Species 8472 Bioship

[black campbellq]

Well, I'm thinking of using these guys, but I noticed there's no damage for their weapons. There's the note that 9 of them can wate of planet, but I didn't find more than that. It's listed as an energy drain, but I'm assuming it does more than that. Is there errata for it or what have you?

[PGoodman13]

No errata as yet, and it's likely to be a while. Got a few books between here and Starships. I also don't know enough about Voyager lore to know the answer off the top of my head, I'm afraid.

[Tobian]

Hmm yes it's not very descriptive. Just use the Breen Energy drain weapon, which is statted in Starships. It's probably what they meant, only this one, as they seem to immobilise Borg ships fairly effectively!

[black campbellq]

Yeah...and since it's supposed to plug a Borg cube in a few shots, I'm thinking of teaming the energy drain thing up with a penetration of 20 -- about the same as Gomtuu in the Aliens book.

[Tobian]

You don't really need to add any penetration: if, as with the Breen weapons, all systems are taken down to 0 - then that means that the ship also goes into Core breach mode, which is why they explode not long after.. no power means nothing is containing the warp core reaction, and nothing is containing the antimatter!

[Tricky]

Only thing about 'de-powering the warp core' is that that doesn't cover the Bioship's "Death Star" impression, unless you want to say they depower the planet's core or its gravity....which is less plausible then the whole "the borg don't understand them because they can't assimilate them" plot device that they used in "Scorpion" part 1: The Borg never thought to create a tricorder like device and SCAN 8472 !?!

Sorry, the ep was on today on Spike and that was a point of contention in my house. (we are a geeky breed here... )

[Tobian]

Yeah but in terms of game mechanics it's more than devastating enough if the ships do - energy drain - draining all energy from a ship, so it explodes! and then when 9 combine together the total output energy / exotic effects etc can destroy a planet.

I know what you mean about the Borg and tricorders, but it may simply be that they don't understand how it works, and their scans were inconclusive, so the only real way to work it out was to assimilate them. it's actually a clever trick, because the crew on board Voyager would just have to look on and.. not understand it! It could be the weapon creates some sort of subspace fracture (a bit like the Tyken's rift in TNG) which drains energy into it: Thus magnified this would be a massive fissure, which causes shearing stresses enough to destroy a planet. The danger in actually explaining it to yourself is it opens it up to PC's wanting one haha

[black campbellq]

...or really bad writing. They've been running this thing all day on Spike. Man, I'm glad I didn't waste my time with voyager...it's like a long "Spock's Brain" episode.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

...or really bad writing. They've been running this thing all day on Spike. Man, I'm glad I didn't waste my time with voyager...it's like a long "Spock's Brain" episode.

Except not funny.

[Tricky]

My own pet theory about the bioship's "death ray" (the opening of Scorpion pt I is still the best: 2 cubes approach unknown ship, give the Borg salute, and then both are blasted by uknown ship...at that point, the Borg were still 'practically unbeatable', so it was cool, imho), since my early game experiences were with Marvel Super Heroes, was that the ray was some kind of psionic energy (sometimes i lump Gomtu's e-donut into the same catagory) blast.

Focused Telekinetics, blast of pure psychic energy, uber-electokineisis or even burst of pure life energy, the metaphysical nature of the attack would be something the Borg couldn't adjust too (even in TOS, there was some early scepticism about psi-abilities, as seen in the second pilot), so that would explain how they didn't adapt to the "death ray".

It helps me when the Nit-Picker in me starts picking on VOY.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

(even in TOS, there was some early scepticism about psi-abilities, as seen in the second pilot)

I seem to recall there being information on Mitchell being more psionically adept than the average human–something recorded on his Starfleet personnel file. Not really scepticism.

[Tricky]

True, not really scepticisim, but i seem to recall they don't really seem to place much stock into it, unlike later episodes where Vulcan Mind-Melds are plentiful (hey, why didn't Spock mutate into some all powerful being governed by logic?).

[The Tatterdemalion King]

True, not really scepticisim, but i seem to recall they don't really seem to place much stock into it, unlike later episodes where Vulcan Mind-Melds are plentiful (hey, why didn't Spock mutate into some all powerful being governed by logic?).

Cause V'ger kept sending him bad vibes : P

[spshu]

True, not really scepticisim, but i seem to recall they don't really seem to place much stock into it, unlike later episodes where Vulcan Mind-Melds are plentiful (hey, why didn't Spock mutate into some all powerful being governed by logic?).

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