Random Ship Construction Kit
This is a rules kit for Centaurus Gate that provides a way to randomly create a ship for an Expedition.
The Three Core Ship Concepts
There are three core ship concepts that must be defined before you can move forward and make details for the ship: Type, Engine, and Systems. The Type of the ship is its general size and format, there are ten types inside the Corvette scale of ships. The Engine of the ship tells you how complex and powerful the reactor core of it is in a vague sense. Systems are a count of installed systems on the ship of specific functions. Here is a chart of the options for a ship, rated from 1 to 10. 1 is the smallest Type, weakest Engine, and least Systems. !0 is the largest Type, strongest Engine, and most Systems.
Die Roll | Type | Engine | Systems |
1 | Junk | Single Core, ISO 1 | One Light |
2 | Clipper | Single Core, ISO 2 | Two Light |
3 | Longship | Single Core, ISO 3 | One Light, One Medium |
4 | Ketch | Dual Core, ISO 1 | Two Light, One Medium |
5 | Gundalow | Dual Core, ISO 2 | One Light, Two Medium |
6 | Cutter | Dual Core, ISO 3 | Two Light, Two Medium |
7 | Trawler | Trinity Core, ISO 1 | Two Medium, One Heavy |
8 | Catamaran | Trinity Core, ISO 2 | One Light, Two Medium, One Heavy |
9 | Barge | Trinity Core, ISO 3 | Two Light, Two Medium, One Heavy |
10 | Lighter | Quad Core, ISO 1 | Two Medium, Two Heavy |
To create a random ship, you roll a six-sided die, an eight-sided die, and a ten-sided die. Re-roll any duplicates (always re-roll the larger die). Create three ships by assigning the rolls this way:
Assign the highest to Type, the lowest to Systems, and the other die to Engine.
Assign the highest to Engine, the lowest to Systems, and the other die to Type.
Assign the highest to Systems, the lowest to Engine, and the other die to Type.
Notice that there are only going to be two types possible between the three ships, though you will have two different versions of the smaller Type ship to offer.
The ship Types were named based on the over look and style of the vessel, and based on historical names. For instance, a longship is a long slender vessel which invokes the impression of Viking longships. They do also imply a certain size and mass. Here are the definitions of the ten ship Types listed above:
Barge
Scale: 9, Nominal Crew 22
Design: Single hull, Flat, wide, large number of storage docks (internal and external), single bridge and galley, minimum quarters.
Measurements: 180 to 360 meters long, half that wide, half that tall.
Features: Large cargo space, Rugged Armored Construction, Poor Maneuverability.
Propulsion: Moderate Speed, Moderate Efficiency.
Catamaran
Scale: 8, Nominal Crew 20
Design: Double hull, wide, moderate number of storage docks (most external), single bridge and galley, moderate quarters.
Measurements: 160 to 320 meters long, half that wide, various heights.
Features: Good cargo space, Double Hull Design, Slow Acceleration.
Propulsion: Moderate Speed, High Efficiency.
Clipper
Scale: 2, Nominal Crew 8
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks (mostly internal), single bridge and galley, minimum quarters.
Measurements: 40 to 80 meters long, third that wide, various heights.
Features: Good Maneuverability, Good Acceleration
Propulsion: Impressive Speed, High Efficiency.
Cutter
Scale: 6, Nominal Crew 16
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks (mostly internal), single bridge and galley, moderate quarters.
Measurements: 120 to 240 meters long, a quarter that wide, a third tall.
Features: Good Maneuverability, Excellent Acceleration
Propulsion: High Speed, Moderate Efficiency.
Gundalow
Scale: 5, Nominal Crew 14
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks (mostly external), dual bridge, single galley, excessive quarters
Measurements: 100 to 200 meters long, half that wide, quarter tall
Features: Additional System (Medium), Enhanced Rigging
Propulsion: Moderate Speed, Low Efficiency
Junk
Scale: 1, Nominal Crew 6
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks, single bridge and galley, minimum quarters.
Measurements: 20 to 40 meters long, various widths and heights, no formal style.
Features: Excellent Maneuverability, Simple Architecture
Propulsion: High Speed, High Efficiency.
Ketch
Scale: 4, Nominal Crew 12
Design: Single hull, moderate number of storage docks (either type), single bridge and galley, moderate quarters.
Measurements: 80 to 160 meters long, third that wide, various heights.
Features: Good Acceleration, Rugged Construction
Propulsion: High Speed, Moderate Efficiency.
Lighter
Scale: 10, Nominal Crew 24
Design: Single hull, large number of storage docks (mostly internal), dual bridge and dual galley, excessive quarters.
Measurements: 200 to 400 meters long, third that wide, various heights.
Features: Poor Maneuverability, Towing Rig, Uncommon Bonded Construction
Propulsion: Low Speed, Low Efficiency.
Longship
Scale: 3, Nominal Crew 10
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks (mostly external), single bridge and galley, minimum quarters
Measurements: 60 to 120 meters long, third that wide, various heights
Features: High Maneuverability, Two Light External Systems (Port/Starboard)
Propulsion: Impressive Speed, High Efficiency
Trawler
Scale: 7, Nominal Crew 18
Design: Single hull, small number of storage docks (mostly external), single bridge and galley, moderate quarters
Measurements: 140 to 280 meters long, third that wide, various heights
Features: Low Maneuverability, StarNet Rigging
Propulsion: Moderate Speed, Low Efficiency
Engines
Systems
Design Features
Here are what the different design features mean in play.
Good Cargo Space: The ship has excellent cargo space. This means one standard space container (10m cube) per nominal crew member, between exterior or interior mounts.
Double Hull Design: The ship has two primary hulls instead of one, usually bridged by a central linkage assembly that houses nothing but conduits and sensor systems. Count the hull rating as 1d higher for these ships.
Slow Acceleration: The ship has slower than normal acceleration, count the maneuvering rating for the ship as 1d less than normal.