Archive through June 20, 2014
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Prime Directive RPG: Frequently Asked Rules Questions (FARQ):
Archive through June 20, 2014
A few questions about the "Mesmerizing Gaze" special rule for the Orion Slave Girl/Escort prestige class in PD20M (page 81):
1) The book says that the "opponent must attempt a saving throw" - what sort of a saving throw? I assume "Will"?
2) What is the consequence of failing this saving throw? The book says "The Orion Slave Girl with a successful gaze attack gains concealment relative to the opponent" - is this the consequence? If so, what degree of concealment?
3) Is there any disadvantage to the intended victim in averting their gaze in an attempt to avoid the saving throw? It seems like having to avert the gaze would provide some concealment?
The rule is a little bit confusing to me!
Andrew, the save should indeed be a Will check.
This is one that got ported over from d20 and didn't have all the changes made to it. It should be a 20% chance of a miss (or one-half concealment).
I would think that if you are dodging the gaze, it would depend on how you were doing it. Using a mirror, then you'd just have whatever modifier the GM thought appropriate for having to use that -- if your shooter were a trick shooter in a circus and used to doing stunts like that, then maybe there would be no penalty. Shutting your eyes would surely produce a worse modifier than failing your save. 
In part, this is also a non-combat effect. Think of seeing her through a light fog -- some subtle movements might be lost, such as her dropping a data chip in someone's pocket across the room or using sleight of hand to slip a sedative into your drink as she fixes it. While the skills provide a good opportunity for a courtesan, there are also some things that make her an excellent spy or even a "redistributer of your wealth."
Thank you Jean, very illuminating! I came across the rule while creating an NPC, otherwise I would never have noticed it.
I've another question, this one noticed by one of my players. This is about the Precision Talent Tree for Fast Heroes, p50 of PD20M. Given the massive damage done by most ranged weapons in Prime Directive, +1 to damage doesn't seem to be a very useful bonus (+1 to hit on the other hand would seem to be very useful indeed).
Andrew, let me check on it, but my suspicion is that the tree is what it is.
Andrew, the tree is what it is. The ultimate goal is the +3 damage and -2 to the target's Con. That's a nice benefit.
Thanks!
I'm back with another question
When creating non-human characters, do they get two starting feats in addition to any other feats they may get as part of their starting occupation etc?
In the basic d20 system, all PCs get 1 feat and humans get an extra feat at character creation. The d20 Modern core rules assume all characters are human and thus all of them get 2 feats.
The Prime Directive d20M book says non-humans get less skills, do they also lose out on this bonus feat?
(and I am sorry if the book deals with this explicitly somewhere and I just missed it)
Andrew, based on reading the d20M Core rulebook on the creation of "humanoids" who are not human, I would have to say that it is pretty clear they all start with 1 feat, not two. (p. 220 and p. 231)
As a a follow-up: When the sample characters were converted to D20M, that is the convention I used to generate them.
Humans received two starting Feats, non-human humanoids received only the one starting Feat.
Thank you so much for the speedy reply as always Jean. And Scoutdad too!
That's something missing from the free RPG Objects PDF version of the Core rules. I was going to move my new campaign to the free PDF as the WotC book is out of print. The PDF is good for the players but I might hold onto my book yet!
Looking for Rules (mainly HP and AC) in PDD20M of a standard shuttle. I need these so if my PC's try to a strafing run on an enemy position with the shuttle's PH3 I can set up reasonable counter fire. That way I can convince they players to be on the ground for the fight. Saw mention of a small craft section on the BBS but can't find it. Thanks!
I've picked up a copy of the three books (Klingon, Federation, and Romulan) but I've never played this before. I figured I can create a character and once that's done if someone can give me a hand starting on here I'd appreciate it
Mike;
I am sure we can find someone here who can help.
A question, Which system did you buy? i.e. d20, GURPS etc.
And where are you located?
There may be someone nearby.
Mark, you will need the core rulebook for whichever system you got.
Thanks....
Gurps 4th edition.... And it's really that with my work schedule and other things I'd actually prefer some of the online play I see in here... thanks offer and help... I'll look at the core rule book and take it from there...
Mark, I believe Jean was suggesting the Prime Directive core rule book, not the GURPS Basic set. Although they can be helpful as well.
If you have GURPS Prime Directive core book, you don't need the GURPS Basic Set rules. Although as ADM says, the GURPS Basic Set rules can be useful, as can a whole lot of other GURPS supplements.
I wasn't sure to post this here or in the background Q&A thread, but:
*On page 74 of Module Prime Alpha (electronic edition), the population for Hydrax is listed at 627.5 billion. Is this a typo, or does the world really have that many Hydrans living on it?
I could understand there being a higher than average populace on Hydrax, since it is so much larger than your average M-class planet. But would a more realistic number be, say, a tenth of the published total?
627.5 billion Hydrans is only around 350 per square mile (or roughly ten times the current Earth average - including the uninhabitable parts). It is not as though your average Hydran takes needs as much space as some other races do.
Does Hydrax have vast oceans, deserts, or uninhabitable polar regions? If a greater percentage of Hydrax is Hydran-habitable (compared to Earth and human habitability), the numbers look OK to me...
According to the Hydrax writeup in MPA, 98% of the planet's surface is comprised of a vast methane-ammonia ocean. (That still leaves over 42 million square kilometres of "land" to live on.)
The "landmasses" are a series of floating continents made up of iron and rock concretions welded together by micro-organisms that produce the mechane needed for Hydrans and other surface life-forms to breathe. (The "uprooted" nature of these landmasses had a substantial impact on pre-spaceflight Hydran history.)
For comparison, Earth has a surface area of 510 million square kilometers, of which 149 million square kilometers is land.
Garth L. Getgen