d20 Ronin Arts Future Starship 09 - Devastator.pdf - Ronin Arts - R5700

Requires the use of the d20 Modern™ Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

DEVASTATOR

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Ronin Arts Future: Starship 9 —

The Devastator Class , the ninth in a new series of

PDFs for use with futuristic D20 System cam-

paigns. This series makes some assumptions about

your campaign; the starship designs in this series

will be most useful in campaigns in which the fol-

lowing statements are true:

¥ The campaign is not a hard science setting.

Campaigns that are more space opera/adventure

movie are the intended target for this series.

¥ Starships are not rare or unusual. All of the

starships in this series assume that space travel is a

standard and common occurrence — individuals

either fly their own ships or ride on passenger ships.

Starships and space travel are as common for char-

acters as a plane ride is for people of our reality.

¥ Space combat is not uncommon. It s just

another exciting adventure when the player charac-

ters have to engage the enemy while fleeing from

some world or other.

¥ The campaign is packed with action. If things

aren t exploding, how much fun can the game real-

ly be?

Most of the starships in this series are designed

to fill 4 pages. This is so that you can print the pages

— back-to-back if you wish — and drop them into a

binder. This introduction, and the page of new star-

ship equipment and assorted information, can also

be printed separately and added to your binder. The

schematic and silhouette page is designed to be

used as a player handout — it s what flashes up on

their ship systems when they attempt to ID a ship —

and GMs need only give the players the page when

they encounter a ship from this series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Hammes has been freelancing in the

role-playing industry since 2001. Starting small, he

has steadily built his repertoire, and reputation, by

working for such companies as Ronin Arts, Alderac

Entertainment Group, Dark Quest Games, and E.N.

Publishing. He is currently trying to balance his

writing schedule with his role as stay-at-home

father. To catch the latest from Michael s

Imagination,

please

visit

www.michaelhammes.com.

E-FUTURE TILES

The Devastator design is based on SkeletonKey

Games e-Future Tiles: Star Chasers, Star

Freighter, and Star Patrol tile sets. While this PDF

can be easily used on its own you will get a lot more

use out of it in your game sessions if you construct

the ship — at miniatures scale — using the printable

tiles. The only tiles you will need that are not avail-

able in the SkeletonKey Games tiles sets are the

wing extensions — which have been thoughtfully

included at the end of this PDF — and two wing tiles

found in Future: Starship 3.

To learn more about SkeletonKey Games please

visit their website at www.skeletonkeygames.com .

NEW RULES AND IDEAS

R.I. I NFANTRY B OT

S ERIES 1. X (PL 5)

With the growing intolerance for human casual-

ties among the United States population in the lat-

ter stages of PL 5, yet with no lack of conflict, there

arose a need for a robot replacement for the com-

mon infantryman. With its InfantryBot the recently

formed Republican Industries won the lucrative

first U.S. military contract for combat robots by

besting seven other models in a live combat simu-

lation.

The InfantryBot was perfect for soldiers raised

in the video-game generation. With a rotating

cylindrical body sprouting two claw-wielding arms

and outfitted with a pair of assault rifles sitting on

fully elevating weapon mounts, all of which was

mounted on four spider-like legs, the InfantryBot

looked like something out of a summer block-

buster. Add to this was the fact that it was remote-

controlled using a game pad-style controller, and

you had a robot that was almost intuitive for new

recruits raised on combat simulation games.

InfantryBots and their operators first saw com-

bat during the Guatemalan crisis where they were

assigned to infantry squads fighting their way

DEVASTATOR

through Guatemala City. Used mainly in

point/scout rules, the Infantrybots were plagued by

software glitches and suffered greatly in the day-

time heat and humidity. Despite these problems, the

use of InfantryBots was considered a success.

Although many critics argued, and rightly so, that

the Infantrybots’ achievements were due to their

intimidating appearance than actual combat capa-

bility, the era of combat robots had begun.

despite constant updates, obsolescence could not be

staved off indefinitely and the arrival of the first

biodroids marked the death-knell of the Series 1.x.

The R.I. InfantryBot Series 2.x represented a

quantum leap in the InfantryBot series, being an

almost complete redesign from the ground up.

Interestingly enough, although carrying the artifi-

cial intelligence and other software improvements

of biodroids, Republican Industries chose to retain

a version of the armature frame from the Series 1.x.

Although many dismissed this move as a cost-sav-

ing measure, the fact was that the armature frame

was widely recognized, and respected, and would

show an evolutionary consistency from model to

model; there was also no need to make a military

robot resemble humanity.

The Series 2.x variants looked like a bipedal

humanoid skeleton covered from top to bottom in

duralloy plates. With its hands and legs a Series 2.x

was capable of almost all actions that a regular

infantry soldier was; it was especially suited for

urban and other low-visibility environments.

Standard equipment for the Series 2.x was an

infantry-issue laser rifle, although the Series 2.x

was capable of using any infantry weapon.

R.I. INFANTRYBOT SERIES 1.0

Purchase DC: 29.

Restriction: Military (+3).

InfantryBot 1.0: CR 1; Medium construct; HD

1d10+10; hp 15; Mas —; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;

Defense 15 (+5 equipment), touch 10, flatfooted 15;

BAB +0; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws) or

-4 ranged (3d10, 2 fire-linked HK G3); FS 5 ft. by

5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ construct traits; AL Operator;

SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15,

Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1.

Skills: Listen +5, Search +5, Spot +5.

Feats: N/A

Equipment: 2 fire-linked* HK G3 assault rifles

with 4 20-round magazines (*functions as per the

starship rules).

The Infantry Bot has the following systems and

accessories:

Frame: Armature.

Locomotion: Legs (4, speed enhanced +5 ft.).

Manipulators: Claws (2).

Armor: Alumisteel.

Sensors: Class III sensor system.

Skill Software: Listen skill chip (5 ranks),

Search skill chip (5 ranks), Spot skill chip (5 ranks).

Feat Software: N/A.

Ability Upgrades: N/A.

Accessories: AV recorder, AV transmitter, load-

ing mechanisms (2), remote control unit, robolink,

weapon mounts (2).

R.I. INFANTRYBOT 2.0

Purchase DC: 32.

Restriction: Military (+3).

InfantryBot 2.0: CR 1; Medium construct; HD

1d10+10; hp 15; Mas —; Init +0; Spd 40 ft.;

Defense 19 (+1 Dex, +8 equipment), touch 11, flat-

footed 18; BAB +0; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d3+3

nonlethal, 2 hands) or +1 ranged (3d8, laser rifle);

FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ construct traits,

critical systems, darkvision 120 ft., resistance to

acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10; AL

Military; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +0; AP 0; Rep

+0; Str 17, Dex 12, Con -, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 5.

Skills: Climb +11, Listen +12, Search +8, Spot

+12.

Feats: Personal Firearms Proficiency.

Equipment: Laser rifle with 4 50-shot power

packs.

The InfantryBot 2.0 has the following systems

and accessories:

Frame: Armature.

Locomotion: Legs (2, speed enhanced +20 ft.).

Manipulators: Hands (2).

Armor: Duralloy.

Sensors: Class V sensor system (with ladar).

R.I. I NFANTRY B OT

S ERIES 2.0 (PL 6)

As robot technology, especially software,

improved, Republican Industries continued to

improve upon the original InfantryBot and even

created several variants for specific battlefield con-

ditions (including the very successful Series 1.7,

also known as the “Advance Scout”). However,

DEVASTATOR

Skill Software: Language chip (per operator;

usually English or Chinese), Climb skill progit (8

ranks), Listen skill progit (8 ranks), Search skill

progit (8 ranks), Spot skill progit (8 ranks).

Feat Software: Personal Firearms Proficiency

progit.

Ability Upgrades: Strength upgrade (+2),

Dexterity upgrade (+2).

Accessories: A/V transmitter, magnetic feet,

self-destruct system (2d6), survivor array (+10 to

Navigate checks), videophone, vocalizer.

what they would do to buildings).

By comparison, a laser rifle does 3d8 points of

damage (or an average of 13 points of damage).

Given that even the weakest of the starship armors

have a Hardness of 20, this wouldn’t even dent

them. Makes you wonder why in all those Sci-Fi

shows a starship doesn t simply go out and take

over some backwoods planet? And that doesn t

even take into consideration that a starship laser has

a range increment of 3,000 feet versus 80 feet for a

laser rifle so that the starship can fly out of range of

the laser rifle-wielding character while still shoot-

ing at what amounts to point-blank range.

Okay, so maybe I ve oversimplified a bit here,

but the fact is that competently piloted starships are

almost impossible for characters to defeat in

straight-up combat unless they too have a starship.

Of course, people aren t just simply going to accept

this; planets and characters without starships are

going to have some means of defending themselves

from starships. If they didn t, every colony would

have to have starships of their own or fall prey to

any wanna-be Jesse James with an old fighter.

Fortunately, although the standard rules don t

actually have rules for planetary defense, they do

provide us with the means for creating such defens-

es. And, no, I don t mean by having other space-

ships; I m talking about creating mobile and fixed

weapons capable of dukeing it out with the biggest

starships. How is this done, by putting starship

weapons on ground-based vehicles and in fixed

positions?

For instance, take a fusion beam, add some

Vanadium armor, and put it all on the back of a

Cretan Motors Hecaton (which happens to be a

Gargantuan vehicle and thus fits in with the starship

S TARSHIPS V S .

P LANETS A ND

C HARACTERS

Starships are the single most powerful battle-

field element in starship campaigns, both in space

and planet-side. The fact is that, as the standard

rules are written, starships pack unmatched fire-

power, incredible protection, and go-anywhere

maneuverability and can only be challenged by

other starships; a gang of bandits with a single

fighter could take over an entire planet, as long as

that planet doesn’t have a starship of its own to pro-

tect itself from it. Don’t believe me?

Starship lasers, one of the weakest of starship

weapons, cause 6d8 points of damage (or an aver-

age of 27 points of damage), more than enough to

overcome the massive damage threshold of any

character and cut down all but the most heroic char-

acters in just a couple of rounds (not to mention

T HAT ’ S O NE P OWERFUL T RUCK !

You’ve undoubtedly already noticed that a PL 6 “Hecaton” equipped with a fire-linked fusion

beam would be capable of 10d8 points of damage per shot, which would make it almost as power-

ful offensively as a PL 7 M-300 Hovertank with a Rhino mass cannon, and that’s before taking into

account that the fusion beam on the Hecaton has a range increment of 3,000 ft. versus 100 ft. for the

Hovertank’s mass cannon.

Doesn’t seem fair, does it? That’s okay. Simply equip the Hovertank with starship weapons and

you are good to go. After all, considering that the engagement range for a present-day (PL 5) M1

Abrams battle tank is 3,000 meters (which, if we assume that this is the maximum range, would mean

it has a range increment of 300 meters or almost 1,000 feet), I would expect a PL 7 mass cannon to

at least match that range. Heck, even the standard rules give the M1 Abrams a 150 ft. range incre-

ment and you wouldn’t think that you’d trade down in range as you improved in technology, would

you?

DEVASTATOR

rules that state that fusion beams must be placed on

a ship of at least Gargantuan size) and you have a

mobile gun platform. Or, put a pair of those same

guns and the armor in a fixed position, give it some

Hit Dice, and you have a bunker. Don t forget to

add some sensor and defensive systems to round the

whole thing out (yes, a bunker can have a chaff

launcher, stealth screens, or displacer).

Now, doing this sort of thing requires some cre-

ativity on the part of the GM. But this is a good

thing. After all, when you make up the rules, the

players that own the book don t have any ideas of

what s coming their way.

One way to make these mobile and fixed gun

positions work is by meshing vehicle statistics with

starship statistics and for the GM to treat vehicles as

starships (i.e. by giving the vehicle s driver a class

bonus that he or she can apply to the vehicle s

Defense, converting all the Starship feats to Drive

feats, allowing them the same sort of equipment

such as targeting systems, etc.). Obviously, this is a

lot of work and will only pay off if starship and

planet/vehicle/PC battles are a regular occurrence

in the campaign.

The other is for the GM to simply play any such

encounters as abstractly as possible by having the

battle go which way will serve the adventure and

the campaign best. The GM simply writes down

some basic guidelines for him- or herself (i.e.

weapon damage, armor, etc.) to pay attention to as

the battle unfolds and then lets things rip. After all,

the PCs only know how well they are shooting, not

how well the opposition is, so it should be easy for

the GM to fudge things to create drama and have

things turn out the way they should to meet the

adventure and campaign goals.

In any case, whatever choice the GM makes,

encounters between ground forces and a starship

with the PCs involved should always be memo-

rable. After all, having the PCs take down an enemy

fighter that is harassing an agricultural colony with

some guns mounted on the back of a turnip truck is

always a satisfying ego boost.

BASIC INFORMATION

The Devastator -class is a member of what is

arguably the heaviest and toughest subtype of ultra-

light ships: the gunship. Hidden behind massive

armor, carrying scads of defensive systems, and

bristling with armament, the sole purpose of a gun-

ship is to battle it out toe-to-toe with its foes, be

they other starships or planet-side targets.

Gunships are indeed devastatingly effective;

few things can stand up to a Devastator’s barrage of

four turrets of fire-linked needle drivers. These

guns are capable of pounding everything in a 1,000-

foot-by-1,000-foot area into dust in short order and

a single Devastator is capable of laying waste to

entire cities in a matter of minutes. To make matters

worse for its opponents, the sheer amount of defen-

sive systems carried by a Devastator along with its

substantial bulk gives it great survivability, ensur-

ing that it can deliver its own barrage in the teeth of

all but the heaviest enemy fire.

Along with its well-trained crew, the Devastator

class also carries a complement of half-a-dozen

InfantryBot Series 2.0s. Onboard, these ‘bots pro-

vide the ship’s security detail and also its final line

of defense against boarding actions. However, their

primary purpose is to serve as planet-side scouts

(reconnoitering likely targets for the gunship) and

as clean-up detail (sifting through the wreckage left

in the gunship’s wake to take prisoners, recover

intelligence materials, etc.). The fact that they are

capable of operating efficiently in almost any envi-

ronment is a great boon in accomplishing these

tasks.

A Devastator is rarely alone; it is far too expen-

sive to risk on solo missions. Rather, its standard

role is in fire support for planet-side operations;

Devastators often spearhead planetary invasions.

During such operations a screen of fighters and its

own ground forces invariably protect a Devastator ;

everyone on the battlefield knows the importance of

a gunship and much as the enemy will do anything

to bring one down, so will its own forces do every-

thing they can to protect a Devastator .

d20 Ronin Arts Future Starship 09 - Devastator.pdf

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