[GZG] [FT] Auxiliary craft for starships

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http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lMerry Christmas!  

Here's a present for everyone on the List - AUXILIARY CRAFT FOR
STARSHIPS!  

I only recently got a pdf copy of More Thrust, and I came across this in
Section 6, pg. 18...  

"The Drop capability to land the Marines on-planet is assumed to be
provided by the ship's own standard auxiliary craft (all ships that are
not themselves atmosphere-capable are automatically outfited with one or
more small shuttles, launches or ship's boats with interface capability,
for general landing and resupply missions - though these small craft are
not armoured or equipped like a Military Dropship, they may be used to
shuttle the Marines into action)."  

More Thrust doesn't really say how many smallcraft a starship would
have, how big the smallcraft are, how many passengers it can transport
at one time, or how much cargo capacity it can take.  

A good rule of thumb for smallcraft allocation is that a starship should
have enough smallcraft to rotate the ship's crew using their own
auxiliaries in round trips of 4 or fewer.  Designs for smallcraft
usually have passenger seating for 6-12 with 2 crew to operate.  I would
suggest using the smallcraft designs from the sci-fi rpg Traveller. 
There are 4 common designs; and I add one more...

Standard to all starships - from the smallest scoutship up - is a craft
called the Boatswain's Bee.  It's the 22nd Century's equivalent to the
wet navy's Boatswain's Chair, and is similar to the "Work Bee" seen in a
early scene from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", but considerably
smaller, with standing room for just 2 people.	It attaches to its
mothership with a lamprey-like docking cradle, that is gimbled so that
an empty Bee can be undocked & moved to the side so that a Bee from
another ship can dock.	

It is unstreamlined, with only maneuvering thrusters, so that it cannot
make a orbit/dirtside interface.  It can transport people between ships
underway as long as the ships have identical facing, velocity, & are no
more than 6mu apart [3mu vector].  

Boatswain's Bees are the only smallcraft carried on scoutships &
corvettes, since their duties are patrol & escort, which don't entail
the need for orbit/planet transport.  Military starships of frigate-size
and larger do have use for smallcraft with orbit/dirtside interface. 
I've translated the stats from the GDW Traveller smallcraft to FT/DSll
Cargo Space...

Boatswain's Bee  
Allocation Cost: Free/standard-all ships  
Unstreamlined  
Cargo Capacity: 2cs  

"20-Ton" Launch  
Used by ships of frigate-sized & larger  
Allocation Cost: 1  
Partially Streamlined  
Cargo Capacity: 26cs  

"30-Ton" Ship's Boat  
Used by ships of "Cruiser"-size & larger  
Allocation Cost: 1&1/2	
Partially Streamlined  
Cargo Capacity: 28cs  

"40-Ton" Pinnace  
Allowed ONLY on "Capital" ships w/hangerbays  
Allocation Cost: 2  
Fully Streamlined  
Cargo Capacity: 45cs  

"50-Ton" Cutter  
Allowed ONLY on "Capital" ships w/hangerbays  
Allocation Cost: 2  
Partially Streamlined  
Cargo Capacity: 60cs  

The notation "allocation cost" is based on the space allocated to
smallcraft for the TMF of each ship...

Frigates & Destroyers w/TMF 40 & under:  1 allotment  

FTL ships w/TMF 41 - 80: 2 allotments  

FTL ships w/TMF 81 - 120: 3 allotments	

FTL ships w/TMF 121 - 160: 4 allotments  

FTL ships w/TMF 161 - 200: 5 allotments  

FTL  ships w/TMF 201 - 240: 6 allotments  

FTL ships w/TMF 241 - 280: 7 allotments  

ect.ect.ect.  

EXAMPLE:  The Jeanne D'Arc class fleet carrier has a TMF of 280, so it
has 7 allotments for smallcraft.  It also has hangerbays, so it can be
outfitted with pinnaces & cutters.  So the ship can be outfitted the
following ways...

7 launches

or  

3 ship's boats & 4 launches  

or  

3 ship's boats & 2 cutters  

or  

3 ship's boats, a cutter & a pinnace  

or  

3 cutters & a launch  

or  

2 cutters, a pinnace & a launch  

or  

you get the picture.  

As always, I invite your comments.  

JBrewer@webtv.net  

"Always strive to be a good person.  If you can't do that, at least
strive to be someone other than an asshole."