The Drift and Drift Beacons

[Rennah Mars]

So I was reading the article on geekdad about the Drift and Drift beacons, and I can't seem to find the information on where these are actually located. They're described as being navigational buoys, which are traditionally at sea, but does this mean they're in orbit around the planet? Around the star system? Or could they be on the planet itself?

Anyone happen to have come across more information?

[Archmage Variel]

Rennah Mars wrote:

So I was reading the article on geekdad about the Drift and Drift beacons, and I can't seem to find the information on where these are actually located. They're described as being navigational buoys, which are traditionally at sea, but does this mean they're in orbit around the planet? Around the star system? Or could they be on the planet itself?

Anyone happen to have come across more information?

It's not exactly the answer you'd like, but from my understanding they're basically located where they're located. They could be naturally occurring and in outer space, or someone could have placed a few near a highly populated solar system.

[Remy P Gilbeau]

Archmage Variel wrote:

Rennah Mars wrote:

So I was reading the article on geekdad about the Drift and Drift beacons, and I can't seem to find the information on where these are actually located. They're described as being navigational buoys, which are traditionally at sea, but does this mean they're in orbit around the planet? Around the star system? Or could they be on the planet itself?

Anyone happen to have come across more information?

It's not exactly the answer you'd like, but from my understanding they're basically located where they're located. They could be naturally occurring and in outer space, or someone could have placed a few near a highly populated solar system.

They did mention that the priests and priestesses of Triune like to scatter new Drift beacons, to spread her faith. That means that PCs could have quests to drag Drift beacons around in their ships, either to set them up at the behest of a contractor, or to make their own base a easily accessible Drift destination.

[David knott 242]

I could also see somebody removing Drift beacons from a location to interdict it or make it harder to reach.

[Distant Scholar]

Are drift beacons in regular space, or in the Drift?

[IonutRO]

From what I've read and heard from posts and game demos, drift beacons are placed in solar systems to "anchor" them to the drift, turning them from Vast worlds into Near Space worlds. Though a single beacon is not enough to do this, it is enough to mark a world as a permanently known destination for drift travel.

[Fardragon]

Which raises the questions:

How big are drift beacons?

How hard are they to detect?

How hard are they to destroy?

[IonutRO]

They'll probably be given AC and HP in the gamemaster section.

[Fardragon]

And defenses? Maybe they can fight back!

[Distant Scholar]

Fardragon wrote:

And defenses? Maybe they can fight back!

OK, now I have visions of weaponized drift beacons sent to a system to start an invasion. They can do their own attacking, and they make it easier for reinforcements to arrive.

[Eben TheQuiet]

Or pirates setting up decoy beacons to ambush whomever uses it. :D

[Imbicatus]

I'd love for there to be interdictor beacons that you can set up on the edge of a system to pull a ship out of the drift.

[Curtisin]

Keep an eye out for Pirates of the Starstream from Fat Goblin Games, as this is 2 of the things that have been discussed. ;-)

[The Raven Black]

Drift beacons cannibalizing local asteroids, moons, ships, planets to build more Drift beacons

I am pretty sure Triune has some Evil worshippers too after all

[dragonvan]

I suppose there will be some beacons that drift without control.

[Midboss57]

Another question about drift beacons: two ships traveling to the same beacon will not exit at the same time/place. Does anyone know how far the maximum distance from the beacon can be ?

I'm asking because of the following scenario. Due to a high tensions within a system scenario, planet X has decreed that any non authorized ship traveling within 100 000 km of the world's current position is to be given 1 warning to turn away, then shot if they do not immediately comply. (essentially, they want a buffer zone and aggressively enforce it) Now how far out an orbit would a beacon for this world to be positioned for ships to be able to warp in without accidentally (or not so accidentally) appearing in the buffer zone (and thus being on the receiving end of a wave motion gun) ?

[Metaphysician]

Midboss57 wrote:

Another question about drift beacons: two ships traveling to the same beacon will not exit at the same time/place. Does anyone know how far the maximum distance from the beacon can be ?

I'm asking because of the following scenario. Due to a high tensions within a system scenario, planet X has decreed that any non authorized ship traveling within 100 000 km of the world's current position is to be given 1 warning to turn away, then shot if they do not immediately comply. (essentially, they want a buffer zone and aggressively enforce it) Now how far out an orbit would a beacon for this world to be positioned for ships to be able to warp in without accidentally (or not so accidentally) appearing in the buffer zone (and thus being on the receiving end of a wave motion gun) ?

It wouldn't matter, because Drift travel doesn't go *to* Drift Beacons. The placement of Drift beacons in a system doesn't require ships to pop out near them. They just act as navigational aids, telling where Point X is in real-space.

[Yakman]

Distant Scholar wrote:

Are drift beacons in regular space, or in the Drift?

i don't think it's been made clear, but in my head canon, they are placed in real space.

[Tryn]

Yakman wrote:

Distant Scholar wrote:

Are drift beacons in regular space, or in the Drift?

i don't think it's been made clear, but in my head canon, they are placed in real space.

Why not both. Let them exist in the Drift and the normal space. :)

You can also argue that this special behavior is which fix the area around them in Drift Space, so you can navigate to them. :)