Modular Cutter Module

Modular Cutter Modules are a special kind of 30.0 ton cargo container especially built for the standard modular cutter that is ubiquitous throughout Charted Space.

• It is a kind of Cargo Container and Ship Equipment.
• While most modular cutters within Charted Space use variations of the standard 30.0 ton module, many other sizes and shapes of module payload containers are used by a variety of other ships and smallcraft.

Description (Specifications)

They are special detachable modules made especially for standard layout modular cutters and have become so popular that many tramp vessels, cargo liners, freighters, and transports use them as well. The modules exist for every possible purpose.

The standard cylindrical module fits the external cargo bay of a standard modular cutter under the smallcraft's top spine and between its front cockpit nose and the rear drive section.

Image Repository

1. A Broadsword-class deploying a Modular Cutter with a standard cargo module.
   

General Description & Deck Plans

No information yet available.

Basic Cutter Modules

Three basic modules are routinely available for the cutter:

1. The ATV Module, which includes either a wheeled or a tracked ATV, masses thirty tons. It can deposit an ATV on a world surface, as well as pick it up again later. The module can serve as an ATV storage location, if desired. It typically costs MCr1.8.
2. The Fuel Module, with 30 tons of fuel tankage, the modular cutter serves as a fuel skimming vehicle and can be used to ferry fuel from point to point. It costs MCr1.
3. The Open Module / Standard Cargo Module is a customizable frame with 30 tons of excess space which can be allocated to passenger couches, fuel, cargo, cabins, or staterooms. It typically costs MCr2.

Selected Other Kinds of Cutter Modules

Standard Cutter Modules:

1. Class I (E) Starport Module: This single module can be left planetside to found the core of a Class E Starport, a frontier starport. It includes a light control tower, adequate sensor suite, and other related basic downport equipment.
   1. Class II (D) Starport Module: A six-module version, to form the core of a slightly more sophisticated Class D Starport, also exists, also known as the Dee Six class Downport. It was designed to be carried by the six-module Revolver class Modular Liner, but a one-module cutter (working from a transport carrying all six modules) can emplace and assemble it one module at a time. This is a more expensive but faster way to build up a world's capabilities. A Class C Starport or better would require enough modules to make this approach infeasible in most cases.
2. Expandable Base Station Module: This can form a ground facility for a variety of purposes from civilian administration to paramilitary to military uses.
3. Laboratory Module: The is a science module for conducting field research, usually of a planetological purpose. It contains a variety of scientific equipment.
4. Long Range Passenger Module.
5. Low Berth Module.
6. Medical Module: This is a portable clinic for conducting medical missions. It contains a variety of state of the art medical equipment.
7. Passenger Module: This module contains crash couches, a small galley, freshers, and accommodations for tourists making a planetary tour. It can also be used as an interface lander between a luxury liner and hotel accommodations.
8. Prison Transport Module: This module includes low berths for transporting dangerous criminals.
9. Safari Module: This module includes holding tanks for game, a lounge, equipment storage, a safari air/raft, and staterooms.
10. Sescommcon (SCC) Module.
11. Survey Module: This module includes a variety of sensor equipment including drones and probes.
12. Utility Module.

Military Assault Cutter Modules:

1. Boarding Module: This module includes grappling arms, fusion cutters, and 48 marines for boarding enemy vessels.
2. ECM Module: This module includes an extensive and very powerful Electronic Warfare Suite.
3. Field Hospital Module.
4. Fighter Pod Module: This module contains a single light fighter, supplies, control equipment, and all other equipment needed to conduct fighter operations.
5. Marine Command Module: This module can coordinate marine combat operations across a planetary warfare campaign.
6. Marine Firebase Module: This module can control a variety of deployed fire support equipment including a module-mounted ship turret.
7. Medevac Module: This module is designed to conduct medical evacuation transport and light treatment of wounded personnel including autodocs.
8. Sensor Module: This module contains a powerful militarized Ship Sensor Suite, much more powerful than the suites carried by most civil or paramilitary smallcraft. This makes it suitable for short-term picket ship duties, light patrol duties, and such.
9. Vehicle Module: This module contains a vehicle garage for a ship's vehicle, typically an AFV, ATV, grav tank, or military utility gravcraft.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Cutter was one of the first smallcraft to be purposefully built with modular components. This makes them easily repairable with spare parts and components that are widely available. It is purposefully built to accommodate parts of higher or lower end technologies. It has become one of the eight most popular and commonly encountered smallcraft designs found within Charted Space.

The Modular Cutter is known more simply as the Cutter in many records. Before the First Civil War, most cutters lacked most of the modular features now inherent to the contemporary modular cutter. Naval Architects on the Imperial Fringe had begun create innovations on the basic design, which later resulted in today's Modular Cutter. By 622 IC, the new "modular cutter" designs had spread throughout Imperial Space and beyond.

Some believe that Ling-Standard Products originated the designs although there isn't a consensus to this assertion. Regardless, LSP Modular Cutter designs remain popular on the smallcraft market and LSP advertises them as such.

Most Common Standardized Smallcraft Types

Smallcraft (Generic "Type-Q-"):

Dependent Craft:

1. Type-QP Pod (Sub-hull) (variable tonnage < 100 tons)
   1. Type-QM Module (30 tons):
      
      1. Basic Modules:
         1. Type-QM Open Module (30 tons)
         2. Type-QMH Fuel Module (30 tons)
         3. Type-QMV Vehicle Carrier Module (30 tons)
            
      2. Other Standard Modules:
         1. Type-QM Standard Modules (various) (30 tons)
         2. Type-QMM Military Assault Modules (various) (30 tons)
2. Type-QD Drone (variable tonnage < 100 tons)

Independent Craft:

1. Type-QPL Small Pod/Lifepod (5-ton)
   1. Type-QAL/QLS Lifepod (5-ton)
2. Type-QF Fighter (10-ton)
3. Type-QA Light Launch (10-ton)
   1. Lifeboat (10-ton)
   2. Cockboat (10-ton)
4. Type-QL Launch (20-ton)
   1. Type-QG Gig (20-ton)
5. Type-QB Boat (30-ton)
   1. Slow Boat (30-ton)
   2. Fastboat (30-ton) ( »» Shipsboat (30-ton))
6. Type-QN Pinnace (40-ton)
   1. Slow Pinnace (40-ton)
   2. Fuel Skimmer (40-ton)
7. Type-QC Cutter
   1. Modular Cutter (50-ton)
   2. Heavy Modular Cutter (Multicutter - 90 ton)
8. Type-QS Shuttle
   1. Passenger Shuttle (90-ton)
   2. Cargo Shuttle (95-ton)

Selected Variant Types & Classes

Civilian Ship - Smallcraft - Utility Craft - Cutter:

1. Type UMC class Cutter
   1. Apollo class Runabout
   2. Diamond class Modular Cutter
   3. Garrag class Modular Cutter
   4. Generic Modular Cutter
   5. GX class III Modular Cutter
   6. Inthe class Modular Cutter
   7. Lushina class Fast Cutter
   8. Mineral class Cutter
   9. Mule class Modular Cutter
   10. Seragh class Cutter

References

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 Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 18.
• Loren Wiseman. "LSP Modular Cutter." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 05 (1980): 6-9.
• Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 81.
• S.R. Greene. SGS: Imperial Small Craft (Seeker Gaming Systems, 1992), TBD.
• S.R. Greene. SGS: Imperial Small Craft Vol. 2 (Seeker Gaming Systems, 1992), TBD.
• Dave Nilsen. Reformation Coalition Equipment Guide (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 142-145.
• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. "Technical Booklet." Brilliant Lances (1994): 47.
• Don Perrin. Starships (Imperium Games, 1996), 18-19.
• Loren Wiseman. Deck Plan 2: Modular Cutter (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), All.
• Loren Wiseman. Deck Plan 4: Assault Cutter (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), All.
• Loren Wiseman, Andy Akins. Modular Cutter (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 1-128.
• Martin Dougherty. Scout Ships (Avenger Enterprises, 2007), TBD.
• Ron Vutpakdi, Michael Taylor. LSP Modular Starship (Avenger Enterprises, 2009), All.
• Michael Taylor. "Golden Age Starships 3: LSP Modular Starship." Golden Age Starships Compilation (2009): TBD.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), TBD.