Airship Combat System

Airship combat is divided into crew roles and ship. Each ship is built on a base hull with stats (HP, AC, Speed) and upgrade slots, while every crew member has a distinct role to play.

The system is designed for fast turns, frequent dice rolls, and teamwork.

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Ship Design

Ships are defined by their base frame, which determines:

HP – The total durability of the ship’s hull.
AC – How hard the ship is to hit.
Speed – How many spaces the ship may move per round.
Slots (Hardpoints) – Configurable upgrade modules divided into:
- Hull Slots (armor, plating, shielding)
- Engine Slots (thrusters, fins, propulsion upgrades)
- Utility Slots (weapons, sensors, boarding tools, support systems)

Each slot is a hardpoint, which can be Healthy, Damaged, or Destroyed during combat. Damage and repair are resolved with simple d20 checks.

Ship Class	Crew Slots	Base HP	AC	Speed	Hull Slots	Engine Slots	Utility Slots	Notes
Scout Skiff	4–5	150	15	8	1	1	1	Fast scout/raider; fragile but customizable.
Escort Frigate	5–6	250	16	7	1	1	2	Balanced ship; can lean toward weapons or support.
War Brigantine	6–7	350	17	7	2	1	2	Versatile ship with both firepower and maneuverability.
Battlecruiser	7–8	450	18	6	2	2	2	Durable, flexible hull; strong officer coordination.
Dreadnought	8–9	600	19	5	3	2	3	Heavy brawler; trades speed for resilience and firepower.
Sky Fortress	9–10+	900	20	4	4	2	4	Siege platform; can specialize for overwhelming offense or defense.

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Roles Summary

Every player has a role, and larger ships may have role variants.

Captain – Provides commands, morale boosts, and coordination.
Gunner – Operates ship weapons, targeting hull or specific systems.
Engineer – Repairs and maintains ship systems and hardpoints.
Pilot – Controls movement, positioning, and evasive maneuvers.

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Captain – Command & Coordination

Action	Roll	Effect
Command	Persuasion/Intimidation DC 12	Grant advantage to a crew member’s next roll.
Target Lock	Perception DC 12	Spot weak point → Next Gunner attack may attempt a Called Shot without disadvantage.
Rally Crew	Charisma DC 12	All crew gain +1d4 temp HP or advantage on Morale saves.
Emergency Orders	d20 vs 11	Cancel one Hardpoint Check (damage roll) against your ship this round.

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Gunner – Weapons & Critical Strikes

Action	Roll	Effect
Fire Weapon	Attack roll	Deal damage to enemy Hull HP.
Suppressive Fire	Attack roll (disadvantage)	On hit, enemy’s next attack is at disadvantage.
Called Shot	Attack roll (disadvantage, unless boosted)	On hit, force a Hardpoint Damage Check (11+ = enemy system worsens).
Overload Shot	Attack roll (advantage, then weapon becomes Damaged)	High damage but risks disabling weapon until repaired.

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Engineer – Repairs & Damage Control

Action	Roll	Effect
Repair System	d20 vs 11	Improve Hardpoint state (Destroyed → Damaged → Healthy).
Brace System	Reaction, d20 vs 11	Prevent Hardpoint from worsening on damage this round.
Boost System	d20 vs 11	Give +2 bonus to a chosen system’s roll (Pilot, Gunner, or Captain) for 1 round.
Emergency Repair	d20 vs 11	Restore 1d8 ship HP.

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Pilot – Maneuver & Positioning

Action	Roll	Effect
Evasive Maneuver	Dex/Vehicle check DC 12	Next enemy attack has disadvantage.
Attack Run	Dex/Vehicle check DC 12	Next Gunner attack gets advantage (or enables Called Shot without disadvantage).
Position for Cover	d20 vs 11	Ship gains +2 AC until next round.
Redline Engine	d20 vs 11	Move +2 extra Speed this round; on failure, Engines suffer a Hardpoint Damage Check.

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Ship Weapon Damage

Airship weapons deal damage to the hull HP of enemy ships or may be used to target hardpoints (slots). Damage is resolved by weapon type.

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Weapon Types

Weapon Type	Dice (Roll Option)	Notes
Light Mount	4d8 + 2	Small, fast weapons (light cannons, arcane bolts). Good vs scouts and frigates.
Standard Mount	5d10 + 5	Medium weapons (deck guns, heavy ballistae). The most common weapon type.
Heavy Mount	6d10 + 10	Large weapons (broadside cannons, siege repeaters). Strong vs larger hulls.
Siege Mount	8d10 + 15	Massive weapons (arcane artillery, dreadnought batteries). Usually one per large ship.

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Critical Hits

On a critical hit, double the dice damage (not the flat bonus).
The attacker may also choose to force a Hardpoint Check (11+ = system worsens).
Critical hits are intended to be spiky and dangerous: they can bypass hull attrition and cripple enemy systems.

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Called Shots

A Gunner may attempt to target a specific hardpoint instead of the hull.
Attack is rolled with disadvantage (unless boosted by the Captain or Pilot).

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