FTL Supplement 2: Spacecraft Go!

This book presents additional rules for spacecraft operations, variant rules, and many additional components to enhance Faster Than Light: Nomad spaceships and starships.

Believe it.

In Faster Than Light: Nomad, starships, and system ships use rockets. These rockets make present day chemical rockets look quite anemic. However, they still obey the Laws of Motion. You fire an exhaust out the back to move your spacecraft forward. Flip the craft and repeat to slow down. You need propellant to make a spacecraft go. You can only carry so much, and the mass of all equipment must be considered. The more your ship masses, the more propellant it needs, and that propellant has mass as well!

There is an irony here. Einstein, who is regarded as Newton’s successor, established the light-speed barrier. Faster than light drives in science fiction (and games like FTL: Nomad!) get around this. In FTL: Nomad, However, Old Man Newton’s Laws of Motion are still in effect. Space is hard!

Reactionless drives also present problems. A rocket has a top speed defined by its drive and the amount of propellant it carries. A reactionless drive will keep accelerating as long as it has power. This presents such problems as a light speed drive by, or bombarding planets with small craft moving near the speed of light.

This is not to say rockets do not improve. Exotic forms of propellant and advanced power generators all contribute to faster speeds and more maneuverability.

Sadly, weapons and armor will advance along with engines. Atomic Age craft threaten you with bullets and bombs, Galactic Age ships can disintegrate targets from a distance. Metal and composite armors are improved and then surpassed by energy shields.

Spacecraft Go! is a supplement for our Faster Than Light: Nomad sci-fi rules, and requires them for use.