SFB:TNG 5X-9X Combat Supplement

SFB:TNG 5X-9X Combat Supplement

Version 0.1: November 2, 2001

This is an attempt to simulate 5X-9X SFB combat. The SFB:TNG rules get rather hazy in this era, and questions arise of which defenses "wins" versus which attacks.
These relatively simple rules allow you to estimate the results of such battles. These rules are NOT exact, and are bound to have loopholes, but it's better than the ambiguous system we had before.

Throughout this supplement, I will use the following as a sample combat:
Federation 6Xs USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-J
vs.
Species 8472 6Xs Carrier (no fighters)

For each ship, you first calculate it's Defensive Value, as follows:
Defensive Value = (Explosion Strength) * (Tech Modifier) * (Box Modifier)
Where Tech Modifier is as follows:
Tech Level: 5X 6X 7X 8X 9X
Tech Modifier: 1 1.5 2.25 3.375 5.0625
And Box Scale is as follows:
Box Type: Mega Super God Planet
Box Modifier: 1 10 100 1000
Note the Box Modifier simply converts the SSD to MegaBoxes.
Defensive Value will be treated like "hit points", when it is lowered to 0, the ship is destroyed.

In our example:
Enterprise-J has Defensive Value = 69*1.5*10 = 1035
Species 8472 Carrier has Defensive Value = 393*1.5*1 = 589 (rounded down)

Each turn a ship may fire at another ship. Calculate your Offensive Value against that target as follows:
Offensive Value = (Weapon Damage) * (Tech Modifier) * (Box Modifier) * (Number of Weapons of that type)
Sum this up for all your weapon types. Tech Modifier and Box Modifier are the same as in Defensive Factor above.
Weapon Damage is based on the target's defenses, as follows. For each weapon, look on the left side for the defense the target is using. If the target has more than one defense, use the one that gives the lowest value for the weapon.
aBEAMAMPBCUTDISR-10PH-10PH-11PH-12PH-16PH-17ST-DISR
Borg Adaption 11 200 7 2 3 4 6 5 100 3
Cloud (V'Ger) 11 2 2 1 1 1 2 5 100 1
Holo Regenerating Forcefield 11 20 2 1 1 1 2 5 100 3
Neria Bendix Shields 17 20 2 4 5 6 11 5 100 3
PA Panels 35 200 14 7 6 7 12 50 100 40
Shields (regular) 35 200 14 5 6 7 12 50 100 32
Skin 11 20 7 2 1 1 2 5 100 3
Solid Neutronium Hull 35 2 1 1 1 1 2 50 100 32
Temporal Exclusion Device 35 2 2 1 1 1 2 50 100 3
Temporal Shields 35 200 14 5 6 4 10 50 100 3
Tritanium Mesh Hull 4 20 2 2 1 1 2 5 100 3

aPL ChrTDRAINDRNMetaTOcParaPPTQPTTIBTPT
Borg Adaption 30 10 7 2 6 600000 12 25 5 50
Cloud (V'Ger) 3 10 17 1 2 600000 12 25 5 50
Holo Regenerating Forcefield 30 4 4 2 3 60000 6 11 2 18
Neria Bendix Shields 30 4 4 1 6 60000 6 10 2 15
PA Panels 300 40 35 20 4 600000 60 100 20 150
Shields (regular) 300 40 35 20 4 600000 60 100 20 150
Skin 30 4 4 2 6 600000 6 11 2 18
Solid Neutronium Hull 30 8 4 2 6 600000 6 11 4 18
Temporal Exclusion Device 30 4 17 20 6 600000 6 11 2 15
Temporal Shields 300 4 35 10 4 600000 6 11 2 15
Tritanium Mesh Hull 30 4 4 2 6 60000 6 11 2 18

In our example:
Enterprise-J compares 8 PH-11, 6 PH-10, 3 QPT against "Skin" defense, and has:
Offensive Value = 1*1.5*10*8 + 1*1.5*10*6 + 11*1.5*10*3 = 705
Species 8472 Carrier compares 72 AMPB against "Temporal Shield" and "Tritanium Mesh Hull" defenses (the latter is used because it gives a lower damage), and has:
Offensive Value = 20*1.5*1*72 = 2160

Each turn, divide your Offensive Value by 2d6. This is how much damage you do to the other ship.

In our example:
Enterprise-J rolls an "8" on the 2d6 roll, and does 705/8 = 88 damage to the Carrier, lowering it's Defensive Value to 501 (of 589 max).
Species 8472 carrier rolls a "5" on the 2d6 roll, and does 2160/5 = 432 damage to the Enterprise-J, lowering it's Defensive Value to 603 (of 1035 max).

After this damage, each ship may try to disengage. If both try to disengage, the combat is over.
Otherwise, the fleeing ship rolls the following:
Flee = 2d6 - 7 + (Fleeing ship Warp Type) - (Pursuing ship Warp Type)
Where Warp Type is:
Warp Engine: HWARP PWARP QWARP TimeWarp LoopWarp SlipStream
Warp Type: 0 +1 +3 +6 +7 +2
If the result is positive, the fleeing ship has disengaged.
Otherwise, add each ship's DamCon rating to their Defensive Value (to simulate repairs), and proceed to the next turn.

In our example:
The Enterprise-J thinks this battle is going badly, and attempts to flee. The Species 8472 does not wish to flee.
A "9" is rolled, and the Flee result is 9-7+3-1 = 4, so the Enterprise-J has fled.
If they didn't flee, the Enterprise-J would add it's 80 DamCon to it's Defensive Value (raising it to 683 of 1035 max), and the Carrier adds it's 81 DamCon to it's Defensive Value (raising it to 581 of 589 max).

OK, that's the main system. Pretty simple when you get used to it. Here's two Optional Rules which I personally won't use, but you may find amusing.

Optional Rule Idea #1:

This simulates the ships "getting worse" as they take damage. Each turn, calculate this for each ship:
Effective Offensive Value = (Offensive Value) * (Current Defensive Value) / (Max Defensive Value)
Now, use Effective Offensive Value for damage (still divide it by 2d6) instead of Offensive Value.

Also, any ship below 50% of it's Max Defensive Value has -1 to flee. Any ship below 25% of it's Max Defensive Value has an additional -1 to flee.

I don't think I actually believe this rule is "realistic", based on my impressions of what I think 5X-9X combat should be like. I would think 5X-9X combat would be like two 0X Orions fighting; they are "flying eggshells" whose combat ability isn't significantly lowered until they suddenly explode.

Optional Rule Idea #2:

Many systems on the SSDs are not actually applied to the combat. For example, REPAIR should add to the DamCon rating of the ship, and "Ability to Double Weapons" should allow you to do more damage. The effects of many of the boxes can be estimated based on this system (REPAIR is obvious in it's effect).

Again, I'm against using this rule myself. If you're going to look at the effects of every box on the SSD and try to translate it to this system, it's easier in my opinion to just the fight out the ships using regular SFB:TNG rules.

OK, that's all folks. Expansions on this rules supplement will most likely occur.
- SmileyLich, Halloween 2001 page