Weapon/Defence Archive: Alien Technology: Sa’Vasku

[Cloaking Node] -[Deployable Armour] -[Revised Power Usage] -[Seeker Drone] -[Stealth Node]

CLOAKING NODE

A Cloaking Node is the Sa’Vasku equivalent of a Cloaking Field (see More Thrust, page 4). It requires power points allocated to the Defence (D) pool equal to the MASS of the node in order to operate. When powered, it has the same effects, and follows the same rules, as a Cloaking Field.

The MASS required for a Cloaking Node is 10% of the total ship MASS, with a MINIMUM size of 1 MASS. The cost is 20 points per MASS of node. The Power requirement is indicated by the number in the icon.

ICON (Example):       or:    

DEPLOYABLE ARMOUR NODE

Sa’Vasku Deployable armour is a layer of armour that can be "folded out" over the surface of a Sa’Vasku ship's hull, above the carapace (if any). This armour has regenerating capability, and is "energised", providing a defensive effect similar to that of a screen node. A disadvantage of this armour is that it severely hampers the use of weapons nodes.

The status of the Deployable Armour (deployed or retracted) should be noted in the written orders for each turn, and if not so noted, is assumed to be in the same state as the previous turn. It requires Power points allocated to the Defence (D) pool equal to the MASS of the Deployable Armour to deploy it. When deployed, the Deployable Armour provides FIVE additional armour boxes above the carapace (if present), and additionally has the same protective effect as a level–1 Screen Node. However, while it is deployed, Point Defence Spicules cannot be used, and Stinger Nodes are restricted to firing only through their centre fire arc. Pod Launchers are not affected.

When all of the Deployable Armour boxes have been destroyed by damage, the Deployable Armour Node is disabled, and must be repaired using the standard Sa’Vasku repair procedure. Once repaired, it can be redeployed at full strength.

OPTIONAL: If some of the Deployable Armour boxes are damaged, their can be "repaired" by increasing the Power allocated to the Deployable Armour Node by 1 extra power per Deployable Armour Box repaired per 100 MASS of ship, with a MINIMUM of 1 power point per Deployable Armour Box. However, the Deployable Armour Node can never have more than FIVE Deployable Armour Boxes. This additional cost must still be paid if the "repaired" Deployable Armour Box is subsequently destroyed.

EXAMPLE: A Sa’Vasku ship with total MASS of 100 and a Deployable Armour Node has two fo its Deployable Armour Boxes destroyed. Normally it costs 5 Power to activate the Deployable Armour, but by increasing this cost by 2 (2 armour boxes × 1 per 100 MASS of ship), the Deployable Armour is restored to 5 armour boxes. If the ship subsequently loses three more Deployable Armour Boxes, then it would have two left, but would still need to spend 7 power to deploy the armour. If it "repaired" these three damaged boxes, it would increase the power requirement of the Deployable Armour to 10.

The MASS required for Deployable Armour is 5% of the total ship MASS, with a MINIMUM size of 2 MASS. The cost is 6 points per MASS of node. The Power requirement is indicated by the number in the icon on the far right.

ICON:    
(placed above carapace boxes, or top row of hull boxes if no carapace).

[Charles] Do the Deployable Armour Boxes function like normal carapace, or, if used with a carapace, like the top layer of a two-layer Phalon Shell?
Can drones be launched or recovered while the armour is deployed?

REVISED POWER POOL ALLOCATIONS

After much discussion on the mailing list, it has been suggested, partially for reasons of game balance, and partly for PSB reasons, to change the power pools that certain Sa’Vasku Nodes draw power from. The changes are:

1. POD LAUNCHER NODES should now draw power from the Repair (R) Pool, rather than the Attack (A) Pool. This brings them in line with Drone Wombs. The underlying rule is that all operations that use biomass should draw power from the R pool.
   
   
2. SPICULES should draw power from the Defence (D) Pool, rather than the Attack pool. This is more a "game balance" change than a "PSB" one, but, using only the Fleet Book 2 Sa’Vasku Nodes, the only Node that used power from the D pool was the Screen Node.

SEEKER DRONE

Seeker Drones are a specialised form of Sa’Vasku Drone that more closely resemble MT Missiles than fighters. They are also "grown" in Drone Wombs, however, it takes 2 biomass to "grow" each seeker, and they can be produced in groups of 1 to 3, if the ship has sufficient biomass. Each Seeker Drone also requires 4 power points, which are taken from the power allocated to the Repair (R) pool.

Seeker Drones function like Standard MT Missiles in all respects. There is also a Needle Seeker Drone, that will automatically damage one chosen system on the target ship, but does no other damage. The type of Seeker Drone grown (standard or needle) must be specified when they are "grown".

COUNTERS:      (Standard)       (Needle)

STEALTH NODE

A Stealth Node is the Sa’Vasku equivalent of a Stealth System. It requires power points allocated to the Defence (D) pool equal to the MASS of the node in order to operate. When powered, it has the same effects, and follows the same rules, as a level–1 Stealth System. Two powered Stealth Nodes are equivalent to a level–2 stealth system. A ship that carried two Stealth Nodes may choose to power one, both or neither in a given turn, depending on the amount of power it allocates to the D pool. More than two Stealth Nodes may be carried, but no more than two will have an effect at any one time.

The MASS required per Stealth Node is 5% of the total ship MASS, with a MINIMUM size of 3 MASS. The cost is 9 points per MASS of node. The Power requirement is indicated by the number in the icon.

ICON:    

Last Update May 31, 2002, NRI