d20 Ronin Arts Future Starship 03 - The Black Mantis.pdf - Ronin Arts - R5700

Requires the use of the d20 Modern™ Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

THE BLACK MANTIS

Welcome to Ronin Arts Future: Starship 3 — The

Black Mantis , the third in a new series of PDFs for use

with futuristic D20 System campaigns. This series

makes some assumptions about your campaign; the star-

ship designs in this series will be most useful in cam-

paigns in which the following statements are true:

¥ The campaign is not a hard science setting.

Campaigns that are more space opera/adventure movie

are the intended target for this series.

¥ Starships are not rare or unusual. All of the star-

ships in this series assume that space travel is a standard

and common occurrence — individuals either fly their

own ships or ride on passenger ships. Starships and

space travel are as common for characters as a plane ride

is for people of our reality.

¥ Space combat is not uncommon. It s just another

exciting adventure when the player characters have to

engage the enemy while fleeing from some world or

other.

¥ The campaign is packed with action. If things

aren t exploding, how much fun can the game really be?

Most of the starships in this series are designed to fill

4 pages. This is so that you can print the pages — back-

to-back if you wish — and drop them into a binder. This

introduction, and the pnew starship equipment and

assorted information, can also be printed separately and

added to your binder. The schematic and silhouette page

is designed to be used as a player handout — it s what

flashes up on their ship systems when they attempt to ID

a ship — and GMs need only give the players the page

when they encounter a ship from this series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Hammes has been freelancing in the role-

playing industry since 2001. Starting small, he has

steadily built his repertoire, and reputation, by working

for such companies as Ronin Arts, Alderac

Entertainment Group, Dark Quest Games, and E.N.

Publishing. He is currently trying to balance his writing

schedule with his role as stay-at-home father. To catch

the latest from Michael s Imagination, please visit

www.michaelhammes.com.

E-FUTURE TILES: STAR PATROL

The Black Mantis design is based on SkeletonKey

Games e-Future Tiles: Star Patrol and Star Hunter

tiles sets . While this PDF can be easily used on its own

you will get a lot more use out of it in your game ses-

sions if you construct the ship — at miniatures scale —

using the printable tiles. The only tiles you will need that

are not available in the SkeletonKey Games releases are

the wings — which have been thoughtfully included at

the end of this PDF.

To learn more about SkeletonKey Games please

visit their website at www.skeletonkeygames.com .

NEW RULES AND IDEAS

N EW S HIP S YSTEM

The following is an experimental weapon on the

Black Mantis . It is included here so that you may eas-

ily use it to modify existing starships or as a reference

when designing your own original ships.

Name: Mantis Strike (experimental particle beam)

Weapon Damage: 12d8 (54)

Critical: 20

Damage Type: Energy

Range Increment: 4,000 ft.

Rate of Fire: Semi-Automatic

Minimum Ship Size: Gargantuan

Purchase DC: 41

Restriction: Illegal (+4)

MANTIS STRIKE PARTICLE BEAM (PL 7)

The Black Mantis is armed with a set of experi-

mental particle beams that were taken from a top-

secret civilian research station. Christened the “Mantis

Strike” by the Black Mantis ’ crew, these beams feature

an advanced charging system that allows the beams to

be recharged more quickly and thus to be fired in

semiautomatic mode, a fact taken full advantage of by

the Black Mantis ’ crew.

I MPORTANT N OTE

The SRD write-up of the Assault Fighter (and the

Fighter) is in error. That particular write-up allows the

pilots of those fighters to fire their beam weapons mul-

INTRODUCTION

THE BLACK MANTIS

tiple times per attack. This is not possible however as

both the particle beam and fusion beam are single shot

weapons (see Single Shot and Semiautomatic rate of

fire rules) that the pilot can only fire the beam one time

per round (I assume this is due to recharge time). That

is why the Mantis Strike particle beam is an advance-

ment over its standard counterpart and why the Black

Mantis is more than a match for any vessel of compa-

rable size.

sion of the standard assault fighter. Its chief advantages

over the assault fighter are that it carries an additional

defensive system, has a two-man crew that can bring

more weapons to bear simultaneously, and has a larger

cargo capacity allowing it to operate for longer periods

of time.

Type: Ultralight

Subtype: Heavy Assault Fighter

Defense: 19

Flat-footed Defense: 13

Autopilot Defense: 6

Hardness: 20 (ballistic) or 40 (other damage

forms)

Hit Dice: 12d20 (240 hp)

Initiative Modifier: +8

Pilot’s Class Bonus: +7

Pilot’s Dex Modifier: +6

Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +8/+3

Size: Gargantuan (–4 size)

Tactical Speed: 4,000 ft. (8 sq.)

Length: 60 feet

Weight: 24 tons (48,000 lbs.)

Targeting System Bonus: +4

Crew: 2 (ace +12)

Passenger Capacity: 2

Cargo Capacity: 1 ton (2,000 lbs)

Grapple Modifier: +8

Base Purchase DC: 50

Restriction: Military (+3)

Attack: 2 fire-linked particle beams +8 ranged

(18d8) and 2 fire-linked plasma missiles +8 ranged

(27d8); pilot and co-pilot each fire one weapon system

per attack

Attack of Opportunity: None

N EW F EATS

The following two feats expand the gunnery

options available for starship ranged weapon systems.

As with all such changes, they may only be used in a

campaign if approved by the GM.

STARSHIP POINT BLANK SHOT (AKA

BROADSIDE)

You are skilled at making well-placed shots with

ranged starship weapons at close range.

Prerequisite: Starship Gunnery

Benefit: You get a +1 bonus on attack rolls and +1

on each damage die (i.e. a plasma cannon does

14d8+14 of fire damage with a successful point blank

shot) with ranged starship weapons against opponent

starships in squares adjacent to your ship.

STARSHIP PRECISE SHOT

You are skilled at timing and aiming attacks with

starship ranged weapon systems.

Prerequisite: Starship Gunnery, Starship Point

Blank Shot

Benefit: You can fire a ranged starship weapon at

an opposing starship that occupies a square adjacent to

an allied starship without penalty.

Normal: You take a -4 penalty when firing a

ranged starship weapon at a target that occupies a

square adjacent to an ally.

STANDARD PL 7 DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Induction engine, thrusters

Armor: Deflective

Defense Systems: Autopilot system, improved

damage control system (2d10), stealth screen, particle

field

Sensors: Class V sensor array, improved targeting

system

Communications: Mass transceiver, radio trans-

ceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked particle beams (range incr.

4,000 ft.) and 2 fire-linked plasma missile launchers (8

missiles each; range incr. 5,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: None

H EAVY A SSAULT

F IGHTER S UBTYPE

Designed to receive, and inflict, more punishment

than a standard fighter or assault fighter, a heavy

assault fighter serves as the vanguard of any large

attack.

HEAVY ASSAULT FIGHTER (PL 7)

A heavy assault fighter is a larger and tougher ver-

Thousands of privateer vessels roam through

space, each seeking a fortune for its crew. Carrying

all the risk, and also keeping all the reward, priva-

teers find work in niches overlooked, ignored, or

considered unprofitable, by military, government,

or corporate interests.

Privateers fulfill a vital role in keeping the

vibrant economy of space going by engaging in

everything from salvage to research to exploration

to personnel and cargo transport; they serve in such

diverse roles as couriers, private transports, and

even bounty hunters or mercenaries and are consid-

ered the entrepreneurs of space.

While the vast majority of privateers are an hon-

est lot, there are those that engage in semi-legal and

illegal practices (usually smuggling, but occasional-

ly outright piracy, kidnapping, and murder-for-

hire). In fact, at the far end of the privateer spec-

trum, the distinction between privateer and pirate or

criminal is really one of semantics.

One of the most notorious of such privateer ves-

sels is the Black Mantis . Captained by Meng Li,

direct descendant of a notorious South China Sea

pirate on Earth, and crewed by his three sons, the

Black Mantis has a reputation for being one of the

most powerful privateer vessels in space.

This reputation is well earned, as the Black

Mantis is a former Boltthrower- class heavy assault

fighter that was bought on the black market and has

been modified under the direction of Meng Li to

better fit its privateer role. Of chief interest are the

improvements made to the stock defensive and

offensive systems that, when combined with the

skill of its crew, makes the Black Mantis a formida-

ble foe for any privateer or law enforcement vessel;

even military ships would be hard-pressed to deal

with the Black Mantis .

Backed by the powerful Li-Kung consortium,

the Black Mantis and its crew is often called upon

by the board of directors of that corporation to deal

with matters of concern for the consortium and to

accomplish the necessary, but distasteful, tasks that

come with running a business. This is always in an

“unofficial” manner, of course.

It was on one such mission that the Li brothers

acquired two “Mantis Strike” particle beams. The

Black Mantis was tasked with visiting the secret

research laboratory of a rival consortium and to

obtain as many secrets as possible while also offer-

ing an employment contract to (read: kidnapping)

the center’s top scientist. While carrying out the

mission, the Li brothers discovered the existence of

the experimental weapon system and carried it off

as well.

This little incident is illustrative of the prefer-

ence Meng Li has of operating under the idea that

“what the board of directors does not know, they

don’t know”. In addition to the “Mantis Strike”, the

Li brothers have obtained a number of other items

of interest (although the “Mantis Strike” particle

beams are by far the largest) and have also been

secretly stockpiling information on the Li-Kung

consortium as “insurance” should their current

employer turn on them.

GAME STATISTICS

BLACK MANTIS (PL 7)

Type: Ultralight

Subtype: Heavy Assault Fighter (modified)

Defense: 21

Flat-footed Defense: 15

Autopilot Defense: 8

Hardness: 20 (ballistic) or 40 (other damage

forms)

Hit Dice: 12d20 (240 hp)

Initiative Modifier: +8

Pilot’s Class Bonus: +7

Pilot’s Dex Modifier: +6

Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +8/+3

Size: Gargantuan (–4 size)

Tactical Speed: 4,000 ft. (8 sq.)

Length: 60 feet

Weight: 24 tons (48,000 lbs.)

Targeting System Bonus: +4

Crew: 4 (ace +12)

Passenger Capacity: 2

Cargo Capacity: 2 tons (2,400 pounds)

Grapple Modifier: +8

Base Purchase DC: 53

THE BLACK MANTIS

BASIC INFORMATION

THE BLACK MANTIS

Restriction: Military (+3)

Attack: 2 variable fire-linked “Mantis Strike”

particle beams +8/+3 ranged (18d8) and 1 semiau-

tomatic plasma cannon +8/+3 ranged (14d8) (the

particle beams are fired by one gunner, the plasma

cannon by another); or 1 variable fire-linked

“Mantis Strike” particle beam +8/+3 ranged (12d8)

and 1 variable fire-linked “Mantis Strike” particle

beam +8/+3 ranged (12d8) and 1 semiautomatic

plasma cannon +8/+3 ranged (14d8)(each weapon

is fired by one gunner).

Attack of Opportunity: None

BLACK MANTIS DESIGN SPECS:

Engines: Induction engine, thrusters

Armor: Deflective

Defense Systems: Displacer, improved autopi-

lot system, improved damage control system

(2d10), particle field

Sensors: Class V sensor array, improved target-

ing system

Communications: Mass transceiver, radio

transceiver

Weapons: 2 fire-linked “Mantis Strike” particle

beams (range incr. 4,000 ft.) and 1 semiautomatic

plasma cannon (range incr. 3,000 ft.)

Grappling Systems: Tractor beam emitter

STARSHIP KEY

1. Cockpit - The Black Mantis has an expanded

cockpit. In addition to the pilot and copilot posi-

tions, the Meng Li has added two utility positions.

All four stations can perform any of the other sta-

tion’s functions, including sensors, communica-

tion, navigation, and gunnery (but not piloting;

only the pilot’s and co-pilot’s position can do that).

This creates an additional level of redundancy, and

also allows all four Li brothers to be active during

combat (two fire one each of the variable fire-

linked “Mantis Strike” particle beams, a third fires

the semiautomatic plasma cannon, and the fourth

operates the tractor beam).

2. Crew Quarters - Three sets of double bunks

make this area rather crowded, but they do allow

the Li brothers to stay together on the ship and also

allow for the transport of two additional passengers

in relative comfort. A set of footlockers, two under

each bunk, provides additional storage space.

3. Engine Room - This area is dedicated to the

engine controls and ship engineering and diagnos-

tic systems.

4. Port Access Bay - This crawlspace gives

access to the port engine internals and various other

technical components of the Black Mantis in addi-

tion to serving as a minor storage space. With the

removal of the missile launchers, extra space is

available for storage in this area. However, the stor-

age space is still limited. Hostages of the Li broth-

ers often end up shackled up in here.

5. Starboard Access Bay - Identical to the port

access bay, this area too has been expanded with

the removal of the missile launchers.

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