From: Craig Bertolucci Subject: Silent Death Variant Silent But Deadly Version 9/14/96 1.0 SPEED 1.1 Drive: A ship's current drive represents how fast that ship can go and how quickly it can accelerate or deccelerate. To determine this A/D number simply divide the current drive by 2 rounded up. On any given movement phase a ship may use movement points equal to his previous speed +/- his A/D value (not to exceed his current drive). A ship's A/D can never drop below 1 (maneuver thrusters). The current speed of a ship should be kept track of on the ship display. 1.2 Tumbling: If as a result of damage a ship can not slow down to the current drive or less, the ship moves the minimum number of movement points (current speed - current A/D). Every movement point over the drive number is considered a tumbling move and all cannon weapons hit at -1 for every tumble point this turn. This rule is also applied when tight turns cost more than the number of remaining movement points. Instead of stalling, the tight turn is performed and tumble points determined. 1.3 Initiative: To determine the order of movement, roll 1d10 for every ship and add its current speed and its pilot skill. Lowest totals move first regardless of which side they are on. In the case of a tie, the lower pilot skill goes first. If that too is a tie the lower speed goes first. If that is a tie as well then the moves are done simultaneously. 1.4 Defensive Value: The DV of a ship is equal to its current A/D number plus its pilot skill. Some critical hits may result in a negative modifier to this number. If the pilot is killed or dazed, the DV is equal to the A/D. The current speed of the ship is only considered in the speed restrictions of weapons, and the speed 0 modifier on the deflection table. 1.5 Movement: The first move of any ship or torpedo must be a forward. Side slips cost only 1 movement point. Any sideslip, turn, or tight turn must be followed by a forward movement. A ship may only perform 1 tight turn per movement phase. Ships may pass through, but not turn in, hexes that contain other ships or torpedos. 1.6 Targeting: Weapons that have a speed restrcition may fire at ships and torps moving at a faster speed but suffer -1 to hit per point of speed above the restriction. 2.0 WARHEADS 2.1 Torpedos: Use the alternate speed rules for torpedos. Only the pilot can launch a torpedo and only 1 per turn. The target must be in the forward firing arc of the pilot at the time the torp is fired. A pilot may fire a torpedo or a missle salvo but not both. 2.2 Missles: Each missle launcher may only fire a 5 missle salvo at a time, not a 10. The lock on roll is subject to angle of deflection modifiers and a speed restriction of 15. 2.3 Point Defense: SPACs may not have a PD spread greater than 1-3, TPACs 1-5, and MPACs 1-7. The number in brackets represents the number of times the PD may be used in a turn (this includes torpedo resolution AND missle resolution phases). This number is reduced by 1 for each critical hit taken but can be repaired with damage control. A pilot can attempt to dodge or use PD against each torpedo individually, he can never try both. PD is not automatic therfore it may only be used if the pilot is alive and undazed. 2.4 Dodging Torpedos: To dodge a torp, add the ship's current speed to the pilot skill and subtract the speed of the torp (torps are always considered as moving at their maximum speed regardless of how many movement points it used to reach the target). This is the number needed or less on 1d10. Torpedos are dodged 1 at a time. Damage from faster torpedos is determined before damage from slower ones. With these rules, a gunboat MAY attempt to dodge a torpedo though PD will usually be better. A dodged torpedo remains on the board in the hex of the target ship, with the same heading it entered the hex with. It will continue to chase down the target until it is destroyed. 3.0 DAMAGE 3.1 Damage Control: If a ship perfroms no tight turns, is not tumbling, launches no warheads, fires no weapons, does not use jamming, PD, decoys, or dodges a torp, it may roll for damage control at the end of the turn. Recovered weapons are of the player's choice. The effects of critical hits may not be repaired but PD max can be recovered. Damage control spread can not be recovered or damage reduction numbers, as well as decoys. But drive may be repaired and there is no limit to the number of times damage control may be attempted. 3.2 Critical Hits: A critical hit also destroys a decoy, subtracts 1 from the PD max, and 1 from the damage control spread. A drive 0 hit will result in a ship having an A/D of 1 and tumbling until it can slow down to a stop. It's defensive value will be 1 plus the pilot skill (even at a dead stop). An engine sputter (or a temporary reduction in drive value) may cause tumbling and a temporary reduction in defensive value. Gunner/Pilot killed reduces the damage control spread by 1 for each crew killed in addition to the -1 modifier for a critical hit. Dazed gunners and pilots also deduct from damage control attempts (temporarily). A crit can only be scored once, duplicates should be rerolled. T's and t's stand for torpedo launchers, not the torpedos themselves. So for a t, a player can cross off the circle of a torpedo already fired. On a T, your enemy will probably chose a laucher with a torp in it. If a t or T is recovered with damage control, a player can fix a torp launcher that still has a torp in it. Note: some critical hits cause the loss of torpedos, this still affects the torpedos and not the launchers.