Spaceship Crew Experience

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 07/22/2003)

• Introduction
• Captain
• Crew
• Damage Control Officer
• Electronic Warfare Officer
• Engineering Officer
• Navigation Officer
• Sensor Control Officer
• Weapons Control Officer

Introduction

Although the actions and control of player characters is very important in a role-playing game, the players do not control everything and the GM may not want to micromanage every NPC on a spaceship or in a fleet of spaceships. This is especially important if the GM would like to simulate the abilities of a very good captain in charge of a spaceship without having to try to reason through all of the actions of that captain. This may be seen as a shortcut, but it can be crucial in speeding up large encounters in space where the GM would like to provide a bit more depth and distinction to faceless space ships.

To provide more variation to a ship's abilities, this article creates distinctions for a ship's crew, from green recruits to hardened soldiers to legendary veterans. There are a variety of levels and positions provided in this article, but not all may be applicable to every ship. For example, a cargo ship with a crew of only six should not be able to take modifiers for command positions and for the generic crew, as each member of the ship's crew is probably in charge of a specific section of the ship, they could only take one or the other. There are four levels of experience discussed in this document, the lowest level is Green and represents people that are new to their positions or are incapable of performing the job at a normal level for any other reason, such as incompetence. The standard level of experience is Trained and most never get beyond this level. The highest levels, Veteran and Legendary, represent the pinnacles of achievement in a given area. Generally, Green represents an average level of experience of 1, Trained represents an average level of experience of 1D6+1, Veteran represents an average level of experience of 7+1D4, and Legendary represents an average level of experience of 11+1D4.

Without training or real combat, Veteran and Legendary experience can be lost as needed skills become rusty and old training becomes out of date with new equipment. To represent this, without at least one week of training or one battle every three months, there is a possibility of losing experience. After 1D4 years of inadequate activity, there is a 5% chance that a Veteran level will be reduced to Trained level. Roll once after 1D4 years and again after each additional year. After 3D6 months of inadequate activity, there is a 5% chance that a Legendary level will be reduced to Veteran level. Roll once after 3D6 months and again after each additional three month period.

Captain

Captains are generally the ultimate authority on a ship. They are the ones that give the orders that the ship's crew must obey. A captain must be able to command the respect and loyalty of the crew, or, at the very least, their fear, and must be able to make quick decisions. Although there can be higher ranking authorities on a ship, such as a political officer, the captain of a ship, no matter what rank he or she holds, is the one giving the orders.

• Green
  A green captain can be one of many things, he could be a captain that cannot command the respect and authority that is position requires, he may be an incompetent fool that received a promotion for political or family connections, or he may simply be inexperienced and unable to give proper commands. Due to one of these reason, or some other reason, a green captain is less able to command a ship than one that is better trained or smarter.
  • Penalties: -1 combat action per melee, with a minimum of 1 combat action per melee round.
• Trained
  A trained captain is the standard captain that has probably moved up through command structure, with training, combat experience, and an air of respect from those the captain commands. Although a trained captain does not have too many years of being a captain under his belt, or at least not too many combat encounters during his years as a captain, they are very capable of performing all the duties of their position.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  A veteran captain has been through a lot; they have seen battles, probably received some honors or medals for their actions, and command the respect and admiration of their crew. A veteran captain may be hard to work with, but they command a tight ship that functions very well.
  • Bonuses: +1 combat action per melee
• Legendary
  There are those that command a ship, and then there are those that COMMAND a ship. Legendary captains are those with the experience to know what to do in a fight and with the respect that would let them lead their crew into the fire of hell itself. Legendary captains are very rare, but when they arrive, they can perform miracles that may surprise everyone.
  • Bonuses: +2 combat action per melee

Crew

The crew is the heart of any ship and they provide the personnel that are needed to make the ship run smoothly. Each department on a ship requires crew members, from damage control to weapons to administration. The experience and performance of a crew can give a ship an edge during combat.

• Green
  This crew is fresh out of training camp, but they have little actual combat training and no experience to being under enemy fire. Even if this crew is well trained on how to use a ship's equipment and how to perform their own jobs, they perform badly under enemy fire. A crew of this level could be the result of not enough training, too much reliance on unrealistic live-fire training, or too much reliance on virtual reality training. A green crew could also be an undisciplined, unskilled, or uncooperative crew.
  • Penalties: -1 combat action per melee, -1 to strike with all weapons, and when rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by -5 and modify rolls above 51 by +5. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 33 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 85.
• Trained
  This is the standard level of training for a ship's crew. At this level, crew members know how to perform their jobs and how to react when a ship is being attacked. While they can still be shaken up when a battle goes to rough for the ship, they react well enough. Generally, lack of continued training will bring the higher levels of crew experience down to this level after several months or years of inactivity.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  Years of training and combat can transform a trained crew into a veteran crew. These people are not fazed during combat even as the ship is falling to pieces around them. To improve a crew from trained level to veteran level, a crew has to undergo either many battles or a large amount of very good training over a period of time. Training must also be maintained or a veteran crew may be degraded to only a trained crew.
  • Bonuses: +1 to strike with all weapons, increase all sensor bonuses to detect, track, and identify targets by +5%, and when rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by +5, with a maximum of 50, and modify rolls above 51 by -5, with a minimum of 51. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 43 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 75.
• Legendary
  Sometimes training and good luck brings together a crew that is so good and so skilled that they go beyond the Veteran level and becomes legendary in their own fleet. While a veteran crew can work in a ship that is falling apart, a legendary crew can not only work, but can find the time to improve the ship in ways no one else could dream of.
  • Bonuses: +1 combat action per melee, +1 to strike with all weapons, increase all sensor bonuses to detect, track, and identify targets by +5%, and when rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by +10, with a maximum of 50, and modify rolls above 51 by -10, with a minimum of 51. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 48 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 70.

Damage Control Officer

A damage control officer is in charge of repairing a ship when it is away from port or a repair facility. The damage control officer's life becomes very busy during combat, when systems are constantly being destroyed or damaged. Repair operations need to be effectively coordinated and prioritized so the ship remains in as good a condition as possible.

• Green
  An inexperienced damage control officer or a trained damage control officer in charge of a terrible or inexperienced department is considered green. They lack the ability to effectively coordinate their resources to repair damage quickly, although the end results may be the same.
  • Penalties: When rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by -10 and modify rolls above 51 by +10. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 28 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 90.
• Trained
  With normal training and an average crew, a damage control officer is able to repair a ship in decent time, but their commanding officers should not expect too many miracles.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  With years of experience and a very good training schedule, a damage control officer achieves the status of veteran. They are able to repair a ship faster and better then just a trained crew, making them a much sought after part of a ship's crew.
  • Bonuses: When rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by +10, with a maximum of 50, and modify rolls above 51 by -10, with a minimum of 51. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 48 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 70.
• Legendary
  When a battle begins, a ship gets damaged; the heavier the damage, the better a captain hopes the damage control officer is. A legendary damage control officer is probably renowned within their field as one of the best available. They seem to work miracles and can repair items that any other officer would consider to be broken.
  • Bonuses: When rolling internal damage according to the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage modify rolls below 50 by +15, with a maximum of 50, and modify rolls above 51 by -15, with a minimum of 51. For example, a roll of 38 would be modified to 50 and a roll of 80 would be modified to 65. Also, reduce all repair times by half, although destroyed systems will remain destroyed.

Electronic Warfare Officer

Some space fleets recognize the importance of electronic warfare and how it has a profound effect on combat in space. These space fleets generally have an entire department dedicated towards electronic warfare, or at the very least, an officer whose job it is to control the ship's electronic warfare mechanisms. Ships that do not have a dedicated Electronic Warfare Officer are assumed to have other personnel handle that duty and it is these personnel as a group that can have an experience of green to legendary within the electronic warfare area. For example, if a weapon control officer is in charge of the electronic warfare department, just because they are considered to be a legendary electronic warfare officer, does not mean they are a legendary weapon control officer.

• Green
  A green electronics warfare officer is slow to respond to the opponents electronic counter measures and slow to adapt to a rapidly changing electronic warfare situation. Either through lack of experience or incompetence, the officer lacks the ability to think of original ideas that give the ship an edge in combat using electronic warfare.
  • Penalties: -1 to ECM and ECCM, with a minimum of 0.
• Trained
  With average training, an electronics warfare officer should have everything they need to allow the ship to reach its normal electronic warfare performance, nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, this officer will not be useful beyond the normal range of operations that a ship is rated for.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  Years of experience in how to use and tweak an electronic warfare system allows a veteran officer to get just a little more out the system then its normal rated values. Although not perfect, a veteran officer can be a great asset to a ship during an intensive combat with heavy electronic warfare.
  • Bonuses: +1 to either ECM or ECCM, this bonus can be switched between ECM and ECCM at the beginning of each melee round.
• Legendary
  Where the veteran officer seems to squeeze a little more out of the system, the legendary electronic warfare officer seems to be using a completely different system. With skill, experience, and initiative, the legendary officer is an incredibly asset for any ship to have.
  • Bonuses: +1 to ECM, +1 to ECCM, and +1 to either ECM or ECCM, this bonus can be switched at the beginning of each melee round. Also, the ship receives an additional combat action each melee round that can only be used for an EWS function.

Engineering Officer

Engineers are the lifeblood of any ship. Without the engineers to ensure that the ship's power systems are functioning normally, the ship's life support system would fail, the weapons would not fire, and the ship could not move. The skill and ability of a ship's engineering department is often determined by the chief engineering officer: if the officer is bad, the whole engineering department will suffer, but if the officer is good, then a ship will run smoothly.

• Green
  Either new to their job and inexperienced or incompetent, a Green Engineer cannot control their engineering department very well. Small malfunctions will creep into a ship, but while they cause no major problems, they create a ship that is not well suited for the rigors of combat.
  • Penalties: Increase rolls on the Engine and Reactor Damage Tables in the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage document by +30% and decrease rate of acceleration by 10%.
• Trained
  A trained engineering officer is able to command the engineering department with adequate skill. Small problems are mostly prevented and emergencies are dealt with professionally and in a timely manner, but severe problems are generally too much for even a trained engineering to handle.
  • Bonuses: None
• Veteran
  A veteran engineering officer has seen it all. From reactor failures to mysterious power failures at the wrong time, a veteran engineering officer takes it all in stride. The skill and experience the officer brings to the ship cannot be overstated and their ability to lead their engineering department is almost second to none.
  • Bonuses: Decrease rolls on the Engine and Reactor Damage Tables in the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage document by -20% and increase rate of acceleration by 5%.
• Legendary
  While having a veteran engineering officer is definitely a bonus, having a legendary engineering officer is a godsend. Even with a ship half in pieces and with a reactor breach imminent, a legendary engineer still have faith in their own abilities and the abilities of their department.
  • Bonuses: Decrease rolls on the Engine and Reactor Damage Tables in the Revised Rules for Internal Ship Damage document by -50% and increase rate of acceleration by 10%.

Navigation Officer

Repairing damage is important, but avoiding damage is even better. In an age where ships fly between the stars and can be attacked by highly maneuverable targets like fighters and monsters, navigation is even more important. When even a tiny error can cause a ship to be light-years off course, navigating presents a large problem in that is requires incredible precision, excellent reflexes, and great confidence.

• Green
  Woefully inexperienced, a green navigation officer is bad at planning interstellar courses and has terrible combat reflexes. Although most navigation officers do not remain green for very long, a benefit of requiring a constant application of their skills, the problems of a green navigation officer are even worse because they apply both in and out of combat.
  • Penalties: -3 to dodge and all interstellar travel takes 10% longer.
• Trained
  A trained navigation officer is often taken for granted. Their skills and experience ensure that they do not make too many mistakes, and the mistakes they do make are quite small, but they are not very exceptional at their jobs.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  When a captain needs someone to find the fastest root between two points and someone that has a very good handle on a ship's limited maneuvering capabilities, they do not have to look any further then a veteran navigation officer. With enough experience to know which gravity sources to avoid in order to shave a small amount of time off a trip and how to hit the maneuvering thrusters at just the right time, a veteran navigation officer is a welcome addition to any crew.
  • Bonuses: +1 to dodge and all interstellar travel takes 5% less time.
• Legendary
  Too many times a navigation officer does not know how to use the natural terrain in space to their advantage, most look into the empty expanse in space and see nothing, but to the expert eye of a legendary navigation officer, no place in space is empty. Able to move a ship faster and better then any other officer, the legendary navigation officer can move a ship faster then even its designers thought possible.
  • Bonuses: +2 to dodge, increase ship's acceleration by 10%, and all interstellar travel takes 10% less time.

Sensor Control Officer

In the vastness of space, people cannot rely on their eyesight, they must instead rely on sensors. The Sensor Control Officer is the person in charge of the sensors or is in charge of the department that oversees the operation of the sensors. Being able to read sensors is not enough in the high tech world of space combat, being able to read the absence of information and having the experience to develop hunches becomes even more important then simply seeing the obvious.

• Green
  A green sensor control officer runs a very loose department. They can be inexperienced or incompetent, but in either case, the officer's critical department is unreliable. They can perform the most mundane tasks, but the high pressure situations of combat are often too much for this officer.
  • Penalties: Decrease all sensor bonuses to detect, track, and identify targets by -10% and reduce Tactical Ship Intelligence by one level, with a minimum of level 0.
• Trained
  Able to read the screens and remain calm during combat, a trained sensor control officer is reliable under pressure, but do not expect any miracles from the sensor department.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  A veteran sensor control officer can squeeze every last bit of information from a sensor reading, they also have the experience and technical expertise to improve a ship's sensors and are incredible calm during combat. More then one ship has been saved from destruction by detecting an opponent sooner then the opponent thought possible.
  • Bonuses: Increase all sensor bonuses to detect, track, and identify targets by +10%.
• Legendary
  A legendary sensor control officer is able to take a blank screen and see all of the enemies lurking in the vastness of space. Tweaking the sensors to give the best information possible and gleaning information that few other people could possibly understand are all the trademarks of a legendary sensor control officer.
  • Bonuses: Increase all sensor bonuses to detect, track, and identify targets by +25% and increase Tactical Ship Intelligence by one level, with a maximum level of 5 and distances at level 0 are not improved.

Weapons Control Officer

Even with engines and sensors, a ship is virtually defenseless unless it has weapons and while the power of these weapons are often the determining factor in a battle, the skill of the weapons control officer can be just as important. From selecting targets of opportunity to determining the exact configuration of the point defense weapons, the decisions the weapons control officer make can determine whether a ship lives or dies in a fight.

• Green
  Whether inexperienced or incompetent, a green weapons control officer has many flaws and these flaws quickly become apparent in a fight, at least to the people in his department. Bad decisions and bad preparations quickly become evident, but it is satisfying to know that few truly bad weapons control officers remain in charge for very long... generally they do not survive longer then their first battle.
  • Penalties: All bonuses to strike from targeting computers are reduced by half, rounding fractions down and all reload times, such as for missiles and rail guns, are doubled.
• Trained
  A trained weapons control officer knows the basics of how to defend a ship. The officer knows how to prepare a typical defensive screen for a ship or facility and knows how to select targets of opportunity along very simple terms, but they lack originality or true skill.
  • Bonuses: None
  • Penalties: None
• Veteran
  After many battles and more then their fair share of close calls, veteran weapons control officers know just about everything they need to know about their weapons and their equipment. They are familiar with the capabilities and limitations of their own weapons and can prepare a defensive screen to match what they know of their defensive capabilities. Offensively, the veterans know how and where to shoot at a level much higher then a simple trained officer.
  • Bonuses: +1 to strike with all weapons and one weapon system, such as all L-3 Laser Cannons on a ship, can fire an additional time per melee, but that weapon system cannot fire during the next melee. For example, if the weapon system could fire twice per melee, it can now fire three times per melee. A weapon system that can only fire once per melee or slower cannot be modified.
• Legendary
  Although a veteran weapons control officer is a sight to behold, a truly legendary weapons control officer can swing an entire battle in their favor with a few carefully selected shots. Often given extreme leeway by their commanders, these officers have the skill and originality to decimate stronger and larger opponents.
  • Bonuses: +3 to strike with all weapons and one weapon system, such as all L-3 Laser Cannons on a ship, can fire at twice its normal rate, but that weapon system cannot fire during the next melee. For example, if the weapon system could fire twice per melee, it can now fire four times per melee. A system that fires slower then once per melee cannot be modified. Reload times for weapons such as missiles and rail guns is reduced by half.