Aether Frigate

Note: This ship was designed for the Reality Cyrano setting, found in GURPS Infinite Worlds: Lost Worlds.

The aether frigate forms the core of the French Royal Space Navy. Its Pascal Drive propels it through space and generates a bubble of breathable atmosphere around the ship. Meanwhile, a Necessary Grace Plant draws psychic energy from duty psis, powering the ship's telekinetic lift, lightning cannons, and psychomagnetic deck guns. The frigate's armor plating is a complex lattice of Martian ceramic and Venusian carbon-steel, and the forward hull is reinforced to serve as a ram in close combat.

The frigate carries a complement of just over 400 souls, berthed in tight quarters. All ship's functions are manual, from stoking the furnaces to operating the deck guns to plotting courses.

Front Hull System

[1] Armor, Advanced Metallic Laminate (dDR 20)

[2] Control Room (comm/sensor 8, 10 control stations)

[3-4] Habitat (95 bunkrooms, 15 cabins, 10-bed sickbay)

[5!*] Weapons, Medium Battery (3 fix-mounted 1GJ lightning cannons)

[6] Power Plant, Psychotronic (provides 4 psi Power Points with 10 psis or 1 psi Power Point with 5 psis)

Central Hull System

[1] Armor, Advanced Metallic Laminate (dDR 20)

[2!*] Weapons, Secondary Battery (6 turret-mounted 16cm electromagnetic guns, 200 tons of cargo)

[3-5] Cargo Hold (1,500 tons)

[6!*] Contragravity Lifter

[core] Power Plant, Ether Furnace (provides 1 Power Point)

Rear Hull System

[1] Armor, Advanced Metallic Laminate (dDR 20)

[2-4] Cargo Hold (1,500 tons)

[5-6!] Ether Screw (0.4G acceleration) (2 workspaces)

[core] Power Plant, Ether Furnace (provides 1 Power Point)

* System is psi-powered.

The spaceship has a SM +10 streamlined hull with nautical lines and a top deck; it lacks automation and has no computer. The forward hull is reinforced for ramming (dDR 40 against collision damage). Crew consists of captain, first officer, pilot, navigator, communications officer, sensor officer, engineer, station coordinator, battery officer, ship's doctor/healer, 10 duty psis, 6 gunners, and 110 technicians. Crew is manned in three shifts. The ship has artificial gravity, and the propulsion system generates a life support field.

TL

Ship

dST/HP

HT

Hnd/SR

Move

SM

LWt

dDR

Occ

Load

Cost

Notes

(5+4)^

Aether Frigate

150

14

-3/5

0.4G/c

+10

10,000

20

410ASV

3,241

$328M

Top air speed is 300 mph.