Imperial (Kuat) "Imperator" class Star Destroyer (Star Wars):
In most ways, this ship is the embodiment of imperial might. At the time of their initial creation, they were the largest and heaviest mass produced armed ships constructed by the Empire and were larger than any mass produced combat ships built by the Old Republic. Their construction was initially begun during the transition between the Republic and the Empire. Since their construction, larger star destroyers have been built such as the Executor-class Command Ship. Huge numbers of the Imperator class Star Destroyer were constructed and in numbers are far greater than the previous Victory class Star Destroyer class. When compared to the Races in Phase World, the Empire constructed many times more than any of them, with some sources actually indicating construction numbers of over 25,000 Imperator class Star Destroyers! There are two reasons for this, the density of populated planets is much greater in Star Wars and many of these ships act in the suppression role within the Empire. Many people call the Imperator class star destroyer the Imperial class Star Destroyer but this is much like Japanese submarines, even thought they were of multiple classes, were called Japanese class submarines by many American sailors.
The Imperator Class Star Destroyer has a direct relationship to its predecessor, the Victory class Star destroyer, and looks much like an upscaled Victory class. Even thought it is still wedge shaped like the Victory class, the Imperial class cannot enter an atmosphere and would break up if it attempted to enter the atmosphere. There are several variations of the Imperator class Star Destroyers. Listed is the First main model of the ship but their are also Imperator class ships modified for communication and other roles.
The ship has far more firepower than the previous class of Star Destroyers. This was because while Victory class Star Destroyer was constructed to keep the peace and protect the Republic, the Imperator was constructed for conquest and a much more generally agressive role.
When compared to ships of Phase World, the Imperator class has rather more firepower than a Protector class battleship although it carries much fewer number of missile batteries than the Protector does. Most of the weapons are fairly standard and the ship carries mostly turbo-lasers and missile launchers. The weapon system that is unusual are the ion weapons. They are not like standard Rifts and Robotech Ion Cannons and instead interfere with the operation of various systems. The ship has a large amount of powerful Point Defense weaponry, which is not a luxury in the fighter heavy conflicts of the Imperial era.
These ships require huge crews and are cities in space in many respects. The personnel on the ship have many different functions. There is the mains ships crew that operates the ship, the is a large numbers of troops, and the ships have a large support crew for hanger bay operations. If the ship is acting a flag ship, it carries additional crew as the flag support staff. It is not normally listed but the ships also have a total of 3000 maintenance droids of various types. The ship carries tie fighters, shuttles, and various ground vehicles as well.
It should never be forgotten that although for Phase World standards these ships are comparable to a combination of Heavy Battleship/Assault Carrier, in the Imperial Navy the Star Destroyer was just that: A destroyer, not only in name, but also in Class! At various times the Empire produced bigger and heavyer ships, not just combatants, but also many civilian ships that were larger than the Imperator. A good example were the Trade Federations large Freight ships (later converted to makeshift battleships), which were much larger than a Imperator class ship.
Notes of game conversion:
Because of the nature of the movie series "Star Wars" and the needs to put the Starship into game mechanics, I have given many statistic as two different possible statistics to take this into account. The G that I have seen listed would not be sufficient to get near the speed of light yet many sources have indicated speeds in this area. In some ways each version is closer to what was seen in the series. I do make one huge change, fighters in Star Wars act as if they are in the atmosphere even when they operating in space. The Television series Babylon 5 is a good series to watch to get a clearer idea on how space vehicles should would probably maneuver.
Phase world version uses my revised phase world starship rules and can hold its own against most C.A.F and Kreeghor Starships. 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 and reduced weapon ranges. 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 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 Type: ISD MK II
Vehicle Type: Star Destroyer (Would be considered a battleship
by Phase World terms)
Crew: 34,285; 2,585 Officers, 13,800 Ship Maintenance, 12,100
Gunnery Personnel, 6,000 Support Personnel (Does not include hanger Personnel).
Troops: 3,800 flight personnel, 9,700 Stormtroopers. If the
ship is acting as a flagship, add an additional 900 personnel. The ship
can carry up to 1800 passengers total.
Vehicles:
Fighter Compliment:
48 | Standard Tie Fighters (4 Squadrons) | |
12 | Tie Interceptors (1 Squadron) | |
12 | Tie Bombers (1 Squadron) | |
5 | Assault gunboats |
8 | Lambda-class shuttles | |
15 | Stormtrooper transports | |
10 | Gamma-class assault shuttles | |
20 | AT-AT Walkers | |
30 | AT-ST Walkers |
M.D.C. By Location:
Mega Turbo-laser Cannon Mounts (6): | 2,500 each | |
Quadruple Heavy Turbo-laser Cannon Mounts (2): | 1,200 each | |
Defensive Turbolaser Turrets (9): | 800 each | |
Mega Ion Cannon Mounts (2): | 2,500 each | |
60 mm Point Defense Laser Turrets (30): | 250 each | |
80 mm Point Defense Ion Cannon Turrets (20): | 250 each | |
Capital Proton Torpedo Batteries (4): | 1000 each | |
[1] Bridge: | 80,000 | |
[1] Auxiliary Bridge: | 80,000 | |
Hanger Bay: | 60,000 | |
[2] Main Engines (3): | 30,000 each | |
[2] Secondary Engines (4): | 20,000 each | |
[3] Main Body: | 300,000 | |
[4] Shield Generators (12): | 500 each | |
[4] Variable Force Field: | 15,000 a side (90,000 Total) |
Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon
to hit the bridge through the ships armor. This ship also has an auxiliary
bridge. Even if both bridges are 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] Destruction of main engines reduced acceleration by 20% per engine
destroyed. Destruction of secondary engines reduces acceleration by 10%
per engine destroyed. If all engines are destroyed, the ship can still
accelerate and decelerate at 5% using maneuvering thrusters.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the Star Destroyer
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] The Star Destroyer has 2 shield generators per facing. If one is
destroyed, reduce maximum shield strength on that facing by half and reduce
the shields regeneration by 1/12 for every generator destroyed. If both
generators on a shield facing are destroyed, the shields are not operation
in that facing. The Shields must be penetrated before the shield generators
can be hit. Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in
one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (4,500 M.D.C.) per melee.
Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight:
Phase World Version: Has a special sublight engine that allows
the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. The Star Destroyer
can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.6 percent of light per melee
maximum (Standard is 0.2 percent of light per turn).
Moderate Version: The Star Destroyer does not have an effective
top speed but is limited by acceleration. The Star Destroyer can reach
a top acceleration of 3 G but standard is 1 G to reduce stress on engines.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Both Version: The Imperator Star
Destroyer cannot operate within an atmosphere. If the ship enters an atmosphere,
it will crash.
Stardrive: Uses a hyperdrive system that allows the ship to
reach a maximum of 40 light-years per hour (In the Game universe of Phase
World, it could be limited to 4 light-years per hour to compare to the
other Phase World FTL systems).
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system.
carries about six years worth of supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: 5,250 feet (1,600 meters)
Height: 1,509 feet (460 meters)
Width: 2,904 feet (885 meters)
Weight/Mass: 26.7 million tons (25 million metric tons)
Power System: Advanced Fusion with a 20 year life span. The ship normally
only goes 5 years between refueling.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows
for carrying up to 40,000 tons of cargo in addition to standard compliment
of supplies and ammunition. Each crew member also has a small locker for
personal possessions and officers have decent sized quarters.
Market Cost: 60 billion credits to construct. The Empire will
not sell Imperator Class Star Destroyers to other interests.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- Six (6) Mega Turbo-laser Cannon Mounts: These mounts each
have two barrels that normally fire together. This means that there a
total of twelve mega turbo-laser cannons with each being 1 meter wide.
The ship has three mounts on either side of the rear superstructure and while
each mount can rotate 360 degrees, the superstructure prevents the fire
of the turrets to the other side and the Mega-Ion cannon mounts blocks fire
to directly aft of the ship. Only the front two turrets can fire directly
forward but all mounts can fire at targets above ten degrees above parallel
to the ships main plane. These mounts are the ships main anti-capital ship
weaponry and are very powerful and capable of destroying all but the largest
targets with just a few hits. The mounts may be fired individually or may
be combined with up to three other heavy turbo-laser cannon mounts (all
on one side may fire as a volley). Mega turbo-laser cannon mounts have
standard penalties to strike fighters and other small targets. The weapon
systems cannot be used in hyperspace.
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in space and
100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 800 miles (1287.5 km) in space and 100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per mount
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Two (2) Quadruple Heavy Turbo-laser Cannon Mounts: Each of these
mounts has four barrels that normally fire together. This gives the ship
a total of eight heavy turbo-laser cannons. Each is 10 cm wide and
are capable of doing heavy damage to large capital ships and destroying
smaller capital ships in just a few shots. The ship has one mount on either
side of the hull, in the rear notch of the rim trench of the ship.
Unlike the main battery, each
mount fires individually. Each mount has a 360 degree rotation and a 180
degree arc of fire. Heavy turbo-laser cannon mounts have standard penalties
to strike fighters and other small targets. The weapon systems cannot be
used in hyperspace.
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: 25,000 miles (40,100 km) in space and 25
miles (40.1 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 200 miles (260 km) in space and 25 miles (40.1 km) in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per mount
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Nine (9) Defensive Turbolaser Turrets: Each of these turrets holds two
Turbolaser cannons which are less powerful than the Heavy Turbolasers, and have a lower range.
These weapons are still capable of severely damaging
smaller ships with a few shots, and destroying fighters in one shot. There are three mounts
in line just in front of the upper superstructure, four mounts on the lower side of the ship
near the aft, and two mounts are near the hangar bay. Each mount has a 360 degree rotation and
a 180 degree arc of fire. The defensive turbolaser cannons do not have penalties to strike
fighters and other small targets!
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: 15,000 miles (24,060 km) in space and 15
miles (24 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 120 miles (192 km) in space and 15 miles (24 km) in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per mount
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Two (2) Mega Ion Cannon Mounts: The Imperator class Star
Destroyer has one double ion cannon mount on either side of the rear superstructure,
being the rearward most mount of the four on each side .
Each mount has a 360 degree rotation and a 180 degree arc of fire, but cannot
fire towards the opposite side due to being blocked by the ships superstructure. Mega
Ion cannon mounts have standard penalties to strike fighters and other
small targets. The weapon systems cannot be used in hyperspace.
Star Wars ion cannons operate differently than the Ion cannons in Rifts and Robotech. Instead of just being another type of energy weapon, Star Wars ion cannons do not cause any physical damage, though they do damage shields. They disable targets by interfering with the target's electrical systems.
For gaming purposes, Star Wars ion weapons have a damage rating. This is how much damage the weapon will inflict on shields. Once any shields are penetrated, however, the damage works differently. The ion damage is recorded separately from normal physical damage. The amount of "damage" inflicted by the ion weaponry is compared to the amount of main body remaining. The percentage of damage inflicted is determined in relation to the main body: (damage / main body) x 100 = percentage
For every 10% damage from ion weapons, the following penalties apply: The target will be at -1 to Strike, Parry (if appropriate), and Dodge. In space, target acceleration will be reduced by 15% and in an atmosphere, top speed will be reduced by 15%. Roll once on the Critical hit chart in the Phase World Sourcebook or Rifts Conversion book as appropriate.
If a ship takes 60% or more of its main body in ion damage, then the ship or vehicle will be disabled completely. All weapon, navigation, and other systems will shut down. The ships Emergency life-support and emergency communications are likely to work, but nothing else.
When crossing universes, some ships would probably be immune to these weapon systems. These include the U.W.W. ships and the UFO Intruder ships from Phase World, the semi biological protoculture based systems from Robotech, and the Unusual hull construction of the Vorlons, Shadows, and races that copied the first ones technology from Babylon 5.
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: 120,000 miles (193,000 km) in space and
120 miles (193 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 960 miles (1,545 km) in space and 120 miles (193 km) in an atmosphere
Rate of Fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per mount
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Thirty (30) 60 mm Point Defense Lasers: These are the
main point defense weaponry of the Star Destroyer and are used against
both fighters and missiles. These mounts are distributed evenly around
the ships hull. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The
weapons have no penalties to strike small targets but are relatively short
ranged. The weapon systems cannot be used in hyperspace.
Maximum Effective Range:
Phase World Version: 800 miles (1,290 km) in space and 8 miles (12.3 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in an atmosphere and 32,000 feet (9,600 m) in space.
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited - Twenty (20) 80 mm Point Defense Ion Cannons: These are the
secondary point defense weaponry of the Star Destroyer and are used against
both fighters and especially missiles, where their disruption of systems is
very effective.
Star Wars ion cannons operate differently than the Ion cannons in Rifts and Robotech. Instead of just being another type of energy weapon, Star Wars ion cannons do not cause any physical damage, though they do damage shields. They disable targets by interfering with the target's electrical systems.
These mounts are distributed evenly around the ships hull. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The weapons have no penalties to strike small targets but are relatively short ranged. The weapon systems cannot be used in hyperspace.
For gaming purposes, Star Wars ion weapons have a damage rating. This is how much damage the weapon will inflict on shields. Once any shields are penetrated, however, the damage works differently. The ion damage is recorded separately from normal physical damage. For a exact description of this system, see the description of the Mega-Ion Cannons.
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: 600 miles (962 km) in space and 6 miles
(9.62 km) in an atmosphere.
Moderate Version: 3,000 feet (900 m) in an atmosphere and 24,000 feet (7,200 m) in space.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited - Four (4) Capital Proton Torpedo Batteries: Essentially equal
to cruise missiles. On the side of the ship, the ship has a total of four
missile batteries that fire the equivalent of cruise missile. One battery
is located near the front of the ship on each side, while another battery
is located further back. Missiles have penalties to hit small targets but
are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets
each.
Phase World Version: Effectively very similar to Phase World cruise missiles. Missiles has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship). When drive goes dead, the missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and torpedoes when dead is at -25% to be detected.) See Modified starship rules for more details
Moderate Version: The description of these are close to that used for conventional cruise missiles Missile are assumed to accelerate at 2 times normal mach speed in Gs greater than the starships speed when used in space. Missiles can be launched at non moving targets beyond the powered range of the missiles to hit targets without the chance of the launching ship being hit by missiles itself but penalties exist when launching missiles beyond normal missile range.
Maximum Effective Range:- Phase World Version: Powered torpedo range is 8000 miles (12,875
km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds)
in space (See
Phase World
Missiles )
Moderate Version: Varies with missile types, assume powered range is 8 x normal in space (Go to revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 10 per battery, per melee round, for a total of 40 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
Payload: 400 total, 100 cruise missiles per battery.
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Technical information sourced partially from Star Wars: Technical Commentaries.
Writeup by Mischa (E-Mail Mischa) and by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Rifts Conversion Copyright © 1999, Mischa & Kitsune. All rights reserved.