Running Cinematic Starship Scenes
Source GM Core pg. 226
A cinematic starship scene runs like most encounters, with players rolling initiative for their characters based on how their characters entered the scene and taking individual turns in that order during each round. Prior to the start of a cinematic starship scene, each player selects one of the starship roles their character occupies, which determines the skill they roll for initiative. Someone acting as a pilot is likely to roll Piloting for initiative, while a science officer might roll Computers or Perception. Remember that each PC might receive a bonus to their rolls based on the Starship Bonuses available!
At the beginning of a round, each starship role becomes available, as determined by the scene. At the start of a PC's turn, they select an available role to occupy, maintaining that role until the beginning of the next round. This means a PC who acted as pilot in the previous round could act as captain in the following round, as long as the role is currently available and unoccupied. Some roles can be occupied by multiple PCs, such as a ship that has two gunners or even two science officers. The available roles and the number of characters who can occupy each role are noted in the scene.
Based on the role a PC selects, they have one or more special actions they can use on their turn. This might represent a special piloting maneuver to try to escape the threat, a counterhacking endeavor the science officer might need to commit to, a magical ritual necessary to close a nearby rift into Hell, or even a simple firing of the ship's laser cannon at a foe! As usual, PCs have 3 actions during their turn, which they'll use to perform special actions granted by their role or other actions of their choice. As most starship actions require 2 actions to use, each PC is likely to have a single action to spare on their turn, which might include a PC preparing to Aid an ally, a spellcaster casting guidance to improve their odds of success on a skill check, or a PC taking a shot at an enemy boarder invading the bridge.
Unlike the PCs onboard their starship, who are the stars of the show and guide the story with their choices, the threats in a cinematic starship scene operate using preset routines— though some scenes might provide variations on a routine to keep the PCs on their toes! Enemy starships involved in the scene perform routines and don't perform crew actions.
At the beginning of a round, each starship role becomes available, as determined by the scene. At the start of a PC's turn, they select an available role to occupy, maintaining that role until the beginning of the next round. This means a PC who acted as pilot in the previous round could act as captain in the following round, as long as the role is currently available and unoccupied. Some roles can be occupied by multiple PCs, such as a ship that has two gunners or even two science officers. The available roles and the number of characters who can occupy each role are noted in the scene.
Based on the role a PC selects, they have one or more special actions they can use on their turn. This might represent a special piloting maneuver to try to escape the threat, a counterhacking endeavor the science officer might need to commit to, a magical ritual necessary to close a nearby rift into Hell, or even a simple firing of the ship's laser cannon at a foe! As usual, PCs have 3 actions during their turn, which they'll use to perform special actions granted by their role or other actions of their choice. As most starship actions require 2 actions to use, each PC is likely to have a single action to spare on their turn, which might include a PC preparing to Aid an ally, a spellcaster casting guidance to improve their odds of success on a skill check, or a PC taking a shot at an enemy boarder invading the bridge.
Unlike the PCs onboard their starship, who are the stars of the show and guide the story with their choices, the threats in a cinematic starship scene operate using preset routines— though some scenes might provide variations on a routine to keep the PCs on their toes! Enemy starships involved in the scene perform routines and don't perform crew actions.
Cinematic Starship Scene XP
Source GM Core pg. 227
Characters gain Experience Points (XP) for encountering a cinematic starship scene, whether they succeed or not. The scene's level indicates what level of party the scene is a good challenge for. The XP values for a cinematic starship scene are equal to the XP for a monster or complex hazard of the same level. To best challenge your players, you should aim to design scenes that range in difficulty from the party's level – 1 to the party's level + 1. Scenes of a lower level than the party's level – 4 are beyond trivial and award no XP.
You can also grant the PCs additional XP as a story award for succeeding at a scene's victory conditions, doubling the Victory Points threshold for a victory condition, completing additional objectives, achieving an important story milestone, or even coming up with creative solutions.
You can also grant the PCs additional XP as a story award for succeeding at a scene's victory conditions, doubling the Victory Points threshold for a victory condition, completing additional objectives, achieving an important story milestone, or even coming up with creative solutions.
Cinematic Starship Scene XP
| Level | XP |
| Party level – 4 | 10 XP |
| Party level – 3 | 15 XP |
| Party level – 2 | 20 XP |
| Party level – 1 | 30 XP |
| Party level | 40 XP |
| Party level + 1 | 60 XP |
| Party level + 2 | 80 XP |
| Party level + 3 | 100 XP |
| Party level + 4 | 120 XP |
Additional Considerations
Source GM Core pg. 227
There are a few situations that might occur in cinematic starship scenes that are different from normal encounters.
Balancing for More Crew: Most encounters, including those in printed adventures, assume a baseline number of four PCs acting onboard a starship. Sometimes a scene might include a friendly NPC and their presence is balanced for in the encounter. When accounting for additional PCs beyond four, it's important to look at the number of successes required for any associated Victory Points system at play as well as the potential output of enemy starships. Generally, the number of gunners available on the PCs' starship accounts for damage output, so adding more PCs won't necessarily increase damage output, but instead provide the PCs with more options on how to complete the encounter or better their chances with other checks.
Character Abilities: Some characters might have special abilities, such as feats or spells, they can use during a cinematic starship scene. Core class abilities, like Aim for an operative or Suppressing Fire for a soldier, aren't intended for cinematic starship scenes. Most applications for feats and spells are left up to the GM's discretion for what's appropriate to the specific encounter but generally should veer on the more permissive side when it makes sense. Spells might be usable on a PC's turn, with some single-action enhancement spells like guidance fitting exceptionally well into the action economy a character receives during their turn. Similarly, a GM might provide a bonus or reward for casting particularly powerful spells, like phantasmal fleet, instead of taking a bespoke starship action on their turn. Remember, the goal is for every player to have fun playing the characters they created.
Conditions on Starships: Sometimes, the PCs' starship might gain a condition or similar negative effect that has a timing element. In most cases, these conditions last for a specified duration; however, persistent damage requires a slight adjustment as it shouldn't trigger on each player's turn, as the damage affects the starship and not the PCs. Instead, resolve persistent damage on a starship at the end of each round, having one PC roll the flat check to recover. A PC occupying the engineer role can spend 2 actions on their turn to perform Assisted Recovery on their starship, reducing the flat check's DC to 10. This allows the engineer to attempt an extra flat check to end the persistent damage immediately, but only once per round. This is a replacement for the normal Assisted Recovery rules.
Weapon Ranges: For simplicity of running these encounters, there are no range increments for starship attacks in cinematic starship scenes. This keeps things simple and avoids the need for the encounter to have a tactical map. There might be a special action that allows a pilot to line up a better shot or move the starship further out of range to make hitting it more difficult. When accounting for the effects of character actions, such as spells, the distance between starships is up to the GM's discretion but generally should be assumed to be at least several hundred feet apart unless the pilot takes a special action to safely maneuver close to the other starship.
Balancing for More Crew: Most encounters, including those in printed adventures, assume a baseline number of four PCs acting onboard a starship. Sometimes a scene might include a friendly NPC and their presence is balanced for in the encounter. When accounting for additional PCs beyond four, it's important to look at the number of successes required for any associated Victory Points system at play as well as the potential output of enemy starships. Generally, the number of gunners available on the PCs' starship accounts for damage output, so adding more PCs won't necessarily increase damage output, but instead provide the PCs with more options on how to complete the encounter or better their chances with other checks.
Character Abilities: Some characters might have special abilities, such as feats or spells, they can use during a cinematic starship scene. Core class abilities, like Aim for an operative or Suppressing Fire for a soldier, aren't intended for cinematic starship scenes. Most applications for feats and spells are left up to the GM's discretion for what's appropriate to the specific encounter but generally should veer on the more permissive side when it makes sense. Spells might be usable on a PC's turn, with some single-action enhancement spells like guidance fitting exceptionally well into the action economy a character receives during their turn. Similarly, a GM might provide a bonus or reward for casting particularly powerful spells, like phantasmal fleet, instead of taking a bespoke starship action on their turn. Remember, the goal is for every player to have fun playing the characters they created.
Conditions on Starships: Sometimes, the PCs' starship might gain a condition or similar negative effect that has a timing element. In most cases, these conditions last for a specified duration; however, persistent damage requires a slight adjustment as it shouldn't trigger on each player's turn, as the damage affects the starship and not the PCs. Instead, resolve persistent damage on a starship at the end of each round, having one PC roll the flat check to recover. A PC occupying the engineer role can spend 2 actions on their turn to perform Assisted Recovery on their starship, reducing the flat check's DC to 10. This allows the engineer to attempt an extra flat check to end the persistent damage immediately, but only once per round. This is a replacement for the normal Assisted Recovery rules.
Weapon Ranges: For simplicity of running these encounters, there are no range increments for starship attacks in cinematic starship scenes. This keeps things simple and avoids the need for the encounter to have a tactical map. There might be a special action that allows a pilot to line up a better shot or move the starship further out of range to make hitting it more difficult. When accounting for the effects of character actions, such as spells, the distance between starships is up to the GM's discretion but generally should be assumed to be at least several hundred feet apart unless the pilot takes a special action to safely maneuver close to the other starship.