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This chapter is the hardware reference for ship weapons and defenses: mounts, weapon families, every weapon's statistics, every weapon tag, ammunition and ordnance prices, Deflection, and every defense system with its price. How to fire, resolve damage, and spend results is in Chapter 15. Weapon names and numbers follow The Starship Armory, except where an entry here notes a Void Drifters difference.
Hardpoints and Mounts
A hull carries weapon mounts, each of a fixed size. Hardpoint capacity is counted in hardpoint points: a Light mount is 1 point, Standard 2, Heavy 3, Capital 4. When this book gives a hull's hardpoints as one number, the number is points. Stat blocks list mounts by size.
| Mount | Hardpoint points | Minimum hull Scale | Typical weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 1 | 1 | Fighter guns, point defense, small turrets |
| Standard | 2 | 3 | Ship guns, missile racks, beam batteries, ion emitters |
| Heavy | 3 | 4 | Mass drivers, torpedoes, lances, heavy plasma |
| Capital | 4 | 6 | Capital lances, fleet torpedoes, capital batteries |
| Strategic | Bespoke | 7 | Station-killers and bombardment arrays; sovereign navies only, never sold |
- Fit. A weapon fits a mount of its own size or larger. A Light weapon in a Standard mount uses the whole mount.
- Mounts do not pool. Three Light mounts do not take a Heavy weapon. Changing a mount's size is a yard rebuild: time and checks in Chapter 10, Changing Hardpoints; price in Chapter 12, Hardpoints.
- Oversized mount. A hull may carry one weapon one size above its largest normal mount. The weapon is Fixed Forward, costs 1 extra hardpoint point, and gains Recoil. A ground or hover vehicle carries weapons as if it were one Scale larger (Chapter 9).
- Below Scale minimum. Apart from the one oversized mount, fitting a weapon on a hull below its Scale minimum is a jury-rig: a Severe Craft check with 1 Trial Die upgraded to a Crisis Die. A success fits it with at least one complication. A Calamity may wreck the mounting point or injure the crew.
- Scale 8 to 10. Empire-level warships and war stations of Scale 8 to 10 are always military and are detailed in another book. The GM builds them as needed; this book gives no figures for them.
Weapon Families
| Family | Damage | Strengths | Costs | Stopped by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic | Hull, often with Pierce | Low Heat and Power; reliable against Armor | Ammunition; Recoil | Armor; the Gravitic Deflection Field; 1 point of a Military Screen Array |
| Guided Ordnance | High Hull; payloads | Long range; the most damage for the mount | Every round costs money; needs a lock; Slow-Firing on heavy launchers | Point defense, ECM, chaff |
| Beam | Hull | Accurate; no ammunition; Precision | High Heat; Signature Bloom | Screens, then Armor |
| Plasma | High Hull, Pierce, Scorch | The heaviest damage for the mount | Very high Heat and Power; short range; Volatile | Screens (Thermal best), then Armor; distance |
| Disruption | System Damage (Ion) | Puts a ship out of control without destroying it | Little Hull damage | Half of the target's Armor; automatic damage control |
| Gravitic and Phase | Hull that ignores Armor or screens; drift | Bypasses a defensive layer; stops jumps | Price, legality, Heat, Volatile | Evasion; the Phase Veil; 1 point of a Military Screen Array against phase |
Choosing a weapon. Across the line a Light weapon deals about 3 damage, a Standard weapon about 5, a Heavy weapon about 9, and a Capital weapon about 18. Per hardpoint point that is about 3 for Light and Heavy weapons, 2.6 for Standard weapons, and 4.4 for Capital weapons: a Standard mount costs twice the points of a Light mount for about one and two-thirds the damage. What a Standard weapon adds is reach (most fire at Long) and one larger hit, which loses less to Armor. Two identical Light weapons fired as a battery (Chapter 15) do about as well as one Standard weapon at Short and Medium range when the gunner has support. Because each gunner fires one weapon or one battery a round, a ship's crew limits its firepower as much as its mounts do.
Weapon Statistics
Damage is the Hull Damage of a hit with one Success; each Success beyond the first adds 1 (Chapter 15). "Sys" is System Damage. Price is for the weapon alone; fitting it is priced in Chapter 12, and ammunition below. Availability uses the four tiers of Chapter 12: Open, Licensed, Restricted, Military.
Kinetic
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Rotary Cannon | Light | 1 | Short–Medium | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 40 | 6,000 | Open | Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor) |
| Autocannon | Light | 1 | Short–Medium | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 20 | 9,000 | Licensed | Pierce 1, Recoil |
| Pintle Gun | Light | 1 | Long | 12 (personal scale) | 3 | 0 | 0 | Limited Ammo 10 | 2,500 | Licensed | Personal Scale, Auto-Fire, Pierce 1 |
| Railgun Battery | Standard | 3 | Medium–Long | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Limited Ammo 16 | 22,000 | Licensed | Pierce 1, Recoil |
| Flak Cannon | Standard | 3 | Short | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 24 | 14,000 | Open | Point Defense 2, Anti-Fighter, Scatter |
| Tank Gun | Standard | 3 | Medium–Long | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 30 | 30,000 | Military | Ground, Pierce 2, Blast 2, Slow-Firing 1 |
| Heavy Mass Driver | Heavy | 4 | Medium–Long | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Limited Ammo 8 | 90,000 | Military | Pierce 2, Armor Breaker, Recoil, Slow-Firing 1 |
| Capital Mass Driver | Capital | 6 | Long–Extreme | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | Limited Ammo 4 | 450,000 | Military | Pierce 3, Armor Breaker, Recoil, Slow-Firing 2, Signature Bloom 2, Restricted |
Guided Ordnance
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-Missile Pod | Light | 1 | Short–Medium | 3 per missile | 4 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 8 | 8,000 | Licensed | Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Salvo 2 |
| Light Missile Rack | Standard | 3 | Long | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Limited Ammo 6 | 18,000 | Licensed | Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Payload |
| Salvo Missile System | Heavy | 4 | Long | 5 per missile | 3 | 2 | 2 | Limited Ammo 12 | 75,000 | Military | Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Salvo 4, Saturation |
| Torpedo Launcher | Heavy | 4 | Extreme | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Limited Ammo 4 | 110,000 | Military | Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Slow-Firing 1, Heavy Payload |
| Capital Torpedo Battery | Capital | 6 | Extreme | 22 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Limited Ammo 4 | 600,000 | Military | Lock-On, Tracking, Interceptable, Slow-Firing 2, Capital Killer, Restricted, Authority Heat |
A capital torpedo's lock can be broken only on a Hard check (Chapter 15, Break Lock).
Beam
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point-Defense Laser | Light | 1 | Short | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | None | 7,000 | Open | Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown |
| Light Laser Cannon | Light | 1 | Short–Medium | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | None | 10,000 | Licensed | Accurate 1, Linked 1 |
| Laser Battery | Standard | 3 | Medium | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | None | 24,000 | Licensed | Accurate 1, Precision, Signature Bloom 1 |
| Cutting Beam | Standard | 3 | Short–Medium | 3 + 2 Sys | 3 | 3 | 2 | None | 20,000 | Open | Accurate 1, Precision, Boarding Support |
| Particle Lance | Heavy | 4 | Medium–Long | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | None | 120,000 | Military | Accurate 1, Precision, Power Draw, Cooldown, Signature Bloom 2 |
| Capital Lance Array | Capital | 6 | Long | 18 | 3 | 5 | 4 | None | 500,000 | Military | Accurate 1, Precision, Power Draw, Cooldown, Concentrated Fire, Signature Bloom 3 |
Plasma
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma Blaster | Light | 1 | Short | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Reactor | 9,000 | Licensed | Close Range (5 at Engaged), Scorch 1, Heat Surge |
| Plasma Projector | Standard | 3 | Medium | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Reactor | 28,000 | Licensed | Pierce 1, Close Range (9 at Engaged, 5 at Medium), Scorch 2, Heat Surge, Volatile, Signature Bloom 2 |
| Heavy Plasma Cannon | Heavy | 4 | Long | 13 | 3 | 5 | 4 | Reactor | 130,000 | Military | Pierce 2, Close Range (16 at Engaged, 10 at Long), Scorch 2, Heat Surge, Volatile, Power Draw, Signature Bloom 3 |
| Capital Plasma Battery | Capital | 6 | Medium | 20 | 3 | 6 | 5 | Reactor | 550,000 | Military | Pierce 3, Scorch 3, Heat Surge, Volatile, Power Draw, Broadside, Extreme Heat, Signature Bloom 3 |
Disruption
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ion Blaster | Light | 1 | Short | 3 Sys | 4 | 1 | 1 | None | 8,000 | Licensed | Ion |
| Ion Pulse Emitter | Standard | 3 | Short–Medium | 1 + 4 Sys | 4 | 2 | 2 | None | 26,000 | Licensed | Ion, Disable, Boarding Support |
| EMP Projector | Standard | 4 | Short | 0 + 5 Sys | 5 | 2 | 3 | Capacitor 3 | 32,000 | Military | Ion, Area Effect, Overload, Boarding Support, Military Hardening |
| Heavy Ion Cannon | Heavy | 4 | Medium | 2 + 7 Sys | 4 | 3 | 3 | None | 100,000 | Military | Ion, Disable, Overload, Power Disruption, Boarding Support |
| Disruption Lance | Heavy | 4 | Short–Medium | 3 + 6 Sys | 4 | 3 | 3 | None | 115,000 | Military | Ion, Disable, Electronic Attack, Boarding Support, Restricted |
The EMP Projector's capacitor recharges 1 charge every 3 rounds, or a crew member recharges 1 charge with an Action and an Average Craft check.
Gravitic, Phase, and Tractor
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravitic Distorter | Heavy | 4 | Medium | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | None | 80,000 | Military | Armor Bypass, Forced Drift, Navigation Damage, Volatile, Restricted, Authority Heat |
| Phase Lance | Heavy | 5 | Medium | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | None | 90,000 | Military | Screen Penetrating, Phase Shear, Volatile, Restricted, Military Only, Authority Heat |
| Inertial Shear Projector | Capital | 6 | Medium–Long | 12 | 3 | 5 | 5 | None | 700,000 | Military | Armor Bypass, Forced Drift, Navigation Damage, Phase Shear, Volatile, Restricted, Military Only, Authority Heat |
| Slipstream Interdiction System | Capital | 6 | Long–Extreme | 0 + 4 Sys | — | 4 | 5 | 4 uses | 900,000 | Military | Interdiction, Navigation Damage, Restricted, Military Only, Authority Heat |
| Tractor Beam | Standard | 3 | Short | — | — | 2 | 2 | None | 30,000 | Open | Tractor 2 |
| Heavy Tractor Beam | Heavy | 4 | Short–Medium | — | — | 3 | 3 | None | 95,000 | Licensed | Tractor 4 |
The Gravitic Distorter is scarce: even with Military clearance, finding one is a campaign event. The Inertial Shear Projector's Forced Drift check is Hard, and its Navigation Damage applies on every hit. The Slipstream Interdiction System's System Damage is split between the target's Navigation Suite and Slipstream Drive as the attacker chooses. A Heavy Tractor Beam can pull a held target of Scale 3 or less one range band closer each round.
Boarding and Utility
| Weapon | Mount | Scale Min | Range | Damage | Crit | Heat | Power | Ammo | Price | Avail | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaching Charge Array | Light | 1 | Engaged | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Limited Ammo 4 | 6,000 | Military | Pierce 2 |
Against a target that cannot move (held, docked, out of control), a Breaching Charge Array needs no attack check.
Weapons in The Starship Armory that are not listed here may be used at the GM's discretion.
Weapon Tags
| Tag | Rule |
|---|---|
| Accurate N | Add N Boon Dice to the attack (counts toward the Boon Limit, Chapter 15) |
| Anti-Fighter | Against missiles, drones, and vehicles of Scale 3 or less, the weapon deals 6 Hull Damage in place of its listed damage. Against a target with Armor 3 or more, it deals half its listed damage. It adds only half the Scale Bane Dice against small targets |
| Area Effect | Make one attack check and apply it to every ship within the weapon's range of the firing ship, friend and foe. Each target applies its own Deflection, screens, and Armor |
| Armor Bypass | Armor and screens do not reduce this weapon's damage |
| Armor Breaker | When the weapon's Hull Damage, before Armor, exceeds the target's Armor by 4 or more, the target also suffers 1 System Damage, or 2 if it exceeds it by 8 or more |
| Authority Heat | The five powers log every use. After an encounter in which the item is used, the power whose space it happened in, and any power whose ships were its target, issues a Border Warrant against the ship. An inspection that finds the item seizes it. Both are consequences in the GM Guide, Chapter Ten |
| Auto-Fire | Add 1 Trial Die to the attack. On a hit, spend 2 Boons for each extra hit, on the same target or another within Short range of it |
| Blast N | Spend 2 Boons: every other vehicle Engaged with the target suffers N Hull Damage |
| Boarding Support | After this weapon hits a ship, checks this round and next to breach its hull, open its hatches, or board it are one step easier |
| Broadside | Fired only from a Broadside arc, and not in a round the ship takes an Evasive Maneuver |
| Capital Killer | +3 damage against a target of Scale 6 or more |
| Close Range | The weapon deals the damage its entry gives at the bands named |
| Concentrated Fire | +3 damage against a target that has already suffered 5 or more Hull Damage this encounter |
| Cooldown | Fired in two consecutive rounds, or as a reaction and an Action in one round, the weapon makes 1 extra Heat |
| Disable | With 3 or more net Successes, name one system on the target (a weapon, the drive, sensors, a screen). It shuts down until the end of the target's next turn |
| Electronic Attack | On a hit, the target's next Jam, Counter-Jam, or Break Lock check and its next point defense check each add 1 Bane Die |
| Extreme Heat | When this weapon fires, every other energy weapon on the ship makes 1 extra Heat on its next shot |
| Forced Drift | On a hit, the target's pilot makes an Average Pilot check (no Action). On a failure the target enters Uncontrolled Drift (Chapter 15) |
| Ground | Built for a planet's surface. It cannot be fitted to a spacecraft or fired in vacuum or free fall |
| Heat Surge | If the ship's Heat is at or above half its Heat Threshold when the weapon fires, the engineer makes an Average Craft check (no Action) or the weapon makes 2 extra Heat |
| Heavy Payload | Payload, with the torpedo column of the Payload table |
| Interceptable | After the attack hits and before damage, the target may use point defense or chaff against it (Chapter 15) |
| Interdiction | A ship hit cannot make a Slipstream jump for 1 round, plus 1 for every 2 net Successes, to a maximum of 3. The effect ends early if the target's engineer succeeds on a Hard Craft check as an Action, or if the target reaches Extreme range of the firing ship. While it lasts, any ship within Short range of the target adds 2 Bane Dice to Slipstream checks |
| Ion | The weapon's System Damage is reduced by half the target's Armor (rounded down) and by nothing else: no screen, no Pierce. A vehicle with no powered systems is not affected |
| Limited Ammo N | N shots before the weapon must be reloaded (Ammunition, below) |
| Linked N | After a hit, spend 2 Boons for each extra hit on the same target, up to N times |
| Lock-On | The weapon needs a Target Lock before it fires (Chapter 15, Target Lock and Guided Weapons) |
| Military Hardening | Military hulls add 2 Bane Dice to this weapon's attacks against them |
| Military Only | Sold by no civilian market anywhere; supplied only by a sovereign navy. Found aboard a civilian ship, it is evidence of theft or worse |
| Navigation Damage | With 3 or more net Successes, the target's Navigation Suite suffers 1 System Damage, and its Slipstream checks add 1 Bane Die until it is repaired |
| Overload | With 4 or more net Successes, Disable names two systems instead of one |
| Payload | The round may carry any warhead from the Payload table, chosen when it is loaded |
| Personal Scale | Deals damage at personal scale (Chapter 3, Vehicle Scale and Character Scale) |
| Phase Shear | With 3 or more net Successes, the target's Defensive Control suffers 1 System Damage, and one screen or active defense the attacker names stops working until a crew member restarts it with an Action |
| Pierce N | Ignore N points of Armor |
| Point Defense X | Fires as a reaction, once a round, to intercept up to X incoming Interceptable attacks (Chapter 15, Point Defense) |
| Power Disruption | When the weapon deals System Damage, the target's engineer makes an Average Craft check (no Action) or the target's Power Capacity is 1 lower until the end of its next turn |
| Power Draw | The weapon draws 1 more Power Load in the round it is first brought to bear on a target |
| Precision | Before rolling, the gunner may aim at one system. The hit deals 2 less Hull Damage and, if any damage gets through, 1 System Damage to that system |
| Recoil | When the ship fires this weapon while taking an Evasive Maneuver, while in Uncontrolled Drift, or from a hull of Scale 3 or less, the pilot's next Pilot check before the end of the next round adds 1 Bane Die |
| Recoil (minor) | As Recoil, but only while the ship is in Uncontrolled Drift or its Sublight Engine has System Damage |
| Restricted | Owning or carrying it without sovereign or military authorization is a crime in all five powers' space. An inspection that finds it seizes it (Tech Seizure, GM Guide, Chapter Ten) |
| Salvo X | One launch fires up to X missiles at one target on one lock. Roll each attack separately; point defense must stop each one separately |
| Saturation | If 3 or more missiles from one salvo hit, the target suffers 1 extra System Damage |
| Scatter | Spend 2 Boons: one other target within Short range of the first suffers half the hit's damage, rounded down, before its own screens and Armor |
| Scorch N | Spend 2 Boons: the target gains N Heat |
| Screen Penetrating | Screens add no Bane Dice against this weapon and do not reduce its damage, except the Military Screen Array's 1 point. Armor applies normally |
| Signature Bloom N | Firing adds N Bane Dice to the ship's Signature Management until the end of the next round (Chapter 7) |
| Slow-Firing N | After firing, the weapon cannot fire for N rounds. A crew member's Reload Action, or 2 Boons from the attack, removes one round |
| System Damage | The weapon's second damage number is System Damage, resolved as Chapter 15, Damage Resolution, describes. The tag adds no other rule |
| Tracking | A guided round that misses attacks again at the end of the next round with the same pool, at 1 less damage, then burns out |
| Tractor X | On a hit the target is held: it cannot move unless its pilot succeeds on a Pilot check against difficulty X (2 is Average, 4 is Severe) as an Action. A target more than 2 Scale larger than the firing ship is not held. Holding a target draws the weapon's Power Load every round |
| Volatile | When the weapon is damaged (a Critical Hit, Target Systems, Precision), the engineer makes an Average Craft check (no Action). On a failure the weapon is offline until repaired. On a Calamity it detonates: the ship suffers Hull Damage equal to half the weapon's listed damage, rounded down, and gains Heat equal to the weapon's Heat |
Ammunition, Ordnance, and Payloads
Weapons with Limited Ammo start each fight loaded. Kinetic magazines are reloaded from ship's stores between fights; external racks, pods, and launchers are reloaded in port, or by a suited crew member in ten minutes.
| Ammunition | Price |
|---|---|
| Full reload, Light, Standard, or Heavy kinetic weapon | 5% of the weapon's price |
| Full reload, Capital kinetic weapon | 10% of the weapon's price |
| Micro-missile (one round) | 400 |
| Light missile (one round) | 1,500 |
| Salvo missile (one round) | 1,200 |
| Torpedo (one round) | 8,000 |
| Capital torpedo (one round) | 60,000 |
| Breaching charge (one round) | 500 |
| EMP Projector recharge, three charges, in port | 1,000 |
| Slipstream Interdiction component set, four uses | 90,000, Military |
| Countermissile Launcher reload, eight interceptors | 3,200 |
| Chaff and decoy pods, six charges | 600 |
| Defense drone, one replacement | 15,000 |
Light kinetic ammunition is sold at most ports. Heavy kinetic rounds and standard missiles are sold at established ports. Capital ordnance, special warheads, and gravitic components need military supply or specialist contacts.
Payloads
A Light Missile Rack (Payload) and a Torpedo Launcher (Heavy Payload) may load any of these warheads. The price is the round's price times the multiplier.
| Payload | Light Missile Rack | Torpedo Launcher | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 6 | 12 | ×1 | As the launcher |
| Armor-Piercing | 8, Pierce 2 | 14, Pierce 2 | ×1.5 | Licensed |
| Fragmentation | 6; 8 against Scale 3 or less; Blast 3 | 12; 14 against Scale 3 or less; Blast 3 | ×1 | Open |
| Breaching | 4 + 3 Sys | 8 + 6 Sys | ×2 | Military |
| EMP | 0 + 4 Sys, Ion | 0 + 10 Sys, Ion | ×2 | Military |
| Incendiary | 6, Scorch 2 | 12, Scorch 2 | ×1.5 | Licensed |
| Interdiction | No damage; Interdiction | No damage; Interdiction | ×5 | Military |
| Boarding | — | No damage; delivers four boarders or one drone to the target at Engaged | ×3 | Military |
For a launcher not listed: Breaching deals two-thirds of the listed damage (rounded down) as Hull Damage and half (rounded down) as System Damage; EMP deals the listed damage less 2 as System Damage. A Boarding torpedo is Interceptable like any other.
Deflection
Deflection is a ship statistic, listed fore / aft. It adds that many Bane Dice to every attack against the ship from the matching facing: the fore value against attacks from the ship's Fore facing, the aft value against attacks from its Aft facing, and the lower of the two against attacks from Port or Starboard. It applies to attacks of every type. It does not reduce damage.
Deflection comes from the ship's Defensive Control system (bought in Chapter 13). Each point of System Damage marked on Defensive Control lowers both values by 1, to a minimum of 0, until repaired.
Screens, ECM, and evasion add their own Bane Dice on top of Deflection, each against what it names, and only screens reduce damage. This is the only definition of Deflection in this book; other chapters point here.
Armor
Armor is a ship statistic. It reduces the Hull Damage of each hit, less the weapon's Pierce (Chapter 15, Damage Resolution). It reduces System Damage only from weapons with the Ion tag, by half its value. It needs no Power, no Action, and no crew.
| Upgrade | Installation | Armor | Handling | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Hull Plating | Hull and Frame | The hull's listed Armor | — | Included | — |
| Reinforced Hull Plating | Hull and Frame upgrade | +1 on all facings | — | 20,000 × Scale | Open |
| Directional Combat Plating | Hull and Frame upgrade | +2 against attacks from one facing, chosen at installation | Hard Turn and Take Position checks add 1 Bane Die | 15,000 × Scale | Open |
| Ablative Hull Panels | 1 Module Slot | +2, losing 1 each time one hit deals 5 or more Hull Damage | — | 8,000 × Scale | Open |
| Military Composite Armor | Hull and Frame upgrade | +2 on all facings; +3 against Beam and Plasma | 1 worse | 60,000 × Scale | Military |
- Reinforced Hull Plating is fitted in a yard. Fitting it in the field is a Hard Craft check and leaves one complication.
- Ablative Hull Panels that are used up are replaced in port for half their price.
- Military Composite Armor carries Authority Heat. Repairing it without military-certified parts adds 2 Bane Dice.
Standard and reinforced plating are patchable: a crew can repair them in the field with ordinary materials (Chapter 11).
Screens
A screen is a powered field. It adds Bane Dice to attacks of the types it names, and subtracts its Damage Reduction from each hit of those types before Armor. It draws its Power Load every round it is up. Each hit it reduces adds its Heat per hit to the defending ship. Screens do nothing against Kinetic, Disruption, or Gravitic weapons or against ramming, except where the Military Screen Array says otherwise.
| Screen | Installation | Power | Heat per hit | Bane Dice | Damage Reduction | Coverage | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Deflection Screen | Defensive Control upgrade | 2 | 1 | 1 against Beam and Plasma | 2 against Beam and Plasma | All facings | 40,000 | Open |
| Directional Screen Emitter | Defensive Control upgrade | 2 | 1 | 2 against Beam and Plasma | 3 against Beam and Plasma | One facing | 55,000 | Open |
| Pulse Screen Generator | 1 Module Slot or Defensive Control upgrade | 3 to pulse; 1 while recharging | 0 | 2 against Beam and Plasma, one round | 4 against Beam and Plasma, one round | All facings | 70,000 | Open |
| Thermal Dispersion Screen | Defensive Control upgrade | 2 | 0 against Plasma; 1 against Beam | 1 against Beam and Plasma | 3 against Plasma; 2 against Beam | All facings | 65,000 | Open |
| Military Screen Array | Defensive Control upgrade | 4 | 1 | 2 against Beam and Plasma | 3 against Beam and Plasma; 1 against Kinetic and phase weapons | All facings | 250,000 | Military |
-
Directional Screen Emitter. The engineer sets the covered facing at the start of the ship's turn, with no Action. A screen left on the old facing after the pilot turns covers whatever is now there.
-
Pulse Screen Generator. The engineer raises it as a reaction when an attack is declared against the ship, before it is rolled. It protects for that round, then needs 2 rounds to recharge.
-
Thermal Dispersion Screen. Scorch makes no Heat on this ship. Against Heavy and Capital plasma weapons, the weapon's Pierce is 1 lower.
-
Military Screen Array. Against Kinetic weapons and weapons with Phase Shear or Screen Penetrating it subtracts 1 from each hit and adds no Bane Dice. It carries Authority Heat. Civilian repairs add 2 Bane Dice.
-
Overload. Each point of System Damage marked on a screen lowers its Bane Dice and Damage Reduction by 1. At 3 it collapses; restarting it takes an Action and an Average Craft check.
Point Defense
Point defense weapons are in the weapon tables: the Light Rotary Cannon (Point Defense 1), the Flak Cannon (Point Defense 2), and the Point-Defense Laser (Point Defense 1). Every interception is a check (Chapter 15, Point Defense).
Point defense suites take Module Slots, need no gunner, and roll the pool listed.
| Suite | Slots | Power | Interception Rating | Pool | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated Defense Grid | 1 | 2 | +1 to the X of every point defense weapon aboard | — | 30,000 | Licensed |
| Countermissile Launcher | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 Ability Dice | 45,000 | Licensed |
| Defense Drone Bay | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 Ability Dice | 60,000 | Licensed |
| Military Close-In Defense System | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 Mastery and 1 Ability Dice | 180,000 | Military |
- Automated Defense Grid. Needs a working AI Core with a free Active Channel. It fires nothing by itself.
- Countermissile Launcher. Limited Ammo 8. Its checks against torpedoes and capital torpedoes are one step easier.
- Defense Drone Bay. Four drones. The drones cover any facing and may instead guard one ally within Short range. A successful Jam against the ship's Sensors function lowers the bay's rating by 1 until a crew member spends an Action to reassert control.
- Military Close-In Defense System. Makes 1 Heat each round it fires. It carries Authority Heat.
Electronic Countermeasures
ECM works against locks and guided weapons, and it is what the Jam action needs (Chapter 15, Jam). It does nothing against an unguided weapon fired on a visual or fire-control solution; Deflection covers that.
| System | Slots | Power | Effect | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Scrambler | 1 | 2 | Target Lock checks and guided attacks against the ship add 1 Bane Die. Break Lock is Average | 25,000 | Licensed |
| Chaff and Decoy Pods | None | 0 | Six charges. As a reaction, one charge breaks one lock, or adds 2 Bane Dice to every guided attack on the ship this round | 6,000 | Open |
| Electronic-Warfare Suite | 1 | 2 | Target Lock checks and guided attacks against the ship add 1 Bane Die (not added to a Signal Scrambler's die). Jam and Counter-Jam checks add 1 Boon Die. Break Lock is Average. 1 Heat each round it jams. Minimum Scale 4 | 90,000 | Restricted |
| Ghost Transmitter Array | 1 | 2 | Up to three false contacts; each adds 1 Bane Die to Target Lock checks against the ship. It does not affect other attacks | 80,000 | Military |
| Military Electronic Warfare Suite | 2 | 3 | Target Lock checks and guided attacks against the ship add 2 Bane Dice. Jam reaches Long range. Jam, Counter-Jam, and Break Lock checks add 1 Boon Die, and enemy Jam checks against the ship add 1 Bane Die. 1 Heat each round it jams | 200,000 | Military |
A ship running two ECM systems takes the better effect for each check; their Bane Dice do not add together, except the Ghost Transmitter Array's against Target Lock. Running a Signal Scrambler, an Electronic-Warfare Suite, or a Ghost Transmitter Array adds 1 Bane Die to the ship's Signature Management. A Ghost Transmitter Array cannot run while the ship is in Cold Running Mode (Chapter 7). The Electronic-Warfare Suite and the Military Electronic Warfare Suite carry Authority Heat.
Evasive Systems
| System | Installation | Power | Effect | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vector Thruster Package | Maneuvering Thrusters upgrade | — | Handling +1 | 15,000 × Scale | Open |
| Combat Thruster Overburn | Maneuvering Thrusters upgrade | +1 while Overburning | While the ship Overburns (Chapter 15), attacks against it add 1 Bane Die and its own attacks add 1 Bane Die | 10,000 × Scale | Licensed |
| Evasion Plot System | AI Core upgrade | 1 | Removes 1 Bane Die from Evasive Maneuver, Hard Turn, and Take Position checks. Needs a working AI Core | 30,000 | Licensed |
| Gravitic Maneuvering Package | Maneuvering Thrusters upgrade | 3 | While it is on: attacks against the ship add 2 Bane Dice, its own attacks add none, and Change Facing costs no Maneuver. 1 Heat each round | 300,000 | Military |
The Gravitic Maneuvering Package is Funtari technology, scarce even to those cleared to own it, and carries Authority Heat.
Damage Control Systems
How Emergency Repair, Damage Control, and the limit on automatic repair work in combat is in Chapter 15, Engineering. Repair difficulties and port repair are in Chapter 11.
| System | Slots | Power | Effect | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repair Drone Network | 1 | 1 | Removes 1 System Damage at the start of the ship's turn, within the automatic limit of 1 a round. Emergency Repair checks add 1 Boon Die. A successful Jam against the ship's Communications function stops the drones for that round | 50,000 | Licensed |
| Redundant Power Grid | Power Distribution upgrade | — | A system that System Damage would take offline stays on for 1 more round. Once per encounter, the engineer may hold a Power overload for 1 round with no effect | 8,000 × Scale | Open |
| Emergency Bulkhead System | 1 | 0 | Seals a breached or burning compartment with no Action. Boarders pass each sealed bulkhead with an Average Craft check or 1 extra round. Crew or cargo may be sealed on the wrong side | 20,000 | Open |
| Military Damage Control Grid | 2 | 2 | Removes 1 System Damage at the start of the ship's turn, within the automatic limit of 1 a round. Emergency Repair checks add 2 Boon Dice. A Calamity that would knock out several systems knocks out one | 180,000 | Military |
A ship with both a Repair Drone Network and a Military Damage Control Grid still removes no more than 1 System Damage a round automatically. Kharos hulls take a Repair Drone Network without an integration check; Viridian hulls need an Average Craft check to connect it to Viridian systems.
Signature Systems
Signature Management, Cold Running Mode, and how sensors find a ship are in Chapter 7. These are the systems that change those checks.
| System | Installation | Power | Effect | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emission Baffles | Hull and Frame upgrade | — | Detection checks against the ship add 1 Bane Die, and its Signature Management checks remove 1 Bane Die. No effect in a round the ship fires a weapon with Signature Bloom | 10,000 × Scale | Licensed |
| Heat Sink Array | 1 Module Slot | 0; 1 in the round it dumps | Stores up to 4 Heat off the Heat track. Dumping it all is free and adds 2 Bane Dice to Signature Management that round | 35,000 | Licensed |
| Military Shadow Package | 2 Module Slots | 2 | Detection checks against the ship add 2 Bane Dice, and its Signature Management checks remove 2. Using an active system does not break stealth automatically; it calls for a Signature Management check instead (Chapter 7) | 220,000 | Military |
Cold Running Mode is a procedure any ship can use, not a purchase (Chapter 7). The Military Shadow Package carries Authority Heat.
Rare Defenses
| System | Slots | Power | Effect | Price | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravitic Deflection Field | 2 | 4 | Kinetic attacks against the ship add 2 Bane Dice and guided attacks 1. Damage Reduction 3 against Kinetic, 2 against guided ordnance. A ship ramming this one adds 2 Bane Dice to its check, and this ship's Armor counts as 4 higher against the ram. 1 Heat each round; 2 in a round it stops a Heavy or Capital kinetic hit | 400,000 | Military |
| Phase Veil Generator | 2 | 3 | Every attack against the ship adds 1 Bane Die, and Target Lock checks 2. Damage Reduction 1 against Beam. 1 Heat each round. The ship cannot jump while it is up, or for 1 round after. A hit from a weapon with Phase Shear or Screen Penetrating collapses it for 2 rounds and adds 3 Heat; restarting it takes an Average Craft check | 500,000 | Military |
| Interdiction Countermeasures | 1 | 2 | Any Interdiction on the ship lasts 1 round less. Pilot checks to leave an interdiction zone add 1 Boon Die, and Slipstream checks under disrupted conditions are one step easier | 90,000 | Restricted |
The Gravitic Deflection Field and the Phase Veil Generator are scarce even to sovereign navies, and both carry Authority Heat. Interdiction Countermeasures carry Authority Heat: an inspection that finds them assumes the ship runs from patrols.
Defense Against Each Weapon Family
| Incoming | Best defense | Also helps | Does not help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic | Armor, Gravitic Deflection Field | Deflection, evasion, Ablative Panels, Military Screen Array (1 point) | Other screens |
| Guided Ordnance | Point defense, Countermissile Launcher | ECM, chaff, evasion, Deflection | Armor alone |
| Beam | Screens, Military Composite Armor | Armor, evasion, Deflection | Point defense |
| Plasma | Thermal Dispersion Screen, Military Screen Array | Armor, distance, Deflection | ECM |
| Disruption | Armor (half against Ion), damage control systems | Redundant Power Grid, Deflection | Screens |
| Gravitic and Phase | Evasion, Phase Veil Generator | Deflection, Military Screen Array (1 point against phase) | Armor against gravitic; civilian screens against phase |
| Boarding | Emergency Bulkhead System, internal security | Point defense against pods, Defense Drone Bay | Screens, ECM |
| Ramming | Gravitic Deflection Field, Armor | Evasion | Screens, ECM |
Power Budget Reference
Active defenses draw Power Load every round they run.
| Configuration | Active Power Load |
|---|---|
| Armor only | 0 |
| General Deflection Screen | 2 |
| Screen and Signal Scrambler | 4 |
| Screen, Automated Defense Grid, and Signal Scrambler | 6 |
| Military Screen Array, Military Electronic Warfare Suite, Military Close-In Defense System | 10 |
| Cold Running Mode | 1 |
A Scale 4 hull has Power Capacity 7 to 9. With a screen and a scrambler running (4), it has 3 to 5 left for weapons and engines. Power Capacity and overloads are in Chapter 6.
