Vehicles- Mostly Steampunk- some others

[barnest2]

A while back I posted some vehicles, showing how the vehicle design system did and did not work. I thought I would showcase some others I have designed. Most of the ones I post will probably be too low tech for most peoples games, but they are great fun to design. If you want one designed, or have your own designs, feel free to post them. Now, on with the vehicles:

TL4 biplane interceptor
A small, fast plane, designed to escort bomber missions into enemy territory. She is armed with 4 light machine guns mounted around the engine block, as well as a pintle mounted LMG for use by the co-pilot. She can cruise at over 300 miles per hour for nearly 12 hours, giving her a very good escort range. She is however essentially unarmoured, making her very vulnerable to enemy fire.

Stats:
Top Speed: 730kmh/450mph
Armament:
4 x forward LMG
1 x rear LMG
Crew:
2, pilot + co-pilot
Hull/Structure: 2/2
Volume: 16m cubed
Mass: 2768.75 kg
Cost: 38,100 credits

TL4 biplane bomber
Built on the same basic design as the above interceptor, with the same engine, this plane is designed to strike deep into enemy territory with a relatively heavy load of bombs. She is much slower than the interceptor, due to the weight of her armaments, but she still makes good speed, and has a very good range.

Stats:
Top Speed: 405kmh/250mph
Armament:
5 x medium bomb
1 x rear LMG
Crew:
2, pilot + co-pilot
Hull/Structure: 2/2
Volume: 16m cubed
Mass: 4990.75 kg
Cost: 32,100 credits

(There are some issues with the above design. Both use much less than their full volume in parts. However, using much more would reduce their speed significantly, so I left them as is.
Also, the LMG's are of course TL5. However I used them because they are the closest I could get to what these planes would be armed with)

 

[barnest2]

Got another one:

TL3 Steam tank
Imagine a tank. Now imagine it had been built a century ealier than it was. Chances are you would get something like the Steam tank below. She roves across the battlefield, her two cannons throwing balls of iron into enemy formations and fortifications. She is as well armoured as any castle, and her crew are completely protected from all but the most powerful guns. She belches smoke, often blanketing the battlefield entirely with its excretions, and can travel under her own steam for up too 15 hours. She has become the god of the 18th century battlefield.

Stats:
Top Speed: 50kmh/30mph
Off road speed: 7.5kmh/5mph
Armament:
2 x Turret mounted 9lb cannons
Crew:
7, Driver, commander, stoker, 4 gunners
Hull/Structure: 6/6
Armour: 9 points iron
Volume: 40m cubed
Mass: 14497.5 kg
Cost: 23060 credits

(Once again, an issue. Wheels are TL4, which is dumb, so shhh. Also welcome to Traveller: steampunk)

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Sweet!

I could easily see those on a low tech planet that KNOWS of higher technology but cannot duplicate it exactly.

As it says in the rules, lower tech worlds will often produce a less effective version of higher tech equipment.

Nice Job.

 

[barnest2]

Another one. I designed this due to the lack of examples of ground based orbital defences. It has its problems, but they're manageable

TL10 Orbital Defence Vehicle
The orbital defence vehicle is designed for sale to planets with little too no orbital infrastructure capable of defending their territory. It is a large tracked vehicle, capable of moving anywhere on the planet, albeit at low speeds. It mounts a re-configured box of twelve missiles which are normally mounted on board star ships, capable of firing into high orbit around most worlds. The vehicle has a very long loiter time of forty hours, and is set up to work perfectly well in any atmospheric environment including vacuum. it also mounts a very powerful sensor set-up, capable of reaching into low orbit, up too ranges of around 250km. However for most targeting it relies on being linked into targeting arrays stationed nearby.

Stats:
Top Speed: 18kmh/10mph
Off road speed: 9kmh/6mph
Armament:
1 x ASAT missile launcher
Crew:
7, Driver, commander, Radio operator, 2 sensor operators, 2 gunners
Hull/Structure: 14/17
Armour: 26 points light alloys
Sensors: advanced VLR compact sensors
Comms: Radio, 1000km range
Volume: 50m cubed
Mass: 91095 kg
Cost: 999275 credits

 

[steelbrok]

in my garage I still have my SHADO tracked missile launcher

 

[barnest2]

And another. I enjoy making steam powered weirdness:

TL4 Steam bomber
A relatively impressive vehicle which can be almost entirely built with very low tech resources, the steam bomber is a capable fighting plane, with a large payload. The plane is quite fast, and is well defended against enemy fighters by its machine guns, though the dorsal gunner is exposed to the elements when firing.The plane is very lightweight, essentially made of string and plywood, and at times it does leave long trails of smoke and water vapour, thanks to its power-plant.

Stats:
Top Speed: 151kmh/94mph
Armament:
1 x dorsal LMG
1 x rear LMG
5 x medium bomb
Crew:
6, pilot, co-pilot, bomber, engineer, 2 gunners
Hull/Structure: 3/3
Volume: 30m cubed
Mass: 11203.5 kg
Cost: 48850 credits

 

[barnest2]

Something to counter the above

TL4 Steam fighter
Designed to counter the bomber, this plane is made to launch from both runways and from Zeppelin carriers. It is a very small aircraft, and is in fact small enough that when its wings are detached it can fit into a single dTon aboard a starship. Like the bomber, it is steam powered, and is as delicately built, and is barely able to hold together under a combination of its own power and the recoil from its many guns. Also as with the bomber, it can mostly be built with much lower tech levels, meaning its manufacturing base can be very wide indeed.

Stats:
Top Speed: 420kmh/260mph
Armament:
8 x forward LMGS
Crew:
1, pilot
Hull/Structure: 2/2
Volume: 12m cubed
Mass: 2575.4 kg
Cost: 43700 credits

 

[far-trader]

Very cool low tech fun for the game, bound to surprise some ref's poor players somewhere... :twisted:

I enjoy making steam powered weirdness...

Well then, I have a request worded as a challenge

Can you build a steam helicopter?

Historical reference for the skeptics:

http://www.theflyingsteamshovel.com/?page_id=251

 

[barnest2]

Try this on for size then

TL4 Steam Helicopter
The earliest vehicles to truly prove the concept of air-cavalry, the steam helicopter can carry four special forces soldiers deep into enemy territory, and even clear its own landing zones of hostile forces. It is quite slow, making it easy to target, as well as being loud, but it has been used to good effect in a variety of conflicts by low tech forces to surprise enemies with new tactics.

Stats:
Top Speed: 115kmh/70mph
Armament:
1 x right LMG
1 x left LMG
Crew:
1, pilot
Passengers: 4
Hull/Structure: 1/2
Volume: 20m cubed
Mass: 3666.5 kg
Cost: 116000 credits


There you go. Not just a steam helicopter, but a goddamn steam Huey
I could build it with a larger engine at TL3, easily, but I wanted LMG's and passenger capacity, because then its still a fighting vehicle

 

[far-trader]

Cool

Well on our way to a full steam powered forces list

Tank (and APCs easily enough)

Aero Bomber (and transport easily enough)

Aero Fighter (and scout of course)

Helicopter (per your missions and rapid evac, etc., naturally)

...so what are we missing / forgetting? Steam jeeps of course, and other trucks.

HEY! Wasn't there a Mythbusters episode about the rumours of a US Civil War era steam powered rocket missile? Or am I confusing it with something else?

Hmmm, an amphibious assault craft?

 

[barnest2]

Did you say... Amphibious assault craft?

TL4 Steam powered assault ship
Originally designed as a boat for transporting troops onto beaches, engineers later added wheels to the plans, meaning the boat could drive up onto the land. She is very slow in the water, and doesn't make very good speed on land, but she can transport a full platoon of troops in relatively safety onto enemy held beaches. Two LMG's give it some capability to suppress any enemies holding the beaches, and the ship is as well armoured as a tank. This ship is best launched from a parent ship, due to its slow speed and shallow draught, but it can make its way across small stretches of ocean if needs be.

Stats:
Top Speed (wheeled): 94kmh/58mph
Top Speed (water): 20kmh/12mph
Armament:
1 x right forward LMG
1 x left forward LMG
Crew:
5, pilot, 2 gunners, 2 engineers
Passengers: 30
Hull/Structure: 15/15
Volume: 60m cubed
Mass: 17662.5 kg
Cost: 28760 credits

 

[barnest2]

Also, for your others:

Aero transport: instead of a bomber, it becomes an armed transport, which can carry 10 men with only a slight jump in speed.

APC: Same as the Tank, but its guns and turret are replaced by an extended cargo section, with enough room for 10 men again. No real speed change.

I will do a steam truck tomorrow. I'm also going too do a Super-tank destroyer, which will use a spaceship mount beam laser as its main armament, as well as a perfectly eco-friendly tank design (just because)

 

[Solomani666]

[rant]
IMHO the vehicles in both the civilian and military supplements stink.

Fusion PP sizes should continue to half every three tech levels and hydrogen consumption should be reduced by a factor of 10 or 20.

It's sad that almost non of the classic Traveller vehicles are in the book or can even be created usng the rules. An ATV being a prime example.

Both these supplements need to be redone.
[/rant]

 

[destraudo]

A steampunk vehicle supplement of these would be pretty awesome.

 

[barnest2]

These ones are very low tech. I could make TL8 steam tanks ith 120mm guns, or I could come up with some sort of steam cannon for short range defence.. this is giving me ideas.
Do you mean a home grown supplement, or you would like to see an official mong-trav supplement on steampunk?

I would love to see these done up as pictures that would be awesome

 

[barnest2]

here we go: I like steam vehicles, SO here comes the Steam trucks!

TL4 Steam truck
An early road going transport vehicle, this cargo truck can quite easily carry either 3000 kg's of cargo, or 16 passengers, as well as the two up front with the driver. It is unarmed and unarmoured, as it is designed to be used behind the front line, moving men and materiel around.

Stats:
Top Speed (unladen): 108kmh/68mph
Top Speed (fully laden): 60kmh/37mph
Crew:
1, driver
Passengers: 2/18
Hull/Structure: 3/3
Volume: 30m cubed
Mass: 3905 kg
Cost: 9250 credits

 

[barnest2]

I had an idea, and It led to something wonderful. I present:


TL4 Steam powered sky carrier
An ingenious design, first proposed as "a boat with a balloon attached". The first ever aircraft carrier, an impressive feat of engineering allowed it too fly through the air almost as quickly as the aircraft it carries. She can carry either twelve fighters or four bomber aircraft, though the bombers have to launch backwards due to speed restraints and the length of the runway. She is well armed, with eight LMG's giving all round air defence. She also mounts two turrets with two nine pounder cannons in each, too enable it too fight off other sky ships in close range combat. She is able to stay in the air for up too 80 hours, giving the ship very good range. She is unarmoured though, instead relying on tough construction and sheer size to protect her from enemy fire.

Stats:
Top Speed: 217kmh/135mph
Armament:
8 x LMG's (mounted around the ship)
2 x ventral twin turret mounted 9lb cannons
Crew: 33, 2 pilots, 2 engineers, 4 stokers, 2 sensor operators, 1 officer, 16 MG gunners, 8 main gunners
Passengers: 24
Hull/Structure: 350/350
Volume: 2000m cubed
Mass: 412590.3 kg
Cost: 3565065 credits

Yes, thats the assault carrier built 5 tech levels earlier than it should. Why? Because, dammit!

 

[BP]

Where's the steam powered submarines?

(P.S. - Mole machine would also make the selection more complete.)

 

[barnest2]

Could you actually have a steam engine work fine underwater? does it not need a constant oxygen feed, like the diesel engines which could only be used on the surface?

 

[DFW]

Could you actually have a steam engine work fine underwater? does it not need a constant oxygen feed, like the diesel engines which could only be used on the surface?

The US Navy's subs use a steam engine. Heat water to steam and drive turbines to make electricity & drive the prop shaft. We don't use diesel engines.