MGT Only: 200-ton fast courier

[Brandon C]

MgT 1e, mostly core rules with a little from High Guard

While this is for my pocket empires campaign, it is really designed for PCs who are still on active duty or are working for the government. The modular nature of the ship gives them different adventure possiibitities as well as a change in NPCs to deal with from week to week. The ship's performance is alos better than the average merchant or scout PCs get

200-ton fast courier

The fast courier is a light warship designed to get a small number of people or cargo from one place to another quickly. This can be diplomats, medical supplies or a special ops team, among the many possibilities. It uses a 30-ton cutter module socket to carry passengers and/or cargo. Note that only one turret is normally manned; if both must be used, the engineer typically serves as the second gunner.

The fast courier has manoeuvre drive-D, jump drive-D and power plant-D, giving Jump-4 and 4G acceleration. 88 tons of fuel supports the power plant for 2 weeks and one Jump-4. One fuel processor is installed. A Model 4/fib computer and basic military electronics is located in the hardened bridge. There are 2 staterooms. The ship has two hardpoints, with a triple turret with a particle beam and a double turret with two beam lasers. A socket for a 30-ton cutter module is provided. Cargo capacity is 4 tons. The ship is streamlined, equipped with stealth and has armour 4.

There are several minor variants of the fast courier. Scout and government ships usually omit the particle beam turret. Those operated by nobles lack stealth as well.

Crew consists of a commander/pilot, navigator, gunner and engineer. The ship costs MCr 138.15, excluding the cutter module.

 

[kilemall]

Clever bit with the cutter module. I will steal immediately.

 

[boomslang]

Crew consists of a commander/pilot, navigator, gunner and engineer. The ship costs MCr 138.15, excluding the cutter module.

Been using something similar IMTU for a while now, so I can attest to its usefulness for hauling non-mercantile adventurers and their assorted gear around in a timely fashion.

The only practical issue I have encountered is the frequent need for customized Cutter Modules; if you have a large group of characters aboard (i.e., more than 4 PCs and NPCs combined as may be necessary to cover all 3 skilled crew positions, plus a Gunner, plus anyone else along for the ride such as a Medic or whatever), you will find yourself building in extra crew accommodations as part of each new Mission Module they look to carry. This can make off-the-shelf models of Module less convenient and mean the PCs (or their Patron) will have to customize any Module they might be looking to exchange for. So, Starport B at a minimum if looking for a new, rather than a used off-the-shelf, Module.

But on the other hand, the default Cutter itself is light on cabins, so there should plausibly be any number of solutions to the problem already lying around all over the place and available for the requisitioning (or purchase, as the case may be), I have thought.

 

[Brandon C]

Clever bit with the cutter module. I will steal immediately.

The modular designs back in TNE planted the seed. Like that setting, the idea makes sense in a pocket empires setting where resources are limited and it is inefficient to make several nearly identical versions of the same type of ship. Also,as a said earlier, the modular nature makes it more useful as a ship for PC use.

 

[Brandon C]

The only practical issue I have encountered is the frequent need for customized Cutter Modules; if you have a large group of characters aboard (i.e., more than 4 PCs and NPCs combined as may be necessary to cover all 3 skilled crew positions, plus a Gunner, plus anyone else along for the ride such as a Medic or whatever), you will find yourself building in extra crew accommodations as part of each new Mission Module they look to carry. This can make off-the-shelf models of Module less convenient and mean the PCs (or their Patron) will have to customize any Module they might be looking to exchange for. So, Starport B at a minimum if looking for a new, rather than a used off-the-shelf, Module.

I find that 3-4 players is an ideal group size for me and so designed the ship to fit that many crew as regulars. If I was going to have more players, I'd drop the armor to 3 (or maybe 2) and add a 4th stateroom, while retaining a small amount of cargo space. The only real downside to the fast courier is that it has no small craft, not even an air/raft (although a couple of grav cycles could be squeezed in).

As for custom cutter modules, I'm expanding the list I made up a couple years ago when I was working on modular merchants (200 and 400 ton). However, aside from use in starships, some need to be capable of being used as part of a ground or space station (requiring one or more airlocks) or are for short term use with a cutter (like ferrying passengers between an orbital and ground station).

I may update my thread on cutter modules I posted some time back:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=35310&highlight=brandon

 

[alveric]

I think using modules is a good idea. Have you deckplans for the ship itself, yet?

 

[Brandon C]

I think using modules is a good idea. Have you deckplans for the ship itself, yet?

No, sorry, no deckplans.

 

[McPerth]

MgT 1e, mostly core rules with a little from High Guard

While this is for my pocket empires campaign, it is really designed for PCs who are still on active duty or are working for the government. The modular nature of the ship gives them different adventure possiibitities as well as a change in NPCs to deal with from week to week. The ship's performance is alos better than the average merchant or scout PCs get

200-ton fast courier

The fast courier is a light warship designed to get a small number of people or cargo from one place to another quickly. This can be diplomats, medical supplies or a special ops team, among the many possibilities. It uses a 30-ton cutter module socket to carry passengers and/or cargo. Note that only one turret is normally manned; if both must be used, the engineer typically serves as the second gunner.

The fast courier has manoeuvre drive-D, jump drive-D and power plant-D, giving Jump-4 and 4G acceleration. 88 tons of fuel supports the power plant for 2 weeks and one Jump-4. One fuel processor is installed. A Model 4/fib computer and basic military electronics is located in the hardened bridge. There are 2 staterooms. The ship has two hardpoints, with a triple turret with a particle beam and a double turret with two beam lasers. A socket for a 30-ton cutter module is provided. Cargo capacity is 4 tons. The ship is streamlined, equipped with stealth and has armour 4.

There are several minor variants of the fast courier. Scout and government ships usually omit the particle beam turret. Those operated by nobles lack stealth as well.

Crew consists of a commander/pilot, navigator, gunner and engineer. The ship costs MCr 138.15, excluding the cutter module.

With 2 staterooms and a crew of 4, there's no place to for the small number of people being carries (as you say it's its mission), and cargo capacity is quite samll to fake naything but the smallest priority cargoes...

I'd suggest to forfeit the socket for the 30 dton cutter and to add some more staterooms/cargo space. Being so small and streamlined, I don't see too much use for the cutter (but may just be a matter of diferent doctrine or thinking).

What TL is it, by the Way?

 

[Brandon C]

It doesn't carry a 30 ton cutter, but a 30 module as used by the 50 ton modular cutter.

 

[McPerth]

It doesn't carry a 30 ton cutter, but a 30 module as used by the 50 ton modular cutter.

Ok, then I read you wrong, sorry, my fault. Of course this gives it th needed flexibility to make it quite a better design that I thought at first glance....

 

[boomslang]

With 2 staterooms and a crew of 4, there's no place to for the small number of people being carries (as you say it's its mission), and cargo capacity is quite samll to fake naything but the smallest priority cargoes...

FWIW, some years ago I adapted the basic 200dt Jump-3 "Courier" platform -- that first appeared in the various CT Alien Modules -- for similar duty. The original specs varied by race, but they all converged on a similar design: something to take the place of the Xboat network. At Jump-3, there is enough room in those for 4 full-sized staterooms plus a Module. If using MGT/HG2 fuel consumption (as opposed to the old CT B2 requirements of the original), there is even more room available for payload.

I see a whole range of mission-configurable starships being built around swappable Modules; I have hulls all the way up to 600 dtons using the idea. Two Modules will easily fit into a modified Far Trader, for example. (Above about 600 or 800 dtons, you might want to switch to house-ruled 100-dton "Ship Modules" and even 1000-dton "Transport Modules" -- for deploying colonies and military mobilizations and so on.)

Also FWIW, the GT "Modular Cutter" supplement is chock full of ideas for Module configurations and applications, if anyone would like further inspiration regarding the quick-change possibilities with an eye toward transposing them to other rules versions.

Regarding the vessel at hand, I see these 200dt Jump-4 ships as "Fast Response" platforms designed to get a team of troubleshooters on location as quickly as possible, while the opportunity for intervention/profit/intel is still ripe. Missions and adventures that lean more toward the political than the exploratory, for example.

 

[McPerth]

FWIW, some years ago I adapted the basic 200dt Jump-3 "Courier" platform -- that first appeared in the various CT Alien Modules -- for similar duty. The original specs varied by race, but they all converged on a similar design: something to take the place of the Xboat network. At Jump-3, there is enough room in those for 4 full-sized staterooms plus a Module. If using MGT/HG2 fuel consumption (as opposed to the old CT B2 requirements of the original), there is even more room available for payload.

Yes, I guess many of us have designed similarly pourposed small ships. You can find mine in my blog (IISS Intelligence Courier), where I listed my design for easy reference...

I see a whole range of mission-configurable starships being built around swappable Modules; I have hulls all the way up to 600 dtons using the idea. Two Modules will easily fit into a modified Far Trader, for example. (Above about 600 or 800 dtons, you might want to switch to house-ruled 100-dton "Ship Modules" and even 1000-dton "Transport Modules" -- for deploying colonies and military mobilizations and so on.)

Also FWIW, the GT "Modular Cutter" supplement is chock full of ideas for Module configurations and applications, if anyone would like further inspiration regarding the quick-change possibilities with an eye toward transposing them to other rules versions.

Aldo in CT and MgT the there exist those modules, just I missunderstood BranconC...

 

[Brandon C]

Here are a few cutter modules that might be useful for the fast courier. Note these are not optimized for the ship, but are general purpose, used by the modular cutter, military and commercial ships, and as part of bases or stations. So, for example, the airlocks in some modules (useful if it is part of a space or ground station) are not useful as part of a starship.

Cargo: This has space for 30 tons of cargo. MCr 1.43

Medical: This serves as a small medical facility, with one doctor and two nurses. Two double occupancy staterooms are provided for patients. The module contains two sickbays (labs), a waiting room (briefing room), 4 staterooms (doctor, 2 nurses, 4 patients), airlock and 1 ton of cargo. MCr 6.13

Multi-purpose: This is a balance of passenger and cargo capacity. The module contains 4 staterooms (4-8 passengers), a common room (briefing room), an airlock and 9 tons of cargo. MCr 4.13

Passenger: This is intended for the long-term transport of passengers. It has 6 staterooms (6-12 passengers), 4 low berths (4 low passengers), an airlock and 3 tons of cargo. MCr 5.63

Passenger, VIP: This is intended for the long-term transport of a high-level passenger and attendants. It has 5 staterooms (two combined into a suite), a common room (briefing room), and 4 tons of cargo. There are 2 tons devoted to luxuries. MCr 4.63

Troop : This is a long term module for up to ten soldiers or security. It includes 10 barracks, an armoury, a briefing room, a 4-man emergency low berth, an airlock and space for 12 tons of cargo. MCr 3.73

(note: this uses the 1 ton per passenger of the barracks in Traders and Gunboats, not the 2 tons per passenger of High Guard. if this bothers you, drop cargo to 2 tons to make up the difference)