FANTASY FLIGHT STAR

WARS DETERMINISTIC
SPACE COMBAT MODEL
Unofficial Alternate Space Combat Model for Use With Edge of Empire, Age
of Rebellion and Force and Destiny

By Joseph Wilkey

AUGUST 15, 2017

 I. Introduction
The narrative approach the RPGs is fine for most things. One place where it completely falls on its
face, however, is in space combat, particularly when there are more than two ships and they are not all
travelling in a straight line. Races are fine. You can divide the action into who is ahead of whom and
answer the question piecemeal via opposed or competing skill checks. That becomes harder to do when
the actual relative positions of things matter. What follows in this document is intended as a deterministic
framework for space vehicle combat, when relative position matters.

II. Space Model

Space is represented by a hex board (see Figure 1). Fighters will fit into a single hex, while larger
ships may occupy multiple hexes. Ship movement is based on the determined center-point of the ship
(see Figure 2). Moving a ship one hex is defined as moving a ships center-point from the center of one
hex to the center of an adjacent hex (see Figure 3). Ship facing is based on the line from the ships center-
point to the center-point of the ships bow.

Figure 1 - Space, The Final ... Whoops, Wrong Game

 Figure 2 - Ship Center Figure 3 - Ship Movement

Ships cannot bump into each other, unless one

ship is intentionally trying to ram the other, or unless
the collision is the result of environmental effects or
else due to rolled threat or despair. When one ship is
passing through the 2-D representation of another
ship, it is assumed the moving ship is either passing
over or under the other ship. Similarly, if two ships
end their movement overlapping each other, one is
assumed to be above or below the other.
Range category is based on hexes. Close range
is rated as anything less-than-or-equal-to 3 hexes.
Short range is less-than-or-equal-to 6 hexes. Medium
range extends to 12 hexes. Long range goes to 21
hexes and extreme range ends at 36 hexes. Range is
measured along the line from the center of one ship
to the center of another, and has a magnitude equal to
the number of hexes under the line, from the outer
edge of one ship to the outer edge of another. Hexes
considered to comprise the outer edge of a ship
should have their centers touched by the ships
outline (see Figure 4). When in doubt, use common
sense.

III. Speed Relation to Hexes

Figure 4 - Range (6 Hexes)

Speed relates to hexes on the map, in that the present speed of a given ship matches the number of
hexes the ship can move in one round. All ship movement is enacted prior to ship maneuvers and actions
(except for specific, listed maneuvers that are stated to take place during ship movement). Ship movement
is enacted in reverse order from initiative. The highest initiative moves last, while the lowest initiative
 moves first. For ships (and their crews) with multiple initiative slots, the crew must determine in advance
in which initiative slot their pilot will act (and, by extension, in what order the ship will move). From a
narrative perspective, this will determine if they are striking an offensive posture (shoot first) or a
defensive posture (fly reactively).
Note that ship movement is not necessarily a maneuver. If the ship has speed, it will move, even if
nobody is in the pilots seat. If the pilot chooses not to enact the Fly/Drive maneuver (one of the
maneuvers that takes place during movement), then the vehicle will move straight ahead to the full extent
of its speed. If there is a need/desire to have the ship do anything other than fly straight ahead, then the
pilot must enact a movement related maneuver. Because it is inherently tied to ship movement, the
Fly/Drive maneuver may not be enacted at any time except during ship movement. If the pilot enacts a
maneuver during the movement phase, that counts as his free maneuver for the turn, and he might not be
able to enact a second maneuver, subsequent to movement, in the same round.
The determination of which initiative slot to use for pilot actions and maneuvers occurs during the
initial initiative determination phase. Once set, the pilots slot remains locked in the given order for the
remainder of the encounter. The sole exception to this is if a successful Take the Advantage action is
performed. A ship that succeeds at Take the Advantage may swap its pilots initiative slot with that of
the ship it took advantage of for all subsequent rounds (but not in the round in which advantage was
taken).

IV. Speed and Turns

A ships capability to turn is based on its turn rank and speed. Turn rank is an auto-generated
characteristic, based on a ships apparent silhouette and handling. Generally, a ships rank equals its
silhouette. If the pilot has a talent that affects a ships effective silhouette for purposes of maneuvers, it
also affects the ships rank. In addition, a ships rank is adjusted by its effective handling. For every full
two points of handling, the ships rank is adjusted by one column. If the effective handling is positive,
this adjustment is to the left. If the effective handling is negative, the adjustment is to the right. Anything
that has a numerical impact on handling will have the potential to affect rank. As such, rank can change
within the context of a scenario. No rank can be lower than 2, nor higher than 10.
To understand the impact of rank and ship speed on how a ship turns, consider Table 1.
Table 1 Turn Capability

Speed Rank
Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5 Rank 6 Rank 7 Rank 8 Rank 9
(in Hexes) 10
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4
3 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6
4 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7
5 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7
6 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8
7 3 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8
Across the top of the table are columns for the ships determined rank. Down the left side of the table is
the ships current speed. The numbers within the table represent the number of forward movements a ship
must perform before it may turn its facing 60 to a new hex facing. This is likely best illustrated by an
example (see Figure 5 for a graphical representation of the following):
A fighter has an effective rank of 2. It is travelling at speed 5. Per the table, it must move 3 hexes
before it can turn. Combat begins.
After initiative is determined, the person controlling the fighter puts down a numbered 8-sided die,
with the numeral 8 face up. Anytime it is the fighters turn to move, and the number on the die is greater
than or equal to the number from the table, the player may change the ships hex facing by 60 (i.e. one
hex face).
It becomes the fighters turn to move. Again, the fighters speed is 5. The numbered 8-sider is
showing 8, so he can turn at any time. The pilot moves the fighter one hex forward (4 moves remaining),
and then chooses to turn the fighter to the right by one hex facing. He turns the fighters marker 60
clockwise, and moves the marker one hex forward along the new heading (3 moves remaining). He
simultaneously turns the numbered 8-sider so that the number 1 is showing (note, the move after the
turn counts as the first forward movement). The pilot then moves the fighter an additional 2 hexes along
the new hex line (1 move remaining). For each hex moved, the pilot ticks the numbered 8-sider up by
one, so that the numeral 3 is currently showing. This matches the number from the table, so the fighter
may perform a turn with its next move. With the fighters final move for the round, it turns an additional
60 to the right, moves one hex forward along the new heading, and reset the numbered die to 1.

Figure 5 - Graphical Turn Example

Note, from the example above, the state of the numbered 8-sider is preserved from round to round,
until the encounter ends. As can be seen from the table, for some ships it will take multiple rounds to turn
one hex facing.
Koiogran Turn
A Koiogran turn (i.e. the Immelmann turn in real life) may be performed as a means of reversing
direction quicker than simply turning around. As it relates to movement, a Koiogran turn is a maneuver
enacted in the movement phase of the pilots ship, and takes the place of a Fly/Drive maneuver. A
Koiogran turn and the Fly/Drive maneuver are mutually exclusive both cannot be performed in the
same turn. To perform a Koiogran turn, a ship must be travelling at speed 4 or faster, and must already
be capable of performing a turn. The procedure for performing a Koiogran turn is as follows:

Immediately reset the 8-sided turn rate die to display the numeral 1 without changing
facing.
Set the ships effective speed as if it were two less than it is (the ships actual speed for
hexes moved is still as it had been).
Move straight until the ship becomes capable of a turn at its effective speed.
o The Koiogran turn can be performed at any point after this. It does not need to be
executed immediately.
On the movement when a turn would normally be performed, pass a hard Piloting check.
If the check passes, the ship suffers 2 system strain, and turns 180.
If the check fails, the ship may turn as normal (no system strain).
Regardless of whether the check passes or not, reduce the ships actual speed by two.
o Three Advantage or one Triumph may be spent to maintain current speed.
Note that because of the requirements and conditions, it may take more than one round to complete the
Koiogran turn. If it does take more than one round to complete, then on the second round the pilot has a
choice. He can either continue the previously initiated Koiogran turn (in which case he would not be
allowed to perform the standard Fly/Drive maneuver for that round), or he can abandon the turn and
perform a standard Fly/Drive maneuver.

V. Maneuver Updates
What follows are a list of clarifications for starship maneuvers. If a specific maneuver is not
mentioned, then there are no updates or clarifications required.
1. Accelerate/Decelerate (Maneuver) because maneuvers happen out of sequence with
movement, to maintain consistency, acceleration or deceleration does not take effect until
the following round.
2. Evasive Maneuvers (Maneuver) for simplicity, taking evasive maneuvers does not
cause any changes to which hex a vehicle is located. It is all just subtle changes to attitude
and orientation which make the vehicle harder to hit, without actually changing the
vehicles trajectory or flight path.
3. Fly/Drive (Maneuver) This maneuver may only be enacted during the ship movement
phase. Performing this maneuver precludes performing a Koiogran turn in the same round.
Whether someone has their butt in the pilots seat or not, the ship will move at its current
speed. The maneuver of Fly/Drive is simply the act of moving the ship marker across the
board in something other than a straight line. Additionally, if the ship speed is 4 or more,
at the end of the maneuver (i.e. when the marker has been moved a number of hexes equal
to speed), the pilot may make a hard Pilot check. Upgrade the difficulty of the check by
 one for each point the silhouette of the ship is above 3. If successful, the pilot may either
advance the 8-sided turn rate die by one, or he may move the ship marker to the hex in the
forward-left or forward-right position (i.e. side-slip one see Figure 6). The ship will then
suffer strain equal to one. Additional strain may be inflicted at a rate of one strain per two
threat. The GM may inflict a crit if a despair is rolled (adding +10 to the roll per additional
despair). On a Triumph (one only), the 8-sided turn rate die may be advanced an additional
one (requires the check to have been passed). Note that with a successful check and a
Triumph, the ship could both side-slip and advance the turn rate die one.

Figure 6 - Example of a Side Slip

4. Perform Koiogran Turn (Maneuver) This maneuver takes the place of Fly/Drive. It
may not be performed if the Fly/Drive maneuver already has been, even if the ship is
capable of two maneuvers. Although this requires a skill check, it is performed as a pilot
maneuver, during the ship movement phase.
5. Gain the Advantage (Action) to clarify, a ship that has gained the advantage can hit any
defensive zone of the disadvantaged ship, even if it is directly behind the disadvantaged
ship. This is because space is 3D, and the advantaged ship is firing either over or under the
disadvantaged ship. In addition to the given rules, a ship that has successfully gained the
advantage may swap its pilots initiative slot with that of the disadvantaged pilot (but is not
required to). Swapped initiative slots do not take effect until the subsequent round.
6. Full Stop (Talent) Full stop may be executed either during the movement phase or as a
normal maneuver. If executed during the movement phase, it becomes part of the maneuver
already in progress (Fly/Drive, Koiogran Turn, etc.). If the pilot has not performed a
maneuver during the movement phase, Full Stop become a maneuver in its own right.
When Full Stop is enacted, the turn rate die is set to show the value 1 face up.