KLOANE WAR KNIGHTS - Intro

KLOANE WAR KNIGHTS

Created for and compatible with Dave Bezio’s X-Plorers™ under the X-Plorers Trademark License.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to KLOANE WAR KNIGHTS, a game supplement for use with Dave Bezio’s X-PLORERS™ role-playing game. This supplement is not a “stand alone” game product; you will need a copy of the X-Plorers RPG to play in the setting presented here. You should be able to acquire a copy from your local game shop; you can also purchase it on-line from Brave Halfling Publishing and its distributors.

Like the basic setting found in X-Plorers, Kloane War Knights is designed to help players experience games of interplanetary adventure. Unlike the basic setting of Mr. Bezio’s book, Kloane War Knights (hereafter abbreviated KWN) takes place far away, in a galaxy very different from our own real world solar system. It is heavily influenced by literature of the space opera genre, especially those that feature swashbuckling action, interplanetary conflict, and psychic heroes, like the Lensmen books of E.E. “Doc” Smith. In addition, the author grew up watching the films of George Lucas, and the visual impressions left by them have undoubtedly colored the “look” of space opera in his mind’s eye. The author gratefully acknowledges a debt to both these sources, in addition to the many other authors and filmmakers of the space opera genre, all of which have provided some measure of influence and entertainment over the years.

Experienced gamers may wonder why bother with yet another hyper-warping, space opera RPG when so many other games have been created for the setting over the years. The answer lies in the simple elegance of the X-Plorers game, a system easy enough to pick up and play quickly with very little effort or learning curve, providing the necessary mechanics to facilitate play without “bogging down” in hundreds of pages of rules minutia. Character generation is fast and requires little forethought compared to other “rules light” systems, yet remains open enough to add extra “color” should a player desire. The author’s objective is to maximize actual play with minimal effort; Kloane War Knights simply develops and expands Mr. Bezio’s basic system with a few additional rules based around a fantasy space opera setting in a fictional galaxy filled with weird aliens, dark empires, and strange psychic powers.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy playing as much as the author (me) enjoyed writing it.

KLOANE WAR KNIGHTS: THE SETTING

Another time and another galaxy, a long way from here…

The GALACTIC REPUBLIC has stood for untold millennia, indisputable evidence of the ability of sentient species to coexist despite being spawned from more than a million divergent evolutionary tracks on nearly as many worlds.

That they have managed to do so in relative peace and harmony is an even greater accomplishment and a testament to the STAR KNIGHTS, galactic peacekeepers acting to protect the peoples of the galaxy while upholding order and justice. The Star Knights have served the Republic for more than a thousand generations, and though few in number they are well known throughout the galaxy for their loyalty and dedication. Their psychic training in the use of the STAR FORCE gives them access to powers beyond the ken of ordinary beings.

Now, a new enemy has appeared on the horizon. The KLOANE EMPIRE, a star-faring race from another galaxy, has invaded Republic space bent on conquest. Technologically advanced and utterly ruthless, the Kloane army is vast...far greater in number than the standing forces available to the Galactic Republic. With huge space dreadnoughts and legions of armor-clad troops, the imperials wage war across the galaxy.

And yet the Republic armies are bolstered by the might of the Star Knights, a power against which few foes can dare to stand. To counter the heroic Knights, the Kloanes have made dark alliance with the SHADOW LORDS: corrupt psychics, adept at using the Star Force for selfish and evil ends. The Shadow Lords have long been the bane of the Star Knights; many were once Star Knights themselves, but abandoned the calling in their lust for power. Though fewer in number than the Star Knights, the true danger these sorcerers present is their seductive lure of corruption, hoping to draw more Knights to their banner.  

This is the galactic struggle in which you will heroically take part!

USING THIS BOOK

This supplement provides an alternative setting for the X-Plorers role-playing game, namely the Kloane War conflict in a fictional galaxy “far, far away.” Many of the rules in this book differ from those in the original X-Plorers rulebook; in general, this is done in order to better integrate the original rules with the unique setting presented in KWN. You are free to disregard these changes and use the original rules, but doing so may change game play in a way different from that intended by the author.

Regardless of rule changes, you will still need a copy of Dave Bezio’s X-Plorers to use KWN…in many sections the rules have NOT changed, and this book will not include information that can be found in the original game. Whenever possible, the author will try to keep to the same Chapter organization as found in X-Plorers.

One of the main changes in KWN is with regard to psychic abilities and how they function. If playing KWN, all information in Chapter Y of Mr. Bezio’s book should be completely disregarded; it is fully replaced by the rules presented here. All characters in KWN are presumed to be heroic Star Knights and will thus have some measure of psychic training; however, this will be detailed in Chapter 1: Character Creation.

As with X-Plorers, KWN uses both the D20 and the D6. It also uses the D8 and (sometimes) the D4; however, for the latter you can simply roll an eight-sided die and divide the result by two (round up) to achieve a number from one to four.

[to be continued]

[Kloane War Knights is copyright 2013 by Jonathan Becker and Running Beagle Games. The X-Plorers rpg is copyright 2009, Dave Bezio & Grey Area Games. The X-Plorers trademark is used under the X-Plorers Trademark License]