Sector Duke Warship

[Travellerspud]

What do you give your Sector Dukes as a warship to keep the lesser Nobles on the straight-and-narrow?

I consider this to be the biggest ship most PC's could encounter...(but almost certainly not to defeat, unless infiltration is used). Along with several escorts & auxilleries (depending on the situation, maybe a few troop ships etc) this should be able to suppress dissent in any one system of the Duke's Sector.

I envision;

a 30kton Colonial Battlecruiser (TL15 assuming they have a TL15 shipyard)
M6 J3 Computer-9 (military grade sensors)

Armor-8
Nuclear Damper-9
Meson Screen-5
Spinal Meson (J)
Missile Bays (9) x10
Repulsor Bay (9) x1
Beam Laser (9) x 10
Fusion Cannon (5) x8
Sandcaster (9) x15

Carried Craft;
Cutter x2 (SAR, ECM)
Ship's Boat x2
Astrofighter 10ton x20 (w/ launch tube)
spare modules x4 (Orbital Insertion, Medical, Survey, Noble Transport)

Troops;
Company of Colonial Marines (w/ 15 Grav APC's)
Company of Military Police (w/ Grav Belts)
Platoon of 6 Heavy Grav Tanks
Battery of 2 PD Grav vehicles
Battery of 2 Grav SP Artillery

Too much? Not enough?

 

[rancke]

Or the sector duke could use his squadron of 500,000T Tigresses. Or some of the other BatRons and CruRons in the numbered IN fleet stationed in his duchy.


Hans

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

Too much? Not enough?

both.

based on my understanding of the OTU, a sector duke doesn't normally have his own private capital ship. they tend to use whatever the Navy has handy when they need one.

that said, the navy has a tendency to base battleship squadrons in ducal seats, so getting a Big Stick is not hard if they need it.



but to critique the design, as best I can without knowning much about CT shipbuilding:

I would say the Duke would deserve a dedicated shuttle, not a module on the ships boat. its a matter of style, and I think having the possibly battered and slightly worn ulitiy ship, instead of a dedicated, spotless shuttle just sends the wrong message.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Messaging.

both.

based on my understanding of the OTU, a sector duke doesn't normally have his own private capital ship. they tend to use whatever the Navy has handy when they need one.

that said, the navy has a tendency to base battleship squadrons in ducal seats, so getting a Big Stick is not hard if they need it.

but to critique the design, as best I can without knowning much about CT shipbuilding:

I would say the Duke would deserve a dedicated shuttle, not a module on the ships boat. its a matter of style, and I think having the possibly battered and slightly worn ulitiy ship, instead of a dedicated, spotless shuttle just sends the wrong message.

That depends on what message you want to send. If I am playing a "Noble of the People" I might want the scruffy work pod/cutter so as to project the message to the locals that I feel their pain and that is why I am here to put the collar on Lord Sumptuous and his extravagant ways. :devil:

Also, even in my TU where dukes mostly have private warships, I always figured them a the high end of ACS/low end of BCS and it would be Flagship to at least a Squadron. Thus to me 30Kt is way outside the range of personal ownership and 500Kt is way out.

Oh, and of course I keep the spiffy Court Shuttle for the times I am going dynamic and then I go all out and drop right on the front lawn of the Manor. :smirk:

 

[Reban]

Definitely a minimum of one BatRon and its supporting elements. No single ship ("Super Weapon") can be effective in the role described.

If you are sending the Duke along with the BatRon for some reason, I'd put him in the Flag accommodations of the lead ship of the second division. That is put him on the ship with the Admiral's deputy where he can have access to the Flag bridge and accommodations. First its a good idea to separate your VIPs for protection and second he's not displacing the Admiral from his cabin/suite and getting in his way.

Likewise a Duke should probably have a yacht, or a barge or my preference a luxury pinnace with maybe some escorting fighters.

Not too sure about your embarked troops. Why a Military Police Company? Thats a big unit for MPs. I assume you want them to act as security troops for the Duke? It might be better to use a Platoon sized Close Protection Detail (Maybe the Duke would provide this from his Huscarles).

A Marine Company is about right for multi-role operations for a ship of this size. I think perhaps the tanks and PD/Artillery might be best integrated into the Company as batteries of two vehicles are very small.

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

always figured them a the high end of ACS/low end of BCS

ACS/BCS?

 

[aramis]

I don't give the dukes a flagship. They ride on whichever Subsector fleet ship is going their way when they go by Naval Ship.

The duke automatically gets the flag cabin.

IM OTU games, most cruisers and up have an extra cabin. It's reserved for, in order: The Emperor, The Imperial Princes, The Sector Duke, The Subsector Duke, The Domain Grand Admiral, the Sector Admiral, the Subsector Admiral, the Fleet Admiral, other admirals by grade, other nobles by grade, the Captain's guest. When not in use as a flag cabin, it's the senior officers' auxiliary informal meeting hall.

 

[Travellerspud]

Definitely a minimum of one BatRon and its supporting elements. No single ship ("Super Weapon") can be effective in the role described....Likewise a Duke should probably have a yacht...

good points....perhaps instead just a heavily armored luxury yacht with a luxury shuttle and a platoon of personal guards is more appropriate (4 battleships or so with escorts does send it's own unique message)

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Oops.

ACS/BCS?

Sorry, T5 scales, they are Adventure Class Starship (100-2400 tons) and Battle Class Starship (2500+ tons).

 

[rancke]

Sorry, T5 scales, they are Adventure Class Starship (100-2400 tons) and Battle Class Starship (2500+ tons).

Adventurers have ships up to 2400T?

Gazelles and Kinunirs and Chrysanthemums are Adventurer Class ships?

Hercules Class transports are Battle Class ships?


Hans

 

[Carlobrand]

What do you give your Sector Dukes as a warship to keep the lesser Nobles on the straight-and-narrow? ...

Warships belong to the Imperial Navy, or a sector/subsector navy, or maybe a planetary navy. What is a Sector Duke going to do with a warship that wouldn't be better done by an Imperial Navy warship?

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Uhhh...I think so?

Adventurers have ships up to 2400T?

Gazelles and Kinunirs and Chrysanthemums are Adventure[o]r[/o] Class ships?

Hercules Class transports are Battle Class ships?


Hans

Yes, up to 2.4Kt is ACS and everything past that is a BCS.

So, yes the Gazelles and Kinunirs are Adventure Class Starships. Don't know the Chrysanthemums or the Hercules, but yes if they fit the weight class.

What's the issue?

 

[rancke]

What's the issue?

That the two terms seems wildly imprecise to me. Adventurers don't usually have ship bigger than what the trade rules provide for in terms of goods and passengers, nor do they usually have military ships. And not all big ships are 'battle class' (which, since 2500T ships are very far from battleship size, presumably means 'combat ships').

If you're basing your categories on size, you should use terms that have to do with size. I would have gone with 'small ships' and 'big ships' (or perhaps 'small and medium ships' and 'big ships' or possibly 'small ships' and 'medium and big ships').


Hans

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

*shrugs*

That the two terms seems wildly imprecise to me. Adventurers don't usually have ship bigger than what the trade rules provide for in terms of goods and passengers, nor do they usually have military ships. And not all big ships are 'battle class' (which, since 2500T ships are very far from battleship size, presumably means 'combat ships').

If you're basing your categories on size, you should use terms that have to do with size. I would have gone with 'small ships' and 'big ships' (or perhaps 'small and medium ships' and 'big ships' or possibly 'small ships' and 'medium and big ships').


Hans

They work for me.

And if some Travellers manage to get past the poor mad AI, the Admiralty Court can award them the ship (the Kinunir that is). Yeah they are most def taking the AI, but the rest might depending on the crew be negotiable. I suspect the launch tubes and Drop Marine BD is leaving too. After that, the ship, really, they can have that when I can throw one hundred times their weight at them with one ship. If they get stupid with it, well there is still an Imperial Navy, plus locals with SDBs.

Also, consider the Possiblity that they are named because that is their common environment. The average Traveller is mostly going to see the smaller ships, because the big boys are either an Event or they are hosed if they fight. Meanwhile the Captains Admirals, and Merchant Princes are moving the big boys around and having battles with them where adventurers get vapomized in their puny hulls.

Not sure if that is it, but I think it works.

 

[aramis]

That the two terms seems wildly imprecise to me. Adventurers don't usually have ship bigger than what the trade rules provide for in terms of goods and passengers, nor do they usually have military ships. And not all big ships are 'battle class' (which, since 2500T ships are very far from battleship size, presumably means 'combat ships').

If you're basing your categories on size, you should use terms that have to do with size. I would have gone with 'small ships' and 'big ships' (or perhaps 'small and medium ships' and 'big ships' or possibly 'small ships' and 'medium and big ships').


Hans

The distinction is based solely upon size, but that distinction has to do with what size ships a group of PC's are likely to be a significant chunk of the crew.

Note also: A bloke I know used to run a 25 PC campaign. John Ziv's campaign was 1PC per player, and yes, that does mean his gaming group filled his rather large greatroom... He also ran a 32 seat convention game once.

More importantly, the ACS system is intended for PC-sized ships, but goes up to that size because that makes for convenient breakpoints, not unlike how MGT caps at 2000Td and CT Bk2 at 5000Td.

Few would claim a 2400 Ton ship is a suitable ship to be crewed entirely by PC's (Mr. Ziv's group could have), but it's not entirely out of the question.

 

[rancke]

They work for me.

And they don't work for me. What's your point? You asked me what the issue was and I told you.

And if some Travellers manage to get past the poor mad AI, the Admiralty Court can award them the ship (the Kinunir that is)...

Few would claim a 2400 Ton ship is a suitable ship to be crewed entirely by PC's (Mr. Ziv's group could have), but it's not entirely out of the question.

Hence my use of the word 'usually'.


Hans

 

[Carlobrand]

...And if some Travellers manage to get past the poor mad AI, the Admiralty Court can award them the ship (the Kinunir that is). ...

You are very, very nice to your players. Me, I'd award them salvage value, but no way they'd get the ship.

 

[GypsyComet]

You are very, very nice to your players. Me, I'd award them salvage value, but no way they'd get the ship.

"Nice"? That really depends on the reactions of the first annual maintenance crew or even just Traffic Control to ping your shiny new ship's transponder. Worse than flying a recovered pirate hull, you're flying a *ghost*.

 

[rancke]

You are very, very nice to your players. Me, I'd award them salvage value, but no way they'd get the ship.

Actually, I was in a campaign once, long ago, where our referee allowed us to keep a Leviathan that we had captured from A Megacorporation (that was the name he gave us -- no, really!). Morally we were in the right -- they had attacked us -- but we weren't sure the authorities would see it that way, and the fuel bills were intimidating. So we offered it to A Rival Megacorporation (this time we came up with the name) in exchange for clear title to a 400T merchant ship. (We figured that a megacorporation would be able to "launder" a Leviathan, and a 400T ship for a 1800T ship, straight swap, would be too good a deal to pass up).


Hans

 

[Carlobrand]

Actually, I was in a campaign once, long ago, where our referee allowed us to keep a Leviathan that we had captured from A Megacorporation (that was the name he gave us -- no, really!). Morally we were in the right -- they had attacked us -- but we weren't sure the authorities would see it that way, and the fuel bills were intimidating. So we offered it to A Rival Megacorporation (this time we came up with the name) in exchange for clear title to a 400T merchant ship. (We figured that a megacorporation would be able to "launder" a Leviathan, and a 400T ship for a 1800T ship, straight swap, would be too good a deal to pass up).


Hans

How in the world did you beat a Leviathan? They're not great ships, but they still outgun most ships I'd expect to see players in. Broadsword?