Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

Still working on a post for other types of energy weapons, but I thought the force field idea deserved an official question post:

Personal Force Fields question

Do we want the crew at TL11^ to have personal force field generators? This includes both defensive fields and the life support belts from the cartoon.

* None (too expensive and/or too hard to miniaturize, unless someone has the ability on their own)

* Special issue only (they're expensive, but are issued on rare occasions)

* Common for security and landing parties (still expensive, but rather less so)

* Part of the uniform, even in areas thought to be safe (not necessarily cheap, but cheaper than in the other options)

EDIT: The consensus is pretty much 'No personal force shields that grant significant DR (outside of Tech of the Week and such), but we'll use GURPS Action and related rules to prevent insta-kill of important characters.'

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

Personal force fields would be a nice addition to mitigate the deadliness of combat. My preference would be to make personal fields too expensive to be standard issue, but cheap enough for security and landing personnel.

I'm tempted to make teleport jammers cheap and portable. This prevents fights don't end right away with your foes being teleported to your starship. That should also neutralize the dematerialize setting on the phasers because they are based on teleportation psi-tech. But that would make spending the energy on the dematerialize setting pointless.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

It was a really nice superscience explanation for why no one ever travels to unknown alien worlds in sensible protective suits.

I also like shields acting similarly to ship shields allowing multiple hits before failure, mitigating combat.
It also helps with that cliche of the first attack on a PC always missing. YMMV, of course.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

I think that personal sheilds should either not exist or they should be common. Only putting them on when you expect the possibility of danger is a good toggle though. Presumably the tech is inconvenient to wear in at least some small way. I think I lean towards them existing.

Teleport jammers being light and cheap is probably a good idea.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

There could be low grade or civilian shields and military grades resistant to weapons' fire.
Of course, that may just move the issue to the side rather than fix it.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

To be fair, if I want to emulate Star Trek, I'm just going to crank up the cinematic combat rules, with Flesh Wounds or TV Action Violence, and Cannon Fodder. No need to bring in Personal Force Fields except as snazzy experimental technology for one episode.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

I've been wondering whether I should make the GURPS Action series an official part of this settings ruleset. I think it has some or all of the rules needed.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

Ubiquitous life support belts only, since it is more fitting with the genre.

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

OK. What's your opinion of using rules from GURPS Action to manage the deadliness of combat (in particular reducing the probability of being hit by things that will almost certainly kill you in one hit)?

Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
 

I think its fine. I'm not enthusiastic about it, but there are renditions of trek that have that sort of feel.