Starship Archive

NPC starship statistics are calculated the same way as those of creatures, with some additional considerations. You can use the guidance below when modifying starships from the Starship Archive or building non-player starships of your own.

NPC starships often have the same battle stations available to player starship crews, though they don’t always have the same station actions as a player starship’s battle stations. Living starships typically have organs that function as battle stations. In most cases, all actions are associated with a battle station (except Repair Self and Seek Starships).

Like player starships, most of an NPC starship’s actions and features are granted by battle stations. While a battle station is malfunctioning, the actions and features granted by it (listed in the Battle Stations entry of the starship’s statistics) can no longer be used or benefited from. If a starship needs a way to make repairs or remove the malfunctioning condition on the fly, the NPC starship can always use two of its actions to Repair Self.

Starships in this section often use the weapons from the Ranged Starship Weapons table, attached to a gunnery battle station, though many have bespoke weapons and other attacks that are unique to them.

Many non-player starships in the pages that follow have one or more of the following actions or features. These common abilities are useful building blocks for when you wish to create your own starships or want to modify an existing starship.
Autonomous Starship The starship isn't helmed by living creatures. Autonomous starships have the tech trait and are immune to mental damage and effects.
Engaged Strike [reaction] Trigger A starship in the same zone moves to another zone; Effect This starship attempts the specified Strike against the triggering starship.
Living Starship The starship is a living organism or composed entirely of biomass. A living starship usually has organs or structures instead of battle stations. Living starships don't have starship immunities.
(generator) Fortify Shield Points [one-action] The starship regains Shield Points equal to the listed fortify value.
(generator) Tractor Beam [one-action] A target within 2 zones must attempt a Fortitude save.
(pilot's console) Boost Thrusters [one-action] (move) Frequency once per turn; Effect The starship moves up to its Speed in the direction of its heading.
(pilot's console) Change Heading [one-action] (move) Effect The starship changes its heading. If the starship is off-kilter, it's no longer off-kilter.
(pilot's console) Evade [one-action] to [two-actions] The starship gains a +1 circumstance bonus to AC for 1 round. The bonus increases to +2 if you spend two actions.
(pilot's console) Stick to Cover [one-action] Requirements The starship is in the same zone as a starship or object one or more sizes larger than it; Effect The starship gains a +1 circumstance bonus to AC and Reflex saves against attacks originating in its zone. This bonus lasts until the starship moves any number of zones, attacks, becomes inoperable, or ends this effect as a free action that's a pilot console's station action.

All non-player starships can always perform the following actions, even if the actions aren’t included in their statistics.
Repair Self [three-actions] The crew stops a battle station from malfunctioning and regains Hull Points equal to its level.
Seek Starships [one-action] The starship attempts a Perception check against the Stealth DCs of any undetected or hidden starships or hazards within sensor range.

A crew of three or fewer PCs might struggle with efficiency and firepower when helming a player starship. When preparing and running games for a small crew, treat your experience budget for tactical starship encounters as being 20 lower for moderate or harder encounters and 10 lower for low-or trivial-threat encounters to account for the crew's limited ability to helm battle stations. Alternatively, you can use the concierge upgrade variant rule found on the sidebar.

The starships in this section are far from the only foes a crew might encounter in space. If you want to introduce variety to a campaign’s tactical starship combat encounters or challenge players with different enemies, you can use these starships’ statistics as a starting point, then reflavor a faction’s common actions and features list, designing a starship that can fit in another faction.

Another way to make tactical starship combat more interesting is by secretly placing starship hazards in zones on the sensor map. Some hazards appear on the player starship map and directly threaten crew members with creatures or dangerous effects. Many of these hazards are the natural wonders and horrors of deep space; they might be just as dangerous to enemy starships or can be exploited by a player starship for a risky benefit. You should add all creatures and hazards to the encounter’s experience budget, just as you would in any other combat encounter.

A tactical starship combat encounter ends when either the player crew or their enemies achieve their objective.