T.W. “Marigalante” class Ley Line Carrack / Ocean Vessel:

Larger vessels that caravels, these ships can be considered the ancestors of the great ships of the age of sail. They tended to be three of four masted designs and were large enough to be stable in high seas and roomy enough to carry enough supplies for long ocean voyages. The design of carracks is believed to have been developed by the Portuguese during the fifteenth century and were instrumental in the age of exploration. As with most ships built during the age of sail, there was a great variety between ships even when built at the same time and at the same yard. Famous carracks include the Santa María, São Gabriel, Victoria, and Mary Rose.

Over the years, a number of reproductions of famous carracks were built. Of course, in many cases the exact plans are unknown so the designs are as much educated guesses as anything. Still, a number survived along with books, models, and other sources on these designs. This gave techno-wizards a large and rich source to develop vessels from. There are a number of different techno-wizard designs, some quite different although the Marigalante is fairly typical. While not quite as small as caravel designs such as the Esperanza, these ships are on the smallish side compared to most other techno-wizard designs. Often even sloops and brigs are actually larger than carracks.

There is a wide variety of quality among techno-wizard ley line vessels. Some are less well crafted and are not actually very sea worthy while others are extremely well built and are quite sea worthy. The Marigalante are built by the same techno-wizards who craft the Esperanza class and are among the best of the carrack designs as far as quality. It is believed that the yard these ships are built at is in South America. Each ship is a work of art in its own right and each vessel is unique. Whenever possible, traditional building techniques is used to build these carracks, increasing the time required to build them.

While there are forests on Rifts Earth which have not been felled since the coming of the Rifts on Earth, lumber to build these ships is still sometimes hard to come by. As a result, the wood used to construct these vessels is often created through Earth Elemental magic. In any case, the wood is enchanted with the spell of Iron Wood which enables the ship to withstand damage as if it is made from high strength composites and alloys. As an added bonuses, the ships are virtually immune to the ravages of marine organisms. Such creatures have been the bane of wooden vessels since the first wooden ships were built.

The Marigalante class are three masted vessels which are square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast. While traveling on the ocean by sail, top speed is around five knots. Of course, Ley Line travel is much more efficient with speeds of around one hundred and fifty miles per hour and can fly at altitudes up to one thousand feet. Using Ley Line travel, range is virtually unlimited. In order to launch into the sky, the spell of telekinesis is used while the spell of levitation is used to land these ships.

While still comparatively lightly armed, these ships are better armed than the Esperanza class caravel. On each side is a broadside of four “Light Culverns.” Using the enchantment of telekinesis instead of gun powder, these cannons fire a ball approximately equal to a nine pounder cannon and a four gun broadside can be fairly effective. Normal payload is forty rounds per gun. Three different types of ammunition are fired; Thunderball, Thunderfire, and Magic Grape Shot. Of course being mounted in the hull, these weapons are not very effective against small moving targets.

On the castles of ships are four telekinetic machine guns.While not period pieces, they are disguised to look like weapons of the time and are designed to look like small “Falconet” type swivel weapons complete with designs of birds of prey. While not as powerful as the main battery, these guns have an effectively unlimited payload and only need to be recharged once a month. They are far better at engaging small targets, including missiles, than the main battery and also have mounted fire control equipment to be more effective. In addition to the main battery and the four telekinetic machine guns, the crew usually carry small arms such as T.W. Firebolt Pistols and T.W. Firebolt Rifles and up to around eight marines can be embarked.

For added protection, these ships have an “Armor of Ithan” force field. It is a bit more powerful than the force field carried on the Esperanza class although still can be activated up to three times per day. The ship also has a enchanted optics, allowing the crew to see targets which are protected by invisibility. While neither of these enchantments requires mystical energy each time they are activated, most of the other enchantment do. These include the ability of the ship to become invisible and also become impervious to energy weapons. While these can be powered by the crew, the ship also has a mystical energy battery. In addition to charging the techno-wizard enchantments, can also be used to power spell casting by the crew. The battery is designed to store magical energies when the vessel is on ley lines and ley line nexus as well as being able to be recharged by spell casters in the crew.

General crew is around forty-four not including the eight marines. While underway, marines usually perform crew functions as well. In general, at least one crew is a techno-wizard and several other crew are also commonly spell casters. Most frequently, the captain is a techno-wizard. Common other classes include Ley Line Walkers and Air Warlocks. There is a tiny cabin aft for the captain and a few other officers. As an improvement over original sailing vessels, these ships have mystical sanitary and water facilities vastly improving crew comforts.

Model Type: “Marigalante” Ocean & Sky Ship

Vehicle Type: Ocean & Sky Sail Carrack

Crew: 44 with usually at least one techno-wizard. Common as well is at least one air warlock and a couple of other spell casters but not absolutely needed.

Troops: 8 Maximum (Normal of 4 pilots for Mystic Power Armors and 4 soldiers in body armor).

Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:

Mystic Power Armors (Possible)

M.D.C. by Location:

	“Small Culverin” Telekinetic Cannons (8, 4 per side):	50 each
	“Falconet” Light Telekinetic Machine Guns (4, main deck / castles):	60 each
	[1] Foremast (Forward Mast):	160
	[1] Mainmast (Middle Mast):	220
	[1] Mizzenmast (Rear Mast):	160
	[1] Sails (6):	100 each
	Rudder:	180
	[2] Main Body:	1,200
	[3] Magical “Armor of Ithan” Force Field (Three Times per Day):	400

Notes:

[1] Destruction of a mast reduces ocean and ley line speed by ½ for each mast lost.

[2] Destroying the main body causes the ship to lose structural integrity, causing the ship to sink if in the water. There are enough life preservers and inflatable life boats (one of the few items of technology added) to accommodate everyone on the ship. The ship does have the Techno-Wizard addition of impervious to energy. Specifics are listed in Weapon systems.

[3] As per the spell “Armor of Ithan” - Magic, fire, lightning, and cold all inflict one-half damage. Each activation lasts for 30 minutes.

Speed:

Ocean Surface: 5 knots or higher depending on the wind (approximately 5.75 miles per hour or 9.26 km per hour)

Ley Lines: 150 mph (240 kph). Requires the Telekinesis Spell (double cost at 16 P.P.E.) or 20 I.S.P. to initiative take off and Telekinesis Spell (double cost at 16 P.P.E.), Levitate Spell (double cost at 10 P.P.E.) or 20 I.S.P. to land the ship. Otherwise, the ship will float away slowly (2 mph) at about 100 feet (30.5 meters) off the ground. The ship can only travel through the air along ley lines and can switch directions at ley line nexus points.

Height: While Flying, maximum of 1000 feet (305 meters) and minimum of 200 feet (61 meters) without landing.

Range: Effectively Unlimited. The ship carries four months worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:

Length: 96 feet 5 inches (29.39 meters)

Beam: 26 feet 6 inches (8.08 meters).

Draft: 9 feet 11 inches (3.02 meters).

Displacement: 247 tons

Cargo: 40 tons (36.29 metric tons) of nonessential equipment and supplies. Most of the ships spaces are take up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, sails, and other equipment.

Power System: Magic and sails.

Market Cost: 55 million credits, there is a long waiting period and the cost to get one will often involve many extra costs as well.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Eight (8) Telekinetic “Small Culverin” Guns: There are four guns on each side. These weapons are surprising powerful weapons and use special magic ball that inflict large amounts of damage. The cannon balls look like standard Iron balls but in reality come in three different types.. The first is Thunderball which inflict considerable damage and creates a thunderclap that effects everyone within 10 feet (3 meters) of the cannon balls impact. The second is called Thunderfire and it erupts into fireball and inflicts greater damage than Thunderball ammunition but does not have the Thunderclap. The Third type of ammunition is Magic Grape Shot. This shot is designed to be used against a wide area and is very effective against personnel. The cannons use telekinesis to throw the rounds and does not use any gunpowder.

Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).

Mega-Damage: Thunderball Ammunition: 5D6 per round or 2D6x10 for a complete broadside. Each Thunderball will also release a thunderclap as per the spell. Each Thunderball will also release a thunderclap as per the spell (thunderclap effects a 10 feet (3 m) radius.) Thunderfire Ammunition: 1D6x10 per round or 4D6x10 for a complete broadside. The Thunderfire will often also ignite flammable materials. Magical Grape Shot Ammunition: 3D6 per round or 12D6 for a complete broadside. Each Magical Grape Shot will effect all targets within a blast radius of 20 feet (6 m).

Rate of Fire: One shot per cannon per melee (all cannons can be fired at the same time). Cannon can be loaded and fired quickly due to not needing to load gunpowder.

Payload: 320 rounds (40 per cannon), 120 rounds of Thunderball ammunition, 120 rounds of Thunderfire ammunition, and 80 rounds of Magical Grape Shot ammunition

Notes: If the cannons are used against small targets (personnel, aircraft, missiles, etc) the cannons have a -4 penalty to strike (Grape shot has +4 to strike and can be used against small targets) with no bonuses to strike to strike for hand to hand or physical prowess. As well, only a single cannon can be targeted against a small target.

2.Four (4) “Falconet” Light Telekinetic Machine Guns: Mounted on the forward and aft castles of the ship are four telekinetic machine-guns. While not period pieces, they are disguised to look like weapons of the time and are designed to look like small “Falconet” type swivel weapons complete with designs of birds of prey. Mounts have been enchanted by a series of spells so the cannons act as a more powerful version of the TK Machine gun. This increases the weapons damage and instead of being reloaded, the machine guns must be recharged by the spell Telekinesis and 50 P.P.E. once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy. Additional optics and fire control have been added to enable the system to track and target aircraft and missiles

Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).

Mega Damage: 6D6 each

Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).

Payload: Unlimited, although the spells (50 P.P.E. each mount) on each must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or not .

3.Techno-Wizard Modifications: The Carrack 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.

Special Features:

Special Systems:

Magical “See the Invisible” Optics: The ships has several special optical systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will. 2,000 feet (610 meters) range. Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
P.P.E. Battery: The ship has a special P.P.E. battery, unlike similar systems in Phase World, it does not generate magical energy but stores magical energy. The system will store up to 300 P.P.E. and can be stored by crew members and absorbs P.P.E. from Ley Lines and Nexus Points. It will absorb P.P.E. at the rate of 10 per hour on ley lines and 20 per hour on nexus points.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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