Forlorn hope

history of the ship

Game Characteristics

BATTLECRUISER

Name : Forlorn Hope

Past History : Wrestled From A Space Hulk.

Machine Spirit Oddities : Ancient & Wise

Hull : OVERLORD

SP cost : 90.

Speed : 6 Manoeuvrability : +10 Detection : +10

Armour : 21 Turrets: 2 Shields : 2 Hull points : 66 Space 78/78 Power :90/90

Crew : 102/102. Morale 102/102

Essential Components

Saturnine Class 4a plasma Drive, Miroslav H-616 b. warp drive, Warpsbane Hull, Repulsor Double Void Shield Array, Ship's master Bridge ; Voidsmen Quarters ; M1r pattern life Sustainer, BG15 Assault Scanners.

Armement

1 Port Lathes Launch Bays ; 1 Squadron of Starhawks, 1 Squadron of Fury, rooms left for 4 other squadrons.

1 Starboard Lathes Launch Bays ; 1 Squadron of Support, 1 Squadron of Aeronautica (I suggest a mix of Vendettas/Vultures), room left for 4 other squadrons.

1 port Hecutor Plasma Broadside ; Strengh 5, Range 11, Crit 4, Vapourisation

1 starboard Hecutor Plasma Broadside; Strengh 5, Range 11, Crit 4, Vapourisation

1 Prow Hecutor Plasma Battery ; Strengh 3, Range 11, Crit 4, Vapourisation

1 Dorsal Hecutor Plasma Battery; Strengh 3, Range 11, Crit 4, Vapourisation

Supplemental Components

Arboretum, Barracks, Cargo Hold & Lighter Bay, Luxury Passenger Quarters, Melodium, Observation Dome, Power Ram, Small Craft repair Decks, Temple Shrine of the God Emperor, Trophy Room.

Achievement Points

TRADE :50 (Trophy Room)+50 (Cargo Hold)+ 100 (Luxury Passengers Quarters) = 200, +100 if Support aircraft is involved.

WAR : 100 (Barracks), +50 if planetary targets, +100 if Aeronautica involved.

CRIME : 50 (Trophy Room)+50 (Cargo Hold)+ 100 (Luxury Passengers Quarters) = 200

EXPLORATION : 50 (Trophy Room) +50 (Observation Dome)= 100.

CREED : 100 (Luxury Passenger Quarters)+100 (temple Shrine) = 200.

Bonus & Notes

+ 5 to all Piloting & Navigation tests on the bridge.

+10 to Warp Navigation tests. the Warp encounter table is rolled twice, and the Navigator choose which one happens. The time spent in the Warp is reduced by half. Warp encounters happens every three days instead of 5.

+10 BS to fire shipboard weapons ; +5 BS (total +15) against planetary targets.

+10 to any manoeuvre Action (including out of combat & ramming)

+10 to all Social Skill tests on board (melodium)

+ 20 to all command Tests involving Boarding actions and Hit & Run.

Increases all Morale loss by 1.

no penalties to Manoeuvers actions when travelling through Nebulae, ice rings, plasma clouds, and other celestial phenomena consisting primarily of small particules.

the ship may remain at void for a year without suffering Crew population or Morale Loss.

Inflict 3D10+21 when ramming.

when suffering a Misfortune, the GM rolls twice & choose the worse.

Ship Layout

The Crew

Crew origin

Most of the crew are former Imperial Navy: ambitious warrant officiers or officiers having waiting too long for a promotion, others too radical for the traditional Navy, or even some demoted for minor offenses and offered a second chance. As the crew is quite young, he is quite “green” if compared to the Imperial Navy standard ; but they are competent, loyal, and have a lot of potential.

The Bulk of the crew & officers have been recruited on Junker Binary, a dustball remoted imperial world in the Drusus Marches. Like their ancestor of the 112 th Teuton Imperial guard Regiment, these people are reputed for their austere faith and demeanor, as well the military aspect of their everyday life. Most imperial world have a military force ; on Junker Binary, the military force happens to have a planet.

They tries to enforce heavily their 20 virtues on board :

   * Humility

   * Industriousness

   * Obedience (but not without Frankness)

   * Straightness

   * Sense of Justice („Suum cuique“ = Jedem das Seine = To each his own)

   * Godliness

   * Toughness, against oneself even more than against others

   * Courage

   * Sense of Order

   * Pflichtbewusstsein (Sense of Duty)

   * Probity

   * Self denial = He who swears on His flag has nothing left that belongs to himself

   * Austerity

   * Bravery without sniveling („Lerne leiden ohne zu klagen“ Suffer without moaning!)

   * Loyalty

   * Incorruptibility

   * Subordination

   * Self-effacement („Mehr sein als scheinen!“ Be more than you seem to be)

   * Reliability 

   * Punctuality

Colors and uniforms

Forlorn Hope hull colors are black, white and red. The uniform are of the same colors, with decorations and braids usually in silver. Each squadron has a different collar uniform and a unique cipher on sleeves and shoulder pad.

Chaplain and ecclesiarchy officials who choose to wear a uniform shall bear a full white one instead. The ship marching band wears red and white.

All officers and warrant officers must wear white gloves at all time, as well their saber, to be considered properly dressed. Warrant officers also bears a mono-groxwhip as a symbol of their charge.

Armsmen are protected with flak armour, and armed with Dreyse mark IV shotguns.

Official March & Anthem of the Ship

The ship marching band will play the ship anthem at each new watch –every 6 hours – after ringing the ships bells. [1]

Traditions of Note

Every officer – except retinue members-, warrant officier and armsmen must wear a mustache or a beard. Ratings are forbidden to wear one. Women officers & armsmen can wear a wig or ornate braids instead.

When an officer or a warrant officer is promoted or named, up too the Lord Captain himself, he is ritually challenged by one of his peers, or by a direct subordinate, in a first blood sword duel, named Mensur. Blows must be strike only at the head: armoured google are worn for this. The duellists are allowed only to moved their arm. The looser must bear ever after his scar with pride, and offer a drink to the winner.

Duals are not forbidden to troops, contrary to the standard among the Imperial Guard or the Imperial navy. The follow also the rules of the mensur, except for the worse outrages, which must be solved with a saber duel.

Components of Note

The Bridge

The bridge is a technological marvel, built in circles. From there, one can benefit from a stunning view of the whole prow and the surrounding void by large Gothic arches. Enclosed between by powerful cogitator units, the bridge is a giant astronomical clock. The ground is transparent to allow anyone to see automatons and the perpetual motion of gears. Banners, ex voto and censers are hung or float in the air.

The first circle shows the day, according to both the administrative and traditional calendar, as well as the saint of the day. The second circle consists of twelve pits, surrounding a central core. Each of the twelve pits is devoted to managing one aspect of the ship, but also symbolizes a month in the year of the traditional calendar, and a sign of the zodiac. In order, starting from the prow:

- TIMONIS: the helm.

- NAVIGATIO: Navigation & Cartography. It is linked directly to the Navis Blister through a tunnel.

- ASTROPATHICA: long distance communications, but also in charge of the hexagrammatic protections on the hull, and the Geller Field, as well as Witch hunting on board.

- AUGURARIUM: Etherics, Augers, Vox & Sensors.

- AERONAUTICA: The control tower and liaison with Forlorn Hope Attack crafts. It is these officers that are in charge of the reckless small craft pilots.

- MEDICAE: in charge of health, both mental and physical. From this post also works in secret the Master of Whispers and its propagandists.

- ENGINARII: Engineering. The first access to the Main Cogitator and the Realm of the Mechanicus.

- COMMISSARIATUS: Commissariat & Stewardship. In charge of supplies, inventory, and human resources.

- COMMERCIA: Business & passengers. They are the ones who look after the needs of passengers, and also the underlings of the High Factotum, managing the Rogue Trader’s assets.

- FIDES: Faith. In charge of the Morale on board, they ensure that His Creed is worshipped adequately in every corner of the Ship.

- ARMATA: Security & Tactics. They control sergeants-at-arms, ship provosts & armsmen, boarding troops, and any army carried on board.

- ORDINANTIA: Strategy & Ordnances. The very brain of the ship in a battle, calculating & plotting moves & broadsides of the ship’s weapons.

The main tower centre stands at the center of the twelve pits. At the top lies the main Astronomical clocks. It indicates Terra’s ecliptics, the moon fullness, sunrise and sunset, and more prosaically the hour on board. A secondary dial showing signs of the zodiac is moving upon it, and includes the command post for the Lord Captain’s retinue. there are also many holo projectors, allowing to project pictures and information in the very air above the whole bridge?

The Captain throne sits directly on the needle indicating the hour and the sun position. The First Officer throne sits on the needle indicating the state of the Moon. The Axis is hollow, allowing the rogue trader to climb to his command throne, an to access directly to the Profit Express.

To have a better idea of how it looks like, you have the schematic at the beginning of this section. for the colors and how the bridge move, it looks like this :

the first external cercle. the grey circle is were you find the saint of the day and the date of the day according the traditionnal & the administratum calendar.

the central cercle, where you find the retinue section and the captain throne.

the functions of the astronomical clock

how it moves