04-24-2007, 05:53 AM | #11 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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04-24-2007, 06:56 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
And with all that technology and power available, it came down many times to convincing a spider to flip a switch for you.
Immense power fought the Boskone Wars, but brains made it possible. True, they had a lot of brains available after eons of selective breeding for their penultimates. |
04-24-2007, 07:48 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
All of the above points about Lensman are true; it's a fun read and no question. I'm not all that fond of it as a game setting, because the solution to a given problem is often just more power (willpower, or what have you), and Doc Smith does love his unselfconscious triumphal didacticism, but it's fun to read. As far as consistent math goes, I was always bothered that Doc admits in-text that the hyperlight antimatter planets have imaginary mass, but still makes 'em straightforwardly smash into stuff just like ordinary objects. But he is very straightforward about admitting it.
I did feel that the old GURPS translation was occasionally committed to big numbers just for the sake of it; for instance, if I recall correctly, once one translated from the old space combat rules into standard DR and dice of damage, the Dauntless was given a DR of around 2^15,000, which means that sunbeams and antimatter planets shouldn't have even been noticeable. But hey, that's all fixable. And I suspect these days that one could build the main Lensmen on a much more reasonable budget. --K |
04-24-2007, 10:48 AM | #14 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
Now, did any of you read throught the "Perry Rhodan" series?
It contains some ideas that are worth reading as well :) Entities working to increase the background temperature of their Universe to finally make it collapse - just to take the next step of evolution for themself. Creatures that did grow from entire Galaxies and stepped into the next evolution to just go "beyond" ... Others that create whole civilisations just to have some little help in this or that minor point in their realy cosmic schemes and so on :) Itīs badly written in many parts but had some very interesting highlights over the time! The series started at 1961 - here a Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan
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04-24-2007, 01:29 PM | #15 | |
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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I feel a bit like I'm threadjacking here -- my apologies, Molokh -- but do you have a broad plot outline or something similar to which you can point us? -K |
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04-24-2007, 09:11 PM | #16 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Downunder, mate!
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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Side note: "Prodigious" battleship 300,000 crew. 8,000,000,000 lb/hr cosmic power power plant 5 million firepower, 4,600 DF (Space system) Kimball Kinnison (3e) ST: 18 IQ: 22 DX: 18 HT: 18 Several hundred points of advantages, largely the same cost 3e/4e. Telepathy power 31, 11 different skills in the range 22 to 35, with communication skills having Intergalactic range. In 4e terms, that's 11 different powers, all with "-10% Telepathy". Over 2,000 points in Allies.... Overall? 4,100 points in 4e. I think the allies in Lensman where half the reason the rules were changed in 4e - K.K. has one ally that cost 915 points (his wife) - in 4e she'd be a "100% of points total, all the time". But the 2,000 point refund from a 4e conversion of his allies is probably only going to be just enough to pay for his Telepathy powers The 3e version only cost about 500 points, due to use of 3e Psionics rules. 4e Powers based version is going to be sunstantially more than 1,000 points. Stats, advantages and skills are going to remain pretty much the same price, probably slightly more expensive overall in 4e compared to 3e. My guess? He'd come in at 3,000 to 3,500 in 4e. I'm strongly tempted to write up a freshly "unnatached" Lensman at around 1,200 points. It would actually be the right points total and power level for a game I'm playing.
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04-25-2007, 01:49 AM | #17 |
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Kimball Kinnison
Well let's see now. His stats and advantages would go down substantially. That would leave him with his powers of Illusion, Innate Attack w/Malediction (+150%), Innate Attack causing Fatigue w/Malediction (+150%,), Mind Control w/ Conditioning (+50%), Mind Reading, Mind Probe, Mind Shield and Telesend. He would also of course have 4 levels of Telepathy Talent and the Lens which would act a +50% modifier to all his powers, increasing the range on his powers.
Considering that he doesn't have to actually buy skill with any of his powers any more, I think he'd come pretty close to breaking even on his psi powers all in all. |
04-25-2007, 04:14 AM | #18 | |
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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Also, the stories evolve around "cycles" with 50 to 100 booklets each (sometimes more, sometimes less) and just jumping in will be difficult. Start at number one :)
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04-25-2007, 07:37 AM | #19 | |
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Berlin, Germany
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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04-25-2007, 09:43 AM | #20 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: How to build: becoming Inertialess in the Lensmen sense
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I'm not looking for rationalizing gadgets or anything. I want to inflict a physical property onto an object. |
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