I knew I had forgotten something! Damn. I seem to remember plasma gun damage being 2d6+ and 3d6+. At which point, I'd treat them as 3 and 4 respectively, using them as 1xd+1 basically... If that makes sense?
It does. The Long-ranged missile (damage 1D6-1) is the only example we have previously, and counts as IWD 1 with a DM-1*, (effectively damage 0), which, whilst harsh, makes sense. Since +4 would round up, calling it IWD 2 with DM+1 (i.e. IWD 3) seems fair.
Congratulations, by the way. Not only is it a good Traveller book, but Trillion Credit Squadron is one of those particularly iconic books, and you've more than done it justice.
* So the same would apply for the frag missile - meaning it's effectively damage 0 (less than a normal missile) against warships but 2 (the same as the much more expensive nuke) against small craft. Which makes good sense.
On a related note, there doesn't seem to be anything in the RAW to say that all missiles in a missile pack must be the same type. So, for example, a pack could be loaded with two decoy missiles and ten regular missiles, or even nukes for a shipkiller barrage...
There is:
The cost of a missile pack is twice the cost of one ton of the loaded missiles.
Missile costs only ever come in 'for 12 missiles of this type' lots. I know you could in theory work out the price of a 'hybrid' load, but that's about it.
Hm. I'm getting some ideas for importing the "missile pod" idea from the Honor Harrington series. Minimally sized drones consisting of little more than sensors, computer, and a missile pack, possibly linked to the mothership via a Fire Control Grid. *Shivers* Ooh, that could get nasty.
I tried something like this a while ago, using compact torpedo bays:
http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=46124
It works well, and missile packs will make it a lot more effective - you'd be able to pack a 12 missile salvo on a 10 dTon chassis, and hence hang them off 1dTon docking clamps, as well - meaning 11 dTons per all-up pod on the ship. Meaning that you're getting
almost the same firepower-per-volume as a single missile turret, but
without using any hardpoints (So you can field a sort of militarized capital freighter as a 'bomb truck').
They still won't be devastating - regular missiles, even nukes, just aren't when flung at 'proper' warships with armour 10+. You need torpedoes to really do anything. Very High Yield Frag Missile packed into these things, however, become the fleet's equivalent of a line of claymore mines, ripping an incoming fighter swarm to bits with scary ease...
So when is Mongoose's first TCS Day????
Maybe after they produce some miniatures....
Maybe could do some sort of VASSAL module? I really liked the A Call To Arms one, and it'd be a nice way to actually use the Alternative Movement rules from
High Guard - once you get multple on multiple combat, the rules for ranges are kind of awkward because the range bands of one ship from another aren't linear
I'll have a play and see what I can do.
, after a quick skim it looks good, very happy to see spinal mount rail guns and plasma turrets in as well, and the new ships look very interesting. Good work Mr Barnes Thomas and all the others involved.
I'll be grabbing a copy for myself (despite knowing the thing back to front anyway...)
