Random Thoughts on a SF setting

[JmOz]

So I have a few random ideas battering around the old noggin, and want to start posting them so they can maybe be refined into a setting I could run. Not sure what is to come of it, but think I will make the characters and use it for a pilot adventure (meaning if the group likes it we will keep going with it, if they don't then we drop it)

First I am seeing a small group on a ship. The crew works for a faraway company, where they are looking for resource rich worlds (or astroids, etc.. just things to make the company a profit back home). There job is to just find it, tag it, and notify the company, maybe take some samples. I see them looking through archeological areas, geographical surveys, etc

I like the idea that while they know that there has been intelegent alien life they have only found proof of it, never met any. Basicaly they have found ruins of alien civilizations, but never any intelegent aliens.

So the only permited race is human, maybe with some genetic modifications

I think the crew would have very limited weapons, I'm thinking right now: sonic stunners (6), Gauss Assualt Riffle (1), Force Sword* (1), Multi-tools (all), and a hand welder (1-2)

Off the cuff Stats (all OAF, Real Weapon)

Sonics 8d6 Blast, No vaccuum, Reduced Pen, 12 charges, 2-4 clips a person

Guass 2d6 RKA: Af 3, 30 Charges, 2-4 clips, AP (defence is 1/4), does not work in strong magnetic fields

Force Sword 1d6 HKA ( or 2d6 RKA no range), not sure on the advantages yet, either a NND does body or a AP/Penetration combonation

Multi Tool is a simple 1 pip HKA 0 end, for a max of 1/2 d6 (small blade)

The welder will be a 1/2 d6 RKA x2 Pen, either a Continuing Charge or a 0 end advantage

Basicaly I see them traveling around on a ship, looking for stuff.

I think that alien life would have been found, but just animals/Plants



So anyways I welcome comments and ideas to help flush it out

[tkdguy]

Sounds interesting. Here are a few random thoughts and questions offhand.

If the PCs are armed, that means they are expecting some sort of opposition, maybe competitors or pirates/smugglers.

What type of corporation do the PCs work for? Is it looking for alien artifacts or natural resources to mine (or both)? How is this regulated by law? Are the PCs' actions considered legal?

Having some sort of star chart with planets would be useful. If you have any maps or modules from Traveller, 2300 AD or Star Frontiers, you can use them to help you detail your adventure.

[JmOz]

Sounds interesting. Here are a few random thoughts and questions offhand.

If the PCs are armed, that means they are expecting some sort of opposition, maybe competitors or pirates/smugglers.

What type of corporation do the PCs work for? Is it looking for alien artifacts or natural resources to mine (or both)? How is this regulated by law? Are the PCs' actions considered legal?

Having some sort of star chart with planets would be useful. If you have any maps or modules from Traveller, 2300 AD or Star Frontiers, you can use them to help you detail your adventure.

I had thought of pirates, but competitors and claim jumpers sounds like a good idea

the corportation is an exploration company trying to make money off of space, so both. The law favors the corporations, but it has not got to the cybercorp level of company is the law. Yes the actions are legal, but there is virtualy no law enforcment where the heroes are. Legal, yes, but somewhat unsavory.

unfortunatly none of those games in my collection

[Lawnmower Boy]

So I have a few random ideas battering around the old noggin, and want to start posting them so they can maybe be refined into a setting I could run. Not sure what is to come of it, but think I will make the characters and use it for a pilot adventure (meaning if the group likes it we will keep going with it, if they don't then we drop it)

First I am seeing a small group on a ship. The crew works for a faraway company, where they are looking for resource rich worlds (or astroids, etc.. just things to make the company a profit back home). There job is to just find it, tag it, and notify the company, maybe take some samples. I see them looking through archeological areas, geographical surveys, etc

I like the idea that while they know that there has been intelegent alien life they have only found proof of it, never met any. Basicaly they have found ruins of alien civilizations, but never any intelegent aliens.

So the only permited race is human, maybe with some genetic modifications

I think the crew would have very limited weapons, I'm thinking right now: sonic stunners (6), Gauss Assualt Riffle (1), Force Sword* (1), Multi-tools (all), and a hand welder (1-2)

Off the cuff Stats (all OAF, Real Weapon)

Sonics 8d6 Blast, No vaccuum, Reduced Pen, 12 charges, 2-4 clips a person

Guass 2d6 RKA: Af 3, 30 Charges, 2-4 clips, AP (defence is 1/4), does not work in strong magnetic fields

Force Sword 1d6 HKA ( or 2d6 RKA no range), not sure on the advantages yet, either a NND does body or a AP/Penetration combonation

Multi Tool is a simple 1 pip HKA 0 end, for a max of 1/2 d6 (small blade)

The welder will be a 1/2 d6 RKA x2 Pen, either a Continuing Charge or a 0 end advantage

Basicaly I see them traveling around on a ship, looking for stuff.

I think that alien life would have been found, but just animals/Plants



So anyways I welcome comments and ideas to help flush it out

Here's a thought: give them a clearly defined profit model. Say, salvage. Something like a jump point model (not a straitjacket, just an idea of where a ship so big, with engines so big, has to go into hyperspace, and where they would have to come out, if not at their destination). You can figure out where S.S. McGuffin must have missed the jump at Beta-131313-Z, and since it was aimed at Lalande 46650, it ended up here, here, or here. No-one's been to these places, and there's no compelling reason to go there (remember, we can see them via telescope. You know you're not going to find an unknown Earthlike world.* Your tug, unlike the big liner, can make the jump, salvage the hull, and send it back on autopilot. Profit!

But you have unscrupulous rivals, and, after all, it might have been hijackers or pirates who caused the accident in the first place. Then there are cultists/survivalists/criminals/walking plot hooks hiding from civilisation, rogue unobtanium miners, rogue cyborgs; rogue telepaths, rogue mutants; and, eventually, aliens.

*But: ancient ruins spread across a Mars-like world, or floating in space around an asteroid belt that was once something more; a supply depot of the side that lost the late war; a supply depot for the side that intends to start the next one; a smuggler's free port; life "where none should exist"; the Fleet's rally anchorage and supply depot established in the event that the Cylons come back; a permanent jump gate to something very big and interesting; a generation ship forging through the outer system on a vector outbound from Earth at a high but not uninterceptable speed, full of Atlanteans/elves/intelligent dinosaurs/disturbing Pre-Cambrian sentiences....

[tkdguy]

Here are some maps for you from the 2300 AD system (all fan made). It's probably more info than you need at this time, but you can pick and choose what you want. And if the players decide to continue with the campaign, you'll have ready-made stuff to use.

A detailed PDF document of the star chart showing the near stars and the sectors (20 pages long, Sol in on page 8)

The different spheres of influence

Maps of colonies and outposts. Some documents require WinRAR.

[JmOz]

Here's a thought: give them a clearly defined profit model. Say, salvage. Something like a jump point model (not a straitjacket, just an idea of where a ship so big, with engines so big, has to go into hyperspace, and where they would have to come out, if not at their destination). You can figure out where S.S. McGuffin must have missed the jump at Beta-131313-Z, and since it was aimed at Lalande 46650, it ended up here, here, or here. No-one's been to these places, and there's no compelling reason to go there (remember, we can see them via telescope. You know you're not going to find an unknown Earthlike world.* Your tug, unlike the big liner, can make the jump, salvage the hull, and send it back on autopilot. Profit!

But you have unscrupulous rivals, and, after all, it might have been hijackers or pirates who caused the accident in the first place. Then there are cultists/survivalists/criminals/walking plot hooks hiding from civilisation, rogue unobtanium miners, rogue cyborgs; rogue telepaths, rogue mutants; and, eventually, aliens.

*But: ancient ruins spread across a Mars-like world, or floating in space around an asteroid belt that was once something more; a supply depot of the side that lost the late war; a supply depot for the side that intends to start the next one; a smuggler's free port; life "where none should exist"; the Fleet's rally anchorage and supply depot established in the event that the Cylons come back; a permanent jump gate to something very big and interesting; a generation ship forging through the outer system on a vector outbound from Earth at a high but not uninterceptable speed, full of Atlanteans/elves/intelligent dinosaurs/disturbing Pre-Cambrian sentiences....

Some good ideas, right now I am thinking they are more like scouts who when they find something profitable talk to the company to get a specilised team out however. Good list of posible baddies, had not even thought about mutants or psis yet

[JmOz]

Here are some maps for you from the 2300 AD system (all fan made). It's probably more info than you need at this time, but you can pick and choose what you want. And if the players decide to continue with the campaign, you'll have ready-made stuff to use.

A detailed PDF document of the star chart showing the near stars and the sectors (20 pages long, Sol in on page 8)

The different spheres of influence

Maps of colonies and outposts. Some documents require WinRAR.

Many thanks, will look them over later this week

[tkdguy]

I was originally going to use the 2300 AD (aka Traveller 2300) for my hard sci-fi campaign. Then the science got harder during the development process, so interstellar travel went out with artificial gravity and space fighters.

[JmOz]

I feel a bit like a traitor for this post, and for that I apoligise

Do to a variety of reasons I have decided to use another system for this game, however if you will indulge me I think I will still refine some of it here (Better boards IMO). It comes down to how simple I want the rules to be, and while I love Hero I want less crunch for this adventure/game

When I post here I will do my best to convert it to Hero Talk, but occasionaly that will just not be possible.

again it is with a heavy heart that I do this, but so is gaming...

[tkdguy]

No big deal (for me, anyway). I've had to do the same with some campaigns because the players couldn't get into the HERO system. I still get lots of use from my Star HERO book, though.

[JmOz]

Ohh definatly, I will be using Savage Worlds for the setting

Some other things I have decided on, I will be using my Neoman idea

So the available races will be

Human
Neoman Alpha (Stong but dumb)
Neoman Beta (Smart)
Neoman Gamma (Social)

I am stuggling with how I want to handle Cyborgs for right now

First adventure will be borrowing alot from Aliens, and Alien Wars (basicaly they will investigate a crashed alien vessel)

[Tasha]

I had thought of pirates, but competitors and claim jumpers sounds like a good idea

the corportation is an exploration company trying to make money off of space, so both. The law favors the corporations, but it has not got to the cybercorp level of company is the law. Yes the actions are legal, but there is virtualy no law enforcment where the heroes are. Legal, yes, but somewhat unsavory.

unfortunatly none of those games in my collection

BTW most of those maps can be DLed from fansites and in some cases from the original company's website

[JmOz]

Another piece of common equipment is going to be the jumpsuit, it will provide minor protection, and will also be usable as an impromptu spacesuit with very limited air supply (5 min or so)

[JmOz]

here is the timeline I came up with so far

The Final Frontier

The players are the crew of a Exploration vessel working for Earth Exploratory Expeditions (E3). E3 is a Mega-Corp on earth concentrating on exploring space and profiting from it. The standard procedure for E3 is to send out a scout craft, the craft makes an initial evaluation of what they find to the company who sends out a vessel specialized to take care of what is found (A Mining vessel, research vessel, etc…)

History of Earth

1997 astronomers noticed an impact on the surface of Europe (a moon of Jupiter), assuming it was just an asteroid it was noted and then soon forgotten
2053 Mankind creates a genetic species called the neoman,
2076 WWIII
2085 Aftermath of the war only 3 nations remain but mega corps are now more empowered
2089 Probe discovers remains of an alien ship on Europe
2093 Man’s first mission to Europe (Jupiter 1) salvages an alien ship
2097 Using tech from the salvaged ship a second ship is launched and immediately assumed destroyed (Jupiter 2) . The Jupiter 2 becomes somewhat of a “Flying Dutchman”
December 31 2100: Launch of Jupiter 3, using the last supply of Gilisite (a mineral required for warp drives). Jupiter 3 found a supply of Gilisite on a distant planet, and the space race was on.
2160 Now: Man has moved among the stars. While they have found strange creatures and plants, and even more evidence of alien races, they have yet to make contact with an intelligent alien.

[Ian Mackinder]

Jupiter Two? Uh, oh.

Moving on. What sort of travel times and what difficulties are involved in interstellar flight for your background? I'm thinking of the effect this would have on the logistics and self-sustainability of your group.

If interstellar travel is relatively quick'n'easy (a la the Jump Drive of Star Wars and Traveller, amongst others), the group can conceivably be running a fairly small ship, stocked with fuel and other supplies for maybe a month or two between stopovers.

If trips take considerably longer, then one needs to start thinking about actually producing food and air instead of just storing or recycling it. Plus, very likely, including some manufacturing capability for spare parts, and weapons, and ammo, and weapons, and ammo, and ...... You get the idea. This will probably necessitate a considerably bigger ship and crew to accomodate all this.

Communications is also a consideration. Unless there is some kind of FTL radio set-up, the only way to pass along new orders or important data will be by ship. Suggesting a need for courier ships and/or specific locales that the PCs must report to periodically (to offload cargo, get replacement crew if needed, obtain parts and supplies, etc..). It also suggests that, on the one hand, the PCs may have some latitude in how to carry out their jobs; and on the other hand, their orders will be quite detailed as to where to go, and how, and when, etc..