Vorlon Transport (Babylon Five):

Sometimes mistaken for the larger cruiser, mainly because the both have the same hull shape, this ship is really just a transport. However, this does not mean that it is a weak ship: it has the armor and firepower of a much larger vessel and might be capable of destroying one of the smaller Shadow battleships (800 meter class) on its own. However, in a war zone it is usually escorted by 5 to 10 Vorlon Starfighters to support it.

The entire cruiser is semi alive: it is a mixture of both organic and mechanical features. The hull of this ship is organic and can both repair itself and can adapt to attacks to reduce damage. No attack does full effect on the hull more than once.

Backing up this armor are powerful shields consisting of interwoven energy fields and layers of gravitational distortion. These shields are capable of absorbing large amounts of energy, be it directed energy or kinetic in nature. The only way to overload the shields is to pour a large amount of energy into them in a short time.

The weaponry of the Transport is rather heavy, allowing it to engage much larger ships. Its main weapon is a Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon, which is only slightly less powerful than that mounted on the Whitestar class of ships. Backing this up are three small gravitic lightning guns, which are mostly used for point defense and warding off unwelcome visitors (Just ask Captain Sheridan...).

The ships sublight propulsion consists of a powerful gravity drive system and a form of ion engines. Apparently the ion engines supply main thrust and the gravity drive supplements this and is used for maneuvering, giving the ship a maneuverability unmatched in cruisers of the younger races.

Although the Vorlons still use jumpgates to enter hyperspace, their system is far more advanced than that used by the younger races, and jumpgate formation and the traverse all take less than twenty seconds.

Since the ship is "alive" it has an intelligence similar to that of a sentient AI and so can perform difficult maneuvers on its own. It does not need a crew, but usually at least one Vorlon pilots the ship. On sensor readings the ship will read as a life form rather than as a ship. When its ECM is engaged it is very hard to detect.

This type of ship is the kind of Vorlon craft that is best known to most races: one of these ships was the personal transport for the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh Naranek. It is also in this capacity that they are most often used: Transport for a Vorlon or a group of Vorlons. Current data seems to indicate that each of the transports is made for a single individual or group of individuals. The transport may be the most 'alive' of all Vorlon ships and seems to bond in some way with its owner(s). When its specific owner(s) die the ship will wander around the galaxy, mourning for its owner(s), before casting itself into the hart of a star, ending its existence.

Notes of game conversion:

For purposes of game balance, there are two different versions of the starship. One is designed with accelerations in terms of gravities (G) which can better interact better with other Babylon 5 ships such as Earth Force and the Narn military. The other is written to operate within the Three Galaxies and operated with Consortium and Kreeghor vessels.

Phase world version uses my revised phase world starship rules and can hold their own against most C.A.F and Kreeghor fighters. This version is recommended if you with to put them into Phase World as among equals. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.

Moderate version uses Gs of acceleration but does not have reduced weapon ranges except for missiles. This version is useful for Mutants In Orbit, Phase World if used as a lower tech race, used with my Earth Force ships conversions for B-5, and as a possible crash on Rifts Earth. Listed is the formula to allow player and game masters to calculate the fighters velocity and distance traveled.

Velocity = Acceleration x Time + Initial Velocity

Distance Traveled = Acceleration x ½ x Time ² + Initial Velocity x Time

1 G = 32 feet (9.8 m) per second ²

Model: Vorlon Transport

Crew: The Transport is flown by a Artificial Intelligence, and can carry a crew of up to six.(Boarding parties will have trouble due to the fact that a Vorlon is about as powerful as a low powered supernatural intelligence)

M.D.C. by Location:

	Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon (1):	9,000
	Gravitic Lightning Guns (3)	1,000 each
	[1] Bridge:	14,000
	[2] Ion Engines:	17,000
	[3] Gravity Drive Lobes (4):	10,000 each
	[4] Main Hull:	70,000
	[5] Variable Force Field:	8,000 a side (48,000 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 has no auxiliary bridge. If the bridge is destroyed the ship will fly itself, guided by telepathic commands from any crew member, but is -2 to dodge and -1 to hit with its gun.

[2] Destroying the Ion engine means that sublight acceleration is reduced by 60 % and maneuvering by 20 %.
[3] Destroying a gravity drive lobe means that sublight acceleration is reduced by 10 % and maneuvering by 20 %(-1 penalty to dodge)Add on additional penalties per destroyed lobe.(This means that both drive systems have to be destroyed before the ship becomes a floating target)

[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the body will destroy the transport, putting it out of commission. The transport will be a unsalvageable floating wreck. Both the hull and the ships systems have the ability to repair themselves. The ships hull and ships systems regenerate damage at the rate of 1D4x100 M.D.C. per minute. The ship can only repair up to half the total M.D.C. of a system or the main body.

[5] Shield positions are variable and can be combined into one shield. The shields regenerate at a rate of 5% (2,400 M.D.C.) per melee round.

Speed:

Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.

Sublight:

Phase World Version: Combined use of Ion and Gravity drive allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. The ship can accelerate/decelerate at a rate of 1.5 percent of light per melee.

Moderate Version: The Vorlon Transport does not have an effective top speed but is limited by acceleration. The Transport can reach a top acceleration of 15 G but standard is 7.5 G to reduce stress on engines.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is mach 20. Can enter atmosphere and leave.

Stardrive: Uses a hyperdrive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 150 light-years per hour. This means that the transport can cover the three galaxies in about 4 weeks. The ship enters hyperspace by means of a jumpgate. This ship can use an already made jumpgate or can form its own jumpgate. Ship can also enter or leave hyperspace within an atmosphere but the ship must have very precise coordinates or it will open the hyperspace gate within the planet itself and the ship will destroy itself.

The Transport has enough power to open a jumpgate every round if so needed. Unlike the jumpgates of the younger races, this gate is not only formed, but also traversed after which it closes, all within one single round.

Maximum Range: Unlimited by all drive systems. It is not known how much supplies it carries with it, but it is safe to assume several years worth.

Special note:

Because the gravity drive is used for maneuvering, the entire transport can turn around and fire in every direction at will. However, making a turn or a evasive maneuver at high speed (above 5 percent of light, roughly 15000 km/s or 9300 miles/s) costs enough energy that the transport loses energy to the cannon. This means that control is less, imposing a -2 penalty on hit rolls. Also the grav-drive lobes have to extend, making them easier to hit(+2 to strike lobe).

Statistical Data:

Length: 333 feet (100 meters)

Height: 66 feet (20 meters) with drive lobes folded, 133 feet (40 meters) with lobes unfolded

Width: 66 feet (20 meters) with drive lobes folded, 133 feet (40 meters) with lobes unfolded

Weight: Unknown

Power System: Hyperspace Tap with an unknown duration.

Market Cost: No Vorlon ships have ever been for sale anywhere. Any race would pay trillions of credits for a working Vorlon Transport.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

One (1) Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon: Smaller version of the gun carried by the dreadnought and almost identical in power to the gun of the White star. Firing arc is a 120 degree cone in front of the transport. Power setting is determined at beginning of melee round. If the ships hyperdrive is shut down and the power is channeled into the weapon system, the weapons damage can be quadrupled but the hyperdrive will take three minutes to be brought back on line. At overcharge the weapon does have standard penalties to use against small targets such as fighters. At medium power, the weapon has a penalty of -2 against small targets but does not suffer from size penalties. At Low setting, the cannon has +2 bonus to hit small targets and does not suffer from size penalties.

Due to the weapons nature, it does full damage to any target protected by the spell “Invulnerable to energy.”

Maximum Effective Range: 12,000 miles (19,300 km) in space and 120 miles (193 km) in atmosphere.

Mega Damage: low: 3D6x100 MD. Medium: 2D6x1,000 MD. Overcharge: 2D6x10,000 MD.

Rate of Fire: Low: once per melee (beam last for full melee)but can be aimed at up to five different targets. When aimed at one target five times damage. Medium: once per melee (beam last for full melee)but can be aimed at up to three different targets. When aimed at one target triple damage. Overload: once per melee (beam last for full melee), one target only
Three (3) Gravitic "Lightning" Gun: A smaller version of the guns found on the Dreadnought, these guns are mainly used for point defense, and are not nearly as powerful as the other Vorlon weapons. Captain Sheridan was briefly targeted by one of these guns when he approached ambassador Kosh`s transport too closely. It is unlikely that the ship actually would have fired though. These guns are part of the ships semi-organic hull and can actually move around on it or when not needed are simply absorbed into the hull !! This means that when not under attack all guns are retracted into the skin, making them impossible to hit. Also this means that the guns may be distributed over the ship in whatever numbers the crew like. Rearranging the distribution can be done during combat, but during this the guns that are being moved cannot fire. Movement rate is one melee per 20 meters of hull to be transversed. Guns are -2 to hit during movement phase. Up to all 3 guns can be linked into one attack. The cannon has +2 bonus to hit small targets and does not suffer from size penalties.

Due to the weapons nature, it does full damage to any target protected by the spell “Invulnerable to energy.”

Maximum Effective Range: 1,200 miles (1,930 km) in space and 12 miles (19,3 km) in atmosphere.

Mega-Damage: Maximum: 5D6x10 MD

Rate of Fire: Maximum: 6 times per melee.

Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

Special Equipment:

Adaptive Hull: The transport has the ability to adapt to attacks on it. Once a specific attack has been used against the ship, it will adapt to that attack and any attack of that type that is encountered afterwards will only be at 20% effectiveness in the next engagement. Variable frequency weapons such as variable frequency lasers can be reset to do full damage once this is discovered. The adaption takes about 5 hours to be completed.
Advanced Sensors: As a member of the first ones, the Vorlons have some of the most advanced senors ever designed. The Sensors are so advanced it is assumed that the Vorlon ship’s sensors ignore all forms of non magical cloaking and ECM. This includes cloaking and ECM from Phase World and other alternative universes as well as all forms from the Babylon 5 Universe.
ECM: The Vorlon transport is, like all Vorlon ships, fitted with advanced ECM. This ECM prevents targeting systems from ships of the younger races from being able to lock on. An attacker would be at -10 to strike the ship and only if within visual range (approximately 500 miles). Missiles would have a 95% chance of being unable to achieve a lock on target as well. Rifts Earth and Mutants in orbit would be treated to be at the level of technology of most of the younger races. The only exceptions among the younger races are the Minbari and Centauri races who are far more advanced than any of the younger races but are still no where close to the First Ones level. The Vorlon transport would be detected as little more than a ghost on either races sensors and they would have penalties of -8 to strike beyond visual range and -4 to strike at visual ranges. Missiles would also be more effective, at first engagement missiles would have a 80% chance of being unable to achieve a lock, but after several engagements, the jamming could be partially adjusted for, with missiles being able to achieve lock with a 30 % chance of being unable to achieve lock. Phase World, Macross 2, and Robotech sensors would be treated to be at the level of technology of the Minbari and Centauri. Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and Star Wars would also be treated to be at this level of technology. The sensors of the races of the First Ones would not suffer any penalties and would be able to strike normally. This included the Minbari / Ranger White Star class and the Drahk Raider as well.
Sentient Ship: The transport is alive, and probably quite aware of what it is and what its doing. It will not take orders from a non Vorlon. The ship should be considered to be a powerful neural intelligence in terms of Rifts. This computer can pilot the ship at 98%, has 5 attacks per round, and has +9 to strike, +12 to dodge, and +5 to initiative (these include all bonuses). If a full crew is onboard it will be able to fire at will and will have +12 to strike, +14 to dodge and +7 to initiative.

Extra Notes:

Ramming: Should the crew of the transport decide to ram another ship, the Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon is set on overload and fired into the enemy ship. In the melee after this the Transport will approach at full acceleration and combine all of its shields in the frontal arc of their setting. It will then proceed to ram the enemy vessel at the place its Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon struck. Damage done is equal to the total amount of M.D.C. of the combined shields. Should the M.D.C. of the enemy ship at that location be less than the combined Vorlon shields M.D.C., no damage is done to the Transport and damage is only subtracted from the shields. Should the enemy vessel have more combined M.D.C. at the hit location than the transports shields damage is first subtracted from the shields. Remaining damage done to both ships is calculated according to normal rules. After ramming, the transport shield are strained. The shields will only operate at up to half their normal value and regenerate damage on the basic of the present shield level not the original. This damage will take 1D4 hours to repair. Because the transport is very maneuverable it is +4 to strike vs. large targets (heavy transport sized & up), no bonus for medium targets and -4 to ram vs. small targets when ramming.

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Technical information sourced partially from Babylon 5 Technical Manual!

CGI of Ship by Craig P. Condu . More of his CGI pictures of B-5 Ships at Epsilon Jumpgate.

Writeup by Mischa (E-Mail Mischa) and by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune.)

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