Ship Flaws

Flaws are quirks and the never-ending list of minorly broken systems throughout the ship. These create unique and interesting quirks that bring a ship into the realm of being a character instead of just another piece of equipment. Mechanically, a ship can have a number of flaws equal to Half it's number of starting Build Points. Each Ship Flaw grants a number of bonus Build Points (typically 1 per flaw), that can then be used to further improve the ship in other ways.

Faulty System (+1) One of the ship’s systems does not work as reliably as it should. The first time in an encounter when it is important that the system works, roll a die: On a 1 or 2, the system stops working, just like a loss due to damage and it requires a similar damage control effort to get it working again (a TN 11 advanced Cunning (Engineering) test with a success threshold of 5). Until repaired, the non-functional system cannot be used.

Fragile (+1) The ship is not as structurally sound as it should be (or perhaps, once was); reduce its Hull score to that of the Size category one below the ship’s Size. So a Fragile Colossal freighter, for example, has a Hull score of 3d6 (that of a Gigantic ship) rather than the usual 4d6 for a Colossal ship.

High Maintenance (+1) The ship is finicky and needs some tender-loving care to stay in operational condition. The GM should require additional Maintenance activities during downtime and increase the cost of maintaining the ship.

Lumbering (+1) The ship is considered one Size category larger than its actual Size in terms of maneuvering tests to change range, to evade attacks, and for chases. This usually amounts to a -1 penalty to such tests.

Poor Amenities (+1) The ship’s living quarters and other amenities are poor, so much so that Recovering activities on board take 50% longer.

Vulnerable Systems (+1) When the ship takes losses, choose an additional loss condition, so three for a 1d6 loss, and five for 2d6. See Losses under Ship Combat.

Wanted (+1) The ship is trouble and somebody, perhaps even several somebodies, are after it. This can cause problems docking at legitimate ports, or might mean the ship needs to avoid certain places or routes in order to avoid further trouble. Infamous (+1) Your ship is recognizable by name and appearance, meaning your ship can be recognized anywhere at any time. This causes serious problems and pretty much bars you from docking legally, at least without bribing local officials. The GM should use this flaw as a story hook and cause trouble for the crew so long as the ship has it.