SHIP Captain Space Combat System
This (experimental) system is meant to be a simple-ish framework for RPing space battles – particularly when PvP is involved. In the simplest possible terms, each player chooses the template that best matches their ship and then everybody takes turns fighting until only one team remains.
This is not a substitute for RP or creativity and is designed to help streamline situations where multiple players are each controlling their own ships. The actions are broad strokes and, time permitting, I recommend everyone fill in the blanks with emotes and flavor text.
The focus of this system is on strategy and RP decision making, rather than RNG or stat-building. In general, ships are assumed to be built to high standards with crews that are capable and competent. Though there are a couple dice rolls scattered about, failed rolls should always be considered outstanding successes by the defender, rather than failures of the player.
Please note that the ship templates are not balanced around “fair” fights 1-on-1. The composition of your team’s fleet will have an effect on the outcome. Certain situations may be more favorable than others, and it’s definitely possible to create unwinnable scenarios. Don’t cry about balance if you Kobayashi Maru yourself!
That said, this is very much a work in progress and I welcome any and all feedback.
SHIP Captain Attributes
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Shields absorb hits to protect your ship from damage. They can be recharged on your turn. Note that shields do not bleed excess damage. If you have 2 shield HP remaining, and you receive 3 damage, your shields will be fully depleted but the excess 1 damage is ignored.
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Hull is your ship’s fixed HP or health. It typically cannot be repaired during battle. If it reaches 0, your ship is destroyed.
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Impulse represents your ship’s combat speed and maneuverability, and is used to help avoid attacks.
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Power is what lets your ship function. It regenerates to a set max capacity at the start of your turn, and is the currency used for basically everything. Each point of power spent on something translates on a 1:1 basis. If you spend power to attack, you deal 1 damage per power spent. If you spend power to recharge shields, you gain 1 shield point per power spent.
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Captain’s Orders are consumable special actions. Each ship role has a set number of captain’s orders slots which determine how many orders can be used, and from which categories they can be chosen.
Captain’s Orders
If you have slots remaining, Captain’s Orders may be used on your own turn, or when being attacked by an enemy. You may only use orders from the category allowed by your ship class. Only one order can be used at a time. Universal orders can be substituted for any other category.
When selecting your orders, please consider the IC implications. For example, a ship that is not equipped with a cloaking device should not be using the Cloaking Device order.
Show:
Tactical Orders
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Fire At Will
Add 1 to any power spent on attacking this turn. You may then split your total power spent attacking between multiple targets. -
Fire to Disable
If your next attack hits, reduce your target’s current power reserve by the amount of power spent on your attack. -
Weapon Overcharge
Your next attack deals 2 additional damage, and excess damage penetrates shields and damages hull. (Ex: If your attack does 3 damage, and your enemy has 1 shield remaining, they also take 2 hull damage.)
Crew Orders
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Boarding Party
Choose a target whose shields are down. Until the boarding party is repelled, the target ship cannot regenerate power (Reserve power is still available). -
Coordinate Fleet
Designate a focus target for your team. That target’s impulse rating is reduced by 20 until your next turn. -
Deploy Repair Teams
Restore 2 Hull HP to your own ship or a ship of your choice. -
Extend Shields
Choose another ship to protect, and absorb any damage they would otherwise receive. Lasts until your shields are depleted or you manually end the effect.
Tech Orders
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Reverse Shield Polarity
Your shields take no damage from the next attack that hits you. -
Tachyon Pulse
All cloaked enemies must make a roll to remain hidden (see Cloaking Device order). If your tachyon pulse reveals an enemy and you successfully attack that enemy on the same turn, your attack ignores their shields and deals 1 additional damage. -
Tractor Beam
Perform a free (zero-power) attack against an enemy, in place of your regular attack. If successful, the enemy takes 1 shield damage and may not conduct evasive maneuvers until your next turn. -
Viral Matrix
Choose a target and roll 1d6 for one of the following effects:
1 - Target’s shields are disabled until your next turn.
2 - Target takes 1 hull damage. (If this reduces the target to 0 HP, they are disabled, not destroyed)
3 - Target is unable to evade the next attack against them.
4 - Target is unable to return fire until their next turn.
5 - Target is unable to use Captain’s Orders.
6 - Nothing happens.
All effects end at the start of YOUR next turn, regardless of whether they have been fully utilized.
Universal Orders
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Cloaking Device
Instead of attacking, you may spend power to cloak your ship. Your detection threshold is your impulse rating plus 10 for every power you choose to spend on cloaking. You may remain cloaked, unless detected, by spending the same amount of power again on subsequent turns. Your first attack after decloaking deals 2 additional damage and cannot be evaded.
If any enemy uses Tachyon Pulse while you are cloaked, you must roll 1d100. In order to remain undetected, your roll must be LOWER than your detection threshold. -
Emergency Power
Only usable while under attack: gain 1 additional power to use on either evasive maneuvers or return fire. Start your next turn with 1 less power. -
Fighter Strike
Deal 1 damage to the next target that evades one of your attacks. -
Repel Boarders
Remove the negative effect caused by Boarding Party. -
Ramming Speed
Choose a target to ram. Target must either brace for impact or make an evasive maneuvers attempt using all available power against your 1d100 roll. If they succeed, they suffer no damage, but start the next turn with 0 power available. You suffer return fire damage equal to their power capacity. If they fail to evade, both ships are immediately destroyed.
Ship Role Templates
Because the vast majority of ships in the Star Trek universe are standardized and mass-produced, it’s assumed that ships of any class in each general role will have relatively similar combat performance. Each ship template therefore has a set number of each of the five SHIP Captain attributes.
Note that these are intentionally very broad categories and not every ship class will have an obvious counterpart. Everyone should use their own judgment to place their ship in the role that seems most appropriate.
Show:
| Dreadnought | |
|---|---|
| Shields: | 4 HP |
| Hull: | 8 HP |
| Impulse: | 20 |
| Power: | 3 capacity |
| Captain: | 2 Orders (Any Type) |
| Cruiser | |
|---|---|
| Shields: | 4 HP |
| Hull: | 6 HP |
| Impulse: | 30 |
| Power: | 4 capacity |
| Captain: | 3 Crew Orders |
| Science Vessel | |
|---|---|
| Shields: | 4 HP |
| Hull: | 2 HP |
| Impulse: | 40 |
| Power: | 1 capacity |
| Captain: | 5 Tech Orders |
| Escort | |
|---|---|
| Shields: | 2 HP |
| Hull: | 4 HP |
| Impulse: | 50 |
| Power: | 2 capacity |
| Captain: | 4 Tactical Orders |
How to Play
Turn Order
Turn Order is decided with a simple dice roll by each participating player. Everybody rolls 1d100 and the turn order is set from highest-to-lowest, alternating between teams. If there are any ties, those players should reroll until they land on a unique number.
On your turn
On your turn your available power refills to capacity. You may then take one or more actions:
- Use a captain’s order.
- Recharge - Spend power to recover shields. (1 power = 1 shield HP)
- Retreat - Leave the combat area for the remainder of the event.
- Attack - Spend power to fire your weapons and end your turn. (1 power = 1 damage)
- End Turn - If you choose not to attack, you can simply end your turn.
Any leftover power not used during your turn is kept in reserve and available to be used if you are attacked before your next turn.
When you are targeted
When you are targeted you have an important decision to make which will determine how the attacker proceeds:
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Evasive Maneuvers
Spend power to try to evade the attack. Multiply your impulse rating by the power spent. Your attacker must beat that rating with a 1d100 roll to deal damage. If you have not taken any other action since you last used Evasive Maneuvers (eg. if you’re attacked again before you’ve had a chance to take a turn) you may use the same evasion rating without spending additional power. -
Return Fire
Spend power to deal damage to your attacker in return. The attacker cannot evade this, and takes damage even if you are destroyed. -
Use a Captain’s Order
Some orders may be useful when under attack. -
Brace For Impact
Prepare your ship and take the hit. If you have no available orders or power this is your only option! If your ship reaches 0 Hull HP after using Brace For Impact, you may choose to leave it disabled, adrift, and out of the fight, rather than totally destroyed.
What It Looks Like
In an ideal world, each player should write a descriptive emote on their turn to include with their gamified action. The results can be included as part of each player’s next action, in order to keep things moving.
A simple turn might look something like this:
Nathaa Thraz: Saratoga banks hard to port and accelerates, bringing its forward torpedo launchers to bear on Atlantis and launching a volley of simulated munitions. (attack atlantis, 3 power)
Kermit: “Evasive maneuvers!” the Commander calls to his crew as the century-old cruiser struggles to get out of the way of the incoming torpedoes. (2 power)
Nathaa Thraz: rolls 61 (1-100)
GM: Atlantis takes 3 damage
(other players take their turns in sequence)
Kermit: As engineering struggles to restore power to shields, Atlantis turns its attention on the unsuspecting science ship! (recharge 2 shields, attack Asimov 2 power)
Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is going to work or be any fun at all for anybody. Apologies in advance if it’s garbage! 