Star Trek Starship Size
Size
Perhaps the most important characteristic of a hull is its Size, which dictates the length, beam (width), height, mass and number of decks which the ship possesses. In this system Size is rated along a scale ranging from 1 (probes and small shuttles) to 16 (a large Borg cube), though ships of Sizes beyond 16 may certainly exist. Size does no cost weight or power, but does factor into the weight cost of many systems.
The accompanying table indicates ranges for the Length, Beam, Height and Mass of ships for each Size category. The ranges are guidelines, so you may vary the entries a little here and there. If your ship has dimensions which fir into different categories (for example, a length of 612 meters [Size 8], a beam of 350 meters [Size 7], and a height of 130 meters [Size 8], usually you should use its length to determine its Size, or choose the size into which most of its dimensions fall. The Game Master has the final say on a ship's Size category, and can alter various parameters (such as Mass) if they don't fit their preconceptions of what a particular ship should be like.
| Size | Length Range | Beam Range | Height Range | SU | Base Hull | Mass Range | Base Maneuverability |
| 16 | 5,000 - 5,999 m | 2,500 - 2,999 m | 1,500 - 1,799 m | 7,000 - 11,000 | 7D - 11D | 20,000,000 - 22,999,999 metric tons | -4D |
| 15 | 4,000 - 4,999 m | 2,000 - 2,499 m | 1,200 - 1,499 m | 5,000 - 8,000 | 5D - 8D | 17,000,000 - 19,999,999 metric tons | -3D+1 |
| 14 | 3,000 - 3,999 m | 1,500 - 1,999 m | 1,000 - 1,199 m | 4,500 - 6,500 | 4D+1 - 6D+1 | 14,000,000 - 16,999,999 metric tons | -2D+2 |
| 13 | 2,000 - 2,999 m | 1,200 - 1,499 m | 800 - 999 m | 3,500 - 5,000 | 3D+1 - 5D | 12,000,000 - 13,999,999 metric tons | -2D |
| 12 | 1,500 - 1,999 m | 1,000 - 1,199 m | 600 - 799 m | 3,000 - 4,500 | 3D - 4D+1 | 10,000,000 - 11,999,999 metric tons | -1D+1 |
| 11 | 1,000 - 1,499 m | 800 - 999 m | 400 - 599 m | 2,750 - 4,000 | 2D+2 - 4D | 8,000,000 - 9,999,999 metric tons | -0D+2 |
| 10 | 800 - 999 m | 700 - 799 m | 300 - 399 m | 2,500 - 3,750 | 2D+1 - 3D+2 | 6,000,000 - 7,999,999 metric tons | 0D |
| 9 | 700 - 799 m | 550 - 699 m | 200 - 299 m | 2,250 - 3,500 | 2D - 3D+1 | 5,000,000 - 5,999,999 metric tons | +0D+1 |
| 8 | 600 - 699 m | 400 - 549 m | 100 - 199 m | 2,000 - 3,250 | 2D - 3D | 4,000,000 - 4,999,999 metric tons | +0D+2 |
| 7 | 400 - 599 m | 200 - 399 m | 80 - 99 m | 1,500 - 2,750 | 1D+1 - 2D+2 | 2,000,000 - 3,999,999 metric tons | +1D |
| 6 | 300 - 399 m | 100 - 199 m | 50 - 79 m | 1,300 - 2,500 | 1D+1 - 2D+1 | 500,000 - 1,999,999 metric tons | +1D+1 |
| 5 | 150 - 299 m | 50 - 99 m | 31 - 49 m | 900 - 1,900 | 0D+2 - 1D+2 | 200,000 - 499,999 metric tons | +1D+2 |
| 4 | 100- 149 m | 26 - 49 m | 21 - 30 m | 800 - 1,300 | 0D+2 - 1D+1 | 60,000 - 199,999 metric tons | +2D |
| 3 | 51 - 99 m | 11 - 25 m | 6 - 20 m | 600 - 1,000 | 0D+2 - 1D | 31 - 199,999 metric tons | +2D+1 |
| 2 | 6 - 50 m | 4 - 10 m | 2 - 5 m | 326 - 625 | 0D+1 - 0D+2 | 2.1 - 30 | +2D+2 |
| 1 | 1 - 5 m | 1 - 4 m | less than 2 m | Up to 325 | 0D+1 | up to 2 metric tons | +3D |
Structural Units Per Size Category
Also included in the table is the number of SUs for each Size category. Again, the numbers listed are a range, to allow for flexibility. Players should assign their ships the number of SUs necessary for all pertinent systems (plus a reasonable amount for expansion), not simply because they choose the highest number they can. Game Masters must approve all SU totals for a ship based on Size.
Note that the Starship Size Table does not include an entry for the number of decks a ship has. This is because a ship's decks are a function of its purpose and design and much as they are its height. A good rule of thumb, each deck on a ship occupies 3 - 5 meters of height, but this can vary tremendously.
Important Notes
- Base Hull: This figure is added to the amount from both Outer and Inner Hull Structures to get the Total Hull protection.
- Starfighter Scale: To get the Base Hull Rating for a starfighter scale ship, simply double the Base Hull rating. This number is then added to the Resistance ratings from Outer and Inner Hull Structures normally.
- Base Maneuverability: This rating is added to the vessels maneuverability rating from its Propulsion System. If the ship has no sublight drive, then disregard the maneuverability ratings altogether.