I think there is an easier way, though it would still be based on a combination of a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed, which becomes their race’s Average Movement Value (AMV) – this number is simply arrived at by adding the STR and RS scores.

So, if a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed equals or is about the same as their racial average, then their walking, running and hiking speeds remains unchanged.

So, if a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed equals or is about the same as their racial average, then their walking, running and hiking speeds remains unchanged.

I propose that for every 5 points that a character has above their race’s Average Movement Value (the combination of the STR and RS scores), their walking speed increases by 0.5 m/t and running speed increases by 1 m/t.

Likewise, for every 5 points that a character has below their race’s Average Movement Value (the combination of the STR and RS scores), their walking speed is trimmed by 0.5 m/t and running speed decreases by 1 m/t.

Now, for Dralasite and Ifshnit characters, this could make them more turtle-like than ever. So, should there be a minimum “floor” where say an Ifshnit character with a STR of 35 and an RS of 35, giving them an AMV of 70 or 15 points below their racial average, wouldn’t be walking at  2.5 m/t and “running” at 12 m/t? Or does this sound right?

A Human with a STR of 35 and RS of 35 would be 20 points below average, giving them a walking speed of 8 m/t and a running speed of 26 m/t. So, does that work?

Now, some Olympic runners can do a 100 meter dash in under 10 seconds – running at 10 meters per second, so in a Star Frontiers’ speak that’s running at a rate of 60 meters per turn… So, what scores would such a Human character need, under this system, to accomplish that feat?

Hmm,  since that is about double the average speed, such a character would need an average STR and RS score of 90, right? Maybe I need to give this a bit more thought, but does anyone have any other ideas.

I’ll have to figure out something for the hiking rate.

I have not yet put in statistics for the following charts, but they are based on Vanelli’s article.

Yes, Vanelli included a flying column for all the races listed even though no character race can naturally fly.

Movement and Endurance

The following information is repeated from the Combat Section for clarity.

Running. Normally a character can run at top speed for a number of minutes equal to his Stamina score divided by 10, rounded up. For example, a character with a STR score of 45 can run for 5 minutes.

The character then must rest for 10 minutes before running again. If characters walk for more than 10 hours, they move at half speed and their Dexterity scores and Reaction Speeds are reduced by half until they sleep.

Climbing. A character can climb a rope at a rate of 2 meters/turn. The character must make a Strength check with +30 percent modifier at the halfway point of the climb and at the top. A roll of 96-00 is automatic failure. Failing the roll means the character falls.

A character can climb a vertical surface at a rate of 1 meter/turn, if there are handholds and footholds on the wall. He must make a Dexterity check with a +30 percent modifier at the halfway point of the climb and at the top. A roll of 96-00 is automatic failure. Failing the roll means the character falls.

These rolls are not necessary if the surface the character is climbing slopes less than 60 degrees.

A character can climb a ladder at his normal walking speed.

Swimming. Characters can swim at a rate of 10 meters per turn (or one kilometer per hour). If a character swims longer than one hour, he will lose five Stamina points for every 30 minutes he continues swimming. These movement rates can be affected by obstacles such as seaweed or coral (or alien equivalents thereof).

Running Skill Bonus: A character who has the Running skill is assumed to conduct regular exercise training. This boosts his endurance to the level where he can run at top speed equal to his Strength score divided by 5, rounded up. The character then must rest for five minutes before running again.

For example, the character with a STR score of 45 who has learned the Running skill and can now run for 9 minutes before needing to rest.

Climbing Skill Bonus: A character with this skill can climb a rope at a rate of 3 meters/turn and vertical surfaces at a rate of 2 meters/turn. Ifshnits can only move half this distance due to their size.

The character can also use the proper equipment to climb and rappel-like a mountain climber. Only one level of this skill needs to be purchased, but the character must spend experience points to purchase a first-level of this skill every six months to renew his training.

Swimming Skill Bonus: A character with the Swimming skill is a proficient swimmer. As such, characters can double their race’s normal movement rate in the water. In addition, a skill check is required only in difficult circumstances (swimming in stormy seas, holding breath longer than usual, etc.).

Leaping and Vaulting Distances. Under the Alpha Dawn rules, a character can leap up to 2 meters horizontally  without a running start. If the character can run 15 meters in a straight line before leaping, he can leap up to 5 meters.

A character trying to leap across an obstacle must make a Strength check. A character who fails the check has lost his balance and cannot move for 1 turn. A character who tries to leap farther than the distance has a -20 modifier on his Strength check for each additional half-meter.

A character with a 15 meter running start can vault over an obstacle that is 2 meters high, or grab something that is up to 4 meters above the ground

Failure means the character falls short of the distance.

Acrobatics and Recreation/Sports Skills Bonuses: Neither the Zebulon’s Guide nor the Star Frontiers 2000 rules (which these Zebulon Sunset rules are based on) provides a specific jumping or vaulting skill. However, two separate skills – Acrobatics and Recreation/Sports – can help a character improve their jumping and vaulting distances.

The Acrobatics skill (from Star Frontiers 2000) includes all the various activities associated with circus acrobats including jumping and flipping. In combat situations, a character with this skill – after making a successful skill check – can dodge more effectively while moving at full speed (see the Acrobatics skill in the Library of Skills for more information.)

For purposes of leaping and vaulting, boost the character’s distance by 1 meter. Thus, a character can leap 3 meters horizontally without a running start or can leap 6 meters if he’s been able to run 15 meters in a straight line first. Similarly, a character with a 15 meter running start can vault over 3 meter high obstacles or grab something (such as a branch, the bottom of a dangle rope ladder, etc.) that is 5 meters above the ground.

The Recreation/Sports skill is similar to the Entertaining skill outlined in Zebulon’s Guide, except it relates to indoor and outdoor recreational activities and sports (billiards, table tennis, skiing, surfing, boating, skydiving, etc.). For this to have any benefit when it comes to leaping and vaulting, however, the character must have learned a sports skill that may help such as track and field, gymnastics, etc. If so, then the character receives the same leaping/vaulting bonuses that a character with acrobatics receives. The referee may (or may not) decide to allow a character with both an acrobatics and a sports skill to combine their bonuses to leap/vault even farther.

Ability-Based Movement Rate Modifiers

So far in these optional rules, a character’s base movement can be altered by taking into account factors such as age, weight and height. Yet there is one more way which movement can be calculated by basing it on a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed ability scores.

Charles A. Venelli tackled this subject in a story called “Jetboots don’t fail me now!” that appeared in the November 1988 issue of Dragon Magazine. Some excerpts from that article follows:

In the STAR FRONTIERS game, all creatures are given a set of movement rates which are dependent only upon the races of the creatures involved. Thus, every Human in the Frontier runs just as fast as every other Human. The same can be said for Yazirians, Dralasites, and every other known race.

Obviously, this just isn’t the case. Any decent member of an Olympic track team could beat the socks off the average person on Earth in a foot race, yet the current movement system would not allow this.

Since all characters are not created equal in the STAR FRONTIERS game system, all speeds should not be equal. Speed should be based upon the basic attribute scores of a character and the character.s race. (Obviously, a Dralasite cannot run as fast as a Vrusk.)

Example, a player’s character is a space-station security guard who has unexpectedly discovered an intruder in a storage area.

Player: “I back away, drawing my nightstick.”

Referee: “Great, because the guy takes off the moment he sees you. He’s carrying a box from the storeroom.”

Player: “I chase after him! When I catch up, I’ll smack him with my nightstick! I move at 30 meters per turn.”

Referee: “Being a human, the intruder also runs at 30 meters per turn.”

Player: “Well, then, how am I gonna catch him?”

Good question. Unless the intruder happens to slip on a convenient banana peel or other unforeseen obstacle, the poor security guard may never get his man. Here we see evidence of a flaw in the STAR FRONTIERS® game, in that all beings of the same race run at the same rate of speed.

Since all characters are not created equal in the STAR FRONTIERS game system, all speeds should not be equal. Speed should be based upon the basic attribute scores of a character and the character.s race. (Obviously, a Dralasite cannot run as fast as a Vrusk.)

Vanelli’s Movement Rate Modifier (MRM) system was based on the average of a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed. The Strength score represents strength of the muscles within that character’s limbs while the Reaction Speed score is a measure of a person’s quickness.

Vanelli used a complicated series of charts to determine the MRM. What follows is a simplified system which attempts to emulate what he was attempting to portray.

If a character’s Strength and Reaction Speed equals or is about the same as his racial average, then their walking, running and hiking speeds remains unchanged. Any fractions are rounded down.

For every 5 points that a character’s combined Strength and Reaction Speed scores are below his race’s Average MRM, then his walking speed decreases by 0.5 meters per turn (m/t) and running speed declines by 1 m/t.

For every 10 points that a character is below his race’s Average MRM, then his base hiking speed declines by 0.5 kph.

For example, a Dralasite with a STR score of 48 and an RS score of 38 has an MRM score of 86. Its score is only four points below its racial average, so the character is not penalized with a drop for its walking and running speeds. If, for some reason, the character’s Strength or Reaction Speed declined by 1 point, then its speeds would drop.

For every 5 points a character’s combined Strength and Reaction Speed scores are above his race’s Average MRM, then walking speed increases by 0.5 m/t but running speed increases by 2 m/t. For every 10 points that a character is above his race’s Average MRM, his hiking speed improves by 0.5 kph.

For example, a Human character with a STR of 50 and an RS of 50 would have an MRM score of 100, which is 10 points above his race’s Average MRM score. He would be able to walk at 11 meters per turn (m/t) while his running speed would increase to 34 m/t while he can hike at a speed of 5.5 kph.

Running Skill MRM Bonus: If a character learns the Running skill, not only will he have increased endurance and be able to run at top speed for a longer period of time, he will also be able to run faster. The Running skill will provide a character with a +10 MRM bonus.

So, a Vrusk female character that normally has a MRM score of 90 (her race’s average) will have the equivalent of a MRM score of 100 and can walk at 36 m/t, run at 39 m/t and hike at 6.5 kph.

Base Climbing, Crawling, Swimming and Flying Speeds by Race. While the various character races are treated differently when it comes to walking, running and hiking, under the Alpha Dawn system (along with rules published in various modules) are all given the same movement rates while climbing and swimming. No rules were provided for crawling or flying – especially since no player character race can fly.

Charles Venelli touched on these subjects with his rules in the “Jetboots” article. The following optional rules are based on his work.

Base Climbing Speed. As noted earlier, this is the maximum rate which an average character of a particular race can climb a rope during a turn As noted earlier, climbing represents the maximum speed a character can climb a rope, while they can climb a ladder at walking speed.  Some species, such as the Osakar, Vrusk, Yazarians and Satheroids are better climbers than others.

Base Crawling Speed. This is the rate at which a character can crawl along the floor or ground in a semi-prone position in meters per turn. A character doing this receives the benefit for being prone when facing a ranged attack while permitting them to move. Sathar, S’sessu and other creatures that propel themselves by slithering can basically travel at 60 percent of their walking speed while crawling.

Base Swimming Speed. This is the maximum rate which a character can swim expressed in meters per turn.

When it comes to swimming, Dralasites can form flipper-like limbs, which allows them to increase their speed in the water. The benefits of a Yazarian’s wings for pushing water is counteracted by the drag caused by their hair and the wings themselves, but this balances out so they typically can swim as fast as a Human. Vrusk are particularly awkward in the water and, unless they have a breathing bag for their abdomen, run the risk of drowning.

With their long limbs, Osakar are about as fast in the water as they are on land. The Humma’s strong tail makes them particularly proficient swimmers. Satharoids can also swim fairly fast. The diminutive Ifshnits, however, again suffer from their lack of height both when it comes to climbing and swimming when compared to other characters.

Long Distance Swimming. This is the rate at which a character may swim (with brief floating rests) over long periods of time expressed in kilometers per hour. For Ifshnits or other smaller and sloer characters, this distance may be represented in meters per hour.

Effects of Movement Rate Modifier. A character’s MRM score will also adjust his climbing, crawling and swimming speeds.

For every 5 points that a character’s combined Strength and Reaction Speed scores are below his race’s Average MRM, then his base climbing, crawling and swimming speeds by 0.5 meters per turn (m/t) and long distance swimming speed declines by 100 meters per hour. The character’s vertical climb rate drops by 0.25 m/t. If a character’s climbing or crawling rate drops below zero, he would need to make a strength check each turn to attempt to climb 1 meter by rope or vertically climb 1 meter. Otherwise they basically remain motionless that turn. Or the referee may decide the character can move at 0.5 meters per turn.

For example, an Zorran, an aged Human male has a STR score of 30 and a RS score of 30 – these scores are rated as “Feeble” in the Zebulon’s Guide system. He is 30 points below his race’s Average MRM score. His base climbing speed is -1 m/t, his base vertical climbing speed is -2 m/t (note he can still climb a ladder at walking speed) and his crawling speed is 0 m/t. Zorran needs to crawl 5 meters to escape a smoke-filled room and needs to roll below his strength score in order to move at a rate of 1 m/t.

For every 5 points a character’s MRM score is above his race’s Average MRM, then his base climbing and vertical climb speeds increase by 0.5 m/t, base crawling speed increases by 1 m/t, and swimming speed increases by 2 m/t. For every 10 points that a character is above his race’s Average MRM, his long-distance speed improves by 0.5 kph.

Climbing Skill MRM Bonus: A character with the Climbing skill receives a +1 meter per turn movement rate when it comes to rope climbing and vertical climbing. They can climb a ladder faster too with a +1 m/t movement rate bonus.

Swimming Skill MRM Bonus: The Swimming skill, as noted earlier, doubles the character’s normal movement rate in the water. In this case, figure out what that rate is and then double it. This includes the rate for long-distance swimming.

Base Leaping and Vaulting Distances by Race. Again, the Alpha Dawn rules treat all races pretty much equally when it comes to leaping and vaulting distances. Charles Vanelli’s “Jetboots” article changed this formula and these rules are based on his work.

Standing Horizontal Leap. This is the distance in meters that a character can leap horizontally from a standing start.

Running Horizontal Leap. This is the distance in meters that a character can leap horizontally, allowing a straight-line run of at least 15 meters before leaping.

Standing Vertical Leap. This is the height in meters that a character can leap/vault over an object from a standing start. This height is measured from the ground to the lowest point on the character’s body at the apex (the highest point) of a jump. The sum of this distance and the character’s height (with arm extended) is used to figure out how high a character can reach when attempting to grab an object above him.

Running Vertical Leap. This is the height in meters that a character can leap, allowing for a straight-line run of at least 5 meters before jumping. (See the description of the Standing Vertical Leap for more information.)

Effects of Movement Rate Modifier on Leaping. A character’s MRM score will also adjust his leaping distances.

For every 5 points that a character’s combined Strength and Reaction Speed scores are below his race’s Average MRM, then his standing horizontal leaping distances decreases by 0.25 meters, decrease a running horizontal leap by 0.5 meters, decrease the standing vertical leap by 0.1 meters, and trim the running vertical leap by 0.5 meters. .

For every 5 points a character’s MRM score is above his race’s Average MRM, then his standing horizontal leaping distances increases by 0.25 meters, a running horizontal leap is lengthened by 0.5 meters, a standing vertical leap increases by 0.1 meters, and a running vertical leap increases by 0.5 meters.

Acrobatics and Recreation/Sports Skills Bonuses: Please see the earlier references to these skills in the Movement and Endurance subsection for more information. The Acrobatics skill for the purposes of leaping and vaulting will boost the character’s distance by 1 meter. Similarly, a character with an appropriate sports skill can also receive this benefit. The referee will need to decide if the benefits of these two skills are cumulative.

Temporary Bursts of Speed

The following information are house rules based on discussions on the starfrontiers.us website, specifically comments by Rattraveller,KRingway,ShadowShack and Iggy (http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/9955).

In a desperate situation the referee may allow a character to gain an extra burst of speed “to move one more square” in a turn by making a Reaction Speed check. Since distances on maps in Star Frontiers can be anywhere from two to five to 25 meters across, if you are using the Ability-Based Movement Rate Modifier system given in this section, assume a character receives a 10-point MRM boost for that turn only.

However, every additional time that a character attempts to gain an additional burst of speed receives a cumulative penalty of -5 percent.

For example, archeologist In’Da’N’Na (Indiana to his friends in PanGal) is trying to outrace a boulder that is rolling at him in the narrow passage of an ancient Tetrarch temple. The boulder is moving along at 50 meters per turn and will catch him before he jumps clear through the exit unless he can somehow move faster.

Since his ability scores are average for a Vrusk, Indiana rolls a 49 on his ability score check, which is just below his RS score of 50. Instead of running at 35 meters per turn, he can move at 37 meters for that turn. The next turn, he must roll below 45 percent to get that same burst of speed; he misses his roll – now 40 percent or below – on the second turn and can only run at 35 meters per turn; on the third turn, he must roll below 35 percent to get that burst of speed (the -5 percent penalty keeps piling up whether Indiana made his ability check roll or not.)

Putting It All Together

The whole purpose of the “Fleshing Out Characters” section is to promote individuality for your adventurers; however, going through all these formulations at the beginning of a campaign is likely to slow down the character generation process and lead to dissatisfied players.

While many of these alternative rules, such as the Movement Rate Modifier system may make sense, especially if you are trying to show that not all members of the same race can run, leap, swim and climb at the same rate, for the vast majority of adventures, using Star Frontiers’ standard movement rates is OK.

You may use any parts of these rules that make sense for your campaign or adventure session, but ignore them at other times when they don’t help move the story and excitement along for your players.

In regards to movement, gravity should also play some role too. The Star Frontiers rules do provide optional rules to cover some aspects of gravities that are lighter or heavier than normal – falling damage decreases with lighter gravities or gets worse in situations where it is higher than 1 G; the Yazarians’ gliding ability is greatly affected too.