Midbar Ghostworks

Carved out of a dense metallic asteroid in the aomewhere in the Avnet Sabra, this installation pushes the edge of spacefaring military technology.

Systems/Rules in active playtesting are in blue.
Systems/Rules believed to be balanced and validated are in green.
Systems/Rules with known balance problems are in red.

General Note: Some of the following rules alter die rolls. Rerolls only on natural 6. Unless a natural 1 would hit, all rolls of 1 miss, regardless of bonus.

Systems invented/developed by other players can be found in the Intelligence/Archive Section

Credid for all Icons goes to Charles Stanley Taylor

Stealth Tech

  1. Stealth Hull [Still in Active Playtesting], or  Comes in 2 levels and makes a ship harder to hit. Mass same as partial and full streamlining, cost 3points/mass. Stealth level 1 reduces enemy  range bands by 1/4 Stealth level 2 reduces range bands by 1/3. Includes vs. Fighter , SML, and PDS (i.e. fighters bust be within 5” or 4” to attack, SMLs must be within 5” or 4” to acquire target,  PDS/ADFC anti-ship or anti-fighter fire only vs targets at 5” or 4”). Enhanced sensors tied with Firecon reduce stealth level by 1, Special sensors by 2. Stealth also effects detection. SSD symbol: Black Hexagon next to damage track for each level. PSB: Special hull construction and materials, sacrificing hull integrity for reduced sensor profile. Enemy has degraded target acquisition and must fire sub-optimally to reduced effect. POSSIBLE CHANGE: Stelath Hull loses effectiveness as it is damaged. Stealth 1 degrades to stealth 0 after threshold 2. Stealth 2 degrades to 1 at thresh 1, then to stealth 0 at thresh 3. This is compensated by decrease in cost to 2x Mass.
  2. Stealth System or  Mass as screen, cost 3x screen.  Level 0.5 (Partial stealth) is 1/5 range band reduction, Level 1 is 1/4, level 2 is 1/3. Stealth systems follow threshold checks as any other system.  Refits can only have stealth systems. PSB – active ECM system more like the Minbari stealth system in the B5 universe. Alternative: Die roll modifier -1 to hit.
Weapon Tech
  1. Raking Fire [Still in Active Playtesting] – For beam/particle weapons. Die roll is at +1, max damage 1. No rerolls, no sustained. Screen-1 ignores rolls of 4, Screen 2 has no additional effect (PSB: raking fire has a greater chance of finding weak spots in screens).
  2. Spread [Still in Active Playtesting] – for Torps, SMs. + 1 to hit (or SMs that hit), reduce damage by 1/3 (round down).
  3. Focused Fire [Still in Active Playtesting] – Group multiple batteries (any type) or other groups of like weapons under a single die roll: roll one die, determine its damage, and multiply with the number of dice grouped together. Reroll die follows same pattern. Can use with rake.
  4. Stutter Torpedo Pulse torpedo refinements, divides energy from pulse torps into smaller packets. Stutter-3 (S3) produces 3 shots (a-la Classic Trek torpedo spread). Stutter-6 (S6) produces six shots (similar to B-5 Pulse Cannons). Damage per shot is less, but the overall effect of the energy packetization increases efficiency of damage delivery to target. S3-Torps are approximately 28% more efficent than regular P-Torps, S6-Torps are 72% more efficient. Table shows weapon statistics. On the start of a given turn (while writing orders), S6 Torpedos can be set to Interceptor mode. This takes a dedicated firecon for each torp so used. Interceptor mode allows the S6-Torp to act as a PDS in the arcs it faces (all torps can have 3 arcs maximum).
  5. Torp Type Abbrev Mass Cost # shots Dmg/shot SSD Symbol
    Pulse Torpedo P-Torp 4+1/Arc 4+1/Arc 1 1-6 Standard P-Torp
    Stutter 3 Torpedo 3-Torp 5+1/Arc 7+2/Arc 3 1-2 P-Torp +3 lines in white part
    Stutter 6 Torpedo 6-Torp 6+1/Arc 10+3/Arc 6 1 P-Torp +6 lines in white part
  6. Ortillery Anti-ship mode – Ortillery systems can be fired against ships in a limited fashion. The precision beam batteries, munitions, and particle canons are focused for very short range, atmosphere-piercing attacks, and their open-space effects reflect this. Range is 6” in the 180 degree front arc. Damage is 2 beam dice, ignore screens.
  7. Heavy Needle Beam - Mass 5, Cost 15, one arc only. From 0-12" HNB's act as two normal Needle beams, targeting the same system on the same ship. If two sixes are rolled vs Main drive (or any other two-hit system), it is totally destroyed Two sixes vs. other systems destroy the target, cause 1 point of hull damage, and then reroll as per normal beams (skipping armor). HNBs can fire a single normal needle beam die between 12" and 24".
  8. Programmable PDS Modes - Convert PDS between scenarios to Missile Defense mode  or Fighter Defense Mode, its converse. Modes other than "Standard" PDS attack More Thrust missiles as "class 1-as PDS". If PDS modes can be chosen prior to a scenario and is likely to effect the combat, the point value for PDS/MDS becomes 5/mass. Programmable modes can have a severe impact on one-off scenarios.
  9. Nannite Torpedo A derivative of the Pulse Torpedo, The NT launches a barrage of destructive Nannites against the target. On each turn after sucessful impact, the nannite invasion consumes more of the target's armor, hull, and systems in a frenzy of self-replication. In the damage table the numbers A/B/C... represent damage done on first, second, and thrid turn, etc. Damage is divided between Armor and hull, round up for armor, down for hull. Successful Damage Control roll kills the nannite invasion, making the ship immune to further nannite attack this combat. Additional Nannite Torpedo hits beyond the first reduce damage control roll by 1, though a 6 always killls the invasion. Ships destroyed by nannite attack are completely unsalvageable. Mass, Cost, range bands, and to-hit are the same as for pulse torps. If hit, roll on the table below for damage. If the NT is damaged by threshold, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the casing on a torpedo will crack and launch an invation on the carrying ship (roll on the NT table). *(in table below) Damage is 3/turn for each subsequent turn. SSD Symbol: As P-torp, but th rectancle is multiply striped instead of half white/half black.
  10. Die 
  11. Roll
  12. Damage
  13. 1
  14. No effect
  15. 2-3
  16. 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 3*
  17. 4-5
  18. 1 / 2 / 3 / 3*
  19. 6
  20. 2 / 3 / 3*

  21. Nannite Missile Mass 2, Cost 6, Range/Speed as More Thrust Missile. Effect is a nannite attack on the target ship, as with Nannite Torpedo. Roll on Nannite table if missile hits. SSD Symbol: Striped Missile symbol.
  22. Meson Flechette Short range beam-like heavy weapon, Mass 4+1/arc, Cost 12+3/arc Maximum 3 arcs.  Damage 0-12" = 6 beam dice, 12-24" 3 beam dice. Cost of Flechette +2 arcs is the same as for 3 class 2 beams, and has exactly the same power. SSD Symbol: Beam symbol with an "M" instead of class number.
  23. Weak Arcs - Larger caliber beams or other wepons may buy additional arcs with reduced firepower for less mass. For example, a Class 4 beam costs 8 mass+2 per additional arc (so a 3-arc class 4 costs 12 mass/36 points). Under this rule, one could buy additional arcs that could only fire as Class 3, and cost 1 mass. So a Forward Arc class 4 beam could fire FP and FS, but only as class 3, and cost 10 mass/30 points. This could fit PSB for spinal mounts or optimum fire arcs. Another example would be a class 3 F-arc that can fire as class 2 beams in FS and FP for a total cost of 5 mass/15 points. SSD Symbol: As beam of appropriate size with smaller numbers in additional arcs showing the effective beam class in that arc.
  24. Planetary Defense Missile (PDM) Mass 2 Cost 6, includes ground launch system. Fixed at one point on planet surface (pick one clock face as facing). Works as MT missile, but must spend first turn after lauch traversing atmosphere/gravity well. At start of second turn, Missile can make up to 1-60 degree turn, and move 24". Missile can either have a 6-12" reaction move to burn it's last endurance factor (6" in any direction, 12" in forward 60 degrees), or may move next turn at 24" and another 60 degree turn. Larger colonies should be able to manufacture enough of these on their own that only a major task force would try to take one out from space. Inner colonies and core worlds could mount a nearly impenetrable defense with < 2000 points of PDM's. Planetary Defense Salvo Missiles: 
  25. Graviton Beam (With Dean Gundberg)  Each mount fires 1d6 of damage (like EFSB HBW) with a -1 modifier per each portion of 8" range (0-8" -1, 8-16" -2, 16-24" -3, 24-32" -4, 32-40" -5), 6's get a re-roll.  Each level of screens on the target ship is a -1 modifer on damage roll (no modifier for screens on re-rolls).  Grav beam penetrates armor after one armor box is hit (like K-guns). PSB: Grav Beam damages the whole ship by molecular shear. Mass 4 +1/arc (max 3 arcs), Cost 3pts/mass  Symbol: Beam symbol with a "G" inside.
FireCon Tech
  1. Dedicated FireCon – If a firecon is dedicated to a single ‘normal’ weapon (i.e. one that does not already require a dedicated firecon) then each range band can be increased 25% or +1 added to attack die roll. Each extra firecon dedicated to any single weapon adds +1 to attack die roll. The Targeting Lidar is a much better system that provides similar effects.
  2. Sustained Fire – A single beam weapon that hits (including a hit on shields/screens) on one turn can sustain fire on the target in the next turn if it remains in arc and range and a firecon is dedicated to the weapon at the start of  that turn. Sustained fire gives a +2 to attack die rolls. Weapon rolls threshold check at current level for burnout each consecutive turn fired unless sustained fire circuitry is installed (+25% cost per weapon)
  3. Long Range Defense FireCon (LRDFC) –  Cost/Mass as ADFC. Allows higher level batteries to be used in anti-missile/anti-fighter roles the same way as Class 1 batts can. Each size larger battery requires a normal firecon in addition to the LRDFC to be used in this mode (i .e. class 2 batts require LRDFC + 1 firecon, class 3 require LRDFC + 2 firecons). Firecons and weapons used in antifighter/missile mode cannot be used in normal modes that turn. Effective range bands are half normal, and, due to fighter maneuverability and slow weapon bearing, higher class batteries can only target fighters in the outer range bands (i.e. class 2 at ranges 6-12, class 3 at ranges 12-18, etc.). Each die rolled is as for the class 1-as-PDS rule. Other weapon types can be used in anti-fighter/missile mode if an extra firecon is dedicated to them. Range bands are halved and damage dice are the same as above. SSD symbol: ADFC symbol inside a larger bold box.
  4. Grav Compensation Fire Control (GCFC) - Specialized fire control focusing system that allows Aft firing weapons to fire effectively even if Main drive is being used. All weapons firing through aft arc add 12" to effective range.  Cost: 2 Mass, 6 pts. SSD symbol  Firecon box with upside-down open triangle. Can be sused as normal fire control system as well.
Shield/Screen Tech
  1. Gravitic Shields – Same function as normal screens, but works against particle, torp, or mass (i.e. RG) weapons/missiles/torpedoes only. Ship with gravitic shields cannot fire particle weapons/missiles/torpedoes on turns the shields are active. Fighters treat shields as screens of same level. Cost/mass/levels are  the same as screens. Missiles, SLMs, Torps, receive –2 per die of damage per shield level (max level is 2). Energy weapons (or other  weapons affected by screens)  are not affected by Gravitic Shields. Alternate effect (cinematic only): Instead of restrictions on firing weapons, ship with active Gravitic Shields has thrust reduced by 50%.
  2. Mass/Energy Shields (ME Shield) – Generator:. Emitters: ; or  Trek type shield. System has emitters and  generators  generator costs 5% ship mass/level. Emitters: 360 degree coverage  = 3 mass, 180 = 2 mass,  60 = 1 mass. Acts as screen against beam weapons. Reduces other damage by shield level. If a shield facing receives more damage than its level from a single source (weapon, not ship), the emitter facing that direction makes a threshold check at current level.
  3. Damage Shield Generic damage absorption shield. Mass is 2% ship mass per shield point (1 mass per point minimum), cost is 3 points per Mass. Each shield point has its own box on the SSD + 1 box for the generator. When damage is taken from any source over one turn, it is applied to the damage shield first, until the shield has absorbed as many points as it has boxes. Each box that absorbs damage rolls a threshold at the current level, and burns out if it fails (i.e. that box cannot absorb damage on subsequent turns until/unless repaired). If the Shield is overwhelmed (damge received is greater than number of  functioning shield boxes), then the generator also takes a threshold check. When a normal threshold due to damage is called for, each shield box _and_ the generator take another threshold roll.  SSD Symbols: Each shield point is an open diamond, forming a row above Armor. The Shield Generator is an open octagon at the end of the shield row.
Engine Tech
  1. Redlined Engines – Engines can be redlined to produce 33% more thrust than maximum (round total  thrust down). All redlined engines take threshold check (at current level) before movement.
  2. Evasive Maneuvers - Reaction to fire. Can be ordered after a ship declares maneuvering ship as target of weapons. Cost is 2 thrust. Ship turns one point port or starboard, engines take threshold check. Incoming beam/torp fire gets –1 mod. Incoming Salvo Missiles are reduced by 1d6/2 (round down). If maneuvering ship’s weapons have not fired yet, its weapons receive the same modifiers this turn. Weapon modifier good only against the 1 ship / fighter melee / missile attack (can be multiple fighter groups and/or missile salvoes) that maneuvers are reacting to. Multiple EM's may be allocated in the same turn, each additional EM's threshold is rolled with an additional +1 modifier. A thrust 1 ship that does not use its thrust for other purposes may EM once with a +1 threshold roll.
  3. Afterburners – Available only on mass 30 and smaller ships. Cost is 1% ship mass per 2 units, round all fractions up, cost 1pt/mass. Each Afterburner unit  is one thrust that can be added on any turn to movement orders. Each unit used is crossed off the Afterburner. Afterburner thrust is added to normal thrust, and max turn rate is determined by total. Afterburner as a whole takes any threshold roll, not each point. If applied thrust exceeds 15 on any turn, each crew unit rolls threshold. Units that fail are crossed out with their hull box. SSD Symbol: Extra main drive symbol subdivided into as many boxes as afterburner units.
  4. Short-range Jump – FTL jump in combat. No main drive thrust turn before or after (turning is allowed). Takes place just before normal movement. Can jump up to Thrust *10” in straight line from last turn’s endpoint. Next turn’s velocity is same as pre-jump turn. Jump error is random direction, 1d6/2*Thrust factor used, -2 for enhanced sensors, -4 for special sensors. Can’t fire on turn of jump. FTL Drive and Main drive each take threshold check, FTL will be off line for the rest of the combat (No FTL disengage).
  5. Shroedinger’s Hammer Overdrive - Modification to standard FTL, increases cost and mass by 25%. When the SHO is activated, the ship plots 2 different movements. Both can be anything within normal maneuver capabilities of the ship. Until the ship acts (fires/launches, active scans, etc) it _is_ in both places at the same time. When it fires, the probable location collapses into the single actual location of the player's choice. While it is in its dual state, it can be fired upon in either location as if it were in both places at the same time. After probability has collapsed, it is only in the one location. Effect can sustain for multiple turns, until ship acts on an external object (scans, fires, launches fighters, etc.). If ship receives damage while in duality, roll 2d6 at end of turn. A roll of 2 or 12 means ship vanishes in a probabilistic anomaly, as if it never existed. If FTL is damaged while in duality, Ship is destroyed. SSD symbol: Double wave inside FTL drive symbol.
  6. Side-Slip – Common house rule – allows 2+ point  turn to be port then starboard (or opposite).
  7. Corkscrew - Like a Roll, but more severe. Cost is 3 thrust. Roll 1 die at end of turn to determine final roll status of ship: Odd, ship is rolled, even, ship is "upright". A Corkscrew allows Port and Starboard facing weapons to fire in _either_ Port or Starboard arcs. To-hit rolls for _all_ weapons on 'Corking ship receive -1. SM's etc. get -1 or -2 to # missiles that lock on.  'Corking ships may accelerate and decelerate without penalty, but if the ship turns, it takes 1 beam die damage (with rerolls) per 20 Mass per point of turn due to stress.
  8. Grav Backfire - A ship may, instead of writing movement orders, opt to 'backfire' the grav engines. Backfire automatically gives the Main Drive one threshold hit, and the ship must immediately roll another (shipwide) threshold at one higher than the current level. The Backfire damages everything in the grav wake of the ship.Before movement, determine initial area of effect: a pie wedge covering the entire aft arc with three damage zones: high, medium and low extending 1", 2",and 3" per 5 mass of Main Drive behind the backfiring ship; respectively, round down. Any ship caught in the high damage zone takes 2 dice of damage (roll = damage) per 5 mass of  Main Drive. Ships in the medium damage zone take half (round down) the number of dice, and ships in the low damage zone take 1/4.  Damage is applied immediately. Screens have no effect, but damage is all applied to armor first.  The wedge effect disappears before movement begins. When ships are moved, keep track of the movement of the backfiring ship and whether other ships cross its wake. Ships crossing the 1"-wide backfire wake take damage as in the low damage zone of the initial backfire. Ships with damaged drives may also backfire for half-effect, but if the shipwide threshold results in another engine hit, the ship is destroyed by a critical overload. "Advanced" grav engines have additional safeguards and buffers that prevent backfiring. Fighters/missiles caught in the backfire wedge are destroyed. Fighters crossing the backfire wake during movement must spend thier reaction move CEF or be destroyed. Missiles, SMs, and Plasma Bolts crossing the wake take a number of PD dice equal to the wake strength.
Fighter Tech
  1. Planet-Based Fighter Group (PBFG) – Same as regular fighter cost, but +39 points per group for ground-based infrastructure and booster packs to escape planetary gravity. Fighters require 1 turn to exit planet atmosphere/gravity, then can maneuver freely. Return to planet costs 1 Endurance, or 0 Endurance for dead-stick re-entry. If the latter, fighters cannot return to combat during the scenario.
  2. Stealth Fighter [Still in Active Playtesting] Stealth fighters are +12pts/group and are the same as Heavy fighters except for PSB (+14 if using  LRDFC - LRDFC cannot fire at Stealth fighters). Super-Stealth (Stealth level 2) fighters cost +36pts/group and act as having Screen 2 vs. PDS/ADFC/other fighters.
  3. Agile Fighter (Also Survivor's Fighter or Armoured Fighter) Fighters have higher survivability, but lower damage rates. Better over the full 6 turns of endurance vs. large PDS arrays. Worse over short term and vs. small PDS arrays. Vs. Ships: each fighter does 1 pt. damage only on a 6 (+ reroll). Vs. Screened ships, AF's loose reroll vs. screen 1 or 2. Vs. Fighters: AF's kill 1 on a 6, no rerolls, but they can force a target group to dogfight rather than attack another target. Vs. Missiles: AF's kill 1 on a 6 + rerolls. Vs. PB's AF's score 1 hit on a 6. PDS and fighters vs. AF: score 1 hit on a 6, no rerolls. Interceptors Vs. AF's gain rerolls.
  4. Breakoff/Feint - Fighters attacking ships or dogfighting may breakoff their attack. This occurs after PDS and other anti-fighter weaponry is dedicated, but before they are fired. Fighters breaking off burn endurance as if they had made their attack, but do not get to fire their weapons. PDS, Class 1-as-PDS, and dogfighting fighters vs. Feinting fighters get -1 to their die roll (and no reroll on natural 6). Interceptors vs. Feinting fighters dogfight as normal fighters (but no rerolls). Scatterguns and Interceptor Pods get -2 to their die rolls. Anti-fighter "overkill" (e.g. PDS that scores over 6 pts of damage) cannot be applied to Feinting fighters.
  5. Starburst Attack - (Ob. The Last Starfighter) Fighter group burns all remaining (3 minimum) on attack to double its firepower this turn. Roll an extra PDS die after the attack to see how many fighters are "burned out" by the attack. After the attack, the group can only move at 12". Starburst Attack must be declared before PDS is allocated. Starbursting fighter groups can feint, but still burn 3 endurance


Design Tech

  1. Miniaturization - (From FT list) Systems take  ½ mass and point cost 3x as much.
  2. Maximalization – Systems take 2x mass and point cost 1/2 as much.


Sensor Tech
 

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Last Update March 19, 2001, NRI