Eye Of Balor Magazine

Void Pirates – CORE RULES

Civilization Builder Rules

These rules let Game Masters quickly create consistent, playable star systems, polities, and factions in the YE 500 Cradle setting.

GM Quick-Creation Steps

Choose Stellar Location
Select 1–3 nearby red-dwarf systems (typical Cradle style: dim stars, close orbits, high radiation belts).

Note dominant Gravity Rating (GR) populations for flavor:

• Stomper-heavy (1.6G+ worlds) → industrial, militaristic
• Floater-heavy (0–0.2G stations/arks) → fragile, intellectual, zero-G optimized
• Brick/Hopper mix → balanced, socially adaptable

(No mechanical change — GRM table applies exactly as core.)

Select Government Type
Pick one tone-setting archetype (for flavor only — no new mechanics):

Empire (centralized, authoritarian, Luyten-style)
Directorate (corporate/technocratic, Teegarden-style)
Concord (loose alliance of freeholds or stations)
Freehold (anarchic or pirate-governed)
Corporate Enclave (private megacorp territory)
Theocracy (religious order, e.g., Void Dharma or Inanna cult)

This sets NPC attitudes, laws, and security level — all resolved with core Persuasion, Streetwise, Intimidate, or Broker ARs.

Roll or Assign Population & GR Mix
Use core GR table for flavor (e.g., Brick-majority = socially adept, balanced; Floater-majority = zero-G specialists).
Population size is optional flavor (thousands to billions) — no mechanical impact.

List 2–5 Key Worlds/Stations
Assign one capital or primary hub. Tie to existing ship/mech profiles:

Capital guarded by Scout Frigates and Light Battle Mechs
Mining outpost with Heavy Labor Exo-Suits
Fringe station with Salvage Tugs and black-market LNC clinics

(All stats, AV, HP, and combat use core Vehicle/Mech/Ship Mechanics.)

Set Military Strength
Scale to crew PCR tiers (Newbie/Light Crew, Veteran, Epic):

Newbie (PCR 5–10): 2–5 Light Frigates, 1–3 Light Battle Mechs
Veteran (PCR 11–20): 5–15 mixed vessels (frigates + haulers), 5–10 Medium Battle Mechs
Epic (PCR 21+): 10+ capital ships, heavy mech squadrons, specialized warships

Use only core ship/mech profiles (no new units). Military encounters use standard opposed ARs (Gunnery vs. Piloting, etc.).

Determine Economy
Roll d6 once per session/visit for local gold-value modifier (core Economics table):

Roll	Percentage of Standard Gold Value
1	–20%
2	–10%
3	No Change
4	No Change
5	+10%
6	+20%

Note primary trade goods: bullion, helium-3, scrap, deuterium, rare metals, LNC tech, etc. All prices and trades use core gold/platinum economy.

Set Psionics & LNC Policies

Mainstream polities (Empire, Directorate) dismiss psionics as superstition or execute LNC users/installers.
Fringe polities (Freeholds, pirate syndicates) may tolerate or actively use both.
Psionic rarity: 5–10% population potential (core Psionics section).
LNC taboo: Black-market only; possession = bounty in core space.

Add Notable Tech
Choose 2–4 items from core lists:

Cybernetic/Bio Augmentations (e.g., Subdermal Plating, Adrenal Regulator)
Environmental/Mechanized Suits (e.g., Armored Vacuum Suit, XO-SKEL Suit)
Ship Modules (e.g., Hyperdrive Core, ECM Jammer Pod)
Weapons/Vehicles (e.g., 20mm Gatling Turret, Light Scout Walker)

All stats, costs, TNs, and installation rules remain core (no new items).

Write 1–3 Adventure Hooks
Scale difficulty to crew PCR:

Newbie (PCR 5–10): Smuggle banned LNC tech past light patrols (TN 12–15 ARs).
Veteran (PCR 11–20): Raid corporate enclave guarded by Medium Battle Mechs (opposed Gunnery/Piloting).
Epic (PCR 21+): Infiltrate Empire capital with heavy warships and elite LNC hybrids (TN 21+ ARs).

Finalize & Play
Fill out a simple one-page profile for the polity/system. Drop it into any module. Economy rolls, ship combat, cybernetic installation TNs, psionic rarity, Gravity Rating Modifiers, AV soak, and PCR scaling all use core rules exactly — and customized as imagination takes you.