Adventure Class Ship

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Adventure Class Ships (ACS) are starships and spacecraft suitable for use by small groups of adventurers or operatives.

  • Adventure Class Ships range in size from 100.0 tons to 2,499.0 tons and operate singly or in small units (squadrons) of several ships each. The mix of available ships includes both starships and spacecraft, and both ships and small craft. [1]
  • They do not require large crews or major investments of fuel and supplies and can be serviced on a smaller scale logistics systems by starports. Smaller corporations and polities can afford to operate such ships, some of which may be warships. [2]
  • The ships are large enough to carry profitable cargos but small enough that the activities of the individuals matter. [3]

Description (Specifications)

Tonnages: Adventure Class Ships are built using standard hulls between 100.0 tons and 2499.0 ton displacement. Vessels smaller than 100.0 tons are Small Craft. Ships larger than 2500.0 tons or larger are Battle Class Ships (BCS). [4]

These are vessels with no clear corporate and or governmental IFF transponders. This is jump capable system traffic which operates independently of centralized fleet control and files flight plans outside normal channels.

  • They are characterized by being Smaller Starships with few crew.
  • They are economically handicapped by having trivial cargo and passenger handling capacity.
  • This does call into question how they are able to operate profitably and most require alternative revenue streams. [5]

Naval Ship Synopsis by Size-Role

These vary in tonnage and in their intended function or role in fleet maneuvers and tactics. The security of the state is usually the primary design imperative. [6]

Ship Classification by Size [7]
# Type Tonnage Class Commonality Remarks
1. Smallcraft (Subcraft) 0 to 99 tons Vehicle Ubiquitous Smallcraft are NAFAL or STL.
  • Smallcraft are typically designed to be carried by larger carrier craft. Such vehicles are called Subcraft.
  • This class represents Shuttles, Gigs, Fighters, etc.
2. Bigcraft (Subcraft) 100 tons or larger Vehicle or Ship Uncommon Bigcraft may be designed FTL or NAFAL.
  • Bigcraft are designed to be carried by larger carrier craft as Subcraft.
  • This class represents SDB's, Riders, and ship-sized subcraft.
3. Adventure Class Ships (ACS) 100 to 2,499 tons Ship or Vessel Common Adventure Class ships may be FTL or NAFAL.
  • They are typically designed FTL and service many lesser roles including customs, planetary defense, tramp freighters, etc.
  • This class represents Merchants, Escorts, etc.
4. Battle Class Ships (BCS) 2,500 to 249,999 tons Ship or Vessel Uncommon Battle Class ships may be FTL or NAFAL.
  • Such ships require major investment and only service major roles including megacorporate interstellar trade, warships of capital class, and major endeavors.
  • This class represents Cruisers, Bulk Traders, Battleships, etc.
5. Fleet Class Ships (FCS) 250,000 to 249,999,999 tons Ship or Vessel Rare Fleet Class ships may be FTL or NAFAL.
6. World Class Ships (WCS) 2,500,000 tons or larger Ship or Vessel Ultra-rare World Class ships may be FTL or NAFAL.

History & Background (Dossier)

Adventure Class Ships are extremely important within Charted Space. Since they are cheap in relationship to larger ships, relatively expendable, and numerous… they perform the majority of interstellar roles from civilian, paramilitary, and military needs. In civilian guise as tramps, they service all of the smaller worlds taking on less profitable trade routes, maintaining interstellar mail runs, x-boat routes, and courier routes, and form the bulk of prospectors, miners, belters, and the like. They are also the scouts, customs vessels, tugs, SDB’s, and such craft that serve large organizations, corporations, and polities. They may be pawns in one sense, but they are also the hard workers of spacecraft and starcraft, keeping the greater interstellar civilization alive and prosperous. [8]

Services with surplus vessels often find it useful to place ships in the hands of experienced crew to operate independently. This defrays some operating costs and provides flexibility and in some cases plausible deniability. Some of these vessels stimulate economic activity, some are subject to military recall in the event of an emergency. Some can be used to privateer or conduct commerce raiding against hostile neighboring states. [9]

References & contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
  1. Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 405.
  2. Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  3. Marc Miller. "Starship Design and Construction." T5 Core Rules (2013): 313.
  4. Marc Miller. "Starship Design and Construction." T5 Core Rules (2013): 313.
  5. Information provided to the library by Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
  6. Information provided to the library by Ronald B. Kline, Jr.
  7. Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  8. Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  9. Information provided to the library by Ronald B. Kline, Jr.