rules New Space Rules!

[Supercape]

Hi everybody!

 

As you know in just over a week, Spaaaace hits Freedom City. 

 

There are going to be a lot of new PCs, and Space events both large and small. 

 

In order to help simplify and clarify spaaace, the refteam have agreed on two rule clarifications and expansions. 

[Supercape]

New Rules 1: Space Travel

 

As a new House Rule we are adopting the simplified version of Space Travel used in 3E. No more calculating the speed of light and relative positions of stars!

The Space Travel power is replaced by three ranks of tiered Super Movement. As with other Super Movement effects each rank costs a base 2PP. This effect cannot be arrayed with Flight.

 

Regular Flight does work in space and is useful for maneuverability, but anything less than Flight 20 is usually too slow for meaningful travel. Also note that transportation to an adventure will often be provided for by the plot if the character(s) do not have access to Space Travel on their own; having ranks of Space Travel is an advantage in space-based storied but not a prerequisite!

 

Super Movement 1 (Space Travel 1 [interplanetary]) [2PP]

You can travel at near light speed. Effectively this means travel within a solar system in minutes. Travel to other stars will take years (or centuries!).

Examples: TIE fighter, Serenity

 

Super Movement 2 (Space Travel 2 [interstellar]) [4PP]

You can travel at faster than light speeds. Traveling between solar systems takes a few days. Travel within a solar system takes seconds. Travel to other galaxies will take years or centuries. Precise times vary according to distance of destination... and speed of plot, at the GM's discretion!

Examples: Red Dwarf, Battlestar Galactica

 

Super Movement 3 (Space Travel 3 [intergalactic]) [6PP]

You can travel at much faster than light. Travel within a solar system is virtually instantaneous. Travel between solar systems takes hours. Travel between galaxies will take several days. Again, precise times vary according to distance of destination and speed of plot.

Examples: Millennium Falcon, USS Enterprise-D

For interstellar "hops" or Stargate-like effects which take place instantly, use Teleport with the Long Range and Accurate modifiers. Limited [Only in Deep Space] is a valid -1 Flaw (as you would have to travel outside of a solar system to activate the jump). Limited [Only in Space] is a Drawback worth 1PP. 

Teleportation effects of this sort are not available as Equipment, however, and therefore not on starships. While FTL starship drives are reasonably common in-setting the ability to create wormholes or otherwise teleport instantaneously is not readily available. It is still available to player characters either as a normal Power or as an effect provided by a Device but should treated as appropriately significant in-character.

Examples: The TARDIS, Boom Tube, Stargate

[Supercape]

New Rules 2: Space Suits

 

With the expansion into SPAAAAACE on the site, you may be seeking out new worlds and new civilizations. In order to boldly go, you may have need of a space suit! Characters may well need life support systems for cold hard space, or dead worlds, or even non-dead worlds with alien atmospheres and extreme temperatures. 

 

In-setting, 'space suits' - which encompass environmental suits and emergency vacuum suits - are easily procured among intergalactic civilizations such as the Lor. To ensure that Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] remains worthwhile for space-worthy battlesuits and cosmically empowered individuals, however, we are introducing three tiers of space suits similar to our House Rules for communication devices.

 

Tier 1: Most spacecraft and space stations are implied to include standard emergency space suits at no additional Equipment Point cost. These suits are serviceable but unwieldy: they provide protection from vacuum and two hours of breathable air but impart a -2 penalty to Attack, Defense and Reflex roll. (In other words, Immunity 9 - Drawbacks 10)

Tier 2: Bought as Equipment, as Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9EP]. This is a top range, optionally skintight space suit which does not encumber the wearer. This provides the same two hours of breathable air as the free space suit without the penalties, although it is still subject to the same penalties as any other Equipment, such as GM Fiat.

Equipment space suits may be considered Masterwork for an additional 1EP, making them particularly comfortable or stylish. Ranks of Protection may also be purchased to give the space suit light armor and cheaper 'environment suits' with fewer ranks in Immunity are also available.

Both of the first two tiers includes a built-in communicator that is equivalent to a cell phone as outlined by our House Rules for Communication. They will also decompress if they take damage from an appropriate descriptor - like a bullet or laser fire!

Tier 3: Bought as a Power on its own or within a Device. The default was to purchase Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP], this works as normal without any new caveats.

 

Note that Life Support, regardless of how it is acquired, does not include Immunity to different gravity states. The Feat Environmental Adaptation can eliminate the penalties for Zero-G, Low Gravity and High Gravity respectively for one rank apiece. (See p168-169 of Core Rule Book)

[Blue Rose]

I know core Space Travel can't be an alternate power to Flight as one of the more weirdly specific rules.

With the new houserules, can Super-Movement (Space Travel) be an alternate power to Flight?

[Thevshi]

No Blue, it is specifically stated that it cannot. Otherwise, everyone would have the full 3 ranks for 1 pp (as they likely have a fair bit of flight already).

[N/A]

So, if I'm comprehending correctly, for all intents and purposes, Super-Movement (Space Travel) will now be 1-3 optional ranks of Flight?