Basic Fleet
Combat System
Copyright 1998 by James M. Dugan - All Rights
Reseerved
Any similarity to another game system is purely
coincidental
Intro & General Rules:
BFCS is a Minimalist Game of starship fleet
combat, with an eye to playability.
Use any hex paper, Dice as indicated later on in the rules, pen &
paper as needed, and some type of markers to use as ships.
Ship Stats:
Here's the basic rundown of ship systems and abilities:
Move - How much a ship can accelerate or
decelerate in a turn, given in hexes per turn
Speed - Top speed of the ship, in hexes
per turn
Move and speed combined cannot exceed the tech level limit
of the ship in Build Points
Shields - 1 damage reduces shield for the
remainder of the turn, shields absorb damage, and prevent ship damage
Armor - 1 damage "blows away"
1 armor point, assuming that armor is less than damage received: Armor
absorbs damage that would otherwise damage the ship. Damage less than the
armor value is harmlessly deflected away into space.
Beam - Each BP of beam causes 1 damage point
to the target at range 0. Beams are reduced in damage the farther away
the target is.
Missiles - 1 point of missles provides 10
missiles, each missle's stats are given in the Tech level chart
Countermissile Battery - 1 point provides one Countermissile Battery
Fighters - 1 point of fighters provides
fighters as indicated on the Tech level chart
Hit Dice - Fire control and sensor systems,
you must roll the target's range or greater on them to hit the target.
Stats on the Tech level chart.
Hold - a place to put things
Translight - A system that enables entry
into Superspace, which enables Faster than light travel.
Frame - The bits that hold the ship together,
once it's gone the ship falls apart.
Moving
1) One MOVE allows the ship to change facing direction by one hex side.
2) Three MOVE increases or decreases velocity in a hexrow by one (that
is, change SPEED by one)
3) Top speed is limited to the SPEED value.
4) SPEED is the number of hexes of movement a unit can move in a turn,
not including changes of facing.
5) Speed at the end of the turn is the speed at the beginning of the
next turn.
6) Speed remains the same from turn to turn, unless MOVE is used
to change SPEED.
7) Ships with more than Basic Manuever Capacity can increase SPEED in
a direction they are not facing.
![[Image of ship facings ]](Mnuver.gif)
Ships with Basic Manuver can only apply thrust in direction "D"
to increase SPEED. Ships with Standard Manuever can apply thrust in directions
"D" and "C" to increase SPEED. Ships with Advanced
Manuever can apply thrust in directions "B", "C", and
"D" to increase SPEED. Ships that have Reverse Thrusters installed
can add speed in direction "A".
8) To Decrease SPEED, you apply thrust in the direction you wish to
decrease speed in. Rule "7" above applies in reverse in this
case.
9) Velocity or SPEED is kept track of by means of noting each turns
SPEED in each of the three primary directions. This may be done by noting
it on the ship's System Card, or by use of chits in smaller games.
10) Each turn, unless engines are used, the ship will move it's SPEED
worth of hexes in each of the three primary directions.
11) Movement for each ship takes place in this order -
A) Rotate, if desired, in present hex
B) Velocity Changes - if used - to modify SPEED in primary directions
C) Use ship SPEED to move ship to new hex
D) Rotate, if desired, to new direction
12) The primary directions are relative, but they are in the directions
of the three hexes in the front of the defenders lead ship. They should
be marked on the map at the beginning of the game. You may also use markers.
Combat
What you can hit -
Each weapon has an arc, limited by the arc of the hex paper - target
must be in the arc. Missiles have no such limitation.
Firing Arcs -
FWD or FA - the front
Rear or RA - the back
LF or PF(Port Fwd) - the hex side on the left front
RF or SF(Starboard Fwd) - the hex side on the right front
LR or PR(Port Rear) - The hex side on the left rear
RR or SR(Starboard Rear) - the hex side on the right rear
Ships are aligned to hex sides, not splines.
Beams degrade by the amount given on the Tech Level chart. If the weapon
has "0" damage by the time it gets to the target, then there's
little point to shooting.
Missiles have limited range (given on the Tech Level chart), target
must be within the range of the missile.
Hitting the target -
Roll the indicated dice, result must be target's range or greater
Targetting Limitations -
You can only shoot a number of Beams as you have hit dice - each die
can only be rolled for a single shot.
You may roll several dice for a single shot, but those dice cannot be
reused that turn for another shot.
Missilles are not limited, they are "fire and forget" as far
as the crew is concerned.
Countermissile -
Countermissile has it's own hit dice (given in the Tech Level charts).
Coutermissile must fire last.
Countermissile may fire at ANY target, fighters and missiles are
destroyed by a hit.
Countermissile does one point of damage against ships.
If Countermissile is successful, it destroys ONE incoming missile
or fighter, or does damage as outlined above.
Damage Allocation -
Once a ship is hit, If damage is less than shield value, no damage is
done.
Shield value equal to damage done is marked off, but back online at
the beginning of the next turn.
If damage is greater than shields, shields are down, and must be repaired.
Damage in excess of shield value is applied to armor (if any).
If damage is less than armor, no damage occurs, except for shield loss.
If damage is greater than armor, then all damage greater than Armor
value does damage - roll on damage allocation chart (or use alternate damage
allocation).
If armor is penetrated, then reduce armor value by one.
If desired, you may allow a shot to exhaust all of one component (if
there is sufficient damage to do so) instead of rolling for each point
of damage.
If the result on the table is for a system that doesn't exist, or is
totally destroyed, drop down the chart to the next item.
An Alternative system could be to dispense with rolling for damage altogether,
and arranging the ship diagram in an order of things to be hit. Once a
hit penetrates, mark off the damage until all systems or penetrating damage
is exhausted.
Hit Chart -
Use a D10 to determine hit location for each
shot that penetrates:
| 1 |
roll again for
system, and
drop that system
one tech level -
if system is TL 1,
system is destroyed
|
| 2 |
Translight |
| 3 |
Hold |
| 4 |
Missiles -
10 of them
|
| 5 |
Beam |
| 6 |
Speed |
| 7 |
Move |
| 8 |
Dice |
| 9 |
Fighter |
| 10 |
Frame |
Effects of Damage:
Move - Loose use of 1 move point
Speed - Top Speed reduced by one point
Shield - Shields must be penetrated to cause
ship damage, once penetrated, shields must be repaired
Armor - Armor must be penetrated to damage
the ship, it's all gone once penetrated, and must be replaced
Beam - No matter the power of the beam,
one hit takes out one weapon
Missiles - One hit takes out ten missiles
Countermissile - Loose one battery
Fighters - One hit takes out a flight of
fighters aboard ship (in space is different)
Hit Dice - Hit dice roll is dropped to next
lower die for each hit (ie 1D8 drops to 1D6).
Hold - Hold and contents is destroyed, may
be recovered in RPG's with successful salvage roll
Translight - One hit destroys the capacity
to go Faster than light.
Frame - One point of frame is destroyed
per hit, once you have no more frame, the ship is destroyed, salvage possible
in RPG's
Miscellanious Stuff -
Fighters -
Fighters have limited duration - given in the Tech Level Charts
All other stats are also given in the Tech Level Charts.
Fighters may exchange a BP of weapons for missiles, and vice versa.(done
before play)
Fighters may also exchange Speed for Move (done before play)
Missiles -
Have limited range, and minimal hit dice.
Stats are given in the Tech Level Chart.
Each Missile rolls it's own hit die to determine a hit
Missiles are fired the same time as any other weapons.
Longevity-
Maximum Sensor Range-
Maximum Range that anything can be sensed at is: Maximium
Hit dice total squared
Example: Hit dice are 3d6 - max range would
be 324 hexes
Tech Level Chart
The costs (in Build points -BP) are for nations in that tech level.
If you're in a low tech level, you must buy them from a high tech level
race, or go without. You cannot produce high tech level weapons until your
nation reaches that tech level.
Unless on the chart, cost is 1 (ie shield, move and speed
is cost 1 at all Tech Levels).
| Tech Level >> |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
Translight
BP
|
20
|
20
|
18
|
16
|
14
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
10
|
|
Max Fraction of
BUILD POINTS
of Move + Speed
|
1/2
|
1/2
|
1/2
|
3/5
|
3/5
|
3/5
|
3/4
|
3/4
|
4/5
|
|
Shields - Damage
per BP
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
|
Armor - Damage
per BP
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
Beam - Hexes
to Loose One
Damage Point
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
|
Beam - Damage
Per BP
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
Cost - 1d4
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
0
|
|
Cost - 1d6
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1
|
1
|
0.5
|
|
Cost - 1d8
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1
|
|
Cost - 1d10
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1.5
|
|
Cost - 1d12
|
9
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
|
Cost - 1d20
|
12
|
10
|
9
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
|
Hit Dice -
Max Fraction
of BP
|
1/4
|
1/4
|
1/4
|
1/4
|
1/3
|
1/3
|
1/3
|
1/2
|
1/2
|
|
# of Fighters
per BP
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
|
Fighters - # of
Turns Endurance
|
10
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
12
|
14
|
14
|
15
|
15
|
|
Countermissile
Hit DIce
|
1d4
|
1d4
|
1d6
|
1d6
|
1d8
|
1d8
|
1d10
|
1d10
|
1d12
|
|
Missiles -
Standard
Range
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
|
Missiles -
Standard
Damage
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
|
Missiles-
Hit Dice
|
d8
|
d8
|
d10
|
d10
|
d12
|
d12
|
d20
|
d20
|
d20
|
|
Hold -
Cost
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
0
|
0
|
|
Frame -
Cost
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1
|
1
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
|
Ratio of
Build points
to frame units@
|
10
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
14
|
14
|
16
|
16
|
20
|
@ - to find the required number of frame units, divide the final
BP by the number given on the chart, and round any fractions up to the
next whole number. Frame cost is # of frame units times the frame cost
- add this to get the final cost...
Ship Classes - These are subject to change,
as the game progresses...
|
Type
|
BP RANGE
|
Description
|
|
Escort
|
30 to 45
|
Screening vessels
and scouts
(cannon fodder)
|
|
Cruiser
|
80 to 130
|
Stnd Patrol Vessel
Smallest ship with FTL
|
|
Destroyer
|
40 to 200
|
Short ranged - Heavy Firepower
usually no FTL, Fighter compliments
are often included
|
|
Dreadnought
|
100 to 200
|
Short Ranged - High Firepower
FTL, but limited refitting facilities
|
|
Battleship
|
150 to 300
|
Command ship, Has everything
|
Creator's Notes -
The idea was to keep it simple, while still providing a system that
was involved enough to enable a Campaign or Role playing capacity.
Hexes are large enough (a light minute?) to justify a speed limitiation
(since top speed is limited by the exhaust velocity) and a long enough
turn (?) to justify relatively few hexes between targets.
Example Ships:
Minimal Ship: Tech Level 1 - 10 BP
1 move, 1 speed (2 BP)
2 shield (2 BP)
1 missile (1 batch of ten) (1 BP)
1 beam (1 BP) - Fwd Arc
2 BP for 1d4
2 BP for a 1 frame
Minimal ship - Diagram - 10 BP
MOVE - O
SPEED - O
SHLD - OO
MISSILES - OOOOOOOOOO
BEAM - O (FA) - 1
FRAME - O
HD - 1D4
Escort: TL 1 - 36 BP
2 move, 2 speed (4 BP)
4 shields (4 BP)
2 missles (2 BP) 20 missiles total
10 beam (10 BP) - Fwd Arc
1 Hold (1 BP)
3d6 hit dice (9 BP)
Require 3 frame @ 2 BP each - 6 BP
Escort Diagram - 36 BP