SHIP'S TURN

1. Ship moves to its velocity trajectory marker

2. Crew decides on the order of the following actions:

   1. Maneuver using thrusters (see maneuvering)

   2. Accelerate at ship's impulse (See movement)

   3. Fire weapons at a target (see ship combat)

   4. Performing a crew actions

SHIP MOVEMENT

Each ship has an Impulse value. This represents the number of squares of velocity it can change during an acceleration action (also called a Burn). During its acceleration action, its velocity is changed by the impulse value along the axis it is facing. If it is facing in the direction it is already going, its velocity increases by the impulse. If it is facing in the opposite direction, its velocity is decreased by the impulse. If it is facing perpendicularly to its trajectory, then it changes its velocity along that axis instead. Once the pilot completes an acceleration action, its velocity trajectory marker is placed accordingly, predicting where it will be at the beginning of its next turn.

If a ship travels 7 squares or more along any axis, it must suffer a random system system consequence, see Hyper-instability

SHIP collision

If during its movement, a ship would enter the same square as another, both ships must decide whether they intend to Evade or Ram.

If both choose to evade, then both ships roll a Pilot check, the lesser score takes 1 Heat.

If both choose to ram, then both ships must roll a pilot check the higher roll does that many shifts of hull stress but takes that much heat as well. The damage can be taken as an alternate system consequence.

If only one ship chooses to evade, then both ships roll a pilot check. If the ramming ship's roll is higher, it does that many shifts in stress to the evading ship, or be taken as a system consequence. If the evading ship's roll is higher, the ramming ship takes 1 Heat.

Inanimate objects such as derelicts and asteroids are considered to be always attempting to ram, however they have no pilot skill. Collision rules do not apply to objects not large enough to cause any significant damage to a ship.

SHIP MANEUVERING

Each ship has a maneuver value, this represents the number of maneuver actions that can be performed in a turn.

A maneuver action may be:

• 1. Decelerate the ship by 1 square along any one axis regardless of orientation

  2. Rotate the ship 90 degrees in either direction.

  3. Move the ship and its trajectory 1 square in any direction including diagonally (This may only be used once per turn)

For example: A ship with 3 Maneuver may perform 3 Decelerations, or 2 Rotations and 1 Bump, or 1 of each, etc.

SHIP COMBAT

Ship combat relies on a number of stats for all ships engaged.

• Weapons Range (How many squares away it can fire)

• Firing Arc Bonus (Bonus or penalty for firing at a target based your orientation to it)

• Shield (Defense bonus from Engineer or Science skills of the crew)

• Hull Stress (Amount of damage a ship can take before it is destroyed)

• System Consequence (An alternative to Hull Stress that disables a specific function)

• Heat (A cumulating stress that can be reduced by crew)

Attacking:

1. During the attack action, the gunner may choose a target within range of the ship. Each ship has a weapon range value. That value translates to a square around the ship within which it can target an enemy.

2. The gunner then rolls their Shoot skill, adds up circumstantial bonuses such as firing arc bonus.

3. The enemy ship then rolls for shield defense by using their Science or Engineer skill and adding circumstantial bonuses. If it equals or exceeds the attack value, no damage is done. If it is lower than the attack value, then Hull Stress damage equal to the difference is dealt.

4. Damage is represented by hull stress. Each ship has a hull stress value. Damage dealt to the ship is added to the hull stress. If the hull stress exceeds its maximum, the ship is destroyed.

5. A crew may choose to ignore an attack's damage instead by accepting system consequences. Each system consequence can negate up to 2 of that damage. Each system consequence is chosen at random and disabled, and the ship's heat is increased by 1 for each consequence. These systems are: Weapons, Engines, Maneuvering Thrusters, Artificial Gravity, Zipp Drive, Power Grid, Shields, Sensors, Communications, Life Support, Helm Control, and a Hull Breach. The ship and its crew suffer that consequence until it is repaired.

6. An attacking crew may also target a specific system. To do so, they must declare the system before the attack, and must succeed in the attack by 3 or more. A successful attack does not deal any Hull Stress. Attacking a currently disabled subsystem has no effect.

7. If a ship's heat has exceeds its limit, all systems are immediately disabled, and this ship is Disabled. In order to restore function to a ship, heat must be vented until it no longer exceeds its limit.

OTHER ACTIONS

Each crew not performing some other task such as piloting or gunning, may perform other actions such as:

• Scanning the other ship to determine its stats such as current hull stress, disabled systems, firing arcs, and so on.

• Repairing disabled systems to restore function.

• Communicating with other ships to ask for assistance, truce, mercy, or surrender

• Create advantages such as allowing a gun to be fired again, routing power to crucial systems to boost their effectiveness, improving morale, or relaying tactical information to crew and allies.

• Scanning for battlefield hazards, obstacles, or assets

• Tweaking into enemy ship's computers

• Activating Zipp Drive

• Venting Heat can be done by crew rolling Engineering or Science. For each +2 on this roll, 1 Heat can be vented.

SYSTEM CONSEQUENCE

The following ship's systems can be disabled, resulting in a limited function and accompanied by a visual characteristic.

• Power Grid (1)- All subsystems except engines, thrusters, and Zipp Drive are disabled until the end of that ship’s next turn, at which point they are restored. Disabled power grid will cause random electrical arcs across exposed components on the hull.

• Engines (2)- May not accelerate using the engines and will continue to drift using its velocity. Disabled engines will have no exhaust plume and go dark.

• Thrusters (3)- Ship cannot use maneuver actions. Disabled thrusters will vent small gas plumes from the nozzles.

• Zipp Drive (4)- Cannot open a Zippway or inhibit another Zipp Drive.

• Helm (5)- Cannot use engines or thrusters until repaired, or use a Pilot roll. Disabled helm appears as a distinct wobble along the ship's axis.

• Life Support (6)- Crew have 3 turns to restore life support, or equip space suits, before they die. Disabled life support can appear as a brief frosting of exterior viewports.

• Weapons (7) - Cannot fire. Disabled weapons will swivel to their default orientation.

• Shields (8)- Cannot add the shield bonus to defense rolls. Disabled shields lose their ambient glowing barrier.

• Sensors (9)- Crew cannot scan for ship stats, obstacles, or hazards. Disabled sensors will release a harmless shockwave of purple ultramine particles.

• Comms (10)- Cannot connect to the network or communicate with other ships or local TOMEs. Crew may not benefit from help from other characters. Disabled communication systems release distinct white sparks.

• Gravity (11)- All non-combat skill rolls for the crew receive a -1 penalty.

• Breach (12)- No other system can be repaired until the hull breach is. Hull breaches appear as plumes of gas and debris from a point on the hull.

Every time a ship takes a system consequence, the ship's heat counter is increased by 1. If the heat counter reaches the ship's heat limit, then the ship is entirely disabled.

ZIPP DRIVE

If a ship wishes to disengage and escape a fight entirely, they must activate their Zipp Drive and fly through the Zippway.

1. The crew chooses a square on the battlefield where the Zippway is to open. It cannot be in the same square as any ship, and it must be within 10 squares of the ship.

2. A countdown starts, tracking the number of turns before the Zippway opens. This timer is 3 + the ship's greatest velocity along any single axis.

3. At the beginning of each of that ship’s turn, before it moves, that timer is reduced by one.

4. During that ship’s turn, the crew may roll for Navigate or Science to reduce the timer.

5. If the Zipp Drive is de-activated, or disabled, the Zippway disappears. If the crew wishes to try again, the process must restart from step 1.

6. If the ship moves beyond 10 squares of the Zippway, the Zippway disappears. If the crew wishes to try again, the process must restart from step 1.

7. A ship may enter a zippway from any direction, at any speed, and at any point along its movement or maneuver action.

8. A ship may enter any other ship's zippway as long as they are the same size rating or smaller. A ship may choose to open up a zippway large enough for a higher size rating.

FIGHTERS (WIP)

Fighters are launched by a mothership. Once launched, they can move up to their Impulse in any pattern or direction, including diagonally.

Once entering within 1 square of another ship or fighter, each must choose to Engage or Disengage.

• If both ships choose to Engage, and are both fighters, then begin to fight and neither can move.

• If both ships choose to Engage, and one is not a fighter, then the they begin to fight and the fighter inherits the velocity of its target, and will follow it until either of them disengage.

• If one ship chooses to Disengage, then both must roll a Pilot check. If the ship attempting to Disengage rolls higher, then they do not fight and may move freely. If the ship choosing to Engage rolls higher, then they fight and share velocity.

• If both ships choose to Disengage, then both roll a Pilot check, and the ship with the lowest roll suffers 1 Heat.

When in a Fight:

• On the mothership's turn, while in a Fight with a larger ship, a Fighter may roll a Shoot attack against their Shield defense. It may continue to do this as long as they are Engaged in a Fight.

• On the mothership's turn, while in a Fight with another Fighter, the Fighter may roll Pilot to create advantage opposed by their target's Pilot defense, or roll a Shoot attack against their target's Pilot defense.

Torpedoes (WIP)

Torpedoes are launched by a mothership. Once launched, they can move up to their Impulse in any pattern or direction, including diagonally.

Torpedoes, when entering the square occupied by a ship will attempt to Ram.

Instead of using Pilot to determine the result of a Torpedo's ram, the attacking ship may use Shoot instead. The defending ship does not benefit from shield defense.

If the defending ship, or a ship intercepting the Torpedo has the ability to shoot it, they may roll Shoot as defense.

Situational Aspects

Sitting Duck: Ships traveling less than 2 squares per turn receive a -1 defense bonus

Hyper-instability: Ships traveling 7 squares or more in a turn must suffer a random system consequence

Tweaked: A ship's maneuvering thrusters can be controlled by the tweaker

Destroyed: A ship's hull has broken apart, exposing most of its interior to vacuum and rendering all systems inoperable.

Disabled: All of a ship's subsystems are inoperable, however they are restored once enough heat is vented

Heat vs Sensors

Heat is a stress type that affects how easy it is for a ship to be scanned. For each heat a ship has, it must subtract 1 from any rolls made to go unnoticed or conceal details from an attempt to scan them.

Scanning

Scanning is a crew action that can be made using Science.

Any ship with an active Transponder will be immediately identified. All other objects will be Unidentified.

To determine more details about an object such as its class, status, trajectory, or exterior upgrades, an Active Scan is needed.

Once an object has received an Active Scan, any number of Focused Scans may be made against it to determine things like cargo, life signs, upgrades, statistics, or material composition, or other aspects.