Combat

As the light freighter exits hyperspace, it finds itself in the middle of a snubfighter skirmish. Immediately, the pilot begins evasive maneuvers while hollering for help. One crewmember hops into the copilot seat while two more run to opposite sides of the craft to man the gun batteries. Three of the snubfighters—now identified as TIE fighters—turn towards this new opponent and open fire, but the blasts dissipiate ineffectually on the freighter's shields. The freighter's two gunners, now in place, open fire on the assaulting craft. One takes the blasts directly to the cockpit and explodes in a blaze, while the other is hit on a solar panel and spins off out of control into the distance. The third attempts to pass overhead, but the copilot takes a shot from the freighter's slaved railgun and destroys the fighter in a single stroke.

This chapter provides the rules you need for your characters and their craft to engage in space combat, whether it is a brief skirmish or an extended conflict. Throughout this chapter, the rules address you, the player or GM. The GM controls all the other ships and nonplayer characters involved in space combat, and each other player controls either their own ship or a function of your ship. "You" can also mean the character or ship you control.

The Order of Combat#

A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of cannon shots and ship maneuvers. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat encounter, when everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other.

Surprise#

An assault carrier exits hyperspace and immediately begins firing on its prey. Fighters rapidly exit bays to support and protect the craft. Their opponents, caught unawares, are slow to respond and take significant damage before mounting their defense. In this situation, one side of the battle gained surprise over the other.

The GM determines who might be surprised. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the GM compares the Dexterity (Stealth) checks of anyone hiding with the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of each creature on the opposing side. Any ship that doesn't notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter.

If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't.

Combat Step By Step

1. Determine surprise. The GM determines whether

anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised.

2. Establish positions. The GM decides where all

characters and ships are located.

3. Roll initiative. Every PC on a ship rolls initiative

normally, and the lowest initiative on each ship sets the initiative for that ship.

4. Start a ship turn. When your ship activates based on the initiative order, the ship's reactor replenishes power dice and the crew determines how these dice are distributed through the power coupling. The crew should also decide if they want to activate their shield generator's regeneration at the start of the ship's turn. All PCs on a ship then take their

individual turns on their ship's turn in an order agreed upon by the crew for that ship turn. In case of disputes, the helm has final say. The order of character turns on a ship's turn may change from round to round.

5. Take turns. Each ship in the battle takes a

turn in ship initiative order.

6. Begin the next round. When every ship involved in the

combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 5 until the fighting stops.

Your Role On Your Turn#

All PCs on a ship take their individual turns on their ship’s turn in an order agreed upon by the crew for that ship turn. The crew should also decide if they want to activate their shield generator's regeneration at the start of the ship turn. In case of disputes, the crewmember at the helm has final say. This is also when the ship's reactor would replenish power dice to its coupling. The order of character turns on a ship’s turn may change from round to round.

Your abilities depend on where you are deployed during space combat. In a snubfighter, you control all aspects of your craft: movement and maneuvering, weapons, operation, and engines. In a larger craft, however, only one player can take helm actions.

The "Movement and Position" section later in this chapter gives the rules for your move.

Actions#

You may take one action on your turn, and any action taken by a player with your ship can only be taken once per round unless otherwise stated. For example, although two different crewmembers could both cast the same force power or make an ability check with the Medicine skill, they could not both take an action granted by a ship modification or the Boost Engines action, described below. Only the crewmember at the helm can take helm actions, but all other actions may be taken by anyone on the ship as logic dictates.

Bonus Actions#

Various class or deployment features, powers, and other abilities let you take an additional action on your turn called a bonus action. You can only take a bonus action if some feature gives you one, and you can only take one bonus action on each of your turns.

Other Activity on Your Turn#

Your turn can include a variety of flourishes that require neither your action nor your move.

You can communicate however you are able as you take your turn.

You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action.

Reactions#

Certain features allow you to take a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur any turn.

When you take a reaction, you can't take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature's turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction.

Movement and Position#

In combat, ships are in constant motion, often using movement and position to gain the upper hand.

On your turn, the crewmember at the helm can move the ship a distance up to its speed. The ship can use as much or as little of its speed as desired, following the rules here.

Starships come equipped with two speeds: flying speed and turning speed.

Facing#

All Vehicles have a facing, and can normally only move in the direction they are facing (forward) or rotate about their center.

Flying Speed#

Flying speed is how far your ship can travel in a single round. It is expressed in feet. For every foot your ship travels forward, it expends one foot from its speed.

A ship's unmodified flying speed is determined in Chapter 3: Starships by the Role selected for the ship at construction.

Turning Speed#

Turning speed determines how maneuverable your ship is. In order for your ship to rotate 90 degrees, you must spend an amount of your flying speed equal to your turning speed. For instance, if your ship has a flying speed of 350 feet, and a turning speed of 100 feet, you can travel 150 feet in a straight line, spending 150 feet of your flying speed, and then turn 90 degrees to starboard, spending 100 feet of your flying speed, leaving 100 feet of movement remaining.

Typically games are played with turning limited to 90 degree increments, but, if your group has the desire and capability to track smaller angles, this is allowed.

A ship can turn more (or less, if your group agrees) than 90 degrees on its turn, by spending a proportionate amount of movement.

If a ship's turning speed exceeds its flying speed, that ship cannot turn 90 degrees, in combat conditions, absent another effect modifiying the ship's turning speed and/or flying speed or the Hard Turn action.

A ship's unmodified turning speed is determined in Chapter 3: Starships by the Role selected for the ship at construction.

Breaking Up Your Move#

The crewmember at the helm can break up your ship's movement on its turn, using some flying speed before and after various crew actions. For example, if your ship has a speed of 300 feet, it can move 100 feet, two players can take actions, and then it can move 200 feet.

Moving Between Attacks#

If you take an action that includes more than one ship attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a ship that can make two attacks and that has a speed of 300 feet could move 100 feet, make an attack, move 200 feet, and then attack again.

Difficult Terrain#

Combat rarely takes place in featureless terrain. Asteroid fields, mountain ranges, other ships—the setting of a typical fight contains difficult terrain.

Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain.

Moving Around Other Ships#

You can move through a ship’s space. However, you can end your turn on a ship’s space only if the ship is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Another ship’s space is difficult terrain for your ship.

Variant: Playing on a Grid

If you play out a combat using a square grid and miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules. Squares. Each square on the grid represents 50 feet. Facing. Each ship has a facing: the direction to the adjacent square the vehicle is pointing toward. This means that a ship in a given square has eight possible facings. Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid. This means you use your speed in 50-foot segments. This is particularly easy if you translate your speed into squares by dividing the speed by 50. For example, a speed of 300 feet translates into a speed of 6 squares. If you use a grid often, consider writing your speed in squares on your character sheet. Entering a Square. To enter a square, you must have at least 1 square of movement left, unless the square is diagonally adjacent to your square (see below). Corners. Diagonal movement can't cross the corner of an asteroid or other terrain feature that fills its space. Ranges. To determine the range on a grid between two entities, start counting squares from a square adjacent to one of them and stop counting in the space of the other one. Count by the shortest route. Diagonals. When measuring range or moving diagonally, the first diagonal square counts as 50 feet, but the second diagonal square counts as 100 feet. This pattern of 50 feet and then 100 feet continues whenever you're counting diagonally, even if you move horizontally or vertically between different bits of diagonal movement. For instance, a ship might move one square diagonally (50 feet), then three squares straight (150 feet), and then another square diagonally (100 feet) for a total movement of 300 feet.

Ship Size#

Each ship takes up a different amount of space. The Size Categories table shows how much space a ship of a particular size controls in combat. Objects sometimes use the same categories.

Size Categories#

Variant: Sizes on a Grid

If you play out combat using a square grid and miniatures or other tokens, consider scaling down the sizes of ships. A Tiny or Small ship should take up 1 square, while a Medium ship takes up 2. A Large ship takes up 4 squares, a Huge 8, and a Gargantuan 16.

Space#

A ship's space is the area in feet that it effectively controls in combat, not an expression of its physical dimensions. A typical Medium ship isn't 100 feet wide, for example, but it does control a space that wide.

Actions in Combat#

When you take your action on your turn, you can take one of the actions presented here; an action you gained from your class, specialization, or some other feature; an action granted by a ship modification; or an action that you improvise.

When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, the DM tells you whether that action is possible and what kind of roll you need to make, if any, to determine success or failure.

Actions possible by a given character in a given circumstance are determined by the GM as logic dictates. For example, a snub-fighter control system allows for all actions to be useable from the cock-pit. In Large and larger ships, players typically control a crew that carries out their actions, and, therefore, need not worry about which precise equipment is right in front of them. In medium ships, things are most complicated. Only one player may normally take helm actions: the player in the pilot seat. However, if disabled, a co-pilot may be able to immediately take over without switching stations. Typically, other crew stations are general purpose, allowing any non-restricted actions to be taken at them.

Boost#

You can attempt to boost a function of your ship. Each function can only be boosted once on each of the ship's turns, and each time you try to boost a function of the ship after the first, the DC increases by 5, cumulatively, until the start of your next turn.

Boost Engines#

You can attempt to boost your speed. When you take the Boost Engines action, you make a DC 10 Strength (Boost) check. On a success you increase your speed by 50 until the end of your ship's next turn.

Boost Shields#

You can attempt to boost your shields. When you take the Boost Shields action, you make a DC 10 Strength (Boost) check. On a success, you roll a shield die, without expending it, and gain temporary shield points equal to the result that last until the start of your ship's next turn.

Boost Weapons#

You can attempt to boost your weapon output. When you take the Boost Weapons action, the next time this turn your ship would deal damage, you make a DC 10 Strength (Boost) check. On a success, you have advantage on the damage roll.

Detect#

When you take the Detect action, you devote your attention to finding something. Depending on the nature of your detection, the DM might have you make a Wisdom (Scan) check or an Intelligence (Probe) check.

Direct#

When you take the Direct action, the creature gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn. Alternatively, you can direct a friendly creature that can hear you in attacking another target. If your ally attacks the target before the start of your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage. The Direct action can be taken multiple times on a ship's turn.

Fire#

The most common action to take in combat is the Fire action. With this action, you can make an attack (or attacks) with one ship weapon. See the "Making an Attack" section for the rules that govern attacks. The Fire action may be taken multiple times on a ship's turn, but normally only once per weapon. A crewmember Firing from the helm has disadvantage on attack rolls with primary and secondary weapons.

Want more Crunch?

Although outside the scope of these rules, some play groups may want a more lore-friendly take on ship combat where only certain actions (whether base actions, actions given by ship modifications, or actions gained through deployment ranks) can be taken at certain ship stations. If so, players and GMs are encouraged to agree to a ship layout that includes these stations along with a list of options that are either allowed or disallowed at that station. A separate battle-mat can be used to track PC location on a ship during ship combat, if desired.

Helm#

When you take the Helm action, you choose from the following options to utilize. Only one Helm action can be taken per turn.

Attack Run#

When you move at least 150 feet towards a target, you may declare an Attack Run as an action. You must have a clear path towards your target, and nothing should hinder your path (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). If you finish this movement within range of your target, you may follow it with one of these options:

Fire. You may make a ship weapon attack from a forward-facing limited arc without suffering the normal disadvantage. If you attack with a tertiary or quaternary weapon, the attack deals additional damage equal to the distance of your attack run divided by 50, up to your ship's Strength modifier (minimum of 1).

Ram. You may make a Ram attempt with advantage on your Strength (Ram) check. If you succeed, the target ship takes additional damage equal to the distance of your Attack Run divided by 50, up to your ship's Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).

Conceal#

When you take the Conceal action, you make a Dexterity (Hide) check in an attempt to Conceal your ship, following the rules in chapter 7 for hiding. If you succeed, you gain certain benefits, as described in the “Unseen Attackers and Targets” section later in this chapter.

Dogfight#

When you engage a single enemy, you duck and weave, vying for a good shot while avoiding theirs. You choose a target and make an opposed Dexterity (Maneuvering) check. On a success, you cause the next attack made against your ship by the target to suffer from disadvantage, but you grant the next attack made against your ship by a different target advantage. Additionally, you can perform a primary or tertiary weapon attack from a forward facing limited firing arc against that ship without suffering the normal disadvantage.

Evade#

When you take the Evade action, you focus entirely on avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, any Attack roll made against you has disadvantage if you can see the attacker on your instruments, and you make Dexterity Saving Throws with advantage.

This action affects your entire ship: any ability check or attack made by your ship or anyone on it has disadvantage until the end of your ship's next turn. The effects of Evade end if you are Incapacitated or if your speed drops to 0.

Fly#

When you take the Fly action, you gain extra Movement for the current turn. The increase equals your speed, after applying any modifiers.

With a speed of 300 feet, for example, your ship can move up to 600 feet on its turn if you Fly. Any increase or decrease to your speed changes this additional Movement by the same amount. If your ship's speed of 300 feet is reduced to 150 feet, for instance, your ship can move up to 300 feet this turn if you Fly.

This action affects your ship's ability to stay on target: any ability check or attack made by your ship or anyone on it has disadvantage until the end of your ship's next turn.

Harass#

You can harass an enemy and lock them into a series of close-combat maneuvers in order to prevent their escape. When you take the harass action, make an opposed Dexterity (Maneuvering) check against a target within one size category of you and within normal range of at least one of your forward facing primary weapons. This weapon cannot be Fired this turn. On a success, if the target voluntarily leaves it's square before the beginning of your next turn, it takes damage as though it suffered a critical hit with the primary weapon used to harass.

Hard Turn#

When you take the Hard Turn action, you coax your ship into a tight maneuver, turning your ship 90 degrees without expending any of your flying speed.

Ram#

You can attempt to ram another ship while flying through its space. When you take the ram action, you make a Strength (Ram) check opposed by the target's Dexterity (Maneuvering) check. On a failed check the ramming action fails. On a success, both you and the target ship take kinetic damage equal to two of your ship's Hull Dice + your ship's Strength modifier. If your ship has shield points remaining, your ship instead takes half this damage.

Interfere#

You can attempt to interfere with another creature within 1,000 feet, in the attempt of a task. When you take the Interfere action, you make a Charisma (Interfere) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Scan) check. If you succeed, the subject has disadvantage on the next ability check or attack roll it makes before the start of your next turn. The Interfere action can be taken multiple times on a ship's turn.

Patch#

You can attempt to patch up damage a ship has taken, using one of its Hull Dice. When you take the Patch action, you make a Constitution (Patch) check (DC = 10 or half the ship's missing hull points, whichever number is higher). On a failure, you roll the Hull Die twice and take the lesser amount. On a success you roll the Hull Die normally. The Patch action can be taken multiple times on a ship's turn.

Regenerate Shields#

You can attempt to regenerate your shields faster, spending one of your Shield Dice. When you take the Regenerate Shields action, you make a Strength (Boost) check (DC = 10 or half the ship's missing shield points, whichever number is higher). On a failure, you roll the Shield Die twice and take the lesser amount. On a success you roll the Shield Die normally. The Regenerate Shields action can only be taken once each ship turn.

Making an Attack#

Whether you're shooting your laser cannons or a railgun, an attack has a simple structure.

1. Choose a target. Pick a target within your attack's range: a ship, an object, or a location.

2. Determine modifiers. The GM determines whether the target has cover and whether you have advantage or disadvantage against the target. In addition, powers, special abilities, and other effects can apply penalties or bonuses to your attack roll.

3. Resolve the attack. You make the attack roll. On a hit, you roll damage, unless the particular attack has rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special effects in addition to or instead of damage. If there's ever any question whether something you're doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you're making an attack roll, you're making an attack.

Attack Rolls#

When you make an attack with a primary or secondary weapon, your attack roll determines whether the attack hits or misses. To make an attack roll, roll a d20, add your proficiency bonus (if you have at least one deployment rank), the ship's Wisdom modifier, and any weapon-specific bonuses or penalties. If the total of the roll plus modifiers equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class (AC), the attack hits.

Ships are always considered proficiently equipped with their properly-installed weapons.

Rolling 1 or 20#

Sometimes fate blesses or curses a gunner, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.

Range#

You can make ranged attacks only against targets within a specified range.

Ship weaponry typically has two ranges. The value of these ranges depends on the type of weapon (primary, secondary, or tertiary), as described in Chapter 5.

Ranged Attacks in Close combat#

Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a ship weapon, a power, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 50 feet of your target.

Firing Arc#

Ships have a firing arc, which is determined by the hardpoint on which they are mounted. Fixed hardpoints offer a limited firing arc, while turret hardpoints add an unlimited firing arc.

Limited Firing Arc#

Many weapons, such as forward- or aft-mounted laser cannons, can only fire in a single direction, indicated by a limited firing arc. The available arcs are spaced 90 degrees from each other, are adjacent, and consist of: forward, aft, port, and starboard.

Weapons with a limited firing arc only fire at targets within a 90 degree arc, with the ship's center point as the arc's vertex. A weapon's range within it's arc is measured from the outer edge of the ship it is mounted on, although primary weapons can still target and effect targets within a ship's own area, and treat this area as within the weapon's normal range.

Unlimited Firing Arc#

Weapons with an unlimited firing arc can fire at any target within range and line of sight.

Saving Throws#

While many weapons utilize an attack roll, tertiary and quaternary weapons, as well as primary weapons on Huge and larger ships, instead call for a saving throw. When an ability grants advantage or disadvantage on an attack and the attack calls for a saving throw instead of an attack roll, unless stated otherwise, the saving throw is made with disadvantage or advantage, respectively. The saving throw is calculated as follows:

Weapon save DC = 8 + the crewmember's proficiency bonus (if at least rank 1) + the ship's Wisdom modifier

Damage Rolls#

Each ship weapon specifies the damage it deals. You roll the damage die or dice, add the ship's Strength modifier to damage from primary and secondary weapons, and apply the damage to your target. Higher quality weapons, special abilities, and other factors can grant a bonus to damage.

Critical Hits#

When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal. To speed up play, you can roll all the damage dice at once.

DAMAGE TYPES#

Starship combat damage types are generally similar to ground combat damage types with a few minor differences. Most notably, in space, no one can hear you scream (no sonic damage).

Acid. Acid damage is less effective against shields, dealing only half damage to shields.

Cold. Cold damage is less effective against shields, dealing only half damage to shields.

Energy. The most common type of damage, it deals normal damage to hull and shields.

Fire. Fire damage is less effective against shields, dealing only half damage to shields.

Force. Deals normal damage to hull and shields.

Ion. Ion damage is less effective against hull, dealing only half damage to hull. Ion damage cannot destroy ships. Instead, ion damage that reduces a ship to zero hull points causes the ship to become disabled and stable.

Kinetic. Deals normal damage to hull and shields. Additionally, when ships collide with each other or debris, they deal kinetic damage.

Lightning. Lightning damage is less effective against hull, dealing only half damage to hull.

Necrotic. Necrotic damage is less effective against ships, dealing only half damage to hull and shields. Poison. Poison damage is ineffective against ships, dealing no damage to hull or shields.

Psychic. Psychic damage is ineffective against ships, dealing no damage to hull or shields.

Sonic. Deals normal damage to hull and shields when in an atmosphere, but does no damage in space.

True. True damage is not dealt by any specific source. Instead, effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to counter the damage caused by true damage.

Starship Resistances and Immunities

Hull Resistances: Ion, Lightning, Necrotic Shield Resistances: Acid, Cold, Fire, Necrotic Hull & Shield Immunities: Poison, Psychic

Damage Resistance and Vulnerability#

Some ships might have resistance or vulnerability to a damage type. If a ship has resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved against it. If a ship has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled against it.

Resistance, and then vulnerability, are applied after all other modifiers to damage. Multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that affect the same damage type count only as one instance.

Cover#

Asteroids, ships, debris, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to harm. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.

There are four degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. For example, if a target is behind a ship that gives half cover and an asteroid that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover.

A target with one-quarter cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has one-quarter cover if an obstacle blocks at least one-fourth of it.

A target with half cover has a +3 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of it.

A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarter cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle.

A target with total cover can’t be targeted directly by an attack or a power, although some powers can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.

Damage and Repairs#

Space combat is lethal, and players always run a risk by engaging in it. A well placed cannon shot, a proton torpedo, or a seismic charge all have the potential to damage, or outright destroy, a ship.

Hull Points#

Hull points represent a ship's hull integrity. A ship's current hull points (usually just called hull points) can be any number from the ship's hull point maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a ship takes damage or receives repairs.

Whenever a ship takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hull points. The loss of hull points has no effect on a ship's capabilities until the ship drops to 0 hull points.

Shield Points#

Often, a ship will have a buffer of energy called a shield. Ship's equipped in such a way of shield points in addition to hit points.

Whenever a ship with shield points takes damage, the shield takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ship's shield points to 0, the hull takes any remaining damage. For instance, if your ship has 5 shield points and takes 7 damage, your ship loses its shield points and then take 2 damage to your ship's hull points.

Repairs#

Damage to hulls is permanent until repaired. Small repairs can happen while the ship is still in space, but significant repairs require docking in an appropriate location, as discussed in Chapter 8.

When a ship receives repairs of any kind, hull points regained are added to its current hull points. A ship's hull points can't exceed its hull point maximum.

Dropping to 0 Hull Points#

When a ship is reduced to 0 hull points, it is either destroyed or disabled. If the ship is not instantly destroyed, the ship suffers 1 level of system damage and becomes disabled.

Describing the Effects of Damage

GMs describe hull point loss in different ways. When your ship's current hull point total is half or more of your hull point maximum, it typically shows no signs of damage. When it drops below half its hull point maximum, it show signs of wear, such as electrical fires or dislodged machinery. An attack that reduces your ship to 0 hit points strikes directly, leaving a massive hole or otherwise disables the ship.

Instantly Destroyed#

Massive damage can destroy a ship instantly. When damage reduces a ship to 0 hull points and there is damage remaining, the ship explodes if the remaining damage equals or exceeds its hull point maximum.

Destruction Saving Throws#

At the start of the ship's turn, if the ship has 0 hull points, you must make a special saving throw, called a destruction saving throw, to determine whether or not you're able to salvage your ship. Unlike other saving throws, this one isn't tied to any ability score; you are in the hands of fate now. Roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success has no effect by itself; on your third success, your ship becomes stable (see below). On a failure, your ship suffers 1 level of system damage. The successes don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three successes, or your ship's primary systems fail.

Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a destruction saving throw and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures, causing 2 levels of system damage. If you roll a 20 on the d20, your ship regains 1 hull point.

Damage at 0 Hull Points. If your ship takes any damage while it has 0 hull points, it suffers 1 level of system damage. If the damage is from a critical hit, it suffers 2 levels of system damage instead. If the damage equals or exceeds its hull point maximum, it is instantly destroyed.

Stabilizing a Ship#

The best way to stablize a ship with 0 hit points is to repair it. If repairs are unavailable, the ship can at least be stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed destruction saving throw.

A crewmember can use their action to attempt repairs on a disabled ship and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Mechanic's Kit) check.

A stable ship doesn't make destruction saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain disabled. The ship stops being stable, and must start making destruction saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable ship that isn't repaired regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.

Ships and Destruction#

Most GMs have an NPC ship explode the instant it drops to 0 hull points, rather than disabling it and having it make destruction saving throws. Special ships are common exceptions; the GM might have them be disabled and follow the same rules as player ships.

Disabling a Ship#

Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a ship, rather than destroy it. When an attacker reduces a ship to 0 hull points with a primary or secondary weapon, or with ion or lightning damage from any source, the attacker can disable the ship, rendering it disabled and stable. The attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt, unless the damage dealt is ion damage, which can only disable ships, not destroy them.