Spirit of the Final Frontier is a conversion of Spirit of the Century for use as a Star Trek RPG.
Primary references at Memory Alpha, and Ex Astris Scientia.
| Size | Length1) | Scale2) | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 4000 | Colossal(7) Advanced | Borg Cube (3040 +1 Size to account for shape) |
| 9 | 3240 | Colossal(7) | — |
| 8 | 2560 | Enormous(6) Advanced | — |
| 7 | 1960 | Enormous(6) | Jem'Hadar battleship |
| 6 | 1440 | Huge(5) Advanced | Romulan D'deridex |
| 5 | 1000 | Huge(5) | Galaxy, Sovereign, Jem'Hadar battlecruiser |
| 4 | 640 | Large(4) Advanced | Ambassador, Excelsior, Cardassian Galor, Ferengi D'Kora, Klingon Vor'cha |
| 3 | 360 | Large(4) | Constitution, Intrepid |
| 2 | 160 | Medium(3) Advanced | Defiant, Hirogen hunter ship, Klingon Bird-of-Prey |
| 1 | 40 | Medium(3) | Various support craft |
The attacking ship's tactical officer makes a roll against the defending ships helmsman. If the attacking ship wins, the shifts generated from the hit go towards damage.
The size difference between competing ships is used as shifts when attacking an enemy ship, a minus for a larger ship attacking a smaller, and a plus for a smaller attacking a larger. The size difference is also used to determine how much damage is caused by the hit, according to the formula below. The larger ship has a harder time to hit but does more damage. The smaller ship has an easier time to hit but does less damage. The bonus or negative is given to the attacking ship.
Equal size ships: Every shift does 1 damage.
Bigger Ship vs. Smaller Ship: Every shift does size difference +1 damage.
Smaller Ship vs. Bigger Ship: Size difference +1 shows how many shifts it takes to do 1 damage. Excess shifts have no effect.
O 100%
[] 90%
[] 80%
[] 70%
[] 60%
[] 50%
[] 40%
[] 30%
[] 20%
[] 10%
[] Shields Down
X Taken Out
Need to find out a way that makes various weapon and combat aspects useful. A Defiant Class ship should be able to pretty consistenly hit above its weight.
| Size of Attacker vs. Size of Defender | To-hit Modifier | Shifts needed per 1 damage |
|---|---|---|
| -9 | +9 | 10 |
| -8 | +8 | 9 |
| -7 | +7 | 8 |
| -6 | +6 | 7 |
| -5 | +5 | 6 |
| -4 | +4 | 5 |
| -3 | +3 | 4 |
| -2 | +2 | 3 |
| -1 | +1 | 2 |
| Size of Attacker vs. Size of Defender | To-hit Modifier | Damage per 1 shift |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 |
| +1 | -1 | 2 |
| +2 | -2 | 3 |
| +3 | -3 | 4 |
| +4 | -4 | 5 |
| +5 | -5 | 6 |
| +6 | -6 | 7 |
| +7 | -7 | 8 |
| +8 | -8 | 9 |
| +9 | -9 | 10 |
Example: Defiant (2) vs. Galor (4). Same skill, same roll. Defiant would hit with 2 shifts, +4 for 2 aspects = 6 shifts = 2 damage (size indicates that it takes 3 shifts to do 1 damage).
Example: Galaxy (5) vs. Bird-of-Prey (2). Same skill, same roll. Galaxy would need to roll 4 better than the Bird-of-Prey to get 1 shift. That one shift would do 4 damage (size difference +1). The Klingons are down to 60% shields with that one hit!
Do math for 1 ship vs. an array of different sized ships. See how much damage it will do until the enemy is destroyed and keep track of how many extra damage it will do because Consequences need to be taken into account.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aq34SE0GnQUOdDVDa3B6R01LOXNSLUdLb2dCZDRwWnc&hl=en
Example Spreadsheet
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attacker Size | Player Input |
| 2 | Defender Size | Player Input |
| 3 | Attacker Roll | Player Input |
| 4 | Defender Roll | Player Input |
| 5 | Size Difference | =B1-B2 |
| 6 | Shifts | =B3-B4-B5 |
| 7 | Damage | =INT(IF(B6⇐0, 0, IF(B5>=0, B6*(B5+1), B6/-(B5-1)))) |
Smaller ship attacking larger ship: +1 to hit, -2 to damage per size difference.
Larger ship attacking smaller ship: -1 to hit, +2 to damage per size difference.
Example: Defiant (2) vs. Galor (4). Same skill, same roll. +2 to hit, -4 to damage for the size difference. Defiant would hit with 2 shifts, +4 for 2 aspects -4 for the size difference = 2 damage.
Example: Galaxy (5) vs. Bird-of-Prey (2). Same skill, same roll. Galaxy would need to roll 4 better than the Bird-of-Prey to get 1 shift. That one shift would do 7 damage (size difference of +6 +1 shift). The Klingons are down to 30% shields with that one hit!
| Size of Attacker vs. Size of Defender | To-hit Modifier | Damage Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| -9 | +9 | -18 |
| -8 | +8 | -16 |
| -7 | +7 | -14 |
| -6 | +6 | -12 |
| -5 | +5 | -10 |
| -4 | +4 | -8 |
| -3 | +3 | -6 |
| -2 | +2 | -4 |
| -1 | +1 | -2 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| +1 | -1 | +2 |
| +2 | -2 | +4 |
| +3 | -3 | +6 |
| +4 | -4 | +8 |
| +5 | -5 | +10 |
| +6 | -6 | +12 |
| +7 | -7 | +14 |
| +8 | -8 | +16 |
| +9 | -9 | +18 |
Engineering check versus a set difficulty. Possibly used to get shield hits back or to mitigate consequences. Worse consequences should be harder/take longer to repair. Probably should be categorized with Transfer Power.
Engineering or Systems Operations (Ops) check (more difficult than Engineering) versus a set difficulty. Possibly used to get shield hits back or to grant temporary Aspects on the ship. Probably should be categorized with Repair/Boost System. More difficult the more shield damage taken?
Systems Operations (Tactical) versus Pilot. If successful, add the difference between the ship's sizes (positive or negative) to the result. This could reduce the damage to 0, resulting in an ineffectual attack against the opposing ship's shields.
Systems Operations check versus a set difficulty.
Science check versus a set difficulty.
Pilot check versus a set difficulty.
Leadership check versus a set difficulty.
Deceit, Intimidation, or Rapport check versus adversaries check.
Spin can be given from one character to another, even if different skills are used. For example, a successful Engineering check to boost phaser power could give Spin to the Tactical Officer to make his Systems Operations check.
Academics is a knowledge skill. It measures the character's “book learning”. Any knowledge that would not explicitly fall under Science, Mysteries, or Art falls under this skill (though some overlap may exist among all of those). Characters with high Academics include scholars of antiquity, professors and know-it-alls.
Alertness is a measure of the character's regular, passive level of awareness. Specifically, it is the perception skill to notice things the character is not looking for. In an exchange where characters are surprised (and as such, are prevented from choosing which skill to roll), Alertness is the skill which is rolled. In conflicts of an active, physical nature, Alertness determines initiative. Characters with high Alertness include bodyguards, outdoorsmen and criminals of a sneaky variety.
Art measures the character's overall artistic ability, covering the gamut of endeavours, from painting to dance to music. This includes knowledge, composition, and performance. Characters with high Art include artists (obviously), aristocrats, and those of the avant garde.
This measures the character's general physical capability, excepting raw power, which is a function of Might. Athletics covers running, jumping, climbing, and other broadly physical activities you might find in a track and field event. Characters with high Athletics include athletes, soldiers and outdoorsmen.
The ability to overcome security systems, from alarms to locks, falls under the auspices of this skill. This also includes knowledge of those systems and the ability to assess them. Characters with a high Burglary include burglars, private eyes and even some cops.
Contacting is the ability to find things out from people. A character may know a guy, who knows a guy, or maybe he just knows the right questions to ask. Whatever his methods, he know hows to find things out by asking around. Characters with high Contacting include reporters, private eyes and spies.
Deceit is the ability to lie, simple as that. Be it through word or deed, it's the ability to convey falsehoods convincingly. Characters with high Deceit include grifters, spies, and politicians.
Drive is the ability to operate a motorcar, one of the greatest inventions of recent memory. Mister Ford has put these all over the roads of America, and the first folks truly comfortable behind the wheel are emerging. Why, the most daring speed-demons among them can make the most of its 20 horsepower, nearing speeds of 45 miles per hour! Characters with high Drive include chauffeurs, racers and getaway drivers.
This is the ability to understand what other people are thinking and feeling. This can be handy if a character is trying to spot a liar or wants to tell someone what that person wants to hear. Empathy is usable as a defense against Deceit, and is the basis for initiative in a social conflict. Characters with a high Empathy include gamblers, reporters and socialites.
Endurance is the ability to keep performing physical activity despite fatigue or injury. It's a measure of the body's resistance to shock and effort. In addition to fatigue, Endurance measures how well a character shrugs off poisons and disease (for a treatment of poisons, see page 246). Characters with a high Endurance include explorers, athletes, and sailors.
Engineering is the understanding of how machinery works, both for purposes of building it and taking it apart. While it is complimented by an understanding of Science, Engineering can just as easily be the result of getting one's hands dirty and having a natural feel for how things work. Characters with a high Engineering include inventors, mechanics, and engineers.
This is the ability to hold one's own in a fistfight, with no weapons available but one's two mitts and a load of attitude! With specialized training, this may include the practice of more disciplined fisticuffs, such as the martial arts of the Orient. As a combat skill, Fists allows characters to defend themselves as well as attack. Fists fighters are also well-versed in a variety of fighting styles from all over the world, and may use this skill as a limited sort of knowledge skill covering those areas. Characters with high Fists include sailors, thugs, and martial artists.
Some games are pure luck, but a good gambler doesn't play those. Gambling is the knowledge of how to gamble and moreover, how to win when gambling. It also includes knowledge of secondary things like bookmaking. Characters with a high Gambling include gamblers and dapper secret agents.
Sometimes characters just need to shoot things. Thankfully, there's a skill for that. With a gun, characters can shoot up to two zones away - three if it's a rifle (borders may or may not count, depending on their nature). Unfortunately, without a gun in hand, or at least close at hand, the skill isn't much use.
There are more graceful social skills for convincing people to do what a character wants, but those skills tend not to have the pure efficiency of communicating that failing to comply may well result in some manner of harm. Nothing personal. Characters with high Intimidation include mob enforcers, bouncers and “bad” cops.
Investigation is the ability to look for things and, hopefully, find them. This is the skill used when the character is actively looking for something, such as searching a crime scene or trying to spot a hidden enemy. Characters with a high Investigation include private investigators, reporters and cops.
Leadership is a multi-faceted skill. A good leader knows how to direct and inspire people, but he also understands how to run an organization. As such, the Leadership skill covers acts of both types. Characters with a high Leadership include military officers, politicians, bureaucrats, and lawyers.
This is a measure of pure physical power, be it raw strength or simply the knowledge of how to use the strength one has. For lifting, moving and breaking things, Might is the skill of choice. Might may be used indirectly as well, to modify, complement, or limit some skill uses. Characters with a high Might include strongmen, labourers, and lords of the jungle.
There is more to the world than science has explained yet. Ethereal photography, mesmerism and other mentalist tricks, rituals of lost pre-Roman empires, secrets of the distant East - all these and more are known to a master of Mysteries. Characters with high Mysteries include mystics, explorers, and adventurous archaeologists.
Perhaps even more exciting than the automobile is the airplane. The Great War brought numerous advances in aviation into the world, and the pilot is still a dashing, heroic figure. With the end of the war, the commercial and practical applications of aviation are beginning to be explored.Characters with a high Pilot are usually professional pilots, though it is sometimes the domain of the idle rich. In play, the trappings of Drive can easily apply to Pilot as well.
Pilots with a low Resources skill probably don't own their own aircraft, but it is entirely likely that the Century Club has something they can charter. Alternately, certain stunts may lead to the possession of an aircraft, regardless of Resources.
The flipside of Intimidation, this is the ability to talk with people in a friendly fashion and make a good impression, and perhaps convince them to see one's side of things. Any time a character wants to communicate without an implicit threat, this is the skill to use, which makes it appropriate for interviewing. Characters with high Rapport include grifters, reporters, and good cops.
Resolve is a measure of a character's self-mastery, as expressed through things like courage and willpower. It's an indicator of coolness under fire and also represents the drive not to quit. It plays a key part in efforts to resist torture or the strange mental powers of psychic villainy.
Usually Resources is simply a measure of available wealth, but the specific form this takes, from a secret family silver mine to a well invested portfolio, can vary from character to character (and may be indicated and enhanced by their aspects). Usually this skill passively informs the GM what the character's available resources are, but Resources may still be rolled for large expenditures, like purchases and bribes. Some large-scale conflicts may be about trying to out-spend the other guy; here, Resources can act as an attack or defence skill. Characters with high Resources include robber barons, aristocrats and successful criminals.
Not just science, but “Science!”. Science holds the promise of revealing all the world's secrets to mankind. This skill represents a broad knowledge of all things scientific, from raw knowledge to the proper application of scientific method, and includes the field of medicine. Characters with a high Science include scientists and physicians, but any gentleman of quality has at least some familiarity with the sciences.
The hand can certainly be quicker than the eye. This skill covers fine, dexterous activities like stage magic, pickpocketing, and replacing an idol with a bag of sand without tripping a trap. While Athletics is appropriate for gross physical activities, most things requiring manual speed and precision falls under this skill (that said, if you're picking a lock, use Burglary). Characters with a high Sleight of Hand include stage magicians, pickpockets, and jugglers.
This is the ability to remain unseen and unheard. Directly opposed by Alertness or Investigation, this ability covers everything from skulking in the shadows to hiding under the bed. Characters with a high Stealth include burglars, assassins, and sneaky children.
This is the skill of outdoorsmen. It covers hunting, trapping, tracking, building fires, and lots of other wilderness skills that a civilized man has no use for. Characters with a high Survival include explorers, hunters, scouts, and lords of the jungle. Tracking defaults to Mediocre, but can be taken as a stunt to use Survival instead.
This is the skill for fighting with weapons, from swords to knives to axes to clubs to whips. The exact weapon is more of a choice of style than anything else, as this covers everything from fencing in European salons to sailors using knives and batons on the docks.
The Weapons skill also covers the ability to throw small handheld weapons up to one zone away, or to use weapons (like a whip) with unusually long reach to attack adjacent zones, so a character would use this skill to be a good knife fighter and knife thrower. This gives Weapons-focused characters a small leg up on folks who fight with their Fists, with the downside that a Weapons user needs to have a weapon in hand in order to make much use of the skill.
As a combat skill, Weapons inherently carries the ability to defend oneself in a fight and as such, may be rolled for defence.
Weapons users are also well-versed in a variety of fighting styles and weapons, and may use this skill as a limited sort of knowledge skill covering those areas.
Characters with high Weapons include sailors, fencers, and some kinds of athletes and circus performers.
If someone is devoted to using Weapons as a strong component of their fighting style, it can safely be assumed that they possess the sufficient weaponry in order to make use of the skill, regardless of Resources rating. This is, of course, subject to the rigours of character concept and GM approval.
There are also an almost unlimited amount of other Craft/Profession skills that can be taken. Discuss with the GM to see whether they fit into an already existing skill, or need there own unique skill.
Alertness, Athletics, Endurance, and Resolve tend to be important skills in game. They are used in many situations to oppose the use of other skills and stimuli on characters. For example: Alertness is used to determine initiative, Athletics encompasses dodging attacks, Endurance gives the character more starting health, and Resolve gives the character more starting Composure.