Babylon 5 Defense Grids
Defence Grids
[edit]The simplest form of defensive measure is that of the point defense grid, or just defense grid for short. These swiveled turrets are attached to extremely intelligent computing software designed to predict the incoming path of enemy fire and fire salvos. The resulting impact is supposed to stop the shots, or at least redirect them enough away from their intended target, and cause less damage.
A ship’s defense grid is also useful to a certain degree to dissuade enemy fighter and assault craft from nearing the vessel. Defense grid emplacements rarely cause significant damage to a target but are enough to deter fighter craft from moving too close.
| Name | Scale | Cost | Space Range | Atmosphere Range | Offensive | Intercept |
| Point Defence Gun | Starfighter | 6,000 | 1/2/4 | 10-100/200/400m | 0D+1 | 1D+1 |
| Flak Cannon | Starfighter | 9,000 | 1-2/4/8 | 10-200/400/800m | 1D+1 | 3D |
| Mk I Interceptor | Capital | 30,000 | 1-2/4/8 | 2-4/8/16km | 0D+2 | 2D |
| Mk II Interceptor | Capital | 45,000 | 1-2/6/11 | 2-4/12/22km | 0D+2 | 3D |
- Offensive: This lists the damage if the device is used offensively. For example, if one were to use a Flak Cannon against a starfighter, the device would do 1D+1.
- Intercept: To use, the gunner makes an opposing gunnery + fire control roll against the incoming attack roll. If the roll is equal to or greater than the incoming attack roll, the incoming attack's damage is reduced by the Intercept's value. If the incoming attack is a missile/torpedo, and the Intercept roll succeeds, the missile/torpedo is destroyed. If the intercept roll is less than the incoming attack roll, the attack succeeds normally, unless the target dodges it...
Point Defense Gun
[edit]The most basic form of defensive turret is the point defense gun. A single turreted barrel that sends charged particles directly at any incoming fire, it is rather inadequate by current standards. Even so, it is inexpensive and takes up very little space.
Flak Cannon
[edit]When one thinks of ‘defensive’ the Hurr are rarely that springs to mind. Even so, in the early design of their fast firing ballistic arrays they came up with a rather ingenious little device they have called the flak cannon. The first prototype ballistic arrays fired too fast and would repeatedly strike their own shells in mid-flight making clouds of shrapnel that were good for little else but getting in the way. It was when a Hurr gunner noticed an enemy missile detonate early due to the cloud of shrapnel that the flak cannon found its true role.
Interceptors
[edit]The first advance in point defense, the interceptor array is a multi-barrelled particle gun that fires streams of charged particles at incoming fire much in the way its predecessor – the point defense gun – does, except better. It has more advanced computing software, a faster firing rate and adjustable recoil to catch shots faster.
While the original Mk I Interceptor has become widespread in the galaxy, there have been some internal advances of the device in the research labs of the Earth Alliance. They have made bigger and better versions of the old standby, some of which are equally as powerful against fighters as they are against incoming ordinance. Getting through a newer model of Earth Force cruiser’s interceptor energy web is difficult and rumor says they are still in development of bigger, better and more efficient versions.
Source
[edit]- Babylon 5: Ship Builder's Manual (pages 66-67)
- thedemonapostle