It is {current_year_ce} CE, {current_year_gsc} in the Galactic Calendar (GSC). The few remaining inhabited worlds of the Orion Sector, formerly known as the Orion-Cygnus arm of the Milky Way, are finally beginning to reach for the stars agai, Standardn, two and a half centuries after the de facto end of the Final War. Long-range interstellar communication is limited to courier ships, so few of the inhabiting species know what happened to their planets of origin. A few star nations survived the war without completely losing their
In 3614 CE (908 GSC—Galactic Calendar), the worlds of the Orion Sector were consumed by war. One by one, every star nation in the region joined the fray, and what would be called the Final War raged for over a century, intensifying as the combatants grew more and more desperate until all sides adopted a scorched earth approach. Finally, in 3789 CE (1083 GSC), the war ground to a halt, as all sides had been pounded to dust, with a final death toll of 95% of military personnel and an estimated 80% civilian death toll across the entire sector. Most star nations were knocked back to an effective tech level of the late Information Age, and those that retai, Standardned
With the race to the stars came a new age of AI. While artificial intelligences had been an integral part of science and technology as early as the mid-21st century, the creation of truly sapient AIs still eluded humanity. To
The First Galactic War broke out in 3132 CE (426 GSC), as the three splinter factions of the Stellar League became more and more belligerent. It lasted seventeen T-years, during which several planets were slagged and rendered inhospitable, and hundreds of billions of
The History skill represents your character’s knowledge of historical events, both recent and ancient. Also note that most historical records were lost or garbled in the Final War, so most people probably won’t have heard of a person or character that we in the 21st century assume everyone would know, such as William Shakespeare,
Reproduction. Female Kezh’vara lay eggs in clutches of 200 to 1000—of those, only 25% are viable (50–250). The remainder are unfertilized and serve as the first meal
Physiology. Virrak are short and slender, ranging from 90–125 cm (2’11”–4’1”) in height and have skin that ranges from pale green to deep blue and mottling ranging from dark blue to purple. They are trisexual,
Characters with skills in **Mechanics**, **Computers**, or another suitable skill (dependent on GM approval) can craft or modify items during downtime. In addition to the time it takes, you will need the appropriate supplies and materials for the item. You can either buy the
Shockblades are specially manufactured polyblades with a built-in microfusion power source and electrodes running along the blade. When the weapon is activated, a
Fusion rockets, despite their name, share little to nothing in common with the fusion weapons of 20th century
Microrocket launchers are roughly twice the size of a pulse rifle, with either a broad muzzle or an array of
Some of the most advanced armor belongs to the elite shock troopers of the wealthier planets’ defense forces. Composed of a flexible bodysuit underneath an inter-
Some of the wealthiest star nations have begun developing elite marine units for interstellar/heavy boarding combat, based on similar units from the Final
Besides weapon and armor, there are many different types of gear and equipment available in the Orion
Communications jammers are available in various shapes and sizes and allow the user to blanket the area
An average disguise kit is generally tailored to a specific species and contains wigs (or the species-specific equivalent), makeup, applicators, and other such tools of
Optical camouflage, or “opticam,” is expensive but provides an additional level of stealth. When wrapped in an opticamo blanket, the user is undetectable by sight while remaining still. When moving, the difficulty of ranged attacks against the user are upgraded once,
The diagnostic leech is a bioengineered annelid (very similar to the Terran medicinal leech) that will analyze the blood it consumes and display the results on its back with
Portable hazard shelters are compact, prefabricated (“fabbed”) shelters, complete with airlock, that can be
The vehicles of the Orion Sector are legion. Sleekly lethal battlecruisers, lumbering freighters, swift and agile couriers, plodding war striders, expensive luxury skimmers, and more make their way through the streets and spaceways of the sector, carrying their passengers and cargoes about their business. Some are new models,
Phoenix Dust uses the same vehicle modification system as the FFG Star Wars RPGs. The Hard Points characteristic shows the number of modification hard points a vehicle has. See the core rulebooks (AoR p285,
In the Orion Sector, the term “car” refers to any ground-based vehicle. Some are wheeled, others use low-power repulsors to float a little off the ground. Otherwise, there
All-Terrain
Both during the Final War and now, light tanks serve as forward scouts and quick battlefield support. Those few War-era models that remain are often used as heavily
Point Defense
Limited Turret Automation
Because of the mathematical peculiarities of hyperspace, a ship trying to get from point A to point B will always have at least four direct paths available, with four different travel times. Under the Whetū rating system, these paths are rated from Class I to
Stealth Coating
Shared Tac-Stream
There are a multitude of military pinnace models—small ships designed to ferry passengers to and from
Small and speedy, the *Quicksilver* is a state-of-the-art courier ship, modeled off of an old Terran Union design
With the ever-present risk of piracy, armed freighters and transports are usually more available to civilians than starfighters. These ships generally have just enough weaponry to scare off most pirates without
*Assumes a width and height each of 20% the length.
Stealth Field
Modular Components
Support Drones
Named for a Moroccan mythical creature, the Aicha Kandicha (EYE-sha kun-DEE-sha) was designed near
Decoys
The proton beam is one of the most powerful weapons commonly available in the Orion Sector. Firing a pulsed stream of tightly packed protons at relativistic speeds,