Recreating a Ebon Magistrate Operative

[Coldwyn]

Hi there, fellow roleplayers.

I found the unit: Assault Commando - Ebon Magistrate Shock Troops (TRO 3085, p. 216) quite intriguing and set about recreating one as a legit AToW character.
My assumptions: Looking at the period, tech availlable and closeness to Manei Dominii Zombies, either the MIM infiltrated the WoB or MIM was infiltrated by WoB. Either way, the MoC managed to get a grip on WoB tech and recreate it.
The following basic character is a MoC orphan, specifically chosen by MIM to be sent to WoB and be trained there, then retrieved for own purposes. I´m aiming for someone closer to my own age, so it´s easier to "get in character", meaning starting age is 35, with 6400 Exp to spent.

Basics: Affiliation Magistracy of Canopus basic plus Word of Blake. We are a war orphan, so no know relatives, no ties to society:
STR 100
BOD 100
RFL 100
DEX 100
INT 150
WIL 250
CHA 150
EDG 250

Skills are broader than usual:
Communication/Conventional   10
Interest/Writing of jerome Blake   25
Interest/Writing of the Master   15
Language/English   20
Language/Spanish   20
MedTech   15
Negotiation   20
Perception   20
Protocol/Magistracy   5
Protocol/Word of Blake   10
Streetwise/Magistracy   15
Technician/Any   10

Our traits are a bit overwhelming at that point:
Compulsion/Paranoia   -50
Compulsion/Traumatic Memories   -100
Connections   75
Enemy   -100
Enemy/ComStar   -100
Equipped   130
Gregarius   100
Illiterate   -50
Introvert   -50
Reputation   -225
Sixth Sense   150
Wealth   -100

Flexible Points:
On the bright side, we have 3*15 and 3*25 (Atr/Trait) still open, that´s not bad.

EXP spent so far: 1170.

[Coldwyn]

The next step is straith forward: War.

We´re going to Military School and that´s it. Why? Because the TPTB see a conflict coming and want us ready.

CHA 200

Skills:
Career/Soldier   25
Computers   35
Interrest/Any   30
Interest/Military History   40
Leadership   20
Martial Arts   30
Medtech   10
Melee Weapons   20
Protocol/Word of Blake   30
Running   30
Small Arms   50
Strategy   10
Swimming   30

Traits:
Connections   50
Fit   15
Rank   20
 .... and we still got 40 more points to spent on skills.
So far, we spent 1670 Exp.

[Coldwyn]

Now it gets a little bit tricky:
We´re going to repeat stage 3 as we´re shoe-horned into two different paths. On the one hand, we´re "regular" members of the WoB and have to learn all about our duty as acolytes, on the other hand we are either being groomed as Manei Domini or feel the growing power of the Ebon Magistracy, Either way, we supplement our formal technical education with very good field-ops skills.

University. Fields - Communications, HPG Technician.
Intelligence Operative Training. Fields - Basic Training, Scout, Special Ops.

INT 400
WIL 575
CHA 225
plus 50 free points floating.

Our new skills will be:
Acrobatics/Freefall   30
Acting   50
Administration   30
Career/Communications   30
Career/Soldier   30
Comms/Conventional   90
Comms/HPG   30
Computers   105
Cryptography   30
Demolitions   30
Disguise   30
Interest/Any   20
Language/Any   30
Martial Arts   30
MedTech   30
Navigation/Ground   30
Perception   25
Protocol/Magistracy   50
Protocol/Word of Blake   20
Security Systems/Any   30
Sensor Operations   30
Small Arms   60
Stealth   60
Streetwise/Any   30
Survival/Any   30
Tracking/Any   60

And our traits:
Wealth   -300
In For Life   -300
reputation   -25
Equipped   50
Alternate ID   50
Wealth   50
Connections   600
Rank   250

... at 5that point, we have some additional 370 EXP floating.

[Maelwys]

Hi there, fellow roleplayers.

I found the unit: Assault Commando - Ebon Magistrate Shock Troops (TRO 3085, p. 216) quite intriguing and set about recreating one as a legit AToW character.
My assumptions: Looking at the period, tech availlable and closeness to Manei Dominii Zombies, either the MIM infiltrated the WoB or MIM was infiltrated by WoB. Either way, the MoC managed to get a grip on WoB tech and recreate it.

Its an interesting concept. There's a third option, mainly that the Magistracy simply saw a good idea with their advanced medical technology and did something with it. After all, much of the cybernetic technology wasn't designed by the MD, they just made the most of it (admittedly, they advanced some of the base technologies, but alot of the stuff was already there, or developed by someone else first, they just spent the money to heavily equip their people). But that's a debate for another time and place. :)

The character looks interesting so far. I find it kind of interesting that you with the HPG Technician/Intel operative roll, rather that Military/Intel. Of course, since its the RPG, nothing says you have to go through the traditional military, so its an interesting twist. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

Implants...might be an issue.

[Nerroth]

As it happens, Mendrugo posted his own speculation on the Ebon Magistrate's origin over in this thread.

[Coldwyn]

Let´s move on. The Jihad happens and we´re moving from MIM duty to heavy duty EM fieldwork, meaning we repeat this stage, too, and do covert operations (periphery), followed by a tour of duty (periphery). Our EXP account looks pretty grim towards the end.

BOD 225
WIL 675

On skills, we gain:
Leadership   15
Interest/Any   20
Acting   25
Melee Weapons   25
Security Systems   25
MedTech   30
Disguise   35
Throwing Weapons   35
Martial Arts   40
Navigation/Any   40
Protocol/Magistracy   40
Administration   50
Career/Soldier   50
Driving/Any   50
Negotiation   50
Small Arms   60
Interogation   65
Perception   65
Survival/Any   125

Here we have the option to spent 300 EXP on field-based skills. Not too bad.

On traits, we gain:
Alerternate ID   135
Compulsion/Gambling   -35
Connections   50
Enemy   -75
Equipped   100
In For Life   -110
Introvert   -35
Sixth Sense   50
toughness   50

Add 100 free EXP.

[Coldwyn]

Fooling around with the stats for a bit...
If I remember correctly, a character using specops implants should have BOD 8 and WIL 8.

So, at this point, the stats will look like this:
STR 4
BOD 8
RFL 4
DEX 4
INT 6
WIL 8
CHA 8
EDG 1

The skill list is huge, the skill levels themself quite good and the net us 135 EXP after shaving:
Acrobatics/Freefall   50
Acting   80
Administration   80
Career/Communications   50
Career/Soldier   170
Comms/Conventional   80
Comms/HPG   30
Computers   170
Cryptography   30
Demolitions   50
Disguise   50
Driving/Ground   50
Interest/Historical Whores   80
Interest/Military History   30
Interest/Writing of jerome Blake   20
Interest/Writing of the Master   20
Interogation   50
Language/English   80
Language/Spanish   20
Leadership   30
Martial Arts   120
MedTech   120
Melee Weapons   50
Navigation/Ground   80
Negotiation   50
Perception   170
Protocol/Magistracy   80
Protocol/Word of Blake   80
Running   30
Security Systems/Any   50
Sensor Operations   30
Small Arms   230
Stealth   80
Strategy   20
Streetwise/Magistracy   50
Survival/Urban   170
Swimming   30
Technician/HPG   30
Throwing Weapons   30
Tracking/Urban   80

Meanwhile, traits could look like this:
Bionic Replacement/Eye -4
Compulsion/Gambling -1
Compulsion/Medical -2
Compulsion/Paranoia -2
Compulsion/Traumatic Memories -2
Connections 5
Dark Secret -2
Elective Myomer/Arm -6
Elective Myomer/Full Body -7
Enemy/ComStar -1
Enemy/Word of Blake -1
Equipped 3
In For Life -3
Introvert -1
Lost Limp /Arm -5
Rank 2
Reputation -2
Sixth Sense 4
Wealth -1

[Coldwyn]

Adding in the equipement:
I asume, so far, that no sepparate trait is needed to upgrade an bionic/myomer item.
Elective Myomer, Full Body, Armor Implant, TSM: BOD +2, STR +8, RFL +4, CHA -1, Toughness, 4/4/3/4, Unatractive, Pain Resistance
Bionic Arm, Electromagnet, Needler: STR +1 3/4/4/3 +1 Melee AP
Multi-modal cybernetic exe, IR, laser sight.

This should modify the stats up to:
STR 13
BOD 10
RFL 8
Dex 4
INT 6
CHA 5
EDG 1

Looking at the poor Wealth and Equipped traits, that character would lose his standard gear (MoC Armor, Ebony Assault Laser) but can barely afford a flak west, autopistol and vibro-axe, otoh, that character should be able to got toe-to-toe with an armed elemental with that stats.

[Coldwyn]

What I can´t figure out at that point:
- Try as I might, I can´t fit a pain shunt in.
- Try as I might, I can´t get points into support gun skills
- Where the hell does the ability to use a support weapon at reduced crew come in?

[Coldwyn]

Finaly, my calculations say I´ve got 209 free EXP to spent.
I´d got the route of reasigning 100 EXP to Gregraious, cancelling out the Unatractive trait, useing 100 more points to cancel out the welth malus and invest the rest in skills.

Its an interesting concept. There's a third option, mainly that the Magistracy simply saw a good idea with their advanced medical technology and did something with it. After all, much of the cybernetic technology wasn't designed by the MD, they just made the most of it (admittedly, they advanced some of the base technologies, but alot of the stuff was already there, or developed by someone else first, they just spent the money to heavily equip their people). But that's a debate for another time and place. :)

The character looks interesting so far. I find it kind of interesting that you with the HPG Technician/Intel operative roll, rather that Military/Intel. Of course, since its the RPG, nothing says you have to go through the traditional military, so its an interesting twist. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

Implants...might be an issue.

Concerning the tech, I find it interesting that the MoC is "finding" new stuff all the time, since they met the WoB, like cyborgs, warships and mechs.

[Maelwys]

Well, they didn't really. The MoC has been making use of cybernetics in high-end Pleasure Circuses since the Star League era. The combat cybernetics are a bit trickier. They've been around for a while, just not used much. The big one that the Ebon Magistrate uses, the Myomer Armor is a Capellan invention, so its not that surprising that the Magistracy managed to grab a hold of that for use. As for finding other things...the Magistracy has been doing something like that for decades, both in real life and game terms. Its always been one of their weird quirks that pop up every so often.

Now, I'm not saying your wrong about the connection, there could be something there, but its got about as much evidence as all the other conspiracy theories :)

- Where the hell does the ability to use a support weapon at reduced crew come in?

That's just for the Total Warfare game when creating infantry platoons. For the RPG it probably traslated into the bonuses to strength and body.

Man, now I can't think. Cybernetics can take a character past the maximums, right?

[Coldwyn]

Man, now I can't think. Cybernetics can take a character past the maximums, right?

Way past the maximum. Strength score would be the best example. Careful application of cybernetics should allow around up to 15 additional points, battle armor would still increase this. This means it´s possible so create a character with around 30ish strength. Scary thought.

That's just for the Total Warfare game when creating infantry platoons. For the RPG it probably traslated into the bonuses to strength and body.

There are boni to strength and body. Hm, try as I might, I don´t recall seeing a strenth / carrying mass table. Maybe it´s as simple as saying "ok, you can heft the mass of a heavy support laser on your own, you don´t need further crew"?

Well, they didn't really. The MoC has been making use of cybernetics in high-end Pleasure Circuses since the Star League era. The combat cybernetics are a bit trickier. They've been around for a while, just not used much. The big one that the Ebon Magistrate uses, the Myomer Armor is a Capellan invention, so its not that surprising that the Magistracy managed to grab a hold of that for use. As for finding other things...the Magistracy has been doing something like that for decades, both in real life and game terms. Its always been one of their weird quirks that pop up every so often.

Now, I'm not saying your wrong about the connection, there could be something there, but its got about as much evidence as all the other conspiracy theories  :)

Oh, it´s not a conspiracy theory in itself, it´s just stuff I had to come up with in an ongoing rpg campaign.
I based that EM/WoB possibility in the following factors:
- Both CapCon and MoC let WoB in on a limited scale.
- Kali got into the whole WoB, which in turn created two infected warrior houses and recreated the thugees
- At around the same time, MIM got big-time funding, creating the EM, whom are undistinguishing from standard MD troops
- More or less simultaniously, there are two very capable MD copycats around.

Adding to that:
- The ebony assault rifle is freaking high-tech, very much en par with CS/WoB equipment and eclipsing clan standard. Wow.
- A side branch of the MIM started to manufacture it´s own mech? Sure, it´s an 25 ton capella-style mech, but where did the manufactoring capability come from?
- A faction w/o warship production capability, waiting to get it´s first Feng Huang, suddenly coming up with a Vengeance......

[Acolyte]

The strength carrying capacity is in the combat section pg 170.

   - Shane

[Coldwyn]

The strength carrying capacity is in the combat section pg 170.

   - Shane

Hi Shane and thanks for the tip.
A quick claculation gives this character the option to carry an heavy support laser, MoC standard armor kit, ebony assault rifle, vibro axe and some granades without being encumbered...

[guardiandashi]

well I know its not listed in the current resources, but there was a "waldo" for the MP-PPC in the old 3026 tro in the infantry section at the back, turned the mppc from a crew served unit into a "heavy rifle" IE a person can pack it like a rifle, my thought is if you can pack the gun (easilly) why can't you use it

the MP ppc in that book weighed 50kg and basically required the waldo, or an exoskeleton to use it as a single person weapon

the exo required a body of 8 under that system to use and the stat range was 2-12 in the table with 6 being the "average" no plusses or minuses to cost so honestly I would translate that in ATOW as needing ~a 5-6 to have the str to use the waldo but it gives an effective +2 or so str for the puropses of encumberance (only relating to the weapon in the arm the waldo is on) IE you have a 6 str meaning you are starting to get encumbered @ 40kg, but for the purposes of the gun you are treated as being closer to having an encumberance limit of 70kg  thus making it so the 50kg mppc is treated as if it only weighs 20kg

[Maelwys]

Hmm. Strange. The Elective Myomer implants make sure to tell you that the strength bonus is just for using that arm..where as the strength bonus from the Type 5 implant seems to be overall...weird.

Amusingly, no ATOW character can get the Ebony Laser Rifle strictly by RAW unless using the "Assigned Gear" rules because of the way the ratings work.

[Coldwyn]

Hmm. Strange. The Elective Myomer implants make sure to tell you that the strength bonus is just for using that arm..where as the strength bonus from the Type 5 implant seems to be overall...weird.

What´s weird there? "Full Body" seems to me to be a bit overall.

Amusingly, no ATOW character can get the Ebony Laser Rifle strictly by RAW unless using the "Assigned Gear" rules because of the way the ratings work.

While I think there´s an error in need of errata there, at least it goes along with the fluff: a very specialized weapon, quite expensiv, manufactored for a special force only, it could be seen as reasonable that this item is not availlable on the open market.

[Maelwys]

What´s weird there? "Full Body" seems to me to be a bit overall.

Sorry, I meant the Arm elective myomer implants has a little notation that states that the strength bonus is only for actions involving that arm (as opposed to overall), while the Type 5 Myomer replacement Arm's strength bonus doesn't have such a restriction printed.

While I think there´s an error in need of errata there, at least it goes along with the fluff: a very specialized weapon, quite expensiv, manufactored for a special force only, it could be seen as reasonable that this item is not availlable on the open market.

Oh, I know it fits the fluff. I just sort of found it amusing when I realized it.