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Chapter 2: Starship Combat / Armada Combat / Running Armada Combat

Morale and Critical Damage

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 63
Incoming damage can devastate fleets’ group cohesion and equipment, represented by morale and critical damage, respectively.

Morale: When a fleet is reduced to half its maximum HP, it must attempt a morale check (DC = 10 + 1/2 × the opposing armada’s tier). If the fleet succeeds by 4 or less, it is unaffected. If it exceeds the DC by 5 or more, the fleet is emboldened and gains a +1 bonus to all checks until the end of the next round. If it fails by 4 or less, the fleet is shaken and takes a –1 penalty to all checks until the end of the next round. If it fails by 5 or more, the fleet is routed and attempts to flee combat by the safest route possible. A routed fleet can make attacks at a –2 penalty and continues to flee either until successfully rallied by an admiral or until it has fled for 3 rounds, at which point the fleet is disabled.

When a fleet is routed, any allied fleets within 2 hexes that have half of their HP or fewer remaining must also attempt a morale check with a DC equal to the routed fleet’s AC. A fleet that succeeds at its morale check does not need to attempt further morale checks until the end of the round.

Critical Damage: A fleet takes critical damage whenever a gunnery check results in a natural 20 on the die and the attack deals at least 1 damage to the fleet’s HP. It also takes critical damage when it’s reduced to half its maximum HP. When critical damage is scored, the attacking fleet should roll 1d6 on the table below to determine which system is disrupted.

Table 2–20: Critical Damage

D6 SYSTEM EFFECT
1 Auxiliary System One of the fleet’s special abilities (selected at random) provides no benefits.
2 Communications The fleet gains no benefits from officers, and the fleet’s officers can’t affect other fleets.
3 Engines The fleet takes a –1 penalty to AC and speed.
4 Shields The fleet can’t regain SP.
5 Weapons Reduce all damage dealt by 1 per damage die.
6 — Roll twice and apply both results, ignoring 6s and duplicate results.