G.E.S.S.: Genetically Engineered Super Soldier

by Frank Pisauro

Concentration(N): 8* + 2 (10)

  ●Novice Perk: Double trouble

  ○Double trouble: Can cast two spells at once.

  Bastard swords(N): 6 + 4 (10)

  ●Novice Perk: Strike fast

  ○Strike fast: Bastard sword wielding speed increased by 25%

  *: Five of these points do not count toward individual’s skill point cap total.

  Skill points available: 3

  *Learned skills:

  Light armor: 5

  Medium armor: 1

  Survival (N): 15

  ●Novice Perk: Camper

  ○Camper: Doubles speed of assembling campsite structures.

  Cooking: 5

  Crafting skills*:

  Mystical weaponsmithing (J): 30 learned + 7 class skill points (37)

  ●Novice Perk: Spell slots count double for crafting. Weapon produced automatically of Good quality.

  ●Journeyman Perk: Crafting speed increased by 50%. Has a chance to create Excellent quality weapons.

  Skill levels are as follows and grant a perk when each new rank is achieved (no perk for unranked): 0-9 unranked, 10-24 novice, 25-49 journeyman, 50-74 adept, 74-99 expert, 100-149 master, 150-200 grandmaster.

  *Learned skills progress on their own and can be learned and taught by anyone. Skill points earned through leveling cannot be used to increase learned skills. Learned skills are still limited by an individual’s class skill restrictions. e.g.: cooking (skill).

  *Crafting skills can be both learned and advanced through class skill points. Crafting skills can only be taught by masters in their craft. Crafting skills are still limited by an individual’s class.

  Spells*:

  ●Manipulate gravity (skill): Can increase or decrease gravity by 5% in a three-foot radius centered on target when channeled. Increases or decreases gravity on individual by 5% when targeted. Gains 5% and a one-foot radius per skill level. Duration one minute per skill level. Individual or self, line of sight. Instant cast. No cool down. Can be channeled. Uses one spell slot every five seconds channeled.

  ●Dense star (skill): Creates a mini star with a gravitational pull towards it. Density and size are related to skill level. Will decrease the speed of individuals in affected area. Once speed is below zero, sun pulls target toward it, doing crushing damage that increases exponentially the closer the individual is to the center. Depends on mass of creature. Area of effect, line of sight. Duration: twenty seconds per skill level. Can be terminated early. Recharge of skill: thirty seconds.

  ●Manipulate air particles (skill) Haste/Slow: Can increase or decrease speed of target by five percent. Two percent change per skill level. Dependent on mass. Targeted, line of sight, touch. Lasts one minute per skill level. Five second casting time. No recharge, but not usable in a vacuum.

  ●Ion control (skill): Can manipulate the charged particles in the environment to cause damaging effects. Targeted, touch, discharged through weapon (may cause weapon damage due to durability loss). Damage output dependent on skill lvl and cha score. Can be channeled (no target needed when channeled). Instant casting. Recharge dependent on environmental conditions, with a minimum of one second to a maximum of ten seconds. Channeled spell uses a spell slot at the rate of 1 slot every 10 seconds*.

  *: When used in crafting, channeled spell uses a spell slot at a rate of 1 slot every minute.

  *All magic skills can be used in any way that the combat sorcerer can imagine, within the boundaries of the skills, and relative skill lvl. e.g.: Individuals cannot make a fireball (spell) with gravity magic. As well as not being able to call a meteor strike at skill level one in manipulated gravity.

  Abilities:

  Shapeshift: Can alter body at will. Cannot grow new appendages, however, can regrow existing appendages. Ability to change shape grows with skill points, but this does not grant the ability to change shape into another creature. e.g.: elven features are doable, but becoming a dragon is not.

  Perception: Increased senses and magical sensing.

  Identify: Combat sorcerers are able to identify magic items and potions. Increase perception to identify higher level items.

  Darkvision: Can see in complete darkness.

  Acid Breath weapon: Six-inch diameter stream out of mouth, for a maximum of ten yards. Lasts ten seconds. Does durability damage.

  Dodge: Allows an individual a small window of time to get out of the way of an attacker’s strike.

  Parry: Parries an opponent’s strike leaving them open to a riposte. Can be used with Precision strike and is improved through it as well.

  Quick strike: A lightning-fast strike that is unavoidable but does not guarantee damage. An example of such is hitting an opponent’s armor. Can be used with Precision strike. If used with Precision strike, critical damage possible.

  Silent casting: Individual does not need to speak in order to cast.

  Spell recovery: Can restore spell slots at a rate one every five minutes of meditation. Does not count toward necessary meditative rest cycle.

  Finesse: Dex based damage instead of str based.

  Basic telepathy: Can mentally speak to other Gess. No language barrier (can be understood and understands any language). Can be used on pets and familiars to deepen their bond.

  Resistances:

  Pain resistance (through use of a mental block. Works on mental pain as well) 85%

  Acid immunity:

  Poison immunity:

  Magic: (all types) resistance 50%

  Mental manipulation immunity:

  Special:

  Old Soul: the geneticists who made the Gess pulled souls from the beyond to inhabit the bodies of their creations. Your attributes, skills, and abilities from your old, and somehow remembered life, have transferred to this new body.

  Military and war veteran: Your old body was trained and then tested in war. 4 str 2 wis 4 con 2 dex

  S.T.E.M. background: You studied technology, math, engineering, and science. 4 int 2 wis 2 dex

  Cultured: You have traveled around the world and studied other cultures and beliefs. 2 wis 4 cha

  Old Man: Your old body lived a long, full life, unfortunately for you. -2 str -2 con -2 int -2 dex -2 cha -2 wis. Due to the time that has passed since you traveled, were in the army, and with old age taken into account, you have not been able to transfer any skills or abilities to your new body.

  Memories: Your new body has its original memories. Learned skill learning speed increased by 50%.

  In the time we had been journeying to the elves, I had grown a few levels. During that time, I started to understand some of what Tabby had meant when she said it would be hard, but for the most part nonfatal.

  I was used to mass battles, with high levels of skill, powerful abilities and spells, along with the high-level opponents that wielded them. Wild creatures, no matter the size, at least from what I have seen so far, were level 3-6, and honestly, not even a challenge. So, for the most part, we had tried to avoid killing them up to this point, although some just wouldn’t let it go.

  “Hey, Tabby, why didn’t they stop attacking,” I asked, cleaning the blood off my face and armor the best I could with an old, looted cotton rag.

  “Blood Rage, once you killed the first one, the rest lost their minds in anger. They would never have stopped chasing you.” She informed me. Walking through the tall grass, Tabby approached me from behind. During fights, she always had my back, knowing instinctively not to get in my way.

  Turning to watch her approach, I asked, “Find a place to camp for the night?”

  “Sure, there’s an ancient ruin a few miles from here. We’ll be there soon.” The forest had ended the day before, and we were now in an arid grassland that reminded me of the African Savannah. It didn’t take us long to reach the ruins, which were nothing major, just an old, oval shaped doorway leading into a 150 square foot, rubble filled room. Formed from the stone building collapsing in on itself, whatever purpose this building once served was long over all traces of that purp
ose erased to time. Now it was nothing more than a collection of rocks that created an unnatural cave. The outside was covered in the dirt the passed millennium had deposited onto it, scrub grass dotted sporadically along its surface, adding to the ‘cave look.

  It was dirty, we had no way to secure it, but the place would do for a night. “What do you think this once was?” I asked as we settled down. Tabby just shrugged, shaking her head, not responding from the cut section of log she was sitting on. One day while traveling through the forest we found a downed tree across the trail that looked to be the perfect diameter for log seats. Stools maybe, I shrugged either way they were round enough to fit our butts on so that was good enough. Using my sword, I cut seat height sections for us to sit on, having Tabby store them in her bag of holding. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the ground.

  Outside of the ruin preparing for dinner, I stoked the fire with a stick, just winding down, waiting for the food to cook. During our trek through the forest, we had collected as much dry firewood as possible for just such occasions. We had also come across lots of wild fruits and vegetables, adding to our choice of meat from kills, giving our diet a nice balance. If only I could cook better maybe this good food would be tastier. I chuckled to myself.

  “What?” Tabby asked, smiling with me.

  “I was just thinking about how the food would taste better if I could cook.” She laughed at that as well.

  Leaning back with her legs stretched out straight, she looked deep in thought for a second, then said. “A temple, I think,” it was a guess, one that I didn’t think she was going to make. I had learned during our time together that Tabby had a filled-out world map, there were no names or markers but it was far better than nothing. She had a way to track the elves’ movements as well, but didn’t explain it, and I didn’t ask.

  After the meal, we settled down for the evening in our looted bedrolls inside the shelter of the ruin. I found myself reflecting on my time in this body. Not knowing just what had got into me, I started talking. “I didn’t even get to process that I was alive in this body before the pain set in.” I waved my arms over my body as I said it. Laying my head down on my pillow, I looked at the fire playing across the ceiling. “They told us our new names, told us we were made to die for the alliance, and that we were to follow all their rules to the letter. Those who didn’t understand or panicked, and couldn’t be reasoned with were killed before even leaving the vat we were grown in. We were treated like… vermin.” My voice shook with pain, rage tearing through me at the words. I took a deep, calming breath focusing myself. “Eighteen years of constant pain, fear... death. That’s all this new life was.” I tried to force a smile as I turned to face Tabby, her green eyes looking into mine with concern. I idly noticed she was closer to me than when I started, but I ignored it and continued on.

  “You were the only reason I lived, I can’t tell you how close I was to ending it when you got mad at me, keeping silent for those three long years. Or the joy I got from hearing from you again.” I smiled a genuine smile at her, through the pain I felt, tears running down my face this time. “For a long time, I thought I was in hell. You were my lifeline. Joking, talking to you, helped me get over the loss of my family, helped me to not give in to those sadists who called themselves scientists,” I spat the word. “In the war, you saved my sanity.” I stopped my rush of words, feeling her shoulder against me, her hand in mine. “Thanks for saving me,” I said in a broken whisper. Emotionally drained, and falling silent afterward, both of us doing our best to get what rest we could, hand in hand.

  The next morning, we set off, Tabby jogging ahead of me on our route saying, “So we should reach the elves sometime either today or tomorrow. Either way, we’re close. So, be on the lookout for wereboars.” She casually threw at me, looking over her shoulder as she spoke.

  I nodded, keeping pace without effort. “So, what’s the plan anyway? We go in there, shapeshifted as elves, telepathically speak to the leader, teach them to read, and thus the system, and… what? Leave, to go to the next race?” The rolling waves of grain that dotted the arid grasslands in sparse areas flowed past as we jogged. In the distance, I could just make out the start of a new forest, or maybe a jungle? We traveled a few hours in silence before I got an answer.

  “Actually, yeah… that’s most of it.” She stated while giving me a suspicious look. It had been so long since I asked her that I almost didn’t know what she was talking about. We had stopped for a quick breather, drinking some water from looted canteens. “We are in their territory, so it might be a good idea to... You see those two heading this way, right.”

  “Yup,” I said to her, “wereboars or elves? You call it.”

  Putting her canteen away, she thought for a second, tilting her head slightly to the side as she did, then guessed, “elves.”

  I drew my sword, driving it in the ground a few inches, taking up a relaxed combat stance. With my hands resting on the pommel of my sword, my shoulders back, my back straight, I was ready for anything. Even relaxed, I was able to strike at a moment’s notice, but this is far less intimidating, and yet oozes power.

  “You look ridiculous, by the way,” with that statement, my hands fell to my side, my shoulders slumping forward slightly.

  “Way to kill the vibe, dude.” I sheathed my sword, a little hurt.

  Wereboar

  Level 7

  Description: A bestial combination of man and pig. Wereboar have a herd mentality, and while having minor intelligence, are not considered intelligent life.

  “Ha! You’re cooking tonight.” I said, looking over the wereboars. “Damn, they’re ugly,” the less said about wereboars the better. They had the snout of a pig, but the eyes and shape of their faces were that of a human. They had tusks jutting out from either side of their upper jaw, sloping down and away from their faces. They were naked, with bodies an overweight couch potato would be ashamed of, their arms ending in human hands, while their feet were hoofs. They smelled like they were covered in shit, and from the brown stains down their legs it was easy to see why. They were covered in coarse, brown hair, with open, weeping sores in places.

  “Tabby, why would you make this?” The two wereboars, the other being level 6 and just as ugly, sniffed at us with grunts. They held back a good ten paces from us, unsure of themselves. I knew that wouldn’t last long, however. Just looking at them made me want to burn them with plasma. “I’m so leveling ion control to journeyman, next level,” I stated, wishing to get plasma back as soon as possible. Casting dense star, I watched in horror as the wereboars fought the gravity well. They didn’t beat it, the struggle, the mess though... just made me miss plasma all the more. At the end of the spell, the two were still clinging to life, but no one, including them, wished they were. I threw a bolt at them, but it did nothing. “Resistant to magic too, what’s wrong with you?” I asked Tabby, shaking my head as I walked up to end the wereboars with my sword.

  “Look, I said they are monsters, okay, I don’t feel the need to explain further. Plus, you wouldn’t understand what it took to even get them to this point.” She said, turning away from the gruesome display. irritation mixed with disgust clear in her voice.

  EXP Earned: 1,845

  EXP Total: 20,525

  EXP Until Next Level: 10,475

  I dismissed the notification. “Pppfffttt, you just wanted… I got nothing. They’re just so gross,” I puffed my cheeks out, while making a throwing up noise and holding my stomach. “So, you’re saying these things are eating elves.” I stressed the word eating with exaggerated surprise. “If I were on the fence about saving them before... I mean, really. The elves die of disgusted shock, right?” I might have taken the joke too far if the look on Tabby’s face was any indication. “How many of these things are there?”

  At that, she looked at me, anger radiating off her, giving me an agitated shrug. “How the fuck should I know? They breed in litters! Plus, it has been sometime since I could look.” T
abby hadn’t explained it, but now she didn’t get as much information from the system as she used to. I wasn’t sure what that would mean for our endeavor, though I suspected it didn’t make things easier. “Besides,” she continued, “we don’t have to exterminate them, just get the elves in a position to deal with it themselves. It will be good for them, make them stronger, level them some. It’s a win-win really.” She finished with a strained smile.

  “Really? That’s a little messed up, isn’t it?” I said as I looted the wereboars. Finished, I turned back to Tabby, giving her a sour look. “I mean, why not let them level with quests? Hunting and crafting… that sort of thing.” I said, waving my hand in a come-on type of gesture.

  “They will do all that too,” she told me, as I glanced back to see if the looting process had finished. Seeing it was, though it was nothing other than meat that neither of us wanted, we continued on our journey.

  After a few more hours of travel, Tabby abruptly stopped. Turning back to look at me, she said, “okay, I want us to change our appearance now.” With no further warning, Tabby transformed herself. Immediately, her figure was slighter, more graceful, forcing her armor to change to match her new body shape. Her eye color stayed green, but her skin and hair took on a golden hue. Her hair sparkled, while her skin glowed almost imperceptibly in the daylight, not too dissimilar from our weapons. Other than her ears growing pointed, nothing else about her features changed.