Szandite Collective ShipsBy the time Triune revealed Drift engine technology via the Signal, the Szandite Collective had been collaborating for centuries. They designed their starships to accommodate myriad alien physiologies, knowing they would spend years together among the stars. The starships’ engine rooms and control interfaces are the epitome of adaptive design. Szandite Collective ships vary in appearance, but almost all of them approximate collections of various geometric shapes—such as cubes, prisms, pyramids, and polyhedrons—that make them immediately recognizable.
The Collective recognizes that its aversion to armed conflict and relative lack of experience with advanced weapons has the potential to leave its starships vulnerable during expeditions, so they emphasize defense systems, scanners, and shields in their ships’ designs. Otherwise, their vessels are specifically designed to further their goals of discovery, exploration, and research. The Collective sends Farseers to gather and report information, even equipping them with extensive mobile laboratories to conduct remote research operations as necessary. Heavily shielded Vaultships study and transport artifacts, including massive chunks of szandite crystal that fill entire cargo holds. Metropolis ships carry and protect other starships and their crews between the Collective home worlds, and some of these massive ships are especially equipped to make diplomatic or exploratory journeys to other populated systems.
A peculiar aspect of Szandite Collective ships is their modular nature. The Collective designed technology that allowed their ships to be taken apart, combined, separated, or rebuilt over a period of several days or weeks, allowing them to adapt the configuration and function of their ships and fleets as needed without needing a space station or dock to do so.
Source Near Space pg. 119
Gargantuan carrier
Speed 8; Maneuverability poor (turn 3); Drift 1
AC 24; TL 29
HP 330; DT 10; CT 66
Shields heavy 480 (forward 120, port 120, starboard 120, aft 120)
Attack (Forward) superlaser (2d4×10; 20 hexes)
Attack (Turret) light EMP cannon (special; 5 hexes)
Power Core Gateway Ultra (500 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems advanced medium-range sensors, crew quarters (good), mk 4 duonode computer, mk 5 armor, mk 11 defenses; Expansion Bays hangar bay, medical bay, recreation suite (HAC), science lab (general), sealed environment chamber, shuttle bay; Modifiers +4 to any two checks per round, +4 Computers (sensors only), –1 Piloting; Complement 111 (minimum 75, maximum 200)CrewCaptain Computers +23 (13 ranks), Diplomacy +23 (13 ranks), Engineering +23 (13 ranks), gunnery +19 (13th level), Intimidate +23 (13 ranks), Piloting +23 (13 ranks)
Engineers (4 officers, 14 crew each) Engineering +23 (13 ranks)
Gunner (1 officer, 2 crew) gunnery +19
Pilot (1 officer, 10 crew) Piloting +23 (13 ranks)
Science Officers (6 officers, 5 crew each) Computers +28 (13 ranks)DescriptionThis enormous carrier operates with a relatively few but highly specialized and talented personnel, and it can offer safe harbor to more vulnerable ships. Modular Harbor A Szandite Collective ship adjacent to this ship can link with it in a specific arc. The linked ship can’t move or fire its weapons, and damage that would be dealt to the linked ship is dealt to the metropolis’s shields in that quadrant first.
Source Near Space pg. 118
Medium explorer
Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 15; TL 17
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields medium 90 (forward 23, port 22, starboard 22, aft 23)
Attack (Forward) light laser cannon (2d4; 5 hexes)
Attack (Port) light laser cannon (2d4; 5 hexes)
Attack (Starboard) light laser cannon (2d4; 5 hexes)
Attack (Turret) coilgun (4d4; 20 hexes)
Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems advanced long-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 2 armor, mk 2 mononode computer, mk 4 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo hold, science lab (life), science lab (physical), sealed environment chamber; Modifiers +2 to any one check per round, +4 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 6 (minimum 1, maximum 6)CrewCaptain Computers +8 (3 ranks), Diplomacy +8 (3 ranks), gunnery +7 (3rd level), Piloting +9 (3 ranks)
Engineer Engineering +8 (3 ranks)
Pilot gunnery +7 (3rd level), Piloting +9 (3 ranks)
Science Officer (1 officer, 2 crew) Computers +13 (3 ranks)DescriptionFarseers are the front lines of the Szandite Collective’s exploratory efforts, equipped with extremely fine-tuned, advanced sensor arrays—and laboratories to examine their findings.
Source Near Space pg. 119
Large heavy freighter
Speed 6; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 2
AC 11; TL 19
HP 140; DT —; CT 28
Shields heavy 320 (forward 80, port 80, starboard 80, aft 80)
Attack (Forward) mining laser (2d6; 5 hexes)
Power Core Nova Heavy (200 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Booster; Systems advanced short-range sensors, anti-hacking systems mk 1, computer countermeasures (alarm), crew quarters (common), mk 2 armor, mk 2 trinode computer, mk 10 defenses; Expansion Bays arcane laboratory, cargo holds (3), guest quarters (common), science lab (general), sealed environment chamber, tech workshop; Modifiers +2 to any three checks per round, +4 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 18 (minimum 6, maximum 20)CrewCaptain Diplomacy +14, Engineering +14 (7 ranks), Piloting +14 (7 ranks)
Engineers (2 officers, 3 crew each) Engineering +14 (7 ranks)
Pilot gunnery +12 (7th level), Piloting +14 (7 ranks)
Science Officers (2 officers, 3 crew each) Computers +19 (7 ranks)DescriptionVaultships protect the Szandite Collective’s invaluable findings with thick plates of armor and extensive shielding, though these hulks are also often accompanied by support ships.
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