Posts

Showing posts from May, 2015

Cats and Dolphins

Image
C.M.O. All this schooling and I’m writing a report on the effects of mac and cheese on a gender changing frog’s stomach. Which it turns out is not so good when ingested on top of various insects and a slow moving Chinch. Riasi: Dolphin!! C.M.O.: Riasi?! What are you doing here? You’re a sight for sore ... whoa hey! Oof! Ummm ... m’okaaaaaay! Dial it back a notch. These beds are for medical purposes only. Seriously ... I’d need Tivk to recalibrate the whole thing with what you have in mind ... That IS what you have in mind? Riasi: You inferred correctly. I will settle for delayed gratification. Sorry. I had a week of stroking that pig Korsa’s ego. It’s nice to see a friendly face that doesn’t look at me like I’m a pork chop. C.M.O.: ... what’d the pig do? Does he need a lesson in manners? Riasi: You are hardly a credible threat to Korsa. Sorry. C.M.O.: Who said I was going to do it? The Chief owes me one.  Riasi: Enough of Korsa. I am not here to speak of

The Second Oldest Profession

Riasi: In any event salle-Korsa was kind enough to allow me to download the pig slaver’s data files before blowing him to quarks. I would have liked to keep him alive for questioning at least but salle-Korsa was pretty clear on his desires. I did not care to argue with him. For a pirate he has a strong sense of honor in some things. He’s a good tipper too, I hear. Captain: So you downloaded the data from the slaver and found this list? Confederation citizens posted by name. Data files for each. It looks like someone was planning mass abductions event. Riasi: I would say so. There are a large number of beanpoles listed, some frogs, several humans, one vole female and child. Captain: I can relay the names to my superiors and alert the security forces. Meanwhile we can see whether the targets fall into any patterns. Riasi: That would be good Tesla-Captain. Apparently my colleagues and I were not on the list. We were just a stop along away. Rather insulting being the targe

Scout Variant

Image
I took the classic Scout deckplans for Snapshot and started cutting and pasting with them. I went a little wild and built a triple decker Scout. I know I'm off volume wise. In defense, I think this looks cooler and the biggest offenders are the fuel tanks which have to be a bit larger than the fuel volume to account for scoops, refrigeration equipment and insulation. Part of the reason I stuck them out was to keep the fuel cold and the cabins and main compartment warm easier. I'm putting the air/raft in the nose along with a cargo lock and some storage. Behind is the avionics and computer systems. I'm thinking of reducing the ship's locker to two squares and putting it alongside an airlock next to the bridge. The drive controls are on the highest level and looking down on the drives themselves. I'll post more plans as I firm them up.

Contra-Terra

Captain: Morning all. Cadet: Good morning sir!! Captain: Report. Cadet: Sir. All ship systems normal. No intruders in the no fly volume. Nothing ... to report. Captain: You sound disappointed, mister. Cadet: It was my first time taking the conn and ... I did nothing sir. Captain: Excellent. If something came up ... what'd you do do? Cadet: Call you and the X.O. immediately. Captain: Capital. Good man. Now get out of my chair Shavetail. Cadet: Aye sir. Thank you sir. Captain: Beautiful planet isn't it? The blue oceans, the white clouds. Makes you a little homesick. Cadet: Yes sir. Only home is two A.U.s away ... what happened here sir? Captain: Now you're asking question above your pay grade, Cadet. For that matter, you are asking questions above my pay grade. No it's all right to ask questions. Just learn when to stop asking them out loud. The short simple answer is ... no one knows. Cadet: But they are working on it, sir? Captain: I should h

Nightmeme

Edit: So the best question so far is from  Kyrinn S. Eis    who asks why I don't have a link to all the Question related posts? Here you go gentle readers. http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/q-is-for-question.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/r-is-for-reconnaissance.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/u-is-for-undead.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/v-is-for.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/x-is-for-xx.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/y-is-for-yesterday.html http://twilightgm.blogspot.com/2015/04/z-is-for-zero-margin-for-error.html  I wrote far more on that toxic meme than I expected; which is a little scary in itself. I wonder ... Anyway back to the musings of a wise phrog. So many questions. Is the Question really sentient as some say? Can it be modified? If it is sentient it could perhaps be persuaded or threatened to  change its behavior. It is not terribly successful right now as most of its victims are left droo

Charisma: the Dump Stat? Statting the Alien Part 4

Nok: Begin transcript /startstartstart/ N’sa Nok vegum Tesla ek <<I miss you. I never thought the nights could be so long but they drag without you. Long nights and yet I feel life passing me by so fast. Too fast. I miss the sounds of the warren. I miss your scent. I yearn for soft rains out of a dark sky. I even miss the seasons of the Poisoned Light, at least the ones I spent with you in the warren. Everything good about me came from you. You made me a better person. My crimes I will take credit for myself. There are those who say there is no justice in this life but they are fools or sociopaths. Truly I am being punished now. A wise frog tells me: where you are from is not as important as where you are now and where you are going. Perhaps she is right. But some of us carry the weight of our previous days all the rest of our lives. Also I do not think I am going anywhere. I do not ask your forgiveness. But will you at least give me a chance to atone? Surely

Statting the Alien Part 3 Dexterity

C.M.O.: I'm getting really sick of this big glowing head chasing us! Nok: You called it a smug bastard. It's chasing you.I am merely your pilot. C.M.O.: It's tractoring those asteroids directly in our trajectory! Veer off!! Nok: No. It won't let us go until we give it a show. So a show we will give it! C.M.O.: I don't suppose it ever heard of stand up comedy? Dexterity modifies a character's armor class, their ranged combat bonus and initiative rolls. This does not have to be the case. A large heavily built species (such as Mukh's) with thick skins (and/or life giving slime) might use their Constitution modifier to adjust their armor class. A psionic race could use Wisdom (energy blades optional) to adjust their AC to represent ESP, combat sense, precognition or being able to read an opponent's moves (energy based blade optional). It's up to the referee whether a pilot's Dexterity will modify the AC of their ship. It might just extend

Who Let the Cat Out?

Korsa: Do you have any needs, cat-lady? Riasi: You have been most generous, salle-Korsa.  Korsa: You have the manners of a queen. You are a rare treasure to waste on less articulate and mannerly races. You speak my language and my name beautifully.  Riasi: Okay, I’m blushing under my fur now. If I may make a request ... of course you will be compensated for your hospitality and cooperation by my superiors ... Korsa: Compensation is always welcome. Oh pardon me! Domo, report.  Domo: The enemy crew and their prisoners are all accounted for, salle-Captain. The captives are all transferred to our ship. The enemy crew is being returned to their stations ... most of them. Korsa: Most? Who is still on our ship? Domo: Sorry for being unclear. We don’t have any enemy crew onboard the Wanton Courtesan. We just returned a few enemy crew missing some unnecessary bits. Riasi: That’d be my fault, salle-Korsa. I couldn’t see letting that scum of a jailer go with both

Infestation!

Tivk: I require your assistance immediately. Chief: What's the problem? Tivk: There is a creature in my quarters. Chief: What kind of critter? Why didn't ya call security? Sound an alert! Tivk: It is not an exceptionally large creature. Be careful! Chief: I don't see no ... Nok: This is going to be good. Mukh: And how. Chief: Are you outta your alien skull? Tivk: Medically impossible. Chief: That's a Chinch. It's supposed to be there. It keeps yer digs clean. Tivk: I do not desire a Terran symbiote. Please dispose of it. Chief: We use the critters to keep our quarters clean. The little fella won't hurt you. Mukh: And they look delicious!! Chief: Don't be eating the symbiote, froggy. Listen here, beanpole, deal with the critter yourself or let him be. Cuz I ain't hurting a little Chinch. Why don't you ask your entourage here to chase him out? Tivk: They are being spectacularly unhelpful. Nok: You thought I'd miss th

Statting the Alien Part 2 Wisdom

Chief: I got one! C.M.O.: I got one too! Tivk: I am successful as well. Nok: There are some more moving to the left! Tivk: On closer inspection I got a rock. Mukh: Okay that's ... six we got. That's the legal limit. We can take them back to my clan holdings now. Chief: There's going to be a hell of a fish fry. Nok: Oh. Tivk: Ah. Mukh: ... what? Chief: What'd I say? Mukh: Give me that net please. Thank you. See you back at the clan holding. <Splash! Swimswimswim!> Chief: What'd I say?! C.M.O.: Chief. These are the immature form of Mukh's species. They lay their eggs out here and come back after hatching season starts to capture their quota of young for their family. Chief: I guess I brought that cooler full 'a brews for nothing. Nok: I think you'll need every beer. Tivk: Begin imbibing now. We have experience with angry mobs. Wisdom is usually regarded as instinct, perception, understanding your own ways of thinki

Statting the Alien Part 1

C.M.O.: Frigging elder gods ... Tivk: They do not like when you curse them or call them 'smug bastard'. C.M.O.: Smug bastard. Tivk: The elder god is most likely gone and coaxing some pre spaceflight culture  to build ... you were not addressing the elder god, were you? Mukh: I love your priorities. Were lost. No idea if we got a call out to the Tesla. We're low on fuel .... Nok: K-k-k-k-k-k-k-k ... Mukh: Wake the hell up!! Mukh: ... did you figure out where we are yet? Tivk: Not as yet. Nok: ... wake me when you do. C.M.O.: How is your astrogation progressing? Tivk: I have ascertained we are in the Arcturus Group. Given the proximity and direction of transmissions from the Tenebrian and several mercenary vessels we may be near the Lurans. The work is slow as I am alone. C.M.O.: Alone?! What else can we do to help? Tivk: Your efforts are adequate. Any further contributions will be counter productive. Mukh: We're too dumb in other words? Tivk

Travelling Light

I have not been as active on the Traveller groups as I'd like to be lately. I apologize for that. Traveller especially CT is one of my favorite RPGs ever. So rather than my usual trend of writing something up that's good for space opera and has some application for Traveller I am writing something new for Traveller that can be used for Space Opera style games (you know the ones with the funny dice) with a little work. I bought the Lost Rules of Traveller supplement and eagerly read it. It has many little nuggets of ideas that fell by the wayside or didn't get enough love. But the section on missiles stands out (actually it leapt out and grabbed me by the throat.) In the section titled 'Expendables' on page 15 variations  of missiles are given for the referee to stat out such as bombs for attacking planetary fortifications. But the item that really leaps out is the jump torpedo! This little 50 kg remote vehicle was capable of making an interstellar jump. True in

Elder God Generation Tables

Elder God Generation Tables C.M.O.: What is it? Tivk: It's a big glowing golden head chasing our shuttle. C.M.O.: ... I mean I want exposition. Do you know anything about it? Tivk: It is a big. Glowing. Head. Would you care for range and bearing? Mukh: I'm assuming this is your first contact with a sufficiently advanced jerkwad, Doc? C.M.O.: ... Nok: Hang on it's closing. I'm killing our relative velocity. They love it when you run. Any suggestions? Mukh: Prayer? Tivk: I do not know whether to commend you or slap you. Sometimes you just need an elder god in your SF game. Whether it is for a big bad in your campaign or just to keep the characters away from that strange white void with no charted stars that you haven't mapped yet. Elder gods, much like Nazis, and guys in white armor never get old as villains. So roll away or just pick. It is a god and no one expects a balanced contest. Appearance: 1) Glowing body parts as needed. 2) A perfect specimen