STARSHIP CONDITION SUMMARY

A number of adverse conditions can affect the way a starship or its crew operates, as defined here. If more than one condition affects a starship, apply both if possible. If not possible, apply only the most severe condition.

Blinded: The starship's sensors are inoperable. All targets have the equivalent of total concealment (50% miss chance).

Breaking Apart: The starship is at negative hit points. It can take no actions, cannot be repaired, and loses 1 hit point each round until it is destroyed.

Dazed: The starship, its crew, and its passengers can take no actions, but they take no penalty to Defense. A dazed condition usually lasts 1 round.

Destroyed: The ship is destroyed and cannot be repaired. Crewmembers aboard the destroyed ship take 20d6 points of damage and are ejected into space.

Entangled: An entangled starship takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls in addition to a -2 penalty to Defense. If the ship is physically anchored to a larger object (such as an asteroid), the entangled ship can't move. Otherwise, it can move at half tactical speed, but can't surge forward.

Flat-Footed: A starship that has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed. A flat-footed starship cannot apply its pilot's Dexterity bonus to its Defense.

Grappled: When grappled, a starship can't move. It can attack, attempt to break free from its opponent, or perform other actions. It can't apply the pilot's Dexterity bonus to its Defense.

Helpless: A starship that is reduced to negative hit points is helpless. A helpless starship has an effective Defense of 5 + its size modifier.

Immobilized: An immobilized starship is held immobile (but is not helpless), usually in a grapple. It takes a -4 penalty to its Defense and can't apply the pilot's Dexterity bonus to its Defense.

Shaken: All passengers and crewmembers (pilots and gunners included) take a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks.

Stunned: All passengers and crewmembers lose their Dexterity bonus, drop what they are holding, and can take no attack or move actions. In addition, they take a -2 penalty to Defense. The starship's autopilot system kicks in until the pilot regains her senses.

SPEED

Starships have two basic speeds: tactical speed and cruising speed.

TACTICAL SPEED

Tactical speed only comes into play when two or more starships engage in battle or otherwise interact with each other. A ship's tactical speed is measured in 500-foot squares and tells how far a starship can move in a move action. A starship's tactical speed depends on the type of ship and the type of engines (see Starship Engines). Certain types of armor can reduce a starship's tactical speed (see Starship Armor).

A starship normally moves as a move action, leaving an attack action to attack. It can, however, use its attack action as a second move action (see Starship Actions, below). This could let the ship move again, for a total movement of up to double its normal tactical speed. Another option is to surge forward (a full-round action). This lets the ship move up to four times its normal speed, but it can only surge forward in a straight line, and doing so affects its Defense (see Surge Forward).

CRUISING SPEED

Cruising speed determines how quickly a ship moves across vast distances, such as between planets or star systems. A ship's cruising speed depends on the type of ship and its engines (see Starship Engines).

A ship can enter or leave a battle at cruising speed, but once it enters battle, it automatically drops to tactical speed. Cruising speed does not come into play during starship battles or in any other situation where two or more starships interact.