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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.

Life Boats

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 299
PCU 5; Cost (in BP) 3
A life boat is a more sophisticated version of an escape pod. It has room for one Large creature, or two Medium or smaller creatures, and enough supplies to last those passengers 15 days (or 30 days of supplies for one Medium or smaller creature). While it has the same kind of distress beacon as an escape pod, a life boat also has an on-board computer that automatically detects the nearest hospitable celestial body and minimal thrusters to get the craft there (though a life boat can’t participate in starship combat). A single expansion bay can be converted into two life boats.