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Chapter 2: Starship Combat / Starship Chases

Environmental Effects

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Some chases might take place in unusual environments or under specific circumstances that alter available chase actions or provide different results for the duration of the chase. The following are example environmental effects GMs can add to a chase to make it more variable; GMs should feel free to use these examples whole cloth in their games, create their own, or mix and match as needed to create compelling starship chases for their group.

Amateur Opponent

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Chases don’t always involve the best and brightest—a fact that a canny crew can use to their advantage.
Effect: A successful evaluate weakness action causes the crew’s next chase action to result in 3 successes instead of 2.

Cloud Cover

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Sometimes simply obscuring a visual is just what’s needed for a hasty escape—all the better when there’s little risk of taking damage from the surrounding environment.
Effect: Failing an environmental cover action does not cause the ship to take a hit.

Incorporeal Opponent

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Some particularly aberrant or ghostly enemies can ignore at least some of the laws of physics, giving them a distinct advantage against foes.
Effect: Increase the DC of the create obstacle and environmental cover actions by 5.

Innocent Bystanders

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Even those trying to get out of the way of a dangerous chase can prove a significant impediment in a high-speed situation.
Effect: Increase the DC of the negotiate obstruction action by 5.

Magic-Dampening Field

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Whether through a deliberate hindrance or an accidental anomaly, magic‑dampening fields can complicate a magic officer’s job.
Effect: Increase the DC of magic officer skill checks by 5.

Post-Combat Chase

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Starting a starship chase directly after a harrowing combat might raise the stakes and make a ship more fragile to begin with.
Effect: The PCs’ starship begins the chase with half the number of hits needed to end the chase based on its size (rounded down).

Sabotaged Engine

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
A saboteur can cause failures at the most inconvenient moments.
Effect: Failing an outspeed action results in 1 hit.

Seasoned Bounty Hunter

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
In some circumstances, a crew might find itself the target of one (or more) experienced trackers, who are used to staying on the tail of fleeing ships—or getting out of their own scrapes.
Effect: Increase the DC of the outmaneuver action by 5.

Swarming Ships

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
A crew involved with a chase that features several small craft might have a more difficult time hindering any one particular starship.
Effect: Increase the DC of the covering fire action by 5.

Volatile Atmosphere

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 47
Firing a ship’s weapons with abandon isn’t always the wisest choice, depending on the reactivity of the surrounding atmosphere.
Effect: Taking the covering fire action causes the firing ship to take 1 hit.

Archives of Nethys

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