Spaceships: Escape to the asteroids

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by DataPacRat

The source material I'm using mentions a few radiation protection systems for each 8-man crew unit: "A charged plasma sustains a high electrical potential (10 Gev) about the hab unit for protection against most galactic cosmic rays. When a charged particle intercepts this magnetic field, its path curves to avoid the occupants. If a solar storm erupts, the crew must evacuate into a small (8-meter dia) storm shelter. The shelter is shielded by 100 kg/m^2 of polyethylene (12 cm thick), plus water propellant and graphite."

I know that one of the 3e GURPS Vehicles extensions mentioned magnetic shielding, but I don't recall noticing anything of the sort in 4e's Spaceships system.

Your charged plasma system is known elsewhere as a "cold dense plasma" and almost made it into TS. In Ve2 terms it's just cinematic radiation shielding though it's probably not superscience.

There's been some theoretical speculation about the potential of such items but no real lab work that I know of. It might not be TL9 even if it's not ^

The magnetic field system is different and appeared in a first draft of Spaceships as well as appearing in VE Expansions I.

For Spaceships purposes DP just decided it was simply a force field that affected charged particles only (for purposes of game statistics) and removed it as a separate item. It's not superscience but strongly favors large ships in reality.