T5 space range bands and GURPS

hal · 09-12-2018, 09:31 AM

Hello Folks,
I'm trying to translate some of the T5 game mechanics into terms that are comparable to what GURPS would recognize. I want to be certain that I understand the range band from T5 and hope that someone can confirm the data that I'm looking at:

To wit:

S=17, 7 light days
S=16, 42 light hours
S=15, 10 light hours
S=14, 5 light hours
S=13, 83 light minutes or 1,500 million Km
S=12, 30 light minutes or 500 million Km
S=11, 8 light minutes or 150 million Km
S=10, 100 light seconds or 50 million Km
S=09, 5 million km
S=08, 2,500,000 km
S=07, 500,000 km
S=06, 250,000 km
S=05, 50,000 km
S=04, 5,000 km
S=03, 500 km
S=02, 50 km
S=01, 5 km

The reason I'm asking is because the example given in Traveller 5th edition for an astrogation check to have a ship end up in space band 12 from say, a star. Putting this into perspective, 100 earth diameters is 1,274,200 km. An AU is 149,597,871 km.

So, if a character wants to plot an exit from Jump space to about Earth's orbit, he'd be plotting to a space band 11. When a jump is potentially not entirely accurate, it could end up between 11-5 (or space band 6) or 11+5 (space band 16) in distance from the Sun. 42 light hours is 42 hours x 3600 seconds per hour x 299,792 km per second (speed of light) results in a final distance that is 45,328,550,400 km away (or 28,165,855,404.44 miles).

Does this seem right? I'm using the "Scatter" rules from T5 as far as accurate jumps or inaccurate jumps.

ak_aramis · 09-13-2018, 10:33 PM

The correct table is on T5.09 pages 681 and 683. Note that orbit numbers are not range numbers - but Space Ranges are rescaled by subtracting 5 from the personal range...

Orbit numbers are a Titus Bode starting at 0.2, 0.4, 0.7 AU.

hal · 09-14-2018, 12:25 AM

Page 340 has this to say...

"For example, the Beowulf’s Astrogator plans its Exit Point at S=12 from the star (the edge of the Inner System). The actual Exit Point is S= 12 + Flux, thus possibly as close as S=7 (as long as that is not within the star’s 100D limit) or as far away as S=17."

Per page 683, S = 17 is 1230 AU or 184,005,381,330 km or about 7.1 light days. So am I reading that wrong?

If someone is attempting to target the inner orbits of a star system, and the flux roll is a 12, then Flux becomes 12-7 or 5. 12+5 = 17. A ship that misses its intended location and scatters, could, if aiming for the asteroid belt end up as close as 1/2 million km away from their intended location, or 184 billion km away.

That seems to be quite the event. 7.1 light days would take weeks of normal space acceleration to cover if using a 1g Drive.

09-12-2018, 09:31 AM	#1
hal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Buffalo, New York	T5 space range bands and GURPS Hello Folks, I'm trying to translate some of the T5 game mechanics into terms that are comparable to what GURPS would recognize. I want to be certain that I understand the range band from T5 and hope that someone can confirm the data that I'm looking at: To wit: S=17, 7 light days S=16, 42 light hours S=15, 10 light hours S=14, 5 light hours S=13, 83 light minutes or 1,500 million Km S=12, 30 light minutes or 500 million Km S=11, 8 light minutes or 150 million Km S=10, 100 light seconds or 50 million Km S=09, 5 million km S=08, 2,500,000 km S=07, 500,000 km S=06, 250,000 km S=05, 50,000 km S=04, 5,000 km S=03, 500 km S=02, 50 km S=01, 5 km The reason I'm asking is because the example given in Traveller 5th edition for an astrogation check to have a ship end up in space band 12 from say, a star. Putting this into perspective, 100 earth diameters is 1,274,200 km. An AU is 149,597,871 km. So, if a character wants to plot an exit from Jump space to about Earth's orbit, he'd be plotting to a space band 11. When a jump is potentially not entirely accurate, it could end up between 11-5 (or space band 6) or 11+5 (space band 16) in distance from the Sun. 42 light hours is 42 hours x 3600 seconds per hour x 299,792 km per second (speed of light) results in a final distance that is 45,328,550,400 km away (or 28,165,855,404.44 miles). Does this seem right? I'm using the "Scatter" rules from T5 as far as accurate jumps or inaccurate jumps.

09-13-2018, 10:33 PM	#2
ak_aramis Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alsea, OR	Re: T5 space range bands and GURPS The correct table is on T5.09 pages 681 and 683. Note that orbit numbers are not range numbers - but Space Ranges are rescaled by subtracting 5 from the personal range... Orbit numbers are a Titus Bode starting at 0.2, 0.4, 0.7 AU.

09-14-2018, 12:25 AM	#3
hal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Buffalo, New York	Re: T5 space range bands and GURPS Page 340 has this to say... "For example, the Beowulf’s Astrogator plans its Exit Point at S=12 from the star (the edge of the Inner System). The actual Exit Point is S= 12 + Flux, thus possibly as close as S=7 (as long as that is not within the star’s 100D limit) or as far away as S=17." Per page 683, S = 17 is 1230 AU or 184,005,381,330 km or about 7.1 light days. So am I reading that wrong? If someone is attempting to target the inner orbits of a star system, and the flux roll is a 12, then Flux becomes 12-7 or 5. 12+5 = 17. A ship that misses its intended location and scatters, could, if aiming for the asteroid belt end up as close as 1/2 million km away from their intended location, or 184 billion km away. That seems to be quite the event. 7.1 light days would take weeks of normal space acceleration to cover if using a 1g Drive.