Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 103
Large heavy freighter
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 3
AC 23; TL 25
HP 160; DT —; CT 32
Shields medium 140 (forward 40, port 30, starboard 30, aft 40)
Attack (Forward) heavy hacksaw arm (10d6; 1 hex), light ship tether (2d6; 1 hex)
Attack (Port) light particle beam (3d6; 10 hexes)
Attack (Starboard) light particle beam (3d6; 10 hexes)
Attack (Aft) vortex mouth mines (7d12; 3 mines)
Power Core Pulse Orange (250 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Major; Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 4 armor, mk 6 defenses, mk 2 trinode computer, security (anti-hacking systems, antipersonnel weapon [ifrit-class blaze rifle]); Expansion Bays brig, cargo holds (3), escape pods (2), smuggler compartment, tech workshop; Modifiers +2 to any three checks per round, +2 Computers (sensors only); Complement 12 (minimum 6, maximum 20)CrewCaptain Bluff +24 (10 ranks), Diplomacy +19 (10 ranks), gunnery +15 (10th level), Intimidate +19 (10 ranks), Piloting +19 (10 ranks)
Engineer (1 officer, 3 crew) Engineering +19 (10 ranks)
Gunners (2) gunnery +15 (10th level)
Pilot Piloting +19 (10 ranks)
Science Officers (2 officers, 1 crew each) Computers +19 (10 ranks)DescriptionThe Griffon’s reputation almost always precedes it. Modeled off the antiquated Blue Crow produced by the Norikama Syndicate to recover battle scrap to recycle into the company’s own starship frames, Dashadz Industries modeled the Griffon to vastly expand the Blue Crow’s frame and supercharge its recovery tools, most infamously adding a rotating saw as much as 30 feet in diameter for breaking apart hulls and disarticulating weapon arrays. The utilitarian starship resonated less with the Veskarium’s military and more with freelance wreckers, and the Griffon—often derisively referred to as the “Vulture”—swiftly became synonymous with ruthless pirates, unscrupulous captains, and hungry crews all too eager to pick over starship carcasses.
In reality, most Griffon crews are simply independent salvage operators surviving in an often-cutthroat business with notoriously high turnover rates. Though the Griffon’s storage is substantial, most starships are still too large for one wrecker to haul off on their own; most salvagers call in backup from nearby Griffon owners after finding a huge derelict vessel. In good times, this maintains a healthy professional network, warm camaraderie, and healthy rivalry. But when salvage is lean, many crews are quick to misdirect their competitors, attack them outright, or wost of all, lay mines near viable salvage to disable any other vessels that come to investigate the wreckage. These grim circumstances often see the secondary market flooded with Griffon components, many of them suspiciously looking like they were torn from their former owners with prejudice.
Captains who can consistently turn a profit can sustain a Griffon for decades, and it’s traditional to begin decorating the hull after a year of continuous operation. Artists specializing in these particular hull designs often float between crews or frequent stations and contractor union hubs, doing work on commission for crews and captains that have earned their ink. Some ships even pass through the hands of multiple captains with the crew mostly intact, creating a legacy on the hull that can be seen and read by those that know how.
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