ZeroSpace 4e EN:Starships
If this were a starship combat game, rather than a space fantasy roleplaying game, we would make this section much more complicated. A ship'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.
Regrettably, it's still pretty complicated.
Overview
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.
Starships have a Class, four base attributes, and four secondary attributes.
The core trait of a starship is its Class, which is a number from 1 (the smallest ships) to 10 (the largest ships). A ship's Class determines the starting value of its attributes, the number of consoles it may equip, the size of its crew, and so on.
A starship's base attributes are Consoles, Engines, Hull, Shields, and Weapons. The starting value for each of these attributes is equal to the ship's Class. A ship's secondary attributes are Armor and Evasion. The starting value for each of these attributes is given in the table below.
| Attribute | Starting Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Consoles | Class | The number of consoles a ship may have equipped. |
| Engines | Class | Determines the ship's travel time. |
| Hull | Class | Determines how much damage the ship may take. |
| Shields | Class | Reduces the damage the ship takes from a successful attack. |
| Weapons | Class | Determines how much damage the ship may deal. |
| Armor | Hull - Class (minimum 0) | Reduces the damage the ship takes from a successful attack. |
| Evasion | Engines - Class (minimum 0) | Helps the ship avoid attacks. |
Each attribute can be modified in a number of ways. Here are some examples (there will be a full list further down):
- The Escort subclass (E) reduces Consoles by 1.
- The Experimental subclass (X) increases Consoles by 1.
- A Bha'atar-manufactured ship reduces Consoles by 1.
- A Zniss-manufactured ship increases Consoles by 1.
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 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 ship classifications below. Any resemblance between this system and that used by any interstellar fleet is purely coincidental.
| Starship Class | Typical Crew | Length (m) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Full | From | To | ||
| 9 | Star Fortress | 100,000 | 350,000 | 140,000 | 160,000 |
| 8 | Leviathan | 10,000 | 35,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 |
| 7 | Titan | 1,000 | 3,500 | 300 | 500 |
| 6 | Battlecruiser | 128 | 448 | 180 | 400 |
| 6 | Battle Escort (Battleship) | 64 | 224 | 120 | 270 |
| 5 | Heavy Cruiser | 96 | 336 | 150 | 300 |
| 5 | Heavy Escort (Destroyer) | 48 | 168 | 100 | 200 |
| 4 | Light Cruiser | 32 | 112 | 120 | 200 |
| 4 | Light Escort (Frigate) | 16 | 56 | 80 | 140 |
| 3 | Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout) | 8 | 28 | 30 | 120 |
| 2 | Littoral Vessel (Customs, Police, System Defense) | 2 | 7 | 20 | 90 |
| 1 | Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor) | 2 | 7 | 15 | 50 |
Subclass E: Escorts
Escort ships (indicated with an "E" after its class) are less flexible than multi-purpose ships 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 ship may have is one less than its class would indicate. For example, a class 6 escort could have five consoles installed.
Subclass X: Experimental
An experimental ship (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.
Ship Class And Crew
On very small ships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the ship's systems. In a fighter, for example, the pilot, the navigator, and the engineer could all be the same person. On larger ships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the ship may have several pilots, navigators, and engineers, as well as dedicated scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.
"Minimum crew" refers to the absolute minimum number of crew required to operate a Restoration Era ship 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 ships 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.
Old Commonwealth Crew Sizes
Old Commonwealth (Panglossian Era) ships could operate with less than one-quarter the crew of a comparable New Commonwealth ship, thanks to extensive automation and the ship's AI, or "geist". Old Commonwealth ships 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 ships were as large if not larger than equivalent New Commonwealth ships, and their interiors were cavernous by comparison.
Starship Combat
Sometimes, people in other starships will shoot at the player's starship, leaving the player characters no choice but to return fire. Here is how that works.
Initiating Conflict
As with 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 ship makes a Survival (Presence) roll. If one or more ships get the drop on their opponents (an ambush, for example), the captain of a ship with a situational advantage gets a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill 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 ship taking their turns in whatever order they would like. A ship, like any piloted vehicle, moves when its pilot takes their turn. When every character has had the opportunity to take a turn, the ship with highest initiative goes again, and so on until the conflict has ended.
While the player characters are handling the important tasks, the ship'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 ship, firing the weapons, and repairing the ship.
Piloting The Ship
Each round, one crew member on each ship may attempt a Piloting roll to direct the ship's movement. This is typically an Agility + Piloting roll.
| Task | Roll | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Tactical Maneuvering | Agility + Piloting | 15 |
| Flee Pursuit | Agility + Piloting | vs. 8 + the pursuing pilot's Agility + Piloting |
| Avoid Obstacles | Agility + Piloting | vs. 12 |
'Tactical Maneuvering: If the pilot succeeds at this roll, crew on the same ship receive a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls against other ships. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
'Flee Pursuit: Fleeing pursuit is treated as an 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 ship has at least 1 Hull point remaining, the fleeing pilot eludes the pursuing pilot, and their ship leaves the conflict.
'Avoid Obstacles: If the pilot succeeds at this roll, their ship is safe from collisions with unguided objects (including weapons) until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
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 receive a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty to their Piloting rolls and defense until the beginning of their next turn, but crew on the same ship receive a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on any Ranged Combat rolls against other ships. This bonus and penalty last until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
Evasive Maneuvers: If the pilot declares "Evasive Maneuvers", they receive a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus to their Piloting rolls and defense until the beginning of their next turn, but crew on the same ship receive a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on any Ranged Combat rolls against other ships. This bonus and penalty last until the beginning of the pilot's next turn.
Firing The Weapons
To make an attack with one of the ship's weapons, a crew member must use a standard action to attempt a suitable skill roll, typically an Agility + Ranged Combat roll.
The number of attacks a starship may make per round is equal to its Weapons rating. The ship may be able to make additional attacks provided by its consoles, but those are handled separately (see [ZeroSpace_4e_EN:Starships#Consoles|Consoles]], below).
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Repairing The Ship
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Vehicle shields and weapons add +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS to their rating when targeting or targeted by individuals.
Starship shields and weapons add +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS to their rating when targeting or targeted by vehicles.
Starship shields and weapons add +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS to their rating when targeting or targeted by individuals.
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XXX typical passageway dimensions
XXX typical fabricators
XXX console for exoctic particle gnerators and quantum entangletrs
Consoles
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.
2d6 + [Attribute] + [Skill or appropriate equipment]
If a character has the needed skill and the appropriate equipment, use whichever bonus is larger, and add +1.
Panglossian Era Consoles
Panglossian Era ships had two additional consoles, both at the same quality as the ship's class, up to mark V (for example, on a class 3 ship, these two consoles would be mark III; on a class 7 ship, these two consoles would be mark V). First, each Panglossian Era ship had a Geist Management Console permitting the ship's AI, or "geist" (a crew position), to manage the ship's myriad automated systems (this console was not removable, although it could be upgraded). Panglossian Era ships also had a Wormhole Network Interface Console , which granted the ship the ability to use the wormhole network. These consoles were in addition to the consoles a ship 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.
Stop here, the stuff below is from the previous version
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.
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.
The Crew
On very small ships, a single crew member may be responsible for some or all of the ship's systems. In a starfighter, for example, the pilot, the navigator, and the engineer are all the same person. On larger ships, these responsibilities are usually distributed among specialists: the ship may have several pilots, navigators, and engineers, as well as dedicated scientists, sensor operators, and medical professionals.
In game terms, starships operate much like characters' personal equipment: the player rolls their dice, counts the dots, and adds the result to the ship'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 ship's Engines attribute, and adding their own Piloting skill.
| Task | Attribute (Skill) | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Analyzing scientific data | Science (Reason + ship's Computer attribute) | Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12) |
| Charting a course | Piloting (Reason + ship's Computer attribute) | Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12) |
| Evading pursuit | Agility + Piloting | Agility + Piloting |
| Flying through an asteroid field | Agility + Piloting | Extreme (DV 9) |
| Targeting an enemy ship | Warfare (Reason + ship's Weapons attribute) | Warfare (Reason + ship's Defenses attribute) |
| Using the ship's sensors | Computing (Reason + ship's Computer attribute) | Moderate (DV 3), remarkable (DV 6), extreme (DV 9), inconceivable (DV 12) |
| Withstanding enemy attacks | Warfare (Reason + ship's Defenses attribute) | Warfare (Reason + ship'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.
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.
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 + ship's Computer) roll at the beginning of the conflict. Turns proceed each round from the highest roller to lowest.
Combining Effort
Starship combat, piloting, and repair are exceptions to the 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.
Computer
A starship's Computer is its most important asset, because without it, nothing on the ship works. The ship's computer can used to analyze data or to chart a course through space.
Navigation pertains to getting from one stellar body to another. Navigation generally requires a Piloting (Reason + ship's Computer attribute) roll. The difficulty (DV) of the roll is based on how well-known the destination is.
| Difficulty | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| -- | Routine | Navigate between two well-documented locations along an established route |
| 3 | Moderately difficult | Navigate to an unfamiliar location along an established route, or to a familiar location along an undocumented route |
| 6 | Remarkably difficult | Navigate to a location using incomplete course data |
| 9 | Extremely difficult | Navigate to a location using improvised course data |
| 12 | Inconceivable! | 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 ship will be if the navigator fails to chart the correct course.
Orbital Mechanics
Orbital mechanics pertains to getting around within a solar system. Orbital mechanics usually requires an opposed Piloting (Reason + ship'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 ship to reach its destination several hours ahead of the other ship.
Sensors
A starship's sensors are used to find things and to analyze them. Using a ship's sensors generally requires a Computing (Reason + ship's Computer) roll. The difficulty (DV) of the roll is based on the subtlety of the thing being searched for or analyzed.
| Difficulty | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| -- | Routine | Locate an active starship within long range, locate a familiar energy signature within long range, analyze a familiar energy signature within medium range |
| 3 | Moderately difficult | Locate an active starship beyond long range, locate a familiar energy signature beyond long range, analyze an unfamiliar energy signature within short range |
| 6 | Remarkably difficult | 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 |
| 9 | Extremely difficult | 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 |
| 12 | Inconceivable! | Analyze an unfamiliar energy signature beyond long range |
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.
| Difficulty | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| -- | Routine | Landing at a starport or on level ground, docking with a relatively motionless starship |
| 3 | Moderately difficult | Landing in violent weather, flying through obstacles, docking with a moving but cooperative starship |
| 6 | Remarkably difficult | Flying through an incomplete space station at full speed, docking with a moving uncooperative starship |
| 9 | Extremely difficult | Flying through an asteroid field at full speed, docking with an uncooperative starship at full speed |
| 12 | Inconceivable! | Flying blind through an asteroid field at full speed |
A failed Piloting roll will usually result in damage to the ship. For every failed Piloting roll, the ship loses one point of Hull. It's difficult to destroy a starship by flying it poorly, but an exceptionally bad pilot can do it.
Interstellar Travel
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 ship. 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.
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. Ships which have higher Hull ratings are slower than less massive ships, and ships with higher Engines ratings are faster than ships with lower Engines ratings. Travel using warp engines does not remove a vessel from our universe. However, due to the Lorentzian manifold (or "warp bubble") around it, the vessel is effectively blind, deaf, and incommunicado for the duration of its journey.
Defenses
Evasive Maneuvers
At the beginning of the ship's turn, the pilot may choose to initiate evasive maneuvers. Performing evasive maneuvers grants the defending ship a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on all defensive rolls. A ship which is using its action to perform evasive maneuvers continues to receive this benefit until the beginning of the ship's next turn.
A ship taking evasive maneuvers is not able to attack (the ship can fire its weapons, of course, but they won't hit anything).
Shields Maximum
At the beginning of the ship's turn, the crew members on the weapons and defensive consoles may agree to set shields to maximum. Setting shields to maximum grants the defending ship a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on all defensive rolls, but a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on all offensive rolls. Setting shields to maximum is a quick action. A ship which has set its shields to maximum continues to receive this benefit until the beginning of the ship's next turn.
Hull
A starship's Hull is its most important asset, because Hull reflects the physical structure and durability of the ship. A starship which is large or densely constructed will have a higher Hull than one which is smaller or less dense.
When a ship is successfully attacked, one is temporarily subtracted from its Hull. A ship 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.
Normally, the crew of a damaged starship may repair half of the ship's lost Hull (rounded up) by working on it for about a day. Further damage may only be repaired at a starship repair facility called a stardock. Most full-service starports have stardock facilities. Barring some extraordinary event, a ship's Hull will be completely repaired after a week in a stardock.
If the ship has taken some other form of damage, such as damage to one of its systems, this damage is temporary. It is all repaired once the crew has had a day to work on it.
Weapons
A starship's Weapons are its most important asset, because a starship without weapons is simply a moving target. Starships can attack a number of times per round equal to the ship's Weapons, or equal to the number of crew members at the weapons consoles, whichever is less (each crew member can fire the ship's weapons once, once per round). Using a ship's weapons generally requires a Warfare (Reason + ship's Weapons) roll against the defending pilot's Warfare (Reason + ship's Defenses) roll.
The ship's Weapons also dictates the range of its weapons. The range of the ship's weapons are covered in Range Bands, below.
Note that the ship's Weapons rating is not the number of its physical weapons. A ship with a Weapons rating of 5 might have only two weapons, or it might have twenty, depending on the design, size, and placement of the weapons themselves.
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.
Range Bands
As with terrestrial combat, there are five range bands in starship combat: close, short, medium, long, and extreme. Standard starship weapons have an effective range based on the Weapons rating of the ship. Due to the vast distances involved, attacking more distant targets is usually not possible.
The "typical weapons" listed below are mostly for flavour. They don't usually make any difference in the game.
| Weapons | Range |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Close (1 km) |
| 3-5 | Short (10 km) |
| 6-8 | Medium (100 km) |
| 9-11 | Long (1,000 km) |
| 12+ | Remote |
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.)
Targeting Specific Systems
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... but this is just a very common assumption. No one actually knows how this volume became a standard, or why it is referred to by starship architects as "tonnes" of cargo capacity.
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).
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.
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 ship's Computer rating to zero until the end of the attacker's next turn.
Targeting a specific system damages a system instead of causing damage to the ship's structure; the target's Hull is unchanged.
| 2d6 | System | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bridge | Named crew members on the bridge are struck by exploding consoles or are pinned by falling debris, and incur a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn; unnamed crew members are dead |
| 3 | Defenses | Defenses are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 4 | Engineering | Any systems currently offline remain offline an additional round |
| 5 | Computer | Computer and communications are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 6 | Crew quarters | Named crew members in their quarters are trapped until rescued; unnamed crew members are dead |
| 7 | Cargo/other equipment | Cargo or supplies are destroyed; if the ship has unusual equipment, that equipment is offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 8 | Gravity control | Characters without the Zero-G Combat gift incur a -3 penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 9 | Sensors | Sensors are offline (Computer rating 0 for sensor rolls) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 10 | Engines | Engines are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 11 | Weapons | Weapons are offline (rating 0) until the end of the attacker's next turn |
| 12 | Environmental systems | Characters who need to breathe incur a -3 penalty on all rolls until the end of the attacker's next turn |
Other Equipment
Camouflage Fields
Camouflage fields are an unusual defensive system based on the theory that an opponent can't destroy what they can't target. Camouflage fields do not provide any protection against damage. Instead, an attacker must make a successful Science (Reason + Computer rating) roll each round before they can attack a ship with an active camouflage field, in a high-tech version of "hide and seek".
If the Computing (Reason + Computer rating) roll of the sensor operator equals or exceeds the Science (Reason + Computer rating) roll of the camouflage field operator, the seeking ship may attack the hiding ship during its turn; if not, then not. The hiding ship has full use of its other defenses while using its camouflage field (assuming that they have not been damaged), but it may not fire weapons during the same turn in which its camouflage field was active.
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 moderately difficult (DV 3) Agility (Engineering) roll. A self destruct device can be disabled during the first half of its countdown with a successful remarkably difficult (DV 6) Agility (Engineering) roll.
A ship which self destructs will explode with tremendous force, utterly destroying the spacecraft, and severely damaging any nearby spacecraft. Any vessel within short range (10 km) of the exploding starship will take an amount of Hull damage equal to the Engines of the exploding starship, bypassing the target's defenses.
Enhanced Sensors
Science vessels and scout ships often have enhanced sensors to assist with their missions. If a ship is equipped with enhanced sensors, the sensor operator gains a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on any sensor-related skill rolls.
Medical Bays
The rating of a ship's medical bay is added to a medical staff member's Medicine (Reason) when treating a patient. A standard medical bay on a starship is equipped to treat a variety of minor injuries and ailments, and normally has a rating of 1. Massive civilian cruise ships often have an enhanced medical bay, with a rating of 2, while large military vessels usually have a fully equipped hospital facility, with a rating of 3.
Megaweapon
In addition to the ship's other weapons, the ship has a single massive weapon around which the rest of the ship is built. This megaweapon can only be fired once every ten rounds (one minute) at a single target. When attacking with the megaweapon, the Engines rating of the attacking ship is added to its Weapons rating.
Overthrusters
An overthruster is a colliding beam accelerator which creates intermediate vector bosons from the annihilation of electrons and positrons. If a ship is equipped with overthrusters, the pilot gains a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on any pursuit-related or evasion-related Piloting rolls.
Point Defense Systems
Point defense systems offer an additional defense against fast attack craft (bombers, fighters, and interceptors). If a ship with a point defense system is being attacked by a fast attack craft, the defending ship gains a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on its defense roll.
Tractor Beams
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 ship's Defenses rating.
Tractor beams do not deal Hull damage to the target. Instead, on a successful roll, the Hull rating of the attacking ship is subtracted from the Engines rating of the defending ship 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 ship is unable to move.
Escaping from a tractor beam can be accomplished one of three ways: the tractored ship can move beyond the effective range of the tractor beam (based on the rating of the tractor beam); the tractored ship (or another ship) can reduce the Hull of the ship with the tractor beam to zero, causing the tractor beam to shut off; or the fleeing ship (or another ship) can break the tractor beam's hold by successfully targeting the "cargo/other equipment" system of the ship with the tractor beam.
Ship Classifications
Warship classification is a field that has changed over time, and is an area of considerable disagreement. The system described here is that currently in use by the Imperial Strategic Command. Size categories are approximate; a ship may be classified with smaller or larger ships, based on its intended role and specific configuration.
The crew complement given is for a fully staffed vessel (not including passengers), followed by the minimum number of crew required to operate the vessel at full effectiveness for one shift. Crew rotation varies greatly depending on the technology and culture of the fleet. Standard crew rotation in the Old Commonwealth was six hours per day for four days, followed by two days off duty, while standard crew rotation in the New Commonwealth is eight hours per day for four days, followed by one day off duty. However, the use of an onboard AI and extensive automation allowed Old Commonwealth ships to operate with one-quarter the crew of New Commonwealth and other post-Fall ships. Standard crew rotation on most Bha'atar ships is twelve hours per day, every day, in two shifts, but Bha'atar are never truly "off duty" while the ship is under way.
| Ship Class | Old Commonwealth | Propaideia, Siobhan, Zniss | League Of Non-aligned Worlds, New Commonwealth, Planetary Union | Bha'atar, Corporate Worlds, Infinite Dominion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Fortress | Geist + 300 (50) | 525 (150) | 700 (200) | 600 (300) |
| Dreadnought | Geist + 144 (24) | 252 (72) | 336 (96) | 288 (144) |
| Battleship | Geist + 108 (18) | 189 (54) | 252 (72) | 216 (108) |
| Battlecruiser | Geist + 90 (15) | 157 (45) | 210 (60) | 180 (90) |
| Heavy Cruiser | Geist + 72 (12) | 126 (36) | 188 (48) | 144 (72) |
| Heavy Escort (Destroyer) | Geist + 60 (10) | 105 (30) | 140 (40) | 120 (60) |
| Light Cruiser | Geist + 48 (8) | 84 (24) | 112 (32) | 96 (48) |
| Light Escort (Frigate) | Geist + 24 (4) | 42 (12) | 56 (16) | 48 (24) |
| Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout) | Geist + 12 (2) | 21 (6) | 28 (8) | 24 (12) |
| Littoral Vessel (Customs Launch, Police Ship, System Defense Boat) | Geist + 3 (0) | 6 (3) | 8 (4) | 12 (6) |
| Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor) | Geist + 1 (0) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) |
- Star Fortress
- Mobile space station, capable of defending against entire fleets, and housing vast numbers of fast attack craft and smaller warships
- Length: 10,000 meters and larger
- Computer 10, Engines 1, Defenses 14, Hull 11, Weapons 14
- Dreadnought
- Largest classification of capital ship, heavily armed and armored, and carrying numerous fast attack craft
- Length: 5,000 to 10,000 meters
- Computer 8, Engines 2, Defenses 12, Hull 10, Weapons 12
- Battleship
- Largest warship in general use, heavily armed and armored, and a platform for smaller fighter craft
- Length: 2,000 to 5,000 meters
- Computer 6, Engines 3, Defenses 10, Hull 9, Weapons 10
- Battlecruiser
- Heavy ship with the armament of a battleship but the speed and defenses of a cruiser
- Length: 1,000 to 2,000 meters
- Computer 6, Engines 4, Defenses 8, Hull 8, Weapons 10
- Heavy cruiser
- Heavy, multi-use warship that can operate alone or as part of a formation
- Length: 600 to 1,000 meters
- Computer 6, Engines 4, Defenses 8, Hull 7, Weapons 8
- Heavy Escort (Destroyer)
- Fast, maneuverable, sturdy warship, usually intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet; designed to protect against small, faster attackers
- Length: 300 to 600 meters
- Computer 4, Engines 6, Defenses 6, Hull 5, Weapons 6
- Light Cruiser
- Light, multi-use warship that can operate alone or as part of a formation; generally, the largest starship capable of physically landing on a planet
- Length: 400 to 700 meters
- Computer 6, Engines 4, Defenses 6, Hull 6, Weapons 8
- Light Escort (Frigate)
- Commonly used as a scout and patrol ship in dangerous areas; may participate in fleet actions, but does not usually stand in the line of battle with capital ships
- Length: 200 to 400 meters
- Computer 4, Engines 6, Defenses 6, Hull 4, Weapons 6
- Corvette (Courier, Patrol Ship, Scout)
- Smallest warship capable of participating in fleet actions; generally used as a courier and patrol ship; 100 to 200 meters
- Computer 2, Engines 8, Defenses 4, Hull 3, Weapons 4
- Littoral Vessel (Customs Launch, Police Ship, System Defense Boat)
- Small, lightly armed vessel which commonly operates independently; mainly used to patrol areas that are not considered dangerous
- Length: 50 to 150 meters
- Computer 2, Engines 6, Defenses 2, Hull 2, Weapons 2
- Small Craft (Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor)
- Small, short range craft which operate in groups
- Length: 15 to 50 meters
- Computer 2, Engines 10, Defenses 2, Hull 1, Weapons 2
Spanish Destructor Length: 59 m Crew: 60
Arleigh Burke class destroyer Length: 155 m Crew: 323
Battleships are dreadnoughts