Jeanne d'Arc Assault Cruiser (Converted Boadicea class Cruiser):


Jeanne d'Arc was one of the first Boadicea class cruisers built for the Human Alliance Navy. These ships were ground breaking in technology in multiple areas. Still, these cruisers eventually became obsolete replaced by the newer Natasha Kurganov missile cruisers and Everest class gun cruisers. As these newer entered service, the old cruisers were retired.


Before being retired from Human Alliance naval service, the Jeanne d'Arc was converted to a cadet training cruiser. Her missile payload were reduced and the freed up space was used for classroom space and additional berthing for the cadets. In this role, she served for several decades before being considered obsolete. Many newer Boadicea class cruisers were retired before she was as a result.


Eventually though she was retired and was sold to a system defense force. In the next century or so, she severed in several independent system defense forces. Sometimes she served under her original name while at other times she served under a variety of different names. While not generally operated as a training vessel in these defense forces, she was never converted back to her original configuration.


As with many warships, she was eventually sold outside of military service and wound up in mercenary service. In many cases, her additional berthing was used to carry troops. As when she served in the independent defense forces, she served under a variety of different mercenary companies, different captains, and under a number of different names.


By the end of her service with the various mercenary companies, the Jeanne d'Arc was in rough shape and seemed destined to be scrapped. Many of her owners had not maintained her very well and systems were not even operational especially her engineering plant. The Boadicea herself ended up as a museum ship although she is no longer operational. As luck would have it, a group of ex-Human Alliance Naval and Marine officers decided to restore her to fighting shape as an assault cruiser under her original name of Jeanne d'Arc.


As an assault cruiser, she is a combination of cruiser and troop transport. Part of the design philosophy of an assault cruiser is to be able to support her own assault. The heavy weaponry of a cruiser allows the Jeanne d'Arc to fight her way through relatively heavy planetary and orbital defenses. Still, she is not considered to carry enough of a troop compliment to seize anything like a planet. As often as used for assault missions, the Jeanne d'Arc is used for special operations roles.


In order to clear enough space for a larger fighter compliment, the ability to carry assault shuttles, a small vehicle compliment, and generally better troop facilities, it was decided to strip out her two capital missile batteries. Badly damaged, the launchers would have been extremely difficult to rebuilt. It would have been likely easier just to replace the launchers with new ones. In large part these missile launchers were replaced by hanger bays.


Instead of a single medium fighter squadron, a squadron and a half of light fighters and a squadron of medium fighters are able to be embarked. Refitted Osprey class medium fighters and Hyena light fighters are carried. In addition, over two hundred power armors, mostly “Steel Grunt” power armors, and eight wheeled light armored personnel carriers can be embarked. The replacement of half of the armored personnel carriers with wheeled light tanks.


As with her cruiser missile batteries, her long range missile batteries were also in rough shape. Only one out of the four was operational. Of the three other batteries, two had to be almost completely rebuilt. Her mini-missile launchers were in better shape and easier to repair. Four out of the six were operational and the other two required only relatively minor work.


Two of the twelve centimeter heavy lasers were retained leaving only two to support the two much longer ranged twenty-eight centimeter particle beams. The two stripped mounts were used to restore the remaining mounts. The six point defense electromagnetic rail guns and eight double barrel point defense lasers are retained. These also required extensive restoration to be fully operation.


Worse than the weaponry, the engineering plant was completely in ruins. Instead of trying to restore or repair the plant, it was decided to replace it with a new civilian plant. These were from fast merchant designs and the new contra-grav propulsion has a top faster than light speed of four light years per hour. Interestingly, both the reactors and propulsion systems are smaller than the ones they replace. The modern civilian designs are also far easier to maintain than the original systems.


Other upgrades were made to the cruiser. Also unsalvageable, the original shield generators were replaced by more powerful generator taken from those carried on armed merchant designs. Sensors were replaced by more modern systems or greater range. Finally, the ship was given additional automation to reduce crew compliment. Compliment is reduced by almost twenty percent.


This starship design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.


Model Type: CL-06 (Modified)
Vehicle Type: Assault Cruiser (Converted Cruiser)
Crew: 295 (25 Officers, 270 enlisted)
Troops: 360 Marines (220 in Power Armor), 18 Shuttle Pilots / Crew, and 36 Fighter Pilots / Crew.


Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Power Armors & Robots:

20SC-MM-1000 Stormcrow Space Combat Exoskeleton
200Human Alliance HAFA-PA-06 “Steel Grunt” Power Armors (Some knock offs)
Fighter Compliment:
12Modified SF-6 Osprey Medium Starfighters
18Mercenary MSX-128 “Hyena” Light Starfighter
Assault Shuttles:
4LASVP-10 Higgens Light Assault Shuttle
Tanks & Other Vehicles:
8Human Alliance HAFA-APC113 "Lynx" Armored Personnel Carrier


M.D.C. By Location:

Main 28 cm Particle Beam Batteries (2):1,200 each
Secondary 12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons (2):600 each
Point Defense Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turrets (6):150 each
Double Barrel Point Defense Laser Turrets (8):150 each
Long Range Missile Batteries (4):400 each
Mini-Missile Launchers (6):100 each
Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):120
Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):80
[1] Bridge:6,000
[1] Command / Control Facility:6,000
Hanger Bays (3):8,000 each
[2] Main Engines (2):7,500 each
[3] Main Body:25,000
[4] Variable Force Field:4,000 side (24,000 total)


Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ship’s armor. This ship also has an auxiliary bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.
[2] Destroying the main engines means that the ship’s faster than light systems are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the cruiser out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (1,200 M.D.C.) per melee 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.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 400 mph (643.7 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 4.0 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about two years worth of supplies on board.


Statistical Data:
Length: 580 feet (176.8 meters)
Height: 145 feet (44.2 meters)
Width: 240 feet (73.2 meters)
Weight/Mass: 128,000 tons (116,100 metric tons)
Power System: Advanced Fusion with a 20 year life span. The ship normally only goes 5 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 8,000 tons (7,257 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. Ship’s 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: A Boadicea class cruisers costs around 1.2 billion credits to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Ships are no longer being produced. When available, these ships sell for 2.0 to 3.5 billion credits. As refitted, the Jeanne d'Arc would probably be worth around 4.0 to 5.0 billion credits.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Two (2) Main 28 cm Particle Beam Batteries: In the front of the ship are two 28 cm particle beam cannons. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets. These can be fired forward 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 faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 70,000 miles (112,650 km)in space and 70 miles (112.7 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D.C. each (Both can be linked for 2D4x1000 M.D.C. for both)
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of three (3) times per melee per particle beam.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Two (2) 12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: Laser cannons are used against frigates and as against heavily reinforced targets. Two are located on either side of ship. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets. The barrels can be can be rotated 180 degrees in all directions. Only two cannons can be fired as one volley. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (25.8 km) through atmosphere and 16,000 miles (25,800 km) in space.
    Mega Damage: 2D6x100 M.D.C. each or 4D6x100 for two.
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of two (2) times per melee each laser cannon.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  3. Six (6) Point Defense 15 mm Electromagnetic Rail Guns: Unlike most of the rail guns used on Phase World / Three Galaxies starships, these are standard electromagnetic rail guns. They are used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each rail gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Projectiles are fired from weapons at a significant fraction of the speed of light. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities. Rail guns use 15 mm depleted uranium projectiles.
    Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 800 miles (1,290 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: Rail gun inflicts 3D6x10 M.D.C. for an 80 round burst.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: 16,000 Rounds (200 Bursts) each cannon.
  4. Eight (8) Point Defense 2 cm Lasers in Double Mounts: used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon. Each laser turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 2.5 miles (4 km) miles through atmosphere and 250 miles (402.3 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  5. Four (4) 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.) Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line 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 unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.) Long range missiles do not have penalties to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time. Batteries have a lower number of actual launchers than the modern CAF long range missile batteries and each launcher is slightly larger in size.
    Maximum Effective Range: Long Range Missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,897,000 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Fusion warheads inflict 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or twenty-four (24) missiles per battery, per melee attack.
    Payload: 640 total, 160 long range missiles per battery.
  6. Six (6) Mini-Missile Launchers: These are missile turrets used for point defense against enemy fighters and missiles. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration.) Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
    Maximum Effective Range: Mini Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of four (4) or eight (8) mini-missiles.
    Payload: 128 per launcher for a total of 768 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 1536 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


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