Designed by Rendili StarDrive in the waning days of the Old Republic, the Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser is a heavily armed battleship that remains in active use despite being supplanted by superior technologies. The Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser came into service well before the beginning of the Clone Wars, but by the time the conflict arrived it had already become outdated. The newer ships, developed specifically for galaxywide warfare, quickly outstripped the Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser in both power and reliability, but despite this fact the bulky heavy cruiser was a mainstay of the Republic fleet.
During the Clone wars, most Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruisers were operated by volunteers or planetary defense forces, not clones. The high number of crewmembers required to operate a Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser made it a huge drain on personnel; however, the Republic chose to man these ships with volunteers, reserving their more advanced ships for their specially trained clone units and highly loyal officers. The Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser continues to be found in service throughout the galaxy; though the ship is considered antiquated at best, it boasts armament that, despite its age, is not to be trifled with.
Capabilities
The Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser’s lack of shielding (compared to more cutting-edge capital ships, such as the Imperial I‑class Star Destroyer) is offset by its general toughness, meaning that if a shot does get through, it is less likely to reduce the ship’s capabilities even if it destroys a large chunk of the ship. Most Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruisers were built with multiple redundant systems, allowing them to fight on despite suffering severe hits to certain parts of the ship. As a result, many Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruisers are used as shields to protect more delicate ships, soaking up damage that would devastate a smaller vessel. The Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser’s smaller size (compared to the Star Destroyer and its ilk) makes it less intimidating than other capital ships, but its sturdiness and reliability more than compensates for this drawback.
Tactical Fire: The Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser is designed to absorb damage intended for other, adjacent, capital ships by interposing itself between the target ship and its attackers. As a standard action, a Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser can forgo all attacks to provide tactical fire to all squares in a 2-square radius around itself. Any attacks targeting allied ships of Colossal (frigate) size or larger within that area are automatically directed at the Dreadnaught‑class heavy cruiser instead.
Rendili StarDrive Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser (CL 18)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 76.
Colossal (cruiser) capital ship
Initiative: −4; Senses: Perception +6
Defenses: Fort 53, Ref 13 (flat-footed 13) ; +13 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 1,680; DR: 20; SR: 115; Damage Threshold: 253
Speed: fly 1 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: 2 turbolaser batteries +13* (see below) and
2 light quad turbolaser batteries +13* (see below)
Fighting Space: 2×2 (starship scale); Cover: total
Base Attack: +2; Grapple: 65
Abilities: Str 96, Dex 10, Con —, Int 16
Skills: Initiative −4, Mechanics +6, Perception +6, Pilot −4, Use Computer +6
Crew: 16,210 (skilled); Passengers: 3,000 (clone troopers)
Cargo: 9,000 tons; Consumables: 2 years; Carried Craft: 12 starfighters
Hyperdrive: ×2 (backup ×18), navicomputer
Availability: Military; Cost: not available for sale (black market value 35,555,000 used)
* Apply a −20 penalty on attacks against targets smaller than Colossal Sise.
Turbolaser battery (5 gunners)
Attack: +13 (−7 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 7d10×5
Light quad turbolaser battery (5 gunners)
Attack: +13 (−7 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 5d10×5
Light turbolaser (gunner)
Attack: +5 (−15 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 2d10×5