Starship Combat Options

Ships attempting to disable another vessel occasionally have to use full-power energy weapons against a target (if they don't have ion cannons, for example). This is quite dangerous, since these weapons might accidentally destroy the prize.

To avoid this, gunners may choose to "call" a shot—targeting a particular location on a ship. This is harder than simply hammering away at the enemy ship.

Scale Restrictions

A higher-scale weapon cannot target a location on a lower-scale target. • A capital-scale ship can target a capital ship's engines, but not a starfighter's engines. • A starfighter can target another starfighter's engines or a capital ship's bridge, but not a walker's legs or head.

Targeting Difficulty Modifiers

Damage is worked out normally. The specific results should be determined by the gamemaster using the normal starship damage guidelines.

General Guidance (Location Effects)

•	Lightly damaged location: loses −1D or −1 Move
•	Heavily damaged location: loses −2D or −2 Move
•	Severely damaged location: system disabled (cannot perform its function)
•	Destroyed: catastrophic damage (may trigger overloads, explosions, chain reactions, etc.)

Targeting locations doesn't guarantee a ship will be merely disabled, but it increases the odds of capturing a ship with minimal damage.

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Damage Penalties

Power Control (Optional)

Although the Star Wars films refer to power switching and rerouting available power, the Star Wars Roleplaying Game intentionally downplayed this mechanic to maintain simplicity. A gamemaster who wants more technical detail can use the following rules.

A ship has enough power to run all systems simultaneously, and can channel up to an additional +2D to any system, rerouted from other systems. This power is raw and has no benefit to computer-only systems (like nav computers or targeting computers), but may boost things like communications range or active sensor scans.

Power is commonly routed: • from inactive systems to active ones • from non-firing weapons to firing weapons

Example (Rerouting Power)

The Spirit of Alderaan (Nebulon-B escort frigate) is exchanging fire with another escort frigate. The captain orders extra power routed to main weapons and shields. Power Control takes power from the ship's two tractor beams (4D each), for 8D total to distribute among the 12 main turbolasers. Power Control allocates 1D to each forward turbolaser and 1D+2 to the forward shields, leaving +1 unused.

As the enemy ship passes on the right, Power Control switches the extra power from the forward turbolasers to right-arc weapons and shields. The 8D are distributed differently: 1D+2 to each of the three right turbolasers (total 5D, with 2D split into 6 pips) and 1D+2 to the shields. The remaining 1D+1 goes to waste in the buffer or to another system.

Routing from left-arc shields or weapons would weaken defenses on that side. Starfighters with shields sometimes do this, shifting shield power to the side expected to take heavy fire.

Note: Ships moving All-Out may be unable to fire, maneuver, and (at the gamemaster's discretion) may be unable to use shields—this can be explained as routing all power to engines.

Power Control Difficulties

Power Switching Time

Starship Damage

Starships suffer damage in combat just like vehicles.

Roll attack or collision damage and compare it to the starship's hull code roll: • If damage is lower than hull: no damage • If damage is equal to or higher than hull: consult the Starship Damage Chart

Starship Damage Chart

Shields Blown

The ship loses −1D from its shields total until repaired. If the ship has no shield dice remaining (or had none), it suffers controls ionized.

Controls Ionized

The ship's controls are temporarily overwhelmed by power surges. The ship loses −1D from: • maneuverability • shields • weapon fire control and damage

…for the rest of that round and the next round.

If the ship has as many controls ionized results as it has maneuverability dice, the controls are frozen for the next two rounds: • Maintain the same speed and direction • No turns, weapon fire, shield attempts, or other actions

The pilot must still make piloting rolls or the ship automatically crashes (if there's anything to hit) or goes spinning out of control.

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Lightly Damaged

A ship can be lightly damaged any number of times. Each time, roll 1D: 1. −1D maneuverability (if reduced to 0D already, suffer −1 Move) 2. One weapon emplacement hit and destroyed; gunners take damage (see "Passenger Damage"). Randomly determine which weapon. 3. One weapon emplacement rendered inoperative (lightly damaged) by power surge/system failure. Randomly determine which weapon. 4. Hyperdrive damaged: double time to calculate astrogation; if attempting a 1-round jump, add +10 to astrogation difficulty. Repair: 1 hour + Moderate repair roll (capital ship repair / space transports repair / starfighter repair). 5. −1D shields (if no shields remain, suffer controls ionized) 6. −1 Move

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Heavily Damaged

Heavily damaged ships have taken more serious damage. If a heavily damaged ship is lightly or heavily damaged again, it becomes severely damaged. Roll 1D: 1. −2D maneuverability (if reduced to 0D already, suffer −2 Move) 2. Lose a weapon system in one fire arc (randomly determine). All weapons of that type in that arc are rendered inoperative due to major power surge/system failure. • Example: A Star Destroyer has 60 turbolaser batteries (20 front, 20 left, 20 right). A lucky shot takes out the front turbolasers; left and right arcs remain operational. 3. Weapons system destroyed: all weapons of one type in the same fire arc are destroyed by overloads; gunners take damage (see "Passenger Damage"). 4. Hyperdrive damaged: increase astrogation difficulties by +10 until fixed (1 hour + Moderate repair roll). 5. −2D shields (if no shields remain or none existed, suffer 2 controls ionized) 6. −2 Move

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Severely Damaged

Severely damaged ships are almost useless. A severely damaged ship that is lightly/heavily/severely damaged again is destroyed. Roll 1D: 1. Dead in space: all drives and maneuvering systems destroyed; ship adrift 2. Overloaded generator: explodes in 1D rounds unless shut down (destroys ship) 3. Disabled hyperdrives: main and backup damaged; cannot enter hyperspace until repaired (1 hour + Moderate repair roll) 4. Disabled weapons: all weapons lose power. Roll 1D: • 1–4: weapons severely damaged but repairable • 5–6: all weapons destroyed 5. Structural damage: ship begins to disintegrate; crew has 1D rounds to evacuate 6. Destroyed: ship disintegrates or explodes in a ball of flame

Destroyed

The ship is instantly destroyed and explodes in a ball of flame. Everyone aboard is killed.

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Lost Moves

Lost Moves add together (e.g., −1 Move then −2 Move = −3 Moves). • −1 Move: cannot move all-out; limited to high speed • −2 Moves: limited to cruising speed • −3 Moves: limited to cautious speed • −4 Moves: sublight drives disabled; dead in space • −5 Moves: destroyed

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Passenger Damage

Passengers may be injured when a ship suffers damage or crashes. Use judgment to decide whether a character takes damage.

Determine character damage based on how badly the ship is damaged (character-scale):

Ships in an Atmosphere

The Atmosphere listing shows how fast the ship moves in an atmosphere: • first number: Move • second number: all-out speed (km/h)

A ship without an Atmosphere listing (such as an Imperial Star Destroyer) cannot enter atmospheres.

Starships in an atmosphere use vehicle movement and combat rules, but still use Starship Damage rules.

Atmosphere Speed Reference

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Source: REUP:136