Creating Organic Ships

Living Ships for FASA's

The Star Trek Starship Tactical Combat Simulator

by Tiarnan

This is a rules update for organic starships

This article describes the creation and play of living ships for the Star Trek Tactical Combat Simulator. These creatures are similar to Gomtu featured in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and are represented in terms of space craft for compatibility with the game system. These ships have special abilities that are not in balance with the rest of the material supplied with the game, and are very rare. They can be used for special scenarios, or as plot devices. To incorporate these vessels into a campaign, as a common race would require some adjusting of these rules. Mostly in reducing the maximum energy output of the engines, and the maximum power of the energy wave.

Chapter 1. Custom design living star ships.

As these are individual, living creatures, each one is unique, and there is infinate variation in these ships. Even the genetic engineer that tries to repeat the creation of a good ship will often times meet with unusual benefit or failure.

The following procedures are used in the creation of organic star ships.

1. Determine Intelligence Level

2. Power Output (sublight and warp)

3. Shielding

4. Weaponry

5. Cloaking Ability

6. Armor

7. Superstructure

8. Crew/Passengers/Cargo

Some of the calculations herein reference the class of the ship. That information will not be availiable until the final stages of construction. complete as much of the calculations as you can, you will come back to finish.

1. Determine Intelligence Level

The Intelligence level(INT) is comparable to the computers in normal ships. It is the creature's brain power, and determines what its overall capabilities are. This is a number from 2 to 200. If a random number is desited, roll 2d100. This number determines the following things.

A. The maximum WDF for this ship

B. The maximum power units for this ship

C. The maximum shield level per facing.

(INT / 10; minimum of 5)

If the creature's INT is greater than 75, then the creature is sentient, and is capable of making its own decisions, and has its own free will. If the creature has a INT greater than 150, then it is psionic as well, and posesses empathy, telepathy, and a short range mental attack. These are discussed in the section on playing these creatures. The mass of the brain is determined by multiplying the INT by 125mt. SS requirement = INT / 100 round up to nearest tenth.

2. Power Output (sublight and warp)

The total power units availiable are limited by the INT rating of the ship. Power is produced by body organs the produce both sublight and warp movement. These will be treated like ship engines. There is usually one sublight organ, and one, two, or four warp organs. The creature requires a sublight organ, but warp capability is optional. Choose the power level for each type of organ the creature posesses. The mass of these organs depends on the size of the creature, and the number of power units desired. This chart will detail the specifics.

Engine Type Mass SS Req

Sublight (Power Units X 75)+(Ship Class X 75) mt 0.1

Warp (single) (Power Units X 400)+(Ship Class X 750) mt 0.5

Warp (double) (Power Units X 400)+(Ship Class X 700) mt 1

Warp (quadruple) (Power Units X 400)+(Ship Class X 650) mt 2

{insert movement ratio/stress/max warp chart here}

At this point, the ship's class has not been determined yet, so you will need to come back to finish the calculations at that time. Also note that quadruple engines are recorded on the record sheet as two engines, totalling the power units on the damage track.

3. Shielding

Living ships also posess a type of defensive shields. The maximum power for these shields are limited by the INT rating of the creature. You can choose any maximum shield level, up to this limit. The shield power ratio is also chosen by you, and can be 1/1, 1/2, or 1/3. Use the following equations to determine the mass of the shielding organs.

SER = (1 / Shield point ratio)

Max Shield = up to INT / 10; minimum of 5

Shield Mass = (10 X Ship Class)+ (10 X Max Shield Level) + (SER X 100) mt

SS required = Max Shield Level / 10

4. Weaponry

Living Ships normally posess one or more of these types of weapons. These weapons are defensive in nature, and a sentient ship will only use them in response to a percieved threat. The weapons are as follows.

A. Energy Bolts

Energy bolts are treated like any other energy weapon. Use any phaser, or disruptor, from any race in the tables from the ship construction guide, but multiply the mass by 1.3. Also note that the firing arcs are different, as these creatures do not have turrets. The firing arcs are detailed in the section 'Playing With Living Ships'.

B. Drones

Drones are small pods which are designed to stun the shield organs on living ships. Its effect on normal shielding is even more devastating. If damage from a drone penetrates a powered shield, the shield generator takes the remaining damage. More specifics, and exceptions are detailed in the following section. Statistics for drones can be found by using any photon torpedo launcher in the ship construction guide. Use the range, power, WDF, superstructure requirement and firing chart for the weapon you pick. The mass, however is multiplied by the number of drones(ammunition) that this weapon has.

C. Energy Wave

This is the weapon seen in the episode of star trek in which we see this type of creature. This devastating weapon does damage like an exploding ship, with base damage equal to 1/2 of the power allocated to the weapon. Only one of these weapons may exist on a given creature, and its WDF is equal to the maximum power that can be allocated to the weapon.

WDF = Maximum power that can be allocated to Energy Wave

Mass = Max Power X 50 mt

SS req = Max power / 100

5. Cloaking Ability

Some of these creatures posess the ability to cloak. This is accomplished by cells which alter the color, and properties of the creature's skin. This requires a large amount of energy to accomplish. The power to cloak is equal to the ship's class multiplied by 7. Like normal starships, the mass of cloaking ability is negligable.

Power to Activate = (Ship's Class X 7)

6. Armor

Armor is treated like superstructure points that only protect a particular side. You can have no more than 15 points of armor per facing. Armor points do not count toward the required superstructure.

SS req = 0.1 x number of sides protected

Mass = 175 mt X total points

7. Crew/Passengers/Cargo

If the INT rating of the ship is greater than 75, then the ship does not require crew. The nature of sentient ships is, however, that they would prefer to have one if possible. The number of crew is figured in the following manner. After you have the total mass of the ship, divide it by 1000. This is the number of crew and passengers the ship can hold. If the ship is sentient, this can entirely devoted to passenger space. Even if the ship is not sentient, it can be operated with minimum crew equal to its class. The following chart will detail.

Max Crew and Passengers = Ship Mass / 1000

INT <= 75; Minimum crew = Ship Class

INT > 75; Minimum crew = 0

8. Superstructure (Hit Points)

Calculate the required superstructure for all elements of the ship. This is the minimum superstructure. Add as many additional superstructure points as you desire. The mass of superstructure depends on whether or not the ship has any crew. If the ship has any crew facilities, multiply the superstructure by 1500 to determine the mass. If the ship is not designed for people at all, multiply the superstructure by 1000 to calculate the mass. This accounts for the lack for life support systems.

9. Ship Class

To determine your ship's class, total the masses of all components. Compare this total to the Ship Class chart. This will give you a preliminary class. Use this figure to determine all the masses of components that need to know the ship's class. There are Engines, Shields, and Armor. Recalculate the total mass, and if the ship is still the same class, you're done. If not, use the new class, and recalculate the total mass.

10: Odds and Ends

All ships of this type use firing chart B.

Chapter 2: Playing With Living Ships

Living ships are played identically to normal starships with the following exceptions.

Firing Arcs :

The port and starboard firing arcs are not applicable to living ships. A living ship has six firing arcs. Front, Port Front, Port Rear, Rear, Starboard Rear, and Starboard Front. These correspond to the six shield facings. Each facing has a firing arc like the front or rear arc, but oriented in the appropriate direction. See the following diagram.

Reenergise phase:

If the ship is sentient (INT > 75) It can act faster than the crew directing it (if any). The ship can reallocate its shield points to whichever shields it wants during the phase in which shields are re-energised. It can also redistribute any power left unused in its weapons into any weapons which was energized with at least one power point this turn, except the energy wave. Energy allocated to the energy wave cannot be moved, nor can energy be moved into it.

Ship Repairs:

These ships can only be repaired through their natural healing process. If a particular part is damaged, it cannot be used until the ship heals, and that may take several months

Chapter 3: Sample Ships

Living Ship Prototype

Class:VI

Superstructure points:12

Damage Chart: B

Weight: 77,900 mt

Cargo Capacity: 1100 mt

Computer: INT 100

Cloak: Yes

Power to Activate: 42

Armor: 5 points each to sides 4, 5, and 6

Crew: 5 (none is required)

Passengers: 20

Total Power Units Availiable: 96

Movement Ratio: 5/1

Warp Engines:

Number: 2

Power Units Availiable: 33 each

Stress Charts:

Warp Speed: 5/7

Impulse Engines:

Power Units Availiable: 30

Weapon Data:

Energy Bolt:

Number: 3

Firing Arcs:1,2,3

Firing Chart: Y

Maximum Power: 9

Damage Modifiers:

+3: 1-10

+2: 11-16

+1: 17-21

Energy Wave:

Maximum Power: 70

Shield Data:

Shield Ratio: 1/3

Maximum Shield Power: 10

Gomtu Living Ship

Class:

Superstructure points:40

Damage Chart: B

Weight: 213035 mt

Cargo Capacity: 10,000 mt

Computer: INT 200

Cloak: No

Armor: 15 points each to all 6 sides

Crew: 210 (none is required)

Total Power Units Availiable: 200

Movement Ratio: 11/1

Warp Engines:

Number: 4

Power Units Availiable: 40 each

Stress Charts:

Warp Speed: 8/9

Impulse Engines:

Power Units Availiable: 40

Weapon Data:

Energy Wave:

Maximum Power: 200

Shield Data:

Shield Ratio: 1/2

Maximum Shield Power: 18