Space dungeon: Perry Rhodan spaceship cutaway

Found this one on Facebook. Looks like mini stunt double for the Death Star, but it's actually a cutaway image of a battleship--the Leif Eriksson--from a Perry Rhodan story. (Odd that it's not the sharp-nosed cruiser you usually find images of online.)

Though I'm not 100% confident in my Google-fu, I suspect this what the exterior looks like:

In any case, go ahead and embiggen that top image and you've got yerself a nifty space megadungeon map! 

New spaceship art from Chris Foss on awesome space opera anthology!

GLORIOUS new candy-colored spaceship art from Chris Foss for Cosmic Powers: A Saga Anthology of Far-Away Galaxies, an upcoming space opera anthology by editor John Joseph Adams!

Cover copy:

A collection of original, epic science fiction stories by some of today’s best writers—for fans who want a little less science and a lot more action—and edited by two-time Hugo Award winner John Joseph Adams. Inspired by movies like The Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars, this anthology features brand-new stories from some of science fiction’s best authors including Dan Abnett, Jack Campbell, Linda Nagata, Seanan McGuire, Alan Dean Foster, Charlie Jane Anders, Kameron Hurley, and many others

Aside from the storied career that Foss had forged in space opera art over the decades, it makes sense that he would be tapped for this project in particular since his art inspired Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn during the concept phase for that film. With GG being a touchstone for the anthology, Foss is an easy sell.

If you're looking for more Foss art, his art book Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss is full of awesome spaceship art and a worthy companion.

Okay, I've vamped long enough--time to take in the view. Click to enlarge this gorgeous artwork!

More details at Adam's website!

GALLERY: Feast your eyes on the spaceships of THE EXPANSE

SyFy has released a cargo hold-size cache of white-hot spaceship and space station art for The Expanse TV series. There's some seriously fantastic designs here--plenty to drool over and get excited for the first season, which officially starts Monday, December 14. SyFy already released the first episode though, which you can watch right now!

These also serve as great inspiration for your next hard scifi campaign or interplanetary space opera. Click to enlarge!

 

 

 

Images courtesy: SyFy

Wargons space warlord race for X-plorers

WARGONS: Heavy Metal raiders of the void! 

  

I love what you've done with your ridge Gordak! Are you using a new conditioner?

Wargons are the galaxy's most-feared space pirates seeking fortune, glory, infamy, and bent on unleashing such woe unto their enemies so as to be told for generations. They organize into tribal units called "prides" with a parental matriarch or patriarch as captain. They hunt their spacefaring prey--migrant convoys, freighters carrying cargo, passenger liners, and even military frigates--aboard smaller assault ships with crews of a few dozen. For larger hunts, they employ heavily armed battlecruisers.

But sentient forms are not their only quarry. The Wargon hunt the megafauna that live in the void--space kaiju! They consider this their greatest challenge and most dangerous prospect. To slay a massive monster and live is to become an Exalted One for ages to come.

Ferocious Starships

Wargons do not kill for merely sport--they render every piece of their prize into usable goods--famously fashioning the bones and heads into the very structure of their wildly eccentric spacecraft. The process is ritualistic and highly technical, resulting in constructs that only accentuate their already terrifying reputations.

Because of the varied and random nature of their hunts, no two Wargon vessels look exactly the same. There are basic sizes and functions, but some may employ giant insect wings, filleted reptillian frills, beheaded space demons or dragon, unfurled giant bat wings or other body parts. The fantastic and fierce-looking craft designs are greatly determined by the relative variety of exobiologic game they have encountered. And the more exotic the quarry, the more they thirst for it to become their latest creation.

"Balrog Class Dreadnought" by Katase6626 on deviantART 

•  Vangjar Class (pictured) raider ships (bird of prey) are the most common type of Wargon vessel. Crew of 25-60.
•  Bagkar Class destroyers are a medium-sized (think classic Enterprise) and are an equal or better match for comparable ships. Crew of 200-300.
• Drakmir Class battlecruisers are the big mama-jamas, think STNG sized. Crew of 800 or more.

Physical Characteristics

Wargons are relatively the same size as humans, though their skin is more leathery and even hardens into sharp, bony protrusions on the front and top of the skull. Their skeletons are more dense and therefore stronger than normal humans. And if you think that makes them slower, you'd be mistaken--their muscles more than compensate for their fortified interiors, giving them surprising agility.

In general, they are:

• Stronger than humans (Physique +1 per level) 
• More intimidating (Presence +1 per level)
• Possess of enhanced abilities: Initiates are also trained in Wargon Martial Arts with extra significance placed on the use of the Dam'eth sword (Weapon Specialization +1 per level), one of which every Wargon possess.  

Rage Ale and its effects

When they render the carcass of a felled kaiju, the single-most prized organ is the beast's pineal gland. From it, Wargons distill and brew into one of the most potent concoctions in the known universe: Rage Ale! The substance hyper-activates the Wargons' own anger-prone tendencies (see Melee Madness below), often imbibed just before hand-to-hand combat ensues in order to push them even further into blind aggression.

Exposure is not without some lingering after-effects. Because they're ambitious pirates, Wargons are consuming large quantities of the stuff and therefore experiencing physical changes as well, including the growth of horns, hardened skin and bones, blood-stained scelera of the eyes, and sharpened hand and foot digits. It's not know if these effects are reversible.

Melee Madness

"The Madness" is a direct effect of consuming Rage Ale, which gives Wargons enhanced strength and stamina during combat. Every Wargon carries a personal cache (flask or ampule) of the potion to chug just before contact with the enemy. Non-Wargons have been known to die or at least fall extremely ill should they ingest any. Rage Ale enhancements are as follows:

• Physique/Strength & Constitution +2/per level
• Hit Points +1d/level
• Intelligence -2
• Wisdom/Presence -2

Wargon "Blessed One"

Blessed One

Every Wargon warship Fafnir class and larger has a "Blessed One", a crew member selected for genetic mutation to turn him into a berserking freak--basically de-volving him. They usually keep them in a large cargo hold and assign another crew member (a former comrade) to look after the lucky fellow.

Nasty rumor: Wargons might be descended from rancors, not primates. That might be just a scary story, but it explains why they're so cranky.

Size: Large Monstrosity at 5.5 meters!

Agility: 10
Intelligence: 3
Physique: 20
Presence: 3

Attacks: Grasping claws and chomping bite. Don't worry about damage stats, if one gets a hold of you it's time to roll up a new character.

Society and Ritual

The life of a Wargon is defined by the harsh vacuum of space. They call it "the sea" and each soul upon the inky black "a sailor". Both males and females fight for their pride's honor. They are an ornery bunch, so they seem to work best in small tribal crews aboard their hunter ships.

Wargons worship RAGNULK!, God of the Great Thermal Death and live aboard ships that resemble flying heavy metal concerts crossed with outer-space megafauna. Ships are crewed by their own kin. Their "prides" are ruled by a father or mother figure (their captain). When a rival rises through the ranks s/he may try to assassinate her/his liege (this is never done during combat with an enemy--which is cause for instant execution). But a challenger that successfully topples the reigning captain, takes over command of the ship.

If the attempt fails, the would-be challenger is put through a gauntlet by peers in the ship's' Great Hall. Should they survive, they would be expelled from the pride--but with good intention. The erstwhile challenger is given a barely-working launch from which to begin their own pride. This is how the Wargon proliferate their kind.

A Wargon captain introduces him or herself through a string of surnames, relaying their lengthy and belligerent heritage--each name is usually more intimidating than the last.

"Beware preyling! For I am LORP, droplet of WEGAT THE BEMUSED, a kinsmen of WERDAR OF THE WASTE, and kinsfolk to VORDAM THE SKULL-SCRAPER!"

What their poor victims don't know is that Lorp was a cranky radio operator, Werdar is a sanitation officer and Vordam was really the ship's barber, heh!

Wargon High Chiefs are the highest authority in their society. They give orders to the many raiding parties, organize reconnaissance and patrol missions, and lead fleets in battle. The current high chief ruler sitting at the head of the Onyx Pentagram is know is MAD MELEANATH. No one has seen their visage in years, but it's said they are actually a were-creature, turning into some sort of rapacious space wolf whenever their bloodlust goes un-sated.

Vocation and Station

Wargons take service aboard a ship of their kinsmen and are divided into groups by skill. This is usually done based on Agility or Dexterity. The highest scores fly the ship and fire weapons. Lower scores are sent to work other systems. Intelligence isn't valued that highly, except among the highest echelons of society. 

All technology, at this point, is stolen and reconfigured to fit the Wargon motif. They stopped innovating eons ago. Wargon scientists are the worst kind---never intentionally employing the scientific method but very adept at reverse engineering. 

Ship crew compliments are typically divided into fifths of 1/5 ship control and command officers, 1/5 tech engineers, 3/5 soldiers and basic crew--with the understanding that when it comes to down and dirty combat, everybody fights.

Weapons, Armor, Equipment

The Wargon soldier is heavily armed, but only moderately armored so they can quickly dispatch enemies in hand-to-hand combat. In addition to carrying a personal energy carbine or blunderbuss, they carry at least one signature melee weapon, which can include:

• Great axe, oversized, oversharp, heavy metal!
• Double throwing axes, these are still quite huge, weighted at handles to provide maximum spinnage...
• Spiked mace or flail, swingy, spikey--make sure not to sit on them
• Gantlet covered in spikes, gives edged damage to punches as well as a little knockback
• Cat O' Nine Tails, embedded with razors, also used in corporal punishment
• Dam'eth sword, double-bladed swords or giant butterfly-handled swords, often curved or barbed but require a special touch to wield as they're mounted via fast-access, swing mechanism 

In addition, they'll usually wear some sort of padded armor or leather equivalent. They will don ornately decorated helmets with openings that allow their Rage Ale-infused horns to protrude through, as well as all manner of overwrought shoulder armor in battle, but find these restrictive aboard the confines of a ship. They will wear them however to intimidate enemies over viewscreen confrontations. Helms and pauldrons vary highly and are decorated or adorned as a sign of individual expression. 

Finishing off the Wargon look are any assortment of ritualistic tattoos, scarring, tramp stamps, big heavy stompy boots, toothy grills, and other extravagantly badass accouterments.

Inspiration

Warlike races in space opera are no longer a foregone conclusion--it's practically an expectation. Klingons have had many iterations over the years. Who could forget the great "head crest vs. no head crest" debate? To me they always epitomized of the greatest warriors in history, like the surliest pirates, Vikings, or Mongol warriors. Aesthetically, I'd believed their onscreen depiction in the original Trek films was based on the latter.

I always liked that they were best in small crews aboard BoPs and with a tribal command structure. They raiders who conquer through intimidation and cunning in battle. It's no wonder that they have become iconic in the decades since their appearance on the original series.

VIDEO: Orion launches new US space era!

NASA's back in the big rocket business! Today they launched the Orion mission's first test flight, which one day will (hopefully) put manned missions on Mars. Here's video of the launch in case you missed it:



Here's a nice infographic on the scale of the rocket, including comparison to the Apollo mission's once ubiquitous Saturn V (click to enlarge):

Orion uses the two-stage Delta IV rocket system for hoisting payloads into orbit (and beyond). Here's some specs taken right from NASA's data page:

Delta IV Heavy with extra rocket boosters

Main Engine
Design simplicity, demonstrated capability and cost-efficiency define the RS-68A, the main engine for the Delta IV. Designed and manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, the throttleable RS-68A engine is the largest existing hydrogen-burning engine. Conceived using a simplified design approach, the resulting engine requires 80 percent fewer parts than the Space Shuttle main engine, is lower risk, has reduced development and production costs and has inherently reliable operation.

Nominal Thrust (sea level): 702,000 lbs
Specific Impulse (sea level): 362 seconds
Length: 204 in
Weight: 14,876 lbs
Fuel/Oxidizer: Liquid Hydrogen/Liquid Oxygen

Solid Rocket Motors
For missions requiring additional thrust at liftoff, the Delta IV M+ configurations use either two or four Alliant Techsystems-manufactured solid rocket motors (SRM). Separation is accomplished by initiating ordnance thrusters that provide a radial thrust to jettison the expended SRMs away from the first stage.

Peak Vacuum Thrust: 280,000 lbf
Specific Impulse: 275.2 seconds
Length: 636 in
Maximum Diameter: 60 in
Weight: 74,500 lbs
Nominal Burn Time: 90 seconds

Second Stage
Both the Atlas and the Delta IV second stages rely on the RL10 propulsion system to power their second stages. Logging an impressive record of more than 385 successful flights and nearly 700 firings in space, RL10 engines, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, harness the power of high-energy liquid hydrogen and boast a precision control system and restart capability to accurately place critical payloads into orbit.
The Delta IV employs the RL10B-2 with the world’s largest carbon-carbon extendible nozzle.

Nominal Thrust: 24,750 lbs
Specific Impulse: 465.5 seconds
Fuel/Oxidizer: Liquid Hydrogen/Liquid Oxygen
Length: 86.5 in (stowed); 163.5 in (deployed)
Diameter (nozzle extension): 84.5 in
Weight: 664 lbs

Fun fact: the habitable space aboard the Orion crew module is roughly equivalent to two minivans. That's pretty tight quarters for a long journey to Mars!

Learn more

• Orion mission details
• More specs and technical summaries
• Contractor Lockheed Martin's Orion info

FROM THE ZONES 4 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Xenothalent™ Artificial Biologic Immuno Response Engine from Blommkampe Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

These cute little nanobot buggers are what
make Xenothelent possible. Ah, the
 miracle of technology!

Heading into a warzone filled with xeno-derived toxins and environmental biohazards? Consider getting a booster of Xenothalent™, the most adaptive artificial immune system on the market today!

You need only stick yourself with the handy, 30 centimeter needle directly into your abdomen to administer your booster shot. In mere seconds you'll be up-and-at-em, ready to take on any biohazardous environment with nary a symptom (see below for possible side effects).

Health Benefits of Xenothalent™

• Immune to alien pathogens for up to 1 year
• Melanin in skin turns blue when pathogens are present in atmosphere, color shade corresponds to parts-per-million in the air
• Blood brain barrier develops resistance to mental attacks, reducing any damage by half
• Increased healing factor (2 Hit Points per round)

Specimen shown at 3 meters in diameter!

WARNING: Early research findings indicate that due to the experimental nature of Xenothalent™  the following conditions (1d12) may occur 4 rounds after inoculation:

• 1) Xenothalent™ breaks down into poisonous byproduct (Save Vs. Poison)
• 2) Host experiences mutagenic transformation into biologic anomaly, taking on properties based on whatever hazard was encountered
• 3) Inoculated individual's own immune system is sent into overdrive, Physique/Strength increases by 2d6+1 points and begins to run down to normal at -1 point per round afterward*
• 4) Antibodies mutate and burst out of host and grow to 1d4+1 meters in diameter, bent on eradicating "intruders"
• 5-11) Immune system works as intended, fighting off any diseases, pathogens, environmental biohazards during session (see Health Benefits above)
• 12) Booster fails completely, no benefit gained, no side effects

*One in 100 individuals (roll 00 on percentile dice) who are inoculated with Xenothalent™ system that encounter "overdrive side effects" are left with permanent Physique/Strength attribute changes, however Intelligence drops by 4 points.

Retail price: 3,000cr, system in packs of 12 syringes
Discount price: 500cr, comes in 12 syringe pack, some may have been opened/tampered with


Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 3 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Parry Shield™ Adaptive Deflection Screen Generator™ from Gurney Space Defense Conglomerated

Alien tech recovered: Personal-sized solid-energy emitter recovered after firefight with extraterrestrials.

Engineered into: Pretty much the same thing but with a lot more power added. Green Lantern's energy ring or a Holtzman field generator refitted for your vehicle or spacecraft.

Are you constantly getting flanked by your enemies in space combat? Tired of catching laserfire on your back quarter during dogfights? Oh, the pedantry of having to "come about" to face your foes

Throw those manual deflector screen controllers away!

during ship-to-ship combat--just because your shields happen to be stronger at the bow than the aft!

Now you can modulate your shields AUTOMATICALLY without the need to allocate power from other shipboard systems. Gurney Space Defense's latest offering, the ADSG Parry Shield™, manifests a solid wall of energy between you and harms' way that deflects all matter and energy-based attacks! Where does it go? Who cares, as long as it's not rending your ship into atomic dust!

Powered by that miracle product DynaQuark™, the generator both powers and computes the neccessary defensive placement and power output to protect your vessel.

WARNING: Should two objects with active Parry Shield fields come in contact they will both be instantaneously vaporized.

Two test subjects fist bump moments before being vaporized during trials for a personal-sized version of Parry Shield™.

WARNING: Under the Space Consumer Act of 2360, we are legally obligated to inform you of the following potential mishaps that may occur during operation of your Parry Shield™ module (1d20 for every round shield is active):

• 1) Upon activation, shield completely sheers away hull plating, leaving starship totally transparent as a cutaway diagram, with only the Parry Shield left in place to protect against losing atmosphere/outside threats
• 2) Shield doesn't turn on, but instead, power plant begins meltdown cycle with complete overload occurring in (1d8+1) rounds
• 3-17) Parry Shield operation is perfectly normal, deflecting 1d10+10% of any enemy fire.
• 18) Parry Shield works only in opposite mode, parrying at the exact wrong time--shield is up when you fire from your ship, deflecting damage back at you--and shield is down when enemy fires upon you
• 19) Shield frequency out of phase, vibrations cause unbearable "warble" sound; will cause hearing loss of all passengers for rest of the session if not powered off in 1d4+1 rounds. Note: If #2 (above) has already been rolled, Parry Shield cannot be turned off
• 20) When ship lands, Parry Shield cannot be turned off for 1d6 rounds, trapping crew inside

Retail price + installation: 15,000cr, system comes plug-n-power-up ready, includes six pack of DynaQuark
Discount price: 11,500cr, system comes unassembled and requires someone with expertise in starship repair, level 6 or higher and 2 weeks in drydock

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 2 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

Voice-activated Auto-Ration Delivery System, a.k.a. PHLORP™

Alien tech recovered: Nanite-based, bio-gel printing device. Recovered inside extraterrestrial craft medical laboratory and/or mess hall.

Engineered into: Mostly accurate, all-purpose, industrial-grade nutritional system.

So you've woken up from cryo-sleep and slipped on your own biofluids--what's the first thing you look for? Breakfast! Insert credits, speak your portion size, (e.g., "one bowl" or "two cups") and The GLORP spurts out a glob of nano-organic sludge onto your serving tray. It appears as grey-blue, grey-green, or pink (Roll 1d6: 6 = it's full-on red in color. You should ask for a refund and discontinue use immediately).

PHLORP™ prior to being loaded into auto-ration printer

Named for the sound the sludge makes when it hits your plate, just speak aloud your desired dish and your food will blossom into it's nearest grade-school equivalent right before your very eyes!

• Asked for sirloin? Salisbury steak it is! 
• Make-your-own-pizza? How about garlic cheese bread with a side of ketchup! 
• Dreamed up a banana split? Banana pudding with chocolate swirls--MMMMmmm! (We think it's chocolate....).

Don't be afraid though, PHLORP is a highly efficient and stable platform for nutritional and disbursement and absorption. Once extruded, the nanoparticles detect what nutrients you need for the day as soon as it hits your lips and synthesizes the appropriate proteins, vitamins, and minerals with the necessary fiber-to-grinder ratio to keep things moving. Just don't count on your dish to wow the senses.

This is Steven. He heard what you said. He wants you to apologize immediately.

WARNING: Occassionaly, PHLORP outputs a substance that refuses to auto-morph into any nutritional substance (1d12) but will instead artifically reconstitute into what could be classified as a "lifeform". In such cases, if consumer should (Result know only to GM):

• 1) Back away slowly, never turning back on PHLORP (Fireball, 2d6 damage, 10 meter diameter)
• 2) Try to talk your way out of situation, maybe pay it a compliment (If successfull, becomes consumer's familiar, but reeks to high heaven of rotten fish)
• 3) Stab with utensil (Utensil is imbued with indesctructible coating for 2d6 rounds, will not harm PHLORP; also, PHLORP angered)
• 4) Put in microwave for fired upon with energy weapons (PHLORP will grow in size 3d10 meters, absorbs/consumes all in it's path, seems upset when mocked)
• 5) Fired upon with convential weapons (PHLORP appreciates your attempt at humor, becomes caustic sludge [2d6+1 damage] that moves at 2d4 spaces per round)
• 6) Attacked with sonic weapon (PHLORP shatters into 4d8 pieces, becomes less friendly)
• 7) Targeted by psionics (PHLORP communicates on 5-year-old level, throws tantrum, re-roll 1d6 above results)
• 8) Yell at it (re-roll 1-6 on 1d6, modify result by +1dX; i.e., if you rolled fireball, it's now 3d6+2 damage)
• 9-12) PHLORP does not mutate, is perfectly edible, add 1d4+1 to your Hit Points for the rest of the session (not a permanent bonus)

WARNING: Some mutation may occur. Consult your mission physician in case of spontaneous genetic malformation. Side effects include, but are not limited to (1d6): monstrous devolution, rabid zombification, radioactive lycanthropy, instantanous appearance of vestigial limbs, and scabies.

Retail price + installation: 1,500cr
Discount price: 990cr minus spice rack replicator, food smells like week-old refried beans

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

FROM THE ZONES 1 of 4: Galactic Outfitters reverse-engineered alien tech

Click image to learn how to participate! 

Preamble, taken from the FROM THE ZONES kick-off post at FATE SF:

A black market for recovered artifacts began to grow in the towns outside the Zones. Various governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals put together their own covert shopping lists. 

Looking to upgrade your planetary excursion gear? 

The Amalgamated Conglomerate Mercantile Exchange company is proud to partner with these fine manufacturers who have ingeniously reverse-engineered alien technology found in The ZONES. Order now and we'll throw in a free static window cling so you can show off your "FOUND IN THE ZONES" pride!

REM NarcoPod™ from The DreamSkil Institute

Alien tech recovered: Wireless psionic discharge module. Discovered amongst what appear's to be the torture chamber of a crashed alien craft.

Engineered into: REM-cycle re-education unit combined with long duration spaceflight sleep container, cartridge-based video game system.

Chet's had no game when it came to displaying sick skills in disc golf--but then he found NarcoPod!

Need something to do on those looooong outer-rim excursions? You've got nothing but time on your hands on those deep space sojourns into the black so why not cool your heels--and your neurons--in this state-of-the-art, single-occupant, skill-building hypersleep unit.

Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced skills in a variety of fields are available under the following matrix:

• Dexterity/Agility-based skills - advance 1 level - 1 month
• Intelligence-based skills - advance 2 levels - 1 month
• Charisma, Wisdom/Presence-based skills - advance 1 level - 1.5 months

Strength/Physique and Constitution-based skills not eligible. Check with your local ruling space authority to see if restrictions apply. Skills programs can be downloaded via interstellar WiFi service to DRM-laden, proprietary cartridges. Skill cartridges are sold separately (see pricing below). The NarcoPod™ can only add or improve one skill at a time.

WARNING: Check to make sure carts are properly seated before operating. Due to unforeseen circumstances in development funding, modifications to the skill cartridge interface were made using re-purposed aftermarket entertainment modules.

Dammit Jerry, I told you not to pound a Red Bull before hypersleep!

SIDE EFFECTS: The following side effects have been found to occur in 1d12 individuals once they awake from hypersleep.

• 1) Skills atrophy after 1d6 rounds
• 2) Sleeper suffer unexplained handicap of -2 for 2d4 rounds when using skill
• 3) Skills gain unexpected bonus of +3 for 1d4 rounds or if more than one bed is in use on a trip, 4) skills are given to the person sleeping in an adjacent pod
• 5) Psychic storm occurs, sleeper loses control of conscious self for 1d4 rounds and attacks friendly crew members with mental blast which lowers any Intelligence or Presence rolls for team by -1 for rest of game
• 6) Dreams intrude on reality, roll for 1d6+1 number of random monsters created from sleeper's consciousness
• 7) NarcoPod copies consciousness of sleeper, using it to overwrite ship's artificial intelligence persona, synthezoid individuals, or onboard robotic staff, with malcontented version
• 8-12) Nothing...nothing at all--really!

BONUS: Unit comes with one free gallon of bio-coolant for icing your hopeless meatsack!

Retail price + installation: 3,150cr
Discount price: 2,900cr, skills
Skill cartridges: 2,200cr ea., some restrictions may apply

Note: Written for X-plorers ruleset, but easily convertible to other games.

VIDEO: Clips of people blasting stuff!

Taking a page from yesterday's space video dujour, I've "curated" some more galactic goodness. Let's see how many Friday's we can get out of this, shall we? First up: People blastin' stuff!





;



...and one more--"blasting" out of the hangar! ;)

GREATEST. TREEHOUSE. EVER.

References for crafting your space fleet (inspiration)

Here's a few resources I've found over time (including a recently) that have been helpful in working up some believable spaceships. (If you're into that sorta thing). In no particular order....

1. NAME YOUR SHIP
Here's a page explaining how US naval craft are named, with each specific class of ship having its own nomenclature. For instance, subs are named for marine creatures, unless they're nuclear or ballistic missile platforms, in which case they can get presidential monikers.

The range of categories is surprising, with the usual states, cities, generals, presidents, and battles, to things like "stars", "calming words" and "comedians". The list covers both WWII and modern-era naming systems.

I like the idea of having a naming process behind the space fleet. I sort of had one going for the Omega Patrol Ship write-up I did for X-plorers, but it was more based on numbers within the series than different styles of ships.

Sometimes scale-creep can really ruin an encounter!

2. SIZE MATTERS

Making a believable ship depends heavily on scale. As with the chart from my previous post that's making its way around the interwebs comparing the Enterprise alongside several real-life spacecraft designs, it's good to have a general idea with real-world examples (if possible) on size. Well here's the ultimate sci-fi size-comparison site which allows you to view vessels from many different franchises side-by-side, plus some NASA ships and a few other examples. There's one recent omission, the Prometheus from the film's namesake. I'm still trying to figure out the scale on that baby.

Split detail image of the shuttle orbiter nose or a cutaway of a captured flying saucer? 

3. SCHEMATICS & DIAGRAMS
Looking for some quick, spaceship schematics? Done. Looking to make something original and random? Got it. Looking for the mother-of-all spaceship model sites? Uff da. There's also this awesome site by Winchell Chung that's got all sorts of calculations for building atomic-powered spacecraft.

That first link doesn't have Star Wars ships though, so try this one. It's an older site with some weird design going on, but it's got a ton of vessels.

Oh, and Gizmodo did an article a while back featuring some NICE high-res NASA schematics, like the one pictured above. These, of course, are just a few of the myriad links and sites out there. BTW, here's a previous post on the Prometheus' deck plans with a link back to a write-up I did for her.

Finally, here's a starship Pintrest board I created wherein I've pinned/repinned all manner of space craft art for your enjoyment or inspiration.

4. PAYLOAD & CARGO
Let's get one thing straight--I'm not a math guy. So stuff like this Wikipedia article on explaining payloads for air and space vehicles is helpful. Most helpful to me are the examples for actual craft (mainly because it's easier to just skip the charts and get to the real-world stuff). If nothing else it's a jumping off point because really, the words "spacecraft payload" are a rabbit hole in Google for which it seems there are an endless amount of results.

5. ASTROGATION 
Okay, so you're ship is built and you're ready to blast off from Earth some distant star, say Proxima Centauri. WOOOSH, you're there. Except now your Galactic Alert System has gone off and you need to rush off to Epsilon Eridani. How far is that? No, not from Earth, from Proxima Centauri. HERE. Try this calculator.

Stars in our neighborhood, click to enlarge

You can choose from the examples in the list or look up some star coordinates and plug them in. It should give you the distance between those two stars. Just remember, you need three numbers to do these calculations:

• RA (right ascension) 
• Dec (declination) 
• Distance in ly (light years from Earth) 

Most star charts will have these numbers. The first two, RA and Dec are called Equatorial Coordinates. Some charts also list Galactic Coordinates, but you won't need them for the calculator listed above. Our pal Mr. Chung comes to the rescue once again with some 3D star charts resources of his own compiling.

Sometimes knowing the distance between destinations is helpful for designing spacecraft--either in capabilities or limitations--such as making craft that have limited range that the PCs will need to supe-up to make the journey, etc.

So there ya go, some real-world help (take what works for ya) for embellishing your totally-not-real space gaming!

What's RIGHT with this picture?

Click to enlarge viewscreen. Via this awesome blog.

One word: KICKSTARTER.

More Enterprise images on the Exonauts Tumblr page.

Hop aboard the Omega Class Planet Skipper spaceship for X-plorers

The Omega Class Planet Skipper is primarily designed for planetary body survey and transport, but it's become the favored mission-ready conveyance of the 23rd Century. Manufactured by Hasegawa Shipyards near the Mars-Jupiter asteroid belt, the craft are known for their dependability and the ease with which they can be maintained/repaired.

Its optimal for a variety of objectives including: medium-armament gunship, wilderness patrol and rescue, and light cargo hauler on bodies with low-gaseous- or no atmosphere (when an ornithopter or rotor-wing craft would have been sufficient). It's also popular with system based privateers and freelance crews, oftentimes being favored by those with less than honorable intentions (space pirates, brigands, and the like).

Many starship captains begin their careers flying skippers on sortie missions to gain flight and command experience.

Skipper Crews
While small, the crew of a skipper is usually highly skilled and can even be tailored to the mission type. Common crew types usually consist of:

• Pilot
• Co-pilot (serving as navigator and communications officer)
• Specialists (usually 2-4 crew who are trained to operate any number of technical tasks, including any of the following: engineer, mission specialist, cargo/rescue operations specialist, and any additional gunners)

SPECIFICATIONS
Make: Hasegawa Shipyards near Martian-Jovian Asteroid Belt, designs later sold to Mongram Fleetworks on Ganymede
Length: 7.75 meters
Width: 5 meters
Height: 3 meters
Ship Class: 2
Type: Scout
Crew: 7, cockpit capacity: 3 (two seats up front for pilot and copilot, third seat mans a control panel just behind)
Hull Points: 13
No. Weapons: Varies, see below
AC: 8 (can be reinforced with armor or shields)
NPC Skill: 14/12/10+
XP Value: 90 unarmed; 190 armed
Cost (in millions): 39cr unarmed; 65 armed and fully stocked

OTHER:
Propulsion and Maneuverability: 4 directional thrusters (giving ship 1 extra move per round, total) and 5 main thrusters powered by Calcifer Propulsion Systems particle drive, which requires recharge between sorties. The ship is capable of delicate in-atmosphere maneuvers at high speed, as well as a range of evasive space tactics during dogfights.

NOTE: The skipper can travel between planets, moons, asteroids, and other bodies within the same system but lacks faster-than-light travel capabilities. Its function is primarily in-system missions.

Power: Power plants for weapons and shields are 1d6 x 1,000 and 1d4 x 1,000 credits respectively. Power plants are the size of a coffee table and the skipper can hold a total of four, stacked (on long edge) in the rear of the ship.

Cargo hold: The main hold can carry up to 3.5 metric tons. It also can be outfitted for passenger transport by adding a modular air-lock system that fits inside the bay door and can be removed between missions.

Armor/shields (AC): Skippers are lightly armored (8 AC) but fitted with a plasma shield generator +2 AC to any one cardinal direction at a time, when activated. Shield can be controlled by the pilot. Additional shields---such as a Holtzman Field system---will require a designated operator.

Weapons: Skippers can be fitted a variety of weapons, such as:

• Turret mounts for energy-based cannons (360 degree firing arc; 2d8+2 dmg; requires dedicated gunner) 800 cr
• S-foil mounts for high-power, particle cannons (linked firing, min 2/max 8; 3d6 dmg) 600 cr
• Dual pulse cannons (fires twice per round; 2d6+1 dmg) 400 cr
• Torpedo launch pods (sizes, ranges, and yields vary according to payload; requires gunner) 800cr per pod, pod holds 2, 4, or 6 missiles
• Good-enough laser cannon, min 1/max 4 (single fire, 2d4+1) 200 cr

Other weapons may be used as well. Turrets must be manned to take full advantage of their firing arc capabilities. They will otherwise fire from their fixed positions.

NOTE: Energy consumption must be taken into effect for all weapons, so it's wise to counter with additional power plant.

Escape pods: None, but often carries pressurized, jet pack suits for bailing out.

Equipment: Just as with weapons, skippers can be customized quite easily to accommodate missions with an array of specialized equipment, including:

• Sensor dishes (external instrumentation) and space telescopes (deployable instrumentation)
• Cargo winches and hauler scaffolding (deployable from cargo bay)
• Articulated arm instruments, including claw, drill, or other robotic fixtures (deployable from cargo bay)
• Grapnel or tow cable harpoons (deployable from cargo bay or external fixtures)
• Holtzman field generators for an additional +1d6 +1 AC boost (requires extra power plant, external fixtures)

NOTE: Any crew with skills pertinent to above equipment will greatly enhance the ship's capabilities during missions. Any equipment that is stored or deployable from the cargo bay will take up space, so be judicious in outfitting your craft.

Famous skippers of the CSC and their Captains:

All skippers were manufactured solely for use by Central Space Command, but over time vessels have been decommissioned and auctioned as upgraded models become available. Following are some notable craft over the last century or so.

• CSC-10001 "Big Eagle" (currently restored and enjoys display at Central Space Command Academy back on Earth) Commanded by (then) Captain J. Jasper Allen who went on to become CSC Sky Admiral and found the first inter-species space camp for children with IQ exceeding 200.
• CSC-10019 "Sparrowhawk" (destroyed in battle) Saw a great deal of action in the Asteroid Skirmishes of the 22nd Century (AKA, the Billiard War). Ambushed by rebel colonists. Cpt. Miles Keeney went down with the ship. 
• CSC-10042 "Wiley Wasp" (still in service as a training craft) Cpt. Rebecca Thorne now commands the ship her grandfather Alistar once commanded (the Commodore has since retired). It's been through four major refits and lost approximately 86 crew in the line of duty.
• CSC-10100 "Rattlebat" (sold to a private collector; not in service) Served in the Battle of Flush against the insectaur insurgency. Her captain, Zigg Zane is of course the war hero who stole that glowing hive cortex known as the HRONN, which helped us to defeat them 8 years later (once it was decoded). The ship's computer systems never quite recovered and so it was sold. Cpt. Zane's tragic suicide from the after effects of "hearing" what he called "the buzz" for years after is one of the great sacrifices of the many lost to the insidious bugs.
• CSC-10565 "St. Bayonet" (destroyed in battle) Another casualty of the insects. Bayonet and her crew, including Colonel Lewis Nagai (called back into duty) led the charge in the final battle against the bugs. His ship was one of the last out of the asteroid hives, only to be taken down by a saboteur --a crew member who succumbed to mind control by Queen Zzkt herself.

Other famous skippers (after their CSC service)
These craft and the notable persons who commanded them:

• "Vagabond Fox" / merchant vessel (formerly the Walcott CSC-10012; still in service) Captain Ballfour Huxley acquired it by way of his uncle's passing, who was gifted the Walcott by CSC for a lifetime of meritorious service. The only known case of a skipper ship: 1.) being given to a former captain, and 2.) later inherited by an heir. Last seen running cargo for OBT (Orion Beltway Transit).
• "Strange But True" / private yacht (formerly the Axehandle CSC-10083; disappeared). Quadrillionaire Rex Nobel bought the Axehandle at an auction and had her customized/rechristened the S-B-T as an anniversary present for his wife (and interplanetary pop star) The Duchess. For the last 8 years they've been flying around the solar system, solving seemingly inscrutable crimes of passion for wealthy clients. The ship replaced the "Nobel Gains" his previous conveyance that was stolen near Callisto. Reports indicated that's where this ship--and her crew--likewise disappeared from.
• "PT-099" / planetary patrol boat (formerly the Grasshopper CSC-10099; sold and recommissioned). Now in the service of the Phobos Colony Police Force, old '99 has been involved in several high-stakes collars thanks to her capable captain Melissa "The Hammer" Hamilton, including four moon heists foiled in the last 11 months and as many terrorist attacks on the space elevator, clipped.
• "The War Witch" / pirate vessel (believed to be formerly the Warwick CSC-10074; currently sought by CSC authorities) The Warwick was one of the "hero" ships of the war with the insects, due to the valor shown by her captain Henry Mack Ellis. After the war, the captain and loyal members of the crew made off with the ship to pursue a life of piracy and spaceduggery. Since then it's been implicated in a dozen or so different illegal salvage ops and robberies. Ellis is a highly sought bounty and the Witch has a "Disintegrate on Sight" order on her file.
• "Fortune's Fang" / pirate vessel (previous designation unknown; considered stolen; sought by CSC authorities but believed to be destroyed). Perhaps the most infamous craft on this list, the Fang first appeared (repainted with a fanged "Jolly Ranger"* decal on her hull) about 80 years or so ago. The vessel never appears on sensor scopes and attacks without warning, to maul and pillage her prey. Only a handful of survivors have ever been left to tell the tale of the faceless, unknown captain, a shadowy figure in a shredded astro-suit, peering out of a cracked space helmet with a pair of beady, purple eyes. The ship was last pursued around the Horn of Proteus** by a squad of Pegasus Class patrol ships, piloted by the Space Ranger Corps. A volley of particle beams tore through her hull and a great purple ring vented off the ship, seemingly vanquishing the rogue. But recently reports have surfaced that a dark and battered skipper bearing the skull and bubble helmet is raiding lagrange point colonies near Saturn....

*As in, space ranger
**A gravitational anomaly of Neptune's moon Proteus that juts several thousand miles out from one hemisphere of the moon and causes all captured objects to violently shove away from the planet. Think gravitational ski jump. This was of course caused by the Jumpgate Crash of 2285 which caused the moon's gravity well to become distorted from it's mass signature.

NOTE: Designations 10099 and lower are considered "vintage" serials at this point. The first 15 in the fleet (that weren't destroyed in battle or catastrophe) have been mothballed or put in museums in memory of their honorable service). Craft 10000 was a flight training ship called the Brightnoise. It was never in service and is now on display at the rebuilt Smithsonian, on Venus.

Click to enlarge

This entry is based on the Operation Omega Patrol Hopper model by Hasegawa, AKA the Eagle Lunar Explorer. The entry was loosely written using the X-plorers rules, but can be easily converted to other games.

The Prometheus spaceship is all the reason I need to see the movie

I've been avoiding reviews, spoilers, and anything related to the film for weeks. The movie might stink, but I don't care. I'm going for the spaceship!

Check out the deck plans and my earlier write-up for X-plorers RPG.

P.S. Post no spoilers, I'll blast them into oblivion!