Re: What System for Ship Combat do you use for 3E?

Thanks for the Replies ALL

First to address Leroy Van Camp III

> As the author of one of the systems out there, my choice is obvious. : )
Well Leroy I knew you answer that way... :)

Since many of you all mention disliking the -1 per 10 feet, I too really
dislike the spotting rules for D&D works great I suppose out to about 40
feet or so and only with man-sized, small and large creatures. If any has
played the Hero System will know that they have a system that determines
distance just a bit better (LOL not much better). If translated to D&D would
work/look something like this...

Distance           Modifier to Spot Check
    0-25 feet      +0 to Spot Check
  25-50 feet      -2 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 2)
  50-100 feet    -4 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 4)
100-200 feet    -6 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 6)
200-400 feet    -8 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 8)
400-800 feet    -10 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 10)
800-1,600 feet -12 to Spot Check (or increase DC by 12)

It should be obvious how the progression of distance will allow for those
with eagle like Spot Checks to see stuff from MILEs off, but does after a
while make a practical limit to seeing ships.

>>About the only way to explain this
> > away and allow critters that are slow moving to 'keep' up with ship is
> > that it is caught up in the ships gravity field and is dragged along
> > no matter what the ships tactical speed (this assumes the critter is
> > smaller then the ship). One of the initial reasons I like the 50/100
> > yard hex/square system was that most ships can fit within such.

After I posted this thread a thought accured to me... How do gamemasters
treated the 'ships gravity' with respect to objects in it gravity field...
If a ship is at spelljamming speed and a crew member cast a fly spell on
himself and lifts off deck is he left in the dust? I assume nearly all do
not run it this way and the crew member is still 'anchored' to the ships
gravity. The reason I ask this is cause I was ammusing my self with the idea
of a smaller ship can simply be 'anchored' to another ships gravity and no
matter what the other ship does it gets dragged along (as much a slow moving
critters would).

> As I tend not to use many monsters flying around in space, I am not too
> worried about these kinds of situations. I say that any creature native
> to space is likely to have the ability to move very quickly, so I don't
> really see it as a problem.

The fun of some spelljamming critters, specially creatures like the comet
stead which can enter into the atmosphere of a planet is that even by
halving its speed in atmosphere those critters move FAST. If I remember
right my past calculations I know that the Comet Steed was moving over 100
miles per hour (I believe it was up to 175 miles per hour). I know that
players will find a way to get any advantage and will try hard to get it. I
rather think of it first before the players think of it... head them off at
the pass.

> > Another system I been working with is a variation on D20 Spelljammer
> > with hexes instead of squares and each hex being 40 feet across
> > (instead of the 30 feet to a square). This system has seemed to serve
> > me the best so far as many of the critters in space are able to keep
> > up with the ship's tactical speed (ranging anywhere from 40 feet to
> > 240 feet).
>
> If you don't mind having lots of multi-hex ships this seems perfectly
> workable. For myself, this is a much slower and smaller scale than I
> want for my ship combat.

LOL Well the system I have found that works for me does require a HUGE
amount of hex map!

Mark T. Doolan
The Shattered Fractine
http://www.shatteredfractine.com