Tech Core Tactical Starship Combat Tactical Starship Rules New Rules

Damaging Starships

A player starship's Hull Points, Shield Points, and saving throws are determined by its frame and level. The following rules cover damaging starships and affecting them with other abilities.

Hull Points

Source Tech Core pg. 171

Instead of Hit Points, starships have Hull Points (HP). A starship’s Hull Points represent its structural integrity. When a starship takes damage, reduce its current Hull Points by a number equal to the damage dealt. Some station actions, items, and other effects, including downtime repairs, can restore Hull Points to a starship. When a starship is repaired, it regains Hull Points equal to the amount repaired, up to its maximum Hull Points.

If it’s ever unclear whether an effect referencing HP is referring to Hit Points or Hull Points, check whether the effect has the starship trait, or originates from a starship or a starship hazard. Any such effect typically affects Hull Points rather than Hit Points.

Shield Points

Source Tech Core pg. 172

A starship’s Shield Points (SP) represent how much damage its shields can sustain before being depleted. Track each starship’s current and maximum Shield Points separately from its current and maximum Hull Points; when a starship takes damage, reduce its Shield Points first, then apply any remaining damage to its Hull Points.

Shield Points can’t be restored by effects that restore Hull Points, but they can be restored by other means, such as the Generate Shields action at the generator battle station. An effect can restore a starship’s Shield Points even if it has 0 Hull Points; restoring shields has no effect on a starship’s Hull Points or any other conditions resulting from hull damage, but in this case, the Shield Points might still protect the ship from taking enough damage to be destroyed (see Destroying Starships below).

While you're on your starship, you can engage with each mode of play in a unique way. During encounter mode, characters interact with a map of their starship as well as the enemies and hazards on the sensor map. Characters can use most of their abilities as normal during a tactical starship encounter, but they won't be able to make an impact on starship-scale objects and creatures unless they're helming a starship station. Starship stations determine a character's role in the encounter and grant special actions that allow them to control their starship and engage with hazards and creatures of a scale far greater than they would be able to tackle themselves.

Exploration mode represents the act of exploring or traveling in a dangerous environment. Players choose starship exploration activities to represent their activities during exploration mode. These activities also determine what they're doing at the start of any tactical starship combat encounters that might arise. For example, a character performing Active Maneuvers from the pilot's console is actively piloting the ship and can more easily evade attacks at the start of combat.

Downtime mode takes place over days. On board a starship, downtime often occurs during travel through the Drift, so PCs might be limited in the downtime activities they can choose. New activities are available on starships with expansion bays, along with general downtime activities that are usually available on any planet, space station, or port.

Starship Saving Throws

Source Tech Core pg. 172

When the player starship attempts a save, any crew member can choose to roll on behalf of the starship. Some battle stations of higher grades grant an item bonus to one or more of the starship's saving throws as long as a crew member is helming that station. For example, if a crew member is helming a superior-grade pilot's console, the starship gains a +1 item bonus to Reflex saves, regardless of which crew member rolls the save for the starship. A crew member rolling the save can choose to spend one of their Hero Points to reroll, as the starship itself doesn't have its own Hero Points. Enemy and NPC starships roll saving throws much like monsters do.

Starship Immunities

Source Tech Core pg. 172

Most starships are objects that are immune to bleed, death effects, disease, drained, fatigued, paralyzed, poison, sickened, spirit, vitality, and void. Starships can never become doomed or unconscious. Unlike other objects, most starships aren't immune to mental effects since such effects have an impact on a starship's crew. Living starships often have different immunities than constructed starships, as detailed in their stat blocks. While most objects are immune to nonlethal attacks or effects, starships aren't immune to nonlethal attacks or effects by default and can be incapacitated by nonlethal attacks or effects, assuming it comes from a source that can damage the starship in the first place. It's incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for most creatures to affect starships or starship-scale creatures without a starship of their own.

Starships, including their weapons and defenses, operate on a different scale than PCs and most other creatures and aren't intended to interact with creatures beyond the scope of tactical starship combat. If creatures shoot at a starship with normal munitions, cast spells at it, or take other hostile actions while it's on the ground or within range, its shields repel the damage.

The effects of starship weapons against creatures, such as when a starship fires its weapons at troopers on the ground, are especially devastating. When there's a chance targets might survive, the effects of a starship's attacks are typically simulated by using a hazard or chase scene to play out the characters' escape from bombardment.