Dragonstar Questions

[Mortaneus]

Here's a few questions regarding the Spacefarer's Handbook:

1. Do Soulmechs have a Con score? If so, does it apply to HP and fortitude saves as usual? If not, how do you generate a Soulmech character? Doesn't that turn Con into a dumpinig ground for a bad stat roll?

2. Why don't sorcerers get any more skills? Their list sucks as it is. Every other class gets new tech skills, except for them.

3. Why are ballistic weapons so weak by comparison to energy weapons? The sniper rifle is pathetic. One-shot, one-kill? Maybe against a 1st level cripple. Heck, a plasma rifle has the same range increment as the sniper rifle, and does 5d10 instead of a measly d12.

4. If someone with dermal armor, or a soulmech with reinforced construction, puts on a hardsuit, do the DR's stack? If so, then hurting a soulmech in a assault hardsuit who has reinforced construction means looking at a DR of 20/-. A bit high, I think. If not, then why not? Does putting on a suit of armor make you weaker? Also, doesn't DR only apply to physical attacks? Wouldn't lasers and blasters completely ignore the DR from a hardsuit?

5. Why does Dex cost more than strength for a robot/soulmech? (see errata)

6. Why does the medical package upgrade only cost 120 xp, despite a cost of 420? Did the 2 and the 1 in the xp cost get switched?

7. I understand the attempt to make spellbooks cost similarly, but having SOFTware cost 100 cr a page doesn't really make any sense from a computer perspective. I'm a programmer by trade, and having your storage capacity in the datapad limited by software makes less than no sense. Why can't I just make a copy of the software that stores a page into unoccupied memory on the datapad, instead of buying more software? If it's copy-protected, then what would be the DC to crack that copy protection and put the cracked version up on the infonet for everyone and their second cousin to access? Spell-napster anyone?

8. How many charges from the Starcaster does it take to teleport the corvette, destroyer, cruiser, carrier, battleship, and dreadnought? How do you calculate the cost in charges to do so?

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Here's a few questions regarding the Spacefarer's Handbook:

1. Do Soulmechs have a Con score? If so, does it apply to HP and fortitude saves as usual? If not, how do you generate a Soulmech character? Doesn't that turn Con into a dumpinig ground for a bad stat roll?

This is the only one of your questions I can answer with a definite answer. Soulmechs do not have a con score. You generate a soulmech like anyother character except you roll 5 times instead of 6.

 

[Mortaneus]

This is the only one of your questions I can answer with a definite answer. Soulmechs do not have a con score. You generate a soulmech like anyother character except you roll 5 times instead of 6.

Umm...okay....where does it say that? It isn't mentioned anywhere in the book. In fact, under the racial description, they don't say the Soulmech counts as a construct at all. They just say that they have many traits similar to constructs.

 

[Emiricol]

They have no Con. They don't have zero - they have no Con stat. It has been discussed at length in the Dragonstar yahoo discussion group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSD20/ .

 

[Moon_Goddess]

7. I understand the attempt to make spellbooks cost similarly, but having SOFTware cost 100 cr a page doesn't really make any sense from a computer perspective. I'm a programmer by trade, and having your storage capacity in the datapad limited by software makes less than no sense. Why can't I just make a copy of the software that stores a page into unoccupied memory on the datapad, instead of buying more software? If it's copy-protected, then what would be the DC to crack that copy protection and put the cracked version up on the infonet for everyone and their second cousin to access? Spell-napster anyone?

Being a programmer myself I asked these same questions on the mailing list, but I asked on the weekend so by monday it was lost and forgotten I'm thinking of reposting.

8. How many charges from the Starcaster does it take to teleport the corvette, destroyer, cruiser, carrier, battleship, and dreadnought? How do you calculate the cost in charges to do so?

It's the number after the slash in the fuel area of the statblock.

 

[UD]

1. Do Soulmechs have a Con score? If so, does it apply to HP and fortitude saves as usual? If not, how do you generate a Soulmech character? Doesn't that turn Con into a dumpinig ground for a bad stat roll?

Nope. If still in doubt check the Living Dragonstar page on fantasyflights webpage.

2. Why don't sorcerers get any more skills? Their list sucks as it is. Every other class gets new tech skills, except for them.

I dunnu... balance?

3. Why are ballistic weapons so weak by comparison to energy weapons? The sniper rifle is pathetic. One-shot, one-kill? Maybe against a 1st level cripple. Heck, a plasma rifle has the same range increment as the sniper rifle, and does 5d10 instead of a measly d12.

Ok a sniper rifle is a projectile weapon - they can't do as much damage as a energy weapon. I can imagine a searing hot ball of super heated energy does a hell of a lot more damage than a bullet. If you have issues, nothings stopping your sniper using a Plasma rifle rather than a Sniper rifle.

4. If someone with dermal armor, or a soulmech with reinforced construction, puts on a hardsuit, do the DR's stack? If so, then hurting a soulmech in a assault hardsuit who has reinforced construction means looking at a DR of 20/-. A bit high, I think. If not, then why not? Does putting on a suit of armor make you weaker? Also, doesn't DR only apply to physical attacks? Wouldn't lasers and blasters completely ignore the DR from a hardsuit?

I would say they do stack, allthough Im not sure that they do... If they do stack remeber energy weapons ignore DR.

5. Why does Dex cost more than strength for a robot/soulmech? (see errata)

Because a mechanical device is very hard to make dextrous. (Note the -2 on Dex). So it would make sense to cost more to upgrade, than stregth. Which presumably is just upgrading to a stronger material, reinforcing, stronger motors, where as a Dex increase would be much more difficult to implement.

6. Why does the medical package upgrade only cost 120 xp, despite a cost of 420? Did the 2 and the 1 in the xp cost get switched?

I think this is something which needs to be errated

7. I understand the attempt to make spellbooks cost similarly, but having SOFTware cost 100 cr a page doesn't really make any sense from a computer perspective. I'm a programmer by trade, and having your storage capacity in the datapad limited by software makes less than no sense. Why can't I just make a copy of the software that stores a page into unoccupied memory on the datapad, instead of buying more software? If it's copy-protected, then what would be the DC to crack that copy protection and put the cracked version up on the infonet for everyone and their second cousin to access? Spell-napster anyone?

Game balance anyone? My ingame answer would be that spells are full of potent magic even when written in spellbook form. Thus special software is needed that is capable of holding such arcane forms, maybe this software is creating in a mgaical procedure involving gp loss, thus the cost. (Please note you can download spells of the infonet, its just that they to be translated into your own interpretation of the spell. Also i should imagine the hosting costs for spells is astronomical (If special software is required) thus finding spells for 'free' on the info net would be rare.)

8. How many charges from the Starcaster does it take to teleport the corvette, destroyer, cruiser, carrier, battleship, and dreadnought? How do you calculate the cost in charges to do so?

The numer after the slash in the fuel stat says how many starcaster charges required to teleport the ships. Thus a corvette is 3 charges, a destroyer 4, a cruiser 5, a carrier 10, a battleship 10 and a dreadnought 20.

 

[fauxgemini]

DR does NOT stack. Take the best value and use it. I'll get to the rest of the questions in due turn.

So if you have 10/- and 5/- only apply the 10/-.

 

[fauxgemini]

Spellbooks and the Digital Download.

Basicaly your spell book has the "material" side of the pages taken care of as you buy more and more memory. When this gets nice is when you have like 3-5 spell casters in the same party. Each starting Spellbook has get this 100 page! Thats right, loads of free room for Scrollware and new spells. Trade up and then spend the next few weeks adding the spells to each book. BTW: Sorc do get a new skill....kinda:

He can use hightech simple weapons.

I know, I know they all get this. BUT WHOA is it useful.

 

[fauxgemini]

More on DR.

Forgot that part. No Lasers and Blaster do NOT ignore DR just like any attack. (Save those that go strait to a stat, as in magical attacks.) Must have the DR subtracted. That's why stacking DR with Elemental Resistance in this game is so much fun!

BTW: An item of 1/day use of Elemental Resistance to the big 3 is affordable right off the bat. Just tap 3 times and say bye-bye to 5 points of Fire/Electricy/Sonic damage. Heh.

 

[fauxgemini]

Sniper Rifle issues.

The sniper rifle...ah.

3 reasons to use it.

1. Range

2. Non-elemental damage type. 1d12 of standard damage. Add to it sneak attack bonuses. (Which I think scopes should allow the Sneak attack range to increase...if he's taking his time.)

3. Harder to track that that sizzling bolt of blue fire you just launched from your blaster rifle. Heh.