space opera - Space 2340

SPACE:2340

copyright Ó John Stevens

Campaign Universe and Ground Rules

General Description: The Merchant Space Vessel Gyrfalcon is discovered drifting in space. The Computer Data banks are empty as is the cargo hold. The crew has vanished, although faint traces of a fight can be found aboard. The PCs are the heirs of the crew and as the ship was owned by the entire crew jointly, they now own the vessel. But what happened aboard the Gyrfalcon and if the crew is dead as the Patrol believes then where are the bodies? And if it was Pirates then why wasn't the ship taken, or at least stripped for parts? And why was the Data bank drained? For that matter what was the Gyrfalcon carrying that was so important?
Known alien races: Blarads (Ursoids), Rau'woof (Canines), MekPurr (Felines), Irsol (Humaniods), Whistlers (Avians), Hissss'ist (Saurians), the Bugs (Insectiods), plus minor racial types such as Pithecines and several varient Humaniod types.
Home World: Brittania ( Procyon IV )
Affiliation: Terran Union, full member

Star-Nations:

Terran Union	A federation of worlds governed according to democratic principles.
Rim Worlds Confederacy	A loose association of independant worlds.
Azuriach Imperium	A racist human empire dedicated to conquest.
Mercantile League	A mercantile society dedicated to free trade.
Blarad StarKingdom	A feudal empire dedicated to loyalty and honor.
Lords of the MekPurr	A feudal society based on clan loyalty and expansion.
Galactic Peoples Republic	A socialist empire dedicated to marxism.
The Bugs	A hive society of unknown goals.
Irsol StarCities	A society of scientific wanderers.
Rau'woof Republics	An association of democractic worlds.
Avaan Oligarchy	A small nation of unclear goals.
Invincible Realm of Hissss'Tah	A hegemony devoted to communism.
Trojan Empire	A small beligerent nation of arrogant racists.

Level of Technology: Within the Terran Union most worlds are at Tech 9 however the newer colonies may evidence a lower level of development though never below Tech 6 and rarely below Tech 7.The other StarNations have achieved at least Tech 7 and most are Tech 8 or 9.
Communications: FTL radios offer instantaneous communication but are quite limited in range with a maximum of about 5 light years for the big planetside transmitters and 1 light year for the best shipmounted systems.
Starship Speeds : Big warships average about 18.5 LY per day, while the small FTL Scouts can reach a maximum of 55. Most civilian vessels average about 20.
Shipboard Combat: Most ranged combat is done with pistols or occassionally carbines heavier weapons rarely come into play in the short, twisting corridors of a starship. Once they are within hand-to-hand range most combatants switch to bladed weapons, this is a holdover from the days when all fighting was bladed out of fear of explosive decompression, although starship hulls are now quite strong enough to withstand even the heaviest hand weapons the tradition remains.

Recommendations from the GM

Don't create a character who will have difficulty working in a group. ( Yes, I know this is basic common sense, but you would be surprised at how often I've seen players ignore it.)
Consider the role on the team that you want your character to fill, and make sure he's fully capable in that area before you start throwing points all over the place, Sure you want your character to be well-rounded but a Pilot, or a Doctor, or an Engineer has to be able to get his job done first, your teammates are depending on you.
Before you start, think about what jobs need to be filled to make a well-rounded team. Besides the previously mentioned pilot, doctor, and engineer how about a merchant to find the cargoes that will put money in your pockets, food in the synthesizer, and fuel in the tanks. Or the rogue who can slip into all the right backalleys and come up with the information that can spell the difference between success and disaster.
Last but most important let me, the GM, know what kind of adventures you, the Players, would like to see. I'll do the best I can, but the more information you give me about what you want, the more I can give it to you, and the better campaign it will be for all of us.

Timeline of Key Events

2001	The first practical Nuclear-powered Reaction Drive is developed. Monatomic Hydrogen propellant gives an exhaust speed of 18 miles per second, and .001 G acceleration rates.
2005	Dr. William Sanderson develops the first Xenon Nuclear Damper Shield.
2009	Following the 'Wet-Firecracker War' the United Planet government is formed on Earth.
2025	The Markheim-Hasagawa Trans-Gravitic Interphased Sub-Light Anomaly Drive ( or TISA Drive ) is developed from the examination of a severely mauled Bug Stardestroyer discovered 14 years earlier.This allows constant acceleration at up to .5 LS per minute per minute (pmpm).
2028	The first L-5 city is completed.
2029	The colonization of the OutPlanets begins.
2036	Lasers replace slugthrowers as the primary weapon system used by humanity.
2048	Ortega, Blackwell, and Charenkov develop the Hyperdrive. Initial speed is .013 light years per day, but this increases dramatically in short order, reaching 3.26 light years per day by the turn of the century.
2057	The first 100,000 t. Pathfinder arrives at Alpha Centauri.
2059	The Ganymede Terraforming Project is successful.
2064	The Pure Earthers gain a majority in the UP Assembly.
2065	The Exodus begins as the Hyperdrive provides escape from the rigid, small-minded policies of the Pure Earthers.
2098	Sulu, West, and Wildstar develop the NovaGun from Forerunner artifacts discovered on Algol V.
2112	West refines the NovaGun into the Blaster.
2120	The Freedom Jump allows over 20 million people to escape from the Pure Earth Tyranny to the distant North American Nebula over an 11 year period.
2136	As conditions on the colonies worsen, and the Pure Earth policies become more and more unjust, the Colonies revolt overthrowing their Terran Governors and forming the High Republic.
2137	Terra is forced to sign the Treaty of Tycho recognizing the soveriegnty of the High Republic.
2139	Scott and Sheridan develop the first Fusion Reactor. Hyperdrive speeds reach 25 light years per day, and TISA Drive accelleration rates reach 3 LS pmpm.
2140	The Mercantilist Dispersion begins.
2142	The Azuriach Common Market of Worlds (ACM) is formed in the Deneb Sector.
2159	The Galactic Peoples Republic (GPR) is formed by SovWorld dissedents.
2165	The Pure Earth government collapses setting the stage for the rise of the Covenantists.
2185	The Imperial Party begins to gain power within the High Republic.
2190	The Galactic Union of the High Republic is formed by the Imperial Party.
2195	The League of Free Mercantile Planets is formed in the Antares Sector.
2198	The 1st Interstellar War ( Galactic Union vs GPR ) begins, within 7 years the Mercantile League is drawn into the conflict.
2210	Richard Ower rises to power in the ACM, the Azuriach Imperium is formed.
2215	The 1st Interstellar War ends as the Bug raids force the the Union, GPR, and League to unite against the insectiods.
2218	The First Bug Raid ends.
2223	Riker and Nelson develop the MegaBolt Carronade for use against the Bugs.
2229	The 2nd Interstellar War ( GPR vs Azuriachs ) begins, it ends 5 years later with a small Azuriach victory.
2236	The 3rd Interstellar War ( Azuriachs vs the canine Rau'aarlu ) begins.
2253	Fleet Admiral J.L. Picard's 275th Heavy Task Force destroys the Rau'aarlu home world with a PlanetBuster missile, breaking the back of the canine military.
2254	The Second Bug Raid begins, it lasts untill 2269.
2255	The 3rd Interstellar War ends with the Azuriachs complete conquest of the Deneb Sector.
2263	Robinson, LaForge, and Zarkov develop the Anti-Matter Powerplant. Hyperdrive speeds reach 50+ light years per day, TISA Drive accelleration rate reaches 6 LS pmpm.
2275	The Terran Union is formed according to the Principles of the Covenant.
	A Terran explorer under the command of CruiserCaptain B.A. Sisko makes contact with a group of lost colonies in the North American Nebula.
2276	Fearing attack from the Pure Earthers the lost colonies form the Rim Worlds Confederacy. It is some years before they learn of the sweeping changes the last 150 years have brought on Humanity.
2281	The Third Bug Raid begins.
2299	The Azuriach Imperium lays down the first of the million ton Imperial Battlestars. Following severe maulings in the 4th Interstellar War, the Terran Union counters with the even more massive Concordat Battlestars in 2335.
2310	The Third Bug Raid ends.
2312	The 4th Interstellar War ( GPR vs Azuriachs ) begins, within four years the Terran Union and the Rauwoof Republics are dragged into the conflict, then the MekPurr in 2328. The war ends inconclusively in 2331.
2338	Garibaldi, O'Brien, and MacLeod develop the variable effect Plasma Gun. It is adopted by Elite units within the Terran Union Starforces.

Technical Specs

Starnation	Tech Level	Primary Weapons	Secondary Weapons
Terran Union	Tech 9	Blasters	Lasers
Rim Worlds Confederacy	Tech 8	Lasers	Lasers
Azuriach Imperium	Tech 9	Blasters	Lasers
Mercantile League	Tech 9	Recoilless	Lasers
Blarad StarKingdom	Tech 8	Blasters	Lasers
Lords of the Mek Purr	Tech 9	Blasters	Lasers
Galactic Peoples Republic	Tech 9	Blasters	Lasers
The Bugs	Tech 8	Blasters	Flamers
Irsol StarCities	Tech 9	Energy Disrupters	Blasters
Rau'woof Republics	Tech 8	Recoilless	Recoilless
Avaan Oligarchy	Tech 7	Lasers	Lasers
Invincible Realm of Hissss'Tah	Tech 8	Blasters	Blasters
Trojan Empire	Tech 7/8	Recoilless	Lasers