Interest check! Star Frontiers

[MadPanda]

I already know Hunter's interested in this...

Some of you might remember this little gem of a game...a little more complicated than Traveller, a lot less popular than D&D, but still one of TSR's better efforts from the golden age of garage games!  Weeeell, I found a near-mint condition copy of the Alpha Dawn release at my local game store and suddenly started having Dirty Pair type thoughts...so I figured I'd throw this one on the table and see if anyone's interested.

I have not yet decided whether to put it in the non-Adult content section  :)  Vrusk-Dralasite-Sathar threeways seem a bit too silly, even for this board.

[Jefepato]

Never heard of the game, but it sounds potentially interesting...

[MadPanda]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Frontiers

and you can download the books here...

http://www.starfrontiers.com/

[Hunter]

Hunter who?   

Yes, I'm interested.

[JadeCore]

Hey, I remember that one. ^_^ I have a copy somewhere at my parent's house. I remember finding it tucked along side a bunch of other TSR books (like a blue box version of basic D&D). It was either that or Knight Hawks. But it always seemed pretty neat.

You can count me interested. Did you have any thoughts on what would be going on or would it just be starting off with the same premise as the original?

[Hunter]

If you could get Knight Hawks, it strike me that spacers would be ideal for a forum game.  Just enough skills to go around but not too many.  Plus even more opportunities to commit problems.   

[MadPanda]

No plot in mind just yet, Saggitary, but I was thinking more or less the original setup.  :)

[MadPanda]

With apologies for the double-post!  Get the rules HERE...

http://www.starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered

If I'd known this site existed, I'd have just downloaded these rules instead of buying the boxed sets!

[Ace86]

I'd like to join. Im downloading the rulebook now. Also, i have never heard of this game before.

[MadPanda]

That's three possible PGC troubleshooters...do I hear four?

[Ace86]

ahh come on. How hard could it be to learn this game..  :)

[JadeCore]

That's three possible PGC troubleshooters...do I hear four?

Am I one of those? If not, may I be? 

[Ace86]

Ok, i read through the rulebook and i believe that i know enough about the game to start.

One question, what are you going to do about the rolls?.

[MadPanda]

Yes, Saggitary, you're one of those three  :)

As for rolling...well, there's a die roller here on Elliquiy.  Warning--it hates PCs.  So we might want to use the optional point build system.

Optional things I am considering including, given the source material...

Edge and Flaw

The Mentalist PSA (maybe.  For one PC only.)

Cinematic Martial Arts (Jackie Chan in Spaaaaaace!) (from Star Frontiersman)

I'm even considering stats for the Battle Bikini.  ("...comes in silver, gold lame, or baby blue!")   :)

[Jefepato]

I'm even considering stats for the Battle Bikini.  ("...comes in silver, gold lame, or baby blue!")   :)

I don't know why I've never tried to get a TFOS game going on Elliquiy...

Anyway, this sounds pretty cool, although I'll need to digest the source material in between studying for finals.

[MadPanda]

Pardon me!  I meant four!  Four probable players.

Alas, we may have to leave this in the 'no naughty fun' section, lest the Vrusk and Dralasite attempt friskiness... 

And Jefepato, ol' chum, feel free!  I have a ton of TFOS characters around.  They're just so easy to do.  :)  In fact, if you let me play the Tanukigawa Twins and a certain Pooka, I can guarantee havoc hither and yon...

[Ace86]

About character creation. just tell me how the buying point system works and i'll start making the character.

[Hunter]

Which rule set?  ?

[MadPanda]

from about page 145ish of the Digitally Remastered version of the book...

Quote

Fixed Ability Total

This is another option, for those players tired of rolling crappy while the person to their left gets a hand full of 65’s.

This option balances one character against the others, makes sure no one person gets so lucky that his abilities cause him to dominate play.
Simply allot 180 points among all four ability score pairs. You can still personalize the scores after, making sure not to shift more than 10 points from one ability to its matched pair. Remember that no ability can start higher than 70 before applying racial adjustments.

Referees can change this total to have more or less heroic player characters, referring to the following table.

Power Level Points
Realistic 180
Heroic 200
Legendary 250

Unquote.

[Ace86]

So dear referee. Which one is it?. The realistic, heroic or legendary?

[Hunter]

And I still vote for spacers.   

[MadPanda]

Given the high skill requirements for any of the Space PSAs?  I'll think about it, but expect to hear 'no', at least for now.  It's easy enough to assign you a ship with a pilot.  Or to ignore the Space PSAs and let you fly yourselves.

Let's call it...uhm...Heroic.

[Hunter]

*tries to bribe the GM with a naked Hotaru* 

[MadPanda]

I'll see what I can do.  But look at the bright side--at least you'll still be able to work up to learning them, even if we don't start with Mad Leet Spacer Skillz.

[Ace86]

Want me to make a character and pm it to you?...

Btw, whats PSA?

[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

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

[Hunter]

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.   

[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]

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. 

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.   

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.

[MadPanda]

Bumpity!
We could use another player or two to supplement the current dirty pair of rascals.

Old school sci-fi gaming.  Come on down!