Order of damage resolution

[storeylf]

In a game not long ago I put a single photon through some shields, and prcoeeded to hit Dilithium and shields as crits. An instant -20 to shields, which was great given I hadn't hit the shields themselves at all.

It did get me thinking though, If my weapon line scores a combination of shield hits and leaks is there any order to resolving them, can the crit affects of that volley affect the non crit part.

In other worrds in the above example, had I hit the shields with photons as well can I resolve the crits first, get the -20 to shields, then resolve the shield hits (assuming he has them left), or do I resolve the shield hits, then get the crits, and -20 shields is not so good.

 

[Iain McGhee]

No, critical effects from a single weapon system (line) won't affect the other hits caused by that same system.

 

[The Big D]

Under the damaging enemy ships bit of the book it states that the roll on the attack table occurs after calculating the effects of shields. Even though a 6 bypasses the shields it is still part of the shield 'calculation' in that it reduces no shields.

I have another question for everyone.

I have a target with 8 shields remaining. I hit it with 2 photons and 4 killzone phasers none bypassing shields. The photons cause 8 damage. The phasers also cause 8 damage. It matters in this case which ones get through as phasers are precise but photons are devastating.
How do you folks decide which takes down the shields and which roll on the attack table? .
Half and half, attacker decides, defender decides, roll for the order of hits, the order they were nominated, something else?
There doesn't seem to be anything in the book regarding it so I wondered what conventions different groups were using.

Geoff

 

[archon96]

we usually roll all weapons at once on color coded dice but calculate damage in the order of the system as it appears in the book. Phasers hit target faster then torps is my thought process.

 

[GalagaGalaxian]

You are probably supposed to resolve things one weapon system (as in line entry on the stats) at a time.

My group just tends to resolve all weapons fire of one type "phasers", "Torpedoes", "drones", etc first before rolling to see the next. Thus the attacker might choose to fire/resolve his photons first, hoping they smash down the shields to allow his phasers a good chance at scoring criticals on internal damage. Or he might choose to use the phasers to down the shields, hoping the followup photons score devastating criticals.

However you have to designate all weapons and targets before rolling any dice. No seeing if your phasers alone are enough to finish him off before targeting and rolling drones or torpedoes.

 

[Da Boss]

Indeed you are supposed to resolve them line by line but some pople - inlcuding some playtesters I understand do roll them all at once.

You choose what order you resolve damage from each line in but yes you must declare all firing before you roll any dice.

 

[scoutdad]

Yes, damage probably should be resolved completely on a line by line basis, although we lump them together and roll at once.
4 AD of Phaser-1s from this mount and 2 AD of phaser-1s from that mount; so roll 6 AD and be done with it.

As to order, a good case could be made for going doen hte stat block line-by-line, but we allow the attacker to select the order or resolution.
We figure the ships onboard computers are intelligent enough to delay phasers a few micr-seconds if resolving photons first would be preferable.

And Da Boss is correct.
All fire from a single uni must be declared before anything is rolled.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Indeed you are supposed to resolve them line by line but some pople - inlcuding some playtesters

And rules writers, for that matter...