Post by derv on May 10, 2013 22:02:55 GMT -6
These are just some ideas that can be used to scale up or down a space craft in X-plorers without majorly changing the existing simple space combat mechanics. It is also intended to potentially make ownership more afordable.
Basic Space Ship Design
It’s fun to tinker with space ship design and this optional system, along with financing alternatives, can allow a GM and player more flexibility with the types of ships available to them in their X-plorers campaigns. It remains an abstract system in terms of travel and combat. Though, if you choose to use the armament options, combat can become more deadly. Below are a series of steps to creating your own X-plorers craft.
1. Pick a hull class
There are six hull classes found on page 17 of the game book. These are complete military star ships. Besides these, there are also civilian and commercial ships. All basic hulls start with an AC 8.
Class/ Military/ Civilian-Commercial/ Base Hull Pts./ Base Speed/ Base Cost (mcr)
1. Fighter/ Escort, Speeder/ 4/ 4/ 8
2. Scout/ Shuttle/ 8/ 3/ 16
3. Frigate, Transport/ Freighter/ 16/ 2/ 30
4. Destroyer/ Yacht, Far Trader/ 32/ 1/ 60
5. Cruiser/ Passenger Liner/ 64/ 0/ 160
6. Battleship/ Tanker/ 128/ 0/ 380
____________________________________________________
2. Propulsion drive (speed rating is added to the initiative roll during combat)
-Standard Mach Drive +1 base speed (cost 1 mcr x class)
-Dura Mach Drive +2 base speed (cost 2 mcr x class)
-Dura Hyper Mach Drive +2 base speed, +1 Pilot skills (cost 3 mcr x class)
-FTL Drive (matter screen, warp drive, mobile jump gate, interstellar thrust, hyper space lock, G-drives) This is an add on to one of the above Mach drives for interstellar travel. (cost 1 mcr x class)
No specifications have been given for fuel types or power sources. It is up to the GM if it is an unlimited source, such as Atomic energy or electro-magnetic fields, or a fuel that needs monitoring and replenishing, such as high octane mixed jet fuel or hydrogen.
3. Armaments (laser cannon, photon torpedoes, mine launchers, guided missiles, plasma bombs, tesla electro pulse guns) *If it is permitted in your planetary campaign. (costs 1 mcr/arm for class 1-3 and 5 mcr/arm for class 4-6)
-Each hull has one available arm slot per class level.
-Each weapon does 1d6 damage. Ships with multiple weapon systems can potentially perform multiple attacks per round (Max 4 weapons can bear on any one target at a time). Common sense must be used for weapon radius and facing positions. It may be worth while to use a 1” square grid sheet of graph paper when multiple ships are in combat. This would help clarify facing positions and zones of control. Better yet, use 1” hex paper instead. The same basic rules would apply for engagement and evasion as is presented in the rule book on page 19-20.
-Ships of classes 4-6 have longer range weapons and only suffer “range diffusion” (Page 19) for every two S.U.’s.
4. Computers (cost 1 mcr/system upgrade)
All ships have basic navigation and diagnostic computers.
-Advanced Tactical Analysis System +1 Pilot skill
-Adv. Navigation System +1 Nav. skill
-Adv. Diagnostics System +1 Mechanic skill
-Adv. Targeting Acquisition System +1 “to hit” (this option can be selected for each weapon. The “to hit” bonus is not cumulative and applies to that particular weapon only)
5. Defense
-Defense Package (sand casters, interceptors, chaff, deflectors, etc.) uses one armament slot and offers +1 AC per option. (cost 1 mcr for class 1-3 and 5 mcr for class 4-6)
-Heavy military grade armor +1 AC and +25% hull points. (cost 1 mcr x class for class 1-2 and 5 mcr x class for class 3-6)
-Shields +1 AC (cost 1 mcr x class)
Class 3-6 Additions:
-Fighter docks (holds two fighter size craft or one scout size) cost 10 mcr/dock
-Escape pods (holds up to four people) cost 2 mcr each
-Transporters, teleporters, or elevator tubes (if no star base or dock exists and no shuttle is equipped for planet side landings) cost 5-10 mcr.
6. Finish star ship construction by drawing and diagramming your craft. A side view and top view can be helpful. Now give it a name or designation and total the costs.
A final note, it will be up to the GM if players can buy a basic no frills craft and later locate and retrofit it with salvaged or scavenged components or arms. Any antiquated space ships that can be bartered or barrowed will only have standard drives and should subtract one from it’s base speed rating. Retrofitted arms might only be capable of firing every two rounds or suffer targeting penalties.
Buying Space Ships on Credit or Time Lease Options:
The rules state that a character who wants a space ship may “buy one, may inherit one, or may win one”. I’d like to offer another option. A character may finance one. These deals can be for a limited time (lease) or for future complete ownership and title of said craft. Such ships will generally be pre-owned and of older technology. There purchase will also require a combined principle, interest, and insurance payment each month (paid ahead a month), along with a 10-20% down payment. Fortunately, they have a sticker price 50-70% lower then listed in the rule book. So an old technology Fighter might have a sticker price of only $4,500,000 cr ($450,000 cr down). But, insurance and maintenance would run 10% of this cost ($450,000 cr) per year ($37,500 cr/ mth.). The financing would be amortized over a term of 15 to 40 years. For a loan at 6% for 30 years, this would be $291,381 cr/year or $24,281 cr/mth + insurance and maintenance ($61,781 cr). Amortization charts can easily be found on line to simplify the calculations.
Leases would be for shorter time periods of 1 to 5 years and ownership would revert back to the dealer at the end of term. They also require a 10% down payment or equivalent collateral, insurance and maintenance costs of 10%, but payments are at 4% cost of ship per month for the term of lease ($15000 cr + insurance and maintenance= $52,500 cr/mth). There are usually restrictions of use attached to leased ships, as well. Also, you will have the option to buy at the end of the term.
This concept of buying used space craft on credit also introduces the potential for PC’s defaulting on their loans. Hence, there is a growing profession of Repo-tracers. Mounting debt can also be a strong deteriorater of morals, leading some to shady or criminal activity.
Any thoughts or feedback is welcome.
Basic Space Ship Design
It’s fun to tinker with space ship design and this optional system, along with financing alternatives, can allow a GM and player more flexibility with the types of ships available to them in their X-plorers campaigns. It remains an abstract system in terms of travel and combat. Though, if you choose to use the armament options, combat can become more deadly. Below are a series of steps to creating your own X-plorers craft.
1. Pick a hull class
There are six hull classes found on page 17 of the game book. These are complete military star ships. Besides these, there are also civilian and commercial ships. All basic hulls start with an AC 8.
Class/ Military/ Civilian-Commercial/ Base Hull Pts./ Base Speed/ Base Cost (mcr)
1. Fighter/ Escort, Speeder/ 4/ 4/ 8
2. Scout/ Shuttle/ 8/ 3/ 16
3. Frigate, Transport/ Freighter/ 16/ 2/ 30
4. Destroyer/ Yacht, Far Trader/ 32/ 1/ 60
5. Cruiser/ Passenger Liner/ 64/ 0/ 160
6. Battleship/ Tanker/ 128/ 0/ 380
____________________________________________________
2. Propulsion drive (speed rating is added to the initiative roll during combat)
-Standard Mach Drive +1 base speed (cost 1 mcr x class)
-Dura Mach Drive +2 base speed (cost 2 mcr x class)
-Dura Hyper Mach Drive +2 base speed, +1 Pilot skills (cost 3 mcr x class)
-FTL Drive (matter screen, warp drive, mobile jump gate, interstellar thrust, hyper space lock, G-drives) This is an add on to one of the above Mach drives for interstellar travel. (cost 1 mcr x class)
No specifications have been given for fuel types or power sources. It is up to the GM if it is an unlimited source, such as Atomic energy or electro-magnetic fields, or a fuel that needs monitoring and replenishing, such as high octane mixed jet fuel or hydrogen.
3. Armaments (laser cannon, photon torpedoes, mine launchers, guided missiles, plasma bombs, tesla electro pulse guns) *If it is permitted in your planetary campaign. (costs 1 mcr/arm for class 1-3 and 5 mcr/arm for class 4-6)
-Each hull has one available arm slot per class level.
-Each weapon does 1d6 damage. Ships with multiple weapon systems can potentially perform multiple attacks per round (Max 4 weapons can bear on any one target at a time). Common sense must be used for weapon radius and facing positions. It may be worth while to use a 1” square grid sheet of graph paper when multiple ships are in combat. This would help clarify facing positions and zones of control. Better yet, use 1” hex paper instead. The same basic rules would apply for engagement and evasion as is presented in the rule book on page 19-20.
-Ships of classes 4-6 have longer range weapons and only suffer “range diffusion” (Page 19) for every two S.U.’s.
4. Computers (cost 1 mcr/system upgrade)
All ships have basic navigation and diagnostic computers.
-Advanced Tactical Analysis System +1 Pilot skill
-Adv. Navigation System +1 Nav. skill
-Adv. Diagnostics System +1 Mechanic skill
-Adv. Targeting Acquisition System +1 “to hit” (this option can be selected for each weapon. The “to hit” bonus is not cumulative and applies to that particular weapon only)
5. Defense
-Defense Package (sand casters, interceptors, chaff, deflectors, etc.) uses one armament slot and offers +1 AC per option. (cost 1 mcr for class 1-3 and 5 mcr for class 4-6)
-Heavy military grade armor +1 AC and +25% hull points. (cost 1 mcr x class for class 1-2 and 5 mcr x class for class 3-6)
-Shields +1 AC (cost 1 mcr x class)
Class 3-6 Additions:
-Fighter docks (holds two fighter size craft or one scout size) cost 10 mcr/dock
-Escape pods (holds up to four people) cost 2 mcr each
-Transporters, teleporters, or elevator tubes (if no star base or dock exists and no shuttle is equipped for planet side landings) cost 5-10 mcr.
6. Finish star ship construction by drawing and diagramming your craft. A side view and top view can be helpful. Now give it a name or designation and total the costs.
A final note, it will be up to the GM if players can buy a basic no frills craft and later locate and retrofit it with salvaged or scavenged components or arms. Any antiquated space ships that can be bartered or barrowed will only have standard drives and should subtract one from it’s base speed rating. Retrofitted arms might only be capable of firing every two rounds or suffer targeting penalties.
Buying Space Ships on Credit or Time Lease Options:
The rules state that a character who wants a space ship may “buy one, may inherit one, or may win one”. I’d like to offer another option. A character may finance one. These deals can be for a limited time (lease) or for future complete ownership and title of said craft. Such ships will generally be pre-owned and of older technology. There purchase will also require a combined principle, interest, and insurance payment each month (paid ahead a month), along with a 10-20% down payment. Fortunately, they have a sticker price 50-70% lower then listed in the rule book. So an old technology Fighter might have a sticker price of only $4,500,000 cr ($450,000 cr down). But, insurance and maintenance would run 10% of this cost ($450,000 cr) per year ($37,500 cr/ mth.). The financing would be amortized over a term of 15 to 40 years. For a loan at 6% for 30 years, this would be $291,381 cr/year or $24,281 cr/mth + insurance and maintenance ($61,781 cr). Amortization charts can easily be found on line to simplify the calculations.
Leases would be for shorter time periods of 1 to 5 years and ownership would revert back to the dealer at the end of term. They also require a 10% down payment or equivalent collateral, insurance and maintenance costs of 10%, but payments are at 4% cost of ship per month for the term of lease ($15000 cr + insurance and maintenance= $52,500 cr/mth). There are usually restrictions of use attached to leased ships, as well. Also, you will have the option to buy at the end of the term.
This concept of buying used space craft on credit also introduces the potential for PC’s defaulting on their loans. Hence, there is a growing profession of Repo-tracers. Mounting debt can also be a strong deteriorater of morals, leading some to shady or criminal activity.
Any thoughts or feedback is welcome.
