Rules Summary / Cheat Sheet

This is a well done rules summary for Eclipse Phase and proves very useful during play. 

Some Existential Facts

The horror in Eclipse Phase arises from the reality of unknowable existential threats. Well, here is a sample of knowable existential facts that will also help give you an appreciation of the game setting...

Reaper

The baddest morph in the game.

Reputation

Reputation Scores are another aspect of the EP setting that I find particularly compelling.

In the post-scarcity world of nano-fabrication (at least in polities where access to fabbers is not artificially restricted) old world economic theory breaks down and money loses its meaning. In these places reputation is the new currency, but it’s not just a substitute for cash and it’s not spent in the same way.

In reputation economies everyone’s every interaction with others is assessed, reviewed, scored and ranked (mostly automatically by muses running algorithms tuned to their clients preferences) and shared via a host of peer-to-peer social networks. The resulting aggregate values provide uncannily accurate indices of a person’s social standing and clout as relates to a given demographic - the higher the rep score on a particular network, the higher the individual’s standing among those who make up that network.

The scores are basically tangible measures of social credit against which people can borrow access to community resources or acquire unique items or services from others within their various networks. This credit can be temporarily tapped to gain assistance, access or specific items, in a kind of pay it forward favor system. As long as you do not go to the well too often (without reciprocity) or too aggressively (asking more than you deserve or not waiting your turn) you can get what you need and any resulting reputation drain will restore itself naturally over time.  If you ask a lot (on a short turn around, or with lots of challenging or dangerous caveats) you have to “burn” reputation to get it, permanently reducing scores in given networks as you press, demand, browbeat, threaten or take what you want from of others.

Though the game mechanics describes Rep Scores like the numbers that pop up over the heads of video game characters when they power up, I think the setting intention is that they are more like stock prices listed on an exchange - constantly shifting values monitored, compiled and statistically verified by ubiquitous and invisible AI systems, then posted via the various networks. Accordingly, whenever you consider a person (look at him with AR, ping her mesh ID, interact in simulspace, check a social network, etc.) you also see/get meaningful rankings of the individual’s true and tangible social worth.    

In the course of play, your decisions and actions can raise or lower your scores in specific networks, and maintaining, building and ultimately spending your reputation creates interesting in-game and meta-game effects, motivations and roleplaying opportunities - far more interesting than just earning and spending money. Accordingly, with seven primary, system-wide social networks and dozens of smaller, more specific or obscure ones, keeping track of the ongoing fluctuations of each character’s Rep Score is challenging. This brings me to my purpose.  

My intention is that we will use this Google spreadsheet as a sort of Reputation balance sheet where each of you will be responsible for tracking your character’s Rep favors, “burns” and rewards. I find this shared, online mechanism particularly apropo since the whole Rep system in-game is an entirely peer-to-peer online phenomena, and I love me some gaming verisimilitude.

Yes. It. Does.

Muses

One of my favorite elements in EP is the use of muses - the limited, personal AIs via which everyone interacts with digital resources. Usually acquired in childhood most people keep the same muse program for life, upgrading and developing it as they grow and change themselves. Muses have learning algorithms and are ultimately able to customize and anticipate on their own, giving their users what they want or doing what they need, often before being asked for it. For most, the relationship becomes personal and reassuring, an extension of one's own personality that becomes a constant and loyal companion.

Most people customize their muses to fit their own sensibilities - some have avatars that appear/behave as relatives, famous people, fictional characters, historical figures, alien creatures, cartoons, anthropomorphic inanimate objects - whatever. Some interface through spoken words, AR, full VR, induced recall, encrypted symbology, interpretive dance, or their own exotic, two-user languages - however the user cares to develop his/her/its/theys muse.

Some of the practical uses of muses are described on page  EP-244. These are extensive, but I anticipate that clever players such as yourselves are likely to make even more robust use of muse capabilities. Accordingly I want to collect some specific information about each of your characters' muses using another questionnaire. They are essentially mini-NPCs in their own rights and since I will be role playing them I want to know how you imagine your muse so I can portray it appropriately.

Character Questionaire

Here is the EP character questionnaire I promised. My intention is to collect essential information that I can use to custom build the upcoming campaign to fit not only my story, but your characters and their goals, and your interests as a player. I can't do this however, unless you answer these questions - and some of you are notoriously recalcitrant about doing your RPG homework. So, I am sending this out now so that even the most reluctant of you will have plenty of time to hunt and peck your way through your answers before we start the new game. Additionally, coming up with answers to these questions should also help you come up with and finalize your character concepts.

Not to worry. If you decide to change your answers as you go through the chargen process, just submit a new form and I will delete the old. Note - please use this form rather than send me notes in an email. Doing so allows me to easily compare player answers as well as quickly find specific information for which I might be looking. 

Character Concepts and Creation

I wanted to offer some general guidelines for character creation and encourage you all to get started on the process. EP chargen is on the more complex end of the spectrum and will take some time and thought.

1. As a sci-fi game, a party of the usual archetypes is fine, but due to the setting's environmental, technological and sociological diversity it will prove useful to make sure that all the essential roles are covered.

2. With intention, the process allows individual characters to be very good in a couple of areas - like pilot/weapons specialist, or medic/computer hacker, or social manipulator/infiltration expert. Generalists are viable/fun too, but difficulty penalties are common, so even then it would be good to have some focus.

3. As long as you don't get too crazy or exotic, I am fine with just about any character concept and starting morph you want to play, recognizing that the variety of polities in the solar system will make life interesting (and more fun!) for anyone in the ends of any curves. The core book and supplements have lots of sample characters you can use for inspiration - or simply use.  

4. The EP core book uses a point-buy char-gen system. The latest supplement, "Transhuman," introduces a package-build system. They are supposed to be fully compatible so feel free to use the one you prefer. Whichever you use, build your characters using the standard starting values.

5. EP has features (like point-buy and negative traits) that allow you to make characters with "realistic" skills, interests, knowledge and meaningful disadvantages. Be creative and try to build characters that will provide us cool roleplaying hooks and opportunities.

6. The only restriction I have for your characters is that you build them based on an origin and history (ethnicity, nationality, family, job, personal problems) on Pre-Fall Earth or in Earth orbit. There is a lot of sociopolitical coolness in the setting but to take advantage of it we have to have some potential for conflict.

7. Do not worry about initially kitting out your characters. This will happen in-game, so don't bother with starting gear or money.

8. Once it seems like you have all settled on a concept, morph and background, I will send around a Google Survey to collect some specific information about each of your characters. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions or want to bounce around some ideas.

Bill has generously bought a group license for us for "Singularity" - the Eclipse Phase character generator. Thanks Bill!

Coolest thing?

One of the coolest things about Eclipse Phase? The PC is the one on the left.

Books and Setting

Posthuman Studios has made the entire EP line available free online as a nod to one of the central themes (post-scarcity, digital economies) in the setting. However, please consider purchasing the books or PDFs to help support this exceptional game.

As the campaign begins, less will actually be more as I intend to exploit what I suspect is a general group unfamiliarity with the setting. Accordingly, if you have not already read (or read much) of the setting material, hold off until the game is underway, as doing so will enhance the initial premise and experience. Similarly, please do not read any of the published scenarios - I may or may not be stealing bits and pieces here or there and want to avoid potential spoilers.

You are encouraged however, to read and learn as much of the game mechanics chapters (including the equipment) as you are willing - the system is very crunchy and I will need everyone's help to make it work smoothly. This means you Wellington...

How Soon They Forget...

Your mind is software. 

Program it.

Your body is a shell. 

Change it.

Death is a disease. 

Cure it.

Extinction is approaching. 

Fight it.

Ten years ago Earth was lost to an insidious, nightmarish, ultimately apocalyptic campaign of extermination by an unknowable number of post-singularity entities digitally mutated from human-made seed AIs known as Total Information Tactical Awareness Networks. Within six months civilization unraveled and humanity began abandoning the planet, lifting or farcasting away as fast as resources, ships and facilities allowed, retreating to outposts in orbit, on the moon, Mars and beyond. Within 12 months the Earth was a quarantined wasteland and the TITANS had inexplicably vanished. Barely five percent of the billions crowding the planet made it off and most of those only as infomorphs dumped directly into cold storage. These refugees now live in planetary settlements and orbital habitats scattered across the solar system, variably trying to get on with their lives and waiting for the other shoe to drop. How soon they forget…