Ammunition

[Silvermane]

Greetings!

First of all, let me congratulate you; Orbit is one of the best Sci-Fi RPGs that I had the pleasure of reading in the last years. The setting is simply great, chock-full of wierd and wonderful things that really fired my imagination.
The fact that it's a pretty optimistic and light-hearted Universe is a nice change from the usually rather gloomy Sci-Fi settings out there. Combined with the simple and clean system, it's my personal be-all and end-all sci-fi game.

But enough of praise, I came here to ask a question...

How much ammunition is in the guns? While a few provide some pointers in their description, the majority of the guns lack information on the ammo capacity.
Is this intentional, so different guns might have different magazine sizes, or should it be handled in the usual way common to the Sci-Fi genre: Guns only run out of ammo if it's dramatically appropriate?

-Silvermane

[JSDiamond]

First, thank you very much for the compliments and I'm glad you are enjoying Orbit.

As to the ammunition, you are exactly correct.  It was to let people account for different magazine sizes/configurations on their own, and simultaneously to *not* have to worry about having to count individual rounds expended.  It was also my continuing intention to further remove the 'GM vs. Players' mentality.  Because while some players always announce their character's action of reloading after every battle --that's really a legacy kept alive by D&D.  That whole competetition where the GM is out to screw over the players 'so you better say everything your character is doing or he didn't do it' kind of thing.  That always seemed kinda' snarky to me.  

Not that I don't enjoy a little bit of sim in my RPGs.  Cost is fine, availability% is fine --but I mean, you know, my galactic marshal/bounty-hunter (who is a MASTER bowman) would not *forget* to recover his arrows, or wax his bowstring.  Likewise a cleric doesn't just *forget* to pray.  You know what I mean.

So, you got it right on.  If you have any other questions or comments, criticisms, concerns or ideas, please let me know.  I appreciate them all.

[Silvermane]

Actually, I found a few oddities while browsing through the book...

First, there is a Fugue table in the GM section; since there is no pointer on the usage, I suppose it's rolled on whenever an adept's Fugue Rating causes his Equation to fail?

The results on that table are vastly more entertaining than simply having the Adept become a Heretic...

Second, does every League-born character know Novarandom or does it have to be bought as a Skill, thus treating it like being the native human tongue?

And, finally...

The vehicle contruction guidelines state that you can exceed the component limit, raising the total cost and slowing the vehicle down. Is there a suggested limit on how many points the hull might be exceeded? Somehow, it feels a bit odd when a starfighter crams more guns and equipment than a large corvette and is still faster to boot (though much, much more expensive).


Other than that, great work in that department. The first system where souping up the engines doesn't require you to recalculate the vehicle from scratch. I like that.

-Silvermane

[JSDiamond]

First, there is a Fugue table in the GM section; since there is no pointer on the usage, I suppose it's rolled on whenever an adept's Fugue Rating causes his Equation to fail?

Silvermane, you have found an error!  That table was supposed to have been on page 126.  You are exactly correct --the Ref makes a die-roll on that table.

...does every League-born character know Novarandom?

Yes, they do.  Novarandom is more of a patois of each of the greater League civilizations' own languages than it is a language all its own.  So a League-born Rowglin would know their own language + novarandom.  No point cost.  

The vehicle contruction guidelines...?

Well technically there's no limit.  But the slowest any vehicle can move is 'slow' --so once you hit that mark anything more will result in a vehicle that can't move its own weight.  

Further, from a strictly 'how big over can I go' standpoint --again it's technically no limit.  But then you'd be expanding a small hull to a larger class of vehicle in comparitive size, so it would be in that size 'class' of vehicle.  So your speed limitations would follow suit.  So what this means is, that your starfighter would either be a.)Overloaded to the point of being unmoveable. Or b.) Actually no longer a starfighter, but one (or more) size classes larger than originally.

Where it says that you can add components which reduces speed "though never less than slow" --what I mean is that 'slow' is the slowest speed that you're actually moving at all.  One more hull-point or component over and you're stopped --unless you could add a larger engine to get the thing moving.   I hope that makes better sense than the stark way I wrote it.

Other than that, great work in that department. The first system where souping up the engines doesn't require you to recalculate the vehicle from scratch. I like that.

Thank you very much.  Like much of the rules, I tried to make things quick without excluding all the fun details.

[Silvermane]

Thanks for the clarification on the vehicles.

I playtested the game with a few friends yesterday and came across the Screamer Handgun. The description states it incapacitates the victim, but there are no mechanics attached.

We ruled that a roll vs. Shock would be appropriate, a failure indicating that the victim is put out of combat (it was just a little shootout, our Marshal against some spaceport-lowlifes that harrassed the newly-arrived 'sheeners). While it worked out okay, I'd like to have an official statement on the stunners. Especially since the military versions can be lethal.

Other than that, great fun. Most memorable NPC was a Traxxian by the Name of Ziggy who perfomed "The Joker" to impress the group's Ketrin merchant. Who was impressed, until he reached the "I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree part...." and started grinning lecherously...

Rock'n'Roll and SciFi makes a great mixture. I should have tried that earlier...

-Silvermane

[JSDiamond]

First let me say "Thank you" again, both for taking the time to post and to describe how your game is going.  And thank you for taking a chance on an unknown, non-d20 product.  I'm also glad to hear that your group is having fun and that the errata hasn't been too much of a 'big deal'.

I'd like to have an official statement on the (Screamer) stunners. Especially since the military versions can be lethal.

Officially, it is my intention that everyone use the four examples given with the weapon's description on page 112.  To wit: A familiar success would cause nausea, a competent success would cause hallucinations, an expert success would cause paranoia, and a masterful success would knock the victim unconscious.  These effects simply happen depending on the degree of success.  You do not need a vs. %Shock because it's not permanent (actual points) damage anyway.  BUT for duration DO have the Player roll vs. their character's %Shock each turn thereafter to see if they come out of it.  

The military version of the Screamer could be stepped the same way, though of course it DOES do actual points worth of damage.  Treat the Military Screamer's DF as DF:2  I know that doesn't sound like much, but remember, the damage is to organs and bones and nervous systems, so it's gonna' hurt like hell.  Here is the military Screamer damage:

Familiar success = Internal bruising
Competent success = Ruptured organs
Expert success = Shattered bones + Treat as though 'fatigued'
Masterful success = Ruptured organs AND shattered bones + Treat as though 'fatigued' + roll vs. %Shock each turn thereafter (until healed or given painkillers) to stay conscious.

Other than that, great fun. Most memorable NPC was a Traxxian by the Name of Ziggy who perfomed "The Joker" to impress the group's Ketrin merchant. Who was impressed, until he reached the "I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree part...." and started grinning lecherously...

"The Joker"!  Awesome!  Makes me wonder how a Xel might take that!  

I hope this has helped a bit.  Let me know if you have any other questions or comments.