Fleet Action
Type: Tactical
Skill: Training
Difficulty: 20+2 per ship involved
Description: This command differs from other orders in several important ways. First, it may only be issued by Leaders who have taken the 'Fleet Action' class ability. Second, it is the only order that lasts more than one turn.
Fleet Action allows a leader to coordinate a group of capital ships, directing their actions with a singularity of purpose and forming an overwhelming force. For a number of turns equal to half the Leader's Charisma modifier rounded down (one turn minimum), he is effectively in control of each ship involved in the Fleet Action.
Precisely coordinating the actions of a large number of capital ships in the chaos and frenzy of battle is no mean feat. When the Leader gives the Fleet Action order, his ship, as well as all others to be included in the action, must make a Training check (DC 20 + 2 per ship) to be included in the Fleet Action. Fleet Action may include a number of capital ships equal to half the Leader's class levels in Leader. For example, Admiral Horatio Hicks of Earth, who is a Leader 12/Soldier 5, may include six capital ships (including his own Atlantis battleship) in a Fleet Action.
Ships in a Fleet Action turn their autonomy over to the Leader who gave this order, executing only the group orders that come from him for the duration of the Fleet Action. Only commands coming from the Leader who initiated the Fleet Action may be followed. Performing any other orders will result in breaking formation and falling out of the Fleet Action (see below).
If this order is given successfully, the same Attack order is given to all capital ships, coordinated so all strike at the same time. For the duration of Fleet Action, all ships in the action, executing the same orders, gain a +1 bonus to attack for every ship in the Fleet Action.
Every turn the Fleet Action is in effect, all participating ships must roll again to remain part of it. If a ship fails the check, the total attack bonus of the Fleet Action is decreased by one - if two ships fail, the attack bonus is decreased by two and so on. Additionally, if any ship falls out of formation, the Defence of all remaining ships is decreased by two as enemy ships take advantage of the unexpected hole in the line (this effect is not cumulative - no matter how many ships fall out of formation in any turn, the total Defence loss will always be -2). The Defence penalty only lasts one turn before the Leader can plug the hole, though if another ship fails the Training check the next turn, there will be a new hole, and a new -2 penalty, to replace the ones just plugged by the Leader's commands. Once a ship falls out of the Fleet Action, either intentionally or through failing the Training check, it may not rejoin, nor may a new ship be added.
If the Leader's ship fails the Training check at any time, no attack action is executed during that turn by any of the ships involved in the Fleet Action, and all ships have a -2 penalty to Defence for the turn. Only the Leader's ship may rejoin a Fleet Action after failing the Training check.
All ships involved must agree to allow the character who issued this order to do so. Any capital ship which wishes not to partake of the massed assault is free to ignore the order. The consequences of this are left to the Games Master, who should bear in mind that ignoring a Fleet Action command usually means disobeying a superior officer, an action that may carry some dire consequences for the captain who decided to ignore the order.
Type: Tactical
Skill: Training
Difficulty: 20+2 per ship involved
Description: This command differs from other orders in several important ways. First, it may only be issued by Leaders who have taken the 'Fleet Action' class ability. Second, it is the only order that lasts more than one turn.
Fleet Action allows a leader to coordinate a group of capital ships, directing their actions with a singularity of purpose and forming an overwhelming force. For a number of turns equal to half the Leader's Charisma modifier rounded down (one turn minimum), he is effectively in control of each ship involved in the Fleet Action.
Precisely coordinating the actions of a large number of capital ships in the chaos and frenzy of battle is no mean feat. When the Leader gives the Fleet Action order, his ship, as well as all others to be included in the action, must make a Training check (DC 20 + 2 per ship) to be included in the Fleet Action. Fleet Action may include a number of capital ships equal to half the Leader's class levels in Leader. For example, Admiral Horatio Hicks of Earth, who is a Leader 12/Soldier 5, may include six capital ships (including his own Atlantis battleship) in a Fleet Action.
Ships in a Fleet Action turn their autonomy over to the Leader who gave this order, executing only the group orders that come from him for the duration of the Fleet Action. Only commands coming from the Leader who initiated the Fleet Action may be followed. Performing any other orders will result in breaking formation and falling out of the Fleet Action (see below).
If this order is given successfully, the same Attack order is given to all capital ships, coordinated so all strike at the same time. For the duration of Fleet Action, all ships in the action, executing the same orders, gain a +1 bonus to attack for every ship in the Fleet Action.
Every turn the Fleet Action is in effect, all participating ships must roll again to remain part of it. If a ship fails the check, the total attack bonus of the Fleet Action is decreased by one - if two ships fail, the attack bonus is decreased by two and so on. Additionally, if any ship falls out of formation, the Defence of all remaining ships is decreased by two as enemy ships take advantage of the unexpected hole in the line (this effect is not cumulative - no matter how many ships fall out of formation in any turn, the total Defence loss will always be -2). The Defence penalty only lasts one turn before the Leader can plug the hole, though if another ship fails the Training check the next turn, there will be a new hole, and a new -2 penalty, to replace the ones just plugged by the Leader's commands. Once a ship falls out of the Fleet Action, either intentionally or through failing the Training check, it may not rejoin, nor may a new ship be added.
If the Leader's ship fails the Training check at any time, no attack action is executed during that turn by any of the ships involved in the Fleet Action, and all ships have a -2 penalty to Defence for the turn. Only the Leader's ship may rejoin a Fleet Action after failing the Training check.
All ships involved must agree to allow the character who issued this order to do so. Any capital ship which wishes not to partake of the massed assault is free to ignore the order. The consequences of this are left to the Games Master, who should bear in mind that ignoring a Fleet Action command usually means disobeying a superior officer, an action that may carry some dire consequences for the captain who decided to ignore the order.
