The Venator‑class Star Destroyer was the brainchild of designer Lire Blissex, who created it to serve as a multipurpose warship during the Clone Wars. Also called a Republic attack cruiser, the ship was very successful as an escort and a battle-group leader and often served as a flagship for Jedi commanders.
An able warship and among the most dangerous ships of its era, eventually the Venator serves best as part of a massive fleet, acting as both a primary fighting ship and a starfighter carrier while supporting numerous more specialized capital ships. By itself, or as part of a group with smaller ships, the Venator lacks the ability to carry out long-range missions. Its relatively small capacity for supplies, coupled with its need for constant influx of dozens of new fighters and fighter parts, force a Venator to either stay near Core worlds or support a long line of large freighters.
Capabilities
Intended to be in the thick of the fighting beside its own starfighter complement, the Venator carries several point-defense laser cannon batteries. These are thickest around its massive flight deck, to ensure that enough firepower exists to prevent enemy fighters from entering the ship.
To allow its hundreds of fighters to quickly launch and be recovered, a Venator has a dorsal flight deck with sliding armored doors. When a Venator’s dorsal flight deck is opened, the ship’s armor bonus is reduced by 2 (Reflex Defense 11, 10 flat-footed). After too many ships of the class were lost to hits into the open flight deck, the feature was abandoned for future Star Destroyer designs.
Tactical Fire: A Venator‑class Star Destroyer is an excellent starfighter carrier capable of operating close to the action and supporting its fighter corps. As a standard action, a Venator‑class Star Destroyer can forgo all attacks to provide tactical fire to all squares in a 2-square radius around itself. All allied starships of Gargantuan size or smaller within that area gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls an increase their damage dice by one step (for example, from 4d10×2 to 4d12×2).
Venator-class Star Destroyer (CL 19)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 148.
Colossal (cruiser) capital ship
Initiative: −3; Senses: Perception +6
Defenses: Fort 52, Ref 14 (flat-footed 13) ; +13 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 1,590; DR: 20; SR: 200; Damage Threshold: 252
Speed: fly 2 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: 2 heavy turbolaser batteries +11* (see below) and
2 medium double turbolaser batteries +5* (see below) and
4 point-defense laser batteries +13 (see below) and
2 tractor beams +9* (see below) and
4 proton torpedoes +5* (see below)
Fighting Space: 2×2 (starship scale); Cover: total (crew), +5 (ships in flight deck when plates open)
Base Attack: +2; Grapple: 64
Abilities: Str 95, Dex 12, Con —, Int 16
Skills: Initiative −2, Mechanics +6, Perception +6, Pilot −2, Use Computer +6
Crew: 7,400 (skilled); Passengers: 2,000 (troops)
Cargo: 20,000 tons; Consumables: 2 years; Carried Craft: 192 V‑wing or V‑19 Torrents, 192 Eta‑2s, 36 ARC‑170s, 40 heavy airspeeders, 24 heavy walkers, various support craft
Payload: 64 proton torpedoes
Hyperdrive: ×1 (backup ×12), navicomputer
Availability: Military; Cost: not available for sale (black market value 50,000,000 used)
* Apply a −20 penalty on attacks against targets smaller than Colossal Sise.
Heavy turbolaser battery (4 gunners)
Attack: +11 (−9 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 8d10×5
Medium double turbolasers (gunner)
Attack: +5 (−15 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 6d10×5
Point-defense laser cannon battery (5 gunners)
Attack: +13, Damage: 4d10×2
Tractor beam battery (3 gunners)
Attack: +9 (−11 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: —(grapple +64)
Proton torpedoes (gunner)
Attack: +5 (−15 against targets smaller than Colossal), Damage: 9d10×2, 4-square splash