D20 future spacecraft: Hi-Point F/C j-14 Avatar

[A Crazy Fool]

any comments would be appreciated, especialy from people who use d20mecha

biult using d20 mecha rules, they're free, download them, they're much better than WOTC's.

F/C j-14 Avatar

Description:
The Avatar is a fourth generation jump cabable fighter biult to replace the Karza. It first saw active duty in the CTN Navy in 46 PC. The Avatar is built especialy for escort duty and can substantialy extend it's 4 week range when operating with larger ships. The main weapons platform of the Avatar is the Alliance-Electric Firestorm missile system. (usually built for use with frigates and cruisers, not fighters/corvettes). The Avatar is also used by Hi-Point, Alliance-Electric, and MHI's private security fleets. The CTN special forces use a modified version of the Avatar for troop transport (this has more room for occupants and more drop pods). An EW varient of the Avatar is under development, this variant has two bulges on the foward hull.


Type: Vehicle
Class: Long range fighter/ultralight corvette
Size: Collosal
Length: 160 ft
Base AC: 2
Hardness: 20
HP: 120
Occupants: 5 crew, 5 passangers
Cargo: 2 tons (max object size huge)
Handling: -8 pilot, -8 initative

Space Flight
Thrust: 10 g
G-rounds: 500
String-jump FTL

Special abilities
Laser comm with scanner (secure +12) 50000 mi range
Radio with scanner (secure +12) 1000 mi range
EES
LWR
Kitchen
Machine Shop
Hi-Res radar 1 mi range
Radar (Global) 30 mi range
Magnetic sensors (Global) 30 mi range
Low-light optics 10 mi range
Stealth (+5 v radar, +5 v magnetic)
Crew area detatches (statted later)
10 escape/drop pods (statted later)
Magnetic sheilds (statted later, provides bonus to AC vs charged particle attacks and anything that's easily magnetized like railgun rounds and missiles)

Defects
4 week range
weak point (dorsal and power lines)
service crew (2)
1 min start time

Weapons Systems:

Firestorm missile system (2x, each with different gunners, stats are for 1 battery)
Attack (excludes guidance, etc): +3
Damage: 20d8
Type: Conc./Ballistic
Range Increment: 6400 ft
ROF: A
Magazine: 150
Traits:
Extended mag 2x, IR homing, automatic, long range 3x, AP (L1)
Flaws:
Fixed Arc (front)

Automatic Railguns (operated by pilot)
Attack (excludes size penalty): +0
Damage: 6d12
Type: Ballistic
Range Increment: 1500
ROF: Auto2, must wait 1 rnd between attacks
Magazine: 8000
Traits:
Long range 2x, 'unlimited ammo', automatic 2x
Flaws: Fixed arc (front), slow firing

 

[Morgan Keyes]

Looks interesting. Some musings/observations if I may:

Crew: I assume the crew of 5 is Commander/Pilot, two more gunners, and the service crew? If so, a reminder that Service Crew can be carried as Passengers. Operator only needs to be paid for those who can directly use their skills in an immediate fashion. Of course keeping with a crew of 5, one could go with Commander, Pilot, 2 Gunners, and a Defensive Systems Operator (Sensors, EW, and Active Defenses).

Communications

-Laser: Scanners and encryption are not really necessary given the line of sight and narrow-beam nature of laser communications, even moreso that given the volume of deep space it would be sheer luck for something to place itself between sender and recipient to conduct an interception of the transmisson.​

-Scanners: These may have little utility on a heavy strike fighter/corvette. Is there really a need to listen in on threat communications and is it even practical for the craft in it's mission? This may be a feature best left to an EW/ELINT platform at this level.​

Sensors

-Radar: To borrow from David Pulver again, we have the B-2 Spirit carrying a 80-mile Hi-Rez Radar and the F-22 Raptor's having a 140 mile reach. So you can likely give this craft a potent Hi-Res Radar and lose the conventional one.​

-Optics: In space really shouldn't have a need for low-light optics. What will be more useful will be high-resolution/magnification optics and thermal imaging.​

-Magnetic: Given the reach of hi-res radar in space, backed by IR and high-res optics, this sensor is probably not necessary.​

Defensive Systems

-Stealth: Instead of magnetic I'd go with thermal, though depending on your tech assumptions the DC is likely low given the difficultly of hiding drive thermals and even just the waste heat of a body in space.​

-ECM: I'd include at least some for when hiding is no longer an option and guided munitions are flying about. Radar and IR.​

-Active Systems: First off would be launched countermeasures; this era's version of flare/chaff ejectors. This can be modeled as defensive jammers, but you could also make another type of Special Attack in spirit of Smoke and Hot Smoke for dispensed counter-measures. Next, for a craft of this size maybe some kind of point defense gun(s) as a last ditch defense against guided munitions and VERY useful if fulfilling the role of escort(and in space, maybe against ANY projectile like railgun gun shots). Another good addition if it has an escort role are smaller point defense missiles for longer ranged intercepts.​

-Another thought on defensive systems. One way to portray host of minor defensive systems such as angled armor, threat detection, minor stealthing and ECM systems, etc. that become common on vehicles of an era is to portray the cumulative effect as a Defensive Bonus.

Offensive Systems

-Guns: Normally Autofire and Slow Fire can't be used together, but I think I see your approach. Some other thoughts, perhapes an Armor Penetrating bonus. Also instead of unlimited ammo and counting it out by individual rounds, if the weapon only fires in bursts to begin with you could come at it with each "round" of ammo being a short burst of shots.

-Missiles: Wow, that's alot of Harpoon-type weapons on a corvette. Though the range increment might be low. I've found most AA and anti-ship missiles work best with x4-6 Long Range boosts for the proper increment. Of course this may change in your setting if you have ranges work differently in a space-environment. You may want to add the defect Only In Space to reduce the costs. I'd also suggest guidance systems like Active Radar Homing and Inertial Guidance (usually together). This will let them reach out to the range of the Avatar's radar, then go active on their own to hunt targets.

What are the targets of the missiles? Fighters? Escorts? Or capital ships? For a heavy fighter like this, if it's a strike craft you might consider Hardpoint and some ship-killers with bigger punch. Bomb-pumped x-ray laser warheads are a setting favorite of mine (each missile paid individually and features like Automatic Fire (for the beam or burst of beams), Armor Penetrating, and lots of d20's for damage). Maybe a couple of different missile systems, some ship-killers, others anti-radar homers (good for sweeping out escorts while on attack runs), and still other smaller ones for anti-fighter use.​

Defects

-Service Crew: As I mentioned above, these are carried on a D20 Mecha vehicle as Passengers instead of Operators.​

-Start-Up Time: I'd draw this out more. 10 minutes is the standard for aircraft. In gameplay PC's could shorten this with appropriate Skill Checks.​

Additions

Stabilization Gear
Booster
INS Navigation
Accessories (Battle Management System (+1 circumstance bonus to transmit orders and such), Cargo Crane, Datalink (let's others in group share targetting data))

 

[A Crazy Fool]

thanks for these sugestions, they're really helpful.

I'll take those suggestions into account, especialy with weapons (a few nukes, probably), and i'll ad point defense systems. I'd probably add stealth to thermal as well as magnetic, i think it helps to hide all the magnetic fields from the ship's fusion reactor too.

the missiles are really big (a bit less than 2/3s of the ship's volume) and very heavily integrated, so hardpoint isn't really an option. the system was initialy biult for use by destroyers and larger frigates, the missiles are sort of medium, big enough to hurt capitol ships, but small enough to cripple smaller ships. I'll definitely change the range increment, though, that's a good point. They're also loaded metal-storm style, which allows for a lot more to be carried.

The fifth crew member operates sensors and systems and does navigation, also, it adds some redundancy in crew)