Starship Combat Structure
Source Tech Core pg. 169
Tactical starship combat is played out in a series of rounds, just like other encounters in encounter mode. The steps of a tactical starship encounter are as follows.
Step 1: Roll initiative. The process of rolling initiative is the same as any other encounter, but crew members can choose to roll a skill associated with the battle station they're helming.
The player starship doesn't roll its own initiative, as its actions are determined by the crew, but enemy starships and hazards always roll initiative.
Step 2: Play a round. Each crew member gets three actions to use on their turn. Turns are typically spent on taking station actions and moving between stations, but if a battle station malfunctions or a boarding pod hits the hull, characters have to make some tough choices about how to use their actions!
Step 3: Begin the next round. Similar to any other combat encounter, combat continues in rounds until the GM determines the encounter has ended. Typically, this occurs when all enemy starships are defeated and all hazards are disabled, or when the player starship has been defeated.
Step 4: End the encounter. At the end of a tactical starship encounter, crew members earn experience for defeating foes and overcoming hazards just as they would for any other combat encounter. Tactical starship encounters don't necessarily need to continue until every enemy ship is destroyed; a pirate crew might surrender rather than see their ship scrapped, or a military scout might flee capture after taking heavy damage.
If the player starship is defeated instead, the GM might choose to have enemies send boarding parties, starting a new normal combat encounter.
Step 1: Roll initiative. The process of rolling initiative is the same as any other encounter, but crew members can choose to roll a skill associated with the battle station they're helming.
The player starship doesn't roll its own initiative, as its actions are determined by the crew, but enemy starships and hazards always roll initiative.
Step 2: Play a round. Each crew member gets three actions to use on their turn. Turns are typically spent on taking station actions and moving between stations, but if a battle station malfunctions or a boarding pod hits the hull, characters have to make some tough choices about how to use their actions!
Step 3: Begin the next round. Similar to any other combat encounter, combat continues in rounds until the GM determines the encounter has ended. Typically, this occurs when all enemy starships are defeated and all hazards are disabled, or when the player starship has been defeated.
Step 4: End the encounter. At the end of a tactical starship encounter, crew members earn experience for defeating foes and overcoming hazards just as they would for any other combat encounter. Tactical starship encounters don't necessarily need to continue until every enemy ship is destroyed; a pirate crew might surrender rather than see their ship scrapped, or a military scout might flee capture after taking heavy damage.
If the player starship is defeated instead, the GM might choose to have enemies send boarding parties, starting a new normal combat encounter.