Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 18:38:30 -0400
From: QKumber1@aol.com
Subject: Home-made rules for SPHEROIDS (re:sports)
To: jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU
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In fantastic technology they mention the game of Spheroids and tell you
(sort-of), how to play.  This game goes as follows: 
     "The modern twoplayer version uses a varying number of spherical
projections at established orbital paterns within a 2 meter to 10 meter
diameter sphere, each with different velocities and trajectories.  Each
player has a command sphere and anywhere from 6-24 spheres.
     The object of the game is to use one's command sphere to strike any of
your opponent's spheres, causing them to ricochete into the 'sun' at the
center of the grid.  Each player makes an attyempt, a successful 'plummet'
into the sun granting a second, subsequent shot.  A miss causes play to
revert to one's opponent.  Play alternates until one side has eliminated all
of the opposing planetary spheres.  Points are scored for a 'base' win, in
addition to bonus points for multiple plummetsm and plummets caused by
secondary and tertiary collisions..."
          - Extract from the Galactic Games And Competions,
                        27th edition, V.F.G. Corvallin, editor

     Okay, in other words Spheroids is like a game of pool.  You chuck your
little hand held globe at other, multi-sized globes that look like planets.
 The "pockets" are replaced by a single sun in the center.  Each planetoid
has a different size, moves at a different speed, and when hit spins and
angles in different ways.   
     For more adventurous players, black holes can be added to the game,
adding an extra bit of chance and luck.  When a spheroid hits a black hole it
dissappears, and reapears somewhere else on the court.
     The main skill used in Spheroids is Thrown Weapons skill, with an
additional specialty (not necessary for the game), called Thrown Weapons:
Spheroids.  If a gamemaster wants to make the game quick, he can just make an
opposing roll vs. the players skills... But I have also devised a more fun
way to play.
     I deffinately incourage gamemasters to make their own systems of play.
 When I play I simply roll a character's skill, with each Spheroid having a
base difficulty to hit, and a certain difficulty to get to go in the
direction of the player's choice.  As size and trajectory vary, so will the
difficulty.  
     Say, for example, Bel Anglar, a famous Spheroids player, wants to throw
his command sphere (the cue-ball), at a large planetoid (8 meters), which he
wants to then make a 180 degree turn and hit a smaller, 1 meter planetoid and
sending the small planetoid into the sun.  
     His dexterity is a 3D, with a Thrown Weapons: Spheroids skill of 5D.  He
rolls a 35.  The difficulty to hit the large spheroid is only an easy, as it
is close and very large.  Then the resistance of the large sphere is a 3D+2
(I decided this, the gamemaster may decide it randomly or make a system for
resistance), this is the resistance that it rolls against the Spheroid Skill:
If the planetoid wins, it moves randomly, according to the gamemaster, but if
the Character wins, it travels along the directed bath.  The modifiers are as
the Maneuvers Roll in SWRPG 2 (pg. 94).  Because he wishes it to do a
bootlegger's turn and it needs to go up at a 20 degree angle to hit the small
spheroid, he must roll his result (which was a 30), against 3D (resistance) +
14 (modifiers).  The resistance is 10 + 14 = 24.   Bel sends his command
sphere hurtling through the air, crashig with great force as it hits the huge
planetoid, setting into motion the target, which sails through the air in a
180 degree turn, steadily advancing through the air, pummelling into the
smaller planetoid.  
     Now, the resistance of the smaller planetoid is 1D, but it must dive
down about 60 degrees to hit the sun.  I roll the resistance: 3 + the
modifiers of the dive = 11.  Total is 14.  Now, to see if he could move the
second spheroid you take the remainders of the first Spheroids roll (i.e. You
subtract the original 35 from the larger planetoid's 24).  and get a 9.
 Normally this is not enough to force the spheroid into the sun... However,
because of the large size of the first planetoid, it can.  This is because of
the gained momentum of the first one... i.e. for every 2 meters that a
planetoid is in length, add +1 to the skill roll of the planetoid the
original planetoid.  Because the first planetoid was 8 meters, you add +4 to
the player's skill to use that planetoid to propel the next one towards the
sun.  These bonuses are cumulative.  Thus, with the new total of 13, Bel
Anglar sends the second spheroid arching down with the combined momemtum of
his throw and the ricocheting planetoid's size, melting away as it hits the
holographic sun.
The crowd explodes with capplause and chears, and Bel's opponent gives him a
weary glance, then walks off the court, in shame.
Model: Sarno Technologies Home Spheroids Simulator
Type: Holographic spheroids simulator
Cost: 500
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Gamemasters may devise their own rules for this game using
various Thrown Weapons Totals.
        __________
      /                   \ : 20 degree upwards angle
Planetoid               \: collision
   | :collission           Planetoid
   |                               |: 90 degree downward arch
   0:command spheroid  |    
BEL                             |
                                   |:collision with sun
                               SUN

Scoring System:
Winning: 20 points
Score with ricochet off command Sphere: 1 point
Score with dual ricochete off command sphere: 2 points
Score with triple ricochete off command sphere: 3 points
Score with quadruple ricochete off command sphere: 4 points
2 scores with single ricochete: 2 points
3 scores with single ricochete: 4 points
4 scores with single ricochete: 6 points
2 scores with double ricochete: 4 points
3 scores with double ricochete: 6 points
3 scores with triple ricochete: 8 points
180 degree turns: 4 points
Extreme dives/climbs of planetoids: 5 points

     Well, these are my rules, feel free to screw with them as they are only
first draft anyways.  Hope you like 'em and have many hours of fun Spheroids
with them.

                   QKUMBER