Ship Design Philosophy

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

1. This is the cheapest, legal jump drive, in accordance to High Guard design rules.

2. Which includes the minimum ten tonne requirement.

Except the budget 7.5 ton, late jump J-Drive in the Lone Trader in Traders and Gunboats.

It says 8 tons but the price matches 7.5 tons with late jump and Budget. Appears to be a rounding error as the price is a perfect match for 7.5 tons and budget.

 

[Condottiere]

It's illegal, under High Guard design rules.

A jump drive must be a minimum of 10 tons and they cost MCr1.5 per ton.

Exception:

Size Reduction: This reduces the tonnage consumed by the jump drive by 10%. This can take the drive below the minimum size of 10 tons.

If it's exceptional, a reason has to be addended.

Actually, the cheapest jump drive is the one shot, at one fourth cost, but also has a minimum of ten tonnes, which could be used three times, within a reasonable safety margin. Depreciation, though, is extreme.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

A. Blacklisted seems unlikely to affect equipment, only the spacecraft as a whole.

B. Well maintained reduces maintenance by fifty percent, and has a one in eighteen chance, per roll.

C. Concealed smuggling compartment seems unlikely inside a jump drive.

D. Tainted by chemical spills and leaks, though jump drive wouldn't be inside the cargo hold.

E. Damaged sensors likely means external ones.

F. Minus one to repair attempts would imply all spacecraft components, so one in six chance, per roll.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Actually, the cheapest jump drive is the one shot, at one fourth cost, but also has a minimum of ten tonnes, which could be used three times, within a reasonable safety margin. Depreciation, though, is extreme.

Never heard of that one.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm about the only one that dusts it off, occasionally, and drags it out of the cellar.


One-shot Jump Drives

A product of desperate shipyards, jump drives can be constructed to be used just once. With many corners cut in both design and manufacture, it is a brave Traveller who entrusts their voyage and life to these drives, but they provide very cheap access to the stars. Though they are coined ‘one-shot’ jump drives, the truly freckles can push their operation into additional jumps.

A one-shot jump drive is identical to those listed on page 14 of High Guard, with the following changes.
• Total tonnage consumed is reduced by 20% (the minimum of 10 tons still applies)
• Cost is reduced by 75%

Using a one-shot jump drive imposes DM-2 to Engineer(J-drive) checks. If the jump drive is used a second time, this increases to DM-4, and for a third time it increases to DM-8. No one will survive a fourth jump with these drives.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Thanks. I copied it into a House Rules document I have.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

G. Doubling maintenance costs, considering one thousandth becomes two thousandth, possibly four thousandths, per annum, is digestible, at five in thirty sixth chance, per roll.

H. Severely damaged hull, does not apply.

I. Damaged thrusters does not apply, but does need to dealt with with that other piece of engineering.

J. Ship reputation does not carry over to engineering.

K. Computer upgrade does not apply.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

L. Upgrade sensors, not applicable; also, upgrade quirk doesn't make the component better, just that it's been replaced, and if larger, you need to find the space for it.

M. Extra turret, if possible, not applicable, but extremely interesting, if all slots take up.

N. Notorious battle, and enemies; not applicable.

O. Distinction, and good reputation; not applicable.

P. Add a weapon, not applicable.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

Q. Leaky Reactor Core: Roll 2D when the ship jumps.

R. As far as I know, jump drives have no reactor core.

S. Could be that when the power plant goes above a certain capacity percentage, it starts to leak.

T. On a 12, all crew receive 2D x 20 rads.

U. How about hardened compartments, or just lining the engineering compartment with lead?

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

V. Luxurious starship, doesn't apply.

W. Library is corrupted or has hidden files, doesn't apply.

X. Vessel contains disturbing psionic echoes.

Y. The jump drive screams every time it enters jumpspace?

Z. This one is a little hard to pin down, but might extend to most, or all, ship components, one in nine chance, per roll.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

1. So, what you want is a second hand jump drive, that's two hundred and fifty one years old, without any quirks.

2. Though, well maintained would be nice, at half annual maintenance cost.

3. Forty percent discount of eight and one tenth megastarbux is 4'860'000.00.

4. In theory, once a ship component passes it's two hundred and fifty first birthday, it doesn't need to roll for any further quirks.

5. Or, to be more precise, can't be effected by them.

6. Gold certified jump drives could stay within a family of freetraders for millenia, and be passed down from father to son.

7. Presumably, maintenance still defaults to eighty one hundred starbux per annum.

8. And if it remains a family heirloom, it's basically a sunk cost.

9. Inheritance tax, gift tax, or transfer tax, may still apply.