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Author Topic: Starship Skills  (Read 2130 times)

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Starship Skills
« on: February 02, 2026, 09:21:31 pm »
How does someone determine Starship skill modifiers?

Initiative, Mechanics, Perception, Pilot, Use Computer.

I think I understand how it works with the crew quality with NPCs, but how the hell do you figure out for PCs?  I've combed through the skills and starships sections and nothing makes sense...can someone "See.  Spot.  Run." me through this?
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2026, 07:02:44 am »
Taken from Tam's Starship Sheet, a pretty nifty character sheet for the players ina  starship. THere's also one for regular characters as well. But this should cover all the positions of  aship and how to get the individual modifers for certain things.

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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2026, 02:30:10 pm »
If you understand what crew quality adds to the skill modifiers you see the dirty way of figuring out how a ship modifies those skills is to remove the generic crew's contribution (like the +6 of a skilled crew) and then add the PC's modifier for that skill.

You'll often find that Initiative and Pilot are the same as Pilot can be used as Initiative.  A LOT of things you do with a vehicle are modified by what I sometimes call "maneuverability" which is essentially the size penalty you see plus the vehicle's DEX modifier.  Maneuverability factors into Pilot, Initiative, and if you look in Starships of the Galaxy it will also apply to some uses of Deception and Stealth.

A lot of the time a vehicle will be "using Sensor" in place of an actual "Perception" value as the distance penalties in Starship scale are massive.

One thing you do NOT see but may argue should be included on rolls is the ship's INT when making Use Computer checks under the assumption that the ship should be helpful to its own crew.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2026, 08:08:33 am »
Quote from: StevenO on February 03, 2026, 02:30:10 pm
If you understand what crew quality adds to the skill modifiers you see the dirty way of figuring out how a ship modifies those skills is to remove the generic crew's contribution (like the +6 of a skilled crew) and then add the PC's modifier for that skill.

You'll often find that Initiative and Pilot are the same as Pilot can be used as Initiative.  A LOT of things you do with a vehicle are modified by what I sometimes call "maneuverability" which is essentially the size penalty you see plus the vehicle's DEX modifier.  Maneuverability factors into Pilot, Initiative, and if you look in Starships of the Galaxy it will also apply to some uses of Deception and Stealth.

A lot of the time a vehicle will be "using Sensor" in place of an actual "Perception" value as the distance penalties in Starship scale are massive.

One thing you do NOT see but may argue should be included on rolls is the ship's INT when making Use Computer checks under the assumption that the ship should be helpful to its own crew.

I've got the NPC stuff figured out mostly.  It's what to do with PCs that frustrates the hell out of me, especially the non-DX skills: Mechanics, Perception, and Use Computer.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2026, 11:33:34 am »
For the most part the vehicle they're on doesn't alter those skills.  Now if a vehicle is down the CT I'm likely applying that penalty to anyone trying to do something with the ship but generally the ship wouldn't alter your Mechanics skill.

I did mention that Use Computer is something of a sore spot.  When it talks about computers it mentions getting to add the INT modifier of a helpful computer to your Use Computer Rolls but apprently default stats do NOT include that although you'd think they should.

In Starship Scale Perception checks take -5 PER SQUARE instead of every 10.  Using Sensors is an application of Use Computer and has the standard modifiers for distance and thus is often used for actual "Perception" when using starship scale.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2026, 06:00:34 pm »
So basically the non-DX skills only determine for NPC crews/players?  Even though I think the IQ mod should not only apply on attack rolls but skills as well.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2026, 11:31:31 pm »
Quote from: TheWarDog on February 06, 2026, 06:00:34 pm
So basically the non-DX skills only determine for NPC crews/players?  Even though I think the IQ mod should not only apply on attack rolls but skills as well.

I'm not sure I completely understand that question.

A vehicle's INT modifier applies to attacks with the vehicle weapons instead of any ability modifiers a character may have.  You see this in (most) stat blocks with the BAB being contributed by the given crew quality, another +2 if it is a pilot controlled weapon (where it's assumed the pilot is trained in Pilot), and perhaps the bonus extra gunners in a weapon battery will provide.

A ship's computer probably should be "helpful" to its designated crew and give the INT bonus on Use Computer checks but you do not see that in any official stat blocks.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2026, 10:15:06 am »
So the ship's stats don't contribute to skills except for DX-related skills?  Mechanics, Perception, and Use Computer are totally character based, whether they be PC or NPC?
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2026, 07:01:24 pm »
Quote from: TheWarDog on February 07, 2026, 10:15:06 am
So the ship's stats don't contribute to skills except for DX-related skills?  Mechanics, Perception, and Use Computer are totally character based, whether they be PC or NPC?
Pretty much.

You might find some that give special allowances but the tools (in this case the starship) rarely gives direct modifiers to skills.
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Re: Starship Skills
« Reply #9 on: February 07, 2026, 08:16:11 pm »
Thank you very much for putting up with me...this was starting to drive me batsh.....really crazy.
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