ANNIC NOVA: Balance of Power Shift?

[Laryssa]

Here are the T20 stats for the Pinnaces.

ANNIC NOVA I 50-Ton Pinnace
Small Spacecraft
TL 12 MCr64.502, 50 tons. This is ANNIC NOVA’s port pinnace, much like its standard cousin but 10 dtons larger and with a 6-G maneuver drive. The oversized maneuver drive also serves as ½ the 1-G maneuver drive of the ANNIC NOVA when this pinnace is attached. Also this pinnace has no small cabins as the standard model does, its purpose it to haul 12 tons of cargo.

ANNIC NOVA I
Class: Smallcraft _____________________ EP Output: 6 (1 excess)
Tech Level: 12 _______________________ Agility: 1 (+1 EP)
Size: Small (50 tons) __________________ Initiative +1 (+1 Agility)
Streamlining: Streamlined ______________ AC: 12 (+1 Agility, +1 Size)
Jump Range: None ____________________ Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 6-G _____________________ Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 6 tons __________________________ Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks _____________________ Black Globes: None
Crew: 2 _____________________________ AR: 0
Staterooms: 0 _________________________ SI: 92
Small Cabins: 0 _______________________ Main Computer: Model/4
Bunks: 0 _____________________________ Sensor Range: Long (Model/4)
Couches: 2 ___________________________ Comm. Range: Long (Model/4)
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space: 12.2 tons __________________ Cost MCr 64.502
Atmospheric Speeds ____________________ NoE = 275 kph
Cruising = 200 kph _____________________ Maximum = 375 kph
Other Equipment: Fresher, Missile Magazine.

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)

TL 12 Design Specifications
_____________________________________ Size ____ Cost __________ EP
50-ton Streamlined Cylinder Hull __________ +50 ____ MCr5.25
Bridge Controls ________________________ -10 ____ MCr0.25
Model/4 Computer ______________________ -0.4 ___ MCr21.2 _______ -2 EP
__ Flight Avionics ______________________ -0.4 ___ (MCr0.9)
__ Long Range Sensors __________________ -1.2 ___ (MCr2.4)
Long Range Communications _____________ -0.8 ___ (MCr2)
6-G Acceleration _______________________ -8.5 ___ MCr4.25 ________ -3 EP
TL9 Fusion Power Plant _________________ -9 _____ MCr27 _________ +6 EP
Fuel __________________________________ -6
2 small craft couches ____________________ -1 _____ MCr0.05
Fresher _______________________________ -0.5 ____ MCr0.002
1 Hard Point ___________________________________ MCr0.1
__ Triple Turret _________________________________ MCr1.0
__ Missile Magazine _____________________________ MCr0.1
Cargo _________________________________ -12.2
Totals _________________________________ 0.0 ____ MCr64.502 ______ +1 EP

ANNIC NOVA V 50-Ton Pinnace
Small Spacecraft
TL 12 MCr65.502. This is ANNIC NOVA’s Starboard pinnace, much like the standard pinnace except that its 10 dtons larger and has a 6-G maneuver drive. The over-sized maneuver drive serves as ½ the 1-G maneuver drive of the ANNIC NOVA when this pinnace is attached. While its mate is outfitted with a 12.2 ton cargo space, this one comes equipped to handle passengers, it has 4 small cabins. Typically it accommodates 2 per cabin with the cabin being used alternately by one and then the other thus accommodating 8 passengers. In addition to passenger accommodations, there is space in the corridors for 4.2 tons of stuff.

ANNIC NOVA V
Class: Smallcraft _____________________ EP Output: 6 (1 excess)
Tech Level: 12 _______________________ Agility: 1 (+1 EP)
Size: Small (50 tons) __________________ Initiative +1 (+1 Agility)
Streamlining: Streamlined ______________ AC: 12 (+1 Agility, +1 Size)
Jump Range: None ____________________ Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 6-G _____________________ Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 6 tons __________________________ Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks _____________________ Black Globes: None
Crew: 2 _____________________________ AR: 0
Staterooms: 0 _________________________ SI: 92
Small Cabins: 4 _______________________ Main Computer: Model/4
Bunks: 0 _____________________________ Sensor Range: Long (Model/4)
Couches: 2 ___________________________ Comm. Range: Long (Model/4)
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space: 4.2 tons __________________ Cost MCr 65.502
Atmospheric Speeds ____________________ NoE = 275 kph
Cruising = 200 kph _____________________ Maximum = 375 kph
Other Equipment: Fresher, Missile Magazine.

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)

TL 12 Design Specifications
_____________________________________ Size ____ Cost __________ EP
50-ton Streamlined Cylinder Hull __________ +50 ____ MCr5.25
Bridge Controls ________________________ -10 ____ MCr0.25
Model/4 Computer ______________________ -0.4 ___ MCr21.2 _______ -2 EP
__ Flight Avionics ______________________ -0.4 ___ (MCr0.9)
__ Long Range Sensors __________________ -1.2 ___ (MCr2.4)
Long Range Communications _____________ -0.8 ___ (MCr2)
6-G Acceleration _______________________ -8.5 ___ MCr4.25 ________ -3 EP
TL9 Fusion Power Plant _________________ -9 _____ MCr27 _________ +6 EP
Fuel __________________________________ -6
2 small craft couches ____________________ -1 _____ MCr0.05
Fresher _______________________________ -0.5 ____ MCr0.002
1 Hard Point ___________________________________ MCr0.1
__ Triple Turret _________________________________ MCr1.0
__ Missile Magazine _____________________________ MCr0.1
4 Small Cabins _________________________ -8 ______ MCr1
Cargo _________________________________ -4.2
Totals _________________________________ 0.0 ____ MCr65.502 ______ +1 EP

 

[Laryssa]

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)

TL 12 Design Specifications
_____________________________________ Size ____ Cost __________ EP
600-ton unstreamlined Dispersed Structure __ +600 ____ MCr30
Bridge Controls (area 1)___________________ -12 ____MCr0.3
Computer (Model/3 equivalent – area 2) ______ -3_____ MCr6 ________ 1 EP
__ Flight Avionics (Area 5)_________________-2.5 ___ (MCr2.7)
__ Sensors Medium Range ________________ -0.9 ___ (MCr1.8)
__ Communications Medium Range ________ -0.6 ____ (MCr1.5)
Jump Drive 3 (Area 35) _________________ -24 _____ MCr96 ________-18 EP
Accumulator (Duration 2 weeks) ____________ -12 ____ MCr ? _______ +20 EP or -20 EP
Jump Drive 2 (Area 34)________________________ -18 _____ MCr72 ________ -12 EP
Accumulator (Duration 2 weeks) ___________ -12 _____ MCr ? _______ +20 EP or -20 EP
1-G Acceleration (2 Pinnaces) ____________ -100 ____ MCr130.004
3. Office _______________________________-3
4. Ready Room _________________________ -3
6. Living Area __________________________ -9.5
7. Sleeping Room ________________________ -3
8. Sleeping Room ________________________ -3
9. Sleeping Room ________________________ -3
10. Bedroom ____________________________ -3
11. Fresher (Bathroom) ____________________ 0.5
12. Bedroom _____________________________ -3
13. Bedroom _____________________________ -3
14. Bedroom _____________________________ -3
15. Locked Bedroom _______________________ -3.5
16. Fresher (Bathroom) _____________________ -0.5
17. Kitchen or Galley _______________________ -14
18. Maintenance area ________________________ -2.5
19. Pantry _________________________________ -1
20. Forward Cargo Area _____________________ -35.75
21. Corridor ________________________________ -3.5
22. Corridor ________________________________ -3.5
23. Lower Turret Area ________________________ -4.5
24. Lower Turret Area ________________________ -4.5
25. Aft Cargo Area __________________________ -43.5
26. Gun Turret ______________________________ -4.5
27. Gun Turret ______________________________ -4.5
28. Machine Shop ___________________________ -13.5
29. Metallurgical Shop ________________________ -5
30. Electronics Shop __________________________ -5
31. Gangway ________________________________ -6.5
32. Hydroponics Area _________________________ -28.5
33. Forward Control Area ______________________ -2.5
36. Air Lock _________________________________ -0.5
37. Cabinet __________________________________ -1
38. Cabinet ___________________________________ -1
39. Lounge Area _______________________________ -5
40. Observation Deck ___________________________ -5.5
41. Lateral Shaft _______________________________ -4
42. Lateral Shaft _______________________________ -4
43. External cargo hold __________________________ -183,25
Totals _______________________________________ 0.0

 

[graymask1120]

See? This is what happens when I post something, then get distracted for a couple of days.

I like the "alternate universe" concept a lot, but making the AN-drive hyper-lethal is, IMHO, a severe waste of a very slick drive.

Also, I never saw AN as anything but either a weirded-out yacht or a badly designed lab-ship.

Let's try this:

AN was found adrift in space somewhere in Deneb or Corridor some 150yrs ago. The finders claimed it as salvage, there was a minor local flash of media hoopla, and everyone went back to their grav-ball scores.

The new owners had a ship with no maneuver drives and a ridiculously-complicated Jump drive, so they modified it to accept standard pinnaces and - being Vilanophiles - they reprogrammed the ship's computer in Old High Vilani, and went on their merry way -- beyond the 3I.

After passing through a couple of hands, it landed with the last owner, from a minor state in Foreven. He fancied himself something of a biologist, and wandered around the general region, until picking up one too many nasty bugs on some uncharted rock.

The Victoria map? That's a left-over from one of the previous owners, as were the various bottles of booze. The cash was 'liberated' from the wreckage of several hulks in some uncharted system.

No one has ever really gotten into the guts of the ship (Montgomery Scott was busy that month), so no one but the PCs has even the faintest clue as to what they have.....

Howz'at?

 

[Laryssa]

Not bad, though 50-ton 6-G pinnaces aren't standard.

 

[graymask1120]

Originally posted by Laryssa:
Not bad, though 50-ton 6-G pinnaces aren't standard.

True, but as with any module, tweaking is almost a requirement...Try changing all three sockets to accept 50-dton cutters.....

 

[Eduardo]

The fact that the ANNIC NOVA has two "Jump Drives" seems to be an indicator that these "Jump Drives" are not so reliable and the ship is in need of a spare should some thing go wrong.

with a Jump-3 and Jump-2 for a backup, it's obviously a 'far trader', or a Rift runner, maybe from an isolated culture from the 'wilds' beyond Spinward. With that kind of jump capacity and randomness, it could have come from anywhere.

But, we do know it was going to or from Victoria, possibly, and then there are those bales of tobacco that are illegal on many worlds in the Imperium in the hold ...

I like to think of it as a blockade running gypsy free trader, and the big shops hint that it was a design for staying out for long periods also, and doing it's own maintenance and building it's own spares. the power is not a big mystery; huge storage capacitors are just a different energy source, and in a frontier setting probably the wiser choice over fuel skimming and purchasing, especially if you're a gypsy starfaring culture and livind on your ships permanently, like the Gitans and some of the others.

It was designed to give new players a cool ship, where they didn't have to worry much about whether there were gas giants or water in a system, or needed to get deep into sparse systems off the mains. Great Deus ex machina for starting out newbies.

 

[Eduardo]

Not bad, though 50-ton 6-G pinnaces aren't standard.

Adds even more to my premise they are indy merchants who weren't above smuggling to make ends meet, or needed fast boats to get out of problems in the 'wilds'.

They also acted as the maneuver drives for the big ship, which I doubt they could get 6G while doing so. They have a dual function, and where designed as such.

 

[Laryssa]

I made the pinnaces 50-tons, originally they were 40-tons, but in order to get the numbers to add up and to have 12 tons of cargo capacity as the original source material sain, I had to expand the hull to 50 tons. this also works out nicely for the maneuver drives. When the pinnaces are separated, they have an acceleration of 6-G. If you assume the Pinnace weighs 1 ton of mass per ton of displacement, the maneuver drive needs to generate 300 tons of thrust to accelerate the pinnace at 6-G. If you assume ANNIC NOVA has the same density as its Pinnaces then it weighs 600 tons. Add 300 tons of thrust for 2 pinnaces and you get 600 tons of thrust when both Pinnaces are attached. I'll go against the description and assume the pinnaces are in their side docking mounts when they both apply their thrust to the ANNIC NOVA for 1-G acceleration. When one pinnace is elsewhere, then the other can remain with the ANNIC NOVA and be attacked to the center magnetic docking clamp so it can apply a balanced force of 300 tons to it and accelerate the starship at 1/2 G.

I don't see how two pinnaces can fit their anyway.

 

[Eduardo]

I dug out my double adventure copy of Annic Nova and it doesn't give a 6-G acceleration for the pinnaces, it just says they can be powered from the bridge to change the orientation of the ship. For maneuvering, a pinnace has to dock in the lock on the aft cargo hold, and from there a pinnace will provide a 1/10 G acceleration per 10 minutes for every ton of fuel the pinnace uses. they are 40 ton pinnaces, one equiped with 4 half sized state rooms for about thirty days of living, and the other is a cargo hauler that will carry 12 tons of cargo; they're streamlined, and can be used for fuel skimming at a gas giant.

They also have a 'handedness', and will only fit on their respective sockets on the main ship. I'm assuming the cargo hauler is used for the maneuver socket on the aft cargo hold.

These were a small race of people, according to the vacc suits and gunnery seats being for ST of 5 and 6, respectively.

 

[Laryssa]

I'm trying to convert this to T20, and in T20 a pinnace has a duration of 4 weeks. I'm assuming reactionless thrusters so as long as the pinnace thrusters have energy, they'll supply thrust. I've taken some liberties to make the ANNIC NOVA a T20 starship. The floor plans are basically the same though, the pinnaces are 25% longer than shown in the map, or perhaps you could calle them fast modular cutters with very small modules. I wanted the ANNIC NOVA to have at least a 1-G acceleration with both pinnaces attached. I wanted the ship to be somewhat useful to the PCs that aquire it. with 1/10 G for 60 minutes it is rather a sitting duck for most other starships. Its bad enough that it has to sit around collecting energy for 1d6 weeks before it can jump again while other starships can simply skim gas giants. To countervail against these disadvantages, I decided to give the ANNIC NOVA an ability that other starships don't have, that is to arrive at its destination in less than a week, and no need for jump fuel.

 

[Eduardo]

Originally posted by Antony:
Something that was discussed about the Annic Nova the last time this vessel came up. The technology on the small craft does not match up with that of the ship either. For example the small craft have fusion power plants the Annic Nova is battery powered. The computers on the Annic Nova are three times the mass of the standard model, the systems on the small craft are imperial standard.

Not exactly battery powered, just stored energy in accumulators. Perfect for cutting costs or going where fuel may not be available. The computer may a patch job, bought at Hlakmir's Discount Parts in the Beyond somewhere, or the culture just advanced at different tech rates in different areas, maybe. We're still mostly driving around in vehicles powered by internal combustion, invented over 120 years ago or so, at, say tech-5, while living in a tech 8 or 9 first world, after all. The pinnaces of course could have been purchased later and retro-fitted on this older ship, of course.

I concluded that these craft were likely not the originals. The Annic Nova also has provision to dock three craft but has only two etc. All in all though she is a very interesting "ghost" ship.

Maybe not, who knows? It's supposed to a mystery, and give new players a quirky artifact, that also happens to have a pretty long range, compared to scouts and jump-1 traders. It also is fitted out with hydroponics. Given the economics involved, it's ideal compared to their other options, at least outside of piracy, anyway. this is a cheap ship to operate, and go touring in the wilds without much concern for jump-1 or 2 mains, and avoiding Imperial bases and such as well.

Why is there the assumtion that the accumulators are 'lower tech' than fuel powered jump drives and powerplants? What's the tonnage taken up for the fuel to power both those drives, assuming a load to do a jump 3, then follow with a jump 2 right after, by LBB ship design rules? That's five parsecs in two jumps ...

 

[Eduardo]

Originally posted by Laryssa:
I'm trying to convert this to T20, and in T20 a pinnace has a duration of 4 weeks. I'm assuming reactionless thrusters so as long as the pinnace thrusters have energy, they'll supply thrust. I've taken some liberties to make the ANNIC NOVA a T20 starship. The floor plans are basically the same though, the pinnaces are 25% longer than shown in the map, or perhaps you could calle them fast modular cutters with very small modules. I wanted the ANNIC NOVA to have at least a 1-G acceleration with both pinnaces attached. I wanted the ship to be somewhat useful to the PCs that aquire it. with 1/10 G for 60 minutes it is rather a sitting duck for most other starships. Its bad enough that it has to sit around collecting energy for 1d6 weeks before it can jump again while other starships can simply skim gas giants. To countervail against these disadvantages, I decided to give the ANNIC NOVA an ability that other starships don't have, that is to arrive at its destination in less than a week, and no need for jump fuel.

Ah, I know nothing about D20 build rules. There is the hassle of estimating spectral power for different stars using solar for recharging, so the 1d weeks an be fudged here and there. I believe that's for charging both drives, though.

I don't think it was designed to attack pirate bases or fight off Imperial patrol ships. It was designed to be a long term home for players without a ship, and one they could easily modify as they got a few credits under their belts as they went along adventuring. Few of the early adventures involved taking on cruisers and marine platoons; they were more in teh vein of 'the little guys putter around in a big universe' type of deal, avoiding attracting the attention of the law and such.

Annic Nova was 'Double Adventure 1', so naturally it is undergunned ... it's a 'starter ship'. Besides, the Navy is the place to be for ship warfare and ship battles, as is the pirate career.

 

[Laryssa]

Here is my T20 version of the ANNIC NOVA. I changes the Jump Drives to Warp Drives, they basically behave just like Jump Drives in effect except to the noticible warp signature that appears after the ship goes into warp and once it arrives from dropping out of warp. There are some secrets about this warp drive that the players will discover over time. Basically the astrogator enters the coordinates of the destination or the direction and distance of the desired trip up to the maximum warp number in parsecs. When used this way, the warp has the same game effects as a jump drive, it takes a week to complete the warp passage unless the path of the ship is blocked by a gravity well (in which case the duration of the trip is a fraction of a week equal to the fraction of the distance covered in the programmed warp trip - the astrogator can try to over shoot a target system by a certain distance for a travel time of less than a week, but this is hit or miss. Roll a d20 + the astrogator's astrogation skill modifier - the number of parsecs distance of the targeted system. The AC of the star system in question is 20 for a class M V star, 19 for a Class K, 18 for a Class G, 17 for a class F, 16 for a class A, 14 for a class B, and 13 for a class O or a Size I or II or III star.

ANNIC NOVA Free Trader (Non-Standard Classified – Type M)
Medium-Size Starship
Using an unorthodox 600 ton frame and hull, this artifact is allowed in Imperial commerce under the salvage laws provided the ship is registered with Imperial authorities. (typical registration fee: Cr100,000)
The ship has 8 staterooms (of non-standard size) for the crew, (Captain/navigator, chief engineer, two ordinary engineers, and a medic), with provisions for ordinary members. (gunners, pinnace pilots, or passengers)
There are no low berths. The ship has what appears to be two jump drives, but upon closer inspection it is revealed to be two warp drives or similar capacity and performance to Jump-2 and Jump-3 drives respectively. The pilot enters the warp field parameters to predetermine the course the warp drive will take the ship. Once the warp field is created there is no escape from it and no shutting it down. All the warp drives to is create the initial warp field. Warp fields has three properties to them, they have a volume, for encompassing the ship, a speed, and a direction. The duration of all warp fields is about a week. The warp field speed and direction are determined upon creation, and once created the warp envelop moves off in a straight line with its contents until its duration expires or it hits a mass shadow (this can be less than one week). Some gravitational fields and intervening interstellar gases may alter the straight line trajectory ever so slightly causing the warp drive to miss a mass shadow if the astrogator decided to deliberately overshoot it to cut down on travel time. If the warp misses an intended mass shadow, then the warp will continue off in a straight line until it duration expires. (most likely this will end up being in interstellar space. The warp drive has a warp signature that can easily be followed by anyone who the warp ship passes. The warps signature is a contiuous nuclear explosion wave front produced by the special compression waves in front of the ship which cause the interstellar hydrogen to undergo nuclear fusion. The radiation from this warp signature travels at the speed of light, and therefore creates the illusion of a singularity receding at apparently the speed of light. Two warp signatures are detected everytime a warp ship passes, one image is detected receding from the approaching warp bubble and the second is receding in the opposite direction, (the direction of travel) by the warp bubble as it departs. The warp ship could be long gone, but the images of the warp bubble remain in the area as the light is still reaching the observer.
There are no maneuver drives (THE PINNACLES ACT AS TUGS); there is no power plant. A stellar collector absorbs and collects energy for internal power and warp drives. The computer is a non-standard model equivalent to a model/3, but with nearly three tines normal mass.

ANNIC NOVA
Class: Starship __________________________ EP Output 21 (23 with pinnaces attached, +2 excess)
Tech Level: 12 __________________________ Agility: 2 (+2 EP)
Size: Medium (600 tons) __________________ Initiative: +2 with pinnaces.
Streamlining: Unstreamlined _______________ AC: 12 (+2 agility with pinnaces)
Warp Range: 1 x Warp-2, 1 x Warp-3 ________ Repulsors: 0
Acceleration: 1-G (with both pinnaces) _______ Nuclear Dampers: 0
Fuel: none, uses capacitors to store energy. ____ Meson Screens: 0
Duration: 4 weeks on full charge ____________ Black Globes: 0
Crew: 5 minimum, 11 fully staffed __________ AR: 0
Staterooms: 8 ___________________________ SI: 175
Small cabins: 4 (in ANNIC NOVA V) _______ Main Computer: Model/3 (300 cpu)
Bunks: 0 _______________________________ Sensor Range: Medium (Model/3)
Couches: 5 _____________________________ Comm Range: Medium (Model/3)
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space 150 tons ____________________ Cost: MCr492.703 (new)

Other equipment: Freshers, stellar collector, 2 external docking mounts, 2 non-standard 50-ton pinnaces.

Single Turret: Non-standard single pulse laser cannon (+2 USP) (x1) Attack Bonus +2 (+2 USP), Damage 2d10.
Single Turret: Non-standard single pulse laser cannon (+2 USP) (x1) Attack Bonus +2 (+2 USP), Damage 2d10.

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)
______________________________________ Size ___________ Cost __________ EP
600-ton open frame unstreamlined hull _______ +600 __________ MCr30
Bridge Controls ___________________________ -20 ___________ MCr0.1
Model/3 Computer _________________________ -0.9 __________ MCr 6 _______ -1
__ Flight Avionics _________________________ -1.2 __________ (MCr2.7)
__ Medium Range Sensors __________________ -0.9 __________ (MCr1.8)
__ Medium Range Communications ___________ -0.6 _________ (MCr1.5)
1-G Acceleration – produced by attached ship’s vehicles.
Stellar Collector ___________________________ 99.4 _________ MCr99.4 ____ +21
Warp-2 __________________________________ -18 __________ MCr72 _______ -12
Warp-3 __________________________________ -24 __________ MCr96 _______ -18
External Docking Mount (Port Side) ___________ -15 __________ MCr0.06
__ ANNIC NOVA I ________________________ -50 __________ MCr64.502 ____ +1
External Docking Mount (Starboard Side) _______ -15 __________ MCr0.06
__ ANNIC NOVA V ________________________ -50 __________ MCr65.502 ____ +1
External Docking Mount (Stern Central Axis) ____ -15 __________ MCr0.06
8 Staterooms (6 tons, MCr0.75 each) ___________ -48 __________ MCr 6
2 Freshers __________________________________ -1 _________ MCr0.004
Extra large Engineering Shop (all three) ________ -50 __________ MCr 8.3
Hydroponics Area __________________________ -35 _________ MCr21.875
2 Hard points ___________________________________________ MCr0.2
2 Single Turrets _________________________________________ MCr1.0
2 non-standard (2 USP) Pulse laser cannons ______ -6 __________ MCr3 __________ -6
Missile Magazine ________________________________________ MCr0.1
Cargo ____________________________________ -150
Totals ______________________________________ 0 _________ MCr474.163 ____ +2*
*laser cannons draw power from the stellar collectors, EP surplus comes from excess of attached pinnaces which do the maneuvering for the ship.

ANNIC NOVA I 50-Ton Pinnace
Small Spacecraft
TL 12 MCr64.502, 50 tons. This is ANNIC NOVA’s port pinnace, much like its standard cousin but 10 dtons larger and with a 6-G maneuver drive. The oversized maneuver drive also serves as ½ the 1-G maneuver drive of the ANNIC NOVA when this pinnace is attached. Also this pinnace has no small cabins as the standard model does, its purpose it to haul 12 tons of cargo.

ANNIC NOVA I
Class: Smallcraft _____________________ EP Output: 6 (1 excess)
Tech Level: 12 _______________________ Agility: 1 (+1 EP)
Size: Small (50 tons) __________________ Initiative +1 (+1 Agility)
Streamlining: Streamlined ______________ AC: 12 (+1 Agility, +1 Size)
Jump Range: None ____________________ Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 6-G _____________________ Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 6 tons __________________________ Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks _____________________ Black Globes: None
Crew: 2 _____________________________ AR: 0
Staterooms: 0 _________________________ SI: 92
Small Cabins: 0 _______________________ Main Computer: Model/4
Bunks: 0 _____________________________ Sensor Range: Long (Model/4)
Couches: 2 ___________________________ Comm. Range: Long (Model/4)
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space: 12.2 tons __________________ Cost MCr 64.502
Atmospheric Speeds ____________________ NoE = 275 kph
Cruising = 200 kph _____________________ Maximum = 375 kph
Other Equipment: Fresher, Missile Magazine.

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)

TL 12 Design Specifications
_____________________________________ Size ____ Cost __________ EP
50-ton Streamlined Cylinder Hull __________ +50 ____ MCr5.25
Bridge Controls ________________________ -10 ____ MCr0.25
Model/4 Computer ______________________ -0.4 ___ MCr21.2 _______ -2 EP
__ Flight Avionics ______________________ -0.4 ___ (MCr0.9)
__ Long Range Sensors __________________ -1.2 ___ (MCr2.4)
Long Range Communications _____________ -0.8 ___ (MCr2)
6-G Acceleration _______________________ -8.5 ___ MCr4.25 ________ -3 EP
TL9 Fusion Power Plant _________________ -9 _____ MCr27 _________ +6 EP
Fuel __________________________________ -6
2 small craft couches ____________________ -1 _____ MCr0.05
Fresher _______________________________ -0.5 ____ MCr0.002
1 Hard Point ___________________________________ MCr0.1
__ Triple Turret _________________________________ MCr1.0
__ Missile Magazine _____________________________ MCr0.1
Cargo _________________________________ -12.2
Totals _________________________________ 0.0 ____ MCr64.502 ______ +1 EP

ANNIC NOVA V 50-Ton Pinnace
Small Spacecraft
TL 12 MCr65.502. This is ANNIC NOVA’s Starboard pinnace, much like the standard pinnace except that its 10 dtons larger and has a 6-G maneuver drive. The over-sized maneuver drive serves as ½ the 1-G maneuver drive of the ANNIC NOVA when this pinnace is attached. While its mate is outfitted with a 12.2 ton cargo space, this one comes equipped to handle passengers, it has 4 small cabins. Typically it accommodates 2 per cabin with the cabin being used alternately by one and then the other thus accommodating 8 passengers. In addition to passenger accommodations, there is space in the corridors for 4.2 tons of stuff.

ANNIC NOVA V
Class: Smallcraft _____________________ EP Output: 6 (1 excess)
Tech Level: 12 _______________________ Agility: 1 (+1 EP)
Size: Small (50 tons) __________________ Initiative +1 (+1 Agility)
Streamlining: Streamlined ______________ AC: 12 (+1 Agility, +1 Size)
Jump Range: None ____________________ Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 6-G _____________________ Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 6 tons __________________________ Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks _____________________ Black Globes: None
Crew: 2 _____________________________ AR: 0
Staterooms: 0 _________________________ SI: 92
Small Cabins: 4 _______________________ Main Computer: Model/4
Bunks: 0 _____________________________ Sensor Range: Long (Model/4)
Couches: 2 ___________________________ Comm. Range: Long (Model/4)
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space: 4.2 tons __________________ Cost MCr 65.502
Atmospheric Speeds ____________________ NoE = 275 kph
Cruising = 200 kph _____________________ Maximum = 375 kph
Other Equipment: Fresher, Missile Magazine.

TAS Form 3.1 (condensed)

TL 12 Design Specifications
_____________________________________ Size ____ Cost __________ EP
50-ton Streamlined Cylinder Hull __________ +50 ____ MCr5.25
Bridge Controls ________________________ -10 ____ MCr0.25
Model/4 Computer ______________________ -0.4 ___ MCr21.2 _______ -2 EP
__ Flight Avionics ______________________ -0.4 ___ (MCr0.9)
__ Long Range Sensors __________________ -1.2 ___ (MCr2.4)
Long Range Communications _____________ -0.8 ___ (MCr2)
6-G Acceleration _______________________ -8.5 ___ MCr4.25 ________ -3 EP
TL9 Fusion Power Plant _________________ -9 _____ MCr27 _________ +6 EP
Fuel __________________________________ -6
2 small craft couches ____________________ -1 _____ MCr0.05
Fresher _______________________________ -0.5 ____ MCr0.002
1 Hard Point ___________________________________ MCr0.1
__ Triple Turret _________________________________ MCr1.0
__ Missile Magazine _____________________________ MCr0.1
4 Small Cabins _________________________ -8 ______ MCr1
Cargo _________________________________ -4.2
Totals _________________________________ 0.0 ____ MCr65.502 ______ +1 EP

 

[Eduardo]

this got me curious, so I dug out LBB 2 and did a couple of quick numbers.

Two drives, F and J, respectively, would need 85 tons of drive space, plus 300 tons of fuel, 120 and 180 respectively, the story says it can make the two jumps immediately, one after the other, and adding the 150 tons of cargo given in the specs to that you end up with 535 tons out of 600 already used up, leaving only 65 tons for 'everything else', like the bridge, staterooms, shops, galley, lounge, two turrets, hydroponics, computer, etc. using standard Imperial ship designs. The 600 ton type M in book 2 doesn't even come close, with 190 tons of cargo and type M jump 3 it uses up 124 tons for fuel.

Those accumulators are some badass tech, and to think they're 'canon' as well ... hehehe ...

Somebody would pay billions to get their hands on that and reverse engineer that ...

In any case, Annic Nova was in JTAS 1, and published the same year High Guard came out. I'll dig that out and see what happens in those design rules this weekend. It's a cool ship as is. It's referred to as an 'artifact' in the story description. I would just fit a maneuver drive and whatever powerplant needed for that later on, upgrade the laser cannon from one to three per turret, change out the computer, and some ECM and goodies as money permitted, and leave the rest as is.

 

[Laryssa]

Originally posted by Eduardo:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Laryssa:
I'm trying to convert this to T20, and in T20 a pinnace has a duration of 4 weeks. I'm assuming reactionless thrusters so as long as the pinnace thrusters have energy, they'll supply thrust. I've taken some liberties to make the ANNIC NOVA a T20 starship. The floor plans are basically the same though, the pinnaces are 25% longer than shown in the map, or perhaps you could calle them fast modular cutters with very small modules. I wanted the ANNIC NOVA to have at least a 1-G acceleration with both pinnaces attached. I wanted the ship to be somewhat useful to the PCs that aquire it. with 1/10 G for 60 minutes it is rather a sitting duck for most other starships. Its bad enough that it has to sit around collecting energy for 1d6 weeks before it can jump again while other starships can simply skim gas giants. To countervail against these disadvantages, I decided to give the ANNIC NOVA an ability that other starships don't have, that is to arrive at its destination in less than a week, and no need for jump fuel.

Ah, I know nothing about D20 build rules. There is the hassle of estimating spectral power for different stars using solar for recharging, so the 1d weeks an be fudged here and there. I believe that's for charging both drives, though.

I don't think it was designed to attack pirate bases or fight off Imperial patrol ships. It was designed to be a long term home for players without a ship, and one they could easily modify as they got a few credits under their belts as they went along adventuring. Few of the early adventures involved taking on cruisers and marine platoons; they were more in teh vein of 'the little guys putter around in a big universe' type of deal, avoiding attracting the attention of the law and such.

Annic Nova was 'Double Adventure 1', so naturally it is undergunned ... it's a 'starter ship'. Besides, the Navy is the place to be for ship warfare and ship battles, as is the pirate career. </font>[/QUOTE]I've made my version of ANNIC NOVA more useful to players, it can accelerate a 1-G with both Pinnaces attached, they stay in their side bocking rings when doing this together, when only one pinnace is available to push the ship, it moves to the central docking ring in the ship's stern and pushes there for one-half G acceleration. This is alot better than the one-tenth G for only one hour the original material assumed. That ANNIC NOVA was basically a fancy solar powered XBoat with a Jump-2 and Jump-3 engines. Since no jump fuel is required, I assume the FTL engines are not in fact really jump engines, I chose Warp engines that behave sort of like jump drives if used that way, that is until the PCs realize that they are not really jump drives at all!

In my Traveller Universe, this warp engine was developed by a civilization of humaniti's descendents, from a red dwarf - ringworld starsystem located 5 million light years above the galactic plane of the Milky Way Galaxy, they are also 5 million years in the future. This star is a lone intergalactic wanderer of type M9 V, its illumination is dim, but the diameter of the ringworld is small enough to fall within its tiny lifezone. This civiliztion is Tech Level 12, the nearest star from this system is 1,000 light years away, but it has yet been able to pick up transmissions eminating from the Third Imperium. This civilization has fallen many times and it is yet climbing out of its most recent Dark ages. Necessity has forced it to develop the Warp drive. They have been monitoring the Third Imperium for a while and have gleaned some tech from that. Jump drives are useless to them as their is no place within 3 PC of their system that they can jump to, so they further developed the Jump drive technology and transformed it into a warp drive. Similar in some respect to a Jump drive, this type of drive does not cause the ship to completely drop out of normal space. Instead if forms an outpocket universe that is still connected to the main universe via a tiny wormhole and around that tiny wormhole opening in normal space it warps space, compressing it in from of the wormhole and expanding it behind, producing an FTL pseudo motion for the wormhole opening and after a week the outpocket or warp bubble collapses dumping its contents into normal space.

Under some applications of warp drive technology, time travel is possible, but the calculations are extremely complex and expensive to make and cannot be done by a ship's computer. The are done in stead by massive super computers networked together of many millions of displacement tons in volume, but the solutions can be stored on tape or disk and used to make time warps to specific locations and times.

It just so happens that the ANNIC NOVA has several such settings stored in its over sized computer, the PCs just have to find them.

The first setting is for 5 million years in the future towards that red dwarf ringworld system I mentions.

The second setting is for the current Imperial Date 100 diameters from the Sun in the Terra system.

The 3rd setting is once again the Terra system but in 5 million BC

4th - 10 million BC Terra system.
5th - 15 million BC Terra system.

and it goes back in increments of 5 million years, the same Terra system until about 250 million BC is reached, this leaves a total of 52 time travel destinations, and that is it. Normal PC ranges don't apply when doing a Time Travel Warp jump, you could be anywhere in the Galaxy and the warp drive will still bring you to any of these time travel destinations within 1 week's time. The times at all time destinations advance at the same rate as the standard Imperial campaign date. That's my Traveller Universe anyway. Each of these dates can be though of as a separate world, you could establish colonies on any of these 50 Earths in the past, they are not necessarily causually connected, part of the complexit of the time warp calculations has to do with connecting multiple separate realities together and still being able to return to the present left.

 

[Eduardo]

What happens when maintenance and repairs come along, and nobody on the crew is certified on this tech? Stick a manual or two in that computer. Or, even better, make it an adventure to get hold of one.

 

[graymask1120]

Well, my original thought was to wonder about the effects of a state adopting the ANs Jump drive system to their existing ship designs.

Imagine the endurance of a Type M, where instead of burning its LHy for the Jump, it ismply uses it to charge the capacitors between/during Jumps.

Now, translate that to Fleets.....

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

I've got notes somewhere for a campaign where the jump "accumulator" was reverse engineered and used for extreme range exploration. I tried to use the "accumulators" in a mercantile setting, but they really do break starship economics when put in practice.

 

[Eduardo]

I don't see how they could lose money with it. It's essentially free, even if they have to borrow for to pay for the salvage rights, a 150 ton hold can make that up in a month or less just on freight charges. A long range freighter that kick butt on speculative 'express' runs, five parsecs in two weeks. Even a jump 3 run puts you in the running with subsidized type M's operationally; you have no payments, and cut throat on freight charges.

Beyond that, they have shops already stocked with parts, no less, and can do their own maintenance and repairs. The hydroponics help out, too, though there are no 'canon' rules on their output circa 1980 that I'm aware of, it's safe to assume they could feed some 16 people.

Also, they could 'charge up' from a power plant at a space station in civilized space. The rules just say it takes 1D weeks for the solar array to charge it up, depending on the spectral class of the nearest star.

 

[Laryssa]

Originally posted by Eduardo:
What happens when maintenance and repairs come along, and nobody on the crew is certified on this tech? Stick a manual or two in that computer. Or, even better, make it an adventure to get hold of one.

How do they repair the Black Globes when they break down?

These jump drives are the same sort of thing as the Black Globes the Imperial Navy uses, they don't make them, so presumably they can't repair them, but still they install them in their ships.