GUNSTAR (PROTOTYPE ALPHA) Craft: Irian Starships Inc. Gunstar A Type: Heavy assault starfighter (experimental design) Scale: Starfighter Length: 15.7 meters Skill: Starfighter piloting: Gunstar Crew: 1, gunner: 1 Crew Skill: Starfighter piloting 5D, starship gunnery 4D, starship shields 3D Cargo Capacity: not much (see Death Blossom) Consumables: 2 weeks (including gunner) Cost: 275,000 (new); 125,000 (used) Hyperdrive Multiplier: x2.5 Hyperdrive Backup: x18 Nav Computer: yes Maneuverability: 1D Space: 6 Atmosphere: 330; 950kmh Hull: 4D+2 Sensors: (standard New Republic sensor package) Passive: 30/0D Scan: 50/1D Search: 75/2D Focus: 4/4D+1 Weapons: (can be fire-linked; see designer's notes) 2 Twin Laser Cannons Fire Arc: Turret Crew: 1 (gunner) Skill: Starship gunnery Fire Control: 2D (2D+2 linked) Space Range: 1-3/12/25 Atmosphere Range: 100-300m/1.2km/2.5km Damage: 5D (6D linked) 2 Laser Cannons (can be fire-linked) Fire Arc: Turret Crew: 1 (gunner) Skill: Starship gunnery Fire Control: 2D (2D linked) Space Range: 1-3/12/25 Atmosphere Range: 100-300m/1.2km/2.5km Damage: 4D (5D linked) 4 Concussion Missile Launchers (can be fire-linked) Fire Arc: Turret (six shots per launcher) Crew: 1 (gunner) Scale: Starfighter Skill: Missile weapons OR starship gunnery Fire Control: 1D (1D+2 linked) Space Range: 1-2/8/15 Atmosphere Range: 100-200m/800m/1.5km Damage: 8D (10D linked) Designer's Notes: All weapons are controlled from the gunner's pod, seperated from the pilot's pod in the cockpit. The gunner's pod rotates in three dimensions at the gunner's command without altering the attitude or bearing of the Gunstar. Sensors linked into the weapon systems cause the weapons themselves to match facing with the gunner's pod. This allows the gunner to concentrate solely on gunnery without worrying about the position of the ship or the positions of the individual weapon systems. This also frees the pilot from having to worry about positioning the ship to give the gunner a clear shot, allowing him to concentrate solely on defensive flight. Game Effect: In practice, the pilot of any Gunstar usually does nothing but full dodges during a dogfight, while the gunner takes his time and shoots away without worrying about die and action penalties for dodges. He can do this because the pod rotates freely, so even if the ship is not in a good position for weapons lock, the gunner will be. And because of the sensor links, the weapons will be in just as good of a position as the gunner. You can't get fire coverage like that from average turrets, in which each weapon must be attached to the turret to be able to angle in any direction. Seeing as how the rotation of the weapons is controlled remotely by sensors, the weapons can be placed anywhere on the ship and still gain turret benefits. SPECIAL PROTOTYPE WEAPON: THE DEATH BLOSSOM Death Blossom is an experimental defense mechanism incorporated into Gunstar as a weapon of last resort. The designers used up all of the vessel's 100 kg of cargo capacity to install 40 blaster cannons in each of four covered sections along the side of the hull. When DB is activated, the covers retract, the cannons link, the ship begins to spin in three dimensions violently, and the cannons fire off at random. This creates a very dense cloud of blaster fire that is nearly impossible to avoid. Unfortunately, it works best against ships that are within close range of the desperate Gunstar. The price for using DB is total loss of all power. This means no sublight engines, no hyperdrive, no weapons, no nothing. Nothing except life support. I am shocked at how many Gunstar pilots have actually used this weapon, under inappropriate circumstances, and have died in space because they didn't even have enough power to launch the ejection seats. Game Effect: 10D Starfighter scale damage to any and all vessels within a space range of 5 (atmosphere range of 500 meters) or less. A Heroic Starfighter (or other appropriate) piloting skill roll is required to dodge. Any surviving ship will continue to be hit every round for five rounds, so any ship in DB will be hit at least once. Any ship between space ranges of 6 and 17 (between 600m and 1.7km for atmosphere) will take 5D Starfighter scale damage, with a Moderate skill roll needed to dodge. Any ship further away than 17 (or 1.7km in atmosphere) is not affected by Death Blossom.