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Underwater Rules - SG (long)

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:53:46 +1000
Subject: Underwater Rules - SG (long)

G'day again,

And lastly the SG suggestions

Beth

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
STARGRUNT SUGGESTIONS
There are probably fewer modifications necessary for SG than DS, but
here
are a few thoughts...

Mission Motivation:
Working in a foreign medium does nothing for the nerves, you have always
got to have that little extra edge in the back of your mind, and if you
don't then it reaches up and bites you on the butt..... Thus all
reaction
tests have an additional +1 to the threat level (except for the 'sniper
going into hiding test' which is as normal) as do the confidence tests
done
as a part of a close assault.

Mobility and Terrain Effects:
It would probably be quite OK to use the existing movement regimes for
infantry seeing as the biggest differences would be vs vehicles rather
than
other infantry types (i.e. less obvious than in DS). The only change to
this would be that if they're actually exiting the water (i.e. have
stood
up or are dolphining out of the surf zone), then their movement rates
will
be down 2 die types (with 'normal troops actually moving only 2" and
rolling a D4 and counting the result as a 1 on a 1 or 2 and a 2 on a 3
or 4). 

Vehicle base movement now becomes 6" for wheeled vehicles and 12" for
everything else but GRAV and boats which go 15". 

The terrain effects on mobility and ambient weather conditions are as
given/assumed above for DS.

Spotting:
As normal, but the die type is shifted up one for every 6" rather than
every 12" and if the water is turbid then unaided vision has a -1 to the
roll.

Weaponry:
Missile fire is not effected by the fact its underwater (they're assumed
to
be missiles modified for fire underwater or actually torpedos), however
other weapons are effected. There is an extra (cover-like) die shift to
the
target die for targets of non-missile fire; these shifts are as follows:
WEAPON			SHIFT to Target Die
Small Arms - close only UP 3
Small Arms = rifles		UP 2
SAWs				UP 2
Infantry Plasma Gun	UP 1
RFAC				UP 3
HVC				UP 2
GAC				UP 2
MDC				UP 1
DFFG				UP 1
HEL				UP 1 if clear water
				UP 2 if coastal
				UP 4 if turbid

Heavy weapon range bands are also reduced to 8" x target size

Hit Effects:
If vehicles are penetrated but not destroyed (i.e. disabled) then roll
again and if firer exceeds target's armour die then the vehicle begins
to
flood, if not repaired in 2 turns then it must be abandoned (if the crew
can't escape it they're dead). 

The effects of an explosion underwater can be pretty devastating to the
surrounding area too. Thus ANY unit (friend or foe) within 6" of a
vehicle
that has been destroyed or a successful (fully effective) missile, or
explosive artillery, strike potentially suffers a hit too. Repeat the
fire
resolution as if the unit was the actual target, but with an extra UP 1
(if
this would make it impossible to hit them then give them a suppression
regardless).

Medical Treatment:
Unsuited infantry who are wounded must be moved to land/surface the very
next activation or they are considered deceased. Suited infantry or
wounded
in vehicles may survive longer than their unsuited comrades, however,
they're still in a dangerous medium and the sooner they're treated the
better, so there is a -1 to the treatment roll for every turn that has
elapsed since they were wounded (i.e. if its been 3 turns then there is
a
-3 etc).

DFO:
Surface vessels may also use DFO, these must be placed along the path
moved
by the vessel that turn, but don't forget that anything caught in the
burst
radius is effected (i.e. watch you don't catch yourself).

Dropping off troops:
Troops may drop from craft hovering about the surface as if dropping
onto a
clear plain on land (you can still hurt yourself pretty badly dropping
into
the water so the WOUNDED on a 1 still stands), drops are not allowed
within
6" of a reef or turbulence zone.

Troops exiting a vehicle underwater can only do that if the vehicle is
taking flood damage (well I guess if you exited a healthy vehicle it'd
end
up flooded anyway and so be useless) or if the vehicle is identified as
having a 'dive pool' before the game (purpose built marine APCs are
assumed
to have these automatically). Firing troops out torpedo tubes is not
advised.

Wildlife:
There's even more scope for the interaction of troops and wildlife at
this
scale than any other so a few ideas (along the lines of those given for
FT
and DS) are given here too.

Leviathans could do a lot to mess up a good battle plan, especially if
they
get in the road. While they would most likely steer clear of a battle in
full swing, they may just happen to be caught in the middle when one
starts. On the flip side, quite a part from accidental encounters
aquatic
predators may be drawn to battle sites. They could be of any size,
though
even the really impressive ones would be probably only have a fairly low
armour class (its not impossible for them to be some chitinous monster
from
another realm, but its more likely they'll be more lightly armoured so
they
have greater mobility). They'd have to be in contact with a squad or
vehicle to 'attack' it, I'd given them a weapon the same size as they
are
(to reflect the actions of bulk as much as anything) with a (just for
e.g)
Firepower die of D8 and an Impact of D10 (this is really up for grabs
though and would depend on the nature of the beast, its size, any teeth
etc
it had or whether it was just hitting you with its size). Packs of
smaller
animals would be better represented as a squad close assaulting with the
equivalent of knives or something.

Fouling wildlife (like jellyfish etc which entangle but may also sting)
is
dangerous especially if encountered in swarms. As stated for DS, these
would move with the currents and if they end on the same spot as a unit
then they will smother it. Vehicles and PA don't take wounds, but they
are
hampered and take a suppression. Unsuited infantry suffer an attack, as
if
fired upon by a full strength squad with 'improvised firearms' at close
range. Furthermore, swarms of any kind needn't contact troops to hamper
operations and dense schools of small 'fish' etc could be counted as
additional soft cover if they got into the line of fire.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Elizabeth Fulton
c/o CSIRO Division of Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
HOBART 
TASMANIA 7001
AUSTRALIA
Phone (03) 6232 5018 International +61 3 6232 5018
Fax 03 6232 5053 International +61 3 6232 5053

email: beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au


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