d20 FUTURE

STARSHIPS - ULTRALIGHT STARSHIPS

ULTRALIGHT STARSHIP SUBTYPES

Ultralight ships cover most small spacecraft, including fighters, cutters, launches, and couriers.

An ultralight starship can be up to 250 feet long. It occupies a 250-foot-by-250-foot fighting space, and up to four ultralight starships can occupy a single 500-foot square. Due to their relatively small size, ultralight starships can form into wings (see Ultralight Starship Wings).

In addition, all ultralight starships share the following design specs.

Engines: All ultralight starships have thrusters. In addition, ships of PL 6 or higher have one other type of engine (see Starship Engines).

Armor: An ultralight ship has one type of armor (see Starship Armor).

Defensive Systems: An ultralight starship has a maximum of one defensive system per 3 Hit Dice (see Starship Defense Systems).

Sensors: An ultralight starship has a maximum of two sensor systems (see Starship Sensors).

Communications: An ultralight starship has a maximum of two external communication systems (see Starship Comm Systems).

Weapons: An ultralight starship has one beam, projectile, or missile weapon per 3 Hit Dice (see Starship Weapons).

These weapons are often fire-linked. An ultralight ship cannot be armed with mines.

Grappling Systems: An ultralight starship may have up to two grappling systems (see Grappling Systems). Each grappling system takes away one of the ship’s weapon slots (see above).

ULTRALIGHT SHIP DESCRIPTIONS

Specific subtypes of ultralight starships are given here.

ORBITAL SHUTTLE (PL 5)

An orbital shuttle can haul people and light equipment into orbit and return safely to the planet below, but it is not suitable for long-range space travel to other planets or star systems.

Attack: None

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 5 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Thrusters

Armor: Alloy plating

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, damage control system (1d10)

Sensors: Class I sensor array

Communications: Radio transceiver

Weapons: None

Grappling Systems: Grapplers

COURIER (PL 6)

A courier is capable of extended operation away from its base (frequently a larger ship). Many low-end star yachts fall into the courier category.

Attack: Laser +0 ranged (6d8)

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Polymeric

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, damage control system (1d10)

Sensors: Class II sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 1 laser (range incr. 3,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: Grapplers

ESCORT (PL 6)

Escorts are a long-range patrol craft employed for various duties, including the protection of merchant ships and remote bases. Gunships or missile boats could qualify as escorts.

Attack: 2 fire-linked heavy neutron guns –3 ranged (15d8) and 2 fire-linked rail cannons –8 ranged (9d12) and CHE missile –8 ranged (6d12/19–20)

Attack of Opportunity: Point-defense system +3 ranged (1d12×10)

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Vanadium

Defense Systems: Damage control system (1d10), magnetic field, point-defense system, radiation shielding, sensor jammer

Sensors: Class III sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked heavy neutron guns (range incr. 6,000 ft.), 2 fire-linked rail cannons (range incr. 3,000 ft.), 1 CHE missile launcher (8 missiles)

Grappling Systems: Grapplers

FAST FREIGHTER (PL 6)

Fast freighters are commercial starships generally employed in frequent runs, such as delivering supplies to small outposts and bases, or occasional runs of high-bulk cargo, such as heavy machinery or vehicles. Fast freighters often carry some minor defensive armament.

Attack: 2 fire-linked heavy lasers –3 ranged (12d8) and 2 fire-linked rail cannons –8 ranged (9d12)

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Polymeric

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, damage control system (1d10), magnetic field, radiation shielding, sensor jammer

Sensors: Class II sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked heavy lasers (range incr. 4,000 ft.), 2 fire-linked rail cannons (range incr. 3,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: Grapplers

FIGHTER (PL 6)

Designed for action against other small craft, fighters lack the punch to be effective against large targets unless they’ve been modified to carry warheads.

Attack: 2 fire-linked fusion beams +6/+1 ranged (15d8)

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Polymeric

Defense Systems: Damage control system (1d10), sensor jammer

Sensors: Class III sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked fusion beams (range incr. 3,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: None

LAUNCH (PL 6)

A launch is a shuttle designed simply to move small amounts of people from one point to another. Launches are rarely armed or armored. Evacuation pods and lunar landers fit into this category.

Attack: Laser +1 ranged (6d8)

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Polymeric

Defense Systems: Autopilot system

Sensors: Class II sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 1 laser

Grappling Systems: None

SCOUT (PL 6)

Attack: 2 fire-linked heavy neutron guns –3 ranged (15d8) and 2 CHE missiles –8 ranged (6d12/19–20)

Attack of Opportunity: None

STANDARD PL 6 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Ion engine, thrusters

Armor: Vanadium

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, damage control system (1d10), radiation shielding, self-destruct system, sensor jammer

Sensors: Class II sensor array, targeting system

Communications: Laser transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked heavy neutron guns (range incr. 6,000 ft.), 2 CHE missile launchers (8 missiles each)

Grappling Systems: Grapplers

ASSAULT FIGHTER (PL 7)

The assault fighter is similar to the PL 6 fighter, but with superior engines, armaments, and defenses at the cost of less cargo capacity.

Attack:

Attack of Opportunity:

STANDARD PL 7 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Induction engine, thrusters

Armor: Deflective

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, improved damage control (2d10), stealth screen

Sensors: Class V sensor array, improved targeting system

Communications: Mass transceiver, radio transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked particle beams (range incr. 4,000 ft.), 1 plasma missile launcher (8 missiles; range incr. 5,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: None

Ultralight Starship Wings

Two to four ultralight starships can unite to form a wing. All ships forming the wing must have the same subtype (fighter, for instance) and identical design specs (engines, weapons, and so on). In addition, all starships in the wing formation must be occupying the same 500-foot square to be counted as part of the wing.

In starship combat, a wing is treated as a single vessel, much like a battery of weapons is treated as a single weapon. (See Grapplers and Tractor Beams, below, for the one exception to this rule.) One of the ships forming the wing is declared the wing’s commander. The wing commander decides all of the wing’s actions and resolves all of the wing’s attacks; the other ships forming the wing provide support and follow the commander’s lead.

If the wing commander’s ship is destroyed or grappled, another ship in the wing may assume the role of wing commander on the wing’s next turn.

Movement: All ships in the wing move together, as one ship. The wing commander determines the wing’s movement. The wing’s tactical speed equals the tactical speed of the slowest ship in the wing.

Attacks: Only the wing commander makes attacks. However, every other ship in the wing can aid the wing commander’s attack rolls or Pilot checks using the aid another action; this is the only type of attack action wingmen can take.

Defense: Each wingman provides a +1 cover bonus to the wing commander’s Defense. The wing commander, preoccupied with moving and attacking, does not modify the Defense of any ships in the wing.

Attacks of Opportunity: A wing provokes attacks of opportunity from enemy ships as though it was a single ship. However, damage from a point-defense system is distributed among the ships in the wing as the wing commander sees fit. For example, if a point-defense system deals 180 points of damage to the wing, the wing commander could split the damage evenly among three ships in the wing (each ship would take 60 points of damage), or choose to have one ship take all the damage. A ship’s armor reduces the amount of damage it takes normally; conceivably, the damage could be split into small enough fractions that the wing, as a whole, suffers very little damage.

Grapplers and Tractor Beams: Ships in a wing may be targeted separately by grapplers and tractor beams. (See Grappling Systems for more information on these grappling devices.) A grappled ship immediately drops out of formation and is no longer considered part of the wing.

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