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