Living Starships

[MistWing]

Hi there. I have a quick question. I'm trying to design a living starship. According to The Ultimate Vehicles book, such craft should generally be built as a character. I have no problems with that, but I was wondering, how do I make the various compartments of the ship? Most living things I'm aware of don't have enough space for rooms, corridors, and accessways.

 

Also, any other concerns (or links to sites that have done this sort of thing) that you can think of would be appreciated. I've never attempted this before

 

Thanks

MistWing SilverTail

[tkdguy]

The only living ship I remember way Moya on the Farscape series. It had lots of passages. I don't know if the doors were added in or not. But it had a symbiotic relationship with its pilot.

 

I stopped watching the series after it got too weird for me, so I don't remember too many details, if any. Maybe someone better versed in this series can fill you in.

[Barwickian]

I think you're seeing a problem that isn't there.

 

When you make a non-living ship, you don't allocate space for rooms, corridors and the like. Why should you need to do so for a living ship?

 

The ability to carry round a crew is just a special effect of what a ship is. It does seem a little odd when you come from a background of Traveller, GURPS and other systems where the volume of the vessel and its components are important, but Hero simply doesn't work like that. You buy a ship's abilities as powers (and/or limitations) and that's that.

 

In terms of game mechanics, there isn't much difference between a giant space alien and a living ship. The difference exists because you, as the GM, say it exists; because that's what you intend that particular bundle of powers and limitations to represent.

 

I can't think of any examples of living ships on the web, but I haven't really looked. The Pentapods in 2300AD had them, and they were detailed in a couple of the later Traveller Digest magazines (now long out of print). GURPS Biotech has some suggestions for them.

 

A couple of things to consider:

 

"Fuel": How does a living ship get its energy? If the crew is large enough, it might survive on their waste. Or it might absorb solar light - something similar to photosynthesis, perhaps. If the latter case, it isn't going to be able to 'feed' on those long interstellar voyages, which suggests it will need time to 'graze' close to a star after each voyage.

 

"Repairs": Minor wounds, the ship will heal itself, but suppose it gets badly hurt? Engineers aren't going to help a great deal - your repair crews are going to need biological and medical backgrounds and training. Xeno-vets, as it were. Instead of spanners, they'll carry surgical equipment and drugs. Consider also what might happen if the ship gets ill or goes lame...

 

Also, be aware of the comedy value of flying around in a living being. If you're planning a silly campaign, use the comedy value for all it's worth, but if you're running a serious game, you need to be aware of the comedy value so you can avoid it like the plague...

 

Some examples:

 

Bodily functions - or, "The lower intestines will nae take it, Captain. She's going to blow off!"

 

Waste products - picture a starport swamped with giant starship turds. Someone's going to have to muck out the berths regularly. Well, maybe it'll be good for the roses.

 

Sex - to hump or to get humped... suddenly the gender of your starship becomes an issue. Do living starships have mating rituals? And what if you want to go to Tau Ceti, but your randy starship stallion gets a whiff of a starship mare on heat going the other way...

 

Moods - "No, I don't think you're getting fat. You look beautiful! Now pretty-please take us to Eta Cassiopaea."

[BobGreenwade]

Andy pretty much covered most of the important points.

 

However, if you ship is living, you don't necessarily have to build it as a character. It could be built as a Vehicle, being alive but with physical characteristics (such as not taking any STUN) making the Vehicle construction appropriate. The Xenovore Slug Tank (on page 164 of Alien Wars) is an example of this.

 

If you really want to build cargo space as a point-costing ability, there are three possibilities I can think of right away. First, you could add Size as a special Characteristic for the living vehicle. Second, you could build it as a Talent, something like this:

 

Cargo Space: Growth (-1" KB, -1 DCV, -1 PER Rolls to perceive character), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (10 Active Points); Always On (-1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only For Internal Space (-2). Total Cost: 2 points.

 

Third, you could build the "motive power" as a regular character and the rest as a howdah (a Vehicle with no Movement Powers of its own, but with all necessary weapons, Life Support, and so forth). The creature then carries the howdah around.

 

(BTW, Andy and tkdguy: You don't remember the Vorlons from Babylon 5? Their ships were built using organic technology as well.)

[L. Marcus]

Anybody remember Lexx?

 

Wouldn't blame you if you don't . . .

[Barwickian]

Originally posted by BobGreenwade

(BTW, Andy and tkdguy: You don't remember the Vorlons from Babylon 5? Their ships were built using organic technology as well.)

 

I don't watch much TV. Babylon 5 is one of the things I've missed.

 

I'm not sure if that admission raises or lowers my geek standing...

[Guest Major Tom]

Let's not forget some of the other organic-tech spacecraft that

have popped up here and there in the last few years in both

sci-fi TV and superhero comics:

 

Shadow Cruisers (Babylon 5)

Tin Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

The Acanti (From the X-Men comic; gigantic "space-whales"

enslaved and used by the insectoid Brood as living starships)

 

Major Tom

[Mark Rand]

Dr. Tachyon from the Wild Cards novels had a living starship named Baby. She might be in the Wild Card Conversions section of Mike Surbrook's site near Dr. Tachyon.

[tkdguy]

The problem with Vorlon ships is that there's so little information about them it's hard to define their abilities. They were mostly used as plot devices or (once) a deus ex machina. "The ship...it sang to me!" That seems to be the only time a Vorlon let anyone else inside their ships. Aside from that, a ship will grieve when its owner dies and will eventually commit suicide by plunging itself into a star or something.

 

Shadow vessels: I only know the Shadow vessels were susceptible to telepathic jamming. I know the Shadows mechanized their prisoners somewhat, but I can't recall if they used them inside their ships.

 

Tin Man was obviously telepathic and desired a companion. That's about it.

 

Lexx was such an awful show, I'd only watch it if I had nothing better to do, or I needed something to put me to sleep.

[Guest Major Tom]

Originally posted by tkdguy

The problem with Vorlon ships is that there's so little information about them it's hard to define their abilities. They were mostly used as plot devices or (once) a deus ex machina. "The ship...it sang to me!" That seems to be the only time a Vorlon let anyone else inside their ships. Aside from that, a ship will grieve when its owner dies and will eventually commit suicide by plunging itself into a star or something.

 

Shadow vessels: I only know the Shadow vessels were susceptible to telepathic jamming. I know the Shadows mechanized their prisoners somewhat, but I can't recall if they used them inside their ships.

 

Tin Man was obviously telepathic and desired a companion. That's about it.

 

Lexx was such an awful show, I'd only watch it if I had nothing better to do, or I needed something to put me to sleep.

 

Tkdguy, the Shadow Cruisers needed intelligent lifeforms to serve

as the control units; however, said lifeforms needed to be out-

fitted with Shadow cyber-implants in order to effectively control

the ships. Without the implants, both the ship and its operator

would go insane immediately at the instant of merging, laying

waste to everything in its vicinity. The implants also caused the

implantee to become loyal to the Shadows, while simultaneously

destroying the core personality of the implantee.

 

Major Tom

[tkdguy]

Thanks for reminding me, Major Tom. I love the B5 series, but I haven't been able to watch the reruns in so long, my memory of the details has faded.

[MistWing]

Thanks for the input.

 

BTW: My idea for the living ship came from Tenchi... the ship was Ryo-Ohki. Hmmm... Now what would happen if someone were inside Ryo-Ohki when she changed back into a Cabbit

 

Thanks again

MistWing SilverTail

[Ben Seeman]

If you're building the ship as a character, don't forget to add KB Resistance and DCV penalties for its large size. Don't just buy it as Growth as that can be affected by Adjustment Powers. Just pick the size you would select if you were building it as a a vehicle and then buy those effects seperately.

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Ben Seeman

If you're building the ship as a character, don't forget to add KB Resistance and DCV penalties for its large size. Don't just buy it as Growth as that can be affected by Adjustment Powers.

Unless it's Inherent, of course.

[Stephen Mann]

Originally posted by MistWing

Now what would happen if someone were inside Ryo-Ohki when she changed back into a Cabbit

 

That depends on how you justify the shapechanging. Is the shipform stored somehow while the consciousness is in the cabbitform? Or is it literally a case of shapeshifting with massive growth/shrinking?

 

If the forms swap place, then wounds don't transfer directly (unless you say so) and contents of the ship get stored along with the ship. If the shipform is in stasis when stored, then contents don't age or heal while stored.

 

If it's a case of massive shapeshift, then it depends on how Ryo-Ohki "remembers" the details of the shipform. If she updates her internal memory everytime she shapeshifts, new ship contents are recreated when she goes back to shipform.

[Guest zarglif69]

The "Zepplins" are about the closest thing to a living spaceship in my homebrew campaign.

When the Chint (imagine an amphibious cross between a squid and a jellyfish, with 3 eyes spaced around a bell-shaped body, and 6 tentacles, 3 of which are legs, 3 which are manipulatory) started exploring the gas giant their world orbits, they discovered great whale-like creatures which "skim" the organics and rudimentary bacteria from the atmosphere. So what did they do? They gene-engineered them into a sort of "living yacht," which they can ride in, and command through a telepathic interface. Since then, the Chint developed the FTl "chirp" drive, and now the Zepplins can be found on dozens of jovian planets, including our own Jupiter.

They're not spaceworthy, however.

[Blue Jogger]

Originally posted by MistWing

Hmmm... Now what would happen if someone were inside Ryo-Ohki when she changed back into a Cabbit

 

Ryo-Ohki seemed to have an automatic ability of bringing nearby people inside of her when she changed from Cabbit into starship. And the reverse of auto-releasing people when changing back. (This was later explained as an actual teleport effect.) However, inorganic cargo seemed to be stored perfectly fine within the Cabbit.

 

How many people can store their spaceship on their head?

[Barwickian]

Originally posted by Blue Jogger

How many people can store their spaceship on their head?

 

Me.

 

And I don't take passengers - though sometimes I describe the journey.

[Maelstrom]

Re: Living Starships

 

OK. I have too much time on my hands, and I'm about to go fishing.

 

Here's yer living ship, bought as a FOLLOWER with his own Vehicle that he carries around.

 

Ryhen Living Ship

 

Player:

 

Val	Char	Cost
10/115	STR	0
23	DEX	39
28	CON	36
12/33	BODY	4
13	INT	3
20	EGO	20
40	PRE	30
5	COM	-2
30/55	PD	28
30/55	ED	24
5	SPD	17
20	REC	24
60	END	2
35/56	STUN	4

0" RUN-120" SWIM-20"/21" LEAP-2Characteristics Cost: 213

 

Cost	Power	END
60	Flight: Multipower, 60-point reserve
6u	1) In-atmosphere Flight: Flight 14", Position Shift, x16 Noncombat, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (60 Active Points)	2
6u	2) In-system Flight: Flight 13", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), MegaScale (1" = 1,000 km; +1) (58 Active Points)	2
6u	3) Hyperspace Flight: Teleportation 5", x2 Increased Mass, MegaScale (1" = 100 billion km; +3) (60 Active Points)	6
27	Armor (25 PD/25 ED) (75 Active Points); OIF Bulky Expendable (Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; Barding; -1 1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)	0
25	Healing BODY 2d6, Can Heal Limbs	2
193	Freaking HUGE!: Growth (+105 STR, +21 BODY, +21 STUN, -21" KB, 2.097E8 kg, -14 DCV, +14 PER Rolls to perceive character, 256 m tall, 128 m wide), Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (289 Active Points); Always On (-1/2)	0

Powers Cost: 323

 

 

Cost	Skill
3	Acrobatics 14-

Skills Cost: 3

 

Cost	Perk
74	The Howdah

Perks Cost: 74

 

Cost	Talent
4	FTL Pilot

Talents Cost: 4

 

 

Total Character Cost: 617

 

Val	Disadvantages
30	DNPC: Ship's Crew 14- (Slightly Less Powerful than the PC; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills; Group DNPC: x16 DNPCs)
20	Distinctive Features: It's a SHIP! A LIVING SHIP! (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
35	Hunted: Campaign Hunted 14- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish)
25	Physical Limitation: Cannot manipulate: STR only to carry Howdah (All the Time, Fully Impairing)
25	Psychological Limitation: Subject to Orders of the Captain (Very Common, Total)

Disadvantage Points: 135

 

Base Points: 482

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

 

And here's the Howdah -- thanks for the name, it really fits:

 

The Howdah for Ryhen Living Ship

 

Player:

 

Val	Char	Cost
115	STR	0
10	DEX	0
31	BODY	0
5	SPD	30

0" RUN-120" SWIM-20" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 175

 

Cost	Power	END
32	Primary Generator: Endurance Reserve (250 END, 25 REC) Reserve: (50 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Durable Expendable (Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4)	0
13	Secondary Generator: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 10 REC) Reserve: (20 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Durable Expendable (Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4)	0
3	Emergency Backup Generator: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 0 REC) Reserve: , 2 Continuing Fuel Charges lasting 1 Week each (+0) (10 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4)	[2 cc]
15	FF (20 PD/20 ED/10 Flash Defense: Sight Group) (Protect Carried Items) (60 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Durable Expendable (Focus: Shield Generators; Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; 6 of these; -3/4), Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness (+1/4), Ablative BODY Only (-1/2)	6
4	Refractory Coating 1: Energy Damage Reduction, 25% (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile (A coating over the hull that causes some of the energy to refract away; -1 1/4)	0
5	Refractory Coating 2: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Immobile (A coating over the hull that causes some of the energy to refract away; -1 1/4)	0
53	Ship's Weapons: Multipower, 250-point reserve, (250 Active Points); all slots Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)
4u	1) RKA 5 1/2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2), MegaScale (1" = 100 km; +3/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (212 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	21
5u	2) RKA 6d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), MegaScale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (247 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	25
5u	3) RKA 5d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2), Autofire (5 shots; +1/2), MegaScale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (244 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	24
5u	4) Close Up Attack: RKA 11d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (247 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	25
5u	5) RKA 11d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2) (247 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	25
5u	6) RKA 11d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (247 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF Immobile Fragile (-1 3/4)	25

Powers Cost: 154

 

 

Cost	Skill
	Ship's Laboratories and Computers, all slots IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	1) +5 with Analyze: Combat (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	2) +5 with Bureaucratics (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	3) +5 with Combat Piloting (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
5	4) +4 with DCV (20 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
5	5) +5 with Computer Programming (Computer Networks, Hacking and Computer Security, Personal Computers, Mainframes and Supercomputers, Military Computers) (20 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	6) Defense Maneuver I-IV (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	7) +4 with Inventor (8 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	8) +9 with KS: Galactic races and customs (9 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
4	9) +7 with Navigation (Hyperspace, Space) (17 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	10) +4 with Paramedics (8 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
6	11) +4 with Systems Operation (Communications Systems, Environmental Systems, Medical Systems, Air/Space Traffic Control Systems, Dimensional Sensors, FTL Sensors, Medical Sensors, Metal Detectors, Radar, Sensor Jamming Equipment, Ship's Weapons, Sonar) (23 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
2	12) +5 with Tracking (10 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)
7	13) +5 with Weaponsmith (Arrows, Bolts, And Darts, Axes And Picks, Biological Weapons, Bows, Chemical Weapons, Crossbows, Energy Weapons, Firearms, Flails, Incendiary Weapons, Maces And Hammers, Missiles & Rockets, Muscle-Powered HTH, Muscle-Powered Ranged, Spears And Polearms, Swords And Daggers) (27 Active Points); IIF Immobile Fragile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Computers or Laboratories; -2 1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2)

Skills Cost: 43

 

 

Cost	Talent
	More Ship's Systems, all slots Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
1	1) Absolute Range Sense (3 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
1	2) Absolute Time Sense (3 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
1	3) Bump Of Direction (3 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
1	4) Eidetic Memory (5 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
1	5) Environmental Movement (no penalties on) (2 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)
6	6) Universal Translator 14- (23 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF Fragile Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)

Talents Cost: 11

 

 

Total Character Cost: 383

 

 

Base Points: 373

Experience Required: 10

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

 

Whew.

[Maelstrom]

Re: Living Starships

 

D'oH!

 

Forgot to buy reduced END on Ryhen's strength. Well, I was in a hurry. His defenses are kind of low, too.

[Jhereg]

Re: Living Starships

 

I can’t believe no one mentioned Hamilton’s ‘Voidhawks’. They were interesting in that they could operate independently of their human ‘Captain’, but had a constant Mind Link. And they reproduced via Telepathic egg fertilization.