Nomads in the Perilous Void

Earlier this year I was briefly obsessed with The Perilous Void (TPV) by Jason Lutes. It’s a system-independent supplement that allows GMs and players to create a science fiction setting with as few or as many die rolls (or arbitrary choices) as the group can stand.

In particular, TPV can populate each star system with numerous “satellites”: planets, artificial habitats, asteroids, or spatial anomalies. Each planet can have zero or more moons; each planet or moon has a climate and terrain roughly correlated with its distance to its stars. Atmosphere, size, gravity, water, mineral resources, and so forth correlate to each other and the general terrain, with some randomness. One can also randomly generate societies, factions, aliens, and other science fiction necessities with the roll of one or more d10s or a d100.

While playing with TPV I began sketching a mini-campaign using TPV to supplement or replace the technology and star generation systems of Nomad. Such a mini-campaign would blend the rules of The Perilous Void and Faster Than Light: Nomad. Where they conflict, use the rules below, or if none apply the Nomad rules.

Technology Ages and Tech Levels

Instead of Nomad’s technology ages, these rules will use the 0 to 5 Tech Level scale of TPV; see Appendix A. Nomad Technology Ages fine tune broader numerical levels.

Readily available technology is at TL4, notionally a “Middle” Interstellar Age. Late Interstellar innovations emerge from Core Systems as defined in TPV:

A core system is any system safely within an interstellar faction’s territory, which has been populated for at least several generations.

All other worlds pay double the cost for those innovations.

The following space ship components are generally unavailable at TL4: Automation, Lifter, Plasma Shield, Star Torps, Tractor/Pressor Beam. Specific worlds may have made breakthroughs in automation, gravitics, plasma shields, or torpedo technology.

FTL Routes

In TPV each sector map is divided into 100 “subsectors”, i.e. hexes.

“Safe” routes are marked with hash marks across the border of two adjacent hexes. For simplicity I assume any two adjacent stars, nebulas, or anomalies have a route between them (because my digital map-making tool is too primitive). Those using pen and paper or better drawing software may prefer to use the rules as written in TPV’s Sector Creation chapter.

Longer routes require a line connecting one star to another. Routes may only stretch up to three hexes, i.e. origin, up to two hexes, and destination. No TL4 technology can transit further than three hexes. A hypothetical TL5 FTL Engine could cross beyond this distance, but such civilizations are rare and unwilling to divulge their secrets.

Where a map shows borders between stars, they indicate political borders only. The routes through a border work just fine. When you arrive at your destination, then your problems begin …

FTL Travel

FTL Engines (late TL3 to TL4) work differently in the Perilous Void.

1. All Transits take one week, regardless of distance. FTL Engines must recharge another week before they can transit again.

2. All but the shortest established transit routes carry some risk. When a ship uses the route, the Referee will make a “mishap throw” on 2d6 with a Target Number based on the distance traveled: none for one hex, 12+ for two hexes, and 9+ for three hexes.

3. If the mishap throw succeeds, a mishap happens on the route. The acting Engineer must make a Technology throw. If they succeed, the transit completes normally. Otherwise, the ship suffers a Transit Mishap (FTLN p 160, reproduced below).

4. Transit across open space where no route exists up to 3 “subsectors” has a mishap on a “mishap throw” of 6+ and a failed Technology throw. If the mishap throw fails, the ship’s nav system records this as a route, which can be reused and shared.

FTL Transit Mishap Table

Transit Mishap Table (reprinted from SRD)

Melee Combat

Melee Combat use a variation on Omer Golan Joel’s Duelling Rules. In brief:

1. Every combatant has a number of Parry Dice equal to their Combat skill, plus one if they carry a shield.

2. Every round, a player may expend a number of Parry Dice to deflect melee blows.

   • 1 Parry Die ⇒ Parry Score 1d6 + Combat against one attack
   • 2 Parry Die ⇒ Parry Score 2d6 + Combat against one attack
   • 3 Parry Die ⇒ Parry Score 2d6+1D + Combat against one attack

3. If the Parry Score equals or exceeds the Attacker’s Total attack throw, the blow is parried and causes no damage.

4. Bare-handed parries require the Martial Artist archetype. Blows parried with bare hands still do half damage.

5. Weapons cannot parry ranged attacks. (This isn’t Star Wars.)

6. After a successful Parry, the defender may Riposte by expending a Parry Die. A Riposte is an extra attack against the attacker whose attack was parried. The defender still rolls the riposte as a regular attack. Ripostes are in addition to normal actions.

7. Parry dice return at the start of a player’s turn.

Appendix A: Tech Levels

Appendix B: Random Technology Ages

The Referee may use this table to determine the exact techology age of a particular civilization.

Appendix C: Draft Rules for Tech Level 5 Ships

TL5 ships can use FTL principles wholly unlike the hyperspace transit of TL4 (and late TL3). This technique greatly increases range, but still incurs mishaps as range increases.

Tech Level 5 FTL Travel

1. Tech Level 5 FTL Engines are capable of two “modes” based on the underlying technology.

   Transit Mode	Maximum Transit	Transit Time	Recharge
   Space Fold	10 subsectors	1 day	1 day
   Wormhole Network	depends on endpoints	instant	1 day

2. Space Fold relies on no previously found routes, only the distance traveled. Space Fold FTL safety and mishaps conform to this chart:

   Type	Hexes	Mishap Throw (2d6)	P
   safe	1	none	0%
   unsafe	2-3	12	3%
   dangerous	4-5	9+	28%
   perilous	6+	6+	72%

3. The Wormhole Network requires an entry point and an exit point centered on a natural or artificially created Wormhole.

   • A known route from a known origin to a known destination is always safe (0% mishap), regardless of distance.
   • An unknown route involving an unknown origin, unknown destination, or a combination of endpoints not previously tried is always perilous with a Mishap Throw of 6+ (72%) regardless of distance.

Tech Level 5 Ship Building

1. All components through the Late Galactic Age are available.

2. The following components from the Early and Late Cosmic Age are available: Advanced Organic Hull, Cloak, Gravity Drive, Total Conversion. Others may be available depending on the precise technology age of the civilization.

3. All TL5 ships may have multiple levels of Automation.