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House Rules |
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Originally Published
2008-03-08
Updated:
2011-09-23
Original Concept:
GDW, Inc.
Final Design:
Gerry Harris |
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Modules and pods are both removable,
interchangeable components that can be added to a ship designed to accommodate
them. By designing the correct mix of pods, a single ship can change
capabilities and missions rapidly by simply swapping out modules or pods.
A module is such a modular component which has its own external hull shell
(which is therefore carried exposed to space), while a pod has only internal
structure without a hull shell (and is therefore carried internally, and relies
on its carrying vessel's external hull to protect it).
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Module Volume
When designing a module, the material volume used is that for the
size of the module itself, not a percentage of the material volume
of the ship it is attached to. For example, in designing a
600-ton ship which can carry a 100-ton module, the MV of the ship is
17 (600 tons total minus 100 tons of module = required material
volume for a 500-ton hull) and the MV of the module is 6.
When designing a ship-pod combination, the
ship uses the MV which corresponds to the total size of the ship plus the pod,
and it calculates hull shell and internal structure based on this value.
The pod uses the MV appropriate to its own size, but calculates only internal
structure. Thus a ship-pod combination combination devotes more space to
internal structure than a unitary design of the same size.
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Controls and Life Support Systems
If a pod or
module's displacement is equal to 30 percent or less of the total
displacement of the ship-module combination, it need not be fitted
with its own life support, artificial gravity, or controls. All that
is required is that the carrying ship be designed with controls,
life support, and artificial gravity based on the total volume of
the ship plus the module or pod, and these systems are assumed to
"plug into" the module or pod and perform those functions for it.
Pods or modules larger than 30 percent of the total displacement
must instead carry their own life support and controls. Note that
when calculating maintenance points, the module/pod uses the
additional computer divisor if the carrying spacecraft is so
equipped, without having to carry its own computer (this is one of
the benefits of the installed controls).
All modules and pods may draw power from or
provide power to the carrying craft. |
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Grapples
Grapples may be
required for the carriage of modules but are never required for pod
carriage.
Grapples are required when
the modules being carried are allowed to be of differing sizes, or
if multiple modules are carried, not all of which need to be fitted
at the same time. Grapples are designed using the normal rules,
based upon the displacement of the module. Grapples are not
required when the module is considered to be an integral part of the
craft's hull configuration, and the module(s) carried is always of
the same size/configuration (for example, the modular cutter). |
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Surface Hits
When calculating surface hits for a module (pods have no exposed
surface, so have no surface hits on their damage tables), modules
use the box configuration multiplier, but then have surface area
divided by four to reflect surface area that is actually exposed,
and not butted up against neighboring modules, other portions of the
carrying spacecraft, etc.
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