Action Check Starships
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Action Check Disclaimers Ta ble of Co ntent s Action Check is an on-line elec- tronic magazine dedicated to Starship articles for the Alternity roleplaying the Alternity Science Fiction game from Dragon Magazine Roleplaying Game. Page 3 Starship Perks & Flaws This work is offered free of charge to all interested parties [David Eckleberry and Andy Collins] and is not to be sold in any Customize your cruiser! form. It may be printed if dis- tributed free of charge. Page 8 The Quicksilver [David Eckleberry and Andy Collins] This work supports the Alternity Deckplans (by Rob Lazzaretti) and stats. roleplaying line, specifically the Alternity Players Handbook and Page 10 The Skykomish Gamemaster Guide. In addition [David Eckleberry and Andy Collins] is supports the Campaign Set- Deckplans (by Rob Lazzaretti) and stats. TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS OF TABLE tings Star*Drive, Gamma World, Dark*Matter, and Tan- Page 12 The Starrunner gents by Wizards of the Coast, [David Eckleberry and Andy Collins] Inc. Alternity is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Deckplans (by Rob Lazzaretti) and stats. Coast, Inc. Page 14 CSS Nomad The staff is not associated with [Gary R. Boylan] Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Deckplans (by Rob Lazzaretti) and stats. Wizards of the Coast, Inc.: http://www.wizards.com Special Thanks to Johnny Wilson, WotC Group Publisher & Dave Gross of Dragon Magazine without whom this wouldn’t have been STAFF possible. Publisher/Layout: Jeff Ibach Editor: Jim Sharkey Special thanks to www.alternity.net, our gracious host. Cover Design: Daryl Blasi HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Visit Dragon Magazine online: E-Mail: actioncheck@hotmail. http://www.wizards.com/dragon/article.asp?welcome,3 com Visit Dungeon Adventures Magazine onlineonline: WEB SITE http://www.wizards.com/dungeon/ & BACK ISSUES Visit Star Wars Gamer online: www.alternity.net http://www.wizards.com/starwars/article.asp? x=gamer,3&c=gamer Wizards of the Coast has granted up permission to Watch for more WotC Alternity reprints coming soon reprint selected Alternity from Action Check! Dragon, Dungeon, and Amazing Stories articles on Action Check On-Line Magazine is published monthly by the New Jersey a strictly non-profit basis. Role-Playing Game Association Network sanctioned club “The Third Floor Fellowship”. http://www.thirdfloor.8m.com Copyright Wizards of Dragon Magazine Reprints Issue. the Coast, 2001. All rights reserved. Reprinted http://www.wizards.com/rpga by permission. Action Check Magazine is not a publication of the RPGA Network. 2 Starship Perks & Flaws PERKS & FLAWS STARSHIP By David Eckleberry and Andy Collins Copyright Wizards of the Coast, 2001. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. The ALTERNITY game lets you play Consider the following modifications Table 1: New Hull Types in any science-fiction setting you can when designing a vessel for an alien imagine. One of the first things that species: Civilian Hulls comes to mind when most people • Allow a compartment to contain up Comp. Durability Cost think of science fiction are epic pace to 15 or even 20 durability points. This operas--Star Wars, Star Trek, Baby- should create the feel of an ad- 3 12 75K lon 5, and now the STAR*DRIVE set- vanced, open-worked vessel with ting. What is space opera without fewer individual compartments, bulk- 5 20 150K starships? Here are new rules, op- heads, or corridors. It might be ap- 7 28 250K tions, and accessories for your AL- propriate for species that prefer wide TERNITY space vehicles, as well as open spaces or those to whom sepa- 9 36 400K three new starships. To use the mate- ration is distasteful. Conversely, you rial presented here, you'll need a might allow additional compartments 11 44 750K copy of the ALTERNITY Gamemaster with fewer durability points each. For Military Hulls Guide; Chapter 11 of that book pre- example, increase the number of in- sents the rules for constructing dividual compartments in a scout Comp. Durability Cost spaceships and running ship com- from 6 to 10, reducing the average bat. While not required, the Starships number of durability points per com- 3 15 200K accessory can also add diversity to partment from 5 to 3. 5 25 400K the starships in your universe. • Allow for new compartment types. The current compartments, and the 7 35 800K New Hull Types systems they contain, fit typical hu- 9 45 1.5M The standard configurations of ship man engineering patterns, but they hulls--cutters, traders, etc.-form only might not fit others. See Table 2 for 11 55 3M the bare bones of what ship design- an example. ers are likely to create. To begin de- • Consider altered life-support sys- signing your new vessel, you must tems and internal ship environments. Perks & Flaws first choose your hull. Table 1 shows An aquatic species that ascends into Much like player characters, each a selection of new hull types with odd space won't be concerned as much starship is a unique entity, with its numbers of compartments. about inertial effects but will be con- own quirks, idiosyncrasies, and per- Once the hull is purchased, use the cerned about salinity, oxygenation, sonality--not to mention the possibility normal rules for purchasing and in- and temperature. A species that of an onboard artificial intelligence. cluding systems and compartments. somehow evolved in space might Not every spacefighter, trader, or Comp. indicates the number of com- have none of the concerns of terres- scout has the same configuration; partments in the ship. Durability is trial sentients. sometimes even vessels of the same the total number of durability points • Vary the experience of different model perform differently. In addi- to be divided among the ship com- species through Progress Levels. tion, every heroic group wants to feel partments to form their individual One kind of system might have a that their vessel is special and dis- durability rating. Cost includes only higher or lower rate of development. tinct. the empty hull, without any compart- For example, one species might have Some vessels exemplify smooth run- ments or systems. K stands for thou- advanced antimatter control and ning elegance; others seem to be sands of Concord Dollars, and M containment while still mostly in PL 6, buckets of bolts barely holding to- stands of millions of Concord Dollars. but they might never have developed gether. The starship perks and flaws Gamemasters running non- other hallmarks of PL 7, such as ad- described below allow Gamemasters STAR*DRIVE campaigns should sub- vanced computer systems, AIs, or and heroes to add individuality to stitute the appropriate currencies. gravity technology. their starships. Alien Vessels Table 2: New Compartment Types Example The rules for designing vessels in the Type Systems Types Allowed Cost ALTERNITY game are based around a humanocentric model. The crew of Primary Engine, power, weapon, command deck 200K the vessel is assumed to function and behave much as the crew of a mod- Secondary Computer, communications, defense, drive, sen- 150K ern naval vessel. However, this might sor, support not be true for nonhuman vessels. Tertiary Cargo, crew 25K 3 Table 3: Advanced Tech star ships to three perks and three Of course, this perk could be a flaw flaws. of its own, should knowledge of the System Type Option Pts. vessel's uniqueness become well Perks known. Power 6 When adding a perk to a starship, Option Points: See Table 3.3 The num- Engine 6 don't be afraid to abandon logic. For ber lists the option points it costs for example, while it might make the the appropriate system type. Drive 8 most sense for a military hull to pos- Cost: Advanced technological sys- Support 4 sess the Hardened Vessel perk, it tems should be acquired only might be just as entertaining if a through a story episode or through Sensors 4 freighter has acquired it. Explaining careful GM decision, not through a how a vessel has evolved can make cost multiple (which would be in the Defenses 4 for an interesting story. hundreds or even thousands). Communications 4 Atmospheric Maneuverability Beautiful Computer* 4 The streamlined shape of this vessel's Intentionally or not, the vessel's con- hull facilitates operations in planetary figuration, hull shape, and even its Weapons 6 atmospheres. Vehicle Operations color detailing have produced a *The computer system may include skill checks in atmosphere receive a - pleasing piece of art. While it has an advanced AI that’s not otherwise 2 step bonus. At the Gamemaster's little effect (at best, a -1 bonus to ini- available yet. option, this bonus may also apply tial skill checks in encounter situa- when navigating within a gas giant, tions), the vessel forever earns the STARSHIP PERKS & FLAWS PERKS & FLAWS STARSHIP the outer corona of a star, or in a praise of its viewers. Acquiring Parks or Flaws dense nebula. A planetary thruster is Option Points: 2 Just how a ship gains its uniqueness still required for vessels using PL6 Cost: Multiply the cost of the vessel's varies wildly. Maybe it's a product of engines. hull (only) by ten. the design process, for good or ill. Option Points: 2 Maybe constant modification during Cost: The streamlining has the effect Efficient Command Deck the ship's operating life has produced of reducing ship space, occupying 1 The ship's command consoles, inter- some beneficial effect or some seri- durability point of space. This dura- faces, and system stations function ous degradation. There are a few bility point may be assigned to any together in a synergy that exceeds ways to determine these options. compartment of the vessel. their individual capabilities. As a First, the Gamemaster can simply result, teamwork between the crew is assign a perk or a flaw through Advanced Intelligence easier.