VARAUTA VANGUARD FRIGATE

RPG Stats by DANIEL HENWOOD (dhenwood@hotmail.com)
Background info provided by the MACROSS ONLINE COMPENDIUM

BACKGROUND

Due to its small size and reconnaisance duties the Vanguard Frigate only holds a handful of fighters. 4 to be precise which are used for reconnaisance, and if absolutely neccesary to defend the Frigate against Mecha attackers that may threaten it. The Frigate would never stand for more than a few minutes in combat against large warships, but uses its speed and manouverability to act out hit and run attacks.

RPG STATS

Crew: 352 total

Command Tower: 16

Main Ship: 280

VF Pilots: 4 + 2 reserves

Troops: 50

Note :Due to its small size and manouverability the Varauta Vanguard Frigate receives a +2 bonus to dodge against other warships,(not Mecha.)

MDC BY LOCATION:

(1) Main Body                                   4,000
(2) Command Tower                                 800
(2) Communications and Sensor Array (4)           400 each
(3) Main Engines/Power Plants (2)                 800 each
(3) Secondary Engines (2)                         300 each
(3) Small Guidance thrusters (16)                 200 each
    Fins (5)                                      300 each

    Medium Beam Cannons (2)                       500 each
    Light Beam Cannons (4)                        350 each
    Missile Launchers (2)                         250 each
 
    Small Airlocks/Access Hatches (6)             250 each
    Flight Deck Airlocks (1)                      500
    Outer Hull (per 40ft area)                    120
    Interior walls (per 20ft)                      20

(4) Pin Point Barrier System                    2,500 each

NOTES:

1. Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the Frigate out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
2. Destroying the command tower will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. The range and targeting capabilities of the secondary systems are equal to that of a VF-11 Thunderbolt. The ship can still operate, but is at -3 on initiative, -3 to strike, and number of attacks per melee of the weapon systems are reduced by half. Destroying the main sensory array atop the command tower will have the same effect, but the command staff will not be killed instantly.
3. Depleting the MDC of the main engines will force the ship to rely on its secondary engines. Depleting the MDC of the main engines AND secondary engines will leave the ship adrift in space. If in an atmosphere, the ship will crash (destruction of the main engines will render the antigravity system useless due to loss of power).
4. The force field will regenerate at a rate of 2,500 MD per second (5,000 MD per melee round)

SPEEDS:

Speed(sublight): 0.20 speed of light (32,000 miles per second)
Speed(Auxiliary Drives): Mach 3
Space Fold: Range Unlimited (1 light year every 6 minutes)
Planet bound:

Can land if necessary but not designed to maneuver in an atmosphere. Can only land in a body of water (does not have landing gear).

Maximum Range: Unlimited (estimated 20 year life span, which can be extended with regular maintenance and overhauls)

STATISTICAL DATA:

Length: 168 metres
Weight: 1,500 tons operational, 1,020 tons empty

Power System:

Varauta Army Main reactor

Fold System:

Varauta Army Advanced Fold Cluster

Sublight Drive:

Varauta Army Impulse Drive Cluster

Gravity Control System: Internal
Auxiliary Engine:

Varauta Army Nuclear Pulse Rocket Motor Cluster

Sensor System: Standard; Subspace Mass Detector & Spiritia Imager

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. MEDIUM BEAM CANNONS (2): Aimed forward from their bow mounting, the two Medium Beam Cannons are capable of unleashing devasting salvo's of destructive energy on the Varauta's targets. Due to the size of the Frigate these weapons are hoped to cripple or distract an opponent long enough for the Frigate to run.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • RANGE: 100,000 miles (160,000 km)
   • DAMAGE: 1D4x1000 M.D. each
   • RATE OF FIRE: Each cannon can fire twice per melee. The cannons can fire individually or be combined to fire a single volley.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited.

2. LIGHT BEAMS CANNONS (4): Four light beam Cannons complement the Medium Beam Cannons in the defence of the Frigate against other Capital Ships. Positioned equally to port and starboard the Frigate is capable of creating an adequate defence against attackers, especially those dead ahead.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • RANGE: 5 miles (double in space)
   • DAMAGE: 2D6x100 M.D. each
   • RATE OF FIRE: Each turret can fire up to four times per melee. The cannons can fire individually or be combined to fire a single volley.
   • PAYLOAD: Unlimited.

3. MISSILE LAUNCHERS (2): For anti-mecha defense the Frigate is armed with two high manouverability micro missile launcher clusters featuring 12 missile ports per launcher on the port and starboard sides of the hull,(1 on either side.) Each launcher contains 12 missile's. Only one missile can be launched per tube at a time, but this still makes volleys of up to 24 missiles at a time. Once depleted, the missile launchers are reloaded by an automated loading system that takes 15 seconds (one melee round) to reload all 12 missiles per launcher.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Missile
   • MISSILE TYPES: High Manouverability Micro Missiles Missiles.
   • RANGE: Varies, typically 1 mile (1.6 km).
   • DAMAGE: Varies, typically 1D4x10 M.D.
   • BLAST RADIUS: Varies, typically 5 feet.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Volleys of 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 missiles per volley.
   • PAYLOAD: Each launcher holds 12 missiles. Once the missiles are expended the launcher is reloaded within 1 round via an automated system. The reload system holds 36 missiles per launcher.

4. PINPOINT BARRIER DEFENSE SYSTEM: Originally developed by researchers onboard the SDF-01 Macross during Space War One, the Pinpoint Barrier System is a standard defense system on board all UN Spacy starships, which is why the Varauta were able to copy the technology from the Megaroad-13 Fleets ships. The system generates four small disc-shaped force fields that can be positioned anywhere along the ship to deflect missiles, energy beams or projectiles. Each pinpoint barrier is about 200 ft (61 m) in length and can absorb up to 2,500 MD in damage, which then regenerates within four seconds (1 melee round). The barriers can also be layered on top of each other to generate a field which provides 10,000 MDC and can even deflect heavy particle beams (sometimes).

   The four barriers are controlled by operators in the command tower of the carrier. These operators are instructed to defend (1) the command tower, bridge, and sensor array, (2) main engines, (3) hangar bays, and (4) weapon systems, in that order. The operators primarily concentrate on defending the ship against larger spacecraft and leave defense against mecha attacking the carrier to the VF pilots.

   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Defense (the pinpoint barrier system cannot be used as a weapon)
   • RANGE: Up to 300 feet (91.5 m) from the surface of the vessel.
   • DAMAGE CAPACITY: Can sustain up to 2,500 MD per round. Regenerates at a rate of 2,500 MD per melee round.
   • RADIUS: 200 ft (61 m)
   • DEFENSIVE MOVEMENT: Can move from one end of the carrier to the other in less than a single round. Trained operators can attempt to block attacks up to 8 times per melee (counts as a parry) and are at +7 to block. Untrained characters can parry up to their number of hand-to-hand attacks with their normal parry bonuses only.
   • PAYLOAD: Nearly inexhaustible. Will work as long as system is functional (see below) and engines are intact. If main engines are destroyed, the barrier will loose power and not function.
   • NOTE: If all four barriers are grouped in a single spot they can deflect a heavy particle beam attack, such as the one generated by the Macross Cannon, Zentraedi/Varuta command warships, and some Protodeviln. However, the beam will completely destroy all four barriers and put incredible strain on the pinpoint barrier system, to the point where it may short out. After deflecting an energy beam, roll percentile dice on the table below to determine additional effects/damage.
     • 01-05: Lucked out, system will be operational in 1D6 hours.
     • 06-20: Minor damage, system will require 4D6 hours to repair.
     • 21-35: Major damage, system will require 2D6x10 hours to repair (yes, DAYS of work).
     • 36-64: Completely destroyed! System can be rebuilt, but will require new parts and 2D6 DAYS of work to replace.
     • 65-79: Major damage, system will require 2D6x10 hours to repair.
     • 80-94: Minor damage, system will require 4D6 hours to repair.
     • 95-99: Lucked out, system will be operational in 1D6 hours.
     • 00: It's a miracle! Trivial damage only, system will be operational again in only 4D6 melee rounds!

SYSTEMS OF NOTE:

• ANTIGRAVITY PROPULSION SYSTEM: The Varauta Vanguard Frigates are equipped with an anti-gravity propulsion system used for planetary landings and liftoffs. The system is good for vertical ascent/descent only and can lift the ship at speeds of up to 1,320 feet (400 m) per minute. The system will function so long as the main engines can supply energy to it.
• HYPERSPACE COMMUNICATIONS: Based on the same technology as the space fold system, the hyperspace communications relay allows faster-than-light communication between Varauta starships and other vessels or planetary bases. Hyperspace communications are still not instantaneous, however. Audio/video communication travels through hyperspace at a rate of about 1 second per 4000 light years, so messages communicated over vast distances can still take seconds or minutes to arrive.
• LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The Varauta Frigates have sufficient life support to provide breathable air and comfortable temperatures for 400 people for up to 20 years (air is recycled). In an emergency the life support system can support up to 700 people at one time, though living conditions onboard will get extremely cramped at that point. The carrier also holds sufficient food and water to support 400 people for up to 6 months.
• LONG-RANGE LASER/SATELLITE RELAY COMMUNICATIONS: The impressive communications array of the Vanguard Frigate can communicate with up to 1,000 craft simultaneously at ranges of up to 900 miles (1,440 km). This range can be boosted indefinitely by using satellites or other spacecraft as to relay communications.
• LONG-RANGE RADAR: The radar array of the Varauta Frigate is equally as impressive as the communication system, and can track and identify up to 2,000 craft simultaneously. The radar system has a 2,000 mile/3,200 km range.
• SPACE FOLD SYSTEM: For FTL propulsion, the Cruiser is equipped with a Varauta Army Fold System Cluster, capable of propelling the carrier through hyperspace at speeds up to 3.28x10^10 mps (5.25x10^10 kmps), or 1 light year per 6 minutes. The range of the fold drive is theoretically unlimited except by the life expectancy of the spacecraft.
• SUBLIGHT ENGINES: As a backup to the Fold System, the Frigate is equipped with Varauta Army Impulse Drive Cluster engines that can propel the craft at speeds up to 0.20 speed of light (32,000 miles per second) in space. Note that these engines are mainly intended for rapid movement inside a planetary system and are not suited for long voyages between star systems. In a planetary atmosphere the Frigates is limited to speeds of Mach 3 maximum due to hull stress.
• SUBSPACE MASS SENSORS & SPIRITIA IMAGER: The Varauta Frigates are equipped with subspace sensors & Spiritia Imagers, which are based on the same principles as the hyperspace communications array. These sensors can essentially instantly detect mass readings and movement of objects up to 1 AU (93 million miles) distant from the carrier, and the readings are used both for early warning and for navigation when travelling at sublight speeds. Readings taken with the subspace sensors are not very detailed (-25% penalty when trying to identify a detected object) and cannot detect objects of less than 60,000 kg (this includes most variable fighters). The Spiritia Imagers detect and note the strength of Spiritia within the same range.

MECHA COMPLEMENT (STANDARD):

• FZ-109 Elgerzorenes: 4 on active status (For reconnaisance purposes.)

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• "Doe's All The Worlds' Starship Guide: Varauta Vanguard Frigate Entry"
• Macross 7 TV series