GROUND COMBAT AND SPACE COMBAT

Ground combat and space combat can happen at the same time. Perhaps a firefight breaks out on your ship while it is at the same time engaged in space combat. For simplicity, we recommend that you alter- nate between the two – one turn of space combat, then one turn of ground combat, space combat, ground combat, and so on. You cannot be an active combatant in both fights at the same time. If you are engaged in ground combat in a turn, you cannot par- ticipate in the space combat in that same turn.

an action, the action becomes more effective. Each additional EP above the base cost of the action gives a +1 bonus to the roll. Three extra EP means a +3 modifier, for example.

The Engineer’s Actions: Distributing EP is no action per se,

and requires no dice roll. After the EP have been distributed, the engineer can perform one of the following actions (all demanding technology tests):

◆Overloading the Reactor: A successful roll gives you extra EP

equal to the number of sixes on your roll. Distribute the extra EP immediately. The ship suffers 1 point of HP damage per extra EP generated. A failed roll means 1 point of HP damage.

cost: 0 EP.

◆Repair Hull Damage: A successful roll restores Hull Points equal

to the number of sixes on your roll. A failed roll has no effect.

cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part (page 113).

Without a service station, you get a -2 to the roll.

◆Repair System Damage: A successful roll restores lost EP equal

to the number of sixes on your roll, taking effect at the beginning of the next turn. A failed roll has no effect.

cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part. Without a

service station, you get a -2 to the roll.

◆_{Repair Critical Damage: A successful roll repairs one critical}

damage, provided the ship has not been vaporized. A failed roll has no effect.

cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part. Without a

service station, you get a -2 to the roll.

◆_{Repair Module: A successful roll restores a disabled module to}

working condition. A failed roll has no effect.

cost: 1 EP. Requires one ordinary spare part (page 113).

Without a service station, you get a -2 to the roll.

◆_{Open an airlock to an enemy ship that the pilot has docked with}

in the previous turn. See Boarding (phase 3), below.

cost: 1 EP.

3. PILOT PHASE

The pilots all act in the third phase. This phase in played openly, just like Phase 2. The pilots act one by one, in the established turn order. The pilot can perform a variety of maneuvers, each one requiring a pilot test. Each maneuver is modified by the Maneuverability of the ship (page 141). A failed roll means that the intended maneuver is not per-

RULES

formed. Unlike other crew members, the pilot can perform multiple actions at once – if she has been allotted enough EP. Each additional action after the first one gives a -2 to all actions. The pilot chooses the order of her actions. These are the available actions:

◆Position: The pilot attempts to move into a better position.

Each six on the roll raises the initiative score of the ship by one for the coming turns.

cost: EP equal to the class of the ship.

◆Advance/Retreat: The ship moves one segment on the map in

the direction of your choice. For each additional six on the roll, you can move one extra segment.

cost: EP equal to the class of the ship.

◆Evasive Maneuver: An unexpected maneuver that gives a penalty

to all attacks against the ship for the rest of the turn, equal to the number of sixes on the roll.

cost: EP equal to the class of the ship.

◆Ramming: If the ship is in the same segment as an enemy ship

(Contact Range), the pilot may attempt to ram the enemy. The action is an opposed pilot roll for the two pilots. It counts as an action for the attacker, but not for the defender. Both rolls are modified by the Maneuverability of the ships. Read more about ramming on page 169.

cost: EP equal to the class of the ship.

◆_{Boarding: If the ship is equipped with a docking station, the pilot}

may attempt to dock with an enemy ship to send a boarding party over. Just like ramming, this is an opposed pilot roll modified by Maneuverability. The attacking pilot suffers a -2 however, as docking during combat is incredibly difficult. If you win the roll, the engineer may (in the next turn) test technology to open an airlock into the enemy ship. Once the docking is complete, the target ship cannot Retreat from the attacker.

cost: EP equal to the class of the ship.

4. SENSOR PHASE

The sensor operators act in Phase 4 – openly, just like Phases 2 and 3. One operator at a time performs her action, in the established turn order. The sensor operator can perform one of several key actions during a fight, all requiring data

djinn rolls.

◆Target Lock: To attack the enemy effectively, the sensor operator

a positive modifier to attacks against this target equal to the number of sixes on the roll. Note the lock strength down or use a die to indicate it. Torpedoes cannot be used at all without first locking the target. Other weapon systems can be used without a lock, but suffer a -2 modifier. Only one target at a time may be locked – if you establish a new lock, the previous lock is lost.

cost: 1 EP.

◆_{Breaking Target Lock: To avoid attacks, the sensor operator may}

attempt to break an enemy lock on the ship. The is modified negatively by the strength of the enemy lock. A successful roll breaks the lock.

cost: 1 EP.

◆Pulse and Meme Attacks: The operator launches a data pulse

or meme attack against the opponent. The roll is modified by the enemy’s Signature. Pulse attacks deals EP damage (not HP damage). Read more about meme attacks on page 169.

costs 1 EP.

◆Disappear: If the ship is fitted with Stealth Technology (page

154), the sensor operator may attempt to drop from the ene- mies’ screens. If the ship has a lock on it, the roll is modified negatively by the strength of the lock (the highest value in the case of multiple locks). A successful roll ends the combat. The enemy ship may of course try to detect you again.

cost: 1 EP.

5. ATTACK PHASE

In the last phase, the gunners get to act. Their actions are declared openly, as in Phases 2-4. One gunner acts at a time, in the established turn order (with a few exceptions, see below). The gunner fires the ship’s weapon systems. If there are more than one weapon systems onboard, the gunner must choose which system to fire. The attack roll is a ranged combat test.

◆_{Fire Weapon System: The attack is modified by the bonus of}

the weapon system, certain features (above), and by the strength of the lock on the enemy ship. Firing without a target lock gives the gunner a -2 to the roll. Incoming torpedoes may also be targeted. On a successful roll, the target suffers damage (below).

cost: 1 EP.

◆Launch a Torpedo: Like the action above, but requires a lock

on the target. Torpedoes don’t hit their targets immediately –

and destroyed by the defender. A ship can carry only a limited number of torpedoes.

cost: None, but extra EP may be spent for a bonus.

◆Defensive Fire: A ship equipped with an autocannon or a counter-

measure dispenser can fire defensive fire against an incoming torpedo, even if the torpedo is launched from 2 CU or less (and thus strikes in the same turn). The defensive fire is rolled for right before the torpedo strikes, and is considered to occur att Contact range. The defensive fire replaces any offensive fire by the gunner in the same turn. Thus, a gunner on a ship acting early in the turn order will need to hold off on firing offensively, if she wants to retain the option of defensive fire later in the turn. If the ship has multiple gunners (and weapon systems), if can fire offensively and defensively in the same turn. The defensive fire roll is modified by the strength of the enemy’s target lock. A successful defensive fire roll means that the torpedo is destroyed or misses its target.

cost: 1 EP.

y SMALL CREWS

On smaller ships, designed for fewer than five crew members, the crew positions are changed:

◆Four (class II): The pilot takes on the captain’s role as well. In

phase one, the pilot rolls the initiative score, but is unable to give orders that carry positive modifiers.

◆Three (class II): The engineer takes on the sensor operator’s

role as well. The data djinn and technology rolls are rolled normally. The engineer simply gets two actions per turn.

◆_{Two (class I and II): The pilot takes on the gunner’s role as well.}

The ranged combat attack rolls are unmodified. The pilot simply gets two actions per turn.

◆One (class I): The pilot covers all crew positions, getting four

actions per turn.

All of the changes above stack – on a ship crewed by three people, the pilot also acts as captain, and the engineer acts as sensor operator.

Lost Crew: The above only applies to ships designed pur-

posefully for the specified number of crew members. If a ship designed for a larger crew loses some members, the roles are still combined as above, but for every extra action a crew member performs, she gets a -2 to all her actions. Everyone onboard must declare at the beginning of the turn in which

phases she intends to act. The initiative roll is not an action. A single person could try to manage a ship designed for a crew of five, but if she wants to act in every phase, all her actions carry a -8 modifier.

Ship Systems: A ship with the features Ship System or Ship

Intelligence can have these features cover some positions. Read more on page 154.

y LARGE CREWS

Large ships may have more than five crew members. There can only be one captain, but you may have more than one of the other positions.

Pilot: Only one person maneuvers the ship in combat, but

a co-pilot can take over when necessary.

Engineer: Only the head engineer gets to distribute the EP,

but all engineers get an action during Phase 2. Each individual action may only be attempted once per turn, however. Extra engineers can also help (page 58) each other with an action.

Sensor Operator: Extra operators can be used to get more

actions in the sensor phase. Each individual action may only be attempted once per turn. Extra operators can help each other with an action.

Gunner: Ships armed with multiple weapon systems may

use more than one gunner to make extra attacks. Each gunner gets one attack. Two gunners may not use the same system. Remember that only one target may be locked at once – if the gunners wish to fire at multiple targets, all but one of them must fire without the guidance of a target lock (at -2).