Starship Valkyrie

Starship Valkyrie

Version 2.04

October 4th, 2013

by Christian Brown

All Rights Reserved

Introduction

This version of the rules for Starship Valkyrie is much closer to complete. It includes character creation instructions, combat rules, Abilities and instructions for Consoles, as well as additional character types, drug cards, wound and recovery cards, science experiment tiles, and 'enemy decks' for combat. There is a smattering of world background, however, and it is still missing the many supplemental materials (damage deck, initiative deck, radiation markers, falling debris, malfunction deck, etc) that are needed to play a full game of Starship Valkyrie. Overall, this release is a moderately good tool for learning to play Starship Valkyrie, and an inadequate one for figuring out how to run one.

This is probably the last major (review everything, edit everything, add lots of new stuff) release of Starship Valkyrie. From her out new releases of the rules will be smaller and will focus on a single area of gameplay.

Personal thanks to Robert Prag, Lisa Schaefer, Rob McDiarmid, and Alejandro Komai for their enthusiastic support over the last three years. Thanks also to the players like Laura Bishop, Blake Mayer and Jason Hutchins for breathing new life into game. If you've played, even once, thank you, too.

Finally, I'd like to dedicate this version of the rules to my wife Roselle, who creates the consoles and does so much more.

General Rules

When there are multiple advantages, apply the least effective bonus or advantage FIRST, and the most effective bonus or advantage LAST.

Character Abilities

If, in the course of play, something happens to cancel or block one or more of your Abilities, that does not affect your pre-requisites. Ex; you lose all your Abilities except for Starfighter Maneuvers. Starfighter Maneuvers has a pre-req of Shuttle Pilot, which you no longer have. That doesn't matter - Starfighter maneuvers will work normally.

Some Abilities may be renewed. This means that the Ability acts as though it had not previously been used.

An Ability that is Exhausted acts as though it has been used normally, whether it has been used or not. For example, a mind attack that "exhausts" all the Tactical or Psi Abilities of the target.

Coin Flips

When a coin flip is called for, HEADS is always good for the individual depending on the outcome; TAILS is always bad.

To be a legal flip, the coin must turn end over end in the air and land on a flat surface. If it hits the floor, it must be reflipped.

Refereeing

DAISS Control

The Referee at DAISS Control should not allow enemy ships to focus fire and combine their damage unless specifically requested to do so by the GM. Ideally, when a single timer is used for multiple ships, the enemy should give a 'rolling fire' that impacts the player ship once every few seconds, allowing the players to react and resolve damage between attacks. Obviously, this requires the referee to use his or her own discretion. The important thing for the referee to understand that they are not obligated by the rules of the game to allocate all damage immediately, without interruption.

Timing

Away Missions take time to resolve. Especially when they involve an investigation, serious decision-making or adjudication of combat. Although it is permissible to 'freeze time' in one part of the game in order to allow another part of the game to catch up, this is not ideal. Another solution is to skip over things that would take time to do but which involve no player action. For example, if the players are flying to the away mission location unopposed, and it will take them 5 minutes to get there, start the away mission immediately but don't allow them to report to their command center for 5 minutes. If an effort is made to telescope elapsed time down where practical, it will help to make up for the fact that other things seem to take longer than they should.

Character Creation

Starship Valkyrie

New characters are built with 10 character points. Players generally receive a character point for each game they participate in. These points may then be used to improve their characters. Each skill point costs one Character Point, which grants one Ability.

To be complete, a character needs to have the following:

1. Type

2. Rank

3. Allocate remaining points to Skills

4. Select Abilities

New characters may not choose a rank above Ensign.

The Captain of your ship may have additional character creation guidelines.

Point Caps are listed on the Card for the Type.

Character Background

Background information of Valkyrie characters is intentionally sparse. Nevertheless, if you want to help determine your character's background, answer the following questions and send them to the GM:

Where does your character originate from?

Earth.

Tau Ceti. Cetians only.

Sirius Protectorate. An orbital station of 10,000 people.

Mars Protectorate. A city network of one million.

Kapteyn's Star. A long-established military starbase of a few thousand.

Epsilon Eridani. A planetary colony of several million.

Stein 2051. A MaxiCorp mining colony.

Omicron Base. A planetary base with a biodome and a few hundred inhabitants.

How does your character feel about the Earth Republic? Most are patriotic supporters of the institution that eliminated war and hunger in the 22nd Century. If you aren't a patriotic supporter, why not?

How does your character feel about the World Church? The World Church is more of a civic organization than a spiritual one. Most appreciate the World Church as an institution actively promoting tolerance of all faiths, even if they aren't religious themselves.

Name a single defining incident of your life, if you want to. No details are needed at this time. The death of a parent or sibling, for example, joining the Star Navy, or leaving home.

Name an interesting idea that you are working out, if you want to. You are not stating a commitment to this idea. In fact, you may be challenging it. Loyalty versus Principles, for example, the meaning of Honor, or Betrayal and Forgiveness, for example.

Name a simple, ongoing goal for your character, if you want to. Make friends, do your best, save the Earth, become spiritual, explore the unknown or command a ship of your own are examples.

Traits

A Trait is a fact about your character which could be good or bad. It might be a personality trait, like loyalty, or an addition to combat drugs. Traits that are entirely negative raise cost nothing and raise the point cap on your character by one. So, a 25 point character could accept an 'old wound' negative trait for no cost, and raise his or her point cap to 26.

The Trait Skill Category should always accurately reflect the point total so that the CP expenditures add up correctly. This means that a character could have a zero in the Skill, even though her or she has multiple traits.

Not all Traits are negative. Positive Traits cost 1 CP, just like Abilities.

Character Name

The Earth still has problems, but sexism and racism are things of the past century. People are encouraged to intermarry, or to foster and keep their own culture, as they prefer. A common naming formulation for Valkyrie characters is a unisex first name, followed by a culturally significant or international last name. Examples;

Holland Kwan

Indigo Zoric

Jesse Barwegen

Jordan Kaluža

Another acceptable form is to have an intercultural name, such as:

Carmen Liu

Artyom Ma

James Kurosawa

Dumaka Nejem

Hasanati Lennox

Character Backgrounds are written in the second person voice ("You were born...") as a story about the character's life so far, usually bringing them up to the point that they joined the Star Navy. Backgrounds should be about 100 to 110 words.

Here are some sample character Backgrounds:

Sample Personal Background 1

You were raised on Earth as a patriotic citizen of the Earth Republic, and a believer in the good work of the World Church.

As a child you read Cetian literature which is dream-like and inspired. To Earth-people, Cetians seem very religious or spiritual. You aren't sure how to explain them, but you appreciate their culture.

You have been practicing Psychronalogistic techniques for several years. You joined the Star Navy when the war with the Praezorians broke out last year. You just want to do what you can to ease the suffering of the men and women of the Earth Republic Star Navy.

Sample Personal Background 2

You were raised on Earth as a patriotic citizen of the Earth Republic. You are the first of your family to enter the Earth Republic Star Navy and you have worked hard to make a name for yourself in the service. You've worked your way up through the various grades of tactical officer to get where you are now. It is unlikely that you'll ever command a Destroyer like Valkyrie, however. Star Navy Destroyers are only given to Captains who have influence back on Earth.

You have served in the Earth Republic Star Navy for 15 years, and were promoted to Commander a year ago. You've just been transferred to Valkyrie.

Sample Personal Background 3

You were raised on Earth as a patriotic citizen of the Earth Republic and your family has a strong tradition of military service. Your father made Lieutenant on the ERS Hydra before retiring. You joined the Star Navy six years ago, and recently requested to transfer to the Valkyrie, to serve with your brother Rorie.

Defending the Earth Republic in the Star Navy is the greatest honor there is. You strive to be worthy of that honor every day.

Your brother Rorie was killed in action a few months ago, but you let the transfer go through. You're proud to serve on the same ship he did.

Character Creation Instructions

Create a new character or respec an existing character using these rules. 1 Ability costs 1 Character Point as always, and new characters start with 10 CP.

If you are respecing an existing character, do not change the background or the character's basic type. For example, do not change them from a human to a Cetian.

If you want to create a character that isn't human, Cetian, half-Cetian robot or Cyborg, you need both Captain and GM approval. (Technically, all characters require Captain approval.)

Next step: Build your character, print it, and cut out the cards. Your cards should print out to 3.5 inches high by 2.5 inches wide. Make sure the entire text of the Ability appears on each card. Bring your printed character to the game.

If you want a copy of your current character built with the old rules, just email me. I'll send it to you as an attachment.

If you need to know the number of banked CP you have, let me know.

If you need help developing your character, there are several players on your ship who have studied the rules carefully and can assist you.

Character Creation Clarifications

1. This will be a messy process. No one will be penalized for making mess. A second respec will be allowed for characters that get built wrong because the rules weren't clear. You will not need to qualify for the second respec - if you want it, you can have it.

2. The basic - advanced - expert ability notation will be awesome, but is currently broken. The appearance of the word basic, advanced or expert on your ability card currently means nothing in and of itself.

3. Pay attention to pre-reqs at the bottom of the character card. This matters, and will be enforced. Some abilities have a pre-req, meaning you must take certain abilities before you can get others.

3.1 If a pre-req is fairly obvious, but seems to be missing, please observe it. (Ex; Telepathy requires you to be Cetian or some other telepathic race.) If pre-reqs are not obvious (I'm a Cyborg, how many robot abilities do I get?) then there are no limits for now.

4. The only limits on what Abilities you can take are the explicit ones. That is, point caps on each skill group. If you want to take 8 personality abilities, knock yourself out.

5. These are the skill categories now.

Tactical: 0

Piloting: pilot skills are now their own category.

Combat: 0

Engineering: 0

Machinery: 0

Science: 0

Psi: telepathy, etc. no longer makes you great at Science.

Medical: 0

Personality: being unstable no longer makes you great at Science.

6. Remember to print out your own character and bring it to the game. We have not done it this way before, so please check with everyone else and make sure they understand what to do.

Name: Character Template
Type: Human
Org: Earth Republic Star Navy
Rank: Crewman
Assignment: Engineering Section
Skills
Tactical: 0
Piloting: 0
Combat: 0
Engineering: 0
Machinery: 0
Science: 0
Psi: 0
Medical: 0
Traits: 0
Total CP Value: 10 /
Name: Character Template
Special Abilities
* (Rank Ability - doesn't count toward skills)
Abilities should appear in the book in the same order as the skills. All Tactical Abilities first, then all Piloting Abilities, etc.
Abilities should appear in the book in the same order as the special ability list. / Personal Background:
Template for Cyborg
You were raised on Earth as a patriotic citizen of the Earth Republic, and a believer in the good work of the World Church.
2
You were badly injured at... After the cybernetic implantation surgery you were given extensive rehabilitation at Indoc Center Five.
4
5
Personal Background:
Template for Cetian
You are a Cetian. You were raised on Tau Ceti...
...the Ceremony of Klaz...
...your people prize harmony...
...you joined the Star Navy...
You love your homeworld of Tau Ceti and plan to return one day. When you do, you expect a warm welcome from your fas'hil, and to see the Pools of Klazik again. / Personal Background:
Template for Robot
You are an Android. Your personality was initialized and installed in a robot body at...
You have a rank of crewman, but you should obey orders from any human within the chain of command.
You were given the nickname of "Tenet" by... / Personal Background:
Template for Human
You were raised on Earth as a patriotic citizen of the Earth Republic, and a believer in the good work of the World Church.
2
3
4
5
Humanoid - Health Loss
If reduced to 0 Health you are immediately helpless, and will die in 3 minutes if you do not receive medical attention.
You may not use any Abilities while at 0 Health. They are limited to moving their head and speaking in a low voice. It is always permissible to inform a medical character what your current health total is.
After your 'death timer' runs down to zero your character is clinically dead. Do not announce this generally. Report to a GM and tell them where your body is. / Cyborg - Health Loss
If reduced to 0 Health you are immediately helpless, and will die in 3 minutes if you do not receive medical attention.
You may not use any Abilities while at 0 Health. They are limited to moving their head and speaking in a low voice. It is always permissible to inform a medical character what your current health total is.
After your 'death timer' runs down to zero your character is clinically dead. Do not announce this generally. Report to a GM and tell them where your body is. / Robot - Health Loss
If reduced to 0 Health you are rendered inert. You cannot communicate or use any Abilities. You are not aware of your surroundings. Inform a GM of where your deactivated robot-body is.
You may be repaired as long as your body is recoverable.
Robot repairs are performed by an engineer in the Machine Shop of a technical facility.

Combat System