Ship Weapons
Weapons
Whether the PCs are in the Vast or near a Pact Worlds planet, space is a dangerous place, plagued with hostile aliens, raiders, and worse. As a result, most ships protect themselves with a variety of weapons, ranging from laser cannons to solar torpedoes. Weapons must be installed on special mounts on a ship, specified in the ship’s base frame. These mounts are designed for optimal firing and are placed so that they can be easily tied into the ship’s power and control systems. They also prevent the weapon from affecting the course or speed of a ship when fired.Name
This is the name of the weapon.Class
Weapons belong to one of three classifications.Type
Starship weapons are one of two types. Direct-fire weapons fire projectiles or beams at amazing speed, targeting the opposing vessel’s AC. Tracking weapons’ projectiles are slower and must home in using a target’s TL. A tracking weapon’s projectile has a listed speed; once fired, it moves that number of hexes toward its target. Each subsequent round during the gunnery phase, it must succeed at a gunnery check against the target’s TL to continue to move its speed toward its target. On a failure, the projectile is lost. If the projectile reaches the target’s hex, it deals the listed damage.Range
Weapons have one of three ranges: short range (5 hexes), medium range (10 hexes), or long range (20 hexes). An attack with a starship weapon takes a cumulative –2 penalty for each 5 hexes over the range increment to reach the target. A gunner firing a tracking weapon takes a range penalty only on the first gunnery check, when the target is first acquired. A starship weapon can fire at a target up to 10 range increments away.Speed
This is the distance in hexes a tracking weapon moves toward its target each round during the gunnery phase. Projectiles from a tracking weapon have perfect maneuverability, and as such, they have a minimum turn distance of 0.Damage
This is the amount of damage (in Hull Points) the weapon deals when it successfully hits a target. Damage is broken into 2 categories Energy and Kinetic. Kintetic weapons deal damage by causing devastating damage through forceful impact, shredding and ripping apart the hull or exploding just above it. Energy damage is caused by weapons that wreak havoc of ships by exposing them to concentrated energy bursts or exposing the hull and crew to exotic or unsuaul energy patterns.PCU
This is the amount of PCU consumed by the weapon. It uses this amount continuously whenever the weapon is powered up and ready to fire.Cost
This is the cost of the weapon.Special Properties
Some weapons have special properties and how they affect starship combat are described below.
Array
An array weapon fires at all targets within a single firing arc. The gunner attempts a single gunnery check against each target in the firing arc, starting with those closest to her starship. Each gunnery check takes a –2 penalty, which stacks with other penalties. Roll damage only once for all targets. Critical damage is determined by each target’s Critical Threshold. The gunner can’t avoid shooting at allies in the firing arc, nor can she shoot any target more than once. An array weapon uses two weapon mounts. Broad Arc
A weapon with this special property can fire in an arc adjacent to the one in which it was installed with a –2 penalty. A broad arc weapon can fire at only one target at a time. EMP
A weapon with this special property emits a beam of electromagnetic energy that does not deal damage to ships or shields, but plays havoc with a ship’s electronic systems. On a hit, an EMP weapon scrambles one of the target starship’s systems, determined randomly. This causes that system to act as if it had the glitching condition for 1d4 rounds. A system glitching in this way can be patched as normal, but if it takes critical damage, its glitching condition becomes constant until the system is patched or repaired (or takes further critical damage). Functioning shields are unaffected by EMP weapons and completely block an EMP weapon’s effects. Irradiate
A weapon with this special property creates a wave of harmful radiation that penetrates shields and starship hulls. Living creatures on a starship struck by an irradiating weapon are subjected to the level of radiation noted in parentheses for 1d4 rounds of starship combat. Limited Fire
A weapon with this special property can fire only the listed number of times in a starship combat encounter before it requires a brief period of time (10 minutes outside of starship combat) to recharge and rebuild the weapon’s inherent ammunition. A weapon with this special property is often a tracking weapon. Line
A weapon with this special property fires a beam in a straight line that can pierce through multiple targets. The gunner attempts a single gunnery check and compares the result to the AC of all ships in a line originating from her starship and extending to the weapon’s range increment. Roll the weapon’s damage once and apply it to each target with an AC equal to or lower than the gunner’s result, starting with the closest. If any of that damage is negated due to a ship’s Damage Threshold, the beam is stopped and the attack doesn’t deal damage to targets farther away.
An array weapon fires at all targets within a single firing arc. The gunner attempts a single gunnery check against each target in the firing arc, starting with those closest to her starship. Each gunnery check takes a –2 penalty, which stacks with other penalties. Roll damage only once for all targets. Critical damage is determined by each target’s Critical Threshold. The gunner can’t avoid shooting at allies in the firing arc, nor can she shoot any target more than once. An array weapon uses two weapon mounts. Broad Arc
A weapon with this special property can fire in an arc adjacent to the one in which it was installed with a –2 penalty. A broad arc weapon can fire at only one target at a time. EMP
A weapon with this special property emits a beam of electromagnetic energy that does not deal damage to ships or shields, but plays havoc with a ship’s electronic systems. On a hit, an EMP weapon scrambles one of the target starship’s systems, determined randomly. This causes that system to act as if it had the glitching condition for 1d4 rounds. A system glitching in this way can be patched as normal, but if it takes critical damage, its glitching condition becomes constant until the system is patched or repaired (or takes further critical damage). Functioning shields are unaffected by EMP weapons and completely block an EMP weapon’s effects. Irradiate
A weapon with this special property creates a wave of harmful radiation that penetrates shields and starship hulls. Living creatures on a starship struck by an irradiating weapon are subjected to the level of radiation noted in parentheses for 1d4 rounds of starship combat. Limited Fire
A weapon with this special property can fire only the listed number of times in a starship combat encounter before it requires a brief period of time (10 minutes outside of starship combat) to recharge and rebuild the weapon’s inherent ammunition. A weapon with this special property is often a tracking weapon. Line
A weapon with this special property fires a beam in a straight line that can pierce through multiple targets. The gunner attempts a single gunnery check and compares the result to the AC of all ships in a line originating from her starship and extending to the weapon’s range increment. Roll the weapon’s damage once and apply it to each target with an AC equal to or lower than the gunner’s result, starting with the closest. If any of that damage is negated due to a ship’s Damage Threshold, the beam is stopped and the attack doesn’t deal damage to targets farther away.
Point
A weapon with this special property is always short range and can’t be fired against targets that are outside the first range increment. If a tracking weapon would hit a ship in an arc that contains a weapon with the point special property, the gunner of the targeted starship can attempt an immediate gunnery check with the point weapon against the incoming tracking projectile using the bonus listed in parentheses in the weapon’s Special entry (instead of her usual bonus to gunnery checks). The DC for this gunnery check is equal to 10 + the tracking weapon’s speed. If the attack hits, the tracking weapon is destroyed before it can damage the ship. A point weapon can be used to attempt only one such free gunnery check each round, but this usage potentially allows a point weapon to be fired twice in a single round. Quantum
Once a gunner fires a quantum weapon, he can reroll one gunnery check for that weapon after its launch if the result would be a miss. Only tracking weapons have this special property. Ripper
Firing a blast of metal shards, a weapon with this special property deals terrific damage to a ship’s hull but is almost entirely negated by functioning shields. Halve all damage dealt by ripper weapons to shields. Ripper weapons are always short range. Tractor Beam
A weapon with this special property can generate a stable beam of gravitons, creating a tractor beam that can move other ships. In addition to dealing damage, a hit with a tractor beam prevents the target ship from moving normally. The gunner can push or pull the target ship (at a rate of 2 hexes per round, resolved at the beginning of the helm phase), or hold the target ship in place. The pilot of the targeted starship can attempt a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × the complexity modifier of the firing ship) to break free of the tractor beam as her action in a round. When a tractor beam weapon is locked on to a starship, it can’t be used as a regular weapon. A tractor beam is effective only against ships of the same size as the firing ship or smaller; larger ships are unaffected by the tractor beam. Vortex
A weapon with this special property creates a spiraling cyclone of gravitons that tears, crushes, and twists everything in its path, reducing a target ship’s speed by half and reducing its maneuverability by one step for 1d4 rounds on a hit. A ship protected by functioning shields takes no damage from a vortex weapon, but the target ship’s pilot must succeed at a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × the target starship’s complexity modifier) or the hit depletes all Shield Points in that arc.
A weapon with this special property is always short range and can’t be fired against targets that are outside the first range increment. If a tracking weapon would hit a ship in an arc that contains a weapon with the point special property, the gunner of the targeted starship can attempt an immediate gunnery check with the point weapon against the incoming tracking projectile using the bonus listed in parentheses in the weapon’s Special entry (instead of her usual bonus to gunnery checks). The DC for this gunnery check is equal to 10 + the tracking weapon’s speed. If the attack hits, the tracking weapon is destroyed before it can damage the ship. A point weapon can be used to attempt only one such free gunnery check each round, but this usage potentially allows a point weapon to be fired twice in a single round. Quantum
Once a gunner fires a quantum weapon, he can reroll one gunnery check for that weapon after its launch if the result would be a miss. Only tracking weapons have this special property. Ripper
Firing a blast of metal shards, a weapon with this special property deals terrific damage to a ship’s hull but is almost entirely negated by functioning shields. Halve all damage dealt by ripper weapons to shields. Ripper weapons are always short range. Tractor Beam
A weapon with this special property can generate a stable beam of gravitons, creating a tractor beam that can move other ships. In addition to dealing damage, a hit with a tractor beam prevents the target ship from moving normally. The gunner can push or pull the target ship (at a rate of 2 hexes per round, resolved at the beginning of the helm phase), or hold the target ship in place. The pilot of the targeted starship can attempt a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × the complexity modifier of the firing ship) to break free of the tractor beam as her action in a round. When a tractor beam weapon is locked on to a starship, it can’t be used as a regular weapon. A tractor beam is effective only against ships of the same size as the firing ship or smaller; larger ships are unaffected by the tractor beam. Vortex
A weapon with this special property creates a spiraling cyclone of gravitons that tears, crushes, and twists everything in its path, reducing a target ship’s speed by half and reducing its maneuverability by one step for 1d4 rounds on a hit. A ship protected by functioning shields takes no damage from a vortex weapon, but the target ship’s pilot must succeed at a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × the target starship’s complexity modifier) or the hit depletes all Shield Points in that arc.
LINKING WEAPONS
If you install two of the same direct-fire weapon in the same firing arc, you can link them together so they fire as one. This costs is equal to half the cost of one of the weapons (rounded down) and consumes a negligible amount of PCU.
| Light Weapons | Range | Speed | Damage | PCU | Cost | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Fire Weapons | ||||||
| Chain Cannon | Short | - | 6d4 Kinetic | 15 | 10BP / 150EC | Ripper |
| Coil Gun | Long | - | 4d4 Energy | 10 | 10BP / 150EC | - |
| Defense Blaster | Short | - | 3d4 Energy | 10 | 12BP / 175EC | Point (+8) |
| Gyrolaser | Short | - | 1d8 Energy | 10 | 3BP / 45EC | Broad Arc |
| Photonic Net | Short | - | 2d6 Energy | 10 | 9BP / 135EC | Point (+10) |
| Mk I EMP Cannon | Short | - | Special | 10 | 8BP / 120EC | EMP |
| Micro Blaster | Short | - | 2d4 Kinetic | 5 | 2BP / 30EC | - |
| Turbo Blaster | Medium | - | 3d4 Kinetic | 5 | 5BP / 75EC | - |
| Mk 1 Phaser Beam | Medium | - | 3d6 Energy | 10 | 10BP / 150EC | Broad Arc |
| Light Plasma Beam | Short | - | 2d12 Energy | 10 | 12BP / 180EC | - |
| Tracking Weapons | ||||||
| Explosive Missile Launcher | Long | 12 | 4d8 Kinetic | 10 | 14BP / 210EC | Limited Fire (5) |
| Light Photon Torpedo Launcher | Long | 16 | 2d8 Energy | 5 | 8BP / 120EC | Limited Fire (8) |
| Light Plasma Torpedo Launcher | Long | 14 | 3d8 Energy | 5 | 11BP / 165EC | Limited Fire (5) |
| Micromissile Battery | Long | 10 | 2d6 Kinetic | 10 | 6BP / 90EC | Array |
| Tactical Nuclear Missile Launcher | Long | 10 | 5d8 Kinetic | 10 | 18BP / 270EC | Irradiate (low), Limited Fire (5) |
| Heavy Weapons | Range | Speed | Damage | PCU | Cost | Special |
| Direct Fire Weapons | ||||||
| Nadion Beam | Short | - | 7d10 Energy | 40 | 35BP / 525EC | Irradiate (medium) |
| Graviton Beam | Medium | - | 6d6 Kintetic | 40 | 30BP / 450EC | Tractor Beam |
| Heavy EMP Cannon | Medium | - | Special | 30 | 10BP / 150EC | EMP |
| Standard Phaser Array | Short | - | 6d4 Energy | 15 | 12BP / 180EC | Array |
| Heavy Phaser Cannon | Medium | - | 4d8 Energy | 10 | 11BP / 165EC | - |
| Enhanced Photonic Net | Short | - | 5d6 Energy | 15 | 12BP / 180EC | Point (+12) |
| Heavy Shard Cannon | Long | - | 6d10 Kintetic | 35 | 22BP / 330EC | - |
| Mk 4 Phaser Beam | Long | - | 8d6 Energy | 25 | 15BP / 225EC | Broad Arc, Line |
| Compressed Tetryon Beam | Long | - | 10d6 Energy | 40 | 25BP / 375EC | - |
| Plasma Cannon | Medium | - | 5d12 Energy | 30 | 20BP / 300EC | - |
| Railgun | Long | - | 8d4 Kinetic | 20 | 15BP / 225EC | - |
| Twin Blaster | Long | - | 5d8 Kinetic | 15 | 12BP / 180EC | - |
| Arc Cannon | Long | - | 8d6 Energy | 40 | 35BP / 525EC | Line |
| Tracking Weapons | ||||||
| Anti-Matter Warhead Launcher | Long | 8 | 10d10 Kinetic | 15 | 22BP / 330EC | Limited Fire 5 |
| Heavy Photon Torpedo Launcher | Long | 14 | 5d8 Energy | 10 | 10BP / 150EC | Limited Fire 10 |
| Heavy Plasma Torpedo Launcher | Long | 12 | 5d10 Energy | 10 | 17BP / 255EC | Limited Fire 5 |
| Nadion Torpedo Launcher | Long | 10 | 10d8 Kinetic | 15 | 25BP / 375EC | Irradiate (medium), Limited Fire 5 |
| Capital Weapons | Range | Speed | Damage | PCU | Cost | Special |
| Direct Fire Weapons | ||||||
| Anti-Matter Disruptor Beam | Medium | - | 2d8 x 10 Kinetic | 40 | 35BP / 525EC | - |
| Charged Compressed Tetryon Beam | Long | - | 2d10 x 10 Energy | 50 | 40BP / 600EC | - |
| EMP Pulse Generator | Long | - | 4d4 Energy | 45 | 45BP / 675EC | EMP, Line |
| Enhanced Graviton Projector | Long | - | 2d6 x 10 Kinetic | 40 | 50BP / 750EC | Tractor Beam |
| Photonic Cannon | Long | - | 3d4 x 10 Energy | 50 | 30BP / 450EC | Line |
| Polarized Plasma Beam | Medium | - | 3d6 x 10 Energy | 45 | 35BP / 525EC | - |
| Vortex Cannon | Medium | - | 2d12 x 10 Kinetic | 55 | 75BP / 1125EC | Vortex |
| Tracking Weapons | ||||||
| Enhanced Anti-Matter Torpedo Launcher | Long | 6 | 4d10 x 10 Kinetic | 15 | 80BP / 1200EC | Limited Fire 5 |
| Kyber Shard Warhead Launcher | Long | 10 | 2d6 x 10 Kinetic | 20 | 20BP / 300EC | Limited Fire 5 |
| Mk12 Photon Torpedo Launcher | Long | 8 | 2d10 x 10 Energy | 10 | 55BP / 825EC | Limited Fire 5 |
| Quantum Torpedo Launcher | Long | 12 | 2d8 x 10 Kinetic | 15 | 20BP / 300EC | Limited Fire 5, quantum |
| Tricobalt Torpedo Launcher | Long | 8 | 4d8 x 10 Kinetic | 15 | 20BP / 300EC | Limited Fire 5 |
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