Lorekeeper: Marty
¶ Summary
"Having money gets you to the top of the corporations. Having no money makes you their slave. The third choice? Get a gun, find a job, and stay alive." - Tune II
Foresight's Continuum is an entire planet permanently in darkness and held together by a missing deity's power and the will of the planet's people.
It's a Cyberpunk-inspired world that uses the 5E ruleset with alternate applications of some abilities
¶ History
A goddess known simply by her ability of Foresight saw many terrible outcomes of the worlds in the Eyja system and provided many warnings through prophecy and text but they were all ignored. As the worlds fell barren from the their occupant's hubris, she managed to provide one a chance - a planet known as Foresight's Continuum.
Where some of the other planets in the Eyja system had already burned out and became cold and lifeless, the people of the once planet of Vlelur sought the wisdom of the deity Foresight. Using her strength of her ability to see future paths and an impressive amount of her power, she pulled a potential outcome from the future to the world, plunging it in darkness and accelerating technological growth. Vlelur became known as Foresight's Continuum, a place out of time and riding the ripple of her impressive, deific might.
After pulling technology across time and space, Foresight disappeared. Although her presence is still felt and she still grants powers to those who worship her, locating her or directly communicating with her have turned up empty results
¶ Visitors
Visitors find Foresight's Continuum jarring - magic is rarely seen if ever, but technology is so advanced that most people almost cannot believe it was built in absence of the arcane. The sounds are defeaning, food scarcity is nonexistant, and people live in unbelievable luxury. However, as with all societies, people fall through the cracks and that's where the danger of the planet lies - gold and items are worth very little in this futuristic world.
In turn, items taken from the Continuum seem to fade if taken away too far or too long, returning to their proper place in time. Only the focused will of someone dedicated to an object taken from there could keep it from fading away - a beloved cyberbike or a single firearm used in life-threatening situations may hold for significantly longer than a boat-load of luxurious beds or a haul of their synthetic vegetables.
There is a port - simply the North Port - for spelljammer ships to land. The Continuum has a customs process that is much easier the second time, as identification cards are issued after the first time. Unlike other items, these tiny sheets of crystals seem to maintain permanence - as to why is a dispute among sages. Payment in good or the local credit will allow docking and disembarking of passengers that are properly identified.
¶ Cities and Geography
Geography in detail at Geography of Foresight's Continuum
¶ Cities
Several cities have thrived in the Continuum
¶ North Port
Possible the most neutral of the cities, North Port allows many Jammers and other transit to visit Foresight's Continuum. The city is small by Continuum's size - perhaps 200,000 souls, and all of them primarily work for the port itself, including guards, hotels, workspaces, restaurants, weapons repair, and similar.
Unlike many of the other cities, no one Corporation rules North Port and is instead self-sufficient. Previous attacks on North Port have caused the city to build an impressive defensive armanment, including an entire anti-air battery.
¶ Avai
The Corporation named after this city focuses on small arms, most of which hold the city's name and then a number, indicating a model. With Avai Corp effectively owning the city, most of the transit and trade here is focused on small arms and ammunition as well as militia.
Avai is unique in that it has no port what so ever to air or water transit, all transit into the city must come through one of the walls or, rarely, one of the helipads.
The CEO is a Sapphire Dragonborn named Culxesh, a noted marksman and uncle to Zregghu, the CEO of Vloxis.
¶ Rixha
This city sits on a peninsula and provides maritime "support" - at a cost - black ocean. Rixha's main focus is on the Vloxis Corp's military offerings - those who scour the twisted lands between cities, provide guards for various sea transit, as well as off-world specialists.
The CEO is a Sapphire Dragonborn named Zregghu, whose uncle runs the Avai Corp.
¶ Variant Rules
There are some variant rules used with Foresight's Continuum that a player needs to be aware of.
You should not have to edit your character sheet, but mostly be aware of how your character's abilities will be impacted.
¶ Mindset
Not so much a variant rule as much as a change from the normal 5E mindset. Life in the Continuum can be very, very dangerous and rarely can adventurers stand toe-to-toe with an onslaught of guns and vehicles and monsters. Instead, planning is incredibly important - be ready to research and create complex solutions to pull off in a round or two of combat. A lot of preparation will lead to excellent scenes that don't turn into one-sided massacres.
¶ Custom Race
You can be a native of the Continuum called a Vleluri. To do this, use a Custom Lineage with the following:
Size: Medium
Feat: Your choice
Ability Score: Your choice of a +2
Variable Trait: Darkvision
Language: Planar Common
¶ Magic Use
Although possible and not illegal, magic use is rare and may be the cause of either attention or people wanting to flee from it. This is not limited strictly to damaging spells, things such as Cure Wounds or Minor Illusion may garner a negative response
¶ Skill Uses
The Continuum has many abilities that are not common in the quasi-medieval setup that 5E normally offers. With that in mind, the following skills map 1:1 with skills in the Continuum. The first few times you use them in the Continuum you may have disadvantage as you adjust.
- Hacking (Breaking into computers, getting past doors, hotwiring motorcycles, etc) uses Thieves Tools
- Computer Science (Writing botnets, creating loops scenes for cameras, altering phone signals) uses Arcana
- Research and Development (Creating new weapon modifications, customizing cars) uses Investigation
- Riding motorcycles, cars, SUVs, and most other vehicles uses Land Vehicles
- Research using the internet gives you advantage on Hacking, Computer Science, and Research and Development checks, but may have other negative impacts, such as others tracing you. (You cannot use the internet in this way on your first adventure into the Continuum unless you are a native from there.)
¶ Magic Items
Almost every magical item has a technological equivalent in the Continuum. An everlasting lamp may simply be a type of flashlight, a +1 sword may just be a sword that gently corrects your swing, and set of magical scale mail might simply be an excellent kevlar outfit.
¶ Attire
The world sees most "adventurers gear" as arcane or borderline useless. There are stores near the docks that can help exchange your attire - for a fee - on the way in or out. Most clothing in the continuum has a small glow to provide local lights for those not used to the darkness and armor is often woved or panelled in.
The same stores will change your gold to the local currency or back at a staggering 10% rate, both ways.
¶ Taking items
Despite the enormous amount of magic spent to bring this world from the future, the items of the Continuum seem to be tied closely to the world and the future. With this in mind.
Any items you take from the Continuum fade within 30 days, seemingly becoming nothing.
Exceptions:
- If the item is more tied to you than the world it came from - this is a strong story-required reason and not often granted. (This requires the DM/LK/GK to go through an approval process)
- Mundane items that have a parallel in most worlds (such as rations or rope).
- Ammunition that your weapon(s) carry, up to 20 rounds/pieces.
- Identification, whether official or outstanding forgeries (as this are tied to the very soul of who they are identifying).
¶ Firearms
Firearms are dangerous, even for the trained adventurer, and follow different rules.
¶ Bleak Haven and Firearms
Firearms from the Continuum start to fade when they aren't tied to your very being. The Dead God of Bleak Haven accelerates this process - almost every firearm from the Continuum simply stops existing within his zone of control. North Port offers shops and storage for gear for travelers - although at a price.
A few gunsmiths have managed to create poor, offworld "replicas" that work little better than a hand crossbow. These, however, don't seem to be able to use cartridges or ammo from the Continuum.
¶ Firearms Proficiency
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If your class, feat, or other source gives you firearms as an optional proficiency, you are proficient with all firearms.
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If you are proficient with crossbows (Heavy, Light, or Hand) are you proficient with Small Arms.
Otherwise, you are still able to use all firearms but not with proficiency.
¶ Firearms and Attacks
Firearms are an attack roll against a dexterity saving throw
Armor provides certain advantages based on type
- Light and medium armors grant advantage on deterity saving throws versus firearms.
- Heavy armors grant resistance to all damage from firearms.
- Shields allow a reroll of the dexterity save as a reaction (including on dexterity saves that have advantage).
- Any class or race feature that gives you a base 13 or lower AC grant advantage on dexterity saving throws. (E.g. Lizardfolk natural AC of 13, or a Monk with a Wisdom of <17).
- Any class or race feature that gives you a base 14 or higher AC grants a resistance to all damage from firearms. (E.g. Tortle natural AC of 17, or a Monk with a Wisdom of >=18).
- Any ability that temporarily raises your AC (such as the Shield spell) allow a reroll of the dexterity saving throw as part of the action taken (e.g. Shield already takes a reaction and this feature attaches to that reaction).
¶ Firearm Types
There are four classes of firearms
- Small Arms (such as pistols)
- Long Arms (such as rifles and shotguns)
- Anti-Vehicle Arms (such as rocket launchers)
- Ordnance (mounted firearms)
Although item cards will be provided for each, in summary:
- Small arms often can carry a magazine which allows a free action "reload" until the magazine is empty, smaller damage die, easier to conceal, and easily available.
- Long arms have less carrying capacity but may have specialization, such as increased critical range, armor-piercing, or ignoring/shooting through cover.
- Anti-Vehicle arms are nearly impossible to hide, often take an action to load, but can do as much damage as the spell Fireball in some cases.
- Ordnance is very, very hard to move but offers some of the highest attacks per round at high damage output.
¶ Example Firearms
These specific ones may not be available immediately or at all
¶ Avai 54
Weapon (Small Arms), Uncommon
Damage: d4 Piercing
Weight: 1 lb
Properities: Ammunition, Range (30/90), Magazine (12), Semi-Automatic (3), Loading
Magazine: This weapon carries multiple rounds of ammunition as indicated. Until all of the rounds in the magainze are exhausted, ignore the Loading trait.
Semi-Automatic: This weapon can shoot as many times as listed as a single attack, with every attack roll at a disadvantage.
¶ ZZ Caliber 2 Special
Weapon (Long Arm), Rare
Damage: 3d6 Piercing
Properties: Ammunition, Range (300/900), Loading, Sniping, Two-Handed
Sniping: If the wielder of this weapon chooses reduces their speed to 0 until the beginning of their next turn, all damage rolled by this weapon "explodes" on the highest number of a rolled damage die. If an unmodified 6 on a six-sided die (or 8 on an eight-sided die, 10 on a ten-sided die, etc), you may roll another one of that die and add it to the damage. If this additional die is also the highest value, it continues to explode. This also applies to any other damage that's applied because of the weapon, such as Sneak Attack or critical hits.
¶ Red Lantern
Weapon (Anti-Vehicle Arms), Rare
Damage: 8d6 Fire
Properties: Ammunition, Range (75/250), Two-Handed, Double Reload, Loud
Double Reload: In order to reload this firearm, you must spend a move action, a bonus action, and an action with the ammunition in range.
Loud: All creatures within 5' of the weapon when used are Deafened for 4 rounds unless they are already deaf or have made themselves voluntarily deaf, such as by using hearing protection.
¶ North Port Anti-Spelljammer Gun
Weapon (Ordnance), Very Rare
Damage: 8d12 bludgeoning
Properties: Ammunition, Range (250/900), Crew (2), Two-Handed, Mounted Weapon (DC 17), Ordnance, Semi-Automatic (5)
Crew: The stated number of people must be using the weapon simultaneous, sharing the same space as the weapon, though only one may fire it in a given combat round. If there is less than the required crew on the weapon, it gains the Double Reload property and all shots are made with disadvantage.
Mounted Weapon: This weapon is on a permanent mount and cannot be easily moved or rotated from the 5' space and direction it is in. An Athletics check at the given DC can move or rotate the weapon.
Ordnance: This weapon ignores resistance as though it's a magical weapon. It ignores the resistance granted by Heavy Armor. It also does full damage to vehicles.