NiS/Shipyard

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Overview of Ship Construction

A lot of first-time traders and fledgling oar hunters have to settle for a second-hand skiff. While they fly, they are never ideal—always having too much of this but too little of that. However, some lucky folk with money or backing are able to custom fit their raft before setting out to carve a living out of the stars. So if their pockets are deep enough, they can get what the need in a ship—assuming, that is, they know what they need.

There are two main components to any ship: first, there is the infrastructure, which is the ships size plus its basic stats. Second, is its fittings, which are compartments and upgrades. The player has 1000 credits to purchase an infrastructure and 1000 credits to deck it out.

Relative Sizes:
There are two ways to describe the size of certain components of the ship: first is as a number, and the second is the descriptors of tiny, small, medium, large, and huge. To determine the descriptive size of any component, take its numerical size and compare it to the numerical size of the ship. For each point of difference, move the size category up or down one.

For instance, a size 3 engine in a size 3 ship would be a medium sized engine. However, a size 3 engine in a size 2 ship would be a large engine.

Infrastructure

Size

The first thing that must be determined is the ships size. Ships in the NIS scale range from size 1, to size 5. The number of free compartments that a ship has is equal to its size x10 plus dedicated space for a medium-sized bridge, engine, and a drop ship hanger bay.

Size Costs: size 1=50cr, size 2=100, size 3=250, size 4=400, size 5=600

Power Plant

The power plant of the ship includes the ships engines, electrical systems, and life support systems. While it only directly effects the ships speed characteristic, certain weapons and compartments require power plants of certain size in order to operate.

Power Plant Costs: sz1: 25cr, sz2: 75cr, sz3: 150, sz4: 250, sz5: 450

Speed

The ships speed characteristic depends on the relative size of the power plant. Tiny: 2, Small: 3, Medium: 4, Large: 5, Huge 6

Hull

In considering the thickness of a ships hull, you have to consider a tradeoff between armor and maneuverability. Although more expensive materials and a stronger power plant can offset this some, a captain often has to sacrifice one for the other.

When purchasing the hull, the captain purchases a certain number of points that he can divide in any manner between armor and maneuverability. For instance, if the ship has a Hull 9, the captain can have 6 Armor, 3 Maneuverability, 4 Armor, 5 Maneuverability, or any other combination.

Also, the size of the engine effects the maneuverability: tiny –3, small –1, large +1, and huge +3.

Hull Costs: 6: 50, 7: 90, 8: 120, 9: 150, 10: 190, 11: 230, 12: 280, 13: 330, 14: 370, 15: 430

Extra Compartments:
Typically, armor doesn’t take up too much extra space on the ship. However, extra thick armor does bite into your cargo space. Divide the ships Armor rating by 2, rounding down, to determine the size of the ships armor. Large armor takes 2 additional compartments. Huge armor takes 4.

Armaments

Every ship in the Imperium is armed: it’s just a fact of life. Between the threat of pirate or xeno raids, the necessity of clearing asteroids from the path of the ship, and the ever-present possibility of having one’s ship and crew commandeered into the Imperial Navy in a time of crisis, no ship is allowed to leave the shipyard without basic armaments.

The armaments section of the ship effects two stats—Offensive Capability and Batteries—which work as a generic representation of the ships guns. More advanced guns with special effects can be equipped, but they are considered part of the upgrades portion of ship creation.

Offensive Capability and Batteries are purchased separately:

Battery Costs: first battery is free. Each additional battery costs 60cr plus one compartment. A large or huge number of batteries costs 75cr plus two compartments.

Offensive Capability Costs: To determine the size of the ships OC, divide it by 2 (rounding up). To determine the cost, build the OC up by one applying the following prices: tiny 10, small 20, medium 30, large 40, huge 50. In addition, because the ships usually have some energy-based weapons, the size of the guns relative to the size of the power plant cannot be tiny.

For instance, for a size 3 ship, the first two points of OC would cost 20 cr (10 cr each), because sz 1 on sz 3 is tiny. To raise OC to 3 and 4 would cost 40 cr (20 each b/c sz 2 on 3 is small) raising the cost to 60 cr. To raise it to 5 and 6 would cost 60 cr (30 cr each) for a grand total of 120 cr, etc. However, to raise a size 2 ship to OC 6 would cost 200.

Reliability

Ships work best when every part of them is in balance: to that extent, being over-powered and being under-powered each exert their toll on a ship’s soundness.

Ships start with a reliability of 3, and for every 2 “points” the ships is off medium, it’s reliability is reduced by 1. Each size difference away from medium is 1 point (eg, small and large is 1 point, tiny and huge is 2 points). For instance, a ship with a tiny power plant, large armor, and small maneuverability would have a reliability of 1.

Master Workmanship:
However, if the captain pays extra for materials and labor, he can offset losses to reliability. +1 reliability costs 50cr, +2 100cr, +3 200cr, +4 400cr.

Fittings

Cargo Bay

250cr, 4 compartments, 1 upgrade. The cargo compartment is the main way of making money for smugglers and traders. Each post game phase, a cargo compartment generates 2d6x10cr of income. This can be boosted by +1d6x10 credits if the player decides to carry contraband. However, if the ship is boarded, the contraband is automatically spotted.

Cargo bays are fairly labor intensive to unload, so it takes a crewman and a juve (or 2 crewmen) to collect income from it.

Placement: The cargo compartment must have a door at least 3” long. This door can either be interior (as connected to a hallway atleast 3” wide) or a hatch on the ouside of the ship. Multiple cargo bays do not need walls between them.

Upgrades
Refrigerated Compartment
50cr, Medium Power Plant, +1 compartment. A refrigerated compartment allows the ship to carry frozen produce and other choice goods that would spoil in a normal compartment. Unfortunately, it takes a fair amount of power, so it requires at least a medium power plant for one. Two or more require a large power plant. Each refrigerated compartment adds d6x5 cr to the income for the cargo bay.

Auto Loader System
40 cr, +1 compartment. An auto loader is a system of conveyer belts, hoists, and lifts that makes it a breeze to load and unload. This cargo bay need only be worked by a juve.

Secure Bay
35 cr. Cargo bays are a prime target for boarding pirates, so it often pays to add in a little extra security.

Smuggler Hatch

175cr, 2 compartments A smuggler hatch is a cleverly hidden stow that allows a gang to move contraband while minimizing the risk of being caught. Each smuggler hatch can move 1d6x10 credits of cargo, or 1d6x15 credits of contraband. If the ship is boarded, you get a security save against the contraband being spotted.

Armory

50cr, upgrades 50cr, Maximum 2 upgrades. 3 compartments. While most crewmembers usually keep their personal weapons close at hand, the ships armory is where extra ammunition and weapon replacement parts are kept. The armory adds +1 to all intra-mission restock rolls. Each upgrade adds an additional +1, for the maximum combined bonus of +3.

Brig

30cr, 2 compartments The brig is a secure cell on the ship where prisoners can be kept. If a ship has a brig, it can subtract its “security rating” from the escape rolls of any prisoners.

Living Quarters

50cr, 3 compartments. The living quarters on a ship is the space dedicated to feeding, recreation, and sleeping. Each living quarters can support up to 4 crewmen.

Extra space on the ship can be rented out to passengers wanting to move from one system to another. For every two extra bunks you have, you can take on one passenger. To locate passengers, you must take a post game action with a juve or a ganger to scare up some fares. Make a leadership check using the juve or gagner’s leadership: if it passes, he locates a passenger. You make 1d6x5 credits off every passenger.

Luxury Cabin

100cr, 2 compartments Travelers with money are willing to pay more to travel in style, so oftentimes crews will put in some luxury cabins to attract high class fares. If you send a juve to work the star port, you can find a high class fare who is willing to pay d6x10 credits to go to your destination.

Workshop

100cr, 3 compartments. The workshop has generalized tools and equipment for repairing the ships equipment and the gangers’ weapons. If your ship is equipped with a workshop, you can ignore the first failed ammo roll of the game. In addition, if you assign a ganger to the workshop in the post game phase, you can make an additional 1d6x5 credits, which are actually credits saved from doing your own maintenance, or save 1d6x10 credits on a repair.

Medbay

50cr, 3 compartments, Upgrade: Extra Bed 50cr, +1 compartment (1 sq”) max 2. The primary purpose of the medbay is to keep the gangers healthy over long trips in space, but it also comes in handy when you’ve been shot.

The medbay allows you to re-roll 1 serious injury (+1 for each extra bed) in the post game phase. If it is only an intermediate post-game phase in between encounters, these re-rolls can only be used if you are in contact with the ship. Also, any models who want to use a medbay re-roll have to return to the ship for medical attention. If a model in the medbay passes his toughness test to return to combat, instead of deploying him at the beginning of the encounter, place him in Reserves.

Vehicle Bay

50cr, 4 compartments Upgrades: none Vehicle bays allow for the housing and storage of both terrestrial and space vehicles.

For each vehicle bay, you can house three bike-sized vehicles. A light vehicle counts as two bike-sized vehicles, and a heavy vehicle counts as three bike-sized vehicles.

Teleporter

200cr, 1 compartment, Rare (11) Although the technology for them exists, teleporters on civilian ships are very rare. This is because Imperial authorities frown on their use because of the dangers inherent in sending men through the warp.

With a command action, up to three men in reserves can be deployed anywhere on the battlefield. The teleporter taps into the ships sensor system to target the location, but it’s special programming is not limited by the sensor system’s LOS. The standard deviation for the teleporter is 2d6,” but because of its inherent safety systems it will not teleport gangers into a wall, or leave them to fall out of mid air. However, if it teleports them of the battlefield, they do not take part in the coming battle.

Drop Pods

75cr, 1 compartment. Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special 3 2d6 -- -- -- -- Carries 3

Drop pods are a quick and efficient way to deploy reserves onto the battlefield from orbit. A drop pod can deploy up to three crewmembers, which can be deployed as a reserve action, or it can be launched during the first turn of battle. All normal orbital targeting rules apply. Once the drop pod has touched down, the crewmen may disembark that turn.

Once a drop pod has been deployed, it cannot be redeployed until it is recovered and repaired. Drop pods are automatically recovered if the crew wins the encounter in which they are deployed. Otherwise, the drop ship must come into base-to-base contact with it in order to attach a magnetic grapnel and tow it back to the ship. If it is recovered, the pod is automatically repaired in the next post-game phase. If it is not recovered, it costs 40 credits to replace the pod.

Upgrades

Supply Drop Launcher

50cr, 1 compartment

Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special 5 2d6 -- -- -- 4+ Resupply

Although the name implies that these are modified drop pods, this is a misnomer. In fact, they are modified torpedoes: the warhead has been removed and replaced with a small storage compartment that can be used to ferry ammo and supplies quickly to the surface.

A supply drop can be called down as a support action during a game. Then, any model in base-to-base contact with the pod can immediately test to re-supply any weapon that has failed its ammo roll.

Supply Drop launchers can also be used in between encounters if the dropship is unable to re-supply the ground force

Cluster Missile

Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special 5 2d6 5 1 -1 5+ D6+1 Blast Templates

When launched from the HQ Ship, the cluster missile flies to a couple hundred feet over the target where it splits into several bomblets that explode over a large area. Once the final targeting point has been located, place one blast marker on the spot. Next, roll a d6 to see how many additional blast templates need to be placed. For each additional blast template, roll the artillery dice and place the template accordingly. A result of a misfire means that the bomblet was a dud, so no blast template was placed.

Thor Rockets

Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special 10 1d6 6(9) 1(d6) -1(-4) 5+ Gas Template

The name of this weapon is kind of a misnomer: Thor Rockets are in fact not rockets at all—they are instead super dense rounds of depleted uranium fired at ultra-high velocity out of a rail gun. Each round impacts the ground with the kinetic energy of a small meteor, causing a sizable explosion. However, the real damage is done at the point of impact. Any models or vehicles in the hole of the Gas Template take the higher level of damage that is in the parenthesis.

Orbital Defense Laser

Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special -- -- 9 2d6 -8 4+ Cannot Target Troops The Orbital Defense Laser is effectively a super-long range Lascannon that can provide support from the heavens. It is exceptionally accurate, and travels fast as light. However, due to the lower resolution of ships sensors, it is unable to lock onto individual man-sized targets, and thus it can only be used against large targets, making it an ideal anti-vehicle weapon.

Power Field Generator

Speed StandardDeviation Strength Damage SaveModifier AmmoRoll Special 5 1D6 -- -- -- 6+ 3+ unmodified save.

Need a pathway blocked? Need something to cover your retreat? Call in a power field drop. Once the power field generator is placed, it deploys a wall of power 3d6” long (centered on the generator) and six inches high, and 1” wide. If at any point, the power field is completely blocked by a solid wall, it ends there even if it could have extended further.

A power field in place may not be moved through, and any shots trying to shoot through it are deflected on a 3+. The generator itself may be attacked (it is T5 with 1 wound), but its power field surrounds it as well, so any attacks on the generator are treated as shooting through a power field.

The gang who deployed the power field can use a support action to have the HQ ship deactivate the field as long as they can get into contact with the ship. The deactivation occurs immediately after the call is put through.

Auto repair

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