Space Marines (1977; Fan Tac)

[finarvyn]

I used to have one of these:


It's a SPACE MARINES miniatures rules set from 1977I had the Fan Tac version although I know FGU made an edition as well in '79.

I mention it because I know it had a couple of pages of how to convert science fiction into OD&D, and perhaps it would be a neat look on how to do OD&D Star Trek.

I think I saved those pages somewhere, and I'll look to see if I can find them. Anyone else have this?



EDIT: changed the dates of publication

[finarvyn]

May 19, 2010 11:55:09 GMT -5 finarvyn said:

I think I saved those pages somewhere, and I'll look to see if I can find them.

Found it! ;D

What I found was pages that I kept from the 1977 SPACE MARINES rulebook. My rulebook fell apart but I salvaged those sheets just in case I'd ever want them again. More than 30 years later, they're still in one of my old OD&D folders!

Part I (pages 66-69) was called "Space Marines and Dungeons & Dragons".

Part II (pages 70-71) was called "Space Marines and Metamorphosis Alpha".

I'll try to type and post if anyone is interested in these....

[rsaintjohn]

I have the 1980 FGU version and I guess that material was cut from it, so I'd love to see some of it!

[rredmond]

me too please!

[finarvyn]

I'll see if I can type parts of it up ASAP and get back to you. Looking at the rules now (and being a little smarter) I suspect that having the rest of the rulebook would help my part make more sense, but I'll put together what I have and we'll see what you think....

[finarvyn]

Sorry I'm so slow at this. I got sidetracked and forgot to come back to this little project.

I kind of wish I still had the complete rulebook, as some of the notation is a little cryptic. I think I can guess at most of it, but it would be better to have the actual rules.

Oh, well. It's not like I ever actually played SPACE MARINES.

I'm dividing this into 3 parts:
1. Characters
2. Weapons
3. Magic

Maybe some day I'll type up the MA rules as well....

[finarvyn]

Space Marines and Dungeons & Dragons (pages 66-69 of Space Marines 1E)

(Slightly edited)

DUNEGONS & DRAGONS by Gygax & Arneson is probably the most popular game of medieval fantasy available today. The urge to be a hero or wizard and go out adventuring in a land of monsters, magic, and treasure is a strong one. But the incorporation of technology into fantasy (or magic into SF, depending upon your viewpoint) can lead to endless interesting situations.

If you wish to employ SPACE MARINES in a D&D game some modifications are required. Extended scale should be used, and weapons do a number of hit points (or hit dice) of damage. It is assumed the reader is familiar with D&D (including GREYHAWK) or he would not be interested in this section, so terms used in D&D will be used here. (Those who do not have a copy of D&D and are interested can obtain a copy of the rules and the supplements to them, of which GREYHAWK is the first, from TSR Hobbies.)

Use the rules given here for fire combat, except for damage. Use the GREYHAWK rules for melee, with modern armor counting as below.

ARMOR:

Hide = AC 7
Body Armor = AC 4
Chiton = AC 3
Blarad Armor = AC 0
Powered Armor C = AC -2
Powered Armor B = AC -4
Powered Armor A = AC -6
Irsol Armor = AC 1
Nertun Tripods = AC -3

Powered Armor A = 40 hit points plus users
Powered Armor B = 35 hit points plus users
Powered Armor C = 30 hit points plus users
Irsol Armor = 20 hit points plus users
Mertun Tripod = 40 hit points plus users


LEVELS:
Modern troops have the following hit dice (and level)

Green or Militia = 1
Regular = 2
Veteran = 3
Elite = +1
Officer or NCO = +1

Humans and Rabau = 8 sided dice
Rauwoof and Whistlers = 6 sided
Nertun or Irsol = 4 sided
Hiss, Klackon or Mkepurr = 10 sided
Blarad or Bug = 12 sided

[finarvyn]

WEAPONS:
Modern (22nd Century) weapons count as magic weapons except for stunners (both hand and heavy), needle rifles, dart rifles, slug throwers and most melee weapons. Forceblades and swords and coagulators are the only melee weapons that count as magic. Hand grenades also do not count as magical.

Damage from weapons is given on the following table. Stunners, neuronic whips, paralysis rods and drugged or poisoned weapons work fully unless the target saves vs. paralysis, or poison, as appropriate.

Slugthrower: Pistol (1d8) Carbine (2d6) Rifle (2d8)
Laser: Pistol (2d6) Shoulder (3d6) Heavy (6d8)
Blaster: Pistol (2d6) Carbine (2d8) Rifle (3d6) Tripod (6d6) Heavy (6d8) Cannon (5d20)
Gyrojet Pistol (2d6) Carbine (2d8)
Cone Rifle or Infinite Repeater (3d6)

Flamer (narrow beam): Hand (2d6) Shoulder (3d6) Heavy (6d12)
Flamer (wide beam): Hand (1d6) Shoulder (1d10) Heavy (6d6)

Needle Rifle (Poison + 1d6)
Dart Rifle (Drugs or Poison + 1d6)

Stunner or Heavy Stunner (save v. paralysis or knocked out)

Conversion Beam (kill)

Protein Disruptor (6d6)

Grenades: Stun (as stunner) Thermal (burns for 3 turns; 1d20 per turn)

HE Demo Charge: Direct Hit (kill) KZ (6d6) CZ (1d8)
HE Warhead, types A thru F: Direct Hit (kill), KZ (6d6), CZ (2d6)
Scatter Warhead (1d20)
HE Type G & H (2d6)

Hand Scrambler: Direct Hit (6d6), KZ (4d6), CZ (2d6)
Heavy Scrambler or Warhead: Direct Hit (kill), KZ (6d8), CZ (2d8)

Nuclear Weapon or Charge: Direct Hit (kill), KZ (kill), CZ (6d6)

Bare Hands (1d3)
Bug or Klackon (2d6)
Blarad, Mekpurr or Hiss (1d6)
Knife (1d4)
Monoedge Knife (1d4+1)
Bayonetted Weapon (1d6)
Sword (1d8)
Monoedge Sword (1d8+1)
Axe (1d8)
Monoedge Axe (1d8+1)

Clubbed Rifle, etc (1d6)

Coagulator (save v. magic for 6d6, or killed without save)

Neuronic Whip or Paralysis Rod (save vs Paralysis or knocked out)

Vibroblade (2d6)
Forceblade (2d10)
Forcesword (3d10)

Powered Armor A (3d12) B (3d10) C (3d8)
Mertun Tripod (1d20)
Irsol Armor (3d6)

NOTES:
* Blasters, Flamers, Lasers, Thermal Grenades, Conversion Beam, Direct Hit from HE (F or above) and Nukes prevent Trolls from regenerating.

* If there are any chaplains they can attempt to turn undead, their level is up to the referee.

* Undead are immune to all stun type weapons.

* The referee must just judgement with other monsters. Remember the most fearsome beast can be killed by weapons designed to smash a starship!

[finarvyn]

MAGIC:
The referee (or the players in the absence of one) must use judgement here. These rules can only be guidelines.

Sensors will spot invisible, ethereal, out of phase, and astrally projected objects. Nuclear weapons will affect all of these. Energy weapons affect ethereal objects, make astrally projected objects return to their body if hit, hate a 1/6 chance to hit out of phase objects. Force fields are impenetrable to out of phase, ethereal, and astrally projected objects.

Visorscopes give a +3 to the save against glance weapons. Modern armor is insulated and thus gives protection against touch and turns to stone, etc. If a Basilisk hits a man in body armor roll for penetration and only if there is penetration must the man make his save vs. stone. Touch weapons count as coagulators for penetration, with a 6 required to penetrate powered armor.

SPELLS:
To cast a spell a magic-user must remain stationary for the entire turn. If attacked in melee or hit by weapons fire the spell is negated. Wands, staves, etc. count as firing a weapon. Spells of level 6 and above (except word spells) take 2 turns to cast (remember one turn in SPACE MARINES is 1/3 a normal melee round in D&D).

Some spells (like Charm Person or Magic Missile) are aimed spells; they must hit the target to have effect (the target’s save is in addition to this). Count these as weapons at close range with a +6 to hit. Other spells (like Fire Ball, Ice Storm, or Fear) affect an area. For these there is an option; they can be treated as a weapon (at close range) firing a warhead (with scatter rules), or the user can give a direction and range and that is where the center of the effect is. Finally, some spells such as Fly so not need any form of aiming.

Space precluded a full listing and discussion of all the spells and their effects, but the discussion following should be complete enough for the referee and players to handle any others by common sense.

SPELL EFFECTS:
* Protection gives a -1 to all enemy attacks on user, both to hit and penetrate.
* Charm Person must hit the target and the target must fail to save, but if both occur the target is controlled until the control is broken either by the death of the controller or by drugs.
* Sleep acts as a heavy stunner.
* Shield gives the user the equivalent of Blarad armor.
* Magic Missile is an aimed spell, with each missile counting as a cone rifle for penetration.
* Fire Ball is a ranged spell that affects all within the area, counts as a wide beam shoulder flamer for penetration. Saves are applicable.
* Lighting Bolts are ranged spells that count as a slugthrower (rifle) at close range for penetration except against armored vehicles which it penetrates on a roll of 5. Saves are applicable.
* Fear is a ranged spell that forces all troops within its area to check morale as if they have taken 75% casualties.
* Ice Storm is a ranged spell that counts as a scatter warhead for penetration. No save.
* Cloudkill is simply a cloud of poison gas.
* Elemental can be controlled up to 48” away (extended scale) and kill any troops with one hit, even powered armor. For penetrating armored vehicles it needs a 2 against light armored equivalent.