Techno-Wizard "Silver Comet" Converted Escort Carrier:


The Silver Comet was originally a fast vehicle carrier. While not the largest vehicle carrier out there, it was pretty good sized at over thirty five thousand tons when loaded. The ship was originally designed to carry luxury vehicles from Europe to North America and was specifically designed to have a high speed to provide fast service to clients who just could not wait for their new hover car or luxury automobile. It was among the fastest large civilian designed vessels ever built with a top speed over thirty knots. It was in port on the East Coast of the United States having just finished unloading in a place called New Jersey when the Rifts struck. There was consideration by the military to seize the ship at the time with the tensions running high. While damaged by the intense magic storms, the ship survived with its lower decks virtually undamaged. The storms also managed to beach the ship where the ship would not float out to sea and be lost forever. Parts of the warehouses and port equipment buried most of the ship and wrecked most of the superstructure. Still, the high strength alloys and composites withstood the ravages of time well and the ship sat for centuries before being rediscovered and restored. It has probably been discovered several times but no group has spend enough time at the vessel to explore it in depth or loot it.


Eventually, a party of adventures including a techno-wizard exploring the East Coast of North America discovered where it had been grounded. The Techno-Wizard decide that he wanted to restore the ship and turn it into a mobile base for a force of fighters which he had acquired. There have been several cases where Post Rifts mercenary units and governments had converted cargo vessels to Escort Carriers but none have been as large or as fast as this vessel and it seemed like an ideal design for this. Already having decks for vehicles meant that the ship would require far less work to convert than other merchant designs such as container ships. It took him several months of work to dislodge the vehicle carrier but eventually he was able to free the hull of the ship. While exploring the vessel, he discovered that its named had been the "Silver Comet." He liked the name and decided to retain it. He had the damaged vehicle carrier towed to where he could have it repaired and refitted and then the real work began.


While the lower decks of the ship were mostly intact, the upper levels were wrecked and the exterior of the hull needed a huge amount of work. Both propeller pods had to be replaced and the whole ship was cut down to the hull in the process of rebuilding. Even in the intact sections, systems needed to be tested and repaired. The powerful twin fusion reactors were of special concern due to safety. The ship originally had two vehicle decks. They were combined into a single hanger deck and was reinforced to support the heavier weight of aircraft. Lower cargo decks were converted to be able to carry ordnance and for other purposes. Most of the ship’s berthing areas had to be moved into the lower decks and full life support was incorporated into the design. Luckily, the design was developed incorporating a large amount of automation and the ship required only a relatively small crew. The crew is increased greatly due to the new weapons and equipment but is still relatively small. The vessel originally had a large superstructure which covered the whole width of the vehicle carrier. This was replaced by a much smaller superstructure on the port side and the ship was reconstructed with a full length flight deck. An elevator was mounted behind the superstructure and a second was mounted in the middle of the deck forward of the superstructure. While the ship was already tough, he had armor added to the ship and he has been thankful for it several times when the ship wound up in dangerous scrapes. A long range search radar was fitted to the converted vessels superstructure to be able to detect long range enemies and a hull sonar was mounted so the ship would have some ability to spot attacking submarines. Most of the systems are similar to those carried on the Aurora scout cruiser.


Weapons are also similar to those carried on the Aurora scout cruiser. A vertical style medium range missile launcher is mounted forward of the superstructure with a total missile load of sixty-four medium range missiles. A high capacity mini-missile launcher was mounted was mounted on the superstructure over the bridge and a second was mounted on the rear of the superstructure. All combined, the missile launchers make for excellent defense against incoming missiles. The ship also mounts four flack cannon mounts which are essentially copies of the Triax flack cannon from the Jaeger power armor. Two are on the forward corners of the ship and two are on the aft corners of the hull.


He concentrated on the technological aspects of refitting his carrier at first but this does not mean he ignored enchantments on his new vessel. One of the most important enchantments is the shock wave. It creates a semi-spherical wave of energy which travels outwards in all directions. It can only be used once per melee but is incredibly effective against volleys of missiles. One enchantments include the ability to create clouds of fog and another has the ability to create enchanted chaff and flares to decoy missiles. The ship has a number of more conventional enchantments including the ability to turn invisible, disappear into shadows, and become impervious to energy weapons directed at it. The ship also mounts a variety of enchanted sensors including the ability to see invisible targets.


Still, even with the weapons and enchantments added to the vessel, the true weaponry was meant to be the to squadrons of fighters carried on the escort carrier. The techno-wizard was able to acquire twenty-four VTOL version Joint Strike Fighters which he was able to modify with fusion engines replacing the standard engines and various techno-wizard enchantments to make them more lethal. The ship carries the all the equipment needed to fully refit the fighters and he is always on the lookout for aircraft to replace his losses. He later supplemented this with four Kestrel tilt rotor aircraft with two equipped with long range radar and two equipped with submarine hunting gear. He is considering replacing one of the squadrons of converted Joint Strike Fighters with F-19 Ghostrider Stealth Fighter when they become available but he has not decided for sure. The new stealth fighters are likely to be incredibly expensive. The ship also carries eighty troops in mystic power armors which are fitted with mini-missile launchers.


Since having been refitted and put into service, the carriers has been in a number of scrapes. He has fought the Coalition on several occasions and has had to deal with attacks from Atlantis as well. He often goes after pirates and has been able to partially support his fleet by raids against pirates. The carrier has been damaged a number of times but has each time been able to be repaired. The carrier is normally escorted by four Tempest class destroyers and he hopes to add an Aurora class scout cruiser to his fleet in the future.


Model Type: T.W. Escort Carrier
Vehicle Type: Ocean, Enchanted Escort Carrier (Converted Fast Vehicle Carrier)
Crew: 320 (Original crew was 40) with usually at least 8 techno-wizard and 8 other spell casting types.
Troops: 80 pilots for Mystic Power Armors and 66 aircraft pilots / crews


Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:
Power Armors:

200Mystic Power Armors (With T.W. Anime Backpacks)
Fighter/Aircraft Compliment:
24F-35B+ Joint Strike Fighters (VTOL Variant with Fusion Engines & T.W. Enchantments)
2SV-25 "Sea Kestrel" Anti-Submarine Warfare
2EV-25 “Kestrel Eye” Electronics Warfare


M.D.C. by Location:

[1] Elevators (2):200 each
Hanger Door (1):200
[2] Flight Deck:2,000
Twin Barrel Flack Cannon Turret (4, sides):280 each
Medium Range VLS Missile Launcher (1, 16 Cell):300
Short Range Missile Launchers (2, Front and Rear):150 each
[3] Radar System:200
[4] Bridge / Command Tower:1,200
Outer Hull (per 40 foot / 12.2 meter area):80
[5] Main Body:5,500


Notes:
[1] If both are destroyed, no aircraft can be moved from the hangers to the main flight deck.
[2] If the flight deck is destroyed, VTOL aircraft can be launched or land at -15% to piloting.
[3] Destroying Search Radar Tower will eliminate SPS-49 radar system.
[4] If Control Bridge is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but with a -15% to piloting rolls due to using emergency controls. Communication and sensor equipment are not concentrated on the bridge to reduce the effectiveness of bridge hits.
[5] Destroying the main body causes the ship to lose structural integrity, causing the ship to sink. There are enough life preservers and inflatable life boats to accommodate everyone on the ship.


Speed:
Surface: 35 mph (30.5 knots/ 56.5 kph)
Maximum Effective Range: Effectively Unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every 10 years and requires maintenance as well). Ship carries six months of supplies on board.


Statistical Data:
Length: 820 feet (249.9 meters) overall and 785 feet (239.3 meters) waterline
Draft: 34.5 feet (10.5 meters) including sonar mount
Width: 125 feet (38.1 meters) including flight deck and 102 feet (31.1 meters) waterline.
Displacement: 30,200 tons standard and 36,800 tons fully loaded
Cargo: Can carry 2,000 tons of nonessential equipment and supplies. 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 ammo, armor, troops, weapons, and engines.
Power System: Nuclear Reactor, average life span is 10 years
Market Cost: Not for Sale but costs around 200 to 400 million credits to construct. If sold on the black market would likely cost two to three times construction costs.


Weapon Systems:

  1. Twin Recoilless Anti-Aircraft Flack Cannon Turrets (4): The cannons are mounted in twins mounts with two on either side of the vessel bow and two on either side of the ship’s fantail. Each cannon is identical to the TX-862FC with the exception that the weapon's ammunition bins are larger and are mounted in pairs. The cannon turrets can rotate 360 and the barrel can tilt up to 90 degrees. It is normally used for Anti-Aircraft purposes but also works as excellent but fairly short range artillery.
    Maximum Effective Range: 10,000 feet (3048 meters).
    Mega Damage: Single Round: 4D6 M.D.C., Two Rounds 1D6x10, and Six Rounds 3D6x10. Double weapons damage if the gun is firing both cannons simultaneously (1D6x10 for two rounds / 2D6 x 10 for four rounds/ and 6D6x10 for twelve rounds)
    Rate of Fire:Equal to the gunners combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6) each (Firing both barrels counts as one attack)
    Payload: Total 1200 for each barrel (2400 total for mount). That is 200 volleys of 6 rounds, or 600 two round volleys.
    Special Feature: The flack cannon has both and independent power supply and its own laser targeting and radar tracking system (especially useful if radar system is destroyed). Sensor has a range of 11,000 feet (3353 meters). The system can also be set on automatic which gives it +1 to strike and three attacks per melee and will fire two round burst. Gives +2 when fired.
  2. Medium Range Missile Battery (1): The Battery is located forward of the carrier's superstructure. The launcher can launch up to 16 simultaneously each and automatically reload the launcher after each firing. This acts as the ships point defense and is normally used to engage incoming air targets and missiles. Launchers look like a vertical launch missile launcher similar to the Pre-Rifts Vertical Launch Sea Sparrow launchers.
    Maximum Effective Range: As per medium range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
    Mega Damage: As per medium range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) missiles per launcher.
    Payload: 64 medium range missiles total.
  3. Two (2) Short Range Missile Launching Systems: Each launcher has a 36 Short Range Missiles and fills a similar role to the Pre-Rifts RAM missile launcher. These launchers primary purpose is to shoot incoming missiles. One launcher is mounted on the forward part of the superstructure over the bridge while the second is mounted in the aft section of the superstructure. Missiles are usually 50% AP and 50% Plasma. Each launcher operates independently
    Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
    Mega Damage: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), six (6), or twelve (12) missiles (Each launcher operates independently.)
    Payload: 36 missiles each launcher for a grand total of 72 missiles (Has 144 missiles for reloads kept in storage)
  4. Magical “Shockwave” Defense System: When it is activated, a circular energy wave is emanated from the ship in all directions. The blast is semi-spherical and effects travel upwards as well. The blast does not effect targets underwater. It is longer ranged version of the eight level spell shockwave. Unfortunately, the spell can only be activated once per melee and requires magical energy every time it is activated. It is mostly used to destroy incoming missiles. The system does not effect people and equipment on the deck of the ship
    Maximum Effective Range: 1,000 feet (305 meters) in all directions
    Mega Damage: 1D4x10 to all targets within radius of effect (S.D.C. objects will be completely destroyed). The system also inflicts knock as per the spell “Shockwave” on page 144 of World Book 16: Federation of Magic. (General Guideline: If the shockwave does not destroy the incoming missiles then missiles of medium range and smaller have an 88% of being knocked from the air, long range missiles have a 50% chance of being knocked out of the air, and cruise missiles have a 20% of being knocked out of the air)
    Rate of Fire: Once per melee
    Payload: One, requires 35 P.P.E. to be activated again
  5. Magical “Fireworks” Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (8): In many ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare system. When the system fires, it looks like fireworks firing. The anti-missile system works by combining three spells. The three spells are Fire Bolt, Apparition, and Telekinesis. The physical effects of the system are similar to the Triax Anti-Missile chaff but instead of being reloaded, it is recharged by spells.
    Effect:
      01-35 - Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missiles are all destroyed.
      36-60 - Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target.)
      61-00 - No effect, enemy missile or missile volley is still on target.
    Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half.
    Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
    Payload: 10 Uses before being recharged. Each launcher is recharged by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis (8 P.P.E.). The cost for all launchers to be recharged is 280 P.P.E. All launchers must be activated at the same time to operate correctly.
  6. Magical “Cloud of Fog” Generator: This system is built into the ships superstructure and unlike most magical systems, does not require magical from a spell caster and instead and instead uses the steam from a tap to the elemental planes of fire and water to produce the cloud of fog.
    Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) in all directions
    Effect: Produces a fog bank that obscures vision. Visibility is reduced to 60 feet inside the cloud and even with thermal sensors, a penalty of -2 to strike parry and dodge
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  7. Techno-Wizard Modifications: The Silver Comet has the following Techno-Wizard Modifications built into the ship. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the ships crew or P.P.E. battery. The P.P.E. and I.S.P. values listed inside of the parenthesis are if using higher P.P.E. costs for larger vehicles.
    Special Features:
      Shadow Meld (10th Level) - 10 P.P.E. or 20 I.S.P. (40 P.P.E. or 80 I.S.P.)
      Impervious to Energy (10th Level) - 20 P.P.E. or 40 I.S.P. (80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.)
      Invisibility-Superior (10th Level) - 20 P.P.E. or 40 I.S.P. (80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.)


Special Systems:
The ship has all systems standard on a robot vehicle plus the following special features:



[ Altarain TM, Bandito Arms TM, Brodkil TM, Chipwell Armaments TM, Coalition States TM, Cyber-Knight TM, Federation of Magic TM, Free Quebec TM, Golden Age Weaponsmiths TM, Horune TM, Iron Heart Armaments TM, Kankoran TM, Kittani TM, Kydian TM, Larsen’s Brigade TM, M.D.C. TM, Mechanoids TM, Mega-Damage TM, Megaversal Legion TM, Millennium Tree TM, Mutants in Orbit TM, Naruni Enterprises TM, Naut’Yll, New Navy TM, New Sovietskiy TM, NGR TM, Nog Heng TM, Northern Gun TM, Phase World TM, Psyscape TM, Rifter TM, SAMAS TM, S.D.C. TM, Shemarrian TM, Splugorth TM, Stormspire TM, Sunaj TM, Tolkeen TM, Triax TM, Wellington Industries TM, Wilk’s Laser Technologies TM, Xiticix TM, and Zaayr TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]

[ Beyond the Supernatural®, Heroes Unlimited®, Nightbane®, Ninjas & Superspies®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Rifts® are registered trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]


Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2005, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


Return