Only if it was from Matel, I might be able to work out how to do it.

Concept/ Idea I'm looking to emulate.

A ship that is fast, fast enough to get a reputation of beating other ships to their destinations frequently, even if it left days after. (Ala over engined smaller ships from the likes of Elite/ Frontier). The Crew are Clans/ Families that take great pride in doing their role/ job. It's primary role would be "Sprint Trader"

This is what I've come up with so far, and I'm wanting help in case I've missed something (I believe I have all the Rogue Trader books)

Due to it's small size and age, the Ship "Dust Lynx" has realised that speed is it's greatest asset and thus has the qualities, Skittish and Reliquary of Mars. Due to being a piece of Archeotech, Xeno's components are pretty much a no go.

Base Hull, Cobra Class Destroyer

Speed: 10 (11)

Manoeuvrability: +30 (+38)

Detection: +10

Hull Integrity: 30

Armour: 15

Turret Rating: 1

Space: 35

Plasma Drive: Lathe 2b Escort Drive (P47, S14, SP+2)

Warp Drive: Miloslav Warp Engine (P8, S10)

Geller Field: Warpsbane Hull (P1, S0, SP+2)

Void Shield: Repulsor Shield (P6, S1)

Bridge: Armoured (P2, S2)

Life Support: Vitae Pattern (P4, S2)

Crew Quarters: Clan-Kin (P1, S4, SP1)

Auger Arrays: Passive Detection (P3, S0, SP+1)

Supplemental Components

Augmented Retro-Thrusters: (P3, S0, SP+2)

Empyrean Mantle: (P3, S0, SP+2)

Energistic Conversion Matrix: (P1, S1, SP+1)

Space used: 34 (35)

Power used: 32 (47)

Ship Points: 41

First Problem: It has NO weapons currently, and not enough space left over to fit any.

Second: Being my first ship, I'm not sure if I've missed any "design tricks".

Any help and/ or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Could you use the Into the Storm origin path (and ship backgrounds) instead of Skittish/Reliquary of Mars?

Does it have to be a 41 SP (or less) ship?

Iku Rex said:

I looked at them, I didn't see any that would be worth it. Wrong ship class to be a Thulian Explorator (Not to mention it slows the ship down). Planet Bound look promising, but I wasn't sure.

Does it have to be a 41 SP (or less) ship?

No not really. Though less than 45 would be nice.

You should have named it the 'kamikaze', mate, for it'll be suicide to voyage in it. An unarmed ship has no business whatever being in the Expanse. All it takes is one hostile ship lying in wait near your destination or departure port, or an opportunistic pirate who's at port when you show up. Even if your ship can outrun them in open space, you still need to stop for fuel, provisions, and crew R&R. Also, some of the Eldar and Chaos ships are considerably faster than their Imperial counterparts, and can run down even a fast ship. Eldar, in particular, also have the auspex arrays and crew skill to see through that Empyrean mantle. Weapons are quite simply a must-have. One corsair or reaver ship spots you, and it's game over.

Aside from the weapons issue, which is absolutely critical, I do have several other comments:

1. Small ships don't have that much room for special systems. Usually, an escort-class ship will only have 2 or 3 optional systems.

2. Do you really need all of the extras? And, I didn't see any cargo bay component. If you're going to be a blockade runner, shouldn't you have spaces for for all the contraband?

3. There's a drive in Hostile Acquisitions that adds +2 speed. If you're going for a super-fast ship, then be aware that there is a faster drive.

4. Is there a way to drop Reliquary of Mars? I'm not a big fan of the energistic conversion matrix, and Reliquary imposes a significant penalty to repairs. Flying a tin can like the Cobra, that's a big drawback.

5. Good quality components can reduce the space requirements of certain systems, so you could use that to fit in a couple more systems. Good quality also goes well with Reliquary.

6. Applause for selecting a warpsbane hull and the fast warp drive. Don't change those. Warp transit time and a good navigator (read: PC navigator, with fate points to re-roll botched Navigation: Warp tests) are probably the most critical thing to beat your opponents to your destination.

I had sketched up a ship, working name the "Nightrazor" for use in my campaign - it was intended as a smuggler / pirate vessel. The key features were the combination of Shadowblind cargo bays and an Empyrean Mantle. It was a Cobra, but had Reaver of the Unbeholden Reaches as a background. Weapons were dorsal sunsears, and a Jovian pattern missile bay in the prow for a hard hit when you get a foe lined up just right.

In your case, I'd add some form of cargo bay & weapons. Assuming you keep Reliquary, I'd drop the Conversion Matrix and replace it with either an archaeotech bridge or drive. You could either go for the compact drive and gain much needed space, or for the stealthy Cypra pattern, and gain a further bonus to silent running. I do love the combination of Empyrean Mantle and Shadowblind bays. That will let you smuggle like a fiend. A stealthy, wealthy fiend.

Add good quality components as need be to get your space requirements down, and I think you're there.

Just my 2 thrones worth,

- V.

Vandegraffe has good points.

Some comments of my own:

* Armoured Bridge doesn't seem worth it. Bridge hits are rare [sorry if I've jinxed you ].

* Using the Into the Storm Origin Path, Age of Redemption - Rising Star - Prize of War - Halo Artefacts - Merchant House - Unknown gets you 44 SP/48 PF, and the option of picking a xenostech component. (Swapping Prize of War with Exile gets you 8 more PF for 4 less SP, but those 4 SPs help a lot). It may be a little heretical, but it makes your ship unique.

* Planet-Bound for Millennia is really good. For a small ship the 4 extra space from a Modified drive comes in very handy, and extra archeotech is always nice.

A couple of builds similar to yours (copied from a spreadsheet - sorry about the formatting):

***

Cobra Destroyer 35 30
Plasma Drive Modified Jovian Pattern Class 2 Drive 45 6 0
Gellar Field Poor Warpsbane Hull 2 0 1
Void Shield(s) Repulsor Shield 6 1 0
Bridge Combat Bridge 1 1 0
Life Sustainer Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer 4 2 0
Crew Quarters Clan-Kin Quarters 1 4 1
Auger Array W-240 Passive Detection Arrays 3 0 1

Weapon Jovian Missile Battery 3 1 1
Weapon Sunsear Laser Battery 6 4 1

Background Planet-Bound for Milennia 3

Cargo/Passengers Cargo Hold and Lighter Bay 1 2 1

Augments/Enhancements Poor Empyrean Mantle 4 0 1
Augments/Enhancements Poor Defensive Countermeasures 2 2 1

Archeotech Energistic Conversion Matrix 1 1 1

Xenostech Runecaster 0 1 2

Total (Negative result means remaining power/room.) -3 0 44

***

You may want to replace the sunsear with another missile battery and just accept that you only get to fire every other round. (Evasive maneuvers/move away while you're loading the missile tubes.) It's not as maneuverable as your original ship (+27), but keep in mind that bonuses max out at +60. Warp navigation has a +30 bonus and you get to your destination in 1/4 the regular time.

***

Orion Star Clipper 40 25
Plasma Drive Modified Jovian Pattern Class 1 Drive 35 4 0
Warp Engine Miloslav G-616.b Warp Engine 8 10 0
Gellar Field Poor Warpsbane Hull 2 0 1
Void Shield(s) Repulsor Shield 6 1 0
Bridge Bridge of Antiquity 1 1 2
Life Sustainer Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer 4 2 0
Crew Quarters Clan-Kin Quarters 1 4 1
Auger Array W-240 Passive Detection Arrays 3 0 1

Weapon Jovian Missile Battery 3 1 1
Weapon Jovian Missile Battery 3 1 1

Background Planet-Bound for Milennia 3

Cargo/Passengers Main Cargo Hold 2 0 1
Cargo/Passengers Main Cargo Hold 2 4 1

Augments/Enhancements Poor Empyrean Mantle 4 0 1
Augments/Enhancements Defensive Countermeasures 1 1 2

Additional Facilities Auxiliary Plasma Banks -8 5 1
Additional Facilities Trophy Room 1 1 1

Xenostech Runecaster 0 1 2

Total (Negative result means remaining power/room.) -2 -4 44

***

This is more of a "proper" trader, with lots of Achievement bonuses (+300 to Trade, +100 to Criminal). You even have room for future improvements. As fast as the raider above and a little more maneuverable, but the Conversion Matrix is less useful on a Transport so I put a fancy archeotech bridge on it instead. Helps you talk your way out of trouble. You can still outrun most non-eldar ships. Just … don't get hit. Really. Don't get hit.

Hell, I've designed a ship (my current group's starting ship, as it happens) which is smaller, with a base speed of 12, and cargo capacity. Hell, it's even armed, sorta.

Viper class sloop, fitted with (Good quality) Lathe 2b and Miloslav G-616.b drives

Warpsbane hull, Combat Bridge, M-1.r Life Sustainer, Deep Void Auger array

(Good Quality) Pressed Crew Quarters

Cargo Hold/Lighter Bay, Empyrean Mantle and a dorsal-mounted Jovian Missile Battery for defence.

Total space/used: 29/29; total power/used: 47/34; total SP$: 36

This particular baby used Nose For Trouble/Haunted as Complications/Prior History, but switching to Reliquary and Modifying the Lathe 2b would bring it up to a base speed of 13. Alternatively, upgrading another component to Good would let you squeeze in the Energistic Conversion Matrix.
Skittish sounds fast at first, but if you've got a competent Navigator, Blasphemous Tendencies can actually give you a bigger dividend when making Warp (and doesn't slow you when/if you get into a battle). Take a look at table 7-3 (p.184) in the core book.

I'd also note that you have the option of cramming stuff onto the ship regardless of how much space you have left…if you don't mind replacing it after every battle (first shot to make it past your shields and you will lose all Exposed components).

The faster drive Vandegraffe mentions is the Segrazian "Viperdrive". It takes up a whopping 16 Space to grant that extra speed, and if it gets damaged… yeah, you're ship's screwed if that happens. Up to you whether that Space and risk are worth it (bear in mind that repairs on any ship with Reliquary are at a -20).

Vandegraffe said:

Okay, the weapons I was aware of and while I expected it to be laughable, I fully knew I would have to redesign/ juggle to get one in.

I can drop Reliquary of Mars as there are other ways to get Archeotech. Though one of those ways is via Ship Background Packages, which removes Skittish as well which I kind of liked (Is there another way to get that kind of speed?). Going with Planet-Bound of a Millennia gets me a Modified Jovian Class 2 losing me 2 power yet gaining me 8 space, which is good and I still get to keep the Conversion Matrix which I really like. The " Viper Drive" from Hostile Acquisitions is bigger than the Lathe 2b and has that downside (Which is what scared me off).

I can get another piece of Archeotech via the Warrant - Ship Origin path of : Age of Rebirth>Struggling>Adminstratum Trade Mandate>The Meritech Wars>Adeptus Mechanicus>Unknown (Giving a SP56/PF 36) . With three piece's of Archeotech and the Adeptus Mechanicus part of the Origins, I can still keep the feel of Reliquary of Mars.

So, If I've done my Maths right I now have.

9 Space available,

13 Power,

1 Piece of Archeotech left to choose.

Dumb question: The Cobra has 1 Prow and 1 Dorsal "weapon slot". Does the Conversion Matrix take up one of those? (A problem if it does as there is still no Cargo Hold, or Weapon. Though lack of Cargo hold just means no bonus to Objectives, not that you can't transport, right?)

Also, where are the rules for Good quality ship components?

Also, Bridges and Augur Array's, are there more suitable options?

Thanks everyone for your answers so far

A weapons slot is what Traveller would call a "hardpoint". It's a section of the outer hull (and adjacent internal volume, plus ammo runs and magazine space) dedicated to mounting weapons. The Conversion Matrix isn't a weapon, so it doesn't take up a Weapons slot. Simple. (There are "weapons" that don't take up a slot, but that's just minelayers, prow rams and Hold Landing Bays [which can only be fitted to a ship with a built-in Main Cargo Hold]).

And, true, by the RAW, no hold components just means no bonuses to Endeavours, but the general consensus is that what cargo space is available on a ship without is dedicated to ship's stores and consumables (ie- spare parts, foodstuffs, medical supplies for the crew, fuel bunkers).

There can still be enough haulage to make the officers incredibly wealthy (the Lunar-class cruiser HDMS Relentless , for example, was run as a rather effective wealth-making pirate under Commander Ward, "confiscating" the more valuable parts of cargoes carried by merchant vessels they ran across on their patrol route), but don't expect to have the capacity to carry bulk cargoes.
Some GMs do run it as "no Hold, no cargo", but given the sheer size of 40k vessels, I think that's a little strict.

The rules for Component Craftsmanship are on pp17-20 of Battlefleet Koronus.

In terms of detection capabilities, the best auspex out there is the Deep Void Auger Array (+20 Detection), but in terms of sneaky, the Passive Detection Array you've got is better.

I'd personally go with a plain Combat Bridge, given your stated objective, but if you get a bridge hit, the Armoured Bridge is very useful. As Iku said, though, bridge hits are fairly rare.

Sounds like a fireflly class!