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TheDoctor
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 27 Dec 2007
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Location: San Francisco
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 Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:03 pm Post subject: Prison break adventures |
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A few weeks ago, I ran a prison break adventure off the cuff (largely made it up as we went along) at a convention. For the convention, a prison break seemed logical since I wouldn't know who was playing, and the players wouldn't necessarily know each other. In other words, it was a way of stringing different characters together who would otherwise have nothing to do with each other.
I am currently writing a revised version (and will share when done!)
I did see in other posts that the prison break is a common adventure type, and wanted to see if anyone else wanted to share their prison break adventures so I could compare and contrast.
Want to share your favorite prison break scenario?
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Bren
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: Prison break adventures |
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| TheDoctor wrote: | | Want to share your favorite prison break scenario? |
OK. Here is an outline (warning, it is somewhat lengthy) of a scenario I ran. It is set a couple of years before ANH. I wrote the outline prior to the players creating their characters. The actual scenario was tweaked based on the PCs that they created. They succeeded in capturing the transport ship, then had to flee to Lanthrym (a planet with a thriving black market and a good place to get fake papers. This worked well as a reason for them to stick together for a time. Eventually several of them split up, two PCs had a disfunctional romantic relationship until one partner was killed by Inquisitor Tremayne while heroically giving the others time to get away with important information on an experimental superlaser.
The planets are from Elrood Sector in the Planets Collection. The rumors were to introduce the players to Elrood Sector and give them some hints (all of the prisoners were from other sectors).
What’s Mine is Yours
The characters begin as prisoners being sent to the Imperial Mining planet of Berea. They must escape and then decide where to go next.
Episode I: Sunset on Derilyn
Scene 1: The Camp
As the setting sun burns blood red in the smoky skies of Derilyn, you are herded by Imperial Army troopers into a force-fenced compound just inside Derilyn Space Central. Many of your fellow prisoners shift restlessly under the watchful eyes in the guard towers. In the middle distance a long column of stormtroopers and AT-STs marches into the city of Tekar. Sullen inhabitants line the streets, but they neither cheer nor outwardly defy the Empire’s military might. The guards are watchful and now is not the time to take drastic action. Do you?
• Talk with your fellow prisoners
• Question the guards
• Question the locals outside the fence
• Try to escape anyway
• Observe, but take no action at this time
A Local Rumor
You notice a pair of locals (two men in workers overalls, a young couple, two old people, etc.) walking next to the fence. As you move over you hear…
Local 1: What are they here for?
Local2: I hear they’re due to be loaded on that “flying rock.”
Local 1: I guess they’ll be off to “help the Emperor” then.
Local2: Yup. Seems like Imperial always needs new “rock chewers”.
Local 1: Opening up lots of new holes I hear.
Local2: Way I hear it, they wear out them “rock chewers” as fast as water sells on Sidron.
Local 1: Where did you hear that?
Local2: Oh hear and there. May be true and it may not. But I never yet seen any of them unluckies come back yet. Not a one. Poor unluckies!
Local 1: Poor unluckies all right. But, better them than me I say.
[Fade out]
A Military Rumor
The guard is changing at one of the towers. As the troopers change places, they pause to talk. As you head over you can hear.
Guard 1: Why do you think the Lieutenant said to make sure no one talks to the prisoners?
Guard 2: Why do officers ever say anything?
Guard 1: It must mean something.
Guard 2: They don’t pay me to think. Besides orders are orders.
Guard 1: Sometimes I think you got no more sense then these here “Darelites.” But even you’ll want to hear what I heard yesterday.
Guard 2: What, they’re going to make me a sergeant?
Guard 1: No, simple. Old Ironpants is coming here!
Guard 2: What, General Hul?
Guard 1: None other.
Guard 2: Where’d you hear that?
Guard 1: I thought that’d get your attention. I’ve got a pal that works in Derilysa and he said that the General was coming right here to the spaceport. Some sort of an inspection tour I bet.
Guard 2: When?
Guard 1: He didn’t know for sure. It’s still all very hush, hush. But soon I bet.
Guard 2: Say…that would explain all those extra security drills.
Guard 1: Too right. Not only that but….
[Fade out]
A Corporate Rumor
A dark civilian speeder sedan with IML logos on the doors passes through the gates of the compound. From the back step two middle level corporate functionaries. A guard comes up to them and they exchange a few words then the guard heads into a temporary shelter building. The corporate types wait outside by their speeder looking bored.
IML drone 1 Where did all this rabble come from?
IML drone 2 Where do they ever come from? Besides, who really cares, we always need more grist for the mill.
IML drone 1 Yeah. Just the other day I overheard Smidders say that 1183 only has enough to run one full shift. Production is starting to tail off in a big way.
IML drone 2 That’s not good. Not good at all. That may even bring the 2nd quarter profits down.
IML drone 1 It’s the Coynites. They kill off too many of the workers. I’ve always said that they are just too violent. They don’t know how to do anything but fight and kill.
IML drone 2 Well we don’t pay ‘em for their looks that’s sure. Besides everyone knows you don’t cross a Coynite….Not to his face anyway. The workers should know better.
IML drone 1 Yeah! Insulting a Coynite is one certain and painful way to die.
IML drone 2 Still, I bet we lose more to the rock than to the guards.
IML drone 1 Ahh…but do you have any stats to back that up.
IML drone 2 Well…no, but…
Army Officer Gentlemen, here’s your manifest and there are your contract laborers. Sign here.
IML drone 1 I hope you have better for us next time.
Army Officer We don’t pick ‘em gentlemen. We just hold them for you to pick up.
[Fade out]
An Attempt to Escape
A five-meter tall force fence surrounds the compound. Touching the fence does 4D damage the increases +1D for each round of continued contact. There is a guard tower with a medium repeating blaster and two guards every 100 meters. The entrance has an additional pair of guard towers and an offset double gate. Outside the force fence is a one-meter tall concrete barrier designed to stop any vehicles attempting to crash the fence. Its entrance is also offset.
Inside the perimeter the guards move in pairs. They are standard Imperial Army troopers armed with blaster rifles. They all appear to be alert and watchful
If it looks like the players are going to try to escape, have an NPC try it first and get shot down by the guards. This may be a good encounter even if the PCs don’t try to escape. Unless the PCs’ plan is great and they are amazingly lucky, they are quickly caught, beaten, and returned to the compound. Roll STR vs. 5D damage, maximum wounded.
Other Observations
The compound is next to the spaceport. The nearest ship is a moderately well maintained medium freighter. It is about 80 meters long and looks tall enough to have two or three decks. Those familiar with mining ships or making a space transports or a space transports repair roll will recognize it as an Elrood Staryards Ltd. MT-80 Medium Ore Carrier. On the side is the Imperial Mining Ltd. logo, its number IML-OC923, and the name Biweth Okama. Standing around it are several police or corporate guards.
Scene 2: The Ramp
After giving the players a short time to gather information or meet new people, the Imperial Army troops will form the prisoners into double ranks and march them to a waiting spacecraft. The ship is a moderately well maintained medium ore carrier named the Biweth Okama. At the ship are additional guards from Imperial Mining Ltd. They quickly oversee the boarding of the prisoners and close and seal the ramp/door. Inside the prisoners are under the watchful eye of the IML guards. Without giving the prisoners any warning official, the ship’s engines increase in pitch and the carrier takes off.
Characters should sit down or grab a ring on the wall. Those that do not should make a Difficult DEX roll. Failure results in 1D to 3D damage (level to be determined by degree of failure). The ship slowly lifts from Derilyn’s gravity well. After about an hour the BO unexpectedly comes to a halt. Various mysterious clanging noises can be heard outside the ship.
Customs Inspection
All commercial ships in Derilyn space are subject to search. Generally this happens only to incoming ships, but sometimes it happens to outgoing vessels as well, especially if the vessel has come to the attention of the Imperial Customs Office. Lt. Velgar Borf has concluded that the Biweth Okama deserves further attention. He missed it on the incoming flight, so now he has made a point of catching it on the outgoing trip. (See p. 167 of the Planets Collection).
Lt. Borf and four Imperial Navy troopers on detached customs duty will board the BO. Any of the following may occur:
• The players may overhear two of the Navy troopers talking, essentially use the Military Rumor from Scene 1, The Camp.
• A Navy trooper may shove someone around.
• The players may witness some tension between the Coynites and the Navy Troopers (e.g. looking tough, growling, trying to make the other step aside, and not moving out of the way). This won’t reach the level of actual violence.
• The players may witness Borf shaking down Laz for a “minor fine,” i.e. a bribe. Borf will point out apparent minor infractions (breather masks not hung properly, cargo tie rings not snugged down, etc. Laz will ask “What’s the trouble?” (Elrooden for how much will this cost.) and Borf will mention a need for a clearance waiver, “Obtainable at Derilyn Space Central” (which the BO just left). Laz will indicate that he is in a hurry and Borf will mention that he could write a waiver by that would incur an added fee of 75 credits. Laz will ask if he can pay that immediately and Borf will pocket the money.
• The players may notice one of the guards is really nervous, asking other guards “What are they here for? What do they want?” (This is one of the guards with contraband items.)
After this encounter the BO makes the jump to lightspeed. Next stop Berea.
Episode II: Sic Itur ad Astra—Thus one goes to the stars: such is the way to immortality.
Scene 1: And What’s Yours is Mine
The characters should now definitely have a chance to talk, meet, and question their fellow prisoners. Someone needs to take charge and come up with a plan. Characters with good command skills will be at an advantage here. Give them a bonus with the NPCs and maybe some hints or assistance. The prisoners need to
• Figure out a way out of the cargo bay
• Decide how to defeat the guards
• Take over the ship
• Eventually come up with a plan on where to go and what to do next (but that can wait)
Creating some sort of list or inventory of what items they have to use among them may help. Try to ensure that everyone can contribute something. Especially make certain that physically weak characters can contribute items or skills since they won’t be as much help when the fighting starts.
What gets confiscated (unless concealed).
1. weapons
2. ID (held by IML)
3. comlinks
4. cash over 50 credits
5. expensive jewelry may get confiscated or stolen
Things characters may still have are:
• Breath mask
• Clothing
• Chronometer
• Chronometer w/ hidden compartment [FT p 44]
• Chronometer w/ options [FT p 46-7]
• Self lighting cigarettes or cigars
• Concealed weapons
• Hold-out blaster
• Knife
• Vibroshiv
• Concussion stick [FT p 68]
• Fear stick [FT p 68-9]
• Molecular stilleto [FT p 69]
• Power cane [FT p 69-70]
• Czerka Ajudicator (slug throwing pistol) [FT p 73]
• Ionic Tingler [FT p 74]
• Bacnor Hand Baton [FT p 74-5]
• Bio-Guard [FT p 76-7]
• Contraband drugs they have hidden
• 3D6 credits in 1-credit coins
• Datapad stylus
• Datapads
• Electropick
• 1 holotape (your choice of subject)
• Piece of low value jewelry
• Macrobinoculars
• Makeup kit
• Medkit
• Money they have hidden
• Multitool
• Portable holochess game
• Droid restraining bolt
• Sabacc deck
• Signature Scent Synthesizer
• Small food items
• Can of fizzyglug
• Dehydrated packet of noodza
• Sealed packet of 2 Shara rice cakes
• Half-eaten bag of Tekka nuts
• Small glow rod
• Small holo recorder (tourist type)
• Small holoplayers
• Some medicine (aspirin, heart pills, sleeping pills, etc.)
• Transliterator [FT p 47]
• Very small weapons or tools they have hidden
• Voice scrambler (for noble or corporate exec)
Scene 2: Earning Immortality
Now the characters must carry out their daring plan. Play out. Make the guards as tough as necessary to provide a challenge. But the players should win. If they have a good plan casualties should be very light, otherwise kill of NPC prisoners and let players get injured. |
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Blue Glowie
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Joined: 01 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I recently ran a prison break adventure where the characters had to escape from the Spice Mines of Kessel after being duped into making a fake Kessel Run. The pirate accompanying them actually wanted to free his brother from the mines, so he had them all incarcerated.
The best part of the adventure wasn't even the prison break itself, it was inside the prison just trying to survive among all the inmates, figuring out where the pirate's brother was located, and making the daily spice quotas despite sneaking around the network of mines.
The characters ended up hearing about a path through the mines that was used during a previously failed prison break, which led out to an Imperial facility . So they quietly incapacitated a guard, persuaded a couple Wookiees and bolted.
The most difficult part was traversing a giant cavern filled with Glitterstim spiders hanging from the ceiling. The players had the idea that the spiders were probably sensitive to light since Glitterstim spice is, so I just went with it (even though it's the opposite, I think). So 2D6 of the creatures would drop down on the slowest characters, and the heroes had to use a glowrod and torch to repel as many as their Dexterity roll, which required some CPs and a Force Point to escape in one piece.
At the Imperial facility, the stolen guard uniform helped out as they conned an officer and mimicked his voice over a comlink to send back a group of stormtroopers. It probably should have been harder than it was at the point, but the climax had already seemed to happen, so I just made it humorous and fun. |
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Bren
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Blue Glowie wrote: | | I recently ran a prison break adventure where the characters had to escape from the Spice Mines of Kessel after being duped into making a fake Kessel Run. |
That does sound fun!  |
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TheDoctor
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 27 Dec 2007
Posts: 150
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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Great posts! I like the high drama arc of Bren's summary. Nice usage of Inquisitor Tremayne.
Also, fantastic Kessel thread. I like the fact that being in the prison is the bulk of the adventure.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14030
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| Blue Glowie wrote: |
At the Imperial facility, the stolen guard uniform helped out as they conned an officer and mimicked his voice over a comlink to send back a group of stormtroopers. It probably should have been harder than it was at the point, but the climax had already seemed to happen, so I just made it humorous and fun. |
Must have been lots of fluky rolling on the players part!
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone, especially Bren, for sharing your adventures. Cool stuff.
I also ran a Kessel Spice mine adventure I designed when I was 17 or so. But this was before the novels existed to flesh them out. It was pure imagination inspired merely by C-3PO's throw-away line in ANH. OK, it was pure imagination with a little bit of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom thrown in for good measure. I don't remember too many details except the climactic escape from the mines involved a respulsor mine car chase, and the entire group had a lot of fun with the adventure.
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Bren
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Joined: 19 Aug 2010
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Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | Thanks everyone, especially Bren, for sharing your adventures. Cool stuff.
I also ran a Kessel Spice mine adventure I designed when I was 17 or so. But this was before the novels existed to flesh them out. It was pure imagination inspired merely by C-3PO's throw-away line in ANH. OK, it was pure imagination with a little bit of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom thrown in for good measure. I don't remember too many details except the climactic escape from the mines involved a respulsor mine car chase, and the entire group had a lot of fun with the adventure. |
Your welcome!
Partly because of the timing of release, partly because of the Spielberg/Lucas connection, muchly because of Harrison Ford, I find the tone of both series very similar. We often use the sort of things you see in Indiana Jones in our Star Wars campaigns. We even had a few with archaeology/treasure hunts. Perhaps that is another thread topic? |
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TheDoctor
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 27 Dec 2007
Posts: 150
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | Thanks everyone, especially Bren, for sharing your adventures. Cool stuff.
I also ran a Kessel Spice mine adventure I designed when I was 17 or so. But this was before the novels existed to flesh them out. It was pure imagination inspired merely by C-3PO's throw-away line in ANH. OK, it was pure imagination with a little bit of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom thrown in for good measure. I don't remember too many details except the climactic escape from the mines involved a respulsor mine car chase, and the entire group had a lot of fun with the adventure. |
Coincidentally, a lot of my gaming was also when I was 17, and had little to go on but a one liner from the original trilogy.
I don't remember what inspired it, but one of the adventures I wrote took place on Alderaan just before its destruction. While on Alderaan , the PCs see a news flash that Princess Leia's ship had been attacked by pirates and that all were lost. This of course was from Vader's line. Since Alderaan was about to be destroyed unbeknownst to the Player Characters, failing the scenario meant that they ended up lingering on Alderaan while it got blown up!
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Bren
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| TheDoctor wrote: | | Since Alderaan was about to be destroyed unbeknownst to the Player Characters, failing the scenario meant that they ended up lingering on Alderaan while it got blown up! |
Ouch.  Now that's a TPK with a vengeance. |
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garhkal
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| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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The amt of times i have ran games where the pcs end up on alderaan when the DS is about to hit has amazed me. Especially since several were there to
A) get people off planet
B) get items off planet
C) Both.
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Whill
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:00 am Post subject: |
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I designed a epic adventure that takes place right before and during ANH that includes:
The rescue of Ackbar from slavery to Grand Moff Tarkin, which sets off... The battle to liberate the planet Calamari from Imperial occupation, in which Ackbar is instrumental...
Afterwards, Ackbar repays the Rebels who assisted in his planet's liberation by joining the Alliance. He then reveals to them the existence of the Death Star and helps plan the Rebel mission to steal technical plans to the battle station (because if the nearly-completed super-weapon is not destroyed them it will defintely come and destroy Calamari for successfully defying the Empire)...
The PCs are a part of the mission and subsequent battle in which Rebel spies manage to steal the plans to the Death Star and transmit them to Senator Organa's ship. The possiblity that there is an Imperial spy in the Alderaan system monitoring holotransmissions to and from Bail Organa is uncovered during the battle, so Leia Organa is forced to maintain complete holonet silence...
Since the knowledge of the Organas' involvement in the Rebellion is likely compromised and doom is near, Princess Leia races to Tatooine to enlist the aid of a Jedi Master in hiding on her way home to Alderaan, and the PCs are then tasked with rushing news of the events that have transpired to Bail Organa in person... The PCs go to Alderaan (I thought this would be great fun because the players know what is going to happen to the planet in the near future, but they can't metagame because even with knowledge of the existance of the Death Star the PCs would not have any reason to suspect the Empire would blow up a Core World)...
The PCs meet with Bail and his local Alliance covert operations commander Carlist Rieekan, but the investigation to discover the Imperial spy soon leads the PCs (with Rieekan) to the new satellite transmission station in orbit around Alderaan's sister-world Delaya. They eventually neutralize the threat of the spy, but then suddenly the Death Star appears in the system on a direct course for Alderaan! If the PCs urge Rieekan to issue a system-wide evacuation, Rieekan refuses because he fears the evacuation would be admitting to the Empire that the Alliance has knowledge of the Death Star...
Rieekan does however give the PCs permission to leave and sends them on a mission to deliver information to a hidden Rebel base in the Yavin system. When the PCs are taking off they have to deal with some TIE Fighters until the TIEs suddenly high-tail it out of there. Then of course the PCs will try to get the hell out of dodge, Alderaan is destroyed, and have to heroically evade debris from the exploding planet and escape to hyperspace...
They make it to Yavin and tell Commander Willard about everything including Alderaan. He expresses fear that Leia (and the technical data) may be lost if she had returned to Alderaan before the Death Star destroyed the planet. The Millenium Falcon eventually shows up with Princess Leia and the stolen plans. The data is analyzed, a weakness is found by General Dodonna, and an assault on the Death Star was planned. Any PCs capable of flying a starfighter may fly into the Battle of Yavin. The PCs may or may not survive.
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Raven Redstar
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:25 am Post subject: |
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| That sounds like it would be a fun adventure to play in Whill. It's alongside the movies enough that most players will know what's going on, while at the same time, makes the player characters involvement suitably important. Good show! |
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garhkal
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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Sweet... Though wouldn't a planet blowing up screw the gravity in the local area, making hypering out impractical for a few hrs??
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Sweet... Though wouldn't a planet blowing up screw the gravity in the local area, making hypering out impractical for a few hrs?? |
Maybe within the area of the gravity well of the ex-planet, but that effect wouldn't carry beyond the gravity well. Once the ship is far enough away (50 units, IIRC), it would be able to jump normally.
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