Starship Armor and Defense Systems

[h=5]STARSHIP ARMOR[/h] A starship can have only one type of armor installed. To surround a starship’s hull in armor or to upgrade the armor, a character must succeed at a Craft (structural) check (DC 30) after investing 600 hours in its assembly. A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on the skill check. The character must also make a Wealth check against the armor’s (or upgraded armor’s) purchase DC.
Different types of starship armor are presented below.
Hardness: The amount of damage the armor absorbs from a weapon hit or collision.
Tactical Speed Penalty: The amount by which the armor reduces the starship’s tactical speed, given in feet and squares.
Weight: The armor’s weight.
Purchase DC: The armor’s purchase DC.
Restriction: The restriction rating of the armor.
[h=6]ALLOY PLATING (PL 5)[/h] Alloy plating is made of advanced metal alloys engineered for high resistance to attacks at relatively low weights.
Hardness: 20
Tactical Speed Penalty: –500 feet (–1 square)
Weight: One-eighth the weight of the starship (rounded down)
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: None
[h=6]POLYMERIC (PL 6)[/h] Polymeric armor is made up of advanced polymers, such as carbon fiber and high-grade fiberglass. It is relatively cheap and light, but doesn’t offer tremendous protection.
Hardness: 20
Tactical Speed Penalty: None
Weight: One-tenth the weight of the starship (rounded down).
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship
Restriction: Licensed (+1)
[h=6]VANADIUM (PL 6)[/h] Interlocking plates of light vanadium alloy absorb a respectable amount of damage and are easy to mold to a starship’s hull.
Hardness: 30
Tactical Speed Penalty: None
Weight: One-eighth the weight of the starship (rounded down).
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship
Restriction: Military (+3)
[h=6]CERAMETAL (PL 7)[/h] Combining the heat-resistant qualities of tough ceramics with the ductile strength of metal, cerametal armor offers a good compromise between protection and economy.
Hardness: 30
Tactical Speed Penalty: None
Weight: One-eighth the weight of the starship (rounded down)
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Licensed (+1)
[h=6]DEFLECTIVE (PL 7)[/h] Deflective armor is composed of a shiny, light, flexible polymer especially good at neutralizing energy damage but less effective against ballistic attacks.
Hardness: 20 against attacks that deal ballistic damage, 40 against all other attacks.
Tactical Speed Penalty: None
Weight: One-tenth the weight of the starship (rounded down).
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]NEUTRONITE (PL 7)[/h] Neutronite is a tough steel alloy into which a “weave” of free neutrons has been pressed. It is extremely resilient but also incredibly massive, weighing about five times more than a similar volume of lead.
Hardness: 40
Tactical Speed Penalty: –500 feet (–1 square)
Weight: One-quarter the weight of the starship (rounded down)
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Military (+3)
[h=6]ABLATIVE (PL 8)[/h] This silvery, reflective armor is amazingly thin, yet has tremendous tensile strength and the ability to absorb damage better than most kinds of armor plating.
Hardness: 40
Tactical Speed Penalty: None
Weight: One-tenth the weight of the starship (rounded down)
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Military (+3)
[h=6]NANOFLUIDIC (PL 8)[/h] Consisting of a thick layer of gel-like fluid sandwiched in a neutronite structure, nanofluidic armor is “smart” armor—it concentrates at the point of impact to blunt physical blows and circulates around heat sources to dissipate energy.
Hardness: 50
Tactical Speed Penalty: –500 feet (–1 square).
Weight: One-quarter the weight of the starship (rounded down).
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship
Restriction: Military (+3)

[h=5]STARSHIP DEFENSE SYSTEMS[/h] Armor does an admirable job of preventing damage to the superstructure of a starship, but it’s really only the last line of defense. Since the late Industrial Age, aircraft have been outfitted with an ever-increasing number of defensive systems designed to avoid or avert damage to a craft’s hull—or to repair it before catastrophe occurs.
To build a defense system from scratch, a character must succeed at a Craft (electronic) check (DC 30) and a Craft (mechanical) check after investing 60 hours in its assembly. A character without an electrical or mechanical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on the appropriate skill check. The character must also make a Wealth check against the system’s purchase DC.
Installing a defensive system requires a successful Craft (mechanical) check (DC 30) after investing 30 hours. A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on the skill check.
Different types of defensive systems are detailed below.
Purchase DC: The purchase DC of the system.
Restriction: The level of license required to purchase the system legally.
[h=6]AUTOPILOT SYSTEM (PL 5)[/h] An autopilot system “kicks in” whenever the pilot is unable to fly the starship. An autopilot system isn’t as good at avoiding attacks as a living pilot, but it’s better than nothing. Larger vessels have more adaptive autopilot systems than smaller ships (although this increased sophistication doesn’t outweigh the penalties associated with the ships’ larger sizes).
An autopilot system provides an equipment bonus to the starship’s Defense depending on the ship’s size: Huge +1, Gargantuan +2, Colossal +4. This bonus applies only when the autopilot system is engaged.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-quarter the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: None
[h=6]DAMAGE CONTROL SYSTEM (PL 5)[/h] A starship equipped with a damage control system can perform damage control as a move action. With a successful Repair check (DC 15), the ship regains a number of hit points depending on its type, as shown on Table: Damage Control Systems. Damage control cannot be performed if the ship has been reduced to negative hit points.
Purchase DC: Varies by starship type (see Table: Damage Control Systems).
Restriction: None
Table: Damage Control System
[h=6]SENSOR JAMMER (PL 5)[/h] A sensor jammer interferes with radar and enemy sensor scans. It also confounds missile guidance systems.
Sensor checks made against a ship with an active sensor jammer take a –5 penalty. In addition, the ship gains one-half concealment against missile attacks (20% miss chance).
Any ship with a Class III sensor system (or better) is not subject to the effects of the sensor jammer, ignoring the penalty and miss chance.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship
Restriction: Military (+3)
[h=6]AUTOPILOT SYSTEM, IMPROVED (PL 6)[/h] An improved autopilot system provides an equipment bonus to the starship’s Defense depending on the ship’s size: Huge +3, Gargantuan +4, Colossal +5. This bonus applies only when the autopilot system is engaged. An improved autopilot system replaces the PL 5 autopilot system.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: None
[h=6]CHAFF LAUNCHER (PL 6)[/h] Chaff consists of a cloud of millions of tiny metal strips or particles. This detritus interferes with sensors and missiles.
Deploying chaff— usually via a small bundle from the rear or underside of a starship—is a move action. The chaff fills one 500-foot square with these strips or particles. Sensor scans directed at anything within the square take a –10 penalty, and scanning something on the direct opposite side of the chaff field incurs a –5 penalty. Any missile that passes through the chaff field to reach its intended target suffers a 30% miss chance (as though the target has three-quarters concealment).
Purchase DC: 20 for chaff launcher and one chaff bundle, 15 for each additional chaff bundle.
Restriction: Licensed (+1)
[h=6]DAMAGE CONTROL, IMPROVED (PL 6)[/h] A starship equipped with improved damage control regains an additional +1d10 points of damage each time damage control is performed successfully (see Damage Control System, above).
Purchase DC: 5 + the purchase DC of a standard damage control system.
Restriction: Licensed (+1)
[h=6]DECOY DRONE LAUNCHER (PL 6)[/h] A decoy drone is a small, self-guided missile that mimics the electromagnetic and infrared signatures of the ship that launched it.
Deploying a decoy drone is an attack action, and the drone occupies the same fighting space as the ship it imitates.
The decoy drone negates the equipment bonus on attack rolls granted by an enemy ship’s targeting system. Launching multiple decoy drones grants no cumulative effect.
A deployed and intact decoy drone can be recovered or captured with a successful grapple. It can also be targeted and destroyed. A decoy drone has a Defense of 12 and 10 hit points, and it rolls 1d20+4 on opposed grapple checks.
Purchase DC: 28 for drone launcher and one drone, 25 for each additional drone.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
[h=6]MAGNETIC FIELD (PL 6)[/h] The magnetic field is the first primitive energy shield. It uses vast amounts of power to surround the ship with potent lines of magnetic force. Missiles and weapons that deal ballistic damage fired at a starship with a magnetic field take a –4 penalty on attack rolls.
A mine can be equipped with a magnetic field.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship or mine.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]POINT-DEFENSE SYSTEM (PL 6)[/h] A point-defense system serves two functions: It targets all incoming missiles, and it allows a starship to make attacks of opportunity against enemy ships passing through its threatened area. The point-defense system consists of batteries of automated weapons programmed to fire when either of these two conditions is met.
A point-defense system does not fire upon mines, cannot be controlled manually by the crew, and cannot be used to make normal attacks.
Destroy Missiles: A point-defense system has a 20% chance of destroying any incoming missile. A destroyed missile deals no damage to the ship.
Make Attacks of Opportunity: A starship equipped with a point-defense system threatens the space it occupies as well as all adjacent 500-foot squares. When making an attack of opportunity, the point-defense system rolls 1d20 and adds the ship’s targeting system bonus on the roll. If the result equals or exceeds the enemy ship’s Defense, the point-defense weapons deal ballistic damage based on the ship’s type, as shown in Table: Point-Defense Systems. Point-defense systems cannot score critical hits.
Purchase DC: Varies by starship type (see Table: Point-Defense Systems).
Restriction: Licensed (+1).

Table: Point-Defense Systems
[h=6]RADIATION SHIELDING (PL 6)[/h] Radiation shielding protects a ship’s crew and passengers against the harmful radiation of neutron stars, solar flares, and other external causes. All personnel aboard the ship gain a +5 circumstance bonus on saves to resist the effects of radiation poisoning.
Purchase DC: 5 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: None
[h=6]SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEM (PL 6)[/h] A self-destruct system ensures that a starship cannot be captured, dissected for information, or used against its builders. Installing a starship self-destruct system requires a Demolitions check (DC 30) instead of a Craft check and takes an amounts of time as determined by the ship’s type: ultralight 1 hour, light 10 hours, mediumweight 30 hours, heavy 60 hours, superheavy 120 hours. If the Demolitions check fails by 10 or more, the system detonates, destroying the ship and possibly harming others nearby.
A self-destruct system can be programmed to activate only under specified conditions—usually the voice authorization of the ship’s commander, and usually only after the crew has had sufficient time to evacuate (see Starship Evacuation).
The self-destruct system obliterates the starship (killing all aboard) regardless of how many hit points it has remaining. A starship destroyed by its own self-destruct system has no salvageable parts.
The starship’s self-destruction triggers an explosion of shrapnel that deals collateral slashing damage to all other ships in its fighting space; mediumweight, heavy, and superheavy ships also deal collateral damage to ships in adjacent squares. A successful Pilot check (DC 15) reduces the damage by half. Table: Starship Self-Destruct Systems shows the amount of collateral damage (and the system’s purchase DC) based on the starship’s type.
Purchase DC: Varies by starship type (see Table: Starship Self-Destruct Systems).
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
Table: Starship Self-Destruct Systems
[h=6]STEALTH SCREEN (PL 6)[/h] An improved version of the sensor jammer (see above), the stealth screen is a sophisticated electromagnetic transceiver capable of detecting incoming electromagnetic energy from radars, ladars, and other sensor devices. When it detects such energy, it responds by generating an electromagnetic interference pattern. In addition, it monitors the ship’s own EM emissions and cloaks them in a similar manner. Finally, the stealth shield masks the ship’s mass signature. Sensor checks made against a ship with an active stealth screen take a –10 penalty.
Additionally, a deployed mine has a 50% chance of not detecting the screened ship as it enters or leaves its detonation area.
Finally, a starship with an active stealth screen gains one-half concealment against all attacks (20% miss chance).
A mine can be equipped with a stealth screen.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship or mine.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]DISPLACER (PL 7)[/h] Using the same technology that will someday drive the PL 9 spatial compression engine, the displacer “shifts” the ship a few hundred yards several times a second in a random series of short-range teleportations.
All enemy attacks against the displacing ship have a 30% miss chance, as though it has three-quarters concealment.
A mine can be equipped with a displacer.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship or mine.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]LIGHT FORTIFICATION (PL 7)[/h] The starship’s structural integrity is reinforced so that the ship can shake off attacks that would cripple it otherwise. Light fortification converts 25% of all critical hits into regular hits.
Installing light fortification requires a Craft (structural) check instead of a Craft (mechanical) check.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
[h=6]PARTICLE FIELD (PL 7)[/h] Generators project a field of alpha particles (helium nuclei that have been stripped of their electrons) around the ship. The field absorbs energy damage; weapons that wholly or partly deal concussion, electricity, fire, or nonspecific energy damage (such as beam weapons) fired at the starship take a –4 penalty on attack rolls.
A mine can be equipped with a particle field.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship or mine.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]REPAIR DRONES (PL 7)[/h] Repair drones are Small spiderlike robots that rapidly deploy to damaged sections of a ship’s outer hull. They are programmed to repair damage quickly and efficiently.
A ship with repair drones can perform damage control as a free action. A ship without a damage control system cannot be fitted with repair drones.
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]DAMAGE CONTROL, ADVANCED (PL 8)[/h] A starship equipped with advanced damage control regains an additional +2d10 points of damage each time damage control is performed successfully (see Damage Control System, above). Advanced damage control replaces (and does not stack with) improved damage control.
Purchase DC: 10 + the purchase DC of a standard damage control system.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]CLOAKING SCREEN (PL 8)[/h] An improvement of the PL 7 stealth screen, the cloaking screen warps light and energy around the ship’s hull, rendering the ship invisible to visual and electronic sensors.
A cloaked ship has total concealment. To attack a cloaked ship, an attacker must guess in which square the ship currently is (or determine its position based on where it attacked last), and even if the guess is accurate, there is a 50% chance that the attack misses.
Additionally, a deployed mine cannot detect a cloaked ship and does not detonate when the ship enters or leaves its burst area. The ship’s pilot must make a Pilot check (DC 5, +5 per additional mine) to avoid a collision with the mine if the starship enters the mine’s square; on a failed check, the mine detonates.
A cloaking screen cannot be used in conjunction with chaff, since the chaff cloud would give away the ship’s position. It also cannot operate simultaneously with any sort of field (including magnetic fields and particle fields), as the field gives away the ship’s position.
A mine can be equipped with a cloaking screen.
Purchase DC: 15 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship or mine.
Restriction: Military (+3).
[h=6]MEDIUM FORTIFICATION (PL 8)[/h] As light fortification (see above), except that the medium fortification system converts 75% of all critical hits into regular hits.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).
[h=6]NANITE REPAIR ARRAY (PL 8)[/h] The final refinement of damage control systems, the nanite repair array consists of numerous nodules filled with nanites—microscopic robots—scattered throughout the ship. The nanite repair array can repair a ship with negative hit points; however, not even nanites can repair a destroyed ship.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Restricted (+2).
[h=6]HEAVY FORTIFICATION (PL 9)[/h] As light fortification (see above), except that the heavy fortification system converts all critical hits into regular hits.
Purchase DC: 10 + one-half the base purchase DC of the starship.
Restriction: Licensed (+1).