• Registered: 2005-10-24
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Mostly Harmless: Ships of the Unkindness of Ravens

There is a particular race of intelligent birds in one of the Coreward systems that knows neither fear nor pity. They are smart enough to know how a modern warship works (in fact, they could probably build one), and given a large enough group, could easily overcome the unlucky crew of an errant ship and steal it, becoming a plague upon the universe.

Fortunately, they're routinely slaughtered to feed the citizens of the Unkindness of Ravens, the other race of intelligent birds in that same Coreward system. (When asked how they could consume fellow sentient beings, the answer is invariably "With salt.")

"Ravens" is a human appellation that stuck within the universal community, seeing the creatures as upscaled, anthropomorphized black birds, whereas the Ravens themselves tend to call members of their species "fellow things that are not to be eaten," and while technically the human name for a flock of ravens is an "unkindness," not a flock, the difference is lost on the Ravens, the universal community, and most humans (with the possible exception of ornithologically trained starship captains).

Their ships have a definite bird motif - outstretched wings, long tail sections, and an annoying tendancy to make a mess on freshly refitted ships - and despite their dated engine technology, the Ravens' ships are still in demand among races and organizations that can afford prebuilt ships but not their own research programs. A Raven ship, while not invulnerable by any means, can be a fearsome opponent, and many pirate, police, military and corporate organizations count these bird-men's ships among their fleets.

The Navy of the Unkindness itself, on the other hand, is not nearly as intimidating. It is common practice for ships passing through Raven space to take the brunt of their pompous pronouncements, put some weapons fire across the nose of the NUR fleet, and continue their journey chased by the grovelling of many black bird-men.

If actually attacked by intruders, the Ravens will pull back for reinforcing unless they outnumber their attacker at least 3:1. Their attack pattern resembles that of the flocking-attack action of Earth birds - many passes on a single target by hordes of ships. Coupled with the small nature of the bulk of their fleet's ships are the prevalence of fighters among even the smallest vessel. The goal of any Raven fleet is to overwhelm the enemy with fighters and starships, and they're very good about coordinating hyperspace jumps into and out of the battle.

Especially when the battle isn't going well. They're absolutely incredible about getting out of harm's way.

  • Registered: 2005-10-24
  • Posts: 4

Re: Mostly Harmless: Ships of the Unkindness of Ravens

F1 Down-class Computer-Controlled Tactical Fighter
Slow, Assault, Heavy
Ships: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Speed: 8
Rolls 2 dice per surviving fighter on attack, requires 4 1's to lose one fighter on an attack.
Requires 2 1's to lose 1 fighter on defense.

The Ravens are generally considered cowardly; that doesn't make them stupid, or bad engineers. The Down-class fighter is ideal for the Raven viewpoint - it provides the flexibility and threat of a fighter platform, without opening any Ravens to risk. The onboard computer is not an efficient machine, which along with the active deflector array on the front pulls power away from the engines.

F47 Pinion-class Attack Fighter
Assault, Heavy, Small
Ships: 4 3 2 1
Speed: 10
Rolls 2 dice per surviving fighter on attack, requires 4 1's to lose one fighter on an attack.
Requires 2 1's to lose 1 fighter on defense.

As good as the Down-class fighter is, there are just some situations where a Raven needs to get dropped into a cockpit and shot into deep space. (Usually, they're situations involving punishment.) As such, most larger Raven ships will carry flights of Pinion-class fighters, as the tiny fighters are just as tough, are faster, and can be packed much tighter than a Down. However, the necessity of putting a live Raven in them makes them unpopular among the NUR.

(Note: All starship TLs are +0, except engines which are -1.)

HUMMINGBIRD
The Ravens are fond of throwing as many fighters into the fray as they can, and this has led to some unorthodox arrangements in their navy - the oddest probably the Hummingbird. This ship amounts to a flying fighter bay - engines, hyperdrive and two short-range rocket launchers wrapped around a storage and launching facility for F1 drone fighters. The overwhelming application of Hummingbirds is as follows: Wait for battle commencement. Hyperspace in. Launch fighters. Hyperspace out. Needless to say, they're very popular among NUR personnel.

Hummingbird class Ultra-Light Carrier   (104)
Crew: 90     Displacement: 9.9 KMt
Hull: 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 0
[a] B2 "Asp" Rockets [2/4/6, 4+, 1/1/1]
ABC, ABD
Hyperdrive [O], Fighter Bay, Slow, Hvy, Aslt [O]
1[H2EQ], 2[3Ea], 3[H2Ea], 4[2EQa], 5[HEQa], 6[2EQ]

BLUEBIRD
Bluebirds are the carrier variant of the Ravens' Light Ship program. They have enough in the way of weapons that they're actually expected to stick around and do some damage before jumping out, though most captains tend to remain at the back of the battle, using their medium-range rockets to pelt their targets until their fighters are destroyed and their marines are defeated or complete their missions.

Bluebird class Light Ship, Carrier   (245)
Crew: 225    Displacement: 51.9 KMt
Hull: 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 2 1
[a] B2 "Asp" Rockets [2/4/6, 4+, 1/1/1]
ABC, ABD
[b ] B3 "Adder" Rockets [4/8/12, 4+, 1/1/2]
AB
Hyperdrive [O], Fighter Bay, Slow, Hvy, Aslt [OO], Marine Squad [OOO]
1[HS], 2[EQ], 3[HQ], 4[Ea], 5[Hb], 6[E]

BLACKBIRD
Where Bluebird is the carrier variant of the Light Ship, Blackbird is its attack variant. The fighter bays and marine pods have been replaced with an additional rocket launcher and a set of coilguns. Its mission is to put itself in the line of fire between the enemy and the Raven carriers. They are not popular assignments.

Blackbird class Light Ship, Assault   (77)
Crew: 198    Displacement: 52 KMt
Hull: 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 2 1
[a] B2 "Asp" Rockets [2/4/6, 4+]
ABC, ABD, EF
[b ] B3 "Adder" Rockets [4/8/12, 4+, 1/1/2]
AB
[c] K1 "Peanut" Coilgun [2/4/6, 3+, 1/1/2]
ABCD, ABCD, CDEF
Hyperdrive [O], Armor Plating
1[HSc], 2[EQ], 3[Ha], 4[Ea], 5[Hb], 6[Ec]

  • Registered: 2005-10-24
  • Posts: 4

Re: Mostly Harmless: Ships of the Unkindness of Ravens

CARDINAL
This escort carrier is not in wide use anymore, being extremely short on weapons and only carrying three squadrons of F47 fighters into battle. It has limited long-range engagement capacity with its rockets and a single plasma cannon used for defending its flanks, but can't go toe-to-toe with big ships, isn't fast enough to outrun little ships, and with the manually piloted Pinion fighters, it can't dump them and hyperspace without leaving their pilots in the cold.

Cardinal class Escort Carrier   (337)
Crew: 282    Displacement: 89.9 KMt
Hull: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 3 2 1
[a] B3 "Adder" Rockets [4/8/12, 4+, 1/1/2]
AB
[b ] E5 "Stream" Plasma Cannon [1/2/3, 5+, 1/2/2, Repeating]
CDEF
Hyperdrive [O], Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOO],
Armor Plating, Security Team [OO]
1[HQ], 2[EQ], 3[Ha], 4[Eb], 5[H], 6[S]

MACAW
The NUR is especially fond of these new ships. They call them "standoff carriers" because of the deployment method favored for them - at the back of the line of battle, pelting enemies with rocket and energy fire, while their Pinions and the Blackbirds of the fleet keep them at bay. Even if the enemies break through the forward line, a short-range engagement with a Macaw is typically a dangerous proposition, especially if the Macaw isn't alone.

Macaw class Standoff Carrier   (949)
Crew: 666    Displacement: 189.9 KMt
Hull: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 2 1
Shields: 3 2 1
[a] B4 "Ambler" Rockets [6/12/18, 4+, 1/2/3]
AC, BD
[b ] K6 "Popcorn" Autocannon [3/6/9, 3+, 2/2/1]
ABCD, EF
[c] E14 "Spine" Gamma Ray Lance [5/10/15, 5+, 1/3/2]
ABC, ABD
Hyperdrive [O],
Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOOOOOOO],
Security Team [OOOOOO]
1[HQ], 2[EQ], 3[Ha], 4[Sb], 5[Hc], 6[Q]

CROW
The Crow is the most massive ship in standard service with the NUR. Not necessarily the most dangerous, even though the front-mounted Particle Vortex Gun has a good chance of hitting close and midrange targets for massive damage and its secondary weapons threaten targets at long-range. It carries six flights of F47 fighters, whose casualty rates off Crow-class LWPs are elevated at best.

Crow class Large Weapon Platform   (931)
Crew: 693    Displacement: 251.3 KMt
Hull: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 2 1
Shields: 4 3 2 1
[a] B4 "Ambler" Rockets [6/12/18, 4+, 1/2/3]
AB
[b ] K8 "Pesto" RA Kinetic Cannon [5/10/15, 3+, 1/2/2]
ABCD, EF
[c] E15 "Swirl" Particle Vortex Gun [4/8/12, 4+, 3/3/3, Re-Rolls To-Hit Dice, Doubled Range Modifiers]
AB
Hyperdrive [O], Security Team [OOOOOOOOOO],
Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOOOOO]
1[HQ], 2[Ea], 3[Hb], 4[Sc], 5[H], 6[Q]

RAVEN
The flagship of the Navy of the Unkindness of Ravens is a slightly modified Crow-class LWP. The NUR got away with installing an experimental, shield-resonant energy cannon in place of the Crow's PVG and loading an additional three squadrons of Pinion fighters, by virtue of an improved engine package "acquired" from a former customer's modified Crow-class. The NUR has had no luck in adapting it to other ships.

Raven class Flagship   (1214)
Crew: 783    Displacement: 251.9 KMt
Hull: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 2 1
Shields: 4 3 2 1
[a] B4 "Ambler" Rockets [6/12/18, 4+, 1/2/3]
AB
[b ] K8 "Pesto" RA Kinetic Cannon [5/10/15, 3+, 1/2/2]
ABCD, EF
[c] E16 "Sabre" Ship Cracker [5/10/15, 5+, 1/3/3, Variable DMG, Shield-Resonant]
AB
Hyperdrive [O], Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOOOOOOOO],
Security Team [OOOOOOOOOO]
1[HQ], 2[Ea], 3[Hb], 4[Sc], 5[H], 6[Q]

  • Registered: 2005-10-24
  • Posts: 4

Re: Mostly Harmless: Ships of the Unkindness of Ravens

CUCKOO
There is nothing notable about this vessel - its job is to repair damaged vessels (up to Cardinal-class) and treat wounded personnel, not exchange shots with warships. In emergency situations, it can deploy a decoy to draw off fire while it charges its hyperdrive, but it is not meant for front-line or any other type of combat.

Cuckoo class Small Ship Tender   (19)
Crew: 423    Displacement: 89.9 KMt
Hull: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 2 1
Shields:
Hyperdrive [O], Repair Bay x6, Medical Bay x6, Decoy [O]
1[H], 2[E], 3[H], 4[Q], 5[H], 6[H]

BUZZARD
Much in line with its smaller cousin, the Cuckoo, the Buzzard's task is to repair ships (Crow- and Raven-sized) and treat wounded. It carries three flights of F47 fighters for self-defense, but it sees combat so rarely that the bays are used for auxilliary kitchen space - so if nothing else, Buzzard fighter pilots are kept well fed.

Buzzard class Large Ship Tender   (260)
Crew: 1041   Displacement: 252 KMt
Hull: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 2 1
Shields: 2 1
Hyperdrive [O], Repair Bay x12, Medical Bay x12, Security Team [OOO], Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOO]
1[H], 2[E], 3[H], 4[S], 5[H], 6[Q]

RAVEN'S NEST
The NUR has bases all over their territory, hidden inside asteroids and shielded from all but the most intense scans. Any one of them is capable of churning out any Raven ship up a Crow-class LWP, though much of their production capacity is used restocking F1 drone fighters. A few unscrupulous station commanders take private commissions to requested specifications outside of the NUR's well-established ship-sales department, though Tech Levels of the requested ship cannot exceed -1 for engines or +0 for the other categories.

Raven's Nest class Asteroid Station   (860)
Crew: 1875   Displacement: 400 KMt
Hull: 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 0
Shields: 0
Anti-Fighter Batteries [O], Armor Plating, Construction Bay x12, Repair Bay x12, Fighter Bay, Aslt, Hvy, Sml [OOOOOOOOOOOO]
1[H], 2[Q], 3[H], 4[Q], 5[H], 6[H]