Ship Help

[Rhonin84]

Ok...I have to admit that I have never really done much with the ships while playing traveler BUT now we are going to be spending more time a ship. I as the GM, am giving the players a Type A3 Far Trader but I want to upgrade the Jump Drive to a Jump 3 and the Maneuver Drive to a Thrust of 3...and I am lost on how this would impact the standard ship.

Any kind souls who would help I would appreciate it...

 

[AndrewW]

It will take up more space and money. May need to rearrange things to account for the extra space taken up. Plus extra fuel as well.

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

The short version:
You’ll lose a lot of cargo space. Both Jump and M-drives will become larger, and it’s possible that you’ll need a bigger power plant too.

In order to actually be able to utilize jump-3 you’ll also need fuel for the additional parsec.

I’ll try to give a more detailed answer, with numbers, later when I’m not occupied with cooking dinner

Edit: AndrewW said it quicker and better, while I was typing

 

[Old School]

At 200 tons, taking the M Drive from 1 to 3 increases its cost by MCr 8 (4 to 12), and its size by 4 tons (2 to 6). Power usage is increased from 20 to 60.

Taking theJdrive from 2 parsecs to 3 increases its costs by MCr 7.5 (22.5 to 30) and its size by 5 tons (from 15 tons to 20). Power usage increases from 40 to 60. You need another 20 tons of fuel tank (no cost).


To cover the increased power usage, you need another 2 tons of TL12 power plant, costing MCr2 and providing 30 power.

Totals: 17.5Mcr increased cost, 31 tons of space (take away from cargo, low berths, or staterooms).

Thats a very nice ship to tool around in, but it won’t pay for itself as a trader. Too expensive, not enough cargo space. So you do have to give it to them, or at least heavily subsidize it.

 

[AndrewW]

Taking theJdrive from 2 parsecs to 3 increases its costs by MCr 7.5 (22.5 to 30) and its size by 5 tons (from 15 tons to 20). Power usage increases from 40 to 60. You need another 20 tons of fuel tank (no cost).

In this particular case there will be as the ship isn't setup to carry that much fuel, so will need to install a tank for it in the cargo hold or something.

Power plant may or may not need upgrading, nothing says you have to have everything running at the same time. Putting in a battery for jumps can be an option as well.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends on intent and need; if it's a refit of an existing ship, it would probably cost more than it's worth, and since the alphabet drives are no longer with us, the engines might well have to be custom built.

If money isn't that much of an object, get hold of a Broadsword mercenary cruiser, with the requisite performance, plus two modular cutters.

 

[Old School]

Taking theJdrive from 2 parsecs to 3 increases its costs by MCr 7.5 (22.5 to 30) and its size by 5 tons (from 15 tons to 20). Power usage increases from 40 to 60. You need another 20 tons of fuel tank (no cost).

In this particular case there will be as the ship isn't setup to carry that much fuel, so will need to install a tank for it in the cargo hold or something.

Power plant may or may not need upgrading, nothing says you have to have everything running at the same time. Putting in a battery for jumps can be an option as well.

Costs: I took the question to mean he was just changing the stats of the ship he is going to give his players, not actually retrofitting an existing ship. Retrofitting would obviously come at substantial cost, but these costs (and whether they are even possible) are not directly covered by the rules.

As for the powerplant, the type A2 far trader presented in the rule books has power 75. Ship systems and jump-3 combined require power 100. He needs more powerplant.

 

[Rhonin84]

Ok...

So this is part of the 5 character history...something that brought them all together early in their careers and as time has worn on they have worked on it a little at a time in their respective "down times". To make it simple, it was a salvage that they all have "bought" into and now that they have all retired want to travel with it picking odd jobs and cargo along the way..

I hope that helps and any numbers that can be crunched is very much appreciated!!

 

[Condottiere]

With salvage, you have to use existing components, especially if you want to mix and match.

It's quite possible that you can get the shell of an existing starship, and reinstall the removed components through auction sites and salvage yards, players getting very excited if they discover gems that are easily made functional for minimal prices.

Before this starts off, discuss how much space the starship will require, not taken up by ship components. If you're just trekking along the primary and secondary trade routes, you won't need more than jump two, and manoeuvre two will get you on and off almost all human settlements.

 

[Rhonin84]

They want to operate in the Trojan reach area and insist they want the jump 3 and the thrust 3...just in case was the consensus.

They are going to be making the deals in hindsight and using some of their contacts and allies they rolled to explain some of the deals they made to equip the ship with what’s needed.

 

[Baldo]

If money isn't that much of an object, get hold of a Broadsword mercenary cruiser, with the requisite performance, plus two modular cutters.

In this particular case there will be as the ship isn't setup to carry that much fuel, so will need to install a tank for it in the cargo hold or something.

This reminds me of a doubt we had with the Broadsword deckplans in High Guard 2nd Ed (page 149). Those (unkeyed) deckplans have a Luxury Suite (10 tons), a Medical Bay (4x2 tons), a High Stateroom (6 tons), a galley (another Common Area, 6 or 7 tons) and an Armory (5 or 6 tons) in addition to the other stuff listed in the stats (page 148). And you know what? We used those deckplans INSTEAD of the regular stats (a military ship *must* have Medical Bays, Armories, etc. etc.)! And because we supposed those 30+ additional tons came from the fuel tanks, we discarded/sold one of the cutters and turned its docking bay into fuel tanks (no cost), cargo space (no cost) and a Briefing Room.
Have we done right with the ship setup, here?

 

[phavoc]

It would be easy enough for them to get the ship already specced out to operate in the rift area. Lots of ships will have made changes to make that crossing.

 

[Rhonin84]

It would be easy enough for them to get the ship already specced out to operate in the rift area. Lots of ships will have made changes to make that crossing.

I assumed as much as well but I was going cross eyed trying to math it all out!

 

[AndrewW]

As for the powerplant, the type A2 far trader presented in the rule books has power 75. Ship systems and jump-3 combined require power 100. He needs more powerplant.

You only need power for the jump drive when you first jump, that could be supplied by a battery.

 

[Condottiere]

How about the Patrol Corvette? Assuming some military action is involved.

If the business plan involves trade, you could get a bank loan to underwrite a new starship precisely specced to requirements, if guaranteed by one or two prominent patrons.

Next up would be the subsidized liner.

 

[Rhonin84]

Is the type R bigger? I’m away from my books currently..I thought the one presented in the Great Rift box set might work.

 

[Old School]

You only need power for the jump drive when you first jump, that could be supplied by a battery.

He also wants to increase the m drive to the same power requirement. Batteries seem to me to be an obviously inferior choice given the desired specs. He could drop the life suport every time he wanted to use full thrust, but doens't that seem silly?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

You'd end up with something like this:

Using a 200 Dton streamlined hull, it has performance of jump-3 and 3 g acceleration. There is fuel tankage of 61 Dton, enough for 4 weeks and 1 jump-3.
The ship has a bridge. Adjacent to the bridge is a m/10/bis computer. The sensor suite include a civilian sensor.
There are ten staterooms. There are ten tons of common area and a loading belt.
There are two turrets.
There is an Air/raft in an Docking Space.
Cargo capacity is 26 Dton. The ship requires a crew of six: a pilot, an astrogator, an engineer, two service crew, and two gunners. The ship costs MCr 77,9.

Note that the ship would be very unprofitable as a freighter...

Without a mortgage it would be very profitable.

 

[AndrewW]

]He also wants to increase the m drive to the same power requirement. Batteries seem to me to be an obviously inferior choice given the desired specs. He could drop the life suport every time he wanted to use full thrust, but doens't that seem silly?

I didn't say it was the best solution, just another possibility.

There are choices, whatever one would work best is up to the referee and players.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

If we, as suggested, use a Subsidised Merchant base with the recovered drives, computer and sensors (and perhaps a few turrets) from a Patrol Frigate we get something like this:

Using a 400 Dton streamlined hull, it has performance of jump-3 and 4 g acceleration. There is fuel tankage of 123 Dton, enough for 4 weeks and 1 jump-3.
The ship has a bridge. Adjacent to the bridge is a m/15 computer. The sensor suite include a military sensor.
There are 19 staterooms. There are five tons of common area.
There are two turrets.
There is a Launch in a Docking Space.
Cargo capacity is 63 Dton. The ship requires a crew of five: a pilot, an astrogator, an engineer, and two service crew. The ship costs MCr 172,8.

Note that I used full price for the drives, but they should probably be cheaper if they are used from another ship. Reduce the price and hence any mortgage (if applicable).