USS Beowulf Class Dreadnought (Fan Creation):

This ship design should be used only in the last few Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager Episodes and should be considered an advanced prototype.

While the Sovereign class was built to be a true combatant vessel, it still did not have the sheer combat abilities that the Admiralty desired. The Beowulf Class Dreadnought was designed to fill the gap in firepower and armor that the Admiralty believed still existed between Sovereign Class vessels and the new Dominion battleships. However, the Dominion war ended faster than originally envisioned, and at the end of the war only a first prototype had been finished. Any future production has been suspended, although originally eight of them were to have been constructed. War hawks in the Federation Military wish to have a few more ships of this class constructed as flagships but it is unlikely that they will succeed in the present environment. Positions on the Beowulf are a much sought after and as such has one of the best crews in the Federation. Several admirals want the Beowulf as their flagship but it is not yet sure who will claim the ship. The ship has spent most of its time on the Cardassian and Federation border.

The basic design is a modified version of the Sovereign class and the basic appearance is that of a sovereign class with a third warp nacelle. More knowledgeable observers will also be aware of the fact that the Beowulf has less than half of the view ports of the Sovereign class, and that the shuttle hangar has been slightly extended. The extra nacelle increases the ship's warp speed to a small extent. As might be expected, most of the components used in the Beowulf are the same as were used on the Sovereign class. One important feature is the increased backup systems. Along with the ships anti-matter reactor, the ship has a large number of fusion backups. These produce enough power to be fully combat effective. If its weapon are taken off line and shields are lowered to minimum levels, the Fusion backups will actually allow the ship to travel at a speed of Warp 4. While the computer systems use the bio-organic systems originally developed for the Intrepid, the ship also carries a full backup computer that uses standard components. The ship uses the same shields as the Sovereign but has added external ablative armor similar to the armor that is used on the Defiant class escort.

The main weapon arrays are the same as are carried on the Sovereign class. The ship has a total of six heavy phaser arrays. Two arrays are on the top of the primary hull, two arrays are on the bottom of the primary hull, and two of the arrays are on the secondary hull. Like those on the Sovereign, the phasers can also be adjusted so they are more effective against other ships shields. This also allows the phasers to adjust to a Borg cubes ability to adapt to energy weapon fire. The ship carries eight photon torpedo launchers, which is two more than are carried on the Sovereign. Two torpedo launchers are mounted below the saucer section and two are below the navigation deflector that fire forward and the ship also mounts four torpedo launchers that fire aft. Even with the extra torpedo launchers, the major increase in the ships firepower comes from the fact that the ship carries three mega-phaser mounts with two under the primary hull firing forward and one near the rear of the ship firing aft.

Like the Sovereign class, the Beowulf class was built as a warship from the beginning and the ship has no facilities for families. The ships have flag facilities as well as a small compliment of marines. The ship has a reduced amount of space for crews and marines and the available personal space is only a little bit larger than the quarters on the U.S.S. Defiant. High power consumption systems such as holo-decks have been reduced or removed altogether and simpler equipment such as exercise equipment has replaced them. Along with reducing power consumption, this gives the ship more space for weapons and other systems

This design is written to be able to interact with modified phase world rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details. There is a lack of hard detail on this ship. Some materials have suggested accelerations that are simply beyond scope. I have taken a moderate level in writing up this starship for Phase World because otherwise the ship would either be far too powerful or far too weak for Phase World. Warp speeds are far slower than the FTL speeds for Phase World but they are very close to those from the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. Also, a note on the mass of starships. The original sources indicated much smaller masses for starships than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual does and where possible, both masses are listed for the gamers to choose which one seems most appropriate.

Model Type: NCC - 9666
Class: Dreadnought (In phase world terms, would be also be considered a battlecruiser by virtue of ships size)
Crew: 920 (138 officers and 782 Enlisted)
Troops: 200 Marines, 30 Shuttle pilots, and can carry up to 30 passengers in addition.

Vehicles:

10

Standard Shuttles

M.D.C. By Location:

	Phaser Arrays (6, 4 primary hull / 2 secondary hull):	3,000 each
	Mega-Phaser Mounts (3, 2 Forward / 1 Aft):	5,000 each
	Torpedo Tubes (8):	1,000 each
	Warp Nacelles (3, secondary hull):	45,000 each [60,000 with Ablative Armor]
	Secondary Hull Hanger Door:	8,000
	Impulse Engine:	25,000
	Main Deflector Array:	15,000
	[1] Primary Bridge:	30,000
	[1] Auxiliary Bridge (Also used as Flag Bridge):	30,000
	[2] Primary Hull (Main Body):	90,000 [125,000 with Ablative Armor]
	[2] Secondary Hull (Main Body):	90,000 [125,000 with Ablative Armor]
	[3] Variable Force Field:	16,000 per side (96,000 total)

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ships armor. This ship does have an auxiliary bridge. Even if both of the bridges are destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridges that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crewmembers on or near the bridge.
[2] Depleting the MDC of the primary or secondary hull will put the Dreadnought out of commission. If the secondary hull is destroyed, the primary hull will remain capable of sub light travel and weapons may still be fired. If the primary hull is destroyed, all internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[3] Shields positions can be varied and all can be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (6,000 MDC) per melee round. Shield is designed to also adapt to incoming fire. To do this, the shield operator rolls his weapon systems skill with a penalty of -40%. The roll can only be made after the ship has been hit at least once by the weapon system in question. If the skill roll is a success, the shield takes 75% damage from frequency bases energy weapons. These include lasers, x-ray lasers, phasers, and disruptors. This does not include grasers, particle beams, gravity based weaponry and many unusual weapon systems. As well, Variable frequency weapons can adapt to this to continue to inflict full damage and matter to energy reaction of Anti-Matter, Nuclear, and fusion explosions cannot be adapted against. This feature can also be used so that the shield will stop weapons that previously passed through shields such as Borg weaponry. (The adaptation modification on this ships shields are planned to be added to all Federation starships in the future.)

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.70 percent of light per melee round.
As an alternative, the starship can reach .99 of the speed of light but is normally restricted to slower speeds so that starship is not affected severely by time attenuation that occurs at the higher sublight speeds.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Cannot travel within an atmosphere efficiently.
Stardrive: Uses a warp engine that allows ship to travel at Warp Factor 9.7 on cruise (0.23 Light Years per Hour), Warp Factor Flank 9.85 (0.30 Light Years per hour), and Warp Factor 9.991 Emergency (0.955 Light Years per Hour). Speed is calculated using a formula designed to emulate Star Trek: Next Generation speeds. These speed are very slow when compared to Phase World ship, so if used in that universe, they could be increased enough to operate within Three Galaxy speeds but should not exceed them.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system. Ship carries about five years worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 2231 feet (680 meters)
Width: 787.4 feet (240 meters)
Height: 355.6 feet (108.4 meters)
Mass: 4.2 million metric tons
Power System: Anti Matter with 20 year life span. Ship normally only goes 5 years between refuelings.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 20,000 tons of Cargo in addition to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition.
Market Cost: 38.5 billion to construct. As far as it is known, the Federation does not sell their starship designs to other interested parties.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Phaser Arrays (6): Arrays are mounted with two on the top and bottom sides of the starship primary hull and two arrays are mounted on the secondary hull. Each phaser array can fire four individual beams at the same time and can be aimed at different or the same targets. Each one can fire in any direction and directly up for top phasers and directly down for bottom phasers. These weapons are often used defensively and have half the normal penalties of a heavy weapon to hit fighters and small targets when fired normally. When combined into a heavy beam, they have full penalties. These phaser are both longer ranged and more powerful than the ones mounted on Galaxy class starship. They also have a special feature that the weapon officer can adapt the weapons to enemy shields. The weapons officer rolls the skill weapon systems with a -40% penalty with jamming and masking penalties being added as well. If the skill roll succeeds, the weapons inflict 25% extra damage against the enemy shields. This also allows the weapon to inflict full damage on enemies than can adapt to incoming fire. Shields can be adapted so phasers will not continue to inflict 25% extra damage. (The modification on these are planned to be added to all Federation starships in the future.) Weapon system cannot be used when the starship is moving faster than the speed of light.
   Range: 249 miles (400 km) through atmosphere and 24,900 miles (40,000 km) in space.
   Mega Damage: 5D6x100 per phaser beam and can be combined with beam from the same array to do 2D6x1000 MDC
   Rate of fire: volley of 4 phaser beams per array twice per melee (8 beams per melee per array / 48 beams for all arrays) or can fire a total of two combined heavy blasts per melee per array.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
2. Mega-Phaser Mounts (3): Two mounts are bellow the primary hull and one mount is located on the rear of the ship. While similar to the Mega Phasers carried on the earlier Avenger class, the Mega Phaser are far more powerful and have a longer range as well. They are capable of destroying smaller ships in one hit and can decimate larger targets with just a few shots. The Phaser cannons can be combined or used separately. They cannot be used faster than the speed of light. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets. The barrels can be fired either forward or behind and can be rotated 30 degrees horizontally or vertically.
   Range: 124,400 miles (200,000 km) in space and 124.4 miles (200 km) in an atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 2D4x1000 MDC each and two can be combined for damage equal to 4D4x1000.
   Rate of fire: Maximum of Three (3) times per melee per cannon.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
3. Photon/Quantum Torpedo Launchers (8): The ship a total of eight launchers. The ship has two launchers below the dish that fire forward, two launchers below the navigational dish that fire forward, and four launchers that fire aft. Effectively very similar to Phase World cruise missile launchers but instead of having groups of multiple launchers, Starfleet has concentrated on launchers that can launch more than one torpedo at the same time. Once spread of torpedoes has been launched, the launchers must reload and rearm before launching another spread of torpedoes. In the early service of this ship, it carried photon torpedoes, which are anti-matter/matter warheads, but in later service quantum torpedoes have replaced them.
   Torpedoes have a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship). When drive goes dead, the torpedo will still cruise unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and torpedoes when dead at -25% to detect.) See Modified starship rules for more details, Sublight torpedoes have minuses to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Launchers can launch on multiple targets each.
   Range: Powered torpedo range is 8000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space
   Mega-Damage & Properties: Photon Torpedoes (Matter/Anti-Matter Warheads): Old Series inflict 2D6x100 each, Star Trek Movies One through Six inflict 3D6x100, and Next Generation inflicts 4D6x100 each. Quantum Torpedoes: 8D6x100 each.
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2 or 4 per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 32 torpedoes per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
   Payload: 320 total, 40 torpedoes per launcher.

Bonuses: The bonuses are in addition to any bonuses for crew skills or abilities. Bonuses are dues to the faster response times of the ships computer.

+2 to initiative due to faster computers
+2 to Strike
+1 to Dodge (Ship dodges as if the ship is one size class lower)

[ Phase World™, Kreeghor™, and CAF™, are trademarks owed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc. ]
[ Star Trek is copyright © Paramount Pictures ]

Parts of Technical information are from Daystrom Institute Technical Library (Mostly Soveriegn Ship Sizes). The site is hosted by Graham Kennedy .
Drawing of Ship by Mischa (E-Mail Mischa).

By Mischa (E-Mail Mischa) and by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

I would like to recognize Henning Rogge as giving assistance with the revision of the Star Trek starships.

Rifts Conversion Copyright © 2000, Mischa & Kitsune. All rights reserved.