The Setting travel guide is a basic outlying guide on how space-travel works in the Calliope Star Cluster. This guide affects all craft in setting sans any precursor vessels¹⁾.

This guide is loosely defined by rules decided on by the community and is written by char. Any changes to this guide should first be brought up among the community and receive and overwhelming and majority support for changing and the backing of admin/staff as it affects the entire setting.

This is a list of basic rules that focus on FTL travel in the Calliope Star Cluster. It goes without saying that these rules affect NPC nations and forces as well.

This section covers rules around faster than/slower than light travel.

• All ships of any nation, faction, group, etc. All travel at roughly the same maximum speeds while in FTL.
• Ships can go slower than the max speed in FTL. Civilian, non-military, exceptionally large²⁾, less-advanced species/nations³⁾ all fall in this category.
• Ships may enter FTL in groups or individually.
• Ships may not enter FTL in the core of any system and should be on its edge before doing so⁴⁾
• Ships may not enter FTL while in a planet's atmosphere or while planetside.
• Ships FTL in a straight line. Course correcting requires leaving FTL.
• The average time to pass through a grid square on the map is minimum one week at standard speeds.
• The fastest method of travel in the Calliope Star Sector is to use Gates; Through either a transit gate or terminal gate hub.
• Certain ship types may exceed the maximum starship speeds and be faster than other ships in FTL but should be extremely rare, and should not be overly large or overpowered. These ships should be considered scouts, blockade runners, special diplomat vessels, etc.
  • Special ships in the statement above go marginally, but not exceptionally faster than basic ships and at best cut travel time in half.
• Time may dialate or move slower in FTL depending on the type of FTL.
• FTL can be magical or tech-based.
• FTL signatures are unique based on nation and type of FTL⁵⁾.
• Ley-Lines exist for magical based FTL as a method of FTL travel.
• Interdiction only exists as a form of RP⁶⁾. No nation or entity may have means of stopping ship(s) from entering or forcefully pulling them out of FTL.
  • Tractor beams are not an exception to this. The only thing that should stop FTL is damage to a vessels' power, engines, drives, etc.
• Weapons may be fired at other ships when more than one ship is in FTL together.
  • Damage to a ship may pull it out of FTL if its power, drives, engines, etc. are damaged.
  • Shields are interfered with by FTL travel and may not work when in FTL.
  • FTL-torpedoes, FTL ramming, etc. is not currently possible for any nation or military; You cannot shoot weapons from outside of FTL into FTL or collide anything into something from outside FTL as a means to stop it.

This sub-section covers the Usage of Gates.

• Gates are only allowed to exist outside of systems.
• There are two types of gates.
  • Gate Hubs which act like major network terminals and can connect to all the gates in that hubs network, and are the only means to connect to other hubs and travel from subsector to subsector.
  • Terminal gates, which act like space train stations that connect to other Terminal gates, or any of the smaller transit gates in its network which act like smaller train stations that only connect to that Terminal.
• Gates may not exist within any nation's perceived space.
  • Nations may unite against any nation or force that attempts to seize, monopolize, or blockade a gate or hub .
  • No special gates may be made in any nation's system with their own magic or technology to circumvent this. The only gate method of traveling is the gatekeepers gates.
• Gate-travel is near-instantaneous relative to most forms of FTL. Hours or days may pass to travel what otherwise could have taken weeks or months. All the while a ship may pass tens if not hundreds of lightyears.
• Gates are nearly indestructible and may only be damaged temporarily.
• There is no vessel too large to enter a gate.
• Multiple ships/fleets may enter a gate.
• Gate travel works both ways, and there is no way to intercept or block gate travel.
• Gates may deposit ship(s) either to the terminal/transit gate or to within one grid-square from the gate you are traveling towards.
  • Gates may not be used to transport into any nations space or any destination other than to or within one grid square of another gate.

• Ships may be faster or slower than others in STL depending on ship type or class.
• Ships speeds should be based on size and class.
  • This means a frigate should always be faster than a cruiser and capital ships should be exceptionally slow and cumbersome.
• STL can be interfered with by things such as webbers, tractor beams,EMPs, solar flares, magic, etc. which slow a vessel. Though should only be used for RP purposes by GMs and not as a common tech for nations to harry invaders.
• Ships travelling in STL can cross a system within a couple days from its edge to its core.
• Planets, asteroids/comets, suns, black holes, anomalies, etc. All affect STL travel.
• Shields may be active while in STL but may slow vessels for purposes of RP.
• A ship can not phase or teleport while in STL and no technologies or magics like this should exist.

The Calliope Star Cluster is home to an outstanding amount of Nebula and astral bodies. These are not simply for show, and carry their own rules for passing through them. As such starships of technological or magical inclinations both suffer from debilitations to their travels when passing through nebula of any kind.

• Passing through or into Nebula obscure a ships signature or help hide it altogether.
• Nebula effect shields, power sources, communications, and certain types of weapons of tech or magical inclinations for purposes of RP.
• Passing through a nebula should be viewed and treated/written the same way as a vehicle passing through an exceptional storm; High winds, low visibility, danger, potential damage, increased chance of damage or obstacles, etc.
• Ships in a nebula are not easily discovered from outside unless in large fleets. Or until just about to exit a nebula.
• LArge cosmic megafauna, ghost vessels⁷⁾, and many types of dangers not found outside of nebula exist in these places.

The massive nebula splitting the Calliope Star cluster is unique compared to most other nebula. Not only is it substantially large and more turbulent than other nebula⁸⁾ but poses a high risk to any vessels attempting to cross through or into it.

As such not only is the Chasm not possible to be colonized by even the hardiest of outposts of any nation but contains forces, dangers, and treasures galore found nowhere else in the sector. So turbulent is this place that not even the Gates can penetrate ships into it.

(The chasm is designed to be explored and RP'd in by players and nations alike but cannot contain outposts, settlements, core or non-core systems, or pretty much anything that would allow anyone to place even the simplest claim on any portion of it. It contains mysteries such as the precursors systems and their fate, and is designed to house major sector-spanning threats for future RP.)

Using the discord or through a software, Roll 1d100 for every grid square in a nebula your ship(s) pass through on the map and apply the rolled effect (use the roll function on the discord for convenience and ease of access!). Note that this is intended as an RP tool for GMs and not as a system to be abused in PVP scenarios. (But if you just happen to be fighting in a nebula dont forget to roll anyway, it will make the fight more interesting!)

Roll 1d100 and apply the following effect to your ship(s):

• 01–10. Cosmic forces and anomalies favour you! Your ships pass through this grid square safely and ahead of schedule!
• 11-15. Your ships pass through this grid square safely at a normal pace.
• 16-18. Your ships pass through this grid square but take twice as long as
• anticipated (If unsure round up to a week for standard-sized vessels)
• 19-21. Roll 1d6. Cosmic forces cause the number of characters chosen by the GM to suffer amnesia until passing into the next grid square.
• 22-24. Your ship encounters a derelict and damaged ship that may or may not contain survivors, treasure, loot, technology, unknown threat, intel, etc. (GM discretion)
• 25-27. Your ship suffers one random failure until passing into the next grid square, roll 1d6 (1-engines, 2-life support, 3-weapons, 4-shields, 5-communications, 6-navigation)
• 28-30. Your ship passes into the next grid square safely, except no time has passed (the GC date IC remains the same as when you rolled to when you enter your next grid square)
• 31-33. You detect a neutral star-faring vessel of the GMs choice of faction at the edge of your sensors.
• 34-36. You encounter 1d3 times the number of ships accompanying you at the edge of your sensors. Roll a second 1d3 to determine intent (1-neutral, 2-friendly, 3-hostile)
• 37-39. Pirates! 1d3 times the number of ships accompanying you hail your vessel(s) and declare their intent to board you and make off with anything from cargo to crew or the ship(s) themselves!
• 40-42. Boarders! A stealth vessel has deployed boarding torpedoes and has unloaded 2d12 boarders into your vessel for GM discretion purposes.
• 43-45. A number of players/npc chosen by the GM revert in age back to their teenage or pre-teen years until entering the next grid square. The GM chooses if they keep their adult-age memories or only recall the memories of the age they are changed to (18+ Rule applies to characters or NPCs changed to children.)
• 46-48. Cosmic storms batter your ship! Until you enter your next grid square your vessel takes minor damage, Roll 1d100 and take another encounter on the list!
• 49-51. Your ship encounters a random derelict space installation that may or may not contain survivors, treasure, loot, technology, unknown threat, intel, etc. (GM discretion)(edited)
• 52-54. Your ship passes through a particularly rough patch of cosmic storms. Roll 1d6, that number of characters chosen by the GM (PC or NPC) swap minds/bodies with each other until entering the next grid square.
• 55-57. Your ship encounters… Itself? Encounter a mirror twin of your own ship in every way, even down to the crew. If personally meeting, the two crews become increasingly paranoid and unsettled towards each other as time goes on.
• 58-60. 1d6 random hallucinations/apparitions appear on your ship. They haunt your crew and become increasingly violent and traumatic towards the crew until entering your next grid square.
• 61-63. One random (GM chosen) player character or NPC are possessed by an obsession with the GMs choice.
• 64-66. One random (Gm chosen) player character or NPC are literally possessed! A malevolent spirit with intentions chosen by the GM and told only to the player (or controller of the NPC) in secret and not to the other players is possessed until passing into the next grid square.
• 67-68. Massive space-fairing megafauna has taken an interest in your ship! Either curiosity, territorial instinct, or just plain boredom a massive creature much larger than your ship is approaching you!
• 69. Strange radiation that can even pass through your shields has risen the ambient temperature in the ship to just hot enough to fluster the crew. The heat does more than just making clothes uncomfortable, and everyone's opinion of each other (even rivals or those with a dislike of each other) is risen to a concerning degree until entering the next grid square (Skip if plot is not 18+!!!!!!!!)
• 70-72. The gravity in the ship fluctuates frequently, causing gravity to shift in random directions.
• 73-75. A random player character chosen by the GM suffers an injury serious enough to put them in the medbay until passing into the next grid square.
• 76-78. A corpse in the ships medbay/morgue suddenly wakes in perfect health (PC or NPC)
• 79-81. The ships brig suddenly unlocks or something intended to be contained is let loose. If no brig or contained creature/item is present re-roll.
• 82-84. Roll two random encounters. Both happen simultaneously.
• 85-87. Your ship passes completely through the nebula and out the other side in a straight line in the direction they are travelling even across multiple grid squares.
• 88-91. Your ship passes completely through the nebula and out the other side in a straight line in the direction they are travelling even across multiple grid squares except one year has passed for the crew inside the nebula since the time of rolling!
• 92-94. Your ship suffers a random and critical failure and is left adrift.
• 95-97. An unknown fleet much larger than yours (Identity at the GMs discretion) is detected close to yours and has your ship(s) caught in tractor beams and is pulling you closer.
• 98-99. Your crew, PCs, and NPCs suddenly dont recognize one PC chosen by the GM as part of their crew and are suspicious to their identity and distrustful if not hostile towards them.
• 100. Roll 1d3 times number of ships if in a fleet. That number of ships are lost in the nebula and never found again. If ship is alone re-roll.

• Player char created this on 2021/08/29 14:16.

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