LOMAX Light Merchantman:

Interstellar trade is the glue which holds the civilizations of the Three Galaxies together. Few planets manufacture everything that they need, have all the raw resources they need, or grow all the food crops that they do. This is true on planets and systems with incredibly strong economies. Merchant ships fill virtually the same role that they did on oceans millenniums ago and allow planets to trade with each other.

Some system economies simply are not large enough to support large or even medium merchant ships. Some might call these economies marginal but there is still profits to be had trading with them. Such trading is performed by smaller merchant hulls. This does not mean that such ships only operate in the fringes but in many ways they are most important is such places.

The LOMAX is one of thousands of different light merchant classes. Quite popular, the class is produced on several planets and several designs are close copies of the LOMAX design. In many areas, designs and patents are not well enforced. It is extremely difficult to estimate just how many of the LOMAX class, and its close copies, are actually operated within the Three Galaxies.

The technology used in the design of the LOMAX is far from cutting edge but the ships are far from the most primitive designs. Some ships still operating within the Three Galaxies are truly ancient. The LOMAX class vessels are a bit smaller than average even when compared to other small merchant designs. They have a cargo capacity of around four thousand tons.

The design has a reputation of being rugged design and extremely reliable. Many merchants owners will skimp on the maintenance of their ships and even the maintenance that they do is improper. Unfortunately, a lot of star systems do not enforce the safety regulations which the Consortium and other major powers enforce. Still, it is amazing just how forgiving these ships are of this situation. These ships are protected by a light force field able to withstand a bit of damage although nothing like the defense shields on a true warships, even a small one.

Faster than light drive gives these ships a top speed of three light years per hour. These ships do not have military class particle shielding which limits speed in normal space to twenty percent of light and their acceleration is lower than all but the oldest warships. Like most small merchant ships, the LOMAX is reasonably handy operating in an atmosphere and have the ability to land in surprisingly rough conditions. These vessels often operate in areas where there are no real orbital facilities. The power plant is a rugged low maintenance fusion plant with the ability to operate twenty years between being refueled.

These ships can be purchased unarmed and in less dangerous areas, they often are. The real problem is that even armed versions are really only armed heavily enough to get themselves into trouble. Any warship would shred the light merchant ship. Weaponry generally is a pair of medium range missile batteries with thirty two missiles each and four double light laser mounts. Some owners have added additional weaponry to their ships although this cuts into cargo capacity.

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: LOMAX
Vehicle Type: Light Freighter
Crew: 26 (4 Officers and 22 Ordinary Crew)

Vehicles:

Mini-Tugs (Provision for cargo transport, not always carried)

M.D.C. By Location:

	Optional - Double Barrel Defense Laser Turrets (4):	100 each
	Optional - Medium Range Missile Launchers (2):	400 each
	Outer Hull (40 x 40 ft/ 12.2 m x 12.2 Area):	100
	Inner Hull (40 x 20 ft/ 12.2 m x 12.2 Area):	75
	[1] Bridge:	800
	[2] Main Engines (2):	1,500 each
	[3] Main Body:	4,500
	[4] Force Field (Regular):	1,200

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ship’s hull. 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 merchant ship 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 are not variable. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (60 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 20 percent of the speed of light and does not have military class particle shielding. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.70 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 450 mph (724.2 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav.
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about six months worth of supplies on board (Can be stretched to nine months in an emergency)

Statistical Data:
Length: 550 feet (167.64 meters)
Height: 68 feet (20.73 meters)
Width: 84 feet (25.60 meters)
Mass/ Weight: 8,500 tons (7,710 metric tons)
Power System: 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 4,000 tons (3628.7 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.
Market Cost: 100 million credits (unarmed models 80 millions.)

WEAPON SYSTEMS (Optional):

Four (4) 2.5 cm Point Defense Lasers in Double Mounts: Mounted on the top 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: 2D6x10 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) 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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