...before old-school was cool.
The old school movement among RPGers echoes the retrogaming trend in video games. It's trying to get back to a simpler, less complicated time in the hobby. As TSR's D&D evolved it took on evermore bizarre forms. Basic D&D, Expert D&D, and AD&D were rival and incompatible rules sets that competed with each other. Then came variations like Dragonlance, which some say recast the game into a novelistic form far removed from it's improvisational beginnings.
Meanwhile, there was Tunnels & Trolls.
Appearing in 1979, T&T 5th edition seems to anticipate and accommodate the discontent of the old-school gamers. While D&D was transmogrifying into the dense edifice of AD&D, T&T reveled in its simplicity. You didn't even need a set of polyhedral dice to play it. If D&D was treating PCs as protagonists in an epic narrative struggle between the forces of White Hattery vs. the Le Chapeaux Noir , T&T was celebrating the dungeon crawl. Characters are rolled up half a dozen at a time, with the assumption that the GM is going to do his best to kill off the pesky dungeon defilers. Character "sheets" are nothing more than 3-by-5 index cards. Hell, the game even bills itself as a dungeon crawl, the back cover proclaiming, "The fundamental framework for adventuring in Tunnels & Trolls is the concept of an underground tunnel complex wherein dangerous traps and deadly monsters guard undreamed-of treasures..."
But mostly T&T encouraged players to rewrite the rules to suit themselves. Whereas the D&D rules scowled at players with confining proclamations, T&T insisted that the rules were no more than suggestions and recommended that players change any rules they didn't like. GMs were free to let their imaginations run wild, and rules lawyers were nipped in the bud.
For decades T&T maintained the simplicity and emphasis on players creativity that seemed to be getting lost in the commercial juggernaut that D&D had become. But T&T languished in obscurity. Overshadowed by the numerous boxed sets and horse-choking hardbound rules of its predecessor, shunned by system snobs at conventions, it found a place for itself mainly in the byways of colorful but isolated solo dungeons. In 1999 it received some belated appreciation when Pyramid magazine named it as one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games.
So to all you old school gamers out there, I'd like to remind you that the solution to all your complaints was there all the time. Even as you weave complicated magics to resurrect your favorite games, the magic potion that is T&T sits dusty on the shelf waiting to be quaffed. I hope you don't fail the saving throw.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
MZST Starship Update
MZST: メクトン Z 宇宙大作戦
"What if Star Trek were an anime?"
The redesigned ships, now with more FASA.
The options, Sensors, Transporters, and Tractor Beam, are freebies that don't take up any space or add to the ship's cost. A roll on the Ship Hit Table (MZ, pg. 108) of "CIDS" hits either the Transporter (1-5) or the Tractor Beam (6-10), automatically knocking them out until repaired. Sensor hits are as normal. Below are descriptions of these systems from the FASA RPG. Rules for use with Mekton Zeta are in brackets.
SENSORS
Reliable sensor data can be obtained by most sensors to distances of 160,000 km, with sketchy, less-reliable data available to about twice that distance. Sensor scans are blocked by large amounts of rock or water, extremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference, and certain dense or reflective materials.
[New Skill: Starship Sensors (INT): This skill involves operating a starship's sensor probes to gather data for interpretation and storage in the ship's computers.]
TRACTOR/PRESSOR BEAMS
The tractor/pressor beam is an electromagnetic beam allowing an item of smaller mass to be drawn toward, anchored to, or pushed away from the object controlling the beam. Many larger ships are equipped with these devices, which can be used carefully in pairs to manipulate objects at a distance. Maximum range for tractor/pressor beams is about 160,000 km.
Tractor beams can put quite a bit of strain on an object, especially if the object is trying to break away. A delicate structure such as a small vessel could suffer damage as a result of resisting their use.
[May be used an unlimited number of times, but only on one small craft at a time. It effects its target as an Epoxy Gun (MZ, pg. 59), but only for as long as the beam is maintained.]
TRANSPORTERS
The transporter is a matter/energy scrambler, capable of recording the molecular and sub-molecular pattern of an object, disintegrating that object, and beaming it across space to be reformed at another location as far away as 26,000 km. Both living and non-living material may be moved great distances at the speed of light in this manner. The transporter can also lock on distant items and beam them back to the transmitter station. No receiving station is necessary for use of the transporter if reliable data can be obtained about the destination via sensor readings, or if a communicator can be used to provide a target signal. Transporters are blocked by large amounts of rock or water, extremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference, and certain dense or reflective materials. In addition, transporters cannot beam through deflector shields because the shields absorb energy discharges.
Transporter usage does not occur instantaneously. It takes time to set up a transporter procedure on the console before the transporter can be energized. After the slide has been moved and the energizing has begun, it takes several seconds for dematerialization to be completed. During this time, the objects or persons being beamed cannot move or communicate. They are invulnerable to most normal harm during this time, though they can be seen while dematerializing. Transportation takes place at the speed of light, but materialization takes several seconds, during which the objects or persons being transported may be seen.
[It takes one Round (10 seconds) to complete a transport. New Skill: Transporter Operations (INT): This skill involves the use of transporter devices, whether they be personnel transporters or cargo transporters.]
"What if Star Trek were an anime?"
The redesigned ships, now with more FASA.
The options, Sensors, Transporters, and Tractor Beam, are freebies that don't take up any space or add to the ship's cost. A roll on the Ship Hit Table (MZ, pg. 108) of "CIDS" hits either the Transporter (1-5) or the Tractor Beam (6-10), automatically knocking them out until repaired. Sensor hits are as normal. Below are descriptions of these systems from the FASA RPG. Rules for use with Mekton Zeta are in brackets.
SENSORS
Reliable sensor data can be obtained by most sensors to distances of 160,000 km, with sketchy, less-reliable data available to about twice that distance. Sensor scans are blocked by large amounts of rock or water, extremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference, and certain dense or reflective materials.
[New Skill: Starship Sensors (INT): This skill involves operating a starship's sensor probes to gather data for interpretation and storage in the ship's computers.]
TRACTOR/PRESSOR BEAMS
The tractor/pressor beam is an electromagnetic beam allowing an item of smaller mass to be drawn toward, anchored to, or pushed away from the object controlling the beam. Many larger ships are equipped with these devices, which can be used carefully in pairs to manipulate objects at a distance. Maximum range for tractor/pressor beams is about 160,000 km.
Tractor beams can put quite a bit of strain on an object, especially if the object is trying to break away. A delicate structure such as a small vessel could suffer damage as a result of resisting their use.
[May be used an unlimited number of times, but only on one small craft at a time. It effects its target as an Epoxy Gun (MZ, pg. 59), but only for as long as the beam is maintained.]
TRANSPORTERS
The transporter is a matter/energy scrambler, capable of recording the molecular and sub-molecular pattern of an object, disintegrating that object, and beaming it across space to be reformed at another location as far away as 26,000 km. Both living and non-living material may be moved great distances at the speed of light in this manner. The transporter can also lock on distant items and beam them back to the transmitter station. No receiving station is necessary for use of the transporter if reliable data can be obtained about the destination via sensor readings, or if a communicator can be used to provide a target signal. Transporters are blocked by large amounts of rock or water, extremely thick atmospheres, electromagnetic interference, and certain dense or reflective materials. In addition, transporters cannot beam through deflector shields because the shields absorb energy discharges.
Transporter usage does not occur instantaneously. It takes time to set up a transporter procedure on the console before the transporter can be energized. After the slide has been moved and the energizing has begun, it takes several seconds for dematerialization to be completed. During this time, the objects or persons being beamed cannot move or communicate. They are invulnerable to most normal harm during this time, though they can be seen while dematerializing. Transportation takes place at the speed of light, but materialization takes several seconds, during which the objects or persons being transported may be seen.
[It takes one Round (10 seconds) to complete a transport. New Skill: Transporter Operations (INT): This skill involves the use of transporter devices, whether they be personnel transporters or cargo transporters.]
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Prime Directive RPG
The other day Robert Saint John had a good post about ADB's Prime Directive RPG on his blog. I can't find anything to disagree with in what he said, but I thought I'd share my own approach/avoidance feelings toward the Star Fleet Universe. Despite enjoying starship combat games I was never into Star Fleet Battles, although I knew some people who played it regularly. It has such a reputation for complexity and slow play that I steered clear of it, although I have played a game or two since. Well, sort of. What I played was the free introductory Cadet's version. It's meant to ease you into the full rules, but if you stick to the basics it actually makes for a great rules lite game on it's own. And you can even find extra SSDs on the web.
Robert's right that it would be hypocritical to condemn SFB just because it's a wargame. As a kid when I drew pictures of spaceships they were usually blasting each other with ray guns. I've had fun playing FASA's STSTCS and even statted up some Star Trek ships for Starmada to use the Starline 2400 miniatures. (There's now an upcoming official SFB supplement for Starmada.) And of course Mekton Z has a large wargaming component to it, and it's one of my favorite games. So it's not fair to dismiss Prime Directive out of hand. And while I've never actually played Prime Directive, I have looked over the rules and I think they have an odd, and to me at least, off-putting tone. Nevertheless, there are some good points.
One is the aliens. Star Trek takes some heat for having aliens that are nothing more than SAG members with a few latex bumps glued to their faces. Sure, it's largely the result of budget constraints, but it is pretty weak. And in Prime Directive most of the aliens are still humanoid, but kind of interesting. There's the Rigellians, who are like space-Maoris, and the Alpha-Centaurans, who are like space-Amazons. But they also introduce some decidedly non-human aliens, like the Hydrans and Seltorians. They do get a little furry, with three different types of cat-people, but it's no worse than most other space opera games.
Another aspect of the game I like is the Prime Teams. These are specially trained landing parties made up of the PCs. Each member would ideally be trained in a different specialty, giving the group a good balance. Not only is this a great way to get the players into action, but it avoids what I think was the nonsensical way the TV shows had the senior officers constantly running off and leaving junior officers in charge of the ship, usually in the middle of a crisis. Unfortunately the Prime Teams in the game seem to focus on marines, making them more like outer space SWAT teams.
And that militarism does permeate the whole thing, as you might expect from a wargame. Whereas people like me tend to criticize Star Trek for having some goofy science, others criticize it for it's lack of military realism. Apparently the authors of Prime Directive are the latter type, because the they put a lot of emphasis on military rank and seniority. Not out of place, but it totally overshadows any sense of scientific exploration. There are no rules for exploring strange new worlds or seeking out new life and new civilizations.
And whereas the Cold War politics of The Sixties informed the Original Series they dominate the Star Fleet Universe. In this game the Federation is the U.S.A., and the Klingons are the U.S.S.R. They got so carried away with this that when they Star Wars-ized the game by adding space fighters the Federation fighters were named for U.S. jets and the Klingon for Soviet jets. That's just too much for me.
To be fair, Star Fleet is portrayed as paragons of virtue who never fire first and never start wars. And there are nice touches like the Federation Creed which would compliment any Star Trek game. But ultimately Prime Directive is very much a mixed bag. You probably won't want to dump it all out, but you might want to reach in and pull out a few things you like.
Robert's right that it would be hypocritical to condemn SFB just because it's a wargame. As a kid when I drew pictures of spaceships they were usually blasting each other with ray guns. I've had fun playing FASA's STSTCS and even statted up some Star Trek ships for Starmada to use the Starline 2400 miniatures. (There's now an upcoming official SFB supplement for Starmada.) And of course Mekton Z has a large wargaming component to it, and it's one of my favorite games. So it's not fair to dismiss Prime Directive out of hand. And while I've never actually played Prime Directive, I have looked over the rules and I think they have an odd, and to me at least, off-putting tone. Nevertheless, there are some good points.
One is the aliens. Star Trek takes some heat for having aliens that are nothing more than SAG members with a few latex bumps glued to their faces. Sure, it's largely the result of budget constraints, but it is pretty weak. And in Prime Directive most of the aliens are still humanoid, but kind of interesting. There's the Rigellians, who are like space-Maoris, and the Alpha-Centaurans, who are like space-Amazons. But they also introduce some decidedly non-human aliens, like the Hydrans and Seltorians. They do get a little furry, with three different types of cat-people, but it's no worse than most other space opera games.
Another aspect of the game I like is the Prime Teams. These are specially trained landing parties made up of the PCs. Each member would ideally be trained in a different specialty, giving the group a good balance. Not only is this a great way to get the players into action, but it avoids what I think was the nonsensical way the TV shows had the senior officers constantly running off and leaving junior officers in charge of the ship, usually in the middle of a crisis. Unfortunately the Prime Teams in the game seem to focus on marines, making them more like outer space SWAT teams.
And that militarism does permeate the whole thing, as you might expect from a wargame. Whereas people like me tend to criticize Star Trek for having some goofy science, others criticize it for it's lack of military realism. Apparently the authors of Prime Directive are the latter type, because the they put a lot of emphasis on military rank and seniority. Not out of place, but it totally overshadows any sense of scientific exploration. There are no rules for exploring strange new worlds or seeking out new life and new civilizations.
And whereas the Cold War politics of The Sixties informed the Original Series they dominate the Star Fleet Universe. In this game the Federation is the U.S.A., and the Klingons are the U.S.S.R. They got so carried away with this that when they Star Wars-ized the game by adding space fighters the Federation fighters were named for U.S. jets and the Klingon for Soviet jets. That's just too much for me.
To be fair, Star Fleet is portrayed as paragons of virtue who never fire first and never start wars. And there are nice touches like the Federation Creed which would compliment any Star Trek game. But ultimately Prime Directive is very much a mixed bag. You probably won't want to dump it all out, but you might want to reach in and pull out a few things you like.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Chain Reaction 3.0
Ed Teixeira of Two Hour Wargames has released the third edition of his Chain Reaction (and Swordplay!) miniatures wargame as a free download. If you're not familiar with this game, it's an excellent set of fast-play skirmish rules that can be played with any figures.
Models are divided into Stars and Grunts. The Stars are sort of like PCs with various advantages (Cheating Death, Free Will, etc.) and attributes (Born Leader, Nerves of steel, etc.) Grunts are, well, grunts. All models have a single stat, Reputation, or Rep, ranging from 1-6. The player rolls two dice (on most occasions) trying to roll Rep or less (this is a roll low game). The dice are read individually, not added. This gives three possible results: Pass 2, Pass 1, and Pass 0.
In place of the standard moral system the game uses a unique Reaction system. That means models that come under attack must make a Reaction Test that may result in an Involuntary Action. (Now you see why the Free Will advantage is important.) This gives the game a very dynamic, unpredictable feel. The Reaction System is also something most players either love or hate. As Ed himself says, "It’s not for everyone. If you like total control of your forces then just keep walking because you’ll hate it."
The Reaction System is best suited to what I think is the finest of the published versions of the game, All Things Zombie. It really brings the shambling undead to life, so to speak. The game's add copy gives a good overview.
"ATZ takes you to where no other zombie game has before. Yes, it starts on the first day of the outbreak, but then let’s you continue your life building your very own future. It’s a game where every detail has been covered, as you first escape the soulless creatures that threaten you, then hunt them down and take back what’s yours.
On the way there you’ll find out that maybe your most dangerous enemies aren’t the zombies, but maybe your neighbors or sometimes your friends. ATZ can be played solo, cooperatively with everyone on the same side, or competitively with everyone against one another. ATZ can be played as a one up game or part of an ongoing campaign."
If the undead aren't your thing, Simon Norrington has rules on his website for using CR to run Star Trek TOS and Dr. Who games. They're written for the second edition, but should work fine with the new third edition.
So give Chain Reaction and Swordplay! a try. Ed says, "And if you don’t like CR 3.0 it’s all good. Because really it’s all about playing games that you like."
[via QuasarDragon]
Models are divided into Stars and Grunts. The Stars are sort of like PCs with various advantages (Cheating Death, Free Will, etc.) and attributes (Born Leader, Nerves of steel, etc.) Grunts are, well, grunts. All models have a single stat, Reputation, or Rep, ranging from 1-6. The player rolls two dice (on most occasions) trying to roll Rep or less (this is a roll low game). The dice are read individually, not added. This gives three possible results: Pass 2, Pass 1, and Pass 0.
In place of the standard moral system the game uses a unique Reaction system. That means models that come under attack must make a Reaction Test that may result in an Involuntary Action. (Now you see why the Free Will advantage is important.) This gives the game a very dynamic, unpredictable feel. The Reaction System is also something most players either love or hate. As Ed himself says, "It’s not for everyone. If you like total control of your forces then just keep walking because you’ll hate it."
The Reaction System is best suited to what I think is the finest of the published versions of the game, All Things Zombie. It really brings the shambling undead to life, so to speak. The game's add copy gives a good overview.
"ATZ takes you to where no other zombie game has before. Yes, it starts on the first day of the outbreak, but then let’s you continue your life building your very own future. It’s a game where every detail has been covered, as you first escape the soulless creatures that threaten you, then hunt them down and take back what’s yours.
On the way there you’ll find out that maybe your most dangerous enemies aren’t the zombies, but maybe your neighbors or sometimes your friends. ATZ can be played solo, cooperatively with everyone on the same side, or competitively with everyone against one another. ATZ can be played as a one up game or part of an ongoing campaign."
If the undead aren't your thing, Simon Norrington has rules on his website for using CR to run Star Trek TOS and Dr. Who games. They're written for the second edition, but should work fine with the new third edition.
So give Chain Reaction and Swordplay! a try. Ed says, "And if you don’t like CR 3.0 it’s all good. Because really it’s all about playing games that you like."
[via QuasarDragon]
Friday, May 29, 2009
MZST Shuttlecraft
Here's a write-up of a standard Class F Shuttlecraft. I had to go a bit beyond the basics and trade some Kills for Spaces (MZ pg. 54) to get everything to fit, but even so I stuck to the basic design system just like I did with the starships. Mekton Z isn't just for gearheads, you know.
While I was finishing the design and checking some details online, I discovered that the old FASA Star Trek RPG is on Scribd. So expect some updates to the starships soon. For now, here's what the FASA game has to say about shuttlecraft.
SHUTTLECRAFT
Shuttlecraft are used by Star Fleet for courier vessels and to transport personnel when transporter operation is impossible or impractical. Not intended for faster-than-light travel, they are powered by an advanced ion propulsion drive similar to the impulse engines of larger spacecraft. Takeoff and landing are vertical, the shuttlecraft standing on three sturdy landing pads. Most larger starships carry several shuttlecraft in shuttle bays; Constitution class ships like the Enterprise are assigned six shuttlecraft, but may carry more if their captains so choose. Every starbase and most smaller Star Fleet outposts berth shuttlecraft as well, and a number of them operated by Star Fleet have no set berth, acting as 'floaters' that can be used and left at the destination Star Fleet facility. Some have even been sold for civilian use. The shuttlecraft come in two standard designs, well engineered for years of service. Parts and service are available at nearly every Federation outpost of any appreciable size, and on any starship carrying them. Some have been in use for over 20 years, with newer models having only a few cosmetic and electronic design changes and additions. Model S-3, the standard model, travels at a maximum of .89 light-speed and is operated by one pilot. It carries 7 passengers comfortably, but, in emergencies, it may carry up to 12 on a short hop, though its life support system will not tolerate such a load for very long. The larger Model S-5 travels at .76 light-speed and also is operated by one pilot. It carries 14 passengers. Not in general use, it usually is assigned only to large stations or starbases, though some have been issued to Constitution class vessels. An experimental design is the S-4 aquashuttle. Developed for landings on water-covered worlds, it bears little external resemblance to the standard shuttlecraft, though its internal systems are similar if not identical. It is capable of interstellar flight at .82 light-speed, and of submerged travel at 100 kph to a depth of 1200 meters. It can carry 6 passengers comfortably in its specially padded and belted seats, and it holds sensing devices for doing underwater detection and research. Aquashuttles are being tested by several Constitution class exploration vessels for possible addition to standard Star Fleet equipment. Standard Star Fleet shuttlecraft neither are armed nor do they have deflector shields larger than those needed for protection against small meteors and other space debris. Aquashuttles carry a single forward-firing phaser cannon, designed for use on dangerous undersea life; this cannon is about twice as powerful as standard phaser rifle. Despite rumors to the contrary, shuttlecraft are not used in starship combat, at least not by the Federation. Their power plants are too small to even be effective as guided bombs.
While I was finishing the design and checking some details online, I discovered that the old FASA Star Trek RPG is on Scribd. So expect some updates to the starships soon. For now, here's what the FASA game has to say about shuttlecraft.
SHUTTLECRAFT
Shuttlecraft are used by Star Fleet for courier vessels and to transport personnel when transporter operation is impossible or impractical. Not intended for faster-than-light travel, they are powered by an advanced ion propulsion drive similar to the impulse engines of larger spacecraft. Takeoff and landing are vertical, the shuttlecraft standing on three sturdy landing pads. Most larger starships carry several shuttlecraft in shuttle bays; Constitution class ships like the Enterprise are assigned six shuttlecraft, but may carry more if their captains so choose. Every starbase and most smaller Star Fleet outposts berth shuttlecraft as well, and a number of them operated by Star Fleet have no set berth, acting as 'floaters' that can be used and left at the destination Star Fleet facility. Some have even been sold for civilian use. The shuttlecraft come in two standard designs, well engineered for years of service. Parts and service are available at nearly every Federation outpost of any appreciable size, and on any starship carrying them. Some have been in use for over 20 years, with newer models having only a few cosmetic and electronic design changes and additions. Model S-3, the standard model, travels at a maximum of .89 light-speed and is operated by one pilot. It carries 7 passengers comfortably, but, in emergencies, it may carry up to 12 on a short hop, though its life support system will not tolerate such a load for very long. The larger Model S-5 travels at .76 light-speed and also is operated by one pilot. It carries 14 passengers. Not in general use, it usually is assigned only to large stations or starbases, though some have been issued to Constitution class vessels. An experimental design is the S-4 aquashuttle. Developed for landings on water-covered worlds, it bears little external resemblance to the standard shuttlecraft, though its internal systems are similar if not identical. It is capable of interstellar flight at .82 light-speed, and of submerged travel at 100 kph to a depth of 1200 meters. It can carry 6 passengers comfortably in its specially padded and belted seats, and it holds sensing devices for doing underwater detection and research. Aquashuttles are being tested by several Constitution class exploration vessels for possible addition to standard Star Fleet equipment. Standard Star Fleet shuttlecraft neither are armed nor do they have deflector shields larger than those needed for protection against small meteors and other space debris. Aquashuttles carry a single forward-firing phaser cannon, designed for use on dangerous undersea life; this cannon is about twice as powerful as standard phaser rifle. Despite rumors to the contrary, shuttlecraft are not used in starship combat, at least not by the Federation. Their power plants are too small to even be effective as guided bombs.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
MZST Update
"What if Star Trek were an anime?"
That's the question that inspired my MZST posts, which present Mekton Z write-ups of key Star Trek characters and ships. It's a chance to show that Mekton can be about more than mecha, and to take the average Star Trek RPG in a different direction. One of the difficulties of running a Star Trek game is that cannon can often be constraining. It's a problem that Bat in the Attic commented on just the other day. By taking things back to TOS/TAS era and re-imagining the whole in terms of the stylistic elements of anime the idea is to take a step back from canon and give the GM and players the freedom to move in a different direction if they want.
One of the reasons it occurred to me to do this is that Star Trek is often referenced in the Mekton Z rulebook to illustrate a point, but to the best of my knowledge nobody has yet done a Star Trek write-up. So I did one. I'm sure my take on things may not be how others would do it. I treated the Enterprise's chief officers as standard PCs that could be used in a game, or more importantly as example characters for a game set on another starship. The is quite different from the view that Kirk, Spock and McCoy would have the status of legendary NPCs in the game, and should have extraordinary skills. I don't have a problem with that, and if you want to portray them that way just multiply the key skills (or all the skills) on my write-ups by 1.5 -- or do me one better and share your own write-ups.
Things didn't go without a hitch, and I noticed there were some mistakes in the starship designs, especially the Klingon battlecruiser. That's because it started out with a Medium Striker hull and when I upgraded it to the Heavy Striker configuration it has now I didn't adjust all the stats. That's what happens when you don't use a spreadsheet. The other glitch was the ship's sensor ranges, which were way off. They're pretty much ad hoc anyway, and don't add to the ship's cost. They're extrapolated from the basic sensor package (sensors 7 km; comm. range 1,000 km) and intended to give the ships enough sensor range to use their weapons effectively. I didn't use the full Mekton Technical System, or MTS, to design them because I wanted to keep things simple.
There were a few items of common equipment that I didn't cover, so here they are to round things out.
Communicators (as per Tech Level 7 Communicator, MZ pg. 47)
Tricorders act as a combination Bio-Scanner (MZ pg. 47), Micro-cam, Micro-Comp, and Techscanner (MZ pg. 48), but weighs only .5 kg. It can also scan minerals, chemicals and electro-magnetism. It can make general scans out to 3,000 m, and detailed scans out to 20 m.
Medical Tricorder (as per Medscanner, MZ pg. 48, but weight only .5 kg)
Medkit (MZ pg. 48)
That's the question that inspired my MZST posts, which present Mekton Z write-ups of key Star Trek characters and ships. It's a chance to show that Mekton can be about more than mecha, and to take the average Star Trek RPG in a different direction. One of the difficulties of running a Star Trek game is that cannon can often be constraining. It's a problem that Bat in the Attic commented on just the other day. By taking things back to TOS/TAS era and re-imagining the whole in terms of the stylistic elements of anime the idea is to take a step back from canon and give the GM and players the freedom to move in a different direction if they want.
One of the reasons it occurred to me to do this is that Star Trek is often referenced in the Mekton Z rulebook to illustrate a point, but to the best of my knowledge nobody has yet done a Star Trek write-up. So I did one. I'm sure my take on things may not be how others would do it. I treated the Enterprise's chief officers as standard PCs that could be used in a game, or more importantly as example characters for a game set on another starship. The is quite different from the view that Kirk, Spock and McCoy would have the status of legendary NPCs in the game, and should have extraordinary skills. I don't have a problem with that, and if you want to portray them that way just multiply the key skills (or all the skills) on my write-ups by 1.5 -- or do me one better and share your own write-ups.
Things didn't go without a hitch, and I noticed there were some mistakes in the starship designs, especially the Klingon battlecruiser. That's because it started out with a Medium Striker hull and when I upgraded it to the Heavy Striker configuration it has now I didn't adjust all the stats. That's what happens when you don't use a spreadsheet. The other glitch was the ship's sensor ranges, which were way off. They're pretty much ad hoc anyway, and don't add to the ship's cost. They're extrapolated from the basic sensor package (sensors 7 km; comm. range 1,000 km) and intended to give the ships enough sensor range to use their weapons effectively. I didn't use the full Mekton Technical System, or MTS, to design them because I wanted to keep things simple.
There were a few items of common equipment that I didn't cover, so here they are to round things out.
Communicators (as per Tech Level 7 Communicator, MZ pg. 47)
Tricorders act as a combination Bio-Scanner (MZ pg. 47), Micro-cam, Micro-Comp, and Techscanner (MZ pg. 48), but weighs only .5 kg. It can also scan minerals, chemicals and electro-magnetism. It can make general scans out to 3,000 m, and detailed scans out to 20 m.
Medical Tricorder (as per Medscanner, MZ pg. 48, but weight only .5 kg)
Medkit (MZ pg. 48)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Mekton Z Star Trek
The other day over on the Mekton Zeta Mailing List the topic of out-of-range characters was being bandied about, and who should chime in but Maximum Mike himself. And wouldn't you know it, he used Star Trek to illustrate his point.
"The Enterprise crew is an anomaly in that EVERYONE (even Uhura and Chekov) are out of range characters. Only the Enterprise can fight Khan--all others get summarily pwn'd."
Well, there you have it. And me having just posted write-ups of the Enterprise crew as regular characters. しまった! So just consider my take on Kirk et. al as examples of what a group of original MZST crewmembers might look like and not as accurate depictions of that larger than life crew.
"The Enterprise crew is an anomaly in that EVERYONE (even Uhura and Chekov) are out of range characters. Only the Enterprise can fight Khan--all others get summarily pwn'd."
Well, there you have it. And me having just posted write-ups of the Enterprise crew as regular characters. しまった! So just consider my take on Kirk et. al as examples of what a group of original MZST crewmembers might look like and not as accurate depictions of that larger than life crew.
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