Ship Combat Example

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The PCs, working for the Colonial Marshals, are aboard the *Porphyrion*, a Conestoga-Class Frigate. They are hunting for a CM-90S Corvus smuggler vessel named the *Lyssa*, which has been raiding colonies in the sector. Suddenly, a ship appears on their radar, traveling with its transponder suspiciously switched off.

BEFORE THE BATTLE: The two ships detect each other at EXTREME range (eight zones), so the GM sets up the space combat map, placing a marker representing the *Porphyrion* on the –4 zone, and a “ping” marker for the unnamed ship on the +4 zone. The GM also decides that the initial approach velocity of both ships is the standard two zones per Turn.

DRAWING INITIATIVE: Now it’s time for combat to begin in earnest. Both captains draw initiative. The GM draws a six, while Galt, captain of the *Porphyrion*, draws an eight. Since the lowest number goes first, the GM goes first in each of the Turn’s four phases after actions are declared.

TURN 1 – SENSOR PHASE: Both the GM and the players secretly pick an action from the available list for the sensor phase. The GM decides that the mystery ship, after seeing the oncoming Marshal vessel, chooses the Target Lock action. The players are out here searching for smugglers, and the lack of a transponder signal has made them wary. They quickly settle on the Target Lock action as well. After everyone has decided what they want to do, both the GM and the PCs reveal their chosen action at the same time. The GM won initiative, so she goes first. She makes a COMTECH roll (with a –2 modification due to the EXTREME range) and comes up with a single (target). Both ships have locked on to each other.

TURN 1 – PILOT PHASE: Both Pilots secretly choose an action from those available. The GM picks the Accelerate action for the *Lyssa*, in order to end the encounter as quickly as possible. The crew of the *Porphyrion* are looking to keep the other ship in their sights as long as possible, so they decide on the Decelerate action for this phase. Both choices are revealed simultaneously. Because she drew the lower initiative card, the GM acts first. The Accelerate action calls for a PILOTING roll, with a +1 modification from the *Lyssa’s* thrusters. The result is one (target). The *Lyssa’s* approach velocity is increased by one, to three zones per Turn. Now Mira, *Porphyrion’s* pilot, gets to act. The Decelerate action also calls for a PILOTING roll, with a +1 modification from the *Porphyrion’s* thrusters, and after the dice settle Mira has a (target). The Porphyrion reduces its approach velocity by one, to a single zone per Turn. Once all this is done, both ships move at the end of the pilot phase. The *Lyssa* moves three zones, to the zone marked +1, while the *Porphyrion* moves only one zone, and is placed on the zone marked –3.

TURN 1 – GUNNER PHASE: Once again, actions are chosen in secret. The GM decides that the smugglers attempt to scare off the PCs and selects the Fire Weapon action. The PCs are here to end the threat of the smugglers, so they also pick the Fire Weapon action. The GM goes first, launching a Long Lance ASAT Missile, which gives a +1 modification to the RANGED COMBAT roll. She gets a single (target), and the missile hits, inflicting four points of damage. Captain Galt of the *Porphyrion* rolls for his ship’s Armor rating, coming up with a single (target), which reduces the damage by one, to a total of three. Since three is less than half of the *Porphyrion’s* full Hull rating, the ship also suffers minor component damage. Rolling D66 and get-ting a forty-five, they consult the table and realize that the hit has disabled the internal intercoms. *Porphyrion’s* Gunner, affectionately nicknamed Ox, now fires back with a Long Lance ASAT Missile of his own. He rolls RANGED COMBAT, also with a +1 modification from the missile, and comes up with three (target). The first (target) means the attack is a hit, while each of the others add an extra damage to the four already caused by the missile, for a total of six damage. The GM rolls dice equal to the *Lyssa’s* Armor rating, getting two (target). Two is subtracted from six, and the *Lyssa* takes four points of damage. Because four is more than half the *Lyssa’s* Hull rating of 6, the Lyssa also suffers major component damage. Rolling 2D6 and getting a total of three, the GM consults the table and sees that the *Lyssa’s* escape pods are heavily damaged. Looks like the smugglers won’t be escaping that way!

TURN 1 – ENGINEER PHASE: Since both ships were damaged, the Engineer of the *Lyssa* and Sarosawa, *Porphyrion’s* Engineer, decide to choose Emergency Repairs as their action for this phase. The GM goes first, and has to choose between either a HEAVY MACHINERY or COMTECH roll, since both are required to fix the EEVs. She settles on HEAVY MACHINERY and rolls the dice, getting one (target). Work on the EEVs has begun. Sarosawa sets to work fixing the intercoms and makes a COMTECH roll, getting two (target). The intercoms are back online.

TURN 2 – SENSOR PHASE: The GM knows that the PCs want to finish the job this turn, so she chooses to Go Dark to avoid being hit again. Not surprisingly, the PCs again pick Target Lock as their action for the phase. After the actions are revealed, the GM’s choice of Go Dark means that Dalhouse, *Porphyrion’s* sensor operator, needs to roll for COMTECH again, now with a –1 modification for Long range (four zones). Dalhouse gets a single . The GM rolls her dice for the Go Dark reactive action, but unfortunately doesn’t get any (target). Once again, the PCs have a lock on the *Lyssa*.

TURN 2 – PILOT PHASE: At this point, the GM decides that the only chance the smugglers have is to get away, so she picks the Accelerate action. The PCs continue to Decelerate. The GM rolls her dice for PILOTING. She gets two (target) and decides to increase the *Lyssa’s* approach vector by a further two, for a total of five. Mira, the *Porphyrion’s* pilot also rolls for PILOTING, but this time doesn’t get any . The *Porphyrion’s* approach vector remains the same, at one. The *Lyssa* jumps ahead to the zone marked –4 on the space combat map, while the *Porphyrion* is placed on the zone marked –2.

TURN 2 – GUNNER PHASE: The smugglers settle on the Launch Countermeasures action, hoping to buy themselves at least another Turn of survival. The PCs decide on the Fire Weapon action. Launch Countermeasures is a reactive action, so the GM waits anxiously as Ox prepares another ASAT Long Lance Missile. He rolls four (target)! Not a good day to be a smuggler, it seems. The GM makes a RANGED COMBAT roll of her own for her reactive countermeasures, coming up with three (target), one less than she needed. The missile slams into the *Lyssa*, causing four points of damage. The GM makes one final roll, for the Armor Rating of the *Lyssa*, coming up with a single (target) and reducing the damage to three—still more than enough to Disable the smuggler ship.

And just like that, in less than the span of two full Turns, the battle is over. Space combat in the ALIEN roleplaying game is as fast as it is deadly. Engage at your own peril!