 feats (as per 8 skill ranks),
change Tumble to a class skill and Ride to a cross
class skill (as per 2 skill ranks) and swap a total of 30
skill ranks. The points from the equipment’s purchase
DC that are used toward
Swap Out
may not be used
for any other purpose. This includes
Abilities
and
Class and Level
, but also includes other styles, such
as
Sweet Rig
, presented in
Skills and Feats
. It also
includes skill and feat memory modules, as discussed
below.
If the
Avatar Qualities
are decided before the dive
into the CS, there is no real issue regarding time or
storage of information. It is simply decided and done.
If the
Avatar Qualities
are assigned during time in
the CS, some restrictions must apply. Any assignment
within the CS requires that either the equipment has
memory modules dedicated to maintaining
Avatar
Quality Data
(AQD), or that an outside Operator is
involved who can call up and download the requested
data.
The triggering of Avatar Quality assignment is a
full round action. If the Avatar or Host is disturbed
in any way during the assignment, the Avatar must
make a Concentration skill check against a DC equal
to 10 + the total number of points being used, based
on Purchase DC cost. Therefore, if the Avatar was
“swapping out” the Host’s 5 ranks of Ride for 5 ranks
of Tumble, replacing Ride with Tumble as a class
skill, and swapping the Host’s Cautious feat for the
Brawl feat, the total number of points would be 11 (5
skill ranks swapped + 2 points for swapping a class
Assigning the Avatar Qualities
The assigning of the various Avatar qualities may
occur at any time, except for
Abilities
which must be
assigned before entering the CS. Some styles indicate
that the Avatar Qualities based on it must be assigned
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