Gravity Wells

[Greg Smith]

Originally posted by Aldaron
Naughty, naughty!
Sounds a lot like the isolytic(?) weapons used by the So'na.

Yeah. But then they wanted to know the effect of firing one of these into a sun. I told them subspace weapons were frowned upon.

Anyway they did come to use one on a sun. Big boom. Destroyed an entire Dominion fleet in one go.

Needless to say they won't be fighting anymore battles in uninhabited solar systems. I don't want to make it too easy for them.

[redwood973]

Now that I have my notes (well some of them anyway) I will post something more serious. We basis this off a few different sources the primary being Mr. Longs' Spacedock available in the TrekRPGNet Computer Core. [This is only what we use for our game. Take it or leave it as you like.]

Warp speeds are not available in solar systems unless the matter/antimatter mixture is perfectly balanced [as seen in ST:TMP]. Perfectly balancing the M/AM mix requires a Challenging (11) Engineering, Propulsion (Warp Drive) or Engineering, Systems (Power Systems) Test. Success allows the vessel to warp out of the system (this new M/AM mix formula will only be used while in warp flight, dropping out of warp will require a second test to balance the formula again).

Failure may cause one of two events: 1) Unbalanced mixture causes a worm hole which requires an immediate warp engine shutdown, taking 50 sec (10 rounds) to restart the engine; until restarted it generates no power at all. 2) Improper mix of M/AM ratio causes damage to the warp core (possibly catastrophic). Repair will take 1d6 hours to perform (1d6 days if dramatic failure) during which the engine generates no power. [In both negative events the engine produces no power for general ships use or warp speed. It is completely shut down.] Which failure result occurs is left to the discretion of the narrator.

The area of a solar system that is off limits to warp speed I have based on the “Roche Limit.” Essentially this is a planetary bodies “event horizon,” the tidal force is so strong that it exceeds the gravitational force that prevents a satellite body from disintegrating. [The rings of Saturn may be the remnants of a planetary body that entered Saturn’s Roche Limit.] This boundary extends 2.5 times the radius of the planetary body from its center.

Figuring the Terran solar system to be equal to the size of its farthest orbiting body from the sun (5,913,520 km) this would make the Terran solar systems’ gravity affect an area of 7,391,900 km. Within a sphere (centered around the sun) of 7,391,900 km diameter warp flight would not be possible within the Terran system.

[I will point out that we have yet to have need of this information and as yet goes untested in game play.]

[qerlin]

Originally posted by redwood973
Warp speeds are not available in solar systems unless the matter/antimatter mixture is perfectly balanced [as seen in ST:TMP]...

Actually, that seemed to be more a problem with the fact they hadn't really finished the work on the warp drive. They were still in the calibration/testing phase.

[Kodiak]

I'd like to know more about the background that requires such weapons.

[Greg Smith]

Originally posted by Kodiak
I'd like to know more about the background that requires such weapons.

Take a look at my website: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/thunder...minionmain.htm

[Kodiak]

Very cool Greg,
Now I’m really tempted to run a campaign starting just before the discovery of the Jem’Hadar and then staying with the official history, until the Cardassian fleet attempts to secure the Wormhole. The first indication that things are going according to history will be that a small Federation task force is close enough to respond to the situation (the shipyard strike will go off without a problem). DS9 will be evacuated and depending on how aggressive the players are, the minefield will be established, or it might not. Either way it’s the perfect season finale.

[Greg Smith]

Thanks.

I haven't had chance to update my website in a long time, but I'm midway through the third season of my campaign. With only 6 or so episodes 'till the end.

[Kodiak]

Very cool.