Babylon 5 Advanced Defense Systems

## **Advanced Defense Systems**

Not all defensive fire is targeted directly at an incoming attack. Simply by filling the path of the attack with a variety of matter, an attack can be thwarted as it hits the matter blocking its path. Several races believe that this manner of defensive interception is far more effective than the more standard version. Why waste ammunition and targeting software when a single particulate cloud will suffice for several minutes?

* **Intercept**: To use, the gunner makes an opposing starship/capital ship gunnery + fire control roll against the incoming attack roll. Tie goes to the defender. If the roll is equal to or greater than the incoming attack roll, the incoming attack's damage is reduced by the Intercept's value. If the incoming attack is a missile/torpedo, and the Intercept roll succeeds, the missile/torpedo is destroyed. If the intercept roll is less than the incoming attack roll, the attack succeeds normally, unless the target dodges it...

#### **Active Chaff**

A refillable deployment system for positively-charged chaff particles (energized pieces of matter that are refractive in design) the active chaff dispenser showers a large area of space whenever triggered. The chaff particles are too light and flimsy to do much at all to solid matter or particle weapons but their crystalline shape and internal sensors baffle, bend and diffuse energy better than anything else.

This advanced defense system gives the ship the Active Chaff (X) special quality.

* Active chaff dispensers cost 30,000 credits and have enough capacity for 4 rounds of chaff. Each additional 7,000 credits increases the capacity by 1 (to a maximum capacity of 8). The actual rounds of chaff must be bought separately, as they are extraordinarily expensive, usually 3,000 credits per round. Triple these costs for black market prices.

#### **Pak’ma’ra Interceptor**

The Pak’ma’ra are undoubtedly the most confusing species in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds at times. They often come off as dim-witted and ignorant, yet their scientists in the Civility can make plasma technology do things that even the Minbari raise eyebrows at. One of those things was the invention of the device known as the Pak’ma’ra interceptor. Designed to be a fighter deterrent, the interceptor belches thick strands of plasma in a tightly swirling cloud, which quickly cools and wraps around incoming fighters like a web.

What the Pak’ma’ra were not intending, but were quick to put into practice, is that cooling plasma is very dense and can potentially slow down or altogether stop incoming attacks that try to cross it. Sustained energy weapons tend to just barrel through without much of a problem but common particle or pulse weaponry is blocked time and time again by the strands.

#### **Particle Impeder**

Masters of defense, the Abbai created the particle impeder many decades ago and have put it to satisfying use ever since. These systems hurl expanding particle clusters combined with fragmented matter into the expected path of enemy fire. Hostile weapon payloads burn out trying to get through the fog of particulate matter, softening the blows severely, leaving little to be absorbed by the ship itself. When combined with their patented gravitic shield generators, there is little wonder why the Dilgar were turned away time after time.

Particle impeders do not work like normal interceptors. An impeder’s effect is automatically applied against every incoming barrage in their arc – there is no need for an Operation (gunnery) check. Each additional impeder fired in the same round after the first adds +2 pips to the effective Intercept rating of the impeding screen.

Weapons have their individual Offense in a barrage ignored (as long as their individual Offense is less than the impeder’s Intercept rating).

#### **Source**

* Babylon 5: Ship Builder's Manual (pages 67-68)
* thedemonapostle