Starship Construction Manual Pdf - STARSHIP CONSTRUCTION GUIDE - The Eye
STARSHIP CONSTRUCTION GUIDE
Starship construction is a technical process, and is designed for those players who enjoy ducking into the nuts and bolts of the system and tinkering. Most captains simply purchase a ship, and perhaps have the engines upgraded; however, spending time on optimizing a starship design can be very rewarding to those so inclined. This section, therefore, is detailed and sometimes complex in nature, with many inter-relating figures and components.
When designing a starship, the engineer will need to consider a whole range of factors. Every single component has its own specifications, quality, size, type, and model number; the engineer will choose a hull, command and control systems (computers, sensors, etc,), engines and power sources for both sub-luminal and FTL propulsion, weaponry, shields and point defenses, armor, superstructure, plus scientific, medical and leisure facilities and crew accommodations. All of these things funnel down into a much more simple set of values for use in actual play.
For those GMs or players who wish to create deck plans for their vessels, one cargo unit is equal to four 5' squares (10' by 10').
Building and customizing starships is not required, of course. This rulebook contains plenty of standard starship designs that you can purchase and use.
There are various example ship components that you can select as you design your ship. At the end of this chapter is a detailed engineer's technical manual which engineers and GMS can use to design new ship components if required.
STARSHIP CONSTRUCTION GLOSSARY
The following terms are used throughout this guide.
AGILITY Agility is directly analogous to a player-character's AGILITY attribute and is used to determine a ship's DEFENSE value. A vessel's AGILITY is determined by its class (tonnage) and can also affect its turning circles in combat.
Class A vessel's class is an approximate guide to its overall size in terms of tonnage. Ship classes are designated with Roman numerals, starting at Class I; there is no maximum ship class, but large cruisers tend to be around class XI, and battleships and carriers can sometimes be up to Class XIV or XV.
Control Computer Every vessel needs a control computer of some kind. A control computer affects a wide variety of shipboard aspects, including maximum FTL speeds, reaction times in combat, even emergency damage control procedures which reduce incoming damage.
Cargo Units Every ship has a number of available cargo units, which may be taken up by actual cargo, or by equipment and ship customizations. The more equipment, in terms of weapons, shields, facilities, and so on, that a vessel has installed, the less cargo space it is likely to have available for use. A cargo unit represents a roughly 10'x10'x10' volume.
DEFENSE This is the same value that a player character has. It determines how difficult it is to hit a ship with weapon-fire and is derived from AGILITY in the same way that a player-character's DEFENSE is.
Firing Arc Ship-mounted weapons usually point on one of four firing arcs, forward, aft, port, and starboard (see the Starship Combat chapter for more information). Some weapons can be installed to cover multiple arcs by using turrets or arrays.
FTL Engines An FTL engine is the method by which vessels move at faster than light speeds. Common FTL systems include hyperdrives, antimatter engines, amongst others. Most vessels contain separate sub-luminal and FTL (faster-than-light) propulsion systems.
Fuel Capacity A ship's fuel capacity determines its overall range of operation. This range can be modified by the engines' fuel efficiency rating.
Fuel Efficiency A fuel efficiency rating is provided by every engine type and directly affects the operational range of a vessel.
Hex A hex is a unit of distance. It is a game term, and does not translate to in-character language; a vessel's weapon ranges are expressed in hexes, and one hex is equal to 1 kilometer.
Luxury Every ship has a Luxury Value, which is expressed as a percentage. It is a direct comparison of crew complement and shipboard facilities and quality. Ships with lower Luxury Values are less efficient than those with high values due to poor morale and sub-standard workmanship. Spartans are not affected by a ship's Luxury Value.
Megacredits A megacredit is a larger scale of currency used for purchasing and building ships. Despite its name, the value of a megacredit actually varies depending on the campaign setting's defaults, and provides an easy "dial" for GMs to use to adjust the value and expense of starships. A megacredit is either 1 million credits or 1 thousand credits, depending on the campaign model.
Power Engines and shield generators both provide power which is used to either propel the ship or to defend against incoming attacks. One unit of power is 10 megawatts. A ship's SPEED and SOAK are both derived from power divided by the ship's class.
Sensors A ship's sensors consist of an array of different detection and analytical devices. These can be used for a wide range of tasks and feed the ship's computer information about the space around the vessel. Accurate sensors are a boon for space combat and exploration.
SOAK Both armor and shields can reduce or totally negate the amount of damage taken by a ship which is hit by enemy weapon-fire. The damage received is reduced by the value of the ship's SOAK score. Control computers can also increase SOAK slightly with improved automated damage control procedures.
Space This refers to the number of cargo units taken up by the equipment or modification. This must be deducted from the ship's basic cargo capacity.
Sub-luminal Engine A sub-luminal engine is the method by which vessels move at sub-luminal (slower than light) speeds. These can include fusion reactors, ion engines, liquid fuel rockets, solar sails, and more. Most vessels contain separate sub-luminal and FTL (faster-than-light) propulsion systems.
Superstructure Superstructure is similar to a creature's HEALTH. It represents hull, pylons, bulkheads, infrastructure, conduits, and more, and is damaged and depleted by weapon-fire. A ship reduces to zero superstructure is destroyed and in danger of exploding.
Tonnage A vessel's tonnage is a measure of its mass. Different tonnage ranges are assigned classes (see "Class", above). A ship designer will calculate the vessel's final tonnage at the end of the design process.
VESSEL TYPES
There are as many different vessel types as there are stars in the sky. The following list is a summary of some common classifications listed in approximate size order.
Shuttlecraft A shuttlecraft is usually not FTL-capable, and is capable of atmospheric flight and landing. They can be used to transport small groups, or as lifeboats. Armament is rare, and defenses are usually limited to basic navigational shielding.
Patrol craft Patrol ships, often used by police and other security organizations, are designed for insystem use. These ships are lightly armed and often lack FTL capability.
Courier A courier is designed for rapid interstellar travel; not much larger than a shuttle, its main strength is travelling directly from one location to another. Couriers do not tend to be armed, and maintain only navigational deflector shields. Some couriers are very luxurious, and are used to transport diplomats and VIPs, while others are used as private yachts.
Research ship Scientific research usually needs specialized and sensitive equipment, and research ships are outfitted with the best sensors, computers, and laboratories money can buy. They do not tend to be armed or well-protected, and need to call for assistance in times of trouble.
Yacht Private yachts can run to the decadent, with extremely luxurious interiors. Usually private vessels, these pleasure vehicles have weak defensive capability; however some military yachts used to transport very important dignitaries may possess more capable defenses. Yachts tend to be fast, and are usually aesthetically pleasing.
Scout These ships are general-purpose exploration vessels of a small-to-medium size. They generally boast high FTL speeds and long-range sensors, with some moderate armament and defensive capability. Scout ships will be equipped for surveys, scans, mapping, and are often designed for long-range missions. Scouts operate as military reconnaissance vessels, long-range exploration vessels, and even first-contact missions.
Freighter A freighter is designed specifically to carry cargo. They vary in size, and tend towards being slow and cumbersome (although some smugglers and pirates are able to outfit some extremely agile freighters, especially if cargo quantity isn't a priority). Freighters are found equallya s military and civilian vessels and tend to be weakly armed, if at all.
Escort Escorts accompany other, often unarmed, vessels and tend to operate in small groups at
close range, never moving far from the vessel they protect. They have medium combat capability, and sometimes have the ability to extend electronic protection to nearby vessels or provide emergency repairs. Escorts usually have sensitive sensor systems designed to detect enemy action as early as possible,
Destroyer Capital ships, destroyers are capable of extended military duty. Comparatively cheap compared to other warships, destroyers also operate as patrol craft and boast decent armament and shields. Destroyers, like other capital ships, also also capable of good FTL speeds.
Frigate A frigate can protect a number of smaller ships against enemy vessels and are often deployed in small groups or in sensitive areas. Frigates are known for boasting large amounts of firepower, and often large troop complements used for boarding or invasion missions.
Transport Transports run by a variety of names and fulfil a variety of purposes. Some are designed to transport cargo, while troop transports carry contingents of personnel. They have medium armor or shielding capability, but rarely boast any more than the minimum of firepower. Transports are often accompanied by escorts. Troop transports are sometimes called assault ships, while commercial or cargo transports are often known as tugs.
Cruiser Large capital ships, cruisers can be both military and explorative in nature. Cruisers tend to have non-combat primary missions, and as such are often equipped with research facilities, but can also be called into combat when needed and when they are, they perform well as heavy capital combat vessels. Cruisers tend to have heavy armament and shielding and, depending no their species of origin, are often fairly luxurious compared to regular combat vessels. Long range exploration cruisers can operate for years at a time and are often a highly desired assignment.
Liner A liner is deigned for luxurious commercial passenger travel either on established transport runs or on cruises and sightseeing tours of exotic planets and nebulae. The are large vessels, and tend to be lightly shielded with a small security contingent on board, although some older liners can be drafted as troop transports by military organizations.
Battleship Battleships are the most heavily armed ship type. Somewhat cumbersome, they make up for that with massive firepower, strong armor, or heavy shielding. Battleships are often accompanies by destroyers and frigates, and can be equipped for planetary bombardment (especially when accompanied by frigates containing large troop contingents for immediate occupation). A battleship will often dominate an entire system with ease.
Carrier Carriers and supercarriers are designed to transport large numbers of immediately deployable fighters or shuttlecraft. They are not the most heavily armed ships around, and often reply on those fighters and on escorts to provide protection from enemy action. Carriers have among the best control computer systems, and are able to coordinate entire battlefields.
STARSHIP CLASS
Starships are categorized by class, which is a rough measure of tonnage. Here are some typical examples of ship types and their classes, although "ship type" is by no means a hard or fast rule.
Class
Tonnage
Crew CU* AGI**
Example
0-I
0-50
1
1 10 / 20
Starfighter
0-II
50-200
2
2
9 / 18
Space Shuttle
0-III
200-500
2
3
9 / 18
Cutter
0-IV
500-800
2
4
8 / 16
0-V
800-1,000
3
5
8 / 16
I
1,000-5,000
4
10 7 / 14
Courier, Light Freighter
II
5,000-15,000
5
40 6 / 13
Corvette
III
15,000-25,000
7
90 6 / 13
IV
25,000-40,000
12 160 5 / 11
V
40,000-60,000
20 250 5 / 11
Escort, Scout, Large Aircraft Carrier
VI
60,000-80,000
30 360 4 / 8 Escort, Scout, Transport, Heavy Freighter, Cruise Ship
VII
80,000-100,000
50 490 4 / 8
Destroyer, Transport, Scout, Heavy Freighter
VIII
100,000-120,000
100 640 3 / 7
Destroyer, Transport
IX
120,000-140,000 200 810 3 / 7
Destroyer, Frigate
X
140,000-160,000 300 1,000 3 / 7
Frigate
XI
160,000-180,000 400 1,210 2 / 6
Frigate, Cruiser
XII
180,000-210,000 500 1,440 2 / 6
XIII
210,000-240,000
750 1,690 2 / 6
Battleship
XIV
240,000-300,000 1,000 1,960 1 / 4
Carrier
XV
300,000-350,000 2,000 2,250 1 / 4
XVI
350,000-400,000 3,000 2,560 1 / 4
Supercarrier
XVII 400,000-450,000 4,000 2,890 1 / 4
XVIII 450,000-500,000 5,000 3,240 1 / 4
XIX
500,000-600,000 6,500 3.610 1 / 4
XX
600,000-700,000 7,000 4,000 1 / 4
XXI
700,000-850,000 8,000 4,410 1 / 4
XXII 850,000-1,000,000 9,000 4,840 1 / 4
XXIII 1,000000-1,500,000 10,000 5,290 1 / 4
XXIV 1,500,000-2,000,000 11,000 5,760 1 / 4
XXV 2,000,000-3,000,000 12,000 6,250 1 / 4
Space Station
XXVI 3,000,000-5,000,000 13,000 6,760 1 / 4
XXVII 5,000,000-7,500,000 14,000 7,290 1 / 4
XXVIII 7,500,000-10,000,000 15,000 7,840 1 / 4
*Cargo Units on military vessels are usually taken up by weapons, armor, and other military equipment. **AGILITY / DEFENSE
HULL CLASS
CLASS
QUALITY (LUX BONUS)
FUEL CAPACITY
Ship Construction Form
CREW
AGILITY
CREW
AGILITY
CARGO CARGO
CONFIGURAION & FEATURES
FUEL UNITS
LANDING?
COST (MCr) COST
YES/NO
CONTROL FTL Computer Sensors
Crew
DEF SOAK Wp Rng Die Bonus SPACE (CU)
COST (MCr)
ENGINE
POWER SPEED/FTL FUEL EFF. SPACE (CU) COST (MCr)
SS, SHIELDS, ARMOR Additional SS (BASE: ______ ) Armor Shields
AMNT/TYPE
WEAPONS
NUMBER RANGE DAMAGE
DATA TOTAL SS
SOAK POWER
ARCS
SPACE (CU)
COST (MCr)
SPACE (CU)
COST (MCr)
SHIP TOTALS
CARRY TOTALS OVER TO SPACE (CU) COST (MCr) REAR OF SHEET
SS TOTAL
DEFENCE
SPEED
FTL
SOAK
CARGO
PWR/CLASS PWR/CLASS SH&ARM/CLASS AVAILABLE
FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT CARRIED OVER FROM FRONT
Ship Construction Form
LUXURY HULL BASE
DATA
SPACE (CU)
COST (MCr)
HULL TOTAL
STARTING CU
TONNAGE
TOTAL
TOTAL
USED CU TONNAGE
LOAD (%) START/USED x 100
FINAL VALUES
FUEL CAPACITY HULL + ALTERATIONS
FUEL RANGE CAPACITY x EFFICIENCY
LUXURY TOTAL
LUXURY % (LUX/CREW) x100%
CREW / CREW COSTS
/ CREW x 200
MODIFIER SEE TABLE
DESIGNING A STARSHIP
The previous section introduced a number of concepts and guidelines. This section is where you actually design a starship. Use the Ship Construction Form on the preceding pages to design a starship as you follow the procedure below. The Ship Construction Form has been designed to help guide you through the process and record all relevant information at each point during the design process.
1. Select a hull class. This initial decision determines the size parameters of your ship design. It also determines your crew requirement, fuel capacity, cargo space, and AGILITY and DEFENSE values.
1. Determine the initial LUXURY rating of the ship based on hull class and quality.
2. Choose a basic hull configuration (scientific, exploration, combat, etc.) and note the adjustments granted by that configuration.
2. Choose command and control systems. These systems the computer and the sensor systems have important effects on various aspects of the ship, and can restrict or limit later choices.
1. Record maximum FTL, adjust crew requirement, and note INITIATIVE, DEFENSE, and SOAK bonuses, if any, from the control computer system.
2. Record maximum sensor range, weaponry range adjustments, DEFENSE bonuses, and scanning bonuses from the sensor systems.
3. Choose sub-luminal engine(s). These will determine the sub-luminal speed of the vessel.
1. Note SPEED as total power from sub-luminal engines dived by the ship's hull class.
4. Choose FTL engine(s). These will determine the FTL capability of the vessel (although this is also limited by computer type, below).
1. Note FTL speed as total power from FTL engines dived by the ship's hull class.
5. Determine initial ship superstrucure, and then allocate additional SS and/or armor. Initial (base) SS is three times the vessel's class.
1. Note armor SOAK as total armor divided by the ship's hull class.
6. Select deflector shield(s) if required.
1. Note shield SOAK as total shield power divided by the ship's hull class.
7. Allocate weaponry. This includes all types of weapon systems, including lasers, disruptors, phasers, projectile cannons, torpedoes, warheads, blasters, ion beams, and more.
8. Select additional ship equipment, including cloaking devices, tractor beams, fuel scoops, fuel bay alterations, and more.
9. Select shuttle/fighter bays (if any). Not all ships will include shuttle or fighter bays.
10. Choose ship facilities. These include cabins, sick bays, labs, mess halls, bars, lounges, and more.
1. Calculate the ship's LUXURY value from the total of all facilities, and add the initial LUXURY rating from the hull (above).
2. The final LUXURY value is a percentage using the calculation (LUXURY/CREW)*100%. Record this and determine the ship's overall die roll modifier.
11. Determine final values. These include fuel, cargo, crew, and other values.
1. Determine fuel capacity and range. Fuel capacity is based on hull size plus any fuel bay alterations (above). Range is one parsec per fuel unit, multiplied by the FTL engine's fuel efficiency rating.
2. Calculate available cargo space based on the ship hull class' initial cargo designation minus the space of all components and items. Note that if the space requirement of the components exceeds the initial cargo space, some components will need to be removed.
3. Calculate the ship's tonnage. This value is based on hull class and remaining cargo space. Divide the total cargo units used by the base cargo space for the hull class and multiple the result by 100%. This gives you the ship's LOAD as a percentage. Then, using the Ship Class Chart, locate the tonnage range of the ship's class. Deduct the lower range boundary from the higher to determine an overall tonnage range, and then add tonnage to the lower boundary as a percentage of the tonnage range as determined by the LOAD percentage.
4. Calculate monthly crew costs (200 Cr. times the crew compliment per month).
12. Record starship You should now copy your starship specifications from your Ship Construction Form onto a Ship Recognition Readout. You will find a blank one at the end of this guide.
HULL DESIGN
A basic starship hull is largely a shell with power routings, modular equipment couplings, and very basic engines and command/control systems. There are two components to a hull design it's class, and its configuration. The class determines its overall size, while its configuration determines it's type and purpose.
HULL CLASS
The ship's class determines most of the hull's basic characteristics crew requirements, cargo space, and the vessel's basic agility. A basic hull cost in megacredits is five times the square of the ship class.
Ship Class
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
Hull Cost
5 MCr 20 MCr 45 MCr 80 MCr 125 MCr 180 MCr 245 MCr 320 MCr 405 MCr 500 MCr 605 MCr 620 MCr
Crew
4 5 7 12 20 30 50 100 200 300 400 500
Cargo
10 40 90 160 250 360 490 640 810 1,000 1,210 1,440
AGI/DEF
7 / 14 6 / 13 6 / 13 5 / 11 5 / 11 4 / 8 4 / 8 3 / 7 3 / 7 3 / 7 2 / 6 2 / 6
LUXURY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
FUEL
1 8 27 64 125 216 343 512 729 1,000 1,331 1,728
A hull on its own is actually a working ship. Many basic cargo ships are hulls with no modifications needed, operating with the most basic of integrated systems. They're slow, however, with a SPEED of 2 and no FTL capability.
A ship's hull can also determine its appearance and the quality of the interior in terms of furnishings and crew comfort. A more comfortable ship increases the vessel's basic LUXURY rating, which in turn means a happier and better motivated crew. LUXURY can be increased further with the addition of specific facilities. Multiply the ship's class by it's Luxury Modifier (below). A standard hull has a Luxury Modifier of 1.
Hull Quality Standard High Quality Superior Quality Mastercraft Quality Artisan Quality Unique
Cost x1 x3 then +100 x5 then +250 x10 then +500 x100 then +1,000 x1,000 then +2,500
Luxury Modifier 1 2 4 6 8 10
HULL CONFIGURATION
Basic hull designs offer different benefits. The basic hull design, once set, cannot be changed. Select one of the following basic hull designs. This does not cost anything extra.
Hull Configuration Scientific
Exploration
Combat
Transport Passenger Carrier
Atmosphere
Features
Science and research vessels gain +1 die bonus to sensor usage, and may install laboratories and medical facilities for half the cost.
Exploration vessels gain +1 to their FTL speed, and +20% to their fuel range.
Military vessels designed for combat have double the regular SS OR +2 to their AGILITY.
Transport vessels gain a bonus 20% base cargo space.
Passenger ships gain a 50% base LUXURY bonus.
Carriers are designed to carry other, small vessels fighters, shuttles, and so on. Space requirements for shuttle/fighter bays are reduced by half.
Most ships suffer large penalties when operating within an atmosphere (half AGILITY and SPEED) but those designed specifically with atmospheric operation in mind do not suffer those penalties.
This is a basic set of hull configurations. Other configurations may exist, but are not dealt with in this rulebook.
LANDING CAPABILITY
Giving a starship landing capability doubles the base cost of the hull (before quality multipliers are applied) and reduces sub-luminal SPEED by 1 point.
COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Nearly every function on a vessel interacts in some way with the computer. The computers, sensors, and engineering facilities on a starship make a up a large part of its efficiency and effectiveness. Faster computers allow a ship to react more quickly in combat situations, while more sensitive sensor systems enable the crew to gather more information about their surroundings. A basic hull comes with a standard integrated computer and sensors, but more powerful systems are needed for effective combat calculations and FTL planning. The computing power aboard a starship can be underestimated in its importance.
Computer System A ship's computer system is able to perform faster-than-light calculations for FTL travel, and ties directly into the sensor array. Data storage in a ship's computer is so efficient that the concept of storage capacity does not factor into computer design any more. Some computer systems have a basic AI, while others do not.
Sensor Array A sensor array is a collection of sensors and sub processors designed to gather and collate information. They include navigational and combat sensors, as well as equipment which measures and records the environment capable of detecting a wide range of phenomena.
Max FTL This value indicates the maximum speed at which the complex FTL navigational calculations can be made. This is separate to the FTL capability provided by the engines themselves. The ship's actual maximum FTL is the lower of the two values.
Crew Adjustment Superior computers reduce the need for crew as many tasks can be automated. This adjustment is a percentage reduction from the base crew requirement determined by the hull class. There is always a minimum crew requirement of 1.
Sensor Range This indicates the range of the shipboard sensors, in miles. See the Scanning section of this rulebook for more information on shipboard scanning procedures.
Max Weaponry Range Inc This puts a limit on the maximum range increment of installed weaponry. Note that this is a range increment, not a maximum range. Both sensors and computers create maximum range increments; the ship uses the lower of the two.
Attributes This refers to initiative (AGI) checks (for computers) and scanning (INT) checks (for sensors).
DEFENSE Bonus Both computer and sensors can grant DEFENSE bonuses to a vessel. Sensors can identify early indications of incoming weapons-fire, while computers can automatically make minor evasive adjustments.
SOAK Bonus Some computers are able to automatically seal bulkheads, divert power, and otherwise take measures to reduce the damage received from incoming fire. These computers take up a lot of space with components in all parts of the ship.
SAMPLE COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
SMALL COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Control Computers
Cost
Space Max FTL
SM-1
3 MCr
1
2
SM-1H
109 MCr
1
4
Sensor Systems
Cost
Space Range
SS-1
4 MCr
1
200mi
SS-2
8 MCr
1
400mi
SS-2H
224 MCr
1
800mi
MEDIUM COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Control Computers
Cost
Space Max FTL
MM-1
15 MCr
3
2
MM-2
30 MCr
3
3
MM-3
45 MCr
3
4
MM-3H
345 MCr
3
8
Sensor Systems
Cost
Space Range
MS-1
20 MCr
3
400mi
MS-1H
160 MCr
3
800mi
MS-2
40 MCr
3
600mi
LARGE COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Control Computers
Cost
Space Max FTL
LM-1
30 MCr
5
4
LM-2
60 MCr
5
5
LM-2H
380 MCr
5
10
Sensor Systems
Cost
Space Range
LS-1
40 MCr
5
600mi
LS-2
80 MCr
5
800mi
LS-2H
160 MCr
5
1,400mi
ENORMOUS COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Control Computers
Cost
Space Max FTL
EM-1
45 MCr
10
4
EM-1H
235 MCr
10
8
Sensor Systems
Cost
Space Range
ES-1
60 MCr
10
800mi
ES-1H
280 MCr
10 1,600mi
ES-2
120 MCr
10 1,000mi
GIGANTIC COMMAND & CONTROL SYSTEMS
Control Computers
Cost
Space Max FTL
GM-1
75 MCr
20
4
GM-1H
325 MCr
20
8
Sensor Systems
Cost
Space Range
GS-1
100 MCr
20 1,000mi
GS-2
200 MCr
20 1,200mi
GS-2H
800 MCr
20 2,200mi
Crew -
-5%
Crew -
-1% -2% -7%
Crew -
-1% -6%
Crew -5% -10%
Crew -10% -15%
Rng Inc SOAK
5
-
7
+1
5 6 8
Rng Inc 10 11 11 13
SOAK +1
10 12 11
Rng Inc 15 16 18
SOAK +1 +1 +2
15 16 18
Rng Inc SOAK
20
+2
22
+3
20 22 21
Rng Inc SOAK
25
+3
27
+4
25 26 28
DEFENSE +1
+1
DEFENSE +1 +2
+1 -
DEFENSE +1
+1
DEFENSE +1
+1 -
DEFENSE +1
+1
Checks +0 dice +1 die Checks +0 dice +0 dice +1 die
Checks +0 dice +0 dice +0 dice +1 die Checks +0 dice +1 die +0 dice
Checks +0 dice +0 dice +1 die Checks +0 dice +0 dice +1 die
Checks +0 dice +1 die Checks +0 dice +1 die +0 dice
Checks +0 dice +1 die Checks +0 dice +0 dice +1 die
ENGINES & POWER
A ship's power comes from its engines. Basic engines come integrated in a ship's hull type, and provide minimal power. Upgrading the engines is often a new captain's first project. The existing engines cannot be sold or exchanged; they have an effective value of zero.
There are many types of starship propulsion and power systems. Listed below are some common civilian systems, from liquid fuel or fusion systems to more advanced antimatter or hyperdrive engines. Not all engines provide FTL capability; and FTL engines cannot be used at sub-luminal speeds. For this reason, a vessel may need more than one engine perhaps a fusion reactor and a hyperdrive system. An engineer will need to balance ship class, space, power, FTL capability and fuel efficiency to obtain her desired outcome.
Speed A ship's sub-FTL speed is equal to the subluminal engine power divided by the ship's class. Multiple subluminal engines can be mounted on a ship in order to increase the power available; the power is simply totaled.
FTL A ship's FTL speed is equal to the FTL engine power divided by the ship's class. Multiple FTL engines can be mounted on a ship in order to increase the power available; the power is simply totaled. Note that FTL is also limited by the ship computer's Max FTL rating.
FE refers to fuel efficiency. When calculating the fuel costs for a journey, the costs are multiplied by the engine's fuel efficiency rating. Fuel efficiency is calculated separately for FTL and subluminal propulsion systems. A vessel's fuel range is equal to its fuel capacity multiplied by its fuel efficiency rating.
Mixing Engines Generally, a vessel cannot support multiple types of FTL or multiple types of subluminal engine; they will not work together. When a vessel has more than one engine, both must be the same type. In theory you could physically mount additional types of engine, but you can't use them at the same time as each other.
SAMPLE SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES
SMALL SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES Sub-luminal Engine Star Corporation SF-1 fusion reactor Star Corporation SF-2 fusion reactor Satellite Concepts SI-1 ion engine Satellite Concepts SI-2 ion engine Newline-Silverwide Systems SL-1 liquid fuel rocket Newline-Silverwide Systems SL-2 liquid fuel rocket Comet Lines SS-1 solar sail MEDIUM SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES Sub-luminal Engine WarpCo Alliance MF-1 fusion reactor WarpCo Alliance MF-2 fusion reactor Oshiro Shipping MI-1 ion engine Oshiro Shipping MI-2 ion engine Turner-Koga Inc ML-1 liquid fuel rocket Turner-Koga Inc ML-2 liquid fuel rocket Panlight Universal MS-1 solar sail LARGE SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES Sub-luminal Engine Narita-Guo Union LF-1 fusion reactor Narita-Guo Union LF-2 fusion reactor DeltaLight products LI-1 ion engine DeltaLight products LI-2 ion engine SunCo Livestock LL-1 liquid fuel rocket SunCo Livestock LL-2 liquid fuel rocket Stellar products LS-1 solar sail ENORMOUS SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES Sub-luminal Engine OmniDyne Lines EF-1 fusion reactor OmniDyne Lines EF-1 fusion reactor Sunbeam Technologies EI-1 ion engine Sunbeam Technologies EI-2 ion engine Carter Psitech EL-1 liquid fuel rocket Carter Psitech EL-2 liquid fuel rocket Du-Bobrikov Company ES-1 solar sail GIGANTIC SUB-LUMINAL ENGINES Sub-luminal Engine Sun Technologies GF-1 fusion reactor Sun Technologies GF-2 fusion reactor WayDyne Incorporated GI-1 ion engine WayDyne Incorporated GI-2 ion engine Highlight Robotics GL-1 liquid fuel rocket Highlight Robotics GL-2 liquid fuel rocket Panwatch Metallurgy GS-1 solar sail
Cost 7 MCr 11 MCr 5 MCr 8 MCr 1 MCr 3 MCr 1 MCr
Space 11 12 4 4 1 1 5
Power 12 19 7 11 11 13 3
Fuel Efficiency 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 0.5 0.5 -
Cost 11 MCr 25 MCr 11 MCr 25 MCr 3 MCr 7 MCr 2 MCr
Space 23 21 10 9 1 1 10
Power 33 37 18 21 17 25 7
Fuel Efficiency 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.6 0.5 0.6 -
Cost 26 MCr 51 MCr 22 MCr 41 MCr 6 MCr 14 MCr 3 MCr
Space 40 34 22 25 4 3 22
Power 53 45 26 32 35 30 12
Fuel Efficiency 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 0.5 0.6 -
Cost 55 MCr 94 MCr 38 MCr 73 MCr 14 MCr 30 MCr 7 MCr
Space 84 73 37 30 9 10 47
Power 82 92 38 49 50 71 19
Fuel Efficiency 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 0.5 0.7 -
Cost 134 MCr 292 MCr 80 MCr 132 MCr 30 MCr 70 MCr 19 MCr
Space 131 112 88 103 16 15 92
Power 105 174 53 96 69 99 35
Fuel Efficiency 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.6 0.5 0.5 -
SAMPLE FTL ENGINES
SMALL FTL ENGINES FTL Engine Cui-Green Alliance SH-1 hyperdrive Cui-Green Alliance SH-2 hyperdrive Cui-Green Alliance SH-3 hyperdrive Warpdyne Asteroid Mining SA-1 antimatter engine Warpdyne Asteroid Mining SA-2 antimatter engine TransCo NewStellar ST-1 tachyon sail Highwatch SC-1 tachyon conduit system MEDIUM FTL ENGINES FTL Engine Outerdyne DayCorp MH-1 hyperdrive Outerdyne DayCorp MH-2 hyperdrive White AgriSpace MA-1 antimatter engine White AgriSpace MA-2 antimatter engine White AgriSpace MA-3 antimatter engine Micro PrimeTech MT-1 tachyon sail Arakaki-Cao Union MC-1 tachyon conduit system LARGE FTL ENGINES FTL Engine Kinjo Hardware LH-1 hyperdrive Kinjo Hardware LH-2 hyperdrive Kinjo Hardware LH-2H hyperdrive Newdyne Concepts LA-1 antimatter engine Newdyne Concepts LA-2 antimatter engine Newdyne Concepts LA-3 antimatter engine Shooting Star LT-1 tachyon sail Transwide Products LC-1 tachyon conduit system ENORMOUS FTL ENGINES FTL Engine Stellar Group EH-1 hyperdrive Stellar Group EH-2 hyperdrive Panwatch-Microbeam EA-1 antimatter engine Panwatch-Microbeam EA-2 antimatter engine Panwatch-Microbeam EA-2H antimatter engine Panwatch-Microbeam EA-2S antimatter engine Frontier Yards ET-1 tachyon sail Star Products EC-1 tachyon conduit system GIGANTIC FTL ENGINES FTL Engine Highfarer Enterprises GH-1 hyperdrive Highfarer Enterprises GH-2 hyperdrive Yang Astrotech GA-1 antimatter engine Yang Astrotech GA-2 antimatter engine Butler Grav Vehicles GT-1 tachyon sail Long Transport GC-1 tachyon conduit system
Cost 12 MCr 26 MCr 53 MCr 17 MCr 35 MCr 48 MCr 64 MCr
Space 2 3 2 5 4 6 4
Power 4 5 8 6 8 7 15
Fuel Efficiency 0.8 1.0 1.0 1 1.1 1.6
Cost 33 MCr 64 MCr 34 MCr 84 MCr 114 MCr 93 MCr 119 MCr
Space 4 3 11 10 9 15 9
Power 9 10 15 18 28 15 28
Fuel Efficiency 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.6
Cost 49 MCr 118 MCr 231 MCr 92 MCr 180 MCr 261 MCr 160 MCr 288 MCr
Space 7 6 5 18 19 19 26 14
Power 16 20 19 20 25 42 27 40
Fuel Efficiency 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.6
Cost 109 MCr 240 MCr 140 MCr 336 MCr 589 MCr 1,369 MCr 259 MCr 515 MCr
Space 13 10 33 35 51 44 47 30
Power 24 30 32 57 73 76 44 75
Fuel Efficiency 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.4 1.6
Cost 256 MCr 481 MCr 374 MCr 721 MCr 569 MCr 1,254 MCr
Space 38 30 87 79 117 68
Power 44 60 72 79 55 125
Fuel Efficiency 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.6
Antimatter Engine (A) Antimatter is a potent power source. Antimatter is stored in special magnetic fields and annihilated by mixing it with regular matter in controlled explosions. This energy is then used to create an artificial bubble of space-time around the vessel known as a 'displacement field', enabling it to travel at FTL speeds. This system is sometimes referred to as a 'warp' drive. The engine core of such a system is highly radioactive and dangerous, and is usually designed so that it can be ejected easily should the matter/antimatter containment fields fail.
Fusion Reactor (F) A fusion reactor is an efficient solution for long-term use in space, and does not require a large fuel supply. Advanced fusion drives are often referrred to as "impulse engines" and are considered clean and safe. The system works by generating electrical (ion) propulsion rather than providing direct thrust from the fusion reactions themselves.
Hyperdrive (H) A hyperdrive system enables to vessel to reach FTL speeds by travelling through hyperspace (sometimes referred to as subspace, zero-space, nullspace, slipspace, and more). There are different theories on why this works the two most popular are that the distance in hyperspace is shorter than in real space, or that physical laws work differently there, with the speed of light not being a barrier. In hyperspace, ships cannot interact with the real universe. Hyperdrive calculations are complex and require heavy processing power and care.
Ion Engines (I) Ion engines (or ion drives) use electric fields to propel ions away from a spacecraft. They generate a fairly low yield, often requiring multiple drives on a larger ship. Ions are atoms with a charge (positive or negative), one of which get pushed out the back of the spacecraft to move it forward. Despite the low yield, ion engines are cheap and a common choice for sublight propulsion.
Liquid Fuel Propulsion System (L) These systems are the most primitive of spacefaring subluminal propulsion systems, consisting of a chemical rocket which fires explosive energy out of the back in order to propel the vehicle forward. Originally, these systems used carbon fuels but quickly moved on to liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen combination systems. In later years, more exotic liquid propellants like duranium plasma mixtures were developed.
Solar Sail (S) Instead of using fuel, a solar sail works much like the sail on a sailboat it is pushed along by light (either generated by a laser, or the natural light of a star). Solar sails are common on some leisure craft and space yachts, and are also a popular sporting technology used in races. A ship which uses a solar sail is often called a 'lightship'.
Tachyon Conduit (C) This is an advanced form of FTL travel. Artificially produced tachyons are emitted in bursts which forms a matter stream (or conduit) upon which the ship can effectively "ride". These systems are highly effective, although likely out of the range of most spacefaring civilizations and in most settings, at least would be a highly experimental system at best.
Tachyon Sail (T) A tachyon sail works the same way as a solar sail, with one primary difference: instead of light, the sail catches natural tachyon streams which enables the vessel to move at superluminal velocities. This method of propulsion is not common it generates less power than other FTL systems, and requires expensive, exotic materials. Interestingly, it's a very ancient technology.
SUPERSTRUCTURE, SHIELDS & ARMOR
There are various ways in which a starship can protect itself from attack or from the hazards of interstellar space. The most common methods include deflector shields, armor, and point defenses.
SS & ARMOR
The hull of a ship is made up of its SUPERSTRUCTURE. SUPERSTRUCTURE, much like the HEALTH of a character, is a measure of how much damage a ship has taken. Every time the ship gets hit by a weapon , meteorite, or other hazard, damage reduces its SS. When the ship has 0 SS left, it is destroyed and forms a countdown pool prior to explosion.
A basic ship's SUPERSTRUCTURE is equal to three times its ship class. This typically isn't a lot, and many ships have additional superstructure added to the hull. Superstructure is cheaper and lighter than armor; but it does deplete, which armor does not tend to do.
SS/Armor
Additional SS Armor, reactive
Armor, ablative
Space (CU)
1 per SS 10 per 1 armor point
10 per 1 armor point
Cost
Notes
0.5 MCr per SS
Base (free) SS = ship class
10 MCr per armor point 1 SOAK per armor point/class vs. impact; 1.5 SOAK per armor point/class vs energy.
10 MCr per armor point 1 SOAK per armor point/class vs. energy; 1.5 SOAK per armor point/class vs impact.
SUPERSTRUCTURE Superstructure consists of duranium or tritanium plating, pylons, nacelles, and bulkheads. To a lesser extent, it also includes life support systems, engine mounts, and radiation shielding, and is a general measure of a ship's structural integrity. To add additional SS to a vessel, simply use the table above to calculate the cost and space required. This additional SS is added to the vessel's base SS value.
Armor Armor is heavier plating designed to absorb kinetic and energy damage from weapons. Armor is spread around the ship. As with shields (below), the larger an area each armor point needs to cover, the less protection it is able to offer. Smaller ships typically cannot afford the space and weight for armor. Armor cannot exceed a ship's SUPERSTRUCTURE. The SOAK value stacks with that of shields.
There are two basic types of armor reactive and ablative. Reactive armor reacts to impacts to reduce damage and works best against impact damage from projectiles and the like; ablative armor prevents damage by vaporizing, and works best against energy damage. Heat shields were an early form of ablative armor, protecting early spacecraft from burning up during atmospheric reentry.
Armor can be mixed freely by simply adding together the SOAK values versus impact and energy damage. For example, 4 points of ablative plus 6 points of reactive armor combines to make 4 impact and 6 energy SOAK from the former plus 9 impact and 6 energy SOAK from the latter, making 13 impact and 12 energy SOAK total.
Other armor types can exist, some of which are designed for protection against specific damage types. Other advanced forms include regenerative ablative armor. Armor can be referred to in various ways plating, reinforcement, and have various names like polarized hull plating.
DEFLECTOR SHIELDS
Deflector shields (also referred to as screens or force-fields) are a technology devised to protect ships, stations, and sometimes even planets from damage. A deflector shield is a (usually invisible) field projected around an object which disperses or deflects energy and projectiles. The shields may use various energy types to create the fields magnetic fields, gravitons, and so on but most have much the same effect.
Shields are not typically raised at all times (although navigational shields stay active permanently; larger shields have a lower navigational power level which is used during normal travel). Shield capacity is directly proportional to the power generated divided by the size of the area to be protected.
Earlier shields typically project an elliptical field around the object to be protected, while more advanced versions conform to the contours of the ship within a few feet or so.
Generators Deflector shields are created by shield generators or projector; ships will typically have multiple generators which combine to form one shield generation system. There is no limit to the number of shield generators allowed, space and cost permitting.
Power Shields grant the vessel a SOAK value. A shield generator outputs a specific amount of power; for a given generator, the larger the vessel the lower the protective value of the shields. A shield provides a SOAK value equal to the shield's power divided by the ship's class (round up). For example, a shield which provides 60 power gives a class VIII ship a SOAK value of 8; that same shield generator would give a smaller class V ship a SOAK value of 12. For multiple shield generators, simply add up the individual power values to create a total and then divide by the ship's class.
Configuration By default, shield generators protect the entire vessel equally. However, shield generators can be installed in directional configurations designed to give more protection to the forward, aft, port, or starboard sides of the ship. If a given shield generator covers only one direction, it offers twice the protection in that direction (and none in any other direction). Concentrating shield power in this manner can make a vessel very well protected from certain directions, but it can leave weak points if other directions are left unprotected. This shield configuration is a hardware set-up, and cannot be altered without major engineering effort (note that some starship combat tricks can allow characters to temporarily divert power to specific shields).
SAMPLE DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS
SMALL DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS Deflector Shields DayCorp Systems SSN-1 navigational shield generator DayCorp Systems SSN-2 navigational shield generator Parsec Group SSC-1 civilan deflector screen Parsec Group SSC-2 civilan deflector screen Tyler Mechanics SSM-1 combat shield system Tyler Mechanics SSM-2 combat shield system MEDIUM DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS Deflector Shields Sato-Litvak Syndicate MSN-1 navigational deflector screen Sato-Litvak Syndicate MSN-2 navigational deflector screen Waybreak Exploration MSC-1 civilian shield generator Waybreak Exploration MSC-2 civilian shield generator Satellite Yards MSM-1 combat deflector shields Satellite Yards MSM-2 combat deflector shields LARGE DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS Deflector Shields Mekhdiev LSN-1 navigational deflector shields Mekhdiev LSN-2 navigational deflector shields Liu Maltech LSC-1 civilian deflector screens Liu Maltech LSC-2 civilian deflector screens Overcorp-Pan Prime LSM-1 combat sheld generator Overcorp-Pan Prime LSM-2 combat sheld generator ENORMOUS DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS Deflector Shields Westdyne Enterprises ESN-1 cruiser navishield solution Westdyne Enterprises ESN-2 cruiser navishield solution Yang-Chen Co ESC-1 civilian shield generator Yang-Chen Co ESC-2 civilian shield generator Cui-Cui Systems ESM-1 combat deflector screens Cui-Cui Systems ESM-2 combat deflector screens GIGANTIC DEFLECTOR SHIELD SYSTEMS Deflector Shields Highgraphics-Warpwide GSN-1 navigation screens Highgraphics-Warpwide GSN-2 navigation screens Lunar Foundation GSC-1 civilian deflector shields Lunar Foundation GSC-2 civilian deflector shields Huang DEFENSE GSM-1 ultimate series combat shield Huang DEFENSE GSM-2 ultimate series combat shield
Cost 2 MCr 4 MCr 3 MCr 7 MCr 8 MCr 16 MCr
Cost 3 MCr 6 MCr 9 MCr 14 MCr 23 MCr 31 MCr
Cost 7 MCr 13 MCr 18 MCr 33 MCr 30 MCr 66 MCr
Cost 14 MCr 30 MCr 30 MCr 51 MCr 60 MCr 128 MCr
Cost 33 MCr 71 MCr 52 MCr 117 MCr 152 MCr 266 MCr
Space 2 1 4 2 4 3
Space 6 4 14 15 15 12
Space 11 8 28 28 42 45
Space 24 25 56 62 69 68
Space 45 49 75 59 144 115
Power 1 1 3 4 5 7
Power 7 9 10 15 23 33
Power 16 20 27 35 34 37
Power 25 32 32 41 60 76
Power 34 34 51 60 93 116
Shields, navigational Navigational shields are sufficient to protect a vessel against most minor space hazards cosmic radiation, micrometeorites, and more.
Shields, civilian The type of shield usually found on merchant or trader ships, as well as on pirate ships which cannot afford the better military shields, these will protect against smaller weaponry.
Shields, combat Combat shields are powerful and are able to soak up the damage from much more powerful attacks. The very best combat shields, found on cruiser-sized vessels and larger, can withstand attacks from torpedo salvos with ease.
Shields exist in a wide variety; those in this rulebook are some basic varieties. Others might include multiphasic shielding, covariant shielding, ray shields (best against energy attacks), particle shields (best against physical impact), shift shields, relativistic shields, and more.
Design Advice When assessing the effectiveness of a deflector shield system, take into account that
the average damage dealt by standard basic-model weaponry is 4 for a small weapon, 8 for a
medium weapon, 12 for a large weapon, 17 for an enormous weapon, and 21 from a gigantic
weapon. This is what a vessel's shield SOAK (power divided by class) is compared directly against.
Most military designers achieve near complete protection against ships 3-4 classes smaller, and
50% protection from comparable ships. When averaged out, this means that minimum desired
power outputs for effective combat operations at various ship sizes are roughly as follows. It
should also be noted that on average weapon output increases on average by about 3 every 5 years,
assuming a development iteration of roughly 7 years. For this reason, my designs always targeted
roughly 20% above the recommended minimums.
Admiral Engineer Charles Romanoff
Class
Desirable Power
SOAK
I
5
5
II
10
5
III
18
6
IV
24
6
V
35
7
VI
48
8
VII
63
9
VIII
80
10
IX
99
11
X
120
12
XI
143
13
XII
168
14
XIII
195
15
WEAPONRY
Weaponry is a vital part of starship design. From lasers, phasers, blasters, and disruptors to torpedoes, warheads, and railguns, the number of ways the basic idea of "fire something at your target to damage it" is immeasurable. This chapter can only hope to skim a few examples, but entire libraries would be needed to catalog all the weapons and their variations available. For that reason, this section is only a very basic overview of a few common weapon types.
Generally speaking, the size category of a weapon determines its base damage, while its type determines its damage type, range, and other properties.
Range This is the weapon's basic range increment. In the void of space, there's nothing to actually stop a missile or energy attack except for other ships. The attacker takes a -1 die penalty per range increment (or part thereof) beyond the first. Note that a ship's computer and its sensors also put upper limits on the range increment, making the range increment the lowest of the three (weapon, computer, sensors).
Attack This represents the accuracy of a weapon, generally in the form of a die bonus to hit.
Damage This column indicates the damage and damage type that the weapon inflicts if it hits a target.
SAMPLE WEAPONS
SMALL WEAPON SYSTEMS
Weapon System
Cost Space Range Attack
Tan-Korovin Enterprises SBP-1 Hotbuster pulse blaster
5 MCr 1
4 +0 dice
Mekhdiev Construction SDB-1 Thunderray beam disruptor
9 MCr 1
5 +0 dice
Nakamura Robotics SIC-1 Starbird ion cannon
7 MCr 1
5 +0 dice
Narita Maltech SLP-1 Blackbuster pulse laser
5 MCr 1
3 +0 dice
Thomas Foundation Spab-1 Skybow particle beam
12 MCr 1
5 +0 dice
Star Products SHB-1 Deathsword phaser system
13 MCr 1
6 +0 dice
Omnitech-Prime SPR-1 Skyrain magnetic railgun
3 MCr 1
2 +0 dice
Terra Prime SCCl-1 Starbuster cluster concussion missile launcher 23 MCr 1
7 +0 dice
Long-Summers Industries SPPx-1 Stingstorm photonic torpedo 20 MCr 1
7 +1 die
Cui-Cook Systems SNPx-1 Starspear nuclear warhead
5 MCr 1
5 +1 die
MEDIUM WEAPON SYSTEMS
Weapon System
Cost Space Range Attack
Translight Colonization MBB-1 Bigflash beam blaster
9 MCr 3
6 +0 dice
WarpSun Incorprated MDB-1 Flamefury pulse disruptor
21 MCr 4
5 +0 dice
Transbeam Art MIB-1 Drainpipe ion beam
12 MCr 3 10 +0 dice
Galactic Company MLB-1 Skysteel beam laser
8 MCr 3 10 +0 dice
Daybeam-Microsun MpaC-1 Hellbolt particle cannon
31 MCr 3
9 +0 dice
Highbreak Liquids MHP-1 Fireswarm pulse phaser
35 MCr 3
8 +0 dice
Overbeam Biotech MPC-1 Sunbow projectile cannon
6 MCr 3
9 +0 dice
Waywatch Lines MCPx-1 Redswarm proximity concussion missile 45 MCr 4 13 +1 die
Highwide Works MPPx-1 Thunderbat proximity photonic torpedo 50 MCr 3 14 +1 die
Highstellar Ltc. MNPx-1 Bigbow nuclear warhead
11 MCr 4 12 +1 die
LARGE WEAPON SYSTEMS Weapon System Microtech Alliance LBP-1 Stingmaker pulse blaster UltraCo-NewCo LDP-1 Redfury disruptor beam Southtech Heavy Weapons LIC-1 Bigstreak ion cannon Waywatch Lines LLP-1 Firespear pulse laser Weststellar Ltd. LPaB-1 Hellseeker particle beam North Prime Weapons LHB-1 Redsword phaser beam North Prime Weapons LHB-1H Redsword phaser beam Hydyne Merccants LPR-1 Darksword railgun Galaxy Society LCCl-1 Stingbird cluster missiles Wayfarer Aeronautics LPPx-1 Flamespear photonic torpedo MegaCorp-Panstellar Lines LNPx-1 Blackfury nuclear warhead
Cost Space Range Attack
21 MCr 9
6 +0 dice
58 MCr 12 10 +0 dice
33 MCr 8 14 +0 dice
21 MCr 8
7 +0 dice
66 MCr 11 15 +0 dice
68 MCr 11 15 +0 dice
216 MCr 9 13 +1 die
15 MCr 11 8 +0 dice
120 MCr 11 21 +0 dice
117 MCr 8 19 +1 die
26 MCr 8 14 +1 die
ENORMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS Weapon System Outer Sun Products EBP-1 Hellbuster pulse blaster Cui Shipyards EDP-1 Hotbuster pulse disruptor Green-Huang Enterprises EIP-1 Skyspear ion pulse Brown Shipping ELS-1 Sunbat laser cannon Silverfarer Group EPaC-1 Skybolt particle cannon Outerwatch-Ultrabeam EHP-1 Hotflash pulse phaser
Cost Space Range Attack 42 MCr 10 8 +0 dice 112 MCr 8 16 +0 dice 73 MCr 11 19 +0 dice 43 MCr 10 19 +0 dice 148 MCr 8 20 +0 dice 168 MCr 10 21 +0 dice
Damage 2 dice heat 1 die heat 1 die ion 2 dice heat 1 die heat 1 die heat 2 dice impact 2 dice impact 1 die heat
2 dice heat/radiation
Damage 2 dice heat 3 dice heat 2 dice ion 2 dice heat 2 dice heat 3 dice heat 2 dice impact 2 dice impact 2 dice heat
2 dice heat/radiation
Damage 4 dice heat 3 dice heat 3 dice ion 4 dice heat 3 dice heat 3 dice heat 5 dice heat 4 dice impact 4 dice impact 3 dice heat
3 dice heat/radiation
Damage 5 dice heat 5 dice heat 5 dice ion 4 dice heat 4 dice heat 5 dice heat
Microwatch Hardware EPC-1 Leadbolt projectile cannon Bai-Nakamura Fndtn ECPx-1 Blackflash concussion torpedo Saito Cybernetics EPCl-1 Whiteswarm photonic torpedo cluster Daywatch Art ENPx-1 Hellstorm nuclear warhead
GIGANTIC WEAPON SYSTEMS Weapon System Young Asteroid Co. GBB-1 Flamebird blaster beam Transco Inc. GDB-1 Loudstream disruptor beam Frontier partnership GIC-1 Deathflash ion cannon Imperial Syndicate GLP-1 Redstorm turbolaser Imperial Syndicate GLP-2 Redstorm turbolaser Imperial Syndicate GLP-3 Redstorm turbolaser WayCorp Holography GPaB-1 Deathspear particle beam Solar Industries GHB-1 Excelsior phaser beam emitter Ultrastellar Railguns GPR-1 Ultimate Rain magnetic railgun Barker Consortium GCCl-1 Thundermaker concussion cluster Meteor Concepts GPPx-1 Hellbow photonic torpedo Lunar Alliance GNPx-1 Mushroom nuclear warhead
31 MCr 9 202 MCr 8 233 MCr 8 63 MCr 8
17 +0 dice 4 dice impact
31 +1 die 4 dice impact
35 +0 dice 5 dice heat
30 +1 die
4 dice
heat/radiation
Cost Space Range Attack 109 MCr 60 16 +0 dice 162 MCr 56 25 +0 dice 161 MCr 47 29 +0 dice 108 MCr 53 23 +0 dice 236 MCr 43 28 +0 dice 396 MCr 39 30 +0 dice 296 MCr 48 35 +0 dice 276 MCr 57 29 +0 dice 70 MCr 41 27 +0 dice 344 MCr 50 51 +0 dice 484 MCr 48 51 +0 dice 140 MCr 43 37 +1 die
Damage 5 dice heat 5 dice heat 5 dice ion 6 dice heat 6 dice heat 7 dice heat 5 dice heat 5 dice heat 6 dice impact 6 dice impact 5 dice heat
5 dice heat/radiation
Blaster A blaster fires bolts of high energy particles contained in a plasma field.
Disruptor Disruptor weapons are a common type of energy system designed to agitate the molecules of the target, resulting in intense heat energy and thermal shock.
Ion Ion-based weaponry is specially designed to attack electrical systems and shielding. The ion blast does not do physical or thermal damage; shields are vulnerable to ion damage and can be disabled if the ion damage exceeds the SOAK value.
Laser A laser is a coherent shaft of light; while one of the earliest energy weapons, a laser scales up in power very well, and can be focused in blasts capable of destroying entire planets.
Particle Particle weapons fire high-energy subatomic particles; technically, a phaser is a type of particle weapon, as is an ion gun. Particle beam and particle accelerator weapons disrupt the target's atomic structure.
Phaser A phaser is a directed energy weapon which fires nadions; technically, they are a type of particle weapon.
Projectile Projectile weapons fire bullets or other projectiles designed to cause damage via highvelocity impact. The exact mechanism varies, but electromagnetic projectile devices ("gauss") are common. These weapons are often referred to as kinetic energy weapons.
Torpedo A torpedo is a self-propelled missile with a warhead designed to explode on impact. Torpedoes come in a wide variety of types. Photonic torpedoes use an antimatter warhead, while a concussion torpedo or missile has an armor-piercing tip which penetrates the target hull before exploding the missile's energy pack. Other types of torpedo include proton torpedoes, plasma torpedoes, quantum torpedoes, gravimetric torpedoes, and more.
Warhead, nuclear A nuclear warhead is technically a type of torpedo, and is very destructive.
Weapons can also come in different configurations. Beams have greater range, while pulses pack more punch.
Beam weapons are thin, concentrated rays which can focus on a specific point or slice across a target.
Pulse weapons fire a sequence of rapid shots.
Cannons launch single high-velocity projectiles.
Rail weapons fire streams of projectiles at a rapid rate of fire.
Banked weapons Two or more weapons can be banked (or mounted in an array). The space is equal to the combined space of the weapons, and all must have the same firing arcs. The weapons can be operated by a single operator and require only one attack roll. The cost of banked weapons is equal to the total cost of the combined weapons plus 50%.
Turrets Weapons mounted in turrets have a 360-degree firing arc. A turreted weapon costs two times the regular price.
GENERAL EQUIPMENT
Starships also have a variety of individual pieces of equipment. These cover a wide range of purposes, including fuel scoops, tractor beams, fuel-bay alterations, cloaking devices, and more. This section describes a few of these things.
Item
Space (CU)
CLOAKING DEVICES
Cloaking device, small
3
Cloaking device, medium
10
Cloaking device, large
40
Cloaking device, enormous
100
Cloaking device, gigantic
300
TRACTOR BEAMS
Tractor beam, small
5
Tractor beam, medium
10
Tractor beam, large
15
Tractor beam, enormous
20
Tractor beam, gigantic
25
FUELING EQUIPMENT
Fuel bay alteration
1 CU/10 fuel
Fuel scoop, small
5
Fuel scoop, medium
40
Fuel scoop, enormous
90
HANGARS
Shuttle/fighter bay, small
12
Shuttle/fighter bay, medium
20
Shuttle/fighter bay, large
38
Shuttle/fighter bay, enormous
70
Shuttle/fighter bay, gigantic
120
ENGINEERING MODIFICATIONS
Repair bay
10
Remote repair bay
20
Cost
Notes
750 MCr 2,000 MCr 10,000 MCr 40,000 MCr 90,000 MCr
Ship classes I-III Ship classes IV-VII Ship classes VIII-XI Ship classes XII-XVI Ship classes XVII-XIX
10 MCr 30 MCr 75 MCr 120 MCr 300 MCr
STR 2, range 5 STR 4, range 7 STR 6, range 10 STR 8, range 12 STR 10, range 15
0.5 Mcr /fuel unit 100 MCr 250 MCr 1,000 MCr
This can increase or decrease fuel capacity Gathers 1 fuel unit per hour Gathers 5 fuel units per hour Gathers 20 fuel units per hour
400 MCr 700 MCr 1,000 MCr 1,500 MCr 2,000 MCr
Room for 1 shuttle or fighter Room for 4 shuttles or fighters Room for 16 shuttles or fighters Room for 32 shuttles or fighters Room for 64 shuttles or fighters
200 MCr 500 MCr
Repairs 1 SS per turn Repairs 1 SS per turn; range 4 hexes
Shuttlebay/Fighter Bay A small shuttlebay or fighter bay is able to accommodate one class 0-III vessel; the bay's size correlates to its shuttle capacity. Some larger ships have multiple shuttle bays if they need to carry more than 64 shuttles or fighters. A shuttlebay comes already stocked with fighters or shuttles as part of the price.
Fuel Scoop A fuel scoop is able to collect fuel units from a gas giant's atmosphere.
Fuel bay alteration A ship's standard fuel bay can be enlarged or decreased. Enlarging it increases a ship's range, while decreasing it creates more room for facilities. The cost to enlarge or decrease it is equal to 0.5 megacredits per fuel unit, and ten fuel units (or part thereof) constitute one cargo unit in space. The space required for the standard fuel bay for a ship (the cube of its class in fuel units) is included in its hull size.
Tractor beam A tractor beam works a little like a weapon in that it requires an attack roll against a target ship or object's DEFENSE. A tractor beam's STR determines the maximum ship class it can possibly hold. A ship attempting to escape a tractor beam makes a SPEED check vs. the beam's STR.
Repair bay A repair bay, often located near the engineering section of a starship, allows for automatic Superstructure repair at a rate of 1 SS per turn. Multiple repair bays can repair more SS. Repair bays require control computers to manage them and assign automated repair processes, and so the maximum number of repair bays is based on the computer's quality. A standard quality computer can operate one repair bay, a high quality computer can operate two, a superior quality computer three, artisan four, and unique five.
Remote repair bay A remote repair bay is similar to a regular repair bay except that it is used to repair nearby ships. The remote repair bay repairs 1 SS per turn to a ship within 4 hexes. In all other ways, it functions in the same manner as a normal repair bay, and counts towards the computer limit of simultaneous repair bays.
FACILITIES
A basic ship comes with a bridge, dormitory accommodations for crew and one cabin for the captain. Ships of smaller than class I do not include accommodations, and have a cockpit instead of a bridge.
Luxury Some facilities exist to increase the overall luxury of a vessel. This has a direct effect on crew morale and happiness, and it can be worth spending the money (this does not apply to playercharacters; only to NPC crew). A facility's luxury value is noted in the table; each point of that value is equal to a crew member. If the luxury value of a ship is equal to the crew total, the ship will function normally. Lower and higher figures can have effects on morale.
Size Facilities are available in sizes (small, medium, large, enormous, gigantic). The size categories have the following modifiers on luxury, space, and cost. The default versions listed are small facilities. The advantage of larger facilities is that they are a cost effective way of scaling up accommodation for larger numbers of crew, although the size does not directly affect the quality of a facility.
Select the facility below, then choose the size and quality of that facility (the default is small, standard quality).
Customization Sick bay Cabin, standard Cabin, double Cabin, luxury/suite Chapel Galley Gymnasium Laboratory
Luxury 1 1.5 2 10 10 10 -
Space (CU) 3 1 1.5 2 3 3 3 4
Mess hall
10
4
Bar
15
4
Shop
12
3
Observation lounge
6
3
Arborium
10
5
Brig
0.5
1
Escape pod
0.5
0
Transporter pad
-
1
Cost 20 MCr 0.5 MCr 1 MCr 2 MCr 2 MCr 4 MCr 4 MCr 8 MCr
2 MCr 10 MCr 8 MCr 2 MCr 5 MCr 3 MCr 0.5 MCr 20 MCr
Notes
Labs can be of specific types (+2 dice) or general (+1 die) 0.5 MCr/m income 0.6 MCr/m income; type should be specified
Each brig unit can hold one prisoner Each pod can carry 2 crewmembers A small transporter pad contains one transporter beam
Arborium An arborium contains plants and flowers, and is often used for relaxation as well as scientific study. Higher quality arboriums can even include landscaping, water features, and more.
Brig A brig enables security and discipline amongst the crew. Brigs are jail cells; depending on the quality they may be physical cells, or they may use force-field technology.
Cabins A basic hull comes equipped with dormitory accommodation for crew. Giving the crew cabins (either single, double, or luxury) can greatly improve their morale.
Chapel A chapel is fairly basic, and often multi-denominational, although some larger ships and stations maintain separate chapels for specific religions.
Escape pods Escape pods increase a crew's sense of security. Additionally, a ship with escape pods means that if the ship is destroyed, the PCs will automatically survive.
Galley While automated food processing is not unusual, an actual kitchen and chef really is appreciated.
Gymnasium Gyms can either be general fitness gyms, or more specific sport-focused gyms (a zeroG basketball court, for example).
Laboratory Science labs are an important part of many research or exploratory vessels. Some vessels may have just one general lab, while others have more focused specific labs including geological, astrophysics, biochemistry, chem, hydroponics, cybernetics, and more.
Mess Hall A mess hall is a communal easting and social area. Some ships maintain separate mess halls for officers and enlisted crewmen, while others choose to mix and match. An officer's mess is sometimes called a wardroom.
Observation lounge An observation lounge is often a cheap luxury increase, consisting mainly of an empty room with a large window. Observation lounges are often used as meeting areas, for special events, and gatherings.
Sick bay The size of a sick bay determines its capacity: a sickbay can accommodate one patient per CU (so a medium sickbay can accommodate 20 patients).
Shops & bars Some larger vessels or stations will have commercial facilities aboard. These are leased to shopkeepers and bar owners, who pay the ship owner a monthly tax. Commercial facilities cost capital to set up, but pay dividends in the form of income and crew morale.
Transporter Pad A small transporter pad has room for one person and a range of 4,000km. Larger pads have room for one person per CU. Transporters are only available if the advancement level allows for it.
FACILITY QUALITY & SIZE
Facility Size Small Medium Large Enormous Gigantic
Luxury
Space (CU)
Cost
x1
x1
x1
x1.75
x2
x1.5
x3.5
x4
x3
x6
x8
x5
x14
x16
x12
Like all ship components, shipboard facilities have degrees of quality. Sometimes, in the case of a cabin or chapel, this only affects the furnishings and general amenities, creating a happier crew. In the case of functional facilities like sick bays and laboratories, the quality directly affects tasks performed using them. A Unique facility is probably renowned across the universe. Luxury value bonuses only apply to facilities with an existing luxury value.
It is possible to save on costs and build a poor quality version of a facility. This does not create any kind of task-based penalty (it's not worse to have a cheap facility than it is to have no facility), but it does reduce the luxury value of a facility.
Note that quality categories only apply to generic facilities, and not to specific weapons, computers, shields, and the like.
Quality Poor Quality Standard Quality High Quality Superior Quality Mastercraft Quality Artisan Quality Unique
Price x0.5 x1 x3 then +100 x5 then +250 x10 then +500 x100 then +1,000 x1,000 then +2,500
Luxury x0.75
x1 x1.5 x2 x4 x6 x8
Attributes -
+1 die +1 die +2 dice +2 dice +3 dice
LOAD & TONNAGE
Once everything has been accounted for, the vessel's tonnage needs to be calculated.
The Ship Hull Class table indicates the tonnage range of each ship class. For example, the tonnage range of a Class V ship is 40,000-60,000 tons. This gives it a spread of 20,000 tons (the difference between its maximum and minimum possible tonnages).
Add up all the cargo units used by components, facilities, and so on. Determine what percentage of the ship's total available cargo space (as given in the Ship Hull Class table) that is. For example, the Class V ship has an initial cargo allocation of 250 units. If 125 units have been used, then its current load is 50%.
This load percentage is then used to determine the ship's tonnage. Apply that same percentage to the spread (in this case, 50% of 20,000 tons, which comes to 10,000 tons) and add that to the minimum tonnage allowed for that ship class. The Class V ship, therefore, has a tonnage of 40,000+10,000 tons, or 50,000 tons.
CREW
A small group of player-characters will need a crew in order to fly anything but a small vessel. Crew requirements are based on the ship's size, and are noted in the ship class chart. Playercharacters are deducted from this crew complement requirement, but passengers are not.
The crew complement is indicated in the Ship Hull Class table, and can be lowered by certain command and control systems.
Additionally, the vessel's LUXURY value needs to be tracked. Ideally, the LUXURY value needs to be equal to or greater than the crew complement (not including player-characters). If it is not, the ship functions poorly, while a well-motivated crew can perform better.
A ship's hull can grant a bonus to LUXURY based on its quality and furnishings (a standard hull has a bonus of 0). To this is added the total LUXURY values of every facility added.
In the below chart, LUXURY is compared to crew complement (LUX/CREW *100%).
LUXURY is... 50% or less 51%-90% 91%-110% 111%-150% 151%+
Description Spartan Poor Adequate
Comfortable Luxurious
Ship Rolls -2 dice -1 die +1 die +2 dice
Ship rolls include any check made using the vessel whether that is an attack roll with a weapon, a navigation roll, use of the sickbay or a laboratory, using the sensors, and so on. This bonus or penalty reflects crew morale and performance, along with the care with which they maintain systems and equipment. As any starship captain can see, keeping the crew happy is a vital part of running a vessel.
APPENDIX I: FUNDING A STARSHIP
A starship is an incredibly expensive purchase likely one of the most expensive a party will ever make. With prices measured in millions of credits, a starting group of characters is not able to afford a starship, and it may take a long time to raise the necessary capital for even a small civilian ship without a mortgage. Additionally, there are crew and fuel costs. This section contains a number of rules and options for funding starships.
CREW COSTS
Basic crew costs are lower than typical employee costs, because the ship itself provides accommodation and food. The crew cost is equal to 200 x the crew complement per month. Some private captains like to figure that into the cost of the ship, paying upfront for a year or more of crew so as not to worry about it month-by-month. Others are happy to track expenses on a monthly basis.
An unpaid crew is not a happy one. A crew won't simply up and desert at the first sign of financial trouble typically they do not need cash on hand right now, given that they live on a space ship but they will always know exactly what they're owed, and if that mounts up their morale will deteriorate.
Each month that the crew is not fully paid up inflicts a cumulative -1 die penalty to checks made using the ship in the same way that a ship lacking in luxury does. This penalty goes away the moment the accounts are settled.
Crew costs can be reduced by 10% in a given month by making a Strenuous [21] INT check. Characters who have taken accountancy as a skill will prove their worth when it comes to shipboard budgeting.
STARSHIP FUNDING OPTIONS
Starting characters will be unable to afford a starship even a cheap shuttlecraft. In some campaigns, this may not matter; interstellar travel isn't a requirement for a sci-fi campaign. Entire story arcs can take place on one planet, or require little more than an occasional passenger ticket on a transport or liner. Saving up for that first starship can be a momentous event, and players who obtain their ship in this way are likely to form a strong attachment to the vessel. However, this is not the only option. Below are a few suggestions on how to deal with the issue of starships.
NO SHIP
The characters do not have access to a starship of their own. Much of their adventuring is planetbound, and if they need to travel offworld then they will need to pay for passage either on a tradeship or merchant, a transport, or a commercial liner.
A FREE SHIP
Giving the party a free "starter" ship won't derail a campaign. The player-characters could begin play with a basic civilian ship, or acquire one very early in the campaign. The sample encounter at the end of this rulebook has the party obtaining a shuttle at the end of it. The only problem with this approach is that the party may choose to sell the ship, netting them millions of credits. This is something that should be avoided, and the mortgage option below can assist with that.
STATIONED ON A SHIP
Characters in the Navy (or any similar organization) might be stationed on a ship, whether that be a small scout or a vast starship. Depending on the campaign premise, they could be anything from members of a unit on a large ship with little control over its destination to the actual commanders of a great exploratory vessel. This approach means that the characters do not own the ship like they might in a civilian campaign, but it does grant them some of the resources of such a ship.
CHEAP SHIPS
This is a very popular and easy option. Ships in your campaign setting might be very cheap. Instead of a Megacredit being worth a million credits, you can make it worth only a thousand credits (despite the "Mega" prefix; it sounds better than "Kilocredit"). MCr. is only used for starship costs, and doing this will not affect other costs, rewards, or equipment values in the campaign. Ships are as common and often as cheap as cars are in the 21st century.
MORTGAGING A STARSHIP
The mortgage option is recommend only for a specific type of campaign one in which the players really enjoy the detailed accountancy side of things. That campaign can be very rewarding, especially if it includes trade, fuel costs, and so on, but it is certainly a specific taste.
Using this option, it is possible to mortgage a starship. For many, this is the only way to afford one. Getting a mortgage is easy; getting a good deal, not so much. A character can make a Cr check to obtain a mortgage, with a difficulty value equal to the number of megacredits needed; multiple characters can do the same to try to create the desired total. Skills in accountancy and bureaucracy both help in this situation.
Mortgages must be paid back monthly. The characters never actually see the money themselves the bank pays the ship vendor. A character may only have one active mortgage, and the ship is the collateral for that mortgage.
In situations where multiple characters have pooled their resources to obtain the funds via a mortgage, the mortgage company requires an agreement signed by all parties, and the ship as a whole is collateral for the whole repayment. Mortgage companies do not deal in "shares" between characters, although characters are welcome to make such agreements between themselves.
COST OF A MORTGAGE
As mentioned above, the amount raised via mortgage is equal to the difficulty roll of the Cr check. If four characters roll 12, 18, 9, and 13 respectively, they will have obtained a mortgage of 42 MCr enough for a medium transport with some modifications.
The total repayment required on the mortgage is equal to the total mortgage plus 50%. A CHA check can alter this, if the characters wish to negotiate, but they are bound by the terms reached if they fail. A character should make a CHA check and increase or decrease the repayment total by 1% for every point above or below 10 that they roll so if a character rolls 4 dice (say, CHA 5 plus skill in accountancy) and gets 16, the repayment total is reduced by 6% to 44%. The value cannot be reduced below 125%, no matter how well the characters roll.
The repayment period is divided into 5 years (60 months) and payment is required monthly. Mortgage companies allow lump sums to be paid off the total, and will recalculate the monthly payment required based on the new total and remaining time.
DEFAULT
Failure to pay a mortgage is a serious issue. Each month which is not settled in full adds 10% to the
outstanding debt (which cannot be spread over the total mortgage it must be settled before the accounts are considered back up to date).
After six months, the agreement is cancelled, the full outstanding value become due, and mortgage companies start hiring bounty hunters and other nefarious individuals. Additionally, any random encounters with police or naval ships will result in the execution of an arrest warrant.
APPENDIX II: THE ENGINEER'S DESIGN CHARTS
The following technical charts are used by engineers to design ship components. Most ship purchasers will not need this information, but for engineers or GMs who wish to create new starship components, these charts describe how to arrive at a component's specifications.
COMPONENT SIZE
Components are available in different sizes. These sizes are designed for ship classes as follows:
Small Medium
Large Enormous Gigantic
I-III IV-VII VIII-XI XII-XVI XVII+
Couriers, light freighters Escorts, scouts, transports, heavy freighters
Destroyers, frigates, cruisers, liners Battleships, carriers Supercarriers, stations
A NOTE ON QUALITY
Component quality is referred to frequently in the section, and operates on a scale similar to that of personal equipment quality. Additionally, certain quality levels tend to be common for given usages as indicated below. This isn't a rule it should be viewed as a guideline.
Quality Standard High Quality
Superior Quality Mastercraft Quality Artisan Quality Unique
Usage Civilian standard Military standard or civilian speciality Military speciality Prototypes/advanced ships
Unique
Rarity Common (90% chance) Uncommon (25% chance)
Rare (5% chance) Very rare (1% chance) Unique Unique
Certain species have areas of speciality; as noted above, where a component falls into a species' area of speciality, it will tend to be of a higher quality level. Again, this isn't a rule.
Species Human Ogron Venetian Borian Spartan Felan
Specialties Shields Pulse blasters Computers, sensors, labs FTL engines, recreational facilities Disruptor weapons Sublight engines, beam weapons
In general, player-characters should not be able to purchase non-standard items. High quality items are military grade, while superior items are the leading edge of military technology.
Above superior quality Components of greater than superior quality should be extremely rare a mastercraft quality warp drive might be the subject of an adventure, and viewed as an extremely valuable item. Perhaps it's the new system on a new breed of battleship. These items are not available for player-characters to purchase, but may be used by the GM to design plot-related vessels and components.
Artisan and unique These items should not be available for player-characters to purchase. An engineer might see one artisan or unique item in his lifetime.
MANUFACTURERS
It's not generally within an individual's ability to create starship components from scratch. Every component, from the smallest nut or bolt to the largest antimatter engine is created by a manufacturer usually a large corporation, often one with military contracts. The corporation's name will form part of the component's name. To generate a quick corporation name for the manufacturer of a starship component, use the following tables, or use a corporation from your own setting.
3 dice 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Trans Day Way High Warp Outer Stellar New Duo Omni Over Inter Pan Terra Posi Micro
graphics wide watch prime dyne light Co tech stellar tron beam sun break line
galactic star
Xenotech Foundation Merchandizing
Works Concepts Technologies Robotics Systems Products Corporation Shipping Engineering
Yards Group Plastics Union
MODEL NUMBERS
The above system creates a basic model of a component a Mk I. Over time, a given company will improve its line of products, creating iterative versions of the same components with small improvements each time. These are designated by an appended model number after the component designation: -1, -2, and so on.
Each successive model improves the basic design a little more. The cost of the basic component is
multiplied by the model number (so a Mk 3 of a weapon costs three times the price of a Mk 1). Model progressions for various component types are indicated in the relevant sections of this chapter.
Note: Not all model numbers will be used. Most product lines have missing model numbers; this is because some designs fail to test well, operate as expected, or make it to market. For example, the Shukenja Beam Company's popular MLH series of laser weapons has the MLH-1, MLH-2, and MLH-3, but the MLH-4 (designed to use their brand new targeting systems) proved to have less range and power than the MLH-3, and the team went back to the drawing board to produce the MLH-5.
Model numbers can theoretically be extended into the future indefinitely as technological improvements march relentlessly forward. The photonic torpedoes of the 23rd century might be firecrackers compared to those of the 25th century, with model numbers in the high double digits; indeed, the lower models numbers may cease to be available as anything other than antiques. Those in this rulebook tend to be placed at a 23rd century base, enabling the GM to extend as far forward technologically as desired.
Each model number can represent anything from a year to a decade or more of research and development; it's not standardized, but if needed they can be randomized by making each model 2d6 Years later than the previous iteration.
Model Variation: This system creates an even model progression that can look a bit artificial. Every entry should be varied a little (either up or down) from its default value. A variation of 80%120% is appropriate. For example:
Komarov-Kikuchi Lines LSCS large superior quality civilian shield generator
Shield LSCS-1 LSCS-2 LSCS-3 LSCS-4 LSCS-5 LSCS-6 LSCS-7 LSCS-8 LSCS-9
Space 21 21 20 20 15 13 11 10 8
Cost 56 MCr 138 MCr 236 MCr 324 MCr 349 MCr 446 MCr 520 MCr 496 MCr 638 MCr
Power 21 28 42 58 65 73 91 90 118
This variation means that some models can actually be worse than their predecessor in some respects. This is perfectly normal.
COMPONENT DESIGNATION
Component names are standardized in ship parts catalogs for easy reference. The format is usually as follows:
Manufacturer / Size / Type / (Configuration) / - Model # / Quality / description
Example: Stellarwide Foundation ELB-2S beam laser (for an enormous superior quality beam laser mk 2)
COMMAND & CONTROL DESIGN CHARTS
C&C System Computer System Sensor Array
Cost 3 MCr 4 MCr
Space (CU) Base Stats
1
Max FTL 2
1
Range 200 miles
Designation M S
Size
Cost Space
Small
3 MCr
1
Medium 15 MCr 3
Large
30 MCr 5
Enormous 45 MCr 10
Gigantic 75 MCr 20
Max Sensor Crew SOAK DEFENSE Weapon
FTL Range
Range
2
200
-
-
-
5
2
400
-
-
-
10
4
600
-
+1
-
15
4
800
-5%
+2
-
20
6
1,000 -10% +3
-
25
Quality
Cost
High Quality
x3 then +100
Superior Quality
x5 then +250
Mastercraft x10 then +500
Artisan
x100 then +1,000
Unique
x1,000 then +2,500
Attributes +1 die
Max FTL Sensor Range Crew SOAK DEFENSE Wpn Range
x2
x2
-5% +1
+1
+2
+1 die
x3
x3
-10% +1
+2
+5
+2 dice
x4
+2 dice
x5
x4
-15% +2
+3
+8
x5
-20% +2
+4
+10
+3 dice
x6
x6
-25% +3
+5
+12
Model 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Max FTL +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Sensor Range +0
+200 miles +400 miles +600 miles +800 miles +1,000 miles +1,200 miles
Crew -
-1% -2% -3% -4% -5% -6%
SOAK +1 +1 +1 +2
DEFENSE Wpn Range
-
-
-
+1
+1
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3
+3
ENGINE DESIGN CHARTS
Subluminal Engine
Fusion ('Impulse') Reactor Ion Engine Liquid Fuel Propulsion System Solar Sail
FTL Engine
Hyperdrive Antimatter ('Warp') Engine Tachyon Sail Tachyon Conduit
Space (CU)
3 2 1 5
Space (CU)
2 5 7 4
Cost
7 MCr 5 MCr 2 MCr 1 MCr
Cost
15 MCr 20 MCr 40 MCr 70 MCr
Power
15 8 10 4
Power
5 8 8 14
FE Designation
1.2
F
1.4
I
0.5
L
-
S
FE Designation
0.8
H
1.0
A
-
T
1.6
C
Size
Small Medium Large Enormous Gigantic
Space (CU)
x1 x4 x8 x16 x32
Cost
x1 x2 x4 x8 x16
Power
x1 x2 x3 x5 x8
Size
High Quality Superior Quality Mastercraft Quality Artisan Quality Unique
Cost x3 then +100 x5 then +250 x10 then +500 x100 then +1,000 x1,000 then +2,500
Power
x1.25 x1.5 x2 x2.5 x3
Fuel Eff.
+0.1 +0.2 +0.3 +0.4 +0.5
Model
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Power
x1.25 x1.5 x1.75
x2 x2.25 x2.5 x2.75
x3 x3.25
Fuel Eff.
+0.1 +0.2 +0.3 +0.4 +0.5 +0.6 +0.7 +0.8 +0.9
Other types of propulsion Other forms of propulsion can include graviton catapults, graviton beams, plasma injection systems, folded-space transporters, spatial trajectors, quantum slipstream drives, and more. The following table can be used to quickly create a sci-fi propulsion system.
2d6
Propulsion System Generator
2
Antimatter
Engine
3
Fusion
Drive
4
Hyper
Reactor
5
Ion
Sail
6
Solar
Conduit
7
Tachyon
Catapult
8
Graviton
Beam
9
Plasma
Slipstream
10
Spatial
Injection
11
Quantum
Displacement
12
Repulsor
Wave
DEFLECTOR SHIELD DESIGN CHARTS
Shields Shields, navigational Shields, civilian Shields, combat
Space (CU) 1 2 3
Cost 2 MCr 4 MCr 8 MCr
Power 2 3 5
Designation SN SC SM
Modify the shield by its size category.
Size Small Medium Large Enormous Gigantic
Space (CU)
Cost
x1
x1
x3
x2
x9
x4
x27
x8
x81
x16
Power x1 x4 x8 x12 x16
And by quality. Quality High Quality Superior Quality Mastercraft Artisan Unique
And finally by model number.
Model 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Cost x3 then +100 x5 then +250 x10 then +500 x100 then +1,000 x1,000 then +2,500
Power x1.5 x2 x2.5 x3 x3.5
Power -
x1.25 x1.5 x1.75 x2 x2.25 x2.5 x2.75 x3
WEAPONRY DESIGN CHARTS
Weapon Type Blaster Disruptor Ion Laser Particle Phaser Projectile Torpedo, concussion Torpedo, photonic Warhead, nuclear
Damage Type Heat Heat Ion Heat Heat Heat Impact Impact Heat
Heat/Radiation
Base Range 2 3 4 3 4 4 3 6 7 5
Base Cost 5 10 7 5 13 15 3 20 22 6
Designation B D I L Pa H P C P N
Weapon Configuration Beam Pulse Cannon Rail
Type Energy Energy Projectile Projectile
Notes +3 range +1 die damage +2 range +1 die damage
Designation B P C R
Weapon Size Small Medium Large Enormous Gigantic
Space (CU) 1 4 10 20 50
Damage 1 die 2 dice 3 dice 4 dice 5 dice
Range x1 x2 x3 x5 x8
Cost
Designation
x1
S
x2
M
x5
L
x10
E
x20
G
Quality High Quality Superior Quality Mastercraft Quality Artisan Quality Unique
Price x3 then +100 x5 then +250 x10 then +500 x100 then +1,000 x1,000 then +2,500
Damage & Attacks +1 die +1 die +2 dice +2 dice +3 dice
Range +1 +2 +5 +10 +15
Designation H S M A L
Model # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Range +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
+10
Accuracy -
+1 die +1 die +1 die +2 dice +2 dice +2 dice +3 dice +3 dice
Damage -
+1 die +1 die +1 die +1 die +2 dice +2 dice +2 dice +2 dice +3 dice
Weapons are almost always given a more descriptive name than their simple designation. From starstreak cluster missiles to thundersteel torpedoes, arms manufacturers are well versed in the art of making their products sound exciting and deadly.
3 dice 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Flame Hell Red Fire Sky Sting Hot Sun Star Black Wind Thunder Death Big Dark White
Weapon Name
seeker fury flash streak bolt storm steel ray maker buster bat bow sword spear bird swarm
ACTIONS
CLASS
SUPERSTUCTURE ARMOR AGILITY DEFENSE SHIELDS SPEED
(soak
)
(soak
)
CREW
(cost
Cr/m)
COMPUTER
(initiative
; max FTL
)
SENSORS
(
miles)
FACILITIES
LUXURY
% (
)
HULL CLASS
(
LENGTH
WIDTH
CARGO UNITS
(base
LANDING CAPABILITY
SHUTTLES/FIGHTERS
tons) HEIGHT
)
SUB ENGINE TYPE
POWER
(fuel efficiency
)
FTL ENGINE TYPE
POWER
(fuel efficiency
)
FTL
FUEL CAPACITY
(range
)
FUEL SCOOP
MARKET VALUE
MCr
OpenOffice 4.1.0