Back USS Ezekiel NCC 2015 by Jay P Hailey and Dennnis Washburn

Ship Name
USS Ezekiel NCC 2015

Brief description of ship:
A Federation Constitution class starship, described in three basic modes.

Campaign role for the ship:
Mode 1, Mode 2,Campaign setting, Vehicle to get the Characters into trouble. Mode 3, a potential MacGuffin or setting for a strange campaign.

Fleet role:
Mode 1, 2 Heavy cruiser, patrol and exploration. Mode 3, Escort, shore bombardment ship.

Age:
Over 100 years old at this point.

Built:
2251

Length:
Mode 1 289m, Mode 2 302m, Mode 3 the same.

Distinguishing Marks (Odd paint job, repair scars etc.)
Between 2267 and 2283 The Ezekiel was painted a pale blue. This paint job was preserved over at least one major refit.

Equipment Quirks and Problems:
The Ezekiel accumulated a strange variety of shuttlecraft as she went along. Otherwise, in mode 1 and mode 2 a stock model Constitution class starship. In Mode 3 her bombardment cannon were flaky and had to be managed carefully to avoid disrupting the ship's power systems.

Equipment Advantages:
In Mode 1 and Mode 2 the Ezekiel was equipped as a stock model Constitution class cruiser, an advanced and powerful starship of her day. Her odd collection of shuttlecraft included at least one civilian model, suitable for surreptitious arrival at bases and ground ports.

In Mode 3 The Ezekiel was fitted with powerful Bombardment cannons, huge phasers which packed a massive punch, when they worked.

Shuttles, number, any odd ones?
The Ezekiel's standard complement was at least six standard shuttles of different types. She also carried a variety of weird ones, including a civilian luxury shuttle, a 1957 Plymouth Fury, a pod recovered from the Jupiter II and a B9 Robot.

Horatio St. John-Smythe took the automobile with him when he left but carefully left all other equipment behind, specifically the B9

Notable Previous Crew:
Captain Horatio St. John-Smythe, Captain Spiak of Vulcan, Captain Lee Barr, Captain Amber St. John-Smythe, Noted Starfleet Hero Bob Justman served a tour as Chief Helmsman. The first Sivoan Starship Captain served aboard the Ezekiel as a navigator. Captain John Grimes, later disgraced, briefly served as the Ezekiel's Commanding Officer.

Primary Power:
Mode 1 and 2, The Ezekiel was powered by the most powerful and leveraged Matter/Antimatter reactors of the day. Mode 3, The Ezekiel was powered by a standardized Starfleet warp core of a type which has been adopted as replacement equipment on older ships (Mostly Miranda and Constellation Class vessels).

Secondary Power:
Standard generic Impulse power system.

Primary Weapons:
Mode 1, 2, Photon Torpedoes, of the standard type of the day. Mode 3, SX-7 Heavy Phaser Cannon

Secondary Weapons:
Type VII phaser banks, all modes.

Service History
2251 - 2276: In service as Constitution class starship, Upgraded to "Bonhomme Richard" Specs. (Mode 1)

2276 - 2305: In Service as Constitution class, Upgrade to "Enterprise" Specs. (Mode 2)

2305 - 2345: In Storage as part of Starfleet ready Reserve. Upgraded to class III standard equipment for ships of her age.

2345: Upgraded to bombardment cruiser with the addition of two dorsally mounted SX-7 Heavy Phaser cannons. (Mode 3)

2350 - 2355: Serves along Cardassian Border in fleet escort/shore bombardment role

2355 - Present: Returned to Starfleet Ready Reserves.

Crew:
Mode 1 - 250, Mode 2 - 450, Mode 3 - ~200

The USS Ezekiel was a constitution class starship. She was launched in 2251 (fourteen years prior to ST:TOS season 1). She was part of the huge expansion and growth of the United Federation of Planets in the twenty third century.

The Constitution class was the biggest and most advanced Federation starship of its day, and carried most of the burden of the exploration and defense of the UFP.

The USS Ezekiel saw her share of this action. Not too much is known of the early history of this starship. In 2259 two of her future captains, Lee Barr and Spiak of Vulcan, took their cadet cruises aboard her.

In 2260, another of her future captains, Horatio St.John-Smythe served his first tour as a starship First Officer aboard her.

In 2267 (ST:TOS, Second Season) the USS Ezekiel was severely damaged in an encounter with Romulans along the neutral zone. This was not an uncommon occurrence in those times.

Up until this time it is probable that the USS Ezekiel was more of a military ship than an explorer like her sister ship the Enterprise. There were great tensions with both the Romulans and the Klingons at this time, leading to near wars with both empires.

The USS Ezekiel was on these front lines many times. In 2267 Horatio St. John-Smythe became the captain of the Ezekiel and began a tour of exploration.

Between 2267 and 2273 The Ezekiel was instrumental in many first contacts and deep exploration missions (Jay's 1983 ST:RPG campaign). The Ezekiel was the first to contact a friendly race of insectoids who had formed a small Federation of their own, towards the galactic center. The Ezekiel explored many a strange spatial phenomenon. Her captain even traveled in time to undo tampering with the Federations' history.

From 2274 to 2276 (about four years after ST:TMP) the USS Ezekiel underwent her final massive refit to the new technology baseline pioneered by the USS Enterprise.

In 2277 After a shakedown cruise, the Ezekiel began Horatio St. John-Smythes' final five year mission. It was during this mission that the Ezekiel became the first ship to have one her crew board a Romulan Warbird and escape alive. It was also during this time that the Ezekiel discovered the remains of the Jupiter II, and carried news of her sad fate back to the Federation.

During this time tensions with the Klingons and the Romulans were not lessening and the Ezekiel was required to test her mettle in combat from time to time.

In 2283, Horatio St. John-Smythe stepped aside and Spiak of Vulcan became one of the few Vulcans to command a front line starship up to that time.

During Spiaks' tenure as Captain, the USS Ezekiel became a much more sedate ship, often supporting complex science investigations and scouting probes. In keeping with the Vulcan way, the Ezekiel did not seek out first contact but quietly observed several candidate races before the decision to contact them was made. The information gathered by the Ezekiel proved invaluable to Federation Diplomats, and to the Federation wide base line of scientific data.

Spiak's career was not all science and tameness. The Ezekiel was called upon regularly to combat terrorists, guerrillas, and to confront tensions between the powers. It is worth noting that Spiak approached all of these incidents from a Vulcan standpoint, and often worked peaceful solutions to what were thought to be military problems.

By this time, the future of the Constitution class starship was changing. The USS Ezekiel started out as one of the flagships of the Federation. By 2284, the USS Excelsior was launched, putting an end to the dominance of the Constitution class starship.

At the same time, the Miranda class starships were proving their worth as front line starships. While not as powerful as the Constitution class starships, the Miranda class was cheaper to build, and properly equipped could equal the Constitutions' sensors and science capabilities. The Miranda class was also much cheaper to operate.

The final nail in the coffin of the Constitution class starship was the Constellation class starship. A new class with weapons and technology equal to the latest in the Federation and the promise of being adaptable for years to come.

Even though the writing was on the wall for the Constitution class, they still were vital parts of Starfleet and the Federation.

In 2288 (About two years after STIV:TVH) Lee Barr took command of the starship Ezekiel. A twenty year veteran of the ship she was familiar with the quirks and personality of the starship.

Captain Barr and the Ezekiel patrolled the Klingon neutral zone and earned the respect of their Klingon adversaries, as the tension between the UFP and the Klingons began to grow. The Ezekiel also continued her career of generating data from all over known space as part of the Federation science baseline project.

With the Khitomer accords of 2293 and the launch of the Excelsior class USS Enterprise, the twilight of the Ezekiel and the Constitution class had come. The Ezekiel was sent on many scouting missions into deep space, where it was felt that a newer ship should not be risked.

During this time the Ezekiel again proved her worth, returning from mission after mission, often with new discoveries or word of a new race.

In 2299, the Ezekiel received her last Captain, Amber St. John-Smythe, daughter of Horatio St. John-Smythe. This was one of the first times a parent had commanded a starship, to be followed in that role by their child. It is a measure of how long the Ezekiel had been in service. In 2299 the USS Ezekiel had been in service for 49 years.

A few more critical missions awaited the USS Ezekiel, but she was then beginning to show her age. She was not as fast as some of the other ships available to Starfleet command. The Ezekiel more often than not was assigned to milk runs and scouting missions.

The USS Ezekiel finished her career on April the twenty third, 2305. She was 54 years old. The USS Ezekiel was one of the last of the Constitution class starships in operation. Her decommissioning was the end of an era. The ceremony taking the Ezekiel out of service was attended by all four of her surviving former commanding officers.

The Ezekiel was painted blue in 2267. This paint scheme was kept until Captain Spiak elected to discontinue the practice in 2283.

The Ezekiel being still functional was not scrapped, but was sent to the Starfleet Ready Reserves, where many Warships from the era of the Klingon Cold War were being sent.

The ready reserve was not just one place but many major planets and bases had ready reserve fleets attached to them

There the ships were stored, their systems preserved carefully against age. Over time engineering students are trained by upgrading the systems of ships from the ready reserves. When a Starbase needs a temporary fire power or patrol increase they can activate a ready reserve ship.

Although design limitations of the hull mean that these ships will never be as fast or perhaps as durable as their newer counterparts, they can still be useful if employed thoughtfully.

The Ezekiel is one of only a small number of Constitution class ships allocated to this ready reserve fleet. Most other Constitution class ships were used up in service, lost, or destroyed.

By and large the ready reserve fleet consists of frigates and perimeter action ships left over from the arms race of the 2280's and 2290's.

In 2345, the Ezekiel was refit with an experimental weapons system and underwent field tests with inconclusive results.

In 2350, the Cardassian conflict broke out. During the early stages of this war, While Starfleet struggled to build up strength to ward off the Cardassian invasion, the Ezekiel, like many ready reserve ships was activated and allocated to support roles like convoy escort and shore bombardment in support of allied troops. Although her crews were happy to have a Constitution class starship on their side, the disappointing performance of her SX-7 heavy phaser cannon limited her effectiveness.

In 2355 with many new frigates and cruisers coming on line, the Ezekiel and many of her companions were returned to the Reserve.

The Starship Ezekiel waits there until this very day.

Appearance:
The USS Ezekiel was the Setting for Jay's 1983 Star Trek Role Playing scenario. The principal player was Dennnis Washburn, who named the ship for the book of the bible in which a UFO supposedly appears.

Later, I reworked the Ezekiel of the 2288-2305 period as a setting, but that game didn't last for long.

Mode 1 (Classic TOS Constitution - 2265)
On a scale of 1 - 1000 where 1000 is The Enterprise-D
Science capacity - 250
Crew Comfort - 150
Duration - 500
Medical facilities - 250
Tactical maneuvering - 1750
Strategic Speed - 733
Defense - 250
Offense - 250
Versatility - 300
Internal Security - 150

Mode 2 (TMP type Constitution 2274)
Science capacity - 250
Crew Comfort - 200
Duration - 400
Medical facilities - 300
Tactical maneuvering - 1850
Strategic Speed - 875
Defense - 300
Offense - 300
Versatility - 250
Internal Security - 175

Mode 3 (Post TMS Escort 2345)
Science capacity - 150
Crew Comfort - 200
Duration - 250
Medical facilities - 500
Tactical maneuvering - 1850
Strategic Speed - 875
Defense - 335
Offense - 335 (400 if the SX-7 phasers are working)
Versatility - 150
Internal Security - 250

Game Stats, (LUG Trek)

Mode 1
Class and Type: Constitution-class Heavy Cruiser
Commissioning Date: 2251

Hull Characteristics

Size: 6 (289 m long, 23 decks)
Resistance: 3
Structural Points: 120

Operations Characteristics

Crew/Passengers: 250/1000
[6 pwr/round]

Computers: 4
[4 pwr/round]

Transporters: 4 personnel, 4 emergency, 2 cargo
[4 pwr/round]

Tractor Beams: 1 fv, 1 fv
[2/rating used]

Propulsion and Power Characteristics

Warp System: 5/6/8(12 hours)
[2/warp factor]

Impulse System: .5c/.75c
[5/7 pwr/round]

Power: 100

Sensor Systems

Long-Range Sensors: +1/12 light years
[6 pwr/round]

Lateral Sensors: +1/1 light year
[4 pwr/round]

Navigational Sensors: +1
[5 pwr/round]

Sensors Skill: 5

Weapons Systems

Type VII Phaser
Range: 10/30,000/100,000/300,000
Arc: All (720 degrees)
Accuracy: 5/6/8/11
Damage: 14
Power: [14]

Type I Photon Torpedoes
Number: 175
Launchers: 2 fv
Spread: 4
Arc: forward but self-guided
Range: 15/200,000/750,000/2,000,000
Accuracy: 4/5/7/10
Damage: 16
Power: [5]

Weapons Skill: 5

Defensive Systems

Starfleet Deflector Shield
Protection: 35/47
Power: [35]

Mode 2

Class and Type: Constitution-class Heavy Cruiser
Commissioning Date: 2276

Hull Characteristics

Size: 6 (302 m long, 21 decks)
Resistance: 3
Structural Points: 120

Operations Characteristics

Crew/Passengers: 430/1500
[6 pwr/round]

Computers: 4
[4 pwr/round]

Transporters: 4 personnel, 4 emergency, 2 cargo
[4 pwr/round]

Tractor Beams: 1 fv, 1 fv
[2/rating used]

Propulsion and Power Characteristics

Warp System: 6/8/9 (11.5*) (6 hours)
[2/warp factor]

Impulse System: .5c/.75c
[5/7 pwr/round]

Power: 120

Sensor Systems

Long-Range Sensors: +1/13 light years
[6 pwr/round]

Lateral Sensors: +1/1 light year
[4 pwr/round]

Navigational Sensors: +1
[5 pwr/round]

Sensors Skill: 5

Weapons Systems

Type VII Phaser
Range: 10/30,000/100,000/300,000
Arc: All (720 degrees)
Accuracy: 5/6/8/11
Damage: 14
Power: [14]

Type IA Photon Torpedoes
Number: 200
Launchers: 2 fv
Spread: 4
Arc: forward but self-guided
Range: 15/200,000/750,000/2,000,000
Accuracy: 4/5/7/10
Damage: 20
Power: [5]

Weapons Skill: 5

Defensive Systems
Starfleet Deflector Shield
Protection: 40/55
Power: [40]

Mode 3
Class and Type: Constitution-class Escort

Commissioning Date: 2345

Hull Characteristics
Size: 6 (302 m long, 21 decks)
Resistance: 3
Structural Points: 120

Operations Characteristics

Crew/Passengers: 220/250/2000
[6 pwr/round]

Computers: 5
[5 pwr/round]

Transporters: 4 personnel, 4 emergency, 2 cargo
[4 pwr/round]

Tractor Beams: 1 fv, 1 fv
[2/rating used]

Propulsion and Power Characteristics

Warp System: 6/8/9.0(6 hours)
[2/warp factor]

Impulse System: .7c/.9c
[7/9 pwr/round]

Power: 130

Sensor Systems

Long-Range Sensors: +1/15 light years
[6 pwr/round]

Lateral Sensors: +1/1 light year
[4 pwr/round]

Navigational Sensors: +2
[5 pwr/round]

Sensors Skill: 5

Weapons Systems

Type VII Phaser
Range: 10/30,000/100,000/300,000
Arc: All (720 degrees)
Accuracy: 5/6/8/11
Damage: 14
Power: [14]

Type SX-7 Heavy Phaser Canon
Range: 10/30,000/100,000/300,000
Arc: Forward, 60 degrees, Aft 60 Degrees
Accuracy: 5/6/8/11
Damage: 20
Power: [20]
Note Engineer and Weapons officer must make moderate [7] roles for this system to work. One officer alone can make it work with a Challenging [9] success. On a failure either it doesn't fire or it fires and then the ship looses all power until the Engineer makes a moderate [5] success to restore power.

Type II Photon Torpedoes
Number: 200
Launchers: 2 fv
Spread: 4
Arc: forward but self-guided
Range: 15/200,000/750,000/2,000,000
Accuracy: 4/5/7/10
Damage: 20
Power: [5]
Weapons Skill: 5
Defensive Systems
Starfleet Deflector Shield
Protection: 48/70
Power: [48]

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this material for me.

Jay P. Hailey

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