Hi all.

I've been considering using CAH for a Science Fiction setting (as some may have noticed over on RPGnet...). The effect I'm after is something like a cartoon version of Farscape or Andromeda (or even LEXX if the players go wild...). The universe will be based on the old Star Frontiers game, which has some excellent aliens. I'm hitting two problems.

Firstly, CAH doesn't seem to have much scope for space combat, except in the most abstract. Has anyone thought about this? I've considered ways to make space combat unworkable in this universe, but they tend to sound too realistic... I'm still working on this one, so the solution may be simple.

Secondly, making attacks dangerous is expensive in CP. A weapon that will knock a normal man down in one shot seems to cost over 20 CP - and that's using the "Double Damage against Flesh" modifier.
Medium Power
Medium Range
10+ damage
Double damage against flesh
Item
Minor Limit on ammo
Minor inconvenience (doesn't work under water)

Anyone care to voice an opinion on these?

Wulf

Wulf wrote: Hi all.

I've been considering using CAH for a Science Fiction setting (as some may have noticed over on RPGnet...).

The effect I'm after is something like a cartoon version of Farscape or Andromeda (or even LEXX if the players go wild...). The universe will be based on the old Star Frontiers game, which has some excellent aliens.

I'm hitting two problems.

Firstly, CAH doesn't seem to have much scope for space combat, except in the most abstract. Has anyone thought about this?

I've considered ways to make space combat unworkable in this universe, but they tend to sound too realistic... I'm still working on this one, so the solution may be simple.

Secondly, making attacks dangerous is expensive in CP. A weapon that will knock a normal man down in one shot seems to cost over 20 CP - and that's using the "Double Damage against Flesh" modifier.
Medium Power
Medium Range
10+ damage
Double damage against flesh
Item
Minor Limit on ammo
Minor inconvenience (doesn't work under water)

Anyone care to voice an opinion on these?

Hmm... not sure I can reply to one of these multi-level quoted messages without getting either messy or incomprehensible...

Eddy Fate wrote:

Wulf wrote: Hi all.

Hi Wulf!

I've been considering using CAH for a Science Fiction setting (as some may have noticed over on RPGnet...).

I didn't see that - which thread is it?

The effect I'm after is something like a cartoon version of Farscape or Andromeda (or even LEXX if the players go wild...). The universe will be based on the old Star Frontiers game, which has some excellent aliens.

Very cool! Sound exciting!

I'm hitting two problems.
Firstly, CAH doesn't seem to have much scope for space combat, except in the most abstract. Has anyone thought about this?

I've considered ways to make space combat unworkable in this universe, but they tend to sound too realistic... I'm still working on this one, so the solution may be simple.

I think you mean "workable".

If you come up with any ideas, let us know! I would base a lot of it off of the Piloting Trait (or maybe make up a Starfighter trait) and mod the vehicle rules, but I'd have to look at my notes and think on it some more.

Secondly, making attacks dangerous is expensive in CP.

If you want the cartoon logic of "people fall down a lot, but don't die", slap a Misc. Major Effect (what will be called a Major Advantage in the new edition) of "If target takes 10 or more Hurt Points of damage from one attack, target must make a Body check at DN 12 to remain conscious". Voila, instant "stun gun".

Does that help, or are you thinking of something else?

Wulf wrote: Hmm... not sure I can reply to one of these multi-level quoted messages without getting either messy or incomprehensible...

"Find me a SF game!" or something like that. It quickly changed into Cynthia's CAH advert space :-)

Thanks... if it works! The basic background will be all the intelligent species driven to the periphery of the galaxy by some big bad race, but they haven't seen the big bad in about 500 years, so they're going searching for the old worlds, colonies, peoples and technology. Hopefully I can make the 'Lost technology' idea work better than Battletech did (wouldn't be hard...).

No, UNworkable. As in...
PLAYER: Why are there no rules for space combat?"
ME: "Because the technology of this universe makes it impossible. Here's why (begin lecture on Stutterwarp Drives, quantum tunnelling, frequency matching algorithms, and various other buzzwords)"
PLAYER: "...oh..."
I could do this, but I LIKE space combat! I took a day off school to go see the original Star Wars the day it opened in Scotland!

I'm getting the feeling I bought the PDF just in time for it to be replaced...

talking any problem over always helps :-)

I'm going to echo what Eddy said about the hardcopy just tidying up a few things. There is new material as well, but it doesn't change the existing rules.

As for the space combat issue, this will appear in After These Messages, probably in issue #1 or 2.

Cynthia Celeste Miller wrote: As for the space combat issue, this will appear in After These Messages, probably in issue #1 or 2.

Eddy Fate wrote:

Cynthia Celeste Miller wrote: As for the space combat issue, this will appear in After These Messages, probably in issue #1 or 2.

See? Told you she probably had been thinking about this already. :-)

No need to abort your version of space combat rules for CAH, Wulf. After all, yours might be better than ours. Ya never know.

Cynthia Celeste Miller wrote: No need to abort your version of space combat rules for CAH, Wulf. After all, yours might be better than ours. Ya never know.