Spaceship Discussion

Your PCs will begin play with a spaceship. Decide together as a group what the name of the ship will be.


Debt
As you begin playing, you will not yet entirely own your spacecraft. Depending on the ship type you have, a sizeable debt will lie between you and calling the ship your very own. Your collective debt will be 50% of the ship's original value. Who you owe the money to is up to you to decide – it could be to your patron, some other NPC, or maybe your nemesis! Whomever you owe the money to will expect regular payments from you – estimate 5% of the total debt per year in monthly payments. In other words, already from the start you will have a very good reason to make sure you make enough birr (money) to keep your ship flying. If you play your cards right you might even find yourselves the rightful owners of your very own spaceship, but it’s a long road getting there.


Crew Positions
All spaceships have specific crew positions that must be covered. Small vessels can be constructed so that the same person can perform several function at once, while large ships may have many crew members per position. The five crew positions are:

◆ Captain
◆ Engineer
◆ Pilot
◆ Sensor Operator
◆ Gunner x2

As soon as you have acquired your spaceship, you should decide within the group who should do what job onboard. When the torpedo alarm warns of imminent attack, everyone must know exactly what they are supposed to do. However, I intend to be flexible with this. For instance, it's not quite necessary for the crew to have a captain; maybe your group is so informal that you don't bother with chain of command.

To fulfill the obligations of a certain crew position, just make sure you have the necessary skill. For instance, the Sensor Operator should possess the Data-Djinn skill (which governs the operation of ship sensors). Crew positions that go unfilled might be assigned to an NPC.

The skill required for each crew position is as follows:

◆ Captain (Command)
◆ Engineer (Technology)
◆ Pilot (Pilot)
◆ Sensor Operator (Data Djinn)
◆ Gunner (Ranged Combat)


Ship Stats

◆ CLASS is a measure of the ship’s size, from a small scout ship or fighter (class I) to a bulk hauler (class V). Class determines how much energy is needed to power the ship.

◆ MODULES indicate how many optional modules the ship can hold, beyond the three required modules of bridge, reactor and graviton projector.

◆ ENERGY POINTS (EP) is a measure of the strength of the reactor – how much energy there is to distribute between the different functions of the ship.

◆ HULL POINTS (HP) determine how much physical damage the ship can take.

◆ MANEUVERABILITY indicates how agile and easy to maneuver the ship is.

◆ SIGNATURE determines how difficult the ship is to detect by others.

◆ ARMOR tells you how many dice you get for your armor test.

◆ SPEED is used to calculate travel times in number of days, by dividing the distance (in AU) by the ship’s speed.

◆ COST is the base price of the ship, without any features or extra modules.

The beetle-like Scarab model light freighter with its characteristically round shape is a common sight in the Horizon. A favorite among many captains due to its spacious hull, reliable projectors and flexibility. The latest model introduced a beautiful and useful garden module that made the Scarab even more popular among free trader crews.

Note: Just like regular gear, ship modules and features have a tech level: Primitive (P), Ordinary (O), Advanced (A), and Factionary (F). Usually, spaceships and their associated technology are of Ordinary tech level, but some modules and features are Advanced, and some rare ones even Factionary. Some modules are restricted (marked *) – to purchase these, someone in the crew must have the Licensed talent.


Size: 49 m long.
Energy Points: 5
Hull Points: 6
Maneuverability: +1
Signature: +1
Armor: 5
Speed: 2
Modules: Docking station, cabins x2, stasis hold, chapel, cargo hold x2, medlab, accelerator cannon, countermeasure dispenser.
Features: Arboretum, Atmospheric Entry, Precise Thrusters.
Extra Gear: None.
Problem: Worn-out ship computer.
Cost: 1,435,000 birr.


Modules

Bridge (O): The bridge is the brain of the ship, housing the stations of the captain, the pilot and the sensor operator. Sensors and propulsion are controlled from the bridge, and from here, you can gaze out into the Dark between the Stars. On small ships, the bridge is called a cockpit.

Reactor (O): Almost all ships in the Third Horizon use hydrogen based fusion reactors to power their engines. Each ship class has its own reactor size. There are features that increase reactor output.

Graviton Projector (O): A large generator and an exhaust system, ejecting gravitons that push against nearby gravity fields, thus propelling the spaceship forward. The graviton flow can be directed in different directions, enabling the ship to maneuver. The exhaust stream can cause gravitational phenomena – the gravity closest to the projector exhaust is severely increased, followed by dangerously violent shifts in the gravity farther away. The area around a craft about to take off is generally cleared out in advance, and the pilot will slowly turn up the projector’s effect. The graviton projector is generally located at the rear of a ship.

Docking Station (O): The ship has a docking hatch and extendable tunnel that enables you to dock with other ships. The station includes an airlock that can perform rudimentary decontamination of visitors and foreign objects. A ship without a docking station must land inside a hangar, or let smaller ships into its own hangar, for the crew to enter or exit the ship

Medlab (O): The medlab is a module used when treating wounds.

Stasis Hold (A): The stasis hold contains beds for cryogenic sleep. Without stasis, portal jumps are basically suicide, or at the very least a one-way ticket to chronic hyper madness. Stasis is sometimes also used during long interplanetary trips. Ships with a\ destination several jumps away usually won’t wake passengers or non-essential crew until after the final jump is completed. The number of stasis beds is determined by the class of the ship; a Class III ship has 16 pods.

Cabins (O) x2: Cabins for crew or passengers. The passenger capacity depends on the type of accommodation, but also means different levels of comfort – and in turn what kinds of people might see the ship as a viable mode of transportation. The ship has eight standard-sized personal cabins of about 3x2 meters. Each cabin has a bed and a hygiene unit. The module contains a shared small recreational space with a table and chairs. 8 cabins total.

Chapel (O): An area reserved for worshipping the Icons, with eight visible Icons, and an asymmetry in their placement (or an empty alcove) for the Faceless One. Grants a +1 to the prayer reroll for the entire crew, as well as a bonus to portal jumps.

Cargo Hold (O) x2: The area has atmosphere and climate control systems for the cargo to survive the journey. How much of a load the cargo hold can take depends on the class of the ship. The Scarab can hold 100 tons of cargo.


Features

Precise Thrusters (O): The thrusters have been fitted with brand new magnet flux cores and nanite membranes. Nimble and easy to maneuver, the ship gains a +2 to docking, landing and evasion (see Space Combat).

Atmospheric Entry (O): The ship has been streamlined and fitted to withstand atmospheric entry, enabling it to land on, and take off from, planets. Ships without this feature must stay in orbit and use shuttles to descend to the surface. All ships can make an emergency planetside landing, but without this feature they will be stuck where they land as their construction will make taking off again impossible.

Arboretum (O): A garden of green plants, a small hydroponic system and perhaps even fauna. The crew can recover stress here twice as fast as normal (2 MP/hour) and the arboretum supplies emergency food for a few days.

Ship Intelligence (A): The ship’s main computer is very capable and verbal. It can perform any function on the ship with a 1 in the attribute and a 3 in the skill relevant for that function. It can perform only one function at a time, cannot replace more than one crew member at a time, and cannot help crew members with their rolls. Some ship intelligences become eccentric over the years, acting erratically and refusing to carry out certain commands.


Weapon Systems

Countermeasure Dispenser (O): A powerful sensor buoy launched from the ship to lure away incoming torpedoes. A "hit" firing this weapon means that the target torpedo misses its target. May also be used for defensive fire.
Bonus: +2
Range: Short
Damage: ---
Crit: ---
Cost: 5,000 birr

Accelerator Cannon (O) x2: Powerful magnetic railguns that fire metal projectiles at high velocity. One on the port side and one on the starboard side, mounted above the countermeasures dispenser.
Bonus: +1
Range: Medium
Damage: 1
Crit: 2
Cost: 25,000 birr each


Problem

Eccentric Ship Intelligence: Requires the feature Ship Intelligence. When the problem is activated, the intelligence will refuse to perform a specific task and instead begin to protest loudly over the ship’s intercom. The effect lasts during a combat encounter, or a few hours.


"RIYA", The Riyad Artificial Intelligence

The Riyad Class III light freighter is regulated by a sophisticated data-djinn that controls and monitors the ship's many systems. Preferring to go by the monicker "Riya," this artificial intelligence is not a standard, run-of-the-mill starship master program. Instead, Riya possesses complex personality subroutines; she is sapient, self-aware, and is capable of interacting much in the way a human can. She engages in conversations, provides opinions, demonstrates emotions, and even has tastes and personal preferences. Her advanced heuristics allow her to quickly learn, problem solve, make decisions, and come to judgments, and she can operate crucial systems with little to no crew input. The data-djinn's individuality and emotionality make her highly intuitive compared to logic-oriented AI, but these qualities are also the source of many problems.

In temperament, Riya could be compared to a moody teenager. She is loyal, straightforward, and brilliant, but can also be impulsive, petulant, and capricious. When she feels slighted (which is not an uncommon occurrence), the data-djinn is known to ignore commands, withhold functions, and even lock crew members out of systems. Although earning back her goodwill isn't usually difficult, the AI's unpredictability can prove potentially dangerous if she acts up at the wrong time. The instability of her core personality subroutines seems to indicate that Riya may have been abused by the ship's previous owner, Ghabi.

Riya identifies as female and demands the use of "she/her" pronouns when speaking in relation to her (referring to Riya as "it" is an easy way to offend or anger her). She regards the entire ship as her "body" and expects those she transports to treat her with respect. Riya can address the crew by voice alone, or she can present herself on any screen throughout the ship. The data-djinn can take on any appearance, but she typically employs the same on-screen avatar: a machine woman with metal skin, dressed in a hooded abaya, and backdropped by infinitesimal lines of code.

It's unknown who installed Riya, or why the Riyad was given such a sophisticated and quirky data-djinn. Most crews would find such a strong-willed AI to be a major headache. Ghabi himself confessed that he attempted to reprogram her several times, but none of his modifications ever stuck.

I have posted the stats for your group ship.

Just a few questions...

Do you guys want your ship to have a data-djinn? A data-djinn is a sophisticated artificial intelligence; it is usually self aware and has its own personality (I would basically play it as an NPC member of the crew). I like to ask before I introduce things like this, Here's what it can do:

The ship’s main computer is very capable and verbal. It can perform any function on the ship with a 1 in the attribute and a 3 in the skill relevant for that function. It can perform only one function at a time, cannot replace more than one crew member at a time, and cannot help crew members with their rolls. Some ship intelligences become eccentric over the years, acting erratically and refusing to carry out certain commands.


Secondly, do you want your ship to have an arboretum? Scarab model ships have an oasis module on the top floor of the vessel. It serves as a place for growing food, relaxation, and meditation. Some people like the look of it and some don't. Here's a pic:




And lastly, each spaceship begins the game with a flaw of some kind. This flaw comes into effect whenever I spend a "darkness point" to make the game more interesting. Select the problem that you want from the following:

Curse: The Icons have turned their gaze away from the ship, making portal jumps and longer space travel dangerous. When the problem is activated, you get a -1 when rolling for a portal jump, and space travel counts as one danger level higher (page 140)

Unreliable Sensors: The sensors of the ship are of poor quality. When the problem is activated, all data djinn sensor rolls suffer a -1 during a combat encounter or some other event requiring dice rolls.

Worn-Out Ship Computer: The ship’s computer has seen better days. When the problem is activated, all pilot rolls suffer a -1 during a fight or some other event requiring dice rolls.

Eccentric Ship Intelligence: Requires the feature Ship Intelligence. When the problem is activated, the intelligence will refuse to perform a specific task and instead begin to protest loudly over the ship’s intercom. The effect lasts during a combat encounter, or a few hours.

I like the ship intelligence. I run a Cypher-based space opera game, and playing the shipmind AI is among the most fun things I do. I also like the arboretum idea. It feels very theme-suited to have an oasis onboard.

I’m open to any of the flaws if someone has a preference.

I agree, lets have both the ship AI and the arboretum. As for the flaw, I'm open to what the others decides.

Yes to both the data-djinn and the arboretum. For the ship's problem, I say take the eccentric ship intelligence. I wouldn't mind the data-djinn being sassy and difficult from time to time.

Indeed!

Considering my PC will also be sassy and difficult and is most likely going to be arguing with the data-djinn, this ought to be fun!

I like Riyad. I also put forth "The Scheherazade" and "The Zarathustra" as possible ship names, mainly because I like the way they sound.

Riyad seems like a good name since there is an arborium. Scheherazade/Shirazad/Shahrazad is very in theme being from the 1001 nights.

Zarathustra is probably too philosophical and I'm guessing Gods are no dead on this setting. Though that would be a statement :D

In terms of flaws, I agree eccentric AI could work. Given that is a personality trait, the djinn could still be eccentric and not disobedient, so I'd just say "Curse" could be an alternative, particularly if it makes sense for the characters to worship darker aspects of the icons or be atoning for something (I didn't see the PC discussion yet!).

In terms of debt... It depends on what we're using the ship for, but since there is cargo, I'd say The Consortium, Free League or Ermes Courier

So far everyone seems to agree on "Riyad," so I’ll go with that name for now unless anyone else chimes in.

"RIYA", The Riyad Artificial Intelligence

The Riyad Class III light freighter is regulated by a sophisticated data-djinn that controls and monitors the ship's numerous systems. Preferring to go by the monicker "Riya," this artificial intelligence is not a standard, run-of-the-mill starship master program. Instead, Riya possesses complex personality subroutines; she is sapient, self-aware, and is capable of interacting much in the way a human can. She engages in conversations, provides opinions, demonstrates emotions, and even has tastes and personal preferences. Her advanced heuristics allow her to quickly learn, problem solve, make decisions, and come to judgments, and she can operate crucial systems with little to no crew input. The data-djinn's individuality and emotionality make her highly intuitive compared to logic-oriented AI, but these qualities are also the source of many problems.

In temperament, Riya could be compared to a moody teenager. She is loyal, straightforward, and brilliant, but can also be impulsive, petulant, and stubborn. When she feels slighted (which is not an uncommon occurrence), the data-djinn is known to ignore commands, withhold functions, and even lock crew members out of systems. Although earning back her goodwill isn't usually difficult, the AI's unpredictability can prove potentially dangerous if she acts up at the wrong time. The instability in her behavior seems to indicate that Riya may have been abused by the ship's previous owner, Ghabi.

Riya identifies as female and demands the use of "she/her" pronouns when speaking in relation to her (referring to Riya as "it" is an easy way to offend or anger her). She regards the entire ship as her "body" and expects those she transports to treat her with respect. Riya can address the crew by voice alone, or she can present herself on any screen throughout the ship. The data-djinn can take on any appearance, but she typically employs the same on-screen avatar: a machine woman with metal skin, dressed in a hooded abaya, and backdropped by infinitesimal lines of code.

It's unknown who installed Riya, or why the Riyad was given such a sophisticated and quirky data-djinn. Most crews would find such a strong-willed AI to be a major headache. Ghabi himself confessed that he attempted to reprogram her several times, but none of his modifications ever stuck.