Core Rules extension for Hulls, Drives, and Power Plants

[Tom Kalbfus]

This is what I worked out with my spreadsheet I used greek letters excluding the ones that looked like latin letters to avoid confusion:

The Hull
Hull Hull Code Price (MegaCredits) Names
100 tons 1 2 One
200 tons 2 8 Two
300 tons 3 12 Three
400 tons 4 16 Four
500 tons 5 32 Five
600 tons 6 48 Six
700 tons 7 64 Seven
800 tons 8 80 Eight
900 tons 9 90 Nine
1,000 tons A 100 Aee
1,200 tons C 120 See
1,400 tons E 140 Ee
1,600 tons G 160 Gee
1,800 tons J 180 Jay
2,000 tons L 200 El
2,200 tons Γ 220 Gamma
2,400 tons Δ 240 Delta
2,600 tons Θ 260 Theta
2,800 tons Λ 280 Lambda
3,000 tons Ξ 300 Xi
3,200 tons Π 320 Pi
3,400 tons Σ 340 Sigma
3,600 tons Φ 360 Phi
3,800 tons Ψ 380 Psi
4,000 tons Ω 400 Omega

Here we have the drive tons and costs:
Drive Costs
Drive | J-Drive |M-Drive |P-Plant |P-Plant
Code |Tons MCr |Tons MCr |Tons MCr |Tons Fuel per 2 weeks
A | 10 : 10 |2 : 4 |4 : 8 |2
B | 15 : 20 |3 : 8 |7 : 16 |4
C | 20 : 30 |5 : 12 |10 : 24 |6
D | 25 : 40 |7 : 16 |13 : 32 |8
E | 30 : 50 |9 : 20 |16 : 40 |10
F | 35 : 60 |11 : 24 |19 : 48 |12
G | 40 : 70 |13 : 28 |22 : 56 |14
H | 45 : 80 |15 : 32 |25 : 64 |16
J | 50 : 90 |17 : 36 |28 : 72 |18
K | 55 : 100 |19 : 40 |31 : 80 |20
L | 60 : 110 |21 : 44 |34 : 88 |22
M | 65 : 120 |23 : 48 |37 : 96 |24
N | 70 : 130 |25 : 52 |40 : 104 |26
P | 75 : 140 |27 : 56 |43 : 112 |28
Q | 80 : 150 |29 : 60 |46 : 120 |30
R | 85 : 160 |31 : 64 |49 : 128 |32
S | 90 : 170 |33 : 68 |52 : 136 |34
T | 95 : 180 |35 : 72 |55 : 144 |36
U | 100 : 190 |37 : 76 |58 : 152 |38
V | 105 : 200 |39 : 80 |61 : 160 |40
W | 110 : 210 |41 : 84 |64 : 168 |42
X | 115 : 220 |43 : 88 |67 : 176 |44
Y | 120 : 230 |45 : 92 |70 : 184 |46
Z | 125 : 240 |47 : 96 |73 : 192 |48
Γ | 130 : 250 |49 : 100 |76 : 200 |50
Δ | 155 : 300 |59 : 120 |91 : 240 |60
Θ | 180 : 350 |69 : 140 |106 : 280 |70
Λ | 205 : 400 |79 : 160 |121 : 320 |80
Ξ | 230 : 450 |89 : 180 |136 : 360 |90
Π | 255 : 500 |99 : 200 |151 : 400 |100
Σ | 280 : 550 |109 : 220 |166 : 440 |110
Φ | 305 : 600 |119 : 240 |181 : 480 |120
Ψ | 330 : 650 |129 : 260 |196 : 520 |130
Ω | 355 : 700 |139 : 280 |211 : 560 |140

Finally we have the drive performances for the various sized hulls:
Performance by Hull Volume
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 Thrust
A 2 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 200 tons
B 4 2 1 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 400 tons
C 6 3 2 1 1 1 - - - - - - - - - 600 tons
D - 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 - - - - - - - 800 tons
E - 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - 1000 tons
F - 6 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - 1200 tons
G - - 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - 1400 tons
H - - 5 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - 1600 tons
J - - 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - 1800 tons
K - - - 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2000 tons
L - - - 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2200 tons
M - - - 6 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2400 tons
N - - - - 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2600 tons
P - - - - 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 2800 tons
Q - - - - 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 3000 tons
R - - - - - 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 3200 tons
S - - - - - 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 3400 tons
T - - - - - 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 3600 tons
U - - - - - - 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 3800 tons
V - - - - - - 5 5 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 4000 tons
W - - - - - - 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 4200 tons
X - - - - - - - 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 4400 tons
Y - - - - - - - 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 4600 tons
Z - - - - - - - 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 4800 tons
Γ - - - - - - - - 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 5000 tons
Δ - - - - - - - - - 6 5 4 3 3 3 6000 tons
Θ - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 4 3 3 7000 tons
Λ - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 4 4 8000 tons
Ξ - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 4 9000 tons
Π - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 10000 tons
Σ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 11000 tons
Φ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 12000 tons
Ψ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13000 tons
Ω - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14000 tons

Performance by Hull Volume Continued
2200 2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400 3600 3800 4000
A - - - - - - - - - - 200 tons
B - - - - - - - - - - 400 tons
C - - - - - - - - - - 600 tons
D - - - - - - - - - - 800 tons
E - - - - - - - - - - 1000 tons
F - - - - - - - - - - 1200 tons
G - - - - - - - - - - 1400 tons
H - - - - - - - - - - 1600 tons
J - - - - - - - - - - 1800 tons
K - - - - - - - - - - 2000 tons
L 1 - - - - - - - - - 2200 tons
M 1 1 - - - - - - - - 2400 tons
N 1 1 1 - - - - - - - 2600 tons
P 1 1 1 1 - - - - - - 2800 tons
Q 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - 3000 tons
R 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - 3200 tons
S 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - 3400 tons
T 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - 3600 tons
U 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 3800 tons
V 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4000 tons
W 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4200 tons
X 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4400 tons
Y 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4600 tons
Z 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4800 tons
Γ 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5000 tons
Δ 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 6000 tons
Θ 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 7000 tons
Λ 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8000 tons
Ξ 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 9000 tons
Π 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 10000 tons
Σ 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 11000 tons
Φ 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 12000 tons
Ψ 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 13000 tons
Ω - 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 14000 tons

I used the formula Thrust/Hull tonnage to derive the acceleration ratings in Earth gravities. I know it doesn't look quite like the values in the core rulebook.

 

[phavoc]

You might want to just make this a pdf attachment and put it up that way...

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

You might want to just make this a pdf attachment and put it up that way...

I am planning on making an enlarged Lab Ship, so it could spin for 1g of gravity, this requires that it be 200 meters in diameter. If we increased the size by 6 times, the lab ship would be 86400 tons, if we only increased the floor plans by 6 times, but kept the ceiling heights the same it would be 14400 tons, The Omega drive delivers 14000 tons of thrust and thus give it 1 G of acceleration, but in my setting it would be 0.01g of acceleration with the 140 tons of thrust it would deliver in Triplanetary.

One other possibility is just to stretch the ring, increase its circumference by six times, this would the hull displacement to 2400 tons, it would be a thin ring, but if I am to use the table's I created, this would be the way I would go.

 

[phavoc]

You might want to just make this a pdf attachment and put it up that way...

I am planning on making an enlarged Lab Ship, so it could spin for 1g of gravity, this requires that it be 200 meters in diameter. If we increased the size by 6 times, the lab ship would be 86400 tons, if we only increased the floor plans by 6 times, but kept the ceiling heights the same it would be 14400 tons, The Omega drive delivers 14000 tons of thrust and thus give it 1 G of acceleration, but in my setting it would be 0.01g of acceleration with the 140 tons of thrust it would deliver in Triplanetary.

One other possibility is just to stretch the ring, increase its circumference by six times, this would the hull displacement to 2400 tons, it would be a thin ring, but if I am to use the table's I created, this would be the way I would go.

You could keep the ring at roughly the same size by simply doubling it's thickness. The lab ship has needed better corridors anyway.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

You might want to just make this a pdf attachment and put it up that way...

I am planning on making an enlarged Lab Ship, so it could spin for 1g of gravity, this requires that it be 200 meters in diameter. If we increased the size by 6 times, the lab ship would be 86400 tons, if we only increased the floor plans by 6 times, but kept the ceiling heights the same it would be 14400 tons, The Omega drive delivers 14000 tons of thrust and thus give it 1 G of acceleration, but in my setting it would be 0.01g of acceleration with the 140 tons of thrust it would deliver in Triplanetary.

One other possibility is just to stretch the ring, increase its circumference by six times, this would the hull displacement to 2400 tons, it would be a thin ring, but if I am to use the table's I created, this would be the way I would go.

You could keep the ring at roughly the same size by simply doubling it's thickness. The lab ship has needed better corridors anyway.

I got the classic blueprints, a description of it has it at 35 meters in radius, so I just have to triple it to get over 100 meters in radius. The ring in the blueprint is 5 meters thick, it is a skinny spindly ring if I triple its radius/diameter/circumference. In the diagram, I made the engine pods and the bridge bigger to compensate. The lab ship is listed as 400 tons, so tripling it makes it 1200 tons, if I wanted to make it twice as thick, it would become 2400 tons. The spindly version would have 60 staterooms instead of 20. The reason I want it this big is to get a 1-g centrifugal force without rapid rotation that would cause nausia, at 100 meters radius, this ship rotates slow enough to avoid this unpleasant effect, The standard Lab ship could rotate at 0.33 g maybe as high as 1 Martian gravity 0.38 g. My setting doesn't have grav plating, it hasn't been invented yet. Most ships accelerate at 1% to 6% of 1 g, this makes interplanetary travel take days and weeks instead of hours, the engines are reaction engine, thus the space otherwise allocated for jump fuel goes for reaction mass instead. The lab ship comes with a 40 ton pinnace, tripling that allows it to have a 95 ton shuttle instead with some room to spare.

 

[phavoc]

Have you thought about going with a spin habitat around a central body, like what you saw on 2010 movie? Or the Babylon 5 cruisers? I think 2300 uses the same concepts. Unless you needed the ring shape for a reason?

 

[zero]

This seems the best time to ask this question; Have we got official Mongoose ruling on spin habs and how to deckplan them yet? That there are no real spinhabs in the Core or High Guard erks me some when we have the rules for creating ships before grav came in...

 

[AndrewW]

This seems the best time to ask this question; Have we got official Mongoose ruling on spin habs and how to deckplan them yet? That there are no real spinhabs in the Core or High Guard erks me some when we have the rules for creating ships before grav came in...

2300AD and Supplement 14: Space Stations both have some.

 

[Infojunky]

This seems the best time to ask this question; Have we got official Mongoose ruling on spin habs and how to deckplan them yet? That there are no real spinhabs in the Core or High Guard erks me some when we have the rules for creating ships before grav came in...

That is covered in Traveller2300, also Note that Grav Tech is one of the fundamental Setting technologies at TL9. With that there is some discussion about spin Habitats in the Space Stations book.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Have you thought about going with a spin habitat around a central body, like what you saw on 2010 movie? Or the Babylon 5 cruisers? I think 2300 uses the same concepts. Unless you needed the ring shape for a reason?

I had an idea about docking a Mercenary Crusier at the central docking ring. Add an 800 ton Merc Cruiser to a 1200 ton lab ship, and you got a 2000 ton combined ship. No need to worry about the Jump drives as their are none. One possible idea is use the ring as a fighter carrier.

 

[wbnc]

For a lab ship I can see why you would want a Spin ring, since there might be experiments you don't want grav-plates interfering with.

the extra engineering adding a stable, mobile portion to the ship, with the complex connections that allow direct access and delivery of power/life support to the rig, would require would be expensive. More expensive than simple grav-plating.

a couple of ways to handle the engineering issue would be to rig a fixed ring, and spin the entire ship. close to the enter the spin forces would be easy to overcome with grav plating and a fairly simple area when you switch form AG to spin gravity would be cheaper than building an independent spin ring.

Another idea might be a ring of connected modules, with modules attached in one region, and clamps for other modules on the bulk of the ring. That way you can have a fairly light ring with most of the structure being a pressurized walkway, and rigid framework to support the docking clamps.

 

[phavoc]

If you were spinning the entire ring, what would (if any) torsional forces be from having engines mounted as an opposite pair on the ring platform? Would that cause any stress or impart an odd wobble to the ship? I'm thinking not, since it's space, but usually most drives are at the center of gravity for a ship. I'm visualizing a flying cork-screw motion.

Any engineer want to take a stab at this one?

 

[wbnc]

I'm not an engineer. I do know a little about aerodynamics and aircraft though.
Now I do know that with twin engine aircraft that one engine going out can cause asymmetric thrust. the stronger engine will try to push the nose of the aircraft into spin, usually the vertical stabilizer is enough to hold the aircraft in the proper attitude, but if the forces overpower the effect of the stabilizer and rudder the aircraft goes into a spin.
The same problem can occur in ocean going ships with twin screws, one shaft seizes, or a propeller gets damaged, and the ship tries to turn to one side or the other. I know from experience that can be a serious surprise if your not expecting it...

Since a space ship has no such system, it would have to correct with it's maneuvering thrusters, and other grav plates.... so loosing one engine would be a problem for the ship. a total loss of power in one engine while under full thrust might cause it to go into a spin, not a fatal problem as long as it wasn't near an object, or trying to make a landing.

The ship would be severely limited by the loss of one drive. it wouldn't be limited to just half power, it's thrust limit would be determined by the amount of counter force it's directional control system could generate to counter the torque generated by the drive imbalance.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

I'm not an engineer. I do know a little about aerodynamics and aircraft though.
Now I do know that with twin engine aircraft that one engine going out can cause asymmetric thrust. the stronger engine will try to push the nose of the aircraft into spin, usually the vertical stabilizer is enough to hold the aircraft in the proper attitude, but if the forces overpower the effect of the stabilizer and rudder the aircraft goes into a spin.
The same problem can occur in ocean going ships with twin screws, one shaft seizes, or a propeller gets damaged, and the ship tries to turn to one side or the other. I know from experience that can be a serious surprise if your not expecting it...

Since a space ship has no such system, it would have to correct with it's maneuvering thrusters, and other grav plates.... so loosing one engine would be a problem for the ship. a total loss of power in one engine while under full thrust might cause it to go into a spin, not a fatal problem as long as it wasn't near an object, or trying to make a landing.

The ship would be severely limited by the loss of one drive. it wouldn't be limited to just half power, it's thrust limit would be determined by the amount of counter force it's directional control system could generate to counter the torque generated by the drive imbalance.

The Lab ship has two engine pods on opposite ends of the ring for balance. The lab ship was not built for combat. Most ships have just one engine, and the loss of that would incapacitate that as well. The reason I like the lab ship for my campaign is because there is no grav plating, so I'm making Tech Level 8 versions of each common spaceship, there are no jump drives, the jump fuel tanks are now for reaction mass, which the manuever drives require, reactionless engines haven't been invented yet either.

Basically the setting is a lot like today's world, the main difference is that Mars and Venus are habitable planets no need even for space suits or breathing masks. Venus has an 8 (Dense) atmosphere and Mars has a 5 (thin) atmosphere, so the Solar System has 3 habitable planets, the spacecraft are more advanced than ours, but the current year is our present 2014 in this campaign. The equipment available is today's equipment, characters carry pistols and rifles, flak jackets and ballistic cloth are the armor that's available, and of course the Vacc Suit. The best analog is the recent Battlestar Galactica series, where the technology is todays tech except for space ships, but Triplanetary doesn't even have FTL drives or artificial gravity generators, still it has portable Thorium fission reactors to power the spaceships. Spaceships are propelled either by Nerva rockets (nuclear rockets expelling heated hydrogen gas) and ion drives (electric and magnetic fields accelerating charged particles) The ion drives have acceleration from 1% to 6% of an Earth Gravity, these are used for interplanetary travel. For getting off a planet's surface there are drives rated from 1 to 6 gs but these use a lot of fuel! Turns out the ion drives get us to the neighboring planets in a month or less, which is far superior to the chemical rockets we have in the real world.

In the Triplanetary timeline World War II never happened, it was interupted by a radio signal from the rings of Venus. (In this setting the planet Venus has a set or artificial rings which keep it cool, set up by the "Ancients") Because World War II never occured the 6 powers which dominated the world in the 1930s are still around. The British Empire is colonizing space along with Russia, The Third Reich, The Japanese Empire, The United States, and France. China or a part of it has been annexed by the Japanese Empire, and Japanese are brutally suppressing rebellion in its conquered provinces of China. The Nazis rule Germany, Hitler is dead of course, and the more extreme form of Nazism is no longer practised, but the people in power in Berlin want to stay in Power abd wat to expand the power and reach of the Third Reich, since nuclear weapons constrain their expansion on Earth, they have focused their imperial conquest into space. The British are out establishing more colonies on Mars and Venus, the Russians have theirs, as do the Americans and the French. The League of Nations is still around, the United States is now a member. FDR was a 2 term president, as their was no World War II to justify him running for a Third Term so he didn't. Wendell Wilkie was the next President followed by Charles Lindbergh, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. was the next president in the 1960s and was shot by a Nazi in 1963 after a blockade of Cuba after the Fascist Regime their started receiving missiles from Germany. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the next President, completing Joseph Kennedy's first term and getting elected for a second. Barry Goldwater in 1968, followed by Buzz Aldrin in 1976. Meanwhile in Germany Werner Von Braun becomes Fuhrer of Germany 1970 to 1980, where Germany undertakes a massive expansion into space.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Here is a drive table consistent with the one in the core rules, I just extended the pattern down to larger drives and hulls:

_ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A C E G J L
A 2 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B 4 2 1 1 - - - - - - - - - - -
C 6 3 2 1 1 1 - - - - - - - - -
D - 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 - - - - - - -
E - 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - -
F - 6 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - -
G - - 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 - - -
H - - 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -
J - - 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 -
K - - - 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
L - - - 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
M - - - 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1
N - - - 6 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2
P - - - - 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
Q - - - - 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
R - - - - 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3
S - - - - 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3
T - - - - - 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3
U - - - - - 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4
V - - - - - 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4
W - - - - - - 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4
X - - - - - - 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4
Y - - - - - - 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4
Z - - - - - - 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4
Γ - - - - - - - - 6 6 6 6 5 5 5
Δ - - - - - - - - - 6 6 6 6 5 5
Θ - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 6 5 5
Λ - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 6 5
Ξ - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 6
Π - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6
Σ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
Φ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
Ψ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ω - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Performance by Hull Volume Continued
N Q S U W Y Γ Δ Θ Λ
A - - - - - - - - - -
B - - - - - - - - - -
C - - - - - - - - - -
D - - - - - - - - - -
E - - - - - - - - - -
F - - - - - - - - - -
G - - - - - - - - - -
H - - - - - - - - - -
J - - - - - - - - - -
K - - - - - - - - - -
L 1 - - - - - - - - -
M 1 1 - - - - - - - -
N 1 1 1 - - - - - - -
P 2 1 1 1 - - - - - -
Q 2 2 1 1 1 - - - - -
R 2 2 2 1 1 1 - - - -
S 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 - - -
T 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -
U 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 -
V 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
W 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
X 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1
Y 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2
Z 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
Γ 4 4 1 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
Δ 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3
Θ 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3
Λ 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3
Ξ 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4
Π 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4
Σ 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4
Φ 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4
Ψ 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4
Ω - 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4

The Hull
Hull Hull Code Price
100 tons 1 MCr2
200 tons 2 MCr8
300 tons 3 MCr12
400 tons 4 MCr16
500 tons 5 MCr32
600 tons 6 MCr48
700 tons 7 MCr64
800 tons 8 MCr80
900 tons 9 MCr90
1,000 tons A MCr100
1,200 tons C MCr120
1,400 tons E MCr140
1,600 tons G MCr160
1,800 tons J MCr180
2,000 tons L MCr200
2,200 tons Γ MCr220
2,400 tons Δ MCr240
2,600 tons Θ MCr260
2,800 tons Λ MCr280
3,000 tons Ξ MCr300
3,200 tons Π MCr320
3,400 tons Σ MCr340
3,600 tons Φ MCr360
3,800 tons Ψ MCr380
4,000 tons Ω MCr400