5150 Star Marine / Depressurization in campaign mode

[archivistdragontigre]

So... this happened: tabletop.social/@archiviste_Dragontigre/106992936192619700

I could not find any rule that seem to apply to the situation: my Marines, wearing exo-armor ("Also functions as a Spacesuit", p. 11), were sent into space by Anti-Boarding measures. What happens next to that Squad?

Neither Leave the Table nor Recovery (p. 39) mention this.

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

For ease of play just use Leave the Table.

[blacksmith]

Sept 25, 2021 15:21:45 GMT archivistdragontigre said:

So... this happened: tabletop.social/@archiviste_Dragontigre/106992936192619700

I could not find any rule that seem to apply to the situation: my Marines, wearing exo-armor ("Also functions as a Spacesuit", p. 11), were sent into space by Anti-Boarding measures. What happens next to that Squad?

Neither Leave the Table nor Recovery (p. 39) mention this.

Or you could say that EXO armor has magnetic boots as they also work as  spacesuits (that would also help them to fight in zero G) and cannot be sent into space by depressurization and just keep playing. After all, EXO are the best armor available in 5150.

[squidlord]

Sept 25, 2021 17:54:03 GMT blacksmith said:

Or you could say that EXO armor has magnetic boots as they also work as  spacesuits (that would also help them to fight in zero G) and cannot be sent into space by depressurization and just keep playing. After all, EXO are the best armor available in 5150.

Though "something cool happened because you rolled it but nothing that mattered to what's going on" is kind of boring.



Better might be to make a Rep Test to see individually if the members of the squad managed to catch themselves and activate lockdown before they get sucked out the hole.



Pass 2: No effect on that trooper.



Pass 1: Move 1/2 D6 in a random direction due to depressurization and be unable to act in the next round (which is only meaningful if there are other threats in the area – and then it's very meaningful).



Pass 0: That trooper is sucked out into space and counts as Leave the Board.



Now the event actually has some impact and could really screw you up – or not be a problem at all.



(I'd probably give Marines in EXO a one pip bonus to coming back after the battle to represent the ease at which you can pick them up floating in space – unless the enemy holds that area after the battle, in which case things look considerably worse.)

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

See, and that's why THW rules work. Make it your game. My idea was you're lost in space, then run a Find Mission, then a Raid to get your guys back. Then on the way back to base you run into a Hishen ship and … well, you get the idea.  

[easyeight]

Sept 25, 2021 18:56:50 GMT squidlord said:

Sept 25, 2021 17:54:03 GMT blacksmith said:

Or you could say that EXO armor has magnetic boots as they also work as  spacesuits (that would also help them to fight in zero G) and cannot be sent into space by depressurization and just keep playing. After all, EXO are the best armor available in 5150.

Though "something cool happened because you rolled it but nothing that mattered to what's going on" is kind of boring.



Better might be to make a Rep Test to see individually if the members of the squad managed to catch themselves and activate lockdown before they get sucked out the hole.



Pass 2: No effect on that trooper.



Pass 1: Move 1/2 D6 in a random direction due to depressurization and be unable to act in the next round (which is only meaningful if there are other threats in the area – and then it's very meaningful).



Pass 0: That trooper is sucked out into space and counts as Leave the Board.



Now the event actually has some impact and could really screw you up – or not be a problem at all.



(I'd probably give Marines in EXO a one pip bonus to coming back after the battle to represent the ease at which you can pick them up floating in space – unless the enemy holds that area after the battle, in which case things look considerably worse.)

That's a good way to handle it. One draft of the rules had movement in Zero-G with maneuvering packs, which Exo suits and spacesuits would have. So if blasted into space the Exo suits could just fly back.

[archivistdragontigre]

Sept 25, 2021 16:00:37 GMT Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy said:

For ease of play just use Leave the Table.

... hum. Of course! I didn't even considered that they could just board the ship again... Their exo-armor having what it takes to move into space, at least for a few moments, close to a space ship.

I did actually found something in the rules since, that may apply to the situation. In the Self Destruct sequence (I think, I don't have the rules close right now), where it's written that the characters can be picked up by a ship, friendly or not.

To be honest I did have a problem with the sequence of events and the turn structure during that first game, as the turn sequence was not clear to me at the time (and 3 successive antiboarding measures were activated in the same room - Power Down, Lock Down, Depressurization. Yeah: that ship was hostile, I'm not sure weither it was beause of an A.I. or a sentient enemy but they sure wanted my marines to stay far from the bridge).

Sept 27, 2021 1:21:41 GMT easyeight said:

Sept 25, 2021 18:56:50 GMT squidlord said:

Pass 1: Move 1/2 D6 in a random direction due to depressurization and be unable to act in the next round (which is only meaningful if there are other threats in the area – and then it's very meaningful).

Yeah exactly the kind of thing that I did not get quite right that first time.
I hope to find the time to give some feedback on that later, as I already thought of writting my own "Turn sequence" clarification.


Thanks all for your suggestions.


I don't think I will consider anything that involves "activate lockdown" since there is already a reaction in the rules (Hack it) that is played when the anti-boarding measures are activated.

Making up a special table (or define a Challenge) and rolling for individual characters in space to see if some cannot manage to participate in another immediate boarding could be interesting but it would complicate the story and consequences (Recovery, Replacements... not to mention the point in boarding a ship with half a squad).
I'd (probably) rather just play a tabletop "Aliens", not "Gravity"  So maybe, maybe not.