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Space Travel Given our type of setting, characters are quite likely to travel... and a LOT!. In order to do space travel the first thing is seeing if the destiny is common or uncommon (starships already have the coordinates and easiest routes for common destinations like some of the galactic pact's planets and colonies). If the destination is unknown to the ship's computer then one of two things happen: either the coordinates are just set into the computer and the pilot stays on guard for EVERY posible eventuality, or a space navigation roll is made to determine the best choice among all of posible courses, the higher the roll, the sooner the arrival (it is assumed that the trip will be uneventful); a failed roll means a trip that will take longer than expected and a "1" rolled on the die means a momentary glitch at the computer at the wrong turn...the players are lost . Rolls are made by the GM. Getting Lost As aforementioned, momentary glitches at the wrong time can cause your ship to slightly change your course... and ending God-knows-where. In the same fashion, when exploring foreign planets, there's the same chance of getting lost when lacking the proper equipment (a "1" on the navigation roll). GM's should NOT just tell players "Guess what? You're LOST". Players realize they're lost when they arrive at a destination completely different. Once the characters are lost, no further rolls need to be made, they are lost and that's all. When lost in a foregin planet, players just need to wander around until they wind up somewhere. Being lost in space is considerably more dangerous, as during long travels while traveling in hyperspace a glitch has a slim chance of accidentally taking the troupe in uncharted space... space is virtually infinite, and one can spend lifetimes wandering without finding a single reference point. When lost in space, the first rule is NOT moving until getting a clue of your actual position. Lost characters feed the navigation computer on all possible data with a navigation roll. The higher the roll, the sooner the computer will deliver results according to the following chart: Roll Time before results Abismal 1 - 8 Insufficient data Poor 8 -12 1-4 weeks Inadequate 13 - 17 1-8 days Barely sufficient 18 -24 1d4x10 hours Competent 25 - 30 4d6 hours Magistral 31+ 1d6x10 minutes As you may have realised, space navigation is not something to be taken lightly. Not any newb can hop unto a starship and take it for a spin, one wrong turn and the crew is automatically in some real hot water. So inexperienced player characters better leave interestelar travel to the pros. Uncharted Space Contrary to what some GM's may think, letting the players getting lost in uncharted space is NOT a good idea for the may never return home, and so, I'm not covering that eventuality (except maybe as the main theme for a story). UNUSUAL CONDITIONS Different Gravity Higher than normal All character will have problems moving (and sometimes even standing up). For every two atmospheres of difference (at GM discretion) the characters will lose 1 point of agility. If a character's agility is reduced to zero or lower he is unable to move, but if it is reduced to -5 or lesser in any of the two he begins to receive damage equal to 1d6 per each minus beginning from -5 for each minute that he/she stays in that environment, plus, soak rolls are considered half. Also most things will be heavier (and more resistant) so even picking a small stone in a world with a gravity of 10 atmospheres will be a challenge. Lesser than normal Characters will be lighter than normal and will move and attack more smoothly. For every 2 atmospheres of difference (at GM discretion) the character will gain 1 point of agility. Also, characters will jump easier and higher than in their normal gravity and if they fly they will do it faster. Karumi Jutsu and unusual gravity Characters has the Focus Maneuver of Reduce Weight he has a great advantage over those who don’t. When the character is using this maneuver in a planet with a higher gravity they are not affected as much as they would be with their original weight, they will only suffer one fifth of the penalties; BUT if he is using the same power in a planet with less gravity than that he is accustomed to he will suffer penalties as per zero gravity (too light to handle). Zero Gravity This environment doesn't give nor takes bonuses from the characters Agility rating, but instantly halves it, mainly, because all of our stand, walking, fighting stances, etc. are based in a little concept known as "gravity center" (imagine Terry Bogard trying to "Power Dunk" someone at zero grav.). Most of regular maneuvers will be rendered ineffective, so characters may need to think in new and creative ways to strike opponent (Terry Bogard may not "Power Dunk" in this condition, but he may propel himself bouncing from a wall and attacking opponents with a Burning Fist). Also, characters in zero gravity jump as per the Karumi jutsu maneuver at full speed, however, unless a means of control is present (ie Flight Power, Air Jump, Psychokinesis, etc) innertia will take the jumping character to god-knows-where. Telekinesis and Zero Gravity Psychics will surely find space very much fun when they find what they can do. Psychics with psychokinesis will see their weight capacity increased to demigod proportions (as much as 1 ton per level OR as much as GM sees fit). However, objects propeled at the speed the raw psychokinesis provides is barely enough for doing a messy 1d6 points of damage (the object is virtually weightless ¿remember?). However, crossing a pretty big rock in the trayectory of a starship that is already at a pretty nice speed is sure gonna hurt!. Also, while in space, psychics with psychokinesis can use their level of psychokinesis as the equivalent level of Flight Power. Extreme Temperatures Hot Planets In these environment the character will continue as normal for a number of minutes equal to the characters stamina (plus body hardening*2 if aviable), when the time expires the character will have to make each turn an stamina roll (+ body hardening level if appropriate) against 18 or suffer 1d6 of stun damage; character's reduced to zero health points by these means are rendered unconscious. However, if victims of fainting doesn't recieve proper help they die in a matter of hours (as many as their stamina). Other consequence is that characters are at -4 in their base accuracy from the beginning because of the temperature, and they lose another point every time they lose a Stamina roll. Cold Planets Same as hot planets, with the difference that characters don't require environmental suits necesarily (sometimes even jackets or alcohol will do!). Poisonous Atmosphere All penalties mentioned can be avoided using oxigen masks (and goggles if the atmosphere is of extreme toxicity). There are three types of poisonous atmospheres: Contaminated Feels quite sick but not in real danger. While under this conditions, characters suffer a penalty of -1 stamina, -2 A.P.s and -2 to their base accuracy. Toxic Same penalties that in sickening atmosphere. Each hour a stamina roll must be succeed against a difficulty of 16 or contract a disease (-3 stamina, -1 strenght) that will last 1d4 days or until get proper medical attention. Poisonous Characters exposed to this conditions instantly suffer 1d4 points of damage (non-soakable) and must succeed a stamina roll against a difficulty of 13 or be rendered incapacitated. Further exposure will cause 1d6 points of damage each minute; said damage is soaked with stamina only (add the level of Invulnerability if aviable). Space Survival Sooner or later, the troupe will be sent to a mostly unhospitable corner of the universe, call it chasing a mark, crashlanding, getting lost, etc. The primary thing to check upon arriving to an alien evironment is: ¿How log are we gonna be stuck here?. If only landing for minor repairs or chasing a mark not too far from your position then it's fair to assume it will be a fairly uneventful trip (almost). However, if the circunstances demand a somewhat... more prolongued staying, then the troupe may be in need of making use of the resources they have at hand and make sure their staying to be as uneventful as possible (of course this tend to be worse in bad cases of crashlanding where characters need to get ALL of their resources from the environment). In regular staying cases, the troupe does only the "basic landing routine" like securing the perimeter, some basic surveillance and so. Of course some basic knowledge of planetary systems (provided in the Outer Space Survival skill) helps players from getting into too much troubles. When crashlanded (ship lost) or otherwise lacking a "formal" base of operations and resources the characters have a lot of work to do (the same work as the above case PLUS setting a camp, looking for food and other resources, etc). In any case, in order to find out how the troupe is doing roll some percentiles. Characters trained in the Outer Space Survival skill have a percentage of an uneventful day equal to the total of their survival roll times 3. Untrained characters, on the other side, have a slim 25% chance of making it trough in one piece. Example: Rowen's ship crashes on an unkown planet. She manages to make the radio work to call for help but the ship is rendered inoperate and will be grounded in this planet for a day or two. The first day, she rolls 1d10+intelligence+survival and gets a 20, so her chances of having it easy is 60%... sadly, while picking up combustible materials for lighting a fire she is bitten by a poisonous animal while picking up the materials (she rolled a 75 on the percentiles)... the first day looked pretty grim for rowen... |
