Armadas (was Re: A New Class for the SJ setting...)

>First, I bumped Elven Armadas up from 100 tons to 200.  This sounds
>drastic, but there are very few Armadas in my campaigns (generally one per
>sphere).  Then I made up a helm to power the thing (great helm, 200 ton
>limit).

This brings up an old topic.  The subject of Armadas came up once before,
back in the days of the old @DIS files.  (This list had very humble
beginnings)

One of the encounters in "Space Lairs" takes place on what is supposed to be
the citadel section of an armada.  The size of that citadel alone falls
between 70 and 100 tons.  The primary hull of the armada - the butterfly
shaped part - would have to weigh between 80 and 100 tons, even w/o the
citadel.  These things are supposed to carry between 20 and 40 tons worth of
small landing ships (Typically flitters).

So, we have a primary hull of at least 80 tons, and a saucer section... uh,
I mean citadel, that falls about 10 tons short of that.  Technically a major
helm can't carry that.  To get around that mess, I decided that the elves
actually have two helms running simultaniously.  The primary helmsman is
using the major helm in the primary hull, while the secondary helmsman, or
"co-pilot," is operating another major or minor helm in the citadel.  Since
the two helms are in many ways working in series, they don't interfear with
one another.  In effect, the second helm in the citadel gives the primary
helm the extra "juice" it needs to drive a ship that comes close to weighing
200 tons.

It may take some tinkering to get the two helms to co-operate like this, but
any arcane would know how to do it.  This and adjustment would be part of
the instillation fee, which by arcane traditions is high enough to ransom a
small kingdom.

Creating a whole new type of helm, as was done above, is another easy way to
deal with this.  One of these Great Helms might even grant the armada
additional speed or manuverability in the event of the citadel being removed
or scrapped.  Perhaps an armada using one of these helms gets a +2 SR bonus
if running w/o the citadel.

If using the "two helm" system, the two sections of the armada can act on
their own should the need arise.

Had anyone ever used an armada extensively in their campaign?  I heard of
one campaign where the GM followed the "Star Trek" model, and the PC's were
officers on an armada that had been assigned for deep exploration.

The FanFic "Eternal Wanderer" recently (ahem) upgraded to an armada, much to
the *extreme* chagrin of the elven navy.  Several members of the crew are
going to spend some time behind bars (if they're *lucky*).  Of course, the
elves have to find and capture the renegade armada first...

The EW uses the "two helm" system.  They even have a maverik arcane on board
to make the necessary adjustments (don't make me explain the presence of an
arcane on a ship full of humans, demihumans, and humanoids.  It would take
too long.)


Richard
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|Richard J. Pugh, MLS           | Traveling Eternity Road,             |
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