These are various forms of FTL drives for the Silhouette Vehicle Construction System presented in the Jovian Chronicles Companion. A short theoretical basis for each drive is presented, as well as the rules for each drive. Unless otherwise stated, all FTL drives are considered AUX systems.

• Hyperdrive
• Subspace Drive
• Wormhole Drive
  
• Teleport Drive
• Intertialess Drive
  
• Jump Drive

HYPERDRIVE

Hyperdrive theory states that the universe consists of 3D space that we all live in, and a more compressed space(s) where the distances between points is much more (subjectively) shorter. A ship that makes transition between hyperspace and real space exists in a state where the ship moves at real space speeds, across the (subjectively) shorter distances of hyper space. In some realities, this creates a series of hyperspace "bands" where the subjective distances are shorter than a "shallower" band. Combat within hyperspace, unless otherwise decided by the GM, cannot work. A ship that makes transition from H-space to N-space takes one combat turn. A ship is assumed to be capable of entering and leaving hyperspace on a single charge. If a ship loses it's hyperspace drive, it is considered "stuck" in hyperspace until the drive is repaired.

COST: 2 x Mass x (Compression Rate+Recharge times) x Bonuses/Penalties

HYPER/N-SPACE EXCLUSIVENESS (x.5)

Normally, a hyper drive works with the ship's N-space drive to provide propulsion. However this Flaw requires a ship to purchase a Space drive movement system to use hyperspace. It is noted on the status sheet as Space(Hyper) for this purpose.

MULTI-BAND DRIVE (x2)

A ship with a multi-band drive can be assumed to have access to the band that the ship is built to use, and any bands below it. It is assumed that vessels cannot detect targets in any other band, only the one they are in. Warships, for example, may have faster drives than merchant ships or freighters in terms of band access, which allows a warship to keep up with a freighter.

HYPERSPACE BATTERIES (x6+x2 for each extra jump)

The ship carries enough capacitors/batteries/hamsters on steroids/mana crystals to immediately reenter hyperspace for each charge the ship has. Each charge has to be recharged normally.

CRASH TRANSLATION ABILITY (x4)

The ship can instantly shift from hyperspace to normal space, without spending one turn in "transition." With a multi-band drive, it can travel from one band to another without spending any time.

SUBSPACE DRIVE

This is a drive system that allows for access to a universe where the perceived distances are the same, but the speed that a ship moves in is changed. Thusly, there is only one "subspace" universe, but there is differences in the speed that a subspace equipped ship can achieve. Subspace combat is like conventional combat, except that any missiles or launched weapons must be equipped with a subspace drive, or else the weapon "drops" out of subspace. As well, any ship that loses its subspace drive reappears in real space where in its corresponding subspace position.

COST: 3 x Mass x (Travel Rate x Modifiers)

DOUBLE NON-COMBAT SPEED (x10)

Non-combat speeds are doubled for determining this rate for all other purposes other than combat.

"WEATHER" VULNERABLE (x0.5)

This drive is vulnerable to "weather" conditions in subspace that may slow the ship down, or force it to divert before the ship is destroyed. How this weather works is up to the GM.

"STRAIGHT LINE" SUBSPACE (x0.25)

A ship with this drive cannot make any maneuvers while in subspace. It travels along a straight line from one destination to another, and can only change direction by exiting subspace, changing orientation in real space, then reentering it.

WORMHOLE DRIVE

Wormhole drives presume the existence of "points" in space where one point is linked to another. A ship reaches one point, enters this point in space, then reappears at the other point after a short or nonexistent period of time. This type of drive is linked to one of two different types of wormhole - a "closed" wormhole requiring a "keyhole" drive to open, or an "open" wormhole that any ship can enter with minimum or no technology to use.

"Open" wormholes are points in space that a ship enters without any specialized equipment. While there may be some other limitation to entrance (minimum size, certain drives, etc), any ship can detect an open wormhole, and use it. Some universes have "hidden" wormholes that require either special detectors or previous entry through an open wormhole to find.

"Closed" wormholes, like Heavy Gears Tannhauser Gates, have to be opened with what is called a "keyhole" drive. The "keyhole" drive opens the wormhole to allow access by the ship using it or other ships. While "open" wormholes don't need the complicated "keyhole" units, certain types of "keyhole" drives allow for tactical or strategic advantages.

Detectablity, ability to mine or place objects upon the wormhole and how long each wormhole transition takes is up to the GM. SDS's Starfire, Heavy Gear and the "Mote" universe (of the "Mote in God's Eye" and "The Gripping Hand") all provide backgrounds for using this type of FTL drive.

KEYHOLE DRIVE (10+5 points per full 15 Size ratings of the object to use the drive, cost is halved when the drive is to be used only on "open" wormholes)

STATIONARY GATE (1/2 cost if the unit using the keyhole can use the wormhole, 1/4 if it cannot)

The Keyhole gate doesn't move, but it does allow ships to enter the wormhole for a short period of time (about 30-90 seconds). This can be used to allow a ship to enter the wormhole after other ships entering, or the gate doesn't move, but ships can.

"ICE CREAM CONE" GATE (x4 to the total cost)

When used, the ship doesn't exit the exact wormhole point, but a certain scattered point outside of the wormhole(it's called a "ice cream cone" gate because the gate doesn't exit at the "tip" of the ice cream cone but somewhere along the cone). When the ship exits, two different D6's are needed. One D6 is used to represent direction (based upon the scattergram) and the other is used to represent distance. The owning player rolls the d6's, and can make up to three rolls, unless both dice come up a 1. Each roll represents a new point from where the next scatter is rolled. The advantage to this type of gate is that the ship's exit point cannot be predicted.

EXPANDING MASS FIELD (x3 per total size of the ship, +x3 for each doubling)

The ship using the "keyhole" can also bring ships within 4 hexes of the "keyhole" ship along with it through the wormhole. The base drive allows for only as much mass as the ship has itself, each doubling allow for double the mass.

TELEPORT DRIVE

This is assumed to be an "interstellar" version of the smaller teleport gadget in the Jovian Chronicles Companion . However, this system is considered to be only capable of traveling between stars - shorter hops require the Companion teleport system. A teleport drive is considered to travel instantly between one star to the other, with only two major problems: arrival at the location and "blind" jumps.

In some universes, making a teleport hop means that you'd avoid reappearing within a target mass. In others, careful astrogation is required to prevent arrival within another planet or asteroid or star. This arrival causes an explosion equivalent to the detonation of a Mass Destruction weapon equal to the ship's total Size. Any hop that has to be made by teleport drive requires a Navigation (Teleport) roll, with the following difficulties and penalties:

For definition's sake, a "clear" point is defined as an area of space that there is no large masses or other ships that could cause a ship arriving to reappear within another object. A pre-surveyed point is defined as having been checked to make sure there aren't any unknown anomalies that could cause a ship to come to grief when it arrives or leaves

When the roll is made by the player, the GM notes the MoS or MoF, and compares the roll to the following table

Teleport Drives are rated by distance traveled per hop and how long before recharging.

COST: (2 x (Mass+Parsecs)) x Recharge Time

DEFINED POINT DRIVE (x.5 for "loose" definition, x.25 for strict definition)

A teleport drive is limited to arrival/departure from a certain point in space. A "loose" definition is where a ship has to be away from a certain point in space (10 diameters from a planet, for example) before making a jump. Strict definition implies that a certain set of locations (like the zenith and nadir of a local star) are needed. Strict definition drives ignore the "non-surveyed" portion of the calculations.

HUMAN/SYSTEM INCOMPATIBILITY (x.5 for weak incompatibility, x.25 for strong incompatibility)

Human beings and computers have problems whenever teleporting. This may be due to a number of factors, from the vertigo of being in one point then suddenly being in another halfway across space or a "malignancy" in teleport space. A weak incompatibility causes a ship that has just teleported to have all skills and systems halved for 30 seconds after the teleport. Strong incomparability means that a crew would have to either travel incryogenic suspension/stasis, or perhaps only robots can transverse teleport drives, carrying frozen sperm and ova to establish colonies.

INERTIALESS DRIVE

The Inertialess drive is not a drive per se, but a system that negates the ship's inertia, allowing it to travel at any speed that a ship's engines can push it at. An Inertialess drive has several factors that make it unique:

When turned on, any explosive weapons (i.e., anything that uses Mass Destruction or AE) are reduced by 1/10. Since the inertia of the target helps in doing damage, the ship is more or less blown away by the blast. All other weapons that use any form of pressure or impact (even lasers/beam weapons with GM-exception) are reduced by 1/4. The ship moves at its current vector (in space combat) as long as the ship can apply thrust. The moment the ship ceases to apply thrust, the ship stops moving, instantly. If a ship is moving before it activates its Inertialess drive, the ship ceases to have that vector. When reactivated, the ship resumes that vector immediately.

An Inertialess Drive has the following cost: 2 x (Size) x Inertialless Rating

The Inertialess rating determines the ship's rate of travel in Space MP/unit of measurement.

JUMP DRIVE

This is a variation of the "jump drive" rules used to create a similar drive to the one used in the Traveller/Third Imperium.

Jump Drives are rated in two ways: Parsec Rating and Jump Rating. Parsec Rating indicates how far a ship can jump per Jump Rating, and Jump Rating indicates the number of jumps that can be made. A ship can travel any number up to the Parsec rating of it's drive.

For purposes of the exercise, drives beyond jump-6 are included, for the purposes of being "Ancient" artifacts and such. All ships in Jump have to make a Navigation(Jump) roll, with each failure being 1D6x1000 kilometers off target. Critical failure results in the ship being "lost"(1-3 on a D6), failing to jump(4-5), or an enhanced jump (6, can be up to 2D6 parsecs). All travel in Jump takes about six days.

JUMP DRIVE COST: (Parsec Rating+Total Ship Mass) x Jump Rating.