Re: [FT] WotW #10 Damage Shields (Was Real Shields) (long)

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<6B3C0EEAB4FED3119F5F009027DC5E9E01D73106@spacemsg3.jhuapl.edu>
	  "Izenberg, Noam" <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu> wrote:

> In light of David Griffin's search for "Real Shields" and the petering
out
> of WotW #9, Here's # 10 with Damage shields and their ilk:
> 
> Damage Shield
> 
> Generic damage absorption shield.
> Mass is 2% ship mass per shield point (1 mass per point minimum).
> Cost is 3 points per Mass.
> 
> Each shield point has its own box on the SSD + 1 box for the
generator. When
> damage is 
> taken from any source over one turn, it is applied to the damage
shield
> first, until the shield 
> has absorbed as many points as it has boxes. Each box that absorbs
damage
> rolls a 
> threshold at the current level, and burns out if it fails (i.e. that
box
> cannot absorb damage on 
> subsequent turns until/unless repaired). If the Shield is overwhelmed
(damge
> received is 
> greater than number of  functioning shield boxes), then the generator
also
> takes a threshold 
> check. When a normal threshold due to damage is called for, each
shield box
> _and_ the 
> generator take another threshold roll.

Hmm.. thats quite a lot of thresholds if you've got a few shield points.
Perhaps if the ship makes a normat threshold check, roll 1 threshold for
the whole system for speed of play?
> 
> ----------
> 
> Globular Shield
> 
> Mass: 3 per DP absorption, Cost 4xMass
> Deflects all damage up to its DP each turn.
> 
> Restrictions:
> When active, mounting ship can't use thrust, weapons, FTL, or launch
> fighters.
> FTL can't be used for 2D6 turns after last use.

This is rather a long time (on an average roll) - I'd remove this
limitation, and just keep the limitation above.
> 
> If the shield takes more damage than its DP remaining in one turn, the
> generators overload, 
> taking a threshold check, but can be repaired with DC parties. If
repaired,
> the shield is 
> re-activated at half it`s original DPs, and can regenerate as normal
from
> there.
> 
> Comments:
> (Oerjan)  Conceptually similar to the Phalon vapour glands, but the
Globular
> Shield gets better 
> the more of it you can carry (ie., the bigger your own ship is).
Still,
> considering its size and 
> penalties it probably isn't too much of a problem - eg., replacing the
> normal screens on a 
> Komarov-class SDN with Globular Shields gives the Komarov 7 "free" DP
per
> turn - 
> equivalent to the average damage its normal screens save
> from 21 beam dice - but only if the ship doesn't maneuver or fire. All
in
> all I'd say this 
> potentially very powerful, but so loaded-down with restrictions that
it
> becomes virtually useless.
> 
> ------------------
[snip]
> ----------------------
> 
> Void Shield
> 
> Armor variant.  Acts as armor. Mass = 1/point. Cost 4xMass.
> Void Shield boxes can be repaired by damage control as other systems.
> 
> Icon: 
> 
> Comments:
> (Oerjan) Extremely useful for capital ships since they have DCPs to
spare;
> far less so for 
> cruisers and smaller.

Could make the MASS a proportion of the total MASS of the ship, say
(just as an example), MASS = 2% of hull MASS per point (must buy at
least 1 MASS worth)?
Or leave MASS as given, but COST multiple is a percentage of hull MASS?

Charles

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