Basil

Re: How would you write this up? Shapeshift to handle changes that cover her appearance only, Aid with LONG "recovery" time for minor boosts to her stats and powers (or, a VPP only for boosts of that sort). For major changes --- Yeah, Oddhat got it right, IMO.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Hey chunder, throw another drongo on the barbie, she'll be right, g'day! A: But it is English --- of a sort.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat

Re: Turakian Age Q: Gunpowder? An idea for those of you with a copy of Guns! Guns! Guns! 3rd Edition Revised; the formula for the optimum barrel length is dependent on the tech level of the propellant. Now, while the Middle Ages are (IIRC) TL 4 or 5, one could assume the only available propellant is TL 1. This gives an optimum barrel length of 3+ meters for a the power (of the "cartridge") one might expect of a rifle. So, for a usable firearm, much of the propellant energy is lost (big flame out of the muzzle). Thus the firearm is not very powerful. And upping the amount of propellant runs into two problems: only so much propellant can be used (based on the volume of the projectile) before running a high risk of misfire, and the optimum barrel length goes up, as well. End result? You can have firearms, you just can't have one with an impact even near that of a bow & arrow.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071218.html Nearly-pure silica soil found on Mars. Useful material, silica. If that were all, I wouldn't have bothered posting this... But it's not all! More evidence for a wet past for Mars. Though if there were hot springs, does this mean the Martians had saunas? With hawt alien sauna babes?

Re: Setting for a "realistic" campaign in space Um, I think you're confusing revolution (going around the star) with rotation (turning around its own axis). Also, perhaps, confusing the planet's period (number of seconds to go all the way around the star) with its velocity of revolution (meters per second). The farther a planet is from a star, the faster (m/s) it goes; the longer orbit is why its period (time of revolution) increases. Thus, as a gas giant in a "dusty" stellar system runs into stuff, it is slowed down. As it goes slower it can no longer resist the star's gravity through "sideways" velocity, and is pulled inwards. Closer in, its velocity is enough to keep from being pulled all the way into the star, and since the inner system is likely to be less "dusty", there comes a point where the gas giant is no longer being slowed enough to matter. This drag effect will likely knock loose any sizable satellites, as well. BTW, a gas giant in the inner system is usually referred to as a "hot Jupiter." A gas giant cannot form close enough to a star to be a hot Jupiter because during the early stages of star formation there's a period where the star is expelling a *lot* of plasma and so forth; during this period any hydrogen and helium near the star is blown away. This would rip the prospective hot Jupiter's H and He away, leaving a rocky body like the Earth (actually, it's more complicated than that, but that explanation will do). So, a gas giant can't form in the habitable zone and it can only wander into the habitable zone if the rest of the system is full of dust, gas, etc. Which won't happen if there's a rocky body in the inner system, because *that* body would pick up most or all of the dust, gas, etc. before it can do much to the gas giant's orbit. BTW, a hot Jupiter will not (quickly) be blown away by the greater radiation nearer the star because gas giants have a very high albedo. Thus, the hot Jupiter is reflecting most of the incoming electromagnetic radiation, and can keep cool --- well, cool enough to hang onto its H and He for a goodly while. So there you have it; either a rocky body in the habitable zone, or a hot Jupiter (probably with no large satellite), but not both.

Re: Is there a 'random alien race generator' anywhere? Nope. Pages 115-140 have lots of good advice on how to create an alien species, but no random-roll stuff.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Bad-mouthing the Easter Bunny. He can't get eggs for love nor money, and his suppliers' have sent his cost for chocolate through the roof!

Re: Tuala Morn vs Turakian Age vs Valdorian Age... plus kids IMO, Tuala Morn is around about as gritty as Valdorian Age (at least in the "historical" background). Not as much, but getting up there. So, given your hesitation with Valdorian Age, I'd say got for Turakian Age.

Re: Turakian Age Q: Gunpowder? Of course, the granddaddy of them all is the "fire of Orthanc" as Aragorn called it, that was used to blow down the wall at Helm's Deep.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat All the toys are made in China. Wait, that's already true. Never mind.

Re: Setting for a "realistic" campaign in space I spent 20 minutes crafting a great reply, and the computer hiccuped and it went bye-bye, so excuse my bluntness. 100 AU is a large distance; 10-30 is average, 1-10 is "near". Divide the closest approach of the two stars by the greatest distance between the planet and "its" star. Call the the distance ratio. A distance ratio of 3.5 - 4 is sufficient for long time stability, in a system where the stars' orbit has an eccentricity of 0.0. As the eccentricity goes up, so does the distance ratio. The average eccentricity of binary stars is ~0.5; this means a distance ratio of ~20 is needed. BTW, the distance ratio requirement is independent of the masses of the stars, unless the masses are extremely disparate, and even then it is not much affected. A gas giant will be found within the habitable zone only if it is "slowed down" by extensive "clutter" in the system, and such clutter (asteroids, gas, dust, etc.) will only be at high enough levels if there is no other sizable body in the system. IOW, if there's a gas giant in the habitable zone, there is no terrestrial planet in the system; one or the other but not both. BTW, grinding through the clutter will knock loose any large satellites that may have formed. Note that the habitable zone is much narrower than was thought even 10 years ago. For A star like Sol, it is about 0.2 - 0.25 AU "deep". Due to orbital mechanics, you cannot have two sizable bodies with orbits that close. Given 100 AU as the semi-major axis (average distance) and an eccentricity of 0.5 (average amount), no body will stay in a stable orbit more than ~2.5 AU from either star. It would be possible, if highly unlikely for each star to have a planet that could support a "shirt-sleeve" environment, but no more than one each. Thus, your dozen planets shrinks to TWO[/b. This, folks, is why I consider TV "scienterrifiction" not worth the effort to vomit on its writers. BTW, this should hardly impede your game, if you put most of the population in space habitats; there's little to limit the number of such habitats, and they can be at any distance from the star(s), except for orbits too close to be shielded without excessive effort. Just remember, the most useful orbits are those well out from the star(s)' gravity well --- out in the Oort cloud, where 95%+ of the system's volatiles will be found.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat A game to be played in --- I hope!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What do you NOT want to hear your lover say? A: The tests came out fine; no worries!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Describe the finale to a typical Zombie Hero game. A: Because it's a cat-eat-cat world out there.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat SR 520 is gridlocked for 10 miles, because the Evergreen Point bridge just sank.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Why does Mr. Stark sleep in the nude. A: She sleeps in the nude! :thumbup:

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What's the lowest graffiti you'll ever see? A: Lone Star and Braf. Please note the spelling.

Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Which he stole from a mad scientist. j/k

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What is Prince Charles's secret nightmare? A: Bit by a radioactive polo pony.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Finding a steel-belted condom in the trash.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Oh my goddess, I have a sphere stuck up my rectum!! A: That's a hole different problem. (PS: that is not a misspelling, nor was my last post.)

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat Buxom Lass: Strangled by her own bra. NT: Ironic ways for our favorite supervillains to die.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat The trash is trying to take *me* out!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Don't go with them! They're cannibal astronomers!! A: Just a whole in the wall.