Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Designing Starship Layout for AFMBE and other Zombie RPGs

This is a follow up to the previous post.


To generate the starship’s layout, first determine the size or Class of ship. Using the Ship Size Table from All Tomorrow’s Zombies, we can carve out a few sizes for generating layout. Snub fighters and small transport shuttles are not going to contain multiple rooms. There is a chance the small transport or a drop shuttle will have a cockpit and a cargo or seating area, but that is all. At size 2, the medium transport shuttle, there are more than two rooms. Size 2-4 starships are classed together. Size 5-6 and smaller Size 7 starships are in the next Class. Size 7 and above are a different Class at each size level.

Laying out a starship Size 7 and higher is not an easy task. However, the design mechanisms described here work as a localized area layout generator. The design mechanism can represent specific floors or functional areas within the ship. In these situations, the main bridge becomes the localized command center; i.e.:  the main office. Most other locations should work as designed.

These mechanics are a variation from my Random Subway Generator.

When using the random generator table to decide the layout of a starship, the selection of rooms generated may not meet the exact expectations of the Zombie Master. When this happens, Zombie Masters may choose to add additional rooms or swap rooms created via the generator for rooms required. If the Zombie Master rolls a location that does not belong in the setting or in the particular starship (such as a hypersleep changer in an Orbital Platform), the Zombie Master may replace this room with another random room, choose to replace it with a necessary room, or remove the room from the starship and not replace it.

Zombie Masters may choose to combine rooms. For example, the mechanical and electrical rooms are sometimes in the same room of a medium transport shuttle. They are found with the engine room in other starships. Zombie Masters are encouraged to combine rooms when it is relevant to the story and action of the plot.

To determine the number of rooms in a starship, roll the number of dice listed next to the starship size in the Room Quantity Chart. Sum the dice rolled and then roll that many times on the Room Type Table in the Random Charts for AFMBE and other Zombie RPGs.

Room Quantity Chart
Starship Size
Roll
2-4
1D10 (5)
5-6
2D10 (10)
7+
2D10 + 5 per area (15)

Specialized star ships, such as an Orbital Station, Research Lab, Safari Ship, Nobleman’s Yacht, or Satellite Station will often fit into the Size 2-4 categories. However, the Zombie Master should determine the size of the ship using the rules in All Tomorrow’s Zombies before consulting the Room Quantity Chart.

Upon determining the quantity of rooms and the type of rooms, the Zombie Master determines the layout of the ship. Zombie Masters write the name of each room either horizontally or vertically on a piece of paper. For each room, the Zombie Master must discern to which other rooms it connects and the type of connecting structure (just a doorway, stairs, elevator, etc.).

To determine which rooms connect to, rolls 1D10 and consult Connection Table 1:  Connecting the Rooms. Start at either end of the list of rooms and work towards the other side. If the results of the roll move the count past the end, move back to the beginning and continue counting.

Connection Table 1:  Connecting the Rooms
1D10 Result
Connection
1-3
Connected to the next room
4-5
Connected to the second next room
6-7
Connected to the third next room
8-9
Connected to the fourth next room
10
Connected to the fifth next room

After determining which rooms are connected, the Zombie Master determines how the rooms are connected. For each connect, the Zombie Master rolls 1D20 and consults Connection Table 2:  Method of Connection.

Connection Table 2:  Method of Connection
1D20 Result
Method of Connection
1-3
Doorway
4-8
Corridor
9-10
Stairwell Up
11-12
Stairwell Down
13-14
Hatchway Up
15-16
Hatchway Down
17-18
Elevator Up
19-20
Elevator Down



Example One:  Scout Ship Geronimo
Size: 4
Quantity of Rooms:  9
Rooms:  Lounge, Lounge, Escape Pod, Main Bridge, Staterooms, Staterooms, Engine Room, Staterooms, Fuel Bay (for extra-long trips), Staterooms, Storage Rooms, Passenger Cabins, Holding Cells
Connections:

Room
Connects to
Via
Lounge
Fuel Bay
Stairwell Down
Escape Pod
Staterooms
Hatchway Down
Main Bridge
Storage Rooms
Corridor
Staterooms
Engine Room
Doorway
Engine Room
Lounge
Hatchway Down
Fuel Bay
Holding Cells
Corridor
Storage Rooms
Passenger Cabins
Corridor
Passenger Cabins
Lounge
Corridor
Holding Cells
Escape Pod
Hatchway Up




Example Two:  Attack Ship Miami
Size:  6
Quantity of Rooms in this Area:  8
Area of the Ship:  Aft-Starboard
Rooms:  Staterooms, Crew Cabins, Airlock, Engine Room, Hypersleep Chambers, Weapons Bay, Security Office, Control Room, Lounge, Staterooms, Mechanical Room
Connections:
Room
Connects to
Via
Crew Cabins
Airlock
Corridor
Airlock
Hypersleep Chambers
Corridor
Engine Room
Weapons Bay
Doorway
Hypersleep Chambers
Weapons Bay
Corridor
Weapons Bay
Mechanical Room
Doorway
Security Office
Crew Cabins
Hatchway Up
Control Room
Lounge
Corridor
Lounge
Airlock
Corridor
Mechanical Room
Hypersleep Chambers
Doorway


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Random Charts for AFMBE and other Zombie RPGs

Here are thirteen charts for use with All Tomorrow's Zombies. The charts will also work for Rotworld and World of Darkness Infinite Macabre games that feature science fiction elements.



The charts range from random space ships to random rooms and stuff in those ships to random weapons and rounds of ammunition. Good luck versus the zombies, you're going to need it!

Roll 2D10 Ship Type Size
2 Glider Landing Craft 0
3 One-Man Shuttlecraft / Launch 0
4 Basic Troop Transport 1
5 Snub Fighter 1
6 Ship's Boat 1
7 Small Transport Shuttle 1
8 Medium Transport Shuttle 2
9 Average Cargo Ship 3
10 Scout Ship 4
11 Large Freighter 5
12 Attack Ship 5
13 Large Cruiser 7
14 Battle Ship 7
15 Battle Cruiser 8
16 Destroyer 8
17 Moving Starbase 9
18 Carrier 9
19 Town-sized mother ship 10
20 Roll on Special Ship Types table -
Roll 1D10 Special Ship Types Size Range
1 Deep Space Ark 8-10
2 Prison Hulk 5-10
3 Tanker 3-9
4 Orbital Station 2-4
5 Satellite Station 2-4
6 Luxery Liner 5-9
7 Nobleman's Yacht 2-5
8 Safari Ship 2-5
9 Fighter Base 7-10
10 Research Lab 2-4
Roll 3D10 Room Type Table
3 Airlock
4-5 Escape Pod
6 Storage Room
7 Med Lab
8 Science Lab
9 Main Bridge / Control Room
10 Communications 
11 Engine Room
12 Mechanical 
13 Electrical
14 Lounge
15-16 Crew Cabins
17 Hypersleep Chambers
18-19 Stateroom/s
20 Passenger Cabin/s
21 Armory
22 Holding Cells
23 Security Office
24 Library
25 Kitchen
26 Cargo Bay
27 Hanger Bay
28 Fuel Bay
29 Weapons Bay
30 Breeding Chamber
Roll 3D10 What's in the room? Quantity
3-10 Nothing of interest -
11-12 Zombies 1D4 (2)
13-14 More Zombies 1D10 (5)
15 Even More Zombies 1D10 x 3 (15)
16 Norms, unarmed 1D4 (2)
17 More Norms, unarmed 1D10 (5)
18 Ranged Weapon See Ranged Weapon table
19 Close Combat Weapon See Close Combat Weapon table
20 Explosive Weapon See Explosive Weapon table
21 Body Armor See Body Armor table
22-24 Gear See Gear table
25-26 Ammunition for Ranged Weapon See Ammunition table
27-28 Dead People 1D10 (5)
29 Nothing - blown airlock! -
30 Dead Zombies 1D4 (2)



Roll 2D10
Ranged Weapons Table
Quantity of Rounds
in the Weapon
2-3
Pistol
1D10 (5)
4
Heavy Revolver
1D6 (3)
5
Submachine Gun
4D10 (20)
6
Assault Rifle
3D10 (15)
7-8
Shotgun
1D8 (4)
9
Flechette Gun
1D10 + 5 (10)
10-11
Blaster
5D10 (25)
12
Heavy Blaster
7D10 (35)
13
Disruption Field Gun
1D100 (50)
14
EMF Gun
1D100 (50)
15
Pulse Rifle
4D10 (20)
16
Stun Gun
5D10 (25)
17
Sonic Blaster
5D10 (25)
18
Plasma Claw [d6 x 8 (24) fire /
plasma damage]
1 per 2 rounds
19
Rail Gun [D8 x 6 (24), ignores armor]
1D10 (5)
20
Psi-Enhancer (+1 Strength
for all pyschic abilities)
1D6 (3) doses
Roll 1D8
Close Combat Weapons Table
Quantity
1
Energy Sword
1
2
Monofilament Flail
1
3
Vibroaxe
1D4 (2)
4
Vibroknife
1D4 (2)
5
Vibrosword
1D4 (2)
6
Make-shift Club
1D4 (2)
7
Make-shift Machete
1D4 (2)
8
Make-shift Knife
1D4 (2)
Roll 1D4
Explosive Weapons Table
Quantity of Devices
1
Flechette Grenade
1D8 (4)
2
Anitmatter Grenade
1D6 (3)
3
Thermal Detonator
1D6 (3)
4
EMP
1D8 (4)
Roll 1D10
Body Armor Table
Quantity
1-2
Inertia Field
1D4 (2)
3-4
Nanoweave Armor
1D6 (3)
5-6
Personal Forcefield
1D4 (2)
7-8
Reflective Body Suit
1D6 (3)
9-10
Kevlar Vest
1D6 (3)
Roll 1D10
Special Rounds Table
Quantity
1
Explosive Bullet
2D10 (10) rounds
2
Flechette Bullet
2D10 (10) rounds
3
Flower Power
1D10 (5) rounds
4
Energy
1D6 (3) magazines
5
Pistol Rounds
1D6 (3) magazines
6
Rifle Rounds
1D6 (3) magazines
7
Shotgun Shells
1D8 (4) shells
8
Armor Piercing (halve Armor,
but damage is not modified)
1D6 (3) magazines
9
Hollow-Point Bullets (double
armor, but damage is tripled)
1D6 (3) magazines
10
Tracer Bullets (+1 to aiming
rolls after the first shot)
1d10 (5) rounds



Roll 1D4
Equipment Chart
1
Clothing
2
Security
3-4
Tools
Roll 1D10
Clothing
1-2
Body Suit
3-4
Spacesuit
5
Biohazard Spacesuit
6
Radiation Suit
7
Gas Mask
8
Goggles, Infrared
9
Goggles, Night-Vision
10
Power Loader Exoskeleton
Roll 1D8
Security
1
Pepper Spray
2
Ranged Weapon
3
Close Combat Weapon
4
Security Key
5
Crown of Thorns
6
Electronic Lockpick
7
Fire Extinguisher
8
Nanogoo
Roll 2D10
Tools
2
Scanner
3
Teleport Anchor
4
Ship Repair Tools
5
Flashlight
6
Geiger Counter
7
Electrician's Equipment
8
Mechanic's Tools
9
Radar, Portable
10
Motion Sensor
11
GPS / Ship's Map
12
Communication Equipment
13
Geiger Counter
14
Nanogel
15
Cutting Torch
16
Multitool
17
Medpack
18
0G Stick
19
Food Processor
20
Water Dispenser


edited 7/22/2015 to update charts