Techno-Wizard Heartwood class Frigate (T.W. / U.W.W.):

Known for its incredible forests, the planet of Lothrain grows a tree known as the Great Banner Oak. Incredibly tall, the tallest are almost two hundred meters tall. In fact, they are almost fifty percent taller than the great redwoods of Old Earth. In addition, the trees grow incredibly fast for their size, far faster than the largest trees of Old Earth.

The wood is an incredible resource in many other respects as well. It is as tough as the advanced composites and alloys used by most of the advanced civilization of th Three Galaxies. Structures which might be made of such materials are made from lumber from the Great Banner Oak. Granted, the styles of construction are far different than most of the Three Galaxies with an effort made to blend in with the environment which is almost unsurpassed.

Still, few would initially believe that one could build starships using such the wood from the Great Banner Oak. Those that have not seen it often speak with derision at the idea of it. However, the engineers of Lothrain proved that wrong. In fact, the system produces not one but several classes of vessels using the lumber from the giant tree. The system started with a space fighter design but it was followed by a frigate and even a light cruiser design.

While only a comparatively small number of cruisers have been constructed, a much larger numbers of the Heartwood class frigate have been built. It was the first actual Lothrain starship design that the system built, breaking ground with the first actual warship design from wood. Prior to this, the system only built fighters from wood. The Oakenheart light cruiser design only came much later.

Most of these frigates are in service within the system’s defense forces but a number have also been sold to outside interests. These include other independent governments within United Worlds Warlock space as well as a number of systems outside which are also mystically oriented. A small number of techno-wizard mercenary companies also operate these ships. As with other designs from the Lothrain system, the United Worlds Warlock navy has shown little interest.

The appearance of these ships can be considered a mixture between wooden sailing vessels of olden times and early iron vessels. Even those these ships don’t actually have sails of those old wooden vessels, one can see the wooden planks and the rear of the vessels are often done in intricate scroll work. These ships can be considered works of art with no two vessels looking exactly alike.

Even though the wood of the Great Banner Oak is incredibly strong, it would be hard to build a starship using the wood without further enchantments. As a result, the wood is enchanted with the spell “Ironwood,” making the material actually stronger than the enchanted plates used on the Dwarven Iron Ships. These ships are considered extremely tough for their size, able to withstand great abuse.

These ships are in many ways similar to other United Worlds Warlock designs, operating a mixture of conventional and enchantment systems. As these ships are much newer than many of those of the United Worlds Warlock navy, they are less manpower intensive. In addition, for convention systems, civilian equipment is used whenever possible. Such systems are often far less expensive and are often easier to maintain. They do tend to be less able to withstand abuse however. In order to also reduce cost, much of the military hardware comes from retired or refitted vessels.

Power is provided by a conventional civilian design fusion plant. Fusion reactors are far easier to maintain than anti-matter systems even though their power to mass ratio is far lower. The ship does have a mystic energy battery to power the various enchantments aboard. Normal space propulsion is via conventional contra-grav with surprisingly good acceleration due to the relatively low mass of the frigate. In order to travel between star systems, the ship uses a standard Rifts Jump drive which is capable of jumps of twenty light years at one time.

As the first large ship design produced by Lothrain, the design predates their trade agreements with Thoth Industries. Originally the ship did not mount “Annihilate” cannons. However, most older ships were refitted with a pair firing forward with all newer frigates mounting them as built. While a few older frigates are believed to have never been refitted, all frigate in service with the Lothrain navy have either been refitted with the cannons or retired from service.

While now considered more general purpose frigates with the addition of the “Annihilate” cannons, originally they were classified as missile frigates. Their weaponry included a pair of capital missile launchers, stripped from either retired or refitted Wolfen warships. Each magazine has forty missiles for a total of eighty missiles. There is a cross feed in case one of the launchers is damaged. As with similar designs, the ship has special software so that larger volleys of missiles can be fired than would otherwise be possible.

Defensive weaponry includes a pair of medium range missile launchers, four heavy point defense lasers, and four twin telekinetic machine guns. The medium range missile launchers are civilian designs carried on a number of merchant designs although magazine payload have been increased. The lasers are basically identical to those mounted on the Arcane patrol ships and are quite powerful for defensive weaponry. The telekinetic machine guns are similar to those mounted on many United Worlds Warlock designs. They are effective against targets which are impervious to energy although need to be recharged with mystical energies each month even if not used.

For additional protection, the ship mounts a techno-wizard “Armor of Ithan” force field. There has been discussion of upgrading the force field to an “Invincible Armor” force field in the future. The ship also uses mystical life support which give virtually unlimited range. As long as the ship is intact, all basic needs for the crew will be provided for them from this enchantment.

Standard crew compliment is only eighteen with the crew usually having at least a pair of techno-wizards. As one of the jobs of the ship is customs duties, the ship can embark up to twelve marines although more commonly only about six are embarked. While the ship has no real provision for power armors, in many cases the marines will be equipped with mystic power armors. The vessel does not embark any fighters, instead relying on larger vessels to carry fighters.

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: “Heartwood” class Frigate.

Vehicle Type: Space Frigate (Conventional / Techno-Wizard).

Crew: 18, usually including a magic team of two techno-wizards (levels 2-6).

Troop Capacity: 12 Marines maximum - often equipped with mystic power armors.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Forward Mounted “Annihilate” Cannons (2):	800 each.
	36 mm Heavy Point Defense Lasers (4):	300 each.
	Twin Telekinetic Machine Gun Mounts (4):	150 each.
	Cruise Missile Launchers (2, Sides):	1,000 each.
	Medium Range Missile Batteries (2):	300 each.
	[1] Main Bridge:	800.
	[2] Main Body:	2,800
	[3] Magical “Armor of Ithan” Force Field:	1,500.

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 destroyer’s 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] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the frigate out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.

[3] This is not a variable force field, but a magical shield that must be completely depleted. Once the shield has been knocked down, it will cost 150 P.P.E. and require one minute (4 melee rounds) of spell casting to restore the force field. Magic, fire, lightning, and cold all inflict one-half damage.

Speed:

Driving on the ground: Not Possible.

Water Surface: 45 knots (83.3 km/51.8 mph).

Underwater: Cannot operate underwater.

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 1.0 percent of light per melee.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 200 mph (321.9 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight.

Star Drive: Rift Jump Drive; maximum safe jump distance of 20 light years every four hours (Jump costs 2,000 P.P.E. per activation.)

Range: Life support will keep crew alive for up to ten years, as long as the P.P.E. generators are kept in working order.

Statistical Data:

Height: 48.6 feet (14.81 meters) main body; 69.9 feet (21.31 meters) from the bottom of the main body to the top of the superstructure.

Width: 54 feet (16.46 meters).

Length: 280 feet (85.34 meters).

Weight / Mass: 4,800 tons (4,354 metric tons).

Power System: Conventional Advanced Fusion 20 year life span. The frigate also has a P.P.E. generator that produces 500 P.P.E. per hour / 2 P.P.E. per melee round (Activating the Rifts Jump drive costs 2,000 P.P.E.) and can hold up to 2,000 P.P.E. in storage. This P.P.E. can be used to power the Rifts Jump Drive or can be used to power spells cast by the frigate’s crew.

Cargo: Cargo holds can hold up to 50 tons (45.4 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: The frigate costs approximately 400 million credits to construct. When available, these ships sell for 400 to 600 million credits. Cost does not include embarked mystic power armors.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Two (2) “Annihilate” Cannons: Mounted in fixed mounts in the front of the frigate, these cannons are extremely powerful and act as the main guns of the frigate. The cannon fires a black sphere which is magically contained anti-matter. It inflicts incredible damage to the target although range is limited compared to heavy lasers. Weapons system, when used hit fighters and small targets, has half the normal penalties to hit due to sophisticated fire control. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.

Maximum Effective Range: 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in space and 10 miles (16 km) in an atmosphere.

Mega Damage: 2D4x100 M.D.C. each or both cannons can be combined for a total of 4D4x100.

Rate of Fire: four times per melee per cannon.

Payload: Needs 300 P.P.E. per day to function.
Four (4) Heavy 36 mm Point Defense Lasers: Mounted on the sides of the frigate, these lasers are considered relatively powerful for point defense weaponry and are even effective to a limited extent against larger vessels. They are however comparatively short ranged. Unlike the other parts of the secondary weaponry, these lasers are purely conventional in design and draw weapon from the vessel’s fusion plant. Mounted in turrets which have 360 degree rotation and can angle up to 85 degrees.

Maximum Effective Range: 500 miles (804.6 km) in space and 5 miles (8 km) in an atmosphere.

Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 each.

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

Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Four (4) Twin Heavy Telekinetic Machine Guns Turrets: These heavy machine-guns are identical to those mounted in the Shadow Bolt Starfighter but are in twin mounts. Mounted on the sides of the ship in turrets. Heavy machine gun mounts can fire at up to a 90 degree angle up or down and can rotate up to 180 degrees side to side. The machine guns do not have penalties to strike small targets. Because the machine guns inflict damage by impact, they inflict full damage to targets that are using are using the spell “Impervious to Energy.” The spells must be renewed every two months (costs 400 P.P.E. and 20,000 credits per machine gun) but during the period the weapon can fire unlimited blasts.

Maximum Effective Range: 200 miles (320 km) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere.

Mega Damage: 12D6 per burst for both machine guns a turret (6D6 per heavy machine gun.)

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

Payload: Effective Unlimited, although the spells must be renewed every two months whether the machine guns have been used or not.
Two (2) Cruise Missile Launchers: From scrapped or upgraded Wolfen warships and mounted to either side of the hull of the vessel. Missiles have a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and have an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship) in space. Whether missiles can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missiles. When drive goes dead, missiles will continue to travel in a straight line unless set to self destruct or receives a destruct code, but have very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missiles, when unpowered, are at -25% to be detected.) Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are almost always smart missiles. While missiles are only launched at the rate of one at a time, the ship’s computer has special software that allows all the missiles to hit a target at the same time for the purpose of making the point defense of a target more easily overwhelmed. This is done by slowing down the initial acceleration of missiles and by setting some for delayed activation although the target must be at least 30 seconds away (2 melee rounds) with regard to flight time. Missiles are then considered to only have an acceleration of 5% of light for the first turn. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time although rarely are.

Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space.
See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Anti-Matter multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 M.D.C. each and Fusion multi-warheads inflict 3D6x100 M.D.C. each.)

Rate of Fire: One cruise missiles per melee attack (special software allows 4 to 8 cruise missiles to be launched as one volley depending on gunner’s hand to hand attacks) per launcher. This allows total volleys of 8 to 16 cruise missiles to be launched in one melee round.

Payload: 40 cruise missiles each for 80 total.
Two (2) Medium Range Missile Batteries: Launcher magazines are increased from standard capacity of 32 missiles per battery. Weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and missiles (both cruise and long range missiles.) Missiles have a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and have an acceleration of 6% of light per turn in space. Weapon system can be used on multiple targets simultaneously.

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 (Multi-warhead heavy warheads inflict 5D6x10 M.D.C. each - 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) medium range missiles per battery, per melee attack.

Payload: 128 per battery for a total of 256 medium range missiles.
Techno-Wizard Modifications: The “Heartwood” 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:

Impervious to Energy (5th Level)

80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.

Invisibility-Superior (5th Level)

80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.

[ Altara TM, Brodkil TM, Bushido Industries TM, CAF TM, Catyr TM, CCW TM, Consortium of Civilized Worlds TM, Coyles TM, Free Worlds Council TM, Gene Splicers TM, K-Hex TM, Kankoran TM, Kittani TM, Kreeghor TM, Kydian TM, Machine People TM, M.D.C. TM, Mega-Damage TM, Metzla TM, M’Kri Hardware TM, Monro TM, Mutants in Orbit TM, Naruni Enterprises TM, Noro TM, Paradise Federation TM, Phase World TM, Psylite TM, Rifter TM, SAMAS TM, S.D.C. TM, Seljuks TM, Splugorth TM, Sunaj TM, Trans-Galactic Empire TM, Tri-Galactic Military Service TM, United Worlds Warlock TM, U.W.W. TM, Wolfen TM, and Zembahk 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).

Return

Special Features:	Impervious to Energy (5th Level)	80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.
	Invisibility-Superior (5th Level)	80 P.P.E. or 160 I.S.P.