Alternity 2nd Edition

Alternity 2nd Edition
RPG published by Sasquatch Game Studio
Authors	Richard Baker David Noonan Stephen Schubert
First Publication	1998 (1st Edition) 2018 (2nd Edition)

Alternity with the serial numbers filed off.

Richard Baker was somehow able to relaunch the Alternity name without attracting retaliation from WotC but all the legacy races was dumped. A few parts were ported largely unchanged such as the situation die system (which was merely reversed +/-). But most of the changes did not improve the system.

Skill rolling has been reversed so that your roll target is to be greater or equal to 20-(ability score+skill rank) for an average (ordinary) success. The target is +5 for excellent (good) success and +10 for stellar (amazing) success. This necessarily means that skills are limited to 10 ranks and ability scores are limited to 10 so that your target roll can't go negative. Compared to first edition, for a max rank skill test with no situation die the stellar success is a bit more likely than it was.

The gradient damage system of ordinary/good/amazing + stun/wound/mortal damage system that conveniently scaled from individuals up to starships is gone, as is the distinction between Low and High impact physical damage. In its place, players have a wound pool and armor has fixed values. This kinda sucks because one of the cool things about Star Swords was that despite being personal melee weapons they dealt vehicle (good) grade damage.

The perks and flaws system of 1st edition is gone, although these were pretty tangential even in the original system so it's no great loss. But so are the rank benefits of skills, and in their place is a talents system. In place of the VERY loose professions are archetypes which have mandatory and discretionary talents and skills. While this system isn't as bad as it COULD be (there are only 24 talents, it's not as bad as Starfinder where every class needs a chapter to explain its specific flavor of hit-with-stick), but it's still not as clean as the old system.

Mutations are gone, suggesting they weren't part of Baker's vision for the game and just shoehorned in for Gamma World. Psionics are still around; the psi skills are fundamentally the same as the old broad skills but like regular skills they've got some talents tacked on.

Archetypes

• Brawler: Tanky murderhobo. Comes in ranged and melee flavors.
• Expert: Nerdy murderhobo. Just like the old tech op, it pulls double duty as medic.
• Leader: Bossy murderhobo. For people who feel the need to make others feel inspired.
• Striker: Unsubtle DPS murderhobo.
• Survivor: Subtle DPS murderhobo.
• Freeform: Build your own murderhobo.

Races

• Human:
• Elaphromorph: Low gravity humans
• Baromorph: High gravity humans
• Android:
• Briith:
• Nesh:
• Xayon: