D66 System Oddities

[E.T.Smith]

I rather like the D66 table on page 177 of the core rules for giving individual worlds memorable quirks. However, it only really covers cultural aspects, and I think that a key part of SF flavor comes from strange environments as well. So I've started putting together a second D66 table of strictly environment based quirks to supplement the first table.

I've brainstormed some entries, and listed below is what I've come up with so far. I'd appreciate further suggestions or improvements. One difficulty is not stepping on the toes of other parts of the world-gen process, another is thinking of some way to format the table to make it valid for all kinds of worlds.

Violently Volcanic
Variable Sun
High Radiation
Turbulent Atmosphere
Obscuring Cloud Cover
Brown Dwarf System
Unusual Moon: complex ring system
Unusual Moon: tailed iceball
Unusual Moon: numerous moonlets
Hostile Animal Species
Hostile Sentient Species
Variable Atmosphere (roll a second atmosphere type)
Variable Temperature (roll a second temperature)
Dying Ecosphere
Shifting Orbit (environment will change at some point in the future)
Collision Course
Invasive Species (quarantine procedures in place)
Volatile Environment (flammable gas pockets, explosive seed pods)
Post-catastrophe
Competing In-system World (roll up another world)
Massive Tides
Spooky Science: on/off sun
Spooky Science: gravity flux
Spooky Science: stable wormhole
Spooky Science: jump turbulence
Spooky Science: aberrant causality (time flow is messed-up)
Spooky Science: psi static
Ruins: primitive
Ruins: advanced
Ruins: inscrutable
Artificial Landscape

 

[rust]

A good idea, thank you !

While I will have to replace at least the "Spooky Science" entries to adapt
the list to my setting, the idea itself is great.

 

[E.T.Smith]

Here are some more:

Aberrant Size (roll again for world's actual Size)
Double Planet
Unusual Moon: near orbit
Very Numerous Suns (four or more)
Primordial
Bombarded (lots of meteor falls)
Within Primary's Atmosphere
Ruins: inhabited

I think I'll actually need 42 different entries in total; the table will have a simple DM on the tens die, -1 for "absolutely no biosphere present", +1 for "at least some kind of biosphere". So please, suggestions would be appreciatted.

 

[Golan2072]

I really like that list!

Regarding the biosphere, I recall an old Traveller site with "Life" and "Resources" ratings (0-9 IIRC) per each world, which could go from a lifeless hulk to an over-teeming ecosphere and from a world lacking resources to a bonanza world.

 

[zanwot]

Chaotic magnetic field
Extra strong magnetic field (use of TL8 magnetic flyers instead of grav)
Deep crust canyons
Ultra-high volcano (nearly exiting atmosphere)
Chemical Fast erosion (no mountains, buildings damaged, can be caused by combination of acidic rain, strong weather, low consistency of ground)
No erosion (no plains, no rain)
Large meteor crater
Tidaly locked to sun (one side allways day, +1 temp, other side allways night, -1 temp, life probably on frontier ring)
Extra fast spin (days last an hour or so, gravity affected by acceleration: away from poles lower effective gravity, planet a little disc shape)
Extra slow spin (days last months...)
Highly eccentricity orbit (seasons very marked)
No tilt nor eccentricity (no seasons)
Highly eccentric orbit and spining tilt (chaotic strong seasonal patern)

 

[E.T.Smith]

Regarding the biosphere, I recall an old Traveller site with "Life" and "Resources" ratings (0-9 IIRC) per each world, which could go from a lifeless hulk to an over-teeming ecosphere and from a world lacking resources to a bonanza world.

I've thought about adding those things before, but in the end I feel it pushes the world-gen process into the realm of the overly-fussy. In Traveller, world-gen has always been about immediately relevant facts, not causes; why a world has Tech 12 isn't as important as the fact that it does.

 

[E.T.Smith]

Thanks for the suggestions Zanwot, I especially like the magnetic field ones, a rich possibility for weirdness.

 

[SSWarlock]

Thanks for the suggestions Zanwot, I especially like the magnetic field ones, a rich possibility for weirdness.

No kidding! These are very good, all, very good indeed.

*sound of hard drive saving data*