Interest check! Star Frontiers

[MadPanda]

Primary Skill Area, I think.

You can either PM me or post it here.  I won't consider anything set in stone until we actually get moving.

And...looking over the data in Knight Hawks, if we go Navy, then everybody gets at least more skills to start with.  So Hunter's idea is not all that bad.  You guys wanna be spacers?

[Jefepato]

Spacers do sound fun, at least within the boundaries of my limited understanding of the system.

[Ace86]

Im cool with that... Though i don't know what it means, i could pretty much guess what it is but i want to be sure.

[JadeCore]

Doesn't matter to me; I'll work with whatever.

Also http://www.random.org/dice/ is a random dice generator that uses atmospheric noise to generate random rolls so it's a true random generator rather than a pseudo-random generator.

[MadPanda]

Whatever works  :)  You can roll, or you can use point buy.  Either way, like Traveller, char-gen in Star Frontiers is pretty quick and easy, just like ol' Basic D&D.

If we go Spacer, there are a few minimum attributes to consider whilst building...but you get lots of skills to go with it.  HOWEVER...anyone thinking about the Mentalist PSA (ie funky psychic powers) isn't likely to go to the Academy and thus will get stuck with something less well developed.

UPDATE:

Naval Academy stuff (KHDR p 94-95)

Requirements.
All cadets entering the academy must have scores of at least 50 in six of their eight abilities. The character's Leadership score must be
higher than 50. No character who has been identified as having committed an illegal act will ever be admitted to the academy.
(...skip a bit...)
Cadets who successfully enter a skill area at the academy will graduate after two years with 1st level spaceship weaponry skill (either rocket or energy
weapons) and a 2nd level ability in the spaceship skill of their choice. If the character did not have the foundation skills necessary for a spaceship skill
when he entered the academy (such as 6th level computer skill for astrogation), he will receive these as well.

Advancement.
Junior Lieutenants may advance in rank by earning experience points. Experience points spent to in crease an officer's rank may not be used to increase that character's skill level; however, officers are required to increase one of their spaceship skills (or add a new spaceship skill) at least once after each promotion.

And from back on page 55 of the same PDF we get this little chart, showing what you need to get which Starship skills:

Spaceship     Basic Skill
Skill              Level Required

Piloting         Technician 6, Computer 2
Astrogation    Computer 6
Engineering     Technician 4, Robotics 2
Rocket Weapons Projectile Weapons 4, Gyrojet Weapons 2
Energy Weapons Beam Weapons 6

In other words, the only way to start PCs as even novice spacer crew is to start them as Academy trained... ::)  Which I think was probably an oversight in the original design.  Keep in mind that regular (ie non-Academy trained naval officer types) starting characters get two skills at Level 1...

[Hunter]

Primary Skill Area.

[Jefepato]

Spaceship     Basic Skill
Skill              Level Required

Piloting         Technician 6, Computer 2
Astrogation    Computer 6
Engineering     Technician 4, Robotics 2
Rocket Weapons Projectile Weapons 4, Gyrojet Weapons 2
Energy Weapons Beam Weapons 6

:o

Isn't level 6 as high as skills ever go?  The Academy must be insanely hardcore.

[Hunter]

:o

Isn't level 6 as high as skills ever go?  The Academy must be insanely hardcore.

If you're refering to Spacefleet Academy, it's similiar to West Point (i.e. you start as an officer).  I would assume that it's like it is today: most people on a military warship aren't necessarily skilled in operating it.

[JadeCore]

I suppose a civilian spacer crew might be possible if there were some tweaks to be less skilled.

[Hunter]

I'd assume that a merchant spacer would probably be raised in space or something similar.  If you've read any of the novels made when the game was popular you'll find even mid to high levels skills are teachable outside of adventures.

[JadeCore]

I was a wee chibi when the game was old, so no, I never had the chance. You old fogey you. *tickles*

[Hunter]

ACK!  I am not old, just mature.   :P

[JadeCore]

Out of curiosity, where is the Mentalist PSA? While I might not make a mentalist character, the book might nevertheless spark some ideas. :)

[MadPanda]

:o

Isn't level 6 as high as skills ever go?  The Academy must be insanely hardcore.

That is correct.  This is also one of the reasons I'm 'iffy' about starting out that way.  But that's the way TSR wrote the rules, alas, and apparently you need to get massive 'leet skillage before you get to even think about learning to operate a starship.  This is somewhat realistic, I grant you, but it's a pain in the neck compared to the Star Wars (even a dumb Ewok can fly) approach.

[MadPanda]

Out of curiosity, where is the Mentalist PSA? While I might not make a mentalist character, the book might nevertheless spark some ideas. :)

Way, way in the back of the Digitally Remastered book.

to quote...

Many forms of science fiction include beings with supernatural powers dealing with the mind. It is up to the referee to allow the use of this special PSA, and to define the nature of the power (or allow the player to do so). It could be psionic, personally powered through strength of the mind. It could be an all-encompassing energy field that surrounds all living beings and breathes life into the Frontier. It could be power granted from a divine (or evil?) being. It could be spiritual energy channeled from another dimension. Whatever the source, the rules work the same.

Mentalist PSA is just another skill group, except that players may not select any of the subskills contained within it unless they are a member of this Primary Skill Area. Thus, Mentalists learn Mentalist skills, and nobody else may.

Restrictions.
Starting characters can select Mentalist PSA only with their referee’s approval, and must possess an Intuition, Logic, Personality, or
Leadership score of 70 or higher. They may only select one single skill regardless of the number of skills they are normally entitled to begin with.

Development.
Any further development of Mentalist skills beyond character generation must be through normal character development and should probably require a teacher.

[Ace86]

Yo MP. Whats the final word?. Give me the final points system that you want me to use (180, 200, 250) and ill get going.

[MadPanda]

Thought I answered this already...which I did, but not with the number of points involved (which is what you wanted).
Heroic is 200 points.

Go to town.  :P

Now debating whether or not to treat the Spacer skill sets as independent PSAs and ignore the prerequisites.

[Hunter]

Real life is being a bitch right now.  I'm trying to put enough money together for the rent.

Sorry but I'm not gonna be able to do this right now.    :'(

[MadPanda]

NP.  It's gonna take me a bit to get things done anyway, plus you know how quick and easy it is to build a classic SF character!  So we can shoehorn you in whenever.

(ahem)  For everyone else?  Assign PSAs as normal. We'll do the usual thing, not the Spacer thing (ie declare your PSA and take two skills, at least one of which must be from your PSA, at level one.

[Jefepato]

By the way, in terms of attributes, what's average (for humans, anyway) on the 30-70 scale?  50?  (I wouldn't think so if 200 total points is "heroic," but you never know.)  The book didn't seem too clear on that.

[Hunter]

By the way, in terms of attributes, what's average (for humans, anyway) on the 30-70 scale?  50?  (I wouldn't think so if 200 total points is "heroic," but you never know.)  The book didn't seem too clear on that.

Average stat is 45.

[MadPanda]

...which is why Mooks get a 40.  Remember that the die roll results in a number between 30 and 70, not 1 and 100...

[MadPanda]

Currently in search of a title and some direct inspiration so we can get this madness rolling.  Bide anon, gentles.

[Hunter]

And...looking over the data in Knight Hawks, if we go Navy, then everybody gets at least more skills to start with.  So Hunter's idea is not all that bad.  You guys wanna be spacers?

You could probably tweak the White Light module a bit to work with Spacefleet.  Or run it as is.   ;D

Edit: I do have an offline dice rolling program.  It's about 5 megs if anyone's interested.

[MadPanda]

Game's up!  Sort of.

Char-gen, cast, and eventually rules thread
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=14728.0

And the OOC
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=14729.0

Is in the non-adult section, so please, let's keep it clean  :) 

More to come shortly.