PROGENITOR Set-Up, Infinity
Has A Second Home System
You have the power to uplift. You have a second system hex complete
with its own tokens, cards, destiny color, power, etc. In games with
multi-powers, the second system gets only one power. You decide where
to place it on the board. You play this system like a player normally
would. Both system tokens may ally with each other but may not share
cards. To win the game, either you or your second system must have 5
foreign bases, but not collectively. Bases in each other's system do
not count. If you lose your power, everything regarding your second
system is frozen until you get your power back, but other players'
bases there still count for the win. If you or the second system
draws the other in destiny, draw again. The second system is
considered a game artifact.
HISTORY: Much to everyone's denial, the Progenitors claim to be the
first alien race of the universe, having created all the others.
Ignoring their children's defiance, the Progenitors continue their
life-giving ways. They would be so proud if their child race gained
dominance over the cosmos. Naturally, though, that child would always
do what its parent says.
FLARE
Phase 3, Interphase
Wild: As main player, you may use a randomly chosen power from the
unused powers deck for one challenge.
Infinity
Super: If you and your second system collectively have 5 foreign
bases, you win the game, despite Schizoid.
PULSAR
Interphase
Con: Progenitor gets one turn only for his systems. He may have
either system do his first challenge. Should he win, he may allow the
other system get a challenge.
Infinity
Pro: You may share cards with the hand of your second system.
Eon/Avalon:
No Changes
Experience Rating: Expert
Cosmic Monopoly
You get a second Monopoly token with its own starting money of $1500.
This Monopoly token gets a separate turn. You cannot share money or
properties. You do not owe each other rent. You may make property
deals with each other but only if both get an even number of
Monopolies, though not necessarily of equivalent value, with the
exception that the Utilities cannot be the sole Monopoly given. (In
long version such deals are not possible since Monopoly deals can only
be made in Compromise/Compromise situations. You cannot challenge
each other.) The second token counts for Opera Tickets and Chairman
of the Board Election. In this rare case where one owes the other the
$50 and cannot pay could one be bankrupt to the other. If this
second Monopoly token goes bankrupt, you keep playing. If you go
bankrupt, you are out of the game. The second token's money,
properties, and buildings go to the bank. In long version, if the
second system shares properties with other players, they retain their
ownership as normal. The second Monopoly token does not get a power
unless you are playing with multiple powers in which case it gets one
power only.
Commentary: This is a resource power created by me. This power had
two inspirations. A friend of mine from college, Stefan Jones,
adapted The Uplift series for GURPS. Second, in the Star Trek Next
Generation episode "The Chase", DNA in various races, including
humans, had a computer code which when activated, showed an image of
an alien who explained they were an old and ancient race who implanted
the means necessary with their own DNA for various worlds to develop
life.
Progenitor is a powerhouse, perhaps too powerful for some players,
even after adding the one-power only restriction in multi-power
games. The idea behind it is that it makes a 4-player game a 5-player
game, 5-player game a 6-player game, and so on. The Progenitor player
is given a second chance to win. However, players might object that
the player is getting 20 extra tokens, and an extra hand, and an extra
power, and an extra turn. Looked at in this way, Progenitor is
Symbiote, Miser, Pentaform, and Machine rolled into one. Though I
understand that interpretation, I don't feel it, so to speak, when I
regard Progenitor. I simply see the second system as another player
in the game.
There are two ways to play Progenitor. The intended way is actually
try to have the second system win the game if your primary system does
not. A second, effective way I've seen Progenitor used is to treat
the second system as a sacrificial lamb. Use its resources as
possible to help yourself with your primary resources to win the game
and not care much to what happens to your child race. This strategy
is probably what will bother people most for those who regard
Progenitor as too powerful.
If the Pulsar Card is in the hand of the second system, it does not
entitle you to use the Pro Pulsar. The card has to be in your primary
system's hand. Not sharing cards means if your primary system is main
player, your second system cannot play cards that can only be used as
a main player as if your primary system played it. However, if you
have the second system ally it can use ally only cards.
Matt Stone's set has a completely different power that would fit the
theme of this power if you feel this power is too powerful. Once per
challenge the player "uplifts" another power in the game of any
player, except itself. That player would then use his power for that
challenge as if he had its Super Flare. The player is permitted to
uplift another of his powers in a multi-power game but cannot uplift
the same power two challenges in a row. Flare Zap has no effect. I
do not recall the timing of when this is done, i.e. as soon as
defensive player is determined, beginning of a challenge, whenever the
player wants, etc. I think it would work best if it was whenever the
player wants. For example, it does no good to uplift Virus only to
have him ally with your opponent when you wanted him to ally with you.
Gerald Katz
Don't forget to tip the Butler!
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