Starship Construction and Combat

AX.GAT.09.05 - Starships

Complete Construction & Comabt Mechanics

Design Notes

This supplement presents three anchors for ship design: chassis (Frigate through Titan), Size Categories 1–7 and Build Points. Everything else, subsystem definitions, power management, weapon damage, combat procedures is designed to integrate with AxiomRPG's core mechanics.

Scale: Ship combat operates at a larger scale than personal combat. HP values are higher, weapon damage is measured in flat values rather than success counts, and one Ship Turn represents roughly five minutes of maneuvering and exchange. The dice pool mechanic still governs whether attacks land and whether crew actions succeed, only damage resolution differs.

AX.GAT.09.05.01 - Ship Construction

Build Point Economy

Build Points (BP) represent the total investment in a ship's construction and outfitting, hull, drives, weapons, and installed systems. The chassis type defines the structural shell and its fixed parameters. BP is then allocated to fill that shell with subsystems.

Total BP budget is determined by campaign context. The chassis cost is deducted from this total; remaining BP is spent on subsystems.

Budget Tier	Total BP	Typical Context
Salvage	25	Barely operational; significant compromises in systems
Working	45	Functional civilian or patrol vessel
Fitted	75	Well-maintained commercial or military ship
Military Spec	120	Purpose-built or fully upgraded faction asset
Fleet Grade	220	Major faction flagship; large-hull vessels
Capital Grade	400+	Dreadnoughts, generation ships, Titan-class

Example

A Destroyer chassis (15 BP) at Fitted (75 BP) leaves 60 BP for subsystems. The same chassis at Salvage (25 BP) leaves only 10 BP, barely enough for drives and life support with no weapons.

Chassis Reference

The chassis defines physical parameters that cannot be changed by BP spending. Maneuverability, Mount Points, and Expansion Bays are fixed by chassis type.

Cat	Name	Size	Maneuverability	HP	HP Inc	DT	CT	Mounts	Bays	Min/Max Crew	BP
1	Frigate	Tiny	Perfect (+2 piloting, turn 0)	30	5		5	2 Light (fwd)	0	1/2	6
2	Destroyer	Small	Good (+1 piloting, turn 1)	40	10	0	10	1 Heavy (fwd), 2 Light (turret)	4	2/8	15
3	Cruiser	Medium	Average (0 piloting, turn 2)	100	20	0	25	2 Heavy (fwd), 4 Small	5	4/16	30
3	Industrial	Medium	Average (0 piloting, turn 2)	40	10	0	10	2 Light	4	2/8	12
4	Battlecruiser	Large	Average (0 piloting, turn 2)	180	30	0	35	2 Heavy (fwd), 1 Heavy, 4 Small	3	5/20	80
5	Battleship	Huge	Average (0 piloting, turn 2)	250	45	5	40	4 Heavy, 6 Small	3	10/40	100
6	Capital	Gargantuan	Poor (−1 piloting, turn 3)	300	50	10	45	1 Capital (fwd), 6 Heavy, 12 Small	10	100/400	180
7	Titan	Colossal	Clumsy (−2 piloting, turn 4)	400	55	15	50	2 Capital, 8 Heavy, 24 Small	15	150/600	250

• HP: Base hull points.
• HP Inc: Hull points gained per armor plating tier above basic.
• DT (Damage Threshold): Attacks dealing damage ≤ DT deal 0 HP damage, the hull is too substantial for lighter weapons to penetrate.
• CT (Critical Threshold): A single attack dealing damage equal to or greater than CT triggers a Critical Hit in addition to normal damage.

Cat 3 note: The Cruiser (30 BP) and Industrial (12 BP) are distinct chassis types at the same size category. The Cruiser is built for combat; the Industrial is a cargo-optimized hull with reduced mounts, lower HP, and a lower chassis cost. Both use the same subsystem tables.

FTL note: FTL drive installation requires Cat 4 (Large) or larger. Cat 1–3 ships cannot carry FTL drives regardless of BP spent.

Required Subsystems

Every ship must have a functioning Power Core, Thrusters, and Life Support or it cannot operate. These are purchased from BP after the chassis cost.

Power Cores

Power Cores generate Power Units (PU), the ship's operational budget for active systems. Every active subsystem draws PU continuously; weapon mounts draw additional PU when they fire. If total demand exceeds core output, the engineer must shed load by deactivating systems.

Power Cores are rated by size compatibility. Undersized cores can be installed in larger hulls but will be insufficient for full operation. A ship may carry a secondary core in an expansion bay for redundancy; a secondary core provides half its listed PU.

Core Class	Fits Cat	PU Output	BP Cost
Micro Core	1	12	2
Compact Core	1–2	18	4
Standard Core	2–3	28	7
Industrial Core	3–4	35	10
Military Core	3–5	48	16
Heavy Core	4–6	65	25
Capital Core	5–7	90	40
Titan Core	7	130	70

Thrusters

Thrusters provide propulsion and maneuvering capability. The chassis establishes a default maneuverability tier; thruster upgrades can raise this by one tier. Downgrading from the chassis default saves BP but reduces maneuverability.

Thruster Class	Fits Cat	Maneuverability	PU Draw	BP Cost
Basic	1–2	−1 from default	2	1
Standard	1–3	Default	3	3
Enhanced	1–3	+1 from default	4	7
Military	2–4	+1 from default	6	12
Capital Standard	4–5	Default	10	20
Capital Enhanced	4–5	+1 from default	13	28
Gargantuan	6	Default	18	32
Colossal	7	Default	25	50

Maneuverability tiers (from best to worst): Perfect (+2 piloting, turn 0) → Good (+1 piloting, turn 1) → Average (0, turn 2) → Poor (−1, turn 3) → Clumsy (−2, turn 4). A Cruiser with Enhanced Thrusters improves from Average to Good.

"Turn rating" is a narrative tool representing how many Ship Turns it takes to turn 180°. A ship with turn 0 (Perfect) can pivot instantly; a Titan (turn 4) takes four Turns to reverse direction. This matters when an enemy is trying to stay out of a ship's forward arc.

Life Support

Life Support systems provide atmosphere, temperature, and survival conditions for the crew. Crew capacity from life support must meet or exceed the chassis minimum crew requirement.

Life Support Class	Fits Cat	Crew Capacity	PU Draw	BP Cost
Emergency	1–2	4	1	1
Standard	1–4	20	2	3
Extended	3–5	50	3	5
Capital	5–7	Chassis max	5	10

Breached life support applies the Atmospheric Contamination condition (AX.GAT.08.02) to all crew on affected decks within 3 Ship Turns if not repaired.

Optional Subsystems

The following subsystems are not required for operation but are standard on most vessels beyond bare-minimum configurations.

Armor Plating

Armor Plating provides Armor Value (AV), damage reduction applied to every hit that exceeds the ship's DT. It also increases HP by a multiple of the chassis HP Increment. Armor has no PU draw (it is passive structure).

Plating Class	Fits Cat	AV	HP Bonus	DT Bonus	BP Cost
Reinforced Hull	1–3	1	×1		2
Light Plating	1–4	2	×2		5
Standard Plating	2–5	3	×2		9
Heavy Plating	3–6	4	×3	+5	15
Military Plating	4–7	5	×3	+10	24
Capital Armor	6–7	6	×4	+15	40

HP Bonus is the chassis HP Increment multiplied by the listed value. A Cruiser (HP Inc 20) with Standard Plating gains 20×2 = 40 HP, bringing base HP from 100 to 140.

DT Bonus adds to the chassis base DT. A Capital ship (base DT 10) with Heavy Plating (+5) has DT 15, Light weapons (10 damage) no longer penetrate.

Shield Arrays

Shield Arrays provide Shield Points (SP), a secondary HP pool that absorbs incoming damage before Hull HP is affected. Shields regenerate at the listed rate each Ship Turn. Shields are disabled if their SP reaches 0; they resume regeneration one Turn after taking no further damage.

Shield Array	Fits Cat	SP	Regen/Turn	PU Draw	BP Cost
Basic Shield	1–2	10	2	3	3
Light Shield	1–3	20	3	4	6
Standard Shield	2–4	35	5	6	10
Military Shield	3–5	55	8	9	17
Heavy Shield	4–6	80	12	13	27
Capital Shield	6–7	130	18	20	45

Damage sequence: Incoming damage (after AV reduction) depletes SP first. When SP reaches 0, overflow damage goes to Hull HP. A ship with SP 20 taking 35 effective damage loses its shields and takes 15 HP damage.

Ion weapons interact with shields specially, see weapon profiles below.

Sensor Arrays

Sensor Arrays determine detection range, target acquisition quality, and electronic awareness. The Sensor Rating translates to bonus dice on crew rolls for detection, scanning, and target lock.

Sensor Array	Fits Cat	Sensor Rating	Detection Range	PU Draw	BP Cost
Basic Sensors	1–2	1	Near	2	2
Standard Sensors	1–4	2	Far	3	4
Military Sensors	2–5	3	Far+	5	9
Long-Range Array	3–6	4	Extended	8	16
Capital Array	6–7	5	System-wide	12	28

Sensor Rating provides bonus dice to crew rolls as follows: - Rating 1: No bonus; functional baseline - Rating 2: +1D to Wit + Notice (active scans, target identification) - Rating 3: +2D; can detect ships attempting to run silent - Rating 4: +2D; detects ECM-screened ships; deep-scan capability (crew and cargo) - Rating 5: +3D; system-wide detection; FTL transit tracking

Ki Nebula note: All sensor rolls made inside the Ki Nebula are at −1D due to EM density and particle interference. During an EM Surge (AX.GAT.08.02), all electronic sensor systems operate at Disadvantage regardless of rating.

Computers and Navigation

The ship's computer handles navigation, tactical overlays, and, at higher tiers, FTL jump calculations.

Computer Class	Fits Cat	Pilot Bonus	FTL	PU Draw	BP Cost
Basic Nav	1–3		No	1	2
Standard Nav	1–4	+1D piloting	No	2	4
Military Nav	2–5	+1D piloting, +1D tactical	No	3	8
FTL Nav	4–7	+1D piloting	Yes	5	18
Military FTL Nav	4–7	+2D piloting, +1D tactical	Yes (enhanced)	7	28

Pilot bonus: Bonus dice added to the Pilot's Speed + Piloting roll, representing the computer's navigational assistance.

Tactical bonus: Bonus dice added to the Science/ECM Officer's Wit + Tech roll for sensor locks and electronic countermeasures.

FTL: An FTL Nav computer is required to execute jumps. See FTL Systems below.

Military FTL Nav reduces the Ki Nebula FTL penalty from Disadvantage to −1D, the computer compensates for gravitational and EM disruption that would otherwise make nebula-space jumps prohibitively dangerous.

Weapon Systems

Weapons are installed in the mount points defined by the chassis. Each mount can hold one weapon of the appropriate class or smaller. A Light mount can hold a Light or Point Defense weapon; it cannot hold a Small or Heavy weapon.

Mount Classes and Base Damage

Mount Class	Damage per Hit	Typical Range	Fits Mount
Light	10	Close–Near	Light
Small	20	Near–Far	Small, Light
Heavy	40	Near–Far	Heavy, Small, Light
Capital	100	Far–Extreme	Capital only

Scale immunity: Ships use the DT system to represent hull integrity that lighter weapons cannot breach. A ship with DT 10 is immune to Light weapons (10 damage exactly meets, not exceeds, the threshold). See chassis DT values and armor DT bonuses.

Firing arc: Each mount specifies an arc, Forward (fwd), Turret (360°), or Side (port/starboard). A gunner can only fire at targets in the weapon's arc. The pilot's maneuver role includes bringing targets into favorable arcs.

Light Mount Weapons

Weapon	Damage	Range	Special	PU/Shot	BP Cost
Point Defense Laser	10	Close	Can intercept incoming missiles (see below)	2	2
Light Laser Cannon	10	Close–Near		2	2
Light Kinetic Cannon	10	Near	Penetrating 1, ignores 1 AV	2	3
Light Missile Launcher	10+5	Far	Homing, target must react; 8 shots capacity	2	4
Mining Laser	10	Close	Dual-use (asteroid cutting); no combat bonus	2	2
ECM Pod		Near	Imposes −1D on target's sensor rolls this Turn	3	5

Point Defense: A gunner with a Point Defense Laser can use their action to intercept an incoming missile instead of attacking. They roll Speed + Targeting vs Threshold 2. On success, the missile is destroyed before it hits.

Homing: Homing missiles force the target pilot to make a Speed + Piloting roll (Threshold 2) to evade. On failure, the missile hits and deals damage without requiring a gunner attack roll. On success, the missile misses.

Small Mount Weapons

Weapon	Damage	Range	Special	PU/Shot	BP Cost
Pulse Laser	20	Near	Rapid Fire, fire twice in one action at −1D each	3	4
Autocannon	20	Near	Penetrating 2, ignores 2 AV	3	5
Plasma Caster	20	Close–Near	Shield Burn, 5 additional SP damage on hit	4	6
Standard Missile Launcher	20+5	Far	Homing; 6 shots capacity	3	6
Arc Emitter	15	Near	Ion Effect (see below); ignores shields	4	7
Flak Battery	20	Close	Area, attacks all targets in Close arc; Point Defense at +1D	4	7

Ion Effect: Arc Emitter and ion weapons do not damage HP or SP. Instead, on a successful hit, the engineer of the struck ship must make a Wit + Engineering roll (Threshold 3) or one random subsystem is disabled for one Ship Turn (no critical damage; system comes back online automatically).

Rapid Fire: The gunner makes two separate attack rolls this action, each at −1D. Both must target the same ship.

Heavy Mount Weapons

Weapon	Damage	Range	Special	PU/Shot	BP Cost
Heavy Laser Array	40	Far	Sustained, consecutive hits on the same target deal +5 damage each Turn	6	9
Railgun	40	Far	Penetrating 4, ignores 4 AV; no arc restriction (360°)	7	12
Heavy Torpedo Launcher	40+10	Far	Homing (Th3 to evade); 4 shots capacity; Blast (10 damage to nearby ships)	5	11
Ion Cannon	30	Near	Ion Effect; on a critical hit, the target's power core loses 1D6 PU for 1 Turn	6	10
Siege Laser	40	Far	Structure, can damage fixed installations and stations at full damage; +1D vs Capital ships	8	14
Heavy Mining Laser	40	Near	Dual-use (large asteroid/salvage cutting); no combat penalties	6	8

Sustained Fire: When the same Heavy Laser Array hits the same target on consecutive Turns, each subsequent hit deals an additional 5 damage (Turn 1: 40, Turn 2: 45, Turn 3: 50, etc.). This resets if the target is missed or if the array fires at a different target.

Capital Mount Weapons

Capital weapons are exclusively for Cat 6–7 hulls. They represent superweapon-class armaments that can damage planetary installations and engage multiple targets simultaneously.

Weapon	Damage	Range	Special	PU/Shot	BP Cost
Mass Driver	100	Extreme	AP 6 (ignores 6 AV); Cooldown, fires once per scene	15	32
Spinal Lance	100	Extreme	Forward arc only; Structure, can damage stations and orbital installations; hits Cat 1–3 ships for double damage (hard to miss)	18	38
Siege Battery	100	Far	Area Saturation, deals 40 damage to all ships in a designated zone; ally ships are not exempt	12	28
Void Disruptor	80	Far	Ion Effect (capital scale), on hit, target loses all shield SP and must succeed at Wit + Engineering Th4 or all systems disabled for 1 Turn	14	30

Extreme range: Targets at Extreme range are beyond standard sensor detection without a Long-Range or Capital sensor array.

Expansion Bay Modules

Each expansion bay holds one module. Bays can also hold a secondary power core (half PU output) or serve as additional cargo space (50 tons per bay) without a module installation cost.

Module	BP Cost	PU Draw	Effect
Cargo Hold	1		+50 tons cargo capacity per bay
Extended Crew Quarters	2	1	+8 crew capacity above life support maximum
Passenger Berths	2	1	+10 civilian passenger capacity; includes basic comfort
Cryo Bay	3	1	20 cryo-tube capacity; crew in cryo draw no life support PU
Medical Bay	4	2	+2D to all Wit + Medicine rolls made aboard; treat as field hospital for personal-scale casualties
Science Laboratory	4	2	+2D to Wit + Tech for analysis and sample processing; functions as Void Attunement Survey Focus
Engineering Workshop	3	1	+1D to all Wit + Engineering repair rolls; on-board fabrication of basic components
Fighter Bay	6	2	Holds 2 Cat 1 vessels and their crew; requires Cat 4+ hull; launch/recovery takes 1 Ship Turn
Communications Array	3	2	Long-range comms; +2D to all electronic communications security; encrypted channel establishment
Survey Suite	4	3	+2D to all Ki Nebula scanning operations; reduces EM Surge sensor penalty by 1D; Void Attunement Focus (Near range)
Armory	2		Expanded personal weapons and armor storage; faction-credential restricted
Smuggler's Holds	2		Concealed cargo spaces; +2D to rolls to conceal contraband from scanning
Detention Block	2	1	Holds up to 6 prisoners; security-hardened compartment
Diplomatic Suite	3	1	+1D to formal negotiations conducted aboard the ship; Oryx and Survey Corps standard
Automated Turret	4	3	Installs one Light mount that fires autonomously (no gunner required); Defense 2, will engage designated targets
Brig Medical Unit	3	2	Synthari-compatible repair suite; +2D for Wit + Engineering used for Synthari repair procedures
Secondary Core Bay	2		Houses a secondary power core; the core itself is purchased separately

FTL Systems

Requirements: FTL drive capability requires a Cat 4 (Large) or larger chassis and an FTL Nav or Military FTL Nav computer. Smaller hulls cannot generate or sustain the quasi-dimensional rift.

The Seraphim: The Astraeus Terminal's Cat 4 Battlecruiser occupies a dedicated external Spire mooring and is the Terminal's only FTL-capable vessel. Its military-grade FTL navigation is the primary reason for its strategic significance.

Jump Procedure

1. Calculation Phase

The navigator (Wit + Tech or Wit + Navigation) rolls against Threshold 2 (standard jump) or Threshold 3 (emergency jump, Ki Nebula transit, or precision exit point). Failure results in a jump offset, the ship arrives in the correct system but at an incorrect position. Critical Failure (roll succeeds 0 and Wild Die shows 1) results in a misjump: the GM determines the outcome.

2. Spool Time

The drive requires 1D6 minutes to reach jump capacity. In a combat context, this is 1D6 Ship Turns during which the ship cannot engage in combat maneuvers (it is committed to jump prep). Enemies aware of the spool can attempt to disrupt it; see Engineering Actions below.

3. Jump

The ship transits. All crew experience disorientation for the first Ship Turn after emergence, no tradition rolls or Wit-based actions can be taken.

4. Emergence Roll

The pilot makes a Speed + Piloting roll (Threshold 2) for clean emergence. Success: arrive on target. Failure: arrive off-course within the destination system (1D6 hours of correction travel). Critical Failure: arrive with thruster damage (one tier drop until repaired).

Ki Nebula FTL

The nebula's gravitational complexity and EM density disrupt rift formation. All FTL calculation rolls made inside the Ki Nebula are at Disadvantage (only a 6 counts as a success). A Military FTL Nav computer reduces this to −1D instead of Disadvantage.

Practical result: most captains do not attempt FTL inside the nebula. The Survey Corps uses slow sub-light transit for nebula operations. The Seraphim's military nav makes nebula-edge jumps possible but still risky.

Sample Builds

These examples demonstrate BP allocation across budget tiers.

Stellarhawk Interceptor (Cat 1 Frigate, Fitted, 75 BP)

The Astraeus Terminal maintains 48 of these in the Hangar Ring.

Chassis: Frigate (6 BP) | Remaining: 69 BP

Subsystem	Selection	BP	PU Draw
Power Core	Compact Core	4
Thrusters	Enhanced (Cat 1–3)	7	4
Life Support	Emergency	1	1
Armor	Reinforced Hull (AV 1, +5 HP)	2
Shields	Basic Shield (SP 10, regen 2)	3	3
Sensors	Basic Sensors (Rating 1)	2	2
Computer	Standard Nav (+1D piloting)	4	2
Weapons	2× Light Laser Cannon (Light fwd mounts)	4
Total		27 BP	12/18 PU

Remaining: 42 BP unspent (reflects mass-production base config; individual pilots often customize).

Stats: HP 35, SP 10, AV 1, DT N/A, Defense 3 (Perfect maneuverability + Enhanced thrusters = Good tier → Defense 3). PU available for weapon fire: 6 PU.

Survey Destroyer (Cat 2 Destroyer, Fitted, 80 BP)

Survey Corps standard field vessel.

Chassis: Destroyer (15 BP) | Remaining: 65 BP

Subsystem	Selection	BP	PU Draw
Power Core	Standard Core	7
Thrusters	Standard (Cat 1–3)	3	3
Life Support	Standard (20 crew)	3	2
Armor	Light Plating (AV 2, +20 HP)	5
Shields	Light Shield (SP 20, regen 3)	6	4
Sensors	Military Sensors (Rating 3, +2D)	9	5
Computer	Standard Nav (+1D piloting)	4	2
Weapons	1× Heavy Laser Array (Heavy fwd)	9
	2× Point Defense Laser (Light turret)	4
Expansion	Survey Suite	4	3
	Science Laboratory	4	2
	Medical Bay	4	2
	Cargo Hold	1
Total		63 BP	23/28 PU

Stats: HP 60, SP 20, AV 2, DT 0, Defense 2. PU available for weapon fire: 5 PU (tight, the Heavy Laser Array costs 6 PU to fire; the engineer must drop one passive system for 1 PU, typically pulling from active sensor sweep, when the ship needs full weapons). Point Defense Lasers fire at 2 PU each and can be run without shedding load.

Seraphim-class Battlecruiser (Cat 4, Capital Grade reference build)

The Terminal's sole FTL vessel. Dedicated external Spire mooring. Presented as a pre-built reference, not a player starting ship.

Chassis: Battlecruiser (80 BP)

Subsystem	Selection	BP	PU Draw
Power Core	Heavy Core	25
Thrusters	Capital Standard	20	10
Life Support	Extended (50 crew)	5	3
Armor	Standard Plating (AV 3, +60 HP)	9
Shields	Military Shield (SP 55, regen 8)	17	9
Sensors	Military Sensors (Rating 3, +2D)	9	5
Computer	Military FTL Nav (+2D piloting, +1D tactical, FTL enhanced)	28	7
Weapons	2× Heavy Laser Array (Heavy fwd)	18
	1× Railgun (Heavy)	12
	4× Autocannon (Small)	20
Expansion	Armory	2
	Medical Bay	4	2
	Fighter Bay	6	2
Total		175 BP	38/65 PU

Note: At 255 BP total (80 chassis + 175 systems), the Seraphim represents a Capital Grade investment, appropriate for a faction flagship.

Stats: HP 240, SP 55, AV 3, DT 0, Defense 2.

PU breakdown: Passive draw, Thrusters 10, Life Support 3, Shields 9, Sensors 5, FTL Nav 7, Medical Bay 2, Fighter Bay 2 = 38 PU passive. Available for weapons: 65 − 38 = 27 PU. Full simultaneous fire costs 31 PU (Heavy Array ×2 at 6 each, Railgun at 7, Autocannon ×4 at 3 each = 12+7+12 = 31). The Seraphim is 4 PU short of firing everything at once, the engineer must drop one passive system (typically shields are held at minimum regen, freeing 4 PU from shield regeneration demand) during full combat engagement.

AX.GAT.09.05.02 - Ship Combat

Scale and Initiative

Ship Turns represent approximately five minutes of maneuvering, exchange, and system response. A combat between ships that lasts 8–10 Ship Turns is a long engagement.

Initiative: Each ship (not each crewmember) rolls 1D6 at the start of combat. Result 5+ = Top of Turn; 4 or lower = Bottom of Turn. This is identical to personal combat initiative. Ships at Top of Turn act before ships at Bottom of Turn.

Personal and ship scale co-existing: During an EVA conflict or boarding action, both scales may be active simultaneously. Personal-scale combatants act on their own initiative; ship-scale turns happen on a separate track. The GM adjudicates which events affect which scale (a hull breach from ship combat affects EVA crew immediately; a boarding party taking control of the bridge affects ship combat from the next Ship Turn).

Crew Stations

During a Ship Turn, each crew member assigned to a station takes one action. Unmanned stations take no action. The crew's collective output per Turn reflects the ship's capability.

Active Stations:

Station	Primary Attribute	Governing Talent	Action Type
Pilot	Speed	Piloting	Maneuver, Evasion, Docking
Gunner	Speed	Targeting	Fire one weapon mount
Engineer	Wit	Engineering	Damage control, power management, jump disruption
Science/ECM	Wit	Tech or Notice	Sensor sweep, target lock, ECM, counter-ECM
Captain	Wit	Command	Issue orders, coordinate, morale
Medical Officer	Wit	Medicine	Personal-scale casualties (secondary role)

Multiple gunners: Each gunner mans one weapon mount and fires it independently. A Destroyer with 2 Light turrets can fire both simultaneously if two gunners are assigned. A solo pilot on a Frigate with 2 Light mounts chooses: pilot the ship OR fire weapons (not both in one Turn, unless using an Automated Turret module).

Captain's action: The Captain (Wit + Command, Threshold 2) does not attack or pilot. On success, one crew member of the Captain's choice gains +1D on their action this Turn. On a Critical Success, all crew members gain +1D. This action represents coordinated tactical direction.

Pilot Actions

Standard Maneuver: No roll required. The pilot moves the ship within its speed capability and adjusts facing. This does not consume the pilot's action; it is the baseline state of a piloted ship.

Evasive Action: The pilot devotes full attention to evasion. Roll Speed + Piloting vs Threshold 2. On success, the ship's Defense increases by 1 until the start of the next Ship Turn. On a Critical Success, Defense increases by 2.

The pilot cannot perform any other action in a Turn they take Evasive Action.

Arc Control: The pilot may attempt to force a maneuvering target into a specific arc (e.g., bring the enemy ship into the forward arc for a railgun shot, or keep the enemy off the rear arc). This is a contested roll, both pilots roll Speed + Piloting; the higher success count wins the positioning.

Emergency Spool Burn: The pilot can spend a Ship Turn pushing the drives beyond safe limits to gain one maneuverability tier increase for that Turn. The engineer must succeed at Wit + Engineering Th3 afterward or the thrusters take 1 tier of damage (drop to next tier permanently until repaired).

Jump Disruption Prevention: If the ship is spooling for FTL, enemy gunners can attempt to prevent the jump by targeting the drive assembly. If the ship takes damage equal to its Critical Threshold during the spool period, the jump is aborted and the spool timer resets.

Gunner Actions

Fire Weapon: The gunner fires their assigned mount at a target in arc.

• Roll Speed + Targeting vs the target ship's Defense
• On a hit: deal weapon damage − target's AV to target's SP (if any), then overflow to HP
• Natural maximum (Wild Die 6 on a successful attack): deal damage + 5 additional damage

Sustained Target Lock: If a gunner spent the previous Turn targeting the same ship (whether they hit or not), they gain +1D on their attack roll this Turn. This represents acquired firing solution.

Overwatch: The gunner can declare Overwatch instead of firing. The gunner's mount is held in reserve. When a specific trigger event occurs before the gunner's next Turn (an enemy breaks cover, a missile launches, a ship makes a specific maneuver), the gunner fires with a +1D bonus. Point Defense is most effective on Overwatch.

Engineer Actions

Damage Control: Roll Wit + Engineering vs Threshold 2. On success, restore 1D6 HP. On Critical Success, restore 1D6 HP and repair one degraded system.

Emergency Repair: The engineer attempts to repair a disabled system (weapon mount offline, sensor array damaged, etc.). Roll Wit + Engineering vs Threshold 3. On success, the system comes back online. On failure, the system remains offline. This can only be attempted once per system per combat, further attempts must wait until the ship is in a safe location.

Power Management: The engineer actively manages the ship's PU allocation. Once per Turn, as a free action accompanying another action, the engineer can reroute power, deactivating one system and boosting another (e.g., dropping shields to power an extra weapon fire, or dropping non-essential sensors to restore shield regeneration after a hit).

Jump Disruption: If an enemy ship is spooling for FTL, the engineer can attempt to target and overload the enemy's power curve. This requires a Wit + Engineering roll vs Threshold 3 and a Science Officer providing a sensor lock on the enemy ship's drive signature. On success, the enemy's spool time increases by 1D6 Turns.

Science/ECM Officer Actions

Sensor Sweep: The Science Officer runs an active scan. Roll Wit + Notice vs the target's passive sensor rating as a Threshold. On success, gain detailed information (heading, armament, crew count, damage state). On Critical Success, identify any concealed systems (Smuggler's Holds, hidden weapon mounts).

Target Lock: Roll Wit + Tech vs Threshold 2. On success, all gunners on the Science Officer's ship gain +1D on attack rolls against the locked target this Turn. This represents shared targeting solution data.

Electronic Countermeasures (ECM): Roll Wit + Tech vs an opposing Science Officer's counter-ECM roll (both roll, compare successes). On net success, the ECM operator imposes −1D on all enemy gunner attack rolls this Turn.

Counter-ECM: The Science Officer defends the ship's systems from enemy electronic attack. This is a reactive roll, when enemy ECM activates, the Science Officer may immediately roll Wit + Tech vs the attacker's ECM roll to negate the effect. This does not consume the Science Officer's action for the Turn if successful (they react; the Turn action is preserved).

Attack and Defense

Ship Defense is determined by its maneuverability tier. The pilot's Evasive Action can increase this temporarily.

Maneuverability	Base Defense
Perfect	3
Good	3
Average	2
Poor	2
Clumsy	1

Defense functions as an attack roll Threshold: a gunner must achieve successes equal to or greater than the target's Defense to hit.

Modifiers to attack: - Target is sensor-locked: +1D - Gunner has sustained target lock (previous Turn): +1D - Target is on Evasive Action: Defense +1 (or +2 on Critical Success) - Attacker's ship is drifting uncontrolled (thruster damage): −1D - EM Surge in effect: all electronic targeting (which includes laser and guided systems) at Disadvantage; mechanical systems (railguns, kinetic cannons) unaffected

Damage Resolution

When a gunner hits:

1. Apply Damage Threshold (DT): If the weapon's base damage ≤ target's DT, the attack deals 0 damage (hull is too substantial to penetrate). The attack still hits; it simply bounces.

2. Apply Armor Value (AV): Effective damage = weapon damage − AV (minimum 0).

3. Apply to Shields: If the target has SP remaining, effective damage reduces SP first.

4. Overflow to Hull: Any damage exceeding current SP reduces Hull HP.

Example: A Cruiser (DT 0, AV 3, SP 35) takes a Heavy Torpedo hit (50 damage including Homing bonus): - 50 > 0 (DT): penetrates - 50 − 3 (AV) = 47 effective damage - SP absorbs 35; 12 overflow to Hull HP

Damage Thresholds and Scale Immunity

The Damage Threshold system creates natural scale immunity without additional rules:

Weapon Class	Damage	Vs Cat 5 (DT 5)	Vs Cat 6 (DT 10)	Vs Cat 7 (DT 15)
Light	10	5 after DT	Blocked (10 ≤ 10)	Blocked
Small	20	15 after DT	10 after DT	5 after DT
Heavy	40	35 after DT	30 after DT	25 after DT
Capital	100	95 after DT	90 after DT	85 after DT

Inverse scale problem: Capital weapons targeting Cat 1–2 ships deal 100+ damage against ships with 30–50 HP. These engagements are not fights; they are terminations. A Spinal Lance can destroy a Frigate with a near miss. Captains of small ships do not engage capital vessels; they run.

Combat Consequences

As a ship takes sustained damage, its systems degrade:

HP Remaining	Consequence
75–100%	No effect
50–74%	One system degraded, the engineer rolls Wit + Engineering Th2 to contain the damage; on failure, GM randomly selects one system to drop one tier of effectiveness
25–49%	Two systems degraded; Pilot at Disadvantage for all maneuver rolls (smoke, atmosphere loss, structural flex)
10–24%	Emergency status, Pilot must succeed at Speed + Piloting Th2 for any directed movement; all non-essential systems automatically offline; crew exposed to personal-scale environmental risk
0 HP	Ship is destroyed or catastrophically disabled, crew must evacuate or is lost

System degradation reduces a subsystem's effectiveness by one tier (e.g., Military Sensors → Standard Sensors, Military Shield → Standard Shield). Critically failed engineering rolls can accelerate degradation. A degraded system that is degraded again goes offline entirely.

Critical Hits

When a single attack's base damage equals or exceeds the target's Critical Threshold (CT), before DT and AV reduction, a Critical Hit occurs in addition to normal damage.

Roll 1D6 on the Critical Hit Table:

D6	System Hit	Effect	Repair Threshold
1	Power Core	Core output reduced by 1D6 PU until repaired; if PU drops below active system demand, engineer must immediately shed load	Th3
2	Thrusters	Maneuverability drops one tier until repaired; at Clumsy, the ship loses directed movement (drifts)	Th3
3	Weapon System	One randomly selected weapon mount goes offline until repaired; if the only armed mount, the ship cannot fire	Th2
4	Sensor Array	Sensor Rating −1 (minimum 0 = sensors offline); at Rating 0, all targeting is at Disadvantage	Th2
5	Life Support	All crew take 1D6 personal damage (Speed Save Th2 for half); atmospheric contamination track begins (AX.GAT.08.02) if not repaired within 3 Turns	Th3
6	Hull Breach	One compartment section breaches; crew in that section immediately gain Vacuum Exposed (AX.GAT.08.02) and must seal/evacuate; temporary seal requires Speed + Engineering Th2 + Void Suit Patch Kit	Th3

Wild Die on Critical Hit: If the gunner's Wild Die shows 6 on the attack roll that triggers a Critical Hit, roll twice on the table and apply both results.

Repair

In Combat (Engineer Primary Action): - Wit + Engineering vs Threshold 2: restore 1D6 Hull HP OR restore 1D6 SP to shields - Wit + Engineering vs Threshold 3: repair one degraded system (but not offline systems; those require safe conditions) - Vs Threshold 4: seal a Hull Breach from inside; requires Void Suit Patch Kit (AX.GAT.09.03)

Short Rest (ship scale, 1 hour in a safe location): - Restore HP equal to one HP Increment (chassis base, not modified) - Attempt to bring offline systems back up: Wit + Engineering Th3, one attempt per system - Recharge missile/torpedo ammunition if supplies available

Dry-dock (station or port facility): - Full HP restoration - All system repairs complete - Cost: ℃r 200 per HP repaired (Standard tier hull damage); ℃r 500 per HP for military-grade systems; Oryx Logistics controls the Terminal's dry-dock access

Quick Reference

Chassis Summary

Cat	Chassis	HP	DT	CT	Mounts	Bays	BP
1	Frigate	30		5	2 Light (fwd)	0	6
2	Destroyer	40	0	10	1 Heavy (fwd), 2 Light (turret)	4	15
3	Cruiser	100	0	25	2 Heavy (fwd), 4 Small	5	30
3	Industrial	40	0	10	2 Light	4	12
4	Battlecruiser	180	0	35	2 Heavy (fwd), 1 Heavy, 4 Small	3	80
5	Battleship	250	5	40	4 Heavy, 6 Small	3	100
6	Capital	300	10	45	1 Capital (fwd), 6 Heavy, 12 Small	10	180
7	Titan	400	15	50	2 Capital, 8 Heavy, 24 Small	15	250

Defense by Maneuverability

Maneuverability	Defense
Perfect (+2 piloting)	3
Good (+1 piloting)	3
Average (0 piloting)	2
Poor (−1 piloting)	2
Clumsy (−2 piloting)	1

Evasive Action (Speed + Piloting Th2 success): Defense +1 for that Turn.

Weapon Damage Summary

Mount Class	Damage	Notes
Light	10	Blocked by DT 10+
Small	20	Reduced by DT 15
Heavy	40	Full effect vs all classes
Capital	100	Full effect; Blast/Cooldown rules vary

Critical Hit Table

D6	Effect
1	Power Core, lose 1D6 PU output
2	Thrusters, drop one maneuverability tier
3	Weapons, random mount offline
4	Sensors, Sensor Rating −1
5	Life Support, crew take 1D6 damage; contamination track begins
6	Hull Breach, section opens to vacuum

PU Draw Reference

System	Typical PU Draw
Thrusters (Cat 1–7)	2 / 3 / 5 / 8 / 10–13 / 18 / 25
Life Support	1–5 (scales with class)
Shield Array	3–20 (scales with class)
Sensors (active)	2–12 (scales with rating)
Computer/Nav	1–7 (scales with class)
Light weapon (per shot)	2
Small weapon (per shot)	3–4
Heavy weapon (per shot)	5–8
Capital weapon (per shot)	10–18

HP Threshold Consequences

HP Remaining	Effect
75–100%	None
50–74%	One system degraded (Eng Th2 to prevent)
25–49%	Two systems degraded; Pilot at Disadvantage
10–24%	Emergency status; movement requires Piloting Th2
0	Destroyed or catastrophically disabled