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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition)

Mechs | Terrestrial Vehicles | Starships | Vehicle Modifications

Starship Examples

Armor | Armor (Bulkheads) | Armor (Hulls) | Base Frames | Computers | Crew Quarters | Defensive Countermeasures | Drift Engines | Expansion Bays | Interstellar Drives | Manufacturers | Other Systems | Power Cores | Security | Sensors | Shields | Special Materials | Thrusters | Weapons | Weapon Properties

Expansion Bays

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 298
Most starships have room within their hull for one or more expansion bays, each of which can be converted to function in a wide variety of roles. Unfilled, these bays are simply storage space (and count as cargo holds), and for many large transport vessels, they remain this way. If a starship’s bays are instead used for guest quarters, the ship can serve as a transport vessel for soldiers, travelers, or refugees. If its bays are filled with medical bays and guest quarters, the ship becomes a mobile hospital.

The following options are available for most ships that have available expansion bays. If an option requires multiple bays, this is noted in its description; if it must consume PCU to function, the amount is listed in the table on page 300. An entire expansion bay must be used for a single purpose, even if it gives you multiple instances of that option. For example, if you select escape pods, that expansion bay gains all six escape pods—you can’t combine three escape pods and one life boat.

The PCU requirement and the Build Point costs of the expansion bay options can be found on page 300.

Drop Pod

A drop pod is a reinforced vehicle designed to transport a group of soldiers or small vehicles from a starship orbiting high above a planet to that planet’s surface. Each drop pod is a single-use device equipped with heat shields to deflect the heat of atmospheric entry as well as thrusters strong enough to make small course corrections and slow the rate of descent before reaching the surface.
A typical expansion bay can store and launch one Gargantuan drop pod that can hold up to four Huge creatures, eight Large creatures, or 16 Medium or smaller creatures or vehicles. Alternatively, an expansion bay can be outfitted with two Huge drop pods. A Colossal drop pod takes up two expansion bays, costs twice as many PCU and BP, and doubles the number of creatures and vehicles the pod can carry (or allows the drop pod to carry up to four Gargantuan creatures).

Drop Pod

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 25
PCU 5; Cost (in BP) 5

Drop Pod, Colossal

Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 25
PCU 10; Cost (in BP) 10