L. Marcus

Re: Musings on Random Musings

Re: The Last Word . . . Just a wonderation: Does anyone know of any other hard-ish SF RPG out there? I can only think of 2300 AD . . .

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage? Yup. That's why beam weapons platforms -- like the Le Havre -- are getting the upper hand in the campaign, but there are still missile launchers around, hence the need for CIWS lasers. And, as you say, the damade depends on the toughness of the missile. But a 12 DEF, 13 BODY anti-ship missile would still demand respect, right? The biggest spinal UV lasers around do something like 10d6K, AP, so if the missiles hit, they're well worth it.

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage? . . . Sorry. I'm calculating using the Optional Velocity Damage tables on Fred, p. 293. So a kinetic-kill missile travelling at 12 km/s, doing a Move By should do STR/2 + 24d6 of damage -- say, 25d6 for a man-sized missile.

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage? I'd see that as a good model of reality. I'm aiming for hard-ish SF with my builds, rather than space opera. O'course, combat would use Velocity-Based DCVs. At those speeds, any ship would be a mother to hit!

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage?

Re: Planets not orbiting stars . . . I wanna see stars. Don't you?

Re: Complicate the Person Above Bazza runs the White Lotus tong from behind the scenes. Or so they let him think . . .

Re: Future Tech Links . . . Gotta spread Rep around yadda yadda yadda . . . Well, at least now I'm hooked on this thread!

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Rearwievmirror -- Pearl Jam, Vs.

Re: A Thread for Random Musings . . . Is it GenCon already?

Re: [Vehicle] TechTronic ISV-S 5.2 I'm more partial to build probes and satellites as automatons or vehicles with some sort of communicator Mind Link with the mothership. It might be a bit convoluted, but I've gotta do something with my spare time . . .

Re: New Orion drive concept . . . Your beard is neater than mine. There. That's another one. I just hope it won't swell your head.

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage?

Re: Planets not orbiting stars Whee! A modern B-movie! I love those!

Re: New Orion drive concept . . . You know, you've got way too little rep . . .

Re: [Vehicle] TechTronic ISV-S 5.2 I think the sensors are doing OK. I'm don't want shipborne equipment to have interplanetary ranges. As written, the visual sensors can detect a man-sized object in space on a roll of 11- at 32.000 km. That's more than double the diameter of Earth. And from a low orbit (below 1,000 km) it gets the same roll to detect a .5 m long feature. But as far as probes go, I'm not done mulling that over . . . The ship should at least carry a few observational satellites, for long-term surveillance of an interesting planet. And as for artificial grafity, that technology doesn't exist, at least yet. For larger ships and space stations, there is the old spin gravity. The issue of bone decalcification and muscle mass loss is solved through dietary supplements.

[b][u]TechTronic ISV-S 5.2[/u][/b] - Val Char Cost Notes 12 Size 60 16" x 8"; -12 KB; -8 DCV 70 STR 0 Lift 400 tons; 14d6 HTH [0] 14 DEX 12 OCV: 5/DCV: 5 22 BODY 0 8 DEF 18 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Total Characteristics Cost: 96 Movement: Flight: 40"/640"; 40"/10,000"; 10"/640,000" FTL Travel: 1.5 LY/day - Abilities And Equipment Cost Power [END/Charges] Power Systems 16 Fusion PowerPlant: END Reserve (40 END, 40 REC); 44 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Only Powers Electrical Devices (-1/4) [0] 6 Auxiliary Power Bank: END Reserve (15 END, 15 REC); 16 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Only Powers Electrical Devices (-1/4), 1 Fuel Charge (1 week, fuel easy to obtain; -0) [1 fc] Propulsion Systems 51 Fusion AirRam: Mutipower, 115-point reserve, all OIF Immobile (-1 1/2) 4U 1) AirRam Mode: Flight 40", x 16 NCM; 95 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Only In Thin Or Denser Atmospheres (-1/2), Visible (-1/4), Side Effect (RKA 2d6 3" behind the engines, always occurs, affects environment only; -1/2) [10] 5u 2) Booster Mode: Flight 40", x 250 NCM; 115 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), 1 Fuel Charge (250 phases [16.7 minutes], fuel easy to obtain; -1/2), Costs END (-1/2), Limited Maneuverability (-1/4), Side Effect (RKA 2d6 3" behind the engines, always occurs, affects environment only, minimal risk; -1/4) [10][1 fc] 40 Gravitic Warp: Multipower, 100-point reserve, all OIF Immobile (-1 1/2) 3u 1) Standard Flight: Flight 10", x 64,000 NCM; 95 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Not within Trace Or Denser Atmospheres (-1/4) [9] 1u 2) Warp Flight: FTL Travel 1.5 LY/day; 28 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Costs END (-1/2), Costs Extra END (x 3; -1), Not Within Inner System (-1) [9] -12 Flight Only: Running -6" -2 Flight Only: Swimming -2" Tactical Systems 89 Turreted Gatling Laser: Multipower, 75-point reserve, all 250 Charges (+1), Increased Range (x 3125; +1 1/4), OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; -1/4), Range Reduced By Atmosphere (-1/4) 3u 1) Offensive Mode: RKA 4d6, Autofire (3 shots; +1/4); 75 APts; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; -1/4), Range Reduced By Atmosphere (-1/4) [250 c] 1u 2) Defensive Mode: Missile Deflection (all physical projectiles), Range (+1); 30APts; OIF Bulky (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), Limited Arc Of Fire (180 degrees; -1/4), Range Reduced By Atmosphere (-1/4), Reqires 3 Charges Per Use (-1/4) [250 c] 5 Turreted Gatling Lasers: One more Turreted Gatling Laser (total of two, one each on left and right sides) Operation Systems 10 Hardened Sensors: Radio Group Flash Defense (5 points); 5 APts; and Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points); 5 APts 5 Comm Suit: HRRP (Radio Group); 12 APts; OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Sight And Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-1/2) 12 Long-Range Comm Suit: MegaScale (10 million km per APt, can scale down to 10 km per APt; +2) for HRRP; 36 APts; OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Sight And Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-1/2), Lightspeed Delay (-1/2) 48 Near-Visible EMR Sensor Suite: Normal Sight, IR Perception, UV Perception, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 degrees) and Telescopic +35 for Sight Group; 97 APts; OIF Bulky (-1) 24 Radar Suite: Radar (Radio Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 degrees), and Telescopic +41; 61 APts; OIF Bulky (-1), Affected As Sight And Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-1/2) Personnel Systems 9 Sealed Hull: Life Support (Safe In Low Pressure/Vacuum, High Pressure, High Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense Heat) 3 Life Support: Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing, Diminished Eating [doesn't have to eat]); 13 APts; OIF Immobile (-1 1/2), Costs END (-1/2), Increased END Cost (x 3; -1) [3] 13 Backup Life Support: Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing, Diminished Eating [doesn't have to eat]); 13 APts; 1 Fuel Charge (3 month [900 man-days], easy to obtain; -0) Skills/Laboratories 12 Medical Facilities: Paramedics 12- and SS: Medicine 12- 18 Repair Shop: Mechanics 12- and Electronics 12- 12 Survey Lab: SS: Astronomy 12-, SS: Planetology 12- and SS: Xenobiology 12- Total Abilities And Equipment Cost: 376 Total Vehicle Cost: 472 Total Cost: 472/5 = 94 - Cost Additional Vehicles 20 Escape Pod 10 Three more Escape Pods - Tactical Computer Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Total Characteristics Cost: 21 Cost Skill 44 Targeting: +22 with Turreted Gatling Laser 57 Targeting: +38 with Turreted Gatling Laser vs. Range 1 Targeting: WF: Turreted Gatling Laset 5 Target Evaluation: KS: Known Enemies And Threats 14- Cost Programs 1 Locate Target 1 Analyze Target 1 Attack Target Total Abilities Cost: 110 Total Computer Cost: 131 Total Cost: 146/5 = 26 5 One more Tactical Computer - Main Computer Val Char Cost Roll Notes 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13- 14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Total Characteristics Cost: 26 Cost Skill 3 Electronics 13- 8 AK: Human Space 19- 3 Mechanics 13- 2 Navigation (Space) 13- 6 Systems Operation (Communications, Environmental, Medical, Radar, Near-Visible EM Sensors) 13- 1 TF: Civilian Spacecraft 3 Combat Piloting 12- Cost Programs 1 Diagnose Vehicle Malfunction/Damage 1 Engage In Evasive Maneuvers 1 Locate Target 1 Monitor Sensor Systems, Report Anomalies 1 Monitor Vehicle Systems, Report Anomalies 1 Open/Lock Accessways 1 Operate Sensors To Scan For Designated Phenomena/Object 1 Pilot Vehicle From Location A To Location B 1 Scan And Enter Data 1 Schedule Vehicle Events/Use Of Vehicle's Resources 1 Search Reference Material For Information On A Topic 1 Send Emergency Call If Designated Personnel Incapacitated/Killed 1 Send Emergency Call If Specified Protocols Are Not Met Cost Talents 3 Clock: Absolute Time Sense 5 Memory: Eidetic Memory 3 Calculator: Lightning Calculator 3 Instant-On Feature: Lightsleep 8 Scanner: Speed Reading (x 1,000) Total Abilities Cost: 61 Total Computer Cost: 87 Total Cost: 87/5 = 17 Total Overall Cost: 172 This represents the cutting edge of civilian spaceship design in my Hard SF campaign. It's a survey ship of American design, not even ten years old at the time of the campaign. There are fifty ships of the TechTronic ISV-S family operating on the frontiers of Human space, and as the design has proven reliable enougn there are bound to be more to follow. The ISV-S 5.2 now number half a dozen ships in the fleets of amongst others the US Stellar Survey Service and GalSpan, Inc. The ship has full atmospheric capabilities, has a lifting body design and incorporates a dual air-ram/rocket fusion engine, powered directly by the power plant. The air-ram mode can operate without fuel, as long as there is an appreciable atmosphere, and in the booster rocket mode the fuel can be any kind of liquid -- water, liquid hydrogen or methane are possible, and the ship has a processing plant for in-the-field refuelling. The Delta-V of the booster might seem slight, but the ship has just to clear atmosphere for the GravWarp to function, so 5km/s is most often more than adequate. The ship has a crew of six: commander, XO, WeaponsOp, SensOp, and two engineers, and can take four passengers, most often mission specialists.

Re: "Newtonian Acceleration" Advantage? I'm mostly gonna keep atmospheric flight and space flight as at least two different powers, since the special effects aren't the same. Maybe you saw this spaceship write-up -- it's from the setting I'm working on.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Colorblind -- Counting Crows, This Desert Life

Re: Daily Art Findings . . . I've missed this thread . . . !

Re: Complicate the Person Above Bazz and his twin played X and Y, respevtively.

Re: Musings on Random Musings At least that was subtle. At an ABBA concert a seat appeared in the middle of the stage.

Re: Musings on Random Musings . . . Jesus went away? That takes some doing . . .

Re: Musings on Random Musings It works, it really does.