Starship Combat

Scale

Time:      1 Turn= 1000sec  86 turns/day Space:    1 scale division = 10,000 km * Thrust:    1G vector = 1 scale division

* Reccomend using an Engineers rule to measure vectors using 20 to 60 scale. Ship Combat Turn Sequence

Determine initiative, Roll 1D, highest may choose who moves first in each phase. DMs are *Ship tactics and *Fleet tactics (Max DM +6).
*If used for initiative, may not be used in battle if a fleet is involved only Fleet Tactics may be used for initiative.
1) Movement- A unit from the one side is moved along its ballistic, any thrust vectors are added. Repeat for other side. Repeat for any missiles and sand from previous turns.
2) Sensors- Pilot, Navigator and one half the Bridge Officers if any may make a sensor check for detection of, or to lock onto a Target. Each Gunner may attempt to keep lock on to a Target previously designated by the Bridge. Bridge crew that locks onto a target may pass the lock to any gunner.
3) Beam weapon fire- All beam weapons not designated for defense or return fire may be fired. (Sand designated on auto defense is launched if hit) Hits attempt to penetrate defenses.
4) Return fire- All beam weapons designated for return fire may fire at any unit which fired on the firing unit
5) Ordinance launch-  Missiles which contacted other ships in movement phase attempt to hit, penetrate defenses and do damage. Missiles may be launched at ships or on specific missions.  Sand not designated for auto defense may be launched. Small craft may be launched.
6) Computer reprogramming- Computer may be reprogrammed during this step. Damage control parties may attempt to repair damaged items. Missile and sand launchers may be loaded (If the gunner has to load his own turrets it takes one turn per turret, during which he may not fire) Configurable batteries are designated. Designate which beam weapons are to be used for defense or return fire. Designate sand for auto response.

 

Combat Tasks To achieve surprise:
    *Difficulty; Leader, Sensor Ops; (Confrontation)   *difficulty modified by situation
    On success, the attacking side achieves surprise. If the task fails , both parties are considered aware of each other.
If surprise is achieved, each unit of the attacking side attacks freely until surprise is lost. Any unit which is hit but not rendered inoperative will automatically raise the alarm.

To raise an alarm in a surprise attack:
    Difficult; Leader, Sensor Ops;

To Interrupt another units turn:
    Routine; Agility, Pilot or Ships Boat; (safe)
On success it becomes the interrupting units turn. A failed interrupt doesn't count as a spent turn.
A unit cannot interrupt its own side.
Only one active interrupt per side
Only one interrupt per enemy attack, sensor scan, or unit of movement.

Sensor Scans		Sensor DM's
AOS= A-EMS  AOP= A-EMS  POS= Densinometer  POP= Densinometer  PES= P-EMS and Neutrino sensors  PEP= Neutrino sensors		Aspect
		Surface  Flying  Close Orbital Space (Std. Orbit)  Far Orbital Space (High Orbit)  Close Planetary Space (10 Dia.)  Far Planetary Space (100 Dia.)  Open Space
		DM is 1 per band looking in from open space and 1 per 2 bands looking out from the surface.
Starship Ranges	Range DM
Visual Short Far                       Extreme Interplanetary System                Substellar            Stellar                  Interstellar	0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8	-50km 50km-50,000km 50,000km-500,000km 500,000km to 5Mkm 5Mkm-1AU(150Mkm) 1AU-1kAU 1kAu-100kAU 100kAU-1pc  1+parsec	-1G  1G-5G 5G-50G  50-500G  500-14964G

Scan Times increments
Range	AOS	AOP	POS	POP	PES	PEP
Visual -50km	1 sec	1 sec	3 sec	6 sec	6 sec	12 sec
Short 50km-50,000km	1 sec	1 sec	6 sec	6 sec	6 sec	12 sec
Far 50,000km-500,000km	3 sec	3 sec	15 sec	30 sec	15 sec	30 sec
Extreme 500,000km to 5Mkm	30 sec	30 sec	30 sec	90 sec	30 sec	60 sec
Interplanetary 5Mkm-1AU(150Mkm)			90 sec	120 sec	60 sec	120 sec
System 1AU-1kAU			300 sec	600 sec	120 sec	300 sec
Substellar 1kAu-100kAU			600 sec	1500 sec	600 sec	1200 sec
Stellar  100kAU-1pc			2000 sec	3000 sec	3000 sec	4000 sec
Interstellar  1+parsec			4000 sec	10000 sec	10000 sec	10000 sec

 

To locate a enemy unit with sensors:
    Difficulty; Off=Computer model Number, Sensor Ops, Edu,  Def= Range, Aspect; (Confrontation)
    Use the most favorable sensor scan difficulty level from among the units sensors. Use the range and aspect as a negative DM.
Extreme failure(-2)- Scan failed no
Failure- Target located if Strong/Large
Success- Target located if Moderate/Medium or Strong/Large
Extreme success(+2)- Target located if Small/Faint, Moderate/Medium or Strong/Large.

    Example: The PC's are in open space attempting to locate any ships in system. They have a model 1 computer and Sensoron, the Bridge officer has Sensor Ops-2 with an Edu. of 8. They are equipped with Active EMS (Far Orbit) and Passive EMS (interstellar). A passive energy scan (PES) is attempted.
    The task difficulty is routine (7+), and DM's are 2 for Sensor Ops, 2 for Edu. and 1 for the Computer. Sensoron rolls a 6 for a 11 total. Faint objects are found if they are within 500,000km (-2) in open space or 50,000km (-1) if in Far Planetary space (-1). Medium objects are found if within 1 AU in open space (-4) or 50,000km (-1) if in Far Orbital space (-3). Strong objects are located within 1000AU (-5) in open space or 50,000km (-1) if in Close Orbital Space (-4).

To achieve sensor lock on Target:
    Difficulty; Off= computer model number, Sensor Ops,Edu., Def= Range, Aspect; (Confrontation, Uncertain)
    Use the most favorable sensor pinpoint difficulty level from among the units sensors. use the range and aspect as a negative DM.
If the task fails the lockup fails but some information may be gained. If the unit moves more than 1G, a new scan and lock on must be performed.
both fail- Give false information/no lock
one fails- Give displacement or power but wrong type/Lock
both make roll- Give displacement, power and type/Lock
*
    Example: The PC's are attempting to get a sensor lock on a ship that has been shadowing them. It's at a range of 400,000km. They are in close orbital space and the contact is in Far Planetary Space (3 bands). In order to get a lock Sensoron must light off the Active EMS to make a pinpoint scan with her sensor skill of 2, Edu. of 8 and a computer model 1.
    The task difficulty is routine (7+) and the DM's are 2 for skill and 2 for Edu. 1 for the computer, -2 for range and -2 for the aspect DM (looking out). Giving a final DM of 1. Sensoron rolls a 6 plus 1 just barely making it. The GM rolls a 3 plus 1 failing the task. Since one roll failed the PC's will be able to fire at the target but will not gain all the information possible or will have erroneous information.

To hit a target in starship combat
    Difficult, Off=Computer size, weapon table DM, Range DM, Gunner; Def= Def DM, Pilot (Confrontation)

To penetrate a defense in starship combat
    Difficult, Off=Computer size, Penetration table DM; Def= Computer size (Confrontation)

    Reloading a turret in combat:
    Sand and Missile Turrets  have three projectiles per launcher ready to fire. A gunner may reload nine missiles/sand canisters in one combat turn (1 triple turret/turn) if reserves are stocked nearby. Standard turrets have room for nine additional rounds stowed in the turret. If a missile magazine is attached this space is used for the auto load machinery. If reloads must be brought from stores the GM must determine how long this takes ( At least one turn).

  Surface hits by missile weapons (HE, FFE, Nuclear, Rail guns, etc...) also may cause spallation attacks against the crew in the area hit.

Armor	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
HE	*	S	R	D	F	I	-	-	-
FFE	*	*	S	R	D	F	I	-	-
Nuclear	*	*	*	S	R	D	F	I	_
Rail gun	*	*	S	D	I	-	-	-	-
* Automatic Spallation

    If Spallation occurs the crew in the affected area are attacked as a shotgun at medium range for to hit and damage Surface hits affect the jump grid by destroying portions of it. Ships under 1k dtons gain an additional +1 chance of misjump for each 50 surface hits. Ships over 1k dtons take 100 hits to cause +1 chance of misjump.
    Sensor hits are taken as minus DM's on sensor and communication task rolls. (Comms are required for coordination of attacks, IFF, docking, etc...)     In addition to the temporary combat damage the systems are subject to, the Maneuver, Power plant and Jump hits are applied to the affected systems hit points. Divide the Maneuver and Jump disabled hit points by the appropriate drive rating. As the drive takes damage it drops in rating. The power plant drops in rating by 10% as each damage level is reached.
    Fuel hits reduce the amount of fuel. For ships less than 1 kdton each hit costs 10% of the ships total fuel tankage. Ships 1 kdton to 50 kdton lose 5% of total tankage. Ships above 50 kdton lose 1% total fuel tankage per hit.
    Each hit (whether surface, radiation or interior) is applied to the vessels hull points causing a loss of integrity. When the disabled points are exceeded the hull loses environmental integrity. Each naturally rolled 'crit' or 12 on the to hit causes a permanent loss of one armor level. ( A armor 55 vessel receives 15 critical hits its armor value is reduced to 40. Another critical hit will reduce the armor below minimum starship armor and every maneuver will require a check roll for losing integrity)
 
    Example: A Knight class Frigate has hull points of 1350/3375, primary power points of 97/194 producing 13,104 Mw, secondary power points of 34/68 producing 2,286 Mw, jump drive points of 45/90 for jump 4 and maneuver drive points of 149/298 for maneuver 4.
    Going into a particular battle it has already received damage that was not repaired in a shipyard. Its hull has taken 66 points, the jump drive has received 8 points, the maneuver drive 30. The primary power plant has taken 8 points and the secondary plant has received 2 points. All of its systems are operating normally.
    It receives another 55 hits to the hull resulting in 18 points to the jump drive, 24 points to the maneuver drive, 12 points to the primary plant and 6 points to the secondary plant.
    The hull now has a total of 121 points (9%), the jump drive 26 points (58%), the maneuver drive 54 (36%), primary power 20 (21%) and secondary power 8 (24%). The hull still has not reached 10% of its disabled value and continues to operate normally. The jump drive is reduced to a jump 2, maneuver drive to 3G. Primary and secondary power will produce only 80% or their maximum. Until the ship is overhauled in a yard it will operate at less than full capacity.  

*A note on constant boost starships, light, time dilation and the likelihood of exiting the normal universe.
    By my possibly mistaken calculations, light has a 'G' velocity of 30,000G. It will take a free trader nearly a year of constant boost to hit c. A six G ship can make it in just over two months ( ~57 days. Since Maneuver drive works on volume instead of mass is their any affect on thrust?).
    A 1 G interplanetary trip taking a week or so will hit about .01c at turnover. A Fleet 4G ship will reach a bit over .04c at turnover on a week long trip. So most travellers don't need to worry about time dilation or finding out what the other side of light speed looks like. Ludicrous Speed?