“EZ-XXX” class Medium Freighter:

There is a vast number of different merchant vessel designs which are operated within the Three Galaxies. It would be virtually impossible to list them all. Merchant designs mostly break down into different size classes - small, medium, and large. Even though smaller merchant vessels travel to a wider variety of places, medium class vessels are considered by many to be the backbone of trade within the Three Galaxies. Small ships cannot carry enough cargo to support trade and the large merchant hulls are comparatively few in number.

The “EZ” line of medium freighters are one of the most common merchant classes traveling the space lanes and have been manufactured for over a century. Several companies have licenced production of this merchant design and these ships are manufactured in multiple locations in the Three Galaxies.

The design has gone through numerous design changes starting with the EZ-100 being the original design with the latest version being the EZ-800. The latest model has been only produced for a few years and several companies continue to produce older models. The EZ-400 is the most common model with the EZ-500 the second most common model.

The “EZ” designs are a bit on the small side for a “medium” sized vessel. Cargo capacity is around two hundred thousand tons. These ships, like other medium sized vessels, can be constructed for a variety of cargo types. Some carry bulk cargos, others are more generalized, and some are configured for containers. Some even are partially general cargo and containers. Containers are the fastest to load and unload for many cargos. Containers can also be used to support a variety of environmental conditions for special cargos. These ships have the ability to carry four light cargo shuttles.

The design of the EZ vessel line has steadily improved in many areas. Newer alloys and composites make later models slightly stronger than older models. While normal space drives are identical in newer models, faster than light drives are improved. The EZ-100 to EZ-300 designs have a top faster than light speed of two and a half light years per hour. The EZ-400 to EZ-600 designs can travel up to three light years per hour. The newest designs, the EZ-700 and EZ-800 have a top speed of three and a half light years per hour. While fairly fast for a merchant design, there are faster merchant designs such as the Star Witch with a top speed of four and a half light years per hour. Crew compliment on the “EZ” design has also decreased in later models. Merchant lines are always trying to reduce costs and crew reduction is seen as a method to do this.

Like most merchant ships, these ships can be purchased unarmed but also can be purchased with light weaponry. Armed versions have either two or four medium range missile launchers and either four or eight light laser mounts. The laser mounts are shorter ranged than those on the Cargo Master. The medium range missile launchers usually have thirty-two missiles. These ships have light civilian shielding for additional protection but these shields are non variable.

Because of how common these ships are, they converted to other roles more often than most. Some have ended up in military service in various roles including supply vessels and various support roles. These ships generally have better sensors and shielding. Often medium range missile payload is increased as well. These ships have also been converted to escort carriers, both in fleet roles and planetary assault roles. In addition, a number of pirates have converted these ships to effectively be cruisers by adding additional weaponry, military shields, and better sensors.

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

Model Types: EZ-100 to EZ-800 Medium Merchant
Vehicle Type: Medium Freighter

Crew:	EZ-100 to EZ-300	55 (6 Officers and 49 Ordinary Crew)
	EZ-400 to EZ-600	52 (6 Officers and 46 Ordinary Crew)
	EZ-700 to EZ-800	50 (6 Officers and 44 Ordinary Crew)

Vehicles:

Light Cargo Shuttles (Provision for cargo transport, not always carried)

M.D.C. By Location:

	Optional - Triple Barrel Defense Laser Turrets (4 or 8):	150 each
	Optional - Medium Range Missile Launchers (2 or 4):	400 each
	Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	125
	Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	75
	[1] Bridge:	4,000
	[2] Main Engines (2):	6,000 each
	[3] Main Body:	24,000 to 27,000
	[4] Force Field (Regular):	5,000

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 does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridge is destroyed, 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.
EZ-100 and EZ-200 have a main body of 24,000, EZ-300 and EZ-400 have a main body of 25,000, EZ-500 and EZ-600 have a main body of 26,000, and EZ-700 and EZ-800 have a main body of 27,000.
[4] Shields are not variable. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (250 M.D.C.) per melee round. Some military versions of this ship replace it with a variable force field.

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 20 percent of the speed of light maximum due to civilian shields. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.7 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 300 mph (483 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Stardrive:
EZ-100 to EZ-300: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 2.5 light years per hour.
EZ-400 to EZ-600: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3 light years per hour.
EZ-700 to EZ-800: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3.5 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about two years worth of supplies on board for the small crew but normally does not operate for that long without resupply.

Statistical Data:
Length: 735 feet (224 meters)
Height: 205 feet (62.5 meters)
Width: 225 feet (68.6 meter)
Weight: 255,000 Tons (231,350 metric tons)
Power System: Advanced Fusion with a 25 year life span. The ship normally only goes 5 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Can carry up to 200,000 tons (181,500 metric tons) of cargo in addition to crew’s supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ship’s officers have more space for personal items.
Market Cost: 850 to 900 million credits (unarmed models 750 millions.)

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Four (4) or Eight (8) 2.5 cm Point Defense Lasers in Triple Mounts: Mounted on the top, bottom, port, and bottom side of the vessel. All mounts can fire forward and aft. Each 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 km) in space.
Mega-Damage: 3D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Two (2) or Four (4) Medium Range Missile Batteries: Each battery is on the port and starboard side of the ship. 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 point defense. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Medium Range Missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire medium range missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or eight (8) missiles per melee attack.
Payload: Thirty-Two (32) medium range missiles per battery.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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