Galactic Hyper-Thrusters, are small to medium atmospheric and trans-atmospheric aircraft that benefited from starship drive technology. To move passengers and air dominance around a globe in a matter of a few hours as opposed to taking dozen of hours for the same trip. With the fastest moving at Mach 8 for their top speed, these speed demons that normally cruse in the upper atmosphere at Mach 2 are the domain of the crazy rich and military forces.
The early versions of supersonic transports used chemical fuels to transport the wealthy and well to do. Even so these aircraft ultimately turned out to be too uneconomical. Due to continually increasing fuel costs and that they were banned from flying overland because excessive noise pollution issues.
By the time a polity develops true star drives, the progression of aircraft technology develops to the point that hyper-thrusters become economically feasible again. Along with the introduction of miniaturized drives that can fit into aircraft. The end result are small to medium; the longest topping out at 300 feet long passenger transports; able take those that can afford it from one side of a habitual planet to the other in about 4 hours. Or if built to be trans-atmospheric from ground to awaiting starships or space stations and back. Being able to take off & land vertically lends to their utility by letting the spaceports hyper-thrusters use to be built near or in the metropolitan areas they service.
Most galactic hyper-thrusters use anti-gravity drives as their available as their lift/main drives. There are polities that only have access to reaction drives to be used in their hyper-thrusters and starships. These reaction drives tend to be quickly phased out when anti-gravity drives become available. The type of miniaturized star drives that typically used to power hyper-thrusters are anti-gravity, Matter/Anti-Matter Annihilation, Metallic Hydrogen (typically stabilized), and Traction drives. Plasma drives have been known to be used for hyper-thrusters but are rarer than magic powered hyper-thruster drives.
Funding
Hardware and Robot characters are able to build/modify their vehicles within the game setting during character creation. With both of these options; if the GM okays it Super Invention chars may also be included; the budget for these vehicles should be rolled on the following table. This table takes the place of the budget table within the respective power catagories. Excess credits may be spent during char creation on other things, but any left over after that is unusable, considered to have been spent on fuel.
01-25: 1.3 million credits.
26-48: 1.5 million credits.
49-65: 1.8 million credits.
66-76: 2 milion credits.
77-88: 2.5 million credits
89-98: 3.2 million credits.
99-00: 4 million credits.
Hyper-Thruster Hull
- Passenger Transport: Cost/ton: 2,500 credits. SDC/Ton: 10. Modules/Ton: one. Crew: 2 +1 per 100 tons. Tonnage Range: 25-300.
- Military Fighter: Cost/ton: 3,500 credits. SDC/Ton: 20. Modules/Ton: one. Crew: 1 (or two with copilot or E.W.O.). Tonnage Range: 25-100.
- Military Bomber: Cost/ton: 4,500 credits. SDC/Ton: 17. Modules/Ton: one. Crew: 1 (or two with copilot or E.W.O.). Tonnage Range: 75-125.
- Passenger Transports, are the most common hyper-thruster within the public’s mind’s eye. They are the ones seen taking off and landing at spaceports servicing metropolitan areas. Even if there is room these hulls are unable to mount weapons. Defensive systems can be mounted but at double the cost in credits.
- Military Fighter, are the most common type of hyper-thruster that use aircraft to patrol their world(s). However, they are less maneuverable than the high tech jet fighters that most world develop. Even so the quick deployment speed and that they can outrun most missiles often out weigh the maneuverability penalties.
- Military Bomber, unlike its name these aircraft are built to carry large missiles for strategic bombardment. As such they are used as first strike attackers, and are constructed out of the best stealth materials capable of supersonic flight. These stealth enhancements; both radar absorbing and active camouflage; makes them difficult to spot even by experienced sensor operators and the best sensors. Imposing a -75% penalty to spot them from ground stations, and -70% to spot from orbit.
- Slave Drones, can be ether drones that are directly controlled by the master plane, or drones that are autonomous that use targeting data to fire at the same target(s). Those paired with hyper-thrusters are built in hyper-thruster hulls.
Anti-Gravity: Cost/Ton: 650 credits + 1,100 credits per additional Machs. Maximum atmospheric Speed: Mach 10. Module Cost: 1 per 25 tons.
Matter/Anti-Matter Annihilation: Cost/Ton: 6,500 credits + 11,000 credits per additional Machs. Maximum atmospheric Speed: Mach 12. Module Cost: 5 per 25 tons.
Metallic Hydrogen: Cost/Ton: 188 credits + 2,500 credits per additional Machs. Maximum atmospheric Speed: Mach 10. Module Cost: 5 per 25 tons.
Traction drives: Cost/Ton: 2,500 credits + 3,000 credits per additional Machs. Maximum atmospheric Speed: Mach 8. Module Cost: 5 per 25 tons (minimum of 15 modules).
Note: Both Matter/Anti-Matter Annihilation drives require 100,000 credits safety inspections when 1st registered and 5,000 credits of annual safety inspections.
Weapons
All weapons are mounted forward facing and effectively concealed when not in use. Turrets and wing mounted pods cannot be mounted in hyper-thrusters because they would be ripped off with Multi-Mach flight. The energy weapons Ion, Particle, & Laser are derivatives of spacecraft weapons. And the only ones from the standard spacecraft sets that are available to hyper-thrusters.
Ion beam: Range: 5 miles. Damage: 3d4x5. Modules: 6. Cost: 70,000 credits.
Particle Beam: Range: 4 miles. Damage: 2d4x10+6. Modules: 6. Cost: 100,000 credits.
Laser Beam: Range: 6 miles. Damage: 1d6x10+6. Modules: 6. Cost: 40,000 credits.
Missile Bays/Internal Missile Hard-Points, these are similar to a starship’s missile rack but with doors that stay closed in supersonic flight for aerodynamics, and open for a moment to let the missiles carried within to be launched. Each Missile Bay it limited to how much they can hold by missile type and missile weights. Missile Bays are fitted out to a specific range of missile and cannot hold missiles of ranges longer than what they were made to hold. This is because missiles of a greater range are longer than the Missile Bay is long. Each missile bay has space to hold three missiles of the rated range. during the design phase the capacity of the missile bays can be enlarged to hold more missiles by buying additional bays to merge into the one.
❍ Short Range Missile Bay: Cost: 20,000 credits. Modules: 2.
❍ Medium Range Missile bay: Cost: 21,000 credits. Modules: 2.5.
❍ Long Range Missile bay: Cost: 22,000 credits. Modules: 3.
30mm Auto-Cannon, are common armaments of hyper-thrusters. They are the only weapons that are both within most worlds ability to self-manufacture and have enough range to have the reach to damage other hyper-thrusters other than by luck. The round fire by these weapons are hybrid weapons that can ether explode when they reach a range or when a target triggers the radar detonator (+4 to strike). Or they are used as kinetic kill weapons. Effective Range: 7,000 feet (m). Maximum Range: 15,000 feet (m). Explosive Damages: 4D6x10 to a 100 foot area (m area). Kinetic Damage: 2d6x20. Rate of Fire: Per hand to hand attacks, of 30 round bursts only. Modules: 5. Cost: 20,000 credits (each round costs 1 credit each). Payload: 2,000 rounds.
30mm Ground Attack Auto-Cannon, this weapons system is exclusive to the TMC charters. Not known to many, is that this design was copied from one of the planets within the TMC borders. This oversized rotary firearm is 20 feet long, and 2 feet wide at the weapon’s firing aperture. The normal 2000 round ammunition drum adds another 10 feet to the total length. All of it takes up internal space. This highly accurate weapon delivers 80% of its 100 round burst to a 36 foot area (12m area) at its effective range ( 4,000 feet), and has a maximum range of 12,000 feet. If not for it’s short effective range these weapons would be Light spacecraft weapon. But as it is, it costs too much to normally operate as a spacecraft weapon. But it almost perfect for a ground attack weapon for use in military hyper-thrusters. Even thou this is an excellent ground attack weapon, it’s use in hyper thrusters is a risky maneuver because of the normal operating speeds of hyper thrusters. Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 m). Maximum Range: 12,000 feet (3,660 m). Damage: 5D6x20. Rate of Fire: 100 round burst takes one attack. Modules: 10 (1.2 spaceship modules) Cost: 20,000 credits (each round costs 3 credits). Payload: 2,000 rounds. (Additional payload for starship versions may be purchased for 3,000 credits and 1 module per +2,000 round capacity.)
Defensive Systems
Anti-Missile Chaff Despencers, are defensive systems that launch canister decoys designed to fool incoming missiles from their targets. Able to fool the most common methods of detection that missiles use in their targeting sensors: heat and radar. They also deploy a cloud of repeater chaff creating a cloud that fogs all radar and produces fake lidar returns. Each launcher bank has 20 launchers, that can be reloaded by hand or via an assistant device. Gives a hyper-thruster a +5 to dodge and 50% missiles within a volley will loose target lock. Cost: 5,000 credits for the launcher and 10 credits for each decoy. (Degradable decoys cost 30 credits each, and its components will degrade into ash at the end of their duration.) cost: 5,000 credits per group. Modules: 2 each launcher group.
Electronic CounterMeasures, bend the electronic signature of the craft to hide it from being found out by radars and other sensors. Causes the operators of the searching sensors to have a -50% penalty to use their skills (-40% when used is vacuum). In combat this system gives a +5 to dodge missiles and +2 verses other projectile weapons. Cost: 200,000 credits. Modules: 10
Advanced Electronic CounterMeasures, These are better at hiding the craft than regular ECM systems in that they can project a false signature around the craft. Causes the operators of the searching sensors to have a -60% penalty to use their skills (-40% when used is vacuum). In combat this system gives a +5 to dodge missiles and +2 verses other projectile weapons. Cost: 400,000 credits. Modules: 11
Force Field Generators (normal), surrounds the craft with a single force field bubble. (Alternately then shields can take a form of a wall in a set direction. Normally used for a re-entry heat-shield for trans-atmospheric hyper-thrusters.) Normally any hit will strike the force field first before damaging the craft it is around. Any hit damaging the generator will bring the whole field down. Normal force fields are limited to only half the craft’s hull SDC. A field that is damaged will recover its SDC at 10 S.D.C. per hour. Or, if the craft can be serviced, the entire SDC can regained in an hour’s time. Cost: 600 credits per S.D.C. Modules: 0.1 per 5 S.D.C. of the field.
FFG (variable), uses multiple field generators to produce sectional force field around the craft. The the individual generators can support the others to the deficit to its own sector of protection. Effectively transferring their protective S.D.C. to the other sector. (Whether this is diverted power, re-plotting of the field’s location, or a direct transfer of field production medium it doesn’t matter for game mechanics.) Each generator can produce only 30% of the craft’s hull S.D.C. by itself. Only 60% of the hull’s SDC can be stacked in one sector at one time. Cost: 600 credits per SDC & 1,000 credits per generator. Modules: 0.1 per 5 S.D.C. provided.
Note about Force Fields: Active force fields increase the likelihood of the craft being detected by+35%.
Note about Pinpoint shields: Because of the low flight crew numbers there is no room for a person to be dedicated to maneuvering a shield to parry incoming attacks. Automated systems are not effective enough for the mass penalty the controlling computers impose (take up too many modules). Opposed to just a full craft field that the generator takes up the same space as movable field generator without the controlling systems taking up additional space.
Stealth Coatings, essentially unchanged from the spaceship version, imposing a penalty of -50% to being tracked by sensors. Trans-atmospheric hyper-thrusters need a heat shield to protect them because re-entry heating will burn the coating off. Cost: 5,000 per ton. Modules: None.
Camouflage Coatings, are the top of the line smart paint with a baseline change rate of 0.2 seconds. The main chokepoint for this system as a whole is the processing of the sensor data to drive the changes in the coating’s camouflage effect. Trans-atmospheric hyper-thrusters need a heat shield to protect them because re-entry heating will burn the coating off. Coating Cost: 9,000 credits per ton. Sensor Package: 20,000 credits. Processor Cost: 70,000 credits +10 credits per 10 tons. Module: 1.2 per 100 tons.
Point Defense Laser, is a defensive system mounted in the rear of the vehicle. Unlike attack weapons these lasers can track through a 60 degree arc. These can be directly controled by the crew or set to auto-defense (+2 to strike while in auto-defense mode). When set in auto-defense mode these defensive systems will only strike at missiles tracking the vehicle they are in. When directly controled by the crew they can target anything within the the firing arc. Cost: 100,000 credits. Modules: 6. Damage: 2D6. Range: 1,000 feet.
Other Systems
The basics: All Hyper-Thrusters are built with the basic flight systems and control programs that allow basic flight in controlled flight space. With 200 mile communications (that can easily reach orbiting comm sats when out of range of land stations), 10 mile close warning sensors and general atmospheric navigation software, along with seating and interface systems for the flight crew. Cost: none. These come with the standard hyper-thruster designs. Replacements cost 10,000 credits.
Sensors and computers
Auto-Pilot Systems, imbedded in most hyper-thrusters avionics structures as matter of course. When used with known air- and space-ports along with positioning networks these systems are nearly 100% reliable. It is typically only when craft are subjected to harsh weather and are unable to receive positioning data that a trained pilot needs to step in to control the craft. Other times a trained pilot is needed is when craft participate in combat maneuvers. Cost: 180,000 Modules: 0.1.
Auto-Pilot A.I. Systems, are used almost exclusively in slave drones. These supplement and take direction from the hyper-thruster master they are attached to. Able to take combat actions while escorting their master. These will normally fly in formation with the master craft, fire on targets the master fires on, or fire on targets the master has set as enemies by target locking them (after fire has been taken or the master fires). Like with all automated systems they lack originality because they are only running preprogramed commands. patterns and algorithms. Cost: 300,000 credits Modules: 5
Basic Flight Sensors, are primarily those which civilian craft in uncontrolled space, used to see that their flight path is clear of other aircraft and terrain obstacles. These can see out to 500 miles ahead of it (90 degree arc) and 50 miles in all other directions. These active sensors act like a beacon and the aircraft mounting them can be seen 30% easier than an aircraft without any beacon. While not needed on most worlds, because the polities control their air space and local orbital space, they are a necessity for hyper-thrusted working the outback worlds without controlled space. Cost: 150,000 credits. Modules: 3
Adv. Flight Sensors, can see & track up to 400 air and space craft within 600 miles of the mounting craft. These can see mechanized ground targets and recognize ground features to avoid crashing into mountains and trees. These active sensors act like a beacon and the aircraft mounting them can be seen 30% easier than an aircraft without any beacon. Cost: 300,000 credits. Modules: 4
Surveillance Sensors, are used to observe things in optical wavelengths of light, along with monitoring the signals traffic of an opponents, rivals, and even friends. Mainly built into Bomber hulls these sensors are most effective when the target of the observation is ignorant that they are being observed. These can be used in minimally crewed craft, with the information relayed to the operations center via satellites, or they can have an analyst crew aboard to filter or process the data. The former puts fewer people at risk but the satellite uplink gives a sensor operator a +5% to find the craft. While the latter gives the mission a certain flexibility to follow leads within the data collected. Cost: 1.5 million Modules: 11
Targeting Computers, are the systems that focus in on individual sensor returns to be able to program attack missiles flight courses to intercept those targets. Or feeding the Heads Up Display targeting carrot so the pilot can use the internal weapons to actively shoot down flying targets. The pilot uses the HUD through eye movements to select which of the detected sensor returns to actively track for attacks. These systems can be used when targeting ground targets but loose their their to strike bonus. Bonus: +3 strike.
❍ 20 locks available: Cost: 100,000 credits. Modules: 3.
❍ 30 locks available: Cost: 150,000 credits. Modules: 3.
❍ 50 locks available: Cost: 200,000 credits. Modules: 3.
Ground Attack Computers, are the systems that focus in on individual sensor returns discriminating them from the ground clutter. So they are able to program attack missiles flight courses to intercept those ground targets. Or feeding the Heads Up Display targeting carrot so the pilot can use the internal weapons to actively shoot at the ground targets. The pilot uses the HUD through eye movements to select which of the detected sensor returns to actively track for attacks. These systems can be used when targeting airborn targets but loose their their to strike bonus. Bonus: +3 strike.
❍ 15 locks available: Cost: 100,000 credits. Modules: 3.
❍ 25 locks available: Cost: 150,000 credits. Modules: 3.
❍ 70 locks available: Cost: 200,000 credits. Modules: 3.
Systems
Smart Paint, is a coating that can be applied to the outer surfaces of the hull to let the owner or crew change the colorings of the ship. The paint, a product of nanotechnology that most space fairing cultures are capable of making, can easily resist the temperatures of normal atmospheric entry without degrading. Depending on the quality of the paint , it will take 20 to 5 minutes to change colors and patterns. It takes a close broad-spectrum sensor sweep (within 100 meters) or a physical sample to be able to determine if the paint is smart paint if it is not in the middle of changing its colors. The commercially available smart paints are available in grades determined by how long it takes to finish making their changes to the colors expressed. Those that are rated under 5 minutes tend to be cost prohibitive and are typically reserved for military or government use.
❍ Control Core: Cost: 15,000 credits. Modules: 2.
❍ Rated 20 minutes: Cost: 500 credits per ton.
❍ Rated 15 minutes: Cost: 900 credits per ton.
❍ Rated 10 minutes: Cost: 1,800 credits per ton.
❍ Rated 5 minutes: Cost: 3,000 credits per ton.
Satellite Uplink, are required for sensor applications that can integrate data from satellites orbiting around the planet the hyper-thruster is flying around and to be able to data-link to slave drones linked to them. Cost: 100,000 credits. Modules: 0.5.
Trans-Atmospheric Capabilities, these modifications necessary for any hyper-thruster to re-enter atmospheres without burning up from the heat. Most of the modifications involve aerodynamic shaping, heat-shielding, and internal bracing. As a result, T.A.C. modified craft are resistant (1/2 damage) to plasma and heat weapons. Cost: 5,000 per ton. Modules: 0.1 per ton.
Maneuvering Enhancement, lets the craft to maneuver faster. Bonuses +1 init, +2 dodge, +10% to piloting skill maneuvering rolls. Cost: 1,000 credits per ton. Modules: 0.1 per ton.
Ejection Seats-Escape Pods, these single occupancy systems will get the occupant to the ground or ocean safely. Included is a rescue beacon, flotation device, and survival supplies. Cost: 30,000 credits. Modules: 0.5.
Circuit Hardening, protects a ship’s control systems from the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulses, Solar Flares, and other high energy phenomena that can burnout or knockout computerized systems. Cost: +10% to all systems being hardened.
Mystic Crew Augmentation, are mystical constructs that are a form of living magic that are created to serve as loyal servants and warriors. Like with flesh and blood people these constructs will grow in experience with time. Even thou when they are first created they will only start with the four common skills and one skill package related to their duties aboard their ship (or just the ‘Class Skills’ of a ‘Character Class’). Part of the requirements of the spells is some sort of object or person where the core of the magic is bound up. Two reasons for this anchoring of them is to insure their loyalty, and so they can be rebooted from the last save point in their experience if they are lost. The baseline attributes of the common crew augmentation are 9+1D6 for each attribute (including S.D.C.). Constructs with greater attributes can be created, but have a higher cost. Cost: 758,000 credits, +10,000 per attribute point above the standard baseline. PPE Cost: 550 to for boot-up and 50 per 24 hours when off a Ley Line or Ley Line Nexus.
Note: M.C.A.s used with hyper-thrusters are typically not bound to a specific hyper-thruster or even anyone on their crews. Most often they are bound to a base or someone on the base.
Passenger Compartment, are needed for the craft to carry passengers. With carrying passengers a safety crew member is required for every 25 passengers. Cost: 2,000 per passenger. Modules: .4 per passenger.
Air Filtration System, cleans the air and recycles it throughout the craft. At slower speeds this systems also ventilates the craft. With this systems the craft will have unlimited time while in an atmosphere and 15 hours when the craft is sealed against vacuum. Cost: 20,000 credits. Modules: 2.
Canned Air, adds 10 hours of air to the air supplied by an air filtration system. Cost: 3,000 credits. Modules: 0.1.
Booster Hard Points, some polities are too cheap….the budgets are too tight to give all of their T.A.C. capable hyper-thrusters but still want the option of launching them into space. As such they use these hard points to attach boosters to their craft so they can achieve orbit or even just sub-orbital fight for quick deployment around their planet. These can only be used on craft with T.A.C. Otherwise the craft will not have the structural re-enforcement to withstand the stresses. Cost: 2,000 credits. Module: 0.1 per 100 tons of craft.
Booster Note: Boosters are typically built as ’throw away’ systems, and cost from 120 credits per ton of craft for sub-orbital boosts. To 200 credits per ton of craft for orbital boosts.
