The behavior of starships is much like that of modern warships. It is true that a starship must move through a three-dimensional medium and therefore some of the principles of aircraft maneuvering apply, but for the most part the same terminologies and tactics that apply to modern naval warfare apply to starships (3D combat, in terms of game play, would end up playing out like two-dimensional combat with the third-dimension acting as an additional range modifier, making the game more complex than it need be). Because of this, there is a need for different starships to perform many different tasks. A starship that is excellent at bombarding a planetary target will probably be far too slow to act as a pirate interdictor, and a good interdictor is probably too lightly defended to be reasonably survivable in a major battle. To facilitate the different needs of fleets with their warships, there are a number of different chassis types available.
Starships in SFRPG are built and modified in much the same way as vehicles, though there are a few key differences between starships and smaller space vehicles. All starships are quite a good deal larger than other types of vehicles; no starship may be of size class twelve or lower. It's also assumed that all starships have a Sublight Engine and a Superphotonic Engine installed as part of the chassis, as well as two External Docking Port modules. Because of this fact, starships use their own set of basic equipment (including engines; a Class One starship engine is one step above a Class Ten vehicle engine). There are no individual types of users for a starship: a starship may be either civil or military, and civil ships are still allowed weapons (though they shouldn't have too many...two or three at the most). A starship may not enter planetary atmosphere if it is Size Class 20 or higher. Finally, Those ships that can enter atmosphere are assumed to have a maximum speed of 10,000 kph regardless of engine class.
Each chassis type affects several of the starship’s basic statistics. Included in the following profiles are the following:
- Overview: This gives an overview of the chassis type and describes its basic characteristics.
- Weight: This lists the specific weight of the specific chassis being described. Like vehicles, all starship chassis have seven variations of weight, from super light to super heavy.
- Base Cost: This lists the basic cost of a ship that uses the starship chassis. This number is listed in MU/SP. In campaigns where a player is allowed multiple ships, this is the cost for the ship itself. A starship comes with all the basic necessities needed to run the ship (bridge, sensors, TV bay, internal cargo area, etc). Remember, unlike vehicles, the cost listed here is the actual chassis cost; there is no cost modifier for starships.
- Size Class Range: This gives the range of size classes that are available for the chassis. There are several different game effects that may occur if a starship is of a certain size class or not (for example, ships that are size class 20 or higher cannot enter planetary atmosphere).
- Base HD Ratings: This lists the base hit difficulty ratings for the chassis weight. As with characters and vehicles, this will help determine how hard the starship is to damage. If a chassis has multiple HD ratings, use the set for the specific size class needed as indicated in parenthesis.
- Number of Accessories: This stat gives the number of pod bay slots the chassis has for extra equipment, such as cargo pods, hangars, blastopods, weapons mounts, and the like.
- Limitations: This final stat lists the limitations of the basic chassis type. Limitations are listed as the maximum class of basic equipment that may be installed on a chassis of a given type.
Corvette
Corvettes are typically very light starships that help fill the gap between a bomber and a destroyer. They tend to be small and usually have a very small crew complement. They also usually sacrifice armor plating for raw speed, so they are not well suited for heavy combat. On a positive note, they are among the fastest warships in existence, can go toe to toe with fightercraft and expect to be victorious, and are usually very inexpensive. They are best used as scouting and patrol craft but are also good at light escort duties and in a pinch they can be called upon for surgical strike and zone defense missions. Their versatility makes them popular craft among navies.
Corvette| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 130,000 | 13 | 64/62/64 | 2 |
|---|
| Very Light | 170,000 | 14 | 63/62/63 | 3 |
|---|
| Light | 210,000 | 14 | 63/62/63 | 5 |
|---|
| Medium | 250,000 | 15 | 62/62/62 | 6 |
|---|
| Heavy | 290,000 | 15 | 62/62/62 | 7 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 330,000 | 15 | 59/59/59 | 9 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 3 |
|---|
70,00015 | 59/59/59 | 10 |
Limitations: Corvettes may not have Defenses or Weapons above Class Two installed without a Starship Systems Adapter.Frigate
Frigates are usually the smallest warships found in combat theaters, where they usually serve as medium escort craft. They are small warships, typically fast and maneuverable but usually not very well armed. They are slightly larger than corvette chassis and can carry a little more in the way of internal bays, shields and offensive firepower. They tend not to be as strong as destroyers, although some frigate chassis outclass the smaller destroyer chassis. Frigates are usually the smallest ships found in the order of battle in major fleet engagements, where they are used in probably their best role, escort duty. They can also be seen carrying out precision raids and zone defense missions in a pinch. Most navies have a sizable number of frigates.
Frigate| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 400,000 | 13 | 61/59/61 | 11 |
|---|
| Very Light | 470,000 | 14 | 60/59/60 | 13 |
|---|
| Light | 540,000 | 15 | 59/59/59 | 14 |
|---|
| Medium | 610,000 | 16 | 55/56/55 | 16 |
|---|
| Heavy | 680,000 | 17 | 54/56/54 | 17 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 750,000 | 18 | 53/56/53 | 18 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 8 |
|---|
20,00019 | 52/56/52 | 20 |
Limitations: Frigates may not have Weapons above Class Four, Defenses above Class Five, or Engines above Class Eight installed without a Starship Systems Adapter.Destroyer
Destroyers are mid-range starships, in terms of size, armament, speed and defense. Destroyer chassis are usually very popular among navies because of their versatility. Almost any type of starship can be built on a destroyer hull, and some destroyer chassis can accommodate large numbers of internal bays. They are also quite economical, which is one reason why destroyers make up the bulk of the escort forces in most navies. Some are powerful enough to conduct heavy combat missions with a reasonable chance of success, while others are light enough to make good patrol and interception craft.
Destroyer| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 900,000 | 15 | 56/56/56 | 22 |
|---|
| Very Light | 1,000,000 | 16 - 17 | 52/53/52 (16)
51/53/51 (17) | 27 |
|---|
| Light | 1,200,000 | 18 - 19 | 50/53/50 (18)
49/53/49 (19) | 31 |
|---|
| Medium | 1,400,000 | 20 - 21 | 48/53/48 (20)
47/53/47 (21) | 35 |
|---|
| Heavy | 1,600,000 | 22 - 23 | 46/53/46 (22)
45/53/45 (23) | 39 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 1,700,000 | 24 | 44/53/44 | 43 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 1 |
|---|
,900,00025 | 40/50/40 | 47 |
Limitations: Destroyers may not have Weapons and Engines above Class Six or Defenses above Class Seven installed without a Starship Systems Adapter.Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers are large warships, capable of delivering significant firepower towards their targets. Battlecruisers are the lightest type of starship chassis that can be converted into a carrier, as they provide the necessary structural stability and availability of internal space necessary to conduct flight operations. Battlecruisers are designed to carry heavy weaponry and armor, so naturally their performance characteristics are slightly worse than those of a destroyer and the cost is marginally higher. Battlecruisers often make up the centerpiece of small fleets, serving as the command ship in many cases. In very large fleets, they are used as heavy strike craft against the mission objective. Battlecruisers tend to be expensive, so a government may only have two or three dozen cruisers available in peacetime. It’s usually these ships that determine the fate of worlds.
Battlecruiser| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 2,000,000 | 19 - 20 | 46/50/46 (19)
45/50/45 (20) | 49 |
|---|
| Very Light | 2,300,000 | 21 - 22 | 44/50/44 (21)
43/50/43 (22) | 54 |
|---|
| Light | 2,600,000 | 23 - 24 | 42/50/42 (23)
41/50/41 (24) | 60 |
|---|
| Medium | 2,900,000 | 25 - 26 | 40/50/40 (25)
39/50/39 (26) | 65 |
|---|
| Heavy | 3,100,000 | 27 - 28 | 35/47/35 (27)
34/47/34 (28) | 71 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 3,400,000 | 29 | 33/47/33 | 76 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 3 |
|---|
,700,00030 | 32/47/32 | 82 |
Limitations: Battlecruisers may not have Weapons above Class Eight or Engines above Class Four installed without a Starship Systems Adapter.Dreadnought
Dreadnoughts are the heavy hitters of any fleet. All of the most massive warships in existence fit upon a dreadnought chassis. They are huge vessels, carrying large complements of crew to handle their immense internal systems. They’re so massive that damage that would destroy a smaller starship usually doesn’t hurt a dreadnought much, and their armament is usually truly formidable. Dreadnoughts pay for their firepower with typically abysmal speed and maneuverability characteristics and very high expense. Their expense usually limits their numbers, such that most navies may have only two or three starships that have been built on dreadnought chassis (if any at all). Expense of operation also limits the types of missions a dreadnought is typically employed for, and usually they will be found either in planetary defense or strike missions. Fast heavy battlecruisers, mega-carriers and battleships can all be found utilizing the dreadnought chassis.
Dreadnought| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 4,000,000 | 20 - 21 | 42/47/42 (20)
41/47/41 (21) | 83 |
|---|
| Very Light | 4,600,000 | 22 - 23 | 40/47/40 (22)
39/47/39 (23) | 90 |
|---|
| Light | 5,100,000 | 24 - 25 | 35/44/35 (24)
34/44/34 (25) | 97 |
|---|
| Medium | 5,700,000 | 26 - 27 | 33/44/33 (26)
32/44/32 (27) | 104 |
|---|
| Heavy | 6,300,000 | 28 - 29 | 31/44/31 (28)
30/44/30 (29) | 110 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 6,900,000 | 30 - 31 | 29/44/29 (30)
28/44/28 (31) | 117 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 7 |
|---|
,400,00032 - 33 | 27/44/27 (32)
26/44/26 (33) | 124 |
Limitations: Dreadnoughts may not have Engines above Class Two installed without a Starship Systems Adapter.Space Station
Space stations are space-borne installations, mainly designed as a location where starships may go for safe haven and to act as an administrative center in space. Space stations can perform many different functions, including shipbuilding and repair duties, orbital mining, processing long-distance communications, and the like. While not a starship chassis
per se, the space station chassis can be used for unusually enormous craft as well as spaceborne installations. Most starfaring races will have at least one space station orbiting their primary homeworld, to act as a home port for starships. Like dreadnoughts, though, the costs involved in keeping a space station in operation generally limits the number of stations any one race possesses to one or two at the most.
Space Station| Weight | Base Cost | Size Class Range | Base HD Ratings
(HD/BHD/FHD) | Number of Accessories |
|---|
| Super Light | 8,000,000 | 16 - 20 | 40/41/40 (16)
39/41/39 (17)
38/41/38 (18)
37/41/37 (19)
36/41/36 (20) | 43 |
|---|
| Very Light | 9,100,000 | 21 - 25 | 35/41/35 (21)
34/41/34 (22)
33/41/33 (23)
32/41/32 (24)
31/41/31 (25) | 82 |
|---|
| Light | 10,000,000 | 26 - 30 | 30/41/30 (26)
29/41/29 (27)
28/41/28 (28)
27/41/27 (29)
26/41/26 (30) | 116 |
|---|
| Medium | 11,000,000 | 31 - 35 | 25/41/25 (31)
24/41/24 (32)
23/41/23 (33)
22/41/22 (34)
21/41/21 (35) | 145 |
|---|
| Heavy | 13,000,000 | 36 - 40 | 20/41/20 (36)
19/41/19 (37)
18/41/18 (38)
17/41/17 (39)
16/41/16 (40)
| 169 |
|---|
| Very Heavy | 14,000,000 | 41 - 45 | 12/38/12 (41)
11/38/11 (42)
10/38/10 (43)
9/38/9 (44)
8/38/8 (45)
| 188 |
|---|
| Super Heavy | 2 |
|---|
9,000,00046 - 50 | 7/38/7 (46)
6/38/6 (47)
5/38/5 (48)
4/38/4 (49)
3/38/3 (50) | 207 |
Limitations: Space Stations get one movement point regardless of the station's Initiative value or installed Engine Class. All Space Station equipment and accessories (but not pods) cost ten times the normal amount. All HD penalties for armor are doubled, and HD bonuses for engines are ignored (it is possible for a space station to have a negative HD value). All shield and armor hit points are doubled. Space Stations automatically have two additional External Docking Ports (for a total of four ports), the Carrier Systems accessory, and any single Hangar Bay Module of any type (designer's choice). None of these accessories count against the total number of accessories mounted on the Space Station.
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