Well, just like every other GM out there, I've been playing around with rules for torpedoes in RT. Being a lazy sort, I figure'd I'd have a look around the tubes and see what others had come up with so I could steal it for my own use. Without exception, I discovered one thing - noone wanted to make up simple rules (DISCLAIMER: The author of this post is very lazy so gave up after about half an hour, if you have rules that are simple, he probably didn't see them). My players all subscribe to the belief that if a system takes more than five minutes to read or explain, it probably isn't worth using. So I've knocked up some simple rules for installing and using torpedoes onboard a vessel for your inspection and delight. I'd love feedback. Feel free to flame me for it, but at least be interesting and flame in the form of dirty limerick or something.
New Ship Component: Torpedo Tubes (Space: special Power: special SP: +1)
This complicated system of launch tubes, armoured ammunition hoppers and loading cranes come together to form one of the most devastating of all weapon systems. When this component is installed you may choose to install as many pairs of Torpedo Tubes as allowed by your hull type. The torpedo tubes all count as a single component for the point of view of weapon slots and critical hits. More tubes can be installed into the component (again, depending on size of the ship) following the normal rules for installing new components.
Variable configuration: Every individual tube installed takes up 1 space and 0.5 power. If an odd number of tubes are selected, round the power consumption up. Regardless of number of tubes, the component must be installed into a Prow weapon slot. In hulls of Light Cruiser size or higher, this component may be installed as well as an Armoured Prow, overwriting the rules presented in the Rogue Trader rulebook. Only one Torpedo Tubes component can ever be installed.
Size matters: Only a certian number of tubes may be installed into each hull type. Ships beyond cruiser size could theoretically mount dozens of tubes, the only restrictions being only the amount of space the designer wishes to commit to the system.
- Transports: 4 tubes
- Raiders: 2 tubes
- Frigates: 4 tubes
- Light Cruisers : 4 tubes
- Cruisers: 6 tubes
Volatile: Even deactivated, sealed away in armoured vaults, torpedoes are slightly touchy things. If this component is damaged or set on fire, the ship takes an additional 2d5 Integrity damage. Due to the sheer danger of stray shots hitting the torpedo bays, they are surrounded by the sort of armour usually found only on battleships, granting +1 Armour to the Prow only.
New system: Firing Torpedoes
Other than the exceptions below, firing a torpedo system is exactly the same as firing a Macro Battery.
- Weapon Strength : The strength of a Torpedo salvo can be up to the number of tubes installed on the ship. Once is tube is added to a salvo and fired, however, it cannot be used again until reloaded.
- Titans of the Void : Each torpedo is too large and slow moving to be stopped by void shields. Torpedoes count Turrets as void shields in all respects (Instead of overloading, turrets have a certain tracking range and angle before a spread of torpedoes are simply too hard to hit)
- Salvo on my mark!: Firing any number of Torpedoes from a single component count as a single salvo. As a result, they can only cuase a single critical hit and cannot be combines with any other weapons in another salvo.
Imperial torpedoes deal 1d10+6 damage, have a crit rating of 4 and a range of 8.
New Extended Actions:
Reload!: The character makes a Challenging (-0) Command test. If successful, the ship reloads 1d5 torpedo tubes, plus 1 for each degree of success. With three or more degrees of failure, the torpedo tubes are jammed and the entire system must be cycled before it can fire again - all currently loaded tubes count as empty, as if they had been fired.
Full spread!: This action suplements firing a torpedo salvo. If a salvo is fired and missed its target, a character may make a Difficult (-10) Tech-use roll to allow the firing character to reroll at another target within 1VU of the original. THis action may only be taken once per round.
