Travellers Needed! High Guard Updates

[Terry Mixon]

There has been discussion about whether Thrust 1 ships can lift off from larger worlds. That should be clarified as it does impact a lot of player ships.

 

[RYXlord]

There are a few points brought up in the High Guard 2022 clarifications thread which may be relevant to the conversation here.

For convenience, I'll cross-post mine here...

Solar Coatings...

"For solar coatings, units indicate the percentage of the hull covered, limited to a maximum of 40% of the hull."

This would mean that a 100,000 ton ship would produce the same amount of power as a 100 ton ship. Luckily, the example says "a 200 ton ship can have a maximum of 80 units" which would indicate that the rule should actually be...

"For solar coatings, units indicate the percentage of the hull covered multiplied by the hulls total tonnage, limited to a maximum of 40% of the hull."

Radiation...

Radiation hardening raises a ship's protection to 1,000, making it impervious to the radiation trait, which have a max output of 720 rads (2Dx60). The sidebar describing Radiation Damage on Large Ships mentions "To keep things simple, without glossing over the effects of accumulating radiation damage on the crew of large vessels, simply apply a cumulative DM-1 to all actions a ship performs for every 10% of Hull it loses to Radiation weapons. If the ship has radiation shielding, increase this to DM-1 every time it loses 40% of its Hull to Radiation weapons." This implies that that the intention of rad shielding is that some rads still gets through. Perhaps instead of raising the ships rad protection to 1,000, radiation shielding should reduce incoming rads in excess of the 500 rads by half? That puts the max radiation damage at 110, which is in the '1D damage and nauseous' range.

While on the topic of radiation, the sidebar on page 31 says "When a spacecraft weapon with the Radiation trait is fired, it inflicts 2D x 60 rads on everyone within 10 metres of the point of attack. It should be noted that radiation weapons have shielding and other safeguards that prevent them from affecting the gunners who fire the weapon and other crew in the vicinity." I've always found that unclear as 'point of attack' can refer to the attack's point of origin, especially given the next sentence talks about how the crew is shielded from the effects. Perhaps 'it inflicts 2D x 60 rads on everyone within10 metres of where the attack impacts." works better?

It then goes on to say "Radiation is simple to apply to low-tonnage ships." but I don't know if that's the case. I've taken that to mean the Referee determines rad strength, then hit location, then which crew members are within 30meters of that location, consults the radiation table in the core book, rolls damage for the crew, then determines how the irradiated crew member's penalties might effect the operation of the ship. At least, that's what I assume is how it's supposed to work, the book doesn't go into detail. I suppose it would be nice to know the intended handling, especially for novice Refs who might not be familiar with all the different systems involved.

It would also be nice have a line right after the 2D x 60 damage is quoted, reminding the referee that most ship hulls reduce rad damage by 500.

Logistically speaking, a lot of the information on the Radiation Effects on Large Ships sidebar on page 15 is repeated on the Radiation sidebar on page 31. It seems like room could be made to clarify radiation rules by referring players to page 15 for that and taking full advantage of the sidebar on page 31.

And a small one I just noticed today...

On page 180 there's a small syntactical error. There should be a full line break before "Force a maintenance hatch open..." as well as before "Breach the ship with personal weaponry...". While on that page, grammatically I think the line "Following are ways to get through a locked airlock door..." would read better as "The following are ways" or "What follows are ways" but I suppose it isn't technically wrong.

There has been discussion about whether Thrust 1 ships can lift off from larger worlds. That should be clarified as it does impact a lot of player ships.

For the sake of consistency, this is addressed in the High Gravity Worlds sidebar in the Starship Operators Manual, page 79. Though it would be nice to have it clarified in High Guard if there's room.

While on the topic of thust, I wouldn't mind some additional details on what exactly Thrust 0 represents. How much of a gravity well can they take off from?

 

[Terry Mixon]

There are a few points brought up in the High Guard 2022 clarifications thread which may be relevant to the conversation here.

For convenience, I'll cross-post mine here...

Solar Coatings...



Radiation...



And a small one I just noticed today...




For the sake of consistency, this is addressed in the High Gravity Worlds sidebar in the Starship Operators Manual, page 79. Though it would be nice to have it clarified in High Guard if there's room.

While on the topic of thust, I wouldn't mind some additional details on what exactly Thrust 0 represents. How much of a gravity well can they take off from?

It’s good that SOM clarifies things about how to get off a planet, but High Guard doesn’t even mention lifters. What are they? How do they work? Exactly what do they do? How much do they cost or are they included with the maneuver drives? Things like that.

 

[Arkathan]

Still never got an answer on the DM for Burst lasers in turrets, barbettes and bays.
Been assuming it's the same as a pulse laser.

Need dedicated computer systems in addition to the main and (unusable) backup. Like with the Pod specialized control centers' computers.
A huge starbase or upper-end capital ship should have specialized computers controlling functions with a main computer directing them all.

... Perhaps with dedicated space for additional units. So that by increasing the size and cost (significantly - like much more than the cost of a small computer) )of turret fire control, for example, you could buy each turret a comp5 and basic fire control (paying for each instance) - although that might get both unwieldly and unbalanced. But what about multiple instances of combat programs for turrets, bays and the spinal.

As has been mentioned, the Small Craft Fuel Rule applied to ships 100 tons and over (so the 99 ton ore hauler does not have five times the endurance of a 100 ton ore hauler with the same tank size).

Rules on pressurized modules that can be left behind on a hostile planet (tainted/vacuum) or act as an orbital station. Specifically, any additional cost above the ship's modularized hull covering section.

Additional Mods, like reduced cost/size schedules for advanced tech levels. Ability to apply mods like reduced maintenance, etc. to any modable component.

Ability to use remove Artificial Gravity from planetoid hulls. Some of the other options on those hulls for that matter.

Clarify Breakaway hull combined drive rules to prevent a ship from exceeding its TL unless it's a prototype. Also, ability to prototype ship's computer programs (for edge cases like a TL 7/8 makeshift starship reverse engineered from a wreck).

Usable backup Power Plants, like in modules/pods. We already have modules in books with power plants. Allow them in all modules. When installed, they can be treated as a single cohesive unit, but there are a number of modular uses where more power is needed for some things, but is a waste for other applications (Missile Bay in a module versus a Fusion Bay). It would be nice (efficient) to have ammunition storage in the former and a small power plant in the latter utilizing the same space.

Probably more that I've forgotten for the moment.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Make an update to the mining drones that can be purchased where the default sorting equipment is replaced by the more advanced refining equipment that allows for common ore, uncommon ore, precious metals, and crystals and gems rather than just sorting for common ore.

The mineral refinery is detailed in High Guard on page 68. The price jump for replacing the 5 tons of basic sorting equipment is detailed on page 69.

Replacing the basic sorting machinery takes out the 5 tons of sorting machinery (whose cost is rolled into the MCr1 for 5 drones and their harnesses with 5x the appropriate mineral refinery below. MCr2.5 at TL7, MCr5 at TL10, and MCr10 at TL13. Added in is the original MCr1 for the five mining drones and their harnesses.

More expensive, but an option that some miners would go for, even with the increased crew requiement.

 

[Grognardia]

More on selling and repairing ships. An fully detailed starship combat example would be highly useful! Explain missiles and critical hits better. And range bands.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Un nerf fighters. Their weapons shouldn’t be range restricted.

Dump dogfighting. Seriously. It has no place in space combat.

 

[Condottiere]

1. Dogfighting six second rounds leave us with the issue of rate of fire.

2. And, in theory, fifty power points times a hundred pouring through one turret.

3. Solar power does appear to have developed discrepancies, between being able to accelerate when extended, and not.

4. Vectored thrust, seems badly thought out.

5. Lifters probably have to be a separate propulsion system, and that means, both it and manoeuvre drive can function at the same time.

6. Previously, you could create a set by using advantages and disadvantages simultaneously of customization, but pointless, since you can now only have one or the other.

7. Really clarify how deep space manoeuvre drives work, not just offshore it to some supplement.

8. If you can use customization on a manoeuvre drive to limit it's range, have advantages that extend it.

9. And I agree, unify the laser weapon systems, all of them, since they are the introductionary means of defence, and attack.

 

[Limpin Legin]

For Ortilliary bombardment weapons, mention the CSC rule that they require a forward observer, cos I cannot see reference to it in HG.

 

[paltrysum]

Thrust 0 says limited movement, but in space that can build up to fast speeds and great distances with even a little thrust. You probably need to lock them down to stationkeeping only and not let them move more than that.

Designed as intended? I'm sure they do lock down, but yes, in the wrong hands this could be misused. Sounds like the stuff of a great narrative.

 

[paltrysum]

For Ortilliary bombardment weapons, mention the CSC rule that they require a forward observer, cos I cannot see reference to it in HG.

Yeah, I believe that was added a year later, in the CSC update. We'll have to incorporate that.

 

[Anstett]

Designed as intended? I'm sure they do lock down, but yes, in the wrong hands this could be misused. Sounds like the stuff of a great narrative.

I think that the narrative should be the brilliant engineer being able to override the safeties and move the station farther/faster than it is designed to do. Such as DS9 first episode.

Station Keeping to me is minor adjustments to maintain relative to a given spot in orbit.

If allowed to just unlock the key and you can move the entire Highport out into an eccentric orbit, etc. by typing in the right thrust vector feels like that sort of drive should have a cost/volume added.

 

[Condottiere]

I calculated, in view of Traveller tropes, as factor/zero acceleration being a milligravity.

 

[Condottiere]

Which reminds me.

Be clear as to whether costs are multiplied as a whole, or additive/subtractive individually.

 

[RYXlord]

Locking Thrust 0 to station-keeping only ignores how some ships can use them for drives. If you have Solar Sails for example, and there's mention in the Starship Operators Manual of Electric / Ion drives which are implied to be R-drives with Thrust 0, thus consuming little to no reaction mass. Not that these ships are very fast, mind, but they do theoretically exist.

 

[Condottiere]

My favourite being that detached bridges have factor/zero acceleration, which allows a soft planetary landing.

 

[RYXlord]

Prototype costs

Prototype / Early Prototype rules in Supply Catalogue are x5 / x 10 to cost. In High Guard this is represented by +500% / +1000%. But that's not the same thing, that's x6 / x11. Prototype costs in Highguard should be +400% / 900% to be consistent with Supply Catalogue.

Software Table

It would make a good bit of QoL to have the Ship Software table from Core repeated in High Guard, so people don't have to flip between the two. A little more info would also be nice. Like, what does an Intellect program do for a ship? Does it just allow verbal commands, or is it the same thing as a ground-scale Intellect program found in the Computers and Software section? Can it run Expert systems?

 

[Terry Mixon]

Designed as intended? I'm sure they do lock down, but yes, in the wrong hands this could be misused. Sounds like the stuff of a great narrative.

Then strike the part where they can’t move more than a short distance. That lets them be designed for station keeping and still move slowly at longer distances.

 

[Terry Mixon]

The sensor detection rules are a bit scattered. Getting them in one place would make referencing them easier.

 

[IanBruntlett]

Hello, Travellers! We're looking at a minor update to High Guard some time next year and we'd like to catch things that need fixing. High on the list is the confusion over when to apply Screen defences (the answer is after the Damage Multiple has been applied). I've got a few more items for the list as well.

What else have you got for us?

Two built-in bookmarks?