With the invention of the grazer as a shipboard capital ship mount, The Consortium Armed Forces need a battleship class to carry the new weapon systems. Various different ship classes were proposed but most designs were very expensive and the Protector class battleship were not that old a ship class to be decommissioned. The CAF decided to take the Protector class and modify them to carry the new weapon systems. The Bureau of Ships decided to use this opportunity and repair several problems with the ship class at the same time. The end result is a ship that is better defended and carries more fighters for ship defense. The ships mission and roles remaining virtually identical. The first Protector class battleship that was refitted was the CFS Paladin. The plan is to slowly refit all Protector class battleships to the same configuration as the CFS Paladin.

The ships shield, armor, sensors, and propulsion systems remain unchanged. To replace or upgrade the systems would have cost more that the Consortium of Civilized Worlds wished to spend on their modified Battleships.

The most major change is in the ships weapon systems. The Primary and Secondary laser batteries have been replaced by grazer mounts. The heavy laser cannons have been replaced by Grazer mounts as well. Grazers are Gamma Radiation Lasers. These weapons are more powerful and longer ranged than lasers of the same mount class. Because of the occasional encounters with enemy ships that cannot be effected bu energy weapons, the ship carries a more powerful projectile mount the ship carries 8 heavy mass drivers instead of the four heavy gravity rail guns. Unlike the gravity rail guns, the mass driver fires a single large projectile. The new cannon design does far greater damage but the rate of fire of the weapon is limited to four projectiles per melee. The ship retains the same number of cruise and long range missile launchers that the standard Protector battleship has. The point defense of the ship has been upgraded when compared to a standard protector. The ship has twenty four point defense particle beams, twenty four point defense rail guns, and twenty point defense mini missile launchers.

Much of the increased weapon systems are from the decreasing of marines and marine equipment. The ship only have about one third of the marines and marine equipment carried on the original Protector class battleship. While this has decreased the ability of the ship to make planetary assaults, this increased the amount of ships space that could be devoted to weapon systems. This has also increased the number of fighters the ship could carry allowing the ship to be better defended against fighter attacks. The Six Battleram Robots have been replaced by Proctor class heavy fighters because of the greater abilities of the heavy fighter. The ship retains the six "Star Ghost" Phase Ships (see Rifts Phase World, page 162) but in most fighter classes, the number of fighters have been doubled. Due to the increased weapon systems, the ships crew has been increased.

This starship design uses modified starship speed and ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details

Model Type: SB-87E
Class: Strategic Combat Starship
Crew: 1,670 (70 officers and 1600 enlisted)
Troop Capacity: 1,000 Marines (Typically 250 stay on board for ship defense), 120 fighter pilots, 96 silverhawk pilots, and can carry up to 200 passengers in addition.

Vehicles:
Power Armors & Robots:

	96	Silver Hawk Power Armors
	120	Ground Pounder Power Armors

Fighter Compliment:

	24	SF-69 CAF Scorpion Star Interceptor
	24	BIF-67 Katana Star fighters
	24	SF-101 Black Eagle Star fighters
	6	Star Ghost Starfighters
	6	CAF LRF-25 Proctor Long Range Star Fighters

Assault Shuttles:

2

CAF Assault Shuttles

Tanks & Other Vehicles:

	12	Phalanx Main Battle Tanks
	20	Maniple IFV

M.D.C. by Location:

	100 cm Main Grazer Batteries (2 - Each has 2 cannons):	6,000 each
	28 cm Secondary Grazer Cannons (2):	1,500 each
	15 cm Support Grazer Cannons (8):	1,000 each
	Heavy Mass Drivers (8):	1,200 each
	Cruise Missile Batteries (4):	1,000 each
	Long-Range Missile Batteries (8):	600 each
	Gravity Auto-cannons (24):	200 each
	Particle Beam Cannons (24):	150 each
	Mini-Missile Launchers (20):	100 each
	Outer Hull Section (40 ft/12.2 m area):	200
	Inner Hull Section (40 ft/12.2 m area):	120
	[1] Main Bridge:	60,000
	[1] Auxiliary Bridge:	60,000
	[1] Flag Bridge:	60,000
	[2] Main Body:	250,000
	Hangar Bay:	75,000
	[3] Main Engines (2, top and bottom of the rear 1 /3 of the ship):	60,000 each
	[4] Variable Force Fields:	15,000 on each 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 both an auxiliary bridge and a flag bridge. Even if all three bridges are taken out, 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 MDC of the main body will put the battleship 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] Destroying the main engines eliminates FTL systems and reduces maximum sublight speed by half.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (4500 MDC) per melee

Speed:
Driving on the ground: Not Possible
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 0.9 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 350 mph (563 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Star Drive: Gravitonic drive; maximum speed: 6 light years per hour.
Range: Carries enough life support and supplies for two years of uninterrupted travel. This could be stretched to four years in an emergency. Typical patrol missions lasts six months to one year.

Statistical Data:
Height: 600 feet (183 meters)
Width: 800 feet (244 meters)
Length: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters)
Mass/Weight: 15 million tons (13.6 million metic tons) fully loaded, plus up to 500,000 tons of additional cargo.
Cargo: Cargo Hold can hold up to 500,000 tons of additional material.
Power System: Anti-matter; average energy life is 50 years.
Market Cost: The modifications to the Protector class cost 10 billion credits. The standard Protector class battleship costs 20 billion credits to construct. The ship is not for sale outside the Consortium Armed Forces (The ship will not even be sold to CCW member worlds)

Weapon Systems:

1. Main Grazer Batteries (2): Two 100 cm grazer cannons are in each battery (four guns total). Each battery can fire at two different targets or combine both attacks in a devastating double blast that will take out most ships. By firing combined blasts, they can core a planetoid with a few shots. The weapon mounts have about a 25% increase in both range and damage over standard laser cannons of the same size. The weapon mounts are mounted in the forward area of the ship and can be angled up to 120 degrees aft (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 30 degree angle up or down. They cannot be used faster than the speed of light. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large gun.
   Mega-Damage: 3D6x1,000 for a single blast, or 6D6x1,000 for a double blast (both guns in the battery engaging the same target).
   Effective Range: 150,000 miles (241,000 km) in space and 150 miles (241 km) in an atmosphere.
   Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire up to two times per melee round (Battleship has 4 cannons so ship can fire a total of 8 single shots from the main battery
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Two (2) 28 cm Heavy Grazer Cannons: Grazer cannons use focused gamma radiation and are very powerful. The weapon mounts have about a 25% increase in both range and damage over standard laser cannons of the same size. These mounts are slightly less powerful than the main battery but are quite powerful and any ship caught in the cannons fire will regret the situation very quickly. Like the main battery, these cannons are capable of destroying frigates in one hit or quickly crippling heavier vessels. The cannons are mounted in the sides of the ship. Batteries can be fired up to 180 degrees toward the rear on either side (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 45 degree angle up or down. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large starship weaponry.
   Range: 125,000 miles (201,000 km) in space and 125 miles (201 km) in an atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 2D4x1000 MDC each and both can be combined for a total of 4D4x1000.
   Rate of fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per cannon.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
3. Eight (8) 15 cm Grazer Cannons: Grazer cannons use focused gamma radiation and are very powerful. The weapon mounts have about a 25% increase in both range and damage over standard laser cannons of the same size. These cannons are the support battery of the ship and while quite powerful, they do not have the incredible firepower of the main battery except when fired together. Batteries can be fired up to 180 degrees toward the rear on either side and can fire at a 90 degree angle up or down. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large starship weaponry.
   Range: 20,000 miles (32,200 km) in space and 20 miles (32.2 km) in an atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 3D6x100 MDC each or two can be combined for a total of 6D6x100.
   Rate of fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee per cannon.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
4. Eight (8) 20 cm Heavy Mass Drivers: This weapon replaced the heavy G-Cannon turrets because the G-Cannons did not inflict enough damage on targets and when ships are against other ships that had the spell impervious to energy, the problem was a severe handicap. The cannon fire a single large bolt on high tensile strength MDC material at the target. The projectile is not explosive but has several tons of mass. Each mass driver is mounted in a special turrets that are partially recessed into the ships hull. The turrets have a limited firing. Each has a 30 degree arc of fire. Two mounts are in the front of the ship and two mounts are on the sides of the ship. The ship will make radical side turns to allow the side launchers to fire forward if on a direct aproach to the target. The weapon has standard penalties to hit small targets like missiles and starfighters. These projectiles can be used against unmoving targets beyond the weapons normal range when used in space but suffers the same penalties that normal missiles do.
   Range: 10,000 miles (16,100 km), range is 10 miles (16.1 km) in an atmosphere
   Mega Damage: 2D6x100+200 MDC each (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration).
   Rate of fire: Maximum of four per melee.
   Payload: 100 projectiles for each mass driver (800 total).
5. Twenty Four (24) Point Defense Rail Guns: Used as an anti-Starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each Rail Gun is in a Turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Projectiles come out of launchers at close to the speed of light. Cannon uses a 20 mm projectile.
   Range: 2 miles (3.2 km) through atmosphere and 200 miles (320 km) in space.
   Mega-Damage: 20 round burst does 2D4x10 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: 10,000 Rounds (500 Bursts) each cannon.
6. Twenty Four (24) Point Defense Particle Beams: These weapons are used for anti-missile, anti-power armor, and anti-star fighter defense.
   Range: 600 miles (960 km) in space and range is 6 miles (9.6 km) in atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 3D6x10 MDC each.
   Rate of fire: Equal to gunners hand to hand (Usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
7. Four (4) Cruise Missile Batteries: Missile 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). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise 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 missile when dead at -25% to detect.) See Modified starship rules for more details, Cruise missiles have minuses to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. This launcher is a standard CAF launcher. Launchers can launch on multiple targets each.
   Range: Missile 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
   Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Anti-Matter does 4D6x100 MDC).
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 16, or 32 per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 128 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
   Payload: 128 total, 32 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 20 reload of missiles (2560 cruise missile reloads total)
8. Eight (8) Long Range Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) Long range missiles do not have minuses to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Launchers can launch on multiple targets each.
   Range: Missile range is 3400 miles (5470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,89700 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
   Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Fusion does 2D4x100 MDC).
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 16, or 32 per launcher, per melee attack.
   Payload: 2560 total, 320 long range missiles per launcher.
9. Twenty (20) Mini-Missile launchers: These are missile turrets used for point defense against enemy fighters and missiles. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration).
   Mega-Damage: varies with mini-missile type (See Phase World Missiles).
   Range: Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space
   Rate of fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 4 or 8 missiles
   Payload: 128 per launcher for a total of 2,560 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 2,560 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.

Other Systems:

• Battlelink Main Control System: The Main Battlelink computer provides the Paladin with the ability to share targeting data with other capital ships in the area, which provides all ships participating in the link with improved targeting solutions and hit chances, both for their point defense, as well as their capital weapon systems. For more information regarding the Battlelink, go to Phase World Battle Link.

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[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 1999, Kitsune. All rights reserved.