RPGObjects: Starship Construction

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Does anybody have an advance notice of when this is supposed to be coming out.

One of my sideboarded projects is to run a full military Star*Drive game based during the Externals war in d20 Future.

Constructing ships with the Future stuff as-is seems to be a matter of sticking the best of what's offered on any particular hull and running with it. The only balancing factors seem to be: "It's expensive." and "It's big." Which doesn't much matter to the PCs when they're driving on the military's dime.

--fje

 

[Vigilance]

Not 100% sure myself at the moment.

I am doing Legends of the Samurai (which is a big big project), and although doing the PDFs in smaller pieces allows me to do other things in between, I have also been asked by my beloved, wise and handsome employer to do a modern book too.

So we're looking at: Legends of the Samurai: Bushido Handbook, d20 Modern book I can't name, LOS: Mystic Handbook, BNS II: Merchants, Pirates, Smugglers, LOS: Campaign Guide, and then possibly the construction guide.

Sorry that isn't a better answer, I'm sure you wanted it sooner than that, but I have too many buns in the oven that are my responsibility. There is a possibility that another RPGO writer will pick up one of those books for me, which would bring the construction guide to my plate sooner (between ovens and plates I think I must be hungry).

Chuck

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

It is, however, an answer.

Thank you. It probably means I'll be working out a system for myself, but I can plan for that.

Alot of plates and buns and ovens for one baker. Need more journeymen.

--fje

 

[Vigilance]

Well I wasn't trying to complain

Just a matter of doing a book that I think will rock (Legends of the Samurai) while letting the fans of my "core competency" (god I love Dilbertian business lingo) know that I haven't forgotten them

Chuck

 

[SpiralBound]

Hey Vigilance, I have a question for you.

<preamble>
I've been searching the net for a good sci-fi D20 starship construction system - one with flexibility, but not spreadsheets-worth of calculations & data to track for every system and component either. I own the D20 Future book (I will NOT go into the levels and reasons for my disappointment of that book here) and I've taken a look at a few other things on rpgnow as well.

I've seriously been considering picking up " Blood and Space: d20 Starship Adventure Toolkit", but I've been holding off ever since I saw that Blood and Space 2 is being created. Now I read that the starship construction book for BNS2 is going to be written after six or more other books. Now, I'm not complaining, I understand what it's like when you have schedules, commitments, other lines/projects that are just as important as what *I* want. I'd love for you to say, "What? SpiralBound wants it! Well, Hell, I'll drop all the others right now!", but I realize that without some serious bribery on my part that isn't going to happen!
</preamble>

So, I'm wondering: Since it's going to "Be A While(TM)" before BNS2: Starship Construction comes out, should I pick up the original one now or wait for the "real" one? I guess what I really want to know is if the improvements from BNS to BNS2 are significant enough that I should wait.

 

[Vigilance]

Well, its going to change some, more because I love to tinker than because it probably needs to.

However I really can't speak to what or how much will change. I have a skill that I have worked long and hard on and spent many ranks on called "focus" that allows me to not think about a book at all until I start writing it, at which time I think of nothing else

I think the system in B&S I would work pretty well with the current starships, deducting tonnage of cargo from the current hulls as you modify them.

Its a difficult spot. I understand people wanting the book ASAP, especially since its been announced... but from an overall corporate standpoint, well, I just did my second d20 Future book in two months.

Not saying you were complaining, just saying I understand where you're coming from. If I had a clone, (heck even a homunculous would help) it would be out sooner.

Chuck

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

EDIT: Chuck gots speed.

BnS1 was a sort of "Stand Alone" space expansion. By that I mean, they created starships, weapons, powerplants, construction rules, etc etc entirely from scratch. I'll have to go back over my copy, but I think you'll find the differences between 1 and 2 will be pretty considerable if they're going to stick it with D20 Future.

Then again, what's left of the d20 Future starship rules doesn't seem to offer alot to work with. As I said above, it seems like the construction guides seem to be: "Is the ship Colossal? Is it PL 7? It has Plasma Cannons and Induction Engines. NEXT!" So Chuck may end up keeping quite a bit of BnS and "converting" it to Future stats.

What I may end up doing is taking Alternity Warships and converting it. I liked the rules a lot (long and huge as they are) and all of the weapons/armors for the most part were converted for d20 Future (since the intellectual property portions are pretty much identical). Mostly I'd just build a ship with Warships and then spot the stats out of Future. If I do that, though, I'll have to use ALL Warships built stats since Future has the limits set on weapons pretty artificially low. Warships ships would rip Future ships in half like wet tissue paper with the amount of firepower they pack.

--fje

 

[Vigilance]

I'll have to go back over my copy, but I think you'll find the differences between 1 and 2 will be pretty considerable if they're going to stick it with D20 Future.

That may very well be true. You probably have a better handle on what's in both books than me at the moment.

If it doesn't involve flashing blades I have not read it, watched it or thought about it for some time.

Chuck

 

[SpiralBound]

Ok, based on, 1) the low price of BnS1: Starship..., 2) Vigilances comments, and 3) HeapThaumaturgist observations regarding the philosophical disparity in basic approach to just what starship design "is" between D20 Future and BnS1; I've decided to just buy the first one now. If it does what I need it to do, then I'll stick with it. If not, then I'll try out BnS2 when it comes out and see if it's better. Thanks guys!

On a side note, is there actually any advantage to reworking older Sci-Fi D20 to fit the idealogies of D20 Future? I mean, D20 Future was such an overview that I seriously doubt that most people would find compatible, yet distinctive and non-D20-Future-adherent material unplayable. In fact, speaking just from my own perspective, I would even prefer it if it DID have different material in it. I mean, not all sci-fi material has to feel the same, diversity is good right? Then again, that is just my preference.

 

[0-hr]

On a similar note, does anyone happen to know if there is going to StarWars d20 update to that "Starships of the Galaxy" book? I'm making up ships myself, and that's a good a guideline as any, but it seems it should be updated to "d20 SW Revised" by now...