Infinite Horizons 02 (june 2011).pdf

Infinite Horizons Vol 1, Issue #2, June 2011

All comments, suggestions and

contacts can be made at…

Avalon Games,

avalon@comstar-games.com

Or visit

Avalon Games at…

www.avalon-games.com

Some game design, artwork and layout by Robert Hemminger

Some art by Image Portfolio © Louis Porter, Jr. Design, Robert Hemminger and Sade

Cover Art by Joe Calkins

Contents

Top Ten

Page 2

Gaming

Infinite Futures, Heritage New Adaptoid

Infinite Futures, New Prestige Classes

Infinite Futures, New Feats

Infinite Futures, New Gear

Infinite Futures, Department 13

Infinite Futures, Pandemic

Virus Fight

LocoBlade

Page 3

Page 5

Page 9

Page 10

Page 14

Page 16

Page 17

Page 30

Fiction

A New Beginning

Alien Flop

Stoli and Solitude

Coming Home

Skippy

Page 31

Page 35

Page 38

Page 49

Page 41

Comics

Sorceress

Horror of Colony 6

Artist Spotlight, Gordon Napier

Wired

Worst Case

Dept 13

Page 48

Page 53

Page 58

Page 62

Page 66

Page 72

Non-Fiction

The Naming of Names

The Real Tatooine Planet

Page 77

Page 80

I was looking over some old games I had laying

around and got to thinking about which games are the

best of the best in the Sci‐Fi ield. Hmm, working up

this kind of list can be fun; you can relive great battles

waged long ago in the gaming arena, revisit past glory

and fun.

Well, here is my top ten list. This, of course, is my list

and will be different than yours. So send in your list

and we will post it for everyone to see.

Ogre

One of the irst games I even bought, this little gem

came in a limsy card board box, had cheap counters

and a limp map. The game, however, was a blast.

Huge cyber tanks blowing up stuff, what more could

a kid ask for? Steve Jackson is coming out with a new

version soon, so it's time to get more love out of this

great game.

Starship Trooper

This was an old Avalon Hill game based on Heinlein’s

book of the same name. It was a hex and counter

game like all of AH’s stuff and had some interesting

hidden movement rules and set up. I still have my

copy, all beaten up, with extra goodies including

information about the universe Heinlein created.

40K

Ok, if you have been in a gaming shop in the last 20

years you cannot help but know about 40K. You may

even have played it a few time or you may have

accumulated tons of armies and igures. The tabletop

gaming giant GW has been pushing this product for

decades and it still rules the tabletop market. I like

the setting, which is very dark and cool, plus the game

is well designed and the models are truly wild.

Gamma World

If you started playing games in the 80’s then you

know all about Gamma World and its wild mutant

animals and creatures. TSR put out several versions

of this game, not all of which were great. Wizards of

the Coast has a new version out for the 4th ed D&D

system, so the radiation based fun still lives on.

Rivets

Another little gem from Metagaming in the 80’s. Rivets

allowed you to play a robot factory that was at war

with other robot factories. The game was fast, simple

and fun. I still have a beaten up copy and even based

one of my own games on the idea.

Chitin

Like Rivets, Chitin was one of Metagaming’s

Microgames. This time around you play a hive of alien

bugs that battles other hives for resources. It was a

cool little game. Wish I could ind my old copy.

BattleTech

Yep, big robot mecha’s blasting it out. BattleTech was

an industry all onto itself: board games, card games,

miniatures, and books. You name it. For a time

BattleTech was the boss of Sci‐Fi games. Time and

tastes have left it in the heap of forgotten games, but it

still has a dedicated fan base.

Shadow Run

The 90’s were a dark time and the RPG that illed that

need was Shadow Run. Net Runners and Street mages

fought it out with magic, sci‐i and cyberware. It was a

cool setting, a great game and in the 90’s me and my

crew played it to death. In recent years it has had a

rebirth, and is regaining some popularity.

Rob

Avalon Games

Traveller

There were only a handful of RPG’s in the 80’s, and

Traveller was the only Sci‐Fi based system out there.

Well, the only one worth playing. Traveller allowed us

RPG geeks to ly spaceships and battle alien monsters

just like we did with D&D. It’s still alive today and has

an active player base.

Inﬁnite Horizons 2

New Adaptoid

By David Caffee

This issue we continue with the possible Adaptoids you can play in the Heritage setting.

Aquatic Diver

Diving adaptoids are designed to operate as well in the water as they

do on land. The ﬁrst members of this bloodline were created on the

planet Jaomi, whose surface is dominated by large lakes, shallow

oceans, land-locked seas and enormous wetlands. Jaomi is home to

both adaptoids and unaltered humans. Since the coming of the

world bridge, Jaomi has seen much of its population disperse

across the stars and now diving adaptoids live along side other

humans on a number of water bearing worlds.

Personality: Diving adaptoids tend to upbeat and energetic. They

take adversity with a smile and are hard to get down. Divers are fun

loving vagabonds who see little need to put down roots. Their culture

emphasizes sports, art and music. Diving adaptoids live to celebrate

and they have a holiday for almost any occasion.

Physical Description : Divers do not appear much different from

ordinary humans. They have small ears and noses and large eyes.

Their ﬁngers and toes are webbed to aid in swimming. Diving

adaptoids have pale skin with a slight blue tinge to it. The

biggest physical difference between divers and unaltered

humans is the divers’ enhanced lung capacity, which allows

them to hold their breath for long periods of time.

These adaptoids favor loose, comfortable clothing that is

often brightly colored and decorated with beads, seashells

and other simple ornaments. They disdain displays of

wealth and ﬁnd expensive clothing and jewelry to be

gaudy.

Inﬁnite Horizons 3

Language: Most divers speak some form of Jaomi but most are ﬂuent in other languages as well. Jaomi is a group of

character-based languages famous for their musical intonations. Many famous songs and poems have been produced in

Jaomi.

Society: These adaptoids make their homes in coastal cities on a number of planets. They prefer to settle on islands and

peninsulas in tropical climates. Divers have a carefree lifestyle and tend to show disdain for the rules and taboos of

others. While they usually follow the laws of their adopted homes, divers will also form their own communities where

strict rules are unwelcome.

Religion: Diving adaptoids are not uniﬁed as a culture and tend to adopt the customs of those they live around. For this

reason they do not have a common set of religious beliefs. Some divers have taken to worshiping the sea gods of

deep-water adaptoids.

Adventurers: Diving adaptoids are genetically predispositioned to be curious and crave excitement. They are natural

adventurers that can be found across human space acting as explorers, scientists and fortune hunters.

AQUATIC TRAITS (DIVER)

* A diver's base speed is 30 feet on land and while swimming.

* Natural telepathy: Diving adaptoids were engineered to have increased telepathic abilities. A character of this sub-type

can choose any ﬁrst level telepathic power that she can use once per day. Using this ability does not count against the use

of telepathic powers granted by a character class.

* +2 bonus to reﬂex saves. Divers are naturally athletic and quick.

* A diver receives a +4 bonus to all swim checks.

* A diving adaptoid can hold his breath for a number of minutes equal to ten times his Constitution modiﬁer. An

adaptoid with a Constitution modiﬁer that is 0 or less can hold his breath for ﬁve minutes. A diving adaptoid can remain

under water for twice as long if he does not exert himself physically. Divers must submerge themselves in water every 24

hours in order to keep their skin from drying out.

* Bonus Language: Divers gain one bonus language in addition to any they receive for having an intelligence bonus.

* Automatic Languages: Jaomi and Tradespeak. Bonus Languages: Any

Inﬁnite Horizons 4

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