Custom Ship: 1000-dTon Scout Cruiser

[sageryne]

Hi all,

I have another new ship to share. This one was requested by Mike McKeown from the Traveller RPG Facebook group. It is a 1000-dTon J-4 M-2 scout cruiser.

Quasar Class Scout Cruiser.pdf

drive.google.com

The concept is based on the Qasar Class ship detailed in Traveller T20 Epic Adventure 5 - Scout Cruiser written by Michael Taylor. The scout cruiser was designed by Kevin Taylor. The article also included an illustration by Bryan Gibson (shown below). Full credit to them for the original design.



After reviewing Kevin's design and Bryan's illustration, I spoke with Mike McKeown and asked if he minded if I used their specifications as a starting point but started with a clean sheet and created my own deck plans. He was cool with that, so I did so.

I kept the same basic specs: 1000-dTons, streamlined, jump-4 (with jump-1 backup), manoeuvre-2 (with manoeuvre-1 backup), same number of staterooms, same type and number of labs, med-bay, launch, G/Carrier, three grav-bikes, two deployable bases, and primary and backup computers.

I changed a few things, including modifying the crew compliment, changed the TL from 13 to 15, increased the number of turrets from 4 to 10, and dropping the solar sail.

One idea I also kept was the unusual inclusion of internal docking space for a Type-S scout. Even there, I put my own twist on it by including the Type S20 Eiriksson Class scout designed by Bryan Gibson, rendered by Ted Lindsay, with deckplans by Wayne Young (AKA Finnulf). Thank you to Wayne for letting me reproduce his deck plans here.

I named my ship the Quasar Class, an appropriately astronomical name and just slightly different than the Qasar used in Epic Adventure 5.

A special thanks to Robert Pearce, both for creating the starship symbols I used in the deck plans, but for reviewing and commenting on the draft. Any errors that remain are my own! Please check out his incredible website: Yet Another Traveller Blog

Yet Another Traveller Blog

Traveller RPG blog (duh). Focusing primarily on Classic Traveller

travellerrpgblog.blogspot.com

The only payment I ask is your feedback.

Please enjoy.

- Kerry

 

[sageryne]

If you enjoyed the scout cruiser, I would love to hear what type of ship you would like to see next.

 

[sageryne]

Hi all,

I recently posted the Quasar Class Scout Cruiser. I had designed it at TL15. A couple of people on Reddit complained that it was too high a TL, so I have changed a few things on the stat block and the deck plans to show what it would look like at TL12.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFloy8q8UTxSG9BPEbzL04Ecm2I3eZGH/view?usp=sharing

It is reduced from Jump-4 to Jump-3, and I tweaked a few other things to make it work. The deck plans remain largely the same.

Enjoy

• Kerry

 

[electronicdad]

Very nice ship, I like it. Here is an AI photo of it:

 

[Black Vulmea]

I had designed it at TL15. A couple of people on Reddit complained that it was too high a TL . . .

Why? What was their reasoning?

 

[Badenov]

Why? What was their reasoning?

At a guess, a TL15 ship is difficult/expensive to support on the frontier. Scout/Navy bases are TL15, but their TL15 supply lines are tethered to a few key worlds deeper in the interior. TL12 supply lines are much more available.

 

[Black Vulmea]

At a guess, a TL15 ship is difficult/expensive to support on the frontier. Scout/Navy bases are TL15, but their TL15 supply lines are tethered to a few key worlds deeper in the interior. TL12 supply lines are much more available.

And that's why the bulk of the IISS fleet - x-boats, scout/couriers, and x-boat tenders - are at TLs 9-A: if there's a class of Scout ship that's going to need service wherever it can find it, it's one of those three.

But the Donosev-class survey scout is TL F, the Azhanti High Lightning-class dispatch ships are TL E, and the Kurgulash-class medical scouts are TL C, while the original Norton Qasar-class scout cruiser in EA5 is TL D (page 10).

It beggars the imagination that the service entrusted with hauling the Iridium Throne's mail, that operates bases and way stations throughout and beyond the Third Imperium, can't somehow manage to keep TL C-F ships in working order.

 

[Rupert]

And that's why the bulk of the IISS fleet - x-boats, scout/couriers, and x-boat tenders - are at TLs 9-A: if there's a class of Scout ship that's going to need service wherever it can find it, it's one of those three.

But the Donosev-class survey scout is TL F, the Azhanti High Lightning-class dispatch ships are TL E, and the Kurgulash-class medical scouts are TL C, while the original Norton Qasar-class scout cruiser in EA5 is TL D (page 10).

It beggars the imagination that the service entrusted with hauling the Iridium Throne's mail, that operates bases and way stations throughout and beyond the Third Imperium, can't somehow manage to keep TL C-F ships in working order.

In MegaTraveller a Type S was TL15... Of course, so were most ships and small craft, because otherwise they didn't work. Not sure what DGP was smoking.

TNE also has TL15 Type S scouts, but at least many of the other ships were only TL10-12.

But anyway, the Imperium has been TL15 for a century plus by the time of the 'classic' setting, so they've had plenty of time to get TL15 parts and so on moved out to their scout bases, etc. As tech level is important to sensor quality, I think exploratory scout ships owned by the Imperium would tend to be high TL to enable having cutting edge sensors and high jump mobility.

 

[Black Vulmea]

In MegaTraveller a Type S was TL15... Of course, so were most ships and small craft, because otherwise they didn't work. Not sure what DGP was smoking.

TNE also has TL15 Type S scouts, but at least many of the other ships were only TL10-12.

The less we talk about those editions, the better.

But anyway, the Imperium has been TL15 for a century plus by the time of the 'classic' setting, so they've had plenty of time to get TL15 parts and so on moved out to their scout bases, etc. As tech level is important to sensor quality, I think exploratory scout ships owned by the Imperium would tend to be high TL to enable having cutting edge sensors and high jump mobility.

Bingo. You win the kewpie doll.

Who's out there finding rogue comets and planets to turn into deep space refueling points to enable strategic movement by war fleets? It sure as Sunday isn't the IN.

 

[Badenov]

And that's why the bulk of the IISS fleet - x-boats, scout/couriers, and x-boat tenders - are at TLs 9-A: if there's a class of Scout ship that's going to need service wherever it can find it, it's one of those three.

But the Donosev-class survey scout is TL F, the Azhanti High Lightning-class dispatch ships are TL E, and the Kurgulash-class medical scouts are TL C, while the original Norton Qasar-class scout cruiser in EA5 is TL D (page 10).

It beggars the imagination that the service entrusted with hauling the Iridium Throne's mail, that operates bases and way stations throughout and beyond the Third Imperium, can't somehow manage to keep TL C-F ships in working order.

Well, the original creators of space basically randomly generated TLs, and with a staggering list of mods. +6 for Class A starport, +1 or +2 for super-small worlds, +1 for exotic atmospheres, +1 or 2 for exotic hydrograhics, +1 for low or +(1-4) for very high populations, and + or - for various governments, and so on. Plus 1d6. So you get a crazy range of TLs throughout the universe with an amount of rhyme and reason, but a lot of random, too.

So, there's nothing like Earth's relatively homogenous TL7-and-a-bit culture. Except parts of the developing world are TL 6, and particularly backward parts are TL5, and one or two places are TL0 and we've decided it's kinder to leave them to their business. So on one planet, we have a sweep of 3-4 TLs discouting the outliers. No one's using black powder or crossbows.

But Traveller has a sweep of something like 7 reasonably frequently encountered TLs, discounting the outliers. An analogy would be if travelling Earth, you were as likely to encounter a modern, Western, technologically modern city as you were to encounter a stone age tribe.

The thing is, if your landrover has electric windows and fuel injection, you're somewhat limited in where you can get it fixed, but if you've got a carbeurator and manual windows, you can fix a lot of problems a lot more easily. Not that the folks chucking rocks can help, but a TL5 jeep can be fixed with duct tape and bailing wire, the TL7 luxury SUV needs a shop that can read your Engine Control Module.

But anyway, the Imperium has been TL15 for a century plus by the time of the 'classic' setting, so they've had plenty of time to get TL15 parts and so on moved out to their scout bases, etc. As tech level is important to sensor quality, I think exploratory scout ships owned by the Imperium would tend to be high TL to enable having cutting edge sensors and high jump mobility.

This is where I have heartburn with the canon Traveller universe. It's been TL15 for over a hundred years. Why are some places TL8? There's nothing like that level of disparity on Earth. Even if travel takes time, people can bring tools and things and uplift their neighbors and it shouldn't be that hard.

 

[Black Vulmea]

Well, the original creators of space basically randomly generated TLs . . .

This is a tangent that's been debated for almost fifty years now.

The implied setting of Traveller is what it is: worlds of advanced technology sharing the same space as technologically primitive worlds.

The explicit OTU setting says that the IISS uses starships that range from TL 9 to TL F.

I accept that these are both true.

With that in mind, others have made the argument that maintaining high-TL starships is difficult on the frontier; I can't speak to other editions, but in CT, my edition of choice, annual maintenance only requires an A or B starport, without specifying tech level (frex, TTB p. 52). High Guard says permanent REPAIRS from DAMAGE must be made at a port of the starship's construction tech level, and that the referee may make exceptions to that requirement (p. 44); tech level and maintenance are never mentioned together. Trillion Credit Squadron expands on REPAIRS but again places no tech level restrictions on maintenance (pp 34-5).

Once again, I accept these rules and the implicit and explicit setting they describe as true.

If you want to declare any of the preceding as false, IYTU or whatever, have at it, brother, but that's my starting point for the discussion.

 

[Badenov]

This is a tangent that's been debated for almost fifty years now.

Sorry for retreading old ground, this is my first time through.

The implied setting of Traveller is what it is: worlds of advanced technology sharing the same space as technologically primitive worlds.

My point being that the spread of tech levels is what seems poorly thought out. On the other hand, people don't always do things in the best interest of society as a whole. Idiocracy was a documentary.

The explicit OTU setting says that the IISS uses starships that range from TL 9 to TL F.

I accept that these are both true.

I do also. It is what it is. I can't play in the OTU without biting that bullet.

With that in mind, others have made the argument that maintaining high-TL starships is difficult on the frontier; I can't speak to other editions, but in CT, my edition of choice, annual maintenance only requires an A or B starport, without specifying tech level (frex, TTB p. 52). High Guard says permanent REPAIRS from DAMAGE must be made at a port of the starship's construction tech level, and that the referee may make exceptions to that requirement (p. 44); tech level and maintenance are never mentioned together. Trillion Credit Squadron expands on REPAIRS but again places no tech level restrictions on maintenance (pp 34-5).

Once again, I accept these rules and the implicit and explicit setting they describe as true.

My own technical background tells me you can't do proper maintenance without TL-appropriate gear, but the RAW says maintenance can be done at an appropriate starport. So, I will accept that a system can be designed to be maintained at any TL as long as the tasks are sufficiently vanilla. Replacing filters, refilling fluids, and so on.

High Guard says permanent REPAIRS from DAMAGE must be made at a port of the starship's construction tech level, and that the referee may make exceptions to that requirement

But as you said, you can't repair it below tech level any more than Marty McFly could have driven his deLorean into a 1955 garage to get engine work done. (And they'd never find the Haynes manual in 1955, of course today you can get it from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-DeLorean-Machine-Workshop/dp/1683836219.) He wouldn't have even been able to get unleaded gas in 1955. And they probably didn't have metric tools, either. He could have gotten some body work done maybe (Bondo dates to 1955), and gotten tires replaced, though, so as you say, some things can be done at any TL. To be honest, I would be hesitant to go very far the other way as well. I don't think anyone with a 1968 Corvette takes it to Jiffy Lube in 2026.

If you want to declare any of the preceding as false, IYTU or whatever, have at it, brother, but that's my starting point for the discussion.

I have no objection to what you said, but I think I was unclear on my original assertion. I agree a high TL ship can be maintained by lower TL facility if nothing's broken. But this is Traveller, and space combat is a thing, as are mishaps, and damage is, in the games I play in, a question of 'when', not 'if'. And when damage happens, as you say, it can't always be repaired at a lower TL facility. Therefore, if you can make a lower TL craft perform the task you need, that is a better solution, because it will be easier to repair when the time comes.

 

[mike wightman]

Worlds in the Spinward Marches are part of a polity. Within that polity every type A and type B starport can maintain any TL of civilian ship, Any class A starport can build any TL of civilian ship using letter drives, and class A or B starport can build any TL of small craft or spacecraft. Even a TL5 world can pay for ships to redirect comets to smash into the world to improve its hydrographics...

As I have mentioned many times before the world generation of LBB:3 generates individual worlds, multi-world polities are up to the referee.

 

[kilemall]

The distinction/finesse I and some others do is LBB2 ships can get repair/ maintenance at any starport A/B, LBB5/TCS ships have to be done at their TL.

The idea is that the letter drive engineering systems are ISO type plug and play standards and so supportable at any yard that can handle mounting and connecting major systems- implied in the starport designation.

It occurs to me that people who allow standard drives in otherwise LBB5 ships shouldn’t allow standard drive fixit for hulls with armor above the starport TL as they aren’t set to handle it.