These notes are intended to help you with your game playing in Galactic Renaissance. They are intended to act as guidelines, for when you create a character, when you move to a new environment - or even as you just create a storyline. It is important to realise that the primary focus of Galactic Renaissance is neither the use of weapons, or the use of psi/magic. If you want to shoot things with a big gun, or blast things with powerful magic or psi powers, there are other games out there, and we will point you in the right direction.

Power can be achieved in the game ... but it is achieved through skillful manoeuvring and negotiation. Bearing that in mind, here is the position:

Individual worlds (and this includes space stations) are under the jurisdiction of the Moderators. When you create a nrew environment, you should discuss your requirements with them. Once the limits have been established for an area, no-one is allowed to transgress them (unless there has been agreement with the person who controls that area AND the Moderators).

For example, you have invented the peaceful world of Oswern, where there are talking dragons and no technology. A wandering space ship decides to take over violently, using its superior technology. UNLESS this had been pre-arranged, an amazingly powerful Empire ship would come racing to the rescue and obliterate the invader.

General notes on weapons technology available

All energy weapons are powered by ImperiumX, a power source that is completely controlled by the empire, Divis Mal in particular. What this means is that cultures outside of the empire's influence (Mort, and any others) would have very restricted access to them, if any at all.

There are four tiers of weapons technology in the Empire.

1) The first and highest level of technology is very restricted. In general only imperial troops have access to this level.

Weapons at this level include: Monomolecular Melee weapons (swords and whips and knives for the most part), Blaster Weapons (Actually caseless projectile weapons that fire projectiles with an ImperiumX payload, very deadly)

2) The second tier is restricted, also. But in general planetary govenments have this level of weapons technology, and you can find the weapons on the black market.

Weapons at this level include: Laser Weapons Plasma Weapons (includes a melee weapon that releases a charge of plasma on contact) Gyroc Weapons (shoot mini missle type projectiles)

3) The third tier is restricted about as much as projectile weapons are today, for what it's worth...

Weapons at this level include: Ballistic Firearms (Cased and Caseless), Needlers, Stun Weapons

People travelling within the Empire (for example on SENDI) will have access to this level. Whether everyone can afford them, knows how to use them or wants to use them, is a moot point.

4) The fourth tier is generally unrestricted, or low-tech.

Weapons at this level include: Melee Weapons, Black Powder Weapons, Bows

N.B.Specific restrictions may be imposed depending on where the character is, for example, Aquila has a heavy ban on firearms; even the soldiers only have restricted access to them. So on Aquila, third tier weapons are very rare, if any exist at all.

Magic and/or psi powers

We anticipate that in a multiplexity of world within the galaxy, there will be powers and environments that move us beyond our current limits. Some may choose to explain these in terms of magic; others may prefer to see it as the result of human (or alien) development of psi powers. We are happy with either way of describing it - it will be up to you.

This is not, however a primarily Magic game, or a vampire one. Such powers should be limited, and anyone who wishes to possess them will need to discuss them with the Moderators. In general, players will be limited to ONE psi/magic power; it may be an important part of them, but it should not be their sole motivation.

For example, Jos has a primary skill which is psi - she has the ability to detect the use of advanced technology. She can only do this over a certain range - although she can sense powerful emissions at a greater distance. Some systems will be weak to her, other strong. Thus she has to be in the same room to detect a concealed gun with an electronic sight; she will be able to detect a large arms dump with many electronic devices from several miles away. But this does not give her the power to manipulate that technology in any way, or the ability to read people's minds, or the ability to lift objects etc. etc.

Any questions about any of this, please contact the Moderators