Valdemarian Battle Sphere:

The Valdemarians was a race which predated by many millenniums any of the known races of the Three Galaxies. Archaeological evidence indicates that they are relatives of elves. It is possible that the Prometheans may have been around during their heyday but no one else. There also was enough distance that neither culture might have actually had any contact. Unlike the Consortium of Civilized Worlds and Trans-Galactic Empire, the civilization was not widely spread out but instead were only in about a dozen systems and were within a sphere of only around forty light-years of each other. Some disaster destroyed the civilization with some evidence being a gamma radiation blast from a neutron star. Some Consortium scientists theorize that a gravity wave from the event also causes a disruption which prevented escape using faster than light drives.

The race was extremely advanced, equal to the most advanced technology in development in the Consortium and Trans-Galactic Empire militaries although cannot be considered super-tech. Several archeological and military research missions have been sent to what had once been Valdemarian space although little has been able to be recovered. Virtually all of their equipment was destroyed. By most evidence, the Valdemarian culture appears to be relatively peaceful but followed the old adage that for peace you needed to be prepared for war.

One of the most advanced areas of technology for the Valdemarian culture was their construction facilities which where almost completely automated. As a result, their production was incredible for a race which spanned as few a systems as they did. It is believed that a full dozen Battle Spheres (actually thirteen were built), each the size of a small moon, were built. They are among the largest vessels believed to have ever been built in the Three Galaxies. In fact, the only ship which approximately equals the size of a Battle Sphere is the Kreeghor Armageddon Super Dreadnought. Valdemarian Battle Spheres are not quite spherical, being around 3,000 meters wide and tall and 3,500 meters long.

There are no known surviving Battle Spheres and their size has been derived from the wreckage of a vessel. As such, most consider that the Kreeghor ship is the largest warship in the Three Galaxies. Still, there is a rumor that a Battle Sphere is still operational perhaps controlled by the advanced artificial intelligence known to be at the heart of these ships. While there is data records of encounters with this ship, usually to have the ship to fade out within moments, many experts consider the records to be faked.

These ships appear to have taken a couple of decade to build each although only two yards were capable of building them. As a result, these ships were built over the course of centuries. These ships are designed to be able to operate completely independently and for a virtually unlimited period. The ship has full facilities to make repairs to the hull, weapons, and various systems. In these ships were also the facilities to built new missiles, fighters, and even bombers as long as there is a supply of raw materials.

Power is provided by fusion reactors not anti-matter but the reactors use extremely high powered gravity fields and are incredibly efficient. Drives are a modified version of contra-grav drives called a slip-stream drive and has a maximum faster than light travel of sixteen light years per hour. Acceleration in normal speed is also incredible for a ship of its size.

Designed to be operated by a crew of around ten thousand, these multiple purpose vessels have space to carry up to one hundred thousand passengers and could be used as colony ships. There is some speculation that several surviving ships might have been used to transport the remains of the Valdemarian to a new galaxy cluster far away from the Three Galaxies. These ships can carry around half that number of marines with power armor. Factory facilities allow up to one hundred power armor per hour to be manufactured. As well, the ship can carry up to twenty-five hundred fighters and heavy bombers. Manufacturing facilities allows up to twenty fighters or five bombers to be built per hour.

It should be noted that command and control facilities on these ships is likely on as large a scale as the ships themselves are built on. The artificial intelligence can actually control the ships and the ship could fight without any crew. It actually extends to the point where fighters and other small craft could be operated independently. The computer system is only approached in capability by the Consortium Neural Prime computer and even that is less capable. Many believe that the computer on the Battle Sphere was an impression of a sentient mind.

These ships are immensely armored and protected by massive force fields. It is believed that the shields are around six times more powerful than those carried on a Consortium Protector class battleship. These ships are capable of taking damage which might destroy an entire fleet or battleships. There is the suggestion that none of these ships were ever destroyed in actual combat although it is extremely difficult to tell for sure.

The main energy battery are grazer type weapons which the Consortium has just introduced into their vessels. It is ironic that it appears that a cosmic gamma radiation weapon may be what too out the Valdemarian culture. The main weapon batteries could take out a battleship or dreadnought in a very few number of shots. A number of lighter grazer weapons are also mounted. These are fully as large as those carried on the Protector class battleship as the main battery. The grazer weapons are backed up with gravity weapons which are effective against targets which are impervious to energy. It appears likely that they had to fight enemy with magically protected ships which were unable to be damaged by normal energy weaponry.

For long range combat, these ships are armed with huge number of missile launchers. The ship have massive bay launchers, eight with each having the capacity for firing volleys of fifty missiles. While not identical to cruise missiles carried on Three Galaxies vessels, they are extremely similar. The ship carries ten thousand of these missiles and can manufacture these missiles at the rate of one hundred per hour. Most types of missiles can be built by the ship including X-Ray laser and heavy missiles equivalent to the specialty warheads produced by the Consortium and Trans-Galactic Empire. The ship also carries the equivalent of long range and medium range missile bays. These can also be manufactured onboard the ship. These are used for long range defense of the ship.

Point defense weaponry includes both Tachyon weaponry similar to those carried on New Coventry ships although longer ranged as well as more gravity weaponry although these mounts are much lighter than the main battery. The ship is believed to mount approximately two hundred point defense batteries including both types. The Tachyon weaponry is extremely effective against missile volleys which slip through the long range and medium range defense missiles.

The ship has a special Gravity Wave generator similar to the system carried on the Trans-Galactic Empire Death Trap FTL Interdictor. It creates a randomly variable gravity field which will pull ships out of faster than light mode. It works on ships using Contra-Grav and Phase Drives. Due to damage to safety systems, it usually takes around ten minutes for a FTL propulsion system to be reactivated once a ship has been pulled from FTL travel.

Ship design uses modified starship speeds and weapon ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.

Model Type: Valdemarian Battle Sphere
Vehicle Type: Combination Super Battleship / Super Carrier
Crew: 10,000 (Can be run by only the ship's A.I.)
Troops: 52,000 Marines and 10,000 fighter / shuttle pilots.

Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Power Armors:
50,000Valdemarian Power Armors
Fighter Compliment:
2,000Valdemarian Fighters
500Valdemarian Heavy Bombers
Transports:
20Valdemarian Assault Shuttles
Tanks & Other Vehicles:
100Valdemarian Hover Tanks

M.D.C. By Location:
500 cm Main Grazer Batteries (2):25,000 each
100 cm Secondary Grazer Batteries (16):6,000 each
80 cm Gravity Slicer Beams Cannons (12):4,000 each
[1] Gravity Wave Generators (4):5,000 each
Cruise Missile Batteries (8):5,000 each
Long-Range Missile Batteries (12):3,000 each
Medium Range Missile Batteries (24):1,000 each
Point Defense Tachyon Dispersion Beams (128):500 each
Point Defense Gravity Mounts (128):450 each
[1] Bridge:400,000
[1] Auxiliary Bridge:400,000
Hanger Bay (4):100,000 each
[2] Main Engines (2, sides of rear of ship):300,000 each
[3] Main Body:1,500,000
[4] Variable Force Field:60,000 a side (360,000 Total)

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done to get a weapon through the armor on a called shot to hit the bridge. This ship also has an auxiliary bridge. The ship can still be piloted from engineering even if both bridges are destroyed but the ship is -3 to dodge. All weapon systems will be at locally control at the weapon mounts. Weapon hits near the bridge can injure crew members near the bridge. The main computer core is located in the main bridge with a full backup in the secondary bridge.
[2] Destroying the main engines eliminates F.T.L. systems and reduces maximum sublight speed by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the Battle Sphere out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck. If the ship is wrecked, self repair system will stop functioning.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (18,000 M.D.C.) per round.

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.8 percent of light per melee. (If the Slip stream generators are damage, reduce acceleration to 0.6 percent of light per melee)
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 100 mph (161 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight and cannot land on a planet.
Stardrive: Standard CG-Drive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 8 light years per hour. Gravitronic Slip Stream Drive: Doubles normal faster than light speed to a maximum of 16 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system. Has full facilities to support the ship for an indefinite period including a huge hydroponic section.

Statistical Data:
Length: 11,482.9 feet (3,500 meters)
Height: 9,842.5 feet (3,000 meters)
Width: 9,842.5 feet (3,000 meters)
Weight: 826.7 million tons (750 million metric tons)
Power System: Advanced High Density Fusion, Duration without refueling of 40 years. Has the ability to refuel reactor on its own for has virtually unlimited duration.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 110 million tons (100 million metric tons) of Cargo in addition to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ship's spaces are taken up by extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: No ships of this design have ever been put on sale on the market (or probably ever will be). Estimated cost of the vessel is 1 trillion or more credits. Most governments would bankrupt themselves to get possession of one of these ships or to prevent others from acquiring one.

Weapon Systems:

  1. Gravity Wave Generator: This system is a very special system that has the ability to prevent most FTL propulsion systems from activating and can be used to pull ships using Contra-Grav and Phase Drive FTL propulsion from FTL travel. It does this by setting up a randomly fluctuating gravity field. It normally requires a period of ten minutes before a ship pulled out of FTL in this way can re-enter FTL travel. The system will effect targets traveling at FTL speeds but cannot be activated while the ship is traveling at FTL speeds.
    Range: 372,564 (599,460 km / 2 light second) radius
    Effects: Prevents ships using most FTL travel systems from entering FTL and pulls ships using Contra-Grav and Phase Drive FTL propulsion from FTL travel. Requires 10 minutes for a ship to re-enter FTL.
    Rate of fire: Effectively Unlimited, requires 2 melee of charging to activate and 2 melees to shut down
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Main Grazer Batteries (2): Two 500 cm grazer cannons are in the ship which fire forward but have the ability to be angled up to 40 degrees to each side and 15 degrees up or down. These weapon batteries are the size of a battle cruiser on their own. A double blast can actually take out a Protector or Doombringer in a single paired blast. The weapon mounts would have about a 25% increase in both range and damage over standard laser cannons of the same size assume one existed. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at F.T.L. velocities. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large gun.
    Maximum Effective Range: 150,000 miles (241,000 km) in space and 150 miles (241 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega-Damage: 3D6x10,000 for a single blast, or 6D6x10,000 for a double blast (both guns in the battery engaging the same target).
    Rate of Fire: Each one can be fired once every other melee round.
    Payload: Effectively unlimited.
  3. Secondary Grazer Batteries (16): Sixteen 100 cm grazer cannons are mounted in turrets with eight to a side. By firing combined blasts, they can core a planetoid with a few shots. The weapon mounts have about a 25% increase in both range and damage over standard laser cannons of the same size. The weapon mounts are mounted in the forward area of the ship and can be angled up to 120 degrees aft (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 30 degree angle up or down. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large gun.
    Maximum Effective Range: 150,000 miles (241,000 km) in space and 150 miles (241 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega-Damage: 3D6x1,000 for a single blast, or 6D6x1,000 for a double blast (both guns in the battery engaging the same target).
    Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire up to two times per melee round (Battle Sphere has 16 cannons so ship can fire a total of 32 single shots from the secondary battery.)
    Payload: Effectively unlimited.
  4. Gravity Slicer Beam Cannons (12): 80 cm mounts which have a 180 degree arc of fire with six on each side. The weapon uses controlled opposing gravimetric waves to create an energy beam weapon that shreds the target. Due to the deep penetration of the weapon, it has a much better chance to do critical damage to the target and ships dread the slicer beam hitting their fusion reactors. The weapons have standard penalties to hit fighters and other small targets. Each Gravity Slicer Beam Cannon fires individually and has a 60-degree arc of fire. Since gravity propagates itself at FTL speeds, this weapon can actually be used against vehicles that are traveling at faster than the speed of light. The weapons do full damage to targets in magic rich universes with the spell impervious to energy.
    Maximum Effective Range: 100,000 miles (160,000 km) in space and 100 miles (160 km) in atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 2D6x1,000 per Slicer beam strike (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration)
    Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire up to two times per melee round (Battle Sphere has 12 cannons so ship can fire a total of 24 single shots from the battery.)
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  5. Point Defense Tachyon Dispersion Beams (128): Mounted on top, bottom, and sides of the starship. The main purpose of this system is as an anti-missile point defense. Mount has greater range than the weapon mounts on New Coventry and other military vessels. Like other Tachyon point defense mounts, the stream lasts for significant fraction of a second and missiles tend to run into the stream. This can detonate a whole volley of missiles before they strike the ship (Roll once against a volley and unless the missiles roll to dodge greater than strike roll, they are all destroyed.) This system has an interesting property that the system can actually be used at FTL speeds because Tachyons travel faster than the speed of light.. Each Point Defense Tachyon Dispersion Beam is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
    Maximum Effective Range: 99.4 miles (160 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one sixteenth in atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 2D6x10 each.
    Rate of fire: Maximum of four (4) times per melee each (+4 to strike when controlled by the ship's computer)
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  6. Point Defense Gravity Mounts (128): These weapons are basically lighter versions of the gravity slicer beams. The weapon uses controlled opposing gravimetric waves to create an energy beam weapon that shreds the target. Unlike the heavier weapons, these gravity weapons do not have the penetration to inflict deep criticals. These are designed to be useful against fighters, missiles, and other small targets. Since gravity propagates itself at FTL speeds, this weapon can actually be used against vehicles that are traveling at faster than the speed of light. The weapons do full damage to targets in magic rich universes with the spell impervious to energy.
    Maximum Effective Range: 6 miles (9.65 km) through atmosphere and 600 miles (965 km) in space.
    Mega Damage: 3D6x10
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5) - Controlled by Ship's Computer has 6 attacks per melee (+4 to strike when controlled by the ship's computer)
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  7. Eight (8) Cruise Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still travel same course and speed unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) See Modified starship rules for more details, Cruise missiles have minuses to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
    Maximum Effective Range: Missile range is 8000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space. At game masters option, missile range can be increased by 25% due to more advanced technology.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Anti-Matter does 4D6x100 MDC).
    Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 12, 25, or 50 per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 128 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
    Payload: 400 total, 50 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 25 reload of missiles (10,000 cruise missile reloads total). Ship can manufacture up to 100 cruise missiles per hour.
  8. Twelve (12) Long Range Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) Long range missiles do not have minuses to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
    Maximum Effective Range: Missile range is 3400 miles (5470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,89700 km/9.7 light seconds) in space. At game masters option, missile range can be increased by 25% due to more advanced technology.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Fusion does 2D4x100 MDC).
    Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 12, 25, or 50 per launcher, per melee attack.
    Payload: 600 total, 50 long range missiles per launcher. Ship has 25 reload of missiles (15,000 long range missile reloads total). Ship can manufacture up to 150 long range missiles per hour.
  9. Twenty Four (24) Medium Range Missile Launchers: Mounted around the Like other Phase world systems, weapon system range and speed has been increased. Missile range is 1000 times normal in space and double normal range in an atmosphere. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Normally used for anti-fighter and middle layer point defense.
    Maximum Effective Range: 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space. At game masters option, missile range can be increased by 25% due to more advanced technology.
    Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See Phase World Missiles).
    Rate of fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 8, 12, or 25 missiles per launcher.
    Payload: 400 per launcher for a total of 9,600 medium range missiles. Ship can manufacture up to 400 medium range missiles per hour.
  10. . Micro-Repair System: The starship has several hundred thousand tiny robots to do repairs. These robots can repair both system damage or hull damage. It repairs system damage by repairing and replacing component, wave guides, and wire runs. It repairs hull damage by first stabilizing he damage (repairs about half of damage), then by using on-board storage (carries 40,000 M.D.C. of materials), and finally by scavenging from objects around it. The ship can only scavenge from objects that it is touching or that it can travel on a surface to the object being a scavenged from. When stabilizing hull or using on board storage, M.D.C. is repaired at the rate of 2,000 M.D.C. per hour, but when micro-robots are scavenging, repair rate is limited to 500 M.D.C. per hour or less based on the availability of supplies. If the ship is wrecked, self repair system will stop functioning.

Other Systems:

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