Nuclear Fridge Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 This is a question that could pop up in Star Hero, but as I’m running a Champions campaign, I’ll post it here. I want to have alien contact with Earth, but in a very limited and sporadic way – no ‘space invasion of the week’ tropes! I’ve been looking at the idea of jump engines and jump gates, as per Babylon 5. Perhaps heroes (or a mega-villain!) could find a deactivated gate out in the ruins of the fifth planet – or as we call it, the asteroid belt. What I have trouble with is, how do I build such a power? There are fixed gates, portals into hyperspace, a bit like a subway train network; ships of various sizes can make use of them. Small, very costly ships may have their own jump engines, which consume enormous power. Any help or advice is welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel You ask how to build such a power. But you don't say what power it is you want to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel How to 'build the power(s)' of how something works in HERO is only important if it is an ability created/controlled by the PC's or you foresee the something being the target of adjustments or other attacks by the the PC's. All the points only matter from a player character perspective. In all other ways you can 'wing it' for plot device items like this as you would in any other game system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjalund Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel try Megascale Teleport OAF (Universal Focus) with Megascale Advantage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel The original question is like asking how to build the Panama Canal in HERO. Sure, you can do it, but do you really need to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuclear Fridge Posted April 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel The MegaScale Teleport sounds like what I'm after. I just want a different take on space travel instead of a generic 'warp speed'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel The MegaScale Teleport sounds like what I'm after. I just want a different take on space travel instead of a generic 'warp speed'. How about Interdimensional Teleport? You go into a dimension where space and time work differently (like in B5). The overall thing should be a Bulky/Immobile focus (not even the biggest player ship can just drag it a full speed). How about a VPP (Only for Lightspeeding Objects), so the gate can move a light weight ship (low mass) at faster speeds than the mother of all Dreadnaughts? But overall I'd go with the other ones: If the players can't affect it (outside of a quest), it's just there so don't worry how it does it (game effect). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel I'd go with EDM linked to a Naked Advantaged Megascale on Flight and Immobile Focus, Only to Fixxed Locations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Another option would be FTL with the limitation 'Window of Opportunity'. For whatever reason (galactic flux, intervening space debris, space-time continuum warping), there are only certain times when the hyperspace routes between Planet X and Earth are open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin2 Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Well it could be exactly like Star gate. Teleportation Gate Mega scale area of effect 1m = 1km (so a gate multi km wide to get really big ships through), mega scale weight (to allow big ships to be transported) Mega scale teleport range to get beyond the solar system. Possibly with the limitation must have functional gate on the other end. So a lot of character points to get all these mega scales in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel The original question is like asking how to build the Panama Canal in HERO. Sure' date=' you can do it, but do you really [i']need[/i] to? I got started on it, and then decided against it. It would be one huge Base, though. Lucius Alexander I do really need a palindromedary tagline here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel I got started on it, and then decided against it. It would be one huge Base, though. Sure, and stating out the bases defenses and layout and such could be a useful exercise if the PC's ever decided to go there. But it's not actually necessary to figure out how many HERO character points would be required to purchase it as a base* (except unless the character who did will be showing up in the game and even then it's still really optional since it's an NPC). Same thing goes for the FTL-Gate-thingamabob. It does what you the GM want it to do. The points really only matter if they are going to have direct interaction with the PC's (Say a player wants his character to try using a Transform Power to repair the base or the FTL. Now knowing how many points might be important). If you don't plan on allowing the PC's to actually affect the base/ftl device then it's not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjalund Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel a Stargate has ony different version of the Gate advantage than is written in the books, because Stargates are effectively only "one way at a time" travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin2 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Sure' date=' and stating out the bases defenses and layout and such could be a useful exercise if the PC's ever decided to go there. But it's not actually necessary to figure out how many HERO [u']character[/u] points would be required to purchase it as a base* (except unless the character who did will be showing up in the game and even then it's still really optional since it's an NPC). Same thing goes for the FTL-Gate-thingamabob. It does what you the GM want it to do. The points really only matter if they are going to have direct interaction with the PC's (Say a player wants his character to try using a Transform Power to repair the base or the FTL. Now knowing how many points might be important). If you don't plan on allowing the PC's to actually affect the base/ftl device then it's not an issue. My characters if they found it would want to know the cost so they could work out how much they would need to invest in it to move it to their base and get it operational so they could use it. They would start the first see the other side of the universe tours and get all the rich interested (like be the first to go into space in a space plane). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel My characters if they found it would want to know the cost so they could work out how much they would need to invest in it to move it to their base and get it operational so they could use it. They would start the first see the other side of the universe tours and get all the rich interested (like be the first to go into space in a space plane). That sounds more like a plot device since it would get them a ton of people who want to controll it: Governments, Pirates, Corporations who want in on the share, Organized Crime, Ferengi... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin2 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel My players want everything. Viper flying bike that Viper left behind - how much? They hired a Winnebago to travel over America. They wanted to buy one (then strap on a zeplin to have a flying Winnebago!). Sensible things for a base / equipment - no! Not my group . I said the flying Winnebago was too complicated to cost so they could not have it! The fact they have a Teleporter who can teleport 5,000km doesnt count for anything they want a flying Winnebago!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Okay, I don't know what a "Winnebago" is, but your group sound like fun. if everything else fails: Flying with bulky focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Here's a flying Winnebago from the Star Wars parody movie Spaceballs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel Ohh, that is a Winnebago. Well it's a Space- and Atmosphereworthy Vehicle, or Mobile Base. It would help to have the Vehicle and Base book for it, but it should be possible with Combat and Advernturing too. How about just placing a request with "How to Build" Prefix in the Hero-System Discussion or Star Hero Forum? There should come some usefull answers and maybe someone even did that already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuclear Fridge Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Re: Limited FTL Travel "Where's the miniaturized nuclear submarine? I put it next to the tyrannosaurus robot!" "Here it is - ! Oh, I dropped it..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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