imp_fireball
2008-08-23, 02:52 PM
This thread will be the staging ground for a 3.5 total conversion.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/Uaxis/eve-onlinelargeimage.jpg
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In the time since all the races came into contact with each other about 150 years ago, inter-stellar trading has steadily increased; especially ever since the races began cooperating more closely through institutes such as CONCORD.
Today many space ships are equipped with a capsule, which makes control of the ship much more easy and efficient for the pod pilot. Not just anybody can become a pod pilot. Pod pilots require a special kind of neural implants. The training is extremely rigorous and taxing, and only a small fraction of students actually make it through. This makes able pod pilots a unique breed that have a special status within society. The pilots are regarded by the empires as an expensive investment as well as a huge prestige - the number of inter-stellar traders an empire has in many ways reflects the economic vitality of the empire.
Yet despite the desire of the empires to keep their pod pilots on a leash, things have developed differently: Because of the exulted status of the pod pilots, they’ve in fact managed as the years have passed to make themselves ever more independent from the empires that spawned them. Most pod pilots are still employees of an empire company or organization, but what work they do is largely self-controlled. The ever-increasing number of pod pilots entering the market alleviates this problem for the empires and has allowed them to increase the number of pilots working for them despite the fact that proportionally more and more pilots are going totally independent.
The prestige enjoyed by these people is enormous. Apart from the revered status many of them endure or enjoy, they receive a number of other privileges. The most important of these is their access to cloning, which is strictly supervised in all the empires. Although some rogue cloning stations are in operation the vast majority of cloning facilities are empire controlled and who is allowed a clone is rigorously controlled. Pod pilots are one of very few professions that have, because of the nature of their job, more or less unrestricted access to clones, although any special types of clones must be paid for out of their own pocket.
Becoming a Pod Pilot
This section is for 'fluff' or for the purposes of ratification if ever the PC's come across this solution in a campaign world.
A Pod Pilot isn't merely a class unto itself. A pod pilot can begin training as any prior class. Pod pilots aren't treated as prestige classes, and are instead much more like augmented templates, however they also need only recognition from the GM or written on the PC's character sheet, as the process of becoming a pod pilot can transform a PC into that of very high reputation amongst other NPCs (treat as buffed version of 'distinguished' trait, +5 reputation, ie; stacks with distinguished).
By GM discretion, a character may only become a pod pilot with proper mental compatibility related to genetic traits in the brain matter. For simplification purposes, a pod pilot must have both a WIS and INT of at least 12 in order to survive that capsule initiation process, however this is still GM discretion. Most pod pilots are human (though their are other 'close' races that are exceptions, such as naturally psionic races), because humans are among the most adaptive of LA 0 sentient races as well as potentially acquiring the most skill points the most quickly, necessary for long term survival in the rigors of space.
Psychic PCs are almost always capable of becoming pod pilots, because having opened their mind to the outside 'vibes' of the world, they are capable of adjusting to semi-permanent hydrostatic stasis within a pod, which might kill any other PC/NPC.
To become a pod pilot, there are five phases.
Phase 1: Training
The PC must study at an academy or institute for a few years. At some given point they must take a variety of written tests. They can not ask to become a pod pilot, instead they must be chosen, upon which point they will take the tests. The tests might require a riddle that the GM lays on the specific player, or it might be a few consecutive will saves and intuition checks. Some factions might even have trial of combat or require you to have previously been a pilot having passed/performed a religious rite or initiation phase in years past (ie. khanid kingdom, or blood raiders).
Having the right skills (which can be acquired during this 'certification phase' for RP purposes) is necessary to pilot a capsule. Capsules are unique craft, and so the skills can both assist and be necessary for its operation. Additionally, the proper neural nodes are necessary within a PC's brain to interface. Skills are to be taken prior to interfacing.
Skills (necessary):
- Pilot Small Space Craft (4 ranks)
- Autohypnosis (1 rank); only if already psychic, otherwise ignored
- Concentration (4 ranks)
- Survival (4 ranks)
- Knowledge (vacuum; 2 ranks)
- Knowledge (cybernetics; 2 ranks)
Feats:
Their are no necessary feats to be taken, however it is always suggested that the PC be 'very prepared' for the interfacing phase. In some cases, the GM can prevent the PC from passing the 'examination' phase if they are simply unprepared feat and skill wise in areas that would assist rather then are necessary.
Phase 2: Examination
This is where whichever initiation institute that was laid down by your PC's faction inspects your character for appropriate genetic traits. The PC usually lives 'normally' within closed confines for 5 weeks during the time that scientists must inspect your PC with appropriate radiation imagery and bio-scan equipment. The test results, of which are cross tested/referenced, must be processed and then brought forth to some sort of commity where the comity's 'board of directors' make a decision based on whether or not your PC is deemed appropriate for pod pilot training (at GM discretion, obviously).
Phase 3: Surgery
The PC must consent to surgical treatment for 8 weeks, upon which he/she lays dormant. The implants are inspected and placed within the PC's brain at various locations in the cerebrum and cerebellum as well as the spine, necessary for interfacing with a pod. The implants themselves are very expensive, and for the time being it is likely that the PC will become a piece of government hardware that has not yet reached it's test phase. This means that if the PC is kidnapped, leaves, or is otherwise gone for any period of time longer then a few days, the faction will likely send soldiers to retrieve the PC by whatever means necessary (whether the PC be on an adventure, kidnapped, charmed, etc.).
Phase 4: Adjustment
The PC must adjust to an environment with his/her implants, which must remain intact forever and ever (should he/she lose them, he/she will lose status as a pod pilot). Any clones that the PC has (usually they may only be granted one, which can be 'upgraded' to withhold greater volumes of neural inter-connectivity/memory) are financed with the same variety of implants, backed by the company that the PC works for (usually a mega-corporation with its own territory within vacuum; space life usually means working for a corporation rich enough to have rights to its own stations).
The implants of a soon-to-be pod pilot are usually not visible even by glancing at a bare scalp, though the nodes might make little indentation bumps on the surface of the skull. Some pod pilots have claw-like metal instruments protruding from the backs of their craniums due to difficulties in applying additional internal cybernetic implants and hard-wiring that they might've bought (usually such implants are small, designed to increase the stats of a pod-pilot, or certain capsule related abilities); such implants are usually internal. Exterior cybernetic implants do not factor into capsule interfacing, and may prove only beneficial in physical circumstances.
Phase 5: Interfacing
This is the stage often dreaded by nearly any new-breed pod pilot: in rare cases it has been known (http://www.eve-online.com/races/wetgrave/?pp=background,stories) that the prior stages were failures that had gone unchecked. However, for technology as advanced as this, it is considered that there is always a margin for error in that failure may mean that a pilot will be permanently encased within a hydrostatic tomb that was to be his capsule. Upon the PC entering into the gel of the capsule for his/her very first interfacing ever, they may be given the opportunity to make a morale save or be panicked (at GM discretion, they may be shaken, whichever). A will save to interface with the pod is technically a telepathy check assisted by the PC's neural implants; psychic characters may recieve a +3 bonus per point of WIS modifier to their check to interface. If the pilot improperly interfaces, then they are technically dead; while they can be cut out of the pod, their charisma will be reduced to 0 and unable to rise by natural means; for while conscious, their soul exists between the spaces of the pod and their own mind, unable to transfer to either location and permanently incapacitated, unable to control the pod and unable to control their own body (referred to as a fatal condition known as 'mind lock').
If the pod is destroyed when the PC is in this condition, then they must make another will save (DC 60) or die instantly of shock release.
If cured of mind lock, likely the PC would never wish to attempt becoming a pod pilot again, unless under the affects of a suggestion or dominate person spell.
A successful check means that the PC has successfully interfaced with the capsule. When successfully interfacing, the PC may now control the capsule in vacuum (with the necessary skills; usually a capsule quickly accelerates within half a second from 0 to a max speed of 200m/s on average depending on the pilot, or roughly 3600'/720 spaces per round). Coming into and out of the capsule means another will save (same as first entering but at -5 original DC for interfacing/de-interfacing). The save becomes easier each time the PC enters and exits, however the difficulty decrease will only happen once each day. Eventually, interfacing and de-interfacing with a pod becomes second nature (usually after 4 or 5 days).
The capsule itself is free of purchase once the PC has proven capable of interfacing with it; however the PC may only have one capsule per clone of themselves. Only one clone may be had by a PC, and since the PC only has one 'soul', that 'soul' may only exist in the mind of one clone/body at a time. The PC's clone can be upgraded, and is an exact copy of themselves, minus any physical traits such as 'distinguished' in terms of bodily scars that were acquired during the PC's career as a pod pilot, etc. Equipment can be stored away, either near the PC's additional clone or in the cargo bay of a spaceship that they have purchased (the capsule contains no cargo bay). Jump clones may be purchased, however the PC must have very high standings with the owner of said station or location that sells jump clones (as measured by the PC's interface, which is what the PC 'sees' while in a capsule). Usually standing with a mega-corporation that owns a station can be rough; it's NPCs don't usually completely know you however they may recognize you as a pod pilot (depending on their own capacity to recognize others).
The Pod Pilot Template
On top of racial modifiers, a pod pilot recieves:
- +5 bonus to reputation (if reputation applies to adventure/campaign)
- Capsule Interfacing(Sp) as a feat
- Max wealth by level
- Permanently ingrained hardware enough for six empty slots for cybernetic implants and six empty slots for cybernetic hard-wiring
- A neural port, providing a capsule's AI system the ability to gradually download memory into a character of this template's brain (via 'books'), allowing for the acquisition of feats and skills at an acclimated rate separate to actual class levels for a character of this template
- The ability to take on 'Pod Pilot Bonus Feats'
- Are treated as if they have the iron will feat (iron will may be taken again and stack)
- Are treated as if they have the great fortitude feat (great fortitude may be taken again and stack)
Capsule interface:
The Capsule, which in itself, is really only a simple capsule made mostly from nocxium alloy (material hardness 15 per inch) without weapons but with warp capability and a capacitor's output of 125, can interface with any spaceship in new eden. New Eden currency for pod pilots in itself is considered ISK (or Inter Stellar Kredits), however in other galaxies or star clusters with civilizations, this may vary.
The capsule's interface realistically allows the pilot to view many menus and databases at the 'click' of their mind. The images aren't presented in a dream-like state, however. Rather, they are 'real' in the sense of a VR instrument implanting images directly to one's brain: images and data that that person can interact with and compile, much like manipulating an operating system at the conjunction between one's own mind and the capsule; or the 'wood between the worlds' as it were.
What a pod pilot 'sees'
A pod pilot views things much differently, somewhat akin to that of a clairvoyant viewing themselves. A pod pilot can see their own capsule, and feel the thrum of any room that the capsule sits in while interfaced. When using the capsule as a control room for a ship (the reason for why pod pilots are dubbed 'pod pilots'), the pilot essentially 'becomes' the ship. They can see the ship that they're piloting within their own interface as well as see all around themselves using the variety of nanite camera drones that are essential assistants to a pod pilot (no mechanics; they follow a ship everywhere and are too difficult to detect in themselves by enemies).
When determining what the PC sees, the player must say what they are looking at or if they are zoomed out at any point in time (whether looking at a map or 'tactical overlay' or whichever). In most cases, an 'overview' is presented amongst a pod pilot's interface. This overview presents all the items that the ship has scanned in relative proximity (usually up to a distance of about 300 kilometers surrounding the ship). In the case of 'zooming' the pod pilot PC is able to essentially provide for themselves a 'bird's eye view' or zoom in on a specific location, up to about a few hundred meters from the ship. The view is wide, so the pilot can easily view their entire ship at any one time (and even if they can't due to a ship being potentially large, they still have the option of zooming out; such is the might of their capsule's interface). Include all rules for overhead flight and spot checks when viewing other targets (made easier by what the overview is set to present which usually nulls the spot check and instead presents a search check to look for specific targets according to however many targets are presented on an overview).
What the pod pilot 'hears'
Sound is synthesized through a capsule to prevent disorientation and assist in better neural adjustment for the pod pilot and his/her environment (having 'become' the craft that they fly, or in the case of not having a craft, the capsule), however most of it is mish-mashed, and while completely realistic in terms of distance and propagation, listen checks aren't always advised when searching for the enemy as the sound of movement doesn't always travel (unless the enemy is slowing down and speeding up once more, usually at GM discretion in terms of listen checks). Additionally, scanner equipment is much more popular, with search checks being reduced to perusing an interface's overview, and listen checks to instilling fear at identifying whether or not the enemy fired a missile, used a deployable bomb, or fired a mounted auto cannon. Because the sound is synthesized (you can't hear anything in space), it can never compensate for everything, and so many things cannot be heard at all (as a rule, the activation of modules is silent, ie.).
Station Regard for Capsules
A station in itself, is often tremendously large (many kilometers in length and width), able to house many ships with thousands of hangars, thus keeping it in business and 'afloat' in vacuum for useful purposes. For this reason, there can be thousands of individual citizens, pod pilot, PC and NPC alike circulating throughout a single station which is in itself like a city. For this reason, the corporation that has rights to the station has its own reputation system for pod pilot PC's. As recorded by their capsule's interface, 'standing' can vary according to the pod pilot's security status, however many vacuum-related tasks they've performed for the agents (which can be somewhat akin to an adventure in itself), however many wars they've fought in their name, how many bounties they've collected on the heads of enemies, or any other variety of factors. Standing can range from -10.00 to 10.00, whereas -5.00 can mean the owners will shoot you on sight, dismissing permission for you to dock at the station, while 7.00 might mean that you are in such high standing with the owner(s) that they will let you use the station's services free of charge, ie. 'Loyalty points' are also offered by some stations, signed on slips of paper, that can be redeemed for equipment and certain special services that the station might offer to the PC. Loyalty points are often acquired along with reputation, and only some well known, highly publicized stations offer them.
Maps:
Most capsules have access to a variety of star maps, programmed into the computer systems of the capsule itself, often merging into a singular efficient map as regulated by the computer's AI system. Because what a pod pilot sees while interfaced is much like what they might see if looking into a VR: when accessing the map they must direct their attention to a 'map tab' within their permanently projected mental view. As such, when accessing the map, all they will see is the map. The map can list anything, from details on a specific system of planets and star that the PC resides in, to details on key locations at other system points. The map can be updated, simply by interfacing with the matrix of a station's hangar (the internet of the future), though circumstances can be presented that do not account for this at GM discretion, such as an unknown star that is listed at the farthest point of a region of stars, but is otherwise unknown and may or may not be advised by the map as a potentially deadly location (more so then the ungaurded systems designated as 0 security).
Wallet
The PC might often leave their bags of physical cash (whether gold, silver, dollar bills, isk z-coins, etc.) at a specific location, rather than in their cargo hangar of the ship that their pod has interfaced with (the player has the choice of storing them in cargo, however they always run the risk of losing it in a fire fight that results in the destruction of their spaceship). In the case of money, the computer system of a capsule acts as a pilot's ATM for digital money. Most money is dealt with digitally in space civilizations using the merged matrix that expands through FTL communication across many star regions (in the New Eden universe, at least) for simplification purposes (because pod pilots cannot interact with each other physically without exiting their capsules).
The destruction of a ship
Usually the destruction of a spaceship would mean death for its pilot and crew in vacuum, however, ships made to go with capsules (usually those of a frigate size or larger) automatically program safety measures that can adapt to the capsule. Contained cargo within a spaceship is jettisoned (however their is usually a massive margin of circumstance in which a portion cargo parishes in vacuum at GM discretion or percentage roll), whereas the capsule acts as an escape pod. When the ship is destroyed, the capsule, completely shielded by it's fire-proof layer (no damage), automatically ejects from the ship's wreckage, adapting to the new condition nigh-instantly, upon which the pilot has free control of his/her capsule to escape from the given danger (usually by making use of the warp drive to 'warp out'). The capsule is never treated as prone and in-operable for any amount of time (see: instant). No saving throws are needed.
The destruction of a capsule
If destroying a spaceship does not mean the death of the pilot inside, then 'popping' their escape pod definitely will. When a capsule is destroyed in vacuum (where it is fully operational), the capsule's computer itself injects the pilot with a deadly nanotoxin that kills him/her instantly (unless the PC succeeds on a DC 40 FORT save for every round following, up to 1d10 rounds) ; such a thing is performed by the detecting of the slightest crack of escaping air within the pod that would easily result in the destruction of the capsule (its system is advanced enough to detect any sort of measurement; the capsule is also designed to 'pop' nigh-instantly once this occurs). Simultaneously, at the point of the lethal injection, a camera built into the back of the pilot's skull will take a picture of the pilots brain and simultaneously send the brain map scan all the way back to the location of the pilot's clone; a process that instantly fries the brain of the currently dying pod pilot (50 damage (or bare minimum of whatever massive damage threshold is, if such rules are being used), no saving throw). Likely the vat containing the pilot's clone contains proper equipment made to scan the brain map and properly graft it on to the new clone within its vat light years away, a process that takes only a few seconds. Upon successfully sewing a 'soul' into this new clone, the vat containing the clone shuts down and the conscious character arrives fresh and anew, reborn at the location of the station; upgraded clones are measured in their capacity to retain memories that the character's previous body contained (this includes XP and levels, though the character may still retain certain memories of events that occurred during that day, despite the likely XP loss).
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/Uaxis/bscan.jpg
A Two Dimensional Brain Scan
Usually a clone upgrade that didn't cause the PC to lose any inter-connective memory at all would mean no XP loss, and as such does not qualify as the PC technically 'dying' (though this can be at GM discretion). While this method costs exhorbitant amounts of cash, it is easily more convenient than a resurrection/revival spell, as the destruction of a capsule can not only severely mutilate the pilot's body, the body can also be completely frozen in vacuum and must then be retrieved from within the infinite depths of space; from wherever the pilot was attacked and 'killed'.
A capsule in itself, however, is also a tough nut to crack. When not active, it's structure and armor alone have 150 and 156 hp respectively (with the addition of 15 hardness per inch of nocxium alloy). When active, a capsule's shields are online, in which case the shields also add an additional 55 base hp on top of the armor and structure hardness (shield has no hardness of it's own since the shield is usually just a sheen-like field of hydromagnetic plasmic force energy that repels material contact). Additionally, the shield has a recharge rate of 1 hp every 2 rounds (capsule is a piloted construct and has technology that can repair itself... or at least its shield portion). This, in effect, offers 306hp + 55 temporary, recovering hit points (when active) for the vessel.
Of course, guns housed on turrets of ships made for naval-style combat in space will often reduce a capsule to cinders in seconds, but because a capsule's acceleration rate is so high (can shift to max speed in under a second; a swift action or immediate action, depending, where 'swift' is slower), capsules can often warp out before the enemy has the chance to target them with such mighty turrets, or if a creature has a chance to respond with an attack of opportunity.
Capsule
http://www.eve-online.com/background/eggers/eggers_part1.jpg
Allows the pod pilot to interface with any spaceship and pilot it alone, provided the pod pilot has the skills for said spaceship, of course. Conceived by Jovian design, this technology is obviously revolutionary to the point of nearly posing a whole new age in the interstellar travel chapter of human history.
But of course, without the ability to interface with such a craft as this, the pod pilot wouldn't be a pod pilot. It is very important to note that capsules are inoperable by anyone but a pod pilot (no matter how high whatever skill it is the GM is ruling is the de facto 'pilot' skill for a given PC).
Type: Construct (inanimate)
Size: Huge
Spaceship Size: Tiny Craft
Hardness (nocxium alloy): 15 per inch (50 total hardness)
Base Shield: 55
Base Shield Recharge Time: 1sp per 2 rounds
Base Shield Resistance:
- 0% EM
- 50% Exp
- 40% Kin
- 20% Th
Base Armor: 156
Base Armor Resistance:
- 60% EM
- 10% Exp
- 25% Kin
- 35% Th
Base Structure: 150
Total Base HP: 306hp; 55 shield points (heals 1 sp/2 rounds)
Available Slots for Fitting: 0 (H/M/L)
Base Capacitor Output Capacity: 125
Base Capacitor Recharge Time: 8.4scp (sub-capacity points) per round
Base Warp Speed: 2.3AU (astronomical units)
Warp CCAU (capacitor consumption per AU): Unknown (math help?)
Ladar Sensor Strength: 3 points (can be jammed)
Base Max Lockable Targets: 2 opponents
Base Scan Resolution: Unknown (determines how fast you can change/lock targets; again I need math help here)
Mass: 32000Kg
Volume: 1000m3 (size huge)
Cargo Capacity: 0 (no cargo)
Drone Bay: 0 (no drone bay)
Max base velocity: 141m/s (2531'/506 spaces base speed)
Sig Radius: 25m (75'/15 spaces)
Interface with a spaceship [Technology]
The Capsule has the unique ability to interface with any spaceship that was fitted to allow pod-pilots to drive them (this includes any spaceship in New Eden available on open market and quickly accessible through various stations). Interfacing requires that a ship be assembled and ready, as well as assistance from station machinery, or any other large machinery capable of extended or minor maintenance on an interstellar craft (at GM discretion). Their are no saving throws. Interfacing usually takes a few minutes, ample time for machinery to insert the the capsule, already containing the pod pilot PC, into the spaceship (whether through a slot, or other easy-access point in spaceship). Their are no saving throws, DC (unless performed by characters lacking machinery, though likely to be assisted by NPCs if there is ample machinery), or otherwise. It merely requires time (ie. a few minutes).
Once interfaced, the capsule, relaying a pod pilot's commands, can direct a spaceship, much as if it had its own complement of a full crew to navigate it, however the only navigator is the mind of the PC sitting in the capsule. A spaceship's modules, onlined, offlined, and manipulated by the pod pilot, can be maintained to some extent on an outer level, though logically the spaceship would require visits to stations to maintain it's inner workings, at GM discretion (however very infrequently, as an interstellar craft is usually built to sustain it's crew, despite lack of food, for months on end in vacuum). Pod pilots can slowly starve however, at a very slowed rate inside a capsule, so include the usual d20 rules for starvation. Additionally, the capsule is capable of acting as waste disposal and feeding for a PC, regulating and maintaining the entirety of the PCs body, however after a few months, the PC will still starve as the process of the gel within the capsule is barely indefinite.
Movement
Max velocity: Max velocity defines how fast your ship can travel (not taking into consideration mods/rigs/overheating or education that your PC has recieved through the spending of XP). It is your max speed, period. A ship cannot 'run' or 'withdraw', or hustle. Max speed does not consume capacitor capacity, effectively allowing a ship to travel at this speed indefinitely (of course in space, this means very little since space is endless). Additionally for this reason, the pilot is able to control the precise speed at which they are flying (in whole numbers up to max velocity), however it takes a certain amount of time for a ship to change speed (a move action according to weight of the craft), which can also mean that if a pilot were to choose a precise point in space at which to position their ship, said ship could fall off course by so many meters (feet/squares), if the pilot were not to make calculations ahead of time (some GM's might demand that the player make calculations, while other GM's might force an intuition check for every time a player wishes to take these types of actions; though obviously, all campaigns will vary in some way or another). There are no skill checks necessary to perform maneuvers that can otherwise be performed with but a thought (and perhaps, ultimately a devil-may-care attitude towards the consequences); all maneuvers that can be performed with but a thought using the capsule are essentially what the ship is capable of, and because the pilot is incapable of using anything but his/her mind for this operation, they are unable to perform maneuvers on unique ships that a capsule acting as the bridge does not have full access to in terms of interfacing (and if they could, then by GM discretion, such maneuvers could be performed using controls on the ship with such abilities as ranged ledgerdomain, mage hand, or telekinesis; although the gel of the pod might restrict movement and ultimately make casting or performing an extroadinary ability significantly more difficult).
Changing Direction: Changing direction takes into consideration the mass of the ship. A complete 180 degree turn might mean slowing down the ship to 1/4 of max velocity (depending on mass; for simpler games, this can depend on ship volume/craft size).
Orbit: 'Orbit' is a free action in which the PC pilot may only designate one target. The PC may fly at a designated radius, circling the target (after they've flown towards the target of course). If the target is faster flying then the PC's spaceship, then this operation might prove difficult, but nonetheless orbit presents an engagement strategy: if you are faster then the enemy (whether creature or other spaceship), orbit them! Orbiting creates a 'transversal' effect that allows a ship to gain dodge bonuses against that enemy (the faster flying effective to enemy eyesight). Additionally, the faster you fly the harder it is for other enemies to track you (with their ranged weaponry). The amount of dodge bonus is determined by the tracking might of the enemy's ship weaponry (tracking speed; tracking speed/angular velocity (which is the angle at which a ship moves relative to the shooter) = dodge bonus relative to the attacking ship's tracking speed (for determining dodge bonus against other attacking ships, recalculate using the formula); PCs/NPCs/monsters orbitting a ship may add additional dodge bonuses relative to the attacking ship (that they are orbiting), because it may present greater angular velocity.
Keep at Range:
'Keep at Range' is an action defined on a pod pilot's interface as just that: effectively keeping at a certain range from a target spaceship (may only target one spaceship, as the technology prevents a pilot from handling more than one target, unless the pilot successfully crafts better software and/or makes a certain type of tamper check to discern or 'fix' (at GM discretion!)).
When 'keeping at range', the pilot's ship takes any actions it can to maintain a certain distance from its target (designated by PC). This can last for several rounds, or half a round and must be stated by player (ie. I'll keep at range for half a round and then orbit, keeping guns active and overheated).
Collision Avoidance: All interstellar-traversing spaceships in New Eden make use of inertial technology to create collision avoidance (and to avoid very deadly warp accidents). As such, whenever an active a spaceship moves too close to an object (usually within a few meters/ or closer than adjacent to object) will always make a move action (which drags out a portion of turn according to effective mass of craft) to avoid the object. Some spaceships, if wedged between multiple objects, may find it impossible to turn or move at all due to collision avoidance (close fits such as 'tight fits' on space scale are prevented beforehand through collision avoidance, however you cannot fit through an area all the same).
A successful tamper check (ie. 'hacking' skill if computers) performed on a spaceship whenever the ship is not in operation (depending on ship faction and technology in ship at GM discretion) might allow a PC to successfully disable it's inertial collision avoidance drive, thus creating a literal interstellar ram that could be lethal to the pilot if warping, but obviously useful in its ability to collide through smaller objects (though damage must factor in, including hardness at mostly GM discretion (a logical GM would consider ram speed, and weight of ship to determine damage output/input due to a spaceship classifying as a construct)).
In this case, a corresponding survival and knowledge: vacuum check are needed to navigate around lethal objects when warping, though a ship's computers can still help in finding safe 'warp paths' in which a route is completely safe, though such technology is costly. Additionally, however, the previously mentioned checks can also be utilized to find potentially safer routes from deadly runs (ie. infested with pirates or man made hazards) with assistance of a pod pilot's map (which can half checks completely) as well.
Combat
There are many things to consider in a naval confrontation, and many strategies. Over the centuries and millenia, man has attempted to master it to no avail, whether it be one state or corporation or faction over another and in a continuous stricture of vice versa. In New Eden, much of this confrontation takes place in vacuum. A true master knows only which modules to use in the right confrontations at the right times. Others might wish to simply present overwhelming force to make their opponents quiver. Whichever strategy might apply, space still presents itself as an eternal void of endless cold and nothingness; no other life form presents itself for mankind to devour in a blaze of war born fire in New Eden but mankind itself.
Attacking
The act of 'attacking' in itself is a free action when piloting a spaceship. All it requires of a pod pilot PC is to activate his/her weapon turrets, which requires the act of mentally commanding the ship's weapon turrets to activate, which can only properly apply after having acquired a target. Usually, an interface will warn the pilot prior to them attacking a target flagged as 'friendly' by a system's security institutions. Few targets are unidentified, and even inanimate, otherwise natural objects, are often flagged as 'friendly' thus prompting action from local security forces such as concord to attack your ship. Pilot's are often warned prior to shooting friendly targets, so this issue is often easy to avoid unless the pilot chooses to instead ram such a target with their ship rather than shoot at it.
To 'ram' a target, the pilot needs to have made it so that their ship's collision avoidance systems/drive do not get in the way (tampered such that they may avoid objects they do not wish to hit or having disabled the drive altogether; DC and time sink usually at GM discretion, but often taking weeks depending on equipment used to tamper and skill check).
The act of targeting requires that the player declare the number of targets that he is targeting (one 'lock' for each opponent; all ships have a max amount of targets, which may increase with pilot education), out to the ship's 'maximum targeting range'. The time that it takes a ship's computer to target enemies depends on the ship's scan resolution. For convenience, large ships often take entire move actions to target enemies (unless boosted by mods, whether from another ship, or their own), while medium ships require only a standard action to acquire their targets; for small ships, such as frigates, targeting is usually a swift action. Once having acquired target(s), the ship may activate its guns, designating any number of its guns to each target, however all gun turrets have their stats as well.
When targeting an enemy, the AC of the target is always 5 if small, not including fall off or enemy modifiers, or if the sig radius of the enemy denotes it of a larger size then small (include appropriate modifiers for hitting larger creatures, treating the base size as 'small' for a frigate sized craft). Also, when targeting enemies without a sig radius, the AC is 10 if the enemy is immobile for anything of size tiny or larger (not including hidden or 'concealed' enemies).
'Total cover' is impossible in naval warfare, because chances are of a ship acquiring a lock meaning that the turret firing upon such a target will find a way around whatever cover the target vessel/creature is immersed in or otherwise behind.
Weapon Turrets
Weapon turrets on spaceships can include launchers, lasers, blasters (plasma), rails, autocannons, artillery sluggers, or any other variety of whatever the ship's powergrid output and cpu can support.
Every weapon has an optimal range, a tracking speed, a firing rate, damage, velocity, and explosion radius.
When activating a weapon turret upon a target ('attacking') these things are always taken into consideration via game mechanics.
Optimal Range
Their is no 'long', 'short', or 'point blank' range increment when factoring in weapons on an interstellar space ship (however some weapons work better at shorter distances then others, and are even capable of dealing greater damage in accordance with modules when within a certain portion of its optimal range), as weapons are controlled by computer systems that do not think quite like living sentient beings; or humans for that matter. Instead, optimal range is simply the range away from the spaceship at which a weapon can trace a target before 'fall off'. Fall off is defined as the point in which the computer's measurements become inaccurate. When firing at a range that would create fall off, whether tremendous or otherwise, the weapon begins to receive penalties to its attack roll to hit the target, because it now must factor in fall off. 'Fall off' penalty is usually calculated as one half of what is otherwise the attack modifier not including enemy dodge bonuses if the target is moving.
Tracking Speed
Tracking speed denotes the capability of a weapon to trace it's target. For simplicity, smaller ships capable of housing less weapons are often more accurate (max is 8 turrets, unless the ship is exotic, whereas minimum might be 2 or 1, where the specific smaller ship has a greater tracking speed; additionally smaller ships of frigate size in New Eden can only house a maximum of 4 turrets). Tracking speed of a PC's ship affects how much of a dodge bonus the enemy ship might have in relation (tracking speed/angular velocity).
Firing Rate
Effects how often a single turret can fire. Because their are many ships out there capable of housing multiple turrets, said ship can activate all of them in a given round, however each turret also has a specific drain on the capacitor of the ship housing them.
For determining a ship's 'full attack' ie., factor in (for example) a small auto-cannon's firing rate, which might be 1.5 (once every 1.5 seconds). Because a round is officially 6 seconds of game time, said weapon is capable of firing up to 4 times during the round (easily worth its own weight in a many shot). A destroyer, often made to be capable of housing eight small turrets (maximum number of hard points for most ships), might have 8 of these small auto-cannons, meaning on a 'full attack', the ship could fire up to 32 times! (with all its weapons; considering the capacitor can handle the output, of course, which it often can, due to what a destroyer is designed to do).
Damage
All weapons deal damage, however according to a pod pilot's interface, these weapons also deal damage according to energy.
A fighter swinging his/her sword ie. might create kinetic (Kin; or force damage), despite what would otherwise be 'slashing' damage. Nonetheless, most mundane damage, such the swing of a medieval weapon or the force of a bullet, are all 'kinetic' damage. This is just an example of regard for damage types against whatever a pod pilot commands (also consider that the material hardness of a ship is made to resist any type of damage, so that it is not what you use, but the amount that you provide in that respect).
Thermal damage (Th) is anything involving heat or (likely) thermal energy. This can be magical fire ('hotter' than normal fire), or mundane fire. It really matters not what it is, according to a pod pilot's interface; as such, such damage is nonetheless a type of danger that needs to be compensated for with the necessary technology (such as rigs, hardwiring, education) and/or modules. Other examples of thermal include plasma (however heated), spells relating to fire, or anything else that has to do with heat (likely fire). For this reason, fire damage and thermal resistance are interchangeable.
Electromagnetic (EM) damage is both shocking and a danger to circuitry. It can also wear away and deal damage to ships in its own unique barrage of man-made violence. Technology is available to allow ships to hold against this. Additionally, electrical damage, whether spell or otherwise is equally ineffective against a ship when prepared against EM damage.
Explosive damage (Exp), covers anything not already listed. Usually relates to attacks that invoke large radiation doses. Explosive compensates for anomalies such as antimatter and chemicals as well.
Velocity
While ship velocity is manageable, most weapon turret velocities are even faster (made to overcome relativity), and as such, are not even taken into consideration by a ship's computer systems (except through 'fall off'). However, some weapons, such as mounted launchers, might attack a ship by way of rockets, missiles or torpedoes. These weapons must, as such, factor in velocity.
Because a weapon such as a missile takes time to reach it's target (rather then 'instantly'), its velocity determines that amount of time. Firing factors into the weapon's firing rate as usual, however velocity is often the speed at which such a launcher must ignite and propel the device. For convenience, most missiles fly to extended ranges, with light ones usually able to reach distances of 30km or more and the much heavier cruise variety able to travel many dozens of klicks farther; whereas rockets lose fuel and die at ranges of up to a mere 10km. Torpedoes on the other hand, while dumb and requiring launcher tracking speed (thus able to only hit very large targets, such as ships the same size as the one launching the torpedoes), are able to travel at ranges equivalent to 100km or more. Velocity depends on pilot education (ie. if the pilot spends xp on 'missile bombardment' education) as well as hardwiring (made to substitute for lack of education or stack with it), and/or rigs (that assist a ship's launchers).
Velocity usually factors in range and is always thereof, so the time it takes to reach it's target is a simple physical equation of distance/velocity.
Because all missiles 'home' their targets; once they have reached their destination, the velocity must adjust itself to appropriately allow the missile to guide itself into the craft (often the missile will appear to quickly circle and then plant itself, simultaneously exploding upon its target). This accounts for all variety of missiles ('light', 'heavy' or 'cruise'). For convenience, this is a swift action, unless multiple missiles must 'arm and home' at the same time, at which point it becomes a move action for every 4th missile after the third that is in the process of 'arming and homing', on top of that (ie. 20 missiles are circling a target; the first three require a swift action to explode upon their select destination without upsetting the balance of actions, while the other 17 each need a move action to compensate for other missiles within their view). It is important to remember that missiles only 'arm and home' once they have reached a convenient distance at their target. Because spaceship combat is performed at immense ranges, it is usually unnecessary for the GM to consider precise distances at which every missile or type of missile might arm and home in on its designated target.
Explosion Radius
This is the radius of collateral damage that a launched weapon (one that factors in velocity) creates around it. Usually the target itself suffers most damage, while everything else within range suffers 'area of effect' damage. As such, include the usual rules for most area of effect attacks (whether spell or explosion; ie. 2/3 damage at 2/3 radius; 1/3 damage at 1/3 outer radius not including other effects such as shrapnel, in which case include the missile's damage type (which might be kinetic/explosive) and factor in slashing/force fire damage distributed evenly, at GM discretion to determine damage type of non-pod piloted ships or creatures).
Explosion radius of a launched device (missile, rocket, torpedo, deployable bomb), can be changed by way of the usual means (education, hardwiring, mods, rigs or other technology, etc.).
'Cloaked' Enemies
Cloaked targets are completely invisible and cannot be targeted in anyway (even if they can be seen by a pod pilot's nano-camera drone assistant as well as the pilot's 'minds eye', a computer without a very high scan resolution (at GM discretion) will not be able to target it, and thus cannot fire upon it, unless having deployed a bomb near it or activated a 'smart bomb'.
In terms of perhaps having the PC warn their comrades in fleet about targets that they see; include normal rules for performing spot checks against cloaked targets (whether presented as 'blurry' or as an outline). 'Cloaked' targets are never presented in a pod pilot's overview due to the ship being unable to identify them with its resolution despite whether or not its sensory equipment (whether magnetometric, ladar, radar or gravimetric), detects the object.
Smart Bombing
Not entirely a smart thing in and of itself, or ironically, a smart thing to do even in the midst of secure space where accidentally trimming the front bumper off of a cloaked target could mean incurring the wrath of concord or other local security forces; smart bombing nevertheless likely received its name from it's ability to create an efficiently 'clean' explosive radius around the ship, without actually harming the ship itself. Smart bombs are still dangerous to other ships (even allies) however, likely meaning that such a ship could earn dislike amongst its fleet. Nonetheless, they're still useful against smaller targets of which the larger weapons of a fleet are often unable to hit without epic tracking speeds.
Treat a smart bomb as an 'aura' of which is emitted from out of the ship in a specified three-dimensional radius (determined by the size of the smart bomb, being either small (appropriate for frigate sized craft), medium (cruisers) or large (battleships)). The bomb is made to deal the same amount of damage to all targets in the area of effect, which can vary depending on its size.
The names of smart bombs can also vary, which often denote the bomb's damage type ('gravitonic' might denote kinetic damage, ie.). Even with different names, some bombs are identically useful in combat, much like weapon turrets, mods and mining utilities (though not so much in a combat environment).
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Updates will arrive throughout the rest of the week.
- Conversion factors: 1 meter = 3' (just how I go by :smalltongue:)
- 2m3 (cubic meters) = Capable of holding one size medium creature (tight space)
- 4m3 (cubic meters) = May hold one size large creature (depending on shape/tight space)
Need math help on scan resolution and warp CCAU (capacitor consumption per AU)! :smalleek:
Feel free to criticize any of the formulas!
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/Uaxis/eve-onlinelargeimage.jpg
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In the time since all the races came into contact with each other about 150 years ago, inter-stellar trading has steadily increased; especially ever since the races began cooperating more closely through institutes such as CONCORD.
Today many space ships are equipped with a capsule, which makes control of the ship much more easy and efficient for the pod pilot. Not just anybody can become a pod pilot. Pod pilots require a special kind of neural implants. The training is extremely rigorous and taxing, and only a small fraction of students actually make it through. This makes able pod pilots a unique breed that have a special status within society. The pilots are regarded by the empires as an expensive investment as well as a huge prestige - the number of inter-stellar traders an empire has in many ways reflects the economic vitality of the empire.
Yet despite the desire of the empires to keep their pod pilots on a leash, things have developed differently: Because of the exulted status of the pod pilots, they’ve in fact managed as the years have passed to make themselves ever more independent from the empires that spawned them. Most pod pilots are still employees of an empire company or organization, but what work they do is largely self-controlled. The ever-increasing number of pod pilots entering the market alleviates this problem for the empires and has allowed them to increase the number of pilots working for them despite the fact that proportionally more and more pilots are going totally independent.
The prestige enjoyed by these people is enormous. Apart from the revered status many of them endure or enjoy, they receive a number of other privileges. The most important of these is their access to cloning, which is strictly supervised in all the empires. Although some rogue cloning stations are in operation the vast majority of cloning facilities are empire controlled and who is allowed a clone is rigorously controlled. Pod pilots are one of very few professions that have, because of the nature of their job, more or less unrestricted access to clones, although any special types of clones must be paid for out of their own pocket.
Becoming a Pod Pilot
This section is for 'fluff' or for the purposes of ratification if ever the PC's come across this solution in a campaign world.
A Pod Pilot isn't merely a class unto itself. A pod pilot can begin training as any prior class. Pod pilots aren't treated as prestige classes, and are instead much more like augmented templates, however they also need only recognition from the GM or written on the PC's character sheet, as the process of becoming a pod pilot can transform a PC into that of very high reputation amongst other NPCs (treat as buffed version of 'distinguished' trait, +5 reputation, ie; stacks with distinguished).
By GM discretion, a character may only become a pod pilot with proper mental compatibility related to genetic traits in the brain matter. For simplification purposes, a pod pilot must have both a WIS and INT of at least 12 in order to survive that capsule initiation process, however this is still GM discretion. Most pod pilots are human (though their are other 'close' races that are exceptions, such as naturally psionic races), because humans are among the most adaptive of LA 0 sentient races as well as potentially acquiring the most skill points the most quickly, necessary for long term survival in the rigors of space.
Psychic PCs are almost always capable of becoming pod pilots, because having opened their mind to the outside 'vibes' of the world, they are capable of adjusting to semi-permanent hydrostatic stasis within a pod, which might kill any other PC/NPC.
To become a pod pilot, there are five phases.
Phase 1: Training
The PC must study at an academy or institute for a few years. At some given point they must take a variety of written tests. They can not ask to become a pod pilot, instead they must be chosen, upon which point they will take the tests. The tests might require a riddle that the GM lays on the specific player, or it might be a few consecutive will saves and intuition checks. Some factions might even have trial of combat or require you to have previously been a pilot having passed/performed a religious rite or initiation phase in years past (ie. khanid kingdom, or blood raiders).
Having the right skills (which can be acquired during this 'certification phase' for RP purposes) is necessary to pilot a capsule. Capsules are unique craft, and so the skills can both assist and be necessary for its operation. Additionally, the proper neural nodes are necessary within a PC's brain to interface. Skills are to be taken prior to interfacing.
Skills (necessary):
- Pilot Small Space Craft (4 ranks)
- Autohypnosis (1 rank); only if already psychic, otherwise ignored
- Concentration (4 ranks)
- Survival (4 ranks)
- Knowledge (vacuum; 2 ranks)
- Knowledge (cybernetics; 2 ranks)
Feats:
Their are no necessary feats to be taken, however it is always suggested that the PC be 'very prepared' for the interfacing phase. In some cases, the GM can prevent the PC from passing the 'examination' phase if they are simply unprepared feat and skill wise in areas that would assist rather then are necessary.
Phase 2: Examination
This is where whichever initiation institute that was laid down by your PC's faction inspects your character for appropriate genetic traits. The PC usually lives 'normally' within closed confines for 5 weeks during the time that scientists must inspect your PC with appropriate radiation imagery and bio-scan equipment. The test results, of which are cross tested/referenced, must be processed and then brought forth to some sort of commity where the comity's 'board of directors' make a decision based on whether or not your PC is deemed appropriate for pod pilot training (at GM discretion, obviously).
Phase 3: Surgery
The PC must consent to surgical treatment for 8 weeks, upon which he/she lays dormant. The implants are inspected and placed within the PC's brain at various locations in the cerebrum and cerebellum as well as the spine, necessary for interfacing with a pod. The implants themselves are very expensive, and for the time being it is likely that the PC will become a piece of government hardware that has not yet reached it's test phase. This means that if the PC is kidnapped, leaves, or is otherwise gone for any period of time longer then a few days, the faction will likely send soldiers to retrieve the PC by whatever means necessary (whether the PC be on an adventure, kidnapped, charmed, etc.).
Phase 4: Adjustment
The PC must adjust to an environment with his/her implants, which must remain intact forever and ever (should he/she lose them, he/she will lose status as a pod pilot). Any clones that the PC has (usually they may only be granted one, which can be 'upgraded' to withhold greater volumes of neural inter-connectivity/memory) are financed with the same variety of implants, backed by the company that the PC works for (usually a mega-corporation with its own territory within vacuum; space life usually means working for a corporation rich enough to have rights to its own stations).
The implants of a soon-to-be pod pilot are usually not visible even by glancing at a bare scalp, though the nodes might make little indentation bumps on the surface of the skull. Some pod pilots have claw-like metal instruments protruding from the backs of their craniums due to difficulties in applying additional internal cybernetic implants and hard-wiring that they might've bought (usually such implants are small, designed to increase the stats of a pod-pilot, or certain capsule related abilities); such implants are usually internal. Exterior cybernetic implants do not factor into capsule interfacing, and may prove only beneficial in physical circumstances.
Phase 5: Interfacing
This is the stage often dreaded by nearly any new-breed pod pilot: in rare cases it has been known (http://www.eve-online.com/races/wetgrave/?pp=background,stories) that the prior stages were failures that had gone unchecked. However, for technology as advanced as this, it is considered that there is always a margin for error in that failure may mean that a pilot will be permanently encased within a hydrostatic tomb that was to be his capsule. Upon the PC entering into the gel of the capsule for his/her very first interfacing ever, they may be given the opportunity to make a morale save or be panicked (at GM discretion, they may be shaken, whichever). A will save to interface with the pod is technically a telepathy check assisted by the PC's neural implants; psychic characters may recieve a +3 bonus per point of WIS modifier to their check to interface. If the pilot improperly interfaces, then they are technically dead; while they can be cut out of the pod, their charisma will be reduced to 0 and unable to rise by natural means; for while conscious, their soul exists between the spaces of the pod and their own mind, unable to transfer to either location and permanently incapacitated, unable to control the pod and unable to control their own body (referred to as a fatal condition known as 'mind lock').
If the pod is destroyed when the PC is in this condition, then they must make another will save (DC 60) or die instantly of shock release.
If cured of mind lock, likely the PC would never wish to attempt becoming a pod pilot again, unless under the affects of a suggestion or dominate person spell.
A successful check means that the PC has successfully interfaced with the capsule. When successfully interfacing, the PC may now control the capsule in vacuum (with the necessary skills; usually a capsule quickly accelerates within half a second from 0 to a max speed of 200m/s on average depending on the pilot, or roughly 3600'/720 spaces per round). Coming into and out of the capsule means another will save (same as first entering but at -5 original DC for interfacing/de-interfacing). The save becomes easier each time the PC enters and exits, however the difficulty decrease will only happen once each day. Eventually, interfacing and de-interfacing with a pod becomes second nature (usually after 4 or 5 days).
The capsule itself is free of purchase once the PC has proven capable of interfacing with it; however the PC may only have one capsule per clone of themselves. Only one clone may be had by a PC, and since the PC only has one 'soul', that 'soul' may only exist in the mind of one clone/body at a time. The PC's clone can be upgraded, and is an exact copy of themselves, minus any physical traits such as 'distinguished' in terms of bodily scars that were acquired during the PC's career as a pod pilot, etc. Equipment can be stored away, either near the PC's additional clone or in the cargo bay of a spaceship that they have purchased (the capsule contains no cargo bay). Jump clones may be purchased, however the PC must have very high standings with the owner of said station or location that sells jump clones (as measured by the PC's interface, which is what the PC 'sees' while in a capsule). Usually standing with a mega-corporation that owns a station can be rough; it's NPCs don't usually completely know you however they may recognize you as a pod pilot (depending on their own capacity to recognize others).
The Pod Pilot Template
On top of racial modifiers, a pod pilot recieves:
- +5 bonus to reputation (if reputation applies to adventure/campaign)
- Capsule Interfacing(Sp) as a feat
- Max wealth by level
- Permanently ingrained hardware enough for six empty slots for cybernetic implants and six empty slots for cybernetic hard-wiring
- A neural port, providing a capsule's AI system the ability to gradually download memory into a character of this template's brain (via 'books'), allowing for the acquisition of feats and skills at an acclimated rate separate to actual class levels for a character of this template
- The ability to take on 'Pod Pilot Bonus Feats'
- Are treated as if they have the iron will feat (iron will may be taken again and stack)
- Are treated as if they have the great fortitude feat (great fortitude may be taken again and stack)
Capsule interface:
The Capsule, which in itself, is really only a simple capsule made mostly from nocxium alloy (material hardness 15 per inch) without weapons but with warp capability and a capacitor's output of 125, can interface with any spaceship in new eden. New Eden currency for pod pilots in itself is considered ISK (or Inter Stellar Kredits), however in other galaxies or star clusters with civilizations, this may vary.
The capsule's interface realistically allows the pilot to view many menus and databases at the 'click' of their mind. The images aren't presented in a dream-like state, however. Rather, they are 'real' in the sense of a VR instrument implanting images directly to one's brain: images and data that that person can interact with and compile, much like manipulating an operating system at the conjunction between one's own mind and the capsule; or the 'wood between the worlds' as it were.
What a pod pilot 'sees'
A pod pilot views things much differently, somewhat akin to that of a clairvoyant viewing themselves. A pod pilot can see their own capsule, and feel the thrum of any room that the capsule sits in while interfaced. When using the capsule as a control room for a ship (the reason for why pod pilots are dubbed 'pod pilots'), the pilot essentially 'becomes' the ship. They can see the ship that they're piloting within their own interface as well as see all around themselves using the variety of nanite camera drones that are essential assistants to a pod pilot (no mechanics; they follow a ship everywhere and are too difficult to detect in themselves by enemies).
When determining what the PC sees, the player must say what they are looking at or if they are zoomed out at any point in time (whether looking at a map or 'tactical overlay' or whichever). In most cases, an 'overview' is presented amongst a pod pilot's interface. This overview presents all the items that the ship has scanned in relative proximity (usually up to a distance of about 300 kilometers surrounding the ship). In the case of 'zooming' the pod pilot PC is able to essentially provide for themselves a 'bird's eye view' or zoom in on a specific location, up to about a few hundred meters from the ship. The view is wide, so the pilot can easily view their entire ship at any one time (and even if they can't due to a ship being potentially large, they still have the option of zooming out; such is the might of their capsule's interface). Include all rules for overhead flight and spot checks when viewing other targets (made easier by what the overview is set to present which usually nulls the spot check and instead presents a search check to look for specific targets according to however many targets are presented on an overview).
What the pod pilot 'hears'
Sound is synthesized through a capsule to prevent disorientation and assist in better neural adjustment for the pod pilot and his/her environment (having 'become' the craft that they fly, or in the case of not having a craft, the capsule), however most of it is mish-mashed, and while completely realistic in terms of distance and propagation, listen checks aren't always advised when searching for the enemy as the sound of movement doesn't always travel (unless the enemy is slowing down and speeding up once more, usually at GM discretion in terms of listen checks). Additionally, scanner equipment is much more popular, with search checks being reduced to perusing an interface's overview, and listen checks to instilling fear at identifying whether or not the enemy fired a missile, used a deployable bomb, or fired a mounted auto cannon. Because the sound is synthesized (you can't hear anything in space), it can never compensate for everything, and so many things cannot be heard at all (as a rule, the activation of modules is silent, ie.).
Station Regard for Capsules
A station in itself, is often tremendously large (many kilometers in length and width), able to house many ships with thousands of hangars, thus keeping it in business and 'afloat' in vacuum for useful purposes. For this reason, there can be thousands of individual citizens, pod pilot, PC and NPC alike circulating throughout a single station which is in itself like a city. For this reason, the corporation that has rights to the station has its own reputation system for pod pilot PC's. As recorded by their capsule's interface, 'standing' can vary according to the pod pilot's security status, however many vacuum-related tasks they've performed for the agents (which can be somewhat akin to an adventure in itself), however many wars they've fought in their name, how many bounties they've collected on the heads of enemies, or any other variety of factors. Standing can range from -10.00 to 10.00, whereas -5.00 can mean the owners will shoot you on sight, dismissing permission for you to dock at the station, while 7.00 might mean that you are in such high standing with the owner(s) that they will let you use the station's services free of charge, ie. 'Loyalty points' are also offered by some stations, signed on slips of paper, that can be redeemed for equipment and certain special services that the station might offer to the PC. Loyalty points are often acquired along with reputation, and only some well known, highly publicized stations offer them.
Maps:
Most capsules have access to a variety of star maps, programmed into the computer systems of the capsule itself, often merging into a singular efficient map as regulated by the computer's AI system. Because what a pod pilot sees while interfaced is much like what they might see if looking into a VR: when accessing the map they must direct their attention to a 'map tab' within their permanently projected mental view. As such, when accessing the map, all they will see is the map. The map can list anything, from details on a specific system of planets and star that the PC resides in, to details on key locations at other system points. The map can be updated, simply by interfacing with the matrix of a station's hangar (the internet of the future), though circumstances can be presented that do not account for this at GM discretion, such as an unknown star that is listed at the farthest point of a region of stars, but is otherwise unknown and may or may not be advised by the map as a potentially deadly location (more so then the ungaurded systems designated as 0 security).
Wallet
The PC might often leave their bags of physical cash (whether gold, silver, dollar bills, isk z-coins, etc.) at a specific location, rather than in their cargo hangar of the ship that their pod has interfaced with (the player has the choice of storing them in cargo, however they always run the risk of losing it in a fire fight that results in the destruction of their spaceship). In the case of money, the computer system of a capsule acts as a pilot's ATM for digital money. Most money is dealt with digitally in space civilizations using the merged matrix that expands through FTL communication across many star regions (in the New Eden universe, at least) for simplification purposes (because pod pilots cannot interact with each other physically without exiting their capsules).
The destruction of a ship
Usually the destruction of a spaceship would mean death for its pilot and crew in vacuum, however, ships made to go with capsules (usually those of a frigate size or larger) automatically program safety measures that can adapt to the capsule. Contained cargo within a spaceship is jettisoned (however their is usually a massive margin of circumstance in which a portion cargo parishes in vacuum at GM discretion or percentage roll), whereas the capsule acts as an escape pod. When the ship is destroyed, the capsule, completely shielded by it's fire-proof layer (no damage), automatically ejects from the ship's wreckage, adapting to the new condition nigh-instantly, upon which the pilot has free control of his/her capsule to escape from the given danger (usually by making use of the warp drive to 'warp out'). The capsule is never treated as prone and in-operable for any amount of time (see: instant). No saving throws are needed.
The destruction of a capsule
If destroying a spaceship does not mean the death of the pilot inside, then 'popping' their escape pod definitely will. When a capsule is destroyed in vacuum (where it is fully operational), the capsule's computer itself injects the pilot with a deadly nanotoxin that kills him/her instantly (unless the PC succeeds on a DC 40 FORT save for every round following, up to 1d10 rounds) ; such a thing is performed by the detecting of the slightest crack of escaping air within the pod that would easily result in the destruction of the capsule (its system is advanced enough to detect any sort of measurement; the capsule is also designed to 'pop' nigh-instantly once this occurs). Simultaneously, at the point of the lethal injection, a camera built into the back of the pilot's skull will take a picture of the pilots brain and simultaneously send the brain map scan all the way back to the location of the pilot's clone; a process that instantly fries the brain of the currently dying pod pilot (50 damage (or bare minimum of whatever massive damage threshold is, if such rules are being used), no saving throw). Likely the vat containing the pilot's clone contains proper equipment made to scan the brain map and properly graft it on to the new clone within its vat light years away, a process that takes only a few seconds. Upon successfully sewing a 'soul' into this new clone, the vat containing the clone shuts down and the conscious character arrives fresh and anew, reborn at the location of the station; upgraded clones are measured in their capacity to retain memories that the character's previous body contained (this includes XP and levels, though the character may still retain certain memories of events that occurred during that day, despite the likely XP loss).
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/Uaxis/bscan.jpg
A Two Dimensional Brain Scan
Usually a clone upgrade that didn't cause the PC to lose any inter-connective memory at all would mean no XP loss, and as such does not qualify as the PC technically 'dying' (though this can be at GM discretion). While this method costs exhorbitant amounts of cash, it is easily more convenient than a resurrection/revival spell, as the destruction of a capsule can not only severely mutilate the pilot's body, the body can also be completely frozen in vacuum and must then be retrieved from within the infinite depths of space; from wherever the pilot was attacked and 'killed'.
A capsule in itself, however, is also a tough nut to crack. When not active, it's structure and armor alone have 150 and 156 hp respectively (with the addition of 15 hardness per inch of nocxium alloy). When active, a capsule's shields are online, in which case the shields also add an additional 55 base hp on top of the armor and structure hardness (shield has no hardness of it's own since the shield is usually just a sheen-like field of hydromagnetic plasmic force energy that repels material contact). Additionally, the shield has a recharge rate of 1 hp every 2 rounds (capsule is a piloted construct and has technology that can repair itself... or at least its shield portion). This, in effect, offers 306hp + 55 temporary, recovering hit points (when active) for the vessel.
Of course, guns housed on turrets of ships made for naval-style combat in space will often reduce a capsule to cinders in seconds, but because a capsule's acceleration rate is so high (can shift to max speed in under a second; a swift action or immediate action, depending, where 'swift' is slower), capsules can often warp out before the enemy has the chance to target them with such mighty turrets, or if a creature has a chance to respond with an attack of opportunity.
Capsule
http://www.eve-online.com/background/eggers/eggers_part1.jpg
Allows the pod pilot to interface with any spaceship and pilot it alone, provided the pod pilot has the skills for said spaceship, of course. Conceived by Jovian design, this technology is obviously revolutionary to the point of nearly posing a whole new age in the interstellar travel chapter of human history.
But of course, without the ability to interface with such a craft as this, the pod pilot wouldn't be a pod pilot. It is very important to note that capsules are inoperable by anyone but a pod pilot (no matter how high whatever skill it is the GM is ruling is the de facto 'pilot' skill for a given PC).
Type: Construct (inanimate)
Size: Huge
Spaceship Size: Tiny Craft
Hardness (nocxium alloy): 15 per inch (50 total hardness)
Base Shield: 55
Base Shield Recharge Time: 1sp per 2 rounds
Base Shield Resistance:
- 0% EM
- 50% Exp
- 40% Kin
- 20% Th
Base Armor: 156
Base Armor Resistance:
- 60% EM
- 10% Exp
- 25% Kin
- 35% Th
Base Structure: 150
Total Base HP: 306hp; 55 shield points (heals 1 sp/2 rounds)
Available Slots for Fitting: 0 (H/M/L)
Base Capacitor Output Capacity: 125
Base Capacitor Recharge Time: 8.4scp (sub-capacity points) per round
Base Warp Speed: 2.3AU (astronomical units)
Warp CCAU (capacitor consumption per AU): Unknown (math help?)
Ladar Sensor Strength: 3 points (can be jammed)
Base Max Lockable Targets: 2 opponents
Base Scan Resolution: Unknown (determines how fast you can change/lock targets; again I need math help here)
Mass: 32000Kg
Volume: 1000m3 (size huge)
Cargo Capacity: 0 (no cargo)
Drone Bay: 0 (no drone bay)
Max base velocity: 141m/s (2531'/506 spaces base speed)
Sig Radius: 25m (75'/15 spaces)
Interface with a spaceship [Technology]
The Capsule has the unique ability to interface with any spaceship that was fitted to allow pod-pilots to drive them (this includes any spaceship in New Eden available on open market and quickly accessible through various stations). Interfacing requires that a ship be assembled and ready, as well as assistance from station machinery, or any other large machinery capable of extended or minor maintenance on an interstellar craft (at GM discretion). Their are no saving throws. Interfacing usually takes a few minutes, ample time for machinery to insert the the capsule, already containing the pod pilot PC, into the spaceship (whether through a slot, or other easy-access point in spaceship). Their are no saving throws, DC (unless performed by characters lacking machinery, though likely to be assisted by NPCs if there is ample machinery), or otherwise. It merely requires time (ie. a few minutes).
Once interfaced, the capsule, relaying a pod pilot's commands, can direct a spaceship, much as if it had its own complement of a full crew to navigate it, however the only navigator is the mind of the PC sitting in the capsule. A spaceship's modules, onlined, offlined, and manipulated by the pod pilot, can be maintained to some extent on an outer level, though logically the spaceship would require visits to stations to maintain it's inner workings, at GM discretion (however very infrequently, as an interstellar craft is usually built to sustain it's crew, despite lack of food, for months on end in vacuum). Pod pilots can slowly starve however, at a very slowed rate inside a capsule, so include the usual d20 rules for starvation. Additionally, the capsule is capable of acting as waste disposal and feeding for a PC, regulating and maintaining the entirety of the PCs body, however after a few months, the PC will still starve as the process of the gel within the capsule is barely indefinite.
Movement
Max velocity: Max velocity defines how fast your ship can travel (not taking into consideration mods/rigs/overheating or education that your PC has recieved through the spending of XP). It is your max speed, period. A ship cannot 'run' or 'withdraw', or hustle. Max speed does not consume capacitor capacity, effectively allowing a ship to travel at this speed indefinitely (of course in space, this means very little since space is endless). Additionally for this reason, the pilot is able to control the precise speed at which they are flying (in whole numbers up to max velocity), however it takes a certain amount of time for a ship to change speed (a move action according to weight of the craft), which can also mean that if a pilot were to choose a precise point in space at which to position their ship, said ship could fall off course by so many meters (feet/squares), if the pilot were not to make calculations ahead of time (some GM's might demand that the player make calculations, while other GM's might force an intuition check for every time a player wishes to take these types of actions; though obviously, all campaigns will vary in some way or another). There are no skill checks necessary to perform maneuvers that can otherwise be performed with but a thought (and perhaps, ultimately a devil-may-care attitude towards the consequences); all maneuvers that can be performed with but a thought using the capsule are essentially what the ship is capable of, and because the pilot is incapable of using anything but his/her mind for this operation, they are unable to perform maneuvers on unique ships that a capsule acting as the bridge does not have full access to in terms of interfacing (and if they could, then by GM discretion, such maneuvers could be performed using controls on the ship with such abilities as ranged ledgerdomain, mage hand, or telekinesis; although the gel of the pod might restrict movement and ultimately make casting or performing an extroadinary ability significantly more difficult).
Changing Direction: Changing direction takes into consideration the mass of the ship. A complete 180 degree turn might mean slowing down the ship to 1/4 of max velocity (depending on mass; for simpler games, this can depend on ship volume/craft size).
Orbit: 'Orbit' is a free action in which the PC pilot may only designate one target. The PC may fly at a designated radius, circling the target (after they've flown towards the target of course). If the target is faster flying then the PC's spaceship, then this operation might prove difficult, but nonetheless orbit presents an engagement strategy: if you are faster then the enemy (whether creature or other spaceship), orbit them! Orbiting creates a 'transversal' effect that allows a ship to gain dodge bonuses against that enemy (the faster flying effective to enemy eyesight). Additionally, the faster you fly the harder it is for other enemies to track you (with their ranged weaponry). The amount of dodge bonus is determined by the tracking might of the enemy's ship weaponry (tracking speed; tracking speed/angular velocity (which is the angle at which a ship moves relative to the shooter) = dodge bonus relative to the attacking ship's tracking speed (for determining dodge bonus against other attacking ships, recalculate using the formula); PCs/NPCs/monsters orbitting a ship may add additional dodge bonuses relative to the attacking ship (that they are orbiting), because it may present greater angular velocity.
Keep at Range:
'Keep at Range' is an action defined on a pod pilot's interface as just that: effectively keeping at a certain range from a target spaceship (may only target one spaceship, as the technology prevents a pilot from handling more than one target, unless the pilot successfully crafts better software and/or makes a certain type of tamper check to discern or 'fix' (at GM discretion!)).
When 'keeping at range', the pilot's ship takes any actions it can to maintain a certain distance from its target (designated by PC). This can last for several rounds, or half a round and must be stated by player (ie. I'll keep at range for half a round and then orbit, keeping guns active and overheated).
Collision Avoidance: All interstellar-traversing spaceships in New Eden make use of inertial technology to create collision avoidance (and to avoid very deadly warp accidents). As such, whenever an active a spaceship moves too close to an object (usually within a few meters/ or closer than adjacent to object) will always make a move action (which drags out a portion of turn according to effective mass of craft) to avoid the object. Some spaceships, if wedged between multiple objects, may find it impossible to turn or move at all due to collision avoidance (close fits such as 'tight fits' on space scale are prevented beforehand through collision avoidance, however you cannot fit through an area all the same).
A successful tamper check (ie. 'hacking' skill if computers) performed on a spaceship whenever the ship is not in operation (depending on ship faction and technology in ship at GM discretion) might allow a PC to successfully disable it's inertial collision avoidance drive, thus creating a literal interstellar ram that could be lethal to the pilot if warping, but obviously useful in its ability to collide through smaller objects (though damage must factor in, including hardness at mostly GM discretion (a logical GM would consider ram speed, and weight of ship to determine damage output/input due to a spaceship classifying as a construct)).
In this case, a corresponding survival and knowledge: vacuum check are needed to navigate around lethal objects when warping, though a ship's computers can still help in finding safe 'warp paths' in which a route is completely safe, though such technology is costly. Additionally, however, the previously mentioned checks can also be utilized to find potentially safer routes from deadly runs (ie. infested with pirates or man made hazards) with assistance of a pod pilot's map (which can half checks completely) as well.
Combat
There are many things to consider in a naval confrontation, and many strategies. Over the centuries and millenia, man has attempted to master it to no avail, whether it be one state or corporation or faction over another and in a continuous stricture of vice versa. In New Eden, much of this confrontation takes place in vacuum. A true master knows only which modules to use in the right confrontations at the right times. Others might wish to simply present overwhelming force to make their opponents quiver. Whichever strategy might apply, space still presents itself as an eternal void of endless cold and nothingness; no other life form presents itself for mankind to devour in a blaze of war born fire in New Eden but mankind itself.
Attacking
The act of 'attacking' in itself is a free action when piloting a spaceship. All it requires of a pod pilot PC is to activate his/her weapon turrets, which requires the act of mentally commanding the ship's weapon turrets to activate, which can only properly apply after having acquired a target. Usually, an interface will warn the pilot prior to them attacking a target flagged as 'friendly' by a system's security institutions. Few targets are unidentified, and even inanimate, otherwise natural objects, are often flagged as 'friendly' thus prompting action from local security forces such as concord to attack your ship. Pilot's are often warned prior to shooting friendly targets, so this issue is often easy to avoid unless the pilot chooses to instead ram such a target with their ship rather than shoot at it.
To 'ram' a target, the pilot needs to have made it so that their ship's collision avoidance systems/drive do not get in the way (tampered such that they may avoid objects they do not wish to hit or having disabled the drive altogether; DC and time sink usually at GM discretion, but often taking weeks depending on equipment used to tamper and skill check).
The act of targeting requires that the player declare the number of targets that he is targeting (one 'lock' for each opponent; all ships have a max amount of targets, which may increase with pilot education), out to the ship's 'maximum targeting range'. The time that it takes a ship's computer to target enemies depends on the ship's scan resolution. For convenience, large ships often take entire move actions to target enemies (unless boosted by mods, whether from another ship, or their own), while medium ships require only a standard action to acquire their targets; for small ships, such as frigates, targeting is usually a swift action. Once having acquired target(s), the ship may activate its guns, designating any number of its guns to each target, however all gun turrets have their stats as well.
When targeting an enemy, the AC of the target is always 5 if small, not including fall off or enemy modifiers, or if the sig radius of the enemy denotes it of a larger size then small (include appropriate modifiers for hitting larger creatures, treating the base size as 'small' for a frigate sized craft). Also, when targeting enemies without a sig radius, the AC is 10 if the enemy is immobile for anything of size tiny or larger (not including hidden or 'concealed' enemies).
'Total cover' is impossible in naval warfare, because chances are of a ship acquiring a lock meaning that the turret firing upon such a target will find a way around whatever cover the target vessel/creature is immersed in or otherwise behind.
Weapon Turrets
Weapon turrets on spaceships can include launchers, lasers, blasters (plasma), rails, autocannons, artillery sluggers, or any other variety of whatever the ship's powergrid output and cpu can support.
Every weapon has an optimal range, a tracking speed, a firing rate, damage, velocity, and explosion radius.
When activating a weapon turret upon a target ('attacking') these things are always taken into consideration via game mechanics.
Optimal Range
Their is no 'long', 'short', or 'point blank' range increment when factoring in weapons on an interstellar space ship (however some weapons work better at shorter distances then others, and are even capable of dealing greater damage in accordance with modules when within a certain portion of its optimal range), as weapons are controlled by computer systems that do not think quite like living sentient beings; or humans for that matter. Instead, optimal range is simply the range away from the spaceship at which a weapon can trace a target before 'fall off'. Fall off is defined as the point in which the computer's measurements become inaccurate. When firing at a range that would create fall off, whether tremendous or otherwise, the weapon begins to receive penalties to its attack roll to hit the target, because it now must factor in fall off. 'Fall off' penalty is usually calculated as one half of what is otherwise the attack modifier not including enemy dodge bonuses if the target is moving.
Tracking Speed
Tracking speed denotes the capability of a weapon to trace it's target. For simplicity, smaller ships capable of housing less weapons are often more accurate (max is 8 turrets, unless the ship is exotic, whereas minimum might be 2 or 1, where the specific smaller ship has a greater tracking speed; additionally smaller ships of frigate size in New Eden can only house a maximum of 4 turrets). Tracking speed of a PC's ship affects how much of a dodge bonus the enemy ship might have in relation (tracking speed/angular velocity).
Firing Rate
Effects how often a single turret can fire. Because their are many ships out there capable of housing multiple turrets, said ship can activate all of them in a given round, however each turret also has a specific drain on the capacitor of the ship housing them.
For determining a ship's 'full attack' ie., factor in (for example) a small auto-cannon's firing rate, which might be 1.5 (once every 1.5 seconds). Because a round is officially 6 seconds of game time, said weapon is capable of firing up to 4 times during the round (easily worth its own weight in a many shot). A destroyer, often made to be capable of housing eight small turrets (maximum number of hard points for most ships), might have 8 of these small auto-cannons, meaning on a 'full attack', the ship could fire up to 32 times! (with all its weapons; considering the capacitor can handle the output, of course, which it often can, due to what a destroyer is designed to do).
Damage
All weapons deal damage, however according to a pod pilot's interface, these weapons also deal damage according to energy.
A fighter swinging his/her sword ie. might create kinetic (Kin; or force damage), despite what would otherwise be 'slashing' damage. Nonetheless, most mundane damage, such the swing of a medieval weapon or the force of a bullet, are all 'kinetic' damage. This is just an example of regard for damage types against whatever a pod pilot commands (also consider that the material hardness of a ship is made to resist any type of damage, so that it is not what you use, but the amount that you provide in that respect).
Thermal damage (Th) is anything involving heat or (likely) thermal energy. This can be magical fire ('hotter' than normal fire), or mundane fire. It really matters not what it is, according to a pod pilot's interface; as such, such damage is nonetheless a type of danger that needs to be compensated for with the necessary technology (such as rigs, hardwiring, education) and/or modules. Other examples of thermal include plasma (however heated), spells relating to fire, or anything else that has to do with heat (likely fire). For this reason, fire damage and thermal resistance are interchangeable.
Electromagnetic (EM) damage is both shocking and a danger to circuitry. It can also wear away and deal damage to ships in its own unique barrage of man-made violence. Technology is available to allow ships to hold against this. Additionally, electrical damage, whether spell or otherwise is equally ineffective against a ship when prepared against EM damage.
Explosive damage (Exp), covers anything not already listed. Usually relates to attacks that invoke large radiation doses. Explosive compensates for anomalies such as antimatter and chemicals as well.
Velocity
While ship velocity is manageable, most weapon turret velocities are even faster (made to overcome relativity), and as such, are not even taken into consideration by a ship's computer systems (except through 'fall off'). However, some weapons, such as mounted launchers, might attack a ship by way of rockets, missiles or torpedoes. These weapons must, as such, factor in velocity.
Because a weapon such as a missile takes time to reach it's target (rather then 'instantly'), its velocity determines that amount of time. Firing factors into the weapon's firing rate as usual, however velocity is often the speed at which such a launcher must ignite and propel the device. For convenience, most missiles fly to extended ranges, with light ones usually able to reach distances of 30km or more and the much heavier cruise variety able to travel many dozens of klicks farther; whereas rockets lose fuel and die at ranges of up to a mere 10km. Torpedoes on the other hand, while dumb and requiring launcher tracking speed (thus able to only hit very large targets, such as ships the same size as the one launching the torpedoes), are able to travel at ranges equivalent to 100km or more. Velocity depends on pilot education (ie. if the pilot spends xp on 'missile bombardment' education) as well as hardwiring (made to substitute for lack of education or stack with it), and/or rigs (that assist a ship's launchers).
Velocity usually factors in range and is always thereof, so the time it takes to reach it's target is a simple physical equation of distance/velocity.
Because all missiles 'home' their targets; once they have reached their destination, the velocity must adjust itself to appropriately allow the missile to guide itself into the craft (often the missile will appear to quickly circle and then plant itself, simultaneously exploding upon its target). This accounts for all variety of missiles ('light', 'heavy' or 'cruise'). For convenience, this is a swift action, unless multiple missiles must 'arm and home' at the same time, at which point it becomes a move action for every 4th missile after the third that is in the process of 'arming and homing', on top of that (ie. 20 missiles are circling a target; the first three require a swift action to explode upon their select destination without upsetting the balance of actions, while the other 17 each need a move action to compensate for other missiles within their view). It is important to remember that missiles only 'arm and home' once they have reached a convenient distance at their target. Because spaceship combat is performed at immense ranges, it is usually unnecessary for the GM to consider precise distances at which every missile or type of missile might arm and home in on its designated target.
Explosion Radius
This is the radius of collateral damage that a launched weapon (one that factors in velocity) creates around it. Usually the target itself suffers most damage, while everything else within range suffers 'area of effect' damage. As such, include the usual rules for most area of effect attacks (whether spell or explosion; ie. 2/3 damage at 2/3 radius; 1/3 damage at 1/3 outer radius not including other effects such as shrapnel, in which case include the missile's damage type (which might be kinetic/explosive) and factor in slashing/force fire damage distributed evenly, at GM discretion to determine damage type of non-pod piloted ships or creatures).
Explosion radius of a launched device (missile, rocket, torpedo, deployable bomb), can be changed by way of the usual means (education, hardwiring, mods, rigs or other technology, etc.).
'Cloaked' Enemies
Cloaked targets are completely invisible and cannot be targeted in anyway (even if they can be seen by a pod pilot's nano-camera drone assistant as well as the pilot's 'minds eye', a computer without a very high scan resolution (at GM discretion) will not be able to target it, and thus cannot fire upon it, unless having deployed a bomb near it or activated a 'smart bomb'.
In terms of perhaps having the PC warn their comrades in fleet about targets that they see; include normal rules for performing spot checks against cloaked targets (whether presented as 'blurry' or as an outline). 'Cloaked' targets are never presented in a pod pilot's overview due to the ship being unable to identify them with its resolution despite whether or not its sensory equipment (whether magnetometric, ladar, radar or gravimetric), detects the object.
Smart Bombing
Not entirely a smart thing in and of itself, or ironically, a smart thing to do even in the midst of secure space where accidentally trimming the front bumper off of a cloaked target could mean incurring the wrath of concord or other local security forces; smart bombing nevertheless likely received its name from it's ability to create an efficiently 'clean' explosive radius around the ship, without actually harming the ship itself. Smart bombs are still dangerous to other ships (even allies) however, likely meaning that such a ship could earn dislike amongst its fleet. Nonetheless, they're still useful against smaller targets of which the larger weapons of a fleet are often unable to hit without epic tracking speeds.
Treat a smart bomb as an 'aura' of which is emitted from out of the ship in a specified three-dimensional radius (determined by the size of the smart bomb, being either small (appropriate for frigate sized craft), medium (cruisers) or large (battleships)). The bomb is made to deal the same amount of damage to all targets in the area of effect, which can vary depending on its size.
The names of smart bombs can also vary, which often denote the bomb's damage type ('gravitonic' might denote kinetic damage, ie.). Even with different names, some bombs are identically useful in combat, much like weapon turrets, mods and mining utilities (though not so much in a combat environment).
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Updates will arrive throughout the rest of the week.
- Conversion factors: 1 meter = 3' (just how I go by :smalltongue:)
- 2m3 (cubic meters) = Capable of holding one size medium creature (tight space)
- 4m3 (cubic meters) = May hold one size large creature (depending on shape/tight space)
Need math help on scan resolution and warp CCAU (capacitor consumption per AU)! :smalleek:
Feel free to criticize any of the formulas!