Battle Stations
Source Tech Core pg. 168
A battle station is a part of a starship that allows crew members to tackle starship-scale threats. When a creature helms a battle station, they gain access to station actions. For example, a pilot's console grants the Boost Thrusters station action, allowing the creature helming it to move the starship in the direction of its current heading. A starship's frame determines the default battle stations, the upgrades that come installed in the default battle stations, and open battle station slots available for customization. The party can change the battle stations that are in the customizable slots during Repair Starship downtime activities. Additionally, as starships level up, battle stations gain additional slots for upgrades that can be filled to customize and personalize them. The battle stations and their upgrades are recorded on the starship sheet. The locations of the battle stations are marked on the starship map. If you mark the position of the battle stations with numbers or similar symbols, you can use the same mark on your battle station entry in your starship sheet.
A battle station can be enhanced similar to any other equipment and gains benefits depending on its grade, including the ability to equip it with station upgrades. These upgrades often grant additional abilities beyond the basic functions of a battle station. With access to many types of battle stations and station upgrades, a party of adventurers can customize their ship to their liking, making the starship into something that's especially suited to their capabilities.
Many station actions are similar to actions a character can use in combat; for example, you can Strike using the weapons in your starship's gunnery, firing its weapons against targets within range. Many character abilities interact with battle station actions; as a new example, an operative can use the Aim action to pierce cover from an asteroid and add precision damage to their gunnery Strikes against their mark. In such cases, these actions can be used in tactical starship combat the same way they can be used in regular combat. In this example, the operative can Aim a gunnery station's weapons to enhance their damage against that target, but Aim otherwise functions as usual. Or, if the gunnery has an automatic weapon equipped, a soldier can use their primary target ability to make an additional Strike against their primary target when they Auto-Fire with the gunnery.
Most station actions require a creature to helm a battle station, meaning the creature is in the battle station's square, usually an apparatus or console, and is using it.
A battle station can be enhanced similar to any other equipment and gains benefits depending on its grade, including the ability to equip it with station upgrades. These upgrades often grant additional abilities beyond the basic functions of a battle station. With access to many types of battle stations and station upgrades, a party of adventurers can customize their ship to their liking, making the starship into something that's especially suited to their capabilities.
Many station actions are similar to actions a character can use in combat; for example, you can Strike using the weapons in your starship's gunnery, firing its weapons against targets within range. Many character abilities interact with battle station actions; as a new example, an operative can use the Aim action to pierce cover from an asteroid and add precision damage to their gunnery Strikes against their mark. In such cases, these actions can be used in tactical starship combat the same way they can be used in regular combat. In this example, the operative can Aim a gunnery station's weapons to enhance their damage against that target, but Aim otherwise functions as usual. Or, if the gunnery has an automatic weapon equipped, a soldier can use their primary target ability to make an additional Strike against their primary target when they Auto-Fire with the gunnery.
Most station actions require a creature to helm a battle station, meaning the creature is in the battle station's square, usually an apparatus or console, and is using it.