Building A Starship

Follow the steps below to walk through building a starship. It may be helpful to have this page open and walk through each step in a new tab.
This page will walk you through the steps to create a Starship. Before you begin, ask your DM what your Starhip's Tier is. Using the Starship Tier's Table on the Ship Mechanics page, you will find the pool of BP you have available. Based on the frame you choose, the table will also let you know your Ship's Complexity Modifier (CM) and how to calculate your ship's HP.

Starship Frame

To start, select a frame from the Starship Frames page.

Starship Scale

Though the size categories of starships have the same names as the size categories of creatures, they operate on completely different scales. Even within a size category, a starship’s exact measurements might differ between base frames and manufacturers. The size of a starship also modifies its Armor Class and Target Lock as indicated. Once you have selected a frame, use the table below to find the relevant information for its size.
Scale Table

Size	Length & Weight	AC & TL Modifier
Tiny	20–60 ft. 2–40 tons	+2
Small	60–120 ft. 30–250 tons	+1
Medium	120–300 ft. 50–2,500 tons	+0
Large	300–800 ft. 2,000–50,000 tons	-1
Huge	800–2,000 ft. 40,000–640,000 tons	-2
Gargantuan	2,000–15,000 ft. 600,00 tons to 250 megatons	-4
Colossal	Over 15,000 ft. 200 -2,000 megatons	-8

Maneuverability

Maneuverability is how agile your ship is and play's a role in how the ship moves and impacts the modifier to Pilot Checks made to control the vessel. The table below offers the values for hexes between turns and a bonus or penalty to include with the engine bonus.
Maneuverability Table

Maneuverability	Distance Between Turns	Pilot Skill Modifier
Clumsy	4	-2
Poor	3	-1
Average	2	0
Good	1	+1
Perfect	0	+2

Crew Quarters

Most starships larger than Tiny have places where their crew can eat, sleep, and bathe during long journeys through space. These quarters can range from hammocks strung between cargo containers to cozy chambers with custom furnishings and private bathrooms. Crew quarters consume a negligible amount of PCU, though amenities in fancier quarters require an operational power core to function.
Crew Quarters Cost
Common (0 BP / 0 EC)
Good (2 BP / 10 EC)
Luxurious(5 BP / 25 EC)
Crew Quarters Descriptions

Common

Common crew quarters are the most basic type. They consist of simple bunks (sometimes folding out from the side of a hallway) or other similarly austere places to rest. Crew members who sleep in common quarters usually keep their personal possessions in a footlocker. Common crew quarters also include a communal bathroom (which includes a military-style shower) and a tiny galley (big enough to prepare only the most basic of meals). Starships with crews numbering in the dozens or hundreds often have massive barracks where crew members sleep in shifts.

Good

Good crew quarters are a bit more upscale than common crew quarters. They consist of dormitory-style rooms that can hold one or two small beds (larger starships usually require lower-ranking crew members to share these quarters) and sometimes a personal closet or drawer space for each occupant. Good crew quarters also include one or two shared bathrooms with multiple sinks and shower stalls, and a dining space with an attached galley. Crews of larger starships eat in this dining space in shifts.

Luxurious

Luxurious crew quarters are the pinnacle of comfort. They consist of private rooms for each crew member, with personal bathrooms (including showers with high water pressure) and furnishings that match the resident’s tastes. Some luxurious crew quarters also feature a kitchenette, gaming areas, or intimate meeting spaces.

Warp Cores and Engines

The warp core provides the power or PCU for a starship. Aside from BP, this value is the most important as it dictates what systems will function on your ship. It also dictates how quickly your ship can travel at FTL speeds. Sub-light engines, also called Impulse Engines, dictate how your ship moves in normal conditions. They affect all pilot checks made to control the vessel.
You can find all of the information on the Ship Engines and Power Cores page.
Based on your selection, your ship's engines have an impact on the Pilot check bonus for you ship. A faster ship is harder to control, while a slower ship is easier to control.

Speed Piloting Check Bonus
4 or less	+2
6	+1
8–10	-
12	–1
14 or more	–2

Computers, Countermeasures, and Security

Computers not only run the ship's main systems, but also offer bonuses in ship combat. Countermeasures buff your ship's TL value, while security makes it harder to hack into your ship's computer.
You can find out more info at the Computers, Security, and Countermeasures page.

Armor, Shields, Sensors

Armor and shields buff the defenses of you ship: armor being physical resistance of the hull itself, while shields block attacks from ever reaching the hull. Sensors provide your ship with valuable information and are used frequently in Science Officer Actions.
You can read more at the Armor, Shields, Sensors page.

Expansion Bays

Expansion bays are configurable sections of you ship to serve various purposes. You can find the list of expansion bays at the Expansion Bays page.

Weapons

Space is dangerous, and to defend yourself you'll need to arm your ship. You can find all of the information on weapons on the Ship Weapons page.

New Weapon Mounts

Greater dangers mean you will require more powerful weapons in order to survive and triumph. Unless you and your crew begin flying around with an escort of armed battlecruisers, the weapons your ship starts with will eventually become inadequate. Bigger weapons require the correct weapon mounts, however.
By spending 50EC (4 BP), the crew can upgrade a light weapon mount in any of the aft, forward, port, or starboard arcs to a heavy weapon mount. By spending 75EC (6 BP), the crew can upgrade a light weapon mount on a turret to a heavy weapon mount. By spending 60EC (5BP), the crew can upgrade a heavy weapon mount in any of the aft, forward, port, or starboard arcs to a capital weapon mount. Heavy weapons can be mounted on only Medium or larger starships. Capital weapons can be mounted on only Huge or larger starships and can’t be mounted on turrets.
By spending 40EC (3BP), the crew can fit a new light weapon mount in any of the aft, forward, port, or starboard arcs with enough free space. By spending 60EC (5BP), the crew can fit a new light weapon mount on a turret that has enough free space. Tiny and Small starships can have only two weapon mounts per arc (and per turret). Medium and Large starships can have only three weapon mounts per arc (and per turret). Huge and larger starships can have only four weapon mounts per arc (and per turret).