(SM___.0) THE ARTIFACT
You are ordered to investigate the disappearance of an important freighter. Arriving in the area you discover an energy field.
(SM___.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1, The artifact operates under automatic rules.
(SM___.2) INITIAL SETUP:
ARTIFACT: In hex 1013, speed 1, moving direction C.
SHIP PLAYER: Survey Cruiser in hex 4229, any speed, facing F, WS-0.
FREIGHTER: Freighter in hex 1215, speed 0, facing C, WS-0.
(SM___.3) SCENARIO LENGTH: Until the Artifact is destroyed or captured, or until the ship is unable to function.
(SM___.4) SPECIAL RULES
(SM___.41) MAP: Use a floating map.
(SM___.42) SHUTTLES AND PF
(SM___.421) Any types of shuttles, fighters, or PFs may be used.
(SM___.422) WBPs may be used.
(SM___.43) COMMANDERS OPTIONS
(SM___.431) The ship player may equip his units with any Commander’s options he wishes up to the unit’s limits.
(SM___.432) Any type of drone or drone speeds may be used within the limitations of the year the scenario is played in.
(SM___.44) THE ARTIFACT
(SM___.441) Previously captured units are in the same hex as the Artifact.
(SM___.442) There are no living beings on the Artifact or on previously captured units (unless captured very recently).
(SM___.443) The Artifact cannot be damaged, tractored, displaced, placed into stasis, or otherwise affected until shut down (SM___.49).
(SM___.444) The Artifact is destroyed when it has received 500 damage points while it is totally shut down (SM___.4936).
(SM___.445) The Artifact moves 1 hex in direction C (maintains course if captured) on impulse 32 of each turn. All units within the energy field move with the Artifact (in the same direction at the same time).
(SM___.446) The Artifact will not affect stabilized units (bases with stabilizers operational) by (SM___.452) or (SM___.453).
(SM___.447) The Artifact will not affect non-mobile units (mines, etc.) by (SM___.452) or (SM___.453).
(SM___.448) The Artifact automatically avoids (by side slipping) planets, stars, moons, black holes or other massive terrain.
(SM___.449) The Artifact is not affected by terrain of any type unless it is shut down (SM___.49).
(SM___.45) ENERGY FIELD
(SM___.451) The Artifact has an energy field that surrounds it out to a range of 32 hexes.
(SM___.452) Units within the energy field move with the Artifact each turn (SM___.445).
(SM___.453) On impulse 1 of each turn all units within the energy field are drawn 1 hex toward the Artifact’s hex.
(SM___.454) Negative tractor has no effect on the energy field.
(SM___.455) The energy field affects movement. A unit’s speed is calculated each impulse in accordance to its range from the artifact and is adjusted on the movement chart each impulse as required.
(SM___.4551) At range 32 the energy field reduces a unit’s overall movement for that turn by 1 hex that turn.
(SM___.4552) A units overall movement for the turn is reduced by 1 hex for each hex closer to the Artifact it approaches. (SM___.4553) Each impulse adjust each unit’s movement by adding the number of hexes moved and the amount of reduced movement [(SM___.4551) and (SM___.4552)] and subtracting this amount from the unit’s allotted movement.
(SM___.4554) The remainder from the (SM___.4553) calculation is the number of hexes of movement the unit has remaining that turn. The unit moves at the fastest speed that allows it to move that number of hexes within the remainder of the turn.
(SM___.4555) A unit’s effective speed is reduced to zero when the number of hexes of allotted movement equals the number of hexes totaled in (SM___.4553).
(SM___.4556) Movement is adjusted each impulse depending on a unit’s distance from the artifact and its movement allocation.
(SM___.4557) At range 1 a unit cannot move or escape the energy field unless the artifact is shut down. It is captured by, and moves with, the artifact.
(SM___.4558) EXAMPLE: A small exploration freighter has been sent to investigate the energy field. It starts the turn in hex 4229 (32 hexes from the Artifact) and has allotted speed 3. On impulse one it is drawn 1 hex toward the Artifact (hex 4129) placing it 31 hexes from the Artifact. At range 32 the freighter loses 1 hex of movement for the turn; at range 31 it will lose 2 hexes of movement for the turn (speed 1) and moves in direction A on impulse 32. Also on impulse 32 the Artifact moves another hex in direction C placing the freighter at range 30. On the following turn the freighter allots speed 6 and is drawn toward the Artifact again on impulse 1 placing it 29 hexes from the Artifact. The freighters speed will be reduced by 4 hexes of movement at this range (speed 2). The freighter moves away on impulse 16 (range 30 – reduction 3) and starts to move at speed 3. It again moves away on impulse 22 (range 31 – reduction 2) and starts to move at speed of 4. It moves away on impulse 24 (range 32 – reduction 1) and starts to move speed 5. On impulse 26 it moves away again placing it at range 33 and unaffected by the Artifacts energy field. Note that in this case the freighter still managed to get all six hexes of its movement.
(SM___.456) Units cannot communicate beyond Tactical Intelligence Level-A (account for EW effects) within the energy field.
(SM___.457) If a unit has plotted a mid-turn speed change it should be resolved as if the energy for that movement is not available until it is plotted to be used.
(SM___.46) EFFECT ON CREW
(SM___.461) The energy field affects a ship’s crew.
(SM___.462) The effect the energy field has on a ship’s crew depends on the ship’s range and shield strength. Power Absorbers and other types of shielding are treated as shields for all purposes.
(SM___.463) Each impulse record each unit’s range and the strength of it’s facing shield including reinforcement; General reinforcement available on that impulse is available to all shields, but is not considered used.
(SM___.464) At each range and shield strength calculate the effect. The highest effect calculated during the turn is used.
(SM___.465) After calculating the maximum effect using (SM___.463) and (SM___.464) multiply the chart multiplier (SM___.466) by the result of a die roll. Multiply fractions up.
(SM___.466) CREW LOSS MULTIPLIER CHART
SHIELD RANGE FROM ARTIFACT
STRENGTH 0-2 3-6 7-11 12-17 18-24 25-32
0-11 6 5 4 3 2 1
12-25 5 4 3 2 1 ----
26-41 4 3 2 1 ---- ----
42-59 3 2 1 ---- ---- ----
60-79 2 1 ---- ---- ---- ----
80+ 1 ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
(SM___.4661) The result is the number of crew units that become cataleptic that turn.
(SM___.4662) The result is reduced by 1 for every 50 points of information gathered by any means.
(SM___.4663) Shuttles and fighters have minimal shielding and use the 0-11 row on the chart.
(SM___.467) Roll 1 die at the end of any turn in which no crew units are affected. The result is the number of crew units automatically healed that turn. A Legendary Ships Doctor heals 1 crew unit each turn.
(SM___.468) Crew units which remain cataleptic for more than 50 turns cannot be revived by any means (they are dead).
(SM___.469) If the unit drops its shields it has a shield strength of 0 that impulse.
(SM___.47) EW EFFECTS
(SM___.471) The energy field creates ECM equal to the square of the number of energy field hexes between units (a shift of 1 per hex); include the target and firing unit hexes.
(SM___.472) Energy field EW affects units within the field firing out and units outside the field firing in.
(SM___.473) The ECM created by the energy field can be overcome by ECCM.
(SM___.474) The EW shift is added to the range for labs, special sensors, probe drones and probes.
(SM___.475) All other EW effects are according to normal EW rules (D6.0).
(SM___.476) Use the Tactical Intelligence rules (D17.0).
(SM___.48) OBTAINING INFORMATION
(SM___.481) All methods of gathering information are effected by the EW effects of the Artifact (SM___.47).
(SM___.482) When a player accumulates 400 points of information he may attempt to locate the Artifact’s bridge.
(SM___.483) Roll 1 die at the end of each turn after collecting 400 information points. If the result is 1 the bridge has been located.
(SM___.484) Subtract 1 from the die roll for every 50 points of information collected over 400 points.
(SM___.49) SHUTTING DOWN THE ARTIFACT
(SM___.491) The artifact can be shut down by a successful hit-and-run raid on its bridge.
(SM___.492) All boarding parties are reduced by 1 level (normal are poor, commandoes are normal, etc.).
(SM___.4921) A boarding party destroyed result means the boarding party returns cataleptic.
(SM___.4922) A system destroyed result means the Artifact is shut down.
(SM___.493) When the Artifact is shut down the following effects occur:
(SM___.4931) Energy field radius (SM___.451) is reduced by 1 hex at the end of each turn.
(SM___.4932) Energy field strength (SM___.455) is reduced by 1 at the end of each turn.
(SM___.4933) The Artifact no longer draws units closer (SM___.453) or carries them with its movement (SM___.445).
(SM___.4934) EW effects are reduced as energy field effects decline (SM___.47).
(SM___.4935) One is added to the range each turn (cumulative) for crew effects (SM___.46).
(SM___.4936) The energy field is considered totally shut down when all effects are reduced to 0 at range 0 (32 turns).
(SM___.494) Once the Artifact is shut down it may damaged, destroyed, tractored, displaced, placed into stasis, and otherwise affected normally. It takes 200 points of damage to destroy the artifact.
(SM___.495) The Artifact’s movement is not stopped and cannot be controlled. It’s heading is not altered. Towing cost is 15.
(SM___.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS
(SM___.51) A player wins if he shuts down the Artifact.
(SM___.6) VARIATIONS
(SM___.61) Use the Artifact in any scenario.
(SM___.62) Use other ships.
(SM___.63) An enemy ship could be on the same mission at the same time.
(SM___.64) CAMPAIGN
(SM___.641) In a campaign or large game the player who shuts down the artifact can tow all captured units away for later use. These are units from areas the Artifact has passed through and may be an intelligence breakthrough. The energy field preserves units captured by the Artifact. The ship’s computer shuts down unused systems. All ship’s systems are inactive.
(SM___.642) Reactivate captured ships by transporting crew units aboard and rolling 2 dice at the end of each turn. The result is the number of points of reactivation using (G30.0). Crew quality has no effect.
(SM___.6421) Legendary engineers count as one crew unit for activation.
(SM___.6422) Legendary weapons officers count as one crew for activation of weapons.
(SM___.6423) Prime teams and other legendary officers have no effect.
(SM___.643) A player who shuts down the Artifact can turn it back on and release it. The effects of turning it back on are the opposite of turning it off (SM___.49).

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 05:15 pm: Edit

I'm having severe difficulty with charts. Any suggestions? Even if I type them in without tabs - spacing each character - they still come out compressed and not readable without much work by the reader.

By Andy Palmer (Andypalmer) on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 08:16 pm: Edit

Jim. Use the Table function.

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 02:02 am: Edit

Tried it several times in sevral different ways.
Get the following message any way I go about it: The formatting code Table does not exist or cannot be used in this context
Man, What a pain.

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 02:12 am: Edit

SHIELD	RANGE FROM ARTIFACT
STRENGTH	0-2	3-6	7-11	12-17	18-24	25-32
0-11	6	5	4	3	2	1
12-25	5	4	3	2	1	-
26-41	4	3	2	1	-	-
42-59	3	2	1	-	-	-
60-79	2	1	-	-	-	-
80+	1	-	-	-	-	-

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 02:12 am: Edit

Closer, but still a pain