Smallcraft

Smallcraft are non-jump spacecraft under a 100 dTons in displacement.

• Various standard types of small craft exist.

Description / Specifications

Shuttling between planets, small non-starships run errands, make deliveries. and generally do much of the dirty work that larger craft can't or won't do. Small craft displace less than 100 dtons and are thus incapable of interstellar flight.

Smallcraft Types by Size

They are classified as starships are, by tonnage and acceleration, although minor variations can make identification difficult. By tradition, the following generalities are often, but not always accurate:

• Launches are in the 10 dton range.
• Gigs are in the 20 dton range.
• Ship's Boats" are in the 30 dton range.
• Pinnaces are in the 40-dton range.
• Cutters are in the 5O-dton rdl'lge.
• Shuttles may vary from 30 to lOO dtons.

Smallcraft Types by Role

• Assault Boat
• Attack Shuttle
• Cutter
• The Fighter is an armed space vessel often carried on larger military craft.
• Gig
• Lander
• The Launch is the smallest of the small craft. They often carried by larger vessels to serve as lifeboats.
• Lifeboat
• Lighter
• The Modular Cutter is designed to carry a 30-ton module. Available modules include an ATV cradle, a fuel skimmer, a passenger/cargo transport module, an Assault Boat module, a pressurised shelter, a weapons module, or even a fighter frame.
• The Pinnace is a larger, farther-ranging vessel capable of holding passengers and small vehicles. Size is usually around 40 ship tons.
• The Ship's Boat is designed to perform odd jobs and minor operations for a larger ship.
• The Shuttle is the largest small craft, and is designed for long-duration interplanetary travel.
• The Slow Boat is similar to the ship's boat, but is streamlined for atmospheric travel and slower in space.
• The Slow Pinnace is similar to the pinnace, but slower because more space is allocated for passengers and cargo. Like the slow boat, it is streamlined for atmospheric travel.
• Tanker

History & Background / Dossier

Smallcraft are where most early technology civilization begin their spaceflight porgrams. By the modern interstellar age, smallcraft are used as auxiliaries to larger starcraft and other interstellar FTL machines.

Small Craft: Vessels under a hundred tons are considered to be small craft.

Description (Specifications)

Each small craft design is intended to be as useful as possible. As a result, smallcraft descriptions cover the basic performance of the craft, and indicates price, crew, and other details. Each craft also has a feature called excess space: this interior tonnage may be used by the purchaser for a wide variety of purposes. In effect, when the craft is procured, it is customized by the purchaser for some specific use. Any fitting or combination of fittings available may be specified for a standard design small craft. The prices, however, are ignored, and are considered to be included in the standard design price.

Most Common Standardized Smallcraft Types

1. Cutter (50-ton)
2. Fighter (10-ton)
3. Launch (20-ton)
4. Pinnace (40-ton)
5. Ship's Boat (30-ton)
6. Shuttle (95-ton)
7. Slow Boat (30-ton)
8. Slow Pinnace (40-ton)

Smallcraft’s Larger Cousins: Bigcraft

Big Craft are ships that weight a 100 tons or more, designed to be carried within other ships.

History & Background (Dossier)

There are eight standard designs available; each design plan is available for Cr100. All take approximately twelve months to build. All are streamlined, and can enter atmospheres. All can operate with unrefined fuel; they have fuel scoops which allow them to skim fuel from a gas giant.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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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.

• Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), .
• MT Imperial Encyclopedia
• Periodical: Third Imperium 10
• Periodical: Third Imperium 12
• Periodical: Stellar Reaches 04
• Reformation Coalition Equipment Guide
• Traveller: The New Era Main Rulebook (pg. 378)
• Deck Plans Seeker Gaming Systems: Imperial Small Craft
• Deck Plans Seeker Gaming Systems: Imperial Small Craft, Vol. 2
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science