My players ended up with 70SP in character creation, decided they wanted to start with a cruiser. Then they discovered, you only have 10SP left over after buying the ship itself. 10SP doesn't buy much at all we've discovered. They downgraded their crew to get extra points, and built a rather bizarre cruiser that can outrun raiders (energy conversion + pulled from space hulk), but the ship is pretty bare bones past that.

I see how that could be a problem. Not to mention extremely funny. ... but what exactly is your question?

Aye, cruisers just really don't make good starting ships for brand new Rogue Traders. It's generally better to go for a well-fitted frigate or an average light-cruiser first.

My players (old roleplaying games veterans) saw trough the rules of ship building and got 70SP too. They built an almost invincible frigate that took 2 chaos raider cruisers with only a few scratch and some paint job... Overstuffed frigates with a decent crew (and PC on board) are freaking awesome. You need 90SP to make a good cruiser.

With a downgraded crew and one Child of a Dynasty you can get something like that:

Tyrant cruiser with Planet-bound for millenia background

Modified Jovian Pattern Class 4 Drive

Strelov 2 Warp Engine

Emergency Field

Repulsor Shield Array

Ship Master´s Bridge

Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer

Pressed-crew Quarters

M-201.b Auger Array

Energistic Conversion Matrix

Gyro-stabilisation Matrix

Auxiliary Plasma Banks (2x)

Armoured Prow

Trophy Room

Broadband Hymn-casters

and still 5 space and 7 power unused for more equipment or a permant speed of 7.

Sunsear Las-broadside (2x)

Sunhammer Lance Battery (2x)

Mormacar said:

That is actually fairly decent for a starting vessel. The tyrant class may be expensive but it's got alot of power on its own. It's far from the well-equipped frigates or Lcruisers you CAN start with, but it's still good.

Xalendar said:

Xalendar said:

Oh, sounds like an interesting frigate, care to go into detail? Right now, the group I am playing with only have the starting ship, for us it was a Sword-class frigate. It is equipped to be halfway good at most things, getting some social bonuses as well some buffs to most types of endeavours. Right now, the group is managing due to a Captain with a above average pilot skill and a really nice comman skill. Hit and run + boarding actions save the day!

But seriously, any good build ideas for ships, preferably frigates or Heavy cruisers outfitted for WAR, would be great. We are really looking forward to some intense ship fighting, but at the moment, anything above a system ship would completely wreck the ship.

@Nightsorrow: Here is a frigate I built a while back. It should serve as a fairly capable warship. Total cost is 50 SP

Tempest class frigate with Resolute and Emissary of the Imperator backgrounds.

Speed:7 Manoeuvrability: +25 Detection+17 Turret Rating: 1 Shields: 1 Armour:20 Hull Integrity: 39

Space Available: 42 Power Available:45 Morale:103 Population:100
Space Used:42 Power Used:45

Jovian Pattern Class 2 Drive

Strelov 1 Warp Engine

Warpsbane Hull

Combat Bridge

Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer

Clankin Quarters

Mark-201.b Auger Array

Repulsor Shield

Cargo Hold and Lighter Bay

Armor Plating

Temple-Shrine to the God Emperor

Munitorium

Broadband Hymn-casters

2 Augmented Retro-Thrusters

Empyrean Mantle

2 Dorsal Mounted Sunsear Laser Batteries

Nearyn said:

How do you build a decent cruiser with just 10SP?

With 10 SP you can make a decent combat cruiser. I whipped this up with the base book, have a look.

Lunar class cruiser with Martial Hubris and Wrested From a Space Hulk backgrounds.

Speed:6 Manoeuvrability:+13 Detection:+15 Hull Integrity:70 Armour:21 Turret Rating:2

Space:75 Power:75
Used:67 Used:64

Crew:100 Morale:101

Jovian Class 4 Drive

Strelov 2 Warp Engine

Geller Field

Multiple Voidshield Array

Ship Masters Brigde

M-1.r Life Sustainer

Pressed Crew Quarters

Mark 201.b Auger Array

Munitorium

Temple-Shrine to the God Emperor

Cargo Hold and Lighter Bay

2 Port Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadsides

2 Starboard Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadsides

Prow Ryza Pattern Plasma Battery.

Nothing to amazing, but it should be able to hold its own in most fights. Not to good at Exploration or Trade, but it is at capable of both.

I dunno, the Angel of Vengeance was a Lunar-class Cruiser build, and it's a pretty nice piece of tech with 70 points.

70/70 Ship Points

Angel of Vengeance, flagship of Lord-Captain Alexei Zhukov
Lunar-class Cruiser hull
Resolute (-1 Speed, +10 Repair Tests), Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (-2 Power, 3 cloaked Components)

Speed 5 (-1) = 4
Manoeuvrability +10
Detection +10 (+5) = +15
Hull Integrity 70
Armor 20
Turret Rating 2
Void Shields 2

Competent Crew – Skill Level 30 (+5)

Space 75
SP 60

Weapon Capacity
Prow 1 (Titanforge Lance Weapon)
Port 2 (Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside) (Pyros Melta-Cannons)
Starboard 2 (Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside) (Pyros Melta-Cannons)

68/75 space
70/73 power
100/100 Crew Morale
100/100 Crew Population

PRIMARY COMPONENTS
Jovian Pattern Class 4 Drive – 14 space, 75 power generated (-2 power)
Strelov 2 Warp Engine - 12 space, 12 power
Warpsbane Hull - 2 SP
-any Navigation test to pilot ship through Warp gains +10 bonus
-when rolling on Warp Travel Encounters, GM rolls twice, let Navigator choose
Multiple Void Shield Array - 7 power, 2 space
-provides 2 Void Shields
Ship Master's Bridge - 4 power, 3 space
-All Piloting and Navigation tests by crew on bridge gain +5
-All Ballistic Skill tests to fire shipboard weapons gain +10
Mark 1.R Life Sustainer - 4 power, 2 space
-increase all morale loss by 1
Voidsmen Quarters - 2 power, 4 space
M-201.b Auger Array - 5 power
+5 bonus to ship Detection

SUPPLEMENTAL COMPONENTS
Titanforge Lance Weapon (Prow) - 9 power, 2 space, 2 SP (cloaked)
Str 1, 1d10+4, Crit Rating 3, Range 6
Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside (Port) - 4 power, 5 space, 1 SP (cloaked)
Str 6, 1d10+2, Crit Rating 5, Range 6
Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside (Starboard) - 4 power, 5 space, 1 SP (cloaked)
Str 6, 1d10+2, Crit Rating 5, Range 6
Tenebro-Maze - 2 power, 3 space, 2 SP
+10 to Command Actions during Boarding Actions and Hit-and-Run Actions
-when Component is selected for Critical Hit, ship controller picks, not attacker
Trophy Room - 1 power, 1 space, 1 SP
+50 Achievement points – Exploration, Trade, Criminal
Teleportarium - 1 power, 1 space (initial acquisition)
-Permits teleportation
+20 to Hit-and-Run actions using it, no piloting tests

Priority Acquisitions:
Extended Supply Vaults 2 power 5 space
-Double time ship can go before Crew Population/Morale loss
-When making Extended Repairs, repair 1 additional Hull Integrity
-Increase Morale permanently by 1
Temple-Shrine to the God-Emperor 1 power 1 space
-Increase Morale permanently by 3
+100 Achievement points – Creed
Best-craftsmanship Starchart Collection
+50 Achievement points – Exploration
-reduce travel times by 1d5+5 days
Best-craftsmanship Crew Improvements
+3 Morale
+5 Crew Rating
Compartmentalized Cargo Hold – 1 power, 4 space
+100 Achievement points – Trade
-permits Trade objectives
Barracks – 2 power, 4 space
+100 Achievement points – Military
+20 to Command tests (Hit & Run, Boarding Actions)
“Storm” Drop Pod Launch Bays 1 power 2 space
+50 Achievement points – Military
-can use Drop Pods, holds 20, drops 10 every 30 minutes or so
Best-craftsmanship Storm Trooper Detachment
-expert soldiers for ship-to-ship raids
+10 bonus to opposed Command tests during Boarding Actions

Pyros Melta-Cannons (Port) – 4 power, 3 space
Str 3, 1d10+4, Crit Rating 4, Range 4
Pyros Melta-Cannons (Starboard) – 4 power, 3 space
Str 3, 1d10+4, Crit Rating 4, Range 4

Yeah, I built it to be an absolute nightmare to board. And with cloaked weapons, people get nasty surprises when they try and sneak-attack. ^w^

This is what they built:

Bane of Brigands

Tyrant Class Cruiser

Wrested from Space Hulk/Ancient and Wise (I assigned them rather than let them roll based on their concept)

Planet Bound for Millennia (part of being trapped in Space Hulk)

Modified Jovian Pattern Drive (from Planet Bound)

Strelov Warp Engine

Ship Master's Bridge

Gellar Field

Multiple Void Shield Array

Voidsmen Quarters

Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer

R-50 Auspex

4 Mars Pattern Macrocannon batteries (2 port, 2 starboard)

Las-Broadside (prow)

2 Auxiliary Plasma Banks

Energistic Conversation Matrix

Gyro-Stabilization Matrix

Speed: 6 (11 with conversion bonus)

Detection: +10

Armor: 21

Maneuverability: +13 (+23 next to planet, does not include +10 bonus from Ancient and Wise)

Hull Integrity: 63

Turret Rating: 2

3 Space left, 31 Power left

Rogue Trader took Child of Destiny to get extra points, didn't downgrade crew. Ship is faster than a raider because of conversion matrix. It still has plenty of room to be upgraded, but it has no trade ability and very little anything else except for chasing down ships. They are planning on swapping out guns later for Lances and turn the power on/off to fuel the speed as needed.

@Kyriotsu: I don't really see a cruiser with a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. It just seems weird for the massive killamajig of a ship to have the sneaky background. Also, how does it have a Teleportarium? From what you have specified it should have no access to Archeotech.

@ The Glen: You cant have Planet bound For Millennia and normal backgrounds. The supplemental stuff from Into the Storm is an either or deal, roll random, or pay points to chose an improved package. Not Both.

Oh, should've explained that better. It was the Rogue Trader's initial acquisition, RP-wise he called in a final favor with a Cult Mechanicus group who his family used to deal with (before the family's collapse).

As for the Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, not all cruisers are built the same, y'know, and some can be pretty **** old after all the years they've put into service. It's a subtle thing, really. The thing is Resolute, so it looks tough and battered, but for some reason it never shows everything it's got stashed away, whether in weapons or technological capabilities, which makes some raiders curious...and occasionally overconfident, to their ultimate chagrin. It's a Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, just like it's Lord-Captain. Zhukov prefers diplomacy and cunning manipulation to win the day, but if he has to break out the guns, then it always surprises people just how much ordnance that Cruiser can throw out. Especially when I acquire those twin banks of Pyros Melta-Cannons...

Psyker11 said:

Missed that rule, no problem it shouldn't hard to fix it.

Um, @The Glen: you are aware that if it says "broadside" in the component name, it must be fitted to a broadside slot (viz. Port or Starboard), right?

Because as is, that ship must either look pretty weird (almost as broad as she is long kind of weird), or be flying sideways...