Galactic Crusade
Galactic Crusade is the Successor to Indiana Jones in Space, (likely) set to be kicked off early in 2013. A lot of what will be here is similar to the IJIS page, but I hope to add all the relevant information for this campaign. Galactic Crusade is a really dumb name for this game, but I was stumped. If any of you guys have a better name, let me know so we can get this changed to something good.
Campaign Tone and Focus
This is largely up to the players, and I would appreciate input on this. The characters should establish a unifying goal, such as the search for Forerunner sites. These sites will be rare, and there could be many false starts. The crew will need to supplement their income with commerce of some other type to keep the bills paid. More about this will follow in the Starship Economics section.
--Dieter the Bold 18:15, 3 February 2013 (MST) I'd like to be smugglers in addition to Forerunner prospectors. And I'm thinking that we dodge tariffs more than move illegal items. Grey market kind of stuff.
Group Hook
How did these ragtag group of survivors find one another? Maybe they arent ragtag at all! This will lead straight to how did they acquire a ship in the first place. There are many possibilities on this, but the three I have considered are:
The Ship Is Stolen
Somehow the players have acquired a stolen ship. This will require a good back story, but could be fun for everyone. If this is chosen, all of the characters are outlaws, and they should take disadvantages to reflect this. The characters will also all have an enemy, the ships original owner, which they will not get points for.
Hey man, nothing is free!
The Ship Is Owned By An NPC Patron
In this case the players work for an NPC who sometimes requires them to do his bidding, but also can provide leads or jobs. He takes virtually all of the income generated by the commerce, but the players are paid a salary in exchange. He would also have first dibs on any good Forerunner loot you guys find.
If this option is chosen it is likely that I will have Bruce play your patron via email and wiki post. He will email his stuff to me for what he finds and does, and possibly also post to the wiki queries for you guys as well as job leads he may find. Any ideas you have on how this might be facilitated are appreciated.
One Of The PCs Owns It
That is right, one of you can own the ship. If any one (this cannot be split across multiple characters) of you is willing to spend 11+ points on wealth, you can be the owner of the ship. In this case, the 100 MCR limit might be more flexible (see table). In this case, the ship itself is virtually all of the characters assets.
If a player, or multiple players, want to spend points on wealth and then make up the rest of the value of the ship in loans, that is fine. You would need to be more successful in trading (discussed in Starship Economics) to pay the mortgage, but that might be interesting. Players may purchase a ship worth the combined value of all players yearly income and begin the game with a ship owned free and clear.
Expanded HERO Wealth Levels:
11 Points - 10 MCR per year income, or 50 MCR ship with mortgage.
12 Points - 20 MCR per year income, or 100 MCR ship with mortgage.
13 Points - 30 MCR per year income, or 150 MCR ship with mortgage.
14 Points - 40 MCR per year income, or 200 MCR ship with mortgage.
15 Points - 100+ MCR per year income, up to 150 MCR ship free and clear, or 500 MCR ship with mortgage.
Some Other Idea
Maybe you guys have another idea, or some clever way to combine what is above. That would be great! Remember, this is your game, take it where you want it to go. You can post any ideas here.
The Ship
Presumably the players will have a ship they call their own which will be the setting of much of the action in game. Unless one of the players is the owner of the ship (discussed above), the ship is likely to have a value around 100 MCR. Players are free to choose from ship designs in Seldons 1 (or possibly 2 or 3) or to create their own ship.
The ship customization rules first discussed in Indiana Jones in Space will be applicable here. Ships do not have to be in perfect condition or new, and disadvantages on the ship will reduce its cost from that listed in the book. The book price will be considered a brand new ship. This means it is fully stocked with at least one years worth of replacement parts and has no limitations of any kind. At this level, virtually any breakdown or damage can be fixed in the field if necessary. Up to 15% of a ships value may be deducted in exchange for a reduction in replacement parts. For a 5% reduction, the replacement parts have a 14- Activation roll, for 8% 11-, for 12% 8- and for 15% the ship has no spare parts aboard. Jury-rigging parts or fixes will be discussed in the Roles section under Engineers.
Each ship will also be divided into 4 sections: Engines, Weapons, Defense, and Systems. Each of these sections is worth 11% of the ships value. Limitations may be placed on these systems to reduce the cost. Computers may also be upgraded or downgraded with the appropriate change in cost (and they may be given limitations as well), in fact, any customization the players wish to do on ships within the given rules (or even a little outside of them, within reason) will be possible.
Example of ship customized using these rules: Pensive Loathing
Alternatively the ship may be 'surplus'. A ship declared surplus is significantly cheaper than what it would normally cost. These ships are at least 5 years old and suffer breakdown as detailed in Space Opera Volume 1. For each 5 years of extra age the breakdown level is increased by 1 and the cost of the ship is reduced by the years in the ships age as a percentage. Surplus ships are limited to TL 9. Surplus discounts are applied first.
Ship Sections
The following describes what is meant by the 4 ship sections which can be shackled with limitations to save the players money. During game play limitations may also show up on systems via consequences or combat, rough use or other story-based complications.
Engines
Each Starship has two types of engines: FTL and TISA. To understand how these systems work, reference the Bullshit Starship Technology section. The FTL drive is what the ship uses to travel faster than light from point to point. When traveling faster than light, the ship is outside of space and time as we understand them. A limitation placed only on the FTL drive is applied to 5% of the ships value. When moving within normal space, the ship uses TISA. A limitation placed only on the TISA drive is applied to 5% of the value of the ship. A limitation applied to both engines is applied to 11% of the ships value.
Weapons
Ships may carry multiple weapon types, but the most common are Nova guns and StarTorps. Nova Guns are the next evolution of nuclear technology, sending phased tachyon particles to react in a direct fire arc. Limiting only Nova Guns applies to 6% of the ships value if the ship also has StarTorps, 10% if it does not. It is also possible that limitations might be applied to one or some of a ships batteries, but not all. In this case, apply the discount proportionally.
StarTorps are single use direct fire energy lances. Limiting StarTorps is applied to 4% of the ships value. As with Nova Guns, single batteries can be limited.
Defense
Ships have many types of defensive technology, including armor, shields and countermeasures. Each of these sections is treated as 3% of the ships value. Shields are evenly distributed among each shield, and countermeasures between ECM and ECCM.
Systems
The systems portion of the ships value is divided among all onboard systems including computer (5%), life support (2%), networking (1%), fuel delivery (1%), sensors (1%), and communications (1%).
Starship Economics
In the interest of keeping the game from becoming a Sliderules and Spreadsheets RPG, the economics portion of the game will be abstracted. Someone in the crew will be responsible for the commerce portion of the game. This character will make a Trading skill roll each month to determine if the PCs were able to generate enough funds to cover their expenses. If that character is not available for an extended period, then another character will need to make the appropriate rolls.
The roll will be adjusted based on what the characters have done in the intervening month. For example, when traveling extensively the characters will have limited time to engage in commerce. Conversely, when the PCs spend game time engaging in successful commerce this will positively modify the roll.
Missing multiple rolls will set collection agencies on their tail and possibly set other events in motion.
Starship Combat
Starship combat will be a Frankenstein of Hero and Space Opera of my own devising. I have a word doc created to go over it in more detail. Initiative is determined by an opposed Tactics roll between the captains of the ships. The MK (Mark) value of the ships computer will be the OCV/DCV of the ship, DCV is also modified by the size of the ship. Weapons will penetrate and do damage as the Space Opera books.
Bullshit Starship Technology
I know Bill has said he does not like it when Sci-Fi is too Sci and not enough Fi, and I can understand that. There is some bullshit technology in this setting. I will post some of it here for your perusal, and I am open to ideas you guys might have to improving them so that they make more sense before we begin this journey.
TISA (Torch) Drive
With the development of TISA or Trans-Gravitic lnterphased Sub-Light Anomaly maneuver drive, space travel entered a new phase. Released from the constraints of inefficient, fuel- gobbling reaction motors, Newtonian laws of motion, and the physical limitations of personnel to withstand high acceleration for sustained periods, TISA powered spacecraft are capable of attaining speeds approaching that of light. “Phased out” of the normal universe by the TISA anomaly field, ships become almost “mini-universes” in their own right.
To the outside observer, a TISA powered ship appears to be an elongated teardrop of brilliant blue-white incandescence.
The event horizon of the anomaly marks a 'connecting surface' which maintains a tenuous link between the ship and the external universe. A drag effect is exerted by the very fabric of normal space as it seeks to return the anomaly to the continuum. While it is theoretically possible for a ship to attain the speed of light under TISA, in practice the Torch drive encounters such tremendous resistance that velocities above 280 LS (light-seconds) have rarely been attained. Field strengths are so delicately balanced at high speeds that FTL hyperwarps are created when ships attempt to exceed design limits.
Maneuver drives are rated according to their maximum economical or 'cruising' velocities, maximum velocity before FTL hyper-acceleration and insertion occurs, and acceleration/deceleration rates. These limits are all stated in LS or light-seconds of distance covered in a 5-minute period. For example, a ship rated at Cruise: 75 LS, Maximum: 150 LS, and Acceleration: 10 LS, can cruise at speeds up to 75 LS without using an appreciable amount of anti-matter fuel. If velocities exceed 75 LS, #1 or one unit of fuel will be expended each hour (or fraction thereof) per 1000 tons of ship’s mass, and a maximum 150 LS can be attained. The acceleration rating of the engines allows the vessel to increase or decrease its speed up to 10 LS in a 5-minute period.
Deceleration can be rapid if one is prepared to place the drive units at risk. Velocity at sub-light speeds is maintained by the intensity of the anomaly field. The drag of normal space upon the field interface can be used to brake the ship. If deceleration is made at a rate faster than the acceleration rating, a 1% chance exists per 5 LS of deceleration that the drive units will shut down entirely. Warp stresses may cause a 'Sub-Light Maneuver Drive Circuitry Overload' breakdown, as outlined previously in Engineering Malfunctions, roll a Breakdown of a multi-system, as described in 4.23. If the shutdown is a class 1 malfunction, a restart time of 5 minutes x 5d6 is required.
FTL Drive
The FTL Warp Drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system which uses anomaly drive to send a Starship past the speed of light (a shade over 300 LS), “translating” it into Tachyon hyperspaçe. Under Warp Drive, a Starship becomes totally isolated. There is no longer an interface (anomaly 'event horizon') linking the ship with the normal universe. To all intents and purposes, it ceases to exist. From the point of view of its crew, the entire universe ceases to exist as well. Thus Starships are undetectable under Warp Drive, and FTL combat is impossible. Each ship, unless physically linked to another, is in its own separate universe.
In FTL mode, a Starship “moves” faster than light because it is not “in” the normal universe at all. However, the crew cannot 'look out' of the FTL Warp until the Starship drops back below light speed, the universe is simply not there to see!
All FTL drive Units are rated according to a warp factor or the number of light years that the Starship can alter position in a 24-hour period. Starships consume an appreciable amount of fuel (nuclear or anti-matter) in FTL travel. All drive Units are rated for a Cruising Speed, and fuel consumption is based on the amount of fuel expended to cover 100 LY at cruising velocities or lower. If the Warp factor is increased over the rated Cruise levels, an additional 5% of fuel is expended per LY of increased Warp speed. For instance, a ship is rated at maximum warp factor 20 LY, and a cruise speed of warp factor 60% or 12 LY. It consumes #250 in fuel per 100 LY covered. The Captain has to make a high-speed FTL passage of 74 LY, so he orders maximum Warp factor, which is 8 LY over the cruising rate. This results in 140% expenditure of fuel, for a total expenditures of 1.4 x 74/100 x #250 = #259 rather than a cruising fuel expenditure of 74/1 00 x #250 = 185.
Note: The symbol (#) is the universal symbol for 10 kg of nuclear/anti-matter fuel.
Warp Drives will not function within the gravity fields of major planets and stars when the field strengths are too high.
StarTorps
The StarTorpedo is a hypervelocity missile capable of attaining light-speed. The StarTorp is actually placed and moved on the playing surface for the duration of its run, as if it were a Starship. StarTorpedoes have a sensor range of only 400 LS. Within that range, they can identify and lock onto a target. At greater ranges, however, they must be guided by the ship’s gunnery computer or by a trained Pilot until they reach lock-on ranges and can home in by themselves. Guided StarTorps can be jammed by the enemy with an ECM/3 Computer programmed communications jamming system on a System Ops: Countermeasures roll. The EW of the missile is added as a negative modifier to the roll, while the ECM of the target is added with a positive modifier to the roll. Jamming can take place to the limit of sensor range, with one missile target possible per expertise level of the Com/Tech or Communications Officer commanding/controlling the jamming unit. A jamming roll is made each turn the StarTorps are in flight, with the warhead detonating if the missile is jammed (the jamming effect 'convinces' the proximity trigger that it has arrived at target).
Nova Guns
The Nova Gun is the ultimate in destructive energy weapons. This series of weapons was first developed from ForeRunner ordinance recovered by archaeologists of the Korellian Empire at the beginning of the present Galactic Era (some 37000 years ago), and the weapons were immediately adopted by the StarFleets of every advanced culture.
Under maneuver drive, spacecraft attain such high velocities that ordinary Laser and Blaster fire is simply too slow to be effective. NovaFire is Tachyon-related, 'phased' energy which arrives at a target’s predicted position within nanoseconds. It derives its energies from KTAM (Klysestron Anti-Matter) charges exploded in the VVR forcefieId reinforced ignition chambers of the weapons under stellar core conditions. The resultant bolt of energy passes through hyperspace to emerge at the target position. If the KCX3 energy bolt is correctly 'phased' to synchronize with the BattleScreens of the target, a powerful enough bolt will penetrate. Ranges are considerable; the heaviest armaments capable of projecting a pulsed beam to distances of about 1000 LS (some 300 million kilometers) before the sub-space anomaly field of the energy bolt itself dissipates.
The Nova energy bolt produces molecular and atomic disintegration in any matter struck by the charge. A target under NovaFire seems to have multiple nuclear fireballs flaring against its BattleScreens and hull, giving rise to many popular names: NovaGun, Sun Gun, Disintegrator, Needle Beam, and Phaser all being variously applied, depending on the locality.
Equipment
Characters will purchase equipment at costs on the following lists, taken from Space Opera Volume 2. Each character will have $10,000 credits to spend, but they cannot purchase any rare or very rare equipment. Each point in wealth (not used toward Starship purchase) doubles starting equipment allowance. For each piece of rare or very rare equipment the player will need to pay 1 character point.
Setting Notes
Equipment Lists
Everyman Skills
The Universe
There are multiple Star Sectors as well as confederations within each Star Sector. Input is requested as to which Star Sector is the most interesting. If you have a preference, let it be known. If not, we can allow those with a preference make this decision.
Terran Union
Azuriach Imperium
Mercantile League
Korellian Empire
Galactic Peoples Republic
United Ranan Worlds
The Outworlds
Here is a rar of most of the Space Opera books [1]. It does not contain Seldons 3, The Ranan, or The Outworlds. It is 40 meg, so it might take a while to download, but its worth it. When reading the setting books, please do not read about individual planets, instead read the government and history section in the beginning to get a flavor for the sector.
Character Creation
This section depends the most on system of any so far*. I am writing this section assuming we will use Hero System, 6th Edition. It is also conceivable that we may use 5th Edition or even Deadspace.
Characters will be standard Heroic, built on 180 points with 50 Complications. Skill rolls will be limited to 13-, outside of bonuses gained in group character generation. Everyman skills are listed above. The Star Hero book has many great templates for races and roles, but feel free to develop your own.
Characters are assumed to come from a TL 8 culture. A new Tech Level Perk is available (5 pts) which means the character is from a higher tech level culture. Each level adds 1 to their base TL. Conversely, the TL Disadvantage is 5 pts per TL lower your character originates from.
I want to make Contacts and Favors as useful as possible. To that end, players do not have to define all aspects of them before game time, they can bring them in as necessary. All I would like is something general, like I have a military contact, or a policeman who owes me a favor.
- I am probably the biggest system curmudgeon of us all. The reason I care about these things so much is because I always want to be improving, as well as doing what I can to improve. I refuse to accept a lesser system when we have easy access to something better.
Races
Canine
Saurian
Feline
Ursoid
Transhumans
Pithecine
IRSOL
Alien
The following races are not allowed for PCs.
Klackon
Bug
Mertun
Roles
While you as players are free to discuss and develop whatever roles and responsibilities you find important, what follows are some suggested roles which you might want to consider filling.
Captain: This guy understands all of the crew responsibilities, and could fill in if necessary. He also has command and tactical skills.
Archaeologist/Miner: These are the specialties that could make or break the economics of the group. The archaeologist is constantly following academic leads to find where the crew should check next. Having a miner along could be a cool complement in that you could always do some mining now and again to make ends meet.
Helmsman: Someone has to fly this bucket of bolts.
Navigator: Where are we going and how do we get there?
Engineer: Stuff breaks, thats just a fact of life.
Gunner: Who is going to man the guns during space combat? This isnt a full fledged role, but more of an addendum to another character.
Marines: For those really bad situations when the ship gets boarded.
Negotiator: This is another overlay template, but once you have found your items, selling them might not be as easy as it first seems.
Doctor: I bet someone gets hurt at least once.
Special Abilities
In this section I am going to develop a Starship piloting martial art (since Starship combat is based on Hero combat, why not have nifty little maneuvers?). I am also going to develop some engineering systems to keep the tech monkey busy. I dont want this to be just roll some dice now and again, I want to have interesting stuff for an engineer to do.
Skills
In space, no one can hear you fail a skill roll. But on Space Station 11, we have earths gravity![2]
Starship Procedures
To crew a ship the appropriate professional skill should be purchased. This is not required, however, but it does allow a character to understand all of the nuances of being a part of a starship crew.
To pilot a ship the Transport Familiarity is required. This allows basic piloting knowledge, and grants the System Ops: Helm skill at 8- for free. Most characters will want a much greater knowledge than this, however.
Starship operating procedure is divided into five sections, each with its own Systems Op skill. Tactics is also required to captain a ship in a competent manner. Each skill operates a specific system, and more detail is listed in the Starship Combat section. Systems Ops: Helm, 3 pts, INT. This skill is necessary to operate the helm of any starship. When a standard piloting roll is required, this is the appropriate skill.
Systems Ops: Sensors, 3 pts, INT. This skill is necessary to operate and maintain the sensor arrays of starships.
Systems Ops: Weapons, 3 pts (or 1 pt in a group), DEX. This skill encompasses the WF: Starship Weaponry and also allows maintenance and basic weapon system troubleshooting.
System Ops: Engineering, 3 pts, INT. This skill is used to maintain and repair ships engines. There are two types, FTL and TISA. They are separate skills.
Systems Ops: Communications, 3 pts, INT. This skill allows the operation and maintenance of communication systems.
Other useful skills: Navigation: Space, Tactics.
Transport Familiarities
Outside of standard TF, here are the sci-fi ones which are genre appropriate. Groups are 2 points, individual categories are 1 each.
Mobile Infantry (Group)
Jump Belt
Contrgrav Harness
Zero-G (Group)
EVA Sled
Extra-Vehicular Activity
Zero-G
Civilian Spacecraft (Group)
Ships Boats
Sublight Vessels
FTL Vessels
Light Military Vessels (Group)
Fighters
Bombers
FTL Scouts
Support Vehicles
Medium Military Vessels (Group)
Corvettes
Destroyers
Cruisers
Heavy Military Vessels (Group)
Heavy Cruiser
Battleship
Battlestar
Example Characters
The following example characters are from other iterations of space games we have played. These are for inspiration, not to be chosen. These are all in 5th Edition Hero.
Wilhelm 'Rock Candy' Spencer
Reverend Louis Spector
Renfro
Torah
Kenner Brock
Yoshii Rzyklyc
Synthia Frey
Ontiveros
Brianna Winters
