Exatmo Vehicles

Hull size determines the space vehicle size. The bigger the hull size, the bigger the space vehicle. Hull size represents the amount of volume displaced by the space vehicle. Hull size does not correlate with reality in any way. Metric tonnes of displacement sounds lends a sciency fiction maritime feel to hull size.

Hull Composition is more of a descriptor. All hulls function the same except regarding maintenance. Most space vehicles will be composed of metal, plastix, and ceramic alloys. Smart hulls are self-maintaining and slowly repair themselves. Smart hulls offer no combat benefit at all. They allow the expedition to avoid the expenses of hull refitting.

Hull strength determines the hull’s ability to prevent damage to the ship’s interior components. It is a mix of composition strength, shape and redundancy. The hull strength is also the hull armour rating (AR). The hull cannot be damaged before depleting the hull’s AR. This depletion can happen fast in space vehicle combat.

The configuration of the drive types determines the space vehicle type. The referee should always choose the kind of space vehicle that best suits the story.

The exatmo drive maneuvers the ship through the vacuum of space and is the defining feature of a space vehicle. The exatmo drives are sciency fiction fast. The larger the drive size, the more powerful the exatmo drive. The exatmo drives are essential in space vehicle combat. They can maneuver a ship well beyond survivable physics in combat.

Exatmo drives will be one of two types: fusion or gravetics. The player creating the space vehicle may choose between the two. Both are equally efficient at moving the ship around exatmo. Neither type of exatmo drive can function within the atmosphere. Fusion and gravetics drives require an absence of gravity and atmosphere to function.

Both the exatmo drives function equally well.

The inatmo drive maneuvers the ship through the atmosphere and gravity of planets. These are the in-atmospheric drives of the ship. Inatmo drives require both atmosphere and gravity to function, and they do not work in space. A space vehicle that does not have an inatmo drive cannot enter an atmosphere (safely). A space vehicle with both inatmo and exatmo drives can enter and exit a planet’s atmosphere.

All of the inatmo drive types function equally well.

Special drives technomagically fling the starship instantly across space. Special drives replace generational space vehicles and unhealthy cryosuspension. Special drives are the cornerstone of sciency fiction space operas. The speed of light is just not good enough. The logistics of the 2000 year space flights are the root cause of special drives. The special drives turn insurmountable distances into science fiction pulp.

All special drives function equally well.

The drive power represents how powerful the drive is. The more powerful the drive, the faster, further the drive goes. Each drive type has its own power level between one and ten. The player rolls drive power from 1-10 (1d10) for each drive the space vehicle has. The player may roll three times for a starship (exatmo, inatmo, and special) or once for a space tug (exatmo only). The more powerful the drive is, the more hull space it occupies.

A space vehicle’s fuel type is a fun descriptor. It is entirely up to the referee if gas from one vessel is compatible with gas from another vessel. A space vehicle will only have one fuel type. Each drive type will use the same fuel type. The drive types may use the same fuel, but each drive type has different needs and rates of consumption. Whether the space vehicle has a full tank, a half tank or vapours is up to the referee and the milieu of the campaign.

For more information about fuel and energy jump to the generic mythos section → Energy and Power.

The drive types the space vehicle has, the more fuel the space vehicle may have. Each drive type contributes an amount to the shared fuel storage. The fuel storage occupies hull space on the vessel. The fuel amount also determines the range of the space vehicle.

Fuel consumption varies with the drive type and how the expedition is using it. Combat fuel consumption is much higher than tourist or haulage fuel consumption.

Both fuel consumption and fuel range are in units of time. Calculating light-years, kilometres, or parsecs became overwhelming and tedious. Using date time for monitoring fuel consumption allows for limits on fuel (if the campaign desires) and allows for more storyful measurements.

Each month of range consists of 30 days of fuel use. A month of range is for that specific space vehicle. The range takes into account the vessel size and all fuel necessary for the task at hand. Choosing a time of fuel burn proved to be the easiest way to keep track of fuel consumption.

Consider a special drive jump as an example. A special drive jump uses one month of fuel and moves the ship as many light-years as the special drive level indicates. A 10 tonne or a 100-tonne vessel would use one month of their fuel storage to make the jump. This method allows the ship to make several jumps before refuelling but does not bog the players down with astronomical calculations.

So a space vehicle with 15 months of fuel could make 15 special drive jumps or compete in 60 turns of space combat or 90 minutes of inatmo flight. A space vehicle drops out of combat if there is less than one week of fuel onboard. Running out of fuel during combat is a victory condition for the vessel that does not run out of fuel. A space vehicle cannot jump if there is less than one month of fuel onboard.

The nature of refuelling depends on the referee’s milieu and campaign. Some fuel types may be ubiquitous materials that one skims off the local gas giant. Other fuel types may require days of retooling by highly skilled space mechanics.

The higher the computer level, the more powerful it is. A higher ship’s computer level improves everything from the galley food to combat maneuvers. The higher the level of the computer, the more complicated the software it can manage. The computer level ranges from 1-10 (1d10).

The bigger the ship, the larger the computer. The computer size and wate represent all components, wiring, peripherals, terminals, processors and doohickeys. The ship’s computer occupies 1% per level of hull space. So a 200-tonne starship with a level 4 computer would have 8 tonnes of computer equipment on board.

Crew replacement software indicates programmes and mechanical devices that can replace essential crew. In some circumstances, the crew software replaces the required crewmember completely. In other circumstances, the programmes direct a persona or robot on how to operate the system.

A space vehicle is limited to using one software title per level of computer at once. Players may have to make choices about what is the most critical software to run. A low-level ship’s computer may always require a persona crew member to function.

The table for crew replacement software is a bit different. The table used to generate software is a Chance Table. The player rolls decidice (1d100) for every programme, and there is a chance of having it. A level 3 computer has a 60% chance of an astrogation programme and a 15% chance of a piloting programme. The player rolls once for every item on the chance table, i.e., she makes a separate roll for astrogation, navigation etc.

Miscellaneous software consists of programmes that vary from functional to sublime. The programmes include both the hardware and software that the packages need to operate. The programmes allow the ship’s computer to carry out the task and help personas perform maneuvers.

When a persona can use the ship’s computer for a maneuver, she enjoys a bonus of +1 per computer level. For instance, a persona who can use the etiquette programme to help cater a fancy dinner. If the computer level is 5, the persona gets a +5 DD bonus when maki9ng the meal.

The player makes one roll per level of the ship’s computer.

Life support maintains a comfortable environment for the organic and delicate inorganic contents of the ship. The most straightforward description is an 'outer space air conditioner.' Destroying the life support system exposes all of the hull’s contents to the deadly vacuum of space.

Life support is entirely self-contained and is impossible to tamper with and hard to destroy. The life support system functions entirely unknown for the players until something goes wrong. Life support, gravity, armour rating, hull and shield (if present) are all part of the Life Support Onion.

Gravity maintains a safe, comfortable and convenient gravitational force throughout the space vessel. The gravity system allows the personas to work in comfort and protects them from extreme maneuvering gravities. A space vehicle’s exatmo drives generate gravities that would kill any organic or delicate inorganic persona.

Gravity works on walkways, workspaces, cargo holds, cabins, and the exterior hull. The ship’s computer controls gravity at a constant attraction of 1g with local adjustments between 0.5 and 1.5 gravities.

Gravity is entirely self-contained and is difficult to tamper with and hard to destroy. The gravity system functions entirely unknown for the players until something goes wrong. Life support, gravity, armour rating, hull and shield (if present) are all part of the Life Support Onion.

The hull defines the space vessel. The hull protects the contents of the space vehicle from the lethal vacuum of space. Every space vehicle system is part of the hull, and the hull contains every space vehicle system.

The hull also determines the shape of the space vehicle. The players decide the shape of their space vehicle. Most often, the hull is an oblong spheroid that contains the space vehicle’s contents. A space vehicle that can enter the atmosphere may have a more streamlined appearance.

The hull is the structure that maintains the ship’s gravity and life support. Life support, gravity, armour rating, hull and shield (if present) are all part of the Life Support Onion.

The armour rating indicates the strength of the space vehicle’s hull. The armour rating is in addition to the shape and structure that the hull offers. The hull and armour rating have an intimate relationship. The armour rating protects the hull and makes its appearance as the hull strength during hull creation.

The armour rating of the hull determines the structural resilience of the hull during combat. Attack rolls must be higher than the hull’s armour rating to damage the vessel. Damage reduces armour rating. Once the armour rating drops to 420, it no longer protects the hull.

The armour rating is a component of the life support system. Life support, gravity, armour rating, hull and shield (if present) are all part of the Life Support Onion.

Electronic countermeasures (ECM) manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum to defend the ship. A more powerful ship’s computer makes for more effective electronic countermeasures. ECM is a combination of programming and equipment. ECM is integrated throughout the ship and connects to every ship system.

ECM uses all kinds of electronic deception to both defend or attack. Personas can use the ECM unit to defend the ship or attack another ship. One ECM unit cannot do both in the same combat turn.

Personas can work in unison with ECM to protect the space vessel. For example, a mechanic with ECM 2 working with a level 3 computer creates a total ECM level of 5.

Electronic countermeasures are not part of the life support onion.

The shields protect the hull armour rating from energy and kinetic attacks. These are the classic sciency fiction shields that handsome captains raise just before combat. The defensive shield can be a force field or a structural mechanism. Both mechanisms work by distributing the destructive force across the entire hull. This faux scientific diffusion effectively dampers the damage. The shields have an active mode that the players turn on to thwart intentional damage. Shields also have a passive mode, and when present, they are part of the life support onion. Life support, gravity, armour rating, hull and shield (if present) are all part of the Life Support Onion.

A gun is a defensive tool in space vehicle combat. A gun does not sound like a defensive tool, but occasionally the best defence is a good offence. Guns on space vehicles are anti-personnel air lock defence weapons. In ship-to-ship combat, a gun is an ineffectual weapon. However, to prevent boarding or airlock intrusion, a mounted gun can be very effective. To create the airlock gun jump to Guns

Guns are not part of the life support onion.

Active defences are fancy mechanisms that attack incoming attacks. Active defences are sometimes called actives. They can eject missiles, shrapnel, energy blasts, lazer matrices, or crystalline discharges. All active defences function equally, and the description is the player’s choice. Their goal is to dissipate, prematurely detonate, or destroy incoming attacks. Active defences work against grenades, mines, or artillery. Actives do not work against boarding, ramming, ECM, or naval artillery.

Active defences are not part of the life support onion.

The life support onion is the layering of the space vehicle defences that protect the contents of the hull. The innermost part of the onion is life support itself. Before anything can damage or impair life support, it must work its way through all the outer layers.

Before damaging life support, the outer layers of the onion must be disabled or destroyed. The outermost layer of the onion is the ship’s shields. If the ship does not have shields, the outermost layer of the onion is the hull armour rating. The hull armour rating must fail before the hull can be damaged. The hull must fail before gravity control can be damaged. Gravity control must fail before life support can be damaged.

Boarding lines up airlocks to prepare for a breach and boarding of the target vessel. All space vehicles can attempt to dock with another vessel forcibly. Boarding is congenial ramming. Boarding only works exatmo (exterior to atmosphere). Once connected, the attacking crew will breach the airlock of the target ship and then board. This method of attack preserves the target space vehicle, generating hostages, free cargo, and is a lot more fun.

Ramming is aggressive boarding casting caution to the solar wind. A ramming space vehicle has a specialized airlock that can attach to any part of the target ship’s hull. Once attached, the attacking party must breach the hull or airlock to enter the ship. Ramming is similar to boarding, except that ramming has lots of crunching and scraping noises.

ECM is the acronym for electronic countermeasures. ECM units battle for control over the electromagnetic spectrum. In space vehicle combat, ECM is the battle for control over the electronics of the other vessel.

ECM uses all kinds of electronic deception to both defend or attack. So the personas can use the ECM unit to defend the ship or attack another ship. One ECM unit cannot do both in the same combat turn.

Personas can work in unison with ECM to protect the space vessel. For example, a mechanic with ECM 2 working with a level 3 computer creates a total ECM level of 5.

Grenades in space! In space vehicle combat, grenades are tiny bombs exploding against the hull to damage the internal mechanisms of the ship. Grenades launch their attack by mini-missile or mini-mine.

They do not enjoy the area of effect attack of their terrestrial counterparts. Grenades require a successful attack roll to inflict damage. If the attack roll is unsuccessful, the grenade detonates ineffectively and silently in space. Grenade delivery systems have diminutive titles because they only deliver grenades. Naval missiles and naval mines deliver bombs.

Bombs are lethal attack weapons. Bombs are both dangerous and destructive. Bombs delivery systems are either missiles or mines. Missiles and mines can also be called naval missiles or naval mines. Having this type of offensive system indicates a combat vessel of some fashion.

In space, bombs are an area of effect weapon. Bombs need only explode near the ship’s hull to inflict damage to the contents within. A bomb is guaranteed to damage a target with a successful attack roll. Every bomb gets a second chance to damage a vessel just by getting close enough. If the raw attack roll of a missile or mine is higher than 500, the target is still damaged.

The purpose of ship artillery is to damage the target ship so that it ceases to function. This goal is to wear down shields and armour and directly damaging the hull if necessary. In space combat terms, artillery is very tiny and is only in range when vessels are boarding or ramming. Naval artillery is the literal big gun of space combat.

In space combat (exatmo), artillery must win an attack roll to damage the target vessel. While inside the atmosphere (inatmo), artillery functions as an area of effect weapon on terrestrial targets. Artillery cannot cross into the atmosphere or out of an atmosphere.

Ship artillery has the same ranges, damages, and effects as the artillery it is modelled after. Energy-based weapons can fire as long as the ship has fuel, and artillery requiring ammo will have 100 times the regular supply.

Naval artillery is for destroying the target ship. Naval artillery is not for softening the target vessel. The sheer force of naval artillery leads to the target’s destruction. One use of naval artillery exhausts a whole day’s worth of fuel. Naval artillery requires a gunnery program and a gunner. Without this complement, the ship cannot fire its naval artillery.

Naval artillery is more deadly than regular deadly artillery. Naval artillery inflicts three times the damage and has 100 times the range. Naval artillery only works exatmo and cannot fire inatmo or cross into an atmosphere.

The player rolls on the spacer artillery table above and then does arithmetic as directed below.

The pilot is an essential crew member, and a space vehicle cannot function without one. The pilot is the overseer of all the ship’s functions. She is responsible for executing planetary maneuvers, star system maneuvers, combat maneuvers, ship procedures, and ship authority. All of these tasks require the intimate cooperation of the ship’s computer and the pilot. Without a pilot, the ship is a motionless piece of space opera potential. No ship cannot travel without a pilot. Space vehicles can have personalities and attitudes, but they are not autonomous lifeforms.

Every 10000 tonnes of displacement requires an additional pilot (co-pilot).

The astrogator is an essential crew member if the ship has a special drive. The astrogator operates the ship’s special drive, and a special drive cannot function without one. The astrogator works with the ship’s computer to coordinate a safe special drive jump.

The engineer is an essential crew member, and a space vehicle will malfunction without one. The engineer does essential repairs and maintenance on the space vehicle. A space vehicle may jump once or engage in combat once without an engineer. Afterwards, it will not function. Without maintenance, the space vehicle will cease to operate.

The engineer maintains tonnes of drives, complicated airlocks. There is a lot that will go wrong. It is the responsibility of the ship’s mechanic to monitor the computer’s maintenance programs, to program repairs, and to pick up the wrench herself occasionally.

A space vehicle requires an extra engineer for every 9000 tonnes of hull displacement.

Gunners operate the combat equipment: artillery, naval artillery, mines, active defences, missiles, and shields. None of the listed equipment will function without a gunner or a software replacement. Combat robots can replace a gunner without the need for a gunnery program. Combat robots can operate one active combat device for every 4 points of intelligence.

Any space vehicle that has organic passengers requires a ship’s doc. Guests, soldiers, cattle without proper vet attention will get sick in deep space.

Guest laden starships require a ship’s steward. The steward changes linen, washes clothes, and generally makes space travel bearable for guests. Without a steward, guests will undoubtedly be in a bad temper and may even rebel during a long trip.

A space vehicle requires one steward for every 50 passengers.

One optional crew member who the expedition may actively shun is the ship’s administrator. The ship’s administrator will arrange docking papers, interpret cartage laws, balance accounts, designate cargo allotments, and fill in as the ship’s legal advisor.

The diplomat is good at being excruciatingly polite, even to the most horrific of alien species. A diplomat will attempt to keep the crew, the guests, (and especially the personas) from offending rarely encountered cultures.

Allows access to the space vehicle when inatmo. If the space vehicle has an airlock, the airlock can function as the inatmo access portal.

Workspaces are even more mandatory than the essential crew. Workspaces are not the same as cabins. Each crew member (pilot, engineer, astrogator) requires a half tonne of workspace.

An airlock allows passengers, crew and stuff to get in and out without decompressing the space vehicle. Airlocks work perfectly well inatmo. Airlocks are simple, secure and safe. Any tool using life form can use an airlock. They usually employ pictograms and may even have language assist. Airlocks are secure. The ship will only allow the identified crew to enter the space vehicle. Airlocks are safe. It would be nearly impossible to eject a life form from a functioning airlock.

An airlock takes up no space inside the space vehicle. However, an airlock requires 5 tonnes of cargo space. Smaller space vehicles do not have enough space for an airlock. A ship can have one airlock for every 5 tonnes of vacant cargo space. Airlocks are free to be located anywhere on the space vehicle. So a ship with a 15 tonnes vacant cargo hold could support three airlocks anywhere on its hull. A ship with 2 tonnes vacant cargo space would only have an inatmo access port.

A space vehicle without an airlock depends on inatmo boarding either planetside or in a larger space vehicle hanger.

A larger ship may prefer a cargo lock. A cargo lock is not pressurized and can only work inatmo. A cargo lock is a big inatmo access portal. A cargo lock requires a minimum of 50 tonnes of vacant cargo space. A cargo lock does not occupy any cargo space.

A cargo lock is more than just a door; it is a system. A typical cargo lock has a capacity of 10 tonnes. A 10-tonne cargo lock can load/unload 10 tonnes of cargo per hour or a day or whatever.

Cargo airlocks are enormous airlocks that only gigantic space vehicles can use. The cargo airlock can move cargo or without depressurizing the space vehicle. A cargo airlock requires at least 500 tonnes of vacant cargo space. The cargo airlock also occupies cargo space. A space vehicle loses 1 tonne of cargo space per 2 tonnes of cargo airlock size.

There is no open hull force field protected cargo airlocks in EXP. Development is ongoing, and EXP users may reach this milestone with expected technological advances.

Cold storage is for cryogenic suspension of organic material less than 250 kg in wate. The freezers will maintain life, with no drain on life support, and will continue to function after life support has failed. Cold storage will work until the cold storage box itself is destroyed. Each cold storage space occupies a half tonne of cargo space.

Cabins are somewhat of a luxury, but it is impossible to have guests (other than in cold storage) without cabin space. Each cabin requires one tonne of hull space and can comfortably house two passengers.

Corridors only apply to any passageways that connect luxury cabins, workspaces or ship systems. Cabin corridors require 200 kg of hull space per map hex (2 meters) of passage. If personas want to run from the artillery bay to the exatmo drives quickly, corridors are a must.

The entire ship is accessible by utility corridors. Utility corridors occupy no significant amount of hull space. However, they are cramped, claustrophobic and slow to navigate.

All remaining cargo space is honest to goodness cargo space. Cargo space is protected from exatmo and allows for the transfer of stuff. Often the expedition will earn money for transporting cargo. More often, the cargo will become the focus of an exatmo space vehicle adventure.

Let’s walk through an example 100 tonne spacecruiser (space bus). Exatmo drives level 10. Fuel storage level 5. Computer level 4. There are 20 passengers, 16 in cold storage and 4 in Cabins. The crew consists of a pilot, engineer, doctor, and steward. There are no robots and no crew replacement software. After all deductions, there are leaves 63 tonnes of cargo space in the vessel. The remaining cargo space allows for a cargo lock and multiple airlocks. The cargo lock does not work inatmo, so its inclusion is a mystery. Sixty tonnes is the capacity of two mundane terran dump trucks.

External drives are self-explanatory. Either the exatmo or inatmo drives are on the outside of the hull. This innovation converts the hull space they occupied into cargo space. The drawback of this system is that the drive units are more vulnerable to attack during combat. External drives can either be accessed directly through the hull or via an airlock.

Special drives can never be external.

Datalocks are also called hardpoints. Data locks are electronic accesses to the exterior of the hull. Every external contraption requiring exatmo access (guns, missiles, viewers, etc.) requires a datalock. A ship has ten datalocks per computer level.

Vac suits allow delicate organic life forms to survive exatmo. A spacecraft will have one civilian vac suit per crew member and luxury cabin. So a pleasure cruiser with five crew and six cabins would have eleven civilian vac suits.

There is a 10% chance per civilian vac suit that there will be an industrial vac suit.

For more information about vac suits jump Vac Suits.

Gravity couches are chairs specially designed to save the body from damage during high-g maneuvers. They are composed of force-absorbing materials and restraining belts. Grav couches are only needed when the vessel’s gravity system has failed. Passengers and crew not in gravity couches during high-g combat maneuvers are dead.

Only combat vessels have grav couches by default. A combat vessel is a space vehicle with naval artillery, bombs or grenades.

Emergency response is part of the ship’s life support system. Space vehicles will have automated emergency equipment and processes. The ship will temporarily repair minor air leaks. The ship will suppress small fires. The ship will close off bulkheads to contain raging fire, depressurization or radiation leaks.

The ship can only look after itself in a limited way. Major events must be dealt with by the crew. Major hull repair, radiation clean up and passenger rescue need actual personas on board.

A life bloat will maintain four passengers (up to 250 kg in wate each) in cryogenic suspension for an indefinite length of time. The cryogenic suspension will begin when the balloon-like life bloat is subject to exatmo. There will be one life bloat for every four luxury passengers.

The sickbay is the doctor’s place of operation and personal respite. A sickbay can hold four patients and takes up two cabins (2 tonnes) worth of space. There is a 1% chance per organic persona that the space vehicle will include a sickbay. If the space vehicle has a doctor, there will automatically be a sickbay.

The machine shop is a mechanic’s place of operation and personal respite. A machine shop requires two cabins (2 tonnes) worth of space. There is a 5% chance per robot on board of having a machine shop.

The food machine will generate nutritionally balanced meals for anything that eats. The referee determines the palatability of said foodstuffs. Most food machines employ algae, or fungal, cultures to create the primary heterotrophic food groups. One tonne of food machine is required for every ten eaters supported. Because of their potential for comic relief, all ships will have a food machine. Food machines are also known as compu-cooks and auto chefs. If the food machine is busy enough, it would be reasonable to give it a personality.

Robots are a common occurrence on long-haul space vehicles. The use of robots must reflect the referee’s milieu. The robots can be on board to replace crew, to aid crew, or as paying guests. The chance of a ship sporting a particular robotic has many factors. The depth of persona fabrication that goes into spacer robots depends on the referee’s resources and story needs.

The table used to generate space robots is a Chance Table. The player rolls decidice (1d100) for every robot type, and there is a chance of having it. A level 3 computer has a 15% chance of having a maintenance robot on board. The player rolls once for every item on the chance table, i.e., she makes a separate roll for combots, social robots etc.

The following is an example value using the space bus from the cargo space calculation. The spacecruiser has 100 tonnes displacement, armour rating of 700, exatmo drive 10, fuel level 5, computer level 4