Isolde Pattern Bulk Clipper

“The Essene was three kilometres long…and fully seven hundred metres deep at its broadest part. Its nose was a long sleek cone like a cathedral spire made of overlapping gothic curves and barbed with bronze finials and spines. Behind that bladed front, the angular hull thickened into muscular buttresses of rusty-red plating, looped and riveted with ribs of dark steel. Crenellated tower stacks bulged from the dorsal hump. Hundred metre masts stabbed forward from the hull like tusks, and other, shorter masts projected from the flanks and underside, winking with guide lights. The rear portion of the juggernaut splayed into four heat-blackened cones, each of which was large enough to swallow a dozen gun-cutters at once.”
-Eisenhorn, Xenos

Isolde pattern Bulk Clippers represent something of a failed experiment; an attempt to combine the speed of a Clipper with both the greater freight capacity of a bulk Transport and the armour of a warship. The fact that the class was unsuccessful in truly achieving any aspect of this triple purpose has not reduced the affection with which these ships are held by starfarers, a fondness rooted in their extraordinary beauty.
Constructed in the now legendary Larland shipyards (themselves lost to heretical industrial sabotage over three millennia ago) the ships attempted to build upon the success of the earlier Orion-Class Star Clipper. The Orion was a finely balanced thoroughbred, and the Archmagi Shipwrights of Larland hoped to enhance the survivability of the class by overcoming certain calibration shortcomings that had precluded the mounting of additional armour.
Unfortunately, this was never properly achieved. The gradual realisation among the Larland Technomagi of the new Isolde Class’ inability to comply with any aspect of the contractual Carta Confabricor led to a five decade round of buck passing and finger pointing, culminating in a series of disastrous enforced design compromises.
And yet, despite its compromised origin, the Isolde has, in the fullness of time, come to be regarded as one of the most visually arresting vessels within the Imperium. Resembling its parent, the Orion, it is at once heavier yet somehow more organic and lithe. Constructed by the Larlanders from the finest materials (largely with a view to distracting potential purchasers from its shortcomings) it effortlessly catches the starlight, reflecting it across languidly elegant bronzed plating, smoothly dappled stained armourglass and electrum-coated buttresses that make the architectural features of the most magnificent Imperial cathedral seem dull and provincial in comparison.

Dimensions: 3 km long, 0.7km abeam at fins approx
Mass: 8.7 Megatonnes
Crew: 16,000 crew, approx
Accel: 3.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration

Speed: 7 Manoeuvrability:+ 15
Detection: +10 Hull integrity: 38
Armour: +12 Turret Rating: 1
Space: 38 SP: 25
Weapon capacity: 1 Port, 1 Starboard
Cargo Hauler: This vessel was designed for transporting goods, and no amount of retrofitting can fully change this. This Hull comes pre-equipped with one Main Cargo Hold Component (See page 203 of the Rogue Trader Core Rulebook). The hull’s Space has already been reduced to account for this, however when the ship is constructed it must be able to provide a total of 2 power to this component.
“ A beauty.” This vessel draws admiring glances from all those who know about spacecraft. Anyone associated with the vessel is deemed to gain a +5 bonus to fellowship when dealing with the voidborn or anyone with the Pilot (Space Craft) skill.

Nice idea. There are a number of different class vessels mentioned across the 40k books alas most of them are not described in any great deal so its hard to make stats up for them. One I have seen mentioned once or twice (Caiphas Cain novels) is the galaxy class troop transport, which I would think would be perfect for more militant traders. I think it existed even in the old Space Fleet game from 1991 and was described aptly in the book as '

'Antediluvian'

Any other unusual classes around in the books?

Galaxy Class troop transport: an antediluvian…Galaxy-class troopship which seemed to be kept functioning entirely by the constant activity of her tech-priests and enginseers –

1 One of the reasons the Galaxy-class troopship remains so popular, even though none have been built since, the Age of Apostasy and the means to do so are now thought lost, is that it has sufficient hangar space to embark an entire regiment under optimum conditions. Of course this assumes that it would have sufficient dropships aboard for the task, which few do, the slow-moving shuttles being easy targets in a war zone, and difficult to replace.
Traitors hand p.7 & p.19

The escort squadron Ptolemy, under Captain Vanu, was brand new from the orbital docks of Hydraphur and consisted of three Python-class ships of a completely untested configuration:
Dark Adeptus, Chapter 4

They rode in the Arbites Indictor-class fast cruiser Judgement's Clarion, a squat, blunt-prowed slab of armour and drives around a fat-bellied enginarium, her decks home to a dedicated garrison whose precinct house was their ship and whose specialty was the boarding and sacking of outlaw spacecraft.
Crossfire p.31

They had even been joined by the Penitent's Wrath, a Ragnarok class that had seen better days but was nevertheless an immense capital ship bristling with more destruction than Chloure could comprehend.
Soul Drinker p.39

A Golgotha-class factory ship has been requested, to be refitted for clearing a path through the field.'
Soul Drinker: p.40

'Got a good look at one,' continued Lygris. 'It matches one of the marks in the archives, a Sapience-class cruiser . It's the Adeptus Mechanicus, commander.'
Hell Forged p.16

The enemy is an Acheron-class cruiser and I think we can assume the schematics have not changed all that much since the Second Gorechild War.
Grey Hunter: p.16

Perdus Skylla, for recon/salvage of the Dvorak-class interstellar freighter Flames of Perdition, which reappeared within Segmentum Tempestus in 942.M41 and crashed onto the surface of cl4.8.87.i
Dark Disciple: p.114

TWELVE HOURS LATER, the Imperial convoy broke orbit and left Bahani behind. At its centre travelled the Gloriana Vance, the Barbican-class liner carrying the Administratum officials and those valuable goods and machinery deemed worthy of removal in the evacuation. In formation around it were the Spur, lllys and Onyx, Sword-class frigates assigned as escort.
Planetkill (anthology) –Mortal Fuel

Above the Promise in turn loomed the grey bulk of the Punisher-class cruiser Baron Mykal, keeping watch with gun bays open and batteries armed.
Legacy p.56

The Kovash Venator, a spearslender Long Serpent-class cruiser with powerful engines.
Legacy p.68 & Battleship gothic magazine issue 2

The Voice of the Seraph, a Furious-class grand cruiser whose gun batteries
rivalled those of some battleships
Legacy p.68 & Battleship gothic magazine issue 2

The last two are interesting. It appears that there was a competition for readers to create their own configuration, and for some reason Matt Farrer used the two winning entrys in his novel. If someone has a copy of that magazine these two classes could possibly be built for RT

Amazing collection, man

I'm wowed by this amalgamation of vaguely defined ships. Excellent stuff. I wish I could drop you 100 xp for your effort.

I like the ship design provided, it handles the balance of a transport well, in terms of limited space and power, while still providing a unique and intriguing fluff/mechanical bonus. Good one mate.

Captain Harlock said:

Excellent work, Captain! I had actually statted up the Indictor a while back (and did a couple of Arbites-only components, too), and I set that out again, below. I actually posted on Matt Farrer's blog about my interpretation, and he blogged back, saying he liked it! Matt Farrer is a gentleman and a scholar.

INDICTOR CLASS FAST CRUISER

Dimensions: 4.75 km Long, 0.7 km abeam at vanes
Mass: 23 megatonnes approx
Crew: 68,000 crew approx
Accel: 3.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration

The Indictor Class is typical of the ships utilised by the Arbites. Squat, utilitarian and incredibly robust, the vessel is optimised for the unusual dual mission profile of planetary assault and ship to ship boarding actions. Few spacecraft outside the Strike Cruisers of the Adeptus Astartes operate within these parameters, and although the Indictor is markedly less lethal than the ships of the Space Marines, it is nevertheless a fearsome opponent to all but the most heavily armed of lawbreakers.

Only the Arbites routinely utilise the “fast cruiser” concept in their ships, though vessels of this type are similar in tonnage and power output to the Light Cruisers of the Imperial Navy, albeit somewhat larger. They are markedly less elegant than Navy craft, though there is a certain spare and brutal pragmatism about their design that impresses those knowledgeable about such matters.

Indictor fast cruisers are constructed well within the heart of the Segmentum Solar, and information regarding their Forge World of origin is highly restricted. They do not resemble the “classic” Imperial ship, lacking the elegantly lethal prow ram, but they utilise the same technologies, and are clearly recognisable as Imperial ships by the glittering Arbites symbols mounted along the hull.

The class is equipped with well ordered Storming-Locks, which increase the efficiency of hull-to-hull boarding actions by allowing the rapid egress of specialist boarding Arbites officers equipped with armoured pressure-carapaces and a variety of lethal and non-lethal weapons systems.

Whilst not designed from the hull up as a mobile gaol (modified transports are usually used for this purpose) the ship fulfils its function as a mobile precinct with a suite of state of the art interrogation facilities of various types. It is also equipped with powerful bombardment cannon to support planetary Arbites forces.

Speed: 6 Manoeuvrability: +12
Detection: +15 Hull Integrity: 60
Armour: 20 Turret Rating: 1
Space: 60 SP: 50
Weapon Capacity: 1 Port, 1 Starboard, 1 Dorsal

UNIQUE ARBITES COMPONENTS

Interrogation Suite
The Arbites pride themselves on their grasp of psychology. For them, the arts of interrogation do not require the crude tortures of the Inquisition, but rather complex stage management, pomp, surprise evidence and the use of the subject’s own guilt to grind down their will to resist. Arbites ships are often equipped with a variety of specialist interrogation suites, with rooms designed to crush the spirit by subjecting the subject to total darkness and silence or constant deafening noise and blinding light. Interrogation rooms are mocked up as grand courtrooms, slimy oubliettes or cold, sterile laboratories. Prisoners are whisked from room to room and subjected to bizarre and threatening cross-examinations under the glare of magnesium lights for hours with no rest, while damning evidence of their guilt is paraded under their noses to the loudly-voiced contempt of the questioners. Few can resist such a specialist barrage of refined intimidation.
Confess, confess! Any interrogation skills used against any prisoners on board the ship are reduced in difficulty by two degrees (-20).
Good Cop, Bad Cop: When working towards a Law Enforcement Objective, the Explorers can earn an additional 50 achievement points towards completing that objective. .

Judge’s Chambers (Unique Bridge type)
This Arbites vessel was once the private precinct of a great Judge, a fearless enforcer of the Imperium’s Laws. The Bridge is ringed with great volumes of Judicial precedents dating back thousands of years, and the air is heavy with the dignity and power of those responsible for objectively and coldly interpreting the diktats of the Pax Imperialis.
Sober: When working towards a Law Enforcement Objective, the Explorers can earn an additional 50 achievement points towards completing that objective.
Learned: Any Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites) skills tests made while on board the bridge ship are reduced in difficulty by one degree (-10).

Storming-Locks
Arbites vessels are commonly equipped with specialist airlocks constructed solely to force-propel large numbers of boarders into the hull of an enemy vessel. Storming Locks are large external airlocks ringed with meltas and lasburners. They are mounted on extendable booms, and can swing rapidly into place, enabling the controlling officer to latch onto the target and cut through. Arbites are then driven along the length of the airlock passage by rail-mounted drive systems clipped to their pressure carapaces. This system allows dozens of Arbites officers to be literally fired into the breached hull of an enemy vessel in seconds, far faster than they would achieve under their own power. Although this system does not actually assist in the difficult manoeuvres that initiate a boarding action, it is crucial in seizing the initiative during the chaotic early stages of the process, as it enables the transfer of large number of armed assault teams into the heart of the conflict.
Go go go! Any ship equipped with Storming-Locks receives a +20 bonus to the very first opposed Command Test (and only the very first opposed Command Test) conducted during the course of the contested boarding action, to represent the large number of Arbites which instantly swarm into the enemy ship.

I might have a go at statting up some of the other ships you mention, perhaps even the Galaxy class...

Lightbringer said:

Galaxy Class would be nice for the more militant rogue traders, but Im guessing that they would be quite rare and the Imperial guard might have a near monoply on them

Curiously Ive just checked the old space fleet collection and there is a model for a galaxy troopship from GW's 'antediluvian' days at this web page cortest of solegends (Note the amusing difference between Space Fleet's and BFG's Cobra destroyer!)

http://www.solegends.com/citsfleet/imperial.htm

Take its as inspiration for your endevour.

Im still trying to find the details for the Lond Serpent and Furious Class...

Yes, the Galaxy class has been around since the old spacefleet days. I certainly had the old 50 pence coin-shaped miniature in mind when I thought about statting it up!

However, even though it's a troop transporter, I would imagine it's still a Navy ship, not a Guard ship. after the Horus Heresy, the Imperium reformed in such a way that no one organisation could possibly do as much damage as the old "mixed arms" forces operated by the Marine Legions.

The Navy transports (including the galaxy class) would (I imagine) transport the troops to orbit, drop them off at the surface, and then move on to the next operation, leaving perhaps a couple of frigates for orbital strikes and a carrier or two for air operations...

Captain Harlock said:

Somewhere I've got a copy of the old BfG Mag 1-19. I'll see if I can dig out and scan a copy for you.

*grumbles about forum's lack of a PM function*

Its ok...through nefarious means and dark conjurings I have found a copy. Ill write the data from BFG2 up on this thread when I get the time. Perhaps peple out there can convert it to RT, as im not that hot on mechanics being more of a narrative gamer. Though having a quick look at the Long serpent class its a wonder any rogue trader would want one. Oversized engines to catch pirates but known to catastrophically blow up when hit too many times..

well... the Chalice Battlecruiser in BFK seems to be a Calyxis version of the Long Serpent.

Lightbringer said:

Excellent work yourself, although I'd be more careful about describing Inquisitorial technique as "crude!"

From Inquisitor's Handbook, pg 194, under the heading Excruciator:

The contrary to popular reputation, the Inquisition frowns
on crude physical coercion and torture, finding information
extracted by such methods to be ultimately flawed and
utterly unreliable, not to mention often entirely inadequate
against those whose minds and bodies have been given
over to dark forces. However, when direct interrogation is
called for in extremis and more thorough methods (such as
psychic probing) are unavailable, devices that induce mental
discomfort, terror and illusory agonies though neural and
chemical manipulation without uneedful injury are employed.

I'm currently playing an Inquisitor, and I'll not have you slandering him. Or else....

Ok as promised here are the stats for the Furious Class Grand Cruiser and the Long Serpent Class from Battlefleet Gothic magazine (ISSUE 2 , P18-19), perhaps someone out there can convert them for RT...

Furious Class Grand Cruiser

The furious class Grand Cruiser is a design which has had a rather limited production. As the repulsive class Grand Cruisers reached the point where the tech adepts had difficulties maintaining their complex systems, an idea caught on in the yards of Cypra Mundi to utilise the newly developed armoured prow of a battleship combined with the grand cruisers. This created a flagship for combined cruiser fleets, which had the massive firepower of the earlier ships but enhanced command capabilities. These ships were used primarily as portable firepower, upping the power of imperial squadrons to almost battleship levels without the commitment of those rare and vitally needed ships. Tactically these ships were successful but suffered from the same balky engines that eventually reduced most of the remaining repulsive grand cruisers to the Reserve Fleet. As a result of a more thorough rebuild in 39th millennia reduced the weapon strength but added reliability. Following the gothic war a few remain in service, primarily in the Obscuras and Tempestus Segmentum where their still formidable firepower remains so valuable that unreliable engines can be overlooked.

Type : Grand Cruiser/10
Speed : 20cm
Turn: 45 degrees
Shields: 2
Armour: 5+ (Front 6+)
Turrets : 3

Armament:
Port Weapon Batteries
Starboard Weapon Batteries
Dorsal Weapon Batteries
Prow Torpedoes.

The Long Serpent battle cruiser

In the waning years of Abbaddon’s Incursion, the Adeptus Mechanicus artisans of Hydraphur and the officers of the Battle Fleet Pacificus faced a dilemma. In supporting battlefleet Obscuras the problem with pirate bands had become acute and the lack of speed among the standard imperial cruiser designs meant the tactical initiative remained with the pirates. At the direction of Admiral Knightsbridge the The Mages of Hydraphur designed and built in record time, the Long serpent class cruiser. Built from the keel up as a pirate hunter the long serpents combined a basic cruiser layout with the engine suite normally used on a battleship. The result was a much faster and more powerful cruiser with the speed to keep up with the raiders and the firepower to deal with them as a independent unit. All this improved performance came at a price. While the engines produced battleship power, the armour protection remained that of a cruiser. When a hit by multiple salvoes from the chaos cruiser Pustulent boil and Fearmonger the Long Serpent class Scylla suffered a warp drive implosion every bit as fierce as that of a battleship, destroying her entire squadron of assigned escorts and heavily damaging the battleship mailed fist. The Plasma drive overload that destroyed the Medusa also shattered the Lunar class cruiser Lord Chalfont leaving a convoy of Imperial Guard reinforcements to the mercies of an ork raiding squadron….

Special Rules:

The Long Serpent class Battle cruiser is a basic cruiser hull with a modified prow and bridge, reduced horizontal wing and increased vertical wing encompassing a engine shield role. The most striking feature is the presence of a full set of engines from a retribution class battleship. This gives the ship extra power for speed, weapons and shields but comes at an added risk. When rolling on the catastrophic damage table for the long serpent add 2 to the 2D6 roll for catastrophic damage…In other words it has great attributes but it blows up fairly easily and it blows up like a full sized battleship. It is designed for long ranged sniping and keeping out of the way, not close ranged slugging.

Type: Battle Cruiser/8
Speed: 25cm
Turn: 45 degrees
Shields: 2
Armour: 5+ (Front 6+)
Turrets: 2

Armament:
Port Weapon Batteries
Port Weapon Batteries
Starboard Weapon Batteries
Starboard Weapon Batteries
Dorsal Weapon Batteries
Nova Cannon