Exporting domain rules to Star Without Number

I'm working on a setting revolving around  mech piloting samurai space cats (think Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls or Aslan from Traveller, I promise that I'm not a furry lmao ; ) ). They'll be raiding/fighting the other samurai space cats, a far flung human polity ruled by hypercorporations, space kraken, and newly awakened invasive AI a la Stellaris.  I'd also like a little bit of space fantasy type stuff, mostly just importations from other OSR games. To portray this setting, I'm going to use Stars Without  Number Revised, along with stuff imported from other OSR games, especially ACK. I'll be using this post not only to present the finished work, but also to organize my thoughts and gather suggestions.

Firstly, I'm going to assume that one credit from SWN is equal to one gp in ACK.

Most personal equipment is in the tens or low hundreds, with the really good stuff  and civilian vehicles being in the tens of thousands. Spaceships and military vehicles are generally in the hundreds of thousands, millions, and tens of millions.

Higher TL domains are more productive.

I'd like to keep the current Domain rules for less advanced civilizations TL 2 and below (maybe with some homerules and a little tinkering for different planets and population densities).

I see this species as honorable warrior raider types, like Klingons from Star Trek or Mandalorians from Star Wars, so I'm also going to import ACK's old school experience rules. If you want to level, you have to kill enemies and loot their shit. Experience can also come from trading and ruling a domain, but since the latter will generate a lot more income with access to better technology there'll have to be have to be an adjustment to prevent them from being XP mines. I'm thinking about multiplying the XP threshold for XP from Domains by however much more higher TL domains produce. Similarly, high TL objects like vehicles or spaceships may also have to have their contribution towards XP adjusted.

Domains havea maximum land area calculated from from what I'm terming as the Communications Infrastructure of that domain. The CI is a "fund" in which you invest gp, much like Urban Infrastructure. The idea is that you can grow your domain to encompass the whole planet, but you have to pay for it. CI can be reduced by bombardment, like in the artllery rules from ACK.

TL3 and above Urban Domains take up land. Investment in Urban Infrastructure increases the population cap and reduces land taken up per urban family. Developing higher TL urban domains is a lot more expensive.

Ships and spacestations can contribute to both Stronghold gp and Communications Infrastructure as long as they can effectively be used to protect the planet, attack the planet, and facilitate communications and travel.

Maintenance of vehicles, spaships, and space stations count as gp spent on defence for domain morale purposes as long as they are being used as above.

I'm considering using the rules from Engines of Babylon at least for spaceships' propulsion systems. It takes months to travel to the rim of a solar system, but only days or weeks to travel interstellar. There are both Long Range and Short Range weapons systems, in addition to Planetary Bombardment Range.

Modern day missile and electronic warfare systems, maybe using a version of the artillery duel rules from Guns of War. 

Planets are much more isolated from each other than even the most backwards fief. Many lack particular strategic resources needed to power or manufacture certain items. Feudalism, with attendant petty principalities, monopolies, tariffs, etc, flourishes in such an environment. I'm thinking about developing more limits on purchasing very expensive / military items based on the planets' economies. More on this later.

 

 

This sounds extremely cool! Definitely interested in hearing more as you work out additional details.

[quote="hobbitcannibal"]

I'm working on a setting revolving around  mech piloting samurai space cats (think Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls or Aslan from Traveller-

I'm considering using the rules from Engines of Babylon at least for spaceships' propulsion systems. It takes months to travel to the rim of a solar system, but only days or weeks to travel interstellar. There are both Long Range and Short Range weapons systems, in addition to Planetary Bombardment Range.

Modern day missile and electronic warfare systems, maybe using a version of the artillery duel rules from Guns of War. 

Planets are much more isolated from each other than even the most backwards fief. Many lack particular strategic resources needed to power or manufacture certain items. Feudalism, with attendant petty principalities, monopolies, tariffs, etc, flourishes in such an environment. I'm thinking about developing more limits on purchasing very expensive / military items based on the planets' economies. More on this later.

[/quote]

More conceptual stuff

I'm planning on basing SSC (samurai space cat) society on a mix of medieval and early modern samurai

Military doctrine in this society revolves around advanced missile systems, defenses against the previous, and semi-ritualized mecha battles and duels supported by infantrymen and vehicular cavalry. Generally, even backwards worlds will have fairly potent defense systems against planetary/space bombardment in the form of electronic warfare and anti-missile artillery, lasers, primitive energy fields, etc (think NORAD type stuff). More often than not, the outcome of battle is decided by the mecha forces sent to capture/disable the missile defenses, Often, well matched space cat clans will disregard missiles altogether, engaging in deadly wargames with agreed upon consequences and third party arbiters.

Rather than GM fiat whether certain planets have access to high tech goods, I was planning on using a planetary resource system to see whether the resource is produced dometically. Basically, different planets have access to certain prime materials, but players must invest a certain amount if they want access to processed goods made from those prime materials, especially the highest tech stuff. Higher population urban domains receive economic "slots" that represent third party investors, allowing players to skip steps on the processing. I'm planning on using the resources from the old hex RTS Empire of the Fading Suns, if anyone is familiar with it. Non domestic goods can still be bought, but are especially expensive since space transport is slower and more expensive than regular SWN. The result is that players will have to think about access to goods as well as maximising income, and domains that include a mix of land, peasant families, military and civilian infrastructure, and investments from Axiom.

Even more conceptual stuff

Firstly, I'm thinking about having the game be more like late Heian or Kamakura periods; long ago there was a powerful, centralized space cat empire, but in the time of the game the bureaucracy of the empire is effectively controlled by a class of local warlords and warriors who are more independent of the court. These warlords still depend on the court and what's left of its bureaucracy for legitimacy though, which means that the court often acts as arbiter and partner to the most powerful warlords and that they continue to receive at least some tribute but not all that they were once entitled to. At the time of the game, there is definitely some sort of Taira no Kiyomori analogue lurking in the background :)

Secondly, I have decided that the game will be set in a frontier province. At least at first, the metropol and court will not be directly accessible. The players will play as local warlords. The provincial government will have offices that they can claim, which will give them additional power; additional territory and wealth, recognition from the court, local warlords and populace, power over other bureaucratic officers and warlords, and access to caches of military gear and infrastructure. First they'll have to defeat the incumbants, who may be temporary agents of the court (who travel from appointment to appointment with a large military entourages) or semi-permanent local warlords. The frontier gives an unknown to explore, good for dungeon delving, and other alien polities to fight and conquer.

Thirdly, I've also decided that there will be three different types of SSC clans; courtiers, provincials, and exiles. Court clans are more closely connected to the court. Provincials are locals with deep connections to the province. Exiles clans are returnees from a cultural purge that happened long ago. They practice secret arts, giving them acces to certain classes (psychic and transhumanist kitties) and other benefits.