The scream of a hundred electric guitars burned throughout the comm system of Omega Murder Comet. Drums thundered from the engineering department. The chimes of keyboards echoed from the cafeteria. The pirate ship was in the middle of a jump and the crew was singing their war song.
“I see you standing dead in space,” roared Randy Deathspasm, Captain and Lead Singer. “I see your ship, helpless for the kill. I aim with the skill of an ace, you die as I laugh my fill.”
Captain Grognard frowned. He didn’t think you could “laugh your fill” but he didn’t say anything. His own ship, The Reroll, was being repaired and he had transferred command to the Omega Murder Comet. It wasn’t his place to interrupt their music.
Plus, he had a solo coming up and he didn’t want to mess up his part. He was playing a recorder, something he hadn’t played since he was a kid but when Captain Deathspasm offered him a musical part in the song, Grognard couldn’t turn it down. This was his chance to rock out like a rock star with an electric recorder just like he used to dream when he was a teenager.
Not to mention, one of the Omega Murder Comet groupies with a blue Mohawk kept giving him the eye while licking her lips. She had black makeup and a piercing that took up most of her nose. She reminded him of the girls he used to lust after back in school. Grognard hoped to fulfill two of his teenage fantasies today.
Of course, that was IF they survived today’s fight. Today they weren’t raiding merchants or attempting a prison break. No, today was strictly personal. Captain Arachnos had insulted Grognard and his fleet at a public bar in front of half the scum of the galaxy. The only thing Grognard could do to save their reputation was challenge Arachnos to a fight.
So here they were at the Aeon Nebula, ready to fight pirates until one of them fled the area. There would be no loot to sell. There would be no treasure to steal. This was all about kicking the ass of a jerk and making the rest of the sector think twice about crossing Grognard’s path.
“Coming out of jump and entering real space!” the helm announced. The song abruptly shifted to an instrumental as the backup band took over. Everyone put down their instruments and even the Mohawk groupie went back to work scrubbing the floors.
“Slapstick is right behind us,” sensors reported.
Captain Deathspasm nodded. “What of our enemies? Did they have the courage to appear?”
“Ghost Widow has been spotted!” sensors reported. “They are dead ahead at thirty-six kliks! Also another class 4 ships, the Black Scorpion.”
Grognard groaned. Captain Arachnos had two class four ships to Gorgnard’s class four and a class three. The hated Arachnos had brought the big guns for this one.
“Tell Captain Ticklepoke to assume a wing position behind us,” Grognard commanded. “Tell her to focus fire on the Ghost Widow. I want to-“
“Incoming fire! Brace for impact!” the tactical officer, Lita Fire said.
“Already?” Grognard said. He checked his screen and saw a barrage of gunfire headed their way. The enemy was focusing fire to try to overwhelm the Omega Murder Comet’s shields.
“They run a tight fleet,” Grognard said. “Veer to port forty-five degrees and return fire!”
The Omega Murder Comet and the slapstick returned fire. Grognard saw all of their attacks concentrate on one point of the Ghost Widow’s shields. It would take a while to wear down even one shield but it could be done.
“Ghost Widow lost a shield!” Officer Fire reported!
“Ha!” Captain Deathspasm said. “We don’t drok around!”
Grognard smiled. That was a lucky break. He kept an eye on his personal screen as the two fleets converged. Omega Murder Comet was in the front and absorbing attacks from Arachnos’ fleet. Grognard’s forces were turning sharply to port and Arachnos had to keep turning to keep Grognard in sight. Once they were both in missile range, the real fight would begin.
A shield collapsed on Omega Murder Comet from the hail of fire. Almost immediately, Arachnos achieved missile lock first. A storm of missiles headed their way. The Omega Murder Comet tried to dodge but two of the missiles slammed into the Omega Murder Comet’s hull.
“Report!” Captain Deathspasm demanded.
“Damage to decks six and seven, airlocks engaged!” someone reported back.
Grognard opened a private channel to The Slapstick. Captain Ticklepoke’s frizzy orange hair and white face appeared before him.
“Howdy-ho, Captain!” Ticklepoke said.
“Ticklepoke, I need you to get behind the Ghost Widow. Use all your speed!” Grognard ordered.
“Awesome-peasy!” Ticklepoke said. She saluted and stabbed herself in the eye in a comic manner.
“Lords of Space, my plan relies on a clown,” Grognard said.
The Slapstick speed ahead with its faster engines. The Omega Murder Comet kept turning but slowed down as it returned fire on the Ghost Widow. They inflicted no noticeable damage.
The Ghost Widow and Black Scorpion had better luck. Their guns and missiles came fast and heavy. The ship shook as the hull took more damage. Another shield collapsed and Grognard felt this entire attack might be doomed.
Grognard looked at Deathspasm and the Captain bellowed more orders to his crew. Grognard surveyed the bridge crew and none of them looked shaken in the least. The ship was being blasted bit by bit but these rockers weren’t flinching.
The Mohawk groupie girl gave Grognard a thumbs up as the ship shook from another hit.
“Madness,” Grognard whispered but it was a kind of madness he was grateful for.
“Slapstick is behind the enemy!” Office Fire reported. “Launching attack on Black Scorpion!”
Grognard had a sudden flash of fear. The Slapstick was a Marauder Class, the Black Scorpion a Ravager. It would take a miracle to get through the Black Scorpion’s defenses.
“Slapstick missile hit Scorpion’s missile bay!” Officer Fire yelled.
“Lords of Space,” Grognard whispered. Luck was on their side.
He watched as the Black Scorpion changed course to engage the Slapstick. Ghost Widow stuck to Omega Murder Comet’s tail which was fine because the Slapstick stayed on the Ghost Widow.
Damage reports scrolled across Grognard’s screen. Omega Murder Comet took another hit to the hull. Slapstick lost a shield. Ghost Widow lost some of their guns to a shot that slipped past the shield. Omega Murder Comet lost more of its rapidly disintegrating hull. Ghost Widow lost another shield to missile fire. It was insane. The Ghost Widow should have destroyed those missiles easily with their AAR guns but the random flight patterns of the clowns’ missiles were slipping past.
“Start slowing down,” Grognard ordered. He wanted to throw off the Black Scorpion’s turning intercept.
“We hit their engines!” someone yelled. Grognard looked at the tactical screen and saw plasma leaking from the Ghost Widow. He allowed himself a laugh.
Even with a damaged engine, the Ghost Widow was still going fast. It zipped past Omega Murder Comet, coming within their missile arc.
“Fire!” Captain Deathspasm yelled and it reverberated all through the ship.
The missiles were taken down by the Ghost Widow’s AAR but Omega Murder Comet and The Slapstick unloaded with their guns on the unshielded ship. Explosions rippled across the hull of the Ghost Widow from multiple collisions.
“Their guns are disabled!” Officer Fire reported. “They have no shields, missiles or guns!”
Grognard let out a laugh. It was unreal. Pure concentrated fire had done the impossible. They had disarmed the enemy through pure stubbornness!
The Ghost Widow shimmered as it activated jump drives. When it leaped out of real space, the bridge crew cheered.
“Drok yeah!” Captain Deathspasm said
“In your face!” Captain Grognard screamed at the vanishing Captain Arachnos.
Mohawk groupie girl jumped in Captain Grognard’s arms. She kissed him with multiple tongue piercings.
“Black Scorpion coming within range!” sensors yelled.
“Oh yeah,” Grognard said as he gently pushed Mohawk Groupie away. “We still got a nearly untouched Ravager to deal with.”
“Black Scorpion is attacking the Slapstick!” sensors reported.
“Come to a dead stop and turn us around!” Captain Deathspasm ordered.
The Omega Murder Comet dropped to zero velocity. Spinning like a turret, the ship swung around to face the incoming Black Scorpion.
“Come on Ticklepoke, get away from there,” Grognard whispered.
The Slapstick poured on speed to elude the Black Scorpion. The one shield wasn’t enough to stop the rain of gunfire headed its way. The Slapstick shook as an explosion ripped a huge part of the hull away.
“Drok,” Grognard whispered. He watched in horror as the Black Scorpion launched missiles. The Slapstick was barely intact as it tried to dodge. Both missiles made contact and turned The Slapstick into a flaming ball of wreckage.
Silence fell upon the bridge of the Omega Murder Comet. Captain Ticklepoke and her clown crew were dead. The crazy weirdoes were freaky but they were their crazy weirdoes. A low growl hummed through the bridge.
“Vengeance for our pale brothers and sisters!” Captain Deathspasm yelled. “Kill them!”
Omega Murder Comet fired long range guns. The Black Scorpion began a long turn around the stationary Omega Murder Comet. They exchanged fire at long range as they felt each other out.
A shield collapsed on the Omega Murder Comet. Grognard swore and shouted instructions to the weapons officers.
A shield collapsed on the Black Scorpion as concentrated fire overwhelmed a shield.
“Forward!” Deathspasm yelled as the Black Scorpion came within ninety degrees of the pirates. Omega Murder Comet surged forward on damaged engines and kept firing.
Grognard let out a ragged breath. This is what space combat boiled down to: giant hunks of metal firing at each other over great distances. It was a test of nerves. The problem was that the Omega Murder Comet was already greatly damaged. If he was smart, he would have ordered the retreat right now and let Arachnos have his bragging rights. It would be the safer thing to do.
But that was before they killed The Slapstick. Now it was personal.
The two ships closed in on each other. They launch missiles at each other. The Black Scorpion lost a shield and some of their AAR guns. The Omega Murder Comet lost more hull.
The two ships passed each other and both began their swing around. Grognard kept staring at the damage report and wonders how the hull was staying together.
The ship shook and Grognard nearly fell out of his chair. “Engines have been hit!” someone yelled.
Captain Deathspasm glanced at Grognard before yelling orders to fight. Engine hits were serious. If they were going to give up the fight, it should be now.
Grognard said nothing. The Black Scorpion was wounded. The Slapstick must be avenged. He wasn’t giving up now.
Another hail of gunfire and the Black Scorpion lost their last shield. The crew of the Omega Murder Comet redoubled their efforts. They smelled blood and they wanted more.
Gunfire smashed into the hull of the Black Scorpion. It was still firing back but most of the shots missed. Grognard wondered if their inaccuracy was down to casualties or just plain understanding of how weak their position was.
The Black Scorpion glowed before vanishing into jump space.
“YES!” Grognard screamed. This was unbelievable! They were outclassed but they are the last ships in the Aeon Nebula. They shouldn’t have won but they did!
Captain Deathspasm grabbed Grognard’s hand and raised it in the air as if they had won an arena match.
“Nobody droks with us!” Captain Deathspasm said. “We’re going to write a rock opera for this battle, complete with a dirge for the Slapstick!”
Grognard nodded in agreement. The Mohawk groupie found her way into his arms again and kissed him. Grognard couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate
Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts
Friday, August 29, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Some Pirates Just Don't Like Each Other
“By the Lords of Space, look who it is! It’s Captain Groggy!”
Grognard looked up from his rum. He was in a foul mood to begin with and being called ‘Groggy’ wasn’t helping. When he saw who it was, his mood only darkened more.
“Oh, I thought I smelled sewage,” Grognard said.
Captain Arachnos’ smug smile turned into a snarl. Arachnos got his start in space pirating by mutinying on a garbage transport. He had a million spider tattoos and named every ship in his fleet after spiders, but he still couldn’t shake his garbage past.”
“Maybe you’re smelling your own ship,” Arachnos said. “I saw what the prison did to your ship. There is a crater where your missile array used to be. Did you shoot yourself again?”
Arachnos’ crew laughed at his joke. It wasn’t a good joke but it was his crew so they were laughing.
Grognard stood up. His own crew came over to his table. The other patrons slowly left the bar. The bartender’s hands went under the bar and were obviously reaching for a rifle. Tensions were rising. The smart thing to do would be to offer Arachnos a drink and let this all slide.
“Arachnos, it is time someone finally took out the garbage around here,” Grognard said.
“Ha, with what ship, Groggy?” Archnos said.
“I still have two ships in my fleet,” Grognard said. “We only need one to take you out but we’ll bring the second just to make sure none of the vermin fleeing your ship lives.”
Grognard’s crew laughed. It was a lousy joke but it didn’t matter. Nothing was funnier than your Captain putting down another Captain.
Arachnos narrowed his eyes at Grognard. “It is time you learned respect, Groggy. In two days, I’ll be at the Aeon Nebula. Meet us there and I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
Grognard nodded. “Make sure you give your ship a wash first. I hate capturing dirty ships.”
Arachnos sneered and walked away. His crew left with him.
Grognard looked up from his rum. He was in a foul mood to begin with and being called ‘Groggy’ wasn’t helping. When he saw who it was, his mood only darkened more.
“Oh, I thought I smelled sewage,” Grognard said.
Captain Arachnos’ smug smile turned into a snarl. Arachnos got his start in space pirating by mutinying on a garbage transport. He had a million spider tattoos and named every ship in his fleet after spiders, but he still couldn’t shake his garbage past.”
“Maybe you’re smelling your own ship,” Arachnos said. “I saw what the prison did to your ship. There is a crater where your missile array used to be. Did you shoot yourself again?”
Arachnos’ crew laughed at his joke. It wasn’t a good joke but it was his crew so they were laughing.
Grognard stood up. His own crew came over to his table. The other patrons slowly left the bar. The bartender’s hands went under the bar and were obviously reaching for a rifle. Tensions were rising. The smart thing to do would be to offer Arachnos a drink and let this all slide.
“Arachnos, it is time someone finally took out the garbage around here,” Grognard said.
“Ha, with what ship, Groggy?” Archnos said.
“I still have two ships in my fleet,” Grognard said. “We only need one to take you out but we’ll bring the second just to make sure none of the vermin fleeing your ship lives.”
Grognard’s crew laughed. It was a lousy joke but it didn’t matter. Nothing was funnier than your Captain putting down another Captain.
Arachnos narrowed his eyes at Grognard. “It is time you learned respect, Groggy. In two days, I’ll be at the Aeon Nebula. Meet us there and I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
Grognard nodded. “Make sure you give your ship a wash first. I hate capturing dirty ships.”
Arachnos sneered and walked away. His crew left with him.
Prison Break Thoughts
Ouch.
I tried out my Prison Break scenario. The type and size of the prison is determined by a single die roll and I rolled the most powerful station. At 4 shields, 4 guns, 3 missiles and 2 AAR, I knew it would be tough. I had 4 pirate ships, surely that would make it a close fight?
Not really. The ships came in 48 inches away and well, got the crap blasted out of them as they came closer. The prison counted as a Class 5 ship and every hit hurt. My two Class 4 Ravagers got umm, ravaged. When the Prison made contact on their distress call and 3 Class 3 ships showed up, there was nothing for the pirates to do but run.
Much like last time’s Crypt Ship Adventure, the initial die roll to determine forces set the tone. The pirates were out classed from the start. I am not too bothered by this as asymmetrical battles seem to be what Star Navy is all about.
I am more concerned with well, how dull it was to attack a stationary target. It was a simple matter to closing in where as even when attacking a merchant ship, there is some maneuvering. I am tempted to modify this by putting a defending force around the prison to begin with. I could create a chart to generate a garrison force that protects the prison.
If I do this, I need to weaken the prison considerably. Maybe reduce it down to something with a lot of hull but weaker weapons. It could still be Class 5 but maybe only have 2 guns and 1 missile. I’ll have to think about it.
Either way, I don’t think the pirates attack a fixed point is interesting in itself. I think a garrison force is needed to jazz it up and encourage more strategy from the pirate player.
I tried out my Prison Break scenario. The type and size of the prison is determined by a single die roll and I rolled the most powerful station. At 4 shields, 4 guns, 3 missiles and 2 AAR, I knew it would be tough. I had 4 pirate ships, surely that would make it a close fight?
Not really. The ships came in 48 inches away and well, got the crap blasted out of them as they came closer. The prison counted as a Class 5 ship and every hit hurt. My two Class 4 Ravagers got umm, ravaged. When the Prison made contact on their distress call and 3 Class 3 ships showed up, there was nothing for the pirates to do but run.
Much like last time’s Crypt Ship Adventure, the initial die roll to determine forces set the tone. The pirates were out classed from the start. I am not too bothered by this as asymmetrical battles seem to be what Star Navy is all about.
I am more concerned with well, how dull it was to attack a stationary target. It was a simple matter to closing in where as even when attacking a merchant ship, there is some maneuvering. I am tempted to modify this by putting a defending force around the prison to begin with. I could create a chart to generate a garrison force that protects the prison.
If I do this, I need to weaken the prison considerably. Maybe reduce it down to something with a lot of hull but weaker weapons. It could still be Class 5 but maybe only have 2 guns and 1 missile. I’ll have to think about it.
Either way, I don’t think the pirates attack a fixed point is interesting in itself. I think a garrison force is needed to jazz it up and encourage more strategy from the pirate player.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Attack on Punishment Center Blue!
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| Image of Pirate Fleet provided by Spy satellite Virgin-Sprint #801 |
“Preparing to cut jump drives,” Johnson on helm announced.
Grognard leaned back in his command chair. The only thing this plan had going for it was sheer audacity. People just don’t attack Maximum Security Prisons. He was hoping the stupid bravery of the act would be enough to rescue the wealthy incarcerated man they had been sent to rescue. Four hundred MegaCreds bought a lot of bravery.
Still, his eyes drifted down to the ‘1’ he rolled.
“Entering real space!” Johnson cried.
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| Punishment Center Blue image provided by Wal-Targ-3 Security Satellite |
Punishment Center Blue appeared on the monitor. It was huge. The folly of attacking it was obvious. They should run now while they could.
“All ships are accounted for,” Isis reported on sensors.
“Attack!” Grognard commanded.
The Reroll surged forward. Omega Murder Comet took a position slightly back and to starboard. The smaller Slapstick took their position to Omega Murder Comet’s starboard while the equally small Recursive Function took their place to The Reroll’s port.
Grognard took a deep breath. The Reroll was the front point of the formation to absorb as much fire as it could from the prison. He prayed to the Gods of Dice and Wargames that they could survive the pounding.
“Open fire!” he commanded. They were at long range but you never knew, they might get lucky.
He watched as the pirate fleet sent a barrage of concentrated lasers and plasma towards the prison. Barely half of the shots reached the prison and those that did hammered what was considered a weak point of shields. He had hoped the focused volley could cause a shield failure. Instead, the shields easily held.
“Return fire incoming!”
Grognard gasped at the multitude of lasers headed their way. He knew the prison was well armed but he didn’t quite grasp just how well armed until now. Fortunately they were still at long range and most of the shots were easy to evade. They wouldn’t have that luxury for much longer.
“They are calling for help,” Isis reported.
“Of course they are, keep firing!” Grognard yelled. They were within optimal targeting range; the fleet’s combined fire might crack the prison’s shields this time.
The prison’s shields held. The pirate fleet managed to hit it more times than last but they still couldn’t crack those shields.
Grognard watched another storm of lasers come from the prison. He watched with dismay as they rained onto The Reroll’s shields.
***
Captain Randy Deathspasm stood on the bridge of Omega Murder Comet. He screaming a long piercing yell into his microphone club as the prison fired upon him. Over the ship communication system, a hundred electric guitars howled their support.
“The Reroll has been hit!” 1st Bass/Tactical officer Lita Fire reported. “Their missile bays have been destroyed!”
“Do they want us to take lead position?” Deathspasm asked. The return fire from the prison had been brutal. He couldn’t wait to risk body and soul.
“Negative!” reported 2nd Guitar/Sensors officer Tokie Slaughter. “They say to hold position.
Deathspasm grinned in appreciation. “I knew Grognard was the right man to follow. That man is metal.”
***
Captain Ticklepoke threw a pie at the back of the head of the helmsman. The bridge crew laughed as he struggled keep their ship flying straight and now kill them all by the crashing into Omega Murder Comet.
Ticklepoke smiled. It was good to keep crew morale up and clowns loved a pie hit. Too bad they couldn’t get a blasted hit through the prison’s shields.
“The Reroll is dropping back and the Omega Murder Comet is taking lead!” Candy Carl reported on sensors.
“Better the Comet than us,” Ticklepoke said. The Slapstick was supposed to take lead next if the Comet got damaged. The thought of the Class Three Marauder absorbing fire from the massive prison was such a ridiculous idea that Ticklepoke was impressed. Grognard did have a sense of humor.
She watched the monitor as the pirate fleet continued to concentrate on a single point in the shields. To her complete surprise, one of the prison shields collapsed!
“Only three more to destroy!” Ticklepoke said sarcastically. Her crew laughed at the futility of their certain death.
***
Captain Atheta-3 watched the monitor with one cybernetic eye. Her other eye read calculations and battle predictions from every crewmember of the Recursive Function. Everyone was in agreement, this was not going well.
 | |
| Exclusive Image from the attempted prison break provided by Spy Satellite Virgin-Sprint #801 |
Atheta-3 felt a strange emotion she didn’t recognize at first. Oh yes, it was fear. How interesting. She relished the long forgotten emotion for the novelty that it was.
“Reroll has ordered missile launch,” Alpni-89 reported.
“Launch missile,” Atheta-3 confirmed.
She watched sensor reports tick in. Punishment Center Blue had an impressive anti-missile array. Missile after missile homed in on the stationry prison only to be shot down. One missile from Omega Murder Comet made it through to cause superficial structural damage to the prison’s hull.
The crew's collective conscious reached a decision. Boarding was their only hope for mission success. This was Grognard’s assessment as well which was why the plan involved a risky dash to the prison. Atheta-3 made a note on the accuracy of Grognard’s assessment. He was the right choice for fleet leader.
Omega Murder Comet absorbed the bulk of the prison’s return fire. A wing of the pirate ship exploded. Hull damage estimates were made and conclusions were that it was a non-fatal blow.
“Wal-Targ reinforcements have arrived!” reported Delted-21. Classification: Frigate, identification: Synergy. Classification: Destroyer, identification: Monetize. Classification: Destroyer, identification: Assests.”
Atheta-3 ran a risk evaluation. Three ships versus the fleet was a minimal risk. Three ships with the support of the prison was a high risk. Survivability was only 3 percent.
She wondered what conclusion the technologically handicapped Grognard would come to. She prepared mutiny protocols if he gave an unsound command.
“Reroll has ordered the retreat!” Alpni-89 reported.
“Activate jump drives to rendezvous point,” Atheta-3 commanded.
Mission was a failure. Survival was secured. Atheta-3 added these facts to the collective’s debate on the continuation of maintaining this relationship with their pirate partners.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Crypt Ship Playtest Analysis
I had a few thoughts about the Crypt Ship adventure I play tested.
First of all, my Pirates racked up 269 CV for beating two ships. That seems like way too much treasure at first glance but I started thinking about the very nature of PEF’s in Star Navy. This is a game about asymmetrical fights where every battle can be fair, unfair, or downright ludicrous. That is a big appeal for me. The randomness keeps things interesting.
This adventure came down to the escort roll. That escort roll was a random decider of difficulty. In a normal Patrol mission that you play for Pirates, you’re used to this. Sometimes you encounter a nasty PEF and that’s okay. You just break off as soon as possible and hope the next PEF is nicer. It is like getting spins of the slot machine.
What makes this adventure more dangerous than a normal Patrol mission is that you only get one spin of the slot machine. It is one spin for possibly 300 CV. If you roll up an escort that is too hard to fight, then you go home. You don’t get to roll for more ships and you do not get a chance at the 300 CV.
I like that kind of decision making. It also makes adventures riskier than the patrol mission. Some days you might get lucky and fight off one escort and some days you might get unlucky and face a bigger force. Either way, you got 300 CV waiting for you if you pull it off.
My second thought is on the Crypt Ship itself. I used a Class 4 Tanker’s stats for simplicity sake but I wonder if I should make a more custom layout. Perhaps give it an AA or two. Higher shields make a sort of sense but in this game, just one extra shield can turn something into a tank. I’ll have to think on it.
I enjoyed how the adventure took on a different tone after the escorts were wiped out. Every little hit on the Crypt Ship has the potential to devastate your CV. Once you defeat the escorts, it is not a matter of if you get the CV but how much. One bad missile hit wiped out 30 CV and man, I felt that.
Personally, my favorite part of this experiment was the time involved. Normally when I play a Patrol Mission, I play it all in one sitting. That means I resolve three or more PEF’s in one day. I could break it up to different days but my schedule gets weird sometimes. I average about three to four hours.
This adventure took me less than an hour. Part of that was the fact that I only rolled one escort ship but still, it was really nice to play something to conclusion rather quickly. I got to advance my campaign time table another turn in a single sit-down. That is a huge plus for me.
First of all, my Pirates racked up 269 CV for beating two ships. That seems like way too much treasure at first glance but I started thinking about the very nature of PEF’s in Star Navy. This is a game about asymmetrical fights where every battle can be fair, unfair, or downright ludicrous. That is a big appeal for me. The randomness keeps things interesting.
This adventure came down to the escort roll. That escort roll was a random decider of difficulty. In a normal Patrol mission that you play for Pirates, you’re used to this. Sometimes you encounter a nasty PEF and that’s okay. You just break off as soon as possible and hope the next PEF is nicer. It is like getting spins of the slot machine.
What makes this adventure more dangerous than a normal Patrol mission is that you only get one spin of the slot machine. It is one spin for possibly 300 CV. If you roll up an escort that is too hard to fight, then you go home. You don’t get to roll for more ships and you do not get a chance at the 300 CV.
I like that kind of decision making. It also makes adventures riskier than the patrol mission. Some days you might get lucky and fight off one escort and some days you might get unlucky and face a bigger force. Either way, you got 300 CV waiting for you if you pull it off.
My second thought is on the Crypt Ship itself. I used a Class 4 Tanker’s stats for simplicity sake but I wonder if I should make a more custom layout. Perhaps give it an AA or two. Higher shields make a sort of sense but in this game, just one extra shield can turn something into a tank. I’ll have to think on it.
I enjoyed how the adventure took on a different tone after the escorts were wiped out. Every little hit on the Crypt Ship has the potential to devastate your CV. Once you defeat the escorts, it is not a matter of if you get the CV but how much. One bad missile hit wiped out 30 CV and man, I felt that.
Personally, my favorite part of this experiment was the time involved. Normally when I play a Patrol Mission, I play it all in one sitting. That means I resolve three or more PEF’s in one day. I could break it up to different days but my schedule gets weird sometimes. I average about three to four hours.
This adventure took me less than an hour. Part of that was the fact that I only rolled one escort ship but still, it was really nice to play something to conclusion rather quickly. I got to advance my campaign time table another turn in a single sit-down. That is a huge plus for me.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Capture of The Long Sleep!
“Go, into the vacuum.
Go there, die there.
We reject your right to air.
We enjoy your dying stare.”
Captain Grognard found himself singing along to the transmission from Omega Murder Comet. The pirates wrote and performed their own music and it was quite catchy. Grognard had never heard a hundred electric guitars before and it was invigorating. For some reason, Grognard had an urge to wear more black t-shirts.
“Crypt Ship has been located!” announced Isis on sensors. “It identifies as The Long Sleep.”
Grognard muted the music. “What kind of escorts do they have?”
“A single Blackwater Frigate,” Isis reported. “It identifies as the Hasan.”
“Hmm,” Grognard said. “Blackwater is one of the more ruthless mercenary companies. Those guys would kill their grandmother and charge their parents for the bullets. Just one, you said?”
“Aye,” Isis said.
Grognard pushed a button. The sweating hulking form of Captain Deathspasm appeared on his personal viewer. Grognard waited until Deathspasm was done howling the end of the song.
“Deathspasm, we found the Crypt Ship. Let’s go knock out their bodyguard.”
Deathspasm nodded and lifted his battle-microphone.
“Into battle, RIDE!”
***
Today’s AAR involves playtesting one of my adventures for Star navy. The scenario is Crypt Ship. It has a rather limited ship loaded with treasure traveling in a straight line protected by escorts. My pirate force consists of 2 Class 4 Ravagers. The main thing to note is that the Crypt Ship is so valuable that any time it takes damage, it loses some of its 300 Cargo Value.
First thing I did was roll up the escorts. A low roll got me the result of “Two Less Than Player Force”. This meant the poor Crypt Ship only got a single escort.
Another roll determined that the lone escort was a mere Class 3 Free Company Frigate. On the up side, it has a Rep 5. I am sure the crew is very plucky.
Initial long range scans were sad for everyone. Starting distance was 36 inches and head on.
***
“The Hasan has left formation and is headed for us. The Hasan and The Long Sleep are concentrating their fire on us.”
Captain Grognard caught himself humming the guitar solo of “Go into the Vacuum. “Open fire on The Hasan. Tell the Omega Murder Comet to do the same. Man, that is a mouthful. Let’s just call them Omega.”
***
Concentrated fire from the Crypt Ship and Frigate was sad. A combined 2 guns against 3 shields is a long shot. As long as a shot that it is, it still has a miniscule chance of taking down a shield which at least makes every roll important. They failed but hey, they had a chance.
Funny enough, the Pirate ships had to combine fire to get through the Frigate’s shields and they stood a much better chance. They failed, but they had a chance.
Next turn, the frigate got closer, tried concentrated fire and failed. The pirates then got closer, and were within missile range. The Reroll fired two missiles, both of which hit. One missile destroyed the Frigate’s shields and the other missile hit the sheilds that no longer existed.
The Reroll then let loose with their guns. One gun hits the Frigate’s engine and the other chipped away at the Hull.
The Frigate fails their received damage test and loses a point of Rep. The crew is no longer as plucky! The Frigate then fails their engine damage test and decide that they are done with this lopsided battle.
***
Grognard watched the explosions ripple across The Hasan. The shield flickered off and something important looking was now drifting behind the ship. The frigate wobbled and seemed to veer to port uncontrollably. Seconds later, The Hasan vanished as it activated their jump drives.
The bridge crew cheered. Grognard allowed himself a smile. Nothing left now put to capture that golden prize headed right for them.”
***
Already the Crypt Ship is alone. With one gun and one shield, it is hardly a threat. The real challenge is that any damage it takes reduces the value of the ship. It is a Class 4 Tanker so boarding it is not a guarantee that the Class Four Ravagers would automatically win. I decide to fire a few shots and see if maybe I can get lucky with a bridge or engine hit.
****
“Gunner, soften up The Long Sleep and encourage them to take a nap,” Grognard ordered.
The gunner stared back at him, trying to work out Grognard’s tortured metaphor. He gave up and activated the missiles.
Grognard watched with satisfaction as the missiles closed in on the slow moving Crypt Ship. He chuckled as the awkward ship failed to evade. He laughed as plasma exploded within the Crypt Ship.
His laugh died as he saw thousands of glittering precious items get sucked into the vacuum of space from a hole in the ship.
“Uh, we hit one of the cargo bays,” someone reported.
***
Sigh. First missile launch and I take out a cargo bay. There goes 30 CV right there.
The guns fire and I manage to get a hit on the Crypt Ship’s guns. That reduces their own weapon to zero and the CV to 269. I decide that maybe it is time to stop damaging the really valuable ship.
***
“Captain Deathspasm? How would you like to be the first to board the Crypt Ship and claim our prize?” Grognard did his best to make it sound as awesome as possible.
It wasn’t necessary. Captain Deathspasm screamed so loud that his Mohawk shook. “It would be an honor! I will lead the charge myself!”
“Good for you!” Grognard replied. He knew how nasty boarding actions were. Better the new guys than his crew.
***
The Crypt Ship moves forward two inches every turn. That is it. It isn’t allowed to maneuver. It is a slow moving duck that just requires the pirates to match speed and direction in order to board.
Of course, this takes me close to eight turns to pull off. Coming to a full stop, pivoting 180 degrees and then catching up took me way too long. I am starting to believe that shooting and taking damage is important but man, not as nearly as getting your ships to go where they need to go. I feel like I need flight lessons.
Omega Murder Comet has the ‘honor’ of attempting the first boarding. What is the point of being the commander of a pirate fleet if you can’t make others take the risks?
The pirates had no troubles. They rolled 6 success to the Crypt Ship’s 2 and took command of the ship. Sadly for the crew of the Crypt Ship, they completely botch their surrender roll and their corpses were added to the debris littering this sector of space.
***
Captain Grognard slowly walked the halls of The Long Sleep. The smell of ritual incense was thick in the air which was good because it covered the smell of blood and laser fire. He stopped to admire a ventilation screen that looked to be made of polished silver.
“Captain! I found a toilet seat made of pure platinum! Can I keep it?”
Grognard shook his head at the excited crewman. “Sorry, Alez. We’re taking the whole ship to a dealer. There will be no golden thrones for you but you’ll have enough credits to wipe your butt with them if you want.”
Pirate life was getting better every day.
Go there, die there.
We reject your right to air.
We enjoy your dying stare.”
Captain Grognard found himself singing along to the transmission from Omega Murder Comet. The pirates wrote and performed their own music and it was quite catchy. Grognard had never heard a hundred electric guitars before and it was invigorating. For some reason, Grognard had an urge to wear more black t-shirts.
“Crypt Ship has been located!” announced Isis on sensors. “It identifies as The Long Sleep.”
Grognard muted the music. “What kind of escorts do they have?”
“A single Blackwater Frigate,” Isis reported. “It identifies as the Hasan.”
“Hmm,” Grognard said. “Blackwater is one of the more ruthless mercenary companies. Those guys would kill their grandmother and charge their parents for the bullets. Just one, you said?”
“Aye,” Isis said.
Grognard pushed a button. The sweating hulking form of Captain Deathspasm appeared on his personal viewer. Grognard waited until Deathspasm was done howling the end of the song.
“Deathspasm, we found the Crypt Ship. Let’s go knock out their bodyguard.”
Deathspasm nodded and lifted his battle-microphone.
“Into battle, RIDE!”
***
Today’s AAR involves playtesting one of my adventures for Star navy. The scenario is Crypt Ship. It has a rather limited ship loaded with treasure traveling in a straight line protected by escorts. My pirate force consists of 2 Class 4 Ravagers. The main thing to note is that the Crypt Ship is so valuable that any time it takes damage, it loses some of its 300 Cargo Value.
First thing I did was roll up the escorts. A low roll got me the result of “Two Less Than Player Force”. This meant the poor Crypt Ship only got a single escort.
Another roll determined that the lone escort was a mere Class 3 Free Company Frigate. On the up side, it has a Rep 5. I am sure the crew is very plucky.
Initial long range scans were sad for everyone. Starting distance was 36 inches and head on.
***
“The Hasan has left formation and is headed for us. The Hasan and The Long Sleep are concentrating their fire on us.”
Captain Grognard caught himself humming the guitar solo of “Go into the Vacuum. “Open fire on The Hasan. Tell the Omega Murder Comet to do the same. Man, that is a mouthful. Let’s just call them Omega.”
***
Concentrated fire from the Crypt Ship and Frigate was sad. A combined 2 guns against 3 shields is a long shot. As long as a shot that it is, it still has a miniscule chance of taking down a shield which at least makes every roll important. They failed but hey, they had a chance.
Funny enough, the Pirate ships had to combine fire to get through the Frigate’s shields and they stood a much better chance. They failed, but they had a chance.
Next turn, the frigate got closer, tried concentrated fire and failed. The pirates then got closer, and were within missile range. The Reroll fired two missiles, both of which hit. One missile destroyed the Frigate’s shields and the other missile hit the sheilds that no longer existed.
The Reroll then let loose with their guns. One gun hits the Frigate’s engine and the other chipped away at the Hull.
The Frigate fails their received damage test and loses a point of Rep. The crew is no longer as plucky! The Frigate then fails their engine damage test and decide that they are done with this lopsided battle.
***
Grognard watched the explosions ripple across The Hasan. The shield flickered off and something important looking was now drifting behind the ship. The frigate wobbled and seemed to veer to port uncontrollably. Seconds later, The Hasan vanished as it activated their jump drives.
The bridge crew cheered. Grognard allowed himself a smile. Nothing left now put to capture that golden prize headed right for them.”
***
Already the Crypt Ship is alone. With one gun and one shield, it is hardly a threat. The real challenge is that any damage it takes reduces the value of the ship. It is a Class 4 Tanker so boarding it is not a guarantee that the Class Four Ravagers would automatically win. I decide to fire a few shots and see if maybe I can get lucky with a bridge or engine hit.
****
“Gunner, soften up The Long Sleep and encourage them to take a nap,” Grognard ordered.
The gunner stared back at him, trying to work out Grognard’s tortured metaphor. He gave up and activated the missiles.
Grognard watched with satisfaction as the missiles closed in on the slow moving Crypt Ship. He chuckled as the awkward ship failed to evade. He laughed as plasma exploded within the Crypt Ship.
His laugh died as he saw thousands of glittering precious items get sucked into the vacuum of space from a hole in the ship.
“Uh, we hit one of the cargo bays,” someone reported.
***
Sigh. First missile launch and I take out a cargo bay. There goes 30 CV right there.
The guns fire and I manage to get a hit on the Crypt Ship’s guns. That reduces their own weapon to zero and the CV to 269. I decide that maybe it is time to stop damaging the really valuable ship.
***
“Captain Deathspasm? How would you like to be the first to board the Crypt Ship and claim our prize?” Grognard did his best to make it sound as awesome as possible.
It wasn’t necessary. Captain Deathspasm screamed so loud that his Mohawk shook. “It would be an honor! I will lead the charge myself!”
“Good for you!” Grognard replied. He knew how nasty boarding actions were. Better the new guys than his crew.
***
The Crypt Ship moves forward two inches every turn. That is it. It isn’t allowed to maneuver. It is a slow moving duck that just requires the pirates to match speed and direction in order to board.
Of course, this takes me close to eight turns to pull off. Coming to a full stop, pivoting 180 degrees and then catching up took me way too long. I am starting to believe that shooting and taking damage is important but man, not as nearly as getting your ships to go where they need to go. I feel like I need flight lessons.
Omega Murder Comet has the ‘honor’ of attempting the first boarding. What is the point of being the commander of a pirate fleet if you can’t make others take the risks?
The pirates had no troubles. They rolled 6 success to the Crypt Ship’s 2 and took command of the ship. Sadly for the crew of the Crypt Ship, they completely botch their surrender roll and their corpses were added to the debris littering this sector of space.
***
Captain Grognard slowly walked the halls of The Long Sleep. The smell of ritual incense was thick in the air which was good because it covered the smell of blood and laser fire. He stopped to admire a ventilation screen that looked to be made of polished silver.
“Captain! I found a toilet seat made of pure platinum! Can I keep it?”
Grognard shook his head at the excited crewman. “Sorry, Alez. We’re taking the whole ship to a dealer. There will be no golden thrones for you but you’ll have enough credits to wipe your butt with them if you want.”
Pirate life was getting better every day.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Adventure: Thrill-Raiders of the Rich and Famous
Pirates aren’t the only scourges of space. The sons and daughters of the decadently rich sometimes form fleets with their yachts and raid shipping and transport ships for the fun of it. They command crews of slightly less wealthy flunkies who want to tag along with those more notorious than them.
Worse, these wealthy thrill raiders rarely even loot the ships they destroy. They are in it for the fun and the violence. These dangerous spawn of the wealthy rarely pay a price for their raids as their parents will protect them from the authorities. In fact, several Captains have been removed from command because they stopped the fun of some rich bastard’s spoiled child.
Nothing can protect them from Space Pirates though. Even better, if a Space Pirate snags a rich heir alive, then they can ransom them back to their parents.
Lucky for the player, he has received a tip as to where a fleet of rich kids are intending to hunt. The player will intercept this fleet and attempt a few choice kidnappings.
The Thrill Raider fleet is comprised of Class 3 Runner ships. The number of ships in the force is equal to the number of pirate ships + d6. These ships will never call for help and if they did, local authorities would lose their call.
Set up is for a normal patrol contact.
For each Runner ship captured or forced to surrender, the Pirate player get 50 CV for ransom.
Worse, these wealthy thrill raiders rarely even loot the ships they destroy. They are in it for the fun and the violence. These dangerous spawn of the wealthy rarely pay a price for their raids as their parents will protect them from the authorities. In fact, several Captains have been removed from command because they stopped the fun of some rich bastard’s spoiled child.
Nothing can protect them from Space Pirates though. Even better, if a Space Pirate snags a rich heir alive, then they can ransom them back to their parents.
Lucky for the player, he has received a tip as to where a fleet of rich kids are intending to hunt. The player will intercept this fleet and attempt a few choice kidnappings.
The Thrill Raider fleet is comprised of Class 3 Runner ships. The number of ships in the force is equal to the number of pirate ships + d6. These ships will never call for help and if they did, local authorities would lose their call.
Set up is for a normal patrol contact.
For each Runner ship captured or forced to surrender, the Pirate player get 50 CV for ransom.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Adventure: Where in Space is Captain Enigma's Treasure?
Captain Enigma was a highly successful if a bit paranoid space pirate. She raided merchant ships from one end of the galaxy to the other and was famous for almost never spending her ill-gotten gains. She regularly paid off her crew, fired them, and then stashed the rest in secret remote asteroids. She would pull into port with an empty ship, take on a full crew and begin the pirate cycle anew.
Although she disappeared completely some time ago, people still stumble upon one of her secret treasure hoards. The fact that people keep finding her treasure is a testament to how successful she was.
Luckily for the player, he recently came upon a map that shows where one of Captain Enigma’s treasures are hidden. Unluckily for the player, the sentient who sold the player the map also sold a copy to another group.
First determine the competitor for the treasure. Roll a d6.
1 – Pirates of the same race as the controlling ring.
2 – Xeog Pirates who love this kind of treasure hunt.
3 – Free Company mercenaries.
4 or 5 – Military from the controlling ring.
6 – Star Navy Admiral willing to abuse his power to get some retirement fund money.
Determine size of the force as if generating an encounter for a patrol contact mission.
Make rolls for long rang scans. Determine starting distance from one another. The Treasure Asteroid is halfway between the two forces, but 6 inches closer to the side with the higher long range scan roll.
Getting the treasure isn’t too hard. A ship must board the asteroid and search it for treasure. Unlike ship boarding, the ship can keep their shields up but are still unable to fire guns. Roll 2 dice against their Rep and count successes.
0 successes – Captain Enigma hid it well. Pirates are confused by the multiple false doors, strangely carved X’s into the rock and false crater openings.
1 Success – The pirates begin to untangle the multiple clues that Captain enigma left behind. Turns out that X does mark the spot, but which X? Add an extra die to future search rolls.
2 Successes – The pirates find the treasure! They begin transfer of treasure and may leave the asteroid next turn.
First group to leave with the treasure wins. Note that a ship can simply break off from fighting the turn after they get the treasure.
The treasure stashed away in the asteroid is 5d6 x 10CV.
Although she disappeared completely some time ago, people still stumble upon one of her secret treasure hoards. The fact that people keep finding her treasure is a testament to how successful she was.
Luckily for the player, he recently came upon a map that shows where one of Captain Enigma’s treasures are hidden. Unluckily for the player, the sentient who sold the player the map also sold a copy to another group.
First determine the competitor for the treasure. Roll a d6.
1 – Pirates of the same race as the controlling ring.
2 – Xeog Pirates who love this kind of treasure hunt.
3 – Free Company mercenaries.
4 or 5 – Military from the controlling ring.
6 – Star Navy Admiral willing to abuse his power to get some retirement fund money.
Determine size of the force as if generating an encounter for a patrol contact mission.
Make rolls for long rang scans. Determine starting distance from one another. The Treasure Asteroid is halfway between the two forces, but 6 inches closer to the side with the higher long range scan roll.
Getting the treasure isn’t too hard. A ship must board the asteroid and search it for treasure. Unlike ship boarding, the ship can keep their shields up but are still unable to fire guns. Roll 2 dice against their Rep and count successes.
0 successes – Captain Enigma hid it well. Pirates are confused by the multiple false doors, strangely carved X’s into the rock and false crater openings.
1 Success – The pirates begin to untangle the multiple clues that Captain enigma left behind. Turns out that X does mark the spot, but which X? Add an extra die to future search rolls.
2 Successes – The pirates find the treasure! They begin transfer of treasure and may leave the asteroid next turn.
First group to leave with the treasure wins. Note that a ship can simply break off from fighting the turn after they get the treasure.
The treasure stashed away in the asteroid is 5d6 x 10CV.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Adventure: Steal the Ransom!
On a recent raid, a certain other pirate took a valuable hostage. A ransom has been negotiated and a freighter full of treasure is headed to a rendezvous point in order to make an exchange. The pirate player just so happens to know where that point is and plans to steal the ransom for themselves.
It is considered bad etiquette to steal from other pirates. It is also considered really stupid to NOT to steal from pirates when you can.
Determine the size of the pirate victims as you would a normal patrol encounter. Set them up in the center of the table at a thrust of zero. There is also a standard class 3 freighter. Every cargo bay in the freighter is filled with rarities.
The pirate player enters the table at the edge of their choosing at a speed of ten. The pirate player activates first.
The freighter is the goal of the mission. The freighter starts under the Pirate Victim’s control but is incapable of breaking off the fight. Whichever pirate force drives off the other will receive the willing surrender of the freighter.
It is considered bad etiquette to steal from other pirates. It is also considered really stupid to NOT to steal from pirates when you can.
Determine the size of the pirate victims as you would a normal patrol encounter. Set them up in the center of the table at a thrust of zero. There is also a standard class 3 freighter. Every cargo bay in the freighter is filled with rarities.
The pirate player enters the table at the edge of their choosing at a speed of ten. The pirate player activates first.
The freighter is the goal of the mission. The freighter starts under the Pirate Victim’s control but is incapable of breaking off the fight. Whichever pirate force drives off the other will receive the willing surrender of the freighter.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Adventure: Spacenet Piracy
The Spacenet is an amazing feat of technology. Using highly advanced lasers and collecting arrays, the Spacenet is a system of space stations that beam information back and forth between each other. Most planets have their own internet but connecting to the internets of other planets was impossible before the creation of the Spacenet. Now planets can connect to one another and share vast amounts of information, conduct commerce and transmit images of feline aliens to anywhere in the known galaxy.
About a month after the creation of the Spacenet, most governments and corporations restricted access to the Spacenet. To connect, you need to purchase a highly expensive access code and there are restrictions on downloading amounts. The Corporations primarily use Spacenet to transmit holovideos, AI programs and other commercial products between worlds for selling.
Most Spacenet stations are heavily armed and automated. The Pirate Player however has bribed/seduced/stolen a Spacenet Station’s personal disarmament code. This code will allow a ship to link with the Spacenet Station and steal information. Of course, local government forces will respond because if there is one thing that corporations cannot allow is Spacenet Piracy.
The Spacenet Station is a fixed point on the board. Normally it would have 10 guns, 5 shields and 10 missiles but the Pirate’s code has shut it down. At the moment, it is a hunk of space metal with 10 hull points.
The Pirate Player sets up his ships next to the Spacenet Station. He must decide which ships are tapping information and which ships are active.
Tapping Ships are boarded with the station. Their shields do not work and they are incapable of firing guns. They drain 1d6 of CV information per class of the ship each turn. The randomness comes from the uncertainty of what they are downloading. They could be downloading anything from weather reports on distant planets to the latest version of Friday the 13th: Part 678 before it reaches commercial release.
Example: A Class 4 Ravager is tapping information. On the pirate’s turn, the Ravager rolls 4d6 to determine the value of the information it tapped.
Active ships are free to act as normal.
After the 1st turn of Spacenet Theft, roll 3d6 and count successes for anything 4+.
0 Successes – Local Forces are debating who should have to go respond to the call. No help arrives this turn.
1 Success – Local Forces are mobilizing and will be there shortly. Add an extra die to the next Response Roll.
2 Successes – A Local Force has arrived. Roll on table 2 to determine forces.
Note that you keep rolling for Local Forces Responding until pirates have been cleared from the station. This can escalate quickly.
Table 2 – Response Force
1 – 1 Class 5 Ship from controlling planet. Yes, Spacenet Piracy is dealt with harshly.
2 – 2 Class 4 Ships from controlling planet.
3 – A Class 4 Ship from controlling planet.
4 – 1d3 Class 3 Ships from controlling planet.
5 – 1 Class 3 Ship from controlling planet.
6 – 1d3 Fighter Squads from controlling planet.
Response forces emerge from a random side of the table at Thrust 10.
Play continues until all pirate ships have left the area. Local Forces have no hesitation in firing upon a ship docked with the Spacenet Station. Replacing a Spacenet Station is cheap, replacing the profits to be gained from the latest software upgrade can not!
Unlike most adventures, success is dependent on much CV was stolen. The mission is a success if the pirates steal a CV equal to the number of pirate ships x 20. Player greed might demand higher values.
About a month after the creation of the Spacenet, most governments and corporations restricted access to the Spacenet. To connect, you need to purchase a highly expensive access code and there are restrictions on downloading amounts. The Corporations primarily use Spacenet to transmit holovideos, AI programs and other commercial products between worlds for selling.
Most Spacenet stations are heavily armed and automated. The Pirate Player however has bribed/seduced/stolen a Spacenet Station’s personal disarmament code. This code will allow a ship to link with the Spacenet Station and steal information. Of course, local government forces will respond because if there is one thing that corporations cannot allow is Spacenet Piracy.
The Spacenet Station is a fixed point on the board. Normally it would have 10 guns, 5 shields and 10 missiles but the Pirate’s code has shut it down. At the moment, it is a hunk of space metal with 10 hull points.
The Pirate Player sets up his ships next to the Spacenet Station. He must decide which ships are tapping information and which ships are active.
Tapping Ships are boarded with the station. Their shields do not work and they are incapable of firing guns. They drain 1d6 of CV information per class of the ship each turn. The randomness comes from the uncertainty of what they are downloading. They could be downloading anything from weather reports on distant planets to the latest version of Friday the 13th: Part 678 before it reaches commercial release.
Example: A Class 4 Ravager is tapping information. On the pirate’s turn, the Ravager rolls 4d6 to determine the value of the information it tapped.
Active ships are free to act as normal.
After the 1st turn of Spacenet Theft, roll 3d6 and count successes for anything 4+.
0 Successes – Local Forces are debating who should have to go respond to the call. No help arrives this turn.
1 Success – Local Forces are mobilizing and will be there shortly. Add an extra die to the next Response Roll.
2 Successes – A Local Force has arrived. Roll on table 2 to determine forces.
Note that you keep rolling for Local Forces Responding until pirates have been cleared from the station. This can escalate quickly.
Table 2 – Response Force
1 – 1 Class 5 Ship from controlling planet. Yes, Spacenet Piracy is dealt with harshly.
2 – 2 Class 4 Ships from controlling planet.
3 – A Class 4 Ship from controlling planet.
4 – 1d3 Class 3 Ships from controlling planet.
5 – 1 Class 3 Ship from controlling planet.
6 – 1d3 Fighter Squads from controlling planet.
Response forces emerge from a random side of the table at Thrust 10.
Play continues until all pirate ships have left the area. Local Forces have no hesitation in firing upon a ship docked with the Spacenet Station. Replacing a Spacenet Station is cheap, replacing the profits to be gained from the latest software upgrade can not!
Unlike most adventures, success is dependent on much CV was stolen. The mission is a success if the pirates steal a CV equal to the number of pirate ships x 20. Player greed might demand higher values.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Adventure: Vendetta
Some pirates just don’t get along. While looking for clues to a big score, the pirate player managed to talk to the wrong attractive person, brag a little too loudly in a brothel or punched out a crewman to another pirate. Whatever the reason, the player has started a feud with another pirate that can only be settled in the cold battlefield of space. This adventure will yield little to no treasure but the personal honor of the pirates are on the line.
First, generate the pirate fleet of the pirate who has been offended. Use the patrol contact chart on page 34 of the Star navy rules to determine the size of the fleet. Generate pirate ships as normal.
Second, determine which pirate decided where to have the fight. Do this by rolling the player’s flagship’s rep vs the vendetta pirate’s flagship’s rep. Roll one die for each point of rep and add it together. The highest result picked the area of space, which means for this conflict, they count as “Controlling the Space”
Now that a place has been picked, both pirates take their fleets there. Roll for long range scans and do initial setup as normal.
The Vendetta fight does not necessarily go to the death. Ships are allowed to break off at any time. The winner is determined by who has the last ship on the field of battle.
Losing the Vendetta means that the player counts the mission as failed for morale purposes.
Winning the vendetta means that the player counts the mission as a success for morale purposes.
If the pirate flagship is captured, generate 2d6 CV as flagships always hold onto the best loot and this represents the player knicking the pirates’ collection of gold cups and jeweled underwear.
First, generate the pirate fleet of the pirate who has been offended. Use the patrol contact chart on page 34 of the Star navy rules to determine the size of the fleet. Generate pirate ships as normal.
Second, determine which pirate decided where to have the fight. Do this by rolling the player’s flagship’s rep vs the vendetta pirate’s flagship’s rep. Roll one die for each point of rep and add it together. The highest result picked the area of space, which means for this conflict, they count as “Controlling the Space”
Now that a place has been picked, both pirates take their fleets there. Roll for long range scans and do initial setup as normal.
The Vendetta fight does not necessarily go to the death. Ships are allowed to break off at any time. The winner is determined by who has the last ship on the field of battle.
Losing the Vendetta means that the player counts the mission as failed for morale purposes.
Winning the vendetta means that the player counts the mission as a success for morale purposes.
If the pirate flagship is captured, generate 2d6 CV as flagships always hold onto the best loot and this represents the player knicking the pirates’ collection of gold cups and jeweled underwear.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Space Prison Break!
Advanced societies often deal with criminals in innovative ways. They can use mind altering techniques to rehabilitate criminal minds or they can resort to cyber implants that make sure some criminals can never act out their crimes again. As advanced and effective as those techniques are, some societies enjoy just locking some people away some place really unpleasant.
Space Prisons satisfy this desire. These space stations are often located in desolate areas of space far away from civilized worlds. The interiors are unpleasant and barely qualify as habitable, while armed guards and merciless robots keep the criminals in line. If anyone ever does escape from their cell, the only place they can escape to is the cold vacuum of space.
Anywhere that there is a legal system, someone rich and powerful are going to try to buy their way out of consequences. Today a criminally wealthy person wants to hire pirates to break them out of the space prison that they are incarcerated in. The pirate will be paid handsomely if they bring them out alive.
First, generate the type of prison that they are located by rolling a d6.
1 – Class 3 Space Jail Rep 3
2 – Class 3 Space Jail Rep 4
3 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 3
4 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 4
5 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 5
6 – Class 5 Space Maximum Security Rep 4
Class 3 Space Jail
Class – 3
Thrust – 0
Hull – 8
Shields – 2
Guns – 2
ML – 1
AAR – 1
Class 4 Space Prison
Class – 4
Thrust – 0
Hull – 16
Shields – 3
Guns – 3
ML – 2
AAR – 2
Class 5 Space Maximum Security
Class – 5
Thrust – 0
Hull – 24
Shields – 4
Guns – 4
ML – 3
AAR – 2
Space Prisons can’t move. They also have no facing so their missiles are effective in a 360 degree arc. The Space Prison is of the same faction as the faction controlling the ring that it is located in.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 3 Jail is worth 100 CV.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 4 Prison is worth 200 CV.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 5 Maximum Security is worth 400 CV.
Once you know the size of the prison, the Pirate player can decline the adventure. This results in time passing on the campaign log and counting as a failed mission.
The Prison starts at the center of the table. The pirates may enter in from any side of the table and from multiple sides if wanted. The Pirates activate first. The Prison will fire a warning shot at any ship that comes within 48 inches. If the Prison will skip a warning shot if fired upon.
The Prison will send out a distress signal as soon as fired upon just like a merchant ship.
The Pirates have two options. They can either wear the prison down and try to get the Prison to surrender, or they can board and try to grab the prisoner.
When boarding, roll as normal except that if the pirates are successful, they have found the right prisoner and returned to the ship. At no point can the pirates seize control of the prison as these kinds of space prisons have triple backup systems to prevent prisoners from doing such a thing.
A Prison Station has Cell Bays instead of Cargo Bays. It is entirely possible to kill the prisoner you are looking for by accident! Make a note of how many Cell Bays are destroyed. When the Pirates force a surrender OR do a successful boarding action, roll randomly to determine which of the Cell Bays that the prisoner is located in. If it blew up, oops!
Example: The Pirates hit the Space Jail’s Cell Bays twice. Out of the 10 Cell bays, only eight are left. The Space Jail surrenders and offers to hand over the prisoner. The Pirate player rolls a d10 to determine which Cell Bay the prisoner was in. Then he rolls a D10 twice to see which Cell Bays blew up.
Space Prisons satisfy this desire. These space stations are often located in desolate areas of space far away from civilized worlds. The interiors are unpleasant and barely qualify as habitable, while armed guards and merciless robots keep the criminals in line. If anyone ever does escape from their cell, the only place they can escape to is the cold vacuum of space.
Anywhere that there is a legal system, someone rich and powerful are going to try to buy their way out of consequences. Today a criminally wealthy person wants to hire pirates to break them out of the space prison that they are incarcerated in. The pirate will be paid handsomely if they bring them out alive.
First, generate the type of prison that they are located by rolling a d6.
1 – Class 3 Space Jail Rep 3
2 – Class 3 Space Jail Rep 4
3 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 3
4 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 4
5 – Class 4 Space Prison Rep 5
6 – Class 5 Space Maximum Security Rep 4
Class 3 Space Jail
Class – 3
Thrust – 0
Hull – 8
Shields – 2
Guns – 2
ML – 1
AAR – 1
Class 4 Space Prison
Class – 4
Thrust – 0
Hull – 16
Shields – 3
Guns – 3
ML – 2
AAR – 2
Class 5 Space Maximum Security
Class – 5
Thrust – 0
Hull – 24
Shields – 4
Guns – 4
ML – 3
AAR – 2
Space Prisons can’t move. They also have no facing so their missiles are effective in a 360 degree arc. The Space Prison is of the same faction as the faction controlling the ring that it is located in.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 3 Jail is worth 100 CV.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 4 Prison is worth 200 CV.
Rescuing a criminal from a Class 5 Maximum Security is worth 400 CV.
Once you know the size of the prison, the Pirate player can decline the adventure. This results in time passing on the campaign log and counting as a failed mission.
The Prison starts at the center of the table. The pirates may enter in from any side of the table and from multiple sides if wanted. The Pirates activate first. The Prison will fire a warning shot at any ship that comes within 48 inches. If the Prison will skip a warning shot if fired upon.
The Prison will send out a distress signal as soon as fired upon just like a merchant ship.
The Pirates have two options. They can either wear the prison down and try to get the Prison to surrender, or they can board and try to grab the prisoner.
When boarding, roll as normal except that if the pirates are successful, they have found the right prisoner and returned to the ship. At no point can the pirates seize control of the prison as these kinds of space prisons have triple backup systems to prevent prisoners from doing such a thing.
A Prison Station has Cell Bays instead of Cargo Bays. It is entirely possible to kill the prisoner you are looking for by accident! Make a note of how many Cell Bays are destroyed. When the Pirates force a surrender OR do a successful boarding action, roll randomly to determine which of the Cell Bays that the prisoner is located in. If it blew up, oops!
Example: The Pirates hit the Space Jail’s Cell Bays twice. Out of the 10 Cell bays, only eight are left. The Space Jail surrenders and offers to hand over the prisoner. The Pirate player rolls a d10 to determine which Cell Bay the prisoner was in. Then he rolls a D10 twice to see which Cell Bays blew up.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Adventure: Crypt Ship
Background
The Pygptiaks are a wealthy if eccentric minor race. They are one of the few star faring races that believe in astrology and in fact use astrology in most of their business decisions. The amazing thing is that it seems to work for them.
Another curious trait of the Pygptiaks is that they believe when you die, you can take it with you. The trick is that you have to transport your wealth, and your corpse in a massive crypt ship through a complex serious of rituals performed in different star systems. Once the trip is over, the entire ship is interred in an asteroid field that is heavily guarded by Pygptiak forces.
Pygptiak Crypt ships are beautiful works of art. The corridors are lined with rare metals. The engines are hand crafted. The storage bays are filled with rare goods and exquisite statues. Even the waste facilities use rare water imported from the most exotic springs.
Understandably, these ships become targets for pirates. The Star Navy has stopped answering Pygptiak Crypt ship distress calls ever since a breakdown in treaty negotiations back in 4190. That is why each ship is usually accompanied by Free Company ships hired for protection.
Rules
The Pygptiak Crypt ship has the same stats as a Class 4, Rep 4 Tanker with the following exceptions.
The crew of the Crypt Ship rolls 3 dice for received damage tests. This represents how fanatic the Pygyptiaks are when it comes to protecting Crypt Ships.
A captured Pygptiak ship has a CV of 300. However, every point of damage it takes to any part of the ship, results in a loss of one CV. If a cargo bay is destroyed, 30 CV is destroyed.
Generate the escorts as you would for a Patrol Contact and then add the Crypt ship the total.
Example: I have a three pirate ship fleet. I roll an 8 which means I encounter a Crypt Ship with 3 Free Company escorts.
The Pygptiak Crypt ship will be in front of the fleet, with the escort ships forming a line behind it. The crypt fleet will open fire on anyone that closes to within 36 inches, which is the other reason that no one answers their distress calls anymore. The escorts are allowed to move as normal when fighting begins but the Crypt ship cannot. It is restricted to a speed of 2 and it must continue flying in a straight line from its initial starting position. The rituals for preparing the corpse and the wealth are quite strict on this.
The Free Company escorts will break off as normal but the Crypt ship is incapable of breaking off. The fight will continue until the pirate player decides to flee or the Crypt Ship surrenders or is captured.
The Pygptiaks are a wealthy if eccentric minor race. They are one of the few star faring races that believe in astrology and in fact use astrology in most of their business decisions. The amazing thing is that it seems to work for them.
Another curious trait of the Pygptiaks is that they believe when you die, you can take it with you. The trick is that you have to transport your wealth, and your corpse in a massive crypt ship through a complex serious of rituals performed in different star systems. Once the trip is over, the entire ship is interred in an asteroid field that is heavily guarded by Pygptiak forces.
Pygptiak Crypt ships are beautiful works of art. The corridors are lined with rare metals. The engines are hand crafted. The storage bays are filled with rare goods and exquisite statues. Even the waste facilities use rare water imported from the most exotic springs.
Understandably, these ships become targets for pirates. The Star Navy has stopped answering Pygptiak Crypt ship distress calls ever since a breakdown in treaty negotiations back in 4190. That is why each ship is usually accompanied by Free Company ships hired for protection.
Rules
The Pygptiak Crypt ship has the same stats as a Class 4, Rep 4 Tanker with the following exceptions.
The crew of the Crypt Ship rolls 3 dice for received damage tests. This represents how fanatic the Pygyptiaks are when it comes to protecting Crypt Ships.
A captured Pygptiak ship has a CV of 300. However, every point of damage it takes to any part of the ship, results in a loss of one CV. If a cargo bay is destroyed, 30 CV is destroyed.
Generate the escorts as you would for a Patrol Contact and then add the Crypt ship the total.
Example: I have a three pirate ship fleet. I roll an 8 which means I encounter a Crypt Ship with 3 Free Company escorts.
The Pygptiak Crypt ship will be in front of the fleet, with the escort ships forming a line behind it. The crypt fleet will open fire on anyone that closes to within 36 inches, which is the other reason that no one answers their distress calls anymore. The escorts are allowed to move as normal when fighting begins but the Crypt ship cannot. It is restricted to a speed of 2 and it must continue flying in a straight line from its initial starting position. The rituals for preparing the corpse and the wealth are quite strict on this.
The Free Company escorts will break off as normal but the Crypt ship is incapable of breaking off. The fight will continue until the pirate player decides to flee or the Crypt Ship surrenders or is captured.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Random Adventures
Star Navy comes with four missions but if you are a space pirate; you only get the one mission. Patrol can be fun but since this is space pirates, I would like to delve in something more high swashbuckling action.
One of my inspirations is the random mission table in the old Realms of Chaos game. if you haven't played it, it is a simulation for chaos warbands fighting each other. It is fun and pretty ridiculously broken. A bad roll can make for some ugly unfair fights where you can throw a cultist and his two peasants versus knight and his pet hydra. On the other hand, random missions had you performing prison breaks, hijacking wagon trains and engaging in crazy duels.
I would like to come up with something that is fun but not quite broken. Star Navy has a fairly good system of generating random enemies that keeps it interesting. The only thing it is missing is doing something a smidge more dramatic.
My initial idea is that every period in the pirate campaign, the player can choose to either go on a patrol, or they invest their time in ports and bars looking for a good score. They roll on a chart and find out what adventure is happening at the time. If they decide not to go on the adventure, well they lose their turn in the campaign map and must make a morale roll as if they had failed a misison.
How many adventures will be on the chart? I think Realms of Chaos made you roll a D00. I don't think we'll do that many. Say, six to start with?
One of my inspirations is the random mission table in the old Realms of Chaos game. if you haven't played it, it is a simulation for chaos warbands fighting each other. It is fun and pretty ridiculously broken. A bad roll can make for some ugly unfair fights where you can throw a cultist and his two peasants versus knight and his pet hydra. On the other hand, random missions had you performing prison breaks, hijacking wagon trains and engaging in crazy duels.
I would like to come up with something that is fun but not quite broken. Star Navy has a fairly good system of generating random enemies that keeps it interesting. The only thing it is missing is doing something a smidge more dramatic.
My initial idea is that every period in the pirate campaign, the player can choose to either go on a patrol, or they invest their time in ports and bars looking for a good score. They roll on a chart and find out what adventure is happening at the time. If they decide not to go on the adventure, well they lose their turn in the campaign map and must make a morale roll as if they had failed a misison.
How many adventures will be on the chart? I think Realms of Chaos made you roll a D00. I don't think we'll do that many. Say, six to start with?
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