Editing Beyond:Spacecraft

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= Spacecraft =

In '''Beyond''', spacecraft are built like characters: simple, purposeful, and defined by what they can do. A ship is not an accounting exercise. It is a vehicle for adventure.

A ship is defined by:

* '''Attributes''' — core capabilities
* '''Roles''' — what the ship is built for
* '''Edges''' — special advantages and useful features
* '''Drawbacks''' — flaws and complications
* '''Tags''' — descriptive traits
* '''Weapons''' — generic combat profiles

== Ship Creation ==

=== Step One: Concept ===

Decide what the ship is.

Examples include:

* Fast smuggler
* Patrol corvette
* Deep-space explorer
* Mining barge
* Passenger liner
* Scout cutter
* Frontier gunship

The concept guides every choice that follows.

=== Step Two: Attributes ===

Each ship has four Attributes.

; Hull
: Durability, armor, structure, and ability to survive damage.

; Drive
: Speed, maneuverability, acceleration, and ability to control range.

; Sensors
: Detection, targeting support, scanning, communication, and electronic warfare.

; Firepower
: Ability to bring weapons to bear effectively.

Distribute '''4 points''' among these Attributes.

* All ship Attributes begin at '''0'''
* No Attribute may be lower than '''0'''
* No Attribute may begin higher than '''4'''

A typical PC ship has 4 total Attribute points.

=== Step Three: Roles ===

Assign '''4 ranks''' across one or more ship Roles.

Roles describe what the ship is built to do.

Examples include:

* Courier
* Explorer
* Fighter
* Freighter
* Mining Vessel
* Passenger Liner
* Patrol Ship
* Scout
* Smuggler
* Warship

Roles do not add flat bonuses to every roll. When a Role clearly applies, it may grant a '''Signal Die''', allow an action that would otherwise be questionable, or establish what the ship is capable of in the fiction.

=== Step Four: Ship Edges ===

Choose '''2 Ship Edges'''.

Ship Edges are mechanical advantages.

; Advanced Sensors
: Gain a Signal Die when scanning, detecting, or analyzing.

; Armored Hull
: Ignore the first damage step the ship would suffer each combat.

; Booster Rockets
: Gain a Signal Die when rapidly changing range, escaping pursuit, or making sudden maneuvers.

; Cargo Handling Systems
: Gain a Signal Die when loading, unloading, securing, or transferring cargo.

; Drone Bay
: The ship carries operational drones and may deploy them in combat.

; Extra Energy
: Gain a Signal Die when boosting systems, powering special equipment, or sustaining high-output operations.

; Extended Fuel
: Gain a Signal Die on long-duration travel, endurance situations, or operations far from support.

; Fast Drive
: Gain a Signal Die when changing range, fleeing pursuit, or making a high-speed approach.

; Hardened Systems
: Gain a Signal Die when resisting electronic attack, radiation, or system disruption.

; Heavy Armor
: Gain a Signal Die when resisting damage or hazardous environments, but suffer a Noise Die when changing range due to added mass.

; Military Targeting
: Gain a Signal Die when attacking at Short or Medium range.

; Passenger Accommodations
: Gain a Signal Die when transporting passengers in comfort or maintaining morale over long voyages.

; Reinforced Hull
: Gain a Signal Die on repair and damage-control rolls.

; Smuggling Compartments
: Gain a Signal Die when hiding cargo, passengers, or contraband.

; Stealth Systems
: Gain a Signal Die when avoiding detection.

=== Step Five: Drawbacks ===

Choose '''0–2 Drawbacks'''.

Drawbacks are flaws, liabilities, and complications.

; Cramped
: Long voyages are uncomfortable and stressful.

; Debt-Laden
: Someone has a financial, legal, or criminal claim on the vessel.

; High Signature
: The ship is easier to detect and track.

; Old Ship
: Breakdowns occur at inconvenient times.

; Unreliable Drive
: Risk complications when pushing the engines.

; Wanted Transponder
: The ship’s identity is known to authorities, criminals, or enemies.

=== Step Six: Tags ===

Choose or write a few Tags.

Tags are descriptive. They do not grant automatic mechanical benefits.

Examples:

* Ancient
* Blocky
* Cargo Vessel
* Civilian
* Factory Standard
* Famous
* Heavily Modified
* Illegal
* Jury-Rigged
* Luxury
* Military
* Obsolete
* Organic
* Passenger Vessel
* Prototype
* Rugged
* Stolen
* Streamlined
* Ugly
* Unstreamlined

Tags help everyone picture the ship and may suggest when an Edge, Drawback, or Role matters.

=== Step Seven: Weapons ===

Choose the ship’s weapon profile.

Weapons are listed generically. The exact weapon depends on the setting. A Close Weapon might be a pulse cannon, railgun, laser cluster, plasma sprayer, missile pod, or something stranger.

{| class="wikitable"
! Weapon Profile !! Best Range !! Notes
|-
| Close Weapon || Close || Dogfighting and point-blank attacks
|-
| Short Weapon || Short || Standard ship-to-ship combat
|-
| Medium Weapon || Medium || Long-range engagement
|-
| Long Weapon || Long || Extreme-range or capital-scale attack
|-
| Defensive Weapon || Close || Anti-missile, anti-drone, or anti-fighter defense
|}

A typical PC ship begins with '''one weapon profile'''.

A weapon used outside its Best Range suffers '''1 Noise Die per range band of difference'''. The Referee may forbid attacks that are clearly impractical.

Additional weapon profiles may come from Edges, upgrades, military status, or the ship’s concept.

=== Step Eight: Final Details ===

Give the ship a name, appearance, owner, history, and current problem.

A good ship should feel like a place as well as a machine.

== Using Ships ==

A ship action uses the operator’s training and either the operator’s natural ability or the ship’s capability, whichever is better.

'''2d6 + Career + higher of Character Attribute or Ship Attribute'''

Only one Attribute is used.

Examples:

; Change Range
: 2d6 + Spacer + higher of Agility or Drive

; Fire Weapons
: 2d6 + Soldier or Spacer + higher of Agility or Firepower

; Scan Target
: 2d6 + Scout, Scientist, or Technician + higher of Intellect or Sensors

; Repair Damage
: 2d6 + Technician + higher of Intellect or Hull

; Command the Ship
: 2d6 + Officer + higher of Presence or the ship’s relevant Attribute

Ship Edges may grant Signal Dice when relevant. Drawbacks may impose Noise Dice.

== Drones ==

Some ships carry drones: small remote craft used for attack, defense, scouting, repair, or support.

A ship must usually have the '''Drone Bay''' Edge to deploy drones in combat.

Launching a drone is an action:

'''2d6 + Technician or Spacer + higher of Intellect or Sensors'''

On a success, deploy one drone with a defined role.

; Attack Drone
: Makes one attack at Short range using the ship’s Firepower.

; Defense Drone
: Imposes a Noise Die on one incoming attack.

; Scout Drone
: Grants a Signal Die to scan, detection, or targeting actions.

; Utility Drone
: Grants a Signal Die to one repair or technical action.

Drones are fragile. A single hit, focused defensive fire, or harsh environmental hazard usually removes them from play.

== Example Ship ==

'''The Red Comet — Fast Smuggler'''

; Concept
: Fast smuggling courier with a dubious registry and a temperamental drive.

; Attributes
: Hull 1, Drive 2, Sensors 1, Firepower 0

; Roles
: Courier 2, Smuggler 1, Freighter 1

; Edges
: Fast Drive, Smuggling Compartments

; Drawbacks
: Unreliable Drive, Wanted Transponder

; Tags
: Stolen, Ugly, Heavily Modified

; Weapons
: Close Weapon

The Red Comet is quick, slippery, and useful for illegal work, but it is not built for a fair fight.

<div class="beyond-section-divider">Starship Combat</div>

== Starship Combat ==

Starship combat in Beyond is fast, cinematic, and decisive. It uses range bands instead of maps, facing, thrust, or vectors.

Position matters, but only at the level that affects choices in play.

=== Range Bands ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Range !! Effect
|-
| Close || Signal Die to attacks
|-
| Short || No modifier
|-
| Medium || 1 Noise Die
|-
| Long || 2 Noise Dice
|}

; Close
: Dogfighting distance. Boarding, point defense, and knife-fight maneuvers happen here.

; Short
: Standard engagement range.

; Medium
: Extended combat distance.

; Long
: Extreme range. Only suitable weapons and sensors are useful here.

=== Changing Range ===

The pilot rolls:

'''2d6 + Spacer + higher of Agility or Drive'''

On a success, shift one range band closer or farther.

On a strong success, shift two range bands or gain an additional advantage.

On a failure, range does not change, or the Referee introduces a complication.

=== Attacking ===

The gunner rolls:

'''2d6 + Soldier or Spacer + higher of Agility or Firepower'''

Apply range modifiers.

A ship must have a weapon profile capable of attacking at the current range, unless the Referee allows a desperate or improvised shot with Noise Dice.

The usual target number is:

'''9 + target Defense'''

Target Defense may come from evasive action, Drive, scale, armor, cover, stealth, or circumstances.

=== Aiming ===

A gunner may spend an action to aim.

The next attack with that weapon gains a '''Signal Die'''.

=== Evasive Maneuvers ===

The pilot may take evasive maneuvers.

Until the next round, attacks against the ship suffer a '''Noise Die'''.

The ship may also suffer a Noise Die on its own attacks while evading, at the Referee’s discretion.

=== Defensive Weapons ===

A Defensive Weapon may be used against missiles, drones, boarding craft, or small attackers at Close range.

Defensive fire may cancel an incoming attack, impose a Noise Die, or reduce damage, depending on the situation.

=== Armor and Damage ===

Armor and defensive Edges may reduce or ignore damage steps, but most attacks still inflict at least one step unless clearly ineffective.

Ships with armor Edges are typically slower, heavier, or less efficient. This may be reflected through Tags or Drawbacks.

=== Damage Track ===

Ships use a simple damage track.

{| class="wikitable"
! State !! Effect
|-
| Operational || No penalty
|-
| Strained || Noise Die to one category of ship action
|-
| Damaged || Noise Die to all ship actions
|-
| Disabled || Ship cannot fight
|}

Most successful attacks inflict one damage step.

Strong hits, heavy weapons, scale advantage, or a well-positioned attack may inflict additional steps.

=== Strained Systems ===

When a ship becomes Strained, choose or roll which part of the ship is affected.

{| class="wikitable"
! System !! Effect
|-
| Hull || Noise Die on repair and damage-control rolls
|-
| Drive || Noise Die on changing range or evasive maneuvers
|-
| Sensors || Noise Die on scans, targeting support, and communications
|-
| Firepower || Noise Die on attacks
|}

=== Repairs ===

The engineer rolls:

'''2d6 + Technician + higher of Intellect or Hull'''

On a success, restore one damage step.

Repairs made during combat are temporary. Full repairs require time, tools, parts, and a safe location.

=== Boarding ===

Boarding requires Close range and a plausible method of contact.

Once boarding begins, resolve the action at personal scale.

The attacking crew may need to overcome locks, pressure doors, defensive weapons, hostile boarders, security systems, or vacuum hazards.

=== Ending Combat ===

Starship combat ends when:

* One ship is Disabled
* One side disengages
* A ship surrenders
* Boarding begins
* The situation changes

=== Guiding Rule ===

'''Control the range, control the fight.'''

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