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Post by Falconer on Jul 12, 2010 20:30:28 GMT -5
I noticed that The Dungeoneer #9 has a class for S&S called "Star Ranger" written up by the infamous Paul Jaquays. Apparently there are three S&S monsters in that issue, as well. Anyone got this?
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Post by rredmond on Jul 21, 2010 10:20:18 GMT -5
I've got some Dungeoneer PDFs somewhere... I'll have to take a peek.
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 25, 2010 9:37:37 GMT -5
Okay, so I'm a moron. I knew I had that issue, and I ran over to my Metamrophosis Alpha box because I was sure that was the one. Looked at the table of contents ... no article. Then I bothered to look at the link. Hmmm. That cover isn't the same as mine. Oh, I was looking at Dungeoneer #8. I'll go look for my Dungeoneer / Judges Guild Journal box....
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 25, 2010 9:45:05 GMT -5
Found it. It's a one-page article, along with a one-page picture of a dude with funky helmet and laser pistol. I'll type it up and post it, unless anyone thinks the INTERNET POLICE (TM) will shut us down if I do so.
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 25, 2010 10:27:28 GMT -5
Star Ranger by Paul Jaquays Game Material for the STARSHIPS & SPACEMEN RPG Published in Dungeoneer #9, Jan/Feb 1979
A Star Ranger is a space-going individual, paired off with a very powerful and intelligent ship. He is a sort of Galactic Police Officer. His main function is protecting innocent or helpless sentient races from exploitation or extermination. This protection is not just from Videni or Zangids, but from Terrans and their allies as well.
Star Rangers were created by an omnipotent being at some point in a particular race’s development of space travel. They are selected somewhat randomly and may be of any race. Star Rangers do not age. While they may be of any race, they are usually Terran, Rigelian or Zangid.
A Star Ranger does not kill if it can be avoided. Often he will risk his own life, rather than take that of another. There are exceptions, however. If a planet or people can only be saved by their oppressor’s demise, then that is the way it must be.
Although a Star Ranger’s powers are not quite limitless, he and his ship are quite capable of handling a Terran Dreadnaught or its equivalent. With his special hand weapon, controlled by his will power, he has control over the elements, including fire, air, water, and earth. With it he can cause a meteor storm, repulse energies with high pressure air streams or water blasts, re-pressurize a space craft devoid of air or he can blaze away with fire from a sun … the possibilities are endless. Each use in this mode will use up the energy potential of the ship for that day by 10 units. The weapon may, also, be used a sa laser pistol, rifle or as a stun gun or as a ship’s laser bank.
The ship, itself, is a sentient and a living, metal starship with a powerpile base of 500. It has many powers that its non-sentient “brothers” do not possess. It can modify and reform its substance into anything or any type of ship, including a humanoid or a Terran Dreadnaught. The ship has its own personality, and, since Star Rangers are usually male, their ships are typically female. The Star Ranger and his ship are symbiotic. They are both telepathically and telempathically linked. Damage done to the ship will be felt by the Star Ranger, and vice versa. Because the ship has the power of molecular control, it can be considered as being, basically, energy and if it is threatened with destruction it will revert to an energy form to recoup its losses.
STATISTICS: Star Ranger Close Attack Strength = 30 Marksmanship = 20 Intelligence = 14 + d6 Technical Skill = 20 Contact Skill = 20 Charisma = 20 Psionic Potential = 3d6, modified by race Loyalty = 20
IN SPACE: Power pile base equivalent is 100 units. Screen cost per day (full) is 10 (he is always half-shielded). In combat, he fights as if having a fire control officer (+3). As a target, he is -3 to hit because of his small size. His handgun works as a laser bank. The Star Ranger needs no special suit, even in a hard vacuum.
GROUND WEAPONS: Stun gun; Laser pistol = half damage against sentients; Laser rifle = 3d6 +6 against non-living or unintelligent.
MOLECULAR CONTROL: Range 200m. May summon up to 2000kg or rock, 2000 liters of water, a wind of 160-200 kmph or a blast of fire for 3d6 points of damage to all within a 100m range. His uniform protects him like field armor.
STATISTICS: Ship Power Pile Base = 500 Ion Torpedoes = 12 (regenerated at 2/day) Sickbay capacity = 2 Laser banks = fires as if possessing a fire control officer Size: twice size of a shuttle craft
ENERGY COST TABLE: Galactic travel = 5 EUs per warp factor on hyperdrive but turns are free. Intrasystem travel = 5 EUs for any travel at nuclear drive per day. Entering a planet’s orbit = 2.5 EUs. Leaving a planet’s orbit = 2.5 EUs. Laser fire = 5 EUs per bank. Tractor or Pressure beams = 1 EU / 20,000km. Screens (half) = 10 EU / day, (full) = 20 EU / day. Star Ranger’s element control = 10 EUs per use. Molecular control = 10 EU (includes shapeshifting)
The ship’s computer will answer from 2-12 questions.
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Post by Falconer on Jul 25, 2010 13:39:44 GMT -5
Thanks so much for posting that!
I think it's legal to excerpt that much. :-)
I admit I am mystified as to what the literary antecedent is for this whole concept. It could be original, of course. I think it would make a fine encounter to be used in a session or two. It is clear to me now that this is not meant for PCs.
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 25, 2010 19:22:22 GMT -5
I agree that this class is way too powerful to be a PC. I was actually kind of excited until I started reading it closely, because the concept of a "Star Ranger" was so much cooler than an uber-powered dude who can battle whole starships by himself. Steve Perry wrote two "Stellar Ranger" books which were sort of "wild west in space" -- a lot like Firefly only before Firefly. That's what I had hoped to find in the article. Seems like my wife read a whole "The Ship who...." series by (I think) Anne McCaffrey. I think that there was a sentienet starship that could communicate with its (her?) pilot and I wonder if that was one of the inspirations. I'm not sure when those books were written, so they may have been after the article. Anyway, you're welcome. Always nice to pass info along to friends.
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Post by blackbat242 on Jul 26, 2010 3:31:50 GMT -5
The Ship Who Sang was a collection of short stories, it was published in 1969, so likely well before any thought of Starships & Spacemen entered Leonard Kanterman's head.
"Brain ships" were ships that were "self-aware"... in a manner of speaking. That is, they had a living, thinking human as part of their "central processing unit/operating system".
Humans who were wholly dependent on a permanent hook-up to medical technology for their survival (either from genetic abnormality, major injury, or some other such condition) could opt to be "encapsulated" and placed as a "living computer" in a ship, space station, etc.
Most of their body (the parts not essential to keep the brain alive) is removed, and they are combined with a life-support system and installed in an armoured core, with direct neural connections to the computers and systems of their ship/station. They "feel" the ship/station as if it were their own body, they "see" with its sensors, etc.
This medical technology enables them to never fall prey to further illness or injury, and the shielding greatly reduces the degradation of their DNA caused by normal environmental exposure to toxins, radiation, etc. This allows them to live inside their ship/station for 200 years or more.
They could only be separated from the ship in a highly specialized, high-tech facility, but they had to remain inside their life-support capsule for the rest of their life. The capsule is designed to be repairable without being opened, so that maintenance and upgrades can prevent the capsule from failing to work as designed.
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Post by finarvyn on Jul 26, 2010 9:10:54 GMT -5
The Ship Who Sang was a collection of short stories, it was published in 1969, so likely well before any thought of Starships & Spacemen entered Leonard Kanterman's head. Yup. That sounds like the series she read, but I think there also were some sequels written a lot more recently.
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Post by blackbat242 on Jul 27, 2010 3:39:43 GMT -5
Yep... Other Novels in the Brain & Brawn Ship Series
Co-authored by Anne McCaffrey:
* PartnerShip (1992) with Margaret Ball, ISBN 0-671-72109-7 * The Ship Who Searched (1992) with Mercedes Lackey, ISBN 0-671-72129-1 * The City Who Fought (1993) with S.M. Stirling, ISBN 0-671-87599-X * The Ship Who Won (1994) with Jody Lynn Nye, ISBN 0-671-87657-0
Separately authored:
* The Ship Errant (1996) by Jody Lynn Nye, ISBN 0-671-87854-9 * The Ship Avenged (1997) by S.M. Stirling, ISBN 0-671-87861-1
Omnibus editions:
* Brain Ships (2003) (includes The Ship Who Searched and Partnership) ISBN 0-7434-7166-0 * The Ship who Saved the Worlds (2003) (includes The Ship Who Won and The Ship Errant) ISBN 0-7434-7171-7 * The City and the Ship (2004) (includes The City Who Fought and The Ship Avenged) ISBN 0-7434-7189-X
In addition to The Ship Who Sang (1969) (ISBN 0-345-33431-0), there is another story about Helva (the ship in TSWS)... Honeymoon (1977), which appears in Get Off the Unicorn (1977) (ISBN 0-441-00338-9), a later McCaffrey short story collection, but is not included in The Ship Who Sang (1969).
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Post by grif on Jul 27, 2010 13:20:23 GMT -5
I think that this character class is a combination of Green Lantern from DC Comics, Starlord from Marvel Comics, and the "Rangers of the Commonality" from an old Poul Anderson yarn. The corps of galactic lawmen? GL. The near-omnipotent handgun and sentient ship? Starlord - and the ship was in Anderson, too. Still, nice idea - the Spacefleet guys and the Star Ranger could have different ideas as to what was best for the people of a planet. Over and Out, Grif
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Post by Falconer on Jul 27, 2010 13:44:42 GMT -5
Kirk and Spock met more advanced beings than themselves many times in the show, so it’s not a theme I’d shy from.
By the way, Over = “awaiting your reply” and Out = “no longer listening on this channel”, so you can’t say “Over and Out” without it being an oxymoron!
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Post by grif on Jul 27, 2010 13:50:02 GMT -5
Hey, I know that! :-) But they used to say it in old-time TV SF, so...Well, my surname is Ingram, so, as they'd say on Star Trek: Ingram Out!
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Post by Falconer on Jul 27, 2010 15:45:40 GMT -5
Ah, okay, if it's consciously tongue-in-cheek then it's very cool. :-)
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Post by grif on Jul 29, 2010 11:29:38 GMT -5
It occurs to me that perhaps this class is too powerful. There was an article in White Dwarf, back when it was amagazine, about how player-created classes tend to be so powerful, even at low level, that they dominate play. Perhaps the Star Ranger could be given some weaknesses - maybe his weapon doesn't work on anything purple? On another point, perhaps the Star Ranger's mysterious bosses could be slotted into the "Organian" role - they, and the Rangers, keep the Confederacy/Zangid/Videni low-level conflict from turning into open war? Grif
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