Operations (p. 324 and p. 344)
Ship’s Troops are assigned for security, but also as shift crew, one squad per weapon or defense (p. 344, notes under table A). In the Gazelle’s case, and assuming a potential service level of three crew shifts, we need a maximum of six squads to man the weapons and defenses.
For life support, therefore, the Gazelle will bunk upwards of sixty troops for 28 days at a time; four tons of long-term life support are added, which supports sixty personnel for up to 40 days (p. 344, table C). That gives enough extra life support for the rest of the crew, as well.
Smallcraft (p. 344, table E). A Gig is slung underneath the Gazelle in a hull niche (p.344, Vehicle Hull Connectors). The niche requires an additional 10 tons to install – half the tonnage of the Gig.
Additionally, we have two exterior 60-ton drop tanks. We select two type A6 Unstreamlined Pods from page 333, at MCr2 apiece.
Controls
A starship has a lot of equipment that calls for interaction with the Crew, from maintaining the drives to weapons, airlocks, and just getting the ship from place to place. By long tradition the Pilot of a starship occupies the ship's Bridge, whether his is the only seat on a tiny Scout ship or one seat in a massive command center on a warship with thousands of crew. There are advantages (p. 327, “The Bridge”) to clustering other crew stations with the Pilot on a common Bridge, but you need not do so and T5 does not define a Bridge as being a specific size.
Most prior editions of Traveller assign a specific volume to "Bridge" functions, but even these did not require that those functions all be in the same room. In T5 ship control functions are centralized in a number of Consoles or Workstations (p. 325, “Consoles”) which may be clustered in one place, scattered about the ship, or some combination of the two. A Console is a computer, subordinate to the ship’s Master Computer, which is capable of performing tasks, one at a time, on any control panel in its network. When working alone, the Console uses its Tech Level as its task target number. When operated by a person, the Console’s TL is added to the operator’s Characteristic and Skill to complete tasks. This allows people with relatively low asset levels to still operate a starship, and allows skilled people the ability to multitask.
The Gazelle requires many control panels, based on the number and size of the mechanisms (pp. 325 and 345) that require them. These will be clustered among the various Control Consoles installed for crew operations.
We will slave the drives' control panels to four Control Consoles in Engineering near the drives for the ship's engineers to operate, and associate the remaining control panels into four Control Consoles on a Bridge, for the pilot, astrogator, two sensops, and the computer. We will also add a Control Console for the medic. Having a Bridge grants a Control Ergonomics +2 mod to the daily Mishap roll for the ship (pp. 327, 348; ref p. 196). The controls in Engineering and the Bridge are also Spacious (p. 345), which also affects the Ship Ergonomics rating (p. 348).
Note that even though we have not yet added a Master Computer, we have added a Console for it.
At this point, a word about staffing is in order. Since this is a Close Escort which typically operates in military logistics, caravan protection, and anti-piracy patrols, there is a need for a continual presence on the bridge of at least some staff members. If we assume the Gazelle is typically assigned to para-military operations, but is equipped to handle wartime operations, then it is likely that the ship is staffed with two to three shifts. We have to take this into account when assigning crew living space – although the third shift is likely to be for active Navy ships, which will be accustomed to cramped quarters.
Now a Model/5 Computer is added, to aid crew operations, and to permit automating some tasks. The Model/5 adds its TL to up to five tasks being performed at a time; thus five player characters performing tasks on the Gazelle can all have the Model/5 help out. At TL14, the Model/5 can attempt any starship task with a target number of 14.
Control Consoles are not dedicated, meaning they can be reassigned to other components as needed. Each spacious control station takes up two tons, so the total Bridge volume (including the computer volume) is 15 tons, with an additional 8 tons for the engineering room Consoles.
EC-DU55 (Gazelle-class Close Escort) TL 14
Ship’s Troops are assigned for security, but also as shift crew, one squad per weapon or defense (p. 344, notes under table A). In the Gazelle’s case, and assuming a potential service level of three crew shifts, we need a maximum of six squads to man the weapons and defenses.
For life support, therefore, the Gazelle will bunk upwards of sixty troops for 28 days at a time; four tons of long-term life support are added, which supports sixty personnel for up to 40 days (p. 344, table C). That gives enough extra life support for the rest of the crew, as well.
Smallcraft (p. 344, table E). A Gig is slung underneath the Gazelle in a hull niche (p.344, Vehicle Hull Connectors). The niche requires an additional 10 tons to install – half the tonnage of the Gig.
Additionally, we have two exterior 60-ton drop tanks. We select two type A6 Unstreamlined Pods from page 333, at MCr2 apiece.
Code:
Vol Component MCr
24 6 x Squad Barracks (10) 1.2
4 2 x Long-Term LS 4
20 Gig 14
10 Hull niche for Gig 1.5
120 2 x 60t Drop Tanks 4Controls
A starship has a lot of equipment that calls for interaction with the Crew, from maintaining the drives to weapons, airlocks, and just getting the ship from place to place. By long tradition the Pilot of a starship occupies the ship's Bridge, whether his is the only seat on a tiny Scout ship or one seat in a massive command center on a warship with thousands of crew. There are advantages (p. 327, “The Bridge”) to clustering other crew stations with the Pilot on a common Bridge, but you need not do so and T5 does not define a Bridge as being a specific size.
Most prior editions of Traveller assign a specific volume to "Bridge" functions, but even these did not require that those functions all be in the same room. In T5 ship control functions are centralized in a number of Consoles or Workstations (p. 325, “Consoles”) which may be clustered in one place, scattered about the ship, or some combination of the two. A Console is a computer, subordinate to the ship’s Master Computer, which is capable of performing tasks, one at a time, on any control panel in its network. When working alone, the Console uses its Tech Level as its task target number. When operated by a person, the Console’s TL is added to the operator’s Characteristic and Skill to complete tasks. This allows people with relatively low asset levels to still operate a starship, and allows skilled people the ability to multitask.
The Gazelle requires many control panels, based on the number and size of the mechanisms (pp. 325 and 345) that require them. These will be clustered among the various Control Consoles installed for crew operations.
We will slave the drives' control panels to four Control Consoles in Engineering near the drives for the ship's engineers to operate, and associate the remaining control panels into four Control Consoles on a Bridge, for the pilot, astrogator, two sensops, and the computer. We will also add a Control Console for the medic. Having a Bridge grants a Control Ergonomics +2 mod to the daily Mishap roll for the ship (pp. 327, 348; ref p. 196). The controls in Engineering and the Bridge are also Spacious (p. 345), which also affects the Ship Ergonomics rating (p. 348).
Note that even though we have not yet added a Master Computer, we have added a Console for it.
At this point, a word about staffing is in order. Since this is a Close Escort which typically operates in military logistics, caravan protection, and anti-piracy patrols, there is a need for a continual presence on the bridge of at least some staff members. If we assume the Gazelle is typically assigned to para-military operations, but is equipped to handle wartime operations, then it is likely that the ship is staffed with two to three shifts. We have to take this into account when assigning crew living space – although the third shift is likely to be for active Navy ships, which will be accustomed to cramped quarters.
Now a Model/5 Computer is added, to aid crew operations, and to permit automating some tasks. The Model/5 adds its TL to up to five tasks being performed at a time; thus five player characters performing tasks on the Gazelle can all have the Model/5 help out. At TL14, the Model/5 can attempt any starship task with a target number of 14.
Control Consoles are not dedicated, meaning they can be reassigned to other components as needed. Each spacious control station takes up two tons, so the total Bridge volume (including the computer volume) is 15 tons, with an additional 8 tons for the engineering room Consoles.
EC-DU55 (Gazelle-class Close Escort) TL 14
Code:
Vol Component MCr Notes
400 Hull D, Unstreamlined 14 -1 Agility
- Charged 14 AV 28
4 Landing Legs, Pads 4 Wilderness Landing OK
- Jump Bubble - Field Strength = 120
16 Armor - AV 56 (TOTAL)
55 Jump Drive K 55 Jump-5
80 Jump fuel - 2 parsecs
19 M-Drive K 38 5 Gs
31 Power Plant K 43 P-5
20 Power Plant fuel - 4 weeks
0 Std LR Surf Communicator-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf EMS-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Visor-15 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Jammer-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Neutrino Det-14 2.5
0 Std AR Surf Stealth Mask-14 1.5
10 2x Std AR B2 PA-14 13
2 2x Std AR T4 M-14 3.4
1 Bolt-in Meson Screen-14 2
1 Bolt-in Nuclear Damper-14 2
24 6 x Squad Barracks (10) 1.2
4 2 x Long-Term LS 4
20 Gig 14
10 Hull niche for Gig 1.5
120 2 x 60t Drop Tanks 4
8 4 x Control Consoles 0.8 Engineering
10 5 x Control Consoles 1 Bridge
5 Computer Model/5 27
2 1 x Control Console 0.2 Medic
