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C A P TA I N S M A N UA L EXC ER P T o pen B E TA test

An open play test for the leviathans community

CAPTAINS MANUAL EXCERPT OPEN BETA TEST

Catalyst Game Labs is developing the Captains Box; a stand-alone expansion to the Leviathans Core Box that will include a slew of enhanced scenario rules, from weather and wind to elevation, alternate movement and combat options, and more. Those rules have been extensively play tested to date. However, the following two rules have come up for potential inclusion in the Captains Box. Instead of simply play testing them internally, however, we want to run these externally as well. So here ya go! Put together some games, run with it, and let us know. Visit the forums at www.monstersinthesky.com. A Captains Manual Excerpt Playtest thread has been created and will be active for a few weeks. Post your feedback, comments and especially your suggestions for tweaks to the rules that you feel will improve them. Enjoy and thanks for your help making the game the best it can be! their style of games should ignore the positive Target Number Modifiers; i.e. +1, +2 and +3 modifiers are never used. The Pontbriand is a Type 2 ship with a starting SI of 20 and so the standard 15 Target Number would receive a +1 modifier to become 16, while the Lave, a variant of the same Libert-class, with its 22 SI would apply a +3 modifier to create an 18 Target Number.

SHIP REPAIRS & SI TABLE

Target NUMBER MODIFIER 3 2 1 +0 +1 +2 +3 16-20 TYPE 1 SI 15 or less 16 17 18 19 20 21 or higher 17-22 TYPE 2 SI 16 or less 17 18 19 20 21 22 or higher 24-26 TYPE 3 SI 22 or less 23 24 25 26 27 28 or higher 28-33 TYPE 4 SI 28 or less 29 30 31 32 33 34 or higher

Ship repair rules assume all vessels are equal but that is far from the truth, however. Ships with higher SI can often take longer to repair as theres simply more structural components to get through, which often means more time. This is reflected in game by modifiers that make it easier, or harder, to repair a ship. While this creates more diversity and helps balance the lower SI ships, it can make the highest SI ships extremely difficult to repair. This rule can be used either with the standard Commanders Rules ship repairs, or the Ship Repairs (Expanded), from this rulebook, but all players should agree to their use before game play begins. Whenever a player is attempting to repair a ship, compare its Ship Type and starting SI (never its modified SI) to determine the modifier to the Ship Repair Target Number. This may result in a situation where the Target Number is higher than the maximum possible die roll, in which case the repair roll cannot be made that turn. Ship Balance: It is extremely important to note that this rule has the potential to significantly impact the power of Type 4 ships, making them weaker while increasing the power of lighter craft, especially Type 1 and 2s. Players who feel that Type 4 ships are already barely powerful enough for

Ship Repairs & SI

The Commanders Rules attempt to keep rules lookup to an absolute minimum by ensuring as many details as possible are contained on each Ship Card, or the Reference Cards. However, this creates a level of abstraction that removes a whole depth of play that provides a wonderful sense of immersion that players are apart of these ships as they struggle to achieve victory while taking a host of unique damage. These rules attempt to simulate a variety of critical hits that add additional depth of play, but as always, at the expense of speed and more complexity. As such, players must agree to their use before play begins. While assigning damage to a ship, any time one of the Event Triggers occurs as shown on the Event Triggers Table, immediately roll the corresponding die and compare it to the appropriate column of the Die Roll Result Table to find the correct Critial Hit Result value. Then find that result on the Critical Hit Result Table to determine what additional critical damage occurred. As with all damage, all such critical hits do not take effect until the End Phase of the turn. Ship Repairs & SI: If players are using the Ship Repairs & SI rules (see p. XX), those modifiers apply to any Fix Rolls, noted below. As described under the Ship Repairs & SI rules, by combing both rules sets, players may find situations where a Target Number cannot be matched by the maximum results of a Repair Roll, in which case a Fix cannot occur that turn. Breaking The Keel: A critical hit result can force a Breaking The Keel Roll; for example if the auto destruction of a Slot destroys a Location, a standard Breaking The Keel Roll must be made. Multiple Trigger Events: If a ship trips more than one Event Trigger during a turn, the controlling player must roll for all triggered events, regardless of how many. For example, in a turn a player may find that both three Slots in a Location end up destroying that Location, so both the DGreen and DYellow triggers occur, resulting in both of those die rolls on the Critical Hit Result Table. Multiple Critical Hits: While a ship can have multiple critical hits at the same time, it cannot have the same critical hit more than once if that critical hit has an on going duration. For example, a ship could suffer multiple Gun Battery Ammunition Explosions! because there is no on going effect after the Slot is destroyed. However, it could not have two Steering Jammed Port! critical hits as that has an on going effect (if the first critical hit has already been fixed, then the second could then be applied; they cannot be applied at the same time). If the ship in question already has the indicated critical hit that has an on going effect (or the critical hit does not apply to that ship; for example a Shrapnel! when the ship doesnt have any un-destroyed Crew Slots), then re-roll the die until an applicable critical hit is rolled. Duration: Each critical hit has a Duration that explains whether the critical hit is a one-time effect, or whether rules apply turn to turn. Fix: If a critical hit has an on going effect (i.e. Duration), then there will be a Fix rule that explains how the player can remove the penalties.

critical hits

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The rules will call for a Repair Roll to be made against a specific Location (Crews, as appropriate, are rolled with this roll, based upon the Repair rules in use). Unlike normal Repair Rolls, these Fix Rolls can be made even if there are no available Crew Slots. Use the follow rules to determine the Target Number: Un-destroyed Crew Slot in appropriate Location: 15 Un-destroyed Crew Slot in another Location (i.e. no un-destroyed Crew Slot in appropriate Location): 18 No un-destroyed Crew Slots anywhere on ship: 20 Hint: Players may wish to write the number corresponding to the result on the Critical Hit Result Table in the middle of the appropriate Ship Card so its easy to remember which criticals apply to which ship.

EVENT TRIGGERS TABLE

ROLL DIE DGreen DBlue DYellow DRed DBlack EVENT Three SLots in a Location destroyed If a Breaking The Keel Roll fails to destroy the ship Location destroyed Every Two Tesla Coil Trim Tank Slots destroyed If a Slot is destroyed by a Critical Hit Result (i.e.: 6, 8, 9 and 10)

DIE ROLL RESULT TABLE

DGreen
Die Roll Result 1 2 3 4 Critical Hit Result 3 5 7 10

DBlue
Die Roll Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 Critical Hit Result 1 2 4 6 7 10

DYellow
Die Roll Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Critical Hit Result 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11

DRed
Die Roll Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Critical Hit Result 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 8 10 11

DBlack
Die Roll Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Critical Hit Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

CRITICAL HIT RESULT TABLE

Result Event Steering Jammed Port! The ship cannot change its facing through a hexside right turn at all. If the ship moves forward into a hex (including sidelips, but not including a 2- or 3-hexside turns) it must change its facing through hexside left turn at least once during its movement. If the ship does not have enough MPs to meet its Enter Hexes Before Turn requirements and still turn one hexside left, it cannot enter a new hex (though it can still make a 2- or 3-hexside turn). Duration: Continues until fixed. Fix: During the End Phase of any turn after the turn in which this critical hit occurs, the player may make a Repair Roll in the Port (or Aft-Port) Location. If the roll fails, the critical hit is still in effect; if the roll is successful, the critical hit is fixed. Steering Jammed Starboard! All the same rules apply as above, but in reverse; i.e. cannot make left turns, must make a right turn if it enters a new hex, and so on (the Duration and Fix rules also are the same). No One At The Helm! The ship must move forward in a straight line until it reaches its Enter Hexes Before Move value (ignore all Steering Gear). Then randomly determine if the ship will turn one hexside to the right or left (expending the standard 1MP), then the ship must move forward again in a straight line until it reaches its Enter Hexes Before Move value once more. Then, once again, randomly determine if the ship will turn one hexside to the right or left. This process must continue until half of its current MP (round down) has been spent. If there is insufficient MP to turn at any point, or insufficient MP to reach its Enter Hexes Before Turn value, it just moves straight ahead. Duration: Only applies to the first turn following the critical hit (after which a new Helmsman is assigned). Torpedo Bay Jammed! Randomly determine an un-destroyed Torpedo Slot. That Slot is now jammed. Duration: Continues until fixed. Fix: During the End Phase of any turn after the turn in which this critical hit occurs, the player may make a Repair Roll in the Location containing the jammed Torpedo Slot. If the roll fails, the critical hit is still in effect; if the roll is successful, the critical hit is fixed. A Critical Failure on this roll automatically destroys the Torpedo Slot. Communications Temporarily Out! All Breach and Repair Rolls apply a 2 modifier, and that ship cannot participate in any Bracketing Fire attacks. Duration: Only applies to the first turn following the critical hit (after which the crew automatically repair the problem) Armor Failure! Randomly determine an Armor Slot. That Slot is automatically destroyed. Gun Battery Jammed! Randomly determine an un-destroyed Gun Battery Slot. That Slot is now jammed. Duration: Only applies to the first turn following the critical hit (after which the crew automatically unjam the gun battery) Electroid Flashover! Randomly determine an undestroyed Tesla Coil Trim Tank Slot. That Slot is now destroyed. If there is an un-destroyed Crew Slot in that Location, they are stunned (randomly determine which Slot is stunned if there are more than one Crew Slot in that Location); they cannot be used to make any Breach or Repair Rolls. Duration: Only applies to the first turn following the critical hit. Ammunition Explosion! Randomly determine an undestroyed Gun Battery or Torpedo Slot. That Slot is now destroyed. Shrapnel! Randomly determine an undestroyed Crew Slot. That Slot is automatically destroyed. Engine Failure! All Engine Slots immediately change their MP values to: MP 0. Duration: Continues until fixed. Fix: During the End Phase of any turn after the turn in which this critical hit occurs, the player may make a Repair Roll in the Stern Location. If the roll fails, the critical hit is still in effect; if the roll is successful, the critical hit is fixed. Severe Loss of Structural Integrity! Permanently reduce the ships current Structural Integrity by 5 and make an immediate Breaking The Keel Roll.

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