LOE Ship Test Rules
OK, Shrike was wondering about things PCs could work on, so rather than cross over into stuff I'm already doing, here's a skeleton of the early ship rules. Subject to change of course - this is just a rough framework. The idea is that equipment is added to the slots, and as technology gets more advanced ships have more space to work with. Note that these additional slots are NOT automatically gained - unlike oLoE there are no discreet tech levels - the TL numbers are just markers to indicate roughly in the tech tree where these ships fall. Each refinement must be separately researched. So if you want super star galleys you will have to research them.
I have only included the slot gains as a rough guide, and only on some ships. They are subject to change as the cost of various systems that might be added is determined.
Now, unlike added caps in oLoE slots are actually filled with discrete systems. Thus unlike adding "+1 weapons", a Ship of the Line might have "2x +1 medium muzzleloader cannon banks" and "2 x +2 heavy muzzleloader cannon banks" to simulate multiple decks of large numbers of 24 pounder and 36-48 pounder cannon. Each weapons fit has a SPECIFIC amount of damage it deals that does not change based on class. Thus to make more powerful weapons loads you must usually stack multiple weapons together. A battleship with "+1 medium gun" has exactly the same gun loadout as a destroyer with "+1 medium gun"
Nevertheless, these systems are still based on what existed in old LoE, so the basic concept of the ships doesn't change, just how they're built.
So what I need are lists of added caps for everything based on the old weapons, armour, engines and other systems going up to TL3 at least. Then we can start playing with slot costs, damage and other abilities.
Ships
Galley (TL1)
MDP: 1
Move: 1
Engine Slots: 1 (gain +1 slot at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Option Slots: 4 (gain +2 slot at TL2, +1 at TL3, +1 at TL4, and +2 at TL5)
Small Sailing Ship (TL2)
MDP: 2
Move: 2
Weapon Slots: 3 (gain +1 slot at TL3, +1 at TL4, and +2 and TL5)
Engine Slots: 3 (gain +1 slot at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Option Slots: 1 (gain +1 slot at TL3, +1 at TL4, and +2 and TL5)
Large Sailing Ship (TL2)
MDP: 3
Move: 1
Weapon Slots: 6 (gain +2 slot at TL3, +2 at TL4, and +4 and TL5)
Engine Slots: 3 (gain +1 slot at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Option Slots: 2 (gain +2 slot at TL3, +2 at TL4, and +3 and TL5)
Patrol Boat (TL3)
MDP: 1
Move: 4
Weapon Slots: 2 (gain +2 slots at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Engine Slots: 4 (gain +2 slots at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Option Slots: 1 (gain +1 slot at TL4 and +1 at TL5)
Small Warship (TL3)
MDP: 3
Move: 4
Weapon Slots: 4 (gain +2 slots at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Engine Slots: 4 (gain +2 slots at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Armour Slots: 2 (gain +1 slots at TL4 and +1 at TL5)
Option Slots: 2 (gain +1 slots at TL4 and +2 at TL5)
Cruiser (TL3)
MDP: 5
Move: 4
Weapon Slots: 6
Engine Slots: 4
Armour Slots: 4
Option Slots: 4
Battleship (TL3)
MDP: 10
Move: 4
Weapon Slots: 10
Armour Slots: 8
Engine Slots: 4
Option Slots: 6
Carrier (TL3)
MDP: 7
Move: 4
Weapon Slots: 5
Engine Slots: 4
Armour: 6
Option Slots: 10
Cargo Slots: 10
Note on option slots:
Option Slots may be loaded with any system, but pay double space for Weapons, Engines or Armor.
Test Systems
Weapons
P# - Pierce; reduces the enemy armor value by the P value. Reduced by 1 for every negative relative milieu level.
B# - Break; reduces the enemy shield value by the B value. Reduced by 1 for every negative relative milieu level.
S# - Smash; increases soak difficulty by S value. Reduced by 1 for every negative relative milieu level.
AA# - Anti-Air; adds a bonus equal to the AA value to the weapon when used for anti-air attacks.
PD - Point Defense; can be used in the point-defense role.
Slow - Target may evade with speed roll.
Alpha# - Weapon has an integral capacitor, allowing it a number of extra shots equal to the Alpha value once per battle.
Single Shot - Weapon has one shot per battle.
Air - Weapon fires an 'air' attack (normally a large missile) that can be shot down.
Energy - Weapon is an energy attack and may be vulnerable to specific countermeasures.
Hybrid - Weapon has properties of both energy and projectile and uses whichever is optimal for penetrating defenses.
TL1
+1 Mechanical throwers
Attack: 9+; Air
Range: 2
+2 Heavy mechanical throwers
Attack: 9+; S1; Air
Range: 3
- +1 Burning projectiles
- The ship has cauldrons of burning pitch ready for use.
- Effect: -1 penalty to opposing damcon efforts upon damaging enemy.
- +1 Bees
- The ship can lob beehives or something equally dire at the enemy.
- Effect: -1 penalty to crew bonuses upon damaging enemy.
+1 Greek fire projectors
Attack: 8+; P1; Energy
Range: 1
+1 Ram
Attack: 9+; B1; Slow
Range: 0
Once rammed, a ship must roll maneuver or damcon in order to break free of melee range.
+1 Fighting tops
Represents raised areas or strongpoints for troops and marines.
Effect: +1 attack bonus and +1 terrain protection for onboard troops.
+1 Smoke casters
Effect: Can be used to create a penalty to attack for both sides.
TL2
+1 Carronades
Attack: 8+; AA1
Range: 1
Effect: Can be swiveled to support crew. Attacks crew and exposed objects.
+2 Cannons (one deck)
Attack: 8+
Range: 3
+3 Heavy Cannons (one deck)
Attack: 8+; S1
Range: 4
- +0 Breechloading
- A refinement of cannons.
- Effect: Cannons and Heavy Cannons attack at 7+.
- +0 Rifling
- A refinement of cannons.
- Effect: Cannons gain +1 Range and Heavy Cannons gain +2 Range.
- +0 Elevating Mounts
- A refinement of cannons.
- Effect: Cannons gain +1 Range and Heavy Cannons gain +2 Range.
- +1 Exploding Shell
- A refinement of cannons.
- Effect: Increase damcon difficulty by 1.
+3 Hwacha
East asian style rockets.
Attack: 7+; AA1
Range: 2
TL3
+1 Light naval rifle turrets
Attack: 7+
Range: 8
+2 Medium naval rifle turrets
Attack: 7+ P1
Range: 12
+3 Heavy naval rifle turrets
Attack: 6+ P2
Range: 16
+1 Advanced naval rifle turrets
Attack: 7+ AA1
Range: 10
+1 Flak cannons
Attack: 8+ x2 AA1
Range: 5
+1 Gatling turrets
Attack: 9+ x3 AA2
Range: 3
+1 THEL system
Attack: PD, Energy
Range: N/A
+1 Torpedo banks
Attack: 7+ x2 Slow
Range: 4
+1 SAMs
Attack: 8+ AA2 Air
Range:
+2 Antishipping missiles
Attack: 7+ Air
Range: 20
+8 Multi-stage cannon
Attack: 5+ P3 x6 slow single shot
Range: 20
TL4
+1 Light railgun turrets
Attack: 6+ AA1
Range: 12
+1 Light beam turrets
Attack: 6+ P1 energy
Range: 12
+8 Superlaser
Attack: 5+ P3 x8 slow single shot energy
Range: 25
TL5
+2 Vector cannon array
Attack: 5+ P1 B1 AA1 Alpha1 Hybrid
Range: 20
+3 Disruptor cannon
Attack: 5+ V slow energy
Range: 10
Engines
Notes: 1 Great Knot equals 1 Great League/Week and 50 km/h in-atmosphere speed. Yes, this means great leagues are half as long now, but we can do away with annoying decimals. Plus, the map is twice as 'big'.
All bonuses stack linearly, save cruise speed. Cruise speed is 25% of the total for all additional drives of equivalent Milieu on top of that of the fastest individual drive.
TL1/ML1
+1 Simple Sails
Mechanical Drive
Cruise Speed: 1 GK
Tactical Speed: +0
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: Yes
No Transit Costs
Simple space-canvas sails. Ride the etheric curents in the deep sky.
+1 Ether-soaked Oars
Mechanical Drive
Cruise Speed: 0.5 GK
Tactical Speed: 2
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: Yes
Maybe Transit Costs?
Sails are for pussies. The manly way of getting around the galaxy
TL2
+2 Etherscrews
Mechanical Drive
Cruise Speed: 2 GK
Tactical Speed: +1
Atmospheric Flight: No (yes w/refinement)
Hover: No (yes w/refinement)
Enchantable: Yes
Big electrified space-propellers. Great for those flying predreads.
+2 Etheric Spheres
Reactionless Drive
Cruise Speed: 2 GK
Tactical Speed: +0
Agility Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: Yes
Strange glowing spheres filled with compressed and charged ether. Have unparalleled agility but aren't terribly fast.
TL3
+2 Etheric Turbofans
Mechanical Drive
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+1 in Star Ways/Nebula/Atmosphere)
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: Yes
Low Transit Costs
The ultimate development of mechanical propulsion, etheric turbofans are big spinny aerofoils, excellent for long-distance travel in the ether. The Tu-995 'Bear' Aethyric Battlecruiser flies again.
+2 Scramrockets
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Dodge Bonus: +1
Stealth Penalty: -1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Double bonus from Flanking
High-output chemical scramrockets, capable of almost turning a ship into an aircraft on full burn. Unfortunately, they have massive heat signatures and relatively poor cruising speed due to fuel concerns.
+2 Ion Thrusters
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 4 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Atmospheric Flight: No (yes w/refinement)
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Fairly conventional electro-etheric propulsion system, also comes in plasma versions. The norm for Tech 3 ships meant for Deep Sky operations.
+2 Ramdrive
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 4 GK
Stealth Penalty: -2
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Low Transit Costs
Derived from Iron Drives
Zoom!
+2 Mag Lifters
Reactionless Drive
Cruise Speed: 3 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+1 near planets)
Shield Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Motors built to repel against a planet's magnetic field. Effective at lifting large masses into orbit cheaply.
TL4
+3 Fusion Drives
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +3
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
A generically common reaction drive; eg, Glowy Scifi Spaceship Engines. They use Etheric fusion to propel the ship along at a good clip. Probably the most common drive by the numbers.
+3 Ether Scoop
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +0
Stealth Penalty: -2
Atmospheric Flight: No
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Low Transit Costs
Derived from Fusion Drives
What happens when you put a giant ether scoop in front of a fusion drive? You get a drive that's wildly unsubtle and turns like a pig, but is cheap to operate and has a pretty good cruise speed.
+3 Gravity Drive
Reactionless Drive
Cruise Speed: 6 GK
Tactical Speed: +1
Shield Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Gravity-control motors can move a ship along on a wedge, cushion, bubble or some other geometry of mildly bent space-time. Not as zippy as fusion drives, but the gravity waves reinforces the ship's defenses. The second most common drive type by the numbers.
+3 Ether Sails
Reactionless Drive
Cruise Speed: 4 GK
Tactical Speed: +0 (+2 in Star Ways)
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Low Transit Costs
Derived from Gravity Drives
Hazily translucent forcefield 'sails' that can ride the winds of the deep sky, ether sails are one of the best ways to get around on an energy budget.
TL5
+4 EAM Drives
Reaction Drive
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +4
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: No
Enchantable: No
Bigger, glowier, more powerful reaction drives. Uses miniscule pinches of etheric antimatter as primary fuel. Accept no substitutes when it comes to speed.
+4 Inertial Drive
Reactionless Drive
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Agility Bonus: +2
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
Requiring deep understanding of physics, inertial control drives allow a ship to perform some truly wild maneuvers. Zip zip!
+4 Parametric Drive
Hybrid Drive
Cruise Speed: 8 GK
Tactical Speed: +2
Shield Bonus: +1
Stealth Bonus: +1
Atmospheric Flight: Yes
Hover: Yes
Enchantable: No
A direct-action momentum-transfer drive that acts like a reaction drive but is based upon reactionless drive technology. Not as fast as EAM or as agile as inertial drives, but boosts defenses and due to its particularly subtle emissions, is fairly stealthy.
Options
+2 Streamlined Design (+3 for Capital ships)
While the insubstantial ether clouds rarely have have a measurable impact on performance no matter how outlandish a ship's hull form may be, some naval architects make use of aerodynamically-optimized designs to eliminate or even take advantage of this. Doing so also improves a ship's handling characteristic in atmosphere. Streamlined designs provide no bonus to a ship travelling under zero-cost transit drives (eg, sails/ramscoop) as they are travelling with the ether, instead of against it and require at least Tech/Magical Milieu 2.
+1 Strategic Speed, low cost.
+2 Slip Field
With the development of forcefields it became possible to wrap a ship in a low-power forcefield that would give it the speed advantages of a streamlined hullform without forcing it into shape that might be otherwise detrimental to efficiency. Slip Fields provide no bonus to a ship travelling under zero-cost transit drives (eg, sails/ramscoop) and require at least Tech/Magical Milieu 4.
+1 Strategic Speed, moderate cost
+0 Automation
+1 on command and electronics rolls/passive values. Halves crew.
-1 Smart Ship (TL4)
+1 on command and electronics rolls and passive values, adds 1 Option slot for Electronics. +2 Damcon. Halves crew. May not be combined with Automation.
-1 Shipboard Intelligence (TL4)
+1 on command and electronics rolls/passive values, adds 1 Option slot for Electronics. +2 stealth vs mental detection. Halves crew.
+0 Escape pods
+50% crew survival
+1 Catastrophic Survival Matrix
+75% crew survival, +2 DamCon.
+1 Sensors
+1 Sensor Power
+2 Extended-range targeting
+25% range to weapons and sensors
+1 ECM generators
+1 ECM Power
+2 Scattering ECM
+3 global ECM power
+2 Concealment Field
Smokescreen effect
+3 Flagship
+ Command
+1 Bit Controller
+2 space for Weapons or Shields, counted as AIR type with no armor.
+3 Catapults
For launching planes at extremely high velocity
+X Stealth
+3 Stealth (1 space for PT and small warship, 2 for cruiser, 3 for capital ships)
+4 Overdrive
Doubles speed and +1 to all rolls for the turn. One turn of usage per battle.
+2 External Dockpoint
For carrying dropships, mobile armors, etc
+1 Cargo Hold (Option)
TL1: 50 CP
TL2: 250 CP
TL3: 1000 CP
TL4: 2000 CP
TL5: 3000 CP
Specialized Cargo
Doubles CP for Passengers, Supplies, Ether (By milieu)
+1 TL3 Hangars (Option)
5 DP for TL3 planes
+1 TL4 Hangars (Option)
4 DP for TL4 planes
+1 TL5 Hangars (Option)
3 DP for TL5 planes
Specialized Hangars
Doubles DP for Mecha, Aviation, Strategic Air or Strategic Missiles
Cargo
+1 Cargo Hold
TL1: 200 CP
TL2: 1000 CP
TL3: 10,000 CP
TL4: 15,000 CP
TL5: 25,000 CP
Specialized Cargo
Doubles CP for Passengers, Supplies, Ether (By milieu)
+1 TL3 Hangars
10 DP for TL3 planes
+1 TL4 Hangars
8 DP for TL4 planes
+1 TL5 Hangars
6 DP for TL5 planes
Specialized Hangars
Doubles DP for Mecha, Aviation, Strategic Air or Strategic Missiles