Captains and Naval Tactics

[GhengisRexx]

Now that I have run a couple of ship combat scenes, questions have arisen, and I would love opinions, advice, or "official rulings".

In the initiative phase, the captain gets a Tactics (Naval) roll to improve initiative. Would this be considered the captains action for the turn? ( I want to make sure that the captain is not getting too much of the spotlight when I am running this kind of scene. )

My second question is regarding Leadership skill. With a good bonus, this skill is very very useful. Our pc captain has a total bonus of +3 iirc, and so can typically toss around a couple of boons every time he takes a turn to "lead". This was very cool in a firefight, as this pc is combat useless otherwise. But.....Is leadership usable in Starship combat? I see no indication that it is not, but if the Captain can toss around boons every round, the sensor operator becomes less important, at least as far as sensor locks.

Thoughts?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Leadership

Captain: Commands the ship, and can use Leadership and Tactics skills.

Improve Initiative (Captain)
The captain of the spacecraft may perform a Leadership check. The Effect of this check (even if it is negative!) is applied to the initiative of the spacecraft for the next round only.

I would say Leadership is usable in space combat, but only as specified in the Space Combat chapter.

Tactics
Initiative is determined before the first combat round.
I would say that the basic battleplan is made before the combat, unless you are surprised. So I would say that it does not take an action in a combat round, unless you are surprised. If you are surprised (ambushed) then you would have to take an action to formulate a battleplan, with the increased initiative taking effect the round after?

 

[phavoc]

I tend to follow the ideas put forth by AnotherDilbert. Leadership is good, but naval tactics is specifically focused on spacecraft combat, so it should be treated differently. And it makes sense to apply tactics to combat situations, but leadership to non-combat ones.

But they are relatively similar... so it makes trying to explain the differentiation more difficult. Maybe you could have leadership apply a blanket +1 to rolls for space combat, but naval tactics get the full bonus?

 

[Condottiere]

Leadership gets everyone else to follow your orders.

Tactics tells you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it; if anyone asks why, the answer is, "donkey balls."

 

[-Daniel-]

Leadership gets everyone else to follow your orders.

I also like to think Leadership is what helps the others not to panic but rather remain on task. Your leadership helps them remain focused.

 

[Condottiere]

Standard issue.