I admit it, I absolutely love the Traveller RPG and especially the ships. I can’t get enough of different ships. One of the latest offerings I acquired is the Roosevelt-class Intercept Destroyer by Michael Johnson for Independence Games.
If you haven’t played in The Clement Sector setting from Independence Games you are really missing out on some classic Traveller-style play. This setting is a “small-ship” universe where starships are limited to 5,000 displacement Tons (dT) or less because of the physics of the Zimm Drive for interstellar travel.
This makes The Clement Sector the domain of “adventure-class ships.” Speaking of adventure, the ad copy for the Roosevelt-class certainly sounds like it is ready for adventurers looking for some real adventuring:
Built as a 1200 tonne pirate killer with 5G thrust, the Roosevelt-class Intercept Destroyer is a Cascadian Naval vessel built to chase down adversaries too fast for other naval vessels and operate within the upper atmosphere of gas giants. The Roosevelt is designed with Cascadian cultural styling in mind and thus presents a sleek appearance along with its speed.
Beloved by the Cascadian Naval Service and criticized by members of other navies as “fast but lightly armed”, the Roosevelt is a recent addition to Cascadia’s naval forces. Joining the Cascadian fleet in 2344, many have commented that the ship might have a shaky career in the force. However, the ship’s sleek design has delighted the Cascadian populace and it is already being featured in holovids extolling the virtues of quickness and agility.
Roosevelt-class ad copy
That flavor text is what brings every ship from Independence Games to life and the Roosevelt-class Intercept Destroyer is no exception. When reading the book, you find a design that is far from perfect but very believable, especially if you have ever touched a procurement or major acquisition program for the Department of Defense. I mean, who mounts weapons asymmetrically? Did they really put a Fusion Gun Bay on one side and a Meson Gun Bay on the other? Protection? Who needs stinkin’ protection when you have 5G of acceleration to use? Pay that snake oil salesman prime defense contractor what the contract says (with a bonus, of course) because they built it to the requirements you specified, not matter how stupid they may be.
The believable fiction is what makes Roosevelt-class Intercept Destroyer worthy of your attention. This is a ship you can drop into an adventure and use right away. It won’t be a beast of a ship but rather one with quirks that will force players to make decisions.
Feature image courtesy Independence Games
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