and four impulse engines.

By Jay K Gustafson (Jay) on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:16 am: Edit

hull hits would be hit on body.

By Jay K Gustafson (Jay) on Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 02:49 pm: Edit

Since it is a lifeform based on a meachine.

By Jay K Gustafson (Jay) on Friday, August 29, 2003 - 08:13 pm: Edit

The Bridge is the like a human brain will usally six or four boxes.

By Jay K Gustafson (Jay) on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 09:29 pm: Edit

Bridge can be used as labs.

By Aaron M. Staley (Aaron_Staley) on Saturday, September 06, 2003 - 08:45 pm: Edit

The first monster scenario for the SFBOL campaign Absolute War has been written and will be played soon.
Essentially, it is the same as SM3.0, however, the Moray Eel is attempting to protect it's clutch of eggs (which will soon hatch) from a nearby vessel.
Possibly this could be a part of the ecology of the Moray Eel?
Each egg requires 20 points to destroy.
Scenario has been submitted to ADB.

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:52 pm: Edit

Just a little note here, if this ever gets farther than 'just an idea'

Space Dragon varities I've thought of: complete rules not yet thought out.

Dark Dragon. Uses Dark Energies, and damages thinks like the Souldra in Omega 3.

Spitting Dragon. Breath is a PPD*multiplier

Sun Dragon. Fire's Photon/Heavy Photon as breath weapon.

Nova Dragon. 'head' is a turret (and all rules following turrets) with a mauler-like breath weapon.

Sub-space Dragon. Weapons are like Worb Sub Space Rockets.

Nebula Dragon. TBD

Phase Dragon. Has built in Displacement Device that can be used 3-4 times per turn.

Inferno Dragon. Has multi-impulse hitting (like a PPD) breath weapon .

Mirrored Dragon. Reflects phaser shots back at attacker (that hits the Wings/body).

By Jay K Gustafson (Jay) on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 01:39 pm: Edit

ANDROMDEAN dragon would have Pa panels and tr beams out of it's eyes.

By Robert Eddy (Tar_Zhay) on Monday, November 24, 2003 - 09:02 pm: Edit

If you want a different type of dragon why don't you give it a mauler weapon using half of the tamage it recevies... It will still take full damage but be able to Use a mauler attack on any one of the forward spines. In stead of PHASER EYES give it some type of healing capability.

By Robert Eddy (Tar_Zhay) on Monday, November 24, 2003 - 11:04 pm: Edit

I have always been partial to swarm monsters…
Example: Star Diamonds:
Found normally inside stars but some colonies will migrate to other locations for unknown reasons. Standard colony will be from 50 to 200 individuals. Star diamonds feed on Warp / Shield Energy. They move normally is spd 10, if a ship is within 10 hex speed increases to 31 toward the closes ship. If the Star Diamonds move into the same hex as a ship they attach to all the shields feeding off the energy. One shield damage point per Star Diamond, spread evenly on all shields. If a shield if down the monster attaches to the warp drive and drains point per Star Diamond of power from the warp drive, one point of warp engine damage for every 10 Star Diamond on the engines. Once the ship has lost all warp and shields the Star Diamond move on to another ship. For every 5 points of shield / warp the Star Diamonds eat as a swarm one is born. The Star Diamonds are destroyed by 2 points of phaser energy. As the Star Diamond are normally to small to get a lock on please use the appropriate rules. Damage to the Star Diamonds is continues, a phaser does 5 pnt’s of damage two star diamonds are killed one is wounded. Next impulse a phaser does 3 pnts to the same swarm the wounded is killed and also another. If attached to ship half damage goes to the ship and half to the Star Diamonds.

Don’t they look fun???

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 03:01 am: Edit

Well,at first I thought "Eh, they're alright" but then I thought of a swarm incroaching on a starship duel. Now that would be cool!

By Ken Humpherys (Pmthecat) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 12:14 pm: Edit

Question about star diamonds:
What effects on shuttles/fighters? drones? plasma?

By Tony Barnes (Tonyb) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 12:49 pm: Edit

"As the Star Diamond are normally to small to get a lock on please use the appropriate rules"
Not sure what that means exactly.

By Piotr Orbis Proszynski (Orbis) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 01:16 pm: Edit

Fighting without lock-on, I assume?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 01:44 pm: Edit

The appropiate rules follow that statement, I think.

By Stewart W Frazier (Frazikar) on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 09:37 pm: Edit

TonyB, I assume that it would either be 'shooting at drones' or no lock-on would be the apropriate ruleset...

By Robert Eddy (Tar_Zhay) on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 - 07:46 pm: Edit

For plasmas I would say have no effect, fighter and shuttles would take one pnt of damage per Star Diamond (loosing all power while in the cluster). Drones would have no effect on the monster but if it enters the cloud it is destroyed (the engine is burns up). For movement of the Star Diamonds use drone movement and for targets go with range + speed /size class. Combat with the Star Diamonds is with no lock on. All heavy weapons will have no effect on the star diamonds except photons, which feed them on one to one bases. (4 over loaded photons (16 each 64 pnts total) “No to hit roll needed” will produce 12.8 new Star Diamonds.

By Robert Eddy (Tar_Zhay) on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Any thought on how to run a fleet or “Wing” of dragons. A special scenario is giving us a new look on multiple monsters (of the same type) and the tactics they would have.

By Raymond Ford (Raymond) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 05:05 pm: Edit

The Eldritch Horrors

Introduction

Here is something that I started on months ago and then forgot about. I’ve put a little more work into it to make it presentable. It’s still not complete, but it gets the basics of the idea across. Enjoy!


“It was once a D6, an old, but still vital Battlecruiser in the service of the Empire. It emerged from the deepest reaches of space, forever changed. Slime oozed across the hull, sealing off damaged areas. Strange organic-looking growths marred the metal surface of the ship. Sensor readings were bizarre. The reports from the labs insisted that the entire ship was emitting life signs. Subtle changes were noted in the warp signature. The ship and its systems were altered for some unknown purpose.”

“I opened a channel to communicate with whoever or whatever had stolen a ship of the Imperial Navy. We received nothing but static in response until the ship began a slow turn. Only then did we realize the true horror of what we were facing. At the end of the boom, in the command pod, where the gaping maw of the main sensor array was supposed to be, we saw it. An orb of flesh, saturated with slime, now occupied that once empty space. A giant, unblinking eye, now regarding our ship like fresh prey.”

- Captain Kord, Commanding Officer, D6E Exploration Ship IKV Investigator


Background

The origins of this form of life, dubbed the Eldritch Horrors by the Federation, are unknown. The survivors of boarding operations conducted against ships infested by Eldritch Horrors describe slimy alien flesh growing into the systems of the ship. Fragmentary sensor records indicate that these life forms are partly organic, but also displays some characteristics of silicon-, fluorine-, and energy-based life. What these records do not reveal is the dividing line between Eldritch Horror and infested ship. They literally become part of each other, essentially turning the creature and the ship into a cyborg.

How a ship becomes infested with an Eldritch Horror is also one of its many mysteries. No infested ship has ever been recovered intact. Indeed, several races have adopted the policy of simply destroying infested ships to prevent further losses. It is speculated that Eldritch Horrors have some kind of “pod” or “seed” form. The pod is brought aboard a ship during a survey mission. The pod then sprouts into an immature Eldritch Horror and begins growing into the ship. It takes control of the ship’s systems as it spreads into them. The crew and most of the other organic material on the ship are likely consumed to fuel this process. Other speculation suggests that the immature Eldritch Horror must be mobile to hunt prey.


Rules for Infested Ships

Ship Systems

The following are considered operational for all purposes unless noted otherwise: all control systems (except for Klingon security stations), all power generation systems (except for Orion engine doubling), all weapons systems (except for webs and all Andromedian weapons), hull, cargo, labs, mines, tractors, drogues, transporters, sensors, scanners, shields, electronic warfare (including special sensors), and shield repair. “Housekeeping” costs must be paid to operate the ship normally (life support, shields, active fire control). Passive and low-power fire control can be used normally. Certain other systems are also functional, but operate under special rules (see below).

The following systems are inactive: cloaked decoy, cloaking device, positron flywheel, security stations, web anchors, web generators, web casters. An infested ship cannot: cloak, double engines, pinwheel, benefit from a super-intelligent computer, benefit from Tholian “web pass” ability, operate remote controlled fighters (or, indeed, fighters of any kind). There are no records of any Andromedian ships being infested with Eldritch Horrors or of infested ships using Andromedian technology. No infested ship has a poor or outstanding crew. No infested ship has any legendary officers.

An Eldritch Horror uses the control systems of the ship that it infests to operate its systems. An infested ship can become “uncontrolled” if all of its control system boxes are destroyed.

Care and Feeding of an Infested Ship

An infested ship can use CDR normally, but with no limits on the number of systems it can repair in a scenario. This represents an Eldritch Horror’s ability to rapidly regenerate damaged systems by replacing the nonfunctional machinery with semi-organic analogs (electronic control systems are replaced with a portion of its nervous system, moving parts are replaced with muscle, etc). The Eldritch Horror essentially “grows into” the damaged systems to repair them.

An infested ship can accelerate damage control by transporting (mostly organic) material from a planet and consuming it. Each transporter operation conducted on an inhabited planet generates 2 CDR points. Each transporter operation conducted on a uninhabitable body generates 1 CDR point (an infested ship can use inorganic material for repairs, but it is less efficient). An “inhabited planet” is defined for the purposes of this rule as a planet that supports life without the need for an artificial environment. This includes all “Class M” planets and gas giants used by Hydran populations. An “uninhabited body” is defined for the purposes of this rule is any natural object not capable of supporting life. This includes most moons and asteroids. Infested ships cannot use this procedure against ships (including Jindarian asteroid ships), bases, shuttles, and any other unit. The infested ship must fulfill the normal requirements to use its transporters (active fire control, energy costs to operate the transporters must be paid, the planet must be within transporter range).

All boarding parties destroyed aboard an infested ship during boarding party combat (including hit and run raids) are consumed to accelerate damage control. Each boarding party consumed generates 1 CDR point. Crew units destroyed during boarding party combat are also consumed. Each crew unit consumed generates 2 CDR points. An infested ship can consume its own destroyed boarding parties and crew units. Boarding parties and crew units lost by damage to the ship cannot be consumed.

All CDR points generated by feeding are in addition to normal CDR. All CDR points generated using these methods must be allocated in the turn they are generated or they are lost.

An infested ship cannot use EDR.

Eldritch Horror Spawn

An Eldritch Horror is very capable at operating the ship it infests, but still finds independent bodies to be very useful in providing maintenance. The few marines to survive boarding operations against an Eldritch Horror report that infested ships are inhabited by creatures that serve as a crew. These misshapen beings seem to be vaguely modeled on the original crew of the ship and have life readings similar to that of the Eldritch Horror itself. Their primary purpose is to maintain the ship’s systems using the tools that belonged to original crew. It is speculated that they are somehow spawned from the Eldritch Horror, but the details of this process remain a mystery.

An infested ship has a number of crew units equal to 25% of the original crew. This is enough to carry out the maintenance tasks that the Eldritch Horror itself cannot perform. Infested ships do not suffer from the effects of “undermanning” since their crew units do not actually operate the ship’s systems.

A significant percentage of an infested ship’s crew function as boarding parties. These are also modeled after the original crew in order to use the weapons they left aboard. However, these creatures are far more predatory in appearance, incorporating fangs, claws, and chitinous armor. These boarding parties can perform all of the functions of a boarding party, but all are considered standard boarding parties of average crew quality (no heavy weapons squads or commando teams). Their purpose is to defend the infested ship from invaders and to seize other ships for later infestation.

The creature-ship has a number of boarding parties determined by its size class, not the ship it has infested (which is determined by the doctrine of the original owners).

The crew units and boarding parties of an infested ship are telepathically controlled by its Eldritch Horror. They are almost mindless without the directing intelligence of an Eldritch Horror. The range of this telepathic control is 35 hexes. Any crew unit or boarding party controlled by an Eldritch Horror that is beyond this 35 hex range is effectively killed for all purposes. Telepathic control may not be reestablished.

It is possible for an Eldritch Horror to capture another ship using its boarding parties and to operate a captured ship using crew units from the ship that it infests. However, the crew units and boarding parties must still remain within 35 hexes of the infested ship that they originated from. Such a captured ship is not considered an infested ship for any purpose (there is no Eldritch Horror aboard it) and its treated as a captured ship for all purposes (including the need to unlock the weapons).

Other Rules

An infested ship can launch any drones or other expendable munitions (including ADDs and pseudo-plasma torpedoes) normally. Drone racks (including plasma-D racks and ADD racks) can be reloaded, provided that reloads are available. An Eldritch Horror has no way of resupplying once its reloads are used. The number of expendable munitions on an infested ship should be tracked during a campaign to reflect this.

Shuttles are infested with smaller, less developed versions of the Eldritch Horror that controls their ship. This creature occupies the area normally used by the pilot. Infested shuttles can held the same number of crew units, boarding parties, and cargo as a non-infested shuttle of the same type. Infested shuttles can be used as SS and WW normally. (An Eldritch Horror can mentally dominate an infested shuttle from its ship to the point where it can override any concept of self-preservation.) The immature Eldritch Horrors used to operate shuttles are not capable of controlling anything as sophisticated as a MRS, SWACS, or fighter of any kind.

PFs are never taken over. PFs are too small to support an Eldritch Horror capable of controlling it. The crew units on infested ships are not intelligent or free-willed enough to operate a PF.


Scenario Ideas

As the introduction suggests, the Eldritch Horrors were first reported when a D6E encountered an infested D6. If this does not fit the history, this can be changed to a survey ship and older model cruiser of any race. The D6E escaped after collecting enough scientific data to determine what it was facing. A squadron of warships was given a copy of the data with orders to pursue and destroy the infested ship. They succeeded, despite efforts by the infested ship to flee.

Similar reports of infested ships have appeared among the other interstellar powers. Ancient Jindarian legends describe encounters with Eldritch Horrors. A Vulcan exploration ship may have been lost to one prior to the formation of the Federation. A Kzinti patrol destroyed an infested Carnivon ship around the time of the Four Powers War. And, of course, there are the endlessly changing tales of ghost ships found in every spacer’s bar. Which of these tales have a kernel of truth and which of these serve merely to frighten the superstitious may never be known.


Designer’s Notes

This is an attempt to create a SFB monster with a creepy, horror-genre feel to it. An Eldritch Horror essentially turns a ship into the shambling, unkillable, flesh-eating zombie from countless horror stories.