Damage and Repairs

Space combat is lethal, and players always run a risk by engaging in it. A well placed cannon shot, a proton torpedo, or a seismic charge all have the potential to damage, or outright destroy, a ship.

Hull Points

Hull points represent a ship's hull integrity. A ship's current hull points (usually just called hull points) can be any number from the ship's hull point maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a ship takes damage or receives repairs.

Whenever a ship takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hull points. The loss of hull points has no effect on a ship's capabilities until the ship drops to 0 hull points.

Shield Points

Often, a ship will have a buffer of energy called a shield. Ship's equipped in such a way of shield points in addition to hit points.

Whenever a ship with shield points takes damage, the shield takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ship's shield points to 0, the hull takes any remaining damage. For instance, if your ship has 5 shield points and takes 7 damage, your ship loses its shield points and then take 2 damage to your ship's hull points.

Repairs

Damage to hulls is permanent until repaired. Small repairs can happen while the ship is still in space, but significant repairs require docking in an appropriate location, as discussed in Chapter 8.

When a ship receives repairs of any kind, hull points regained are added to its current hull points. A ship's hull points can't exceed its hull point maximum.

Dropping to 0 Hull Points

When a ship is reduced to 0 hull points, it is either destroyed or disabled. If the ship is not instantly destroyed, the ship suffers 1 level of system damage and becomes disabled.

Describing the Effects of Damage

GMs describe hull point loss in different ways. When your ship's current hull point total is half or more of your hull point maximum, it typically shows no signs of damage. When it drops below half its hull point maximum, it show signs of wear, such as electrical fires or dislodged machinery. An attack that reduces your ship to 0 hit points strikes directly, leaving a massive hole or otherwise disables the ship.

Instantly Destroyed

Massive damage can destroy a ship instantly. When damage reduces a ship to 0 hull points and there is damage remaining, the ship explodes if the remaining damage equals or exceeds its hull point maximum.

Destruction Saving Throws

At the start of the ship's turn, if the ship has 0 hull points, you must make a special saving throw, called a destruction saving throw, to determine whether or not you're able to salvage your ship. Unlike other saving throws, this one isn't tied to any ability score; you are in the hands of fate now. Roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success has no effect by itself; on your third success, your ship becomes stable (see below). On a failure, your ship suffers 1 level of system damage. The successes don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three successes, or your ship's primary systems fail.

Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a destruction saving throw and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures, causing 2 levels of system damage. If you roll a 20 on the d20, your ship regains 1 hull point.

Damage at 0 Hull Points. If your ship takes any damage while it has 0 hull points, it suffers 1 level of system damage. If the damage is from a critical hit, it suffers 2 levels of system damage instead. If the damage equals or exceeds its hull point maximum, it is instantly destroyed.

Stabilizing a Ship

The best way to stablize a ship with 0 hit points is to repair it. If repairs are unavailable, the ship can at least be stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed destruction saving throw.

A crewmember can use their action to attempt repairs on a disabled ship and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Mechanic's Kit) check.

A stable ship doesn't make destruction saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain disabled. The ship stops being stable, and must start making destruction saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable ship that isn't repaired regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.

Ships and Destruction

Most GMs have an NPC ship explode the instant it drops to 0 hull points, rather than disabling it and having it make destruction saving throws. Special ships are common exceptions; the GM might have them be disabled and follow the same rules as player ships.

Disabling a Ship

Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a ship, rather than destroy it. When an attacker reduces a ship to 0 hull points with a primary or secondary weapon, or with ion or lightning damage from any source, the attacker can disable the ship, rendering it disabled and stable. The attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt, unless the damage dealt is ion damage, which can only disable ships, not destroy them.