Armor does an admirable job of preventing
damage to the superstructure of a
starship, but it's really only the last line of
defense. Since the late Industrial Age, aircraft have been outfitted with an ever-increasing number of defensive systems designed to avoid or avert
damage to a craft's hull-or to repair it before catastrophe occurs.
To build a
defense system from scratch, a character must succeed at a Craft (electronic) check (DC 30) and a Craft (mechanical) check after investing 60 hours in its assembly. A character without an electrical or mechanical
tool kit takes a -4 penalty on the appropriate
skill check. The character must also make a
Wealth check against the system's
purchase DC.
Installing a defensive system 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.
Different types of defensive systems are detailed below.
Restriction: The level of license required to purchase the system legally.
An autopilot system "kicks in" whenever the pilot is unable to fly the
starship. An autopilot system isn't as good at avoiding attacks as a living pilot, but it's better than nothing. Larger vessels have more adaptive autopilot systems than smaller ships (although this increased sophistication doesn't outweigh the penalties associated with the ships' larger sizes).
An autopilot system provides an equipment bonus to the
starship's
Defense depending on the ship's size: Huge +1, Gargantuan +2, Colossal +4. This bonus applies only when the autopilot system is engaged.
DAMAGE CONTROL SYSTEM (PL 5)
|
Table: Damage Control System
|
|
Ship Type
|
Hit Points Restored
|
Purchase DC
|
| Ultralight |
1d10
|
18
|
| Light |
2d10
|
22
|
| Mediumweight |
3d10
|
27
|
| Heavy |
4d10
|
33
|
| Superheavy |
5d10
|
40
|
A
sensor jammer interferes with radar and enemy
sensor scans. It also confounds
missile guidance systems.
Sensor checks made against a ship with an active
sensor jammer take a -5 penalty. In addition, the ship gains one-half concealment against
missile attacks (20% miss chance).
Any ship with a Class III
sensor system (or better) is not subject to the effects of the
sensor jammer, ignoring the penalty and miss chance.
AUTOPILOT SYSTEM, IMPROVED (PL 6)
An improved autopilot system provides an equipment bonus to the
starship's
Defense depending on the ship's size: Huge +3, Gargantuan +4, Colossal +5. This bonus applies only when the autopilot system is engaged. An improved autopilot system replaces the PL 5 autopilot system.
Chaff consists of a cloud of millions of tiny metal strips or particles. This detritus interferes with
sensors and
missiles. Deploying chaff- usually via a small bundle from the rear or underside of a
starship-is a
move action. The chaff fills one 500-foot square with these strips or particles. Sensor scans directed at anything within the square take a -10 penalty, and scanning something on the direct opposite side of the chaff field incurs a -5 penalty. Any missile that passes through the chaff field to reach its intended target suffers a 30% miss chance (as though the target has three-quarters concealment).
Purchase DC: 20 for chaff launcher and one chaff bundle, 15 for each additional chaff bundle.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
DAMAGE CONTROL, IMPROVED (PL 6)
A
starship equipped with improved
damage control regains an additional +1d10 points of
damage each time
damage control is performed successfully (see
Damage Control System, above).
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
DECOY DRONE LAUNCHER (PL 6)
A decoy drone is a small, self-guided
missile that mimics the electromagnetic and infrared signatures of the ship that launched it.
Deploying a decoy drone is an
attack action, and the drone occupies the same fighting space as the ship it imitates.
The decoy drone negates the equipment bonus on
attack rolls granted by an enemy ship's targeting system. Launching multiple decoy drones grants no cumulative effect.
A deployed and intact decoy drone can be recovered or captured with a successful
grapple. It can also be targeted and destroyed. A decoy drone has a
Defense of 12 and 10
hit points, and it rolls 1d20+4 on opposed
grapple checks.
Purchase DC: 28 for drone launcher and one drone, 25 for each additional drone.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
The magnetic field is the first primitive energy shield. It uses vast amounts of power to surround the ship with potent lines of magnetic force.
Missiles and
weapons that deal ballistic
damage fired at a
starship with a magnetic field take a -4 penalty on
attack rolls.
A mine can be equipped with a magnetic field.
POINT-DEFENSE SYSTEM (PL 6)
A point-
defense system serves two functions: It targets all incoming
missiles, and it allows a
starship to
make attacks of opportunity against enemy ships passing through its threatened area. The point-
defense system consists of batteries of automated
weapons programmed to fire when either of these two conditions is met.
A point-
defense system does not fire upon mines, cannot be controlled manually by the crew, and cannot be used to make normal attacks.
Destroy Missiles: A point-
defense system has a 20% chance of destroying any incoming
missile. A destroyed
missile deals no
damage to the ship.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
|
Table: Point-Defense Systems
|
|
Starship Type
|
Point-Defense Damage
|
Purchase DC
|
| Ultralight |
1d12x10
|
31
|
| Light |
2d12x10
|
34
|
| Mediumweight |
3d12x10
|
36
|
| Heavy |
4d12x10
|
38
|
| Superheavy |
5d12x10
|
40
|
RADIATION SHIELDING (PL 6)
Radiation shielding protects a ship's crew and passengers against the harmful radiation of neutron stars, solar flares, and other external causes. All personnel aboard the ship gain a +5 circumstance bonus on saves to resist the effects of radiation poisoning.
SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEM (PL 6)
A self-destruct system ensures that a
starship cannot be captured, dissected for information, or used against its builders. Installing a
starship self-destruct system requires a Demolitions check (DC 30) instead of a Craft check and takes an amounts of time as determined by the ship's type: ultralight 1 hour, light 10 hours, mediumweight 30 hours, heavy 60 hours, superheavy 120 hours. If the Demolitions check fails by 10 or more, the system detonates, destroying the ship and possibly harming others nearby.
A self-destruct system can be programmed to activate only under specified conditions-usually the voice authorization of the ship's
commander, and usually only after the crew has had sufficient time to evacuate (see
Starship Evacuation).
The self-destruct system obliterates the
starship (killing all aboard) regardless of how many
hit points it has remaining. A
starship destroyed by its own self-destruct system has no salvageable parts.
The
starship's self-destruction triggers an explosion of shrapnel that deals collateral slashing
damage to all other ships in its fighting space; mediumweight, heavy, and superheavy ships also deal collateral
damage to ships in adjacent squares. A successful Pilot check (DC 15) reduces the
damage by half.
Table: Starship Self-Destruct Systems shows the amount of collateral
damage (and the system's
purchase DC) based on the starship's type.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
|
Table: Starship Self-Destruct Systems
|
|
Starship Type
|
Collateral Damage
|
Purchase DC
|
| Ultralight |
1d6x10
|
26
|
| Light |
2d6x10
|
32
|
| Mediumweight |
3d6x10
|
38
|
| Heavy |
4d6x10
|
44
|
| Superheavy |
5d6x10
|
50
|
An improved version of the
sensor jammer (see above), the stealth screen is a sophisticated electromagnetic transceiver capable of detecting incoming electromagnetic energy from radars, ladars, and other
sensor devices. When it detects such energy, it responds by generating an electromagnetic interference pattern. In addition, it monitors the ship's own EM emissions and cloaks them in a similar manner. Finally, the stealth shield masks the ship's mass signature.
Sensor checks made against a ship with an active stealth screen take a -10 penalty.
Additionally, a deployed mine has a 50% chance of not detecting the screened ship as it enters or leaves its detonation area.
Finally, a
starship with an active stealth screen gains one-half concealment against all attacks (20% miss chance).
A mine can be equipped with a stealth screen.
Using the same technology that will someday drive the PL 9 spatial compression engine, the displacer "shifts" the ship a few hundred yards several times a second in a random series of short-range teleportations.
All enemy attacks against the displacing ship have a 30% miss chance, as though it has three-quarters concealment.
A mine can be equipped with a displacer.
LIGHT FORTIFICATION (PL 7)
The
starship's structural integrity is reinforced so that the ship can shake off attacks that would cripple it otherwise. Light fortification converts 25% of all
critical hits into regular hits.
Installing light fortification requires a Craft (structural) check instead of a Craft (mechanical) check.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
Generators project a field of alpha particles (helium nuclei that have been stripped of their electrons) around the ship. The field absorbs energy
damage;
weapons that wholly or partly deal concussion,
electricity, fire, or nonspecific energy
damage (such as
beam weapons) fired at the
starship take a -4 penalty on
attack rolls.
A mine can be equipped with a particle field.
Repair drones are Small spiderlike robots that rapidly deploy to damaged sections of a ship's outer hull. They are programmed to repair
damage quickly and efficiently.
A ship with repair drones can perform
damage control as a free action. A ship without a
damage control system cannot be fitted with repair drones.
DAMAGE CONTROL, ADVANCED (PL 8)
A
starship equipped with advanced
damage control regains an additional +2d10 points of
damage each time
damage control is performed successfully (see
Damage Control System, above). Advanced
damage control replaces (and does not stack with) improved
damage control.
An improvement of the PL 7 stealth screen, the cloaking screen warps light and energy around the ship's hull, rendering the ship invisible to visual and electronic
sensors.
A cloaked ship has total concealment. To attack a cloaked ship, an attacker must guess in which square the ship currently is (or determine its position based on where it attacked last), and even if the guess is accurate, there is a 50% chance that the attack misses.
Additionally, a deployed mine cannot detect a cloaked ship and does not detonate when the ship enters or leaves its burst area. The ship's pilot must make a Pilot check (DC 5, +5 per additional mine) to avoid a collision with the mine if the
starship enters the mine's square; on a failed check, the mine detonates.
A cloaking screen cannot be used in conjunction with chaff, since the chaff cloud would give away the ship's position. It also cannot operate simultaneously with any sort of field (including magnetic fields and particle fields), as the field gives away the ship's position.
A mine can be equipped with a cloaking screen.
MEDIUM FORTIFICATION (PL 8)
As light fortification (see above), except that the medium fortification system converts 75% of all
critical hits into regular hits.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
NANITE REPAIR ARRAY (PL 8)
The final refinement of
damage control systems, the nanite repair array consists of numerous nodules filled with nanites-microscopic robots-scattered throughout the ship. The nanite repair array can repair a ship with negative
hit points; however, not even nanites can repair a destroyed ship.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
HEAVY FORTIFICATION (PL 9)
As light fortification (see above), except that the heavy fortification system converts all
critical hits into regular hits.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
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