The Galaxy of Slipshot: Part 1

1.1. Teaser
Six thousand years ago, the last of the Slipshot type patrol boats were retired. In the year 98008 of the Common Era, new patrol craft are appearing among the human civilizations of the Outer Bands of the Milky Way. Restlessness grows as human civilizations go silent, and the teachers of the Slipshot Institute grow uneasy as they take in the latest generation of students . .

The inspiration for the campaign is the Firefly TV series, but to make gameplay smoother we are decreasing the age of the main characters. Custom worlds like this are more fun for everyone when players and gm are discovering it together, otherwise issues with player knowledge introduce inconsistencies and disrupt the suspension of disbelief.
1.2. The Characters
1.2.1. The Institute
The player characters are children ranging in age from 8 to 16. They are offspring of the refugees that originally landed with the Slipshot fifty years ago. At the time of the start of the campaign, they are normal, if gifted, young people. Their physical and mental advantages have been augmented by the various treatment regiments used by the Slipshot crew. In Hero System, a 15 is the baseline stat for the children, with 25 being the maximum possible for their age, and all characters receive Immunity:Aging/Disease. For d20, consider the starting stat to be 12, with a 24 point buy. I’m leaning toward Hero system for this campaign.

The students are about to participate in the final stages of the education program taught by the former crewmembers of the Slipshot. The graduation process is swathed in secrecy, but is rumored to be anything from rigorous classes to hazing to combat.

The characters know all the information in this document. They have been brought up in a way not unrecognizable to 21st century people of Earth, since many of the Slipshot crew are from this period. They have been trained in hand-to-hand combat by the Slipshot crew in preparation for dealing with the medieval world outside the Institute. The crew has more than enough background to teach any student in any martial art desired.

The characters have roughly the same knowledge base as 21st century Terrans. They have the equivalent knowledge and emotional depth of adults because they are exceptional children, which is why they are at this stage of education at the Institute.
They have been sheltered from the culture of Tiedown and know it mostly from reading and distant observation. They have been brought up in borderline monastic conditions, as the teachers at the Institute have tried to protect them from the often brutal conditions in Tiedown.

The graduation process is largely geared to test the resourcefulness of the players. As such, they have no equipment beyond their clothing.
1.2.2. Alternative Character Origins
Nothing is more frustrating than being shoehorned into a story as a roleplayer. All players should bring forward an origin they are particularly excited about. Keep in mind that this may affect precisely when I can bring the character into play. Xorxaxx VII from the Andromeda Galaxy can’t just show up while the PCs are on a quest to find parts to repair the algae farm. Hmm, maybe he could, actually, but he couldn’t start the quest with the PCs.
Alternative character origins might include:
• An alien, last of its kind, in coldsleep (or equivalent), long after its species has moved on. Aliens would really bring the Hero system into play. It might also test the limits of playability, but if you have a great alien to play and are feeling up to it, go for it.
• An artificial organism, such as a genetically perfected hominid, robot, or combination of the two. Keep in mind that microcircuitry fails at relativistic speeds, and a character with computer components may become erratic or comatose at high velocity. “Cap, the tube shows proximity flashes at . . at . . at ERK . . I MEAN . . DEATH TO FLESHIES . . DEATH TO FLESHIES”
• A Tiedown native. A tribal from Tiedown voyaging amidst galactic marvels would be good RP. “Mandingo not know God so small!”