 January 18, 2013 - 4:40am | Mandate Archive: Scavenger Fleets is a free file for the Stars Without Numbers RPG. It is about communities of roving space nomads (scavengers, traders, pirates, pilgrims or what have you). It is full of great ideas one could incorporate into their own sci-fi RPGs, and it includes new types of spaceships. |
 January 18, 2013 - 5:47am | A SF scavenger fleet? It would be possbile but fuel is a constant problem. If you had a mining ship and digger shuttles as a foundation for sustainable energy for ion drives, mining kuiper belt and or oort cloud objects for water. an ag ship for food and most ships powered by ion engines for defense they could employ atomic drive fighters- if the fighters are not doing void jumps and or landing/taking off from planets then their atomic fuel should last a long time. Naturally atomic fuel is always conserved as much as possible. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 18, 2013 - 9:14am | Strictly speaking, fighters can't have atomic drives in KH, except by referee fiat. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 January 18, 2013 - 11:30am | Interesting idea, but wouldn't it be pretty dependent on how plentiful you have space travel in your game? I imagine those cargo modules have plenty of room for folks to live in them. However, I imagine they spend a lot of time in microgravity conditions and that could have a major impact on their health. Unless you have artificial gravity in your game of course. |
 January 18, 2013 - 12:45pm | Strictly speaking, fighters can't have atomic drives in KH, except by referee fiat. Actually, the KH rules specifically state that fighters do have atomic drives. On page 13 of the KH book in the Atomic Drives section, last two sentences of the second paragraph it says, after explaining that atomic drives are mounted on struts: A fighter is the only ship that has an atomic drive mounted in the spacehip's tail. Figher pilots must wear special suits that resist radioactivity. So fighters can have them, but putting them inside the hull of any other ship is definitely by referee fiat. Which of course I did in designing the TSSS Dart.  That ship has over a meter of heavy radiation shielding between the engine and the rest of the ship.Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
January 18, 2013 - 12:47pm | Strictly speaking, fighters can't have atomic drives in KH, except by referee fiat. Hhhmm what drives do they have because chemical and ion drive have an ADF of 1 but a fighter has an ADF of 4. All ships with chemical engines have an ADF of 1... A fighter is the only ship that has an atomic drive mounted in the spaceships tail. Fighter pilots must wear special suits that resist radioactivity. I'm taking the above statement for gospel. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 18, 2013 - 6:21pm | Mind you, these fleets only work if your setting has enough room for them to get lost it (Star Frontiers, as is, is too small for them - if anything, it is a home sector that never really got expanded upon). I can see — in an expanded Frontier — independent fleets made-up of mixed warships and civilian starships. The civilian ships would have everything needed to maintain a micro-civilization: Ag-ship for food; Colony Transports to hold people; Freighters to hold supplies; Mining ships to gather raw materials; and Research Ships to supplement reconnaissance. With military ships, I can see how they would have a full-sized warship as their flagship, with plenty of Privateers, Yachts, (Pirate) Corvettes and Assault Scouts to defend or scout ahead of the core fleet. Even with access to an Assault Carrier, I don't see Fighters as an option, as take-up too much space and resources, and small attack ships like Assault Scouts can do the same tasks, while not being bound to a mothership. Interesting idea, but wouldn't it be pretty dependent on how plentiful you have space travel in your game? I imagine those cargo modules have plenty of room for folks to live in them. However, I imagine they spend a lot of time in microgravity conditions and that could have a major impact on their health. Unless you have artificial gravity in your game of course.
That should not be a problem. Much like the USS Discovery One, in 2001: A Space Odyssey, ships can have decks with centrifuges. They work the same way as the spinning space stations in KH. |
January 18, 2013 - 7:00pm | It's been a while since I read it, but I thought fighters couldn't make void jumps. Or do they simply require a convoy with an astrogator? View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
January 18, 2013 - 7:18pm | @Ascent: They can't, at least in practice. They only have life support for 20 hours and it takes a little longer than that to make a Void jump. Plus they don't have the necessary astrogation equipment or computers. So while they could potentially accelerate at 5g and reach void speed in 16h40m, they wouldn't be pointed in the right direction and so would misjump. Even if they didn't misjump, the pilot wouldn't have enough life support left to decelerate at the final destination. Plus 17 hours at 5g has to be miserable. However, it might make for an interesting desperate ploy in a story. And Shadow Shack has jump goveners on his fighters to prevent them from reaching void speed, just to make it official that they can't make jumps. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
January 19, 2013 - 7:05am | @ Malcadon: It seems to me I've heard what you described before, hmmmm rag tag fleet with a miltiary ship as a flag ship wandering the stars looking for something... BSG. Actually this was a campaign idea that I had labelled Satharmegeddon focus is the character on a Frigate or something else. The ship is far off on an exploration/scouting mission when word via subspace recalls them as Sathar War 3 had started and the UPF is loosing and Rim is virutally overwhelmed. The ship has multiple jumps to plot and it takes a suitable long time to get back to the Frotnier Sector. When they do they find that the sathar came in numbers suitable to overrun and wipe out armed opposition. However the worms then began to fall out with each other and fight over the spoils. Some planets have been nuked, some planets have troops landed, some planets have been bypassed So here show up the last fighting frigate and they run into some civie vessels screaming for help "You have to protect us" No one is actually attacking them, they're just scared witless. I've debated whether this shouls be a Royal Marine frigate which would have no business beign so far from home in the first place or a Space Fleet frigate. but I wanted White Light to be one fo the first systems they reach and the sathar ground forces are closing in on the last city on Clarion. there is a new queen freshly crowned and she's directing the defense by the remnants of the Royal Marines and the Royal Guard. They are going to loose because the sathar have been supported from orbit the frigate arrives with speed advantage and takes on the sahtar in orbit- two cutters and a logistics ship-( the rest of this clan is off fighting somewhere else) the Royal Marines had all their ships destroyed in space but significant personell remain on the planet and or got off Clarion station before it was destroyed such that they have desperately worked to refurbish the Osprey's hull which was turned into a museum in the capitol when the ship was decommissioned its been ready to fly for about a day and the arival of the frigate creates the opening the Queen was looking for so it launches and engages with the frigate. This temporarily turns the tide. but the sathar have nuke many of Clarions cities and the kingdom is now effectively one city and its defenders. Writing is on the wall though and even if there was a miracle and the Royal Guard could beat back the worms there is not enough to fight off the roaming sathar battle groups when one comes back. Thus the decision is made to assemble space lift to rescue everyone. Lots of different ways to run this- I had one idea where the ship is out beyond the Rim and has to fight and sneak its way across the Frontier to Clarion and gets first hand view of the devastation. planned to have the "refugee fleet" visit a corporate planet and run into some privateers in corporate employ and the CEO of the mega corp plus corporate flagged freighter which is a boon to the fleet because of supplies and fire power the corporate party brings to the table but the CEO immediately sees that he should become a power player in the fleet which would lead to politics and in fighting and the occassional privateer vessel doing its own thing. Also a pirate vessel is encountered and since they are alive and have a vessel they get recruited into the fleet, old sins more or less forgiven. Also there would need to be a visit to a Space Fleet depot- I had that idea before seeing the same thing in the New BSG. Traitors? Come one got to have a Baltar (new BSG style Baltar that is) However, how to run this? classic RPG party all from one ships crew? Each player controls a ship? Multiple PCs? First section of the campaign would be trip to Clarion and assembling a fleet Next section would be getting clear of the Frontier; Then the third would be the quest for a new home and are we far enough from sathar space to start over? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 19, 2013 - 2:18pm | Just picked up the article and wondering why people think there couldn't be scavenger fleets in the Frontier. I mean there is a scavenger fleet in the AD canon so why the resistance? Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
January 19, 2013 - 2:42pm | I don't see anyone saying there couldn't be scavenger fleets. I only see statements about the problems that arise in doing it, none of which are stated as impossibilities. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 January 19, 2013 - 6:48pm | Interesting resource! Thanks! |
 January 21, 2013 - 7:26pm | It's been a while since I read it, but I thought fighters couldn't make void jumps. Or do they simply require a convoy with an astrogator?
In my game, regardless of life support (vacc suit or computer program), I have "jump governors" that prevent them from achieving jump velocity. And even if the fighter is based on vacc suit LS durations, if the pilot blacked out (from lack of O2 etc) while accelerating, it would eventually reach jump velocity (a chem drive system ship could attain jump speed, given enough fuel). Bottom line is that successful jumps are dependant on velocity and astrogation coordinates, since the figher craft lacks the additional crew and equipment/programming, the only thing left to restrict is velocity to prevent jumps. |
January 21, 2013 - 7:34pm | As for scavenger fleets, I have that in my game. Shat Rat's salvage yard is a space station orbitting Triad's moon Evergleem that spacers frequent for used parts, and the business has a fleet of civilian craft scouring the shipping lanes for wrecks to bring home. |
January 26, 2013 - 9:57pm | Pirates was on the TV tonight and something occured to me. How about having the scavengers be refugees from the first sathar war? Didn't the sathar nuke a planet or two in SWI? Have these space nomads be descendants of the refugees who managed to flee, and decided to just stay in space. They could turn into, well, space gypsies of a sort. They develop their own cultural idiosyncracies and many scavengers, nomads, and pirates, are part of this multi-species "race." They could call themselves the "Buccani" or something. They could have a disdain for all "landlubbers," particularly any working for the UPF or any planet they have a grudge against. |
January 27, 2013 - 3:47am | Jump governors on fighters... That would be an interesting way to address a technical-error within the setting. Personally, I would rather have jump-capable ships mount special equipment (Alcubierre drive, etc.) that permit them to trigger the fluke in physics, that allows for FTL travel. But that is how I deal with it in my own games. |
January 27, 2013 - 5:11am | Here's how it worked The Sathar are really very militant scavenger fleets without homeworlds. The first fleet was a smaller one who attacked the Frontier not knowing there was a united force their to oppose them since they usually found only a single race with one world systems. They fought to the death since they had no where to go if they lost. Once they were defeated the few that were left started a backup plan. They hypnotized Frontier beings to weaken the UPF while they sent messages to other Sathar scavenger letting them know the situation and providing intelligence in exchange for promises of pickup. The second Sathar war was with a larger scavenger fleet with some assistance from the remnants of the first fleet. Some time was taken to prepare with outpost one as the intelligence provided by the remnants said it would be necessary. The Sathar on Snowball were scouts from another scavenger fleet awaiting the arrival of the main body. Those tattoos on their heads are not clan markings but a combination of which ship assigned, rank, position abroad ship and qualifications. The artifact on Volturnus was to let them know when the Eorna had built back enough to make them good targets to raid again. They were surprised to find the backward beings that were there but decided to take them out anyway. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 January 29, 2013 - 12:53am | rattraveller, that was a good summary. I like your twist. Have you checked out the sathar threads going on. Therer is some good work there too of an alternative idea. |
January 30, 2013 - 4:50am | yes I have and have made some comments. In the middle of tax season right now so comment time is limited but would like to point out the more evil group out there waiting to stomp on the Frontier. I am speaking of the evil of the Yazirians. Surely they Yazirians were not stupid enough to put all their eggs in one basket when they lost their homeworld and sent out only one fleet to find a new home. Out there lost among the stars are wondering fleets of Yazirians who have not found a home yet or decided they prefer the wandering life and will soon be coming to a Frontier near you. Everyone else take it from there. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
January 31, 2013 - 1:14pm | yes I have and have made some comments. In the middle of tax season right now so comment time is limited but would like to point out the more evil group out there waiting to stomp on the Frontier. I am speaking of the evil of the Yazirians. Surely they Yazirians were not stupid enough to put all their eggs in one basket when they lost their homeworld and sent out only one fleet to find a new home. Out there lost among the stars are wondering fleets of Yazirians who have not found a home yet or decided they prefer the wandering life and will soon be coming to a Frontier near you. Everyone else take it from there. OOH! I like this idea! |
January 31, 2013 - 1:44pm | And they get to be "frozen in time" technologically at whatever point they were at when they left the home world. Which should put them a bit (or a lot) behind the Frontier tech. I don't see a lot of R&D going on in such a group. Their main goal is to keep things going, not inventing new technologies. Maybe they've picked up some stuff here and there from other races they've encountered but for the most part I would expect the ships, weapons (both ship and personal), and other tech to be "old". Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
February 3, 2013 - 5:33pm | Also, I would think that their practical knowledge would be quite limited. Children would be raised to replace their parents or fill missing roles. No one would be very flexible in their roles and would likely thus incur an "alien tech" penalty when dealing with anything not based upon their own ship's design. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
