just a quick question. one of the main bad guys in an upcoming campaign is going to be piloting a slightly converted ex-navy hospital/mercy ship. I was just wondering what would be the best hull to represent one. I was thinking transports, but since speed tends to be a factor ( at least in real world) I was leaning more towards a frigate or maybe a light cruiser with most of the weapons striped out.
any thoughts would be helpful.
I would still say a Transport, because travelling through the warp, most ships are about the same speed, and when in-system, speed is mostly relevant during engagements. The difference in relative speed shouldn't be too high.
I'd vote for a Transport as well. You can even convert a Main Cargo Hold into a Hold Landing Bay for housing all the small craft you'll need.
But you can make a case for the Swords and other Frigates as well; they're plentiful enough and may have been pressed to such a role if one were damaged.
Jericho-class Pilgrim Vessel
Use one in one my campaigns as an actual hospital ship. But it wouldn't work as a weaponized vessel. May a Like-class Q-Ship?
just a quick question. one of the main bad guys in an upcoming campaign is going to be piloting a slightly converted ex-navy hospital/mercy ship. I was just wondering what would be the best hull to represent one. I was thinking transports, but since speed tends to be a factor ( at least in real world) I was leaning more towards a frigate or maybe a light cruiser with most of the weapons striped out.
any thoughts would be helpful.
Heya,
Probably a transport with no weapons or anything that looks useful to someone floating by who thinks about taking it as their own. After all, your cargo is essentially rotting meat. Only a few kinds of things are going to be interested in that cargo and a ship with no weapons.
Speed shouldn't matter really. Most of the wounded should be shuttled to you once in orbit or near your destination. And the long stretches will be warp jumps.
Very best,
To offer something other than a Transport (which is a solid choice), you might want something with integrated launch bays, as a hospital ship would need to be able to move things in and out very quickly. I recommend a Defiant Light Cruiser with an Armoured Prow, and then you'll get a little more space for components and can potentially still add in a Torpedo tube in the Prow to give you the ability to really inflict a lot of damage with your torpedos/torpedo bombers
Launch bays, cargo capacity, and plenty of barracks spaces. Obviously the barracks will have surguries rather than training decks, but that'll work fine for space and power, and just declare it different narratively.
I wouldn't assume that a hospital ship would be unarmed. The Imperium doesn't really play by the rules of war, and who else does in the 41st millenium?
Chaos Reavers? Dark Eldar? Slaves.
Rak'Gol? Tyranids? Slaugth? Food.
Stryxis? Raw parts for bio-engineering.
Orks? Fun!
I'd imagine the ship wouldn't be heavily armed (because it would normally be travelling with other warships) but it will be armed.
The most likely organisation to run such a ship (at least the medical decks) is a Sororitas Hospitaller Order. The ship itself will still be a naval ship, however, because the Adepta Sororitas are not permitted their own ships (another reason it's unlikely to be built off a 'real' warship hull). The Sororitas influence is probably enough to justify a Temple-Shrine component and general religious overtones, though.
I would agree speed is important, but speed in the warp is probably more important than speed in real space. Nevertheless, some effort to kit the ship out with decent engines is likely. Also, if potentially packed to the gunwhales with the injured and diseased, I would imagine a better-than-standard life sustainer (although the crew themselves will probably be in no better conditions than normal).
As a result, I offer the below:
Medicae support ship His Righteous Mercy
(Resolute, Emmisary of the Imperator)
Jericho -Class Pilgrim Transport, refitted by the Navy
Barracks (converted to regiment-sized medicae facility)
Barracks (converted to accomodation and storage for Adepta Sororitas Preceptory)
Armour Plating
Reinforced Bulkheads
Veteran Crew
4 surplus power, 1 surplus space, 37 ship points
Starting life as a standard Jericho , the Mercy was heavily refitted by the navy for her role. Capable of transporting a full preceptory (several thousand sisters) of the Hospitaller Orders, along with as many patients undergoing treatment, she has saved countless lives over two centuries of service supporting the battlefleet. Whilst not a warship by any stretch of the imagination, her crew are navy regulars, and she boasts a battery of light macrocannon on each flank to protect her charges. Nor should the fighting strength of hundreds of Adepta Sororitas - theoretically from non militant orders or not - and a companies of 'walking wounded' be underestimated in a boarding action. More importantly, her armour and superstructure have been strengthened, and both warp and sublight engines have been upgraded.
So far these are all good points, thanks everyone. I think I will base it off of the Jericho. I'll fiddle around with it as I definitely want the pharmacy component in there somewhere.
I offer this as fodder for amusement.
His Healing Hand (formerly The Valkr )
Jericho-class Pilgrim Transport
Pressed into service as a troop-transport during the Angevin Crusade due to its excellent medicae facilities (and being in the wrong place at the wrong time), the transport now known as His Healing Hand is famous as far as hospital ships go. The ancient hull has avoided much damage throughout the millennia, and the millions of soldiers, sailors, and civilians it has saved in that time praise the vessel and its crew for their tireless service.
The vessel is a private enterprise of sorts, living off donations from the people they've saved throughout the years--some of whom have become very successful, and its crew is self sufficient. It relies on the Imperial Navy to provide Navigators and Astropaths as well as various officers with specialized knowledge.
But all is not well with the humble vessel. More than one Guardsman or Voidsman has told tales of comrades being dragged away, pronounced dead though they had superficial wounds. In fact, perfectly healthy individuals have been declared dead by the ship's medicae staff. Investigations into these discrepancies always end abruptly, usually with a tragedy befalling the investigative team's superiors.
His Healing Hand has been targeted by slavers, human and xenos alike, throughout the years but it has always managed to fend them off. A branch of the Missionaria Galaxia that still partly funds the vessel provides an elite guard for its missionaries on board, and these have been instrumental in defeating boarding attempts. But less documented is the propensity for enemy vessels to suffer multiple disastrous boarding actions.
The faithful among the injured claim these are the Emperor's own angels, protecting them. Meanwhile, a tenth of their bravest and most skilled die on each voyage.
Looks like a very nice ship. Adding in the updated components from Battlefleet, etc, significantly improves the medical ship feel.
Crew Reclamation is a nice touch - wouldn't work for a Hospitaller ship, but seems quite right for 'private enterprise'.
Looks like a very nice ship. Adding in the updated components from Battlefleet, etc, significantly improves the medical ship feel.
Crew Reclamation is a nice touch - wouldn't work for a Hospitaller ship, but seems quite right for 'private enterprise'.
I was kind of thinking the Death Cult Crew is actually making Murder-Servitors and "Assasin-Servitors", on the sly. Partly because it's the religious thing to do for the Emperor of Death, but mostly because it brings in the money.
As long as you're not a great warrior, odds are you'll receive the best medical care they can give you. My mind even came up with a sort of "tithe" some planets offer His Healing Hand in return for medical services.