Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Prince Charon · 05-10-2021, 05:33 PM

OK, this appears to be ready for posting:

Wormholes and the Known Systems

Wormholes in this setting are very difficult to detect at range, if no-one has placed a beacon or guard-station nearby. Scanning for them optically or otherwise using electromagnetic radiation, you're only going to find one if you're very close (Long-Distance Modifiers, pB241) and know to look for a visual distortion in the background objects (Astronomy-3 on top of the Long-Distance modifier), or if you happen to see something enter or leave, that doesn't have a cloaking device. Psychotronic detection systems do much better, having penalties based on light-second ranges (Size and Speed-Range table, pB550; treat 'yards' as light-seconds, and Speed/Range as the penalty; an Astronomical Unit is just under 500 light-seconds). You still need to be looking in the right place, though. Once you know where it is, following its orbital path becomes far less difficult, though you can still lose it of you aren't careful. A wormhole's mean radius of orbit mostly varies roughly between 3 AU and 13 AU (2d+1 AU, in other words).

The physical nature of a wormhole as currently understood is a spherical spacial and gravitic anomaly which reads to psychic detection somewhat like a continuous teleportation. The amount of gravity it produces is quite small, far out of proportion with the difficulty of altering its orbit (which so far no-one has managed). It is possible to pass through in both directions (manoeuver toward the centre of the wormhole, and you will come out the other side); oddly, vessels cannot collide in the 'tunnel' - space shifts to move them around each other. Psychic or psychotronic communication is possible though the wormhole, though radio or laser communication seems not to be. Likewise, it is possible to scan though the wormhole using psychic senses and psychotronic sensors, though at best you're only likely to 'see' a few light-seconds around the wormhole on the other side.

Unsurprisingly, most civilizations prefer to control both ends of the wormholes leading to their home system and other important systems, where possible. For the Irari, this normally consists of one or more space fortresses and a defence fleet, while the Memer-and-Saret only seem to have small patrol fleets, at least for minor systems. Designing a fortress to fully surround the wormhole has been suggested, though such would be rather expensive, and could leave the station unable to move out of the way if needed.

Known System connections, 2021

Irar System
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Gormel System; 11 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
3. Uninhabited System II; 6 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
4. Earth System; 7 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends.
5. (Unlocated)

Uninhabited System I
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Uninhabited System III; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
3. Uninhabited System IV; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
4. (Unlocated)

Gormel System
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
4. (Unlocated)

Uninhabited System II
(First saucer to enter this system did not return, second found no evidence of it.)
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 5 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Coeb' System; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Coeb' System
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System II; 3 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Uninhabited System III
(Patroled by Memer-and-Saret, but not owned by them. Believed to hold one or more pirate bases. Encounters with Memer-and-Saret pirates occurred here.)
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. A secondary Memer-and-Saret system, not yet explored by Irari; 5 AU; Patroled by Memer-and-Saret at both ends.
3. (Officially unlocated, but believed to be known to Memer-and-Saret criminals)

Uninhabited System IV
(Encounter with unknown pirates and an Aurora occurred here.)
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 4 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Earth System
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 4 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
4. (Unlocated)
5. (Unlocated)
6. (Unlocated)
7. (Unlocated)

Thoughts?

05-10-2021, 05:33 PM	#38
Prince Charon Join Date: Dec 2012	Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown OK, this appears to be ready for posting: Wormholes and the Known Systems Wormholes in this setting are very difficult to detect at range, if no-one has placed a beacon or guard-station nearby. Scanning for them optically or otherwise using electromagnetic radiation, you're only going to find one if you're very close (Long-Distance Modifiers, pB241) and know to look for a visual distortion in the background objects (Astronomy-3 on top of the Long-Distance modifier), or if you happen to see something enter or leave, that doesn't have a cloaking device. Psychotronic detection systems do much better, having penalties based on light-second ranges (Size and Speed-Range table, pB550; treat 'yards' as light-seconds, and Speed/Range as the penalty; an Astronomical Unit is just under 500 light-seconds). You still need to be looking in the right place, though. Once you know where it is, following its orbital path becomes far less difficult, though you can still lose it of you aren't careful. A wormhole's mean radius of orbit mostly varies roughly between 3 AU and 13 AU (2d+1 AU, in other words). The physical nature of a wormhole as currently understood is a spherical spacial and gravitic anomaly which reads to psychic detection somewhat like a continuous teleportation. The amount of gravity it produces is quite small, far out of proportion with the difficulty of altering its orbit (which so far no-one has managed). It is possible to pass through in both directions (manoeuver toward the centre of the wormhole, and you will come out the other side); oddly, vessels cannot collide in the 'tunnel' - space shifts to move them around each other. Psychic or psychotronic communication is possible though the wormhole, though radio or laser communication seems not to be. Likewise, it is possible to scan though the wormhole using psychic senses and psychotronic sensors, though at best you're only likely to 'see' a few light-seconds around the wormhole on the other side. Unsurprisingly, most civilizations prefer to control both ends of the wormholes leading to their home system and other important systems, where possible. For the Irari, this normally consists of one or more space fortresses and a defence fleet, while the Memer-and-Saret only seem to have small patrol fleets, at least for minor systems. Designing a fortress to fully surround the wormhole has been suggested, though such would be rather expensive, and could leave the station unable to move out of the way if needed. Known System connections, 2021 Irar System Wormholes 1. Uninhabited System I; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. Gormel System; 11 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 3. Uninhabited System II; 6 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 4. Earth System; 7 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends. 5. (Unlocated) Uninhabited System I Wormholes 1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. Uninhabited System III; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 3. Uninhabited System IV; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 4. (Unlocated) Gormel System Wormholes 1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. (Unlocated) 3. (Unlocated) 4. (Unlocated) Uninhabited System II (First saucer to enter this system did not return, second found no evidence of it.) Wormholes 1. Irar System; 5 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. Coeb' System; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. (Number of wormholes uncertain.) Coeb' System Wormholes 1. Uninhabited System II; 3 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. (Unlocated) (Number of wormholes uncertain.) Uninhabited System III (Patroled by Memer-and-Saret, but not owned by them. Believed to hold one or more pirate bases. Encounters with Memer-and-Saret pirates occurred here.) Wormholes 1. Uninhabited System I; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. A secondary Memer-and-Saret system, not yet explored by Irari; 5 AU; Patroled by Memer-and-Saret at both ends. 3. (Officially unlocated, but believed to be known to Memer-and-Saret criminals) Uninhabited System IV (Encounter with unknown pirates and an Aurora occurred here.) Wormholes 1. Uninhabited System I; 4 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends. 2. (Unlocated) 3. (Unlocated) (Number of wormholes uncertain.) Earth System Wormholes 1. Irar System; 4 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends. 2. (Unlocated) 3. (Unlocated) 4. (Unlocated) 5. (Unlocated) 6. (Unlocated) 7. (Unlocated) Thoughts? __________________ Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life. "The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates." -- Tacitus Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.