A Referee Persona (RP) is any persona – alien, bot, or anthropomorph – that is not run by a player. Anything not run by a player must be brought to life by the referee. Any entity the ref controls is essentially an referee persona of one type or another and only the degree of the referee’s involvement varies. The referee is responsible for controlling the planetary denizens that wander about on uncharted planets and she is also responsible for portraying the personas that may join the expedition in their campaign. The difference in preparation of these two examples is enormous yet they both fall under the category of referee personas.
Referee Role-Playing
It is the responsibility of the ref to role-play referee personas to the best of her ability. For example, intelligent aliens must seem and act intelligently; nomads will never sleep in a bed if it can be avoided; anti-knites must be absolutely ruthless, sparing no personas in their righteous path; aliens must be alien in personality as well as structure; robots do not have facial expressions or body language.Presenting these sorts of character identities is the responsibility of the ref. Referees must be as diligent in ensuring the uniqueness of the various personas as they are in ensuring the originality of their scenarios. They must be prepared for a form of controlled schizophrenia as it may be necessary to switch from one referee persona to another in an instant.
Referees cannot expect of themselves repeated brilliant performances of wholly unique personas nor will the player always notice or appreciate such displays. The players are there to role-play and have fun and the referee is there to role-play and have fun too. It is also the referee’s job to ensure that precious game time is shared between the personas and the referee personas. To be more blunt, referees have to be egotistical attention seekers (or they wouldn’t be referees) and they must ensure that they don’t take over the show and bore the rest of the players. (Enough of this referee-player pseudo-psychological investigation!)
Regardless of the involvement of a referee with her referee persona (RP), she cannot afford to get attached to her personas like the players do. Referee personas may serve no purpose other than cannon fodder; they may depart the scenario at any time either violently or by choosing a separate path from the expedition. Often referee personas will simply be dispatched by paranoid players. Regardless of the importance of a referee persona, the referee must be ready to part with them at any moment because they will always end up on the referee persona scrap heap.
Generating a Referee Persona
An RP includes all the components a persona does plus a few more. An RP is expected to have experience levels and a collection of toys. A simple system is given to randomly determine an RP’s type, attributes, class, level, personality, etc. The system is outlined in the Referee Persona Checklist. Most often the ref will have some idea of what kind of an RP is desired. This system can be used to flesh out some (or all) of the information which the ref has not already decided on.
Referee Persona Checklist
Table 11.1 Referee Persona Checklist
Make sure you get every element of your randomly created referee persona.| 1) | Create an origin, presence and goal. |
| 2) | Alien, Anthro, or Bot? |
| 2-1) | Jump to Alien Subchapter |
| 2-2) | Jump to Anthro Subchapter |
| 2-3) | Jump to Robot Subchapter |
| 3) | Determine Class. |
| 4) | Determine Level. |
| 5) | Generate Combat Table. |
| 6) | Determine Equipment. |
| 7) | Generate some qualities. |
| 8) | Calculate combat ration (CR). |
| 9) | Name the RP. |
1) Origin, Presence, and Goal
As previously stated, referee personas can have a wide degree of involvement in a campaign or with an expedition. All referee personas must have an origin, presence, and goal. The origin of an RP should explain where it came from and why it things the way it does. The presence of the RP will dictate how and why it interacts with the expedition. The goal of an RP is what it wants from the campaign, dictating what it will do with the expedition and when it will part company.
For 95% of the RPs the expedition will encounter, the Trinity of the RP (origin, presence, and goal) will be pre-determined. Referee personas such as innocent civilians and animals will have simplistic origins such as migrating through the area or on their way to work. Their presence might be riding on the subway or rummaging through the bushes. Their goal may be to find some berries to eat or to get to work on time. If the expedition frequently intervenes in the lives of such unimportant referee personas, the referee need have no more prepared than usual.
If the referee persona is a more important one the referee must create a more detailed origin, presence, and goal. Let’s consider a young man from the farming district of his impoverished planet (origin) is willing to hire on for the expedition as a porter (presence) if they will take him off planet (goal). Another referee persona could be a very hungry alien that just jumped out of a tree (origin) and is ferociously attacking the expedition (presence) because the alien’s hungry and the expedition members look like something good to eat (goal).
Other RPs may have much more complex origins, presences, and goals. Vishna Shraloor is a referee persona with death field generation (a mental mutation). She matured not knowing that this lethal power was within her. She grew up through a series of profound personal tragedies: the death of her parents, the death of teachers, the death of mourning relatives, the death of her playmates, the death of social workers, and the death of foster parents. Many of these deaths may have been caused by her misunderstood mental ability. That is her sad origin.
Vishna’s presence is one of a lonely unhappy persona who constantly associates with people she does not like because the people around her tend to die frequently. Her profession is that of an orbital satellite repair person, a solitary job for certain. She has chosen to hang around with the expedition because she does not particularly like them much. This is her presence.
Ms. Shraloor’s goals are varied. She would like to destroy the society that has rejected her so totally and she sees the expedition’s mentality as something that she can exploit to this end. If an expedition member should happen to befriend her, show her the nature of her mutation, and nurse her through the subsequent guilt, she may follow another path and desire to help the society that continued to reach out to her despite their extreme risk. These are her potential goals.
This chapter provides no guidelines on preparing an origin or goal for the referee’s personas but it does help with the presence of the referee personas. In fact, this chapter could be considered a guide on how to prepare a referee persona’s presence. If the ref knows that she needs RPs but has no origins or goals, then it might help to create the persona presence first. This is an excellent procedure for sparking the imagination or solidifying a watery idea.
Table 11.2 Referee Persona Origin
Is she from away or far away?| Die Roll (1d100) | Origin of RP |
|---|---|
| 01 | Off Planet |
| 02-10 | Very Far away |
| 11-30 | Far away |
| 31-90 | Nearby |
| 91-95 | At home |
| 96-99 | Knows expedition |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Origin of RP |
Table 11.3 Referee Persona Presence
What is the referee persona's frame of reference to the expedition. Friend or foe?| Die Roll (1d100) | Presence of RP |
|---|---|
| 01 | There to help |
| 02-10 | Going about own business |
| 11-30 | Following expedition |
| 31-90 | Wants to interact |
| 91-95 | Wants to harm |
| 96-99 | Wants to kill |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Presence of RP |
Table 11.4 Referee Persona Goal
May be internalized or externalized.| Die Roll (1d100) | Goal of RP |
|---|---|
| 01 | Reorder the universe |
| 02-10 | Provide for family |
| 11-30 | Provide for self |
| 31-90 | Make it to tomorrow |
| 91-95 | Find meaning for self |
| 96-99 | Find love and understanding. |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Goal of RP |
2) Determine Referee Persona Type
The type of referee persona chosen by the referee should be predetermined by the nature of the story being told in the campaign. This should also dictate the depth of persona development required. There are three persona types that the referee can choose from. As a rule, the most frequently chosen will be that of an anthropomorph. EXP is a humanocentric game and the rules are best suited for play by upright, bipedal, anthropomorph personas. The other two referee persona types are aliens and robots. Highly developed alien and robot personas will be extremely rare, but this depends on the ref’s milieu. The referee should know exactly what type of persona she wants and the RP creation system should be used to flesh out this precast persona. If, and only if, the referee is completely and utterly stumped should she refer to the Referee Persona Type table.
Table 11.5 Referee Persona Race
Generate your referee persona race here if you are completely stuck.| Die Roll (1d100) | Persona Race |
|---|---|
| 01-15 | Alien |
| 16-90 | Anthro |
| 91-99 | Robot |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Persona Race |
2-1) Alien Referee Personas
When creating an alien referee persona encounter the referee must keep in mind that she is likely creating an entire alien species. Aliens don’t merely exist unto themselves as a singular entity but are components of a species as are the humanoid races. Alien species are generated by the referee either to supply background and interest to a campaign or to provide the primary focus and/or conflict around which to design a campaign. The reason the aliens are referred to as species and not races is because they can be unsophisticated animals of an unexplored world or highly developed conquering alien hordes.
Go to Subchapter 11-1 Alien RP Generation
2-2) Anthropomorph Referee Personas
Anthro referee personas (RP) will be the most common type that the referee will introduce to the expedition. Such referee personas can vary from altruistic veterinarians that are placing themselves at risk to heal the expedition to ruthless anti-knites that are using the expedition as a disposable tool in their quest for universal chaos. Other RPs will be colourful campaign descriptors like meaningless civilians that clog sidewalks or mutant markets. Such anthro referee personas should require no more personification than an accented voice or a marker on the table. If the poor innocent civilian is unfortunate misfortune to happen upon the expedition during a combat situation then a little more preparation is required.
Sidewalk Civilians: These are the unprepared personas that simply fill the streets of a city, village, or spacecraft in an effort to describe a crowd. Such personas will generally have no more than 9 HPS, no weapons, and no combat table. Any civilian attributes that are required are rolled as needed and usually need not be recorded. If the ref is suspicious of the expedition’s intentions when entering a civilian area, she may generate several sets of attributes for those exceptional civilians that are capable of defending themselves.
True Referee Personas: In those instances where the expedition comes across a true referee persona, the ref must be fully prepared with attributes, race, mutations, class, level, personality, and equipment. There is no telling what will be required of the persona once it is introduced to the expedition. These are the referee personas where the ref must have a reasonably detailed origin, presence, and goal.
Go To Subchapter 11-2 Anthro RP Generation
2-3) Robot Referee Personas
If the referee is at a loss for determining what kind of robot to introduce to the expedition, her best bet is to generate a robot persona and play it as an RP robot. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the creation of robot personas and the majority of the RP robot will be developed there. The referee must remember to return to this chapter in order to give the robot pertinent RP details like EXPS level and persona qualities.
Go To Subchapter 11-3 Robot RP Generation
3) Referee Persona Class
The referee persona class should only be used for those referee personas that can pursue a class. This would be anthros, alien tool users, androids, and the rare robot that has class skills. The anthro referee persona’s most important element will be her class. The nature of each class is discussed in Chapter 8: Classes. The referee persona class table is included for those instances where the referee cannot decide what class she wishes her referee persona to have.
Table 11.6 Referee Persona Class
Choose a class, if appropriate, for the referee persona.| Die Roll (1d100) | RP Class |
|---|---|
| 01-15 | Biologist |
| 16-17 | Knite |
| 18-32 | Mechanic |
| 33-47 | Mercenary |
| 48-62 | Nomad |
| 63-78 | Nothing |
| 79-83 | Spie |
| 84-98 | Veterinarian |
| 99 | Multi-Class |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | RP Class |
Multi-Class: Multi-class personas simply roll as often as the dice indicate. If the same persona class is rolled twice, then the experience levels, determined later, are added together. There is no limit other than realistic probability to the number of classes that a referee persona can have. The first roll on multi-class will indicate that the referee will roll twice and any further rolls on multi-class will indicate another roll. Knites cannot be multi-classed.
Class Attributes: To ensure that referee persona meets the attribute requirements of their class. The referee can utilize the Table 11.7: Class Attribute Adjustments.
Table 11.7 Referee Persona Class Attribute Adjustments
Align the referee persona's attributes to the class that they are pursuing.| RP Class | Attribute Adjustments |
|---|---|
| Biologist | AWE 12+1d6 |
| Knite | DEX 13+1d6 MSTR 17+1d8 |
| Mechanic | INT 12+1d12 |
| Mercenary | HPS 40 plus 1d6 per level |
| Nomad | None |
| Nothing | None |
| Spie | AWE 12+1d6 CON 12+1d6 DEX 12+1d6 INT 12+1d6 |
| Veterinarian | CHA 12+1d8 INT 10+1d8 |
| RP Class | Attribute Adjustments |
4) Experience Level of RP
A referee persona’s EXPS level is applicable to anthros, aliens and robots. If the referee persona’s class should happen to be a nothing, the experience level will represent the number of rolls she is entitled to in Chapter 53: Treasure.
Table 11.8 Referee Persona Level
Determine the EXPS level of the referee persona. This level applies to anthro classes as well as robots and aliens.| Die Roll (1d100) | RP Level |
|---|---|
| 01-09 | One |
| 10-29 | Two |
| 30-49 | Three |
| 50-64 | Four |
| 65-74 | Five |
| 75-82 | Six |
| 83-88 | Seven |
| 89-92 | Eight |
| 93-97 | Nine |
| 98-99 | Ten |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Persona Level |
5) Referee Persona Combat Table
The RP combat table is calculated the same as any other persona’s combat table. Aliens use their natural attack table if they have no class abilities. Anthropomorphs and class skilled aliens use the combat table described in Chapter 27: Tactical Combat. Robots have their own combat table regardless of whether they are class skilled or not. The robotic combat table is described in Chapter 31: Robotic Combat. The referee may wish to simplify her RP combat tables to increase the speed of combat. It is assumed that the referee will be ethical and round the RP combat tables (CTs) down.
Alien Combat Table: For more information about the alien combat table refer to Chapter 9: Combat Tables. This combat table is for natural attacks of the alien RP. If the alien is advancing in a class she will use the Anthro Class RP combat table. There is no such thing as a Bonus Non-Proficient (BNP) for natural attacks. Aliens do not have a BNP. Alien PSTR is included in their damage attack, and they do not have a Damage Adjustor (DA) either. The initial combat table can be calculated here, and it can be important to add the level bonus to the Bonus Proficient (BP). Unfortunately the level bonus must be calculated by hand if it applies to the alien. So for example an alien RP with a PSTR of 20 would increase her BP for Type A natural attack by 20 at level 2, by 13 at level 3, and by 10 at level 4.
Table 11.9 Alien Referee Persona Combat Table (CT)
This is the base combat table for alien referee personae. This may be adjusted by EXPS level as well.| Weapon Type | Bonus Proficient (BP) | Level Bonus (base/level) | Maximum Roll (MR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (contact) | 10 times PSTR | PSTR times 2 | 700 plus BP |
| B (ranged) | 10 times INT | INT times 2 | 750 plus BP |
| C (weapons) | 10 times DEX | DEX times 3 | 800 plus BP |
| Weapon Type | Bonus Proficient | Level Bonus | Maximum Roll |
Robot Combat Table: For more information about the robot combat table refer to Chapter 9: Combat Tables. The initial combat table is be calculated here. Robots have a bonus non proficient (BNP) of zero. Robots have no Maximum Roll (MR). Unfortunately the level bonus must be calculated by hand for the robot RP. So for example a robot RP with a PSTR of 20 would increase her BP for Type A attack by 10 at level 2, by 7 at level 3, and by 5 at level 4. If the robot is advancing in a class she will use the Anthro Class RP combat table.
Table 11.10 Robot Referee Persona Combat Table (CT)
Base combat table for robotic referee personae. Experience levels may alter this table.| Weapon Type | Bonus Proficient (BP) | Level Bonus (base/level) | Damage Adjustment (DA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (contact) | 5 times DEX 5 times PSTR | PSTR | PSTR |
| B (ranged) | 5 times AWE 5 times DEX | INT | half PSTR |
| C (weapons) | 5 times DEX 5 times INT | DEX | 0 |
| Weapon Type | Bonus Proficient | Level Bonus | Maximum Roll |
Anthro Class Combat Table: For more information about the combat table refer to Chapter 9: Combat Tables. The initial combat table is calculated here and the level adjustment should be added to the Bonus Proficient (BP). For simplicity sake we use one combined level bonus for all three weapon types for the referee persona. If detail must prevail the level bonus can be calculated by hand. Calculate the Bonus Proficient on Table 11.11: Bonus Proficient for Referee Personae, then add the level bonus from Table 11.11.1: Total Level Bonus by Class. This will create a quick Bonus Proficient that reflects the referee persona’s attributes, class and level.
Table 11.11 RP Bonus Proficient (BP)
Anthro referee personae calculate their base Bonus Proficient here.| Weapon Type | Bonus Proficent (BP) | Bonus Non-Proficient (BNP) | Maximum Roll (MR) | Damage Adjuster (DA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A (Contact) | 1.5 times AWE 2 times DEX 1.5 times INT 5 times PSTR Level Bonus | Percent BP based on below table | 625 plus BP Type A | half PSTR |
| B (Throwing) | 1 times AWE 4 times DEX 1 times INT 2 times PSTR Level Bonus | Percent BP based on below table | 650 plus BP Type B | quarter PSTR |
| C (Powered) | 1 times AWE 9 times DEX 1 times INT 1 times PSTR Level Bonus | Percent BP based on below table | 675 plus BP Type C | 0 |
| Weapon Type | BP | BNP | MR | DA |
Table 11.11.1 Calculated Level Bonus for RPs with Classes
Add the number here to the referee persona's Bonus Proficient. It is not cumulative. For example a 5th level merc referee persona would add 212 to his BP and MR.| Class | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | Level 10 | Level 11 | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biologist | 53 | 85 | 111 | 132 | 150 | 165 | 178 | 190 | 201 | 211 | Biologist |
| Knite | 83 | 138 | 179 | 212 | 240 | 262 | 283 | 301 | 318 | 333 | Knite |
| Mechanic | 53 | 85 | 111 | 132 | 150 | 165 | 178 | 190 | 201 | 211 | Mechanic |
| Mercenary | 83 | 138 | 179 | 212 | 240 | 262 | 283 | 301 | 318 | 333 | Mercenary |
| Nomad | 53 | 85 | 111 | 132 | 150 | 165 | 178 | 190 | 201 | 211 | Nomad |
| Nothing | 30 | 50 | 65 | 77 | 87 | 96 | 104 | 111 | 117 | 122 | Nothing |
| Spie | 60 | 100 | 130 | 154 | 174 | 191 | 206 | 219 | 231 | 242 | Spie |
| Veterinarian | 23 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | Veterinarian |
| Class | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Class |
Table 11.12 Bonus Non Proficient (BNP)
Determine the percent of the Bonus Proficient (BP) that goes towards the Referee Persona's BNP.| Persona Class | Weapon Type A | Weapon Type B | Weapon Type C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biologist | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Knite | 25 | 20 | 30 |
| Mechanic | 15 | 10 | 15 |
| Mercenary | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Nomad | 15 | 35 | 0 |
| Nothing | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Spie | 25 | 20 | 25 |
| Veterinarian | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Persona Class | Weapon Type A | Weapon Type B | Weapon Type C |
6) Referee Personal Equipment
Referee personas carry equipment: they should be supplied with food, survival equipment, and funds. What the referee persona is carrying as survival equipment will vary depending on terrain. Referee personas are also assumed to have collected artifacts throughout their travels. RPs get one artifact for every experience level. This includes multi-class levels. Treasure does not count as a roll so RPs can accumulate considerable wealth in addition to their personal collection of artifacts. Nothing RPs do not get a roll on the Toy Table but they do get additional treasure rolls. This tends to make RP nothings tremendously wealthy. If the referee desires impoverished nothings, she can save herself a whole lot of rolling on the treasure tables. Nothing RPs also receive their complimentary one piece of miscellaneous equipment.
7) Referee Persona Qualities
A referee persona is more than a collection of attributes and some artifacts. Referee personas are an essential part of the story being told in the campaign. RPs are expected to have all the personality qualities as any other persona. This challenges the limits of creativity of the referee because she must supply different personalities, appearance and qualities for the quadrillions of referee personas that will participate in the campaign. If the referee does not already have a particular appearance, personality, or set of beliefs in mind for her RP, she may find the tables provided useful. The referee persona qualities are on Table 11.14: RP Qualities Checklist.
Table 11.13 Referee Persona Qualities Checklist
A checklist to flesh out the personality and nature of the referee persona.| 7-1) Appearance | What she looks like. |
| 7-2) Personality | What she is like. |
| 7-3) Beliefs | What she likes. |
7-1) Appearance
An RP’s appearance is divided into two categories: hygiene and dress. Hygiene represents the persona’s normal level of personal care. The hygienic habits of the RP are determined on the RP Hygiene table. Hygiene is not unwavering like an attribute but is dependent on the scenario at hand. For example, a habitually immaculate RP that just dived into mud would look like someone who dived into mud; a habitually filthy spie would not arrive un-groomed at an aristocratic function she was trying to infiltrate. However, the immaculate RP would clean the mud off herself sooner than the filthy spie and the filthy spie would be the first to get soiled at the aristocratic bash. The dress of the referee persona does not reflect ANYTHING about the referee persona.
The dress of an RP is even more variable than hygiene. An RP may have several favorite styles and may even combine them in some random arrangement. The roll on the table dress indicates which type of dress is worn: shoes, shirts, blouses, pants, hair-dos, etc. Appearance is mostly directed at anthropomorph RPs, but it can also include aliens or deeply eccentric robots. It is easy to imagine a filthy canine lumberjack but an immaculate six legged alien dressed in traditional tribal gowns is harder to visualize. Robots can certainly have hygienic qualities, appearing dirty or well washed, but robot dress may be just too absurd. For instance, would a 60s style robot have fins and chrome bumpers?
Table 11.14 Referee Persona Hygiene-2017-10-05.csv
Attention to self care.| Die Roll (1d100) | Hygiene |
|---|---|
| 01-05 | Filthy |
| 06-15 | Dirty |
| 16-35 | Dishevelled |
| 36-65 | Non-Descript |
| 66-85 | Clean |
| 86-95 | Well Groomed |
| 96-99 | Immaculate |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Hygiene |
Table 11.15 Referee Persona Dress
The covering makes the RP. This is an appearance, and does not reflect the culture or historic era that is being referenced.| Die Roll (1d100) | Style of Dress |
|---|---|
| Traditional | |
| 01-02 | African |
| 03-07 | Arabian |
| 08-09 | Arctic |
| 10-11 | Asian (any continent) |
| 12-13 | Native (any continent) |
| 14-15 | Indo Asian |
| 16-17 | Germanic |
| 18-19 | Turkish |
| 20-21 | Russian |
| 22-23 | Mexican |
| 24-28 | Celtic |
| Historic | |
| 29-30 | Aztec |
| 31-35 | Cowboy/Lumberjack |
| 36-40 | Egyptian |
| 41-42 | Roman |
| 43-47 | Greek |
| 48-49 | Renaissance-Merchant |
| 50-51 | Renaissance-Peasant |
| 52-53 | 1800s - Aristocrat |
| 54-55 | 1800s - Pauper |
| 56-57 | Medieval - Nobility |
| 58-59 | Medieval - Serf |
| 60-61 | 1930s |
| 62-63 | 1940s |
| 64-65 | 1950s |
| 66-67 | 1960s hippy |
| 68-69 | 1970s |
| Fashionista | |
| 70-71 | Rocker |
| 72-73 | Mod |
| 74-75 | Punk |
| 76-77 | Lululemony |
| 78-79 | Wet Coast Gortex |
| 89-81 | Monk |
| 82-83 | Pilgrim |
| 84-85 | Joe Redneck |
| 86-87 | Military |
| 88-89 | Farmer |
| 90-91 | Power Suit and Tie |
| 92-93 | Coveralls |
| 94-95 | Sports Teamish |
| 96-97 | Goth |
| 98-99 | Extreme Angularity |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Dress |
7-2) Personality
The referee is expected to play up these personality traits whenever possible. Extroverted personality traits are NOT irrational: a diplomatic RP will not try to play consul to a crazed combat robot but she may intercede between inter-expedition differences. Aliens and robots also get a roll on the Extroverted Personality table. Properly functioning robots would not have a shred of personality whatsoever, but the free willed robots of EXP are malfunctioning and extroverted personalities or even insanities are possible.
Table 11.16 Referee Persona Extroverted Personality Trait
These are personality traits that are immediately obvious. They will affect the referee persona's actions and behaviours, however they are not pathological or self destructive.| Die Roll (1d100) | Extroverted Personality | Personality Description |
|---|---|---|
| 01-77 | None | Roll Introverted Personality Trait, Table 11.17 |
| 78 | Aesthetic | Appreciating good taste and beauty. |
| 79 | Altruist | Concerned with welfare of others. |
| 80 | Barbarian | Crude and wild in taste and manner. |
| 81 | Coward | Avoids danger and pain. |
| 82 | Dandy | Extreme elegance of appearance. |
| 83 | Diplomat | Innate skills for communicating between parties. |
| 84 | Egoist | Devoted to self interest and advancement. |
| 85 | Fanatic | Excessive zeal for a cause. |
| 86 | Fop | Dandy in personality and dress. |
| 87 | Hedonist | Pleasure is the main pursuit. |
| 88 | Iconoclast | Hater of icons. |
| 89 | Liar | Prefers falsehood over truth. |
| 90 | Martyr | Quick to sacrifice self for cause. |
| 91 | Miser | Deprives all to hoard wealth. |
| 92 | Optimist | Habitually expects positive outcome. |
| 93 | Pessimist | Habitually expects bad outcome. |
| 94 | Pervert | Habitually turns from morally acceptable. |
| 95 | Ponderer | Continual excessive pondering. |
| 96 | Prankster | Endless tricks and pranks. |
| 97 | Sadist | Delights in cruelty. |
| 98 | Schemer | Constant plotter of everything. |
| 99 | Insane | Roll Insanity on Table 11.18 |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |
| Die Roll | Extroverted Trait | Description |
Introverted
The Introverted Personality Sub-table indicates subtle personality traits. These traits are not too strong and should only be employed by the referee when decisions must be made by the RP. Such traits are played discreetly by the referee, and may only occasionally be used or noticed.
Table 11.17 Introverted Personality Trait
Subtle personality traits that slightly influence the referee persona's actions and choices.| Die Roll (1d100) | Introverted Trait |
|---|---|
| 01 | Aloof |
| 02 | Altruistic |
| 03 | Amoral |
| 04 | Arrogant |
| 05 | Barbaric, Foul |
| 06 | Callous |
| 07 | Capricious, Impulsive |
| 08 | Careless |
| 09 | Cautious |
| 10 | Cheerful |
| 11 | Compassionate |
| 12 | Contrary |
| 13 | Covetous |
| 14 | Cowardly, craven |
| 15 | Curious |
| 16 | Deceitful |
| 17 | Diplomatic |
| 18 | Driven |
| 19 | Easy Going |
| 20 | Egotistical |
| 21 | Even-Tempered |
| 22 | Exacting |
| 23 | Fanatical |
| 24 | Fearless |
| 25 | Foppish, Haughty |
| 26 | Forgiving |
| 27 | Friendly |
| 28 | Hedonistic |
| 29 | Hot Tempered |
| 30 | Humble, retiring |
| 31 | Iconoclastic |
| 32 | Immoral |
| 33 | Imposing |
| 34-60 | Insane, mildly Table 11.18 |
| 61 | Iquisitive |
| 62 | Insensitive |
| 63 | Irreverent |
| 64 | Jealous |
| 65 | Kindly |
| 66 | Loquacious |
| 67 | Lustful |
| 68 | Lusty |
| 69 | Malevolent, Mean |
| 70 | Mischevious |
| 71 | Miserly, avaricious |
| 72 | Moody |
| 73 | Morose |
| 74 | Obsequious |
| 75 | Obsessive |
| 76 | Opinionated |
| 77 | Optimistic |
| 78 | Perverted |
| 79 | Pessimistic |
| 80 | Pious |
| 81 | Ponderous |
| 82 | Proud |
| 83 | Sadistic |
| 84 | Scheming |
| 85 | Scrupulous |
| 86 | Secretive |
| 87 | Sensitive |
| 88 | Slothful |
| 89 | Sober |
| 90 | Studious |
| 91 | Suspicious |
| 92 | Taciturn, reclusive |
| 93 | Thrifty |
| 94 | Trusting |
| 95 | Truthful |
| 96 | Unforgiving |
| 97 | Vengeful |
| 98 | Violent |
| 99 | Wasteful |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Introverted Trait |
Insane
The Insane Personalities Table lists irrational actions that are basically pathological. Insane personality traits can appear in completely unexpected situations, endangering the referee persona and the expedition. The easiest and most fun referee personas to play are insane ones, but they should be kept relatively rare since EXP is an insane enough game as it is. Referees are not expected to be psychiatrists and can role-play the mental illness however they interpret them. If the roll on this table has been directed from the Extroverted Personality Trait Table the insanity will be quite overt. If the referee is rolling an insane personality off of the Introverted Personality Trait then the insanity will be less obvious.
Table 11.18 Insane Referee Persona Personality Traits
These are dangerous, incapacitating, all encompassing problems for the referee persona. They may be overt and discovered by the expedition immediately, or later when it is too late.| Die Roll (1d100) | Insanity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 01-03 | Amnesia | Loss of memories. |
| 04-06 | Anxiety | Abnormal sense of apprehension. |
| 07-09 | Hypochondria | Imaginary physical ailments. |
| 10-12 | Hysteria | Unmanageable emotional excitability. |
| 13-15 | Melancholia | Severe depression and gloominess. |
| 16-18 | Paranoia | Delusions of persecution, irrational suspicion. |
| 19-21 | Pathological Liar | Cannot tell the truth, even to her benefit. |
| 22-24 | Religiosity | All events relate to supernatural powers |
| Manias | ||
| 25-26 | Dipsomania | Uncontrollable desire for alcohol. |
| 27-28 | Jornemania | Conviction of safety at journey's end. |
| 29-30 | Kleptomania | Compulsion to steal without economic gain. |
| 31-32 | Mechanomania | Technology is the all saving supreme solution. |
| 33-34 | Megalomania | Infantile feelings of supremacy. |
| 35-36 | Monomania | Fixation on singular object or goal. |
| 37-38 | Pyromania | Irresistible impulse to start fires. |
| Phobias | Fear of.... | |
| 39-41 | Acrophobia | Heights. |
| 42-45 | Agoraphobia | Open Spaces |
| 46-48 | Aichmophobia | Sharp things. |
| 49-51 | Ailurophobia | Cats, small furry things. |
| 52-54 | Anthrophobia | Humanoids |
| 55-57 | Astrophobia | Outer Space. |
| 58-60 | Bibliophobia | Books. |
| 61-62 | Claustrophobia | Close spaces. |
| 63 | Compuphobia | Computers |
| 64-66 | Ergophobia | Work. |
| 67-69 | Gonnephobia | Guns. |
| 70-72 | Hydrophbia | Water, liquids. |
| 73-74 | Linonophobia | Rope, string. |
| 75 | Necrophobia | Death. |
| 76-78 | Mysophobia | Dirt. |
| 79-81 | Nictophobia | Darkness. Night. |
| 82-84 | Opthalmophobia | Being stared at. |
| 85-87 | Phobophobia | Fear. |
| 88-89 | Practicophobia | Classes. Professions. |
| 90 | Robophobia | Robots. |
| 91-93 | Technophobia | Technology. |
| 94-96 | Xenophobia | Strangers. |
| 97-99 | Zoophobia | Animals. Aliens. |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |
| Die Roll | Insanity | Description |
7-3) Beliefs
The referee should be prepared to have their preferee personas possess some personal beliefs that may affect their attitude, and how they act while role-playing. Beliefs are divided into three categories: political, religious, and philosophical. The player will have from 0-3 (d4-1) separate beliefs, where 0 is none and 3 is three rolls on Table 11.19. The beliefs are more transient than the RP’s personality and they will can conflict directly with the referee persona’s personality. The belief tables are somewhat self-explanatory and are mostly used as the tack that a particular personal will take when arguing ethics with expedition personas. In the case of aliens these beliefs may be the basis for their entire culture. For example, an alien that is militaristic and believes religiously in anonymous writings may be a member of a war-like invading race.
Table 11.19 Referee Persona Beliefs
The beliefs of the referee persona may also influence her decisions and actions.| Die Roll (1d6) | Belief Type |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | None |
| 4 | Political, Table 11.20 |
| 5 | Religious, Table 11.21 |
| 6 | Philosophical, Table 11.22 |
| Die Roll | Belief Type |
Table 11.20 Referee Persona Political Belief
This table gives a broad stroke to the Referee Persona's political belief. Details are to be fleshed out by the referee and campaign.| Die Roll | Political Belief | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 01-05 | Anarchism | Organization is evil. |
| 06-10 | Aristocracy/Oligarchy | Governed by the "best" people; small privileged class. |
| 11-15 | Bananarchy | Peaceful non-regulated existence amongst tropical fruits. |
| 16-20 | Bureaucracy | Administration rules by complexity; efficiencies condemned. |
| 21-25 | Capitalism | Money is king; Private business; Laissez Faire. |
| 26-30 | Communism | Classless society; common ownership; society is the individual. |
| 31-35 | Democracy | Random selection of most popular person. |
| 36-40 | Despotism/Autocracy | Rule and control by singular person. |
| 41-45 | Egalitarianism | Belief in equality of all. |
| 46-50 | Evironmentalism | Protect environment above all. |
| 51-55 | Fascism | All power to one party with charismatic leader. |
| 56-60 | Feudalism | Numerous lords and indebted vassal. |
| 61-65 | Imperialism | Power through colonial acquisitions. One power many dependent peoples. |
| 66-70 | Matriarchy/Patriarchy | Inheritance of power via gender lines |
| 71-75 | Militarism | Exaltation of military virtues and ideals. |
| 76-80 | Monarchy | One person inherits throne of power for life. |
| 81-85 | Technocracy | Governed by technicians, scientists and computers. |
| 86-90 | Theocracy | Governed by immediate divine guidance. |
| 91-95 | Totalitarianism | State controls all activities of people. |
| 96-00 | Ismism | Ref's own table. |
| Die Roll | Politics | Description |
Table 11.21 Referee Persona Religious Belief
This table gives a broad stroke to the Referee Persona's religious belief. Details are to be fleshed out by the referee and campaign.| Die Roll (1d100) | Religious Belief |
|---|---|
| 01-10 | Anonymous writings. |
| 11-20 | Charismatic leader. |
| 21-30 | Icon, object or creature. |
| 31-40 | Universal conjoining force. |
| 41-50 | Many creators. |
| 51-60 | Holy martyrs. |
| 61-70 | Messiah |
| 71-80 | One creator. |
| 81-90 | One creator, hierarchy. |
| 91-00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Religious Belief |
Table 11.22 Referee Persona Philosophical Belief
This table gives a broad stroke to the Referee Persona's philosophical belief. Details are to be fleshed out by the referee and campaign.| Die Roll (1d100) | Philosophy |
|---|---|
| 01-05 | Atomism |
| 06-10 | Cynicism |
| 11-15 | Deism |
| 16-20 | Enthalpism |
| 21-25 | Excessivism |
| 26-30 | Existentialism |
| 31-35 | Hedonism |
| 36-40 | Idealism |
| 41-45 | Ismism |
| 46-50 | Materialism |
| 51-55 | Mechanism |
| 56-60 | Metaphysicism |
| 61-65 | Monetarianism |
| 66-70 | Pantheism |
| 71-75 | Pragmatism |
| 76-80 | Rationalism |
| 81-85 | Realism |
| 86-90 | Stoicism |
| 91-95 | Technocracy |
| 96-00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Philosophy |
8) Combat Ratios
The combat ratio aids the referee in objectively rating how tough a referee persona has been created. The combat ratio indicates the number of expedition personas that should be needed in combat for a fair fight with that one referee persona. The higher the combat ratio, the stronger the referee persona. In other words, if 1 persona vs. 20 referee personas constitutes a fair fight, this is a pretty feeble referee persona. If the combat ratio indicates 20 personas vs. 1 RP is a fair fight, then it is a tough referee persona. The combat ratio is just an indicator of the RP’s combat strength. The number of RPs appearing depends on the type of referee persona, its social behaviour, and the setting of the scenario. If the combat ratio is 1/20, it does not necessarily mean that 20 RPs will automatically show up for every persona.
Calculating CR: Add up all the pluses first. Then multiply all the times. So a Combat Ratio with Plus 1 and Plus 4 and Plus 3 and Times 1.25 and Times 2.0. It would be calculated as so: 1 plus 4 plus 3 = 8; times 3 times 1.25 gives a CR of 30!
Table 11.23 Armour Rating (AR) Combat Ratio Adjustment
The higher the armour rating the tougher the opponent.| Armour Rating (AR) | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <450 | times 1/4 |
| 451-550 | times 1/2 |
| 551-600 | Nil |
| 601-650 | Plus 1 |
| 651-700 | Plus 2 |
| 701-750 | Plus 3 |
| 751-800 | Plus 5 |
| 801-850 | Plus 7 |
| 851-900 | Plus 9 |
| 901-950 | Plus 11 |
| >950 | Plus 13 |
| AR | CR adjustment |
Table 11.24 Movement Rate Combat Ratio Adjustment
The faster the more deadly.| Movement Rate (h/u) | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <2 | times 1/4 |
| 3-4 | times 1/2 |
| 5-6 | nil |
| 7-8 | Plus 2 |
| 9-10 | Plus 3 |
| 11-12 | Plus 5 |
| 13-14 | Plus 7 |
| >15 | Plus 9 |
| Movement Rate | CR adjustment |
Table 11.25 Hit Points (HPS) Combat Ratio Adjustment
Literally the more hit points the harder to kill.| Hit Points Max (HPS) | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <10 | times 1/4 |
| 10-20 | times 1/2 |
| 21-40 | nil |
| 41-50 | Plus 1 |
| 51-60 | Plus 2 |
| 61-70 | Plus 3 |
| 71-80 | Plus 4 |
| 81-90 | Plus 5 |
| 91-100 | Plus 6 |
| 101-125 | Plus 8 |
| 126-150 | Plus 8; Times 1.25 |
| 151-175 | Plus 8; Times 1.50 |
| 176-200 | Plus 8; Times 1.75 |
| 201-250 | Plus 10; Times 2.0 |
| 251-300 | Plus 10; Times 2.25 |
| 301-350 | Plus 12; Times 2.5 |
| >350 | Plus 12; Times 3.0 |
| HPS Max | CR Adjustment |
Table 11.26 Number of Attacks Combat Ratio Adjustment
The more attacks per unit the more dangerous. This would include a weapon that has more than one attack per unit.| Number of Attacks (unit) | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <1 per unit | Times 1/2 |
| 1 | Nil |
| 2 | Plus 2 |
| 3 | Plus 4; Times 1.25 |
| 4 | Plus 6; Times 1.75 |
| 5 | Plus 8; Times 2.25 |
| 6 | Plus 10; Times 2.75 |
| Number of Attacks | CR Adjustment |
Table 11.27 Damage Combat Ratio Adjustment
The more it can kill you the more dangerous it is. This includes weapons used in combat, but not weapons potentially used in combat.| Damage Per Unit | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <10 | Times 1/2 |
| 10-20 | Nil |
| 21-30 | Plus 1 |
| 31-40 | Plus 2 |
| 41-50 | Plus 4 |
| 51-60 | Plus 5 |
| 61-70 | Plus 6; Times 1.25 |
| 71-80 | Plus 7; Times 1.50 |
| 81-90 | Plus 8; Times 1.75 |
| 91-100 | Plus 9; Times 2.0 |
| 101-125 | Plus 10; Times 2.25 |
| >125 | Plus 12; Times 2.5 |
| Damage per Unit | CR Adjustment |
Table 11.28 Bonus Proficient (BP) Combat Ratio Adjustment
See the theme here yet?| Bonus Proficient (BP) | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| <25 | Times 1/4 |
| 26-50 | Times 1/2 |
| 51-100 | Nil |
| 101-150 | Plus 3 |
| 151-200 | Plus 6 |
| 201-250 | Plus 9 |
| 251-300 | Plus 12; Times 1.5 |
| 301-350 | Plus 14; Times 2.0 |
| >350 | Plus 16; Times 2.5 |
| BP | CR Adjustment |
Table 11.29 Mental Strength (MSTR) Combat Ratio Adjustment
This would be utilized only if used in some capacity as mental attack or Psionic saving throw.| MSTR | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| 0 | Nil |
| 1-4 | Times 1/4 |
| 5-7 | Times 1/2 |
| 8-12 | Nil |
| 13-15 | Plus 2 |
| 16-17 | Plus 4 |
| 18-19 | Plus 6 |
| 20-21 | Plus 8 |
| 22-23 | Plus 10 |
| 24-25 | Plus 12 |
| MSTR | CR Adjustment |
(8-1) Alien Combat Ratio: The calculation of the combat ratio is reasonably self-explanatory. Simply follow the Combat Ratio tables and adjust the number of personas that are indicated for each of the alien’s combat parameters. Assume that the ratio begins at 1 (1 persona to 1 alien). The combat ratio can get an alien into a lot of trouble. Aliens with high combat ratios (requiring many personas for a fair fight) can get a reputation for being violent and combative. The aggressiveness of the alien is determined by its psychology not its combat ratio. The corollary is true also and aliens with low combat ratios may be very dangerous if they happen to use weapons or travel in massive numbers. The combat ratio merely represents the alien’s natural ability to hold its own, against average personas.
Table 11.30 Alien Referee Persona Combat Ratio Adjustment
Combat Ratio adjustments particular to alien referee personae. This is not an exhaustive list.| Alien Ability | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Mutations | Listed with Mutation |
| Flying | Times 2.0 |
| Ranged Attacks | Times 1.25 |
| Class | See anthro lists |
| Alien Ability | Combat Ratio |
(8-2) Anthropomorph Combat Ratio: The anthropomorph RP combat ratio is very difficult to calculate in that their use of artifacts can greatly alter their deadliness regardless of what their class is or their attributes are. Even the most deadly referee persona can be handled easily by the expedition if the referee makes a mistake. Also the most benign referee persona can become extremely dangerous if she manages to get a hold of a deadly weapon.
When preparing an anthropomorph’s combat ratio, the referee should try to take into account all the equipment that the RP has access to. This means that considerable time may have to be spent in the toy section before the combat ratio can be calculated. Experienced referees will find that the combat ratio is not needed for estimating equivalent combat conditions but more useful in calculating the RP’s experience point value which includes EXPS for encounters other than combative ones.
Table 11.31 Anthro Referee Persona Combat Ratio Adjustment
Combat Ratio adjustments particular to anthro referee personae.| Anthro Abilities | Combat Ratio Adjustments |
|---|---|
| Anti-Knite | Plus 4 per level |
| Mutations | As per mutation |
| Knite | Plus 3 per level |
| Mercenary | Plus 1 per level |
| Nothing | Times 1/2 |
| Ranged Attacks | Plus 2 per attack |
| Spie | Plus 2 per level |
| Lethal artifacts | As per artifact |
| Anthro Abilities | Combat Ratio |
(8-3) Robotic Combat Ratio: Robots are considerably easier to prepare a combat ratio for than other persona types because they are so structured. Robots are not nearly as flexible as the biological RPs but they can be very deadly. The most important point about robots is that they are difficult to destroy but easy to damage. The following tables can be used as a general guideline as to how challenging a robot is in combat.
Table 11.32 Robotic Referee Persona Combat Ratio Adjustment
Combat Ratio adjustments specific to robotic Referee Personae.| Robot | Combat Ratio Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Combat Robot | Times 2 |
| Combat Heavy Offensive | Times 2 (yes again) |
| Disregard Base Race | Plus 5 |
| Flying | Times 2.0 |
| Over-ride Interrupt | Plus 7 |
| Ranged Attacks | Plus 3 per attack |
| Android | Plus 4 |
| Robot | CR Adjustment |
9) Referee Persona Name
Often the most important part of a referee persona is its name. The description of a humanoid may be glossed over and that of an alien’s forgotten completely but the name will always be remembered. The players will recall an RP’s name before they will remember her personality, dress, or special abilities. There is no question that a referee persona’s name is much more important to the campaign than that of an expedition persona. Often an RP’s name will have some significance, like a veterinarian named Ivy Blodgett or a melancholic nothing named Sue Siedal.
Robots are more difficult to name because there is some unwritten rule that they must have letters and numbers in their names, like: QT, oicur12, unit 42, or SNOO-KM series. Remember the more insane the robot, the more free willed it is and the more likely that it will have named itself. Additional names that the referee may be required to produce for an RP robot are manufacturer’s name, model line, and unit name.
Alien races are fun to name. The referee will often be naming an entire race as well as the specific species member that she has created. A helpful hint in naming alien races is to avoid personification. No self-respecting space-faring race would call itself the ‘Obese Ones,” or the “Furry Ones.” If such alien properties are important to an alien race (which they might well be), translations can mean anything the referee likes and the “Vojing Dur” may translate into ‘Obese Ones” but in that alien’s tongue (if they have tongues) “human” might translate into “scrawny geeks.” Always keep in mind that these creatures are alien and alien sounding words that reflect the alien are the most useful and fun.