Ship Mechanics

Contents

• Understanding Starships
• Building A Starships
• Base Starship Frames
• Refitting and Upgrading Ships

Understanding Starships

Starships and their base frames are described using stat blocks that include information about how they move, the size of their crews, and more. When you’re reading a starship or base frame stat block, the statistics and definitions below define its capabilities.
Defintions

Name and Tier: This is the designation of the starship and its power level. Starships of different tiers vary to a greater degree in terms of power and abilities than monsters whose Challenge Rating (CR) differs by a similar amount.
Complexity Modifier: A ships complexity modifier is based on the tier and used to calculate the difficulty class of actions to affect the ship or its crew.
Size Category and Frame: This describes the overall size of the vessel. A starship’s size provides a modifier to its Armor Class and Target Lock. This entry also notes the base frame of the starship.
Speed: This is the number of hexes the starship can move using most pilot actions.
Maneuverability: A starship’s maneuverability is rated clumsy, poor, average, good, or perfect. This is generally tied to the mass and size of the starship, and it both indicates how agile the starship is in space and determines the minimum number of hexes the starship must move before it can turn.
Warp Threshold: This is a starship’s Warp Core rating. The top warp speed of the vessel determines how quickly it can get to various sections of the galaxy. If this entry is absent, the starship can’t travel at warp speeds.
Armor Class (AC): This value is used when determining whether direct-fire weapons hit a starship. AC is calculated based on the ship’s size, maneuverability, and physical armor, as well as the pilot’s skill.
Target Lock (TL): This value is used when determining whether tracking weapons hit a starship. TL is calculated based on the starship’s size, maneuverability, and defensive countermeasures, plus the pilot’s skill.
Hull Points (HP): This is the total amount of damage a starship can take before it becomes inoperative. A starship with 0 Hull Points isn’t destroyed, though many of its systems are no longer functioning and it is no longer a threat to its enemies. In a base frame stat block, the Hull Points entry also lists the HP increment, which is the number of Hull Points a starship with that frame automatically gains when its tier increases to 4 (and every 4 tiers thereafter).
Damage Threshold (DT): If an attack deals less damage less than this value, that damage isn’t counted against the ship’s total Hull Points. Only Huge or larger ships have a Damage Threshold, and it matters only when such a starship’s shields are depleted.
Critical Threshold (CT): Whenever the total amount of damage that has been dealt to a starship’s Hull Points reaches a multiple of this value, one of its systems takes critical damage (see page 321). This value is always one-fifth of the starship’s maximum number of Hull Points.

Shields: In a starship stat block, this lists the ship’s shield system and the Shield Points (SP), which represent the damage shields can take before they’re depleted. Shield Points are assigned to particular quadrants (forward, port, starboard, or aft). These quadrants correspond in orientation to the firing arcs.
Attacks: A starship has four firing arcs: forward, port, starboard, and aft. Most nonturret weapons can fire only in the firing arc where they’re mounted; turret weapons can be fired in any arc. The attack entries list the various weapons mounted on the ship that can fire in each of the arcs. Each weapon also lists its damage, range, and other special properties.
Mounts: In a base frame stat block, this entry lists the class of weapon that can be mounted on the starship.
Power Core: This lists a starship’s power core or cores and the power core units (PCU) it produces.
Systems: This entry lists a starship’s major systems, such as armor, defensive countermeasures, sensors, and weapons.
Expansion Bays: This entry lists any expansion bays—cargo spaces that can be used for special purposes.
Modifiers: This entry lists the bonuses (or penalties) to certain skill checks during starship combat gained from a starship’s speed and maneuverability, as well as from some starship systems.
Minimum and Maximum Crew: In a base frame stat block, these entries note the minimum and maximum number of characters who can take actions on that vessel during starship combat. Larger starships use teams that report to a higher officer who performs an assigned role in starship combat. A starship without its minimum crew can’t be operated.
Complement: In a starship stat block, this section lists the total size of the crew aboard that ship.
Crew: In a starship stat block, this section lists those filling various roles in combat, as well as their bonuses to skills used during starship combat. Any modifiers listed earlier in the stat block are accounted for here. If a starship has teams supporting officers who fill roles, this entry also lists the number and size of teams. This section is listed only for ships under the GM’s control—PCs can perform their own actions aboard starships they control.
Special Abilities: Any unique actions or qualities a starship has due to its crew or its equipment are listed here.
Cost: In a base frame stat block, this lists the frame’s Build Point cost. Build Points (BP) are an abstract resource used for creating and upgrading starships.

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Starship Tiers

Tier	Build Points	Complexity Modifier	Special
1/4	25	+0	-
1/3	30	+0	-
1/2	40	+0	-
1	55	+1	-
2	75	+1	-
3	95	+1	-
4	115	+2	HP Increase
5	135	+2	-
6	155	+3	-
7	180	+3	-
8	205	+3	HP Increase
9	230	+4	-

Tier	Build Points	Complexity Modifier	Special
10	270	+4	-
11	310	+4	-
12	350	+5	HP Increase
13	400	+5	-
14	450	+5	-
15	500	+5	-
16	600	+6	HP Increase
17	700	+6	-
18	800	+6	-
19	900	+6	-
20	1000	+7	HP Increase

Building a Ship

A party's ship tier is calculated by taking the party's average level. The build point system is an optional rule for building ships from scratch. Alternatively, there will be an EC cost with all components which the party can use throughout the adventure.
Typically, you would determine the tier, base frame, energy core, impulse engines, other systems, and final details like name and appearance in that order.
Use the Building A Starship page to walk you through the process.

Refitting and Upgrading Starships

As the PCs go on adventures and gain experience, they need an increasingly powerful starship to face tougher challenges. When the characters’ Average Party Level increases, so does the tier of their starship. The PCs receive a number of Build Points equal to the Build Points listed for their starship’s new tier – those listed for its previous tier, which they can use to upgrade their starship.
For example, a group whose APL increases from 2 to 3 receives 20 BP that the PCs can use to upgrade their starship. This could represent salvage gathered during their exploits, an arrangement with a spacedock, or called-in favors from a wealthy patron. Some GMs might require PCs to visit a safe, inhabited world before they can spend these Build Points, but this shouldn’t be allowed to impact the campaign too much. Also remember that at tier 4 and every 4 tiers thereafter, the starship gains an increase in Hull Points equal to the HP increment listed for its base frame.

Refitting Systems

If the PCs want to alter their starship before receiving additional Build Points (for instance, replacing a weapon with one that costs fewer Build Points or consumes less PCU), they can do so at a friendly spaceport (or safe landing zone) given enough time. If they replace a system or option with one that costs fewer Build Points, they can immediately spend the excess Build Points. Refitting a single system or starship weapon usually takes 1d4 days.

Upgrading Systems

PCs with Build Points or EC to spare can replace a system or weapon with one that costs more by paying only the difference in cost between the two systems. If the cost is the same, the system can be upgraded for free, but the crew should keep the amount of PCU the starship’s power core produces in mind so they don’t exceed their power budget. When upgrading a weapon, remember that the starship’s frame starts with a certain number and type of weapon mounts (but see New Weapon Mounts below).
Installing a single upgrade usually takes 1d4 days. PCs can’t upgrade the base frame of their starship. They can rebuild their starship with a new base frame if they so desire (within the limits of their budget of Build Points, of course), but that new starship will have a different look (and should probably have a different name). PCs can purchase Huge and larger base frames only at the GM’s discretion, as these usually require large crews and thus are normally reserved for NPC starships.
Buying a whole new starship is a process that can take between 1d4 days and 1d4 months, depending on whether the PCs are purchasing a used starship from a spacedock or having a custom vessel built from scratch.