[DS] Underwater was Re: [OT] Pertaining to all things Beth

G'day Glenn,

 >Don't ask, Don't ask......

Nothing so bad, I got banned because I had a major scale asthma attack
on a 
boat full of dive medical certifiers...timing is another one of my 
specialties ;)

 >To bring this *on topic* - anybody have rules doe DS2 Underwater
battles?

See stuff stuck on the bottom, these were rough cut ideas I came up with

last year (or maybe longer back). If anyone is interested I could repost

the SG and FT versions too. Suggestions were made at the time, but this 
copy hasn't got these things incorporated sorry.

 >And why does my spell checker want
 >to turn Fulton into Fulgor?  And
 >/what/ is Fulgor???

Beats me ;)

Cheers

Beth

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

DIRTSIDE SUGGESTIONS With regard to smaller scale encounters, (thinking 
here of vessel scale more than numbers involved), DS/SG are the more 
sensible option. The following is some suggested ideas (modifications)
for 
underwater duels.

Detection Range: Electronic sensors will continue to have long ranges
only 
if they are acoustic, every other form of radiant energy is absorbed
very 
quickly by water. However to expedite measures, assume sensor suites in 
marine vessels (including amphibious vehicles) have at least some sonar 
capabilities. For ease of play the following sensor ranges (based on
Fire 
control rating) are proposed
Superior = 60"
Enhanced = 40"
Basic = 20"
None = 4" if in clear water, 1" if in turbid water.

Anything outside of the detection range is considered hidden (often just

being in the water is enough to make you hidden, so the usual rules of 
needing to be in cover need not apply if just at distance from each
other, 
but it'd help), however as soon as its detected by one unit then all
units 
on that side know its position. As in land warfare it isn't possible to
go 
back to completely hidden once found (pesky AIs...), but it is possible
to 
make it harder to be hit by going to silent running (i.e. being 
semi-hidden). To go quiet you must move less than half of you BMF, do
not 
use any kind of weaponry or sensors and then pass a reaction test based
on 
the following:
CIRCUMSTANCES				  THREAT LEVEL
Boat, amphibious walker in shallow	+2
Boat, amphibious walker in deep 	 +1
All else except non-amphibious		   +2
walkers or wheeled vehicles*
*Non amphibious walkers and wheeled vehicles stay found once they've
been 
picked up once.

Until successfully detected again, or until you expose yourself through
the 
use of active sensors or fire you get an additional D6 target dice, this
is 
in addition to any you may have already got for soft cover etc.

Weapons: These changes may make the action seem cramped and are only 
suggestions, it may also just be easier to say Infantry, APSW, RFAC and
HVC 
ranges = normal/4, HKP - normal/3, MDC and DFFG = normal/2 and missiles
are 
unaffected.

SYSTEM	   CLOSE	MED	   LONG
HEL					   30" (if clear open ocean
waters)
					       10" (if coastal waters)
						5" (if turbid estuarine 
waters)
RFAC/1	    2"		     3" 	     4"
RFAC/2	    3"		     4" 	     5"
HVC/3	     4" 	      6"	      8"
HVC/4	     5" 	      8"	      11"
HVC/5	     6" 	      10"	     14"
HKP/3	     5" 	     10"	     15"
HKP/4	     8" 	     13"	     18"
HKP/5	     11"	     16"	     21"
MDC/1	     4" 	     8" 	     12"
MDC/2	     6" 	     10"	     14"
MDC/3	     12"	     18"	    24"
MDC/4	     15"	     21"	    27"
MDC/5	      18"	     24"	    30"
DFFG/1	      2"	      4"	      6"
DFFG/2	      3"	      6"	      9"
DFFG/3	      4"	      8"	      12"
DFFG/4	      5"	      10"	     15"
DFFG/5	      6"	      12"	     18"
SLAM*	      12"	     24"	     36"
GMS/L*	      36"
GMS/H*	     48"
IAVR*	       4"
APSW	     4"
Militia 	  1"
Line 2"
PA 3"
*Assumed to be modified designs suitable for use underwater.

Mobility and terrain effects:
It is assumed here that all battles are undertaken in good to mild
weather 
if in shallow, surface weather means little if at depth. However, large 
internal waves (waves or currents along depths where there are sudden 
changes in water density, temperature, chemical make-up) can be quite a 
hazard.
CFEs can only act as normal for 8 turns (in DS), before it must surface
to 
'breath'.
Movement is slightly modified compared to land:
Unsuited Inf - BMF: 2
EASY = With strong current
NORMAL = Flats, below wave breaking zone
POOR = Kelp forests, reefs, rough, mountainous,
DIFFICULT = In wave zone or turbulence, against strong current
IMPASSABLE = Deep water (vertically), very strong currents, high 
turbulence, frigid waters

Power Armour/ Cav/Scooters - BMF: 6/8/6
EASY = With strong current
NORMAL = Flats, below wave breaking zone
POOR = Kelp forests, reefs, rough, mountainous, wave zone or turbulence,

against strong current
DIFFICULT = Deep water (vertically) if PA, very strong currents if Cav, 
frigid waters if PA
IMPASSABLE = High turbulence, frigid waters if not PA, deep water 
(vertically) if not PA or if remain with mount (marine fauna may usually

descend at 'normal')

Amphibious Low/High-Mobility Wheeled - BMF: 4/6
EASY = Pebble flats
NORMAL = Sandflats
POOR = Mudflats, wave zone, against strong current
DIFFICULT = Low story kelp bed (like scrub on land), high turbulence or 
rough if high mobility
IMPASSABLE = High turbulence or rough if low mobility, deep water, kelp 
forest, reefs, mountainous,

Slow/Fast tracked - BMF: 6/9
EASY = Pebble flats
NORMAL = Sandflats
POOR = Mudflats, wave zone, against strong current, low story kelp bed 
(like scrub on land), high turbulence, rough
DIFFICULT = Kelp forest, reefs, mountainous
IMPASSABLE = Deep water Slow/Fast

GEV - BMF: 12/15
EASY = Above water's surface
IMPASSABLE = All else

GRAV - BMF: 15 EASY = Flats,
NORMAL = Wave zone, against strong current, low story kelp bed (like
scrub 
on land), rough
POOR = High turbulence, reefs,
DIFFICULT = Mountainous, deep water
IMPASSABLE = Kelp forest

Slow/Fast/Attack Boats - BMF: 8/12/15
EASY = Flats
NORMAL = Low story kelp bed (like scrub on land), rough
POOR = Wave zone (if amphibious), against strong current, high
turbulence, 
reefs,
DIFFICULT = Kelp forest, mountainous, deep water IMPASSABLE = Wave zone
or 
shallows if not amphibious

Walkers (non-amphibious) - BMF: 10
EASY = With strong current
NORMAL = Flats, below wave breaking zone
POOR = Kelp forests, reefs, rough, mountainous, wave zone or turbulence,

against strong current
DIFFICULT = Very strong currents, high turbulence
IMPASSABLE = Deep water (vertically)

Walkers (amphibious - have thrusters to allow 'swimming') - BMF: 10
EASY = Flats, with strong current
NORMAL = Wave zone, deep water (vertically), against strong current, 
turbulence
POOR = Kelp forests, reefs, rough, mountainous, very strong currents
DIFFICULT = High turbulence
IMPASSABLE = None (assuming pressurised for abyssal depths, if not then 
some depths would be a barrier)

Many more vessel types will gain the VTOL 'pop-up' ability, these would 
include GRAV, boats (subsurface ones), Infantry, Cavalry, Scooters and
PA 
and amphibious walkers.

Scooters:
Scooters are size 1 vehicles, but they are an exception to the
'riverine' 
armour rule and may carry armour of class 1.

Explosive effects:
If a hit is scored by any type of missile or explosive artillery system
or 
if any vehicle is destroyed by a boom counter (regardless of the weapon 
type that caused it) then every element (whether of the same or
different 
unit, friend or enemy) within 3" must roll a D6 on a 6 they too have
been 
hit (the shock wave from the explosion has had a knock on effect). For 
every hit pull 2 chits, all specials (except firer's systems down) DO
count 
against vehicles.

Close Assaults:
All unsuited (i.e. non-PA) infantry have an addition +1 to their threat 
levels.

DFO:
Depth charges are assumed to be a type of the deadfall ordinance, in
this 
case DFO's may be delivered by surface vessels not just aerospace
vehicles. 
For a surface vessel to drop DFO they move as normal and must place the 
fire marker at some point along that path. However do not forget that 
anything (including surface ships) caught within 3" will roll to see if 
they take damage, so be careful where you drop it...

Smoke (well ink really):
Well smoke itself would be useless you could use 'ink' instead with no 
change to the rules as they stand.

Wildlife:
There are MANY possibilities here, but just to kick the ball off, here
are 
a few ideas. Casualties in the water can breed their own threat via
large 
aquatic predators. A number of explosions would chase them off (so
they're 
less likely to hang around if there's lots of 'missiles' flying), though

tonnes of dead or stunned fauna floating around may well be an
obscuration 
issue in itself. However, if vehicles and squads are being removed be 
direct fire than there may well be large predators and scavengers
attracted 
to the site. Things that would threaten vehicles would have to be very 
large, so they could be any size (but I wouldn't give them armour beyond
1 
or 2 regardless of size) and I'd let them pull 5 chits (it needn't even
be 
due to teeth etc, just getting hit by a whale's fluke could cause big 
damage to many vehicles). Smaller (more earth-sized) predators could 
threaten unsuited infantry, cavalry or scooters. I'd give them a BMF of 
8-10, they must be in contact to attack and they pull 3 chits if an 
individual, 4 if in a pack. For all of these only numbered chits would 
count, all colours vs unsuited infantry, red only against vehicles and
PA.

Swarms of stinging wildlife (like jellyfish on earth) could also be a 
threat if encountered in swarms. 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 damage, but they are hampered and must spend an activation

doing nothing but moving slowly to clear their hulls. Unsuited infantry 
suffer an attack, the jellyfish pull 2 chits and all colours count.

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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