Evil Schemer

SPACEWAR 3.12

by Christian Conkle
conkle@mecha.com
http://www.mecha.com/~conkle

SPACEWAR 3.12 is a game of interstellar space fighter combat set in the far future.

Each player assumes command of a small squadron of space fighters and battle for control of the Galaxy. Games can be played individually or linked as a part of a campaign.

For this game, you will need two regular six-sided dice, a pencil, a photocopy of the included CAMPAIGN ROSTER, and a photocopy of the included counter sheet to cut out and use on the space map.

SPACEWAR 3.12 can be played with 2 or more players. Each game takes approximately 30 minutes to play and the rules are very simple for ease of use.

This game is a shareware game. It is free to enjoy. Donations and/or suggestions should be sent to the author: Christian Conkle, 1500 SW Harrison st, Portland OR 97201. Permission is given to reproduce any or all of this text. Please circulate it to your friends and play lots.

Look for SPACEWAR 3.12 expansions in the future!

There are two ways of creating a squadron. One is for single games while the other is for campaign play. To create a squadron for a single game, roll 2 six-sided dice to determine how many fighters you begin with. Roll a four-sided die and add 1 for each score for each fighter. The scores for each fighter are:

PILOT
SPEED
SHIELDS
HULL
LASERS
MISSILES
CLUSTERS

Shields, Lasers, Missiles, and Clusters are all optional for the purposes of customizing your fighters.

Roll a four-sided die and add 1 for the PILOT score of each fighter. Record the results on the CAMPAIGN ROSTER. You may then name your fighters and pilots and create a background for your squadron should you wish. Each player should also choose allegiance to one or another side in the pre- designed campaign if they wish. If not playing a campaign game, skip the background creation process and proceed.

Creating a squadron for campaign play is done normally as above, but each player is also given the opprotunity to shift points from one score to another and from one fighter to another, adding more flexibility to the design process and allowing for concept fighters. Each squadron also begins the game with one carrier capable of transporting them to the scene of battle. These carriers are rarely used in combat as they are too valuable to lose. Each squadron begins the game with 1 SPECIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE rolled randomly on the SPECIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE table.

Keep track of each pilot's personal kills. If his kills equal his current PILOT score, he may spend those kills on an advancement of 1 PILOT score. No pilot may exceed a score of 5 for PILOT.

For example: Fred has a PILOT of 2. He has 2 kills, he may now advance to a 3 PILOT. Once Fred has 3 more kills, he may advance to a 4 PILOT. 4 more for a score of 5 and so on.

Points can also be spent on new fighters at a cost of 1 point per score. New fighters do not necessarily need to have Missiles, Lasers, Clusters, or even Shields. The only two required scores are SPEED and HULL.

Points can also be spent to replenish MISSILES and CLUSTERS used in the last game, or to repair a damaged HULL at a cost of 1 point per score.

Players may also purchase a chance to increase in technology for their squadrons. Chances are bought at a cost of 40 points for the first advancement with the price increasing by 40 points for each additional advancement afterwards (80 for the second, 120 for the third, and so on).

To purchase a chance, the points are spent and a six-sided die is rolled. Technologies are gained on a roll of 1-3. A roll of 4-6 indicates a loss of technology or an area of failed research.

A success means the player should then roll on the SPECIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE table to determine their new technology. Each squadron begins the game with 1 randomly determined technological advantage.

Each player should also keep track of any non-combative ships they may have purchased or have captured during the course of a campaign. These vessels may come in handy should the player ever need to storm a space station or need repairs away from their home satellite.

In SPACEWAR 3.0, each space fighter is characterized by the following statistics or scores:

PILOT
SPEED
SHIELDS
HULL
LASERS
MISSILES
CLUSTERS

PILOT is the effectiveness of the pilot to dodge missiles and fire lasers.

SPEED is the number of spaces on the game board a ship can move in a turn excluding facing changes.

SHIELDS protect the ship in the event it is hit by enemy fire.

HULL is the amount of damage a ship can withstand before losing it's structural integrity and exploding.

LASERS is the number of lasers a ship can attack with.

MISSILES is the number of guided smart-missiles a ship carries.

CLUSTERS is the number of times a fighter can fire it's Cluster Missile
Launcher before reloading.

Firing a Laser requires the attacking player roll a six-sided die for each point of LASER score his fighter has. Each result UNDER the attacking fighter's PILOT score is a hit on the enemy.

Firing a guided missile can only be done before movement on a player's action phase. A missile is moved as a ship with a speed of 4. If a missile moves through or on to an enemy spaceship, the defending player must roll less than his ship's PILOT score to evade it.

A missile that misses is move and maneuvered as normal in the missile movement phase the next turn. A ship may shoot a missile with lasers, clusters or another missile. A laser requires a normal hit procedure whereas a missile or cluster will automatically destroy another missile. A missile may move through or on to another missile or ship and not attack at a the controlling player's discretion. If the firer of an active missile is destroyed before the missile impacts or is destroyed, that player still controls his missile until it is destroyed.

Firing Cluster Missiles spreads damage over an area. Each ship in the area must roll less than their PILOT score or be hit.

When a ship is hit, the player must roll less than it's SHIELDS score or take full damage. If the HULL of a ship is reduced to 0 or less, the ship's Structural Integrity has failed and it is immediately destroyed in a fiery explosion.

A ship or fighter may move up to it's SPEED in spaces on the game board. Every turn or facing change left or right reduces it's maximum speed for that turn by 1. A ship may only reduce or increase it's current velocity by 1 per turn.

Mines do damage and take damage as a missile but remain stationary. Missiles and clusters automatically destroy mines. To hit a mine with a laser requires the attacking player to roll under his fighter's PILOT score on a six-sided die.

A Fighter can ram another fighter in a last-ditch kamikaze effort. The ramming fighter is automatically destroyed, but the target takes the attacking fighter's current SPEED score, reduced by facing changes then multiplied by a six-sided die roll, in damage.

To ram, the attacking pilot must complete a successful PILOT roll and the target gets the opportunity to dodge by rolling it's own successful PILOT roll. If the attacker succeeds and the target fails, the target is hit. Any other result is a miss and the attacking fighter continues movement normally.

Asteroids and Meteors obstruct movement and fire. If a fighter moves into a space occupied by a meteor, the player must roll under that fighter's current PILOT score or take that fighter's current SPEED, reduced by facing changes then multiplied by a six-sided die roll, in damage.

At the beginning of each game, each player rolls a die to determine turn order, highest roll first to lowest roll last.

1. MISSILE MOVEMENT PHASE: All active missiles on the game board may move and/or attack their targets. All targets are able to dodge missile attacks at this time. each player moves their missiles in descending turn order. Damage is done immediately.

2. ACTION PHASE: Each player gets a turn in descending turn order. During their action phase, they may, in turn:
a. FIRE MISSILES: This can only be done before movement. Any damage done is taken immediately
b. MOVE, FIRE CLUSTERS, OR FIRE LASERS: After firing any missiles, the fighter may move then fire or fire then move. Any damage taken is applied immediately.

3. REPEAT STEP 1.

To determine special technologies, roll a four-sided die and check the result on the following table:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|	1 - Roll on Table 1						     |
|	2 - Roll on Table 2						     |
|	3 - Roll on Table 3						     |
|	4 - Roll on Table 4						     |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

TABLE 1

1. STEALTH: The ship's piece or counter is taken off the game board and it's position and facing is kept secret by it's player. It cannot be fired upon by Lasers or Missiles, but Clusters, Super Clusters, Death Blossoms, Plasma Fields, and Plasma Missiles will cause damage to a cloaked vessel if it is within range of it's effect. A cloaked ship cannot fire at another ship while cloaked. It takes one full combat action to activate the cloak, but decloaking is instantaneous with the announcement of a new action or upon taking damage. A vessel in the process of cloaking can be fired upon normally.

2. BOOSTERS: Boosters provide an extra 5 SPEED in a straight line. It can only be used twice per ship per scenario.

3. TELEPORT: The ship can displace itself to anywhere on the board instead of regular movement once per ship per game.

4. FORCE FIELD: Each ship has a SHIELD of 7 for 3 turns per scenario. While under cover of the Force Field, the ship may move, but may take no other action or fire any weapons.

5. DEATH BLOSSOM: This doomsday device destroys EVERYTHING in a 2 square radius once per ship per scenario. The ship loses 2 turns after use. The ship must have a velocity of zero to activate the Death Blossom.

6. PI-TAC CANNON: This doomsday device destroys EVERYTHING in a straight line ahead of the ship. Can only be used once per ship per scenario. The ship must have a velocity of zero to activate the Pi-Tac Cannon.

TABLE 2

1. WEAPON TURRETS: The fighter's Lasers may fire left, right, or straight ahead instead of just ahead.

2. PLASMA TRAIL: The ship leaves a trail of superheated gas and ionized particles called Plasma behind the fighter which lasts for 1 turn. Any other fighter passing through any space the attacking fighter moved through the previous turn must roll less than their SHIELDS or take 2 points of damage to their HULL.

3. LINKED WEAPONS: The fighter may fire up to all three weapons at once. This can only be done before movement during the Missile Fire Phase.

4. TIME DISPLACEMENT DEVICE: Allows the player to re-roll the last die rolled twice per ship per scenario.

5. TRANSFORMATION: The fighter can turn into a large robot. In this form, it can change facing without moving forward but it's SPEED is half of it's original plus 1.

6. HOLO-PROJECTOR: Projects a holographic decoy of a fighter up to 5 spaces away. The decoy moves as normal but if forced more than 5 spaces away, or if hit with any weapon, it disappears. the decoy may be turned off and on at any time during the player's action phase. The decoy may not dodge or fire any weapons. Missiles, Clusters, Death Blossoms, Plasma Trails, and Plasma Missiles automatically destroy a Hologram if caught within it's area of effect.

TABLE 3

1. TRIPLE CHANGER: The ship has three modes of combat. The player has the option of creating three versions of one ship by moving the scores around. However, the total point value of each ship design must equal the original. It takes one full combat action to switch between forms.

2. REMOTE BITS: The fighter may fire lasers straight ahead from either of the adjacent spaces left or right of the fighter, giving the fighter an effective field of fire 3 spaces wide instead of 1.

3. ARMOR PIERCING WEAPONS: All of the fighters weapons are Armor Piercing. All SHIELDS are 1 point less effective against these weapons.

4. HIGH-POWERED MISSILES: Normal Missiles that do 5 points of damage and have a speed of 5.

5. HIGH-POWERED LASERS: Normal Lasers that do 2 points of damage each and have a range of 10 spaces.

6. VIRUS: A computer control virus that stuns all enemy ships for 1 turn. It can only be used 3 times during a scenario. Does not affect missiles but does affect remote bits.

TABLE 4

1. HYPER-RAM: The ship may ram any other ship with no penalty to itself. Can only be used once per ship per scenario.

2. DUPLICATOR: The ship takes on the same attributes and special technologies as one of any of the enemy fighters. Can only be used once per ship per scenario.

3. PLASMA FIELD: Projects a field of Plasma around the fighter. anything passing within 1 space of the fighter must roll less than their SHIELD or take 2 points of damage.

4. PLASMA MISSILE: A missile that carries a Plasma warhead. When detonated, every fighter adjacent to that space must roll less than their SHIELD or take 2 points damage.

5. REMOTE LASER: A special laser that can travel away from the fighter like a missile. It attacks like a laser with a range of 8 directly ahead of the missile.

6. SUPER CLUSTERS: High tech guided smart clusters. They are fired as normal but any ship at range 1 must dodge 3 times, taking 1 point of damage for each failed dodge. Ships at range 2 must dodge twice taking 1 point of damage for each failed dodge, and ships at range 3 must dodge only once or take damage.

In the 26th Century, the Milky Way Galaxy has been mapped and explored by man using the marvelous invention: The Stargate Drive.

The Milky Way Galaxy is divided into four equal quadrants: The Orion Quadrant, the Sagittarius Quadrant, the Centaurus Quadrant, and the Perseus Quadrant.

The Orion Quadrant is the home of Sol System and Earth. The star systems around Earth were the first colonized and are now heavily populated Core Worlds. These colonies are still owned by he traditional governments of Earth such as the U.S., China, France, Japan and others. Collectively, these worlds and their governments are called the Old Earth Empires. They are constantly embroiled in petty wars and strife but still maintain uneasy relations with both the Stellar Federation and the Pan-Solar Empire.

The Perseus Quadrant is home to the Interstellar Federation. The Federation, as it is known, is a strong union of former colonies that have all gained their independence from Earth. The government is a Republican Monarchy with a President being elected for life. For the most part, the Federation is benevolent and fair in their government and laws. Citizens of the Federation enjoy a high standard of living.

The Sagittarius Quadrant is governed by the tyrannical Pan Solar Empire. The Empire, like the Federation, is also comprised of old colony worlds. Unlike the Federation, they did not gain their independence. Instead, they were conquered by the mad Emperor, who has ruled his quadrant with an iron fist for more than 150 Solar Years. The Worlds of the Empire have all been raped of their natural resources to fuel the huge military-industrial complex of the Imperial Armed Forces.

Citizens of the Empire live in squalid misery with no human rights. They view the Federation with jealous eyes. It is the Empire's ultimate goal to conquer the Federation and take it's wealth.

The Centaurus Quadrant is home to many new colonies and countless small independent governments. It is on the edge of explored space and most of the new planets are being discovered there. For this reason, it is called the Fringe. The Centaurus Quadrant is home to pirates and bandits and is considered a wild area of space. Many independent freighters try their luck against both the Empire raids and Bandit piracy to deliver goods back and forth between the colonies and the Federation and the Old Earth Empires.

The Stargate Drive is the principal mode of travel between stars in the milky Way of the 26th Century. The drive creates a hole in Fifth Dimensional space, completely encompassing the spaceship, cutting a much shorter path than comparable travel in 3D space. Stargates require a large amount of power to create and are limited in size, thus restricting the size of ships that can travel through a Stargate. Most interstellar travel is done in moderately sized shuttles and carriers. Larger ships cannot create a large enough Stargate, and smaller ones are not equipped with a large enough power source to create a Stargate.

Stargates are not exact, either. Although travel through a Stargate is instantaneous, the vessel's location on the other end may deviate as much as 20 million kilometers. Often long travel times in real space accompany Stargate passage, making ambushes impractical. Also, two ships entering Stargates simultaneously rarely, if ever, arrive together on the other side. Despite it's drawbacks, the Stargate Drive remains the most efficient mode of interstellar transportation.

COMET CLASS PASSENGER SHUTTLE COST=20
SPEED 3
SHIELDS 2
HULL 5
The Comet can carry up to 100 colonists in relative comfort. Comets are the largest transports capable of creating Stargates.

KOMET CLASS MILITARY TRANSPORT COST=30
SPEED 3
SHIELDS 3
HULL 5
LASERS 2
MISSILES 2
CLUSTERS 2
A military version of the Comet, the Komet can carry up to 100 fully armed space Troops capable of launching a planetary assault or orbital takeover. The Komet is the largest armed vessel capable of creating a Stargate.

OLD-STYLE CARGO SHUTTLE COST=20
SPEED 2
SHIELDS 2
HULL 2
LASERS 2 (ONLY 1 IN 6 ARE EVER ARMED)
These rickety old transports can carry up to 5000 tons of cargo or 10 points for campaign purposes. Cargo shuttles are capable of creating their own Stargates. They can sometimes be armed with small lasers.

SPACE STATION COST=200
SHIELDS 5
HULL 100
Space Stations are capable of servicing up to 4 spaceships at once, providing repair and replenishment of supplies at normal costs. Any ship docked at a station is protected by that station's shields.

Defense Stations provide the same services as the civilian stations but with the added defenses of a military installation.

CARRIER COST=50
SPEED 2
SHIELDS 5
HULL 20
Carriers are capable of carrying up to 3 fighters through the Fifth Dimensional void of the Stargates. These ships usually remain well out of combat range as they are the squadron's only means of returning home or jumping to another system. Carriers are unarmed due to the heavy power and space requirement of the Stargate Drive.

CRUISER COST=100
SPEED 2
SHIELDS 5
HULL 30
LASERS 5
MISSILES 5
CLUSTERS 5
A Cruiser is basically a Carrier with weapons mounts instead of fighter docking bays. The Cruiser is the most heavily aremed interstellar ship.

A scenario usually consists of one of the major faction, including the innumerable colonies and Old Earth Empires, doing battle with the other over an object or an area of space. To randomly determine a scenario, roll on the following table:

1. Core World: The possession of a heavily populated Core World is in dispute. The planet piece is placed in the center of the board. The defending player places their fighters within two spaces of the planet and receives 20 Space Mines to place anywhere on the game board. The attacking player enters from one side of the board and must destroy the opposition. A successful offense is worth 30 points, a successful defense is worth 10 points.

2. Colony World: The possession of a resource-rich Colony World is in dispute. The planet piece is placed in the center of the board. both sides begin at an edge of the board. The winner gains 20 points.

3. Transport: A transport is carrying important cargo or passengers. It comes under attack and calls for assistance. It is the attacker's mission to destroy or capture the transport. The transport piece is placed in the center of the board and both sides begin at the edge. The winner gains 10 points.

4. Space Station: One player must defend the space station from attack. The Space Station piece is placed in the center of the board and the defender begins within two spaces of it. The attacker begins at an edge of the board. The winner gains 10 points.

5. Defense Station: One player must defend the Defense Station from attack. The Defense Station piece is placed at the center of the board and the defender begins within two spaces of it. The attacker begins at an edge of the board. A successful offense gains 50 points. A successful defense gains 10 points.

6. Skirmish: An area of space is in dispute. An all-out battle is ensued over it's ownership with both or all sides beginning at an edge of the board. The winner gains 10 points.

In addition to the point values listed, at the end of the battle, each player is awarded a number of points equal to half the value of each ship lost. The other half goes to the player who destroyed that ship.+A