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Rules by the Neo Stalinist Reality Wargames Collective

Written by The Party Chairman and playtested by the Collective

Event Horizon - Quick Play Star Ship Combat Rules version 1.0

Table

Play on a table divided into 3” squares to form a grid. No attempt at portraying the realities of space travel/combat has been made in these rules. They were play tested on a 4ft x 4ft square table with fleets of up to 25 ships per player.

The Turn Sequence

Use a standard deck of well-shuffled cards (do not remove the jokers); designate one fleet to be red and the other to be black. Place the pack face down and take turns drawing a card (when you run out of cards reshuffle the deck). If a red card is drawn then the red fleet may activate one of their ships. If a black card is drawn then the black fleet may activate one of their ships. It is permissible to consecutively activate the same ship. If three or four different fleets are present then allocate a suit (not just a colour) to each fleet.

Picture cards and aces are Decisive Action Cards because they have the following effects:

Jack = player may activate two ships instead of one

Queen = player may activate three ships instead of one

King = player may activate four ships instead of one

Ace = player may activate five ships instead of one

Consecutive activation of the same ship is not permissible when using DACs.

When the first Joker is drawn a particle storm begins which forces all vessels to disengage their stealth fields automatically. No vessel may engage a stealth field during a storm. When the second Joker is drawn the storm ceases.

An activated ship can perform any three of the following actions:

Attempt to restore power if lost

Attempt to regenerate all damaged force fields

Scan one enemy vessel

Move

Attempt to get a lock on and then fire with any/all weapons

Attempt to get a lock on with a teleporter, then teleport over a boarding party and resolve a boarding action

Resolve an ongoing boarding action – this is compulsory!

Engage stealth field (cannot be combined in the same activation with disengage stealth field)

Disengage stealth field (cannot be combined in the same activation with engage stealth field)

An activated ship (with operable engines) can, instead of normal movement, elect to break off the engagement and go to “warp”. The vessel is removed from play and may not come back.

Lock On

Before firing weapons or using a teleporter a “lock” must be achieved on the target. To achieve a “lock” on a target throw 1d6 per weapon system or teleporter. Each score of 4, 5 or 6 thrown means one system has achieved a lock and may fire on the target. A player may split lock-on attempts between multiple targets if he wishes. Lock on must be rolled for each time a vessel is activated.

Modifiers to the dice scores thrown to achieve a lock:

+2   Target ship has lost all power and/or had its engines destroyed

+1   Ship disengaging stealth field and firing at close range* (ambush)

+1   Hero Crew or AI Supercomputer

-1    Attempting to get a lock on a ship that is taking “evasive manoeuvres”

-1   Attempting to get a lock on with a ship that is taking “evasive manoeuvres”

-1   Attempting to get a manual lock on a target (can only be done at close range)

-1   Attempting a weapons lock on a hostile shuttlecraft

-2   Ship enveloped in a particle cloud

*a vessel with a functioning fighter bay negates this modifier as fighter patrols are assumed to give advance warning

Evasive manoeuvres must be declared immediately upon the activation of a ship and continues until declared to stop by the player.

When firing more than one type of weapon at a target, different coloured dice must be used to differentiate between the weapons. Firing can be done through squares containing friendly or hostile vessels.

Movement

All ships get one free 90 degree turn of face per square moved, this can be done either before, during or after the ship moves.

Turning in a square cost 1pt of movement per 90 degree face turned. Ships cannot move in reverse.

Ships may pass through squares containing friendly or hostile vessels.

No more than one ship may occupy a square.

Movement and firing can be done diagonally.

Ships must always be aligned in a square so that each side of the square corresponds to one of the following directions relative to the ship: forward, aft, port, starboard.

Force Fields

All ships have port, starboard, forward and aft force fields (FF), each one has its own FF generator. The FF strength of a ship applies to each generator. FFs work by absorbing incoming attacks. Each attack absorbed reduces the value of the FF by the damage points of the weapon hitting it. When the value of the FF is reduced to 0 (or less) it can no longer absorb enemy attacks. Players should combine the damage points of their weapon attacks in such a way as to reduce an enemy’s FF to exactly 0 whenever possible, because a weapon hit that does more damage to a FF than it has strength does NOT get to roll for the excess points on the damage chart.

An activated ship may attempt to regenerate all damaged FF back to full strength providing that the relevant FF generator is still operating. Hero crews or AI Supercomputers require a 4, 5 or 6, for all other ships a roll of 5 or 6 is required. Roll for each point of FF protection lost.

Ranges

Long range = 2 and 3 squares

Close range = 1 square

Teleporters can only be used at close range

Arcs of fire are irrelevant except for PBA that can only fire in the forward arc

Weapon Damage and Range

Laser Banks = 1pt of damage per hit. Short range only

Particle Accelerators = 2pts of damage per hit. Short range only

EMP Cannons = 3pts of damage per hit. Short range only

Guided Missiles = 3pts of damage per hit. Long and short range

Fighters = 1pt of damage per hit. Long and short range

Planetary Bombardment Array = Roll on table below for effect. Long range only

20 = Critical Hit! = Target explodes, all ships in a 3 square range roll once on the hit location table for shock wave attack as if hit by a weapon that does 5pts of damage!

15 – 19 = Planetary defences overcome, populace surrenders, no blockade needed

11 – 14 = Planetary defences overcome, populace refuses to surrender, blockade needed

1 – 10 = Planetary defences intact, the attacking ship rolls once on the hit location table as if hit by a weapon that does 4pts of damage, attacking ship may roll again to bombard the planet next time it is activated

Hit Locations: Roll 1d20 per weapon hit

1 – 10 = Hull – the ship’s hull strength is reduced by the damage points of the attacking weapon. When hull strength is reduced to 0 or less the ship must be abandoned.

11 – 13 = Engine – ship’s movement is reduced by the damage points of the attacking weapon. When reduced to 0 ship is stationary. When reduced to less than 0 engines are destroyed.

14 – 15 = Weapons – randomly choose one weapon system, it is now destroyed

16 = Force Field generator – lose the FF generator facing the attacking vessel. The FF cannot be regenerated. In addition, if a 3, 4, 5 or 6 is rolled then the ships stealth field generator (if present) is now inoperable.

17 = Sensors & targeting systems destroyed – lock on can only be achieved manually. Also, the teleporter is now off-line.

18 = Life support lost – Ship must engage auxiliary life support, when auxiliary is lost the ship must be abandoned.

19 = All power lost – ship is helpless it cannot move or fire, force fields, teleporter and stealth field are inoperable. Restore power on a 5 or 6. Hero Crews and AI Supercomputers restore power on a 4, 5 or 6.

20 = Engine Core breach – ship explodes! Crew launch escape shuttles in time on a 5 or 6. Hero crews add +2 to their throw.

If a result is rolled that cannot be applied then move up the chart one step to the next result. If it too cannot be applied then move up again and continue to do so until an applicable result is achieved.

Boarding Parties Rules

In order to use boarding parties the target vessel must have no force field relative to the direction that the parties will be teleported in from. Starting with the first turn that boarding parties teleport over to an enemy vessel, the player rolls 1d6 and consults this chart:

6 = Ship captured

3 – 5 = Fighting continues

1 – 2 = Boarding parties’ defeated

+1 on the second (and subsequent) go of attempting capture

-1 if attempting to capture a Hero crew

A player who activates a ship that has been boarded rolls with a –1 modifier to represent deployment of additional security teams.

Boarding parties belong to the ship they came from ergo, unless the ship being boarded is activated by the owning player, the player that owns the boarding party will only roll to capture the ship each time he activates the ship they came from.

Sensor Information

Sensor range is equal to the movement distance of the ship; this distance is not modified by damage to the engines that reduce movement. A vessel with functioning sensors may scan any ship in range. Meaning that a player may ask his opponent about what systems on the scanned ship are functioning/damaged and to what extent. All ships must divulge this information if asked to do so.

Stealth Fields

Ships that engage their stealth field are removed from the table and must then plot their movement on a grid map until such time as they disengage the field. While in stealth mode, ships cannot attempt to get a lock on with weapons. They can however: use their transporter and/or regenerate force fields.

Shuttle Craft

When a crew abandons a ship replace the model with a shuttlecraft. Shuttles do not have auxiliary systems.

Spatial Anomalies

Ships cannot shoot through (but may shoot into or from) a square that contains a spatial anomaly.

Planet/Moon: there is no limit to the number of ships that can occupy a square containing a planet or moon. Ships may pass through a square that contains a planet/moon. Ships that land on a planet/moon are removed from the table until they launch. A planet/moon can be blockaded by placing vessels in every square adjacent to the one(s) occupied by said planet/moon. Blockading a planet/moon prevents enemy ships from launching or landing. A planet/moon designated as having “planetary defences” cannot be blockaded until the defences are overcome.

Black Hole: any ship that enters a square containing a black hole is pulled in and removed from play.

Sun: ships may pass through, but cannot end their movement in, any square containing a sun.

Particle Cloud: Ships that enter a particle cloud have their movement reduced to one square per activation due to navigation hazard. Sensor range is reduced to 1 square when looking into, through or out of a particle cloud. Long-range weapons fire in, through or out of a particle cloud is not permitted.

Wormhole: ships that enter a wormhole are instantly transported to the other end of the hole, wherever that may be.

Angle Locator

In many situations it will be useful to know the relative angle between two ships. Use this chart to do just that. The arrow indicates the facing of the target vessel. Plot the other vessel on the chart and read off the corresponding angle between the two. The primary use of the locator is for determining which force field has been struck in an attack.

Star Ship Design Rules - Unplaytested

Each ship has a Build Point (BP) cost. Opposing fleets should try to match BP totals to ensure a reasonable degree of parity. Only selected components are considered in the design process.

Ship Type

Vessels are rated in accordance with their BP total.

Military Vessels:

Patrol Craft = 20 BP

Corvette = 25 BP

Frigate = 30 BP

Destroyer = 35 BP

Star Cruiser = 40 BP

Space Station = 30 BP (limited to a maximum movement of 1)

Cargo Freighters:

Tramp Freighter = 15 BP

Bulk Carrier = 30 BP

Star Lifter = 60 BP

Basic Ship Components

Hull Strength = 1BP per strength point, minimum is 1, maximum is 12

Engine = 1BP per movement point, minimum is 1,maximum is 9

Force Field Generators:

   1BP for strength 4

    2BP for strength 5

    3BP for strength 6

    4BP for strength 7

    5BP for strength 8

Weapon Systems:

    1BP per laser bank

    2BP per particle accelerator

    3BP per EMP cannon

    2BP per fighter bay

    4BP per guided missile bay

    20BP for a planetary bombardment array

Stealth Field Generator = 5BP

Boarding Party = 1BP per boarding party. One boarding party per 3 hull strength points

Advanced Ship Components:

Improved Force Field Generators cost +3BP to the normal generator cost and regenerate on a 4, 5 or 6.

A Nanobot Skin can be added to the ships hull for double the hull’s normal BP cost. This allows the hull to regenerate damage like a force field on 5 or 6.

For a cost of 5BP, a ship can be fitted with a Core Containment Capacitor (3C) that allows it to negate the first engine core breach result that it receives in a battle.

For a cost of 5BP a ship can be fitted with an AI Supercomputer.

Note

The maximum number of weapon systems that can be built into a military ship or space station is 7. The maximum number for freighters and civilian space stations is 2.

You only pay for FF generators once, NOT for each one.

Fighters are treated as a weapons system therefore models of such craft are not required.

Each BP allocated to Cargo Capacity holds the equivalent of 5BP. E.G. a ship that allocates 8BP to cargo capacity has a cargo bay big enough to hold the equivalent of a vessel of 40BP in size!

Sample Ship Design - Venetian San Marco Class Star Cruiser

Hull Strength 10    = 10BP

Engine 8    = 8BP (gives the vessel a tactical move of 8 and a campaign move of 4)

Force Fields 8    = 5BP (vessel has strength 8 force fields in all four arcs)

Laser Bank x3    = 3BP

Guided Missile Bay x3    = 12BP

Fighter Bay x1    = 2BP

The San Marco class act as fleet flagships for the Venetian Star Republic.

Sample Ship Design – Knights of G.O.D (Great Onmi-Dictator) Sword Class Frigate

Hull Strength 6    = 6BP

Engine 7    = 7BP (gives the vessel a tactical move of 7 and a campaign move of 4)

Force Fields 6    = 3BP (vessel has strength 6 force fields in all four arcs)

Laser Bank x4    = 4BP

Fighter Bay x2    = 4BP

Stealth Field Generator    = 5BP

Boarding Party x1    = 1BP

The Sword class is the standard ship of the line for the Knights of S.T.J.O.N (Strategic Terran Joint Operations Navy).

Sample Ship Design - Automann Torque Sultan Class Destroyer

Hull Strength 8    = 8BP

Engine 7    = 7BP (gives the vessel a tactical move of 7 and a campaign move of 4)

Force Fields 5    = 2BP (vessel has strength 5 force fields in all four arcs)

Particle Accelerators x2     = 4BP

Guided Missile Bay x2    = 8BP

Stealth Field Generator    = 5BP

Boarding Party x1    = 1BP

The Sultan class is the standard ship of the line for the robo-worlds that compose the Automann Torque Empire.

Sample Ship Design – Cyber-Corsair Galiot Class Corvette

Hull Strength 5    = 5BP

Engine 9    = 9BP (gives the vessel a tactical move of 9 and a campaign move of 5)

Force Fields 7    = 4BP (vessel has strength 7 force fields in all arcs)

Laser Bank x4    = 4BP

Fighter Bay x1    = 2BP

Boarding Party x1    = 1BP

The Cyber-Corsairs are the cyborg allies of the Automann Torques. The Galiot class is representative of the kinds of vessel preferred by these raiders.

Ideas for a Military Campaign - Unplaytested

Creating a Map

Using hexes or squares create a map of any size, and then roll for the contents of each hex:

1 = Black Hole

2 – 11 = Empty Space

12 – 13 = Particle Cloud

14 – 17 = Planet

18 – 19 = Colony

20 = Worm Hole

Empty = the hex is devoid of any contents

Particle Cloud = the hex contains particle clouds that act as a navigation hazard. A ship (or fleet) moving through a particle cloud hex must roll 3+ on 1d6. Failure means that the opponent moves the ship/fleet for the rest of its remaining movement.

Planet = In order to build ships you must engage in resource exploitation. Planets provide 1d6 x 10 BP.

Colony = In order to build ships you must engage in resource exploitation. Colonies provide 1d6 – 3 x 10 BP.

Black Hole = No ship/fleet can pass through a hex containing a black hole.

Worm Hole = If two (or more) wormholes exist on the map then they are assumed to be connected. A ship/fleet that enters a wormhole can travel to any other wormhole on the map instantaneously.

Set Up

Each Player selects one planet as his home world; the selected planets should be as far away from each other as possible. At the start of the campaign all other planets and colonies are considered neutral. Each player starts with 240BP to construct his fleet or buy “resources”. Players can greatly speed up play by having at least one standard ship design in each of the five categories created before the campaign begins.

Campaign Turn Sequence

Resource Exploitation Phase – Players calculate how many BP’s they have and then spend some, all or none of it. Unused BP can be banked and spent in subsequent turns.

Initiative Phase – Players roll 1d6 (the player with the biggest BP total getting +1 to his score), the highest score takes the initiative and decides whether to move first or last. Other players move in order of highest to lowest. Re-roll ties.

Movement Phase – In order of initiative players move their ships/fleets around the map, making appropriate decisions and dice throws as they do so.

Tactical Battle Phase – Fight all tactical battles that have occurred as a result of movement.

Campaign Movement

Each ship/fleet should be marked on the map with a coloured pin. Divide in half (rounding fractions up) a ships movement allowance; this is how far a ship can travel in hexes in a single go. Fleets must move at the speed of the slowest vessel. Two or more ships constitute a fleet and there is no limit to how many ships can be in a fleet.

Invading Enemy Hexes

When an enemy ship/fleet enters a hex containing a ship/fleet that belongs to you and/or one of your planets, colonies, wormholes or star gates you have to make a choice:

Option 1 = Give tactical battle with whatever vessels are defending the hex. In which case fight the battle out on the tabletop.

Option 2 = Retreat up to one full map move from the hex and abandon it to the enemy. In which case the enemy captures the hex and it becomes his.

Result of a Tactical Battle

If you win a tactical battle the hex it was fought in belongs to you. If it contains enemy “resources” (including partially built star ships in a dockyard) they become yours as well.

If you lose a tactical battle what remains of your fleet must retreat one full map move.

Neutral Planets/Colonies

Whenever a fleet is in a hex containing a neutral planet/colony roll a dice:

5 – 6 = the planet/colony declares its support for your empire

3 – 4 = the planet/colony reasserts its neutrality

1 – 2 = the planet/colony declares it will never surrender and attacks your fleet, one ship is destroyed, the opposing player chooses which.

Add +1 to the die score if you have a Diplomatic Corps operating in your empire

Add +1 to the die score if one (or more) ships in the fleet have a PBA

Once a result of 5 or 6 has been achieved no further rolls are made

Use of BP in a Campaign

As well as building ships players can spend their BPs on the following “Resources”:

Diplomatic Corps – 60BP no map symbol required

By establishing a diplomatic corps you increase your chances of neutral planets/colonies joining your empire.

Planetary Defences - 40BP (requires that you own the planet/colony) map symbol = ^

The effects of planetary defences have been covered in the main rules.

Hold Out Garrison – 20BP (requires planetary defences) no map symbol required

If you surrender your planet/colony without a fight (option 2 in invading enemy hexes) a garrison will deny the invading player ownership of the planet/colony for one campaign turn.

Advanced Early Warning Array – 120BP (requires planetary defences) map symbol = #

If a tactical battle occurs in a hex containing an AEWA then the invading player must deploy all his vessels on the tabletop before you do.

Dockyard - 120BP map symbol = *

A dockyard allows you to build and repair ships and space stations; each player starts the campaign with a dockyard on his home world. To repair a damaged vessel requires that it move to the hex containing the dockyard and remain there for the rest of that campaign turn: the cost of the repairs is the same as the component BP cost. Once built, ships appear on the map at the dockyard where they have been constructed.

Military Academy – 180BP (requires a dockyard) no map symbol required

By establishing a military academy you gain the ability to train Hero crews. Any ship produced at the dockyard can be given a hero crew for an additional cost of +30BP.

Merchants Guild - 240BP (requires a home world) no map symbol required

By establishing a merchant’s guild in your empire you create a system of organised interplanetary trade (under a central ruling authority) that you can exploit to access other resources.

Enrichment - 60BP (requires that a Merchants Guild has been established) map symbol = +

A planet or colony can be enriched. Once enriched it adds +1 to the die score of its resource exploitation roll.

Stabilised Economy – 40BP (requires that the planet/colony has been enriched) map symbol = S

By taking steps to stabilise a planet/colony’s economy you insolate it from the vagaries of exploitation. A stabilised planet always produces 40BP, a stabilised colony always produces 10BP, no dice roll is required.

Research Facility – 60BP (requires that a Merchants Guild has been established) map symbol = X

By building a research facility you gain access to one of the advanced technologies listed below, for each additional facility built you get an additional technology. Given that a facility must be built to gain these technologies you cannot start the campaign with ships that incorporate these technologies into their design!

Improved Force Fields

Core Containment Capacitor

Nanobot Skin

Stealth Field Technology

AI Supercomputer

Star Gate - 120BP (requires that at least one research facility has been built) map symbol = G

A star gate is an artificial wormhole that must be connected to one, or more, other star gates. A gate allows instantaneous travel in the same manner as a wormhole and can be built in any hex. Any ship/fleet can use a gate even if they did not build it. If a gate is guarded then a tactical battle must be fought for control of it before it can be used.

Note

You can only build one “resource” on a planet/colony per turn!

You can only build or repair one star ship per dockyard per turn. Multiple dockyards on the same planet/colony are permissible.

Trade Routes

Once you control more than one planet/colony you must draw a line on the map connecting your planets/colonies together. This line must take the shortest possible path between any two planets/colonies that you own and can pass through neutral (but not enemy) planets/colonies. The line is called a trade route. If an enemy fleet (not ship) occupies a hex through which your trade route passes then that route has been interdicted (blocked). In the resource exploitation phase if you cannot trace a line from your home world to a planet/colony without passing through an enemy fleet then you may not roll the BP dice for the planets/colonies that are cut off (interdicted).

Purpose of the Campaign (Victory Conditions)

Roll at the start of each campaign to determine its purpose:

6 = Total Annihilation – Every enemy planet must be captured.

5 = Trade War – all trade routes leading directly to the enemy home world must be successfully interdicted for three consecutive campaign turns.

4 = Regime Change – the enemy home world must be captured.

3 = Open Battle – the enemy’s fleets must be destroyed.

2 = Power Projection – every enemy owned dockyard, wormhole, enriched planet and star gate must be captured.

1 = Land Grab – Every enemy and neutral colony must be captured.

Regardless of the rolled purpose for a campaign a player loses if he finishes a campaign turn with no ships.

Optional Campaign Rules - Unplaytested

Alternative to a Tactical Battle

Instead of fighting a tactical battle on the tabletop this system can be used instead. The advantage of this is that if you use this alternative you can play the campaign without needing any miniatures.

Both players should add up the BP total of their fleets, compare the totals and express the result as an odds ratio.

E.G. Fleet A has a BP total of 180, Fleet B has a BP total of 60. The odds are 3 to 1 in favour of Fleet A. This means that Fleet A rolls 3d6 and Fleet B rolls 1d6.

The side that rolls the most number of 6s wins. Note, if neither side rolls a 6 then the side with most 5s wins, if no 5s are rolled count 4s etc.

For each 6 thrown by your fleet the enemy fleet loses one ship of its choice.

In the unlikely event of a draw victory goes to the fleet with the biggest BP total and one enemy ship is destroyed.

Force Multipliers:

If your fleet contains at least one Star Cruiser and the enemy fleet does not, you get one extra die.

If your fleet contains at least one Destroyer and the enemy fleet contains no Destroyers or Star Cruisers you get one extra die.

If the hex being attacked contains planetary defences then the player that owns the defences gets one extra die.

Star Ship Build Times – in campaign turns

Patrol Craft = 1

Corvette = 2

Frigate = 3

Destroyer = 4

Star Cruiser = 5

Space Station = 4

Tramp freighter = 1

Bulk Hauler = 3

Star Lifter = 6

Planetary Economy Type

5 – 6 = Industrial (draw the planet in black on the map) = 1d6 x 10 BP (40BP if stabilised)

3 – 4 = Commercial (draw the planet in blue on the map) = 1d6 –1 x 10BP (30BP if stabilised)

1 – 2 = Agricultural (draw the planet in green on the map) = 1d6 –2 x 10 BP (20BP if stabilised)