Nova-Class
Dreadnought
For decades, since before even the
first war with the Imperial Freehold, the Protectorate has sought to close the
technology gap between humanity and the Arkhons. It seemed an impossible task,
since the Arkhons have been conquering star systems since at least the height
of the
The Novas take all the best of human
technology and knowledge of space war tactics and jams them into one armored
hull. Made to be both devastating and flexible, these dreadnoughts have the
firepower of a small battleship, the independence of a cruiser, and even carry
a squadron of fighters. To most strategists it is clear that the Nova was
designed to take down the formidable Dree’Dok Battlewagon without the
Protectorate having to build a fleet of Powell-Class battleships to counter
every one. However, critics say the Nova may be trying to be all things to all
people, instead of finding one thing and doing it well.
Only time will tell.
At first blush, the Nova appears to
be an incredible ship that could mark a turning point in the fleet. Many of the
older races, like the Vorhasi and the Nix, seem to prefer using just one class
of starship for most of their capital ship considerations. These catch-all
ships tend to be very powerful and very flexible. The Protectorate took its
first steps in this direction with the Armstrong-Class cruisers, but the
Armstrongs, while successful, are too “light” for many strategists. The
universe is proving to be a much more dangerous place than mankind realized.
And if humanity is going to push back the Arkhon and not cower from every
shadowy species that pokes its head out of the Expanse, then it needs some
ships with some chops.
But those chops are very expensive. A Nova-Class Dreadnought
costs three times as much as an Armstrong, and is 2/3rds the cost of a
Powell-Class Battleship. Each one will require a crew of 800, and may sorely
strain the Protectorate’s anti-matter production capabilities once they begin
being deployed in significant numbers.
But, if successful, it can fill a
lot of painful holes in the Fleet’s strategic capabilities. As a first strike
weapon, it is superb. It brings nearly the same firepower as a Powell, but
doesn’t require a fleet to support it, and can go it alone. As a light carrier
with 12 Crossbow fighters, it would replace the Archer carriers as the vessel
of choice for Special Forces squadrons, who often deploy deep into enemy
territory to take out strategic targets. And it has a sensor suite just as
developed as the Armstrongs’.
Current plans are to deploy the ship
as a Special Forces vessel to strike behind enemy lines until production is
high enough that the ship can be integrated into the main battle fleets. This
also allows the Protectorate to thoroughly test the ship’s true capabilities
without endangering any strategic defensive positions or other ships.
The primary weapon of the Nova is a
new weapon: an anti-matter beam. The Protectorate tried to imitate the
anti-matter missiles the Arkhon use, but are unable to recreate the stable,
independent magnetic fields. However, they are able to wrap a stream of
anti-protons in a very short-lived magnetic field. This beam can deliver
several times as much anti-matter onto a target than the more commonly-used
mass drivers, has a faster firing rate, and does not require the ship lug
around thousands of tons of shells. However, the ship must be stockpiled with
large amounts of anti-matter, and carries a small collider in which it can make
more (both for star fighter fuel and ammunition purposes). The anti-matter beam
is unimpeded by cerasteel, as anti-matter cancels out any matter it makes
contact with. The resultant release of energy does even more damage. Unless the
Arkhon develop an energy field, the weapon will remain extremely potent for
some time.
Backing up the ship’s main gun are
four heavy particle beam cannons. These weapons, instead of being a locked
pair, are each a separate weapon system. This allows the ship to engage
multiple large targets, and eliminates the Armstrong’s strategic weakness of
being flanked. These new turrets have 120 degrees of rotation and 45 degrees of
elevation, giving them a much larger firing arc.
The ship also has a pair of
forward-firing medium laser cannons, six long-range missile tubes (four forward
and two aft), and 10 defensive turrets that employ a pair of 120 mm rail gun
cannons and a short-range missile launcher each.
Two of its biggest innovations come
in its defensive capabilities. The ship can deploy a heavy electronic
countermeasure jamming field that makes it difficult to target, and renders it
impossible for the Arkhon to lock onto specific parts of the ship. It also
employs a limited magnetic field that prevents lock-on by AMMs, reduces damage
done by particle beam weapons, and can cause missiles to go astray.
This ship, while not specifically
assigned
The Nova-Class dreadnoughts are to
be named after both astronomical objects and “classic” ship names. Examples
include the Nova, Pulsar and Nebula, as well as the
Model: CX-1 Nova-Class Superheavy Cruiser
Class: Dreadnought
Crew: 55 officers, 780 crew, 20 flight officers, 40 marines (with
10 Duelist Power Armors). Can carry up to 300 additional passengers or 
troops.
Standard
Spacecraft Load Out
12 SF-11 Crossbows
2 STS-5 Launches
M.D.C. by Location
Defensive turrets (10) – 600 each
Missile launchers (3) – 2,000 each
Particle beam cannons (4) – 3,000
each
Medium laser cannons/forward sensor
clusters (2) – 8,000 each
Docking collars (2) – 400 each
Anti-matter cannon – 10,000
Communications tower – 1,500
*Bridge – 10,000
**
Docking bay – 12,000
Outer hull section (40 ft/12.2 m
area) – 250
Inner hull section (40 ft/12.2 m
area) – 125
***Main body – 65,000
*Destroying the bridge will
eliminate the master controls, fire control and the communications center. The
ship can be controlled from the engineering section, deep inside the ship, but
those controls are less sensitive and -2 to strike and dodge. Hits on the
bridge may injure crew members even if they do not destroy it; see Ship Combat
Rules in the Phase World Sourcebook. Destroying the command tower and bridge
also destroys the communications tower, which rests atop it.
**Destroying one of the engines
reduces the ship’s acceleration rate and sublight speed by half and has a 40%
chance of disabling the FTL drive. Destroying both engines leaves the ship with
maneuvering thrusters only (top speed of about Mach 4) and causes enough damage
to disable the FTL system.
***Depleting the M.D.C. of the main
body means that the ship is in tatters, with life support, artificial gravity
and power disabled, along with multiple hull breaches. The escape pods are
unlocked and the crew should be attempting to abandon ship. If the ship is
reduced to -10,000 M.D.C. it explodes, doing 4D6X1,000 M.D. to anything in a
half mile (.8 km) radius.
Speed
Maximum Sublight Speed: 0.22C
(22% of the speed of light)
Max Acceleration/Deceleration Rate: 6G’s per melee round.
FTL Speeds: Cx365
(roughly a light-year per day)
Top Atmospheric Speed: Not
possible (safely)
Statistical Data
Height: 164.5 feet
Length: 665 feet
Width: 244.5 feet
Cargo: 35,000 tons
Power plant: Anti-Matter
Reactor
FTL system:
Range: 1825 light years
Cost: Absolutely not for
sale.
Weapon Systems
1. Anti-matter beam: This
new, prototype weapon is designed to employ the destructive capabilities
of current anti-matter core mass drivers
without the need to carry tons of ammunition. This weapon encloses a small
quantity of anti-matter (about 8 ounces) in a powerful electromagnetic beam. Upon
contact with matter, like a ship’s hull, these antimatter atoms convert any
normal matter atoms they touch into pure energy. That energy release causes
catastrophic damage. To increase the potency of the beam, the anti-matter is
stretched out across the entire length of the beam, causing maximum armor
penetration. The only drawback to this weapon is that after the initial
antimatter stores are used up, the ship must create new antimatter with an
onboard particle collider, decelerator and Hawkings Trap (an advanced version
of the old Penning Traps from the 21st Century). Due to energy requirements,
production can only happen while the vessel is at normal mass, thus it cannot
travel at FTL and create antimatter at the same time. The antimatter creation
system is capable of making 40 ounces of antimatter per day, enough for five
shots. Attempting to store more than 200 shots at a time is highly dangerous
and not advised. One major drawback of the anti-matter beam is that it cannot
be fired into atmosphere (detonates at first contact with dense atmosphere) or
in a nebula or particle cloud.
Primary Purpose: Anti-ship/Anti-space station
Mega-Damage: 3D4x1,000 M.D.
Rate of Fire: 2 shots per melee round
Payload: 200 rounds, renewable at a rate of 5 rounds per day.
2. Heavy Particle Beams (4): Unlike the set pair of large particle beam cannons on the
Armstrong, these are four particle beam cannons on highly maneuverable turrets.
These weapons, able to rotate 120 degrees and with 45 degrees of elevation,
prevent the ship from being flanked by enemy cruisers and frigates, and allow
the ship to hold back, and destroy, enemy frigates while engaging enemy
cruisers with its main gun. While smaller, they have the same punch as the
larger cannons on the Armstrongs.
Primary Purpose: Anti-ship
Mega-Damage: 5D6x100 M.D. per cannon. A dual shot from two cannons does
1D4x1,000 M.D., and a quadruple blast from all four does 2D4x1,000 M.D. The
quad blast can only be fired at large vessels directly ahead of the
dreadnought.
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee round
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
3. Long-range Missile Launchers (3): A pair of twin long-range missile tubes are emerge from the
forward hull, and another twin launcher is located on the ventral hull between
the main engines. These missile launchers can fire spreads of missiles over
long ranges. They are often fired in large spreads against multiple targets,
used to shoot down enemy missiles and are also used to perform planetary
bombardments of hardened installations. The Nova Dreadnoughts carry a variety
of warheads that can be applied in seconds.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type (always “smart bombs”)
Rate of Fire: Individually, in pairs or in volleys of four, eight, 10 or
20.
Payload: Each launcher has a magazine of 400 missiles.
4. Medium Laser
Cannons (2): Positioned at the forward edge
of the sensor clusters, these weapons can target light frigates, destroyers,
transports and heavy bombers, as well as assist in assaulting larger ships.
They are fixed forward, like the anti-matter cannon.
Primary Purpose: Anti-frigate
Mega-Damage: 2D4x100 M.D. each. A dual blast does 4D4x100 M.D.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
5. 120mm Twin-barreled Electromagnetic Rail Turrets (10): Lighter and smaller than the 120mm cannons on other, current
Protectorate vessels, these maneuverable cannons are used to engage enemy star fighters
and can be fire linked for mass broadsides at close ranges. They have 360
degrees of rotation and 90 degrees of elevation. Each is manned by a crew of
four.
Primary Purpose: Anti-star fighter
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Six times per melee round
Payload: Each cannon has a 10,000-round magazine, allowing 5,000
shots from its twin barrels.
6. Short-Range Missile Launchers (10): On the top of each defensive turret is a short-range missile
launcher designed to be a point defense system. They are used almost
exclusively to destroy enemy missiles and star fighters. They are operated by
the crews of the turrets.
Primary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. for armor piercing missiles (generally the only
missiles stocked)
Rate of Fire: Fires in pairs, or in volleys of four.
Payload: Each launcher has a magazine of 40 missiles. Many, many
reloads are kept in storage.
7. SF-11 Crossbow Space Superiority Fighters (12): Each Nova has a full squadron of 12 Crossbow fighters.
These are often used as extended-range surgical strike craft or as an extra
layer of star fighter defense. The first Nova’s will mostly be Special Forces
vessels carrying both Colonial Marine Special Forces platoons and Fleet Special
Forces fighter squadrons.
Sensors: The Novas have
a powerful sensor suite capable of receiving basic information on mass and
composition that covers a 1 light-year radius. Of course, the system is limited
by the time it takes light to travel, so if it detects a planet from a light
year away, if the planet was destroyed by a comet six months before, the
sensors wouldn’t detect that. The cruisers have powerful short-range sensors
that are much more detailed, able to receive in-depth mass, energy, molecular
composition and radiation and are able to penetrate most unshielded substances.
The short-range sensors have a 500,000 mile range.
