Spacecraft Combat

On an astronomical scale, the distances between spacecraft are minuscule. For players and their personas, these distances are enormous. Battling spacecraft could be tens of kilometers apart. Only when ramming and boarding do spacecraft come close to each other.

The speeds are entirely unrealistic. Spacecraft use their exatmo drives to maneuver during combat. Exatmo drives move at up to 0.9 the speed of light. Spacecraft must be travelling at almost the same speed to engage.

No lifeforms can balance all that is needed to engage in combat. The combat happens at tremendous speeds. The combat happens at tremendous distances. The process requires many simultaneous calculations. The ship’s computer is not just a calculator. The computer integrates with every aspect of the ship.

Only the ship’s computer can manage the connectivity and calculations required for combat. Players and personas are mainly uninvolved in spacecraft combat. The computers determine the attack sequences, movement and tactics of combat. The players get to roll dice, but the computer is deciding the combat course.

A turn in spacecraft combat is very different from a combat unit in the tactical combat rules. Space combat turns are longer and more structured than the free-wheeling 2-second tactical combat unit. A combat turn lasts one minute and involves a stepwise execution of attacks and defences. During a turn, the combatant vessels are wildly jockeying for position at half the speed of light. The ship computers are firing missiles, dumping mines, calculating ECM, and aiming artillery. Most often, the personas will be idle as the players make attack rolls and decisions. However, it is also possible for personas to use every unit of the turn doing other stuff.

Players do not make a lot of decisions during spacecraft combat. The cycle of attack, defend and counter-attack is built into the turn. There are initiative rolls, attack rolls, defence rolls, and damage rolls to be made each turn. The process continues until a vessel escapes or achieves victory conditions.

The victory conditions of spacecraft combat are unique to the vessel itself. The victory conditions of persona tactical combat are simple. One of the combatants is unconscious, dead, or escapes. The goal of spacecraft combat is to gain control of the target ship, not destroy it.

There are four main victory conditions in spacecraft combat. They all involve the inability of the defeated ship to function. A spacecraft battle can be lost by: running out of fuel, a severely damaged gravity system, destruction of the exatmo drive, or loss of bridge control.

The victory conditions indicate when the space battle is over. A space battle rarely destroys a spacecraft. Likely the ship’s crew and cargo will be intact.

Ship One and Ship Two are unable to talk it out. An spacecraft battle ensues.

Ship One and Ship Two are unable to talk it out. They both have Artillery, which is turn level 3.

Ship Two would win initiative on Artillery (3) and would get to make an attack roll and possible damage Ship One first.

The first kind of roll is an attack roll. Attack rolls are the same as attack rolls in tactical combat. Exatmo combat attack rolls use a kilodie and the player must roll over a Defence Rating. Attack Rolls are used with physical attacks like mini-missiles, mines, artillery etc. Win an attack roll and damage the target.

The second kind of roll a success roll. Success rolls are most similar to task rolls. The player must roll over a calculated number using 1d100. Success rolls are used with electronic attacks like ECM, and navigation attacks like ramming and boarding. Win a success roll and something happens to the target.

A success roll may enjoy persona based bonuses on the fly. For example, a pilot may be able to add her DEX to a success roll when trying to board.

NOTE*A success roll will eventually become a task roll.*

Crew can help the ship’s computer and combat systems improve the chances of success. A mechanic with artillery skill two is assisting a level three computer. This vocation/computer team makes artillery attacks like a level 5 computer.

If the spacecraft is flush with crew members, the computer can work with a research team to pile up bonuses. Before a mechanic, a mercenary and a spie must form a research team before assisting the computer. Research teams are located somewhere in this book.

There is enough time during combat turns to accomplish ship repairs. The goal of ship repairs is to return percentage points of efficiency and restore functionality. Ship repairs are entirely under the purvey of the mechanic vocation. The personas can form research teams depending on which system they are repairing.

These are not maintenance repairs. These are bubble gum and duct tape repairs to get through combat. Most of these repairs will fall apart once combat ends.

For example, a mechanic attempts to repair the special drive by ten percentage points. This repair would be a 10 DD maneuver for the mechanic. If she is successful, the special drive will move from 8% effectiveness (disabled) to 18% effectiveness. This repairs the special drive moves from disabled to critically damaged. While still critically damaged, the expedition special jumps to safety.

The mechanic could also repair an airlock from only opening 40% to opening 60%. To repair this 20% deficiency would be a 20DD maneuver. The repair allows the expedition’s combot to join in on the boarding attack.