Perfect Adventuring starship?
- Thread starter Murph
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
True
It's got decent legs with J2 and 2G and the many possible variations allow tailoring for different missions/groups.
The basic Scout/Courier for the Detached Duty solo, or with friends along. Even an all Scouts party of exploration.
Or the surplussed Seeker for adventuring Belters looking to make that big strike.
Even a surplussed conversion to a small trader for a couple of enterprising Merchants.
...now I'm wondering, what about a Mercenary version? Maybe a small escort or infiltrator. And a Hunter version! Or a Lab ship!! And... the possibilities are only limited by imagination
I think I have to thank you for giving me some ideas to pass the time
Otto Harkaman
SOC-12
This is located in the Traveller's Adventure book
Great ship for a character like Dominic Flandry dashing field agent of the Imperial Intelligence Corps.
A Fleet Courier (in Fighting Ships of the Imperium) would be a great small starship 400t, J-6 & G-2 still with a Model/6 computer
Great ship for a character like Dominic Flandry dashing field agent of the Imperial Intelligence Corps.
A Fleet Courier (in Fighting Ships of the Imperium) would be a great small starship 400t, J-6 & G-2 still with a Model/6 computer
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My vote for the Type-S from six years ago still stands. It is the perfect adventuring ship - small, manageable by a small crew (even by one - for solo/one-on-one games), has long legs, can dabble in trade and passengers but doesn't require them... Perfect for jacks-of-all-trades PCs.
For a more focused exploration campaign, I'd use my favourite ship from my Outer Veil setting book - the Armstrong-class Explorer. The perfect ship to take into deep space, including hydroponics for self support, and crewed by a mere 7 people.
For a more focused exploration campaign, I'd use my favourite ship from my Outer Veil setting book - the Armstrong-class Explorer. The perfect ship to take into deep space, including hydroponics for self support, and crewed by a mere 7 people.
I made the decision early on IMTU to have many variants and even many designs for 100dT scouts and 200dT light freighters and such. So rather than state a specific OTU design, please let me approach this from a stat perspective. My players have normally gravitated to a 200dT M2J2 ship with moderate cargo (20+ tons) due to its flexibility to go most places in charted space, defensibility with two turrets, and enough room for more than just them and their stuff. I guess it's a lot like the Millenium Falcon concept.
They do have a couple of more ships (100dT scout, 1000dT freighter, etc.) around but this is the one type they choose most often.
They do have a couple of more ships (100dT scout, 1000dT freighter, etc.) around but this is the one type they choose most often.
For a speculative trade group I offer a 100 ton TL 15 design based at Glissten
The ship is J6-1G and a paltry few Dt of cargo space, it uses HepLar for the maneuver drive and has a series of grapples mounted on it's unstreamlined hull.
Designed with T4 Fire Fusion and Steel rules.
First set of grapples are for drop tanks, additional grapples are mounted for cargo modules. Up to 250 Dt of cargo modules may be carried, and drop tanks can hold up 60 Dt of fuel. 10 Dt of jump fuel is carried internally for use as maneuver fuel or jump 1 escape.
The ship is unarmed and unarmoured and relies on high port facilities to swap out cargo modules and attach a fresh set of drop tanks. Lacking sufficient internal fuel tankage for maximum jump this ship is limited to a single J-1 @ 100 ton displacement on internal tankage.
In play the party hires factors at each world on their itenary, establishing a set schedule of service, the factor is responsible to have provided for the loaded cargo modules and fuel tanks to be waiting for their ship.
Distance J6, 60 tons fuel, incidental level of cargo, no external retained tanks or modules. Good to return to the start of a loop that is profitable only in 1 direction.
distance J5 58 tons fuel minor cargo level, 16 2/3 tons of external modules could be retained. Not a very usefull configuration, you may as well dead head back all the way J-6 configuration but use J5 fuel.
Distance J4 56 tons fuel, minor cargo level, 40 Dt of retained cargo module.
At 44 Dt of cargo starting to make a bit of scratch.
Distance J3 52.5 tons fuel, major cargo level, 75 Dt of retained tanks or cargo modules. Costs going down income up, what's not to like.
Distance J2 46 1/3 tons fuel, Major cargo level, 133 1/3 tons of retained tanks or cargo modules. More cargo than ship hull, and at J2.
Distance J1 35 tons fuel, Major Cargo level +Minor cargoes + trade and spec cargoes. 250 Dt of retined tanks or modules. OMG 1/4 mil in just cargo fees!
Use the J1 configuration running trade and spec cargoes between Glisten and it's Hi pop world next door, then follow the main into district 268, sell your cargo modules to help build up the local high port and J6 back to Glisten, pick up new cargo modules when you do your annual maint at Glisten.
Pirates? detach the modules and J1 out, with the modules still within range of the jump drive, the pirates (or customs patrol) will not get much loot/evidence.
The ship is J6-1G and a paltry few Dt of cargo space, it uses HepLar for the maneuver drive and has a series of grapples mounted on it's unstreamlined hull.
Designed with T4 Fire Fusion and Steel rules.
First set of grapples are for drop tanks, additional grapples are mounted for cargo modules. Up to 250 Dt of cargo modules may be carried, and drop tanks can hold up 60 Dt of fuel. 10 Dt of jump fuel is carried internally for use as maneuver fuel or jump 1 escape.
The ship is unarmed and unarmoured and relies on high port facilities to swap out cargo modules and attach a fresh set of drop tanks. Lacking sufficient internal fuel tankage for maximum jump this ship is limited to a single J-1 @ 100 ton displacement on internal tankage.
In play the party hires factors at each world on their itenary, establishing a set schedule of service, the factor is responsible to have provided for the loaded cargo modules and fuel tanks to be waiting for their ship.
Distance J6, 60 tons fuel, incidental level of cargo, no external retained tanks or modules. Good to return to the start of a loop that is profitable only in 1 direction.
distance J5 58 tons fuel minor cargo level, 16 2/3 tons of external modules could be retained. Not a very usefull configuration, you may as well dead head back all the way J-6 configuration but use J5 fuel.
Distance J4 56 tons fuel, minor cargo level, 40 Dt of retained cargo module.
At 44 Dt of cargo starting to make a bit of scratch.
Distance J3 52.5 tons fuel, major cargo level, 75 Dt of retained tanks or cargo modules. Costs going down income up, what's not to like.
Distance J2 46 1/3 tons fuel, Major cargo level, 133 1/3 tons of retained tanks or cargo modules. More cargo than ship hull, and at J2.
Distance J1 35 tons fuel, Major Cargo level +Minor cargoes + trade and spec cargoes. 250 Dt of retined tanks or modules. OMG 1/4 mil in just cargo fees!
Use the J1 configuration running trade and spec cargoes between Glisten and it's Hi pop world next door, then follow the main into district 268, sell your cargo modules to help build up the local high port and J6 back to Glisten, pick up new cargo modules when you do your annual maint at Glisten.
Pirates? detach the modules and J1 out, with the modules still within range of the jump drive, the pirates (or customs patrol) will not get much loot/evidence.
There are ships I like that have already been mentioned - especially the Far Trader and the Type S.
But my favourite two ships are the Annic Nova, and the asteroid ship and it's boat - Rock & Pebble. Both have the advantage (for refs) of being un-streamlined, so characters can be separated from their ship for plot reasons. Both are unique so the characters get bragging rights, both have uncommon advantages and disadvantages (the Nova's solar panels, Rock's stealth and Pebble's remote control setup). Both will keep the characters honestly poor due to lack of cargo space, and both will keep them cautious due to low combat stats.
But my favourite two ships are the Annic Nova, and the asteroid ship and it's boat - Rock & Pebble. Both have the advantage (for refs) of being un-streamlined, so characters can be separated from their ship for plot reasons. Both are unique so the characters get bragging rights, both have uncommon advantages and disadvantages (the Nova's solar panels, Rock's stealth and Pebble's remote control setup). Both will keep the characters honestly poor due to lack of cargo space, and both will keep them cautious due to low combat stats.
Hi
I won't go so far to say that this is a great ship for adventuring, but it might still be of interest to some people.
http://www.mnvdet.com/CV/Pocket Trader C.pdf
Its basically an attempt at a small (100dt) vessel designed to the new T5 & Mongoose Traveller Rules. As such, it has a J2 and M2 capability with 6 state rooms and a bit more cargo space (24dt) than would have been allowed under previous versions of the rules.
Because of its small number of staterooms and cargo bay size, it may not be all that well suited to trying to trying to break even making a living as a pure merchant but it may be of use to a group of advanturers as an alternative to a Scout/Courier or Belter type vessel.
In the pdf I also included some deck plans for some alternate configurations including the vessel configured as an alternate CT Scout/Courier design.
Pat
I won't go so far to say that this is a great ship for adventuring, but it might still be of interest to some people.
http://www.mnvdet.com/CV/Pocket Trader C.pdf
Its basically an attempt at a small (100dt) vessel designed to the new T5 & Mongoose Traveller Rules. As such, it has a J2 and M2 capability with 6 state rooms and a bit more cargo space (24dt) than would have been allowed under previous versions of the rules.
Because of its small number of staterooms and cargo bay size, it may not be all that well suited to trying to trying to break even making a living as a pure merchant but it may be of use to a group of advanturers as an alternative to a Scout/Courier or Belter type vessel.
In the pdf I also included some deck plans for some alternate configurations including the vessel configured as an alternate CT Scout/Courier design.
Pat
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I think the Rock is fascinating, especially for groups on the run or involved in stealthy activities.
sayatmenace
SOC-11
I had forgotten about Rock & Pebble -- but agree with you about them almost as much as I do about Annic Nova. I don't know why, but I just love that ship. There's just something romantic about its weirdness and mysteriousness. And while I can't remember a game where it actually got used as a PC ship, I think it would be really fun... lurking in deep space charging the batteries, while sneaking around down on the planetside by ship's boat...
Rock's stealth is not so great as all that. To anyone with an infrared detector its temperature makes it a beacon.
Sadly, and despite one mention in an early amber zone, Traveller ships don't have stealth fields.
Hans
sayatmenace
SOC-11
I agree. I don't remember how the old JTAS is laid out; I had it as Double Adventure 1/2 -- where there was an illustration of the ship in space that helped piece it together. I also remember seeing various recent(ish) CGI artwork by fans, perhaps in the "Imperial Museum of Art" on this site? -- which might help work out how it connects.
Basically it's a lot more like an upside-down office building than a "starship" (i.e., large airplane or maritime vessel) than we're used to seeing. The bridge is on the "bottom". The drives (such as they are) are on the "top".
I think if I ever got to run a game with the 'Nova, I would include an insane Droyne engineer, using his psionic "invisibility" to hide on the ship while maintaining the bizarre jump drives -- the ONLY! THING! LEFT! since he was thrown out of his oytrip -- and generally creeping the players out as much as possible.
I would agree with you on a 'normal' hull, but with the shields closed, I don't think you'd get much IR off of a massive asteroid hull. Besides, how far away can an IR detector be useful on an object this small?
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Short answer:
Loads of IR and detectable from very far away. There is no stealth in space.
Long answer:
See page here:
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/spacewardetect.php
Project Rho is a great site for science facts about fiction.
That said though, I like my Traveller sci-fi with some stealth in space and accept it as not hard science.
Loads of IR and detectable from very far away. There is no stealth in space.
Long answer:
See page here:
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/spacewardetect.php
Project Rho is a great site for science facts about fiction.
That said though, I like my Traveller sci-fi with some stealth in space and accept it as not hard science.
Interesting site, thanks! However, I still don't believe you could detect the difference between the Rock and a real asteroid if the crew was serious about hiding. Drive signatures are what gives you away.
The adventure did point out that it would look suspicious if the Rock was not in an orbit or on a trajectory normal for asteroids. But this is detective work, not detection.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
For reality, it reduces to a simple question. Are the crew dead or alive?
If dead (and the ship too) with time it will cool to the normal near absolute zero of all the other asteroids it is hiding among.
If alive then just the heat bleed from staying alive will mark it as a beacon regardless of its trajectory.
Short of some kind of magic heat sink into another dimension the rock will be screaming hot relative to it's background if it is anything other than just rock.
If dead (and the ship too) with time it will cool to the normal near absolute zero of all the other asteroids it is hiding among.
If alive then just the heat bleed from staying alive will mark it as a beacon regardless of its trajectory.
Short of some kind of magic heat sink into another dimension the rock will be screaming hot relative to it's background if it is anything other than just rock.
Still not convinced. The high mass of an asteroid hull exposed to space should be very close to the background level. A well insulated home doesn't show much heat coming through the walls. The shutters over openings should definitely be at the background level as they are disconnected from the hull.
Half of Rock is hollowed out living quarters that has to be kept at a temperature where humans can survive (another fifth is fuel tanks). The laws of thermodynamics are not suceptible to disbelief. If you heat any part of an object to have a higher temperature than the rest, heat migrates to the part with the lower temperature. If you keep the original heated part at a specific temperature, the rest of the object will eventually reach that temperature. Good isolation will delay the process, but it will happen. That's why your thermos don't keep beverages hot or cold indefinitely. Indeed, if you installed a heating unit and kept the beverage at a certain temperature, eventually your thermos would reach the same temperature.
Oh, and if you found some magic isolation material and isolated the innards fron the outer crust, the power used by Rock would cook the passengers. Every erg of power produced will eventually turn into heat.
Hans
