System Strain

See also: Repairing System Strain

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About System Strain

System Strain works the same way as Strain suffered by characters.

System Strain Threshold

A vehicle that suffers System Strain in excess of its System Strain Threshold quickly finds itself in an untenable situation. Generators overload, reactors shut down, shields fall, engines go dead, electrical fires start, and all manner of electrical mayhem occurs as one by one, essential systems go offline and the ship becomes unresponsive. Until the crew can make repairs, the ship becomes helpless, adrift in space or hurtling along a course from which it can neither deviate nor escape.

In game terms, when a ship or vehicle exceeds its System Strain Threshold, the ship's Speed drops to 0 during the following round.

The majority of its systems (such as engines, weapons, and shields) cease operating as well. This means it cannot move, its weapons cannot shoot, and its Defense drops to 0. This might be a relatively minor situation if this is a ship flying through deep space or a vehicle safely sitting on the ground — or a more dangerous situation if the ship was flying near something with a gravitational pull.