SYSTEM SHIPS

System ships can be found in nearly any inhabited system in the Imperium, either locally built or towed through the Warp from a nearby port. Warp engines are too difficult to construct, and Navigators too rare, to equip every single voidship with one. These specialized in-system vessels are smaller but have considerable mass and volume free to devote to hauling cargo, mining, towing and tendering, and weaponry.

System Ships: A system ship cannot enter the Warp on its own. It may not equip a Warp Engine of any kind. It may install Gellar Field generators, however, as it can be towed by a Warp-capable vessel to another system.

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Note: The following are meant as filler, not necessarily for acquisition as they are quite powerful. They were originally designed to combat a piratical Rogue Trader player group...

System Defense Ships

Built with combat in mind, system defense ships protect the void around major installations or patrol a star system hunting for pirates. They’re built to take and deal punishment, featuring redundancies usually only found on Imperial Navy warships--at the high end. Others are stripped down hulls, assembled with excess components. Most typically perform customs duties, search and rescue missions, and escort convoys heading to and from the system’s void stations.

Shield-class Defense Monitor

Dimensions: 1.1 km long, 0.3 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 4.1 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 13,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 3.1 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

Unable to match a typical raider’s speed and agility, the Shield is still prized for its heavy turrets, thick armour, and reliable void shields. More than one captain of a frigate has underestimated what a Shield can do.

Speed: 6

Manoeuvrability: +10

Detection: +10

Hull Integrity: 35

Armour: 18

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 35

Weapon Capacity: Prow 1, Dorsal 1

Shields Up: The Shield-class defense monitor is commonly tasked with customs checks. It carries twice the usual number of cutters for a ship this size for this purpose. A Shield-class defense monitor may only mount Raider components.

Commonly Installed Components

Essential Components: Gellar Field, Jovian Pattern Class 2 Drive, Single Void Shield Array, Combat Bridge, M-1.r Life Sustainer, Pressed Crew Quarters, M-100 Augur Array

Supplemental Components: Prow Mars Pattern Macrocannon, Dorsal Mars Pattern Macrocannon

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Buckler-class Defence Monitor

Dimensions: 1.1 km long, 0.3 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 4.8 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 17,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 5 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

A highly aggressive variant of the Shield, the Buckler-class monitor trades well-roundedness for deadly grace. Usually employed to pin down swift raiders, the Buckler has become a favourite of the Imperial Navy who employ the monitors as expendable screens for their own escorts whenever possible. Most are crewed by prisoners or others condemned to die but still fight doggedly against anyone foolish enough to board their ship.

Speed: 10

Manoeuvrability: +20

Detection: +5

Hull Integrity: 25

Armour: 14

Turret Rating: 1

Space: 30

Weapon Capacity: Dorsal 1, Keel 1

Buckle Up: A Buckler-class defense monitor may only mount Raider components. Morale is permanently lowered by 5. However, if the Buckler succeeds in any boarding actions (or in defending against them), half of the enemy casualties are added to the ship’s crew.

Commonly Installed Components

Essential Components: Gellar Field, Jovian Pattern Class 2 Drive, Single Void Shield Array, Combat Bridge, M-1.r Life Sustainer, Pressed Crew Quarters, M-100 Augur Array

Supplemental Components: Prow Sunsear Laser Battery, Dorsal Sunsear Laser Battery, Barracks, Brig

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Cutlass-class Monitor

Dimensions: 4.6 km long, 0.5 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 15.5 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 62,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 4.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

The high end of system defense ships, the Cutlass is a vessel only found in the most important systems due to the operating costs in maintaining even one. Like its namesake, the Cutlass is great at slashing attacks though the ship isn’t shy in charging enemy ships head on. Though four times the size of most system defense ships, very little space on the Cutlass is available for less warlike activities though the finer accommodations are available for the system’s elite. The Imperial Navy keeps a very close hold over these ships, and each one is commonly captained by a “beached” commander or another experienced officer.

Speed: 6

Manoeuvrability: +15

Detection: +12

Hull Integrity: 55

Armour: 18

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 45

Weapon Capacity: Port 2, Starboard 2

Pointy End: All Cutlass-class Monitors are equipped with an Armoured Prow and may only install components available to Light Cruisers. The hull’s Space has already been reduced for the Armoured Prow.

Commonly Installed Components

Essential Components: Gellar Field, Jovian Pattern Class 3 Drive, Single Void Shield Array, Combat Bridge, M-1.r Life Sustainer, Pressed Crew Quarters, M-100 Augur Array

Supplemental Components: Port Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadsides, Port Titanforge Lance Battery, Starboard Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadsides, Starboard Titanforge Lance Battery, Luxury Passenger Quarters, Observation Dome

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Quiver-class Monitor

Dimensions: 3.4 km long, 0.5 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 10.5 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 32,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 3.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

The Quiver was an ambitious attempt at a light cruiser-sized carrier. Changing demands over the decades of the design phase saw the monitor shrink by 25% in volume and mass as its requirements grew. The result is an innovative resource drain, swallowing spare parts, fuel, and ammunition at a prodigious pace even on a standard system patrol.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +5

Detection: +18

Hull Integrity: 55

Armour: 17

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 45

Weapon Capacity: Prow 1, Dorsal 1, Port 1, Starboard 1 (of these, 1 port and 1 starboard slot are pre-equipped with Components)

Arrow Cave: The Quiver comes pre-equipped with two Jovian Pattern Escort Bays in the Port and Starboard slots.

Commonly Installed Components

Essential Components: Gellar Field, Jovian Pattern Class 3 Drive, Single Void Shield Array, Combat Bridge, M-1.r Life Sustainer, Pressed Crew Quarters, M-100 Augur Array

Supplemental Components: Prow Mars Pattern Macrocannon, Dorsal Mars Pattern Macrocannon, Small Craft Repair Bay, Manufactorum, Pilots Chambers, Cargo and Lighter Bay

There are actually stats for several system defense ships in the various rulebooks. They are kind of scattered though. The Monitors in Hostile Aquisitions (called Shield Squadron? not sure, don't have my books on me). In Frozen Reaches, the system defense ships are listed as having the same stats as Wolfpack raiders without the Warp drives. In the GM screen adventure they have stats for basic system ships, although those are primarilly non-combat. Not that making your own isn't fine, just so you have something to bounce them off of.

My players actually produce the raider sized defense ships for their systems, and are looking at making some of the larger ships.

They're good, but for System Ships anything that exists and is really powerful, players will want, and will not accept simply being told they "can't have it". These seem a little too powerful for something that's meant to be Frigate equivalent, and anything larger I can't see the Imperium building solely for defense because at that point you may as well make it warp compliant.

My general rule for making a System Defense ship is you can't install the Warp Drive, lose 8 Space and 1 Speed, but gain 4 extra points of armour to make up for it. Otherwise they're identical to building a ship as normal.

Oddly, they all have lower armor than the monitors that are in Hostile Acquisitions, although faster.

They were meant for a different type of game, where the rogue trader's more of a privateer, raiding across multiply dynasties. That game changed, but I had these mostly written out so...

But yes, my group wants these at the moment too, but for defending our various holdings. Well "wanted".

One nit pick, mate. A system ship should not have a Gellar field, for the same reason it shouldn't have a warp drive. And yes, there are system ships in Hostile Acquisitions. Frigate sized, slow as a glacier, but much heavier armour and three weapon slots. (Prow and 2 dorsal if I remember correctly.)

Cheers,

- V.

One nit pick, mate. A system ship should not have a Gellar field, for the same reason it shouldn't have a warp drive.

And yes, there are system ships in Hostile Acquisitions. Frigate sized, slow as a glacier, but much heavier armour and three weapon slots. (Prow and 2 dorsal if I remember correctly.)

But those are (sadly) completed ships, while these are hulls , for us to outfit as we like. Something that I for one vastly prefer.

Gellar Fields are optional things, usually not necessary unless it's... you know, necessary. We have no towing rules at all, do we?

Gellar Fields are optional things, usually not necessary unless it's... you know, necessary. We have no towing rules at all, do we?

No. But formally speaking, they are Essential Components, of which every ship must have exactly one of each kind

They are essential on warp-ships, but system-ships would have different requirements.

They are essential on warp-ships, but system-ships would have different requirements.

*Sigh*

Yes, that was the whole point.

That these requirements need to be clarified and defined, and Gellar fields probably moved to supplemental components for system ships.

You're absolutely right, Tenebrae. They should be listed under Supplemental Components up there.