Starship Weapons Power Requirements

[Lorgan]

Hello everyone,

The patrol corvette starship has weapons power consumption set to 30 (both in High Guard and Core Rules, so I doubt it's an error). After analysis, I extracted the following:
- 4 for four triple turrets installed in the hull;
- 24 for a total of six pulse lasers on two turrets;
- 0 for six missile racks on the remaining two turrets.

When combined, it totals to 28, not 30. What have I missed?

Also, an additional question: can a starship have a turret, but no weapons installed on it, like the courier ship, or is it a mistake?

Thanks!

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I don't think you have missed anything...

 

[Condottiere]

When you have the time, always reverse engineer a design.

 

[Reynard]

My copy of High Guard lists the weapon power as 28.
No turret is requires initially to have weapons. No ship is initially required to have turrets. I find a non-military ship is best served with only a hardpoint initially allowing the turret and weapons be added to the taste of the players or referee.

 

[Condottiere]

I'd emplace a sun roof for my indoor garden.

 

[AndrewW]

Hello everyone,

The patrol corvette starship has weapons power consumption set to 30 (both in High Guard and Core Rules, so I doubt it's an error). After analysis, I extracted the following:

When combined, it totals to 28, not 30. What have I missed?

It is 28 in High Guard, if you have the PDF make sure you have the latest version.

 

[Lorgan]

So the Courier ship has just useless double turret in its default state? Weird.

AndrewW, I also have the physical copies of both Core Rules and High Guard. I'll check them once I'm back from work.

Thanks for clearing things up for me.

 

[Reynard]

What if they arbitrarily added a missile and sandcaster but players want badass beam or pulse lasers or they rather have a triple turret. You're starting with a free ship. The premise is it's decommissioned and weapons were remove. You begin with a lot of financial advantage. Use the savings as a front to get a couple weapons just avoid pirates and don't piss off the police cutters until then.

Notice the Seeker, Serpent class scout, Far trader, Free trader, Safari ship, Yacht and Laboratory ship all don't start with weapons. Some don't have turrets either. I think It was done very much on purpose to let players customize. Only a ruthless referee would take full advantage when the players are so defenseless.

 

[Lorgan]

Reynard, free ship? I made my players buy a new one, and bring the price down through ship shares and other benefits. They had very decent rolls, so it wasn't a pain. Also, there are plenty of ships available with weaponry equipped on the turrets, so this argument isn't very solid in my opinion. It would make much more sense if the whole turret was absent, like you yourself noted is the case for many other ships.

In the physical books I have the following (left - Core Rules; right - High Guard): https://i.imgur.com/yoDLAlB.jpg

Guess I'll have to rely on the HG then.

 

[AndrewW]

Guess I'll have to rely on the HG then.

While both books where in development at the same time, High Guard was released later and some corrections where able to be done that didn't make it into the Core Rulebook.

 

[Reynard]

Scout is normally a truly free ship during character creation including maintenance, fuel and upkeep. Other ships are on a mortgage and maintenance not included. Making players buy one is a ref decision as is the players finding ways to purchase/procure one (There's always High ad Dry). If you are making them buy one, did you also have them purchase weapons? The majority of ships with weapons aren't available as a benefit. They're outfitted like an NPC.

You sold players a new scout?! How generous of the Empire.

Personally I think player ships should make more use of the Older Ships section in the Core Rules. Take a quirk... or two or three and get a price break. Remember the Millennium Falcon was very quirky.

 

[Condottiere]

It's a HumVee.

There are probably commercial variants that you can buy new. Maybe even with a hot tub.

If it's on loan, especially along the frontiers, I doubt the Scouts would have the turret removed; possibly, they'll leave the the lasers, missile launchers, and/or sandcasters, since civilians have access to them.

 

[Reynard]

Obviously for several thousand years they didn't.

There should and are commercial variants such as the Seeker. Thing that bothers me, why are 100 ton ships all based on the scout lifting body hull? Scouts get an Ironclad patent on design? I'm sure the Empire is looking for me because I've designed 100 tonners that look nothing like scouts. I also leave turrets off but give the power plants enough extra juice in case of weapon upgrades. Remember to always slightly overpower your designs if only so the turret put in later can actually move.

 

[paltrysum]

The scout isn't actually "free." It's on loan. As indicated in the mustering out write-up, the scout ship "can (and will!)" be called back to active duty as necessary. Great adventure lead opportunity!

 

[Lorgan]

It's a bit complicated and quite possibly off canon at times, so bear with me.

Travellers in my game are all from the Khukish Subsector in the Corridor. One of them - navy officer turned scout - got an offer from a friendly high-ranking scout commander stationed in the Spinward Marches. She would receive a good used ship (free trader) for a very preferable price (this was justified mechanically by her great benefit rolls, an many ship shares). The only problem was: to get it, one would have to travel 73 parsecs away from home. She accepted the deal, gathered a crew, and - this is probably very controversial - got on an X-Boat with low berths and went into hibernation for a year and a half journey (what's better for such a long journey, than a ship destined to make it either way). This is where I tied my story with High and Dry adventure. After arrival in the starport on Flammarion and contacting the scout office it turned out that the originally contracted free trader had to be put to use (it's been a long time since the initial agreement). They were offered a replacement vessel on similarly good terms (less than a year-old Scout/Courier Type-S), but there was a catch: it had to be picked up from Walston. As an additional reward for the trouble, the crew was offered the expenses return and a year-long free ship servicing at scout bases.

 

[baithammer]

Obviously for several thousand years they didn't.

There should and are commercial variants such as the Seeker. Thing that bothers me, why are 100 ton ships all based on the scout lifting body hull? Scouts get an Ironclad patent on design? I'm sure the Empire is looking for me because I've designed 100 tonners that look nothing like scouts. I also leave turrets off but give the power plants enough extra juice in case of weapon upgrades. Remember to always slightly overpower your designs if only so the turret put in later can actually move.

Same reason certain classes of cars are based on the same frame.

As to the free scout, nope you have free use of the scout but the ship itself is still part of the scouts reserve.

 

[Reynard]

To clarify, by free I meant this is the only ship characters pay nothing at the beginning to acquire and, with planning, get free fuel and care.

 

[Condottiere]

When you have an overhead of five tonnes per jump drive, it becomes logical that almost all commercial starships start out at two hundred tonnes.

 

[steve98052]

As to the free scout, nope you have free use of the scout but the ship itself is still part of the scouts reserve.

The Scouts themselves are also part of the reserve, and can be called back into duty with their ships.