Part I: ------- Silent Death Questions and Answers Rules Clarifications Contributed by Scott MacGregor (Scott_MacGregor@ocdsb.edu.on.ca) Here's the Q&A session Don sent me . If anyone else has any rules questions or knows of answers / clarifications to rules questions (not listed here of course), please send them to the list or to me and I'll add them... Silent Death: The Next Millennium 1) Ramming Q: In a ramming attempt, since it is essentially a piloting duel/dodge, does the pilot of one, both or neither ship lose his/her cannon attacks that round as one would in a torpedo dodge attempt? A: The attacking (Ramming) ship loses its attack, unless the Firing Multiple Cannons optional rule is in effect. 2) Torpedoes Q: Say a ship is hit by five MK 10s, and a MK 30. When damage is rolled on the 12 sided die, does the take its damage reduction from each of the die rolls? A: Normally damage reduction only comes off the total damage. You may use sequential torp resolution to have DR come off each torpedo. In this case the DR drops between impacts, if lowered by the damage track or a critical hit. Q: Can regular fighter point defense be used when moving into a hex containing a torpedo targeted on the moving ship? A: No Q: Since every other weapon system is subject to a die(dice) roll to hit or lock on, why doesn't a torpedo? What makes them so smart to always hit if not prevented while other weapons controlled by gunner or computer are still at the mercy of a polyhedric random event? A: You can: dodge torps, jam torps, decoy torps, point defense torps, shoot torps, out run torps. Torps are a limited resource, and have their own symbol on the weapon chart. With optional rules: you can trick them into asteroids, escape their tracking cones, run them through a Warhounds point defense area, and evade them for their entire duration. 3) Missiles Q: When resolving missile attacks - the rules in "Next Millennium" state on pg 63 under "Missile Results Phase" that "When resolving damage, use the High damage code rules, but add 1 point of damage for each missile fired." The example given is incomplete - breaking down a missile hit of 5 dice where the rolls are 3, 4, 4, 5, and 3. What if the roll was 3, 4, 5, 5, and 5. According to the high damage code it should be three 5's + 5 - a total of 20 damage. It seems a bit excessive. However, if the damage is only 10 - that seems rather minimal. My thoughts go back to the old rules when you just add the high dice which would make this particular roll 15 damage (an excellent missile roll and pretty rare at that.) Please clarify. A: The damage on 3, 4, 5, 5, and 5 would be 20. If one of the missiles was knocked down by PD and the roll was 3, 4, 5, and 5. the damage would be 14. Q: Why is a ship able to loose 1d6 missiles, but unable to fire salvos of 4, 6, or eight missiles? A: The reason a ship can loose d6 missiles on a crit is because there is a 1 in 6 chance to loose two shots instead of one. 4) Point Defense Q: My point defense is 1-7(3). The rules state (on page 75 under Limited Defenses) that "The number in brackets next to the ship's point defense kill spread is the number of torps or missile salvos that the ship can use its point defenses against each turn." Does this mean that in one turn I can fire at two torpedoes and reserve the last shot for one missile salvo? Or does it mean that I can either attack up to 3 torpedoes or up to 3 missile salvos - no mixing and matching? A: See page 74 under Point Defense vs Missiles. "A Ship can use its point defense system against incoming missiles, too, provided that the point-defense system was not already used that turn (i.e. against torps during the Torp Results Phase)." You may not hold over unused point defense abilities. You cannot use 1-7(3) twice against torps in the Torp Results Phase, and then once again during the Missile Results Phase. No mixing and matching. 5) Fighter Construction Q: Noting limits on total weapons systems for escorts, and not remembering any on smaller ships, will there be a rules addenda? A: Probably. Renegades 1) Renegades Salvage Claws Q: Can Brood use Jump Pods when caught in Salvage Claws? A: No, the pods are not able to move the extra mass. Q: What are the effect of Salvage claws on escorts? A: Salvage claws may not be used between 2 escorts, they would be destroyed. Any ship engaging an escort with Salvage Claws will be hit by the escorts Point Defence Battery. Escorts are not slowed if caught by salvage claws. Escorts are always considered to be the faster vehicle if caught by salvage claws. Q: When and how often may a ship with a grappling claw make an automatic grab of a friendly ship? A: At the same time it would normally make an attack with the same weapon. Once per turn. Sunrunners Q: Where are the miniatures for the Curtis Shuttle and Borax Freighter? A: There are no miniatures for the Curtis Shuttle or the Borax Freighter, and there are none planned. Warhounds 1) Warhound Damage & Damage Tracks Q: The escort damage track key mentions the box with the arch on top is to be treated as if the Damage Reduction was 1 higher. I read this as an addition to the DR purchased in construction so that an escort with a 3 in the DR diamond has an effective DR of 4. Am I right? A: Incorrect. Each ship has the DR purchased. Each box has an additional point of damage reduction. eg. If an escort has DR of 5, and takes 30 points of damage, you subtract 5 for the DR, lowering the damage to 25. Now as each box has 1 point of DR, mark off 17 boxes, leaving one point of damage unresolved. That point is lost, it does not mark of the arch on the next box. Boxes repaired do not repair the additional DR per box. Q: Is it legitimate to kill crew from no-functional weapons? A: Yes. Q: When fighter bays have crew boxes for people that are actually on a launched fighter, is it legitimate to kill their crew station rather than a functional crew member? A: No. Just like you can't destroy a torp that has already been fired. 2) Warhound Weaponry Q: How does the Constellation get away with missile launchers with 30 missiles when all of the construction rules do not go higher than 20 missiles? Am I right in assuming the cost and slots values just keep going up in the same pattern as they do for the smaller launchers? I ask this because I had envisioned larger missiles stores for ships to conserve on crew and computer resources instead of having lots of small launchers competing for those valuable commodities. A: No official values for higher than 20 missiles are available. Q: The pilot of an escort cannot legally operate Salvage Claws or a Tractor Beam. If built into an escort, I assume a gunner will operate them. Is there still a restriction on the arcs available? A: No. 3) Warhound Captain Dice Q: Do these apply only to attacks? If no, how do they apply? A: They were intended for weapon rolls. You may also subtract them from lock on attempts. Q: Are they available once per game, once per turn, every roll? A: Once per turn. Q: Can the Captain's dice be used to add damage to a torpedo attack? A: No. Q: Are captains dice multiplied on Keel cannons etc. A: No, the Captain's die is added on after all other damage modifiers. 4) Warhound Damage Control Q: Is escort damage control like fighters (repairs only last until the end of the current battle) or are the boxes repaired permanently within the stated restrictions (ie. damage reduction, crew, crits, & box armor)? A: They are repaired permanently within the stated restrictions. 5) Warhound Point Defense Q: When and for how long must an Escort shut down its Point Defense Batteries in a quadrant to dock ships? A: Only on the turn the ship is docking. Q: Does point defense take effect while the escort is moving? A: Yes. Q: What do escort class Point-Defense Batteries attack? A: Any object that enters its field of fire. This includes Missiles, Torpedoes, friendly and enemy ships. Warhounds p15 column 1 line 4 of game mechanics strike "enemy". Note: a Warhound P-DB system will not fire at torpedoes it launched on the turn it launched them. 7) Warhound Fighter Bays/ Special Equipment Q: Any limit on the number of fighters launching from fighter bays per turn? A: No, one fighter may launch from each fighter bay during the same turn, and each bay may house only one fighter at a time. Q: Fighter bays - carrying smaller fighters - 1 per bay, or limited by total tonnage and crew capacity? A: Max 1 fighter per bay. Q: Is there a maximum of 6 fighter bays/racks? A: There is no set limit, though each bay takes up a slot vs max # of weapon mounts. 8) Warhound Crew Q: If using gunnery duels is it possible to declare a Gunnery Duels with gun crews? A: Gunners may duel with Gun Crews, Pilots may not. Q: Is it legitimate to kill crew from non-functional weapons? A: Yes. Q: When fighter bays have crew boxes for people that are actually on a launched fighter, is it legitimate to kill their crew station rather than a functional crew member? A: No. Just like you can't destroy a torp that has already been fired. Q: The pilot of an escort cannot legally operate Salvage Claws or a Tractor Beam. If I built a Tractor Beam or Salvage Claws into an escort, I assume a gunner will operate them. A: Correct. Q: If I built a Tractor Beam or Salvage Claws into an escort is there still a restriction on the arcs available? A: Not on Tractor Beams, but yes on Salvage Claws. Night Brood: First Contact Drones Q: Can Grub drones be hidden on asteroids or in other debris in order to mask them from Terran ships? A: No. Q: Page 55, Destroying Drones: What, exactly, qualifies as an energy cannon? A: It should be any cannon. Q: Will we see any rules for larger Grub ships or get a ship display for Worm Pods? It would be nice to have a way of stopping the normal ship to ship fights with a few well timed Grub patrols from a warned swarm. A: The Ship display or worm pods will be in Night Brood Armageddon. Q: Can Brood use Jump Pods when caught in Salvage Claws? A: No, the pods are not able to move the extra mass. Universal Night Watch Q: Page 17, Effects of scans on Ink: Are there torpedoes besides Missile Torpedoes that need to roll for lock-on? A: Torpedoes have to maintain a lock on a target to follow it, thou usually no roll is needed. A roll is necessary for all torpedoes to maintain a lock on ships if Ink is interfering. Q: Does jam a ship mean scan or screen? A: Screen Kashmere Commonwealth Q: Page 28, Damage Reduction Template: Where is it? A: Use the standard costs/slots for Damage Reduction as presented in SD:TNM and Warhounds. Miscellaneous Miniatures Q: Are there plans, in general, to make miniatures available of every new non-variant ship? A: Mostly Yes. Some non combat ships may be passed over like the Borax and the Curtis Shuttle. Ship Builder Software Q: Do you plan to upgrade the Shipbuilding program to include escorts and Grubs? A: Yes, eventually. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Part II: Clarifications and answers sent by Don (walsfeo@aol.com) to the SD Mailing list (#51) on 8/26/98. (Editorial formatting and typo corrections added.) 1. In The Next Millenium Rulebook, page 105, special rule #2 of the "Into The Minefield" scenario; Will both Draconian and Saturnus fighters and/or torps that enter the minefield suffer an attack? Yes. 2. In "Hostile Takeover": On the Kali warhound, What should be the correct firing arcs for all the weapons manned by Gunners D and E? As listed, they don't seem to have a logical symmetry found in the other weapons on the ship or on other warhounds. D: SFQL, SRQL, R E: SFQR, SRQL, R 3. Can the Yama always carry a battlepod in each weaons bay? Yes. Only one. Are there any restrictions on any combimation of pods? No. The pods listed on page 50 of "Kashmere Commonwealth" are listed as "50 slots" in the lower left-hand corner. Does this mean that all pods are the same size and therefore completly interchangeable? Yes. Also, pods VY6 and VY9 do not have the "Concealed Weapons/Bays" heading at the top. Does this mean that these weapons will immediatly be visible to an opponent? Yes. 4. When do satellites that mount cannon weapons fire? No mention of this is offered in "Space Junk." The display sheets for the Taurus and the Octopus list the weapons gunnery skill under a "Pilot" heading in the crew box. This would seem to infer that the weapons will fire during Pilot Firing Phase rather than Gunner Fire Phase. Pilot Phase. 5. If an escort class ship armed with a Plazprojector uses all of it's Drive points for movement on a turn, can it still fire the weapon or must it reserve at least two points (for the base attack dice) and score its base damage rating with no bonus for reserved Drive points? It must reserve at least 2 DRIVE points. 6. Not a question but an observation: In "Operation Drydock," on the display Sheet for the Kosmos; the Minigun Specs box at the bottom of the page list the range increments for a Disruptor Gun instead of a Minigun. 7. Can the battle satellites in "Space Junk" dodge torpedoes? No. 8. In "ASP Technocracy", the Nova gunboat list under Special Equipment the Artificiance(tm) Targeting System. However, none of the Novas weapons list the +1 bonus that they are supposed to get unlike all the other ship displays that have Artificiance(tm). Should there be a +1 bonus listed for all the Novas guns? Yes.