GRAPPLING SYSTEMS

The following devices are commonly found on starships but don't fit under the headings of armor, engines, sensors, defensive systems, or weapons.

Installing one of these systems requires a successful Craft (mechanical) check (DC 30) after investing 30 hours. A character

without a mechanical tool kit takes a -4 penalty on the skill check.

Purchase DC: The purchase DC of the system.

Restriction: The level of license required to purchase the system legally.

GRAPPLERS (PL 5)

Grapplers consist of two or more robotic arms fitted with magnetic grips or pads capable of latching onto a single target, usually another ship. Grapplers can also be used to grab Small or larger objects adrift in space.

Using grapplers against another ship or an unattended object is an attack action. Against another ship, this action provokes an attack of opportunity if the ship being grabbed has a point-defense system. To successfully grab the target, the starship must first enter the target's square; then the starship's pilot must succeed at a Pilot check. The Pilot check's DC depends on the size and Defense of the target being grabbed, as shown on Table: Grappler Pilot Check DCs below. If the check succeeds, the starship successfully latches onto the target, and the two ships continue to occupy the same space until the grapplers release their hold. The grappling ship cannot move as long as it wishes to remain latched and moves in concert with the grappled ship. Neither ship can attack the other as long as the grapplers maintain their hold.

As an attack action, a grabbed starship can free itself from a grabbing ship by succeeding at an opposed Pilot check. Each ship adds a special grapple bonus on its check based on its size: Huge +8, Gargantuan +12, Colossal +16. A ship may only attempt to free itself once per round.

A starship using grapplers to latch onto another ship can release the hold and retract the grapplers as a free action.

Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.

Restriction: None.

TRACTOR BEAM EMITTER (PL 7)

A tractor beam emitter projects a short-range gravitational "tether" that latches onto or immobilizes a single target, usually a ship or unattended object. The target must be in the same square or in an adjacent square.

Using a tractor beam against a starship or an unattended object is an attack action. Against another ship, this action provokes an attack of opportunity if the ship being grabbed has a point-defense system.

To grab a target with its tractor beam, a starship must succeed at a ranged attack roll. If the attack succeeds, the smaller ship is immediately pulled into the larger ship's space (if it isn't in occupying the same space already); if both ships are the same size, the target is pulled into the tractoring ship's space. In any case, being pulled into another ship's space by a tractor beam does not count against a ship's movement. If the tractoring ship is one or more size categories larger than the target, the target is effectively immobilized, and tractoring ship drags the target with it when it moves. If the tractoring ship is the same size category as the target or smaller, both the tractoring ship and the target are effectively immobilized. See the Starship Condition Summary for the effects of being immobilized.

As an attack action, a tractored starship can free itself from the tractoring ship by succeeding at an opposed Pilot check. Each ship adds a special grapple bonus on its check based on its size: Huge +8, Gargantuan +12, Colossal +16. A ship may only attempt to free itself from a tractor beam (or any other grappling device) once per round. A ship held by multiple tractor beams may attempt a single grapple check to escape all of the beams, but must beat the grapple check results of all opponents.

A starship using a tractor beam to grab another ship can terminate the beam (thereby releasing its hold on the other ship) as a free action.

Only Gargantuan and Colossal ships can be equipped with a tractor beam emitter.

Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.

Restriction: Licensed (+1).