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[[Image:Arrow_up_16x16.png|baseline|link=ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Contents]] [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Contents|Contents]]
[[Image:Arrow_up_16x16.png|baseline|link=ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Contents]] [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Contents|Contents]]
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If this were a starship combat game, rather than a space fantasy roleplaying game, we would make this section much more complicated. A starship's mass would make Piloting rolls more difficult, different weapons would be more or less effective against different defenses, and so on. But this is not a starship combat game, so this section is as simple as we could make it.
Starships allow player characters to go from place to place in the galaxy, seeing people, places, and things which are too far away or too dangerous to visit without one. Starships also serve as a mobile base for the player characters, providing a place to store their stuff and relax.


Regrettably, it's still pretty complicated.
==Parts Of A Starship==


==Overview==
===Amenities===


Starships allow player characters to go from place to place in the galaxy, seeing people, places, and things which are too far away or too dangerous to visit without one. Starships also serve as a mobile base for the player characters, providing a place to store their stuff and recuperate between adventures.
In general, '''larger (higher Class) starships have better and more varied amenities'''. A Class 2 or 3 starship has a basic med pod and an "essentials" kitchen fabricator. Class 4 and 5 ships might have a reading lounge, a gym, and even a running track on larger ships. Class 6 and 7 ships may have shops, pubs, and other forms of off-duty entertainment. A Class 10 starship is a city unto itself.


===Parts Of A Starship===
Cruisers typically have a variety of general-use laboratories, while escorts typically have one or two.


====Bridge====
'''Panglossian Era ships were more comfortable''' than their Restoration Era counterparts, even in the Bha'atar Empire. Most Panglossian Era ships were designed with bulkheads that could be adapted to uncommon biospheres, such as a high-temperature sodium atmosphere or flooded compartments for Cetacean crew members.


The bridge is where the pilot controls the starship's movement. It typically has stations for the captain of the starship and a number of staff officers. On medium-size warships, the bridge may also include combat information center functions; on larger warships, the combat information center is a separate location.
===Bridge===


====Engine Room====
The bridge is '''where the pilot controls the ship's movement'''. It typically has stations for the '''captain''' of the ship and a '''number of staff officers'''. On smaller starships (Class 3 and below), the bridge is usually called the "cockpit". On medium-size warships, the bridge '''may also include combat information center (CIC)''' functions; on larger warships, the combat information center is a separate location.


The engine room provides more precise control of the power core and the warp engines, and may allow direct observation of them (behind appropriate safety shielding, of course). Larger starships may have several engine rooms, and the largest starships might have dozens.
===Engine Room===


====Fabricators====
The engine room provides precise '''control of the power core and the warp engines''', and may allow direct observation of them (behind appropriate safety shielding, of course). Larger starships may have several engine rooms, and the largest ships have dozens.


Most starships of Class 3 or higher have fabricators. The fabricators on smaller starships are adequate for day to day needs, such as meals and simple shipboard items. Larger starships may have specialized fabricators for the medical bay, a more complete meal library, and engineering fabricators for most replacement parts. The largest starships have a complete suite of industrial fabricators, and are capable of creating parts to build entire starships. If a starship also has an Exotic Particle Synthesizer, it can even construct power cores and warp engines.
An engine room is one place on the ship where one can find [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Equipment#Field_Kits|standard field kits]].


====Hangar====
===Fabricators===


Most starships of Class 4 or higher typically have a hanger. This hangar can accommodate either a single starship two Classes smaller or a squadron two Classes smaller (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Types|Squadrons]], below).
Most starships of Class 3 or higher have fabricators. The fabricators on smaller ships are adequate for day to day needs, such as '''meals and simple shipboard items'''. Larger starships may have specialized fabricators for the med bay, a more '''complete meal library''', and engineering fabricators for '''most replacement parts'''. The largest starships have a complete suite of industrial fabricators, and are capable of '''creating parts to build entire starships'''. If such a starship also has an exotic particle synthesizer, it can potentially construct power cores and warp engines.


====Hold====
===Grav Plates===


All starships have at least one hold. The dimensions of the hold may vary considerably, from the size of a lunchbox to that of a small moon. The hold might have gravity plating and a breathable atmosphere, depending on its intended use, but it is not designed for habitation.
The '''perception of gravity''' on starships is provided by '''grav plates'''. Grav plates operate on the same '''electrogravitic principles''' as the thrusters used when a ship is near a planetary surface. Grav plates are mechanically simple and generally quite reliable: if a starship's grav plates have failed, something has gone terribly wrong.


====Medical Bay====
===Hangar===


Every starship has a medical facility, although the size and sophistication of the facility varies a great deal. On smaller starships, a medical pod or "autodoc" can heal most injuries, or keep the patient alive until more advanced treatment may be found. Larger starships may have multiple, specialized medical pods, along with more advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment. The largest starships have full hospital facilities, although it is still called the "medical bay".
Starships of '''Class 4 or higher''' typically have a '''single hangar''', while a starship of the '''"Carrier" type''' has a number of '''hangars equal to its Class'''. Each hangar can accommodate a single starship two Classes smaller than the main ship (typically a "squadron" -- see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Squadrons|Squadrons]], below).


====Power Core====
A starship of the '''"Flight Deck"''' subtype (also called the "Strike Wing" subtype) has an '''additional hangar'''.


Starships generally use hybrid fusion-singularity reactors. The fusion furnace, the singularity containment system, and all associated components are referred to as the starship's "power core".
===Hold===


Power cores are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. Bringing a power core online typically takes 6 hours, or 2 hours if the power core has been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking a power core offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.
All starships have '''at least one hold'''. The dimensions of the hold may vary considerably, from the size of a lunchbox to that of a small moon. The hold might have gravity plating and a breathable atmosphere, depending on its intended use, but it is '''not designed for habitation'''.


====Thrusters====
===Medical Bay===


A starship's conventional engines, used for moving the starship through relatively normal space, are referred to as "thrusters". Electrogravitic thrusters are typically used when within a kilometer of a planetary surface or other inhabited area, with fusion thrusters engaged once the starship leaves this safety region. A typical starship can lift off from a planet and clear the atmosphere in a few minutes.
Every starship has a medical facility, although the size and sophistication of the facility varies a great deal. On '''smaller ships, a medical pod or "autodoc" can heal most injuries''', or keep the patient alive until more advanced treatment may be found. '''Larger starships may have multiple, specialized medical pods''', along with more advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment. The '''largest starships have full hospital facilities'''.


====Warp Engine====
A medical bay is one place on the ship where one can find [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Equipment#Field_Kits|standard field kits]].


Warp engines create a microscopically-thin Lorentzian manifold of spacetime around a starship -- typically called a "warp bubble". This allows the starship to remain relatively motionless while also achieving velocities which are relatively relativistic.
===Passageways===


Warp engines are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. Bringing a starship's warp engines online typically takes 3 hours, or 1 hour if the warp engines have been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking the warp engines offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.
On '''Restoration Era''' starships, passageways are usually '''considered wasted space''', and are made '''no larger than necessary''': rarely wider than three meters.


Before the warp engines are engaged, a destination is selected and the anticipated arrival time is calculated. Engaging the warp engines activates the Lorentzian manifold generator and moves the starship toward the pre-set destination. The warp engines are typically disengaged at a pre-set arrival time, which nearly always puts the starship where the navigator expected. However, the warp engines may be disengaged manually, placing the starship into relatively normal space somewhere between the starship's origin and its pre-set destination.
On '''Panglossian Era''' starships, particularly Old Commonwealth starships, passageways were '''much larger'''. Class 3 Old Commonwealth starships had passageways two meters wide, while Class 5 and larger starships had passageways at least six meters wide and four meters tall.


While the warp engines are engaged, the starship is unable to communicate with or interact with the universe outside of the warp bubble.
Starships also have smaller access corridors used for maintenance. Such corridors are typically just wide enough to crawl through on Restoration Era starships, but are large enough for two adjacent engineers to work comfortably on Panglossian Era starships.


====Windows====
===Power Core===


Windows on a starship serve two purposes. The primary reason for them is to preserve the sanity of the crew. It doesn't matter whether there is anything to see, aside from the stars or the kaleidoscopic display of a warp bubble: the point is that the crew can ''look outside''. The secondary reason is to serve as screens for augmented displays. What a crew member sees in a window may be augmented with distinct sounds or overlaid visuals, such as a target's range or mineral composition. Sophistication of the display and any audio accompaniment varies by starship and manufacturer. Some starships have a "privacy" mode, which looks the same from the inside, but looks like a glowing white haze from the outside. And of course, the windows automatically adjust to compensate for the luminosity of what is outside the window.
Starships generally use '''hybrid fusion-singularity reactors'''. The fusion furnace, the singularity containment system, and all associated components are referred to as the ship's "power core".


===Starship Attributes===
Power cores are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. '''Bringing a power core online''' typically takes '''6 hours''', or 2 hours if the power core has been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking a power core offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.


As with characters, a starship's attributes are ranked from 1 (the smallest starships) to 10 (the largest starships), and can't be reduced below zero or above 10. A starship has one core attribute, its Class, and five secondary attributes, its Consoles, Engines, Hull, Shields, and Weapons. A starship's Class determines the starting value of its other attributes, the size of its crew, and so on.
===Screens===


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
"Screen" is a catch-all term for the ubiquitous '''audiovisual displays aboard a starship'''. Holograms can be "brought up" or "shut off" with a gesture, or higher-resolution images can be displayed on physical monitors. The display is often '''augmented to provide additional data''': sounds may be added to represent the activity of an object on the screen, such as the firing of weapons or the explosion of an engine; weapons such as particle beams, which are invisible to the naked eye in a vacuum, are spectrum-shifted to be visible; and so on.
|+Table: Starship Classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
|-
! class="alignleft"|Attribute
! class="alignleft"|Starting Value
! class="alignleft"|Description
|-
| class="alignleft"|Consoles
| class="alignleft"|Class
| class="alignleft"|The number of consoles a starship may have equipped.
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Engines
| class="alignleft"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Determines the starship's travel time.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Hull
| class="alignleft"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Determines how many points of Hull damage the starship may take.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Shields
| class="alignleft"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Reduces the points of Hull damage the starship takes from a successful attack.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Determines how many points of Hull damage the starship may deal.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Armor
| class="alignleft"|Hull - Class (minimum 0)
| class="alignleft"|Reduces the points of Hull damage the starship takes from a successful attack.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Evasion
| class="alignleft"|Engines - Class (minimum 0)
| class="alignleft"|Helps the starship avoid attacks.
|}


===Sensors===


Each attribute can be modified in a number of ways. Here are some examples of modifying the rating of a starship's Consoles (there will be a full list further down):
Sensor range in ''ZeroSpace'' is approximate.
 
*The Escort subclass (E) reduces Consoles by 1.
*The Experimental subclass (X) increases Consoles by 1.
*A Bha'atar-manufactured starship reduces Consoles by 1.
*A Zniss-manufactured starship increases Consoles by 1.


====Consoles====
*"'''Short range'''" is also known as "'''weapons range'''" -- the maximum distance at which '''starship weapons''' are accurate. The '''surface of a planet''' is well within the weapons range of a ship in orbit.
*"'''Medium range'''" is '''standard sensor range''' -- the maximum distance at which '''navigational hazards''' and '''other starships''' are visible to standard sensors. A standard sensor can scan a '''star system''' from anywhere within its outermost orbit.
*"'''Long range'''" is '''beyond the sensor range''' of most starships -- a "long range sensor" can scan a star system from up to a parsec away.


Consoles are a form of starship equipment. As with personal equipment, a console's equipment bonus replaces or adds to a player's skill roll (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Skills|Skills]].
'''General scans''' can be performed in '''under a minute''', but '''comprehensive scans''' can take '''hours or even days''', depending on the subject being scanned.


Some consoles provide additional capabilities to the starship (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below).
Detailed, '''comprehensive scans''' are only possible at '''short range''', but medium and long range sensors are more than adequate for targeting and general scans.


====Engines====
===Thrusters===


The Engines attribute reflects the capacity of a starship's power core and the maximum strength of its electrogravitic thrusters, fusion thrusters, and warp engines.
A starship's conventional engines, used for moving the ship through relatively normal space, are referred to as "thrusters". '''Electrogravitic thrusters''' are typically used when '''within a kilometer of a planetary surface''' or other inhabited area, with '''fusion thrusters''' engaged once the ship '''leaves this safety region'''. A typical starship can lift off from a planet and clear the atmosphere in a '''few minutes'''.


====Hull====
===Warp Engines===


The hull of a starship is one of its toughest parts. Only portions of the power core are more durable. A starship which is large or densely constructed will have a higher Hull than one which is smaller or less dense.
Warp engines create a microscopically-thin Lorentzian manifold of spacetime around a starship -- typically called a "'''warp bubble'''". This allows the ship to remain relatively motionless while also achieving velocities which are relatively relativistic.


====Shields====
Warp engines are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. '''Bringing a starship's warp engines online''' typically takes '''6 hours''', or 2 hours if the warp engines have been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking the warp engines offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.


Energy shields on a starship serve two purposes. The primary reason for shields is to protect the starship from hazards such as micrometeorites, ambient high-energy particles, and other interstellar debris while traveling in realspace. No roll is required for this, as it's an automated and highly redundant function, much like life support. The secondary reason for shields is to protect the starship against hazards such as exploding stars and attacks from other starships.
Once the warp engines are brought online, a destination may be selected and the anticipated arrival time calculated. '''Activating the warp engines''' requires a standard action (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Crew_Tasks|Crew Tasks]]) and a '''one-minute warmup period (ten rounds)'''. The warmup period may be cancelled, but it may not be paused. After one minute, the warp engines engage the Lorentzian manifold generator and the ship departs for its selected destination. While the warp engines are engaged, the starship is '''unable to communicate with the universe''' outside of the warp bubble.


Energy shields lose effectiveness as they withstand attacks. The first attack against a starship in a scene, the shields grant their full protection value. The second attack against a starship in a scene, the shields grant one less than their full protection value. This continues until the protection value granted by the shields is reduced to zero (the shields "go down", in common parlance). The shields will be restored to full effectiveness after the fight is over, when the shield coils have had a chance to recharge.
The warp engines are typically disengaged at a pre-set arrival time, which nearly always puts the ship where the pilot expected. However, the warp engines may be disengaged manually, placing the ship into relatively normal space somewhere between the ship's origin and its selected destination. '''Long trips are typically broken up''' into a series of shorter trips, less than two weeks in length.


The starship's engineering team may also attempt to restore the shields during combat (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Repairing_The_Ship|Repairing The Starship]], below).
===Windows===


====Weapons====
What a crew member sees in a window may be '''augmented with distinct sounds or overlaid visuals''', similar to a [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Screens|screen]]. Sophistication of the display and any audio accompaniment varies by starship and manufacturer. Most starships have a '''"privacy" mode''', which looks the same from the inside, but looks like a '''glowing white haze''' from the outside. A starship's windows automatically compensate for the luminosity of what is outside the window.


The number of attacks a starship may make per round is equal to its Weapons. The starship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below).
==Starship Class==
 
Note that the starship's Weapons attribute is not the physical number of its weapons. A starship with Weapons 5 might have only two physically distinct weapons, or it might have twenty, depending on the design, size, and placement of the weapons themselves. A starship's weapons may be described however the GM likes, but this is merely flavour, and makes no actual difference in combat. Here are some examples, but you are not restricted to these options.
 
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Typical starship weapons
|-
! class="aligncenter" |Ship Class
! class="alignleft" |Typical weapons
|-
| class="aligncenter" |1-2
| class="alignleft" |Rail cannon, turbolaser beam, neutron missile
|-
| class="aligncenter" |3-4
| class="alignleft" |Particle cannon, pulsar beam, fusion missile
|-
| class="aligncenter" |5-6
| class="alignleft" |Plasma cannon, disruptor beam, antimatter missile
|-
| class="aligncenter" |7-8
| class="alignleft" |Meson cannon, hellbore beam, singularity missile
|-
| class="aligncenter" |9-10
| class="alignleft" |Nemesis cannon, planetary defense beam array, warp missile
|}


==Starship Class==
The categorization and nomenclature of starships is a field rife with inconsistency. The Old Commonwealth had hundreds of starship classes, and the New Commonwealth is on its way to matching that achievement. In contrast, the Bha'atar have only two main classes of ship: warships and support ships.


The categorization and nomenclature of starships is a field rife with inconsistency. The Old Commonwealth had hundreds of starship classes, and the New Commonwealth is on its way to matching that achievement. In contrast, the Bha'atar have only two main classes of starship: warships ("starhawks", in Bha'atar parlance) and support ships ("rousters", in Bha'atar parlance).
This is not a system of nomenclature that lends itself easily to direct comparisons, so the game system will refer to the starship classifications below.


This is not a system of nomenclature that lends itself easily to direct comparisons, so the game system will refer to the starship classifications below. Any resemblance between this system and that used by any interstellar fleet is purely coincidental.


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Starship classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
|+Table: Starship classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
|-  
|-  
! class="alignleft" colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Starship Class
! class="alignleft" colspan="2" style="line-height: 80%;" rowspan="2"|Starship Class
! class="aligncenter" colspan="2"|Typical Crew
! class="alignright" colspan="2" style="line-height: 80%;"|Typical Crew
! class="aligncenter" colspan="2"|Length (m)
! class="alignright" colspan="2" style="line-height: 80%;"|Length (m)
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter"|Min
! class="alignright" style="line-height: 80%;"|Full
! class="aligncenter"|Full
! class="alignright" style="line-height: 80%;"|Min
! class="aligncenter"|From
! class="alignright" style="line-height: 80%;"|From
! class="aligncenter"|To
! class="alignright" style="line-height: 80%;"|To
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|9
| class="alignright"|1
| class="alignleft"|Star Fortress
| class="alignleft"|Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor)
| class="alignright"|100,000
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignright"|350,000
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignright"|140,000
| class="alignright"|15
| class="alignright"|160,000
| class="alignright"|50
|-
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignleft"|Littoral Vessel (Customs, Police, System Defense)
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignright"|20
| class="alignright"|90
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|3
| class="alignleft"|Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout)
| class="alignright"|28
| class="alignright"|8
| class="alignright"|8
| class="alignleft"|Leviathan
| class="alignright"|30
| class="alignright"|10,000
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|35,000
| class="alignright"|3,000
| class="alignright"|5,000
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignright"|4
| class="alignleft"|Titan
| class="alignleft"|Light Escort (Frigate)
| class="alignright"|1,000
| class="alignright"|56
| class="alignright"|3,500
| class="alignright"|16
| class="alignright"|300
| class="alignright"|80
| class="alignright"|500
| class="alignright"|140
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|6
| class="alignright"|4
| class="alignleft"|Battlecruiser
| class="alignleft"|Light Cruiser
| class="alignright"|128
| class="alignright"|112
| class="alignright"|448
| class="alignright"|32
| class="alignright"|180
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|400
| class="alignright"|200
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|6
| class="alignright"|5
| class="alignleft"|Battle Escort (Battleship)
| class="alignleft"|Heavy Escort (Destroyer)
| class="alignright"|64
| class="alignright"|168
| class="alignright"|224
| class="alignright"|48
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|100
| class="alignright"|270
| class="alignright"|200
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|5
| class="alignright"|5
| class="alignleft"|Heavy Cruiser
| class="alignleft"|Heavy Cruiser
| class="alignright"|336
| class="alignright"|96
| class="alignright"|96
| class="alignright"|336
| class="alignright"|150
| class="alignright"|150
| class="alignright"|300
| class="alignright"|300
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|5
| class="alignright"|6
| class="alignleft"|Heavy Escort (Destroyer)
| class="alignleft"|Battle Escort (Battleship)
| class="alignright"|48
| class="alignright"|224
| class="alignright"|168
| class="alignright"|64
| class="alignright"|100
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|200
| class="alignright"|270
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|4
| class="alignright"|6
| class="alignleft"|Light Cruiser
| class="alignleft"|Battlecruiser
| class="alignright"|32
| class="alignright"|448
| class="alignright"|112
| class="alignright"|128
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|180
| class="alignright"|200
| class="alignright"|400
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|4
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignleft"|Light Escort (Frigate)
| class="alignleft"|Titan
| class="alignright"|16
| class="alignright"|3,500
| class="alignright"|56
| class="alignright"|1,000
| class="alignright"|80
| class="alignright"|300
| class="alignright"|140
| class="alignright"|500
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|3
| class="alignleft"|Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout)
| class="alignright"|8
| class="alignright"|8
| class="alignright"|28
| class="alignleft"|Leviathan
| class="alignright"|30
| class="alignright"|35,000
| class="alignright"|120
| class="alignright"|10,000
| class="alignright"|3,000
| class="alignright"|5,000
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignright"|9
| class="alignleft"|Littoral Vessel (Customs, Police, System Defense)
| class="alignleft"|Star Fortress
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignright"|350,000
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignright"|100,000
| class="alignright"|20
| class="alignright"|140,000
| class="alignright"|90
| class="alignright"|160,000
|-  
|-  
| class="alignright"|1
| class="alignright"|10
| class="alignleft"|Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor)
| class="alignleft"|Mega Star Fortress
| class="alignright"|2
| class="alignright"|1,750,000
| class="alignright"|7
| class="alignright"|500,000
| class="alignright"|15
| class="alignright"|250,000
| class="alignright"|50
| class="alignright"|750,000
|}
|}


===Subclass E: Escorts===
Escort starships (indicated with an "E" after its Class) are less flexible than multi-purpose starships like cruisers, allowing an escort to have a smaller silhouette and a commensurately smaller crew. There is a cost, however: the maximum number of consoles an escort starship may have is one less than its Class would indicate. For example, a Class 6 escort could have five consoles installed.


===Subclass X: Experimental===
===Subclass X: Experimental===


An experimental starship (indicated with an "X" after its Class) may have one more console than its Class would indicate. For example, a Class 3X corvette could have four consoles installed.
An experimental starship ('''indicated with an "X"''' after its Class) can have '''one more [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Consoles|console]]''' than its Class number indicates. For example, a Class 3X corvette could have four consoles installed.


===Starship Class And Crew===
===Starship Class And Crew===


On very small starships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the starship's systems. In a fighter, for example, the pilot, the navigator, and the engineer could all be the same person. On larger starships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the starship may have several pilots, navigators, and engineers, as well as dedicated scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.
On very small starships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the ship's systems. In a fighter, for example, the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Piloting The Starship|pilot]], the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Firing The Weapons|gunner]], and the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Repairing The Starship|engineer]] could all be the same person. On larger starships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the starship may have several pilots, gunners, and engineers, as well as dedicated navigators, scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.


"Minimum crew" refers to the absolute minimum number of crew required to operate a Restoration Era starship at full effectiveness for one shift. "Full crew" can vary considerably. The number of full crew given above is for a New Commonwealth (Restoration Era) starship, where the crew complement is generally three and a half times the minimum crew: sufficient for three shifts and an occasional off-duty day for each crew member. Bha'atar starships have the same number of minimum crew, but operate two shifts continuously without any off-duty days. A typical Bha'atar destroyer has 96 crew members (double the minimum crew for a destroyer). However, Bha'atar tours of duty are typically shorter than those in the New Commonwealth.
'''"Minimum crew"''' refers to the number of crew required to operate a Restoration Era starship at '''full effectiveness for one shift'''. "Full crew" can vary considerably. The number of full crew given above is for a New Commonwealth (Restoration Era) starship, where the crew complement is generally three and a half times the minimum crew: sufficient for three shifts and an occasional off-duty day for each crew member. Bha'atar starships have the same number of minimum crew, but operate two shifts continuously without any off-duty days. However, Bha'atar tours of duty are typically shorter than those in the New Commonwealth.


====Old Commonwealth Crew Sizes====
====Old Commonwealth Crew Sizes====


Old Commonwealth (Panglossian Era) starships could operate with less than one-quarter the crew of a comparable New Commonwealth starship, thanks to extensive automation and the starship's AI, or "geist". Old Commonwealth starships Class 4 and larger normally carried six times the minimum amount of crew; Old Commonwealth crews worked fewer, shorter shifts than New Commonwealth crews are expected to work. A typical Old Commonwealth heavy cruiser had a minimum crew of 24 and a full crew complement of 144, compared to 96 and 336 for a New Commonwealth heavy cruiser. Despite the smaller crews, Old Commonwealth starships were as large if not larger than equivalent New Commonwealth starships, and their interiors were cavernous by comparison.
Old Commonwealth (Panglossian Era) starships could operate with less than one-quarter the crew of a comparable New Commonwealth starship, thanks to extensive automation and the ship's AI, or "geist". Old Commonwealth starships Class 4 and larger normally carried six times the minimum amount of crew; Old Commonwealth crews worked fewer, shorter shifts than New Commonwealth crews are expected to work. A typical Old Commonwealth heavy cruiser had a minimum crew of XXX and a full crew complement of XXX, compared to XXX and XXX for a New Commonwealth heavy cruiser. Despite the smaller crews, Old Commonwealth starships were as large if not larger than equivalent New Commonwealth starships, and their interiors were cavernous by comparison.
 
==Starship Types==
 
XXX
 
<blockquote>
====SIDEBAR: Standard cargo units====
 
A standard cargo module in the ZeroSpace universe is 28m x 15m x 15m -- 6300 cubic  meters. This is referred to in naval architecture terms as "6300 tonnes". Most people assume that this is because 6300 cubic meters of water has a mass of 6300 tonnes.
 
Fun fact! A standard cargo module holds one Divine Legion in cryostasis -- 1000 genetically modified, fanatically loyal soldiers of the Infinite Dominion in full armor (weapons and other equipment shipped separately).
</blockquote>
 
==Starship Subtypes==
 
XXX
 
==Starship Combat==
 
Sometimes, people in other starships will shoot at the players' starship, leaving the player characters no choice but to return fire. Here is how that works.
 
===Initiating Conflict===
 
As with [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Actions#Initiating_Conflict|normal combat]], conflict begins when one side decides to stop talking and start shooting. If a character wishes to initiate a conflict, the captain of each starship makes a Survival (Presence) roll. If one or more starships get the drop on their opponents (an ambush, for example), the captain of a starship with a situational advantage gains a +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} bonus to their Survival (Presence) roll. Actions proceed each round from the crew whose captain rolled highest to the crew whose captain rolled lowest, with the characters on each starship taking their turns in whatever order they would like. A starship, like any piloted vehicle, moves when its pilot takes their turn. When every character has had the opportunity to take a turn, the starship with highest initiative goes again, and so on until the conflict has ended.
 
While the player characters are handling the important tasks, the starship's other crew (if there are any) are firing weapons, performing scans, dealing with the wounded, and making repairs, but it all goes more or less as planned and has no impact on the outcome of the conflict.
 
The environment goes last in a round. The status of asteroids or other uncontrolled objects are determined after after all of the characters have had the opportunity to take their turn.
 
===Rolling Dice===
 
'''2d6 + [attribute] + [skill bonus or equipment bonus]'''
 
In game terms, starships operate much like characters' personal equipment. Each crew member may use a standard action to make a skill roll, as usual. The player rolls their dice, counts the dots, adds the character's relevant attribute, and adds their skill bonus or their equipment bonus. If the character has the needed skill ''and'' the appropriate equipment, they use whichever bonus is larger, and add +1.
 
There are three main tasks a crew member can undertake during starship combat: piloting the starship, firing the weapons, and repairing the starship.
 
====Piloting The Starship====
 
=====Piloting Maneuvers=====
 
At the beginning of their turn, the pilot may declare that they are using one of the following maneuvers. Choosing a maneuver is optional, and does not require an action or a roll.
 
'''Damn The Torpedoes:''' If the pilot declares "Damn The Torpedoes", they incur a -{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} penalty to their Piloting rolls and defense, but the crew on the same starship gains a +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls against other starships. These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.


'''Evasive Maneuvers:''' If the pilot declares "Evasive Maneuvers", they gain a +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} bonus to their Piloting rolls and defense, but the crew on the same starship incurs a -{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} penalty on any Ranged Combat rolls against other starships. These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
==Starship Attributes==


=====Piloting Tasks=====
A starship's attributes are ranked from 1 (the smallest ships) to 10 (the largest ships), and can't be reduced below zero or above 10. A starship has one core attribute, its Class, and six secondary attributes, its '''Consoles, Engines, Shields, Weapons, Armor, and Hull'''. A starship's '''Class determines the starting value''' of its other attributes, the size of its crew, and so on.


Each round, one crew member on each starship may attempt an Agility + Piloting roll to direct the starship's movement.


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Typical starship Piloting tasks
|+Table: Starship Classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter"|Task
! class="alignleft"|Attribute
! class="alignleft"|Roll
! class="alignleft"|Starting Value
! class="alignleft"|Difficulty
! class="alignleft"|Description
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Tactical Maneuvering
| class="alignleft"|Consoles
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="aligncenter"|Class
| class="alignleft"|vs. 12
| class="alignleft"|The maximum number of consoles a ship may have equipped.<br />The highest level console a ship may equip.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Engines
| class="aligncenter"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Determines the ship's travel time.<br />How many Engineering rolls per round the crew may attempt.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Shields
| class="aligncenter"|Class
| class="alignleft"|Reduces the points of damage the ship takes from an attack.
|-
| class="alignleft"|Weapons
| class="aligncenter"|Class
| class="alignleft"|How many points of damage the ship may deal (+1d6).<br />How many Ranged Combat rolls per round the crew may attempt.
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Flee Pursuit
| class="alignleft"|Armor
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="aligncenter"|Class, max 5
| class="alignleft"|vs. 8 + the pursuing pilot's Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|Reduces the points of damage the ship takes from an attack.
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Avoid Obstacles
| class="alignleft"|Hull
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="aligncenter"|Class x 10
| class="alignleft"|vs. 12
| class="alignleft"|How many points of damage the ship may take.
|}
|}


'''Tactical Maneuvering:'' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, the crew on the same starship gains a +1 bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls against other starships. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.


'''Flee Pursuit:'' Fleeing pursuit is treated as an [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Actions#Extended_Task|extended task]]. If one pilot wants to leave the conflict but the other pilot doesn't, the fleeing pilot uses a standard action on their turn to attempt an Agility + Piloting roll vs. 8 + the pursuing pilot's Agility + Piloting. If the fleeing pilot achieves three successes and their starship has at least 1 Hull point remaining, the fleeing pilot eludes the pursuing pilot, and their starship leaves the conflict.
Each attribute can be modified in a number of ways, from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10. Here are some examples of modifying a starship's Consoles (there will be a full list further down):


'''Avoid Obstacles:'' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, their starship is safe from collisions with unguided objects until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
*The Experimental subclass (X) increases Consoles by 1.
*The Escort starship type reduces Consoles by 1.
*A Zniss-manufactured starship increases Consoles by 1.
*A Bha'atar-manufactured starship reduces Consoles by 1.


====Firing The Weapons====
===Consoles===


The number of attacks a starship may make per round is equal to its Weapons rating. The starship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below).
The Consoles attribute dictates the '''maximum number of consoles''' a starship may have equipped. Consoles provide additional capabilities to the ship (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below). The '''highest level console a starship may equip''' is equal to its Consoles.


To make an attack with one of the starship's weapons, a crew member must use a standard action to attempt an Agility + Ranged Combat roll.
===Engines===


XXX
The Engines attribute reflects the capacity of a starship's power core and the maximum strength of its electrogravitic thrusters, fusion thrusters, and warp engines. The '''number of [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Repairing The Starship|Engineering rolls]] the crew may attempt''' in a round is equal to the ship's Engines attribute. If the ship's Engines is '''reduced to zero''', '''the ship can't move''', and the crew may not attempt Engineering rolls every round.


Starship weaponry is much more powerful than the blasters carried by individuals. If a starship weapon is brought to bear against an individual rather than against a structure or another craft, the damage roll is increased by 6.
===Shields===


=====Hull Damage=====
Energy shields protect the starship against hazards such as exploding stars and attacks from other ships. The ship's '''Shields are added to its Armor''', and this amount is '''subtracted from the points of damage''' an attacker deals. The ship takes the remaining points of damage.


The hull of a starship is one of its toughest parts. Only portions of the power core are more durable. A starship which is large or densely constructed will have a higher Hull than one which is smaller or less dense.
Energy shields lose effectiveness as they withstand attacks. The shields grant their full protection against the first successful attack in a scene. The second attack in a scene, the shields grant one less than their full protection. This continues until the protection granted by the shields is reduced to zero. The shields will be restored to full effectiveness after the fight is over, when the shield coils have had a chance to recharge.


When a starship takes points of Hull damage, the points are temporarily subtracted from its Hull. A starship which has been reduced to zero Hull is disabled: it is out of the fight, and it will probably require extensive repairs. Hull may not be reduced below zero.
The starship's engineering team may also attempt to restore the shields during combat (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Repairing_The_Ship|Repairing The Starship]], below).


===Weapons===


The Weapons attribute reflects the accuracy and power of a starship's weaponry. The '''number of [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Firing The Weapons|Ranged Combat rolls]]''' the crew may attempt in a round is equal to the ship's Weapons attribute. The ship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below). If the ship's Weapons is '''reduced to zero''', '''the ship can't attack'''.


====Repairing The Starship====
Note that the starship's Weapons attribute is not the physical number of its weapons. A starship with Weapons 5 might have only two physically distinct weapons, or it might have twenty, depending on the design, size, and placement of the weapons themselves. A starship's weapons may be described however the GM likes, but this is merely flavour, and makes no actual difference in combat. Here are some examples, but you are not restricted to these options.


=====Engineering Maneuvers=====
At the beginning of their turn, the chief engineer may declare that they are using one of the following maneuvers. Choosing a maneuver is optional, and does not require an action or a roll.
'''Auxiliary Power To Engines:''' If the chief engineer declares "Auxiliary Power To Engines", the starship gains a +1 bonus to its Engines (maximum of 10), but it incurs a -1 penalty on its Shields and Weapons (minimum of 1). These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of the chief engineer's next turn.
'''Auxiliary Power To Shields:''' If the chief engineer declares "Auxiliary Power To Shields", the starship gains a +1 bonus to its Shields (maximum of 10), but it incurs a -1 penalty on its Engines and Weapons (minimum of 1). These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of the chief engineer's next turn.
'''Auxiliary Power To Weapons:''' If the chief engineer declares "Auxiliary Power To Weapons", the starship gains a +1 bonus to its Weapons (maximum of 10), but it incurs a -1 penalty on its Engines and Shields (minimum of 1). These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of the chief engineer's next turn.
=====Engineering Tasks=====
Each round, each engineer on the starship may attempt a Reason + Engineering roll to repair the starship and restore disabled systems.
'''Jury Rig:'''
'''Restore Power:'''
'''Layover And Repair:''' Normally, the crew of a damaged starship may repair half of the starship's lost Hull (rounded up) by working on it for about a day. Further damage may only be repaired at a stardock. Most full-service starports have stardock facilities. Barring some extraordinary event, a starship's Hull will be completely repaired after a week in a stardock.


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Typical starship Engineering tasks
|+Table: Typical starship weapons
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter"|Task
! class="alignleft" |Ship Class
! class="alignleft"|Roll
! class="alignleft" |Typical weapons
! class="alignleft"|Difficulty
|-
|-  
| class="aligncenter" |1-2
| class="alignleft"|Tactical Maneuvering
| class="alignleft" |Rail cannon, turbolaser beam, neutron missile
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
|-
| class="alignleft"|15
| class="aligncenter" |3-4
|-  
| class="alignleft" |Particle cannon, pulsar beam, fusion missile
| class="alignleft"|Flee Pursuit
|-
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="aligncenter" |5-6
| class="alignleft"|vs. 8 + the pursuing pilot's Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft" |Plasma cannon, disruptor beam, antimatter missile
|-
|-
| class="alignleft"|Avoid Obstacles
| class="aligncenter" |7-8
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft" |Meson cannon, hellbore beam, singularity missile
| class="alignleft"|vs. 12
|-
| class="aligncenter" |9-10
| class="alignleft" |Nemesis cannon, planetary defense beam array, warp missile
|}
|}


'''Tactical Maneuvering:'' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, the crew on the same starship gains a +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls against other starships. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
===Armor===


'''Flee Pursuit:'' Fleeing pursuit is treated as an [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Actions#Extended_Task|extended task]]. If one pilot wants to leave the conflict but the other pilot doesn't, the fleeing pilot uses a standard action on their turn to attempt an Agility + Piloting roll vs. 8 + the pursuing pilot's Agility + Piloting. If the fleeing pilot achieves three successes and their starship has at least 1 Hull point remaining, the fleeing pilot eludes the pursuing pilot, and their starship leaves the conflict.
Armor reduces the points of damage the starship takes from a successful attack. A starship's Armor is equal to the ship's Class, up to a maximum of 5. The starship's '''Armor is added to its Shields''', and this amount is '''subtracted from the points of damage an attacker deals'''. The ship takes the remaining points of damage.


'''Avoid Obstacles:'' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, their starship is safe from collisions with unguided objects (including weapons) until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
===Hull===


XXX
The Hull of a starship is one of its toughest parts. Only portions of the power core are more durable. A ship's '''Hull is equal to the ship's Class multiplied by ten'''. When a ship takes damage past its Armor and Shields, the '''points of damage are subtracted from its Hull'''.


A starship which has been reduced to '''zero Hull has ceased to function''' in any meaningful sense. It might explode; it might not. (Siobhan starships tend to ''implode'', due to the construction of their power cores.)


Vehicle shields and weapons add +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} to their rating when targeting or targeted by individuals.
==Starship Types==
Starship shields and weapons add +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} to their rating when targeting or targeted by vehicles.
Starship shields and weapons add +{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} to their rating when targeting or targeted by individuals.


Some common ship types modify a starship's attributes.


XXX
;Carrier
:Has a number of hangars equal to its Class.
:-2 Shields
:-2 Weapons
;Courier
:Sacrifices durability for speed.
:-1 Consoles
:+2 Engines
:-1 Hull
:-1 Weapons
;Escort
:Sacrifices flexibility for efficiency.
:-1 Consoles
:2/3 typical length of Class
:1/2 typical crew of Class
;Freighter
:Sacrifices everything for cargo capacity.
:-2 Consoles
:-1 Engines
:+2 Hull (cargo capacity)
:-1 Shields
:-2 Weapons
:Minimum crew equal to Class
;Hospital Ship
:Sacrifices speed and firepower for medical treatment options.
:+2 Consoles (medical only)
:-1 Engines
:0 Weapons (This is an exception to the "minimum of 1" rule.)
;Squadron
:Has no warp engines. Must remain in vicinity of carrier.
:0 Consoles (This is an exception to the "minimum of 1" rule.)
:+2 Hull (multiple small starships)
:+1 Weapons
 
<blockquote>
====SIDEBAR: Standard Cargo Units====


==Starship Consoles==
A standard cargo module in the ZeroSpace universe is 28m x 15m x 15m -- 6300 cubic  meters. This is referred to in naval architecture terms as "6300 tonnes". Most people assume that this is because 6300 cubic meters of water has a mass of 6300 tonnes.


Consoles are a form of starship equipment. As with personal equipment, a starship console's bonus replaces or adds to a player's skill roll.
Fun fact! A standard cargo module holds one Divine Legion in cryostasis -- 1000 genetically modified, fanatically loyal soldiers of the Infinite Dominion in full armor (weapons and other equipment are shipped separately).
</blockquote>


'''2d6 + [Attribute] + [Skill ''or'' appropriate equipment]'''
===Starship Subtypes===


If a character has the needed skill ''and'' the appropriate equipment, use whichever bonus is larger, and add +1.
Some common ship subtypes further modify a starship's attributes.


;Flight Deck
:Has one additional hangar.
:-1 Shields
;Intel
:Optimized for delicate operations.
:+1 Consoles
:-1 Shields
;Missile
:Optimized for missile racks.
:-1 Shields
:+1 Weapons
;Science
:Optimized for science consoles.
:+2 Consoles (scientific only)
:-1 Weapons


===Panglossian Era Consoles===
===Regional Variations===


Panglossian Era starships had two additional consoles, both at the same quality as the starship's Class, up to mark V (for example, on a Class 3 starship, these two consoles would be mark III; on a Class 7 starship, these two consoles would be mark V). First, each Panglossian Era starship had a Geist Management Console permitting the starship's AI, or "geist" (a crew position), to manage the starship's myriad automated systems (this console was not removable, although it could be upgraded). Panglossian Era starships also had a Wormhole Network Interface Console , which granted the starship the ability to use the wormhole network. These consoles were in addition to the consoles a starship would be permitted due to its Class. For example, a Class 3X Panglossian Era corvette could have six consoles installed: these two, three more due to its Class, and an additional console due to the "Class X" rating.
The method of manufacture may also modify a starship's attributes.


==Other Equipment==
;Bha'atar
:-1 Consoles
:+1 Weapons
;Commonwealth
:+1 Hull
;Dominion
:-1 Engines
:+1 Hull
;Siobhan
:+1 Engines
;Zniss
:+1 Consoles


===Emergency Self Destruct===
==Starship Combat==


Self destruct systems are present aboard most commercial and military starships. Initiating the self destruct on a spacecraft disengages its engine coolant system, quickly causing the vessel's power core to overload and explode, destroying the spacecraft after a set time period has elapsed (usually 10 minutes).
Sometimes, people in other starships will shoot at the players' ship, leaving the player characters no choice but to return fire. Here is how that works.


As a safety precaution, self destruct mechanisms are intentionally difficult to enable, and even more difficult to disable. Enabling the self destruct device requires an Agility + Engineering roll vs. 12. A self destruct device can be disabled during the first half of its countdown with a successful Agility + Engineering roll vs. 15.
===Initiating Conflict===


A starship which self destructs will explode with tremendous force, utterly destroying the starship and severely damaging any nearby starships. Any vessel within short range of the exploding starship will take points of Hull damage equal to the Engines of the exploding starship, bypassing the target's defenses.
As with [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Actions#Initiating_Conflict|character combat]], conflict begins when one side decides to stop talking and start shooting. '''Combat begins with the side that starts shooting'''. If the PCs start the conflict, they take their turns in whatever order they like, and then the GM takes the turns of the NPCs. If the NPCs start the conflict, the GM takes the turns of the NPCs, then '''the PCs take their turns in whatever order they like'''. When every character has had the opportunity to take a turn, the next round begins, and so on until the conflict has ended.


{{WIP}}
While the player characters are handling the important tasks, the starship's other crew (if there are any) are firing weapons, performing scans, dealing with the wounded, and making repairs, but it all goes more or less as planned and has no impact on the outcome of the conflict.


==Stop here, the stuff below is from the previous version==
The environment goes last in a round. The status of asteroids or other uncontrolled objects are determined after after all of the characters have had an opportunity to take their turn.


Starships have attributes, which serve roughly the same purpose as a character's attributes. Starships have Consoles, Engines, Hull, Shields, and Weapons. A starship's attributes are used for its skill rolls, instead of using a character's attributes. If one of the players has a relevant skill, the player rolls 2d6, adds the starship's attribute, and adds their skill.
===Crew Tasks===


Some starships have specialized equipment such as camouflage fields, fully equipped medical bays, or tractor beams. These have their own special rules, given in the equipment's description.
There are three main tasks a crew member can attempt on their turn: '''piloting the starship''', '''firing the weapons''', and '''repairing the ship'''.


===The Crew===
Squadrons are a special case. Rather than a single ship, a '''squadron is an arbitrary number of small starships'''. If a squadron is controlled by the player characters, the characters may assume the roles of pilot, gunner, or engineer however they like, and their rolls affect the squadron as a whole. The squadron loses an unspecified number of ships as it takes damage, but the player characters are in craft that survive the battle.


On very small starships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the starship's systems. In a starfighter, for example, the pilot, the navigator, and the engineer are all the same person. On larger starships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the starship may have several pilots, navigators, and engineers, as well as dedicated scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.
====Piloting The Starship====


In game terms, starships operate much like characters' personal equipment: the player rolls their dice, counts the dots, and adds the result to the starship's attribute and the character's relevant skill. For example, a character piloting a starship would attempt a Piloting roll by rolling two dice, adding the starship's Engines attribute, and adding their own Piloting skill.
'''The pilot''' may use a standard action to attempt '''one Piloting roll''' on their turn. A starship can have multiple pilots and navigators, but '''only one character may make a Piloting roll''' for the ship each round.




{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Typical starship tasks
|+Table: Piloting tasks
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter"|Task
! class="alignleft"|Task
! class="alignleft"|Attribute (Skill)
! class="alignleft"|Effect
! class="alignleft"|Difficulty
! class="alignleft"|Roll 2d6 +
! class="alignleft"|Difficulty (DV)
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Analyzing scientific data
| class="alignleft"|Damn The Torpedoes
| class="alignleft"|Science (Reason + starship's Computer attribute)
| class="alignleft"|+1 AV in Ranged Combat
| class="alignleft"|Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12)
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Charting a course
| class="alignleft"|Evasive Maneuvers
| class="alignleft"|Piloting (Reason + starship's Computer attribute)
| class="alignleft"|+1 DV in Ranged Combat
| class="alignleft"|Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12)
|-
| class="alignleft"|Evading pursuit
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Flying through an asteroid field
| class="alignleft"|Thread The Needle
| class="alignleft"|safe from collisions
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Piloting
| class="alignleft"|Extreme (DV 9)
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="alignleft"|Targeting an enemy starship
| class="alignleft"|Engage Warp Engines
| class="alignleft"|Warfare (Reason + starship's Weapons attribute)
| class="alignleft"|depart in 1 minute (10 rounds)
| class="alignleft"|Warfare (Reason + starship's Defenses attribute)
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Piloting
|-
| class="alignleft"|12
| class="alignleft"|Using the starship's sensors
| class="alignleft"|Computing (Reason + starship's Computer attribute)
| class="alignleft"|Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12)
|-
| class="alignleft"|Withstanding enemy attacks
| class="alignleft"|Warfare (Reason + starship's Defenses attribute)
| class="alignleft"|Warfare (Reason + starship's Weapons attribute)
|}
|}


===Order Of Play===


As with personal combat, everything that happens in a round of starship combat is assumed to occur more or less simultaneously, but we make people take turns to keep the game orderly.
'''Damn The Torpedoes:''' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, crew members on the same starship gain a '''+1 Action Value bonus''' on any '''Ranged Combat rolls''' they attempt. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.


The most important factor in determining which starship acts before which is situational awareness. If a starship is not aware of their opponent, then they don't have the opportunity to attack. If the combatants become aware of their adversaries in a set order, then that is the order in which they act in combat.
'''Evasive Maneuvers:''' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, the starship gains a '''+1 Defense Value bonus''' against any attacks. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.


However, if the various combatants become aware of each other more or less simultaneously, or if you would prefer to roll dice to see who goes first, the players and the GM should each make a Science (Reason + starship's Computer) roll at the beginning of the conflict. Turns proceed each round from the highest roller to lowest.
'''Thread The Needle:''' If the pilot succeeds at this roll, their starship is '''safe from collisions''' with unguided objects until the beginning of the pilot's next turn. This does not grant the starship a Defense Value bonus against attacks.


===Combining Effort===
'''Engage Warp Engines:''' Engaging the warp engines requires a standard action. and a '''one-minute warmup period (ten rounds)'''. The warmup period may be cancelled, but it may not be paused. After one minute, the warp engines activate and the starship departs for its destination. If the character fails this roll, they will discover it when (and where) the ship arrives. Fortunately, navigation errors are rarely fatal.


Starship combat, piloting, and repair are exceptions to the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Actions#Combining_Effort|Combining Effort]] rules. Combining Effort does not provide any additional benefit: larger starships have more to repair, but they also have larger crews, so it's assumed that everyone who can help with a given task already is, and it all balances out.
====Firing The Weapons====
 
==Computer==


A starship's Computer is its most important asset, because without it, nothing on the starship works. The starship's computer can used to analyze data or to chart a course through space.
'''Each gunner''' may use a standard action to attempt '''one Ranged Combat roll''' on their turn. A starship can have multiple gunners, but the '''number of Ranged Combat rolls''' the crew may attempt per round is '''equal to the ship's Weapons''' attribute. The starship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below).
 
===Navigation===
 
Navigation pertains to getting from one stellar body to another. Navigation generally requires a Piloting (Reason + starship's Computer attribute) roll. The difficulty (DV) of the roll is based on how well-known the destination is.




{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Navigation difficulty examples
|+Table: Gunnery tasks
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter" colspan="2"|Difficulty
! class="alignleft"|Task
! class="alignleft"|Examples
! class="alignleft"|Damage
! class="alignleft"|Roll 2d6 +
! class="alignleft"|Defense (DV)
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|--
| class="alignleft"|Fire Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Routine
| class="alignleft"|1d6 + Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Navigate between two well-documented locations along an established route
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Ranged Combat
| class="alignleft"|8 + Agility + Piloting
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|3
| class="alignleft"|Target Engines
| class="alignleft"|Moderately difficult
| class="alignleft"|1d6 + Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Navigate to an unfamiliar location along an established route, or to a familiar location along an undocumented route
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Ranged Combat
| class="alignleft"|8 + Agility + Piloting
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|6
| class="alignleft"|Target Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Remarkably difficult
| class="alignleft"|1d6 + Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Navigate to a location using incomplete course data
| class="alignleft"|Agility + Ranged Combat
|-
| class="alignleft"|8 + Agility + Piloting
| class="aligncenter"|9
| class="alignleft"|Extremely difficult
| class="alignleft"|Navigate to a location using improvised course data
|-
| class="aligncenter"|12
| class="alignleft"|Inconceivable!
| class="alignleft"|Navigate to a location using a blind guess
|}
|}




Note that the distance to the destination does not directly impact the difficulty. However, the more remote the destination, the farther off-course the starship will be if the navigator fails to chart the correct course.
'''Fire Weapons:''' If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the attacking player rolls '''1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons'''. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount, and the remaining '''points of damage are subtracted from the target ship's Hull'''. A starship which has been reduced to zero Hull is disabled: it is out of the fight, and it will probably require extensive repairs. Hull may not be reduced below zero.


===Orbital Mechanics===
'''Target Engines:''' If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the player rolls '''1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons'''. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount. If at least one point of damage remains, the target ship's '''Engines attribute is reduced by one'''. A starship which has been reduced to zero Engines is not able to engage its warp drive. Engines may not be reduced below zero.


Orbital mechanics pertains to getting around within a solar system. Orbital mechanics usually requires an opposed Piloting (Reason + starship's Computer) roll. The typical reason for making an orbital mechanics roll is to reach a destination before someone else does, because it's not really possible to get lost within a solar system. The navigator who rolls higher has plotted a trajectory that will allow their starship to reach its destination several hours ahead of the other starship.
'''Target Weapons:''' If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the player rolls '''1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons'''. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount. If at least one point of damage remains, the target ship's '''Weapons attribute is reduced by one'''. A starship which has been reduced to zero Weapons is not able to attack (even with consoles). Weapons may not be reduced below zero.


===Sensors===
Every successful Weapons attack against a ship '''reduces its Shields attribute by one''', after the attack has been resolved and the damage (if any) is recorded.
 
Starship weaponry is much more powerful than the weapons mounted on vehicles or carried by individuals. If a starship weapon is brought to bear '''against a vehicle''', the damage roll is '''increased by 6'''. If a starship weapon is brought to bear '''against an individual''', the damage roll is '''increased by 12'''. Conversely, if a '''vehicle weapon''' is brought to bear against a starship, the damage roll is '''decreased by 6 (minimum 0)'''. If an '''individual weapon''' is brought to bear against a starship, the damage roll is '''decreased by 12 (minimum 0)'''.
 
====Repairing The Starship====


A starship's sensors are used to find things and to analyze them. Using a starship's sensors generally requires a Computing (Reason + starship's Computer) roll. The difficulty (DV) of the roll is based on the subtlety of the thing being searched for or analyzed.
'''Each engineer''' may use a standard action to attempt '''one Engineering roll''' on their turn. A starship can have multiple engineers, but the '''number of Engineering rolls''' the crew may attempt per round is '''equal to the ship's Engineering''' attribute.




{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
|+Table: Sensor operation difficulty examples
|+Table: Engineering tasks
|-  
|-  
! class="aligncenter" colspan="2"|Difficulty
! class="alignleft"|Task
! class="alignleft"|Examples
! class="alignleft"|Effect
! class="alignleft"|Roll 2d6 +
! class="alignleft"|Difficulty (DV)
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|--
| class="alignleft"|Repair Hull
| class="alignleft"|Routine
| class="alignleft"|restore 1 Hull
| class="alignleft"|Locate an active starship within long range, locate a familiar energy signature within long range, analyze a familiar energy signature within medium range
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|3
| class="alignleft"|Repair Engines
| class="alignleft"|Moderately difficult
| class="alignleft"|restore 1 Engines
| class="alignleft"|Locate an active starship beyond long range, locate a familiar energy signature beyond long range, analyze an unfamiliar energy signature within short range
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|6
| class="alignleft"|Repair Shields
| class="alignleft"|Remarkably difficult
| class="alignleft"|restore 1 Shields
| class="alignleft"|Locate an inactive or disabled starship within long range, locate an unfamiliar energy signature within long range, analyze an unfamiliar energy signature within medium range
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|9
| class="alignleft"|Repair Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Extremely difficult
| class="alignleft"|restore 1 Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Locate an inactive or disabled starship beyond long range, locate an unfamiliar energy signature beyond long range, analyze an unfamiliar energy signature within long range
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft"|12
|-  
|-  
| class="aligncenter"|12
| class="alignleft"|Break Free
| class="alignleft"|Inconceivable!
| class="alignleft"|break free of ongoing effect
| class="alignleft"|Analyze an unfamiliar energy signature beyond long range
| class="alignleft"|Reason + Engineering
| class="alignleft"|8 + attacker's Class
|}
|}
#[[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Range_Bands|Range Bands]]


==Engines==


A starship's Engines are its most important asset, because without them, it's going nowhere. Piloting a starship generally requires an Agility + Piloting roll. The difficulty (DV) is based on the complexity of the maneuver being attempted.
'''Repair Hull:''' If the engineer succeeds at this roll, '''one point of Hull is restored''' to the starship.


'''Repair Shields:''' If the engineer succeeds at this roll, '''one point of Shields is restored''' to the starship.


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
'''Repair Weapons:''' If the engineer succeeds at this roll, '''one point of Weapons is restored''' to the starship.
|+Table: Piloting difficulty examples
 
|-
'''Break Free:''' If the engineer succeeds at this roll, the starship '''breaks free from an ongoing effect''' such as a tractor beam.
! class="aligncenter" colspan="2"|Difficulty
 
! class="alignleft"|Examples
The crew of a damaged starship may '''restore half of the ship's lost Hull''' (rounded down, minimum 1) by working on it for a '''day or less''' (no is roll required, as long as one character has Engineering). Under ordinary circumstances, a starship's '''Hull will be completely restored in a week''' or so. Severe damage may require a stardock to repair.
|-
| class="aligncenter"|--
| class="alignleft"|Routine
| class="alignleft"|Landing at a starport or on level ground, docking with a relatively motionless starship
|-
| class="aligncenter"|3
| class="alignleft"|Moderately difficult
| class="alignleft"|Landing in violent weather, flying through obstacles, docking with a moving but cooperative starship
|-
| class="aligncenter"|6
| class="alignleft"|Remarkably difficult
| class="alignleft"|Flying through an incomplete space station at full speed, docking with a moving uncooperative starship
|-
| class="aligncenter"|9
| class="alignleft"|Extremely difficult
| class="alignleft"|Flying through an asteroid field at full speed, docking with an uncooperative starship at full speed
|-
| class="aligncenter"|12
| class="alignleft"|Inconceivable!
| class="alignleft"|Flying blind through an asteroid field at full speed
|}


==Starship Consoles==


A failed Piloting roll will usually result in damage to the starship. For every failed Piloting roll, the starship loses one point of Hull. It's difficult to destroy a starship by flying it poorly, but an exceptionally bad pilot can do it.
Consoles are a form of starship equipment. If the character has appropriate equipment, they may '''add their Equipment Level to their Action Value, but only up to their skill level''' (see [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Skills|Skills]]).


===Interstellar Travel===
===Panglossian Era Consoles===


<blockquote>
Panglossian Era starships had two additional consoles. These consoles were in addition to the consoles a starship would be permitted due to its Class. For example, a Class 3X Panglossian Era corvette could have six consoles installed: these two, three more due to its Class, and an additional console due to the "Class X" rating.
====SIDEBAR: Exact travel times====


There is no equation to give you exact travel times based on the distance traveled and the Engines and Hull of the starship. The GM should decide the travel time on a case by case basis, using the rough guidelines given here. The plot is always more important than an equation in some book.
====Geist Management====
</blockquote>


A '''Geist Management Console''' permits the starship's AI, or "geist" (a crew position), to '''manage the starship''''s myriad automated systems. This console is not removable, although it can be upgraded.


The time required to travel interstellar distances increases logarithmically as the distance itself increases linearly. For example, a journey between two star systems in the same region of a galaxy typically takes from a few hours to a few days, traveling from one edge of a galaxy to the other takes a week or two, and traveling from one galaxy to the next takes a month or two. starships which have higher Hull ratings are slower than less massive starships, and starships with higher Engines ratings are faster than starships with lower Engines ratings.
====Wormhole Network Interface====


==Defenses==
A '''Wormhole Network Interface Console''' grants the starship the ability to '''use the wormhole network'''.


===Range Bands===
===Restoration Era Consoles===


If you'd prefer to emulate a setting more like ''Star Trek'' and less like ''Star Wars'', multiply the weapon ranges by one thousand. So instead of close, short, medium and long ranges being 1 km, 10 km, 100 km, and 1,000 km, they'd be 1,000 km, 10,000 km, 100,000 km, and 1,000,000 km. (This doesn't actually make any difference in the game.)
====Tractor Beams====


===Targeting Specific Systems===
Tractor beams are gravitic weapons intended to '''prevent the target from moving'''. To use a tractor bream, an engineer must use a standard action to attempt a '''Reason + Engineering roll''' against 8 + the Class of the target starship.


Before resolving whether an attack is successful, an attacker can declare that they are targeting a specific system: bridge, cargo, computer, crew quarters, defenses, engines, engineering, gravity control, environmental systems, sensors, or weapons. If the attack is successful, the attacker then rolls 2d6 and consults the "Targeting starship systems" table. If the attacker's system targeting roll is within 0-2 of the desired system, that system is affected as described; otherwise, the system rolled is affected as described.
Tractor beams do not deal points of damage to the target. Instead, on a successful roll, the '''Engines of each starship is subtracted from the Engines of the other starship''' for as long as the tractor beam is focused on the target (minimum zero). If either ship's Engines is reduced to zero, that starship is unable to move.


For example, if the attacker was targeting the bridge (requiring a roll of 2), and the attack was successful, and rolled a 4, they would have successfully damaged the bridge. If they rolled a 5, however, they would have damaged the starship's computer, reducing the starship's Computer rating to zero until the end of the attacker's next turn.
Both ship's Engines are restored to normal once the tractor beam is deactivated.


Targeting a specific system damages a system instead of causing damage to the starship's structure; the target's Hull is unchanged.
==Inconveniences==


===Emergency Self Destruct===


{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable zebra"
Self destruct systems are present aboard most commercial and military starships. Initiating the self destruct on a spacecraft disengages its engine coolant system, quickly causing the vessel's power core to overload and explode, destroying the spacecraft after a set time period has elapsed (usually 10 minutes).
|+Table: Targeting starship systems
|-
! class="aligncenter"|2d6
! class="aligncenter"|System
! class="aligncenter"|Effect
|-
| class="aligncenter"|2
| class="alignleft"|Bridge
| class="alignleft"|Named crew members on the bridge are struck by exploding consoles or are pinned by falling debris, and incur a -{{KM4_SKILL_BONUS}} penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn; unnamed crew members are dead
|-
| class="aligncenter"|3
| class="alignleft"|Defenses
| class="alignleft"|Defenses are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|4
| class="alignleft"|Engineering
| class="alignleft"|Any systems currently offline remain offline an additional round
|-
| class="aligncenter"|5
| class="alignleft"|Computer
| class="alignleft"|Computer and communications are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|6
| class="alignleft"|Crew quarters
| class="alignleft"|Named crew members in their quarters are trapped until rescued; unnamed crew members are dead
|-
| class="aligncenter"|7
| class="alignleft"|Cargo/other equipment
| class="alignleft"|Cargo or supplies are destroyed; if the starship has unusual equipment, that equipment is offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|8
| class="alignleft"|Gravity control
| class="alignleft"|Characters without the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Gifts#Zero-G_Combat|Zero-G Combat]] gift incur a -3 penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|9
| class="alignleft"|Sensors
| class="alignleft"|Sensors are offline (Computer rating 0 for sensor rolls) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|10
| class="alignleft"|Engines
| class="alignleft"|Engines are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|11
| class="alignleft"|Weapons
| class="alignleft"|Weapons are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn
|-
| class="aligncenter"|12
| class="alignleft"|Environmental systems
| class="alignleft"|Characters who [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Aliens#Immunity_To_Suffocation|need to breathe]] incur a -3 penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn
|}


==Other Equipment==
As a safety precaution, self destruct mechanisms are intentionally difficult to enable, and even more difficult to disable. Enabling the self destruct device requires a '''Reason + Engineering roll''' against '''DV 12'''. A self destruct device can be disabled during the '''first half of its countdown''' with a successful R'''eason + Engineering roll''' against '''DV 15'''.


===Tractor Beams===
A starship which self destructs will explode with tremendous force, utterly destroying the starship and severely damaging any nearby starships. An exploding starship deals '''3d6 + Engines points of damage''' to any ship '''within weapons range'''. Ships within range of the explosion '''apply their Shields and Armor''', as usual.


Tractor beams are gravitic weapons intended to prevent the target from moving. Using a tractor beam generally requires a Warfare (Reason) roll plus the rating of the tractor beam. The difficulty (DV) is based on the defending pilot's Warfare (Reason) and the defending starship's Defenses rating.
===Repelling Boarders===


Tractor beams do not deal points of Hull damage to the target. Instead, on a successful roll, the Hull rating of the attacking starship is subtracted from the Engines rating of the defending starship for as long as the tractor beam is focused on the target. If the target's effective Engines rating is reduced to zero, the target starship is unable to move.
If a starship has been reduced to zero Engines and zero Shields, another ship may attempt to seize the immobilized ship by force. The hostile ship must move next to the immobile ship and dock with it (an '''Agility + Piloting roll''' vs DV 12), after which boarding parties will storm into the immobile ship.


Escaping from a tractor beam can be accomplished one of three ways: the tractored starship can move beyond the [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Range_Bands|effective range]] of the tractor beam (based on the rating of the tractor beam); the tractored starship (or another starship) can reduce the Hull of the starship with the tractor beam to zero, causing the tractor beam to shut off; or the fleeing starship (or another starship) can break the tractor beam's hold by successfully [[ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Targeting Specific Systems|targeting the "cargo/other equipment" system]] of the starship with the tractor beam.
Repelling boarders is an extended '''Brawn + Hand-to-hand Combat''' task. The first side that wins six skirmishes (or three, or twelve) successfully takes the ship (or prevents it from being taken).




Latest revision as of 20:49, 26 December 2022

Arrow up 16x16.png Contents

Starships allow player characters to go from place to place in the galaxy, seeing people, places, and things which are too far away or too dangerous to visit without one. Starships also serve as a mobile base for the player characters, providing a place to store their stuff and relax.

Parts Of A Starship

Amenities

In general, larger (higher Class) starships have better and more varied amenities. A Class 2 or 3 starship has a basic med pod and an "essentials" kitchen fabricator. Class 4 and 5 ships might have a reading lounge, a gym, and even a running track on larger ships. Class 6 and 7 ships may have shops, pubs, and other forms of off-duty entertainment. A Class 10 starship is a city unto itself.

Cruisers typically have a variety of general-use laboratories, while escorts typically have one or two.

Panglossian Era ships were more comfortable than their Restoration Era counterparts, even in the Bha'atar Empire. Most Panglossian Era ships were designed with bulkheads that could be adapted to uncommon biospheres, such as a high-temperature sodium atmosphere or flooded compartments for Cetacean crew members.

Bridge

The bridge is where the pilot controls the ship's movement. It typically has stations for the captain of the ship and a number of staff officers. On smaller starships (Class 3 and below), the bridge is usually called the "cockpit". On medium-size warships, the bridge may also include combat information center (CIC) functions; on larger warships, the combat information center is a separate location.

Engine Room

The engine room provides precise control of the power core and the warp engines, and may allow direct observation of them (behind appropriate safety shielding, of course). Larger starships may have several engine rooms, and the largest ships have dozens.

An engine room is one place on the ship where one can find standard field kits.

Fabricators

Most starships of Class 3 or higher have fabricators. The fabricators on smaller ships are adequate for day to day needs, such as meals and simple shipboard items. Larger starships may have specialized fabricators for the med bay, a more complete meal library, and engineering fabricators for most replacement parts. The largest starships have a complete suite of industrial fabricators, and are capable of creating parts to build entire starships. If such a starship also has an exotic particle synthesizer, it can potentially construct power cores and warp engines.

Grav Plates

The perception of gravity on starships is provided by grav plates. Grav plates operate on the same electrogravitic principles as the thrusters used when a ship is near a planetary surface. Grav plates are mechanically simple and generally quite reliable: if a starship's grav plates have failed, something has gone terribly wrong.

Hangar

Starships of Class 4 or higher typically have a single hangar, while a starship of the "Carrier" type has a number of hangars equal to its Class. Each hangar can accommodate a single starship two Classes smaller than the main ship (typically a "squadron" -- see Squadrons, below).

A starship of the "Flight Deck" subtype (also called the "Strike Wing" subtype) has an additional hangar.

Hold

All starships have at least one hold. The dimensions of the hold may vary considerably, from the size of a lunchbox to that of a small moon. The hold might have gravity plating and a breathable atmosphere, depending on its intended use, but it is not designed for habitation.

Medical Bay

Every starship has a medical facility, although the size and sophistication of the facility varies a great deal. On smaller ships, a medical pod or "autodoc" can heal most injuries, or keep the patient alive until more advanced treatment may be found. Larger starships may have multiple, specialized medical pods, along with more advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment. The largest starships have full hospital facilities.

A medical bay is one place on the ship where one can find standard field kits.

Passageways

On Restoration Era starships, passageways are usually considered wasted space, and are made no larger than necessary: rarely wider than three meters.

On Panglossian Era starships, particularly Old Commonwealth starships, passageways were much larger. Class 3 Old Commonwealth starships had passageways two meters wide, while Class 5 and larger starships had passageways at least six meters wide and four meters tall.

Starships also have smaller access corridors used for maintenance. Such corridors are typically just wide enough to crawl through on Restoration Era starships, but are large enough for two adjacent engineers to work comfortably on Panglossian Era starships.

Power Core

Starships generally use hybrid fusion-singularity reactors. The fusion furnace, the singularity containment system, and all associated components are referred to as the ship's "power core".

Power cores are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. Bringing a power core online typically takes 6 hours, or 2 hours if the power core has been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking a power core offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.

Screens

"Screen" is a catch-all term for the ubiquitous audiovisual displays aboard a starship. Holograms can be "brought up" or "shut off" with a gesture, or higher-resolution images can be displayed on physical monitors. The display is often augmented to provide additional data: sounds may be added to represent the activity of an object on the screen, such as the firing of weapons or the explosion of an engine; weapons such as particle beams, which are invisible to the naked eye in a vacuum, are spectrum-shifted to be visible; and so on.

Sensors

Sensor range in ZeroSpace is approximate.

  • "Short range" is also known as "weapons range" -- the maximum distance at which starship weapons are accurate. The surface of a planet is well within the weapons range of a ship in orbit.
  • "Medium range" is standard sensor range -- the maximum distance at which navigational hazards and other starships are visible to standard sensors. A standard sensor can scan a star system from anywhere within its outermost orbit.
  • "Long range" is beyond the sensor range of most starships -- a "long range sensor" can scan a star system from up to a parsec away.

General scans can be performed in under a minute, but comprehensive scans can take hours or even days, depending on the subject being scanned.

Detailed, comprehensive scans are only possible at short range, but medium and long range sensors are more than adequate for targeting and general scans.

Thrusters

A starship's conventional engines, used for moving the ship through relatively normal space, are referred to as "thrusters". Electrogravitic thrusters are typically used when within a kilometer of a planetary surface or other inhabited area, with fusion thrusters engaged once the ship leaves this safety region. A typical starship can lift off from a planet and clear the atmosphere in a few minutes.

Warp Engines

Warp engines create a microscopically-thin Lorentzian manifold of spacetime around a starship -- typically called a "warp bubble". This allows the ship to remain relatively motionless while also achieving velocities which are relatively relativistic.

Warp engines are "fired up" or "brought online" to make them ready for use, and "shut down" or "taken offline" to render them inert. Bringing a starship's warp engines online typically takes 6 hours, or 2 hours if the warp engines have been in use within the last 24 hours. Taking the warp engines offline takes less than a second, but there are numerous safety checks which follow, taking around an hour.

Once the warp engines are brought online, a destination may be selected and the anticipated arrival time calculated. Activating the warp engines requires a standard action (see Crew Tasks) and a one-minute warmup period (ten rounds). The warmup period may be cancelled, but it may not be paused. After one minute, the warp engines engage the Lorentzian manifold generator and the ship departs for its selected destination. While the warp engines are engaged, the starship is unable to communicate with the universe outside of the warp bubble.

The warp engines are typically disengaged at a pre-set arrival time, which nearly always puts the ship where the pilot expected. However, the warp engines may be disengaged manually, placing the ship into relatively normal space somewhere between the ship's origin and its selected destination. Long trips are typically broken up into a series of shorter trips, less than two weeks in length.

Windows

What a crew member sees in a window may be augmented with distinct sounds or overlaid visuals, similar to a screen. Sophistication of the display and any audio accompaniment varies by starship and manufacturer. Most starships have a "privacy" mode, which looks the same from the inside, but looks like a glowing white haze from the outside. A starship's windows automatically compensate for the luminosity of what is outside the window.

Starship Class

The categorization and nomenclature of starships is a field rife with inconsistency. The Old Commonwealth had hundreds of starship classes, and the New Commonwealth is on its way to matching that achievement. In contrast, the Bha'atar have only two main classes of ship: warships and support ships.

This is not a system of nomenclature that lends itself easily to direct comparisons, so the game system will refer to the starship classifications below.


Table: Starship classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
Starship Class Typical Crew Length (m)
Full Min From To
1 Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor) 7 2 15 50
2 Littoral Vessel (Customs, Police, System Defense) 7 2 20 90
3 Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout) 28 8 30 120
4 Light Escort (Frigate) 56 16 80 140
4 Light Cruiser 112 32 120 200
5 Heavy Escort (Destroyer) 168 48 100 200
5 Heavy Cruiser 336 96 150 300
6 Battle Escort (Battleship) 224 64 120 270
6 Battlecruiser 448 128 180 400
7 Titan 3,500 1,000 300 500
8 Leviathan 35,000 10,000 3,000 5,000
9 Star Fortress 350,000 100,000 140,000 160,000
10 Mega Star Fortress 1,750,000 500,000 250,000 750,000


Subclass X: Experimental

An experimental starship (indicated with an "X" after its Class) can have one more console than its Class number indicates. For example, a Class 3X corvette could have four consoles installed.

Starship Class And Crew

On very small starships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the ship's systems. In a fighter, for example, the pilot, the gunner, and the engineer could all be the same person. On larger starships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the starship may have several pilots, gunners, and engineers, as well as dedicated navigators, scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.

"Minimum crew" refers to the number of crew required to operate a Restoration Era starship at full effectiveness for one shift. "Full crew" can vary considerably. The number of full crew given above is for a New Commonwealth (Restoration Era) starship, where the crew complement is generally three and a half times the minimum crew: sufficient for three shifts and an occasional off-duty day for each crew member. Bha'atar starships have the same number of minimum crew, but operate two shifts continuously without any off-duty days. However, Bha'atar tours of duty are typically shorter than those in the New Commonwealth.

Old Commonwealth Crew Sizes

Old Commonwealth (Panglossian Era) starships could operate with less than one-quarter the crew of a comparable New Commonwealth starship, thanks to extensive automation and the ship's AI, or "geist". Old Commonwealth starships Class 4 and larger normally carried six times the minimum amount of crew; Old Commonwealth crews worked fewer, shorter shifts than New Commonwealth crews are expected to work. A typical Old Commonwealth heavy cruiser had a minimum crew of XXX and a full crew complement of XXX, compared to XXX and XXX for a New Commonwealth heavy cruiser. Despite the smaller crews, Old Commonwealth starships were as large if not larger than equivalent New Commonwealth starships, and their interiors were cavernous by comparison.

Starship Attributes

A starship's attributes are ranked from 1 (the smallest ships) to 10 (the largest ships), and can't be reduced below zero or above 10. A starship has one core attribute, its Class, and six secondary attributes, its Consoles, Engines, Shields, Weapons, Armor, and Hull. A starship's Class determines the starting value of its other attributes, the size of its crew, and so on.


Table: Starship Classes, New Commonwealth (Restoration Era)
Attribute Starting Value Description
Consoles Class The maximum number of consoles a ship may have equipped.
The highest level console a ship may equip.
Engines Class Determines the ship's travel time.
How many Engineering rolls per round the crew may attempt.
Shields Class Reduces the points of damage the ship takes from an attack.
Weapons Class How many points of damage the ship may deal (+1d6).
How many Ranged Combat rolls per round the crew may attempt.
Armor Class, max 5 Reduces the points of damage the ship takes from an attack.
Hull Class x 10 How many points of damage the ship may take.


Each attribute can be modified in a number of ways, from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10. Here are some examples of modifying a starship's Consoles (there will be a full list further down):

  • The Experimental subclass (X) increases Consoles by 1.
  • The Escort starship type reduces Consoles by 1.
  • A Zniss-manufactured starship increases Consoles by 1.
  • A Bha'atar-manufactured starship reduces Consoles by 1.

Consoles

The Consoles attribute dictates the maximum number of consoles a starship may have equipped. Consoles provide additional capabilities to the ship (see Starship Consoles, below). The highest level console a starship may equip is equal to its Consoles.

Engines

The Engines attribute reflects the capacity of a starship's power core and the maximum strength of its electrogravitic thrusters, fusion thrusters, and warp engines. The number of Engineering rolls the crew may attempt in a round is equal to the ship's Engines attribute. If the ship's Engines is reduced to zero, the ship can't move, and the crew may not attempt Engineering rolls every round.

Shields

Energy shields protect the starship against hazards such as exploding stars and attacks from other ships. The ship's Shields are added to its Armor, and this amount is subtracted from the points of damage an attacker deals. The ship takes the remaining points of damage.

Energy shields lose effectiveness as they withstand attacks. The shields grant their full protection against the first successful attack in a scene. The second attack in a scene, the shields grant one less than their full protection. This continues until the protection granted by the shields is reduced to zero. The shields will be restored to full effectiveness after the fight is over, when the shield coils have had a chance to recharge.

The starship's engineering team may also attempt to restore the shields during combat (see Repairing The Starship, below).

Weapons

The Weapons attribute reflects the accuracy and power of a starship's weaponry. The number of Ranged Combat rolls the crew may attempt in a round is equal to the ship's Weapons attribute. The ship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see Starship Consoles, below). If the ship's Weapons is reduced to zero, the ship can't attack.

Note that the starship's Weapons attribute is not the physical number of its weapons. A starship with Weapons 5 might have only two physically distinct weapons, or it might have twenty, depending on the design, size, and placement of the weapons themselves. A starship's weapons may be described however the GM likes, but this is merely flavour, and makes no actual difference in combat. Here are some examples, but you are not restricted to these options.


Table: Typical starship weapons
Ship Class Typical weapons
1-2 Rail cannon, turbolaser beam, neutron missile
3-4 Particle cannon, pulsar beam, fusion missile
5-6 Plasma cannon, disruptor beam, antimatter missile
7-8 Meson cannon, hellbore beam, singularity missile
9-10 Nemesis cannon, planetary defense beam array, warp missile

Armor

Armor reduces the points of damage the starship takes from a successful attack. A starship's Armor is equal to the ship's Class, up to a maximum of 5. The starship's Armor is added to its Shields, and this amount is subtracted from the points of damage an attacker deals. The ship takes the remaining points of damage.

Hull

The Hull of a starship is one of its toughest parts. Only portions of the power core are more durable. A ship's Hull is equal to the ship's Class multiplied by ten. When a ship takes damage past its Armor and Shields, the points of damage are subtracted from its Hull.

A starship which has been reduced to zero Hull has ceased to function in any meaningful sense. It might explode; it might not. (Siobhan starships tend to implode, due to the construction of their power cores.)

Starship Types

Some common ship types modify a starship's attributes.

Carrier
Has a number of hangars equal to its Class.
-2 Shields
-2 Weapons
Courier
Sacrifices durability for speed.
-1 Consoles
+2 Engines
-1 Hull
-1 Weapons
Escort
Sacrifices flexibility for efficiency.
-1 Consoles
2/3 typical length of Class
1/2 typical crew of Class
Freighter
Sacrifices everything for cargo capacity.
-2 Consoles
-1 Engines
+2 Hull (cargo capacity)
-1 Shields
-2 Weapons
Minimum crew equal to Class
Hospital Ship
Sacrifices speed and firepower for medical treatment options.
+2 Consoles (medical only)
-1 Engines
0 Weapons (This is an exception to the "minimum of 1" rule.)
Squadron
Has no warp engines. Must remain in vicinity of carrier.
0 Consoles (This is an exception to the "minimum of 1" rule.)
+2 Hull (multiple small starships)
+1 Weapons

SIDEBAR: Standard Cargo Units

A standard cargo module in the ZeroSpace universe is 28m x 15m x 15m -- 6300 cubic meters. This is referred to in naval architecture terms as "6300 tonnes". Most people assume that this is because 6300 cubic meters of water has a mass of 6300 tonnes.

Fun fact! A standard cargo module holds one Divine Legion in cryostasis -- 1000 genetically modified, fanatically loyal soldiers of the Infinite Dominion in full armor (weapons and other equipment are shipped separately).

Starship Subtypes

Some common ship subtypes further modify a starship's attributes.

Flight Deck
Has one additional hangar.
-1 Shields
Intel
Optimized for delicate operations.
+1 Consoles
-1 Shields
Missile
Optimized for missile racks.
-1 Shields
+1 Weapons
Science
Optimized for science consoles.
+2 Consoles (scientific only)
-1 Weapons

Regional Variations

The method of manufacture may also modify a starship's attributes.

Bha'atar
-1 Consoles
+1 Weapons
Commonwealth
+1 Hull
Dominion
-1 Engines
+1 Hull
Siobhan
+1 Engines
Zniss
+1 Consoles

Starship Combat

Sometimes, people in other starships will shoot at the players' ship, leaving the player characters no choice but to return fire. Here is how that works.

Initiating Conflict

As with character combat, conflict begins when one side decides to stop talking and start shooting. Combat begins with the side that starts shooting. If the PCs start the conflict, they take their turns in whatever order they like, and then the GM takes the turns of the NPCs. If the NPCs start the conflict, the GM takes the turns of the NPCs, then the PCs take their turns in whatever order they like. When every character has had the opportunity to take a turn, the next round begins, and so on until the conflict has ended.

While the player characters are handling the important tasks, the starship's other crew (if there are any) are firing weapons, performing scans, dealing with the wounded, and making repairs, but it all goes more or less as planned and has no impact on the outcome of the conflict.

The environment goes last in a round. The status of asteroids or other uncontrolled objects are determined after after all of the characters have had an opportunity to take their turn.

Crew Tasks

There are three main tasks a crew member can attempt on their turn: piloting the starship, firing the weapons, and repairing the ship.

Squadrons are a special case. Rather than a single ship, a squadron is an arbitrary number of small starships. If a squadron is controlled by the player characters, the characters may assume the roles of pilot, gunner, or engineer however they like, and their rolls affect the squadron as a whole. The squadron loses an unspecified number of ships as it takes damage, but the player characters are in craft that survive the battle.

Piloting The Starship

The pilot may use a standard action to attempt one Piloting roll on their turn. A starship can have multiple pilots and navigators, but only one character may make a Piloting roll for the ship each round.


Table: Piloting tasks
Task Effect Roll 2d6 + Difficulty (DV)
Damn The Torpedoes +1 AV in Ranged Combat Agility + Piloting 12
Evasive Maneuvers +1 DV in Ranged Combat Agility + Piloting 12
Thread The Needle safe from collisions Agility + Piloting 12
Engage Warp Engines depart in 1 minute (10 rounds) Reason + Piloting 12


Damn The Torpedoes: If the pilot succeeds at this roll, crew members on the same starship gain a +1 Action Value bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls they attempt. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.

Evasive Maneuvers: If the pilot succeeds at this roll, the starship gains a +1 Defense Value bonus against any attacks. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.

Thread The Needle: If the pilot succeeds at this roll, their starship is safe from collisions with unguided objects until the beginning of the pilot's next turn. This does not grant the starship a Defense Value bonus against attacks.

Engage Warp Engines: Engaging the warp engines requires a standard action. and a one-minute warmup period (ten rounds). The warmup period may be cancelled, but it may not be paused. After one minute, the warp engines activate and the starship departs for its destination. If the character fails this roll, they will discover it when (and where) the ship arrives. Fortunately, navigation errors are rarely fatal.

Firing The Weapons

Each gunner may use a standard action to attempt one Ranged Combat roll on their turn. A starship can have multiple gunners, but the number of Ranged Combat rolls the crew may attempt per round is equal to the ship's Weapons attribute. The starship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Starship_Consoles|Starship Consoles]], below).


Table: Gunnery tasks
Task Damage Roll 2d6 + Defense (DV)
Fire Weapons 1d6 + Weapons Agility + Ranged Combat 8 + Agility + Piloting
Target Engines 1d6 + Weapons Agility + Ranged Combat 8 + Agility + Piloting
Target Weapons 1d6 + Weapons Agility + Ranged Combat 8 + Agility + Piloting


Fire Weapons: If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the attacking player rolls 1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount, and the remaining points of damage are subtracted from the target ship's Hull. A starship which has been reduced to zero Hull is disabled: it is out of the fight, and it will probably require extensive repairs. Hull may not be reduced below zero.

Target Engines: If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the player rolls 1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount. If at least one point of damage remains, the target ship's Engines attribute is reduced by one. A starship which has been reduced to zero Engines is not able to engage its warp drive. Engines may not be reduced below zero.

Target Weapons: If the gunner succeeds at this roll, the player rolls 1d6 and adds the starship's Weapons. The target ship's Shields and Armor are deducted from this amount. If at least one point of damage remains, the target ship's Weapons attribute is reduced by one. A starship which has been reduced to zero Weapons is not able to attack (even with consoles). Weapons may not be reduced below zero.

Every successful Weapons attack against a ship reduces its Shields attribute by one, after the attack has been resolved and the damage (if any) is recorded.

Starship weaponry is much more powerful than the weapons mounted on vehicles or carried by individuals. If a starship weapon is brought to bear against a vehicle, the damage roll is increased by 6. If a starship weapon is brought to bear against an individual, the damage roll is increased by 12. Conversely, if a vehicle weapon is brought to bear against a starship, the damage roll is decreased by 6 (minimum 0). If an individual weapon is brought to bear against a starship, the damage roll is decreased by 12 (minimum 0).

Repairing The Starship

Each engineer may use a standard action to attempt one Engineering roll on their turn. A starship can have multiple engineers, but the number of Engineering rolls the crew may attempt per round is equal to the ship's Engineering attribute.


Table: Engineering tasks
Task Effect Roll 2d6 + Difficulty (DV)
Repair Hull restore 1 Hull Reason + Engineering 12
Repair Engines restore 1 Engines Reason + Engineering 12
Repair Shields restore 1 Shields Reason + Engineering 12
Repair Weapons restore 1 Weapons Reason + Engineering 12
Break Free break free of ongoing effect Reason + Engineering 8 + attacker's Class


Repair Hull: If the engineer succeeds at this roll, one point of Hull is restored to the starship.

Repair Shields: If the engineer succeeds at this roll, one point of Shields is restored to the starship.

Repair Weapons: If the engineer succeeds at this roll, one point of Weapons is restored to the starship.

Break Free: If the engineer succeeds at this roll, the starship breaks free from an ongoing effect such as a tractor beam.

The crew of a damaged starship may restore half of the ship's lost Hull (rounded down, minimum 1) by working on it for a day or less (no is roll required, as long as one character has Engineering). Under ordinary circumstances, a starship's Hull will be completely restored in a week or so. Severe damage may require a stardock to repair.

Starship Consoles

Consoles are a form of starship equipment. If the character has appropriate equipment, they may add their Equipment Level to their Action Value, but only up to their skill level (see Skills).

Panglossian Era Consoles

Panglossian Era starships had two additional consoles. These consoles were in addition to the consoles a starship would be permitted due to its Class. For example, a Class 3X Panglossian Era corvette could have six consoles installed: these two, three more due to its Class, and an additional console due to the "Class X" rating.

Geist Management

A Geist Management Console permits the starship's AI, or "geist" (a crew position), to manage the starship's myriad automated systems. This console is not removable, although it can be upgraded.

Wormhole Network Interface

A Wormhole Network Interface Console grants the starship the ability to use the wormhole network.

Restoration Era Consoles

Tractor Beams

Tractor beams are gravitic weapons intended to prevent the target from moving. To use a tractor bream, an engineer must use a standard action to attempt a Reason + Engineering roll against 8 + the Class of the target starship.

Tractor beams do not deal points of damage to the target. Instead, on a successful roll, the Engines of each starship is subtracted from the Engines of the other starship for as long as the tractor beam is focused on the target (minimum zero). If either ship's Engines is reduced to zero, that starship is unable to move.

Both ship's Engines are restored to normal once the tractor beam is deactivated.

Inconveniences

Emergency Self Destruct

Self destruct systems are present aboard most commercial and military starships. Initiating the self destruct on a spacecraft disengages its engine coolant system, quickly causing the vessel's power core to overload and explode, destroying the spacecraft after a set time period has elapsed (usually 10 minutes).

As a safety precaution, self destruct mechanisms are intentionally difficult to enable, and even more difficult to disable. Enabling the self destruct device requires a Reason + Engineering roll against DV 12. A self destruct device can be disabled during the first half of its countdown with a successful Reason + Engineering roll against DV 15.

A starship which self destructs will explode with tremendous force, utterly destroying the starship and severely damaging any nearby starships. An exploding starship deals 3d6 + Engines points of damage to any ship within weapons range. Ships within range of the explosion apply their Shields and Armor, as usual.

Repelling Boarders

If a starship has been reduced to zero Engines and zero Shields, another ship may attempt to seize the immobilized ship by force. The hostile ship must move next to the immobile ship and dock with it (an Agility + Piloting roll vs DV 12), after which boarding parties will storm into the immobile ship.

Repelling boarders is an extended Brawn + Hand-to-hand Combat task. The first side that wins six skirmishes (or three, or twelve) successfully takes the ship (or prevents it from being taken).

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