Help with a small (fine) ship in d20 star wars

[yoippari]

I am trying to design a ship in starwars either to introduce to my gm or to file away for a future game. Really I would want two ships but that isn't the issue. I am using the starships of the galaxy book, and the core rule book for this as those are what I have that apply.

I need (want) a ship that is small enough to get in a ship's (small space transport, I think) cargo bay. So I was thinking a fine size ship (>5m, 1-4 metric tons), that is compareable to the t-47 air speeder, not the snow speeder, the lasers put the length over 5m (I think it is the lasers that do it). Either one would be a little running around the system/planet ship. The more battle oriented one would have very good engines (one of the ramming speed engines preferably with excelent manuverability) and be relatively full for this size of ship. It would rely on speed and manuverability to keep it out of the line of fire while the full turreted gun can shoot where ever an enemy is.

What I have for a stat block looks like this

					CPs
Size 		Fine		1
Automation	1-2 crew	10
Life Support	1-2 crew	1
Stowage		1-65kg		1
Consumables	3days		2
Hyperdrive	none		0
Ion Engines	R/E +3 checks	30
Shields		11-30		3
Hull		61-90		2
Weapons		9-13		3
				53
				106,000 Cr
Weapons
2 fire-linked twin laser cannons	5000Cr	5eps	Range: Short	3d10x2 Foward arc
1 Heavy Laser Cannon			4500cr  8ep	Range: short	5d10x2 Full turret

				115,500Cr

My problem is, I can't think of a good reason that this much stuff would be in a fine size ship. It seems like using the maximum category of each system for the size is kinda like min/maxing. Building a cruise missle? put good engines and a hyperdrive on it? Building a personal transport? Put hyperdrive and a much bigger than normal consumables for the size in it. But the maximum choice for almost every system just makes it seem like the ship should be bigger than fine.

That is my first problem. It can be explained away or I could just adjust stuff to make it seem more plausible.

My second problem is what it looks like. I have had a hard time finding anything in this size range that isn't an open cockpit that might have a chance of housing everything here. Star trek designs are pretty much gone since they almost all have big walking room making even the small ships large. Starwars ships almost seem to have a size limit of diminuative. The closest to what I have here is the "A-9 Vigilance Interceptor" on page 62 of the "Starships of the Galaxy" book but it is a little more expensive, has no shields, and bigger engines.

The second one would be to more like a little cargo hauler with slower engines and a tractor beam instead of any other weapons. It also wouldn't have any consumables, or shields. The end cost is only 65,250. A bit over half the cost, mostly due to the much cheaper engines.

Now neither are necessary. They might provide certain options that wouldn't normally be available, but most things we could just use the normal ship for.

 

[The Edge]

Afraid I can't really help, you sound to have more experience than I do.

If a snow speeder could do it (and fit) without its lazers, perhaps you could base it on that, but replace the lazers with something else/saccrifice their power a bit/pay extra for a 'compact' version? Something like that, I don't know (don't actually know what im talking about), good luck.

 

[yoippari]

Well it's nice to finally get a reply.

I have thought about basing it of the air/snow speeder but heavily redesigning it (those wide flat areas for lift in atmosphere have to go). And that might work. My current little sketches are closer to the shuttle pods in enterprise, and no I did not plan it that way.

I will go and see what exactly fits in the T-47 (minus a back seat) and try to adapt the numbers of mine to the rough dimensions of a T-47. Of course there is no rules about cramming as much sheer crap as you possibly can into a ship of any given size, but I want to keep it plausable.

 

[The Edge]

Yeah, I know what its like to just have a thread sink off the list. Got to be carefull to make it something that people can understand, have something worth replying with, and want to reply.

Depending on your budget, would it be possible to pay extra as a way of buying 'compact' equipment for most of the crafts parts? Makes it pluasible and fair.

Im not quite sure of how you want to use it, but does it need 3 days supplys? Perhaps take a leaf from the old crum bucket TIE fighters, and don't waste space on life support, but have a flight suit and helmet with an oxy tank, etc. Or just reduce its supplys a little. All depends how you plan to use it; If you want to go camping in it have good life support, but if all your after is a short range efficent quick launch fighter, then you probably don't need it.

Theres other little draw backs you could impose to possibly get more of the important stuff. Do you need to have days worth of fuel? Design it with half the normal fuel capacity = more space + less weight.

As I said I don't know what im talking about since I dont own starwars (only had a basic look though dureing a short borrowing), I'm just thinking of things that could apply to my setting.

 

[yoippari]

Lowering fuel or buying compact parts isn't covered at all in the books but it does seem fair to me. My DM just vetoed the idea so I guess it will just go in the archives with the station and transport that I made for a game I ran that never went anywhere.

The goal is really to have a short range fighter that might spend as much time in atmosphere as it does in space. The supplies are a what if kind of backup thing but no they arent really needed. The second version really is just supposed to be a space worthy equivilant of the mule in firefly/serenity. Some thing to transfer cargo perhaps between ports on the same planet.

I havn't had the time to mess with the t-47 adaptation thing but if you guys find any pictures of small craft that might fit this bill it would help. I looked and found very little. Seems like this size was ment mostly for escape pods and Space Ship One.