Crown Meridian Ship Catalog · Chapter 7

Corvettes and Industrial Vessels

Crown's mid-size hulls do the two jobs the maker's customers most often pay for: keeping a convoy alive, and building the places the convoy is going.

The CM-540 Line

Hammerhead Bulkframe hull in three generations, CM-540 to CM-540B.

The CM-540 is an escort corvette, the hull a shipping consortium buys when losing one more freighter to the Verge costs more than paying for an escort. It is not a warship. It is close enough that the difference rarely comes up.

Generation notes. CM-540A. A shield-emitter dome in the prow gives Deflection 1 fore, and one more module hatch opens in the flank. CM-540B. A ring emitter at the stern gives Deflection 1 aft, and two flat radiator panels along the top add Heat Dissipation. At 85% of its build budget the B has the least room left of any Crown hull.

Common Variants. Convoy escort, Corporate security corvette, Customs enforcement vessel, Contractor patrol ship, Armed survey escort.

CM-540 Escort Corvette

Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-540 familyScale 5
Role Price Acquisition
Convoy escort, corporate security corvette 2,440,000cr Restricted
Speed Cruise Handling Sensors Armor Deflection F/A Hull Points System Points
4 3 −1 Standard 4 0 / 0 44 26
Power Heat Threshold Heat Dissipation Module Slots (open) Crew Passengers Cargo Units Consumables
13 15 3 8 (3) 12 / 30 20 80 4 months
Typical Loadout
Weapon Range Hull Sys Crit Heat Pwr
Railgun Battery ×2Standard, in a Heavy mount · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 Medium–Long 5 — 3 1 2
Light Missile RackStandard · Turret · Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Payload, Limited Ammo 6 Long 6 — 3 1 1
Light Rotary Cannon ×2Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 Short–Medium 3 — 4 1 1
Point-Defense Laser ×2Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown Short 2 — 5 2 1

Rated Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · No landing

AI Core Professional Directive AI

Mounts 4 Light · 1 Standard · 2 Heavy · 12 points

Modules Reinforced Command Core, Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module, Damage Control Station · 3 open

Builder Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 5 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.

Trait Convoy Anchor: While the CM-540 is within Short range of a friendly vessel, that vessel removes 1 Bane Die from checks to brace, coordinate point defense, or reinforce a screen.

CM-540A Escort Corvette

Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-540 familyScale 5
Role Price Acquisition
Convoy escort, corporate security corvette 2,580,000cr Restricted
Speed Cruise Handling Sensors Armor Deflection F/A Hull Points System Points
4 3 −1 Standard 4 1 / 0 47 26
Power Heat Threshold Heat Dissipation Module Slots (open) Crew Passengers Cargo Units Consumables
13 15 3 9 (4) 12 / 30 20 80 4 months
Typical Loadout
Weapon Range Hull Sys Crit Heat Pwr
Railgun Battery ×2Standard, in a Heavy mount · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 Medium–Long 5 — 3 1 2
Light Missile RackStandard · Turret · Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Payload, Limited Ammo 6 Long 6 — 3 1 1
Light Rotary Cannon ×2Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 Short–Medium 3 — 4 1 1
Point-Defense Laser ×2Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown Short 2 — 5 2 1

Rated Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · No landing

AI Core Professional Directive AI

Mounts 4 Light · 1 Standard · 2 Heavy · 12 points

Modules Reinforced Command Core, Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module, Damage Control Station · 4 open

Builder Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 5 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.

Trait Convoy Anchor: While the CM-540A is within Short range of a friendly vessel, that vessel removes 1 Bane Die from checks to brace, coordinate point defense, or reinforce a screen.

CM-540B Escort Corvette

Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-540 familyScale 5
Role Price Acquisition
Convoy escort, corporate security corvette 2,736,000cr Restricted
Speed Cruise Handling Sensors Armor Deflection F/A Hull Points System Points
4 3 −1 Standard 4 1 / 1 47 28
Power Heat Threshold Heat Dissipation Module Slots (open) Crew Passengers Cargo Units Consumables
13 15 4 9 (4) 12 / 30 20 80 4 months
Typical Loadout
Weapon Range Hull Sys Crit Heat Pwr
Railgun Battery ×2Standard, in a Heavy mount · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 Medium–Long 5 — 3 1 2
Light Missile RackStandard · Turret · Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Payload, Limited Ammo 6 Long 6 — 3 1 1
Light Rotary Cannon ×2Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 Short–Medium 3 — 4 1 1
Point-Defense Laser ×2Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown Short 2 — 5 2 1

Rated Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · No landing

AI Core Professional Directive AI

Mounts 4 Light · 1 Standard · 2 Heavy · 12 points

Modules Reinforced Command Core, Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module, Damage Control Station · 4 open

Builder Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 5 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.

Trait Convoy Anchor: While the CM-540B is within Short range of a friendly vessel, that vessel removes 1 Bane Die from checks to brace, coordinate point defense, or reinforce a screen.

Generation Table

Hull Change Build points Price Upgrade from previous
CM-540 Published first generation 148.2 of 195 2,440,000cr n/a
CM-540A +1 Module Slot, +1 Hull block, Deflection 1 fore 156.6 of 195 2,580,000cr 16.8 points, 189,000cr
CM-540B +1 System Point block, Heat Dissipation +1, Deflection 1 aft 166.0 of 195 2,736,000cr 18.8 points, 212,000cr
The CM-590 Line

Hammerhead Bulkframe hull in two generations, CM-590 to CM-590A.

The CM-590 is an industrial vessel: an armored heavy lifter for colonial works, mining and construction in hostile space. A broad armored block at the bow and an exposed truss spine carry the work gear.

Generation notes. CM-590A. An extra clamp-and-gantry module on the spine and a squared housing beside the engines. It carries one more Module Slot and more Power Capacity to run it.

Common Variants. Colonial works tender, Mining support ship, Hull-section hauler, Salvage escort, Disaster response vessel.

CM-590 sets down a habitat

CM-590 Industrial Vessel

Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-590 familyScale 5
Role Price Acquisition
Colonial works, mining support 2,036,000cr Licensed
Speed Cruise Handling Sensors
2 2 −2 Standard
Armor Deflection F/A Hull Points System Points
3 0 / 0 50 24
Power Heat Threshold Heat Dissipation Module Slots (open)
11 12 3 10 (1)
Crew Passengers Cargo Units Consumables
8 / 20 30 400 4 months
Typical Loadout
Weapon Range Hull Sys Crit Heat Pwr
Point-Defense Laser ×2Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown Short 2 — 5 2 1

Rated Slipstream · No atmosphere · No landing

AI Core Professional Directive AI

Mounts 2 Light · 2 points

Modules Construction Module (2), Workshop, Expanded Fabrication Shop (2), Towing Rig, Repair Drone Bay, Expanded Cargo Hold (2) · 1 open

Builder Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.

Trait Hardened Frame: Reduce Hull Damage from debris, micrometeoroids, thermal stress, and construction accidents by 1. Checks made with the Construction Module or the Towing Rig remove 1 Bane Die .

CM-590A Industrial Vessel

Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-590 familyScale 5
Role Price Acquisition
Colonial works, mining support 2,169,000cr Licensed
Speed Cruise Handling Sensors
2 2 −2 Standard
Armor Deflection F/A Hull Points System Points
3 0 / 0 50 26
Power Heat Threshold Heat Dissipation Module Slots (open)
12 12 3 11 (2)
Crew Passengers Cargo Units Consumables
8 / 20 30 400 4 months
Typical Loadout
Weapon Range Hull Sys Crit Heat Pwr
Point-Defense Laser ×2Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown Short 2 — 5 2 1

Rated Slipstream · No atmosphere · No landing

AI Core Professional Directive AI

Mounts 2 Light · 2 points

Modules Construction Module (2), Workshop, Expanded Fabrication Shop (2), Towing Rig, Repair Drone Bay, Expanded Cargo Hold (2) · 2 open

Builder Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.

Trait Hardened Frame: Reduce Hull Damage from debris, micrometeoroids, thermal stress, and construction accidents by 1. Checks made with the Construction Module or the Towing Rig remove 1 Bane Die .

Generation Table

Hull Change Build points Price Upgrade from previous
CM-590 First generation 124.3 of 195 2,036,000cr n/a
CM-590A +1 Module Slot, +1 Power Capacity, +1 System Point block 132.3 of 195 2,169,000cr 16.0 points, 180,000cr
At the Table: Running a Convoy Escort

A convoy escort job is a formation problem. The escort's job is to keep the ships it guards inside the range where its defenses work.

Stay close. The CM-540's Convoy Anchor works within Short range. A freighter that drifts past Short range loses the benefit, and a pirate crew will aim for the stragglers.

Choose who gets the help. The Convoy Anchor removes 1 Bane Die from one friendly vessel's check to brace, coordinate point defense, or reinforce a screen. Each round the engineer or captain says which vessel.

Other hulls. A hull with a Convoy Link installed (Chapter 9) can do the same once per round, if it has Professional Directive AI. A convoy of three freighters and one Link-fitted escort is a formation. A convoy of three freighters and nothing else is a target.

The pressure. The GM plans the attack at the edge of the formation. Raiders run at Medium range, strike one straggler at Short range, and withdraw. The escort answers by closing the gap, not by chasing.

Corvette bridge on convoy watch