Babylon 5 Vindicator Heavy Gunboat

Name: Vindicator
Craft: Belt Alliance Vindicator Heavy Gunboat
Type: Heavy Gunboat
Scale: Capital
Length: 600 meters (estimated)
Skill: Capital Ship Pilot
Crew: 36; Skeleton: 4/+10
Crew Skill: Astrogation: 3D+2; Capital Ship Gunnery: 4D+2; Capital Ship Piloting: 3D+2; Communications: 3D+2; Sensors: 3D+2; Starship Gunnery: 4D+2
Passengers: 750
Cargo Capacity: 680 metric tons
Consumables: 5 weeks
Maneuverability: 2D
Space: 8
Hull: 4D+2
Sensors

• Passive: 16 / 0D+1
• Scan: 32 / 1D
• Search: 64 / 1D+1
• Focus: 2 / 2D

Weapons

• Heavy Blast Cannon

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: death star
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-5/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 2-10/24/50 km
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 2D

• Medium Blast Cannon

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-5/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 2-10/24/50 km
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 11D

• 2 Light Blast Cannons

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-5/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 2-10/24/50 km
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 5D+2

• 3 Particle Beams

Fire Arc: 1 port, 1 starboard, 1 aft
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-5/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 10-500/1,200/2,500m
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 4D

• Mk I Interceptors

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-5/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 2-10/24/50 km
Rate of fire: 1
Damage:

• Offensive: 0D+2
• Intercept: 2D

Miscellaneous:

• Artificial Gravity: no
• Crew: 36

• Officers: 3
• Pilots: 10
• Sensor Operators: 3
• Crewmen: 20

• Average Crew Experience Level: Belt Alliance Line
• Stealth: 8 (Base Difficulty to detect ship)
• External Docking Ring
• Fusion Engine

Complement:

• Light Shuttles: 2 (internal bay)
• Delta-V Fighters –or– Starfox Fighters: 6 (external docking ring)

Description: Actually a large cruiser, the ‘heavy gunboat’ is the Belt Alliance’s most offensive spacecraft. Although it technically is against the Belt Alliance charter in regards to its size and armament, the Vindicator is kept in small numbers and only called to battle when absolutely necessary. Its array of blast cannon and external fighter rings mean that it can begin its offensive the second it enters a battlefield, rather than trying to arrange for a better shot or protecting its fighter compliment’s launch path. It is designed to rush out into the battlefield, launch a handful of fighters, and begin taking firing solutions to each target – eliminating them in short order with banks of blast cannon fire.

The Vindicator is no match for newer, more advanced Earth Alliance warships but can give most mid-range or Raider attack fleets a good fight. It was meant to always be on the attack, bringing its forward batteries to bear on a target and pounding it into submission. This makes it particularly weak against very fast or agile enemies, who can hopefully be handled or at least delayed by the fighters the Vindicator brings with it.

Source:

• Babylon 5: Ships of the Galaxy (page 154)
• thedemonapostle