Encounter in the Space Whale Graveyard

[Belabras]

We kick off October with an encounter in a space whale graveyard. Time to get spoopy in space!

[Loreguard]

While those are really cool images, I have to admit that since the scale of space combat is supposed to be such enormous distances, I'm not certain it makes sense for the space whale corpses should take up more than a hex in that scale.

It would certainly work for some kind of space vehicle encounter type map more similar to air vehicle combat scale, rather than typical deep space combat.

I could easily imagine using it in a storyline where there is a base on an asteroid hiding in the midst of the elephant graveyard. That map would represent an encounter area where PCs on patrol are encounter someone trying to sneak up to the base. (or vice versa, the PCs are scouting and run into a patrol) At least that is what comes to mind.

P.S.
Actually, it bring up this question to me. Do we actually have any established space objects that take more than one hex on a spaceship combat map? If so, what would be an example?

[Belabras]

Loreguard wrote:

While those are really cool images, I have to admit that since the scale of space combat is supposed to be such enormous distances, I'm not certain it makes sense for the space whale corpses should take up more than a hex in that scale.

It would certainly work for some kind of space vehicle encounter type map more similar to air vehicle combat scale, rather than typical deep space combat.

I could easily imagine using it in a storyline where there is a base on an asteroid hiding in the midst of the elephant graveyard. That map would represent an encounter area where PCs on patrol are encounter someone trying to sneak up to the base. (or vice versa, the PCs are scouting and run into a patrol) At least that is what comes to mind.

P.S.
Actually, it bring up this question to me. Do we actually have any established space objects that take more than one hex on a spaceship combat map? If so, what would be an example?

That's certainly fair. Though I'd argue Oma on that scale are possible.

Objects that take up more than one hex, in combats I've seen, include asteroids and I think at least one space station. Moons and larger stellar objects are too big to fit on the map.

I'd probably make gargantuan and colossal ships bigger than one hex at my table, but RAW I they still appear to be a single hex.

[Metaphysician]

My own viewpoint: space hexes are *usually* big, but they aren't *always* big. Part of why space hexes don't have defined scale in real world terms is because, depending on the context, they may be bigger or smaller. If your own in the open, far away from any planetary bodies, each hex might well be thousands of kilometers across or more. However, if your in a cinematically-tight asteroid belt, or in orbit around a planet, or right next to a mega structure? You are in a place where mobility, line of sight, and line of fire are all variably obstructed, and this effectively limits the scale of action. . . and thus the size of a "hex".

The only hard limit, by this theory, is that one hex can never be smaller than the largest ship involved in the encounter. I can't see this really coming up, though, unless you are doing a Trench Run style encounter where one especially large ship is the *environment* for a ship battle.