Star Trader
Star Trader Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Read This First
- [1.0] Introduction
- [2.0] Game Components
- [3.0] Sequence of Play
- [4.0] Initiative
- [5.0] Connections
- [6.0] News
- [7.0] Spaceships
- [8.0] Building Spaceships
- [9.0] Hyperjumping
- [10.0] Interception and Combat
- [11.0] Damage and Salvage
- [12.0] Trade
- [13.0] Market Positions
- [14.0] Storage
- [15.0] Passengers
- [16.0] Smuggling
- [17.0] Agents
- [18.0] Loans
- [19.0] Factories
- [20.0] Sabotage
- [21.0] Reputation
- [22.0] Negotiation
- [23.0] Scenarios
- [24.0] Using Star Trader in a Universe Campaign
- Star System Display Master
- [6.9] News Chit Summary
- [23.6] Summary of Corporations
- Player Log
Read This First
The rules to Star Trader are organized by major topics, called Sections, arranged in the order in which they occur in the play of the game. Each such major topic is given a number and a name, following which is usually a General Rule or description that summarizes the rules in that Section. This general overview of each rules Section is followed by numbered paragraphs, called Cases, that provide specifics of the rules. Note that the numbering of the Cases is a decimal form of the Section numbers.
Players should examine the display sheet and playing pieces and then quickly read through the rules, without trying to memorize them. The game should then be set up and a "trial run" made, with reference to the rules Cases as questions arise. In this way, players can become accustomed to the game system easily and move quickly on to a full-fledged game of Star Trader.
Rules Questions
We hope you enjoy this SPI game. Should you have any difficulty interpreting the rules, please write to SPI, phrasing your question so that it can be answered by a simple sentence, word, or number. You must enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Write to: SPI, Rules Questions Editor for Star Trader, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-7366.
Inventory of Game Components
Each copy of Star Trader should contain the following components:
- One 22" x 34" display sheet
- One sheet of 200 die-cut cardboard playing pieces
- One rules folder
Each boxed copy of Star Trader (not the Ares edition) should also contain:
- Three 6-sided dice
- One game box assembly
[1.0] Introduction
Star Trader is a game of interstellar economics set in the 24th Century. Each of up to six players is master of a fleet of spacefaring trade vessels, competing with opponents to increase his own profits at the expense of the other players. The basic monetary unit in Star Trader is the HectoTran (HT), which is equivalent to 100 Transfers, or $30,000. All transactions in the game are conducted in HT's.
Players familiar with SPI's role-playing game of the future, Universe, will find that the spaceships, Star Systems, commodities, and other features in Star Trader are adapted from concepts presented in Universe. Although designed as an independent multi-player game, Star Trader may be used in conjunction with a Universe campaign as an adventure generator or as an economic subsystem. Section 24.0 of these rules offers suggestions on using the two games together.
Three six-sided dice are required to play Star Trader. One, two, or three dice rolls are called for to resolve a variety of game functions. These required dice rolls are denoted by the abbreviations 1D, 2D, and 3D, respectively. When rolling 2D or 3D, results are added to obtain a total result.
[2.0] Game Components
COMMENTARY: Each game of Star Trader includes a rules booklet, a 22" x 34" Display Sheet, and 200 die-cut cardboard playing pieces. Pencils with erasers and three six-sided dice are also required to play the game.
CASES:
[2.1] The Display Sheet portrays six Star Systems among which players conduct trade. The following features are included on each Star System Display:
Hyperjump Routes. Travel among Star Systems is accomplished by means of hyperjumping — a delicate operation involving the use of psionic powers. Emanating from each Star System Display are five routes, represented by arrowheads, directed toward the other Systems in the game. Each of these routes has an associated number (ranging from 2 through 9) that indicates the relative chance of successfully hyperjumping along that route.
Price Track. A System's Price Track depicts each commodity that is marketable in that System, and the particular space in which a commodity is pictured represents the commodity's price at the start of the game. The spaces, marked 1 through 20, are used to reflect fluctuations in the price of commodities in the System throughout the game.
Spaceport. The area of each System Display containing the System's name is referred to generally as the Spaceport. This area represents the System's commercial center, contained in a federally operated Spaceport orbiting the System's capital world. There are two numbers listed in this area of the Display: Spaceport Class (which reflects the quality of spaceship service available in the System) and Law Level (representing the degree of federal presence in the System). Some Spaceports also contain boxes labelled Safe Berth (where spaceships may be protected from sabotage) and Shipyard (where players may have new spaceships built).
System Space. This area of the Display represents a System's interplanetary space, where players may lie in wait in attempts to intercept incoming spaceships. The System Space area includes a Patrol Value, used to determine the effect of federal patrol sweeps.
On Planet. Spaceships that go directly (and illegally) to a planet, rather than to the Spaceport as required by federal law, are placed in the On Planet area. The Security Rating listed in this area is used to determine whether or not illegally landed ships avoid federal detection. Also listed are commodities naturally abundant in the System.
Factories and Warehouses. These boxes provide an area for each player to place any factories and warehouses he may build and maintain in a System.
Market Position Tracks. A player may rise in prominence within a System as a purveyor of one or more commodities in that System, becoming in turn a Dealer, Contractor, or Market Manager. The Market Position Tracks allow players to record their current positions in a System's markets.
Several other tracks, associated with particular game functions or players (rather than with particular Star Systems), are also provided on the Display Sheet:
Asset Tracks. As each player accumulates (or loses) assets, his current wealth is reflected on his own Asset Track, which represents the number of HectoTrans the player possesses.
Supply and Demand (S/D) Track. The market activity of each commodity in each System is determined by using this Track. Each numbered space on the S/D Track represents the number of commodity units in supply (if positive) or in demand (if negative). Associated with each S/D index number is a Price Modifier, which is used to alter the price of commodities once their S/D index numbers are determined.
Reputation Track. The Reputation Track reflects each player's fluctuating Reputation Level throughout the game.
Game-Turn Record Track. Each time a Game-Turn is completed, the Game-Turn marker is advanced one space along this Track until the game is completed. News chits are also placed on this Track during the game, until the events or opportunities they represent have passed.
The various charts, tables, and summaries included on the Display Sheet are explained in the appropriate rules Sections.
[2.2] Each player maintains his own Player Log. Each player uses one Player Log to record his current Business, Political, and Criminal Connection Levels; the terms of any outstanding loans; bids he makes each Game-Turn to gain initiative and to buy and sell commodities; the number of units of special goods he holds; destinations to which he is committed to take passengers; and attributes and current status of his spaceships.
Photocopies of the Player Log included in these rules must be made before play begins.
[2.3] The playing pieces represent assets, inventories, spaceships, and other game records.
SPACESHIP
The 14 spaceship counters (all identical, other than their ID numbers and suggested names) are assigned to players by the scenario instructions. Spaceships may also be built and sold during play. Each spaceship's specific attributes are detailed on the Summary of Ship Hull and Pod Characteristics and are recorded on the Player Log of the owning player.
COMMODITIES
The four major commodities in the game are referred to in terms of commodity units. The amount of a commodity in a player's warehouse or spaceship at any given time is represented by the appropriate Commodities chit, which is placed beneath the warehouse or ship. Each commodity is represented by chits of four denominations: 1, 2, 4, and 8 units. Any number of units may be indicated by various combinations of these chits (for instance, a 1, 2, and 4 chit would represent 7 units). When placed in the Factory space of a System Display, a Commodities chit represents a factory, in which case it denotes a unit of production rather than a unit of stored material (for instance, a Monopole-2 chit in a Factory space indicates a factory that produces 2 units of Monopoles each Game-Turn). The four major commodities (and their unit weights) are:
Magnetic Monopoles (1 kg/unit). Refined ore containing only a positive or negative charge. Used in psionic equipment, robots, and levitating craft.
Psycho-Spice Ampules (1 kg/unit). A natural drug used to enhance psionic powers and as a creative hallucinogen (non-addictive).
Super Isotopes (15 metric tons/unit). Refined radioactive ore with an atomic number above 140. Power source for interplanetary travel.
High-Tech Alloys (15 metric tons/unit). Complex metallic compounds (with some non-metallic elements) used in all fields of industry, especially for armor.
WAREHOUSES
Placed in a Warehouse space of a System Display, a Warehouse chit indicates that a player has storage capacity in that System. Warehouse chits are provided in four denominations (1, 2, 4, 8), which may be combined to show any amount of storage space. Each Warehouse unit may store up to 10 units of Alloys or Isotopes (or a combination up to 10 total units); one Warehouse unit may store any amount of Monopoles or Spice.
ASSETS
Each player uses three Asset markers (1 HT, 10 HT, and 100 HT) on his Asset Track. By placing the three markers on different spaces of the Track, any amount of HT's from 0 through 999 may be recorded. If a player has 1000 or more HT's, the 100 HT marker is inverted to its 100 HT + 1000 side. Thus, if this marker were on the 3-space of the Track, it would represent a total of 1300 HT's.
MARKET POSITION
These markers (printed with different players represented on either side to maximize their use) are placed in the appropriate Market Position of a Star System to indicate that a player is a Dealer, Contractor, or Market Manager in a specific commodity.
REPUTATION
Each player's current Reputation Level is noted by the location of his Reputation marker on the Reputation Track.
AGENT
A specific individual assigned to a player by the scenario instructions or acquired during play. An agent gives a player some special advantage.
PRICE
Each commodity that has a market in a Star System is represented by a Price marker, which occupies the Price Track in that System. Each Price marker has an S/D Modifier, which is used to determine the commodity's S/D Index each Game-Turn. Note: The S/D Modifier on the back of the marker is used when only two players are playing the game.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND (S/D)
This marker is placed on and moved along the S/D Track to resolve the market activity of a commodity each Game-Turn. When the marker occupies a space with a positive S/D Index, the supply of the commodity exceeds the demand; when the marker is on a negative S/D Index space, the demand for the commodity exceeds the supply.
NEWS
Drawn at random at the beginning of each Game-Turn and placed on the Game-Turn Record Track, each News chit represents an Opportunity for a player, or an Event that may affect all players.
GAME-TURN
The Game-Turn marker is placed on and moved along the Game-Turn Record Track to indicate the current Game-Turn.
Note: If Market Position, Spaceship, Commodity, or Warehouse markers run out, players may devise additional markers of their own.
[3.0] Sequence of Play
Star Trader is played in Game-Turns, each of which represents three months of Earth time. There is no set number of Game-Turns in a single game; play continues until one player wins. Each Game-Turn is divided into eight Phases. There are no specific Player-Turns as there are in some SPI games; all players are involved in every Phase of the Game-Turn. All actions by the players must proceed strictly according to the following sequence outline.
1. Bid Phase
Each player secretly and simultaneously writes down how many HT's he will expend to gain Initiative (4.0) and to purchase or sell any commodities (12.0).
2. Initiative Phase
Each player announces, and records on his Asset Track, how much he has committed to spend to gain the Initiative (4.0), and Turn Order (for the present Game-Turn) is determined. Note: Players undertake some activities in Turn Order and other activities in Initiative Order (with the highest Initiative going first), as specified throughout the rules.
3. News Phase
A. Any News chits on the current Game-Turn space of the Game-Turn Record Track are revealed and returned to the pool.
B. Fresh News chits are drawn and placed on the Game-Turn Record Track.
C. Eligible players may examine the underside of News chits on the Game-Turn Record Track.
4. Hyperjump Phase
Players may hyperjump their spaceships from System to System (9.0) in Turn Order. Interception may also occur during this Phase (10.0).
5. Transactions Phase
All player and non-player market activity involving all 18 commodities on the System Displays is carried out (12.0). The player with the highest Initiative chooses one of the 18 commodities markers, and the following steps are undertaken:
A. Non-player activity in the commodity is determined by rolling 2D and adding the commodity's S/D Modifier to the result. The S/D marker is placed in the space of the S/D Track corresponding to this total.
B. Any players who bid to buy or sell this commodity reveal their bids. If no players bid, skip to Step D.
C. The players buy and sell units of the good, as allowed by the fluctuating position of the S/D marker.
D. After all buying and selling of the commodity is completed (if any), the commodity's market price is modified according to the current position of the S/D marker.
The player with the highest Initiative chooses another commodity, and the preceding Steps are repeated. When all 18 commodities have been dealt with (in the order chosen by the player with the highest Initiative), this Phase is concluded.
6. Opportunity Phase
The first player conducts any or all of the following activities in whatever order he wishes, then the second player, etc.
- Receive goods produced by their factories.
- Attempt to sabotage opposing players' spaceships, warehouses, or factories.
- Attempt to undermine market position.
- Hire Agents.
- Embark passengers in eligible spaceships.
- Use an Opportunity chit examined by the player.
- Sell illegal goods.
7. Investment Phase
The players perform any of the following activities simultaneously, in any order.
- Purchase increase in player's Reputation Level.
- Purchase Warehouse capacity.
- Purchase Factories.
- Purchase, repair, or sell spaceship hulls and/or pods.
- Hire or replace spaceship crews.
- Take out a loan (unless the player already has a loan outstanding).
- Pay off or pay interest on an existing loan.
- Purchase increase in any of the player's Connection Levels.
8. Inquiry Phase
A. Check each spaceship that is in a System Space box for federal patrol sweeps.
B. Any player with a Reputation Level of 5 or less may have to undergo an Inquiry; consult the Inquiry Table, if necessary.
C. The Reputation Level of any player whose current level is between 1 and 19 is increased by 3 (but not above 20).
D. Each player who has a Reputation Level of 25 or higher receives a Reputation Bonus in the form of HT's.
E. Re-invert all spaceships (to their front sides) that have failed hyperjumps during the current Game-Turn.
If any player declares that he has fulfilled his Victory Conditions and can show that he has done so, the game is over. Otherwise, the Game-Turn marker is advanced one space along the Game-Turn Record Track, and a new Game-Turn begins.
COMBAT SEQUENCE
Conducted during Hyperjump Phase, as needed.
A. Interception Segment
Players with spaceships in a System Space box declare (Turn Order) if they wish to intercept a ship entering the Star System. If interception does not occur, the Combat Sequence is concluded (return to the Hyperjump Phase). If interception does occur, proceed to Segment B.
B. Attack Segment
Each player (Initiative Order) declares whether or not he will fire at the opposing player's spaceship(s). If so, the fire is conducted and then the players take turns allocating and executing fires in a number of Combat Rounds until all participating players with ships capable of combat agree have no further combat.
C. Salvage Segment
A player owning spaceships that have survived the combat may attempt to salvage cargo from enemy ships.
[4.0] Initiative
GENERAL RULE: The order in which player perform game functions is determined anew at the beginning of each Game-Turn.
PROCEDURE: During the Bid Phase of each Game-Turn, each player secretly writes down the number of HT's he's spending to attempt to gain Initiative. During the Initiative Phase of each Game-Turn, all players reveal their HT expenditure simultaneously, deducting the amount spent from their current assets. Each player then rolls 2D and adds the number rolled to the number of HT's he has spent for Initiative. The player with the highest total has the highest Initiative, the player with the second highest total the second highest initiative, and so forth.
The player with the highest Initiative chooses which place he will take in the Turn Order; then the player with the second highest Initiative chooses; and so forth.
CASES:
[4.1] Players with identical Initiative determination totals re-roll 2D. Only the players who have tied re-roll the dice, and only the HT's originally spent on Initiative are added to the dice result.
[4.2] Player order applies only to the Hyperjump, News, and Opportunity Phases. The first player in a Game-Turn does not perform the entire Sequence of Play before other players — he only acts first in the Hyperjump and Opportunity Phases, and in examining News chits during the News Phase.
[4.3] The player with the highest Initiative determines the order of the Transactions Phase. The player with the highest Initiative (whether he is the first player or not) determines the order in which each commodity is dealt with during the Transactions Phase.
[5.0] Connections
GENERAL RULE: The scenario instructions assign three Connection Levels, ranging from 0 through 10, to each player. These Political, Business, and Criminal Connections represent a player's ability to react to events and to exploit unexpected opportunities. A player may increase his Connection Levels during play and derive certain benefits from his Connections in various situations.
PROCEDURE: At the beginning of a scenario, each player records his Business, Political, and Criminal Connections Levels on his Player Log. Each player may increase one Level in each Investment Phase by spending a number of HT's equal to 10 times the new Level, and recording the new Level on his Player Log. (Example: To increase a Business Connection from 4 to 5 requires an expenditure of 50 HT's.) Any changes in a player's Connection Levels must be declared to all players.
CASES:
[5.1] No Connection Level may ever exceed 10.
[5.2] A Connection Level may be reduced only as a result of an inquiry.
[5.3] A player's Reputation Level changes each time any of his Connection Levels is increased. A player's Reputation Level is increased by 1 each time his Political Connection Level is increased by 1. Reputation is increased by 2 each time the player's Business Connection Level is increased by 1. Reputation is decreased by 1 each time a player's Criminal Connection Level is increased by 1.
[5.4] Connection Levels directly affect various procedures.
- All Connection Levels affect a player's ability to examine News chits.
- Criminal Connection Level affects sabotage attempts.
- Political Connection Level affects inquiries.
- Political and Business Connection Levels affect factory purchases.
- Political and Business Connection Levels affect attempts to undermine market positions.
[6.0] News
GENERAL RULE: During each News Phase, News chits are brought into the game, to provide players with Opportunities (both legal and otherwise) and to introduce unusual Events.
PROCEDURE: At the beginning of the News Phase, News chits occupying the current Game-Turn space are revealed to all players, and the instructions for each revealed Event chit are followed, before the chit is returned to the chit pool. Opportunity chits remaining on the Track are also returned to the pool.
The first player then rolls 1D and halves the result, rounding down, and selects the number of News chits from the pool (note that it is possible for no chits to be drawn). Each drawn chit is placed, with Connection side face-up, on the Game-Turn Record Track. Note that each News chit has a number on it, indicating how many spaces ahead of the current Game-Turn it must be placed. For instance, a chit drawn on Game-Turn 5 and printed with a 2 would be placed on the Game-Turn 7 space.
Eligible players may declare, in Turn Order, that they are examining face-down News chits (including any placed on the Track in preceding Game-Turns). A player may examine a chit only if he has an appropriate Connection Level equal to or greater than the Level indicated on the chit. (Example: A player needs a Political Connection of at least 4 to examine a chit marked Pol 4.) For each player that examines, he must immediately pay 5 HT's. When examining a chit, a player looks at the code on the back side of the chit, and consults the News Summary to determine the indicated paragraph in the News Summary to determine the chit's effect. A player cannot change the stipulations of an Event chit; he is simply provided with advance information about an event that will occur. A player who has examined an Opportunity chit may, however, act on it in any Opportunity Phase in which the chit remains on the Game-Turn Record Track. To do so, he inverts the chit during the Opportunity Phase and declares that he is taking advantage of the opportunity. The chit is then placed beneath the ship which is being used to exploit the opportunity (if applicable).
CASES:
[6.1] After examining a chit, a player may talk about the chit, sell information concerning it, etc. He may not show the chit to another player, however. More than one player can examine a chit, if all examining players pay all the necessary connections and all pay 5 HT's. Once a player has examined a chit, he may examine it at any time.
[6.2] An Opportunity Chit indicates that a special commodity or a spaceship is available for the player to purchase. Chits indicating legal opportunities are fully explained in the News Summary. Chits indicating illegal goods include slaves, weapons, and tempus (a potent and highly addictive time dilation drug). When an illegal commodity is available, the player that takes the chit must have a spaceship On Planet in the System indicated and must purchase from 1 to 10 units of the commodity at the price indicated in the News Summary. He may sell the goods during any subsequent Opportunity Phase in which the ship is On Planet in the System indicated. The amount received is determined by using the Black Market Table (16.6). When an illegal hull and/or pods are available, the player that takes the chit may purchase any of the listed equipment On Planet in the System indicated. He pays the requisite amounts, and the ship is placed On Planet. If the player is purchasing pods only, he must have a spaceship On Planet in the System to place the pods.
[6.3] A player taking an Opportunity chit must use it in some way, even if only to buy 1 commodity unit or pod. An Opportunity chit representing a commodity is held by the player until the goods are sold or lost. The commodity is kept in a ship (or in a warehouse, if legal), and the number of commodity units represented is noted in the Special Commodities section of the Player Log. Once the goods are sold or lost, the chit is returned to the pool. All other Opportunity chits are returned to the pool immediately after they have been taken advantage of.
[6.4] Certain Event chits are removed from play after they have been revealed and their effects carried out. Some Event chits, noted as such in the News Summary, are not returned to the chit pool after use. All other Event chits are returned to the pool after being revealed (they may occur more than once).
[6.5] The News Summary explains all Opportunity and Event chits. See page 14.
[7.0] Spaceships
GENERAL RULE: A complete spaceship includes a hull and a number of pods. Each hull possesses a sub-light engine, a bridge with navigation equipment, and crew quarters. A pod is a compartment, serving a specific function, that is attached to or enclosed in a hull. Specific attributes of a variety of hull and pod types are listed on the Spaceship Hull and Characteristics Summary.
CASES:
[7.1] Each hull type is rated for the following attributes:
Pod Capacity. The maximum number of pods that may be attached to it at any time.
Interception Rating. A measure of the ship's ability to engage in high-acceleration maneuvers. Used when attempting to intercept an enemy ship and when attempting to avoid interception.
Crew. The number of 5-man crew groups required to operate the hull.
Combat Strength. A quantification of the quality of the hull's weaponry.
Protection Rating. A quantification of the hull's armor and forcefield quality.
Cargo Capacity. The number of cargo units the hull may hold. An N indicates that the hull may carry any amount of monopoles, spice and tempus only.
The cost (in HT's) to purchase and repair the hull is also listed.
[7.2] The Piccolo, Flute, Corco Gamma, and Dagger hulls are streamlined. A streamlined hull can function in a planet's atmosphere. Thus, 2 is added to the dice roll during a Smuggling Check (see 16.0).
[7.3] The Dagger, Sword, and Spear hulls are military and illegal. Illegal Hulls (and pods) may be acquired only through an Opportunity chit or from another player. A spaceship with an illegal hull (or pods) may not enter a Spaceport with a Law Level of 3 or 4, and may be repaired only at Tau Ceti Spaceport.
[7.4] Each pod type is rated for the following attributes:
Combat Strength. Added to the Combat Strength of the hull. Four pod types have two Combat Strengths. The first is its normal Combat Strength (when not using missiles). The second (parenthesized) is its Missile Combat Strength.
Crew. The number of crew groups required to operate the pod.
The cost (in HT's) to purchase the pod is listed. All pod costs are 10 HT's to repair.
[7.5] The Hunter, Heavy Weapons, Arsenal, and Battle Comm Pods are military, and illegal.
[7.6] The following pods have special attributes:
Augmented Jump. Increases the Hyperjump Chance by 2. Every hull in Star Trader has a Standard Jump Pod. Thus, adding an Augmented Jump Pod to a hull does not count against its pod capacity (it replaces the standard one).
Cargo. Holds 2 cargo units.
Passenger. Holds 2 passenger (or 2 slave) groups.
Battle Communications. Used to jam enemy radar and communications and to track enemy ships. Increases hull's Interception Rating by 1. Adds 2 to dice roll during Federal Patrol Check. Adds 3 to dice roll during Smuggling Check. Prevents Reputation Level reduction when intercepting.
[7.7] The Summary of Spaceship Hull and Pod Characteristics lists the major attributes of all hull and pod types. See Display Sheet.
[7.8] Damaged hulls and pods may be repaired at any Spaceport that has a Shipyard.
Any amount of damage to a hull or pod can be repaired in a single Investment Phase by paying the requisite amount. An illegal hull or pod may be repaired only at the Tau Ceti Spaceport.
[8.0] Building Spaceships
GENERAL RULE: Players may receive spaceships at the beginning of play, per scenario instructions. Spaceships may also be purchased during play at any Spaceport with a Shipyard.
PROCEDURE: During the Investment Phase, a player decides what hull (and pods, up to the hull's pod capacity) he wishes to purchase, chooses the class of crew that will man the ship, and pays for all this immediately. He then fills out a spaceship record (on the Player Log) and places a spaceship counter in any Shipyard. The spaceship is moved from the Shipyard to the Spaceport in the same System during the Investment Phase of the following Game-Turn. While in a Shipyard, a ship may not be used for any purpose. The sections of a spaceship record are filled out as follows:
- The Spaceship Number matches that on the counter. Any spaceship counter not currently in play may be used.
- The Hull type, Protection Rating, and Interception Rating are taken directly from the Summary of Characteristics.
- If the spaceship has a Battle Comm Pod, increase the Interception Rating by 1.
- The Cargo Capacity equals the rating of the hull plus 2 for each attached Cargo Pod.
- The Passenger Capacity equals twice the number of attached Passenger Pods.
- Two Combat Strengths are noted. The normal Combat Strength equals the sum of all unparenthesized Combat Strengths of the hull and pods. The Missile (parenthesized) Combat Strength equals the sum of all parenthesized Combat Strengths of the pods.
- The number of Crew Groups noted equals the sum of that for the hull and all the pods. The chosen Crew Class is on the other side of the slash.
- The names of all the chosen pods are noted.
- The Damage space is only used when the ship sustains damage; ignore it in filling out the record.
CASES:
[8.1] An illegal hull or pod may be purchased only as the result of an Opportunity chit or from a player. New illegal ships are placed in the On Planet box upon purchase. They may be used immediately upon purchase.
[8.2] A hull or pod may not be purchased unless it and its crew are paid for immediately.
[8.3] A hull may carry any number of pods, up to its listed pod capacity. A hull may be purchased without any pods, and pods may be purchased in subsequent Game-Turns. A spaceship need occupy a Shipyard only when its hull is first built; any subsequent pod additions or replacements do not require a turn in the Shipyard. Pods may be traded between spaceships in the same Spaceport at any time. Legal pods may be stored in a warehouse; a stored pod equals 5 cargo units.
[8.4] Pods and hulls may be sold in any Spaceport. Pods and hulls may always be sold or traded among players for whatever price is agreed upon. Additionally, a player may sell a pod, hull, or entire spaceship to the market during the Investment Phase. To do so, he rolls 3D, subtracts the result by 10 to determine the percentage of the item's list price he receives. The player makes one roll for all the items he wishes to sell in one Spaceport. Once he rolls the dice, he must sell all the items declared, even if the price is not to his liking. Spaceship crews and commodities aboard a ship are not sold in this manner (crew bounty may not be recouped when selling a ship to the market in this manner; the crew is lost).
[8.5] Illegal pods and hulls may be sold only On Planet. The procedure for selling illegal spaceships to the market is identical to that detailed in 8.4.
[8.6] Every spaceship must have a crew. There are four Crew Classes: A, B, C, and D. Crew Class modifies the chance of a successful hyperjump (9.4), and may modify a ship's Rating (10.1). Each crew costs a specific bounty to purchase. Whenever a spaceship is purchased, the purchasing player must hire a crew. He chooses which Class he desires and pays a number of HT's equal to the bounty listed on the Crew Chart times the number of crew groups his ship requires. The bounty is a one-time charge. However, if the pods on a spaceship are changed, increasing the number of crew groups required, additional bounty equal to the crew group increase times the same bounty must be paid. If the number of crew groups required decreases, no rebate is received.
[8.7] The Crew Class of a ship in a Spaceport may be improved by paying a new bounty. Paying a new bounty represents hiring a new crew. The total HT cost is calculated as in 8.6. No rebate for bounty previously paid is received.
[8.8] The players may agree to pay crew salary throughout the game instead of bounty (Optional Rule). If this option is chosen, no bounty is paid upon spaceship purchase. Instead, each player must pay salary to the crew of each of his spaceships during every Investment Phase. The salary of a spaceship's crew equals that listed for the appropriate Crew Class on the Crew Chart times the number of crew groups in the ship. Salary need not be paid for a new spaceship crew until the first Game-Turn that the ship leaves a Spaceport or an On Planet box; then it must be paid every Game-Turn. If a player does not pay the requisite salary for a spaceship's crew, the crew is immediately lost, and the player loses 2 Reputation Points. If a spaceship is On Planet or in a System Space box when its crew is lost, the ship (and all aboard) are lost.
[8.9] The Crew Chart lists bounties and optional salaries for all Crew Classes. See Display Sheet.
[9.0] Hyperjumping
GENERAL RULE: During the Hyperjump Phase, every spaceship may attempt to move to any box in any System. If a ship enters a System Space area occupied by enemy ships, the enemy player may check for interception. If a ship jumps into an On Planet box, the owning player must conduct a Smuggling Check (16.0).
PROCEDURE: Players take turns moving their ships (Turn Order) by picking them up and declaring which System and area (Spaceport, System Space, or On Planet) each is moving to. Each player completes all the moves of his ships before the next player begins. Whenever a ship is moved to a different System, the player rolls 2D and compares the result to the Hyperjump Chance listed for the destination System. The Hyperjump Chance may be increased, depending on the quality of the ship's crew or if it possesses an Augmented Jump Pod. If the dice result is equal to or less than the modified chance, the jump is successful; if the result is greater than the chance, it is not moved and its counter is inverted. If a ship is moving between boxes in the same System, no roll is necessary (unless entering an On Planet box, in which case a Smuggling Check must be conducted).
CASES:
[9.1] A player with a ship in a System Space box must declare if he is attempting to intercept as soon as an enemy ship arrives in the System. He may not wait to see what other moves are made, and he may not attempt to intercept a ship leaving any box in the System. If more than one player has a ship in a System Space box, the players declare in Turn Order. If no player attempts interception, the incoming ship may proceed to the Spaceport or On Planet box (or may itself remain in the System Space box).
[9.2] A spaceship that fails a hyperjump is inverted and may not be used for the remainder of the Game-Turn. It remains at its point of origin. No commodities, passengers, agents, or pods may be removed from the ship or placed aboard the ship. It participates in no game functions for the rest of the turn. At the end of the Game-Turn, the counter is re-inverted to its front.
[9.3] Certain Spaceports possess a Safe Berth box. Any time a spaceship enters such a Spaceport, the owning player may pay 5 HT's and place his ship in Safe Berth. A spaceship already in a Spaceport may be put into Safe Berth (at a cost of 5 HT's) during the Hyperjump Phase. A spaceship in Safe Berth may not be sabotaged; in all other respects, the ship is considered to occupy the Spaceport. Five HT's must be paid each Game-Turn (during the Hyperjump Phase) that a player wishes to keep a ship in Safe Berth. Any number of spaceships may occupy a Safe Berth.
[9.4] The Hyperjump Summary lists all the modifiers that may increase the Hyperjump Chance. See Display Sheet.
[10.0] Interception and Combat
GENERAL RULE: During the Hyperjump Phase, a spaceship in a System Space box may attempt to intercept an enemy spaceship(s) hyperjumping into the System. If interception occurs, combat may be initiated by either spaceship.
PROCEDURE: When a spaceship hyperjumps to a System, all players with ships in that System Space box declare (Turn Order) whether or not they are attempting to intercept the incoming ship. The intercepting and incoming players each roll a die, adding the highest Interception Rating of any one of his ships in the System Space box to his roll. If the incoming player's total is higher than each of the intercepting players' totals, the incoming ship is placed in the Spaceport, On Planet, or System Space box (owning player's choice). If the incoming player's total is equal to or less than the intercepting players' totals, the incoming ship must stay in the System Space box, and combat may occur. The involved players declare (Initiative Order) whether or not they are firing on one another. If neither chooses to fire, combat does not occur (although at any point in the Phase that another ship enters the System box or during any other Phase during the Hyperjump Phase, the players have additional opportunity to declare fire). The first player to declare fire conducts the fire; after resolving the fire, combat is conducted in Combat Rounds. In each Combat Round, the players have their ships fire (Initiative Order) using the following procedure:
- The firing player declares which ship in the System Space box each of his ships is firing at and whether he is conducting normal or missile fire.
- For each firing ship, he rolls 1D and adds the ship's normal or missile Combat Strength (as declared) to the die result.
- The modified die result is cross-referenced with the Protection Rating of the target ship to find the number of hits the target ship receives. If missiles were used, the firing player rolls 1D again; if this second result is equal to or less than the number of hits the target ship incurred in that Round, the ship is completely destroyed. Otherwise, the hits are immediately applied to the target ship as damage (see 11.0).
After all of one player's ships have fired, the next player may fire with any of his surviving ships, etc. This procedure continues for any number of Combat Rounds until no participating player is both willing and able to continue fire.
CASES:
[10.1] The Interception Rating of a spaceship equals that of its hull, with the following modifiers:
-
- 1 if the ship has a Battle Comm Pod
-
- 1 if the ship has a Class A crew
- − 1 if the ship has a Class D crew
[10.2] A ship voluntarily moved into a System Space box automatically intercepts any ships already in the box. Any ships voluntarily in a System Space box have intercepted each other; they may, at their option, have combat.
[10.3] During the Inquiry Phase, federal patrol sweeps may force each ship in a System Space box to leave. Each player with a spaceship in a System Space box must roll 2D for each ship. If the dice result is equal to or less than the System's Patrol Value, the spaceship must be immediately moved to the Spaceport. If the ship is illegal and the Spaceport's Law Level is 3 or 4, the player must attempt to land it On Planet in the System (16.0). If a legal or illegal ship is forced to move by a Patrol Sweep, the owning player immediately loses Reputation Levels equal to the dice result. If the dice result is greater than the Patrol Value of the System, nothing happens to the ship, and no Reputation is lost. If a spaceship has a Battle Comm Pod, 2 is added to the dice result. Note that Mu Herculis has no Patrol Value; an event call for increases to Patrol Values, increase Mu Herculis' Patrol Value from 0.
[10.4] Combat can occur only between ships occupying the same Space box. A player is never required to fire with any of his ships, even if he is fired on by another player's ship. If a spaceship has unsuccessfully attempted to avoid combat without being destroyed, it may leave the System Space box and go to the System's Spaceport or On Planet box in the same Hyperjump Phase.
[10.5] Fire is conducted and hits are applied one ship at a time. Each ship may fire at only one target during a given Combat Round, but may fire any number of times during an entire Attack Segment. Each ship fires independently of other ships (even those firing at the same target in the same Round). Combat is not simultaneous. A ship damaged by a Combat Round may have a reduced Combat Strength if it fires later in the Round (or it may not be able to fire at all). A player with more than one ship in a combat may see the results of one ship's fire before committing the fire of another ship.
[10.6] A player may lose Reputation when he conducts interception or combat. When a player attempts interception of an incoming ship that does not wish to be intercepted, he must roll 2D to find how many Reputation Points he loses. (Exception: If the intercepting ship has a Battle Comm Pod, this roll is not conducted.)
When a player fires at a ship that attempted to avoid interception, he must roll 3D to find how many Reputation Points he loses (a Battle Comm Pod does not prevent this roll).
[10.7] The Combat Results Table is used to resolve each fire. See Display Sheet.
[11.0] Damage and Salvage
GENERAL RULE: Results on the Combat Results Table are expressed in terms of hits. When a ship receives hits, the owning player must allocate them among the ship's hull and pods as damage. A pod is damaged when it receives its first hit, and is destroyed when it receives its second hit. A hull can receive a number of hits up to its Protection Rating without being impaired. When the number of hits a hull receives exceeds its Protection Rating, it is destroyed.
CASES:
[11.1] Spaceship damage is always allocated by the owning player. All damage must be allocated, and no more than 2 hits may be allocated to any single pod.
[11.2] A hull suffers no disability from being damaged, but if destroyed, the entire ship is destroyed. Thus, a ship with a Protection Rating of 3 could take up to 3 hits to its hull without suffering harm. The hull would retain these hits until repaired (see 7.8). A fourth hit to the hull would destroy the entire ship. If a ship is destroyed, its counter is removed from the map, and its ship record is crossed out. Any commodities aboard the ship should be set aside until the end of combat in case salvage is attempted.
[11.3] If a pod is damaged, it no longer has any effect on play. It no longer contributes toward the ship's Combat Strength, cargo capacity, etc. (until the pod is repaired; 7.8). If a damaged pod takes another hit, or if an undamaged pod takes two hits, it is destroyed; erase it from the ship record. If damage to a pod or pods reduces a ship's cargo capacity to the point where it cannot carry all the commodities aboard, the owning player must remove excess commodities from the ship (set them aside for possible salvage). A player suffers no special penalty if a Passenger pod (occupied or unoccupied) is damaged or destroyed.
[11.4] Cargo from destroyed or damaged hulls and pods may be salvaged during the Salvage Segment. When a ship's cargo capacity is reduced, excess commodities are placed aside. Commodities aboard whole ships that are destroyed are also placed aside. (Exception: Cargo aboard a ship that was destroyed by missiles is removed from play; it may not be salvaged.) Once all stray cargo has been assembled after a combat, 2D is rolled for each type of commodity present; 2 is subtracted from the roll, and the modified result is multiplied by 10. This is the percentage of that type of commodity that can be salvaged (round fractions up). Example: A ship carrying 5 units of Spice is destroyed. A 2D roll results in a 6, which means that 40% — or 2 units — of the Spice may be salvaged.
[11.5] Any ships that participated in a battle may salvage any commodities for which they have cargo capacity. A player may "dump" commodities from his ship in order to make room for salvage. Players can transfer commodities among their ships occupying the same System Space box during any Salvage Segment. If more than one player's ships are capable of taking salvage, the players choose their salvage in Initiative Order.
[12.0] Trade
GENERAL RULE: Commodities may always be sold or exchanged among players at whatever terms are mutually agreeable. The largest volume of trade any player conducts, however, will be with System markets in Monopoles, Spice, Isotopes, and Alloys. Every commodity that has a market has a Supply/Demand (S/D) Modifier (printed on the Commodity Price marker). The current price of every commodity is noted on each System's Price Track.
PROCEDURE: During each Bid Phase, each player secretly writes down what trades he will be interested in conducting in System Monopole, Spice, Isotope, and Alloy markets, noting the System, commodity, whether he wants to buy or sell, and the price he is offering or seeking. (Example: A player may write "Buy Gamma Leporis Alloys at 16" as part of his orders for a turn.) The players' orders are set aside until the Transactions Phase, at which point they are all revealed. The following sequence is then performed for every commodity at each System:
-
Roll 2D, adding the result to the commodity's S/D Modifier. The S/D marker is then placed in the S/D Index space on the Supply/Demand Track corresponding to this total.
-
If there are no bids to buy or sell the commodity in the System, the Price Modifier on the Track is noted, and the commodity's price is modified accordingly (Example: If the S/D marker was on the +3 box of the Track, the commodity's price would go down by 1.) Players then move on to handle the next commodity. Otherwise, Step 3 is performed.
-
If the S/D marker is at 0 or higher: The player who bid the greatest amount to purchase has the option to buy the commodity. The amount he may buy is calculated as follows: The commodity's current price is subtracted from the amount offered, and the box furthest to the left on the S/D Track with a Price Modifier corresponding to that difference is located. If the S/D marker is to the left of (or occupies) that box, none of the commodity may be purchased by that player, however, 1 unit of the commodity may be purchased for each position the S/D marker is to the right of the box. For every unit the player chooses to buy, he pays the amount he bids, and the S/D marker will move one position to the left.
If the S/D marker is at less than 0: The reverse procedure applies; the player who offered to sell at the lowest price has the option to sell the commodity in question. The amount he may sell is calculated as follows: The commodity's current price is subtracted from the amount offered for each unit, and the box furthest to the right on the S/D Track with a Price Modifier corresponding to the difference is located. If the S/D marker is to the right of (or occupies) that box, none of the commodity may be sold by that player, however, 1 unit of the commodity may be sold for each position the S/D marker is to the left of that box. For every unit the player chooses to sell, he receives the amount he offered to sell for, and the S/D marker is moved one position to the right.
This step is performed once for each bid placed by a player for the commodity in question.
Example:
COMMODITY: Monopoles at Mu Herculis (S/D Modifier of −4). The current price is 13.
Three players announce bids that have previously been noted on their Player Logs.
BIDDERS: Player A bids 12 to buy. Player B bids 16 to buy. Player C bids 10 to sell.
The dice roll is 10 which, added to the S/D Modifier of −4, results in +6. The S/D marker is moved to the +6 space of the Supply/Demand Track. Since the S/D marker is at greater than zero, the player with the highest bid to buy (player B) goes first.
PLAYER B: Bid of 16, minus current price of 13, is +3. The farthest space to the left with a Price Modifier of +3 (the −8 space) is 14 spaces from the current position of the S/D marker (in the +6 space). Player B may buy a maximum of 14 units. He buys 7 units at a cost of 112 HT's (7 times his bid of 16), and the S/D marker is moved 7 spaces to the left, to the −1 space.
Because the S/D marker is now at less than zero, the player bidding lowest to sell (player C) has an opportunity to trade.
PLAYER C: Bid of 10, minus current price of 13, is −3. The farthest space to the right with a Price Modifier of −3 (the +10 space) is 11 spaces from the current position of the S/D marker (in the −1 space). Player C may sell a maximum of 11 units. He sells 3 units at a price of 30 HT's (3 times his bid of 10), and the S/D marker is moved 3 spaces to the right, to the +2 space.
Player A cannot buy Mu Herculis Monopoles on this turn, because his bid of 12, minus the current price of 13, is −1; the space farthest to the left with a Price Modifier of −1 is the +2 space, and that space is currently occupied by the S/D marker. Trade in Mu Herculis Monopoles is ended for this turn.
PRICE ADJUSTMENT: Now that trading for Mu Herculis Monopoles has ended for the turn, the Price Modifier — taken from the space occupied by the S/D marker at the end of trade — is applied to the commodity's price. The Modifier is −1, so the price drops from 13 to 12.
- After all purchases and sales have been completed, the commodity's price is altered by the Price Modifier in the box currently occupied by the S/D marker. (In the example of Step 3, the price would be reduced by 1.) Current prices are adjusted by moving the commodity's Price marker on the System's Price Track.
CASES:
[12.1] A player need not have a spaceship or warehouse in a System in order to bid there. However, if a player bids to buy and then it is possible for him to buy, he must purchase at least one unit. If he has no place to store the purchased unit, it is immediately lost. If a player bids to sell and it is then possible for him to sell, he must sell at least one unit, unless he has no units of that commodity in that System (in which case this restriction is ignored). No player can bid to both buy and sell the same commodity on the same System on a given turn. Legal commodities purchased may be placed in a spaceship in a Spaceport or in a warehouse. Legal commodities aboard a spaceship in System Space or On Planet may not be sold.
[12.2] A commodity's price can never go above 20 or below 1. Players may not offer to buy or sell a commodity at a price higher than 20, or lower than 1. In addition, any Price Modifier (of any sort) would push a commodity's price above 20 or below 1, the modifier pushes the price only to 20 or 1 (respectively), and no further.
[12.3] If more than one player bids the same amount to perform the same transaction, the player with higher Initiative has the first option.
[12.4] If all buyers have been given the option to purchase a commodity, potential sellers may attempt to sell the commodity, even if the S/D marker is at or above 0. This is an exception to Step 3 of the Procedure. The same applies in the reverse situation. If all sellers have been given the option to sell a commodity, potential buyers may attempt to buy it, even if the S/D marker is below 0. Such purchases are still conducted in order of the highest bid first, and sales are still conducted in order of the lowest bid first.
[12.5] Transactions may never be conducted that would push the S/D marker beyond −18 or +18. A player could not, for instance, sell 8 units of a commodity if the S/D marker was at +15, regardless of the amount he offers; the most he could sell would be 3 units.
[13.0] Market Positions
GENERAL RULE: A player who trades in large volumes at a particular market will develop advantages over other players who are not as experienced in that market. Such an advantage is called a market position. There are three ranks of market position: Dealer, Contractor, and Market Manager.
PROCEDURE: Whenever a player buys or sells 6 or more units of a legal commodity in a single transaction at a particular market, there is a chance that he will gain a market position. The player rolls 2D. If the total is less than or equal to the amount of units involved in the transaction, the player immediately rises one rank in market position (from nothing to Dealer, from Dealer to Contractor, or from Contractor to Market Manager). A player's market position should be noted on the appropriate System Display. A Market Manager may gain no further rank in that commodity in that System. Note: A player is never forced to rise in market position.
CASES:
[13.1] No more than one market position rank may be gained by a player in any one commodity in a System in a given Game-Turn.
[13.2] No more than one player may be the Market Manager for a particular commodity at a System at one time. If a Contractor would, by the normal procedure, rise to Market Manager rank, but there is already a Market Manager for the commodity in the System, instead of the Contractor rising in rank, the Market Manager falls to Contractor status. Any number of players may be Dealers and Contractors in a particular market.
[13.3] Whenever a player rises in market position, he immediately adds 1 to his Business Connection Level, adding the usual 2 Reputation Points.
[13.4] The Dealer market position confers no special advantage.
[13.5] A Contractor has a special purchase/sale option. After all players' bids have been revealed and executed, and a commodity's price has been adjusted as a result of the Price Modifier on the S/D Track, a Contractor has the option to buy or sell up to 5 units at the current price. This option may be exercised only if the Contractor did not bid for the commodity earlier in the turn. Purchases or sales by Contractors utilizing this special option do not affect the prices of the commodities to which they pertain.
[13.6] A Market Manager may examine all other bids before declaring his own. If a player is a Market Manager for a commodity in a System, he never needs to write a bid for the commodity in that System. At the beginning of the Transactions Phase, he examines the other players' bids (for the commodity at that System only), and declares his own bid. Regardless of whether or not a Market Manager bids for a commodity, he may use the Contractor's bonus ability.
[13.7] A player may attempt to undermine another player's market position during the Opportunity Phase. To do so, the player must have higher Business or Political Connections than the player he is attempting to undermine. The player declares which specific market position and player he is attempting to undermine, and whether Business or Political Connections are being used. (Example: "Player C in Tau Ceti, Isotopes, with Business Connections.") He then expends 20 HT's and rolls 1D. If the die result is less than the difference between the opposing players' Business or Political Connection Levels (whichever was declared by the undermined), the victim's market position is reduced one rank, and the victim's Reputation Level is increased by 2. If the die result is equal to or greater than the difference, the undermining player loses a number of Reputation Levels equal to the amount by which the result failed. (Example: If the Connection Level difference is 5 and a 6 is rolled, the undermining player loses 2 Reputation Levels.) A player makes no more than one market position undermining attempt per Game-Turn.
[14.0] Storage
GENERAL RULE: Whenever a player buys commodities from another player or from a market, the units must be stored, either in a warehouse (if the transaction took place in a Spaceport) or in a spaceship (if the purchaser has one in the box where the transaction took place).
CASES:
[14.1] A player may purchase one warehouse unit for 20 HT's. The purchase of such units is noted by placing a Warehouse marker of the appropriate denomination in the player's portion of any System's Warehouse Track. Once placed, warehouse units may not be transferred among Systems. They may be sold, traded, or loaned to other players, in which case the marker is moved to the new owner's portion of the Warehouse Track.
[14.2] Every unit of warehouse capacity has a cargo capacity of 10 (equal to 10 units of ship cargo capacity). The presence of commodity units in a warehouse is noted by placing a Commodity chit corresponding to the appropriate denomination beneath the Warehouse marker.
[14.3] Each warehouse unit can hold 10 units of Alloys or Isotopes, and any quantity of Monopoles and Spice. Illegal commodities and pods may not be stored in warehouses. A Cargo Pod can hold 2 units of Alloys, Isotopes, or Weapons. Monopoles, Spice, and Tempus effectively take up no space, so long as some storage facility is available to store them. Thus, any ship may carry any quantity of these three commodities. These commodities may not be stored in a System's Spaceport box if there is no ship or warehouse at all to keep them in.
[14.4] Commodities need not be stored during a Transactions Phase. A player may buy a commodity in excess of his capacity to store it in anticipation of selling some other commodity to make room for his purchase. Any commodity units that cannot be stored at the end of the Transactions Phase, however, are lost.
[14.5] Commodities stored in a warehouse may be sold in the System's market or transferred to spaceships in the System's Spaceport (and vice versa) at any time. Commodities may not be transferred from an On Planet box to a Spaceport or warehouse, nor vice versa.
[14.6] Pods may be stored in warehouses. Each pod stored in a warehouse reduces the warehouse's cargo capacity by 5. Pods stored in a warehouse may be freely switched on and off ships in the System's Spaceport during any Investment Phase.
[15.0] Passengers
GENERAL RULE: Ships may carry passengers, for profit, between Star Systems.
PROCEDURE: The number of passenger groups wishing to go between any two Systems each Game-Turn equals the sum of both Systems' Spaceport Classes. During an Opportunity Phase, a player may declare (Initiative Order) that he is transporting any or all of the available passengers. He immediately receives 5 HT's for each passenger group, but he must attempt to hyperjump to the Spaceport of the announced destination System in the next Hyperjump Phase. Example: A player wants to transport passengers from Beta Hydri to Epsilon Eridani. The sum of those Systems' Spaceport grades is 7, and thus 7 passenger groups are available for transport. The player takes on 4, immediately receiving 20 HT's. He also assumes the obligation to attempt to jump from Beta Hydri to Epsilon Eridani in the next turn. Another player could take the remaining 3 passenger groups.
CASES:
[15.1] If a spaceship that takes on passengers fails to arrive in the Spaceport of the destination System, the ship's owner immediately forfeits twice the amount of HT's he claimed in taking on the passengers. If he has insufficient assets, he loses all assets he has, ignoring the excess.
[15.2] A ship may take on 2 passenger groups per undamaged Passenger Pod.
[15.3] A player may never take on passengers (including those offered by Opportunity chits) if his Reputation Level is below 15.
[16.0] Smuggling
GENERAL RULE: A player will frequently be able to realize his largest profits through smuggling illegal commodities, although a substantial risk is involved in such transactions. Illegal commodities may be purchased and sold only in On Planet boxes. Whenever a player declares that one of his ships is entering a System's On Planet box, the owning player must conduct a Smuggling Check to determine whether or not it is intercepted by federal authorities. Illegal commodities are introduced to the game only through Opportunity chits. The prices of illegal commodities are determined by the Black Market Table, not the normal trade procedure.
PROCEDURE: Whenever a ship enters a System's On Planet box, the owning player rolls 2D; the player adds 3 to this roll if the ship has one or two undamaged Battle Comm Pods, and 2 is added if the ship is streamlined. If this modified roll is greater than the System's Security Rating, the ship arrives safely; if the roll exactly equals the total, the ship is instead placed in the System's Spaceport, in which case the owning player immediately loses 2D from his Reputation Level and loses
any illegal commodities (including slaves) aboard the ship — they are considered jettisoned. Any illegal hulls or pods are also lost. If the modified roll is less than the System's Security Rating, the ship is lost with all cargo, and the owning player loses 3D from his Reputation Level.
Whenever illegal commodities are introduced, the following information is provided: the System On Planet box in which the commodity is available; the price at which it is available; and where the commodity is to be sold. Once an illegal commodity has been transported to its destination System's On Planet box, the owning player rolls against the Black Market Table during any Opportunity Phase to determine the price he receives.
CASES:
[16.1] Up to 10 units of an illegal commodity may be purchased each time it is offered by a chit.
[16.2] An illegal commodity may only be sold to the black market when On Planet in the destination System listed in the opportunity. During the Opportunity Phase, the owning player rolls 1D and refers to the Black Market Table to find how many HT's per unit he receives for the illegal commodities. Once he uses the Black Market Table, the player must sell all he has of the commodity to the black market at the listed price.
[16.3] Illegal commodities may be sold or traded among players. This may be done only if both spaceships are in the same On Planet box. If units of a specific illegal commodity are split between two players, subsequent sale of that commodity to the black market is handled as if only one player possessed the commodity. That is, the price derived from the Black Market Table by the player who first sells his portion of the commodity must be accepted by all other players who wish to sell their portion.
[16.4] The sale of illegal pods and hulls uses the procedure described in 8.4.
[16.5] If a ship with an illegal hull or pods is attempting to enter an On Planet box and receives a jettison result, the entire ship is confiscated.
[16.6] Black Market Table See Display Sheet.
[17.0] Agents
GENERAL RULE: Players begin a number of scenarios with special agents. Players can also acquire new agents during an Opportunity Phase. Each agent has a special effect on play, detailed on the Agent Chart.
PROCEDURE: A player may declare that he is attempting to acquire an agent once during each Opportunity Phase. He then states the amount of money he is willing to spend to acquire the agent and rolls 2D; if the roll, multiplied by 5, is less than or equal to the amount stated, the player picks an agent at random from those remaining in the agent pool. If the roll is higher than the amount stated, he does not draw an agent. In either case, the player expends the amount he has declared.
CASES:
[17.1] Agents may be traded or loaned among players.
[17.2] At any given time, an agent must be in a specific location. He can be aboard a ship (indicated by placing him beneath the ship's counter), in a Spaceport, or On Planet. An agent may not occupy a System Space box unless he is aboard a ship.
[17.3] Agents may be transported between locations. An agent takes up no cargo or passenger space. He may be carried aboard any ship.
[17.4] If an agent is aboard a ship that is destroyed, he is killed. He may never return to play, and he is kept separate from the pool of agents available. As long as an agent is in play, he may be used as often as eligible.
[17.5] Each agent has an individual special ability. The Agent Chart lists each agent's name and his special effect on play (along with any requirements which must be fulfilled before he may be used).
[17.6] Agent Chart See Display Sheet.
[18.0] Loans
GENERAL RULE: During the Investment Phase, players may take out loans from the federation-wide Bank of the Federation. Interest must be paid on such loans. A player may have only one loan outstanding at any time.
PROCEDURE: A player states that he is taking out a loan, and declares the amount of the loan, and whether it will be outstanding for 4 or 8 Game-Turns. The amount of interest he will be charged per turn is calculated by subtracting the player's Reputation Level from the amount of the loan; if the loan is for 4 turns, this difference is divided by 20; if the loan is for 8 turns, the difference is divided by 10. The resulting quotient is the interest payment of the loan. Fractions are rounded to the nearest whole number. Each Investment Phase, the player with a loan outstanding has the option of paying back the loan in full, or paying the interest.
CASES:
[18.1] The maximum amount that a player may take out as a loan is calculated by adding:
- 100 per ship owned, plus
- 20 per warehouse unit owned, plus
- 20 per production unit owned, plus
- current assets recorded on the Asset Track.
[18.2] Interest on a loan must be paid each Investment Phase. If a player is unable to pay interest due, his Reputation Level is reduced by 4, and the amount of the interest is added to the amount of the loan (future interest payments do not increase).
[18.3] Loans may be taken out for terms of 4 or 8 turns.
[18.4] A player must repay a debt on the turn it is due, or before. If a player does not have sufficient assets, he must immediately sell as many of his ships (8.4), warehouse units (at 20 HT's each), and factories (19.4) as are necessary to repay the loan. A ship that is not in a Spaceport may also be sold (as an exception to the normal ship sale procedure) at a flat fee of 50 HT's. Any commodities or agents aboard ships or stored in warehouses which are sold are also lost. If a player still cannot pay back a loan after selling all his ships, warehouses, and factories, he loses the game.
[18.5] The minimum interest payment on any loan is one HT per turn. If a player's Reputation Level were 40, he would still pay 1 HT per turn interest on a loan of 20 HT.
[19.0] Factories
GENERAL RULE: Players may purchase factories, which produce commodity units each Game-Turn.
PROCEDURE: During an Investment Phase, a player declares that he is purchasing a factory to produce a particular commodity in a System. he then pays 10 HT's plus 5 times the current market price for each factory unit purchased. Such a purchase is noted by placing a commodity chit of the appropriate type and denomination in the purchasing player's Factory box in the System Display. Each Opportunity Phase following the purchase of factories, the player receives 1 unit of the commodity for each factory unit purchased.
CASES:
[19.1] A player may purchase factories to produce only those commodities that are abundant in a System.
[19.2] When the produce of a factory is received, the owning player must dispose of it in some way. He may store it in a warehouse or in a ship in the System's Spaceport, or give or sell it to another player. Commodities may not be stored in factories, nor may they be sold to the market immediately following their production, until the ensuing Transactions Phase. If a player has insufficient storage capacity in a System and does not in some manner dispose of the produce, it is lost.
[19.3] A player may never have more factory units on the Display than the total of his Business and Political Connection Levels. A player may voluntarily eliminate factories (if he is at his maximum and desires to build factories for another commodity, for instance).
[19.4] Factories may be sold or traded among players. A player may also sell a factory to the market during the Investment Phase. To do so, he removes the factory or reduces it by the number of factory units sold and receives 5 HT's times the current price of the commodity produced per factory unit.
[20.0] Sabotage
GENERAL RULE: Any spaceship occupying a Spaceport box, any warehouse, or any factory is vulnerable to sabotage by enemy players during the Opportunity Phase. Sabotage may result in a spaceship becoming damaged, a warehouse losing stored commodity units, or a factory being temporarily inoperative.
PROCEDURE: A player wishing to sabotage an enemy spaceship, warehouse, or factory declares his attempt, pays 20 HT's times the System's Law Level, and rolls 2D twice, adding his Criminal Connection Level to each roll. The first result is located in the Effect column of the Sabotage Table, to find the outcome of the attempt. The second result is located in the Reputation column of the table, to find how many Reputation Levels are lost by the saboteur.
CASES:
[20.1] No more than one sabotage attempt may be made against a particular ship, warehouse, or factory in a single Game-Turn. There is no limit to the number of sabotage attempts a player may conduct in a single Game-Turn, however. A player need not have a spaceship in a System to attempt sabotage in that System.
[20.2] Sabotage may not be attempted against a spaceship in a Safe Berth or Shipyard box.
[20.3] When attempting to sabotage a factory, the number of production units in the factory is subtracted from the first dice result. The dice result for Reputation loss is not modified for factory size.
[20.4] The outcome of a sabotage attempt is applied to the target as follows:
Spaceship. Apply the effect number as hits. The player owning the ship distributes the hits as explained in 11.1. If a ship's cargo capacity is reduced as a result of sabotage, any commodity stored in excess of the ship's reduced cargo capacity must be transferred to another spaceship or warehouse in the System. If the commodity cannot be transferred, sold, or given away, they are lost; the saboteur may not attempt salvage.
Warehouse. Apply the effect number as the number of commodity units in the warehouse that are immediately destroyed. The saboteur may choose which specific commodity units are lost. The warehouse itself may not be damaged by sabotage.
Factory. Apply the effect number as the number of consecutive Game-Turns during which the factory will produce no commodity units (including if the factory has already produced units). The player owning the factory should note the Game-Turn in which the factory will again produce on his Player Log. The factory itself is not damaged by sabotage.
[20.5] Sabotage Table See Display Sheet.
[21.0] Reputation
GENERAL RULE: Each player has a Reputation Level which fluctuates during the game as the players trade honorably or perform misdeeds. Having a good reputation will reduce the amount of interest a player pays on his loans, and will gain the player a cash bonus each Game-Turn. A player with a bad reputation runs the risk of stiff penalties, or even of losing the game.
PROCEDURE: At various points during the game, the players will perform actions that modify their Reputation Levels, causing their Reputation markers to be advanced or retreated along the Reputation Track. The factors affecting reputation are summarized in the Reputation Table (21.7). During the Inquiry Phase, each player's Reputation Level is noted; players with Reputations of 5 or less may be investigated by federal authorities, while those with good reputations are financially rewarded.
CASES:
[21.1] A player's Reputation Level fluctuates between 0 and 40. If a player's Reputation Level would rise above 40, it stays in the 40 space and additional positive modifications are ignored. If a player's Reputation reaches 0, the player's Reputation marker is placed in the 0 space. Once in the 0 space, the marker may not be advanced except as the result of an inquiry.
[21.2] If a player's Reputation Level is at 5 or less at the beginning of an Inquiry Phase, he may have to undergo an inquiry. The player rolls 1D. If the result is greater than his Reputation Level, he must roll 1D again and locate this result on the Inquiry Table.
[21.3] If a player's Reputation Level is between 1 and 19 (inclusive) during Segment C of an Inquiry Phase, 3 is added to his Reputation Level. (Exception: A player does not receive this increase if he has undergone an inquiry in the same Phase.) Reputation Level may not be raised above 20 in this manner; if an additional 3 Levels would raise his Reputation to 21 or 22, it rises only to 20.
[21.4] Several positions at the upper end of the Reputation Track have monetary benefits printed in them. If a player's Reputation Level ends the Inquiry Phase in a space listing a monetary benefit, the player immediately receives that number of HT's.
[21.5] A player may attempt to improve his Reputation Level through the expenditure of HT's. During an Investment Phase, a player may pay 20 HT's to attempt to improve his Reputation Level. The player rolls 1D and raises his Reputation Level by the result. If a 6 is rolled, however, no Reputation Levels are gained (although the HT's are expended). A player may do this only once per Game-Turn.
[21.6] A player's Political Connection Level will influence the effects of inquiries conducted against him. If a player's Political Connection Level is 5 through 8 (inclusive), subtract 1 from rolls against that player on the Inquiry Table. If a player's Political Connection Level is 9 or 10, subtract 2 from such rolls. One player (only) may also use his Political Connections to influence a roll made by another player on the Inquiry Table by the same amount. If a player does so and any result other than acquittal results, he suffers the outcome listed on the table for supporting player. The player against whom an Inquiry is conducted uses his Political Connections to influence a roll, no other player may do so.
[21.7] Reputation Table See Display Sheet.
[21.8] Inquiry Table See Display Sheet.
[22.0] Negotiation
GENERAL RULE: Players are free to trade information, properties, assets, and agents. They may (and are encouraged to) strike any bargains that are agreeable to all concerned parties, so long as no rules are violated. Agreements may be either oral or written.
PROCEDURE: Players may form an oral agreement simply by stating it out loud and declaring to the other players that it is an oral agreement. A written agreement is formed by actually writing out the terms of the contract and paying a contract fee. Both oral and written agreements may be violated, but players will lose Reputation Levels for doing so.
CASES:
[22.1] A player who intentionally or unintentionally violates an oral agreement loses 1D Reputation Levels.
[22.2] A player who intentionally or unintentionally violates a written agreement loses 10 Reputation Levels.
[22.3] A Contract Fee of 10 HT's must be paid when a written contract is formed. The participating players may split payment of this fee as they see fit. Players may build escape clauses into written contracts to avoid the harsh strictures of 22.2. Example: A contract might have the following term built into it: "Either party to this contract may declare this contract null and void by paying 40 HT's to the other party."
[22.4] Any form of agreement (oral or written) may be suspended if all parties to the agreement concur. Bribes may be offered, threats invoked, etc., to influence recalcitrant players.
[22.5] Commodity units may be exchanged among players only if each recipient has sufficient storage capacity at the place of exchange. Commodities on a ship in a System Space box may not be transferred to another player's warehouse, for example. Money and information may always be transferred, however, and require no transportation at any point during a turn. Commodities, warehouses, agents, and other properties may be transferred between players only during a Transactions, Opportunity, or Investment Phase, respectively.
[22.6] Players are only required to reveal information recorded on their Player Logs when necessary to perform a game function. A player is not required to state what pods or hull is on a ship unless he wants to use them (for example, a player would not have to declare what weapons pods were aboard a ship until he wanted to fire on another player). Exception: Each player's Connection Levels are always known to each of the other players.
[23.0] Scenarios
GENERAL RULE: Star Trader may be played in a number of different scenarios, divided into two broad categories: free-deployment and corporate. In a free-deployment scenario, all players begin the game with one spaceship and equal assets. In a corporate scenario, each player represents a corporation with specific attributes and a selection of potential goals. Each scenario may be played with two to six players, although special rules in 23.7 must be used in a two-player game. Before beginning the game, the players agree on a scenario to play, set up the necessary counters, and each fills out a Player Log.
CASES:
[23.1] The players prepare for a free-deployment game as follows:
- Each player chooses an Asset Track and a player color and sets up his Asset markers at 300 HT's.
- Each player receives a spaceship composed of a Clarinet hull with three Cargo Pods, one Passenger Pod, one Light Weapon Pod, and one Augmented Jump Pod, manned by a Class B crew. Each player chooses a ship counter, places it in any Spaceport, and fills out a ship record on his Player Log (see 8.0).
- Each player rolls 2D. The result represents the sum of all his Connection Levels. He secretly assigns these among his Business, Political, and Criminal Connections on his Player Log in any way he chooses. Once all players have chosen their Connection Levels, they are revealed for all to see.
- Place the Game-Turn marker in the first space of the Game-Turn Record Track and the S/D marker in the 0 space of the S/D Track. Each player places his Reputation marker in the 20 space of the Reputation Track. Place each Price marker in the space marked with its commodity on the Price Track of the various Systems, in the spaces keyed on the Tracks themselves.
[23.2] The free-deployment scenario may be played with one of two types of Victory Conditions.
Before beginning the game, the players agree they will play until one player has accumulated 1000 HT's in assets, or until a number of Game-Turns has elapsed.
If the first option is chosen, the game ends when a player has 1000 HT's recorded on his Asset Track at the end of any Inquiry Phase; he is declared the winner. The principal of a loan a player has outstanding is subtracted from his assets when checking for victory. A game takes from 5 to 8 hours to complete with this Victory Condition.
The second option is chosen, the players agree upon a Game-Turn that they will stop play. The player with the most HT's at the end of that turn is the winner. All loans must be paid back on the last Game-Turn, and the players may sell all their commodities and spaceships during the normal course of that turn to increase their assets for victory purposes. Keeping in mind that a single Game-Turn takes from 15 to 30 minutes to complete (depending on the number of players), the players may play the game as long as they wish when using this Victory Condition.
[23.3] The players prepare for a corporate scenario as follows:
- Each player rolls 1D. The player with the highest roll then rolls 2D and locates the corporation that he will play corresponding to the dice roll in 23.6. The other players then roll 2D, in order of their first die roll, to find which corporation each of them will play. If a corporation is already assigned to a player, he rolls again.
- Each player places counters on the map and fills out his Player Log according to his corporation description. He places his Reputation marker, notes his Connection Levels on his Log, and places his Asset markers. If he has any market positions, factories, or warehouses, he places counters to show them. For each spaceship he is assigned, he selects a spaceship counter, places it where instructed, and fills out a ship record. If he receives an agent, he selects the appropriate counter and places it where instructed.
- Certain corporations have special rules governing their play. These should be announced to all players.
- Place the Game-Turn marker in the first space of the Game-Turn Record Track and the S/D marker in the 0 space of the S/D Track. Place each Price marker in the space marked with its commodity on the Price Track in the various Systems.
[23.4] The Corporation Table may be used to determine a set selection of participating corporations in a corporate scenario. Use of this Table is optional. It replaces the 2D roll each player conducts and provides the players with an interesting mix of corporate types.
[23.5] When playing a corporate scenario, each player chooses his Victory Conditions secretly. Each corporation description lists two or three ways the player may win. Before beginning the game, he chooses one of the conditions and secretly notes his letter (A, B, or C) on his Player Log. If the player has fulfilled the chosen conditions at the end of any Inquiry Phase, he reveals his choice and demonstrates how the conditions have been fulfilled. The game is then over, and he has won. The principal of a loan a player has outstanding is subtracted from his assets when verifying victory. There is no set number of Game-Turns in a corporate scenario; play continues until a player achieves victory (usually in 6 to 10 hours of play).
[23.6] The Summary of Corporations lists 11 corporations that players may represent in a corporate scenario. See page 14.
[23.7] When only two players are in the game, the backside of all the price markers should be used. The backside of each marker has a different S/D modifier than that on the front. These modifiers are less drastic (closer to −7) and compensate for the lack of competitive bidding when only two players are involved.
[24.0] Using Star Trader in a Universe Campaign
GENERAL RULE: There are two distinct ways in which Star Trader may be used as a play aid, to help gamesmasters deal with the players' interstellar trading; and it may serve as a scenario generator. In the former case, one or more players are actually owners or lessors of one or more interstellar vessels, and are out to make a profit through trade; in the latter, the players are not involved directly with interstellar trade, and the GM uses Star Trader to provide background for the campaign.
PROCEDURE: Whenever Star Trader is used in a Universe campaign, the GM must fill out System Displays for the Systems involved in the campaign. If players are actually trading, the GM converts their attributes and possessions into those used in Star Trader. The GM then uses (plays) Star Trader, moving and conducting transactions as indicated by the trading and informing the player of the results of his decisions. If Star Trader is simply being used as a scenario generator, the GM plays the game himself (or with other persons who are not players in the campaign) and uses the information and events of the campaign to simulate interaction and activity on the part of the players.
CASES:
[24.1] A Star System Display Master is included in these rules. When a new System is introduced, a photocopy of the master is filled out.
Spaceport Class is the highest class of any Spaceport in the System (round up if a System's highest Spaceport Class is ½).
Law Level is the highest Law Level of any world or Spaceport in the System.
Security Rating is the sum of the Spaceport Class and Law Level, found above, plus 2.
Patrol Rating is the sum of the Spaceport Class and Law Level.
Commodities which are abundant anywhere in the system (see Universe, 25.7) should be so indicated in the On Planet box of the System. The GM must then decide what commodities will be traded; if players are actually trading, the players should take some part in the decision; otherwise the GM should simply choose four or five commodities that he thinks will be actively traded in the area of the campaign. The GM then determines whether or not there is a market for each commodity at each of the Systems in the game; if a commodity is abundant anywhere in a System it automatically has a market at that System; other commodities have a 50% chance of having a market at any System (plus 10% times the Spaceport Class); the price of each commodity at each System where it is traded is determined as follows: Multiply the commodity's price on the World Resource Table (25.7 of Universe) by 0.15 if the commodity's price on that table is per ton, or by 10 if the commodity's price is per gram or kilo; if the good is abundant, multiply this product by 50%; if limited, multiply the product by 75%; otherwise, do not multiply by anything. The Spaceport Class of the System is then added to the product. The commodity's price will then be anywhere within 2 (either direction) of the final quantity (GM's discretion).
Example: The GM has determined that silver is abundant at a System with a Spaceport Class of 3. Silver is priced at 0.5 per kilo on the World Resource Table. Silver's price is thus 0.5 (basic price) times 10 (because it is traded in kilos) times 50% (because it is abundant) plus 3 (Spaceport Class), for a total of 5.5. Silver's price will fall within 2 of this amount (i.e., it will be 4, 5, 6, or 7), at the GM's discretion.
The S/D modifier for each commodity with a market is within the spans given.
- −10, −9 if not available at a System.
- −6, −7, −8 if limited, measured in kilos or tons.
- −5, −4, −2 if limited, measured in grams.
- −2, −1, 0, +1 if abundant.
[24.2] A player's possessions translate into Star Trader as follows:
A player must have ships to trade; ships can be transferred directly, however — the pods and hulls in Universe is identical to those in Star Trader (a few new hull classes are added in the latter). The pod capacities of hulls are slightly lower in Star Trader, as Energy and Jump pods have been factored into hulls. Ship prices in Star Trader have also been rounded off because of the huge quantities of funds involved; the prices of illegal hulls and pods have been multiplied greatly to account for the assumption that they will always be purchased on the black market in Star Trader. Nevertheless, the hulls and pods themselves are the same. Ship records should be filled out for all ships using the Summary of Ship Hull and Pod Characteristics. The GM should determine the Crew Value of ship's crew involved.
Money in Star Trader is measured in HectoTrans (units of 100 Universe "Transfers", or about $50,000) funds a player might invest should therefore be divided by 100 to convert to HT's.
Each point of Warehouse Capacity in Star Trader represents one large warehouse, and each factory unit represents facilities capable of producing 60 tons a year of goods measured in tons, 4 tons a year of goods measured in kilos, or 4 tons a year of goods measured in grams.
Agents essentially represent very capable or influential persons. If a player, employee, or other NPC is particularly apt, his ability can be represented through an agent.
[24.3] A player's attributes translate into Star Trader as follows:
The GM should determine a player's Connection and Reputation Levels based upon the player's NPC contacts, the degree to which he is known and respected in the business community, and the levels of any appropriate skills. These include primarily Economics and Trading, and secondarily Diplomacy, Forgery/Counterfeiting, Law, Recruiting, Streetwise, and Mining. If a player has done nothing of particular note, his Reputation Level will be around 20. A Merchant or an Interstellar Trader may be provided with warehouses or even factories depending on his initial Benefit Level and activities previous to use in the campaign.
[24.4] A different procedure is used for hyperjumping when players or their ships are involved.
Use the formula for calculating jump percentage in Universe (10.0, Navigation) rather than basing the number on Crew Value. Treat all results of +30 or less on the Hyperjump Table (32.2 of Universe) as successful jumps (in Star Trader terms) and results of 31-50 as unsuccessful jumps. Results of 51+ should be handled as Universe events, rather than through the Star Trader system. If the GM wishes to use the Universe hyperjump system for a Star Trader crew, assume that a D crew has a navigator with a Skill Level of 1 and a Mental Power of 5; a C crew navigator has a Skill Level of 3 and Mental Power of 5; a B Crew navigator has a Skill Level 4 and Mental Power 6; and an A crew navigator has Skill Level 7 and Mental Power 6.
[24.5] If the players or their ships are involved in interception or combat, the DeltaVee combat system should be used to resolve the situation.
When interception is declared in Star Trader, the GM sets up the DeltaVee maps as he sees fit. One possible configuration would be that in Scenario 3 of DeltaVee. The opposing ships will be placed on opposite sides of Map A. The player attempting to avoid interception and combat must exit Map D towards Map E to escape. Alternatively, a planet could be placed on map D. If a player gets into orbit around or lands on the planet, he has escaped the combat.
[24.6] The GM should present the information and options of Star Trader in a role-playing format.
Thus, a player running a trade empire would not actually sit down and play Star Trader; the GM would play the game himself and describe the status of the markets, and announce opportunities through NPC's.
Star Trader Creative Credits
Game Design: Nick Karp
Physical Systems and Graphics: Redmond A. Simonsen
Game Development: John Butterfield, Nick Karp
Rules Editing: Bob Ryer
Playtesting: Kenny Slepyan, Tony Roasrio, Andrew Schilling, Phillip Marchal
Blindtesting: David Spangler, Julie Spangler, Lory Ferm, Jon Jones, Brian Peterson, Richard A. Edwards, Wes Divin, Eric Damron.
Production: Ted Koller, Manfred F. Milkuhn, Michael E. Moore, Ken Stec, Barbara Young
Star System Display Master
SPI grants permission to copy this sheet for personal use only.
Players who wish to add Systems to the present Star Trader game, or who are using Star Trader in conjunction with a Universe campaign should make photocopies of this sheet before filling it out.
Players should fill in the name of the System represented on the Display, and indicate in the boxes provided beneath the System name area whether the System has a Safe Berth and/or Shipyard. In the System Space and On Planet boxes, write the System's Security Rating and Patrol Value, respectively. Beneath those boxes are areas for Port Class, Law Level, and market information, which should also be written in. The price area immediately to the right is provided to record Hyperjump Chances to and from the other Systems.
Players should use any available markers to record Market Positions, Warehouses, Factories, and Prices.
For details on the derivation of the various System values, see Section 24.0.
The sheet also provides tracks for Warehouses and Factories and Prices (in HectoTrans), numbered 1–20, for Players A through F; Market Position rows (Dealer, Contractor, Manager) for two commodities, numbered 1–20 for Players A through F; and fields for System Space (Security Rating), On Planet (Patrol Value), Port Class, Law Level, Abundant Commodities, and Markets (with S/D Modifier and Chance for each), plus a Hyperjump Chances table (From/To/Chance) for recording routes to the other Systems.
[6.9] News Chit Summary
Opportunity Chits
- Slaves. Buy (1) Mu Herculis; sell Epsilon Eridani.
- Weapons. Buy (3) Epsilon Eridani; sell Mu Herculis.
- Weapons. Buy (10) Tau Ceti; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Battle Comm Pod. Available Gamma Leporis.
- Furs. Buy (10) Mu Herculis Spaceport; sell (30) Beta Hydri Spaceport. 10 units available; requires no cargo space.
- Slaves. Buy (2) Mu Herculis; sell Beta Hydri.
- Tempus. Buy (15) Beta Hydri; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Emissary and staff to be taken from Epsilon Eridani Spaceport to Mu Herculis Spaceport. Fills one Passenger Pod. Carrier must have Reputation Level of 20 or higher. Receive 200 HT's upon arrival.
- Exotic Alien Plants to be taken from Gamma Leporis Spaceport to Epsilon Eridani Spaceport. Fills one Cargo Pod (may not be stored in hull). Receive 150 HT's and add 3 to Reputation Level upon safe arrival.
- Slaves. Buy (1) Mu Herculis; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Slaves. Buy (4) Mu Herculis; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Tempus. Buy (12) Epsilon Eridani; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Spear and/or 5 illegal pods. Available Beta Hydri.
- Illegal pods (one of each type). Available Tau Ceti.
- Exploration Expedition announced by independent corporation. Player can send one legal ship along. Roll 1D and place ship that number of turns ahead on Game-Turn Record Track. However, if a 1 is rolled, the ship is destroyed. If and when the ship returns, roll 2D and multiply by 50 to determine HT reward.
- Dagger and/or one illegal pod. Available Tau Ceti. ERRATUM: Counter incorrectly reads "Slaves."
- Weapons. Buy (8) Epsilon Eridani; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Weapons. Buy (3) Beta Hydri; sell Gamma Leporis.
- Tempus. Buy (10) Tau Ceti; sell Sigma Draconis.
- Any Illegal Hull and/or 5 pods. Available Epsilon Eridani.
- Sword and/or 3 illegal pods. Available Mu Herculis.
- Unique Creatures to be taken from Mu Herculis Spaceport to Epsilon Eridani Spaceport. Fills one Passenger Pod. Receive 150 HT's upon safe arrival.
- Weapons. Buy (5) Epsilon Eridani; sell Mu Herculis.
- Dagger and/or 1 illegal pod. Available Sigma Draconis.
Event Chits
- Psychic Jam. An unidentified radiation flows through the ether, disrupting all psionic emanations. Subtract 4 from all Hyperjump Chance dice rolls this Game-Turn.
- Alien Race, newly discovered, has been contacted by the federation; panic spreads. Reduce all prices by 3. Remove chit from play.
- General War. All monopole prices up 3. All alloy prices up 6. All iso-
[23.6] Summary of Corporations
2. ASSOCIATION OF INTERSTELLAR ANARCHISTS (AIA)
The AIA is a terrorist group bent on securing the independence of the Sigma Draconis System from the federation, much against the wishes of the System's peaceful citizenry.
Reputation: None. Connections: Pol (9); Bus (0); Crim (5). Assets: 200 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: None. Ships: Sword (A crew) with 1 Arsenal, 1 Battle Comm, 1 Cargo, 1 Augmented Jump, in Sigma Draconis System Space. Flute (A crew) with 2 Cargo, 1 Light Weapons, 1 Augmented Jump; On Planet in Epsilon Eridani with 4 units of illegal cargo (use Opportunity chit #2). Agents: Two Gun aboard Sword. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: Destroy hulls of 5 enemy spaceships through combat or sabotage. Victory Option B: No enemy spaceships enter Sigma Draconis System for 6 consecutive Game-Turns (regardless of reason), and possess Market Position in 2 Sigma Draconis commodities. Victory Option C: None. Special Rules: None.
The AIA has no Reputation marker; it may never be investigated, may never carry passengers, and may never receive a Reputation Bonus. The AIA may not attempt to undermine enemy market positions, take out loans, purchase factories. No player's Reputation Level decreases by intercepting or firing upon an AIA spaceship.
3. HOUSTON FEARLESS
Houston Fearless is an Earth-based trade corporation, specializing in the trade of super-isotopes, the potent elements that power the fission generators of the 23rd Century. Founded in the 22nd Century, Houston Fearless has many archaic vessels.
Reputation: 28. Connections: Pol (3); Bus (10); Crim (0). Assets: 500 HT. Market Positions: Market Manager (Isotopes) at Tau Ceti; Contractor (Isotopes) at Mu Herculis; Dealer (Isotopes) at Sigma Draconis and Epsilon Eridani. Factories: None. Warehouses: 4 at Tau Ceti; 1 each at Sigma Draconis and Epsilon Eridani. Ships: Corco Zeta (A crew) with 3 Cargo, 1 Passenger; in Tau Ceti Spaceport. Two Corco Zetas (B crews) each with 5 Cargo; 8 Isotope units; both in Mu Herculis Spaceport. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2500 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 2000 HT in assets, and Market Manager or Contractor positions in Isotopes in all Systems. Victory Option C: 1500 HT in assets, Reputation Level at least 35, and Market Manager or Contractor position in any commodity other than Isotopes in all Systems where it is marketable. Special Rules: None.
4. BELISAR POLITICAL
A trading corporation founded by an ex-chairman of the federation to gain prestige in non-political circles, and either the funds or force to aid a return to power.
Reputation: 30. Connections: Pol (9); Bus (3); Crim (0). Assets: 800 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: None. Ships: Piccolo (A crew) in Beta Hydri Spaceport. Agents: Dragon aboard Piccolo. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2000 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1500 HT in assets, Reputation Level 40, Business Connection Level 10, and Reputation Level at no point falls below 25. Victory Option C: 1000 HT in assets, and own at least 2 military hulls with at least 8 undamaged military pods between them. Special Rules: None.
5. HOLYOKE ARBITRAGE
A corporation noted for its unscrupulous dealings and misuse of the opportunities of the federation's free-market economy.
Reputation: 17. Connections: Pol (1); Bus (3); Crim (3). Assets: 400 HT. Market Positions: Dealer (Alloys) at Sigma Draconis; Dealer (Alloys) at Epsilon Eridani. Factories: None. Warehouses: 2 each at Sigma Draconis and Epsilon Eridani. Ships: Clarinet (A crew) with 14 Cargo, 1 Passenger, 1 Light Weapons, 1 Augmented Jump; in Epsilon Eridani Spaceport. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2500 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1000 HT in assets, and Market Manager position in all markets for any one commodity (write down commodity). Victory Option C: None. Special Rules: None.
6. GAMMA LEPORIS CORPORATION (GAMLEPCO)
The Gamma Leporis Corporation financed and guided the first expedition to and subsequent colonization of the Gamma Leporis System, and remains that System's most important operator.
Reputation: 20. Connections: Pol (3); Bus (2); Crim (0). Assets: 250 HT. Market Positions: Market Manager (Alloys) at Gamma Leporis; Dealer (Alloys) at Mu Herculis and Beta Hydri. Factories: 5 (Alloys) at Gamma Leporis. Warehouses: 4 at Gamma Leporis. Ships: Flute (A crew) with 2 Cargo, 1 Light Weapons; in Gamma Leporis Spaceport. Phoenix (B crew) with 5 Cargo, 1 Augmented Jump; in Gamma Leporis Spaceport. Agents: Dwarf (Contractor) in Gamma Leporis. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2000 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1500 HT in assets, and Market Manager (Alloys) position in at least 3 Systems (one of which must be Gamma Leporis) and Contractor position (Alloys) in 3 other Systems. Victory Option C: 1000 HT in assets, and price of Alloys 5 or less in all Systems. Special Rules: None.
tope prices up 2. No new ships may be purchased this turn and next turn (including illegal ships; ignore Opportunity chits indicating such). Add 5 to any player dice rolls for sale of his ships this Game-Turn. Increase all Patrol Values by 4 this Game-Turn.
- Inflation. Masterful counterfeit operations dump mass quantities of fake currency on the market; reduce assets by 50% (round remaining funds up). Reduce all outstanding loans in the same way (do not adjust interest rates). Remove chit from play.
- Civil War on Gamma Leporis. Triple the value of weapons sold on Gamma Leporis this turn. Any ships currently at the Gamma Leporis Spaceport are seized by the revolutionary government; remove them from play and reimburse the owning players 50% of their list price (for the hull and all pods, but not the crew). Any warehouses and factories on Gamma Leporis are also lost at half price. All goods in seized ships or warehouses are also lost.
- Colony. A planet in the Mu Herculis system is newly colonized; increase the prices of all commodities in that System by 5.
- Monopole production technical breakthrough. Add 3 to all S/D modifiers for monopoles in all Transactions Phases from now on. Remove chit from play.
- Spice production technical breakthrough; synthetic spice available. Add 2 to all S/D modifiers for spice in all Transactions Phases from now on. Remove chit from play.
- Isotopes technical breakthrough; new uses for isotopes discovered. Subtract 3 from all S/D modifiers for isotopes in all Transactions Phases from now on, to a maximum of a −10 modifier. Remove chit from play.
- Plague spreads throughout the federation. All spice prices up 4. No hyperjumps may be conducted to or from a Spaceport this turn (ships may jump to and from On Planet or System Space boxes). Because of quarantines, increase all Patrol Values and Security Ratings by one this Game-Turn. Remove chit from play.
- Inquiry. Federation reform government audits everybody; reduce each player's reputation by 2D (roll separately).
- Pirates raid Mu Herculis. All goods in warehouses there are lost. Roll 1D for each ship in the Mu Herculis Spaceport; on a result of 3 or less, the ship and all aboard it are lost; on a result of 4 or higher, the ship is placed in the System Space box. Federation on guard everywhere; increase all Patrol Values and Security Ratings by 2 for this Game-Turn.
- Special Tax is imposed on business. Each player must immediately pay 1HT for each warehouse unit, 2HT's for each factory unit, and 5HT's for each spaceship. If a player has insufficient assets to pay, the excess debt is ignored.
- Alloys discovered in large quantities on remote world of federation. All alloy prices down 5. All monopole and isotope prices up 2. Remove chit from play.
Notes
When slaves, weapons, or tempus are available, the player taking advantage of the opportunity may buy from 1 to 10 units at the listed price. The per unit sale price is determined in a subsequent Opportunity Phase, after arrival at the On Planet box, in accordance with the Black Market Table.
When illegal spaceships and/or pods are available, they are purchased in the On Planet box for prices listed on the Ship Characteristics Summary.
7. QUASAR ENTERPRISES
A newly formed subsidiary of the federation's largest trading company, Galactic Trading, Inc. To a limited extent, it has the power of the parent company in support.
Reputation: 30. Connections: Pol (5); Bus (10); Crim (3). Assets: 1000 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: None. Ships: Monarch (A crew) with 8 Cargo, 4 Light Weapons, 1 Augmented Jump; in Beta Hydri Spaceport. Piccolo (A crew) in Beta Hydri Spaceport. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2500 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 2000 HT in assets and 10 warehouses (total, in all Systems) and at least 4 factory units in each commodity (total, in all Systems). Victory Option C: 2000 HT in assets and Market Manager position in all four commodities in at least one System. Special Rules: Quasar Enterprises may borrow up to 1000 HT, regardless of status (ignore normal procedure for maximum loan calculation); Quasar may never borrow more than 1000 HT, however. Add 200 HT to the amount needed for each type of victory for each Level Quasar's Reputation Level falls below 20, even if the Level rises to or above 20 again.
8. MONOGRAM INDUSTRIES
Based on the Mu Herculis system, Monogram is one of the largest producers of Monopoles in the federation.
Reputation: 25. Connections: Pol (4); Bus (6); Crim (0). Assets: 600 HT. Market Positions: Market Manager (Monopoles) at Mu Herculis. Factories: 10 (Monopoles) at Mu Herculis. Warehouses: 4 at Mu Herculis (10 units of Monopoles are already stored there). Ships: None. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: 300 HT, due on turn 4; interest rate is 28 per turn. Victory Option A: 2000 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1500 HT in assets, Reputation Level at least 30, and factories producing at least 25 units of Monopoles per turn. Victory Option C: 1200 HT in assets and factories producing at least 25 units in all four commodities. Special Rules: None.
9. GATES-LEARJET
Originally a manufacturer of small, intrasystem spacecraft, Gates-Learjet Corporation expanded into interstellar trade when a debtor company went bankrupt and gave Gates its vessels in partial compensation.
Reputation: 22. Connections: Pol (2); Bus (5); Crim (4). Assets: 300 HT. Market Positions: Contractor (Alloys, Isotopes) at Mu Herculis; Dealer (Alloys) at Epsilon Eridani. Factories: None. Warehouses: 2 at Mu Herculis; 1 at Epsilon Eridani. Ships: Monarch (C crew) with 8 Cargo (containing 16 units of Isotopes), 4 Passenger; in Mu Herculis Spaceport. Phoenix (B crew) with 4 Cargo, 2 Light Weapons; in Epsilon Eridani Spaceport. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 2000 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1500 HT in assets, at least one undamaged military hull, and Criminal Connection Level at 10. Victory Option C: 1500 HT in assets, all Connection Levels at least 8, and Reputation Level at least 30. Special Rules: Add 1 to all Smuggling Check dice rolls made by Gates.
10. EON FLASHCORP
One of the shadier members of the business community, Eon is frequently indicted for smuggling and other illicit activities, always managing to avoid being disbanded through political contacts, technicalities, and various sly dealings.
Reputation: 10. Connections: Pol (7); Bus (1); Crim (7). Assets: 200 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: 1 each at Mu Herculis and Gamma Leporis. Ships: Corco Gamma (A crew) with 2 Cargo, 1 Augmented Jump; in Mu Herculis Spaceport. Dagger (A crew) with 1 Battle Comm, 1 Augmented Jump; On Planet at Epsilon Eridani with 5 units of Tempus (use opportunity chit #12). Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 1200 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1200 HT in assets, Criminal and Political Connection Levels both at least 9, and own at least 2 streamlined hulls. Victory Option C: None. Special Rules: Eon Flashcorp may take out no loans (except from other players).
11. McRADIE'S CREW
During standard military maneuvers, a heavily armed federation Spear class vessel disappeared. For several weeks it was thought to have hit an asteroid and disintegrated, but soon it was detected near jump position of the Gamma Leporis System. From then on, no craft was safe from the fire of First Officer McRadie's mutinied crew.
Reputation: 0. Connections: Pol (0); Bus (5); Crim (6). Assets: 900 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: None. Ships: Spear (B crew) with 1 Arsenal, 1 Heavy Weapons, 1 Battle Comm, 2 Cargo; in Beta Hydri System Space. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 1800 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 1200 HT in assets, Political Connection Level 10, and Reputation Level at least 35. Victory Option C: None. Special Rules: McRadie's crew never undergoes any inquiry, and may never purchase warehouses, factories, or legal spaceships (except from other players), and may never take out loans.
12. ARCHANGEL LINES
A transport line serving passengers moving between major Systems on the fringe of the federation.
Reputation: 27. Connections: Pol (2); Bus (2); Crim (0). Assets: 250 HT. Market Positions: None. Factories: None. Warehouses: None. Ships: Flute (A crew) with 2 Passenger, 1 Augmented Jump; in Sigma Draconis Spaceport. Clarinet (A crew) with 4 Passenger, 1 Augmented Jump, 1 Light Weapons; in Beta Hydri Spaceport. Agents: None. Loans Outstanding: None. Victory Option A: 1000 HT in assets. Victory Option B: 800 HT in assets, Reputation Level at least 35, at least 3 ships. Victory Option C: None. Special Rules: Archangel can never purchase factories, and no ship owned by Archangel may carry more than one Cargo pod.
Player Log
SPI grants permission to copy this sheet for personal use only.
Each Player Log records a player's Name; his Connections (Political, Business, Criminal); his Loans (Amount, Interest, Due); his Passengers (Turn, # Groups, Destination); a Market Bids table (Turn, Init Bid, Commodity, Location, Buy/Sell, Price) with many rows for recording bids turn by turn; a Notes area; a Special Commodities table (Commodity, Destination, Amount) for tracking illegal or Opportunity-chit goods in transit; and a column of Spaceship records, one per ship, each with fields for Spaceship Nr., Damage, Hull/Name, Cargo Cap, Pass Cap, Protec(tion), Combat, Intercept(ion), Crew, and Pods.