Expansion Bays

Expansion Bays

Most starships have room within their hull for one or more expansion bays, each of which can be converted to function in a wide variety of roles. Unfilled, these bays are simply storage space (and count as cargo holds), and for many large transport vessels, they remain this way. If a starship’s bays are instead used for guest quarters, the ship can serve as a transport vessel for soldiers, travelers, or refugees. If its bays are filled with medical bays and guest quarters, the ship becomes a mobile hospital.
The following options are available for most ships that have available expansion bays. If an option requires multiple bays, this is noted in its description; if it must consume PCU to function, the amount is listed below. An entire expansion bay must be used for a single purpose, even if it gives you multiple instances of that option. For example, if you select escape pods, that expansion bay gains all six escape pods—you can’t combine three escape pods and one life boat.

Expansion Bay	PCU	Cost
Arcane Laboratory	1	1BP / 15EC
Cargo Hold	0	0BP / 0EC
Escape Pods	2	1BP / 15EC
Guest Quarters	1	1BP / 15EC
Hangar Bay	30	10BP / 150EC
Life Boats	5	3BP / 45EC
Medical Bay	4	8BP / 120EC
Passenger Seating	0	0BP / 0EC
Power Core Housing	0	10BP / 150EC
Recreation Suite: Gym	0	1BP / 15EC
Recreation Suite: Lounge	1	1BP / 15EC
Recreation Suite: Holographic Chamber:	3	1BP / 15EC
Science Laboratory	2	1BP / 15EC
Sealed Environmental Chamber	2	1BP / 15EC
Shuttle Bay	10	4BP / 60EC
Smuggler Compartment	4	2BP / 30EC
Synthesis Bay	2	1BP / 15EC
Tech Workshop	3	1BP / 15EC

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Arcane Laboratory

An arcane laboratory contains all the tools and space necessary to craft magic items or experiment with mystical energies, though the crafter must still provide the necessary raw materials. Such a laboratory reduces the crafting time by half.

Cargo Hold

Unconverted expansion bays count as cargo holds. A cargo hold can contain approximately 25 tons of goods, with no item being larger than Large. A starship with multiple cargo holds can hold larger objects; usually 4 contiguous cargo holds are required to hold Huge objects and 8 for Gargantuan objects. These size restrictions can be overridden at the GM’s discretion.

Escape Pods

Escape pods give the crew of a severely damaged or destroyed starship a way to avoid imminent death. An escape pod fits one Medium or smaller creature and has enough supplies and life-support capacity for that creature to survive for 7 days. It is also fitted with a distress beacon that is easily identified by long-range scanners. An escape pod has heat shields that allow it to crash-land on a planet with an atmosphere, but no means of propulsion. A single expansion bay can be converted into six escape pods.

Guest Quarters

Starships that function as passenger vessels require spaces apart from their crew quarters for their guests to sleep. A single expansion bay can be converted into common quarters (usually simple bunks or hammocks) for six passengers, good quarters (usually a comfortable bed, a desk with a chair, and a small set of drawers) for four passengers, or luxurious quarters (usually a large bed, a wardrobe, a couch, a desk with a nice chair, and a private washroom) for two passengers.

Hangar Bay

A hangar bay can be installed only in a Gargantuan or larger starship and takes up 4 expansion bays. A hangar bay provides a place for up to 8 Tiny starships to dock.

Life Boats

A life boat is a more sophisticated version of an escape pod. It has room for one Large creature, or two Medium or smaller creatures, and enough supplies to last those passengers 15 days (or 30 days of supplies for one Medium or smaller creature). While it has the same kind of distress beacon as an escape pod, a life boat also has an on-board computer that automatically detects the nearest hospitable celestial body and minimal thrusters to get the craft there (though a life boat can’t participate in starship combat). A single expansion bay can be converted into two life boats.

Medical Bay

A medical bay functions as a medical lab containing beds, diagnostic equipment, sensors, and tools, and even a small surgical theater. It allows you to treat up to three patients at once, and you can use the treat deadly wounds task of the Medicine skill twice per day on each patient. It otherwise functions as an advanced medical kit.

Passenger Seating

An expansion bay can be converted into rows of seating for passengers at no cost. A single expansion bay can hold seating for 16 Medium passengers (though seats can be built for larger creatures). This upgrade is appropriate only for taking many passengers on short trips; starships on journeys lasting multiple days should instead have guest quarters installed.

Power Core Housing

An expansion bay can be set aside for an additional power core (which must be purchased separately) and the associated wiring and safety apparatuses. A power core housing can be installed on only a Medium or larger starship.

Recreation Suite

A recreation suite includes entertainments that help the crew (or passengers) relax and blow off steam. These diversions can be wide-ranging, with some consuming more PCU than others. Example recreation suites include a gym, sparring arena, or other exercise area; a trivid den or other comfortable space in which to consume passive entertainment; or a holographic chamber (or HC), vidgame arcade, or other high-tech interactive entertainment center.

Science Lab

A science lab contains scientific apparatuses and other laboratory equipment to aid in the research of certain topics. A general science lab provides a +1 bonus to Nature and Astronomy checks (and is called a general science lab), a life science lab provides a +2 bonus to Nature checks, and an astrometrics science lab provides a +2 bonus to Astronomy checks. The lab type is chosen when the expansion bay is converted.

Sealed Environment Chamber

Occasionally, a starship will need to host an alien or other creature whose biology is radically different from that of the crew. The passenger might be able to breathe only methane gas or can survive in only below-freezing temperatures. In such a case, a sealed environment chamber is required for the passenger to remain comfortable (and alive).

Shuttle Bay

A shuttle bay comes in 2 forms: Tiny and Small. A Tiny Shuttle Bay allows 1 Tiny craft to fit within it and canonly be installed on a Large Frame. A Small Shuttle Bay can be installed only in a Huge or larger starship and takes up two expansion bays. This size shuttle bay provides a place for a Small or smaller starship to dock.

Smuggler Compartment

Smuggler compartments are cargo holds hidden behind false bulkheads and are shielded from most scanning, allowing a starship equipped with them to haul illegal goods without detection. A smuggler compartment can contain 10 tons of goods, with no item being larger than Medium. A creature on the starship must succeed at a DC 20 Perception check to detect a basic smuggler compartment on the starship. A creature scanning the starship must succeed at a DC 20 Computers check to detect one (this additional check is part of the science officer’s scan action in starship combat). For each Build Point spent over the base cost, these DCs increase by 5 (maximum DC 50), though the amount of power the compartment uses also increases by 1.

Synthesis Bay

A synthesis bay contains all the space and tools required to craft drugs, medicine, or poison, though the crafter must still provide the necessary raw materials. A synthesis bay reduces the crafting time by half.

Tech Workshop

A tech workshop contains all the space and tools necessary to craft technological items, though the crafter must still provide the necessary raw materials. Such a workshop reduces the crafting time by half.