(SP3001.00) CRUEL VOLTAGE
(Y???) by Derek the Deranged, State: Unstable

The Masters (those bloody-minded game-players in their hidden realm somewhere in the Galaxy) have gathered a collection of unusual ships. As they did not arrive with crews, the prisoners forced to man them are unsure if the ships were actual prototypes of new designs from around the galaxy, or were in fact created by the masters (perhaps inspired by unbuilt plans, unsold proposals, or intelligence dis-information) for their perverse games.

(SP3001.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3; Player A, Player B, and the Monster player.

MAGNETO MONSTER: Sets up with two PFs in hex 2215. The PFs can have any heading, speed 15, WS–III. See (SP3001.474).

PLAYER A: Enter anywhere along the 01xx map edge, heading B or C, speed max, WS–III. See (SP3001.45) and (SP3001.46).

PLAYER B: Enter anywhere along the 42xx map edge, heading E or F, speed max, WS–III. See (SP3001.45) and (SP3001.46).

YEAR: Players should select a year before setting up the scenario. This will define the availability of ships, refits, fighters, drone speeds, and other items. Y195 is assumed if no other year is selected.

(SP3001.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until both Player A and Player B concede, or until Player A or Player B accumulates 600 damage (voltage) points on the Monster, or until the end of the sixth turn of the fifth round. See (SP3001.46)

(SP3001.41) MAP: The map is fixed; it does not float. Any unit leaving the map has disengaged and cannot return. The Player A units can only disengage from 01xx map edge. The Player B units can only disengage from 42xx map edge. The Monster units cannot disengage by any means. Units which disengage in unauthorized areas are considered destroyed.

(SP3001.42) SHUTTLES AND PFs: All shuttles and PFs have warp booster packs.

(SP3001.421) MRS shuttles may be purchased [up to the limits in (J8.5)] under (SP3001.431).

(SP3001.422) There are no fighters in this scenario. In a variant in which fighters are present, use the standard deployment patterns (one EWF for each squadron of eight or more fighters) for EW fighters.

(SP3001.423) The two PFs used by the monster (SP3001.47) are standard combat PFs. The scenario is not set up for Player A or Player B to use PFs, but see (SP3001.64).

(SP3001.43) COMMANDER’S OPTION ITEMS

(SP3001.431) Each ship can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander’s Option Items (e.g., T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions.

(SP3001.432) All drones are "fast," i.e., speed–32 in the year assumed by (SP3001.2). If the players have selected a different year, the speed of the drones may be limited, as may the types available.

Each drone-armed ship can purchase special drones up to the historical racial percentages as part of the Commander’s Option Items. Note that (S3.2) allows drone ships extra points for this purpose.

(SP3001.433) Prime Teams (G32.0) are not available in this scenario. Optionally, players might agree among themselves to allow a prime team to be selected (within the total of 1,050 BPV points) and added to any one ship.

(SP3001.44) REFITS are available depending on the year selected.

(SP3001.45) SQUADRON CREATION: Both Player A and Player B have 1,050 BPV to create a squadron of exactly five ships. This is under several restrictions, and see (SP3001.46).

(SP3001.451) The players must each select five races and may only purchase one ship from each race selected. The players cannot both select a ship from one race, but must determine between themselves which one will purchase a ship of a given race. One means of doing so is to toss a coin, with the winner selecting a race, and the players then alternating the selection of races until all have been selected. Each player can then select five of the races he selected to provide his ships.

(SP3001.452) The players must each purchase exactly five ships with their allotted BPV including all commander’s options, drone speed upgrades, refits, etc. Each player must spend at least 1000BPV points but no more than 1050.

(SP3001.453) No carriers, carrier escorts, carrier groups, PFTs, or PFs may be purchased. Hydran hybrid carriers are allowed, but Hydran escorts are carrier escorts and are excluded.

(SP3001.454) Note that the players are not under any restriction from attacking each other, and may do so to keep the other player from reducing the voltage (SP3001.475) previously scored.

(SP3001.46) SCENARIO OPERATION: This scenario operates as a sort of mini-campaign. Player-A and Player-B will try to destroy the Monster, and at the same time try to prevent each other from destroying the Monster. The Monster will be trying to survive, and incidentally might be trying to help Player-A and Player-B kill each other.

(SP3001.461) The ten ships generated by the two players in (SP3001.45) will be placed in a common pool. Both players must inform each other of all Commander’s Options, refits, etc, purchased for each ship. At this point, the players toss a coin to determine which is Player A and which is Player B.

(SP3001.462) The scenario is played in a series of five rounds. Each round lasts six turns. At the start of Round One Player A selects one ship from the pool, and player B then selects one ship. Neither player is required to select a ship he purchased, and can select a ship the other player purchased.

(SP3001.463) At the end of six turns, any ship which has not exited the map is considered destroyed by the Monster. Any Monster PFs (SP3001.474) that are still on the map are eliminated; the monster can select two new PFs for the next round (SP3001.474).

(SP3001.464) For Round #2, Player B will first select the ship he wants to use, then player A will select a ship. These selections are under the provisions of (SP3001.462). A second round is then played using these ships entering the map as per (SP3001.2) and continuing once again until Turn #6 when (SP3001.463) is again applied.

(SP3001.465) Round #3 will again have Player A selecting his ship first, Player B selects first again on Round #4. On Round #5 the Monster player will assign the last two ships.

(SP3001.466) In the event that one player captures the other player’s ship with boarding parties, the round continues to the end. If the captured ship is destroyed or fails to exit the map, it still counts for the monster. If the captured ship fires on the monster, however, it still counts as damage by the original owning player, not the new owner.

(SP3001.47) THE MAGNETO MONSTER is governed by the following rules:

(SP3001.471) The Monster moves at a speed of from 0-24. It chooses the speed it will move at the start of each turn during the Energy Allocation Phase AFTER Player A and Player B announce the speeds of their ships. The Monster has no between-turn acceleration limits, i.e., it can move speed 24 on Turn #2 even if its speed was 0 on Turn #1. The Monster has a turn mode of one at all speeds and may HET once each turn with no reduction in movement or chance of breakdown at the Monster player’s discretion. The Monster cannot use EM, Tactical Maneuvers, or move in reverse, and its movement will not trigger mines (although it will be absorb damage from mines as if the mine was weapons fire from the ship that laid it).

(SP3001.472) The Monster is generating nine points of ECM at all times and is able to lend six points of ECM to its PFs as if it was a PFT (K2.52).

(SP3001.473) The Monster cannot be tractored, boarded, displaced, or placed in stasis, and ignores web. (Its PFs get none of these benefits.) The Monster will not enter a planet or sun/nova hex, and is otherwise unaffected by any terrain for movement purposes.

(SP3001.474) During the Energy Allocation Phase of the first turn of each round the Monster generates two standard combat PFs. These PFs can be of any race, not necessarily the same race, but only combat versions can be used. These PFs launch from the Monster as if launching from a PFT (K2.32) on Impulse #1 of Turn #1. If a PF is destroyed, the Monster generates a new PF of the same type during Energy Allocation of the next turn. Note the Monster can change the race of the PFs between rounds, but not during a round. The PFs can self-destruct or fire at each other, and cannot be boarded and captured.

(SP3001.475) Each point of damage scored on the Magneto Monster increases its "voltage". Damage scored by Player A results in positive voltage, while damage scored by Player B results in negative voltage. Negative and positive voltage points cancel each other out, so the current voltage status of the monster will be the difference between the damage scored by the two players. For example, if Player A has scored 317 points of damage and Player B has scored only 229 points, then the difference of (317 – 229 = ) 88 points represents positive voltage. The Monster will be destroyed when its voltage (positive or negative) reaches 600 points. (To win, a player must score 600 more points of damage to the Monster than the other player scored.) Voltage does not increase or decrease between rounds, but carries over to the start of the next round. It is only affected by damage scored on the monster by ships controlled by Player A or Player B during a round.

(SP3001.476) Note that the Monster itself has no weapons and no means of attacking anything except with its PFs.

(SP3001.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS: Player A or Player B wins by being the first to accumulate 600 net points of damage (voltage) on the monster. Note that it is not possible for BOTH Player A and Player B to win.

The Monster Player wins it avoids accumulating 600 points of damage, and destroys 500 BPV of ships.

If the Monster is not destroyed, and 500 BPV of ships is not destroyed, then the scenario is a draw.

(SP3001.6) VARIATIONS: The scenario can be played again under different conditions by making one or more of the following changes:

(SP3001.61) Players might utilize the ten ships found in Starfleet times issues #40 and #41. Place all ten ships into a single pool and use the selection process outlined in (SP3001.46). Alternatively, use all of the scary and April Fool’s ships from all previous issues of Star Fleet Times.

(SP3001.62) Require the ships to use Plotted (C1.32) movement and allow the Monster to use Free Movement (C1.31). In this variation reduce the Voltage needed to destroy the monster to 400 points.

(SP3001.63) For a smaller and faster game, limit the BPV given to Player A and Player B to 600 BPV (still pick five ships each). In this variation the Monster only gets one PF at a time in (SP3001.474) and is destroyed when its voltage total reaches 300 points.

(SP3001.64) Players might agree that one flotilla of PFs could replace one of the "ships" in their squadron.

(SP3001.65) For a smaller and faster game, limit the BPV given to Player A and Player B to 500 BPV divided among three ships. In this variation the Monster still gets two PFs at a time in (SP3001.474) but is destroyed when its voltage total reaches 300 points. Obviously, there will only be three rounds instead of five. (Alternatively, players could play the fourth round using the "as is" survivors of previous rounds.)

(SP3001.7) BALANCE: The scenario can be balanced between players of different skill levels by one or more of the following:

(SP3001.71) Increase or decrease the number of turns in the rounds, or perhaps the number of turns in one round.

(SP3001.72) Allow the monster to have one more PF, or one less PF, or increase or decrease the time needed to regenerate a PF.

(SP3001.73) Increase or decrease the amount of voltage needed to destroy the monster.

(SP3001.74) Always give the less experienced players his choice of ships.

THE MONSTER: Use your PFs to harass the players while looking for a chance for a kill. Move away from the players as much as you can to avoid allowing them to fill your voltage capacity, but if one player gets in a shot, move towards the other immediately to give him a chance to reduce the total. Keep a close eye on how fast the player ships are moving, and lead the slower ship further from its exit if possible. This will increase the chance that it may be damaged by the other player and not make it off by the end of Turn #6.

PLAYER A AND PLAYER B: You have to balance your need to put damage into the Monster against your need to do enough damage to your opponent to prevent him from countering your damage. Try to ignore the Monster’s PFs as much as you can, but if you cannot, try to only cripple them and not destroy them. The Monster cannot repair them, and cannot launch a new one so long as they are on the map, even if they are only on the map as a wreck with no power. Crippled PFs can self-destruct, but this delays the arrival of a new one by one turn. Remember that you have to leave the map by the end of Turn #6 or the Monster gets credit for killing you. Remember also that if you kill your opponent and cannot use the remaining time to fill the Monster’s capacitor, only the Monster wins.

(SP3001.9) DESIGNER’S NOTES: This scenario was created specifically to use the ten "joke" ships from SFT40-41. We needed a way to divide the ships into balanced teams. The scenario title is reminiscent of an old inside joke from the earliest days of TFG.