A biological weapon created by a race on the losing end of a genocidal war. A size class one spheroid with a hard armored outer shell. Encasing a thousand are so spores.

The Space Spore travels thru space. When it enters a star system and detects a world with organic life it will enter the atmosphere. Breaking apart and seeding the planet with its spores. These spores land and grow into a Mold. The Mold feeds on the organic life on the planet. In the process destroying the ECO system of the world.

When the world is totally ruined the atmosphere and nothing but a poisoned ball of rock. The Mold dies Leaving new spheroids. That will leave the world looking to reproduce again.

As the Space Spore is nothing but a plant it is not at all intelligence.

Use the set up for the planet crusher.
Space Spore is size class 1.
200 points to destroy are use ship size adjustment SM1.7
I also think that scientific investigation would work on how to destroy the Space Spore.
It has a MCIDS
Also SM1.45 Strong Electro-Magnetic field.
The Space Spore is speed 6. And moves by automatic rules. The Space Spore will head toward the planet and will not change course even if attacked. It can be tractored and dragged.
If a unit with biological life forms moves within 10 hexes of the Space Spore it will release 1D6 spores. (note not sure of this number,) They are the size of drones and will seek out units with biological life forms. They will ignore other units. If the Space Spore is fired on it will release 1 spore for every 10 damage points cumulative. (not sure of this think it would need play testing) If one does a alpha strike for over 100 points could be 10 spores are more...so maybe 20 points are so.

The spores take 10 points to destroy and are speed 12. They ignore shields and when reaching the target attach them selves to the hull.
during the Final Activity Phase; boarding party combat total the number of spores attached to the ship and multiply by 10 minus the damage down to the spores. That is the boarding party combat factor for the invading spores. Do boarding party combat. D7.0 are for more intense battles use D16.0
The player may not exchange control spaces for casualties but may lose crew units at a 2 for 1 ratio.

A bit rough but just a idea want to know what others think.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Monday, May 22, 2017 - 11:31 pm: Edit

Interesting Space Spore, Perhaps it could be a Monster space plant and not a biological weapon, moving through space seeking living worlds for it to seed.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 03:14 am: Edit

Nice.

Needs play testing.

First reaction(and note, I may be wildly off base...) needs a primary core. Once the spores are depleted, the core retreats to replenish its store of spores.

Use the normal monster rules that after 200 data points collected, roll die to determine out come(collect more data, can kill width 200 points of damage to core, controls monster etc.)

By Mike Strain (Evilmike) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 09:10 am: Edit

Interesting new monster proposal, but as Wile says, needs some playtesting.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 11:01 am: Edit

Interesting idea.

At first glance I think the spores may be a little too slow. Most warships of even the Middle Years can hit the core ship every turn with all its weapons and dodge the spores. The main schtick is the spore boarding party combat but I think most scenarios the spores will never hit the target ship.

The mechanics also encourage large stacks of spores. They launch at two times: when they are shot and when the ship enters range 10 so you will end up with big stacks of waves.

I would toy with the idea of cutting down the power of each spore that hits (equivalent of one boarding party) and increasing the volume of spores. How about one spore fired every impulse divisible by 4 with no increases for being fired on? Lower the spores to taking 4 or maybe 6 points of damage to kill. Up spore speed to 16 or maybe 20. This creates a lot more of the spores running around with a lot more dispersion. You will probably be forced to take a couple of hits every turn (or expend a lot of phaser fire) and you have to weigh the number of invaders against how much damage you can do to the ship.

Just my thoughts. Definitely needs playtesting though.

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 12:30 pm: Edit

Hmm, I like the "deploy when damaged", but agree on not liking the "one massive stack", also people have well developed tactics to deal with seeking weapons targeting their ship.

Two changes: (1) Roll 2d6 when a spore deploys, and scatter it two hexes for the first die, and one for the second. (2) Make a spore once deployed but not yet attached roll at the end of every turn, it needs to roll a 4 or less (EW adjusted) to maintain "lock on" to the ship. If it loses lock on to the ship, it automatically acquires the planet as a target. So having a bunch of spores chasing your ship is bad. (The planet may be able to deal with a very limited number of spore hits, but each spore hit on the planet is very bad even if they can control a handful.)

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 12:53 pm: Edit

Another thought on the spores, perhaps each one that attaches to your ship slows you down? Maybe each one subtracts one from how far you can move.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 01:26 pm: Edit

Needs a review versus the rulebook. Suggest also reviewing the Monster Article from Captain's Log #29 which had various rules cross references applicable to monsters.

Note for example that the basic rules provided for this monster by the author allow it to be tractored and dragged (although the apparent rate at which it will then launch seeking spores would seem to make such a move suicidal), but no movement cost is provided.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 05:13 pm: Edit

Petrick I had the Space Spore as size class 1. Move cost of 3 i think? I wanted it tractored so the ship could stop it getting to the planet if it needed to. I am going to have to look for a copy of Captains Log #29

I would toy with the idea of cutting down the power of each spore that hits (equivalent of one boarding party) and increasing the volume of spores. How about one spore fired every impulse divisible by 4 with no increases for being fired on? Lower the spores to taking 4 or maybe 6 points of damage to kill. Up spore speed to 16 or maybe 20. This creates a lot more of the spores running around with a lot more dispersion. You will probably be forced to take a couple of hits every turn (or expend a lot of phaser fire) and you have to weigh the number of invaders against how much damage you can do to the ship.

I was worried about just that big stacks of spores drop a T-bomb and gone.

As this was a being bored Idea at work thing. Now I am going to have to do some real thinking. I am very pleased with the responses. Thank You

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 06:40 pm: Edit

Gregory S. Flusche:

There was nothing in the initial proposal about a movement cost, which was why I pointed it out.

Bear in mind when designing a monster that there is the duel (can one ship of what BPV defeat it? what modification is needed to allow a smaller ship, or a larger ship, to defeat it?) and the squadron (how does it handle being attacked by three police cutters instead of one cruiser? or a squadron of three heavy cruisers? or a mixed force of two large armed freighters, a heavy cruiser, and a frigate?).

There are lots of variables.

While you might have some concern about T-bombs versus a swarm of spores, remember that in single ship duel the number of T-bomb is very limited, and the spores are not going to be dissuaded by dummy T-bombs. A heavy cruiser in one turn might stop four launches of spores with T-bombs, but that leaves him no T-bombs to do the same thing on the following turn. One frigate or destroyer could only do that twice (a squadron of three could do it six times).

Does an anti-drone hit destroy one of these "boarding spores", does it do it automatically or is their a second die roll if a hit is achieved as with an anti-drone versus a shuttle?

Not trying to stop you, just pointing out that this is a big game with a lot of systems to be looked at and integrated into the monster.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 08:04 pm: Edit

Oh I am glad for the input. Going to work on a full real proposal this week into next. Plus a little play testing on SFBOL to help out in a few things

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 05:13 am: Edit

Ok had time so I played a game of Space Spores last night on SFBOL. Used the same set up as the planet crusher It has a MCIDS
Also SM1.45 Strong Electro-Magnetic field.
The Space Spore is speed 6. And moves by automatic rules. The Space Spore will head toward the planet and will not change course even if attacked. It can be tractored and dragged.

Used 2d6 for number of spores when entering range 10.
Played the Peladine CA and went for scientific investigation over killing it. (8 labs on the CA)

5 turns I had 207 lab points. I rolled low for turn 2 4 spores average on turns 3 and 4 7 and 8 spores. leaving one left over chasing me on turn 4. Rolled 9 spores on turn 5. The Peladine with 8 Labs was nice as well as using the probe With 9ph-2 and 2ph1 plus I used the drones to counter the spores. I did have to use my plasma F as well.

Actually was fun. I will try and do one with more spores that take less damage and have less BP strength.