OK, the following is reprinted from the Nova Wars, Baby! thread.
Starship Engine Types
&
Jumpspaces
The cornerstone of the Terran Confederacy is FTL travel. Shipping, colonization, protection, everything depends on both FTL drives and communication. It binds the whole of the Confederation, not just under the thinly vieled fist of the Terran Confederate Navy, but by allowing vast corporations to exists that span solar systems.
The obelisk allowed Terran-Humans to leave the Sol system by providing six types of sub-light drives, and three types of faster than light travel. The G'Tak Empire also possesses these drives.
However, the drives invented by humans in the time since are in possession of the Confederacy only.
The letter C following a number means mutiples of light-speed. While some drives are taken from the MSRD-F, they have been slightly modified to fit within the Nova Wars universe, as well as slightly expanded upon.
Sublight Drives
Thrusters [PL 5]
In use by some Pre-Obelisk Terran nations at the time of The Discovery (Also known as the Liberation, the Release, and comedically: Opening the Bag) some ships still use this technology, although better refined and requiring less fuel.
Minimum Ship Size: Medium (Superstructure Class II)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +0 feet.
Starship's Cruising Speed: 0.1C
Starships Max Speed: 0.99C
Starship's Minimum Speed: 0 ft.
Maximum accelleration: Ship speed
Maximum decelleration: Ship speed
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: V
Fusion Torch [PL 6]
This engine consists of a fusion reactor with one wall of the magnetic bottle missing, directing the thrust in the form of super-heated plasma. The fusion torch is intended for space-only applications; its exhaust stream would melt anything it landed on and incinerate everything within a few hundred yards of ground zero; it also expels a tremendous amount of radiation. Many ships fitted with fusion torch rockets use thrusters for atmospheric travel. However, combat ships, whose pilots and dismount crew are NOT concerned with radiation, rely merely on fusion torches, both for liftoff, and to subdue anything in the landing zone that might be hostile. To structures near the fusion torch, it does 20d6 damage.
A ship using a fusion torch as its primary source of propulsion must refuel after every three battles or interplanetary trips. Fusion torch fuel has a purchase DC of 23 or can be gathered by using a ramscoop.
Minimum Ship Size: Gargantuan. (Superstructure Class IV)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +500 feet (+1 square).
Starship's Cruising Speed: .75C
Starships Max Speed: unknown
Starship's Minimum Speed: .01C
Minimum Rating: II
Maximum Rating V
Ramjet Engine
The Ramjet Engine uses a matter scoop to draw particles from space, through a torus, and converting them to energy. While it may take time to get up to speed, theoritically a ramjet engine will eventually break the lightspeed barrier. A Ramjet requires the same amount of time to slow down as it does to accellerate.
Minimum Ship Size:: Gargantuan. (Superstructure Class VI)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +1000 feet (+2 squares).
Starship's Cruising Speed: .75C
Starships Max Speed: unknown, presumed 1.01C
Starship's Minimum Speed: .01C
Minimum Rating: III
Maximum Rating X
Ion Engine: Space [PL 6]
The ion engine generates power to break down molecules of a fuel material to create ions, and then expels them by means of a magnetic impeller. It doesn’t provide as effective a mass-thrust ratio as the fusion torch, but it’s more fuel efficient, and its exhaust is not nearly as dangerous.
A ship using an ion engine as its primary source of propulsion must refuel after every five battles or interplanetary trips. Ion engine fuel has a purchase DC of 29 or the use of a ramscoop.
Minimum Ship Size:Huge. (Superstructure Class I)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +500 feet (+1 square).
Starship's Cruising Speed: .25C
Starships Max Speed: .999C
Starship's Minimum Speed: --
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: VIII
Ion Engine: Atmospheric [PL 6]
The ion engine generates power to break down molecules of a fuel material to create ions, and then expels them by means of a magnetic impeller. It doesn’t provide as effective a mass-thrust ratio as the fusion torch, but it’s more fuel efficient, and its exhaust is not nearly as dangerous.
A ship using an ion engine as its primary source of propulsion must refuel after every five battles or interplanetary trips. Ion engine fuel has a purchase DC of 29 or use of a ramscoop.
Minimum Ship Size: Huge. (Superstructure Class I)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +500 feet (+1 square).
Starship's Cruising Speed: .75C
Starships Max Speed: .9C
Starship's Minimum Speed: None
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: V
Solar/Photon Sail [PL 6]
Photon sails are immense but extremely fragile foil structures only a few molecules thick. Light pressure from a nearby star (or laser drive station, when available) provides motive force. The sails’ acceleration rates drop to half if the ship is beyond the edge of a star system and drop to one-quarter if the only available light is starlight. The sails can be wrecked by minor damage, but every ship equipped with photon sails carries at least three spare sets. Unfortunately, it takes 12 hours to replace damaged sails, though deployment or stowage of the sails takes only 1 minute.
In combat, any weapon hit against a sail-driven starship destroys the deployed photon sails and prevents the ship from moving until the sails are replaced. The sail-ship continues on its last course and retains its former speed until the sails are replaced. Accordingly, most sail-ships carry a secondary propulsion system (such as thrusters or an ion engine) for emergency maneuvering and sailing against the sun. Photon sails are completely useless in atmosphere—in fact, they’re instantly destroyed by atmospheric entry—making a secondary propulsion system a virtual necessity for most sail-ships.
Minimum Ship Size: : Gargantuan. (Superstructure Class I)
Tactical Speed Bonus: None
Starship's Cruising Speed: .5C
Starships Max Speed: .99C
Starship's Minimum Speed: None
Minimum Size: III
Maximum Size: X
FTL/Sublight Combination Drives
Induction Drive [PL 7]
Hands-down the best engine available at this or any previous Progress Level, the induction engine uses artificial gravity to provide incredible thrust and maneuverability. The induction engine requires no fuel and produces no exhaust; it’s ideal for atmospheric, orbital, or deep-space work. Recent advances by the Terrans have allowed it to break the lightspeed barrier, although it is somewhat slow for FTL travel.
Minimum Ship Size: Huge. (Superstructure Class I)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +1,000 feet (+2 squares).
Starship's Cruising Speed: 5C
Starships Max Speed: 15C
Starship's Minimum Speed: N/A
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: X
Particle Impulse Engine [PL 7]
The particle impulse engine is the next evolutionary step of the PL 6 ion engine. It uses magnetic fields to produce a constant stream of high-energy particles, as well as to provide vectored thrust. The major advancement of the particle impulse drive over the ion drive is that the particle impulse engine uses a negligible amount of fuel, which it also manufactures. The drive’s reaction is so efficient that the tiny amounts of matter present in interplanetary or interstellar space can be collected through weak magnetic fields and converted into a thrust medium. Better still, the particle impulse engine is capable of atmospheric entry. It causes some damage to any surface close to its exhaust ports (5d6 per round), but nowhere near as much damage as PL 6 engines do.
Several decades ago, the Digital Artifical Life Forms Systems (DALFS) had a breakthrough in FTL travel, using the PIE. Since this occurred, many ships have been retrofit with the FTL components. This is one of the primary TCN engines for warships.
Minimum Ship Size: Gargantuan. (Superstructure Class II)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +1,000 feet (+2 squares).
Starship's Cruising Speed: 10C
Starships Max Speed: 1500C
Minimum Size: III
Maximum Size: X
Gravatic Redirector [PL 8]
A refinement of the induction engine and the sublight version of the singularity drive, the gravitic redirector creates a gravitic singularity—essentially, a sub-microscopic black hole—in the vicinity of the ship, producing a constant pull on the ship. By changing the location of the singularity relative to the ship, the pilot can change the direction of the ship’s travel. The gravitic redirector is more powerful and more efficient than the induction engine, and at the height of the technology’s heyday, virtually foolproof. A gravitic redirector can operate within a atmosphere and a gravity well.
Recent advances by the Terran Confederacy have enabled the gravatic redirector engine to be used for FTL travel, but this is a closely guarded secret, and not available to the general public. Possession of an FTL drive gravatic redirector engine is a capitol offense, punishable by no less than 10 life sentences on a hellworld.
Minimum Ship Size: Colossal. (Superstructure Class X)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +1,500 feet (+3 squares).
Starship's Cruising Speed: 250C
Starships Max Speed: 3000C
Starship's Minimum Speed: 0 ft
Minimum Size: V
Maximum Size: X
Inertial Flux Engine [PL 8]
By precisely controlling the quantum energy level of every atom on the ship simultaneously, the inertial flux engine assumes the inertial states necessary to produce motion in any direction. In effect, by operating the controls, the pilot chooses from instant to instant what vector the ship’s atoms will next possess, and the inertial flux engine alters them simultaneously—along with everything else aboard, including the crew and passengers
This is the latest sublight/FTL drive, and currently is only in use by the Confederate Navy and a few select, powerful corporations.
Minimum Ship Size: Gargantuan. (Superstructure Class IV)
Tactical Speed Bonus: +1,500 feet (+3 squares).
Starship's Cruising Speed: 500C
Starships Max Speed: 2000C
Starship's Minimum Speed: 0
Maximum accelleration: 5C per minute
Maximum decelleration: instaneous upon entry to realspace
Minimum Size: V
Maximum Size: X
FTL Drives
Singularity Drive [PL 6]
By wrapping a magentic bottle around a singularity, this drive functions both in and out of atmosphere, as well as for sublight speeds by weakening the magnetic bottle that cancels out the gravity of the the singularity.
When light speed is desired, vast arrays of computers perform the correct calculations, and the bottle is breached in one area for a limited amount of time. The ship is immediately pulled beyond the event horizon and accellerated beyond light speed. While a highly dangerous drive type, this was already in theory by Pre-Obelisk scientists, and was easily adapted to Terran spacecraft.
Any craft whose magnetic bottle fails is presumed destroyed.
A singularity drive enables a ship to instantly exit realspace at one point, and reemerge in another. The computations for the jump take 1 minute per light year moved.
Minimum Ship Size: Colossal (Superstructure Class X)
Starship's Cruising Speed: N/A
Starships Max Speed: N/A
Starship's Minimum Speed: N/A
Maximum accelleration: N/A
Maximum decelleration: N/A
Minimum Size: X
Maximum Size: X
Hyperspace Drive [PL 6]
The most advanced type of drive found in the Obelisk, human engineers quickly improved upon the engine, making it faster, more energy efficient, and usuable nearly everywhere instead of outside of a sun's gravity well. Early models could not be used within a solar system due to the suns gravity interfering with the transit point. These engines rapidly accellerate, and once .5C is reached, exit normal space and enter hyperspace.
Minimum Ship Size:
Starship's Cruising Speed: 250C
Starships Max Speed: 750C
Starship's Minimum Speed: 1C
Maximum accelleration: .25C/minute
Maximum decelleration: Instantaneous upon exiting hyperspace to .5C
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: X
Warp Field Drive [PL 5]
A warpfield drive locates temporary gravitational anomolies that create "warped" points in space. This drive creates a field that allows the craft to "squirt" into the warped point, where light year distances are often compressed to a mere 3 hour transit.
Minimum Ship Size: Gargantuan
Starship's Cruising Speed: Depends on warp zone
Starships Max Speed: Depends on warp zone
Starship's Minimum Speed: N/A
Maximum accelleration: Instant
Maximum decelleration: Instant
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: VII
Jump Drive [PL 7]
Originally one of the few FTL drives theories listed in the Obelisk, human engineers mastered it within a century based on theoretical data produced by Dr. Steven Hawking, a 21st Century Astophysist. The joke "I call it a Hawking Hole" is some type of inside joke among astrophysists. The Jump Drive is often known as a "Hawking Drive" due to his extensive work on wormhole theory before his death. The jump drive can create a stable, though temporary, wormhole that lasts until the ship that created it emerges from the exit point. Energy from the limited worm hole can be detected by sensors for up to a week, and by starship sensors at up to 2.4 light hours.
A jump drive takes 1 hour of transit time per 100 light years travelled, and moves at a steady, unmeasurable speed through jumpspace.
The jump drive suffers from one major limitation. Once a ship has entered jump space, it has only two real options: continue to the exit point or deactivate the jump drive. The ship cannot change course while in jump space; it must drop out of jump space, set a new course, and re-engage the jump drive. The drawback to this is that jump drives require a lot of energy; recharging the drive takes hours, as shown in FMSRD Table: Jump Drive Recharge Time.
Minimum Ship Size: Huge
Starship's Cruising Speed: NA
Starships Max Speed: N/A
Starship's Minimum Speed: N/A
Maximum accelleration: N/A
Maximum decelleration: N/A
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: X
String Drive [PL 7]
Underlying the universe are vast constructs of prime matter known as "superstrings". While for some the shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, for a string-drive equipped vessel, it's shooting down a Superstring to it's desitination.
Pilot's may "stringjump" with a successful Pilot Check (DC: 10+Speed /5C) to reach an alternate destination. Pilots may not use computer assistance when "stringjumping" or "stringriding" and must rely solely on thier pilot skill. They must suceed at a Pilot (Starship) Check every 10 minutes (DC: 10 +1 per 10C of speed) or the ship will take the same amount of d4 damage as speed.
Due to limitations on the drive itself, it cannot be used with large vessels at the current time, but rumors always suggest one mega-corp or the other is about to make a breakthrough allowing larger ships to use it.
Most astrogation computers will only allow jumps to pre-navigated strings.
Minimum Ship Size: Huge (Superstructure Class I, Max size of Superstructure Class XIV)
Starship's Cruising Speed: 5000 C
Starships Max Speed: 25000C
Starship's Minimum Speed: 5C
Maximum accelleration: 10C/minute
Maximum decelleration: 5C/minute
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: V
Shunt Drive [PL 7]
In space there exists gravitational "shunts" where space is weaker between two locations. The shunt drive allows a ship to enter these "weak spots" and traverse through the areas where space is "folded". A pilot must make a Piloting Check, with a DC of 10 base (+1 per 10 LY multiplier beyond Cx50) or damage the ship (This check must be made every hour, or when passing a solar system or other gravitational "knot) for damage equal to the C multiplier.
Minimum Ship Size: Large (Superstructure Class I)
Starship's Cruising Speed: 50C
Starships Max Speed: Unknown
Starship's Minimum Speed: 50C
Maximum accelleration: 5C/minute
Maximum decelleration: instaneous upon exiting shuntspace to .1C
Minimum Size: VII
Maximum Size: IX
Tachyon Drive [PL 8]
Developed recently, and only fielded on smaller vessels due to power and tachyon field constraints imposed by current theory and technology, only ships of the line carry these drives.
Maximum Ship Size: Huge (Superstructure Class I, Maximum of XII)
Starship's Cruising Speed: Lightspeed x 0.5
Starships Max Speed: Lightspeed x 500
Starship's Minimum Speed: None
Maximum accelleration: .25 C/rnd
Maximum decelleration: .25 C/rnd
Minimum Size: I
Maximum Size: IV
NAVIGATE (INT)
In a campaign that features space travel or dimensional travel, you can use the Navigate skill to plot a course between planets, star systems, or dimensions.
Check: The rules for plotting a course over a great distance work as described in the Navigate skill description. Aboard a starship, you need a functional Class II sensor array (or better) to plot a course through space. You don’t need to make a Navigate check when traveling along a pre-established space route or passing through a dimension gate with a pre-calibrated destination.
Time: Plotting a course is a full-round action.
PILOT (DEX)
You can use the Pilot skill to fly any kind of spacecraft.
Check: Unless you have the Starship Operation feat (page 14), you take a –4 penalty on Pilot checks made to pilot a starship. The pilot of a starship can make a Pilot check to escape after being held or immobilized by another starship’s grapplers or tractor beam; see Grappling Systems for more information on grapplers and tractor beams.
Special: For modern-day (PL 5) spacecraft such as the space shuttle, the Aircraft Operation (spacecraft) is sufficient to negate the –4 penalty on Pilot checks; however, this feat cannot negate the penalty as it applies to PL 6 or higher spacecraft.
Astrogation (INT)
In a campaign that features space travel or dimensional travel, you can use the astrogation skill to plot a course between planets, star systems, or dimensions.
Check: The rules for plotting a course over a great distance work as described in the Navigate skill description. Aboard a starship, you need a functional Class II sensor array (or better) to plot a course through space. You still need to make an Astrogation check when traveling along a pre-established space route or passing through a dimension gate with a pre-calibrated destination due to intermediate and temporary fluctuations.
Time: Plotting a course takes one round per 5 light years travelled. Astrogation programs cut this time according to thier ratings.
PILOT (Starship) (DEX)
You can use fly any kind of spacecraft.
Check: Unless you have the Starship Operation feat for the ship type, you take a –4 penalty on Pilot checks made to pilot the starship.
The pilot of a starship can make a Pilot check to escape after being held or immobilized by another starship’s grapplers or tractor beam; see Grappling Systems for more information on grapplers and tractor beams.
Special: For modern-day (PL 5) spacecraft such as the space shuttle, the Aircraft Operation (spacecraft) is sufficient to negate the –4 penalty on Pilot checks; however, this feat cannot negate the penalty as it applies to PL 6 or higher spacecraft.
To pilot a spacecraft, the following ranks must be possessed, or no special manuevers may be attempted, and only basic piloting may occur. This includes FTL travel.
Ultralight == 1
Light == 2
Medium = 5
Heavy 7
Cruiser (renamed from Superheavy) == 8
Capitol == 9
As an addendum, without the Starship Operations feat, no other starship feats may be taken.
Jump Spaces
The Obelisk allowed mankind to reach the stars, and grasp at them exactly as they had grasped at everything else they wanted. It opened "The Bag" and allowed Terran descent Humans to go out into the universe, armed with Faster Than Light engines, weapons and armor to defend those ships, and life support systems to allow them to live in those ships.
Humankind, always improving on everything that they understood and/or thought might be able to improve, pushed the envelope on the FTL travel, rapidly surpassing even the proto-human's theories.
FTL travel does not happen in what is considered "realspace" (A term coined by news agencies and popular culture) where the theories of Albert Einstien hold sway, but instead, once near-lightspeed is reached, when mass becomes nearly infinite, the ship drops out of realspace due to gravitational mass and enters one of the FTL spaces.
While in a "jumpspace" transit, travellers experience various effects, depending on which jumpspace they enter. Everything from sudden unconsciousness followed by a period of comatose, to shimmering lights, to severe "jumpshock" when exiting.-From the Terran Confederacy Historical Archives
JUMPSPACE
Jumpspace is one of the earliest discovered. When entering jumpspace, stars undergo a color shift rapidly into white, and then pull backwards, making the ship appear to head toward a never ending cone.
While in jumpspace, the ship is actually moving between the spaces in dimensional foam that seperates dimensions. This makes the ship shudder, and causes vertigo and has been known to cause massive headaches. Jumpspace exit requires the drives to be reconfigured, and this will take 1 round per hour travelled. (Computer Use: DC: 5+1 per hour in Jumpspace) before another jump can be done.
Digital Sentients entering jumpspace go immediately comatose, often suffering a form of dementia known as "Jump Madness" where they claim to be older models or even fictional DAS's from Pre-Obelisk times. (Fort Save, DC: 10+1 per minute in jumpspace, roll every round. When failed, the DAS immediately goes comatose)
Induction Engine
The induction engine has recently been able to move into jumpspace, with recent advances in the technology produced by the Biological Artificial Sentients Systems. This engine is slow. but reliable, transport and is mainly used by the TC Navy for message torps and other such long-haul feasibly missions.
The induction engine has been reduced from normal size, to half it's previous side, and the BAS System's engines are notorious for redundant systems and reliability, bringing the size of a BAS System produced engine back up to normal.
Particle Impulse Engine
The Digital Artificial Sentient Systems produced advances that enabled this drive to enter Jumpspace some 50 years ago. This is the ONLY drive that DAS's may enter Jumpspace with and avoid going into a coma and being driven crazy, although a DAS must undergo "digital rest" every 5 hours instead of 20, forcing the DAS Systems to doublecrew thier ships.
Particle Impluse Engines are faily standard, with spare parts being cheap and plentifle, and because of this, many outlying systems and frontier sectors rely heavily on the PIE's.
Jump Drive
Although the Jump Drive is nearly instantaneous, they do travel through Jumpspace. Older, preObelisk jumpdrives travelled at roughly 600 C, although now rough estimates place the speed of modern jump drives at 5000C and up.
Occassionally ships will discover old derilects in Jumpspace. Some of these have been G'Tak warships, or protohuman vessels, with the crew dead and the control stations dead or damaged. These hulks bring in good salvage from collectors, historical societies and on occassion, the TC Navy.
HYPERSPACE
Hyperspace is a sidereal universe, where there is no limit to speed of light, and the laws of physics are more ameable to accelleration and movement. Sadly, hyperspace can also be a dangerous place. With debris from the G'Tak/protohuman war scattered everywhere, nova and supernova blast wave remnants, gravitational anomolies, etc providing a serious hazard to all who travel within it.
Hyperspace is often used for travel and communications, but serious hazards exist, as matter that was created in hyperspace is quite explosive when impacting matter from "realspace" (Multiply damage for meteor hits by 25), and there is a few seconds of disorientation upon exit.
Due to the completely different laws of mathematics in hyperspace, programs and AI's that can operate in hyperspace must be specially created, and cannot be used in "realspace" and vice-versa. Because of this the Digital Artificial Sentient Systems dislike Hyperspace, and all computer systems and computer assisted/run equipment must have dual programs and processors, increasing thier cost by 50%.
Hyperdrive
An extremely tempermental type of drive, it is by far the cheapest and easiest to get ahold of. The price for these drives can go as low as 5% of normal, depending on the age and C-distance wear on the drive. Parts are cheap and easy, with used parts coming as cheaply at 10% of normal cost. Most ships, when commissioned with this drive, have the drive left at the orbital/planetary scrap/salvage yards, since it would cost more to recover the drive than buy a new one.
The cost for Hyperdrives in Confederate Space is 1/2 normal.
SHUNTSPACE
Shuntspace appears as a tangle of tubes that are made up of interlocking branches of a silvery/iridescent metal. Shooting through these tubes is dangerous, but fast, and only living pilots are able to handle the speeds and disorientation that shuntspace brings out.
DAS's and any genetweaked too hard (More than a +4 bonus to Pilot Starship) cannot operate properly in Shuntspace, often going into convulsions, shutting down, or suffering a neural shutdown.
VOIDSPACE
Voidspace is a place of swirling colors, and people that move leave shimmering traces and afterimages of themselves. Instruments are useless, as are navigation equipment. Voidspace is navigatable by Digital Sentients only, who must possess Voidspace navigational programs and special voidspace sensors.
STRINGSPACE
Appearing as a series of long strings that coil and loop through a vast gulf, "riding the strings" is both exhilerating to pilots, and more dangerous than finding yourself with your thumb in the tiger's bum.
Riding the strings may get you from point A to point B quickly, but most string destinations are completely unknown. One long-probe ship (piloted by convincts or highly paid volunteers) found itself in the Hammerhead Galaxy, inside a brown dwarf system, after only 105 hours of "string-time". Currently, very few stringlines are mapped, although mercenaries have been hired recently to explore the lines after one scout craft encountered and was nearly destroyed by a massive vessel that was estimated at being over 10,000 km in length and was busy laying waste to a planet.
