The VSS Last Legs

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 30, 2013 - 1:41pm
Just curious; Has anyone here run the Star Mist module and what did you use for a ship?
Clearly the module was written before the KHs expansion came out.

Maximillion's vessel can land, and does so its HS 5 or smaller and since the module mentions only 2 crewmen I think we can presume its on the smaller side of say HS 3 or HS4 with no weapons.
The module also mentions a cargo hold which must be smallish. KHs gave us the large and small ion engine equipped freighters and the assault scout.

your thoughts? I have half a mind to work up stats for a HS 3 Velocipede class atomic engine equipped freighter modelled on the conical rocket design similar to the Eleanor Mores. call it a Frontier take on the Firefly vessel in the Firefly/Serenity franchise.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!
Comments:

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 30, 2013 - 3:01pm
As a potential PC ride a Velocipede Class vessel would be ADF 4 and MR 4 based on a civilian size 3 hull.

I would go with the maximum diameter for a HS 3 ship which would be 10 meters under the increase std. size by 25% rule though I might fudge this to 12 meters. Perhaps increase length to 60 m as well.

HS 3 would move 3 cargo units whatever those are?

2 size A atomic drives are expensive to operate using 20,000 Cr in fuel per jump and paying an engineer to overhaul them after every jump as well. But being picky about cargos it could be possible to make money with this ship despite only moving 3 cargo units per hop. Concievable that PCs might even be able to buy one too.

I could see it decked out as a corporate courier, yatch, and military drop ship (especially if you could squeeze in a vehicle and a sizable company of troops- or perhaps an elite squad of special forces)

I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 30, 2013 - 3:26pm
computing cost from a class 1 star ship construction center:
Size 3 Hull: 150,000
2 Type A engines: 600,000
LS and back up for 13-20: 3,000
Astrogation equipment: 15,000
Videocom Radio & Subspace radio: 21,000
Intercom panel and estimated 5 speaker/mikes 100
Radar: 10,000
4 Port holes: 200
3 escape pods: 90,000
Reflective hull: 1,500
Cargo arm: 3,000

Computer Programs:
Drive Program 4(32): 32,000
LS & Back up 1 (2): 2,000
Alarm 2 (2): 2,000
Computer Lockout 2 (2): 2,000
Damage Control 2 (4): 4,000
Astrogation 4 (24): 24,000

as a frieghter these programs make sense as well:
Analysis 3 (4): 4,000
Commerce 1 (3): 3,000
Communication 1 (3): 3,000
Information Storage 1 (2): 2,000

Total cost (unfueled): 972,554 Cr
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 30, 2013 - 4:18pm
Help yourself to any of these:




I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 30, 2013 - 4:30pm
What is interesting is that I previously priced out a Thruster class (HS 2 armed priveteer) using class II prices at about 1,000,000 Cr and this above ship using class I prices for a HS 3 unarmed ship at 970,000 Cr.

I think you could essentially estimate most ships of this size and powered with atomic engines at about 1 million give or take due to the presence of weapons. pricing them out is a bit of a pain with the book.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

iggy's picture
iggy
May 30, 2013 - 5:53pm
I like the merchant scout. 
-iggy

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 30, 2013 - 6:13pm
iggy wrote:
I like the merchant scout. 


I do too but I think I like the idea of a small unarmed merchant vessel as well.

Plus calling it the velocipede class suggest a vrusk origin and IIRC someone had previously portrayed the vrusk at pacifist, I dont completely agree with that but portraying a vrusk design as unarmed picks up the theme.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

OnceFarOff's picture
OnceFarOff
May 31, 2013 - 6:10am
I ran it using a streamlined hull that landed on the planet, but since it was simply a conveyance to the story I didn't focus too much attention on it. I did rework the owner to be an Ifshnit and had his crew be Ifshnit and a couple of Humma though. A couple of Humma in those grassy plains made for fun encounters. 

Now that all of the off topic is out of the way, I like the idea of a small vessel like the one you describe. It would be very useful for a party.

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 31, 2013 - 6:33pm
The merchant scout can utilize the LB system at no performance penalty, but it's not standard equipment...merely one of the options available to anyone that wishes it. It can easily be swapped out for an observation dome or other such goodies.

And with a mandible-like nose cone, it fits the vruskan origin requirement nicely. Wink
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website