Title

Round Overview

Engineering Phase

The engineers on all ships (if present) each take an action to repair the starships’ systems or give them a boost. These actions occur simultaneously, so they can be resolved in any order.

Helm Phase

Each starship’s pilot attempts a Piloting check. The pilot with the lowest result must move his starship first, followed by the next lowest, until all starships have moved. This check is repeated each round during the helm phase, so the order of movement can change from round to round.

As they move their starships, pilots can attempt additional skill checks to perform dangerous maneuvers or push their vessels beyond their specifications. Also during this phase, any character taking on the role of science officer can use the starship’s systems to scan vessels or target foes. Science officers must act immediately before or after their starship’s pilot, but they can jointly decide the order they act.

Gunnery Phase

During the gunnery phase, gunners fire their starships’ weapons. Starships fire in the same order in which their pilots acted during that round’s helm phase, but the effects of damage are not taken into account until the end of the phase, meaning that all starships can fire, even if they take enough damage to be disabled or destroyed during this phase.

The Gray Lady

Medium Explorer
Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 13; TL 11
HP 55; DT n/a; CT 11
Shields Basic 30
Attack (forward) gyrolaser (1d8)
Attack (turret) high explosive missile launcher (4d8)
Power Core(s) Pulse Gray (100 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems budget medium-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 2 armor, mk 1 duonode computer (tier 1)
Expansion Bays tech workshop, cargo hold (3)
Modifiers +1 any two checks per round, +1 Piloting
Build Points cost 55, max 55 Power Core Units non-essential 108, essential 95, max 100

Captain Actions

As a captain, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your character level, during any phase of combat.

Demand (Any Phase) Inimidation to improve another crew member's performance

You can make a demand of a crew member to try to improve his performance. You grant a +4 bonus to one specific check by succeeding at an Intimidate check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier). You must use this action before the associated check is rolled, and you can grant this bonus to an individual character only once per combat. Demand might result in negative consequences if used on NPCs, and you can’t make demands of yourself.

Encourage (Any Phase) Aid Another or Diplomacy to add +2 to another crew member's check

You can encourage another member of the crew to give her a bonus to her action. This works like aid another (see page 133), granting a +2 bonus to the check required by a crew action if you succeed at a DC 10 check using the same skill. Alternatively, you can grant this same bonus by succeeding at a DC 15 Diplomacy check. You can’t encourage yourself.

Taunt (Any Phase, Push) Bluff or Intimidate to force a -2 penalty to checks by an enemy vessel's crew member

You can use the communications system to broadcast a taunting message to the enemy vessel. You select an enemy vessel and a phase of combat (engineering, helm, or gunnery), and then attempt a Bluff or Intimidate check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 times the enemy starship’s tier). If you are successful, each enemy character acting during the selected phase takes a –2 penalty to all checks for 1d4 rounds; the penalty increases to –4 if the enemy’s check is made as part of a push action. Once used against an enemy starship, regardless of the outcome, taunt can’t be used against that starship again during the same combat.

Orders (Any Phase, Push) (requires level 6) Spend 1 RP to grant an additional action to a crew member

At 6th level, you can grant an additional action to one member of the crew by spending 1 Resolve Point and succeeding at a difficult skill check at the beginning of the phase in which the crew member would normally act. The type of check depends on the role of the crew member targeted: a Computers check for a science officer, an Engineering check for an engineer, a gunnery check (see page 320) for a gunner, and a Piloting check for a pilot. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier. If the check succeeds, the crew member can take two actions in her role this round (both when she would normally act), but she can’t take the same action twice. You can’t give yourself orders.

Moving Speech (Any Phase, Push) (requires level 12) Spend 1 RP to allow crew members to roll twice and take the better result when making checks

At 12th level, you can spend 1 Resolve Point and use your action to give a moving speech to the crew during one phase of combat with a successful Diplomacy check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier). For the remainder of that phase, your allies can roll twice and take the better result when performing crew actions.

Chief Mate Actions

As a chief mate, you can take any of the following actions, some depending on your number of ranks in the Acrobatics or Athletics skill, whichever you favor. Each of these actions can be taken only during a particular phase, as noted in parentheses next to the action’s name. You must decide at the start of each round which phase you will act in, usually by deciding which other role you’re supporting that round. Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once per round, no matter how many chief mates are on a starship.

Hard Turn (Helm Phase, Push) Acrobatics or Athletics to improve maneuverability

Attempt an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11). If you succeed, the pilot can make one turn during the round as though the maneuverability of the starship were improved by one step. This has no effect on a ship with perfect maneuverability.
If you fail your check by 10 or more, you overheat and temporarily degrade the effectiveness of the starship’s maneuvering thrusters, causing the ship’s maneuverability to worsen by one step for the rest of this round.

Maintenance Panel Access (Engineering Phase) Acrobatics or Athletics check to increase the number of systems impacted by engineer's action

Attempt an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11). If you succeed and the engineer also succeeds at their check to divert, they can provide the normal benefit from divert to two different systems instead of only one. If the engineer instead succeeds at their check for the overpower action, they can choose four different systems to divert power to instead of three. In either case, no system can benefit twice from the same action.
If you fail your check by 10 or more, you overtax the ship’s systems without adding any useful capacity, and all engineer actions performed this turn take a –2 penalty.

Manual Realignment (Helm Phase) Acrobatics or Athletics check to improve science officer's scan

Attempt an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11). If you succeed and the science officer also succeeds at their check to perform the scan action, they receive one additional piece of information, as though their result were 5 higher.
If you fail the check by 10 or more, you knock the sensors out of alignment altogether, and no check to scan can be attempted this round as the system recalibrate.

Targeting Aid (Engineering Phase, Push) (requires 6 ranks in Acrobatics or Athletics) Spend 1 RP to remove penalty for fire at will or broadside actions

If you have at least 6 ranks in Acrobatics or Athletics: You must spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt either an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC = 20 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 21). One gunner can then take the fire at will or broadside action without the associated penalty to gunnery checks (normally –4 for fire at will and –2 for broadside; see page 324 of the Core Rulebook for more information).
If you fail the check by 10 or more, that gunner instead takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls they make this round.
This action can be taken more than once per round, but only once per gunner acting in that round.

Maximize Speed (Helm Phase, Push) (requires 12 ranks in Acrobatics or Athletics) Spend 1 RP to increase ship speed by 2

If you have at least 12 ranks in Acrobatics or Athletics, you can help the pilot get the most speed possible out of your ship, pushing the engines to their limit. This requires spending 1 Resolve Point and succeeding at an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC = 25 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 26), at which point the speed of your starship increases by 2 for this round. This increase is cumulative with other increases to speed, such as from the engineer diverting power to the engines.

Engineer Actions

As an engineer, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Engineering skill. These actions can be taken only during the engineering phase. Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once per round, no matter how many engineers are on a starship.

Divert (Engineering Phase) Engineering check to increase effectiveness of another crew member's action

You can divert auxiliary power into one of your starship’s systems, giving it a boost. This requires a successful Engineering check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier = 11), and the results depend on where you decide to send this extra power. If you send it to the engines, your starship’s speed increases by 2 this round. If you send it to the science equipment, all science officers receive a +2 bonus to their crew actions this round. If you send it to the starship’s weapons, treat each damage die that rolls a 1 this round as having rolled a 2 instead. If you send it to the shields, restore an amount of Shield Points equal to 5% of the PCU rating of the starship’s power core (see page 296), up to the shields’ maximum value. Evenly distribute the restored Shield Points to all four quadrants (putting any excess Shield Points in the forward quadrant).

Hold It Together (Engineering Phase) Engineering check to treat a critically damaged system as two steps less severely damaged for one round

You can hold one system together by constantly patching and modifying it. If you succeed at an Engineering check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier = 16), you can select one system; that system is treated as if its critical damage condition were two steps less severe for the rest of the round (wrecked becomes glitching, and a malfunctioning or glitching system functions as if it had taken no critical damage). This check isn’t modified by penalties from critical damage to the power core.

Patch (Engineering Phase) Engineering check to treat a critically damaged system as one step less severely damaged for remainder of combat

You can patch a system to reduce the effects of a critical damage condition. The number of actions and the DC of the Engineering check required to patch a system depend on how badly the system is damaged, as indicated on the table on page 324. Multiple engineers can pool their actions in a single round to effect repairs more quickly, but each engineer must succeed at her Engineering check to contribute her action to the patch. The number of actions required can be reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1 action) by increasing the DC by 5. If you succeed at this check, the severity of the critical damage is unchanged, but it is treated as one step less severe for the remainder of the combat, until 1 hour has passed, or until the system takes critical damage again (which removes the patch and applies the new severity). This action can be taken more than once per round, and this check is not modified by any critical damage to the core.

Condition	Actions to Patch	DC
Glitching	1	10 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier (11)
Malfunctioning	2	15 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier (16)
Wrecked	3	20 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier (21)

Overpower (Engineering Phase, Push) (requires 6 ranks in Engineering) Spend 1 RP to take Divert action, affecting three systems

If you have at least 6 ranks in Engineering, you can spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt an Engineering check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11) to squeeze more out of your ship’s systems. If you’re successful, this functions as the divert action, but you can send extra power to any three systems listed in that action. This action and the divert action can’t be taken in the same round.

Quick Fix (Engineering Phase) (requires 12 ranks in Engineering) Spend 1 RP to remove the critical damage condition from one system

If you have at least 12 ranks in Engineering, you can try to repair a system quickly by spending 1 Resolve Point and attempting an Engineering check (DC = 20 + 1-1/2 times you starship’s tier = 21). If successful, you remove the critical damage condition from one system for 1 hour (allowing it to function as if it had taken no critical damage), after which time it must be repaired as normal.

Magic Officer Actions

As a magic officer, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Mysticism skill. These actions can be taken only during the engineering phase. Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once per round, no matter how many magic officers are on a starship.

Eldritch Shot (Engineering Phase) Mysticism check to improve the range of a single weapon for one shot

You augment a starship weapon with a burst of your personal magic in much the same way that weapon fusions augment personal-scale weapons. Such an effort is considerable, and the magic lasts for only a single attack before it fizzles and the starship weapon returns to its normal functionality.
Choose one weapon on your starship to augment and attempt a Mysticism check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11). If you succeed, the gunner treats the range of that weapon as 5 hexes longer than normal. This does not work for weapons with the point special property.

Precognition (Engineering Phase) Mysticism check to grant a +2 bonus to ship initiative

Attempt a Mysticism check (DC = 10 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 11). On a success, you grant the pilot a +2 circumstance bonus to their Piloting check at the beginning of the helm phase to determine piloting order.

Scrying (Engineering Phase) Mysticism check to scan the enemy ship for information

Attempt a Mysticism check (DC = 5 + 1-1/2 x times the tier of the starship being scanned + its bonus from defensive countermeasures). If you succeed at this check, you learn the first unknown piece of information on the following list. For every 5 by which you exceed the check, you learn another unknown piece of information. Subsequent checks reveal new pieces of information, continuing down this list.

Basic Information: Living crew complement and ship classification, size, speed, and maneuverability.
Defenses: AC, TL, total and current Hull Points, total and current Shield Points in each quadrant, and core PCU value.
Weapon: Information about one weapon, including its firing arc and the damage it deals, starting with the weapon that uses the most PCU. Repeat this entry until all the starship’s weapons are revealed.
Load: Information about how the starship’s expansion bays are allocated and any cargo the starship might be carrying.
Other: Any remaining ship statistics

Mystic Haze (Engineering Phase, Push) (requires 6 ranks in Mysticism) Spend 1 RP to improve ship AC and interfere with enemy scans

If you have at least 6 ranks in Mysticism, you can spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt a Mysticism check (DC = 20 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 21); if you succeed, you call forth a magical burst of static to block your enemy’s view. This obscuring field garbles your opponent’s sensors and hinders their ability to gain information about your ship’s defenses and positioning, providing your starship a +1 enhancement bonus to AC until the end of the next round. In addition, the increased interference means all science officers on the opposing starship taking the scan or lock on actions before the end of the next round must roll twice for their checks and use the worse result.

Psychic Currents (Engineering Phase) (requires 12 ranks in Mysticism) Spend 1 RP to improve ship's turning ability

If you have at least 12 ranks in Mysticism, you can spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt a Mysticism check (DC = 20 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 21) to manipulate mysterious, invisible forces in the void of space, expanding and contracting the basic physics around your own vessel and altering how your starship can negotiate the confines of physical space-time. On a successful check, reduce your starship’s minimum distance between turns by 1 (to a minimum of 0) for that round.

Pilot Actions

As a pilot, you can take the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Piloting skill. These actions can be taken only during the helm phase.

Fly (Helm Phase) Move up to speed, no check required

You move your starship up to its speed and can make any turns allowed by its maneuverability. This doesn’t require a skill check.

Maneuver (Helm Phase) Piloting check to move up to speed, reducing distance between turns by 1 (min 0)

You move your starship up to its speed. You can also attempt a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 16) to reduce your starship’s distance between turns by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

Stunt (Helm Phase, Push) Attempt a stunt

You can attempt any one of the stunts described on page 319. The DCs of the Piloting checks required and the results of success and failure are described in each stunt’s description.

Full Power (Helm Phase, Push) (requires 6 ranks in Piloting) Spend 1 RP to move starship up to 1-1/2 times its speed

If you have at least 6 ranks in Piloting, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to move your starship up to 1-1/2 times its speed. You can make turns during this movement, but you add 2 to your starship’s distance between turns.

Audacious Gambit (Helm Phase) (requires 12 ranks in Piloting) Spend 1 RP to reduce distance between turns by 2, and fly through enemy hexes

If you have at least 12 ranks in Piloting, you can spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier = 16) to pull off complex maneuvers. You can move your starship up to its speed, treating its distance between turns as if it were 2 lower (minimum 0). You can also fly through hexes occupied by enemy vessels without provoking free attacks. At the end of your starship’s movement, you can rotate your starship to face in any direction. If you fail the check, you instead move as if you had taken the fly action (but still lose the Resolve Point).

Stunts

Back Off

DC: 10 + 1-1/2 x Tier (11)
Success: The ship moves up to half its speed in reverse without changing facing. It can't take any turns during this movement.
Failure: The ship moves backward only 1 hex.
Critical Failure (5 or more): The ship does not move at all and takes a -4 penalty to its AC and TL until the start of the next round.

Barrel Roll

DC: 10 + 1-1/2 x Tier (11)
Success: The ship moves up to half its speed and flips along its central axis. For the next gunnery phase, the starship’s port shields and weapons function as if they were in the starboard firing arc and vice versa. The starship reverts to normal at the beginning of the next round.
Failure: The ship moves half its speed but doesn't roll.
Critical Failure (5 or more): The ship moves only half its speed, doesn't roll, and takes a -4 penalty to its AC and TL until the start of the next round.

Evade

DC: 10 + 1-1/2 x Tier (11)
Success: The ship moves up to its speed and can turn as normal, but it gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC and TL until the start of the next round.
Failure: The ship moves as normal.
Critical Failure (5 or more): The ship moves as normal, and takes a -2 penalty to its AC and TL until the start of the next round.

Flip and Burn

DC: 15 + 1-1/2 x Tier (16)
Success: The ship moves forward up to half its speed (without turning) and rotates 180 degrees to face the aft edge at the end of the movement.
Failure: The ship moves forward half its speed but doesn't rotate.

Flyby

DC: 15 + 1-1/2 x Tier (16)
Success: The ship moves as normal, but it can move through 1 hex occupied by an enemy starship without provoking a free attack. During the following gunnery phase, you can select one arc of your starship’s weapons to fire at the enemy vessel as if the vessel were in close range (treat the range as 1 hex), against any quadrant of the enemy starship.
Failure: The ship still moves as described above, but you follow the normal rules for attacking (based on your starship’s final position and distance), and the movement provokes a free attack from that starship as normal.

Slide

DC: 10 + 1-1/2 x Tier (11)
Success: The starship moves up to its speed in the direction of either the forward-port or forward-starboard edge without changing its facing.
Failure: The ship moves forward up to half its speed and can't make any turns.

Turn in Place

The ship does not move but instead can turn to face any direction. This stunt doesn’t require a skill check.

Science Officer Actions

As a science officer, you can take any of the following actions, depending on your ranks in the Computers skill. These actions can be taken only during the helm phase.

Balance (Helm Phase) Computers check to shift shields

With a successful Computers check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship’s tier = 16), you can shift Shield Points (SP) from the shield in one quadrant to the shield in another quadrant, including to depleted shields (after rebalancing, every shield must have at least 10% of the total current SP). Alternatively, you can add up the SP from all the remaining shields and evenly distribute them to all four quadrants, putting any excess SP in the forward quadrant.

Scan (Helm Phase) Computers check to scan the enemy ship for information

Attempt a Computers check (DC = 5 + 1-1/2 x times the tier of the starship being scanned + its bonus from defensive countermeasures). If you succeed at this check, you learn the first unknown piece of information on the following list. For every 5 by which you exceed the check, you learn another unknown piece of information. Subsequent checks reveal new pieces of information, continuing down this list.

Basic Information: Living crew complement and ship classification, size, speed, and maneuverability.
Defenses: AC, TL, total and current Hull Points, total and current Shield Points in each quadrant, and core PCU value.
Weapon: Information about one weapon, including its firing arc and the damage it deals, starting with the weapon that uses the most PCU. Repeat this entry until all the starship’s weapons are revealed.
Load: Information about how the starship’s expansion bays are allocated and any cargo the starship might be carrying.
Other: Any remaining ship statistics

Target System (Helm Phase, Push) Computers check to target enemy system, critical range changes to 19 or 20

You can use your starship’s sensors to target a specific system on an enemy starship. This action requires your starship to have sensors. You must attempt a Computers check, applying any modifiers from the starship’s sensors. The DC equals 5 + 1-1/2 the tier of the enemy starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures (see page 298). If you succeed, choose one system (core, engines, life support, sensors, or weapons). The next attack made by your starship that hits the enemy ship scores a critical hit on a natural roll of 19 or 20. If that attack deals critical damage, it affects the chosen system. For any further critical damage resulting from the attack, determine which system is affected randomly as normal. Your starship’s sensors can target only one system on a specific enemy starship at a time, though this action can be used to concurrently target systems on multiple starships.

Lock On (Helm Phase, Push) (requires 6 ranks in Computers) Spend 1 RP to give +2 bonus to gunnery checks

If you have at least 6 ranks in Computers, you can lock your starship’s targeting system on to one enemy vessel. You must spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt a Computers check. The DC equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the target starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures (see page 298). If you succeed, your starship’s gunners gain a +2 bonus to gunnery checks against the target for the rest of the round. This action can be taken only once per round.

Improve Countermeasures (Helm Phase) (requires 12 ranks in Computers) Spend 1 RP to force enemy gunners to roll twice and take the worse result

If you have at least 12 ranks in Computers, you can try to foil enemy targeting arrays and incoming projectiles by spending 1 Resolve Point and attempting a Computers check. The DC equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the target starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures (see page 298). If you’re successful, gunners aboard the target starship roll twice and take the worse result for gunnery checks during this round (including checks for tracking weapons).

Gunner Actions

As a gunner, you can take any of the actions below, depending on your character level. These actions can be taken only during the gunnery phase. Though each of a starship’s weapons can be fired only once per round, multiple gunners can take actions to fire different weapons in a single round.

Gunnery Check = 1d20 + the gunner’s BAB or the gunner’s ranks in the Piloting skill + the gunner’s Dexterity modifier + bonuses from computer systems + bonuses from the captain and science officers + range penalty

Fire At Will (Gunnery Phase, Push) Fire two weapons, with a -4 penalty

You can fire any two starship weapons, regardless of their arc. Each attack is made at a –4 penalty.

Shoot (Gunnery Phase) Fire one weapon

You can fire one of your starship’s weapons. If you use a turret weapon, you can target a ship in any arc.

Broadside (Gunnery Phase, Push) (requires level 6) Spend 1 RP to fire all weapons in one arc, with a -2 penalty

At 6th level, you can expend 1 Resolve Point to fire all of the starship weapons mounted in one arc (including turret-mounted weapons). Each weapon can target any vessel in that arc. All of these attacks are made with a –2 penalty.

Precise Targeting (Gunnery Phase) (requires level 12) Spend 1 RP to deal critical damage on a successful attack

At 12th level, you can perform a very precise strike by spending 1 Resolve Point and firing one starship weapon at a single target. If the attack hits and the enemy ship’s shields on that quadrant are depleted before your attack, you deal critical damage to a random system. If the attack would normally cause critical damage, the normal critical damage applies as well (meaning your attack could potentially deal critical damage multiple times; determine which system is damaged as normal each time).