 April 15, 2018 - 12:44pm | Star Frontiers offers a plethora ... um, abunance, the orginal meaning of plethora means many bad things... an abundance of defensive suits and screens for all flavors and occasions. This does match the real world as we don't have one protective suit for all kinds of conditions. In many cases, the equipment is well-defined, but in others it is not. So, let's look at some of the game's miscellaneous protective gear and equipment. Joe Cabadas |
April 19, 2018 - 4:18pm | Asbestos Suit.This is a fireproof garment – it is not really made from asbestos but rather from advanced materials – that that covers a character’s entire body, including the head and extremities. It is often used by firefighters but protects against incendiary weapons, though a character would also need a breathing mask and googles to receive full protection from heat and smoke. It offers 100 points offire damage protection. For every 10 points of damage, the wearer takes one point. It weighs 3 kilograms and costs 500 Credits. [1] [1] Williams, Skip. “Sage Advice,” Dragon Magazine, July 1988, p. 68. And house rules regarding damage. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:46pm | The asbestos suit -- hey, that has a very bad moniker nowadays doesn't it? -- originally only said that it would protect the wearer from fire damage. It did not provide any rules about how many points of damage it will take until rendered useless, so I came up with the 120 point figure. I suppose it could be 100 points to match what an albedo suit does. What do you think? Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:48pm | Breathing Mask. This is a mask with a small oxygen tank to protect characters in thin or poisonous atmospheres. (Dralasites receive a environmental like bag suit, while the“mask” is a bag-like apparatus for a Vrusk’s abdomen. The Vrusk “breathing mask” also permits them to swim, which is a fairly uncommon practice among these insect-like beings. Wearing the mask for long periods of time is uncomfortable for those who have not receive dextensive training in their use. Effects: a 1 point penalty to the character’s Initiative Modifier (-1 IM), and -5 to Dexterity and Reaction Speed checks.[1] [1] The module “Mutiny on the EleanorMoraes” features a breathing mask as does the module “Dark Side of the Moon.”In the “Eleanor Moraes” adventure, referees are to stress how uncomfortable themasks are to wear, but doesn’t provide any provisions on how this should effectcharacters, so the negative IM and DEX/RS modifiers are a house rule. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:50pm | Chillsuit. This outfit protects the wearer from conditions of extreme cold. It consists of a close-fitting suit of thin, insulating material that completely covers the wearer’s head and body. It comes with dome-like goggles and a special heat-retaining filter for breathing. It can be worn under defensive suits and does not interfere with defensive screens. It uses energy depending upon thepower setting which also determines the level of protection. The Injury from Cold Table provides the rates at which characters wearing normal clothing or a chillsuit (at various settings) will lose Stamina points when exposed to different levels of cold. Unless stated otherwise, rates of loss are per hour. The table assumes dry conditions with fairly still air. Rain, wind, etc., will lower the effective temperature dramatically. For purposes of curing, this injury counts as a wound. A chillsuit offers no protection other than from the cold, but it can be worn under most other defensive suits and will not interfere with defense screens. A gas mask or breathing mask should probably be worn with a chillsuit to increase its effectiveness. Infrared, sun or other goggles can also be worn. Mass: 1 kilogram plus power source. Cost: 400 Credits.[1]
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April 15, 2018 - 12:51pm | The chillsuit info is pretty much taken right from the module. It seems well thought out, though I added the bit about needing a gas or breathing mask. I don't think breathing in -150 degree Centigrade temperatures would be all that great for one's lungs, chillsuit or not. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:52pm | Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits, powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:54pm | The inssuit is another piece of protective gear that makes sense, especially that it comes with a respirator unit! That's something the asbestos suit should have too. Now, SF doesn't have levels of radiation like Gamma World does, but should the inssuit have some limitations? Should we create different levels of radiation and give an inssuit a radiation protection level/useful life designation? Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 12:56pm | Environmental Suit. Designed to protect its wearer from the weather and other conditions on habitable planets. Covering the entire body, it is made of lightweight, quilted cloth and comes with a built-in gas mask, goggles, and a small heating and cooling system. It will keep the suit cooled to a comfortable temperature on hot planets and warm on cold planets. The suit protects the wearer from tainted atmospheres (including gas grenades), airborne irritants, and dust- and sandstorms. It maybe worn under defensive suits and is compatible with all defensive screens, but it offers no other protection from attacks. It uses 1 SEU per day if the heating/cooling system is used.[1] Wearing the breathing apparatus over a long time causes discomfort to those who have not received extensive training in its use. Effects: a 1 point penalty to the character’sInitiative Modifier (-1 IM), and -5 to Dexterity and Reaction Speed checks.[2] [1] Cook, David “Zeb.” “For a Fistful of Credits,” Dragon Magazine, issue 112, p. 88. [2] The module “Mutiny on the EleanorMoraes” features a breathing mask that is part of the equipment for theenvironmental suit. See note for breathing mask. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 1:00pm | OK, the Environmental Suit is a Zeb Cook creation that was originally published in Dragon magazine. I've combined it here with some of the information from the Eleanor Moraes module, but I don't think I quite have all the kinks worked out yet. Cook gave it a impossibly low cost... I don't have the paperwork in front of me right now, but it was somewhere between 100-250 Credits. Very cheap when compared to some of the other protective gear. Just how does a ES protect the wearer on planets? (I wonder if I added the "heating/cooling" system to this description? I think I did. If so, I left that vague too. My apologies.) Any thoughts? Joe Cabadas |
 April 15, 2018 - 1:07pm | Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits, powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] (bold faced/colored emphasis is mine) Fighter pilots that have the benefit of a life support program would need the InsSuit, would those craft lacking LS (thus mandating a vacc-suit) still need an InsSuit? |
April 15, 2018 - 1:16pm | Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits, powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] (bold faced/colored emphasis is mine) Fighter pilots that have the benefit of a life support program would need the InsSuit, would those craft lacking LS (thus mandating a vacc-suit) still need an InsSuit? Yes, you are probably right about that. I just grabbed the original wording. So, the inssuit description is something that should be modified. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 1:17pm | Well, I probably modified the original wording... I'll see if I can come up with a better description. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 3:33pm | Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits, powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] (bold faced/colored emphasis is mine) Fighter pilots that have the benefit of a life support program would need the InsSuit, would those craft lacking LS (thus mandating a vacc-suit) still need an InsSuit? Here's copied from Knight Hawks: INSSUIT: Insulated suit to protect engineers while working on atomic engines. Also worn by fighter pilots to protect them from the nearby atomic drive. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 3:43pm | I think there would be a specialized fighter pilot suit that would include inssuit, vacc-suit and pressure suit (for the g-forces) capabilities. I don't think such an item exists in Knight Hawks, but let me look some more. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 3:47pm | Nope, I don't see any specialized fighter pilot equipment in KH itself and I don't remember any of the official modules or Dragon/Ares/Polyhedron magazines having any fighter pilot suits, but there should be something. The inssuit described in KH is part of the Engineer's Toolkit. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 7:24pm | It probably wouldn't be much of an obstacle to fabricate an InsSuit lining or layer into a vacc-suit for fighter jockeys. Just add an extra cost to the suit (say 75% since the respirator isn't needed) as "optional equipment" alongside the other goodies like the rocket pack and emergency LS refills etc. |
April 15, 2018 - 9:43pm | It probably wouldn't be much of an obstacle to fabricate an InsSuit lining or layer into a vacc-suit for fighter jockeys. Just add an extra cost to the suit (say 75% since the respirator isn't needed) as "optional equipment" alongside the other goodies like the rocket pack and emergency LS refills etc. Sounds like a plan. One would think vacc-suits would have some kind of radiation insulation anyway. Joe Cabadas |
April 15, 2018 - 10:19pm | So, there isn't a specific fighter pilot spacesuit that I can see in the KH rules. Shall I try to create one? Joe Cabadas |
April 17, 2018 - 8:34am | Here's some more thoughts on the Inssuit and the direction I'm heading in: Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits – typically those worn by fighter pilots – powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] For the Star Frontiers® system, the effects of radiation were never fully explained as a game mechanic, unlike TSR’s post-Apocalypse game, Gamma World®. On Earth, Humans are exposed to about 300 to 400 milliRems (3,000 -4,000 microSieverts) per year from natural radiation sources. When radiation climbs beyond 50 Rems (500,000 microSieverts), noticeable symptoms begin to appear including headaches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, etc. For game purposes, radiation poisoning is handled similarly to other poisons. For example, a radiation exposure of -10/R20 would mean that the character suffers a 10 percent penalty (-10%) to all skill and ability checks for 20 days. The first number indicates the ability/skill penalty while the “R” followed by the number represents the duration of the radiation sickness in days. If the formula is followed by an exclamation point (“!”) it means that the character will die after the end of the duration.[2] For example, an exposure of -40R5! would mean that the character suffers a -40 percent penalty to all ability and skill checks for a duration of five days, but will then die. While an exposure of -50/R0! Would indicate that a character received such a lethal dose of radiation that they would suffer from a -50 percent penalty for all ability checks and would die within the day. If any statistic, other than Stamina, drops below 0, the character would fall unconscious. If Stamina drops below zero, the character is considered dead and would lose 1 point of Stamina per turn until reaching -30 STA at which point freeze fields, surgery, etc. would not work to revive the character. Inssuits are rated at different levels of protection … (to come) Joe Cabadas |
April 17, 2018 - 8:35am | Yes, I'm trying to adapt Jedion's Radiation sickness article to fit the inssuit description. Why reinvent the wheel? Joe Cabadas |
April 19, 2018 - 7:55pm | Hey, found an old discussion on radiation here: www.starfrontiers.us/node/3093 I'll see what I can adapt. There's also the Gamma Dawn rules to look at. Just trying to create a rule for inssuits and incoporate the article that Tom Verreault (I keep misspelling his last name, sorry. Got to remember ..r-E-a-u...) wrote on Radiation Sickness in a Star Frontiersman magazine article. Joe Cabadas |
April 17, 2018 - 10:39am | OK, the Gamma Dawn rulebook, which I had downloaded more than a year ago, does have some interesting anti-radiation equipment and stuff. It looks like it has radiation sickness rules similar to what jedion created, though since I don't want to take SF in a Gamma World direction, I'll stick more to the forum discussion on radiation. I think I can craft something useful out of these sources. Joe Cabadas |
April 18, 2018 - 7:08am | Dear Chris: Thanks. Now, here's a tweaking of Tom Verreault's radiation poisoning game mechanic to take into account the Gamma Dawn rules and some of the discussion on the Radiation discussion thread. I am still working on the idea, but wouldnt' mind feedback. Radiation Poisoning For game purposes, radiation poisoning is handled similarly to other poisons. For example, a radiation exposure of S10/R20 would mean that the character suffers a 10 percent penalty (-10%) to all skill and ability checks for 20 days. The first number after the “S” indicates the intensity of the radiation and the ability/skill penalty the character suffers. The “R” followed by the number represents the duration of the radiation sickness in days. If the formula is followedb y an asterisk (“*”), the character must make a current Stamina check to avoid death at the end of the duration. An exclamation point (“!”) it means that the character will die after the end of the duration.[1] For example, an exposure of S40R5! would mean that the character suffers a -40percent penalty to all ability and skill checks for a duration of five days, but will then die. While an exposure of S50/R0! would indicate that a character received such a lethal dose of radiation that they would suffer from a -50 percent penalty for all ability checks and would die within the day. If any statistic, other than Stamina, drops below 0, the character would fall unconscious; he would lose 1 point in that ability permanently per day of unconsciousness. So, if a character started with a Dexerity score of 40,but went unconscious for 10 days, when he awakens his new DEX score would be 30. If Stamina drops below zero, the character is considered dead and would lose 1 point of Stamina per turn until reaching minus 30 STA at which point freeze fields, surgery, etc.would not work to revive the character. Optional:Although a character may survive the immediate effects of radiation, there may be latent effects that he may deal with, especially fromprolonged exposures to radiation. (tocome)
[1] Adapted from “RadiationSickness on the Frontier,” by Thomas Verreault (jedion357), Star FrontiersmanMagzine No. ___, pp. 28-29; the “Gamma Dawn” rules plus other sources includinga discussion on Radiation, www.starfrontiers.us/node/3093..
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April 18, 2018 - 4:43pm | Now, let's tackle inssuits again... Inssuit. This is a protective garment typically worn by ship engineers, fighter pilots or others who work in radioactive environments to protect them from radiation. It includes a respirator unit, protective head covering/goggles. Some spacesuits – typically those worn by fighter pilots – powered armor or other gear can be bought with an inssuit lining.[1] For the Star Frontiers® system, the effects of radiation were never fully explained as a game mechanic, unlike TSR’s post-Apocalypse game, Gamma World®. On Earth, Humans are exposed to about 300 to 400 milliRems (3,000 -4,000 microSieverts) per year from natural radiation sources. When radiation climbs beyond 50 Rems (500,000 microSieverts), noticeable symptoms begin to appear including headaches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, etc. Inssuits are rated in regards to their ability to protect the wearer from the radiation intensity, duration and whether or not it will provides any help in preventing death.A typical engineer’s inssuit found in Knight Hawks might have a rating of 10/10. The first number represents the suit’s primary shielding factor against radiation poisoning and reduces the exposure. The second number reduces the duration level of any side effects by the indicated number of days. The second number also represents the bonus modifier that a character receives when needing to make a Stamina check to avoid death. For example, an Inssuit 10/10 would reduce the exposure level by 10 and the duration level of any side effects by 10. So, if a character that was wearing such a suit receives a mild exposure to radiation over a moderate amount of time (S10/R20), it would mean that the suit blocks the dangerous radiation.There are no side effects, so the duration number is ignored. Normally if the radiation duration number (R#) is followed by an asterisk (“*”) this means that the character must make a current Stamina check to avoid death on the last day of sickness. If the duration number is followed by an exclamation point (“!”), it normally means that a character will die; however, a character wearing an inssuit may still have a chance to make a Stamina check avoid death. For example, an inssuit with a rating of 20/10 provides a 10 percent bonus to characters needing to make a Stamina check. George Maysohn of Star Law’s Counter Terrorism Team has received brief exposure to an extreme level of radiation (S40/R30+10d10*) but is wearing an inssuit with a rating of 10/10. He has average ability statistics for a Human – STR/STA 45/45, DEX/RS 45/45, INT/LOG 45/45, PER/LDR45/45. Maysohn’s abilities are only reduced by 30 points instead of 40. The duration of his radiation poisoning would be for 30 days plus 10d10 days at the end of which he would have to make a current STA check to stay alive. His STA has been reduced to 15 points. Since the inssuit provided additional shielding, he receives a 10 percent bonus and now has toroll a 25 or less to remain alive. [1] Adapted from Knight Hawks™, p. 63, also mentioned in “Bugs inthe System,” p. __. Joe Cabadas |
April 17, 2018 - 5:59pm | The radiation poisoning chart is a work in progress, especially the column that describes treatment. I added the Low level and Extreme levels of exposure to try to make it reflect some real world radiation charts I've seen. The onset of symptoms part again is an effort to reflect real world circumstances. I probably need to define what "brief," "moderate," and "prolonged" exposures mean. A brief exposure of medium radiation is probably a longer period of time than a "brief" exposure to severe or extreme radiation. Joe Cabadas |
April 18, 2018 - 7:18am | I updated the Radiation Exposure Table and the description a bit rather than reposting it. I may do the same with the inssuit description. Currently I have inssuits rated with three different numbers. The first is to reduce the intensity of the exposure. Thus if you have an inssuit with a 10/10/10 rating, and are exposed to a Mild, Moderate level of radiation -- S10/R20 -- the suit will block the radiation (S10) and you won't have to worry about the effects or the duration (R20). The third number is a percentile bonus the character would receive for any Stamina checks to avoid death. I am thinking of just having the first number -- the shielding -- or even the second number -- where the duration of the rad poisoining is reduced -- should represent this bonus. So, if you read this later and see that the inssuit description only has two rating numbers, you'll understand why. Joe Cabadas |
April 18, 2018 - 8:24am | Oh, one change I made to the chart from its earlier iteration is the treatment column. It now says "Neurad Treatment" rather than just "Treatment." Neurad is this miracle SF drug mentioned in Zebs and Tom Verreault seemed to base his chart in Star Frontiersman magazine on that being the one and only radiation treatment available. If you get over to the earlier forum discussion that deals strictly with Radiation (www.starfrontiers.us/node/3093) a few other treatment ideas are presented so I will try pilfering... ah, incorporating... that wonderful work into this discussion. It's a pity that the magazines had to be shut down, at least for now, but jedion had noted to me there is an ultimate equipment gude on this website, so perhaps I can post a finished version there... Also, this forum thread is supposed to be dealing with more than just inssuits and radiation. Joe Cabadas |
April 18, 2018 - 12:40pm | OK, I did change the inssuit description, dropping the third rating number for more simplicity. Joe Cabadas |
 April 18, 2018 - 2:03pm | To echo what's beeen noted above, one wonders why a spacesuit would not suffice instead. I'm not sure how an innsuit is any different - perhaps it's less capable than a spacesuit in terms of the type and strength of radiation it can deal with. Perhaps there was a suit design binge back in the day, and one of those dayglo yellow rad suits was in mind, but at the same time they forgot about spacesuits. |
