Pyramid #3/71: Spaceships II

[Kromm]

A space voyage starts
Not at countdown or takeoff
But with bolts and welds

— Some engineer

Spaceships are cool. They let you zoom across distances so vast that you measure them in light-seconds or even light-years, at crazy speeds where one mistake means being lost forever or smashed to paste, through an environment that would otherwise kill you in a couple of minutes . . . if you're lucky. And that's just the realistic ones. The ones in science fiction leave the laws of physics in the dust, sweeping you off to distant stars or even galaxies in the blink of an eye. As often as not, that kind comes with amazing hardware, too – things like death rays and force shields and machines that can replicate any food you can imagine (and a few you can't).

It should come as no surprise, then, that Pyramid #3/30: Spaceships – like most sci-fi movies about space adventures – just got a sequel. That would be Pyramid #3/71: Spaceships II. The latest issue of Pyramid goes where no one has gone before, at least not for GURPS, and brings you this great stuff:

• In the future according to GURPS Reign of Steel, the AIs have taken over the world . . . so now they've decided to move on to other planets! David Pulver's Reign of Steel: Deep Space jumps forward two decades, to Orbital and Luna forging tentative alliances, and Tranquility making its big play. Stats for four new spaceships, a colony on Mars, and the new "Shipbrain" SAU give you everything needed to expand the fight for humanity across the solar system.
  
  
• Ah, the life of a smuggler! Whether you're a dashing rogue, a careful gentleman, or a corrupt official, you need to stay ahead of the authorities with your precious cargo to avoid the Smuggler's Blues. After reading these methods and motives, technological tricks from TL9 through TL12, and a step-by-step breakdown of a successful operation, you'll be ready to run that blockade and break for freedom!
  
  
• On the surface, sleeper ships and generation ships are a fairly straightforward concept. When you apply alien psychology and physiology, though, you get Strange Objects at Rest. An enigmatic bioship conceals plantlike aliens suspended in a subtly dangerous gas. A failed voyage is now a deadly nanomolecular minefield. A rogue gas giant is the only ship some species need. And what might be the greatest threat to the galaxy may be just a negligent afterthought.
  
  
• Whether you're operating a spaceship, a helicarrier, or a horse, your method of transportation is every bit as important as some silly weapons, right? That's why you need Vehicle Imbuements, which introduces 23 amazing ways to trick out your ride, if only temporarily. Let your stallion gallop on air, give your SUV a surprisingly spacious trunk, or empower your space cruiser to phase right through a planet rather than having to go around it.
  
  
• Want to own a ship but don't feel right playing a Multimillionaire PC? Consider another way to acquire The Captain's Boat – take it as a Patron! The concept may seem odd at first, but it makes a lot of sense: a ship, like a Patron, is really just a plot device for furthering the story. The easy-to-use table is complemented by optional rules tying into GURPS Supers and GURPS Social Engineering: Pulling Rank, enabling it to work in a wide range of campaigns.
  
  
• And the issue wouldn't be shiny without our usual features, including a Random Thought Table that explores style over substance and Odds and Ends that offer you a chance to really put things in perspective.

— PK & Kromm

[Langy]

I've only read through the first article (Reign of Steel: Deep Space), but it by itself makes this Pyramid issue worth it for me. My very first GURPS game featured our characters as the astronauts hiding out in Tranquility, and I loved seeing how David Pulver envisioned its future. A prospective GM could easily use that section as a guideline for a campaign to bridge the Reign of Steel origin-timeline with the Reign of Steel: Deep Space timeline and make a really cool game out of it - and the Deep Space setting itself is pretty cool.

[Celti]

I'm happy to see Vehicle Imbuements finally in print, and it's even more awesome than the glimpses I got of it previously — thank you, Chris, for letting me set aside my half-baked house rules for the same thing.

However, as great as that article is, the one that really makes this issue worth the subscription for me is The Captain's Boat, having wrestled with the cost versus utility of starships for quite some time, and having an impending free-wheeling galactic spacefaring game I'll be running.

The other articles, while good, don't strike the same chord with me as those two.

[droid17]

now i have another anniversary date to celebrate to my favorite reign of steel's universe world, YAY!!!

now all i have to do is find a acquaintance or neirbord that have a credit card so i can give him the cash of 8$ to ask him the favor to buy that pdf magazine issue for me since i don't own credit cards to buy e-books, hell not even a bank account LOL.
i can only buy paperbacks books with cash on amazon store. je je!

i had not read it yet but i hope to see something of Overmind Manila-zone AI on that little ROS's space article.

[Dwarf99]

I'm sorry, this is mildly OT, but related: could someone PM me with the number of the issue that had a dragon spaceship in it?

EDIT: My question has been answered. Sorry to bother.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Celti

However, as great as that article is, the one that really makes this issue worth the subscription for me is The Captain's Boat, having wrestled with the cost versus utility of starships for quite some time, and having an impending free-wheeling galactic spacefaring game I'll be running.

The other articles, while good, don't strike the same chord with me as those two.

Thank you!
I had hoped that would be useful for people.

Ok my review as I just finished reading my copy.

Reign of Steel: Deep Space
The last article I read is unlikely to see use by me but it was a good read.
It adds interesting material to the setting, though I prefer to make my own settings.

Smugglers Blues
The one most useful to me. The ideas here can be inspirational for other settings and I am now contemplating ideas to make a fantasy smuggling campaign..
I really like this article and on reading it thought it would be nice to have supplements like this as a new line.
Call it Campaigns: X and each covers not a setting but campaign styles such as Smugglers, Organized Crime, Corporate Raiders, Traders, Duelists (trial by combat merc stand ins), Mages (exploring guilds and other aspects). Warriors (similar), Spys and subgenres like Space Opera, Animae sub types, Pulp, etc.
Mostly systemless or at least half so it can be used with other systems and hopefully lure new players but still with references to existing material and using it for that kind of campaign.

Strange Objects at Rest
Really cool article and what seemed to me to be some very interesting original ideas. I read things like these and go back to think the author is the same one who wrote "The King in Yellow". Of course we know that is not possible...

Vehicle Imbuements
I still dont have a grasp on building Imbuements but the article was useful and can be used in other genres. I liked it and added it to my list of Magic article for Pyramid.

The Captains Boat
My first published article for GURPS :)
I wrestled with ways of doing this for several years off and on. Mostly using limitations and special cases of Wealth that never made me happy. too complex or special case and not able to cover all the circumstances I wanted.
then I had an ephinay and cae up with this. Some Patrons already loan ships and often the ship (even absurdly powerful ones) are mostly plot devices.
Yet free was not a good choice and a Captain needs to pay something to represent his position, yet not be crippled compared to other PCs (or thier banker). I hope people like it.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

I'm sorry, this is mildly OT, but related: could someone PM me with the number of the issue that had a dragon spaceship in it?

EDIT: My question has been answered. Sorry to bother.

Now you've got me curious...

Which issue has a dragon spaceship in it?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by robkelk

Now you've got me curious...

Which issue has a dragon spaceship in it?

Pyramid 3/25 Epic Magic has the Orichlium Dragon by David Pulver written using the spaceship rules.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by Refplace

The Captains Boat
My first published article for GURPS :)
I wrestled with ways of doing this for several years off and on. Mostly using limitations and special cases of Wealth that never made me happy. too complex or special case and not able to cover all the circumstances I wanted.
then I had an ephinay and cae up with this. Some Patrons already loan ships and often the ship (even absurdly powerful ones) are mostly plot devices.
Yet free was not a good choice and a Captain needs to pay something to represent his position, yet not be crippled compared to other PCs (or thier banker). I hope people like it.

Thought it was pretty elegant myself. Especially for campaigns with little emphasis on money.

[Kalzazz]

I'm really torn on this one, as spaceships is something I just haven't been able to get into in GURPS, but imbuements are something I love