Chapter 8: Ship Design and Construction

Space ships are the backbone of any starfaring campaign. This chapter provides rules for the design and construction of such vessels for use in Cepheus Engine campaigns. Any class A starport has a shipyard which can build any kind of ship, including a starship with Jump drives; any class B starport can build small craft and ships which do not have Jump drives.

Standard Designs vs. New Designs

An interstellar economy provides an excellent opportunity for the use of standardized and modular designs. Components can be crafted on different worlds, taking advantage of available resources, and then put together to create a final product. Shipyards take advantage of modular components and standardized designs to reduce costs in production, which leads to a 10% discount on vessels constructed using common designs, such as those described in Chapter 9: Common Vessels. The Referee may designate other ship designs as standard designs, as befits their universe. Fuel and weapon ammunition are not covered by the standard design discount.

New and unique ship designs cannot take advantage of standardized and modular design. These ships must be designed by a naval architect, who creates detailed design plans based on a set of specifications provided by their client. Such plans take a month to create, and costs approximately 1% of the final cost of the vessel.

Ship Design Checklist

Space ship design follows a very methodical process in the Cepheus Engine rules.

1. Choose a Ship Hull: Determine the base hull size and cost
2. Determine hull configuration: Standard, streamlined, or distributed
3. Install armor (optional): Choose armor type and percentage
4. Choose maneuver drive (optional, but highly recommended): Select M-Drive rating
5. Choose jump drive (optional): Select J-Drive rating for starships
6. Choose power plant: Select P-Plant rating
7. Determine fuel requirements: Calculate Jump and power plant fuel
8. Determine bridge: Allocate bridge tonnage based on ship size
9. Choose ship's computer: Select computer model
10. Choose computer software: Add necessary programs
11. Choose ship's electronics: Select sensor suite
12. Determine number of required crew: Calculate minimum and full complement
13. Choose staterooms and low berths: Allocate accommodations
14. Determine additional features (optional): Install extra components
15. Determine turrets, bays or screens (optional): Add defensive and offensive systems
16. Determine weapons (optional): Install armaments
17. Allocate remaining space to cargo: Fill remaining tonnage with cargo
18. Calculate final cost and construction time: Sum all component costs
19. Apply standard design discount of 10% (optional): If using standard design

A Note on System Redundancy

Ship systems take damage for a variety of reasons, becoming disabled or destroyed as damage accumulates. To counter the loss of vital ship systems, some ship designers install multiple versions of certain components. These redundant systems remain inactive until the original system is disabled, with the exception of ship weaponry. When all redundant systems have been disabled, any further damage begins to destroy them, beginning with the primary system.

Displacement Tons

Hulls and other ship components are designated by their displacement volume. Displacement volume is measured in the volume of space that is displaced by one metric ton of hydrogen, referred to in this design sequence as displacement tons or simply tons.

A metric ton of hydrogen measures approximately 13.5 cubic meters, which is rounded to 14 cubic meters for ease of calculations. When drawing floor plans or maps of ships, each square measuring 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters, to a height of 3m up from the floor, represents half a ton.

Ship Hull

The ship's hull is the shell in which all other components are placed. A ship's construction time is based on its hull size, as outlined on the Ship Hull table.

Ship Hull by Displacement
Hull	Hull Code	Price (MCr)	Construction Time (weeks)
100 tons	1	2	36
200 tons	2	8	44
300 tons	3	12	52
400 tons	4	16	60
500 tons	5	32	68
600 tons	6	48	76
700 tons	7	64	84
800 tons	8	80	92
900 tons	9	90	100
1,000 tons	A	100	108
1,200 tons	C	120	124
1,400 tons	E	140	140
1,600 tons	G	160	156
1,800 tons	J	180	172
2,000 tons	L	200	188
3,000 tons	M	300	268
4,000 tons	N	400	348
5,000 tons	P	500	428

Ship Configuration

A ship may have any of three configurations – standard (a wedge, cone, sphere or cylinder), streamlined (a wing, disc or other lifting body allowing it to enter the atmosphere easily) or distributed (made up of several sections, and incapable of entering an atmosphere or maintaining its shape under gravity).

Standard: A standard-hull ship may still enter atmosphere but is very ungainly and ponderous, capable only of making a controlled glide to the surface. Getting it back into space requires an elaborate launch setup and considerable expense. A standard-hull ship may have scoops for gathering fuel from a gas giant but the process will be much more difficult and less efficient. Larger ships of this type will often carry a specialized sub-craft to perform the actual atmospheric skimming.

Streamlined: Streamlining a ship increases the cost of the hull by 10%. This streamlining includes fuel scoops which allow the skimming of unrefined fuel from gas giants or the gathering of water from open lakes or oceans. Streamlining may not be retrofitted; it must be included at the time of construction.

Distributed: A distributed ship reduces the cost of its hull by 10%. It is completely non-aerodynamic and if it enters an atmosphere or strong gravity it will fall to the surface of the planet. It cannot mount fuel scoops.

Ship Configuration
Configuration	Hull Cost Modifier	Notes
Distributed	x0.9	Cannot mount fuel scoops. Atmospheric operations suffer -4 DM (failed checks inflict 2D6 damage).
Standard	x1.0	Atmospheric operations suffer a -2 DM.
Streamlined	x1.1	Includes fuel scoops.

Ship Armor

Armor is added in 5% increments of the ship's tonnage. An armored ship decreases radiation exposure from space phenomena by 400 rads. (This does not apply to meson attacks and nuclear missiles, which bypass the armor or breach the hull to deliver their radiation hits.)

Ship Armor by Type
Armor Type	TL	Protection	Cost
Titanium Steel	7	2 per 5%, minimum 1 ton	5% of base hull
Crystaliron	10	4 per 5%, minimum 1 ton	20% of base hull
Bonded Superdense	14	6 per 5%, minimum 1 ton	50% of base hull

For example, a heavily armored warship might take Bonded Superdense armor twice. This would take up 10% of the hull's volume and cost 100% of the base cost of the hull, but give 12 points of armor.

Ship Armor Options

The following are options that can be added to a ship's armor.

Reflec (TL 10): Reflec coating on the hull increases the ship's armor against lasers by 3. Adding Reflec costs MCr0.1 per ton of hull and can only be added once.

Self-Sealing (TL 9): A self-sealing hull automatically repairs minor breaches such as micrometeoroid impacts, and prevents hull hits from leading to explosive decompression. It costs MCr0.01 per ton of hull.

Stealth (TL 11): A stealth coating absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. This gives a –4 DM on any Comms rolls to detect or lock onto the ship. Adding Stealth costs MCr0.1 per ton of hull, and can only be added once.

Hull and Structure

Initial damage is applied to the Hull; once the Hull is breached, further damage goes to the Structure. When all Structure Points have been lost, the ship has been smashed to pieces. A ship has one Hull Point per 50 tons of displacement (rounded down) and one Structure Point per 50 tons of displacement (rounded up).

Ship Sections

Most vessels are divided into two primary sections.

The Engineering Section

The Engineering section contains the drives and power plant necessary for proper operation and movement.

The Main Compartment

The ship's main compartment contains all non-drive features of the ship, including the bridge, ship's computer, the staterooms, the low passage berths, the cargo hold and other items.

Ship Drives

A non-starship must have a maneuver drive (M-Drive) and a power plant (P-Plant). A starship must have a Jump drive (J-Drive) and a power plant; a maneuver drive may also be installed, but is not required.

Drive Costs
Drive Code	J-Drive Tons	MCr	M-Drive Tons	MCr	P-Plant Tons	MCr
A	10	10	2	4	4	8
B	15	20	3	8	7	16
C	20	30	5	12	10	24
D	25	40	7	16	13	32
E	30	50	9	20	16	40
F	35	60	11	24	19	48
G	40	70	13	28	22	56
H	45	80	15	32	25	64
J	50	90	17	36	28	72
K	55	100	19	40	31	80
L	60	110	21	44	34	88
M	65	120	23	48	37	96
N	70	130	25	52	40	104
P	75	140	27	56	43	112
Q	80	150	29	60	46	120
R	85	160	31	64	49	128
S	90	170	33	68	52	136
T	95	180	35	72	55	144
U	100	190	37	76	58	152
V	105	200	39	80	61	160
W	110	210	41	84	64	168
X	115	220	43	88	67	176
Y	120	230	45	92	70	182
Z	125	240	47	96	73	192

Drive Performance by Hull Volume, Smaller Hulls

Drive Performance by Hull Volume (100-1000 tons)
Drive	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000
A	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
B	4	2	1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
C	6	3	2	1	1	1	–	–	–	–
D	–	4	2	2	1	1	1	1	–	–
E	–	5	3	2	2	1	1	1	1	1
F	–	6	4	3	2	2	1	1	1	1
G	–	–	4	3	2	2	2	2	1	1
H	–	–	5	4	3	2	2	2	2	2
J	–	–	6	4	3	3	2	2	2	2
K	–	–	–	5	4	3	3	3	2	2
L	–	–	–	5	4	3	3	3	3	3
M	–	–	–	6	4	4	3	3	3	3
N	–	–	–	6	5	4	4	4	3	3
P	–	–	–	–	5	4	4	4	4	4
Q	–	–	–	–	6	5	4	4	4	4
R	–	–	–	–	6	5	5	5	4	4
S	–	–	–	–	6	5	5	5	5	5
T	–	–	–	–	–	6	5	5	5	5
U	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	5	5	5
V	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	6	5	5
W	–	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	6	5
X	–	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	6	6
Y	–	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	6	6
Z	–	–	–	–	–	–	6	6	6	6

Drive Performance by Hull Volume, Larger Hulls

Drive Performance by Hull Volume (1200-5000 tons)
Drive	1200	1400	1600	1800	2000	3000	4000	5000
A	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
B	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
C	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
D	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
E	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
F	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
G	1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
H	1	1	1	–	–	–	–	–
J	2	1	1	1	–	–	–	–
K	2	2	1	1	1	–	–	–
L	2	2	2	1	1	–	–	–
M	3	2	2	2	1	–	–	–
N	3	3	2	2	2	–	–	–
P	3	3	3	2	2	–	–	–
Q	4	3	3	3	2	1	–	–
R	4	4	3	3	3	1	–	–
S	4	4	4	3	3	1	–	–
T	5	4	4	4	3	2	–	–
U	5	4	4	4	4	2	–	–
V	5	5	4	4	4	2	1	–
W	5	5	4	4	4	3	1	1
X	5	5	5	4	4	3	1	1
Y	5	5	5	4	4	3	2	1
Z	6	5	5	5	4	4	2	2

For maneuver drives, the potential is the Thrust number (Tn), which is the number of Gs acceleration available. For Jump drives, the potential is the Jump number (Jn), or Jump range in parsecs. The power plant rating (A-Z) must be at least equal to either the maneuver drive or Jump drive rating, whichever is higher.

Fuel

Fuel needed for a Jump depends on the size of the ship and the length of the Jump and is calculated as 0.1 x Hull tonnage x Jump distance. A single Jump of that distance consumes that much fuel.

The amount of fuel required by the power plant depends on the tonnage of the power plant itself, and is calculated as one-third of the power plant tonnage per week, rounded down to the nearest ton. Space-faring vessels require a minimum of two weeks' worth of fuel for the power plant. Deep space vessels may store four, six or even eight weeks of power plant fuel. For your convenience, the Power Plant Fuel Requirements table provides calculated values for both the fuel per week and minimum fuel volume by Drive Code.

Power Plant Fuel Requirements
Drive Code	P-Plant (tons)	Fuel/Wk (tons)	Min. Fuel Volume
A	4	1	2
B	7	2	4
C	10	3	6
D	13	4	8
E	16	5	10
F	19	6	12
G	22	7	14
H	25	8	16
J	28	9	18
K	31	10	20
L	34	11	22
M	37	12	24
N	40	13	26
P	43	14	28
Q	46	15	30
R	49	16	32
S	52	17	34
T	55	18	36
U	58	19	38
V	61	20	40
W	64	21	42
X	67	22	44
Y	70	23	46
Z	73	24	48

Bridge

The size of the bridge varies depending on the size of the ship. The cost for the ship's bridge is MCr0.5 per 100 tons of ship.

Bridge Size
Ship Size	Bridge Size
200 tons or less	10 tons
300 tons – 1000 tons	20 tons
1,100 – 2000 tons	40 tons
More than 2,000 tons	60 tons

Ship Computer

The ship computer is identified by its model number; the computer table indicates details of price, capacity, and tech level available.

Ship Computer Models
Computer	TL	Rating	Cost
Model 1	7	5	Cr30,000
Model 2	9	10	Cr160,000
Model 3	11	15	MCr2
Model 4	12	20	MCr5
Model 5	13	25	MCr10
Model 6	14	30	MCr20
Model 7	15	35	MCr30

Ship Computer Options

The following options are available for ship's computers.

Jump Control Specialization (bis): A computer's rating can be increased by 5 for the purposes of running Jump Control programs only. This increases the computer's cost by 50%.

Hardened Systems (fib): A computer and its connections can be hardened against attack by electromagnetic pulse weapons. A hardened system is immune to EMP, but costs 50% more.

Both options can be applied to the same computer by doubling its cost (+100%).

Ship Software

Ship computers run highly specialized software packages designed to support numerous functions, such as managing the Jump drive, evading incoming fire, controlling ship's weapons and executing automatic repairs. Ship's computers automatically provide the means for basic control of the vessel, as well as extensive library data on numerous topics and a basic level of security (Security/0).

Ship Software
Program	TL	Rating	Cost (MCr)	Notes
Auto-Repair	10+	10 per repair attempt	5 per repair attempt	Computer may attempt one repair per turn, or give a DM+1 to an attempt; at TL 12, can purchase an additional repair attempt (or DM+1) for twice the Rating and Cost.
Evade	9+	5 + 5 per DM-1	1 per DM-1	Imposes DM-1 on incoming fire; every two TLs higher, can purchase an addition DM-1, to a maximum of DM-3 at TL 13.
Fire Control	9+	5 per weapon	2 per weapon	Ship's computer may fire one weapon; for each additional weapon, TL is increased by 1 (the ship can fire up to 2 weapons at TL 10, 3 at TL 11, and so on). The ship's computer may also sacrifice controlling a weapon to give a DM+1 from computer targeting on another attack, whether that weapon is controlled by the ship's computer or by an actual gunner. Maximum of five weapons may be controlled by this program.
Jump Control	9+	5 per Jn	0.1xJn	Governs Jump drives up to a given Jump number (Jn); TL is the same as the TL required for a given Jump number.
Jump Course Tape	9+	1 per Jn	0.001xJn	Provides jump plot from one specific world to a specific destination system. Price based on number of parsecs between worlds; TL is the same as the TL required for a given Jump number needed to cover that Jump.

Ship Electronics

A ship comes with a basic communications, sensor and emissions-control electronics suite, but more advanced systems can be installed. The Dice Modifier applies to jamming and counter-jamming attempts.

Ship Electronics
System	TL	DM	Includes	Tons	Cost
Standard	8	–4	Radar, Lidar	Included in bridge	Included in bridge
Basic Civilian	9	–2	Radar, Lidar	1	Cr50,000
Basic Military	10	+0	Radar, Lidar, Jammers	2	MCr1
Advanced	11	+1	Radar, Lidar, Densitometer, Jammers	3	MCr2
Very Advanced	12	+2	Radar, Lidar, Densitometer, Jammers, Neural Activity Sensor	5	MCr4

Radar/Lidar: Detects physical objects. It can be active or passive. If a ship is using active sensors, it is easier to detect (+2 DM to Comms checks) but detects more about its surroundings.

Jammers: Can jam or counter-jam radio communications and sensor locks.

Densitometers: Can determine the internal structure and makeup of an object.

Neural Activity Sensor: Detects neural activity and intelligence.

Ship Crew and Accommodations

All vessels require a crew to operate and maintain the ship. Small independently-owned vessels tend to operate with a minimum of crew, while corporate and military vessels maintain a full complement.

Ship Crew Requirements
Position	Minimum	Full Complement
Command	None	One commanding officer or Captain, one executive officer, three administrative personnel (for ships over 1,000 tons)
Pilot	One	Three (one per 8-hour shift)
Navigator	One (optional with computer software)	One
Engineer	One	One per 35 tons of drives and power plant
Sensors Operator	None	One
Medic	None	One per 120 passengers and crew
Steward	None	One per four high passengers or ten middle passengers (assumes Steward-1)
Turret Gunner	One per turret weapon	One per turret weapon
Bay Gunner	One per bay weapon	Two per bay weapon
Screen Operator	One per screen device	Four per screen device
Chief Security Officer	None	One (optional)
Flight Crew	None	One per smallcraft or vehicle carried in hangars or launch tubes, plus one support crew per three vehicles or vessels
Marine	None	On ships over 1,000 tons, may have up to 30 per 1,000 tons
Other	None	As needed (i.e. medical staff, scientists, surveyors, etc.)

Staterooms

Each stateroom is sufficient for one person, displaces 4 tons, and costs Cr500,000. No stateroom can contain more than two persons, such as for middle passengers, as it would strain the ship's life support equipment. The tonnage and cost of the staterooms includes the life support systems needed to keep the crew alive.

Low Passage Berths

One low passage berth carries one low passenger, costs Cr50,000, and displaces one-half ton.

Emergency low berths are also available; they will not carry passengers, but can be used for survival. Each costs Cr100,000 and displaces one ton. Each holds four persons.

Barracks

A barracks takes up 2 tons per marine, and costs MCr0.1 per marine. Barracks can only be used to accommodate troops intended for boarding or assault operations. Troops accommodated in barracks cannot be used to reduce the number of service crew embarked.

Additional Components

The following are examples of additional ship components that might prove useful for certain ship designs.

Armory

Ships carrying a large number of marines or soldiers can benefit from an armory, a specialized weapons store. An armory can only be accessed by those with the correct codes (usually the ship's senior officers and security team) and contains a wide variety of weapons. In game terms, an armory has enough snub pistols for the crew, enough accelerator or gauss rifles for any marines, and a selection of other military equipment like grenades, combat drug packs, combat armor and communications equipment. A general armory for a spacecraft costs MCr0.5 and takes up 2 tons of space.

Where military vessels are concerned, the number of armories built into the ship's design is based on crew size. One armory is installed for either every 50 crew members, or every 10 marines, in order to provide adequate storage for equipment, weapons and ammunition.

Briefing Room

A specialized briefing room is useful on mercenary cruisers and other adventuring ships, where teams can discuss plans or meet with clients privately. A briefing room gives a +1 DM to Tactics checks made when planning missions on board ship. Ships with command bridges and fighter squadrons require additional briefing rooms and facilities. Capital ships must therefore have one briefing room per ship section, and one briefing room for every 20 fighter or bomber crew.

Cargo Hold

The design plan must indicate cargo capacity. There is no cost but cargo carried may not exceed cargo capacity. Any space left over after all systems have been installed may be allocated to cargo space.

Detention Cells

Found primarily on military and government vessels, a detention cell is used to keep prisoners. A detention cell displaces 2 tons and costs MCr0.25.

Fuel Scoops

Fuel scoops allow an unstreamlined ship to gather unrefined fuel from a gas giant. Streamlined ships have fuel scoops built in. Adding scoops costs MCr1 and requires no tonnage.

Fuel Processors

Fuel processors convert unrefined fuel into refined fuel. One ton of fuel processors can convert 20 tons of unrefined hydrogen into refined fuel per day. A ton of fuel processing equipment costs Cr50,000.

Laboratory

Space allocated to laboratories can be used for research and experimentation. Each four tons of lab space allows for one scientist to perform research on board ship. The cost for research equipment varies depending on the type of research undertaken, but is generally around MCr1.0 per 4 tons.

Launch Tubes

Launching and recovering small craft from a larger vessel is usually an activity taking 30 minutes to launch or recovery one craft. Launch tubes allow small craft to be launched and recovered rapidly from a ship. The size of a launch tube is twenty-five times the tonnage of the largest craft that will be deployed in this manner, and they cost MCr0.5 per ton. With a launch tube, up to ten small craft can be launched per round. Multiple launch tubes can be installed.

Library

A library room contains computer files as well as lecterns, display screens, holotanks and even hard copies of books. A good library is useful for both research and passing time in jump space. Having a library on board a ship gives one extra week of training time for new skills per week spent in jump space. A library for a spacecraft costs MCr4 and takes up 4 tons of space.

Luxuries

Luxuries cost Cr100,000 per ton, and make life on board ship more pleasant. Each ton of luxuries counts as one level of the Steward skill for the purposes of carrying passengers, and therefore allows a ship to carry middle and high passage passengers without carrying a trained steward on board.

Ship's Locker

Every ship has a ship's locker. Typical equipment carried aboard will include protective clothing, vacc suits, weapons such as shotguns or pistols, ammunition, compasses and survival aids, and portable shelters. The contents of the locker are defined only when they need to be but always contains vacc suits and other useful items. The ship's locker is usually protected by a biometric lock keyed to the ship's officers.

Vault

A vault is a special armored chamber in the heart of a spacecraft, designed to survive attacks that would annihilate the rest of the ship. A vault has another four Hull and Structure points that only come into play when the ship housing the vault is destroyed. A vault can contain cargo, staterooms or any other internal components equivalent up to 6 tons. A vault requires 12 tons of space and costs MCr6.

Vehicle and Drone Hangar

The tonnage and cost outlined in the Hangar Cost and Tonnage for Vehicles and Drones table covers full-scale hangar space, which allows for repairs and maintenance of small craft when they are back on the ship. The hangar includes spare parts and specialized testing and repair equipment for the stored craft. It does not include the cost of the vehicles or drones. A custom hangar takes up tonnage equal to the tonnage of the vehicle to be stored, plus 30% and costs MCr0.2 per ton.

Air/Raft, ATV: These are vehicles, stored in or on the ship.
Escape Pods: This covers the installation of rescue bubbles and other escape pods for the entire crew.
Life Boat, Ship's Boat, Shuttle, Pinnace, Cutter: These are all small craft, hangered either in or on the ship's hull.
Mining Drones: Mining drones allow a ship to mine asteroids. Each set of mining drones takes up ten tons, and allows the ship to process 1D6x10 tons of asteroid per working day. The tonnage allocated includes ore handling machinery, allowing the ship to take on ore and transfer it to the cargo bay.
Probe Drones: Probe drones are for surveying planetary surfaces. Each ton of probe drones contains five drones. Probe drones can be dropped from orbit in disposable entry shells but must be recovered manually. Probe drones are also capable of surveying orbiting satellites, derelicts and other space debris. They can also be used as communications relays.
Repair Drones: Carrying repair drones allows a ship to make battlefield repairs with the AutoRepair software or when managed by a character with Mechanic or Engineer skills. Repair drones have the same statistics as repair robots only without an Intellect program. For more information on repair robots, see Robots and Drones in Chapter 4: Equipment.

Hangar Cost and Tonnage for Vehicles and Drones
Vehicle or Drone	Tons	Installation Cost (MCr)
ATV	13	2.6
Air/Raft	5	1
Cutter	65	13
Escape Pods	0.5 per passenger	0.1 per passenger
Life Boat	26	5.2
Mining Drones	10	2
Pinnace	52	10.4
Probe Drones (5)	1	0.2
Repair Drones	1% of ship's hull	0.2 per ton
Ship's Boat	39	7.8
Shuttle	122.5	24.5

Armaments

A ship has one hardpoint per 100 tons of ship and each weapon system takes up one hardpoint. A weapon system may include multiple weapons – for example, a triple turret contains three lasers, missile launchers, sandcasters or some combination of three weapons.

Turrets

One turret may be attached to each hardpoint on the ship. If a turret is installed, then one ton of space must be allocated to fire control systems:

Turret Displacement and Cost
Weapon	TL	Tons	Cost (MCr)
Single Turret	7	1	0.2
Double Turret	8	1	0.5
Triple Turret	9	1	1
Pop-Up Turret	10	2	+1
Fixed Mounting	-	0	x 0.5

Single, Double and Triple turrets can hold one, two or three weapons.

Pop-Up Turret: A quality that can be applied to any type of turret – the turret is concealed in a pod or recess on the hull, and is detectable only when deployed. A ship with all its weapons in pop-up turrets looks unarmed to a casual sensor scan.

Fixed Mounting: Weapons cannot move, are limited to firing in one direction (normally straight ahead), and are found mainly on fighters. A fixed mounting costs half as much as a turret of the same type, so a single fixed mounting costs MCr0.1, a double fixed mounting costs MCr0.25, and a triple fixed mounting costs MCr0.5.

Turret Weapons
Weapon	TL	Optimum Range	Damage	Cost (MCr)	Notes
Missile Rack	6	Special	Depends on missile	0.75
Pulse Laser	7	Short	2D6	0.5	Suffers DM-2 to attack
Sandcaster	7	Special	Special	0.25
Particle Beam	8	Long	3D6 + radiation hit	4
Beam Laser	9	Medium	1D6	1

Missile Rack: Launches self-propelled weapons designed to explode on impact.
Pulse Laser: Fires short, rapid bursts of intense energy. Pulse lasers are notoriously inaccurate and suffer a DM -2 on all attack rolls.
Sandcaster: Reduces the damage from a beam weapon by 1D6. Sandcasters require ammunition. Twenty sandcaster barrels take up one ton of space, can be manufactured at TL5, and cost Cr10,000.
Particle Beam: Fires a high-energy beam of subatomic particles. The beam's impact disrupts the molecular structure of the target, causing a radiation crew hit in addition to normal damage.
Beam Laser: Fires a continuous stream of intense energy.

No launcher includes ammunition in its purchase cost. Missiles, torpedoes and so forth must be purchased separately.

Missiles

Missiles are weapons that are self-propelled or directed by remote control, carrying a conventional or nuclear explosive. They may be fired from missile racks mounted in turrets or from bay-mounted missile banks. Twelve missiles take up one ton of space. Missiles are capable of Thrust 10, but have a limited endurance of 60 minutes (roughly 4 turns) before running out of fuel. There are three common types of missiles: Standard, Smart and Nuclear.

Missile Types
Missile Type	TL	Damage	Cost per Missile	Notes
Nuclear	6	2D6+ 1 radiation hit	Cr3,750	Radiation hit suffers a –DM equal to the ship's armor
Standard	6	1D6	Cr1,250
Smart	8	1D6	Cr2,500	Attack roll is always 8+, and may attack every turn if they miss until they are destroyed, jammed or run out of fuel

Bays

Bay weapons are much larger than turrets, and take up 50 tons of space and one hard point, as well as one ton of space for fire control.

Bay Weapons
Weapon	TL	Range	Damage	Cost (MCr)
Missile Bank	6	Special	Launches a flight of twelve missiles	12
Particle Beam	8	Long	6D6 + 1 radiation hit	20
Meson Gun	11	Long	5D6 + 1 radiation hit	50
Fusion Gun	12	Medium	5D6	8

Missile Bank: Fires flights of twelve missiles at a time.
Particle Beam Bay: Fires a larger and more powerful beam of subatomic particles than particle beam turret weapons.
Meson Gun: Unaffected by armor, as the blast only becomes harmful after it has already passed through the hull. Meson guns also inflict an automatic radiation hit on the crew of any target struck.
Fusion Gun: Fires a stream of hydrogen particles that are undergoing a fusion reaction.

Screens

Screens are defensive systems that protect against specific attacks.

Screens
Screen	TL	Effect	Tons	Cost (MCr)
Meson Screen	12	Protects against meson weapon damage, reducing damage by 2D6. Meson screens reduce radiation damage from meson guns and meson flicker weapons. Radiation hits from these weapons suffer a –DM equal to twice the active number of screens.	50	60
Nuclear Damper	12	Reduces fusion gun damage and nuclear missile damage by 2D6, removes automatic radiation hit from nuclear missile attacks	50	50

Meson Screen: Blocks attacks from meson weapons by preventing meson decay.
Nuclear Damper: Inhibits fusion reactions, reducing the damage from fusion weapons and nuclear missiles by 2D6 when affected.

Alternative Star Drives

In classic era science-fiction games such as the Cepheus Engine, the only form of faster-than-light movement is typically the Jump drive, which always takes one week to travel a number of parsecs equal to its Jump rating and consumes a vast amount of fuel. If the Referee wishes to model other science fiction settings with their own forms of "star drive", the classic Jump drive rules may not be entirely appropriate. The alternative drives below use all the same rules as the Jump drive (mass, fuel, power consumption, range) unless otherwise stated.

Some of these drives consume much less fuel or allow much faster travel than the Jump drive, so introducing these drives will vastly impact the carrying capacity of a starship, the profitability of trade, the speed of communication and so forth.

Warp Drive

The ship warps space around it, allowing it to move faster-than-light while staying in our universe. A warp drive does not have a maximum range – instead, the ship's drive rating indicates the number of parsecs crossed per week of travel. Warp travel consumes fuel at twice the normal rate for the ship's power plant rather than needing a single massive expenditure in the manner of a Jump drive.

Teleport Drive

The ship instantaneously jumps from one point to another. This works just like the standard Jump drive without the week-long wait in hyperspace. Instead, no time whatsoever elapses during the transition from one place to another. A teleport consumes no extra fuel but jumping is a strain on the ship's systems and multiple successive jumps can damage the drive.

Hyperspace Drive

The portal drive functions by opening up a gateway into hyperspace, through which the ship can pass. When in hyperspace, the ship uses its conventional engines to travel, then opens up a second gateway back to the normal universe, effectively taking a short cut through a higher dimension. A hyperspace drive is limited by the size of the spacecraft that can pass through the portal – see the Hyperspace Portal Size table. A hyperspace drive consumes no extra fuel, but takes up twice as much space as a jump drive. While in hyperspace, the spacecraft moves at a rate of one parsec per day per maneuver drive rating.

Hyperspace Portal Size
Rating	Size	Rating	Size
A	200	N	2800
B	400	P	3000
C	800	Q	3200
D	1000	R	3400
E	1200	S	3600
F	1400	T	3800
G	1600	U	4000
H	1800	V	4200
J	2000	W	4400
K	2200	X	4600
L	2400	Y	4800
M	2600	Z	5000

Alternative Power Plants

The Cepheus Engine system posits the development of highly efficient fusion power plants, but other settings may use different sources of power. Unless otherwise noted, these power plants use all the same rules as the standard fusion power plants.

Fission Plants

A fission plant requires radioactive elements as fuel. Fission drives only produce the same amount power as a fusion drive of the same type. However, they are twice the size and price of a fusion power plant. Fission plant fuel costs Cr1,000,000 per ton. Fission plants use the same amount of fuel in a year that standard fusion power plants require for two weeks.

Antimatter Power Plants

Antimatter power plants work by annihilating small amounts of hydrogen and anti-hydrogen. No tonnage needs to be allocated to fuel, but the plant must be refueled once per month, at a cost of Cr5,000 per ton of drive.

Small Craft Design

Small craft design follows the rules for standard ship design, with the following changes.

Small Craft Ship Hull

Small craft use the Small Craft Ship Hull by Displacement table below. The cost of streamlining and distributed configurations are calculated as per standard ship design rules.

Small Craft Ship Hull by Displacement
Hull	Hull Code	Price (MCr)	Construction Time (weeks)
10 tons	s1	1.1	28
15 tons	s2	1.15	29
20 tons	s3	1.2	29
25 tons	s4	1.25	30
30 tons	s5	1.3	30
35 tons	s6	1.35	30
40 tons	s7	1.4	31
45 tons	s8	1.45	31
50 tons	s9	1.5	32
55 tons	sA	1.55	32
60 tons	sB	1.6	32
65 tons	sC	1.65	33
70 tons	sD	1.7	33
75 tons	sE	1.75	34
80 tons	sF	1.8	34
85 tons	sG	1.85	34
90 tons	sH	1.9	35
95 tons	sJ	1.95	35

Small Craft Armor

Small craft armor is purchased in the same manner as standard ship armor. However, small craft have a maximum armor value, based on type. Armor options may be purchased as per the standard ship design rules.

Maximum Small Craft Armor by Type
Armor Type	Maximum Armor Value
Titanium Steel	TL or 9, whichever is less
Crystaliron	TL or 13, whichever is less
Bonded Superdense	TL

Small Craft Drives

A small craft must have a maneuver drive (M-Drive) and a power plant (P-Plant). The costs for each are captured in the Small Craft Drive Costs table. The performance of small craft drives are found in the Small Craft Drive Performance by Hull Volume table.

Small Craft Drive Costs
Drive Code	M-Drive Tons	MCr	P-Plant Tons	MCr
sA	0.5	1	1.2	3
sB	1	2	1.5	3.5
sC	1.5	3	1.8	4
sD	2	3.5	2.1	4.5
sE	2.5	4	2.4	5
sF	3	6	2.7	5.5
sG	3.5	8	3	6
sH	4	9	3.3	6.5
sJ	4.5	10	3.6	7
sK	5	11	3.9	7.5
sL	6	12	4.5	8
sM	7	14	5.1	9
sN	8	16	5.7	10
sP	9	18	6.3	12
sQ	10	20	6.9	14
sR	11	22	7.5	16
sS	12	24	8.1	18
sT	13	26	8.7	20
sU	14	28	9.3	22
sV	15	30	9.9	24
sW	16	32	10.5	26

Small Craft Drive Performance by Hull Volume
Drive Code	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95
sA	2	1	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
sB	4	2	2	1	1	1	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
sC	6	4	3	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
sD	--	5	4	3	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	--	--	--
sE	--	6	5	4	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
sF	--	--	6	4	4	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
sG	--	--	--	5	4	4	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1
sH	--	--	--	6	5	4	4	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
sJ	--	--	--	--	6	5	4	4	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	1
sK	--	--	--	--	6	5	5	4	4	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2
sL	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
sM	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2
sN	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3
sP	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	5	5	4	4	4	4	3
sQ	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	5	5	5	4	4	4
sR	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	5	5	5	4	4
sS	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	6	5	5	5
sT	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	6	5	5
sU	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6	5
sV	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6	6
sW	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	6

Small Craft Fuel

The fuel requirements for a small craft's power plant follow the standard ship design rules, except the values are rounded down to the nearest 0.1 of a ton, rather than the nearest ton. In addition, the minimum fuel volume for a small craft is one week rather than two weeks. For your convenience, the Small Craft Power Plant Fuel Requirements table provides calculated values for fuel per week by Drive Code.

Small Craft Power Plant Fuel Requirements
Drive Code	P-Plant (tons)	Fuel/Wk (tons)
sA	1.2	0.4
sB	1.5	0.5
sC	1.8	0.6
sD	2.1	0.7
sE	2.4	0.8
sF	2.7	0.9
sG	3	1
sH	3.3	1.1
sJ	3.6	1.2
sK	3.9	1.3
sL	4.5	1.5
sM	5.1	1.7
sN	5.7	1.9
sP	6.3	2.1
sQ	6.9	2.3
sR	7.5	2.5
sS	8.1	2.7
sT	8.7	2.9
sU	9.3	3.1
sV	9.9	3.3
sW	10.5	3.5

Small Craft Cockpits and Control Cabins

Small craft do not have bridges. Instead, a cockpit or control cabin serves the same function. A cockpit is more cramped, but takes up less tonnage. The cost for a cabin or cockpit is the same – MCr 0.1 per 20 tons of ship. Additional cabin space costs MCr 0.05 per ton. Cockpits and control cabins come equipped with a basic communications, sensor and emissions-control electronics suite. More advanced systems can be installed per the standard ship design rules.

Small Craft Cockpits and Control Cabins
Small Craft Size	Size (tons)	Crew
1-Man Cockpit	1.5	1 crew
2-Man Cockpit	3	2 crew
1-Man Control Cabin	3	1 crew
2-Man Control Cabin	6	2 crew, 1 passenger
More Cabin Space	1.5 tons per passenger	1 additional passenger

Airlock

Unlike larger vessels, a small craft does not have an airlock by default. Airlocks take up one ton each and cost MCr0.2. If a craft does not have an airlock, then the crew cannot leave the craft except when it is landed or in a pressurized landing bay without opening the ship up to vacuum.

Small Craft Crew

All small craft of 50 tons or under require a minimum crew of one to operate and maintain the ship. Small craft larger than 50 tons require a minimum crew of two.

Small Craft Armaments

A small craft has one hardpoint, despite being less than 100 tons. Small craft follow the standard ship design rules regarding armaments, with some exceptions.

Meson, particle beam and fusion bays cannot be fitted.
The armaments allowed to a small craft are restricted by its power plant type. It may only equip up to the number of lasers and particle weapons allowed by the vessel's power plant, as shown in the Maximum Energy Weapons by Power Plant table. The number of missile launchers or projectile weapons is not limited by the power plant letter.

Maximum Energy Weapons by Power Plant
Drive Code	Maximum Number
sA–sF	0
sG–sK	1
sL–sR	2
sS–sZ	3

Universal Ship Description Format

After a ship design has been created, it must be presented in a format that allows players to use the information within the game. The Cepheus Engine describes ship designs using a universal ship description format, which is essentially a paragraph of text laid out in the following manner. Examples can be found in the Sample Ships section below.

Format Template: [Ship's Tech Level] [Ship Descriptive Name]; Using a [Ship Hull Displacement]-ton hull ([Hull Damage Value] Hull, [Structure Damage Value] Structure,), the [Ship Descriptive Name] is [General Description of Ship's Function]. It mounts jump drive [Jump Drive Code], maneuver drive [Maneuver Drive Code], and power plant [Power Plant Code], giving a performance of Jump-[Jump Number] and [Thrust Number]-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of [Fuel Tonnage] tons supports the power plant for [Weeks of Power] and [Number of Jumps] jump-[Jump Number]. [Any additional fuel usage notes.] Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model [Computer Number, followed by a slash and bis or fib options noted, if purchased]. The ship is equipped with [Sensors Type] sensors ([Sensors DM].) There are [Number of Staterooms] staterooms and [Number of Low Berths] low berths. The ship has [Number of Hardpoints] hardpoints and [Fire Control Tonnage] tons allocated for fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are [Describe number and type of turrets, and any weapon systems that have been installed, if any. Also note any ammunition carried for missiles and sandcasters.] This ship has [Number of Screens Installed] screens: [Describe number and type of screens]. There are [Number of Small Craft Hangers] small craft hangars, [Describe number and contents of each hangar]. Cargo capacity is [Cargo Tonnage] tons. The hull is [Hull Configuration], and is armored with [Armor Type] ([Armor Rating] points.) [Note any Ship's Armor options that have been installed.] Special features include [List additional components here, included fuel processors and fuel scoops]. The ship requires a crew of [Crew Total]: [List crew positions]. The ship can carry up to [Double the Number of Non-Crew Staterooms] additional passengers at double occupancy and [Number of Low Berths] low passengers. The ship costs MCr[Cost of Ship] (including discounts and fees) and takes [Construction Time] weeks to build.

Sample Ships (Chapter 9)

This section describes some of the starships and other vessels that can be commonly encountered in Cepheus Engine campaigns. These are not the only types of vessels that exist, and creative Referees are encouraged to integrate ships of their own creation or from other sources as they see fit.

Starships

TL9 Asteroid Miner

Using a 200-ton hull (4 Hull, 4 Structure,), the Asteroid Miner is frequently used to exploit the abundant riches found in planetoid belts. It mounts jump drive A, maneuver drive A, and power plant A, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 44 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and two Jump-1 jumps. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are three staterooms and five low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control. Cargo capacity is 84 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include three escape pods, three tons of fuel processors (processes 60 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day,) fuel scoops, a mining drone and a smelter. The ship requires a crew of three: one pilot, one navigator and one engineer. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require two gunners.) The ship can carry three additional passengers at double occupancy (one with gunners) and five low passengers. The ship costs MCr33.219 (including discounts and fees) and takes 44 weeks to build.

TL11 Corvette

Using a 300-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Corvette is an example of a frigate commonly found in operation within an interstellar polity. It mounts jump drive C, maneuver drive J, and power plant J, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 6-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 96 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 3/fib. The ship is equipped with Advanced sensors (DM+1.) There are nine staterooms and five emergency low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are two triple turrets armed with missiles and one triple turret armed with beam lasers. 120 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. Cargo capacity is 25 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Crystaliron (8 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include an armory, four detention cells, five tons of fuel processors (processes 100 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 18: one commanding officer, one pilot, one navigator, two engineers, three gunners and ten marines. The ship can carry up to four additional passengers as prisoners in the detention cells. The ship costs MCr194.445 (including discounts and fees) and takes 52 weeks to build.

TL9 Courier

Using a 100-ton hull (2 Hull, 2 Structure,), the Courier is used to transfer critical information, vital cargo or essential personnel within an interstellar polity, or by anyone who needs fast yet affordable interstellar transportation. It mounts jump drive A, maneuver drive B, and power plant B, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 4-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 28 tons supports the power plant and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are four staterooms and one emergency low berth. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated to fire control, but has no weapons installed. Cargo capacity is 16 tons. The hull is streamlined, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include TL11 Jump Control/2 software, two tons of fuel processors (processes 40 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of three: one pilot, one navigator and one engineer. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require one gunner.) The ship can carry five passengers at double occupancy (four with gunners) and four emergency low passengers. The ship costs MCr35.928 (including discounts and fees) and takes 36 weeks to build.

TL11 Destroyer

Using an 800-ton hull (16 Hull, 16 Structure,), the Destroyer serves primarily as an escort for cruisers and dreadnoughts and as a support ship in fleet actions. It mounts jump drive D, maneuver drive M, and power plant M, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 4-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 368 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and two Jump-2 jumps. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 3/fib. The ship is equipped with Advanced sensors (DM+1.) There are twelve staterooms and six emergency low berths. The ship has eight hardpoints and eight tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are two triple turrets armed with missiles and six triple turrets armed with beam lasers. 360 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. There are one small craft hangers carrying a ship's boat (also included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 50.5 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Crystaliron (11 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include one armory, 23 escape pods, nineteen tons of fuel processors (processes 380 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 23: one commanding officer, one pilot, one navigator, three engineers, eight gunners, one small craft pilot and ten marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr422.775 (including discounts and fees) and takes 92 weeks to build.

TL14 Dreadnought

Using a 5000-ton hull (100 Hull, 100 Structure, divided into two sections of 50 Hull, 50 Structure each,) the Dreadnought represents the largest and most heavily-armed ship type within an interstellar polity. These ships are rarely deployed outside of wartime conditions. It mounts jump drive Z, maneuver drive Z and power plant Z, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1,096 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 6/fib. The ship is equipped with Very Advanced sensors (DM+2.) There are 101 staterooms, barracks for 60 troops, 223 low berths (for the Frozen Watch) and 56 emergency low berths. The ship has fifty hardpoints and fifty tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are ten fusion gun bays, five missile bays and 35 triple turrets armed with beam lasers. 3,600 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile bays. In addition, this vessel has two screens: a meson screen and a nuclear damper. There are 22 small craft hangers, 20 holding fighters and two carrying cutters (all included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 412 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Bonded Superdense (14 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include six armories, 223 escape pods, 54 tons of fuel processors (processes 1,080 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 223: one commanding officer, one executive officer, one computer officer, two navigation officers, one medical officer, one communications officer, 23 flight officers, one engineering officer, seven gunnery officers, nineteen support staff, 22 flight mechanics, three engineers, fifteen service crew, 66 gunnery crew, 60 ship's troops. In addition, there are 112 individuals in low berths serving in the Frozen Watch as replacement personnel for casualties. The ship costs MCr6,768.55 (including discounts and fees) and takes 428 weeks to build.

TL9 Frontier Trader

Using a 300-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Frontier Trader is generally encountered along an interstellar polity border, as well as in systems that are not along major trade routes. It mounts jump drive B, maneuver drive C, and power plant C, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 42 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are 25 staterooms and twelve low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are two triple turrets armed with pulse lasers and one triple turret armed with sandcasters. 100 canisters are carried as ammunition for the sandcaster turrets. Cargo capacity is 75 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include three tons of fuel processors (processes 60 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of eight: one pilot, one navigator, one engineer, three gunners and two stewards. The ship can carry 21 high passengers or 42 middle passengers at double occupancy, and twelve low passengers. The ship costs MCr82.314 (including discounts and fees) and takes 13 weeks to build.

TL11 Heavy Cruiser

Using a 2000-ton hull (40 Hull, 40 Structure,), the Heavy Cruiser is a multi-purpose warship used for a variety of independent missions. This vessel is not commonly deployed during peacetime, except for occasional maneuvers. It mounts jump drive N, maneuver drive N, and power plant N, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 452 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 3/fib. The ship is equipped with Advanced sensors (DM+1.) There are 42 staterooms and 20 emergency low berths. The ship has twenty hardpoints and twenty tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are four missile bays and sixteen triple turrets armed with pulse lasers. 2160 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile bays. There are 14 small craft hangers, twelve holding fighters and two carrying cutters (all included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 152.5 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Crystaliron (11 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include three armories, 79 escape pods, 23 tons of fuel processors (processes 460 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 79: four commanding officers, one pilot, one navigator, nine engineers, twenty gunners, fifteen small craft pilots and thirty marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr1,146.915 (including discounts and fees) and takes 47 weeks to build.

TL11 Light Cruiser

Using a 1000-ton hull (20 Hull, 20 Structure,), the Light Cruiser is a multi-purpose warship used for a wide variety of independent missions. The light cruiser as less firepower than a heavy cruiser, but is generally faster and more maneuverable. It mounts jump drive H, maneuver drive L, and power plant L, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 3-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 344 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 3/fib. The ship is equipped with Advanced sensors (DM+1.) There are 23 staterooms and 11 emergency low berths. The ship has ten hardpoints and ten tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are one particle beam bay, three triple turrets armed with missiles and six triple turrets armed with beam lasers. 540 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. There are five small craft hangers, four holding fighters and one carrying a ship's boat (all included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 53 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Crystaliron (11 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include two armories, 43 escape pods, eighteen tons of fuel processors (processes 360 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 43: two commanding officers, one pilot, one navigator, four engineers, ten gunners, five small craft pilots and twenty marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr597.870 (including discounts and fees) and takes 27 weeks to build.

TL9 Merchant Freighter

Using a 400-ton hull (8 Hull, 8 Structure,), the Merchant Freighter is frequently used to haul cargo along major trade routes. It mounts jump drive B, maneuver drive B, and power plant B, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 48 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are four staterooms and two emergency low berths. The ship has four hardpoints and four tons allocated to fire control, but has no weapons installed. Cargo capacity is 261 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include three tons of fuel processors (processes 60 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of three: one pilot, one navigator and one engineer. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require four gunners.) The ship can carry two high passengers or four middle passengers at double occupancy (none with gunners,) and eight emergency low passengers. The ship costs MCr59.814 (including discounts and fees) and takes 60 weeks to build.

TL9 Merchant Liner

Using a 300-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Merchant Liner is a popular method of interstellar transport along major trade routes. It mounts jump drive B, maneuver drive B, and power plant B, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 38 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are 35 staterooms and 20 low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control, but has no weapons installed. Cargo capacity is 46 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include two tons of fuel processors (processes 40 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of seven: one pilot, one navigator, one engineer and four stewards. The ship can carry 31 high passengers or 62 middle passengers at double occupancy, and 20 low passengers. The ship costs MCr70.209 (including discounts and fees) and takes 52 weeks to build.

TL9 Merchant Trader

Using a 200-ton hull (4 Hull, 4 Structure,), the Merchant Trader is frequently encountered along well-established trade routes. It mounts jump drive A, maneuver drive A, and power plant A, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 24 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are ten staterooms and twenty low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control. Cargo capacity is 85 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include two tons of fuel processors (processes 40 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of three: one pilot, one navigator and one engineer. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require two gunners. Ships may also wish to carry a medic and a steward.) The ship can carry eight high passengers or 16 middle passengers at double occupancy (seven high or 14 middle passengers with gunners) and twenty low passengers. The ship costs MCr34.929 (including discounts and fees) and takes 44 weeks to build.

TL11 Patrol Frigate

Using a 300-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Patrol Frigate performs routine star system patrols within an interstellar polity. It mounts jump drive C, maneuver drive F, and power plant F, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 4-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 84 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 3/fib. The ship is equipped with Advanced sensors (DM+1.) There are ten staterooms and five emergency low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are two triple turrets armed with missiles and one triple turret armed with beam lasers. 120 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. There are two small craft hangers, each holding a fighter (also included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 23 tons. The hull is standard, armored with Crystaliron (8 points,) and possesses a stealth coating that absorbs radar and lidar beams, and also disguises heat emissions. Special features include an armory, five tons of fuel processors (processes 100 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 20: one commanding officer, one pilot, one navigator, two engineers, three gunners, two fighter pilots and ten marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr180.675 (including discounts and fees) and takes 52 weeks to build.

TL9 Raider

Using a 600-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Raider is frequently used by mercenary groups and pirates to perform raids on target systems. It mounts jump drive M, maneuver drive D, and power plant M, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 4-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 108 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2/fib. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are twelve staterooms and six emergency low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are six triple turrets armed with beam lasers. There are three small craft hangers, two holding fighters and one holding a ship's boat (also included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 125 tons. The hull is standard, and armored with Titanium Steel (8 points.) Special features include an armory, four security containment cells (equivalent to half of a stateroom each,) six tons of fuel processors (processes 120 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 24: one commanding officer, one pilot, one navigator, two engineers, six gunners, two small craft pilots and ten marines. The ship can carry up to four additional passengers as prisoners in the security containment cells. The ship costs MCr310.851 (including discounts and fees) and takes 76 weeks to build.

TL9 Research Vessel

Using a 200-ton hull (4 Hull, 4 Structure,), the Research Vessel is popular with academic professors and independent researchers within an interstellar polity. Reasonably inexpensive, this vessel can operate on an annual budget of MCr3.25 (including maintenance, mortgage, life support, fuel costs and crew salaries.) It mounts jump drive A, maneuver drive A, and power plant A, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 24 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and one Jump-1 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are six staterooms and three emergency low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control. There are two small craft hangers, each holding a life boat/launch (also included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 29 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include 15 probe drones, six laboratories, two tons of fuel processors (processes 40 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of nine: one pilot, one navigator, one engineer and six scientists. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require two gunners.) The ship can carry three passengers at double occupancy (one with gunners) and twelve emergency low passengers. The ship costs MCr73.809 (including discounts and fees) and takes 44 weeks to build.

TL11 Survey Vessel

Using a 300-ton hull (6 Hull, 6 Structure,), the Survey Vessel allows an interstellar polity to continually resurvey its territory to maintain navigation charts and beacons, and help patrol the borders and frontiers for potential problems such as enemy warships or pirate raiders. It mounts jump drive B, maneuver drive C, and power plant C, giving a performance of Jump-1 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 72 tons supports the power plant for four weeks and two Jump-1 jumps. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are eight staterooms and four emergency low berths. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are three triple turrets armed with beam lasers. There are two small craft hangers, each holding a life boat/launch (also included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 39 tons. The hull has a standard configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include 20 probe drones, six laboratories, four tons of fuel processors (processes 80 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of fourteen: one commanding officer, one pilot, one navigator, one engineer, one medic, three gunners and six scientists. The ship can carry two passengers at double occupancy and sixteen emergency low passengers. The ship costs MCr120.969 (including discounts and fees) and takes 52 weeks to build.

TL9 System Defense Boat

Using a 400-ton hull (8 Hull, 8 Structure,), the System Defense Boat is a non-Jump-capable spaceship commonly used to defend the vital points of a star system. It mounts maneuver drive M and power plant M, giving a performance of 6-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 48 tons supports the power plant for four weeks. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2/fib. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are ten staterooms and five emergency low berths. The ship has four hardpoints and four tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are two triple turrets armed with missiles and two triple turrets armed with beam lasers. 360 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. Cargo capacity is 109 tons. The hull has a streamlined configuration, and is armored with Titanium Steel (8 points.) Special features include an armory, three tons of fuel processors (processes 60 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of eighteen: one commanding officer, one pilot, two engineers, four gunners and ten marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr171.574 (including discounts and fees) and takes 60 weeks to build.

TL9 System Monitor

Using a 1000-ton hull (20 Hull, 20 Structure,), the System Monitor is a non-Jump-capable warship used to defend strategic locations within a star system. The System Monitor has more firepower and defensive capabilities than a System Defense Boat, but is much more expensive. It mounts maneuver drive X and power plant X, giving a performance of 6-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 88 tons supports four weeks of power plant operation. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2/fib. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2,) in keeping with its TL9 design. There are 24 staterooms and 12 emergency low berths. The ship has ten hardpoints and ten tons allocated to fire control. Installed on the hardpoints are one particle beam bay, three triple turrets armed with missiles, three triple turrets armed with pulse lasers and three triple turrets armed with particle beams. 1080 smart missiles are carried as ammunition for the missile turrets. There are nine small craft hangers, eight holding fighters and one carrying a ship's boat (all included in the ship's cost.) Cargo capacity is 123.5 tons. The hull is of a standard configuration and is armored with Titanium Steel (9 points.) Special features include two armories, 45 escape pods, five tons of fuel processors (processes 100 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day) and fuel scoops. The ship requires a crew of 45: two commanding officers, one pilot, three engineers, ten gunners, nine small craft pilots and twenty marines. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr610.461 (including discounts and fees) and takes 108 weeks to build.

TL9 Yacht

Using a 100-ton hull (2 Hull, 2 Structure,), the Yacht is the smallest civilian starship that is commonly encountered in an interstellar polity. Commonly used by nobles, dignitaries and other officials, this vessel provides luxurious transport for any celebrity and their entourage. It mounts jump drive A, maneuver drive A, and power plant A, giving a performance of Jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 24 tons supports the power plant and one Jump-2 jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 2. The ship is equipped with Basic Civilian sensors (DM-2.) There are six staterooms (two of which are combined into a luxurious suite), and three emergency low berths. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated to fire control, but has no weapons installed. Cargo capacity is 12 tons. The hull is streamlined, and is armored with Titanium Steel (2 points.) Special features include TL11 Jump Control/2 software, two tons of fuel processors (processes 40 tons of unrefined fuel into refined fuel per day,) fuel scoops and two tons of luxuries (effectively replacing the need for a steward.) The ship requires a crew of three: one pilot, one navigator and one engineer. (If weapons are installed, this vessel will also require one gunner.) The ship can carry one noble and five passengers at double occupancy (four with gunners) and twelve emergency low passengers. (Filling the suite to its maximum capacity would add three more passengers.) The ship costs MCr26.388 (including discounts and fees) and takes 36 weeks to build.

Common Small Craft

The following are common small craft designs found in most Cepheus Engine universes.

TL9 Cutter

Using a 50-ton hull (1 Hull, 1 Structure), the Cutter is designed to take a sealed 30-ton module from surface to orbit, allowing for a wide range of customized uses, depending on the contents of the module. It mounts maneuver drive sK and power plant sK, giving a performance of 4-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1.3 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a one-man control cabin and additional cabin space for one passenger. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. This small craft does not come with weapons pre-installed. Cargo capacity is 1.3 tons. The hull is Standard, and no additional armor has been installed. Special features include a 30-ton module berth, into which one of a variety of specialized modules can be installed (as captured in the Cutter Module Options table). This ship requires a crew of one: Pilot. The ship can carry one additional passenger in the control cabin. The ship costs MCr24.305 (including discounts and fees), not including module costs, and takes 32 weeks to build.

Cutter Module Options
Module Type	Cost (MCr)	Notes
Cargo	1.5	Cargo (29 tons), 1 airlock
Commuter	2.5	Cabin (18 people), 1 airlock, 1 small fresher/kitchenette
Fuel	1.25	Fuel tankage (28.5 tons), Fuel processors (1.5 tons)
Laboratory	8	Laboratory (7 scientists), 2 airlocks
Low Berth Transport	4	58 low berths, 1 airlock
Luxury Suites	4.5	7 staterooms, 2 airlocks
Prison Transport	4.5	14 detention cells, 1 airlock
Vehicular Transport	6.75	Hangar (23 tons of vehicles), allows repairs/maintenance

TL9 Fighter

Using a 10-ton hull (0 Hull, 1 Structure), the Fighter is a short-range combat vessel primarily used in system defense and large scale naval engagements. It mounts maneuver drive sC and power plant sL, giving a performance of 6-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1.5 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1/fib. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a one-man cockpit. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. Installed on the hardpoint is a fixed mount single turret armed with a pulse laser. This small craft has no cargo capacity. The hull is Streamlined, and no additional armor has been installed. This ship comes equipped with fuel scoops. This ship requires a crew of one: Pilot. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr10.841 (including discounts and fees) and takes 28 weeks to build.

TL9 Launch

Using a 20-ton hull (0 Hull, 1 Structure), the Launch is designed to provide basic transportation needs, and is sometimes used as a lifeboat in the event of emergencies in deep space. It mounts maneuver drive sA and power plant sA, giving a performance of 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 0.4 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a two-man control cabin. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. This small craft does not come with weapons pre-installed. Cargo capacity is 10.9 tons. The hull is Standard, and no additional armor has been installed. There are no special features on this ship. This ship requires a crew of one: Pilot. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr4.797 (including discounts and fees) and takes 29 weeks to build.

TL9 Pinnace

Using a 40-ton hull (0 Hull, 1 Structure), the Pinnace primarily serves as cargo transport on an interplanetary scale. It mounts maneuver drive sK and power plant sL, giving a performance of 5-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1.5 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a one-man control cabin. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. This small craft does not come with weapons pre-installed. Cargo capacity is 25 tons. The hull is Standard, and no additional armor has been installed. There are no special features on this ship. This ship requires a crew of one: Pilot. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr18.567 (including discounts and fees) and takes 31 weeks to build.

TL9 Ship's Boat

Using a 30-ton hull (0 Hull, 1 Structure), the Ship's Boat is a general-purpose small craft designed to cover a range of tasks. It mounts maneuver drive sJ and power plant sJ, giving a performance of 6-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1.2 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a one-man control cabin. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. This small craft does not come with weapons pre-installed. Cargo capacity is 16.7 tons. The hull is Standard, and no additional armor has been installed. There are no special features on this ship. This ship requires a crew of one: Pilot. The ship cannot carry any additional passengers. The ship costs MCr16.677 (including discounts and fees) and takes 30 weeks to build.

TL9 Shuttle

Using a 90-ton hull (1 Hull, 1 Structure), the Shuttle provides significantly more cargo transport capacity than the less expensive pinnace, at the cost of slower performance. It mounts maneuver drive sN and power plant sN, giving a performance of 3-G acceleration. Fuel tankage of 1.9 tons supports the power plant for one week. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model 1. The ship is equipped with Standard sensors (-4). There is a two-man control cabin. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated for fire control. This small craft does not come with weapons pre-installed. Cargo capacity is 67.4 tons. The hull is Standard, and no additional armor has been installed. There are no special features on this ship. This ship requires a crew of two: Two pilots. The ship can carry one additional passenger in the control cabin. The ship costs MCr25.587 (including discounts and fees) and takes 35 weeks to build.

Chapter Navigation
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Chapter 7: Trade and Commerce	Chapter 8: Ship Design and Construction	Chapter 10: Space Combat

Related Pages: Ship Combat - Space combat rules and mechanics; Ship Modifications - Retrofitting and upgrading ships; Trade Routes - Commercial shipping routes and economics; Starports - Ship construction and repair facilities