Overview[]
The Skip Drive (abbreviated as the SKP) is a type of Faster-Than-Light Engine which can be mounted on smaller hulls than traditional KF-Drive commonalty used in the Inner Sphere. Additional benefits of the SKP is the ability project an energy shield to defend from attack.
Considerably slower than the KF-Drive, vehicles equipped with this experience lag time considerably longer than the instant "jump" which gave the KF-Drive's equipment vessels their name, JumpShip. Instead immediate jump to their destination, the ships move slower through hyperspace with days passing per light year traveled. The drives are also able to create a form of energy field that can resist weapons fire until it's strength is exhausted. Additionally, any vessel using this type propulsion needs a modified HPG to be able to detect objects out side Hyperpsace as the vessel is traveling.
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The drives are in fact very unstable and prone to the possibility of the drive exploding.
This technology was created for the fan setting Nebula Confederation, created by Maingunnery.
History[]
This unique type of hyperdrive was created by Nebula Confederation in deep periphery region known as California Nebula. This faction efforts were their attempt to create/recreate their forefather's technology, KF-Drive. The Skip Core is sited as a technology which was considered, but not pursued by the Terran Alliance in favor the vastly improved KF-Drive.
Explanation How it Works[]
Skip-Core technology is the preferred FTL propulsion system by many of the Nebula's locals. We don't know how it works but we do know that it takes plasma from the power-plant to the Skip-Core where it will TECHNOBABBLE, after which the altered plasma will be send to the engine exhaust to TECHNOBABBLE, creating a thin KF-Field around the ship, suitable for both for propulsion and defense.
The drive can operate continuously, it doesn't make a jump as it were, but it operates in the lowest bands of hyperspace. In the lowest bands matter is pushed out towards real space, the drive prevents this causing the ship to skip against the border between realspace and hyperspace like a throwing rock over the surface of water (thus the name). The fuel consumption rate is equal to the 1G Burn Rate of the unit in question.
This drive might have also been invented before, but it would have likely been deemed impractical. While it weights less than a Jump-Drive (2% of TT), it is slower than an equally technologically developed Jump-Drive, requires more fuel, not compatible with Jump Drives, and is highly explosive. These severe downsides should have made it a dead end technology for any previous inventor, and force them stop further development. However in the Nebula using such a system makes more sense.
Shield Points: Total number of shield points is calculated by multiplying their Tonnage, Flank MP, and the Core Factor. Each type of Core has their own factor, 0.5 for the basic, 1.0 for the standard, and 1.5 for the advanced model. Also the fusion reactors of WarShips, JumpShips, and Space Stations aren't fully compatible with this system they can only use an stationary version (no FTL), this means that their Flank MP is equal to their station keeping thrust (0.1).
Stability Mechanism: The Skip Drive offers additional protection and independent FTL, but it is quite explosive and the stability of it needs to be managed. There are a large number of actions and events that induce more instability in a core, these include but are not limited to: Depleted Shield facing, moving shield points between facings, an emergency stop (determined by an GM), Engine hits, etc. If the instability increases it will produce side-effects such as sensor interference or weapons being inoperative, and if it goes too far the core will explode. Core explosion can be prevented by either an successful ejection of the core or having the crew slowly stabilize the core (with successful piloting rolls), the number of rolls that can be made will depend on the number of intact crew/pilot hit boxes (each crew hit reducing the number of actions that can be taken).
An ejected core will explode if it collides with anything, is hit with a capital weapon, or if it is command-detonated. If the core explodes it will create an area-effect blast equal to the core tonnage in capital damage points. In space it will have an area-effect blast radius of 1 hex, Skip Cores from Fighters and Small Craft only affect their own squadrons.
Fuel Usage: Conventional Fuel found on typical Ship is used. As long as their fuel lasts (1G Burn Days), their Skip Drives consume the equivalent of a 1G Thrust of reactor plasma.
Limitations to the Skip Core[]
Skip Drive technology has a much higher tolerance for gravity than normal KF drives, so while it has a KF limit of sorts, its limits are actually in close orbit of celestial objects such as a moons or more massive objects. The Skip Drive comes with a safety system that prevents it from getting too close to any such dangers. This safety system works by projecting a very small part of the drive field far in front of the vessel and then observing the field interactions, this allows a computer to detect dangers in time to either automatically avoid or drop out of FTL. Faster-Than-Light is only allowed when the safety system gives an OK, so if someone damages the safety system then the ship will immediately drop out of FTL and won't go back into FTL until the system has been repaired.
Another limit is that Skip Drive cores and Jump Drives are FTL incompatible, which means that while they do not interfere by being in proximity, they can not take the other along in FTL. So if a DropShip with a Skip Drive wants to travel with a JumpShip, then the DropShip must eject its core and vent the associated plasma. Ships of such a size usually have a workshop and supplies for building a new core so in practice this limit is an expensive inconvenience.
Models of Drives[]
There have been three models of this interstellar engine. This includes the prototype as well two production model engines.
Skip Drive, Prototype
1 Light-year/day
Tech D
3% of total tonnage
Skip Drive, Standard
2 Light-year/day
Tech E
2% of total tonnage
Skip Drive, Improved
4 Light-year/day
Tech F
2% of total tonnage
Rules[]
Game Rules[]
- In Flight Upkeep
- A vessel must do piloting checks for managing the Skip Drive. Such as; Compensating for damage, redistributing shield power, ejecting the core if it becomes too unstable.
- Transport via Jump Ship
- A Skip Drive can indeed be transported aboard a JumpShip, however certain provisions must be taken; Skip Drive to travel with a JumpShip it must eject the Skip Core (Turn 1) and vent the altered plasma from the Nacelles (End of Aero Turn 2). Then in turn 3 it can dock with whatever is the appropriate transport bay or docking collar.
Construction Rules[]
- Components of the Skip Drive
- The Skip drive has two main components; the skipcore and the nacelles. Skipcore is very small by volume, but very dense, just like a Star Trek TNG warpcore.
While nacelles are large chambers that manipulate the altered plasma to produce various effects, very large by volume but negligible weight.
Restrictions[]
1. Gravity Restrictions: Entering/exiting can be done in orbit of a planet, the safety systems will prevent anything lower.
2. Speed Restrictions: Ships going too fast and wouldn't have enough control how weapons fire would return to real space.
3. Restrictions: There is a Limit by unit type (ASF, SC, DS), attempts were made for other types but those causes issues.
4. Shield Limitations: Integrate shield generation can be adjusted however they are very complex and unbalanced, so they can only be adjusted (via abstract) between battles thing.
5. Skip Drive Emergencies: They can be either fully shutting down the core or by ejecting the core.