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FatherJ_ct
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Re: Explosive Decompression

Wed 03 Sep 2025, 11:37

Just enough logic to keep it grounded in "reality" of the game. I find rabbit-hole digging up information a guilty pleasure of gaming. Be it explosive decompression, decibels and sound travel, logistics, etc.

There have been a number of times of sidetracking my weekly Twilight 2000 campaign for a "few" minutes to look up facts (like hatch layout differences between BMP2 and 3 to know specifically where the troops are coming out and if the hatches would be providing partial cover in the moment).

Here's another source:
RAPID (EXPLOSIVE) DECOMPRESSION EMERGENCIES IN PRESSURE-SUITED SUBJECTS (1968) [w/formulas]
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/196 ... 004637.pdf
 
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_ArthurDallas_
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Re: Explosive Decompression

Fri 05 Sep 2025, 02:53

thanks FatherJ_ct.

Arthur.
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Cinco Zendejas
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Re: Explosive Decompression

Thu 23 Oct 2025, 09:20

I had a very exciting explosive decompression scene two days ago, happy to share how I ruled and how it played out.

Situation: 4 PC's were trying to make their way from one ship to another (via Umbilical). The player in the lead was an Engineer who found that the access hatch would not open on request. He used Heavy Machinery to break the hatch open, thus severing the umbilical connection and causing the explosive decompression.

Now, the rulings by me. I guessed it would take three rounds for the entire atmosphere of THAT particular ship deck to lose all atmosphere. For the first round, I inflicted a forced Stamina check -3 if they wanted to move forward without being sucked toward the breach, Stamina -2 if they simply wanted to hold themselves in place. Second round -2 to move forward without losing control / -1 to hold in place, Third round -1 to move forward without losing control, Fourth round you're in vacuum no longer resisting the force of escaping atmosphere.

It caused a very fun bit of some characters tumbling into one another. The funnest bit was when the third player in order Panicked with a result of Drop Item in the second round. I was thrilled use this as an opportunity to cause the three vials of black goo he was carrying to spill out of his pockets and shatter. The resulting spray of black goo (again, being carried outward by the decompression), splattered against the backs of the spacesuits by people further ahead.
Thanks for this post. I think there should be some rules for what we see in Alien & Aliens when the Airlock is opened. A Explosive Decompression Level 2 as it were. Because this in canon I prefer that there is some reason the suction of a breach is stronger than what we know is real. Im looking for reasons to justify that. I like the idea that when traveling at FTL speeds - something happens - causing the movie Decompression. What Id like to know if in the films when this occurs, is it feasible the ship was in FTL?
 
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MutantFromMars
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Re: Explosive Decompression

Sat 25 Oct 2025, 12:44

Ok, so I believe that if a ship is travelling at relativistic speeds, the physics inside the ship remain unchanged - the fact that the vacuum outside is whizzing past is irrelevant, everything would function as normal. Observers outside the ship would see quite weird stuff though because of the time dilation, Lorentz contraction etc....

So no, I don't think you can scientifically justify what you want, but you're running a game based on a movie that doesn't necessarily do real science. If one of your players has a problem with your action movie physics, they're at the wrong table :D

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