Battleships, aka Dreadnoughts, have replaced heavy cruisers as the flagships of the line. Dreadnoughts are the mightiest vessels to travel between the stars. The UPF has only a few of them, and they usually stay near the larger space stations. Battleships have never fought in ship-to-ship combat, so their effectiveness is a matter of theory.
- Hull Points: 120
- Acceleration/Deceleration Factor: 2
- Maneuver Rating: 2
- Damage Control Rating: 200
- Weapons: 2 to 4 laser (or xaser) assault-cannons, 3 to 6 laser (or xaser) batteries, 8 (anti-matter) torpedoes, 10 missile batteries; disintegrator assault-cannon, 1 or 2 proton (or anti-matter) batteries, 2 to 3 electron (or ion) batteries, 4 seeker missiles; 2 concussion mines[1]
- Optional Weapons: comet gun (4 shots), 12 to 20 gravity well-projectiles
- Defenses: reflective hull, 4 masking screens (or x-screens), 12 to 20 ICMs, electron (or ion) screen, proton (or antimatter) screen, stasis screen
- Hull Size: 20
- Crew Members: 400
A dreadnought has excellent maneuverability and acceleration; it can also absorb considerable damage. In addition, the durable engines mounted on these ships allow 12 jumps between overhauls. The biggest disadvantage of the battleship is its extreme cost; only three have been commissioned.
The first time a battleship saw action was in the Battle of Fortress Kdikit, where the Admiral Clinton led UPF forces to a narrow victory (the Sathar were wiped out, but the dreadnought lost half her crew and the fortress had to be abandoned). Since then, the battleships have had a major retrofit to increase overall firepower, as weapon development grew in the onslaught of Sathar invasions. During the Second Sathar War, all three battleships proved instrumental for driving out the invading Sathar fleets.
Ships of the Line
| Known UPF Ships (all ships are Clinton-class retrofits): |
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D20 Future Ships
- ↑ Star Frontiers Knight Hawks: Military Ship Construction by Daniel R. "Delta" Collins; September 2013 (Delta's D&D Blogspot)