Thermal Detonator damage versus stock light freighter hull

[MattMartin23]

Hi All,

Just wanted to see if I am correct in this. I was figuring that 10D Thermal Detonator Damage refers to Damage against people, and maybe 7D damage to speeder bikes, swoops or skiffs. If this is the case would a thermal detonator only do like 5D Damage if it explodes under a stock light freighter being that hulls are very dense and durable?

Please provide some guidance on this.

Thanks,

MM

[Raven Redstar]

The 10D damage is character scale, you could reduce the damage in accordance with scaling rules in 2nd Ed R&E or increase the soak of the ship. The difference would be 6D in scaling between starfighter scale and character. If the freighter has a hull code of 4D or more, it's in little danger of suffering damage. However, as with all rolling situations, the ship could roll terribly and the Thermal detonator rolls ridiculously well. So, theoretically a ship could be destroyed by a detonator.
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[garhkal]

Though i would rule if it was set off within the ship, the hull is immediately lesened by 2d since the internals have NO PARTICAL shields to protect them (which by the rules reduces the hull by 2d). THEN i might add a d of damage from the fact its in one location.
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[CRMcNeill]

In addition, if detonated inside, the explosion will be completely contained within, as opposed to a portion (at least half) being directed into the surrounding space.
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[vanir]

If the PC is specifically intending to damage a structure, why not use the demolitions skill/RAW for explosives against a structure, with the thermal damage as a base modified by the demolitions roll?

He might place it in at a vulnerable location, contained by a bulkhead to magnify the explosion, or place it in the airlock, or next to a central computer system, the power core, etc.

[thedemonapostle]

doing the stock character scale damage to the starfighter scale freighter isnt so much of a big deal or concern. use the various scaling damage rules that are available, pick one that fits your games and go with it.

the real issue is if it is detonated at point blank range. it might not necessarily destroy the ship with the blast. more so if detonated on the exterior. the real problem comes into play if detonated internally. again ship probably wont go boom from it. though it could cause a back draft like problem. it will not be able to properly displace it explosion radius properly. thus its normal explosion radius would filter through the ship until it runs out of energy.

another concern is if its detonated internally, it could cause minimal structural damage, but could cripple the ships electronics, blow out any windows causing a vacuum issue, damage fuel systems, etc.

remember to be creative. even on a capital ship a thermal detonator can cripple it if used in the right place.
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[MattMartin23]

[thedemonapostle]

[Fallon Kell]

I use the 2E die caps scaling system for damage. Under that system, a thermal detonator rolls 10D damage against the freighter, but no damage die can count for more than two. Under that system, you can expect a damage of 18 or 19 versus a stock light freighter's hull. Likely, this would result in heavy or severe damage, and could destroy the ship outright on a bad Hullroll.
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[MattMartin23]

[MattMartin23]

[garhkal]

If you are going to ignore the roll (if its too high) and just script out what happens, why bother rolling in the first place?? Just script it out from beginnig to end.
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[Raven Redstar]

garhkal has a point here, you could just set a soak difficulty, or have something happen to the ship regardless. You can do a roll behind the screen to keep up appearances. But, you shouldn't be afraid to give the ship enough damage to keep the players where you need to be.
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[MattMartin23]

[vanir]

If it's an event important to the adventure, the ship being damaged by stormtroopers and forced to remain within atmosphere and land on the other side of the planet for repairs, why not make it a cut scene.

Run the firefight as per normal but once the PCs get aboard their ship and fire it up, describe the stormtroopers throwing thermals as a cut scene rather than an action declaration by combat rounds, eg. "two stormtroopers continue blasting at the entry ramp with their rifles, one with a light repeater starts raking its pulse-blasts across the engine complex trying to hit a vital location, whilst two stormtroopers throw thermals under the rear of the ship. From inside you can hear the muffled blasts all across the hull, then suddenly a tremendous explosion beneath the rear of the vessel rocks the entire craft and emergency horns begin blaring throughout the ship. The fuel cells are ruptured and leaving atmosphere will be extremely dangerous until repaired, making hyperspace will be impossible."
Then have an NPC (it's smart for the GM to always have at least one NPC with a PC party, I usually have one or two mixed in as regular party members), simply suggest they take off and take a suborbital path to the other side of the planet for repairs.