GURPS Spaceships 7 Divergent and Paranormal Tech

39 Pages·2010·1.789 MB·English

by  David L Pulver, Andy Vetromile, Jason 'PK' Levine

D P T
IVERGENT AND ARANORMAL ECHTM
Written by DAVID L. PULVER
Edited by ANDY VETROMILE
Editorial Assistance by JASON “PK” LEVINE
Illustrated by MICHAEL BARRETT, DARRELL MIDGETTE,
DAVID PLUNKETT, and DAN SMITH
An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
®
Stock#37-0126 Version1.0–January2010
C
ONTENTS
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 3 PowerPlant,Perpetual PSEUDO-ATMOSPHERIC
PublicationHistory ............3 MotionMachine...........14 MOVEMENT..............28
AbouttheSeries................3 PowerPlant,Psychotronic .....15 Travel.......................28
AbouttheAuthor..............3 PowerPlant,SolarBoiler ......15 BasicCombat................28
AboutGURPS.................3 PowerPlant, TacticalCombat..............28
VacuumEnergy............16
1. SPACECRAFT DESIGN ReactionEngine, CONSUMABLES ...............29
Fuel ........................29
OPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . 4 LaserRocket..............16 Supplies.....................29
ReactionEngine,Plasma.......16
SHIPDESIGN .................4 Warheads....................29
ReactionEngine,
SmallerSystems...............4 SolarThermal.............16 WEAPONRY .................30
LargerSystems................5
Sails,Radioisotope............17
SYSTEMDESCRIPTIONS .........5
Sails,Tachyon................17
Armor,Wooden ...............5
SapientBrain................18
Armor,Etherwood.............5
SmallUpperStage ...........18
Armor,Adamant...............6
SolarMirror.................18
Armor,Skystone...............6
Tail.........................18
Armor,Iron ..................6
Weaponry ...................19
Armor,Orichalcum ............6
DESIGNFEATURES ............19
Armor,StructuralField.........7
DigestiveSystem ..............7 DESIGNSWITCHES ............22
EtherPropulsion ..............7 SealedVesselsat
ExophaseField................8 LowTechLevels............23 3. FANTASTIC
ExtradimensionalInterface......8 ZombieVehicleSpell...........25 SPACECRAFT . . . . . . . 31
HabitatOptions................9 STATISTICS ..................25
MAGICALSHIPS ..............31
Factory ......................9 Crew........................25
StarGalleon(TL4^)...........31
Gasbag.......................9 BasicStatisticsBlock..........25
SoulSlaver(TL3^)............32
HelicopterRotor..............10 AirPerformance..............25
Holoprojector................10 BoostDrive..................25 STEAMPUNKAND
JetEngine...................10 WEIRD-SCIENCESHIPS .....33
LightspeedDrive .............11 2. TRAVEL AND EtherSteamship(TL5+2^).....33
MagneticPlanetaryDrive ......11 COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . 26 EtherIronclad(TL5+2^).......33
ManeuverEnhancement.......11 FANTASTICCOSMOLOGY ........26 Psi-Jammer(TL11^) ..........34
Maw........................12 TheCrystalSpheres...........26 Operator-ClassReality
MawsandOther TheEdgeoftheWorld.........26 PoliceCruiser(TL12^)......35
MeleeAttacks..............12 HyperdynamicCosmos........26 BIOSHIPSAND
OrnithopterWings............12 Air-FilledCosmos.............26 SPACEMONSTERS .........35
ParachronicFluxand BOOST-DRIVEMOVEMENT ......27 GodShip(TL3+4^) ...........35
Time-FluxDrive............12 Travel.......................27 SpaceAmoeba ...............36
PowerPlant,EtherFurnace ....13 BasicCombat................27 SpaceWhale.................36
PowerPlant,Magical..........13 TacticalCombat..............27 TreeShip(TL10^) ............37
PowerSiphoning..............14
Heliographs..................28
PowerPlant,Orgone ..........14 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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C 2
ONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
Space travel doesn’t just mean rocket ships and warp
drives. GURPS Spaceships 7: Divergent and
About the Series
Paranormal Tech expands the GURPS Spaceships
designruleswithweird-and-wonderfulsystems,features,
GURPS Spaceships 7: Divergent and Paranormal
and switches. The seventh book in the series introduces
Tech is one of several books in the GURPS Spaceships
magic, psi-tech, steam-tech, weird science, and giant
series. This line supports GURPS Space campaigns by
spacemonsters!
providing ready-to-use spacecraft descriptions and rules
for space travel, combat, and operations. GMs need the
PUBLICATION HISTORY corebook,GURPSSpaceships,tousethisbook.
Rulesforsomeshipboardsystemsareadaptedfromthe
GURPSVehiclesExpansionvolumes,someofwhichdrew
onmaterialthatoriginatedinGURPS Steampunk, GURPS mechanicsforhullsandsystemscamefromVorkosiganSaga
Ultra-Tech, and GURPS Warehouse 23. Rules for zombie SourcebookandRoleplayingGame.
vehicles first appeared in GURPS Undead. Certain game
A
BOUT THE
A
About GURPS UTHOR
DavidL.Pulverisafreelancewriterand
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS players.
game designer based in Victoria, British
OuraddressisSJGames,P.O.Box18957,Austin,TX78760.Pleaseinclude
Columbia. He is the co-author of the
aself-addressed,stampedenvelope(SASE)anytimeyouwriteus!Wecan
GURPS Basic Set Fourth Edition, and
alsobereachedbye-mail:[email protected]:
author of Transhuman Space, GURPS
Newsupplementsandadventures.GURPScontinuestogrow–seewhat’s Spaceships, and numerous other gaming
newatwww.sjgames.com/gurps. products.
e23.Oure-publishingdivisionoffersGURPSadventures,playaids,and
supportinPDFform. . .digitalcopiesofourbooks,plusexclusivemate-
rialavailableonlyone23!Justheadovertoe23.sjgames.com.
Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our monthly PDF magazine I’ll soon be
includes new rules and articles for GURPS, systemless locations, adven-
tures,andmuchmore.Lookforeachthemedissuefrome23! leaving for the
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for
planet Mongo, in
errata, updates, Q&A, and much more. To discuss GURPS with our staff
andyourfellowgamers,visitourforumsatforums.sjgames.com.Theweb
a rocket-ship of
page for GURPS Spaceships 7: Divergent and Paranormal Tech is at
www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/spaceships/spaceships7.
my own design.
Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and
we’reputtingthemonline–withlinkstoletyoubuytheresourcesthatinter-
– Dr. Zarkoff,
estyou!Gotoeachbook’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibliography”link.
Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwedoourbestto Flash
fixourerrors.Up-to-dateerratapagesforallGURPSreleases,includingthis
book,areavailableonourwebsite–seeabove. Gordon:
Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic Rocketship
Set,FourthEdition.PagereferencesthatbeginwithBrefertothatbook,not
thisone.
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I 3
NTRODUCTION
C O
HAPTER NE
S
PACECRAFT
D O
ESIGN PTIONS
Trailblazer was NASA’s first manned interplanetary space- Andtheywerenearingtheendofthelaunchchecklist...
ship.Designedinthehigh-manalabsintheNewMexicodesert, “Astrologicalforecast?”
thenteleportedpiecebypieceintoorbitandcarefullyassembled, “Allsignsarepositive.”
shewouldcarry17humansandfourmutantchimeratotheRed “Warding?”
Planetandback. “Shieldsup,”hisco-pilotpurred.“Sigilsdrawnandchecked.”
HerdrivewasaVASIMRplasmarocket...butitwaspowered “Demonicactivity?”
by a magical NEMA reactor. The nuclear-enhanced mana area it “Negative.Lookslikeourexorcismworked.”
created not only heated the ship’s reaction mass, it provided a “Affirmative.” Filling the reaction-mass tanks with essential
steady stream of oz particles the ship’s astromancers could draw hydrogenhadseemedlikeadumbidea,butitcuredtheirgremlin
upontoconjureupfood,water,andothersupplieswhileindeep problemsandboostedtheirdelta-V.
space.Thatsamepowerwouldalsobetappedtoteleporttheexplor- “NEMAreactorstatus?”Thatwasthebigone.Butifthegrem-
ers directly from Mars’ orbit to the planet’s surface and power a linsweregone...
varietyofexoticweaponsiftheyranintoanytrouble.Afterwhat “Nominal. Oz particle count is log 2.5 and rising. All penta-
happenedtothemissiontoasteroid272426Choronzon,everyone grams in the core are holding.” Some excitement crept into the
knewspacewasnotempty...norparticularlyfriendly. engineer’s laconic drawl. “We have very high mana in the core,
Intheory,itwoulddothejob.Butnoonehadeveroperateda commander.Feedmesomemassandlet’shittheroad!”
NEMAreactorofthissizebeforeinspace.Thelaunchhadbeen “Houston,thisisTrailblazer,”thecommandersignaled.“We
scrubbedsixtimesalready.Gremlins. aregoodtogoforMars!”
Thiswastheseventhattempt.
Thischapterdescribesnewsystemsanddesignoptionsthat
The commander’s wife had sent him a fresh four-leaf clover
can create out-of-the-ordinary spaceships. Some use super-
thattheirdaughterhadfound.NASAhadpaidtoteleportitup.It
scienceordivergenttechnology;othersarequiterealistic.
wasinhissuitpocket,nexttohisheart.
S D
HIP ESIGN
Anordinaryspacecraftdesignismadeof20systems.Further soft-landing system can’t be used with a larger ship. At least,
customizationispossiblewithrulesforoff-sizesystems. notsuccessfully.
ContragravityLifters:Theseproduceone-thirdtheG(round
S S toonedecimalplace).
MALLER YSTEMS
ControlRoomorSapientBrain:Sincethisalsorepresentsthe
Shipbuildersoftenneedtocramseveralcomponentsintoa spaceship’sattitudethrusters,gyros,etc.,avesselwithasmaller
smallspace.SinceeachstepupinhullSMroughlyrepresents system additionally has a -1 penalty to Handling and Stability
atriplingofloadedmass,there’saneasywaytosqueezemul- Rating.Ifasapientbrainissmaller,applyafurther-2toDX.
tiple,inferiorsystemsintothesamelocation:Usethestatsfor External Clamp: A smaller external clamp can only be
hardwareforavesseloneSMsmaller,andinstallthreesystems attachedtothingsthatareatleastthreeSMsmallerthanthe
inthesameamountofspace. vehicle.(Afull-sizeclamphasnoSMlimits.)
Afewsystemsrequirespecialtreatment: Factory:SmallerfactorysystemsdonotprovideaHTbonus.
Fuel Tanks, Sails, Drives, or Engines: Use 1/3 the delta-V
ArmororForceScreens:Use1/3thedDRorreflecteddam-
reserve of a smaller fuel tank and 1/3 the acceleration of a
agediceofthefull-sizesystem(and1/3theliftofarmorsys-
smallerengineorsail.Ascaled-downramscoopcanonlypro-
tems that provide contragravity lift). It’s very inefficient to
vide unlimited fuel to a smaller thruster. When using the
spreadasmallership’sdefensesoveralargervessel!
Delta-V Increase Table (GURPSSpaceships, p. 17), smaller
BannedSystems:Asmallerexophasefield,helicopterrotor,
tankscountasonlyone-thirdofatank;roundfractionsdown.
lightspeed drive, ornithopter wings, stasis web, stardrive, or
S D O 4
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
Power: Smaller power plants do not provide sufficient L S
ARGER YSTEMS
power for normal-size systems, but they can power another
scaled-downsystemsharingthesamelocation. Whileit’smorecommontocraminsmallersystems,some-
timesasmallshipneedsabiggun–oradevicethatisn’tnor-
Inaddition,somesystemscanbehalf-sizeathalfcost:
mallyavailableatitssize.Asystemthat’soneSMlargeroccupies
• Cargoholds(halvecapacity). threetimesitsusualnumberoflocations,andhasthestatistics
• Factories(halveoutput). ofasystemforalargership.(Threehigh-energysystemsusedto
• Fueltanks(halvedelta-Vreserve,countasahalf-tankfor makeupalargersystemrequirethreePowerPoints.)
delta-Vincrease). Oneclassofsystemsrequiresspecialtreatment:
• Habitats(halvecabin-equivalents).
Defenses:UsetwicethedDRorreflecteddamagediceofthe
• Miningandrefinerysystems(halveoutput).
originalsystem.
• Openspaces(halveareas).
• Passengerseating(halveseats). Other components that might have additional effects are
• Powerplants(fusionandantimatteronly–halvePower better handled by using three normal-size components, since
Points). scalinghasalreadybeendetermined.
S D
YSTEM ESCRIPTIONS
These are additional systems that can be built into space- the more exotic organic armor in GURPS Spaceships). Wood
craft, as detailed in GURPS Spaceships (p. 9). The cost and dDRistreatedassemi-ablativevs.burningorcorrosiondamage.
other statistics vary according to the spacecraft’s hull SM, as
indicatedinthetablesinthissection.
The core of our defense is the faith
A , W
RMOR OODEN
we have in the institutions we defend.
(TL0) [ ]
HULL
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
Woodisanaturalcompositematerialwithahighstrength-
to-weight ratio. This represents ordinary wood (in contrast to
Wooden Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10* +11* +12* +13* +14* +15*
USdDR 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 15
SLdDR 0 1 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 7 10
Cost($) 2K 6K 20K 60K 200K 600K 2M 6M 20M 60M 200M
*StructurallimitationsmeanthatordinarywoodcannotbeusedonvesselslargerthanSM+9.
RepairSkill:Carpentry.
A , E Whereveritcamefrom,ithasspecialcapabilities.Inaddi-
RMOR THERWOOD
tiontoservingasarmor,everyetherwoodsystemprovidesthe
(TL1^) [HULL] vesselwith1/3Goflift.Iftheliftofetherwoodexceedstheplan-
etary gravity, the vessel flies as if it had contragravity lifters
Etherwood is a tough wood that has innate contragravity (saveforthelowerliftandlackofpowerconsumption).
properties.Itmaybehardtofind.Perhapsitgrowsinthesky Etherwood dDR is treated as semi-ablative vs. burning or
forestsofVenusorJupiter’satmosphere,orcanbefoundonlyin corrosion damage. Due to the vast size that etherwood trees
great trees that sprout from comets in the outer solar system! cangrowandtheinnateantigravityproperties,itdoesnothave
Maybeithasamysticalorigin,springingfromseedsofthepri- thestructurallimitationsofordinarywood.Etherwoodvessels
malworld-treethatsupportstheheavens,orisimportedfrom canhaveanyhullsize.
theaerialforestsoftheskyelvesintheelementalplaneofair.
Etherwood Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 15
SLdDR 0 1 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 7 10
Cost($) 10K 30K 100K 300K 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B
RepairSkill:Carpentry.
S D O 5
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
A , A easily fabricated (magically or otherwise) into armor mate-
RMOR DAMANT
rial. Earth enchanted by the Essential Earth spell (GURPS
(TL2^) [HULL] Magic, p. 53) and turned to stone is treated as adamant.
Adamantissemi-ablative:Itloses1dDRforevery10points
Manyfantasycraftaremadeof“crystal.”Adamantrepre- ofd-damageitresists(seeSemi-Ablative,p.B47).
sents this: a material far tougher than ordinary stone, yet
Adamant Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30 50 70
SLdDR no 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30 50
Cost($) 10K 30K 100K 300K 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B
RepairSkill:Armoury(VehicleArmor).
A , S forevery10pointsofd-damageresisted.Thecontragravitylift
RMOR KYSTONE
ofskystoneandetherwoodarecumulative.
(TL2^) [ ]
HULL
This is an arcane crystal that combines the properties of
My grandfather swore it was the
etherwoodandadamant.Itmightoriginateinraremeteorites
orasteroids,orbequarriedfromthequintessenceofthecrys-
skystone that made the difference.
tal spheres that separate the heavenly bodies. Perhaps it is
made from petrified air elements or fossilized dragon bone. – Varrus, The Skystone
Maybe it’s the very substance of heaven brought to Earth. It
hasasmuchliftingabilityasetherwood(1/3Gpersystem)but
is far tougher. Like adamant it is semi-ablative,losing 1 dDR
Skystone Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30 50 70
SLdDR no 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30 50
Cost($) 20K 60K 200K 600K 2M 6M 20M 60M 200M 600M 2B
RepairSkill:Armoury(VehicleArmor).
A , I (TL5) [ ]
RMOR RON HULL
Thisisrivetedironplate.Itissomewhatlessprotectivethanthehigh-gradesteeldescribedinGURPSSpaceships.Itmayalso
beavailableatTL2-4butissignificantlymoreexpensive,costingatleastfivetimesasmuch.
Iron Armor Table
SM +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30 50
SLdDR 1 1 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 30
Cost($) 12K 40K 120K 400K 1.2M 4M 12M 40M 120M 400M
RepairSkill:Armoury(VehicleArmor).
A , O (TL2^) [ ]
RMOR RICHALCUM HULL
Alegendarymetalwithtriplethestrengthofthestrongestbronze.Itcanalsorepresentvariousothersuper-strongfantasymetals.
Orichalcum Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 4 6 9 12 18 25 40 60 90 120 180
SLdDR 3 4 6 9 12 18 25 40 60 90 120
Cost($) 50K 150K 500K 1.5M 5M 15M 50M 150M 500M 1.5B 5B
RepairSkill:Armoury(VehicleArmor).
S D O 6
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
A , S F (TL11^) [ !]
RMOR TRUCTURAL IELD HULL
Thisisarmormadeofunstableexoticmatterreinforcedbyenergyfields.Unlikeotherarmor,ithasaPowerPointrequirement.
Ifastructuralfieldarmorsystemeverlosespower,thearmoritselfisdestroyed,losingitsdDR.
Structural Field Armor Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
USdDR 30 50 70 100 150 200 300 500 700 1,000 1,500
SLdDR 20 30 50 70 100 150 200 300 500 700 1,000
Cost($) 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B 3B 10B 30B 100B
RepairSkill:Armoury(VehicleArmorandForceShields).
D S ashipinsideanSM+10crushingdisposalbaytakes4d+2dam-
IGESTIVE YSTEM
age to the front, central, and rear hulls. High-TL bays also
(TL7) [ANY!] applyanarmordivisor.Cuttingorburninggeta(2)armordivi-
sor at TL9, (3) at TL10, (5) at TL11, and (10) at TL12.
Thisisaninternalbayequippedwithspecializedfeatures: Corrosion ignores armor dDR at TL12^. This damage is d-
crushers,meltingfurnaces,digestivesuper-acids,orsomething scale;characterswhohavethemisfortunetobecaughtinsuch
similar. When activated, anything held inside (up to its rated abaytake10¥damage.
capacity)takestheindicateddamage;spacecraftsufferthisto Thedamageassumesa20-secondturn.Multiplythedam-
eachhullsectionsimultaneously. age(aftersubtractingDR)bythreefora1-minuteturn,10for
Ifadigestivesystemisplacedinahulllocation,itcanalso a3-minuteturn,or30fora10-minuteturn.
functionasahangarbayandcargohold(althoughitscapacity To use the system, objects must enter, be placed, or be
is lower, as shown below). If placed in a core location it can pulled(viarobotarms,tractorbeam,orbybeingswallowedvia
carrycargo,buttoaccessittheremustbeahangarbay,cargo a maw) into the digestive system. After material has been
bay,ormawsysteminthesamehullsection. destroyedthesystemcanexpeltheprocessedresidueordirect
Specifythetypeofdamagethebayinflictsperspacecom- itintoarefinery,fueltank,massdriverengine,totalconversion
batturn:burning,crushing,cutting,orcorrosion.Forexample, powerplant,etc.
Digestive System Table
SM +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Capacity(tons) 1 3 10 30 100 300 1,000 3,000 10K 30K
d-Damage 2d+2 3d 3d+2 4d 4d+2 5d 5d+2 6d 6d+2 7d
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 100K 300K 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B 3B
RepairSkill:Mechanic(VehicleType).
Crushingbaysarehalfcost.
E P
THER ROPULSION
(TL^) [ !]
HULL
These interact with the ether (see Etheric Cosmos and
EtherScrew(orEtherFlukes)(TL^):Thiselectromechanical
EtherDrives,p.22),stealingmomentumandenergyfromlight.
propeller- or rotor-like device churns the ether, offering 0.2G
For a minor variation in technobabble, substitute the term
acceleration per system. Each is a high-energy system that
“astral” and assume the drive interacts with flow of extra-
requires one Power Point. Alternately, ether screws can be
planarastralenergies.
defined as “ether flukes” representing fin-like devices used to
Alletherorastralpropulsionsystemsworklikereactionless
propelabiologicalspacebeast.
drives,althoughtheboost-drivedesignswitch(p.23)isacom-
Ether Sail (TL^): This functions like an ether screw but
monmodification.
slower, limited to 0.1G. However, it does not require Power
Ether Oars (TL^): Each system produces an acceleration Points, drawing energy entirely from the ether. Unlike space
of 0.1G. Ether oars do not use Power Points, they require sailstheydonotcovermanysquaremiles,andtheyresemble
manualoperationbythenumberofcrewmembersindicated normalseagoingmastsandrigginginsize.Theymightevenbe
below. To propel the ship they must constantly row, moving normalequipmentmadefromeldritchsubstances(clothspun
the oar-like vanes to interact with the surrounding ethereal bythegiantmoonspiders,etc.).Theyareexposedsystemsand
medium. They cannot be used on craft greater than SM +7. aretargetedasiftheywereradiatorwings.Vesselsthatsailin
Crew manning the oars must be in passenger seating in the airorspacecanincludean“etherkeel”orsimilardevicetolet
samehullsectionastheoars. themmaneuverfreely(unlikerealisticspacesails).
S D O 7
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
Powered Ether Sails (TL5+2^): These are ether sails aug- fringe. (Add +2 to rolls to detect the vessel with passive sen-
mented by additional power, allowing them to extend force sors). In engineering or habitat spaces, interior lights may
fields farther into ether space. They require one Power Point becomered-shiftedwhenthedriveisoperating(perhapsneces-
andhave0.3Gacceleration.Likeethersails,thisisanexposed sitatingultravioletlightingaboardthevessel).
systemnotprotectedbyarmor. Likereactionlessengines,etherpropulsioncanbeusedin
atmosphereunlesstheGMrulesotherwise.IftheGMdoesnot
The drive’s interactions with the ether can produce exotic
wantetherpropulsiontobeusefulforatmosphericthrust,he
visualeffects.Forexample,iridescentwakesandshadowylees
canrestrictthemtofunctioninginthinair,athighaltitudes,in
may follow etheric vessels across the sky; the craft’s shadow
vacuum,etc.
becomesablack,taperingconesurroundedbyarust-colored
Ether Propulsion Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Oarcrew 2 6 20 – – – – – – – –
Cost($) 30K 100K 300K 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B 3B
RepairSkill:Mechanic(ReactionlessDrive).
Halvecostforoars;doublecostforsails;triplecostforpoweredethersails.
E F (^) [ !] The field’s outline is
XOPHASE IELD ANY
visible as a ghost-image
Thisallowsaspacecrafttogooutofphasewithreality,per- across the electromag-
haps shifting into an adjacent dimension or level of hyper- netic spectrum – this is a
space.Everythinginanexophasefieldentersaninsubstantial sideeffectofwhateverkeepsitanchoredinreality.Ashipusing
state – one that has only limited interactions with ordinary anexophasefieldisinvisibletoactivesensors,butremainsvisi-
matterandenergy.Exophasefieldscanbeexplainedasmoving bletopassivesensorsata-8penaltytodetection.Itusesitsown
ashipintoaparalleluniverse,alteringitssubatomicstructure, passivesensorsat-8anddetectscommunicationsignalsatthe
orturningitintoanoddformof“darkmatter.” same penalty, but it cannot use active sensors or communica-
Theshipisaffectednormallybygravityandbygravitonor tions. The ship can interact normally with other ships using
tractorbeamweapons.Otherphysicalandenergyattackscan- exophase fields, however! Whether they can affect (or be
notharmit(norcanitharmothers).Anexophasedshipisalso affected by) someone who has the Insubstantiality advantage
vulnerabletopsionicandnonmaterialmagicalattacks. dependsontheformofInsubstantiality.
Itcanpassthroughsolidmatter,provideditcanescapeits An exophased ship cannot pass through a force field that
gravity.Itcannotrematerializeinsideasolidobject;attempt- stops solid objects or uses the reality-stabilized variant. The
ingtodosopreventsmaterialization.Ifthesystemisdepow- GMmayrulethatcertainothermaterials,energybarriers,or
ered while inside a solid object the spacecraft is destroyed, magicspellsareimpenetrabletoexophasedcraft.
disintegratingintheotherdimensionwhileleavingthesolid Only objects within the exophase can be carried. Objects
objectunharmed. releasedfromitmaterialize.
Exophase Field Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 20M 50M 100M 200M 500M 1B 2B 5B 10B 20B 50B
RepairSkill:ElectronicsRepair(Parachronic).
E or holding it.The craftis reduced by-4 SM persystem.For
XTRADIMENSIONAL
example, installing two systems reduces the external SM by
INTERFACE (TL12^) -8.Alesserreductioncanbespecifiedifdesiredwhentheves-
seliscreated.
[ !!]
CORE Ashipwithanextradimensionalinterfacecannothaveram-
scoops, solar panel arrays, reaction engines, hot reactionless
Thespacecraftislargerinsidethanontheoutside!Hullsize
thrusters,oranytypeofsails(e.g.,lightsailsorethersails).Its
ofthevesselreferstotheextradimensionalhull.Thus,anSM
weapon batteries cannot have guns or missile launchers, and
+5shiphasanextradimensionalmassof30tonsbutitappears
any beam weapons must use the energy-phasing surface
muchsmaller!
option.Otherwise,allsystemscanoperatenormally.
ThesystemreducestheeffectiveSMofthevehicleforthe
The destruction of the dimensional interface component
purposesofexternalaccess(doors,etc.)toit,attackingit,or
canresultinthevesselbeingtrappedintheotherdimensionor
detectingit;anditseffectivemassandvolumewhenstoring
destroyed(GM’soption).
S D O 8
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
Extradimensional Interior Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B 3B 10B 30B 100B 300B 1T
RepairSkill:ElectronicsRepair(Parachronic).
F (TL5) [ !]
ACTORY ANY
Habitat Options
Thisisanindustrialsystemcapableofmanufac-
turing goods from appropriate components. Two
These are modifications to habitat systems (GURPS
additional types of factories (GURPS Spaceships,
Spaceships,p.17).
p.16)areavailable:
Magical Life Support
Factory Shop (TL5): This facility must be dedi-
catedtowardmanufacturinggoodsofaspecificengi- Insettingswhereenchantmentexists,ahabitatcanusemagic
neeringskillandspecialization.Usethestatisticsfor to provide life support. This is practical in an abundant-magic
a fabricator but reduce the production speed from settingwheretheexpenseofupgradingitemswithself-powered
$/hourto$/weekanddividethecostby10. CreateAirandCreateWaterspells(usingthePowerspell)islow
ProductionLine(TL6):Thisfactorymustbededi- enough to factor into the ordinary cost of a habitat system. If
catedtobuildingasingleproduct.Usethestatistics magicallifesupportisusedahabitathasgreaterroom,sinceit
for a fabricator but reduce the production speed canomitsomemachinery.Thisallowstwicethenormalnumber
from$/hourto$/dayanddividethecostbyfive. of cabin equivalents. However, this benefit does not extend to
steeragecargo,minifacs,teleportprojectors,orhibernationsys-
Any TL8+ factory system (fabricator, production
tems, so they also take up twice as many cabin equivalents.
line, etc.) can be designated a bio-tech facility that
(Thus, the ship doesn’t gain an advantage when using those
makesvat-grownproducts(inaccordwithitsTL).At
rooms). For cargo, it means that each unused cabin equivalent
TL9+aproductionlinecanevenrepresentanartifi-
gives2.5tonscargo,whichworksouttothesameamount,asa
cialwombthat,inconjunctionwithotherappropri-
shipgetstwicethecabinequivalents.
ate design switches, gestates a baby spaceship (see
MaturingLivingShip,p.23).
Additional Tech Level Restrictions
If creating lower-TL ship designs, minifacs are unavailable
G (TL5*) [ ]
ASBAG HULL
beforeTL8andautomedsbeforeTL9.
This is a membrane filled with lighter-than-air
Craft Shops
gas,suchasahydrogenorheliumballoon.Agasbag
isratedforitstonsoflift. These rooms can be placed in habitats (GURPS Spaceships,
TheLiftrowoftheGasbagTable(p.10)showsthe p.18). The number of cabin equivalents taken up are shown in
tonsofliftpergasbag.Aspacecraftneedsliftgreater parenthesesasusual.
thanitsweighttorise(usuallyfourgasbagsystems).
CraftShops(2):Thisisaworkspaceandasetoftoolsandspare
LiftingGas(TL5):The parts for use with a particular skill, most commonly a craft or
gasbag is filled with repairskilllike:Artist,Armoury,Carpentry,Cooking,Electrician,
hydrogen or helium. The Electronics Repair, Explosives, First Aid, Hazardous Materials,
differences are minimal Housekeeping,Leatherworking,Machinist,Mechanic,Photogra-
in GURPS Spaceships phy, Prospecting, Sewing, Smith, and Veterinary. A craft shop
terms.Largequantitiesof givesa+2equipmentbonusfortheskill;10shopsprovide+3;100
helium are difficult to createastate-of-the-artfacilitywith+TL/2bonus(minimum+4).
acquire at TL5-6; hydro- Ashopcontainsspaceandequipmentforthreepeopletoworkat
gen is flammable, and onceandenoughresourcestocountasbasicequipmentforany
hydrogen-filled gasbags relatedcraftorscienceaswell.Shopsforartsandcraftsthatuse
are considered volatile fewer or lighter tools (e.g., painting or sewing) take up half the
systemsifdamagedwhen space(onecabin-equivalent).
operating in an oxygen
atmosphere. Passenger Seating and
AntigravityGas(TL^):Weirdsciencegasesprovide Magical Life Support
liftbeyondthatpossibleforbuoyancyalone:10times
Passenger seating benefits from the same enchantments
theliftofhydrogenistypical.Theoriginisuptothe
describedaboveinMagicalLifeSupport.Inanabundant-magic
GM.Destructivedistillationofsomenaturalantigrav-
setting,replacingtheirlimitedlifesupportsystemswithmagical
ity material is a logical source, but exposure to
equivalentsdoublesthenumberofseatsaccommodated.
radioactivityandtheactionofacidon“unobtainium”
metalsarealsopopular.
S D O 9
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS
Gasbag Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10* +11* +12* +13* +14* +15*
Lift 9 30 90 300 900 3,000 9,000 30k 90K 300K 900K
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 50K 100K 200K 500K 1M 2M 5M 10M 20M 50M 100M
*LiftinggasonSM+10orlargerspacecraftrequiressuperscience.
RepairSkill:Mechanic(Lighter-Than-Air).
Multiplycostbyfiveforantigravitygas.
H R streamlinedshipreentersatmosphere).Itisonlyusableinan
ELICOPTER OTOR
environmentwithatleast0.1atmospheresofpressure.Ships
(TL7*) [HULL] can install one or two systems; each requires one Power
Point. A single rotor provides an air speed of 200 mph if
Thisisasetofrotorbladesandatransmissionforvertical streamlinedor80mphifnot.Tworotorsystemsincreasethis
takeoff and landing. The blades fold up or lock into rigid to250mphor100mph.Thisisnotcumulativewithairper-
air foils during any high-speed maneuvers (e.g., when a formanceprovidedbyothersystems.
Helicopter Rotor Table
SM +5 +6 +7* +8* +9* +10* +11* +12* +13* +14* +15*
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 100K 300K 1M 3M 10M 30M 100M 300M 1B 3B 10B
*RotorsareTL7onvesselsofuptoSM+6.OncraftofSM+7orhighertheyrequiresuperscience,andareTL7^.
RepairSkill:Mechanic(Helicopter).
H (TL10^) [ ]
OLOPROJECTOR HULL
Thisisasuperscienceholographicsystemthatprojectsanimagearoundthespacecrafttovisuallydisguiseitasanythingofthe
same,oronehigher,SM.Forexample,anSM+5spacecraftcouldappearasanSM+6house.
Holoprojector Table
SM +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Workspaces 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 10 30 100 300
Cost($) 60K 200K 600K 2M 6M 20M 60M 200M 600M 2B 6B
RepairSkill:ElectronicsRepair(Media).
I want you to get out of this part of
J E
ET NGINE space and back home just as fast as
(TL7) [ ] you can.
HULL
– Michael Garibaldi,
In addition to the jet engines detailed in GURPS
Spaceships,thefollowingtypesareavailable: Babylon 5 #5.15
Turbofan(TL7):Aturbofanisajetenginewithanaddedfan
thatincreasestheairflowtoimprovethrustandfuelefficiency.
However,itcannotoperateathypersonicspeeds.Maximumair FissionAir-Ram(TL7):Thisengineusesafissionreactorto
speedis2,000mph.Eachengineprovides0.5Gaccelerationfor operateaturbofanthatsucksinair,heatingandexpellingitfor
calculating atmospheric speed, and consumes one fuel tank thrust.Itoperatestwoyearsonaninternalnuclearfuelsupply.
worthofjetfuelperhour(TL7)ortwohours(TL8+). Theexhaustisslightlyradioactive.Eachair-ramproduces0.2G
Afterburning Turbofan (TL7): As above, but fitted with a (TL7),0.4G(TL8),or0.6G(TL9+)accelerationforcalculating
reheat system that can augment the thrust by squirting raw atmosphericspeed.
fuelintotheexhaust,providingatemporaryburstofspeedat Fusion Air-Ram (TL10): This sucks in air, heats it using a
the expense of greatly increased fuel consumption. It has the fusionreaction,thenexpelsitasreactionmass.Itoperatesfive
samenormalperformanceasaturbofan,buttheacceleration years on an internal fuel supply. The weight includes a high-
is multiplied by 1.5 when the afterburner is used (increasing efficiencyfusionreactorthatservesonlytopowertheengine.
topspeed).Thisquadruplesfuelconsumption,usingonefuel Each air-ram produces 0.2G acceleration for calculating
tankevery15minutes(TL7)orhalf-hour(TL8). atmosphericspeed.
S D O 10
PACECRAFT ESIGN PTIONS