I've been pondering on world design for OSR compatible sci-fi games (among other things). Scientific plausibility is the key but only to some extent can't just leave it to happenstance to get a Hoth or Dune, or can we?
Traveller has had world generation it it's rules for since it's inception (as gar as I'm aware) and I have a fondness for those strings of hexadecimal data but they are limited and lacking. There is also the case where worlds get dreadfully dull when they are expressed as little more than said string of hexadecimal codes.
I've been toying with an expanded Traveller compatible system for years always feeling the original just didn't go far enough. Atmosphere as density and composition in one code...how limiting, where was the surface temperature, ambient radiation, and more? All the seas of our solar system are not water surely there would be a difference in the rest of the universe.
My last posted start at expanded world generation included world classes, AtmosphereiDensity, Atmosphere Composition, Types of asteroids, asteroid use, Hydrology Class (not just seas of water), the cloud decks of gas giants and radiation levels. I didn't get it all wrapped up. I havn't played traveller in years and traveller does have one or more expanded world and system generation systems out there. Time to set my sites further afield.
What would you find necessary and evocative in the descriptions of worlds for sci-fi gaming? Is it safe to have a world be one descriptive biome, or should things get pickier? How picky er uh, detail oriented should it be?
Showing posts with label whitestar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whitestar. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Expanding White Star Starship Combat
Starship combat is White Star is brief and simple the following options are included to expand range of options possible in duking it out between starships.
Two new Starship Statistics
Sensor Rating: This provides a range at which the starship sensors are fully capable. Firing on targets outside this sensor range up requires a saving throw to successfully acquire the target or the attack is made with a penalty of -5. The saving throw to acquire a target is either equal to the starships saving throw or the saving throw of the pilot.
OPTIONAL: The save to lock on may be penalized for each bracket over the sensors normal range.
Saving Throw: this score is used identically to the saving throw score for characters. A saving throw for a ship is used to avoid tractor beams and other space hazards in addition to avoiding precision attacks. A Pilot may use it's superior Saving throw as many time per combat round as per level of Pilot instead of the ships saving throw if desired.
New Combat Options
Jinking: Taking evasive maneuvers. When jinking the pilot can do nothing else in a round distance covered in a round is 3/4th normal but the Armor Class of the vessel is temporarily improved by 3 or 1/2 the Pilots level, whichever is better. The pilot may not fire weapons and others attempting to fire weapons this round do so at -4 to hit.
Running Cold: This maneuver requires systems to power down. Only 2/3 speed is allowed with no maneuvers. Any weapon fire while cold running ruins the maneuver. Any other vessel attempting to fire on a vessel or make a sensor lock must consider the vessel to be twice as far away. Some weapons systems may require 1 or more rounds to power up after Running-Cold.
Sensor Flash: This is a dangerous maneuver where all active sensor pulses are directed at an opposing starship to overwhelm that vessels sensors. A hit roll is required and the opposing vessel is allowed saving throw if the save fails the target vessel has it’s Sensor Rating reduced by 1d6. Each attempt to use a Sensor Flash reduces the Sensor Rating of the attacking vessel by 1d3.
Damage from sensor flash requires special repairs that take 3 times a along as other repair attempts.
Precision Targeting: Starships may fire at specific systems on other vessels to cripple a vessel without destroying it. There is a modifier to the hit chance for each and the target vessel is allowed a saving throw. IF the save is successful the attack is considered to have missed. Precision hits only inflict 1/2 the amount of damage they would normally inflict.
Precision Targeting is only possible within the current Sensor Rating of the attacking Starship.
Repair of deactivated units is at the discretion of the GM who should consider resources available.
Two new Starship Statistics
Sensor Rating: This provides a range at which the starship sensors are fully capable. Firing on targets outside this sensor range up requires a saving throw to successfully acquire the target or the attack is made with a penalty of -5. The saving throw to acquire a target is either equal to the starships saving throw or the saving throw of the pilot.
OPTIONAL: The save to lock on may be penalized for each bracket over the sensors normal range.
Saving Throw: this score is used identically to the saving throw score for characters. A saving throw for a ship is used to avoid tractor beams and other space hazards in addition to avoiding precision attacks. A Pilot may use it's superior Saving throw as many time per combat round as per level of Pilot instead of the ships saving throw if desired.
|
Starship
|
SENSOR RATING
|
ST
|
|
Blockade Runner
|
24
|
12
|
|
Dreadnaught
|
18
|
10
|
|
Gunship
|
15
|
14
|
|
Heavy Transport
|
8
|
13
|
|
Medium Transport
|
8
|
14
|
|
Light Transport
|
8
|
15
|
|
Space Mine
|
25
|
x
|
|
Space Yacht
|
12
|
12
|
|
Star Cruiser
|
9
|
11
|
|
Stunt Fighter
|
12
|
13
|
New Combat Options
Jinking: Taking evasive maneuvers. When jinking the pilot can do nothing else in a round distance covered in a round is 3/4th normal but the Armor Class of the vessel is temporarily improved by 3 or 1/2 the Pilots level, whichever is better. The pilot may not fire weapons and others attempting to fire weapons this round do so at -4 to hit.
Running Cold: This maneuver requires systems to power down. Only 2/3 speed is allowed with no maneuvers. Any weapon fire while cold running ruins the maneuver. Any other vessel attempting to fire on a vessel or make a sensor lock must consider the vessel to be twice as far away. Some weapons systems may require 1 or more rounds to power up after Running-Cold.
Sensor Flash: This is a dangerous maneuver where all active sensor pulses are directed at an opposing starship to overwhelm that vessels sensors. A hit roll is required and the opposing vessel is allowed saving throw if the save fails the target vessel has it’s Sensor Rating reduced by 1d6. Each attempt to use a Sensor Flash reduces the Sensor Rating of the attacking vessel by 1d3.
Damage from sensor flash requires special repairs that take 3 times a along as other repair attempts.
Precision Targeting: Starships may fire at specific systems on other vessels to cripple a vessel without destroying it. There is a modifier to the hit chance for each and the target vessel is allowed a saving throw. IF the save is successful the attack is considered to have missed. Precision hits only inflict 1/2 the amount of damage they would normally inflict.
Precision Targeting is only possible within the current Sensor Rating of the attacking Starship.
|
Target
|
Mod
|
Effect
|
|
Shield Generator
|
-4
|
Lose 1 Shield Strength for each 5 pts of damage
|
|
Thrusters
|
-2
|
Lose 1 movement for each 6 points of damage
|
|
Targeting
|
-5
|
Downgrade targeting by 1 point for each 10 points of damage
|
|
Weapon
|
-4
|
Weapon Damaged beyond Use if damage roll if 5 or more, destroyed is damage is 10 or more
|
|
Sensors
|
-2
|
Sensor Rating Reduced 1 point per 6 pts of damage
|
|
Other Systems
|
-4
|
Deactivated until Repairs may be made if damage is 6 or more
|
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Space Monkey Characters [WHITE STAR]
Space Monkeys appear in the White Star White Box Science Fiction role Playing Rules as an alien creature that may be encountered. I couldn't help but feel there are players out there that might enjoy the role-playing challenge of being a Space Monkey as a PC.
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