Topic: Write up for a space master scenario - input wanted

[TerryTee]

I?ve been working on a scenario for my space master campaign, and for the first time I?ve made a proper writeup of the thing. It?ll still be a while before I run it (have another game going), so I figured I?d make it available to the board for comments, slaughter, praise, improvements, suggestions, corrections and so on.
It's written for SM2, but can be used with and system as there's very little system specific stuff in there.

I don?t want the thing in the Vault until I have improved and play tested it, so for now I have uploaded it to a wiki-site.

It?s a 19 page pdf, compressed with winzip.

http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/spacemaster/spacemaster

Any input, good or bad, is welcome.

-Terry

[markc]

 I downloaded it and when I have a chance I will take a look at it.
MDC

[markc]

I am on pg 5.
 
1) Does the radiation effect cyberware?
2)Also how do you protect robots and androids?
3) What does it cost to protect them both of the above?
4) IMO radiation of this type would effect the cell structure of local plants and animals. So IMO since the cell walls would be thicker to resist and damage to their DNA they should have more hits or higher AT's. {I do not know if there are any yet but just an observation.]

Note: So far I like it but it could do with some rewrites to make some points clearer.
MDC

[TerryTee]

1) I?d say it will affect cyberware in the same way as other electronic equipment. It will work, but the chance for malfunction will be higher. I guess you can?t really protect cyberware efficiently unless it is custom built for it. On second thought, a solution similar to that for an android (see 2) )would do the trick I guess, but it would not be very playable?

2) Robots and androids on the planet will normally be built for the purpose, thus with built in shielding. I suppose an android, not build for the environment, wants to go there a protective suit of some type could be used. A high tech version of wrapping aluminum foil or lead around himself.

3) No idea. If any rule books give any hits I?d use that as a base. If not then I?m open for ideas. I guess something like this:
Regular personal equipment with built in shielding: Twice the price.
Custom personal equipment with built in shielding: Add the price of a regular version.
Larger pieces of equipment with built in shielding: A base (1000m) plus 20% of the item.
Protective suits for androids etc: 4000.

4) No native creatures present at the moment. It?s good input the a writeup of the planet though, and as info for a GM who wants to create an encounter with some local fauna.

I?d appreciate further input on what areas should be detailed further. I?ve focused mainly on the story line for now. I also need to find the right balance between enough and too much details. I know my own setting and my own ideas well, so I guess it?s easy to make the mistake of not writing down essential stuff.

Thanks for the input so far.

-Terry

[markc]

 I agree with your own setting after a while you just wing it. Afterwards you say man I should write that down and it never comes out the same.

MDC

[TerryTee]

For those who have not read the scenario, here?s an extract about the planet where it takes place:

The planet core is very different from most planets with an atmosphere, and produces magnetic and radiation fields many magnitudes stronger then normal. This affects electronics, radio waves and some creatures. It makes scanning of all types very difficult, and special sensor systems are needed to have any effect at all. Long range scans are impossible, and radio based communication only works over short distances. Most everyday electronic equipment works, but it may have a few hick ups now and then, and the chance of a burn out is relatively large. All research and commercial equipment is specially built to survive the hostile environment.
Human beings are not much affected by the planet, but a few individuals get severe headaches or seizures. Androids can not come near the planet unless properly shielded, and all robots also need specific construction in order to operate properly.

Here?s a draft for some details about how to handle this.
Any input is welcome.


Any equipment can be protected with external shielding, like a shielded box or bag, or a special protective suit for androids or people with lots of cyberware. This will normally limit the usage of the item.

Both weaponry and personal equipment can be bought with a built in shielding, but the selection on the marked is quite limited. Here?s a general guide for such equipment.
?   Price for personal equipment up to 2000 elmonits and all weapons up to MK 5: Multiply by three.
?   Price for equipment over 2000 elmonits: Base price 5000 + 20% or regular price
?   Price for high quality equipment: Calculate as for regular equipment, then add the price for the high quality multiplied by two.
?   Add 20% weight
?   Increase fail range by 20%, minimum of 1
?   The ?extra fail range? will normally result in: Shut off: 80%: Power depleted: 19%, Burnout: 1%.
?   Reduce all scan ranges and communications equipment ranges by 50% compared to regular equipment
?   All scans are done with -10 difficulty bonus

When using regular equipment without shielding, use the following as a guide:
?   Increase fail range by 100%, minimum of 2
?   The ?extra fail range? will normally result in: Shut off: 60%: Power depleted: 35%, Burnout: 5%.
?   Reduce all scan ranges and communications equipment ranges by 70% compared to regular equipment
?   All scans are done with -25 difficulty bonus

Shielding people and androids
?   A suit with both physical and electronic/magnetic shielding is required
?   A human with cyberware in only the head may get away with only using a helmet (same goes for other body parts)
?   An android will need full shielding (full suit)
?   Shielded full environmental body suit: Cost 4000, Weight 4 kg, AT 3

Unshielded cyberware
?   1% change of a problem pr system pr hour
   o   01-80 ?   Small glitch. System out for 5 seconds
   o   81-95 ?    Glitch. System out for 10 seconds
   o   96-98 ?    System hangs for 5 minutes. A ?reset? may fix it quicker.
   o   99-100 ?    Use appropriate cybernetic failure or malfunction table.

[markc]

 IMO the person with cyberware is going to have to be fully shielded or have the cyberware shielded in their body.

MDC

[markc]

 I started reading it again and I had another thought:
1) 1) IMO there would be a lot more wreckage if a ship crashed than a simple torpedo blast would leave. You have to make it so others would not look for wreckage from the ship.
Maybe the paperwork got lost or the intercept ships had mechanical trouble so they had to turn back. But in some way IMO the search has to be called off for the adventure to take place.

I maybe slow but I am on page 6.
MDC

[TerryTee]

Thanks again for your input.
I've expanded on the section on page 3, describing the story being outlined in the found documents. This sould cover how the search was conducted.
The unknown vessel was lost to government and Ymatetsu sensor systems at 30 000 m altitude. After that, only the residue of what seems to be two explosions can be seen in the sensor data, but this is not conclusive. Assuming they are explosions, one explosion must have happened in mid air, and the other one close to the surface. Using the available sensor data from between 60 000 and 30 000 meters, and the non conclusive data after that, interpolating speed, trajectory, time and the explosions, the military has a theory: As the vessel was making a run for it into the lower atmosphere an explosion disable it even further around 10-15 thousand meters. The ship then kept the same heading but at a slightly altered speed, exploding just before it hit the water. The explosion scattered the pieces over a fairly large are. Based on the little data they have, a crash site is assumed to be anywhere within a 100 km radius sphere on the southern hemisphere. A search was conducted some time after the episode took place, but no traces of the vessel has been found. The depth of the water, the difficult scanning conditions, the assumed total destruction of the vessel and the large search area are all factors that has contributed to the search being called off.
Data from independent sources, not connected to the military or the police, and most of them not connected to each other has also been collected. Most of these sources probably don?t even know about any of the ships being shot down. Non of their sensor data give much indication of the situation, but when collected and properly analyzed, it suggests that an unknown flying object with a different speed and heading made it?s way to the planet surface. The time, and the sensor data from the highest available altitude indicated that this may very well be the damaged vessel in question, changing course and landing on a different part of the plant. The assumed crash/landing site is indicated with rough coordinates.

-Terry

[markc]

Going Under Water Notes:
1)   I started reading again on page 7. Why the strange text right after the Episode Designation?
1A) I can understand if you want to have a GM read this to the players but IMO it is better to place the material to be read in a box or some other way to make it stick out to the GM.
1B) Also I have found it is better to have the text to be read by the GM in a little large font. This helps the GM especially as the game session goes on for a long time or into the wee hours of the night or morn.
2)   IMO the police info should be a handout if you can. I as a GM and a player love to have handouts to let the players look at and possibly discuss during the game or on down time. IE waiting for the pizza to arrive; during a break or for other PC?s to look at when you have a special conference with one PC.
Also I have in my game sent the players some of my hand outs before the game so they have a chance to look at them during the week. If they do not then it is their fault.
3)   Episode 5; Describe how the person acts while High. There are many different drug effects out there and it can be taken many different ways by GM?s and players.
4)   Also maybe list Buck and Rat in a different way as opposed to specific set pieces of the plot. Maybe as persons of interest that the players can go to at different times during the adventure. If this is so I would also have a couple of more people to talk to and include some that really have nothing to do with gathering the info the players need.
5)   Epi-6; I would list the stats and describe each of the things you suggest for the GM to do. So provide the stats and explain what would happen during a shootout and the other plot ideas.
6)   I have not seen any description of building locations, sizes, etc. IMO it would be good to include some basic descriptions of the locations and the environment around them.
7)   Place note under Buck that he might give up the Chemist Place info in Epi #7.
   Make hand out of mission cost estimates.
9)   IMO it would be better if you had some type of system other then episode 1, episode 2,etc. Maybe a Chapter and episode method or some other easy way for the GM to see what can happen after a big story break. By this I mean that there are specific points that can only happen after something happens should be.
10)   Also it is important for the party to get to the resort so I would say so very boldly even if the PC?s have another way to get to the planet. As again IMO the resort provides a very good cover for the PC?s to come and go.
11)   Provide map of island and maybe other tourist type destinations and activities for visitors.
12)   IMO push Sammy on the PC?s if he is going to be such a big star in the future.
13)   I don?t remember if this was in the beginning but it is possible that the PC?s are buyers looking at Waves INC or are rep?s for others to buy the company. Maybe also the PC?s could have seen an add that the company wants to sell and get in the door that way.
14)   Put water temp and environmental stuff in the first adventure or in a special section detailing the world and environment around Sunny Sands.
15)   Describe the dead man smiling at the party better.
16)   Give the difficulty rating of bypassing the small crafts airlock. Or give a table with some mod?s for the GM and the players to use when trying to open the airlock.
17)   IMO the damage should be less than a hull breach which IMO is a very severe thing for a space craft. Maybe a hit to a input seal or some other type of damage. Also I do not know how rare it is for a ship to have propulsion for space and underwater but it should be very expensive.
18)   List by built points what needs to be repaired, what skills are needed and what the PC?s need to roll to fix it.
19)   List the rolls PC?s need to make for discovering the crew on the island.
20)   Provide a better list of material the crew took from the ship and how they have used it to live for 2 years.
21)   I would expand the information on how the ship?s crew can get back to their country or House. Or leave it for another adventure.

Sorry it took so long.
MDC

[TerryTee]

Thanks for a lot of good input.
I?ve done some work on maps and handouts.
I can?t quite make out which text you are talking about in 1)?

I?ll come back with more specific follow up later.

Thanks again:-)
-Terje

[markc]

TerryTee,
 What I mean is that there is an identation or a tab and some text. Is the text in the "tabed" section ment to be read to the players? Or is it the important info for the GM for the section.

MDC