Assimilators, Crusaders, Invaders, and Violators - I

I mean just look at this stuff

The concept artwork for Destiny is the main inspirational source for this campaign. It's only fitting
that the alien species that I have in mind take a lot of inspiration from the early enemy concept art and design work for both the games. They have a lot of neat themes and ideas buried in there that I really want to take advantage of.

I love it!

In the year 2896, Earth and the Sol System are continuously threatened by various alien species who seek to claim it for their own ends. But this isn't a joint effort, to the point that the aliens are just as willing to fight each other over the scraps of humanity as they are to fight humanity itself. Suffice to say, the entire system is an absolute mess. Let' take a look at who's stirring it up.

The Dishonored 

Ghouls from the Void

Lens: Greed and Treachery

Disgraced. Wandering. Wanting. These raiders are here from the beyond the galaxy to plunder and pillage, forever seeking what was denied to them. The term "Dishonored" refers collectively to the splintered Great Sects of this species, though each Great Sect has their own agenda, regalia, and nature. They don't appear to have a unified leadership as their inner politics are plagued with treachery and scheming; their High Seat has long been empty as a sign of their unworthiness and fall from grace. Any alliance between Sects is temporary at best. The Great Sects themselves each venerate an aspect of the their esoteric and many-eyed deity, who is said to have laid their species low in its great displeasure long, long ago. As a result of this slight, they lost the divine energy they were imbued with and have been searching the stars for a long-term replacement for many millennia*. They are essentially husks of their former selves craving for divine sustenance they may never find.

The Dishonored are known to use human thralls.

They were the second species from outside the galaxy to arrive in the Sol System. For the survivors of humanity who were struggling after the End, the Dishonored armada arrived and declared a great crusade to gut the remains of the system. The crusade quickly dissolved into infighting as the 9 Great Sects turned on each other. Today, these vile scavengers are picking at the carcass of humanity's civilization and have rooted deep, erecting great towers to dock their massive stronghold ships. Extremely potent warriors and pilots, they issue forth from their towers piloting deadly ships filled with terrible machines of war and destruction.

The Dishonored are taking advantage of the rich energy conditions of the Sol System to fuel their energy requirements. The roiling tides of pure power are not unlike what their deity granted them long ago. They harvest theses great fonts of power, the innate energy of lives, and especially the meta-dimensional rich sources such as MES-afflicted and Souls to sustain their parasitic existence. 

*Some Sects (Minor and even some Great) have found a suitable replacement in the Shadows that occur naturally in the wake of the End in the Sol System. These Sects are predictably very bad news.

Great Monuments of Ruin

Mechs for SWN

Art by Aaron de Leon

Armored Exoskeleton General Infantry Suit (AEGIS) S-Series 

Class: Suit
Cost: 221,000

Armor: 8 against non-heavy

Speed: 6 

HP: 10

AC: 17

Power: 5/0 free

Mass: 10/3 free

Weaponry: Shoulder-mounted TL4 Heavy Machine Gun (3d6#, AP 5, Ammo)

Fittings: Antigrav Nodes, Cargo Space Compartments (100 kilos)

The AEGIS S-Series was a breakthrough for mech-related Mandate military doctrine. With decent armor, high speed systems, extended antigrav flight capabilities, and a potent shoulder rotary cannon, the AEGIS was the definition of a flexible combat platform. While not as hardy as frontline series suits, it more than made up with its versatility. This made it the baseline for advanced milspec suits for almost the entirety of the Prosperity Era.

Due to its popularity and flexibility, it is unsurprising that a relatively large number of suits survived the devastation of the End of the Era of Prosperity. Recovered from derelict space supply depots or locked within long-lost Mandate Armory facilities, the AEGIS S-Series can still be found rising unexpectedly to meet their foes. 

Art by Shinku Kim

Defense/Assault Next Generation Reinforced (DANGR) Suit

Class: Suit
Cost: 195,000

Armor: 12 against non-heavy

Speed: 4

HP: 15*
AC: 18 

Power: 10/2 free

Mass: 5/0 free

Weaponry: Shoulder Anti-Vehicle Laser Battery (3d10, AP 15)

Fittings: Void Thrusters

Sturdy. Simple. Strong. The DANGR Suit marked the creation of a stock milspec exosuits. Built with more system redundancies and advanced armor plating, it proved far more durable, hardy, and were far cheaper than more specialized suits. This came at the cost of in-the-field flexibility however. Standard fitted with a heavy-duty laser battery and thrusters for orbital drops and void operations, the DANGR Suits were more limited in overall capability. They were, however, perfect for spearheading void military operations and being at the front of any planetary excursions.

The DANGR Suit is also quite notable for being one of the few mech series that the Redoubt is still capable of manufacturing and even modifying.

Art by Shinku Kim

Advanced Reconnaissance/Mobility/Attack/Defense Array (ARMADA)

Class: Light
Cost: 935,000

Armor: 10

Speed: 5

HP: 30
AC: 15

Power: 10/0 free

Mass: 20/ 0 free

Weaponry: Light Laser Carbine (3d8, AP 10)
Defenses: Morphic Silhouette Damper

Fittings: Active Camo Surface, Cargo Space (1000 kilos), Drop Sheathing, Grav Chutes, Skywatch Drones

The insectoid ARMADA was designed with small squadron operations in mind and was a potent special operations combat platform. It represented the some of the most advanced technology in personal stealth capabilities. Lined with advanced holoprojectors and chromatic paneling, this machine was made for rapid covert reconosience and surprise engagement rather than prolonged sorties. Not designed for frontline combat, it's advanced shell is nonetheless all but immune to small arms fire. What's more, its laser carbine and back racks of drones make it into a potent ranged skirmisher which can deal with a wide range of targets and operations.

The recovery of an ARMADA is always a great score for a Warden, its fast and precise nature finding a good home in the common doctrines of war in the Redoubt. It's advanced stealth and recon capabilities could be the difference between a successful mission and a shattered Soul. 

BLACK SUN VI: The Heirs and The Verge

Ethereal Looks and Transient Vibes

Destiny's Awoken always seemed like a concept that lost a little bit of something in its transition from concept to in-game. In-game, they just seemed like blue people to me. They didn't have the mystic and otherworldly look that their original art had. They lost the "otherness" in their look. Their lore is quite interesting, but I can't help but lament how their design changed to look in-game.

Look! It's...just a blue person

Since BLACK SUN is heavily inspired by the original designs and artwork of Destiny, I want the posthumans of the setting maintain that ethereal and almost transient look that a lot of the early art had. This should also reflect in their nature. To that end, the BLACK SUN will have the Heirs and their home amongst the ruins, the Verge. 

The Heirs to Humanity

Warden Heirs are a rarity

The Heirs are an species of psychic posthumans who live amongst the ruins of the Asteroid Belt. More than mere MES afflicted humans, they are natural fonts of meta-dimensional energies. Their stark blue-white skin has an ethereal almost luminescent quality to it. Their eyes are perfectly white pits that see beyond where we cannot. Their hair is so white as to practically shine and moves in wind that is not our own. Perhaps this is the same cosmic wind that allows them to effortlessly defy gravity and pass through the air, paying no heed to the rules of our reality.

The Heirs are living multidimensional anomalies and despite being an offshoot of humanity, their forms only have notional similarities to that of the human form. They require food, air, and water. They can become fatigued and require rest, or be injured and bleed. This is all because they are beings that still have a notion of humanity. The concept is potent enough to tie and direct the flow of their energies to the form and limitations of human flesh. They are self-defining in a sense.

Their exact origins are a mystery but what is known is this: they were once something greater and are now something lesser. For the Heirs are a stagnant species. Not that their population doesn't ebb and flow, but rather that all the Heirs that will ever be have been. Aside from those made in the lost events of the End, no new Heirs will ever be created. This is because Heirs are not born. They arrive. From eruptions and gusts of pure meta-dimensional energies, they are incarnated in our reality. Unchanging and mature, fully mentally developed but with feelings of having traveled long and far. Heirs are perhaps incapable of fully understanding exactly why, but they are all too aware that they feel restrained in their current existence. Like a prisoner who has forgotten what the skies themselves look like, they know they have gone away from something incredible but cannot find the words to describe its wonder.

Did  I mention that I love the environmental art too?

On the Verge

Mankind took full advantage of the Asteroid Belt during the Prosperity Era. Massive mining operations were launched to full the construction of orbital infrastructure for the planets and moons during the waves of human colonization. Hulking colony ships, massive orbital rings, numerous cylinder stations, mighty Mandate fleets, and more were created during this time. During the End, it was all turned to ruin and wreckage. Unable to flee the system or weather the storm, destruction swept through the system. It is among these corpses of mankind's mightiest machines and structures that the Heirs have created the impossible cities of their domain, the Verge. 

Distant and aloof from the Redoubt and the BLACK SUN, the Heirs of the Verge are ruled totally by the Twin Kings, two arch-psions who founded the Verge and have weathered the trials of many centuries. While not cruel, they are quite used to having their way and would like to maintain the current way of things. 

Not all Heirs live in the Verge, however. No small amount made their way to Earth and now reside in the Redoubt. These "grounded" Heirs are more in touch with the human side of their existence due to being away from their impossible cities and musings of higher existences. 

Through the Verge

BLACK SUN V: The Era of Prosperity

The BLACK SUN kindled the Prosperity Era. But we built it. We remember this with pride, even after so much else has been lost. We settled our solar system and filled it with our work. 

To have a sort of primer to expand on what I think is needed before proper play starts:

The time before the End was called the Era of Prosperity. It was centuries-long period in history when the human race achieved a very prosperous existence, having colonized the entire Sol System. The exact length of the Prosperity Era is unknown by the Redoubt. What is known is that humans lived longer, flew further, and knew more. Countless ancient diseases and hatreds were extinguished forever. Human aspiration gave birth to absolutely vast engineering projects, sweeping social movements, and even new forms of life.

When the BLACK SUN was incarnated in the Sol System and began terraforming the different planets and caused the natural onset of MES. Humanity reached out and made first contact. It taught humanity new powers and technologies that lead to the Era. Now that most of the system could support human life and armed with the incredible new technology to reach beyond Earth, vast waves of colonization and expansion began. Many groundbreaking research groups and wide reaching corporations existed during the Era. The Warminds were created and the first life from outside the system, the Shedimai, appeared (more on them later). 

The new discoveries that humanity made were geared towards the colonization of the system and other vital technologies such as SANIS, VI, and medicine. Other technologies, and Earth itself developed more slowly in comparison (in game terms we went from a TL3 society to a TL4+ in a very short period of time). This technology of the Era of Prosperity has not only attracted the attention of human survivors, but also the alien races that now occupy the system. From seeking to loot the Grand Archives of Venus, using the Warminds for vile purposes, to claiming the great Dust Palace of Mars and more. 

The End of the Era was almost a millennia from the present day. Enough time and strife has passed since the BLACK SUN's last stand against the ABYSM that many details about the Prosperity Era and how it ended, such as what, or whom, attacked and exactly how the BLACK SUN saved humanity have been forgotten or have passed into distant legend. 

BLACK SUN IV: Goals and Vices

So Stars Without Number leaves the exact nature of advancement open to the GM to determine. Anything from XP-from-gp style OSR play to goal-based progression systems. I think that for such a high power and diverse setting, a goal based progression system is the ideal. But I want something more...

Anyway, let's look at how I want to handle personal goals in the campaign.

Personal Goals and You

Since our PCs are using the Heroic rules, I want the scheme for XP rewards to be flexible and clear. I want the players to have a good way to gauge what they could get for their actions or what scale of action is needed to net a certain reward. To do this, I want to scale by difficulty of the Goal and/or The scope of the Goal's impact.

XP Reward Scheme

Difficulty	Scope of Impact	XP
EASY	Personal	+1 XP
MODERATE	Minor Local	+4 XP
DIFFICULT	Major Local/Minor World	+8 XP
VERY DIFFICULT	Major World/Minor System	+13 XP
EPIC	Major System	+24 XP

I think this gives a good way, at a glance, for me and my players to plan goals and evaluate goals. It seems flexible and while also meaning that the amount of XP that is gotten from something to be a surprise or to be an uncertainty. If you you want to earn serious XP you have to set goals that are appropriately difficult or grand is scale. It's a little bit of a mechanical incentive for players to push their characters into interesting and complex situations. 

That "something more..." Bit

As I said earlier, I don't just want goals to be the only source of XP in this game. I want a reliable and steady stream of a smaller amount to give players. Some games would give out "XP per session" or give a basic sum just for attending, but that's quite a wasted opportunity in my opinion. I don't want to reward just being there as that is the bare minimum to playing the game. No, I want this extra option to be something that can be actively engaged, can happen just about every session, and can add something to play at the table. Inspired by Dungeon World and Blades in the Dark, I will be using Vices in this game.

Vices

Imagine for a moment, that you are a Warden. Thrust from the dark unknown of death with broken or lost memories and no identity, into a seemingly endless and even hopeless war protecting the last miniscule fragment of humanity, fighting and traveling across the carcass of an immense solar empire. Add into that equation that you are also one of the most dangerous things in said system, blessed with immense power. That's the conditions in which these 'blank slates' develop new identities, personalities, and self-images.

Needless to say, Wardens are a diverse, bold, and heavily involved group of people in the current state of things. And they definitely aren't perfect. Far from actually. As expected, Wardens tackle the reality of their new and eternal servitude in a variety of ways. I call these Vices. Even the most noble of Wardens have one. Some may not be as obviously troublesome or questionable as others, but they all carry their own baggage and potential for conflict, obsession, and loss of self. They reflect the decline that one experiences when their existence is not their own.

When players make a character they choose a Vice from the following list. At the end of a session, if a character engaged a Vice in such a manner that it creates conflict, sends the story in an interesting direction, or just makes their life harder than it needs to be they gain 2 XP.

• FAITH: You've dedicated yourself fully to the BLACK SUN, or some aspect of it, etc.
• CHANCE: You crave games and displays of chance, betting, extreme risks and high stakes, etc.
• LUXURY: Expensive or ostentatious displays of opulence and greed, etc.
• OBLIGATION: You're utterly devoted to a faction, a cause, or other organization, etc.
• PLEASURE: Gratification from lovers, food, drink, drugs, art, thrills of experience, etc. 
• STUPOR: You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drink to excess, getting beaten to a pulp in the lethal fighting pits, etc. 
• WEIRD: You experiment with strange essences, tinker with unknown sciences, consort with questionable Shadows, observe bizarre rituals or taboos, etc. 

The severity or intensity of these Vices could range from minor quirks to character defining. Just because you picked FAITH doesn't mean you have to become some inquisitor, harshly punishing any blasphemy, but it should be an aspect that consistently influences decisions or comes into play.

I see these two approaches working quite nicely. I imagine early on that players will lean heavily on the consistent XP offered by Vices (helping flesh out their character and motivations) while Goals will carry the weight of the XP rewards as play progresses. I really look forward to seeing how this works out.   

BLACK SUN III: Character Creation and Mechanics

What's a mythic space epic without larger than life characters? Characters created for BLACK SUN use all the normal rules and guidelines for creating characters, and advancing in level unless noted below.

Warden with an Assault Suit and HMG

First, heroic PCs must roll 4d6 three times, dropping the lowest die each time and assigning these scores as desired among their Charisma, Intelligence, and Willpower. Their reforged bodies have Strength 14, Dexterity 14, and Constitution 14. If none of the rolls resulted in an 18, the PC may make one of their six stats an 18.

Heroic classes have additional benefits. These are listed in the Core Book and Codex.

Heroic PCs have half the max possible hit points for their class, level, and Constitution modifier, rounded up.

The Prime, the body gifted by the BLACK SUN, is a clear upgrade from the standard human body. It has the following benefits:

• Immunity to conventional diseases and natural toxins, and can only be afflicted by military grade bioweapons or ghoultech. 
• Being more resilient that the natural human body, they grant a basic AC of 12 and 5 extra HP. 
• It connects with a Soulstone (see BLACK SUN II: The Wardens)
• PCs start with an innate connection to this body that allows them to push the limits of their new body precisely when they are most needed. By accepting 2 System Strain points as an instant action, the character can raise any one physical attribute to 18 for the rest of the scene, though improved Constitution does not raise their hit points. This can be done for more than one attribute.  

Players also help fill out the cast of NPCs. Each player should name one NPC who is a close relationship with their character (a good friend, a lover, practically family, etc.) and name an NPC who is their rival or enemy. These will come up in play. 

As the last step of character creation, players should pick a name for their character (from the generator in the book or creating their own). If the character uses a nickname or callsign among the Wardens, they should make note of it. Finally, players should record a few evocative words that describe how their character looks (Wiry man with a mask and robes or fierce woman with a sharp uniform or huge and concealed behind heavy armor for example).

Starting Equipment and Gear

Life at Home

PCs begin play with 5,000 civilian grade credits and any amount of TL4 or below equipment, gear, or items that they can either comfortably carry on their person or fit in their current living arrangement (Regent barracks, civilian apartment, etc.). These will usually be their "off-duty" clothes, a car or other vehicle, communication devices, and related items.

They also have their faction garb and their service sidearm, a laser pistol with 3 Type A cells.

Taking STOK

PCs begin play as members of a fireteam. The fireteam is the foundation of the Warden militant organization, being a flexible and versatile combat unit. Each one is composed of a team leader and one to four Wardens, each with an informal role within the fireteam. 

In theory the ideal fireteam arrangement is four Wardens: two riflemen, someone with a support weapon, and someone with a supply of grenades or specialized grenade launcher. Standard field tactics usually have the two riflemen covering the support weapon operator, with the grenadier providing indirect fire to hard cover targets. Other equipment will vary depending on the operation and preferences of the Warden. 

In practice however, after Initiate operations some fireteams stick to this tried-and-true tactic while others abandon it entirely for extremely specialized, dangerous, or unusual approaches to combat. 

Regardless of preference or ability, all Warden Initiate fireteams are outfitted with the Standard Tactical Operations Kit (STOK). It consists of the following for each member of the fireteam: 

• Laser or Mag rifle 
• If Laser: 4 stowed packs of 3 Type A energy cells, 2 more readied, and one in the rifle
• If Mag: 4 stowed packed of 3 20-round magazines, 2 more readied, and one in the rifle
• 2 injections of Lift
• Icarus Harness 
• Vacc fresher 
• Helmeted mounted mil-spec compad 
• Stowed rations (6 days)
• Readied Monoblade (small advanced weapon)
• TL4 Field Pack

Total STOK Encumbrance: 

• Readied:  6
• Stowed:   7

Laser light goodness

Fireteam Roles

In addition to the STOK, certain fireteam roles can opt for more specialized equipment additions. Some common examples the Keepers Adepts are willing to grant Initiate fireteams:  

• Designated Medic: Carries a medkit, 2 bundles of 3 Lazarus patches, and 4 additional Lift injections
• Grenadier: Under-barrel TL4 grenade launcher, 2 clips of 3 launcher grenades, 4 grenades
• TL4 Under-barrel Grenade Launcher (DMG Special, Range 150/350, Magazine 3, Enc +1); fires against AC 11 at all ranges with a miss landing 1d20 meters away in a random direction. These grenades have the same general effects as their hand-thrown counter parts.  
• Communications: Milspec Comm Server (Range 500km, 1 Enc), Dataslab, 2 Type B cells. 
• Heavy Support: Replaces Icarus Harness with Assault Suit w/ Grav chute, 2 Type B cells, replaces rifle with:
• TL4 LMG (Dmg 2d8#, Range 500/2k, Cost 3000, Magazine 10, Enc 3) with 2 ammo cans (1 Enc, contain three belts worth of ammo)
• Anti-Tank/Demolitions: Carries a TL4 rocket launcher, 3 missiles, 4 demo charges. 
• Designated Marksman: Replace rifle with a TL4 Sniper Rifle and reduce ammo carried to 1 pouch, TL4 binoculars, survival kit. 
• "Point Man": Replace rifle with spike thrower, choice of personal advanced melee weapon.
• Field Agent: Replace rifle with TL4 submachine gun with one ammo pouch, replace Icarus Harness with Armored Undersuit w/ Grav Chute
• Optional: low-light goggles, survival kit, grapnel launcher, 3 Type A power cells. 

Your TL4 LMG might be the Garrison's Alex-647 Auto-Suppression Rotary Cannon 

A Note on Weapons and Gear

The nature of the setting and the simple nature of the equipment in this game means that we can really explore a lot of cool bits. Notable right away is that most of the Warden's standard issue weapons are upgraded to TL4. Likewise, not all of the tech in the ruins of the system is identical. Some varieties of weapons and gear might grant skill bonuses, do more damage, have an AC bonus, or offer some other perk. This is how I'm going to add flavor to the cool tech left over from the End and make choices that aren't milspec TL4 attractive and interesting! 

BLACK SUN II: The Wardens

In the BLACK SUN I post, I went over the broad background of the setting. This time I want to hone in on the how our characters will be interacting with the background and setting.

This requires some slight changes. Characters in Stars Without Number are fragile (and often desperate). To change this to something more in line with the setting as imagined, the PCs will come from the ranks of the Wardens rather than the desperate space scoundrels of vanilla SWN. I want the Wardens to be the pseudo-immortal avatars of the strange entity that is the BLACK SUN. Disconnected in so many ways from the world they were brought back to protect, yet so closely bound to its fate.

Destiny's Guardian concept art is gorgeous

Forgotten Slumber to Eternal Servitude

During the End and the centuries that followed, the Sol System was a slaughter house. From ~50 billion humans that had conquered the entire system to only ~0.1% of that being alive by the time the current campaign is set (around the year 2986). From the immense ranks of the ancient dead, the BLACK SUN reaches out and reincarnates those it deems worthy as its Chosen avatars.

So what happens when one of the dead is Chosen? Their corpse (or what's left of it) courses with viscus and black energy that grows and shifts into their new body. This body is mechanically equivalent to the Prime Shell in the core book. What's left of this ethereal sludge, effectively a fragment of the BLACK SUN, forms into the Soulstone of the Chosen. While their body is near perfection, their mind is far from. Their memories of their past lives exist only as hazy echoes and faint whispers, with only their skills and instincts remaining sharp and focused. As such, newly Chosen are effectively blank slates and highly impressionable. (Among the Wardens, pursuit of knowledge about past lives is taboo at best and outright forbidden at worst. The Regents haven't given an explicit reason for this.)

A Chosen can manifest their Soulstone as an On Turn action. If a character is reduced to zero hit points, it will automatically manifest over them and emit flairs of black and slime-like energy, automatically stabilizing the body. It is particularly vulnerable and noticeable during this state and can be targeted. It will survive anything short of a direct attempt to destroy them with a Heavy weapon or similar destructive force/situation. The Chosen's body follows normal rules and will die if further damage is inflicted, leaving the Soulstone to be recovered. The Soulstone can be transferred between BLACK SUN forged bodies, but more on that weird and occult process later.

Wardens have a weakness for personalization and customization of gear

The Wardens 

Almost all of the Wardens in the system pledge their potent skills to the Redoubt. These are the Chosen that have followed the call in the back of their minds to the BLACK SUN or have been picked up by a Reclamation Unit from whatever pit they awoke to. They have defended the Redoubt and the BLACK SUN for centuries with no end in sight. They handle the governing of the Redoubt as well as the coordination of military operations and discovery expeditions in the ruins of the system. The Wardens are divided into five factions called Regenices. Wardens almost exclusively make up the higher ranks of these factions, but there are rare exceptions. Each of these groups is lead by a recognized Regent who sits in the governing council of the Redoubt, the Convergence. The factions are:

• The Garrison, lead by High Commander Yin Song
• Its Wardens are called Guardians. 
• It is the largest of the five Regencies; it was the first to secure the bastion that would become the Redoubt and established the Convergence. 
• See cooperation and unity between Wardens as the key to leading humanity’s survival. 
• Primarily concerned with the Redoubts security, stability, and future.
• Manage and control the Redoubt Defense Force (R.D.F). 
• The Keepers of Infinity, lead by Prime Overseer KOTHAR-7
• Its Wardens are called Keepers.
• An elitist technocracy which looks to reclaim Prosperity Era technologies. 
• Maintain, control, and operate the Greater Grail and lesser Grails in the Redoubt.
• Resent reckless or careless use of resources and tech. 
• New Eternity Cult, lead by Black Hierophant Ilios Morn 
• Its Wardens are called Cultists
• Spiritual leaders of the Redoubt
• Warrior-scholars who revere and develop the powers of the BLACK SUN.
• Study MES, SANIS, Souls, psitech, and arcanotech development.  
• Freelancers, lead by Captain Carlos Arellano
• Its Wardens are called Lancers. 
• Value personal freedom and cooperation. 
• Want to protect and serve humanity, not lead it. 
• Supports outposts and settlement attempts outside of the Redoubt. 
• Outer Reach, lead by Seeker Lord Saladin Cross
• Its Wardens are called Outriders 
• Thrill-seeking explorers, daring pilots, and radical thinkers who largely see Earth itself as a lost cause. 
• Strive to find a new home for humanity and ascend past the miracles of the Prosperity Era by any means. 
• Have contacts in the Verge. 

The other notable groups in the Redoubt are the R.D.F. and the Hand. The R.D.F. being the mortal miliary of the Redoubt and the Hand being the elite cadre of Wardens that serve the Convergence directly. 

But mean bastards you need to hang

The Lost and Forlorn

Not all Chosen stay or even become Wardens in the Sol System. For some reason or another, certain Wardens abandon their eternal vigil or don't get picked up by a Reclamation Unit. These Chosen largely fall into two groups: Rouge Wardens and Outsiders. 

Rouge Wardens are those that abandon their duties to the BLACK SUN and pursue their own wants and desires with their powers. Some pursue dangerous maltech, others even more power, and some even offer their services to dark powers and alien conquerors in their conquests against humanity. 

Outsiders are those Chosen who shun the way of the Wardens but still use their abilities to protect humanity. Rumors speak of them actually being an organized collective with a shard of the BLACK SUN itself. Such rumors are obviously false. 

Without access to the support of the Redoubt, both of these groups resort to alternative means to ensure they are equipped to tackle the dangers of the system. More on both of these groups will come later.

Outsiders roaming the ruins of humanity

BLACK SUN I: Welcome to the End

A new year, a new game. To start off this year, I'll be running a Stars Without Number Revised campaign. What get this game stewing in my head was the concept art for Bungie's Destiny games. Far from the gameplay itself (I've never been a fan of loot'n'shooters), the concept and design work that went into that game is really something. Really I want this campaign to be "Destiny: The Concept Art but Not the Game!". In rule terms, this SWN game will be using a modified version of the "soft" transhumanism rules, heroic PCs, and space magic all confined to a single system, the Sol System, rather than a whole sector.

My other major influences that got into my mind during the making of this SWN campaign:

• Books:
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
• The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson
• Games:
• Anthem by BioWare Edmonton
• Dark Souls by From Software
• Death Stranding by Kojima Productions
• Destiny 1 & 2 by Bungie
• Music:
• Sabotage by the Beastie Boys
• Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin (a lot of Led Zeppelin if I'm honest)

Along with countless other pieces of art and media that wormed their way into my mind.

Relics of the Past

The Era of prosperity

We called it the BLACK SUN and its advent changed us forever. The Mandate learned much knowledge from it. Great bastions were built on Mars and Venus. Mercury became a lush paradise. Human lifespan tripled. The Soul was discovered. The Grails were constructed. It was an age of miracles. We looked out at the galaxy and knew that it was our fate to walk in the light of other stars. To walk with the wisdom and power granted by the BLACK SUN. But the incarnation of the BLACK SUN had an unforeseen consequence: the ABYSM, which haunted the black gulfs between the folds space for untold eons. Centuries after humanity’s Era of Prosperity had began, the ABYSM found us, and that was the End of everything.

A Warden in the Wastes

Many years from now...

Here hath the Earth been despoiled!

Centuries after the End, the Earth is in ruins. Civilization as it was known is no more. The infrastructure of the Mandate is in forgotten shambles. Contact with other planets has ceased entirely. The Earth itself has suffered as well. Some seas have been boiled away while others have surged inland. The worst continents are devoid of even the most basic life. Others have strange life abound. The landscape is scarcely recognizable as Earth in some areas. The unstable meta-dimensional currents of the system wreak havoc as wild energies rake across the void.

Humanity, or rather what is left of humanity, is currently in a dark age. Survivor enclaves on Earth live in small towns and outposts hidden away or dwell deep in the great ruins of Prosperity Era cities and abandoned Mandate bases. Post-human enclaves in the void seek to claim their independence from the ruined throne of humanity.

The largest concentration of humans live in the Redoubt, the last of the great bastions. Behind it’s walls and protected by the BLACK SUN, they are provided for by the last known Greater Grail, a massive synthesis engine that take raw feed-stock and fabricate it into almost anything imaginable.

From the ranks of the forgotten dead, the BLACK SUN reaches out and claims those worthy to wield a fragment of its might. These chosen are blessed with powerful Souls. Souls imbued with incredible power and capable of defying death itself. These eternal few are the Wardens, avatars of the BLACK SUN and the last hope for humanity.

The Wardens are not the only ones to take heed of the BLACK SUN. Drawn by the powerful call of the BLACK SUN, vile forces from outside the system have sunk their teeth deep into the various planets, including Earth. Alien warlords and conquerors, terrors from the void of space, rogue AIs of the Prosperity Era, and paracausal beings from beyond have turned their attention to the ruined realm of humanity.

Despite this, humanity and the Wardens are not without discord and conflict. Several ambitious factions and splinter groups have festered and grown with different ideas on how to wield the power of the BLACK SUN and what humanity must do to survive…or transcend further.
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Artwork by Piotr Jabłoński

The Index

This page will be used to catalog the content on this blog.

Black Sun 

BLACK SUN I: Welcome to the End
BLACK SUN II: The Wardens
BLACK SUN III: Character Creation and Mechanics
BLACK SUN IV: Goals and Vices
BLACK SUN V: The Era of Prosperity
BLACK SUN VI: The Heirs and the Verge