CREATING THE SHIP AND CREW FOR FIVE PARSECS/STARGRAVE CAMPAIGNS

 I am working on a mostly Dwarven crew for games of Stargrave, that will most likely be used in playthroughs for Five Parsecs from Home as well.  Read on to learn about their humble starship and its crew of cashiered former soldiers and other misfits.

FORGE FATHERS BRUNHILD-CLASS PATROL BOAT

The BRUNHILD-class patrol boat was designed to rapidly convey a squad of soldiers for small-scale interplanetary incursions.  Ships of this class are named after shield maidens of Dwarven folklore. BRUNHILD-class ships are designed (as Dwarven starships tend to be) for the most efficient use of space and with a need for minimal support crew. While in transit, the combat squad routinely carried out day-to-day tasks such as maintenance, but due to the prevalence of automated support systems, the ship can be operated by a crew of two (pilot and engineer) without loss of effectiveness. This in fact was the typical mode of operation while a squad was deployed to the surface or otherwise disembarked.  The ship is capable of atmospheric operation and planetary landing and is modestly armored to survive deployment and recovery of its troops. It is normally armed with a chin turret and a pair of missile pods, usually employed for clearance of landing zones or during boarding actions . Fuel and supplies allow for a two-week mission profile (up to a month in emergencies) and the ship is capable of short-range interstellar travel before refueling is required.

The ship can accommodate ten personnel, normally consisting of a pilot, co-pilot/gunner, and engineer, as well as a squad of seven armored soldiers (two fireteams of three soldiers each and a sergeant). Soldiers are berthed in two compartments, housing four soldiers each - one compartment for Fire Team A and the Sergeant, the other for Fire Team B and the Gunner.  Each compartment has its own head (including freshers) that can accommodate two soldiers at a time. Often, soldiers would "hot-bunk" allowing one of the double bunks to be removed for greater cabin space.

The pilot and engineer shared a smaller private cabin with its own head, though the Engineer often bunked in a small section of the Engineering Bay in order to more closely monitor operation of ship systems and provide emergency repairs and damage control at a moment's notice if necessary.

In addition to a small cargo bay used for storage and transportation of ship consumables and equipment, a separate cargo bay was used for storage and maintenance of the squad's armored suits. An adjacent armory was used for storage of weaponry and ordnance. Each of these bays possesses its own cargo lock, allowing operations to be carried out without compromising the rest of the vessel.

 The ship also features a ward room that can accommodate six crewman at a time for mess or recreational activity, a small exercise room for four, a sick bay with automated systems to treat two soldiers simultaneously (or up to four at a time in emergencies) as well as a vehicle bay large enough for a four-person vehicle, usually a gravitic sled with limited atmospheric capacity that can be used for transporting a fire team or cargo.  Some vessels were known to carry a half-track instead of the skiff.

Many vessels of this class have been decommissioned due to doctrinal changes in deployment and mission parameters, and more advanced craft are filling the roles once served by this venerable ship.

ABOUT THE FFS BOHICA

The vessel officially commissioned and registered as the Forge Fathers Ship BOUDICA was recently decommissioned and is a private starship owned and operated by Jarl Ingulf Krestursson. His First Mate and Engineer is his cousin (and Huscarl) Ogan Helkkare. The BOUDICA is, in fact, the very same ship that Ingulf first served on as a squad leader, and then commanded later in his career. He and the ship were retired at the same time due to reductions in force.

Ingulf used his military pension and small personal fortune to purchase the decommissioned vessel, though its military equipment was of course removed. More modest defensive weaponry has been installed and the armor bay has been refitted as a second cargo bay to allow the vessel to function as a small trader.  The vehicle bay now houses an all-terrain wheeled ground vehicle.  

Ingulf now enjoys sole use of the Officers' Cabin as his cousin prefers to bunk in the Engineering Bay.  Ogan prefers the company of the machinery over that of his shipmates and is content with the rather spartan accommodations afforded by a hammock and a work table. Though the Officers' Cabin is by no means spacious, even by the standards of many military starships, Ingulf nonetheless is able to enjoy a cabin originally designed for two.

Ingulf's other long-time companion is his robotic dog P.A.D.D. - formally the Prosperity Technologies Advanced Tactical Defensive Drone, but more commonly known in military parlance as the ProTech ATAC Dog Droid. The remainder of his crew is composed primarily of those who served under him throughout his career, and his goal is to locate others with whom he previously served that may be willing to join him. In typical Dwarven fashion, those not serving in a military vocation tend to be craftsmen, traders, or engaged in other entrepreneurial pursuits so Ingulf is sure at least some of his former battle brothers might be interested in his offer.

In the meantime, the remainder of his crew is a motley assortment of individuals, including a Human computer specialist unable to obtain more traditional employment due to allegations of embezzlement and corporate espionage; a Vargr reconnaissance expert who is the youngest scion of a minor noble family; and an uplifted Chimpanzee acrobat who serves as the ship's messenger and company clerk.

While the ship retains its official designation for the purposes of registry and transponder identification, it is almost never referred to by its commissioned name.  Somewhat embittered by the premature end of his otherwise distinguished military career, Ingulf has modified the "nose art" and re-christened the ship with a cynical appellation familiar to soldiers everywhere.  These are the adventures of the FFS BOHICA...

ALTERNATIVE DAMAGE SYSTEM FOR STARGRAVE (House Rule)

    Some players of Stargrave feel that the "all-or-nothing" approach to shooting and combat damage in Stargrave is too "swingy", as the defender may take massive (and often lethal) damage even if they only failed the opposed roll by one!  

    I have seen other suggested alternatives for this, the most common being a separate d20 roll (or even an opposed roll) for Damage.  These are ineffective systems, as Armor becomes an insignificant factor and damage can still swing wildly, just without any sensible explanation.

If you feel that the method for determining damage in the rulebook is too deadly, I suggest this alternative.

DISCLAIMER: I personally do not have a problem with the existing method as my opinion is that combat should be deadly and things that cause combats (and thus the entire game) to go slower should be avoided.  Also, with the rules for post-combat recovery, most of the time the character is only out of combat, not killed permanently.

    This house rule has not been tested by me for the reasons stated above.  The only guarantee I can offer is that it will slow down your games.  Feel free to use or modify as you wish (it's your game after all!) but I accept no responsibility for your choice.

WELCOME TO COFFEE TABLE COMBAT!

WHAT IS COFFEE TABLE COMBAT?

COFFEE TABLE COMBAT is the companion blog to The Sage Brush page.  While the TSB page will continue to cover all aspects of the hobby - painting, modeling, tutorials, painting showcases and product reviews - the focus of COFFEE TABLE COMBAT is specifically on tabletop skirmish-level adventure wargaming.

WHAT KIND OF GAMES WILL THIS BLOG COVER?

You can expect to see campaign write-ups, battle reports, and crew logs for a variety of science-fiction skirmish games.  Current focus will be oriented towards Core Space, Stargrave, and especially Five Parsecs from Home, but you may eventually and occasionally see content for many other games such as Zone Raiders, StarBreach, Chrome Hammer: Ascension, Gangfight, Rogue Stars, Starport Scum and more!

From time to time you might also see content for skirmish games that are not strictly science fiction, such as Zona Alfa, Five Klicks from the Zone, and others as we explore the vast variety of skirmish games, especially if they are suitable for solo play.

Other games that will be featured here are DUST 1947 and Battletech (Classic and Alpha Strike varieties).  Who knows, if something new catches my fancy, you might see it covered here too.

WHY "COFFEE TABLE COMBAT"?

There are a couple of reasons for the name of this blog.  Primarily, it's a means to describe the scope of the action that will be taking place in most of the battle reports and crew logs that you will see on this blog.  Though I will more accurately be playing on our dining room table, most of the battles will take place on a playing area that's anywhere from 2'x2' (60cm x 60cm) up to 2'x4' (60 cm x 120 cm).  This is something that you could conceivably play on your coffee table while relaxing on the sofa, perhaps while playing co-op or against friends.

The other reason for the name is a reference to my other true passion in life - coffee. I was a barista for a few years and if there's one thing I know as well as gaming, it's a lifetime love of a quality cup of coffee.  It's not as costly a habit as wargaming, perhaps, but one pays more than usual for the very best stuff.  Coffee is what fuels me when I'm burning the midnight oil writing or getting in "one more turn".

WHAT'S A MINIATURE AGNOSTIC GAME?

    The term "miniature agnostic" is used to refer to any tabletop game that does not mandate (and may not even produce) a dedicated line of miniatures to be used in the game.  Some games (such as Stargrave) have "official" miniatures (by way of the North Star line of figures), others (such as StarBreach or Grimdark Future) tend to have factions that are heavily influenced by particular lines - allowing you to keep playing with your favorite miniatures without having to buy new rules and army books every 2-3 years, only to find that your favorite units are now obsolete or useless.

    Some agnostic games don't have any particular type of miniature in mind at all!  Five Parsecs from Home is a good example - you have certain attributes of your character such as species.  If they are human or a robot, find a suitable figure in your collection or seek out one that really suits you!  If the character is an alien, there may be some vaguely mentioned traits but it's all up to how you imagine them.  This allows you a great deal of creative freedom.

    Another benefit of a miniature agnostic game is that most of them are also scale agnostic.  People might play with 28mm figures, or 32 or 40 - or even 15mm!  Some players even use 6mm figures.  Certain aspects of the game might change based on scale - most commonly being movement and combat ranges.  If the game is usually played in 28mm scale, but you want to use 15mm miniatures (and there are some great ones!) then simply change any reference from inches to centimeters.  Voila!

WHAT ABOUT SOLO SKIRMISH GAMES?

    There are a great many tabletop games that are easily adapted to, or are primarily designed for, solo play.  Especially in light of all the recent events that have kept most of us at home, rather than gaming with friends, solo gaming has been booming.  These games use various types of "AI" to determine the actions of the opposition - whether that is determined by rolling dice, drawing cards, or following a flowchart of behaviors.  This allows solo players to know how the enemy will behave, and can often be modified to accommodate the desired level of challenge.

    While many of these games allow for campaign play, some of these games even have a degree of role-playing or narrative development to them.  Five Parsecs from Home, for instance, allows players to determine the origins and motivations of each character, as well as handling events during the "downtime" between missions, interplanetary travel, and finding work.

There are many skirmish games that fit into one or both of these categories.  Some of these games (such as Core Space) have provisions for co-op or multiplayer play, while others (like Five Parsecs) are more or less dedicated to solo play.  But there's such a great variety, you're sure to find something you like!

Thank you for joining me!

- HeadHunter

(The Sage Brush)