Venture-Class
Exploration Vessel
One of the oldest civilian designs still in service, the
Venture exploration vessels were once the cutting edge of human expansion. Even
today, dozens ply the space ways as trading ships, pirate vessels, and more
than a couple are still pushing the fringes of known space.
The Venture-Class Exploration Vessel is a cruiser-sized ship
designed for long-range travel, scientific exploration and cargo. First going
into production right before the first war with the Arkhon, many served in that
war as heavily armed merchantmen and scout ships. After the war, they returned
to their true calling and flew right into history. To this day, no class of
human starship has explored more new systems and discovered more new planets
than Ventures. Every planet settled as part of the Free Colonies was first
scouted out by Ventures. Ventures have made the most extensive explorations of
the Expanse, as well as the new frontier, and no ships have traveled deeper
into Arkhon space than Ventures that worked as scouts during the war.
Ventures are durable, reliable and easily updated. Since
most were refitted to be light combat vessels, they also have reasonable
armaments, pushing the edge of what is acceptable for a civilian vessel. Though
self-reliant and sturdy, they are not well armored and they are not fast. But a
powerful sensor package and modern updates to the Negative Mass Drives means
they are often able to identify and flee an enemy before that enemy sees them.
While still doing some exploration, most Ventures are owned
by small or large companies who cannot afford a fleet of the much more
expensive Pulsar Multipurpose Cruisers. Some are in the hands of private
individuals, but most private transport operators prefer light to medium transports
over a large, crew-heavy merchantman.
Pirates also enjoy the Venture. Not only is it easy to
upgrade, makes it easy to carry large boarding parties, and numerous enough not
to stand out, but there’s also a romanticism regarding the Venture that has
been held by most of the public for many years. This tends to feed into the
romantic, swashbuckling pirate image that people would like to have (even
though the truth is pretty far from that at times).
The Venture is also the only human ship design known to have
been purchased in significant numbers by alien species. The Xintrin have
purchased more than 100 over the decades. Originally, it was to shore up their
fleet during the war with the Berylan. However, afterwards, the Xintrin were
impressed with the ship, and bought more. At least three dozen are said still
to be in service. The Mogg’therin have also purchased over two dozen over the
years, mostly used. The Xintrin are eying the Pulsar, the Venture’s
philosophical successor, as a potential buy as well, which may lead to humanity
earning itself a reputation as a producer of multipurpose cruisers.
Model: E1 Venture
Exploration Ship
Class: Merchantman
Crew: Varies, skeleton
crew of 60 is required for simple cargo runs. Scientific expeditions and pirate
crews tend to be about 120-160.
Auxiliary Craft:
Two small shuttles, OR
Four fighters, OR
One shuttle and
two fighters.
M.D.C. by Location
Laser defense turrets (2) – 250 each
External Cargo Frames (2) – 500 each
Forward ion cannons (2) – 800 each
Sensor dish – 300
Module connectors (2) – 2000 each
Primary Drive Engine (1) – 1,500
Secondary Engine Clusters (2) – 2,300 each
Engineering Section/Docking Bay – 6,000
*Bridge – 900
**Main Body (forward 2/3 of the ship) – 12,000
*Destroying the bridge of the ship destroys helm control,
and many primary systems. The ship can still be partially controlled from
engineering, but at -4 to strike and dodge, and with only the defensive laser
as weapons.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the Main Body will leave the ship
a floating wreck with no primary power and multiple hull breaches. This will
activate the escape pods in order for surviving crew to escape. Reducing the
M.D.C. to -3,000 will cause the vessel to explode, doing 1D4x100 M.D. to
everything within a 1,500-foot radius.
Speed
Maximum
Sublight Speed: .15 C (15% of the speed of
light)
Maximum
Acceleration/Deceleration Rate: 5Gs per
melee round
FTL
Speeds: Varies, most civilian models have
Cx183 drives (half a light year per day), but some have newer Cx365 drives designed
for the Pulsar cruisers. These drives cover one light year per day.
Top
Atmospheric Speed: NA, these ships are not
designed for atmospheric insertion and use shuttles to transfer people and
goods to and from the surface of a planet)
Statistical Data
Height: 88 feet
Length: 616 feet
Width: 176.5 feet
Cargo: 40,000 tons internally, up to 60,000 additional tons in
external pods.
Power
Plant: Anti-Matter Reactor
FTL
System:
Range: 365 to 730 light years, depending on the NMD drive type. Can carry two years of consumables for a maximum crew of 180.
Cost: Varies, generally about 80 million credits.
Weapon Systems
1. Ion Cannons
(2): Unusually heavy weapons for a civilian
ship, these guns were added to all Ventures during the first war. These guns
can be fire-linked or fire independently, and the mounts can rotate 90 degrees
up or down, or 45 degrees laterally. Even those these
guns could be the primary weapons on a frigate, the Venture does not require a
special permit. This is due to the fact that the guns are small compared to the
size of the Venture, which is comparable to a cruiser. Also, the ships were
originally built for expeditions beyond human space, and it was expected that
the crews may have to defend themselves against significant threats.
Primary
Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 1D4x100 M.D. for a single blast, 2D4x100 M.D. for a shot
from both cannons fired simultaneously.
Rate
of Fire: Each cannon can fire twice per melee
round.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Laser Defense
Turrets (2): Larger than your standard gun
turret, these weapons take a crew of three to operate. They can rotate 360
degrees and can elevate 70 degrees up from the hull. They are used primarily to
defend against missiles, fighters, and small rogue asteroids.
Primary
Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D.
Rate
of Fire: Each turret can fire four times
per melee round.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
Sensors:
The Venture has extended range mass sensors of one astronomical unit, and
short-range sensors of 400,000 miles.
Note:
Pirates will often add two or more additional weapon systems, including missile
launchers and sensor jammers.
