Astrogator Calculations

[Spinward Scout]

JUMP COMPUTATIONS

I've had some ideas for a while to give a player playing a navigator a chance to roleplay a bit more. Basically it's just calculations and the player can use a calculator, but if the ship's computer goes down, then the player has to figure them out by hand. Now, the Jump Plot Calculation gives a bigger range for the DC - it's easier in some situations, and harder in others. Please try these out and let me know what you think.

Later,

Scout

JUMP PLOT CALCULATION - ((( B + G + R + C ) x P ) / D ) x F )

Base DC ( B ) - 15

Fuel Used ( F ) - 2 - Unrefined ( Cr100 )
1 - Refined ( Cr500 )

Distance Traveling ( P ) - In Parsecs

Jump Drive ( D ) - Rating of Drive (i.e. J-5 drive, J-2 drive, etc...)

Gravity Disturbance ( G ) - +15 - less than 10 diameters from gravity well
+5 - less than 100 diameters from gravity well
+0 - more than 100 diameters from gravity well
-5 - more than 500 diameters from gravity well

Destination Circumstances ( R ) - -5 - Familiar Destination (negates other destination circumstances)
+5 - Fringe/Frontier region
+5 - Deep Space (empty hex)
+10 - Uncharted region

Other Circumstances ( C ) - +5 - Rushed, under fire
+5 - No Functioning Ship's Computer
+2 - Drop tanks used to fuel jump
+1 - per month past annual maintenance
+1 - per major damage since annual maintenance

TRAVEL TIME CALCULATION - ( B + ( R - A ) x P)

Base Time ( B ) - 147 hours

Randomizer Dice ( R ) - roll 3d6

Distance Traveled ( P ) - In Parsecs

Astrogator's Modifier ( A ) - This is the number the Astrogator's Jump Plot check succeeds by divided by 2.

 

[Tanuki]

So what does the numerical result of the Jump Plot Calculation mean?

 

[Spinward Scout]

<<<So what does the numerical result of the Jump Plot Calculation mean?>>>

It would be the Astrogator's DC to Plot an Interstellar Jump Route. (p. 21 of the T20 Lite rules)

I just added a few things to give it more variation. This makes it so under the right conditions, a monkey could run the plot. And under the wrong conditions, you'd have to be an astrogation genius to make it.

Try it out & let me know what you think,

Scout

 

[Uncle Bob]

An interesting idea, but considering I gave my Freshman algebra students tougher problems, I am not impressed by the problem (I was going over it wondering, "when do we use the calculator?") I guess it depends on the numerancy of your players, but I would at least throw in a trig function and an exponential. Use a scientific calculator and if they are working by hand they would have to look it up the funtions in a table and try to manipulate a four digit mumber. Considering that the character is attempting a nearly impossible task, the player should sweat a little. Did you ever read Heinlein's Starman Jones?

Over all though, it is like asking a player to validate his character's VRF gauss 4 skill by hitting a dart board with a nerf gun.

 

[tjoneslo]

A few comments from a canonista

I don't like the x P/D (parsecs/drive) factor in the calculation. It makes short jumping with a high powereded drive much too easy. I'd replace this with a -2 per parsec short of full drive range you are jumping. For example a J3 drive jumping 1 parsec is DC-4. It also doesn't account for microjumps (less than 1 parsec).

Get rid of the DC-5 for more than 500 diameters.

Get rid of the familiar destination, make that the standard. Add a +5 unfamiliar/not well charted area, and shift all the others up by +5.

Increase the the No Computer to +15. IMTU, not having a computer makes the jump calculations virtually impossible.
Add a "Jump Tape (Cr1500) +5". Starports will sell a Jump Tape (a precomputed, one use) jump calculation so the ship's computer doesn't have to do the work. If you're astrogator is a little off (or missing), it can be a lifesaver.
Add a "Bad or out of date Jump Tape +15".

The calculation for the jump time is also wrong, there is no factor of xP for the jump time. Suggest the following instead 147 + (6-n)d6 - (n*3.5) hours where n = 0, +1 per 5 points the roll is made by.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Cool ideas! I put the "times distance traveled divided by jump drive rating" to simulate that a longer jump would add to the calculation, but a shorter jump with a "stronger" drive should be easier. I'll have to rethink that to make it so that just the farther the distance traveled, the more complex the calculation. And now I'll have to make a trip to the library to pick up Starman Jones. : ^ )

Scout

 

[Spinward Scout]

Has anyone else come up with any ideas like this? I'd like to update the calculations a bit. I never took trig or calculus, so I really wouldn't know where to start to add a function or similar. Any help here would be hot!

Later,

Scout

 

[Spinward Scout]

And for you armchair Astrogators out there: here's a great web page with a ton of ideas for Astrogation.

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/trisen/sol/traveller/index.html

Be sure to check out the articles:

The Big Map 1 and 2
Bridge Charts
Jump Drives (this is for jump diameter goodies)
Law

Later,

Scout