These rules are intended for use in determining the status of ships and their crews over the course of an entire tour of duty (or longer), involving multiple battles. They are suitable for use in a campaign-style series of purely starship combat scenarios, or as a quick way of randomly determining the aftermath of a battle on a ship crewed by player characters. The effects of improvements should never be applied to positions filled by player characters. Their own abilities, role-playing and experience will determine how effective they are. Improvements are designed to reflect how the other NPCs aboard the ship become more skilled with experience. Similarly, the rules for ship repair should only be applied to ships not crewed by player characters, or where the PCs have no effect on the repairs. If the PCs are taking an active part in the repair of the vessel, their own abilities should be used to determine the extent and time required to conduct the necessary repairs.

Improvements:

In order to roll for an improvement, the ship must have taken an active part in the engagement. A ship is considered active if it both received and took fire, fulfilled mission objectives or by GM discretion. Roll 1d20, add +1 if the ship completed (or helped to complete) its mission objectives, +1 if the ship completed secondary objectives, +1 if the engagement was considered a major engagement, +1 if the ship defeated an enemy vessel of approximately equal or greater power. Subtract one if the engagement was considered a defeat. Re-roll results which are not appropriate to the ship (if a result of Superior Pilot is rolled for a ship without fighters, then re-roll). The effects of results are explained below. Results which are possible, but have no effect, are not re-rolled. For example if the result of superior pilot is rolled, and the result is randomly applied to an ace squadron, no effect results, and no re-roll is made. Finally if a ship's fighters were not involved in combat, re-roll all results of Superior Pilot. If only the fighters were involved in combat, treat any improvement result other than Crew Transfer and Promotion, and Captain Promoted, as a Superior Pilot result.

Roll:     Improvement:
1-5          None
6             Roll Twice
7             Crew Transfer and Promotion
8             Expert Gunnery Team
9             Expert Gunnery Team
10           Expert Gunnery Team
11           Superior Pilot
12           Superior Pilot
13           Superior Pilot
14           CIC
15           Crack Damage Control Party
16           Well-trained Security
17           Advanced Targeting
18           Advanced ECM Operators
19           Expert Navigation
20           Scottish Engineering
21           Fanatically Loyal Crew
22           Efficient XO
23+         Captain Promoted

Crew Transfer and Promotion:

Some of the ship's crew has been transferred to other duties. Roll 1d6 for each improvement and fighter squadron, on a 6 the improvement or squadron is lost at the next opportunity. Lost squadrons are replaced with new squadrons on the table listed under overhauls.

Expert Gunnery Team:

Most captains would trade their immortal souls for one expert gunner. When this result is rolled, randomly determine which battery is affected. If that battery already has an expert gunnery team, it may receive further bonuses as indicated below. Expert gunnery teams may be reassigned to a different battery as long as it is of the same type (must have identical icons, i.e. a 2-arc pulse 3 battery team may be reassigned to any other 2-arc pulse 3 battery), and retain all of their bonuses.

Ordinance:

The first time this result is applied to a battery, it may fire without requiring the use of a fire control. If the result is received a second time, the battery may launch two salvos in the same turn (this must be designated in the orders and the required ammunition must be available).

Superior Pilot:

When this result is rolled, a randomly determined (surviving) fighter squadron becomes more experienced. A green squadron becomes a normal squadron. A normal squadron gains an ace pilot. This result has no effect on an ace squadron.

CIC:

The combat information center is the nerve center of a fighting ship. Through the efforts of the CIC team, as long as the ship has at least one functioning fire control, it can target one extra target per turn. This effect can only be received once.

Crack Damage Control Party:

The repair crew has become adept at jury-rigging, cannibalizing, and coaxing broken systems back into working order. The first time this improvement is rolled, one extra system may be repaired in transit. The second time it is rolled, an additional die is rolled for damage box repair as well.

Well-trained Security:

The ship's security teams have been well trained in repelling boarding attacks (and cleaning up after shore leave…). The roll to determine if boarding parties survive is reduced by one for each time this result is rolled (up to 2). When this ship's troops are involved in boarding other vessels, the roll is increased by one for each time the result is received (to a maximum of 2).

Advanced Targeting:

The target acquisition team has become adept at calculating firing solutions quickly. The first time this result is rolled, all targets are considered 1 MU closer, on a second roll, targets are considered 2 MU closer. Further results are ignored.

Advanced ECM Operators:

The jamming crew has learned to optimize the stealth systems for use against specific threats. As a result, attacking ships require a roll one higher than normal in order to successfully target the ship. This result can only be received once.

Expert Navigation:

The ships navigators are responsible for navigating both normal space and hyperspace, a mistake on their part could land the ship millions of kilometers from their intended destination, or worse. Each time this result is rolled, the number of die used to determine scatter from the intended hyperspace exit point is reduced by one.

Scottish Engineering:

By hook or by crook, the engineers of the ship are able to squeeze that extra bit of power out of the systems. When rolling for beam recharge, roll twice, the best result is used. One a second roll, the jump engine recharge delay is reduced by one.

Fanatically Loyal Crew:

The captain so inspires his crew that they will do nearly anything for him. This improvement may be received any number of times, each adds a cumulative -1 to all ramming rolls (and any other roll where there is a chance the crew may refuse to follow the captain's command).

Efficient XO:

Good captains know one of the keys to an effective ship is a effective XO. It’s the XO's responsibility to ensure that the crew works well together and caries out the captains orders. A superior XO insures that the crew works like a well-oiled machine, even under the stress of combat. When this result is rolled, the ship receives a +1 to initiative, which may be increased to +2 on a second roll.

Captain Promoted:

The promotion of a ship's captain always comes as a mixed blessing, for with increased recognition comes greater responsibility. On his first promotion to task force commander, the captain will have additional ships under his jurisdiction, and may be assigned to a larger vessel, or have dedicated escort vessels assigned to him (Porcupine, Olympus, Vorchan, etc.). On his second promotion to a fleet command or staff position, he will either receive more ships under his authority or be removed from direct command of a vessel to serve in the military elsewhere. On a third promotion, a captain will no longer be in a position to directly command a vessel. If the fleet or task force under the captain's command ever fails to accomplish their primary objectives, the captain may be held responsible. Roll one die, on a result of 6, all benefits of the last promotion are lost.
 

Repairs:

Capital ships have a limited capacity to conduct their own repairs while under way. The extent of these repairs are more limited by resources and facilities than time, and can generally be accomplished within a few days time (with shifts working round the clock of course…).

Damage Boxes: Roll 1d6 for each row of damage boxes NOT completely destroyed. This is the total number of boxes repaired.

Systems: All systems that are damaged, but still partially active (jump engine, beam generator) are automatically repaired. One destroyed system may be repaired for each row of damage boxes not completely destroyed (after the above roll).

Fighters: Roll 1d6 for each fighter destroyed (repeat for each squadron with losses):

        1 Fighter destroyed, pilot killed.
        2 Fighter destroyed, pilot killed
        3 Fighter recovered, pilot killed
        4 Fighter destroyed, pilot rescued
        5 Fighter destroyed, pilot rescued
        6 Fighter damaged, but repaired, pilot fine.

If an ace pilot is killed (only possible if entire squadron was 'destroyed' in combat), then the squadron loses ace status, regardless of how many other pilots survive or fighters are repaired. Squadrons which contain less than 3 pilots, must be combined with other squadrons (as long as no squadron contains more than 6 pilots or fighters). If an ace squadron is combined with a green squadron, the new squadron is considered an ace squadron.

If the task force contains a tender, the tender may add one die to the roll to repair damage boxes, and one repaired system, for each row of damage boxes it has which is not fully destroyed. These bonus may be divided among any number of ships (or even used to repair the tender itself). The effects of multiple tenders are cumulative. Tenders may also carry spare fighters, but typically do not carry spare pilots.

Overhauls:

Ships can only be overhauled at a major space installation. Fighters and pilots may be replaced automatically, assuming that sufficient spares or transfers are available. When replacing an entire squadron roll one die to determine squadron type (add one for each captain promotion):

        1 Green Squadron
        2 Green Squadron
        3 Normal Squadron
        4 Normal Squadron
        5 Normal Squadron
        6 Ace Squadron
        7+ Special Squadron (Psi Corps Black Omega, Breaching Pod, Assault Shuttle, Aggressor Squadron, or similar unique squadron, may be replaced with ace squadron instead)

For each week spent at a facility in overhaul, 1d6 damage boxes and 2 systems are repaired. The only limit to how many systems can be repaired is how long the ship remains in overhaul. For each full row of damage boxes destroyed when the ship enters overhaul (assumes basic repairs have already been attempted), one damage box is permanently destroyed, and may never be repaired. All other damage boxes may be repaired, assuming sufficient time is spent in overhaul.

Since repairs in overhaul are much more extensive than those conducted under way, a ship in overhaul is non-functional for all practical purposes. When a ship first enters overhaul, it is either interred until repairs are complete, or for a specific number of weeks. If the ship is needed in service before this time it may prematurely leave overhaul. A week is required to ready the ship, during which time no further repairs are made.