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Hello all...I am new in this forum.

I have read Fading Suns 2nd edition books (three of those) and I am bit confused with few things.

As I have understood, Fading Suns is the world where technical skills are hard to get trained to.

Well...I have read character creation rules few times and I am confused.

1. There are guild skills, but still Yeoman (Freelancers) are able to learn those. What is the point to belong to guild? Why to belong to some specific guild?

2. Computers are rare. Why Freelancers can learn computer skills if computers are so rare?

3. Why someone should choose to be part of the noble house? Why someone should be part of some specific noble house?

If you can provide some general information from these kind of things for me I would appreciate that.

I am asking these question, because I like the world and I am going to use Fading Suns world with Spacemaster: Privateers rules. So any help will be highly appreciated.

Hi Teroks,

These are very good questions. I’ll try to answer them as best I can, although they’re going to be short answers as I’m stopping by the internet rather quickly just now

In the Fading Suns setting (or more specifically in the Known Worlds/Phoenix Empire) high-tech is rather rare – at least compared to what it was like in the Second Republic a thousand years ago. The average person lives in an environment comparable to Victorian England – the poor enjoying very little tech while the rich have access to greater marvels. And then there are the top elite of society, the Guilds, Noble Houses, and Church Sects, who between them hoards most tech items and infrastructure. Few high-tech bits trickle down into the rest of society, although occasionally you may find the od trinket even among peasant communities and such – ancestral treasures, often revered as magical, that gives the tribe or village en edge in the dark world; and which they try as best they can to conceal from the elite, less the priests, nobles, or guilders come and take it from them.

1) The LifePath system sometimes allows non-guilders to buy up guild skills without paying points for a commission. I cannot remember how we arrived at this, but I think there were some justification for it – my memory is just so poor. It might be that we rationale that although the guild skills are technically restricted, people aren’t so stupid they won’t pick up the odd skill at beginner level when then encounter technical things. Therefore, Freemen (and even Nobles or Priests) sometimes get such skills in the LifePAth system – why we decided they didn’t need to pay the Benefice cost for a Guild Commission, I’m not sure…

As for belonging to a guild, it should be noted that ALL guilders belong to A specific guild – there is no such thing as general league membership without belonging to a guild. The reasons for joining a guild are largely social – in an unfree society where every faction grabs whatever power it can while also defending their privileges nail and teeth, belonging to a power factions is a major advantage in life. You wouldn’t necessarily have access to the faction’s resources and such (although you might have!), but you would enjoy status in society as a member of the faction and you would also enjoy protection by your group in many situations. In other words, the “reason” for belonging to a guild is largely matters of roleplaying and interaction with the setting. The faction is a major patron, but will also place demands on you.

Also remember that if you belong to a guild, noble house, or the church, you are among the very top elite of society – among the top 5% or so – and even Freemen have greater rights and opportunities than serfs; it is good to be on (or near) the top of the food chain.

2) Freelance belong to the top elite in society, albeit at the very bottom of the top elite. The nobles, guilders, and priests take great pains to keep the masses down, denying them tech and power, or else they might rise up against the elite. A serf would often be forbidden by law from owning or operating high tech stuff, but a freeman would have fewer restrictions. As part of the elite, Freemen could have access to high tech including Think Machines (i.e. computers).

3) No-one choose to be part of a noble house. You’re born a noble, or you marry into a noble family, or, in very few instances, you’re adopted into a family or raised into the ranks of the nobility from more humble origins as a reward for some extraordinary service. The nobles are arguably the strongest elite faction; they enjoy the greatest freedom (i.e. they have spare time for adventuring and such), they are universally allowed to carry arms (they’re even expected to), and they possess the greatest wealth, resources, and land. Again, it is largely a matter of belonging to a group.

Does this help?
(ok, so perhaps it wasn't a short reply after all... )

1. There are guild skills, but still Yeoman (Freelancers) are able to learn those. What is the point to belong to guild? Why to belong to some specific guild?

The guilds can't watch every human being or hold control over every book or think machine in the known words. Freeman can learn how to repair tech or fly ships or practice law but generally as GM you should limit that skill as they don't get the same resources as someone in the guild has. Also Freemen don't have the social franchise to use those skills. They aren't going to have an easy time getting a stall in the Agora to sell their goods, they'll be harassed by the guild with little recourse whenever they try to infringe on Guild copyrights and generally people will be less likely to trust their skills that a guilder. So a freeman could be a starship captain, absolutely, but regardless of their awesomeness they will always struggle.

2. Computers are rare. Why Freelancers can learn computer skills if computers are so rare?

PC freemen aren't typical non-serfs. They have a lot of advantages that NPC freemen won't. They can often have access to rare skills and in many cases they may have less restricted access to knowledge than even guilders because there is no power structure that controls them. However, as above, that knowledge doesn't empower them as well as others.

3. Why someone should choose to be part of the noble house? Why someone should be part of some specific noble house?

People should be part of a noble house because they are born into it or have been given the tremendous opportunity to pledge their loyalty to one. While Guild Businesses and even church sects come and go, the perception is that even the lesser Noble Houses are immortal. And while realistically they all share the power of the known worlds, the perception is that the Guild and Church are just renting space from the almighty Nobles. Nobles have wealth and political might, access to cool toys and the mandate to shape the worlds to their liking. You should be part of a specific noble house because it was the Noble House you were born into or they were the power you swore your service to. However, there is an advantage to service the Noble house that controls the lands where the campaign is set.