ZeroSpace 3e EN:Starships

Contents

This chapter is a work in progress.

What I'd like here is a sort of mini-game, a game within the game. However, I want it to use the same basic game mechanics as normal character combat. It also needs some method of determining range bands without getting into measuring hexes or needing a battle mat -- in other words, no "facing", and no meter-by-meter (or megameter-by-megameter) movement.

In game terms, starships operate much like characters. Where characters have Brawn, Agility, Perception, and Endurance, starships have Mass, Maneuverability, Sensors, and Integrity. Most starships also have armor or energy shields (some starships have both). Some starships have weapons, and a few have exotic equipment like tractor beams.

Time And Distance

Range Bands

There are five range bands: close, short, medium, long, and remote. Close range is the distance that a character can reach with their hands or with a hand-held weapon: anywhere from "in your face" up to about two meters. Short range is the distance that a character can easily reach with small hand-held weapons, or with thrown weapons with a bit of luck: up to ten meters. Medium range is too far for thrown weapons, but is within range of most small arms: up to fifty meters or so. Long range is too far for most handguns, but is within range of most rifles, with careful aim and a steady hand: up to 500 meters. A few weapons have even greater range, called "remote": these effectively have no maximum range.

Weapons and powers that are useful at a distance have an effective range given in their description. Due to the vast distances involved, attacking more distant targets is usually not possible. If the GM declares that the attack is possible, the attacker incurs an attack penalty (-3).

Table: Starship range bands

Range	Typical weapons
Close	Grappling clamps, tractor beam
Short (10 km)	Point defense laser
Medium (50 km)	Laser battery
Long (500 km)	Laser cannon, missile, plasma torpedo
Remote	Planetary defense battery

If you'd prefer to emulate a setting more like Star Trek and less like Star Wars, multiply the weapon ranges by a factor of one thousand. So instead of short, medium and long ranges being 10 km, 50 km, and 500 km, they'd be 10,000 km, 50,000 km, and 500,000 km. (This doesn't actually make any difference in the game.)

Pursuit

Closing (or fleeing) would be an opposed Maneuverability roll. If both ships want to close (or flee), the roll is not opposed: instead it is treated as a "combining effort" on a challenging task (difficulty 3).

On a successful roll, the range between the ships decreases (if closing) or increases (if fleeing) by one range band. On an extreme success, the range increases (or decreases) an additional range band for each 3 that the winning ship rolled over the target number (one range band at 0-2, two range bands at 3-5, etc.).

Table: Extreme success in starship pursuit

Roll Succeeded By	Range Band Change
0-2	1
3-5	2
6-8	3
9-11	4

Special Actions

Evasive Maneuvers

During the ship's turn, or as an emergency action, a ship may use its action to initiate evasive maneuvers. Performing evasive maneuvers reduces all attackers' margin of success by 3. A ship which is using its action to perform evasive maneuvers continues to receive this benefit until it takes their next turn.

A ship may initiate evasive maneuvers after the attacker has determined that the attack will successfully hit: there is no need to evade an attack that misses.

Special Attack Types

Penetrating

If an attack is penetrating, the defense value (DV) of the defender is reduced by one-half (round in defender's favor).

Armaments And Defenses

Armor

Armor provides protection against most forms of direct damage: anything which inflicts Integrity damage. The defense value (DV) of a starship with armor is equal to its Mass + 1, or the defense rating of the armor, whichever is greater. As always, this protection does not stack with energy shields or other forms of defense -- only the highest defense value applies.

Heavier armor restricts a starship's mobility. The effective Maneuverability of a starship with armor may be limited.

Table: Starship armor

Defense Rating	Cost	Notes
1	400 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 8
2	800 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 7
3	1,600 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 6
4	2,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 5
5	4,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 4
6	8,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Maneuverability rank 3

Energy Shields

Energy shields provide protection against most forms of direct damage: anything which inflicts Integrity damage. The defense value (DV) of a starship with an energy shield is equal to its Mass + 1, or the defense rating of the energy shield, whichever is greater. As always, this protection does not stack with armor or other forms of defense -- only the highest defense value applies.

Shields which are stronger also generate more electromagnetic interference. The effective Sensors of a starship using an energy shield may be limited.

Table: Starship energy shields

Defense Rating	Cost	Notes
1	1,600 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 8
2	3,200 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 7
3	6,400 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 6
4	8,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 5
5	16,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 4
6	32,000 KCr ✕ Mass	Maximum Sensors rank 3

Short Range Weapons

Short range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 10 kilometers. The attack value (AV) of a starship using a ranged weapon is usually equal to its relevant attack attribute (typically Maneuverability) + 1, or the attack rating of the weapon, whichever is greater.

Table: Short range weapons

Type	Attack Rating	Cost	Notes
Pocket Blaster Pistol	2	300 Cr
Target Blaster Pistol	2	450 Cr	attack bonus1 (+3) if attacker does not move
Blaster Pistol	3	500 Cr
Repeating Blaster Pistol	3	2000 Cr	attack bonus1 (+3) (fires multiple rounds at target)
Stunner	3	350 Cr	Stunning
Blaster Carbine	4	900 Cr	Two-handed
Flamethrower	6	350 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) (wide spray), Terrifying5
Pacification Grenade	8	250 Cr	Exploding2, Sensory3, Stunning4, single use
Fragmentation Grenade	12	200 Cr	Exploding2, single use
Shock Grenade	12	250 Cr	Exploding2, Sensory3, single use
Incendiary Grenade	12	250 Cr	Exploding2, Terrifying5, single use
Stun Grenade	14	250 Cr	Exploding2, Stunning4, single use

1. Bonuses And Penalties
2. Exploding
3. Sensory
4. Stunning
5. Terrifying

Medium Range Weapons

Medium range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 50 kilometers. The attack value (AV) of a starship using a ranged weapon is usually equal to its relevant attack attribute (typically Maneuverability) + 1, or the attack rating of the weapon, whichever is greater.

Table: Medium range weapons

Type	Attack Rating	Cost	Notes
Light Repeating Blaster Rifle	3	2000 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) (fires multiple rounds at target)
Pain Rifle	4	450 Cr	Two-handed, Stunning4
Sporting Blaster Rifle	4	800 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) if attacker does not move
Repeating Blaster Rifle	4	4000 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) (fires multiple rounds at target)
Heavy Blaster Rifle	5	1000 Cr	Two-handed
Heavy Repeating Blaster Rifle	5	6000 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) (fires multiple rounds at target)
Wrist Rocket	8	350 Cr	Single use
Pacification Cannon	8	800 Cr	Two-handed, Exploding2, Sensory3, Stunning4

1. Bonuses And Penalties
2. Exploding
3. Sensory
4. Stunning

Long Range Weapons

Long range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 500 kilometers. The attack value (AV) of a starship using a ranged weapon is usually equal to its relevant attack attribute (typically Maneuverability) + 1, or the attack rating of the weapon, whichever is greater.

Table: Long range weapons

Type	Attack Rating	Cost	Notes
Sniper Blaster Rifle	5	9000 Cr	Two-handed, attack bonus1 (+3) if attacker does not move, Penetrating3
Light Blaster Cannon	10	3000 Cr	Two-handed, fires every other round
Heavy Blaster Cannon	16	4500 Cr	Two-handed, Exploding2, fires every other round

1. Bonuses And Penalties
2. Exploding
3. Penetrating

A Note On Repeating Weapons

Weapons which fire multiple rounds, such as turbolasers and MIRV torpedoes, usually grant an attack bonus (+3), and they might or might not do more damage than their single-shot equivalents (AR 4 instead of AR 3, for example), but the attack is only resolved once. Whether the damage from an attack is inflicted by one discrete injury or twelve, it's all just one attack roll. There's no "roll damage three times" mechanic like some game systems have.