ARC-6
300 years in the future, man begins to run out of resources on planet earth. In a constant search for new mineral and energy resources, as well as agricultural sites, 14 ARC’s, or Autonomous Robotic Colonizers, were sent into deep space, with crews of Runners, brainwashed cyborg couriers and voidmen, and thousands of colonists, put in stasis. All of the ships reached there destinations, except for one, ARC-6, the first of the secondary fleet, and the largest colony ship ever built, spanning over 60 square miles. A solar storm disabled the runners vision momentarily, causing a fatal error in a pilots reactions to a nearby planets gravitational pull. It was there, on a bitter frozen planet, that the new colonist were forced to survive, the ship abandoned by runners, there basic instructions telling them to begin colonizing. But without the tools and knowledge of the other colonists, most of the runners perished to the harsh alien wildlife, and the harsher climate. After a few years of lying abandoned in the wastes, the automated revival programs began, unfreezing to the barren and inhospitable world they now must live in. The colony construction devices in disrepair, and food spoiled and water corrupted, the uneasy alliance of these colonists, complete strangers to one another, they split into various unstable colonies and groups. Over 100 years after the crash, these colonies are now somewhat thriving, constructing advanced tools almost on par with those from the ARC. Any of these original colonizing tools or weapons are worth fortunes, almost made relics by the rarity of working parts and ammo.
Factions on ARC-6
-The Marines: Obviously, the marines. They were stationed on ARC’s to protect colonists from any hostility of natives or alien wildlife. They live inside the ARC, and have control over its reactor core. the reactor core hardly functions, but they have managed to squeeze enough power out of it to power a ramshackle stockade surrounding it. Most of its inhabitants are decedents of the original marines, or mercenaries from larger towns like Haven.
-The port of Haven: This is the only completely neutral settlement. Most of its inhabitants were craftsman or political leaders who set up the closest thing to the original colony plan. They make most of the areas air vehicles and, so the rumors go, have begun research on spaceships to transport them back. If so, the operation must be kept a tight secret, because none of the civilians there seem to know of any projects like it.
-The Forge: A nest of uneducated, impoverished laborers led under a fierce dictatorship. Bastein III leads this rampaging war machine in a cycle of greed and destruction. His factories belch out some much pollutants that the cloud of methane reactor fumes can be seen hundreds of miles away, in Haven. Nobody would want to go there, as they would probably be immediately shot.
-Bandits: Various gangs of terrorists, raiders, and marauders roam ARC-6, pillaging and killing to make a living.
-Strain-IV: a group of hackers and weapons designers who sell black market weaponry and other tools like military issue combat robots.
-Waste Courier Co: The largest group of runners alive, they carry messages from city to city due to the long range communication interference from a strange fluctuation in the planets magnetical field.
-The Bones: A group of mining communities settled into mountains across the planet, selling titanium and other minerals to cities like haven.
-the Ice barony: a group of upper class supervisors who live in a set of mansions on top of the ARC
So that’s my idea for a Burning wheel setting. Characters will be made using Gold, but using new traits, skills, lifepaths, and races. So yeah… pretty much not using gold. Rules for firearm engagements will be from the Burning sands setting, such as the vehicle chase, running out of ammo, and probably some other things.
Here’s what it will include:
-new lifepath settings, one for each of the factions, only Haven will be used for any other minor cities.
-new traits, such as more gun based traits, and traits representing the faction’s cultures and skills.
-new weapons and armor, as well as some new versions of faith, to represent different beliefs among colonies. The powers will be a lot more limited, focusing more on role play than use of abilities.
-a new weapon burner, for building your own custom guns and melee weapons. This will work by adding attachments and descriptors like “Rugged” which would give you a bonus to clear jams, but making your weapon heavier.
- a TON of more survival oriented skills, and the addition of hunger and thirst meters, which work like greed or hatred. When you reach ten, you dead.
That’s what I have so far, please add comments as to how I can pull this off while remaining true to Burning wheels mechanics and the main rule, fighting for what you believe.
