Deep Striking Campaign Rules (4): Mapping Your Sector

A properly developed and mapped setting for your gaming group's campaign can greatly enhance the buy-in of players and enjoyment of the gaming experience. This sector creation system draws heavily on the Traveller RPG (Sector size and Hex Map), the Maxis game SPORE (for categorizing dead planets and the T0-T3 system), Planetfall Mod for Civilization 4 (For qualifying the T0-T3 system), and the 3rd Edition 40k rulebook. An excellent free resource for mapping your sector can be found at Hexographer. Individual planetary maps, as well as the placement of bases, will be handled in another post.

A standard sized sector should be around 8 hexes wide and 10 hexes tall, similar to the sectors used for the Traveler RPG system. Each hex represents a parsec of 3D spacial area. This results in 80 total hexes of space. Of these, 36 randomly distributed hexes will contain stars with Imperial-controlled planetary systems. Non-Imperial worlds (Necron Tomb Worlds, Eldar Maiden Worlds, Tau Sept Worlds, Ork Worlds, Daemon Worlds,  etc) are dealt with in a separate post. 


The main world for each system is as follows:

• 15 Dead Worlds (adapted from SPORE wiki)
• Dead Worlds have a T0 Biosphere by default
• Dead Worlds have the Imperial Tech Level by default
• Dead Worlds have 1 base

• 5 Hive Worlds
• Hive Worlds have a T1 Biosphere by default
• Hive Worlds have the Imperial Tech Level by default
• Hive Worlds have between 5 and 9 bases

• 4 Civilized Worlds
• 2 Civilized Worlds have T1 Biospheres: Mining and Industrial
• 2 Civilized Worlds have T2 Biospheres: Cardinal and Pleasure
• Civilized Worlds have the Nuclear Tech Level by default
• Civilized Worlds have 4 bases

• 3 Agri Worlds
• Agri Worlds have a T1 Biosphere by default
• Agri Worlds have the Combustion Tech Level by default
• Agri Worlds have 3 bases

• 3 Death Worlds
• Death Worlds have T3 Biosphere by default
• Death Worlds have the Imperial Tech Level by default
• Death Worlds have 1 base

• 3 Feudal Worlds
• Feudal Worlds have a T2 Biosphere by default
• Feudal Worlds have the Feudal Tech Level by default
• Feudal Worlds have 2 bases

• 2 Feral Worlds
• Feral Worlds have a T2 Biosphere by default
• Feral Worlds have the Feral Tech Level by default
• Feral Worlds have 1 base

• 1 Forge World
• Forge Worlds have a T1 Biosphere by default
• Forge Worlds have the Mechanicus Tech Level by default
• Forge Worlds have 10 bases

World Attributes

Dead World (T0) Graphic

• Class: Death, Death, Forge, Hive, Civilized, Agri, Feudal, Feral
• Sub Class: Civilized Worlds only (Mining, Shrine, Industrial, Pleasure)
• Tech Level: (adapted from Rogue Trader, Into the Storm)
• Mechanicus: Forge Worlds are the sovereign domains of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and most take the form of planet-wide factories. A Forge World often also serves as a base of operations for one of the Titan Legions. Forge worlds are essential for the supply of arms and armour to the Imperium’s combat forces.
• Imperial: Imperial worlds have access to Imperial technology, and their societies are every bit as advanced as an average hive world.
• Nuclear/Technological:  These worlds have societies with technology levels that run the gamut from information age through early space exploration to just a few centuries behind the Imperium.
• Combustion/Industrial:  Industrial worlds come in two varieties, early and late. Early industrial worlds have steamage technology and complex societies, and late industrial societies have discovered the internal combustion engine and have more advanced technologies than early industrial.
• Feudal:  Feudal worlds are peopled by debased humans with technology of either just pre or just post black powder levels. These societies have complex religious, social, and governmental bodies, and can field infantry, some artillery, and traditional cavalry units.
• Feral:  Late feral planets may have advanced primitive cultures of roughly Bronze Age and later technology with metal tools, weapons, armour, and even cultures with complex religious, social, and governmental bodies.
• Biosphere:
• T0: No Biosphere
• 2 Ice planets - A cold planet with an extreme amount of Ice on its surface.
• 2 Lava planets - A hot planet where Lava and Fiery Clouds have formed on its surface.
• 2 Rocky planets - A dry planet with nothing but rock and dirt on its surface.
• 2 Water planets - A humid planet with an extreme amount of water on the surface.
• 2 Flurry planets - A cold planet with no Ice on the surface, which is primarily rock.
• 2 Arid planets - A hot planet with no Liquid Water, and sand covering the surface.
• 1 Boiling planet - A planet that still has Liquid Water, but which is starting to Boil.
• 2 Melting planets - A planet that has ice on its surface, but which has patches of Liquid Water.

• T1: Terran-Dominant Biosphere (Forge, Hive, Agri, some civilized). Domination and extermination of native life. They are usually largely polluted from heavily industrial or agricultural land uses.
• T2: Hybrid Biosphere (Feral, Feudal, Some Civilized). Working to raise human-friendly crops which interact in a harmonious fashion with native life. Native flora and fauna integrated into lifestyle of inhabitants. 
• T3: Alien (Native) Dominant Biosphere. Humans live in isolated and self sufficient colonies. Biosphere so deadly that only the hardiest can survive outside of bases for long periods of time. 
• Bases: Typically 1-10
• Bases represent Imperial controlled population centers, most often large cities or hives. On planets with a high Tech Level, bases are frequently fortified with large curtain walls, shield generators to deflect orbital bombardment, and hundreds of thousands of troops. On Low Tech worlds, bases might be simple a ramshackle Imperial Palace surrounded by stone walls and a dirt landing strip.