Defensive Screens (ship-mounted)

Ion Screen

This screen is a field of charged particles which surrounds a ship. It is available in two sub-classes.

Proton Screen

This screen is effective in blocking proton and ion beams (both batteries and assault-cannons), but creates explosive pyrotechnics (technically, subatomic fusion) when intersected by electron and antimatter beams.

Minimum Hull Size: 12

Electron Screen

This screen is the opposite of a proton screen. It blocks electron and ion beams (including disintegrator-cannons), but reacts with antimatter and proton beams to create the Armageddon Effect.

Minimum Hull Size: 12

Antimatter Screen (optional)

This screen effectively blocks antimatter beams (both disintegrator-cannons and batteries). Should an ion (proton/electron) beam intersect the screen, however, the Armageddon Effect will result.

Minimum Hull Size: 11

Stasis Screen

A stasis screen is moderately effective against all particle-projection weapons...particularly necro-beams, which will inflict only half the normal amount of hull damage if they hit. It does not work as well as a proton, electron, or antimatter screen against their respective weapon types; however, it does not react with any beams. On the other hand, the electromagnetic pulse of a stasis screen allows missiles and torpedoes to home in with increased accuracy…and to do increased damage, if they find their target. 

Minimum Hull Size: 10 

Gauss Screen (KH Vector)

Gauss Screens (GS) are devices that propagate a charged electrical field around a ship, thus causing particle beams to deflect. This defense is available in two sub-classes, Ion Screens and Antimatter Screens. Equipment for a GS is located at key points on a ship's hull, but the power unit is centrally located. A gauss screen cost is based on the volume of the vessel that it protects. Multiply the cube root of the ship's volume by 2,000 to get the cost. Multiply the the cube root by 150 to get the mass in kilograms. The system uses Power Factors equal to the cube of the ships volume. Particle-projection weapons may not be fired out of a gauss screen, as the field causes problems with directing the beams.

Antimatter Screen

This screen is a field of charged particles which surrounds a ship. It is effective in blocking antimatter beams; yet it also creates explosive pyrotechnics (technically, subatomic fusion) when intersected by ion beams, which inflict double normal damage on hull hits.

Minimum Hull Size: 14

Ion Screen

This screen, the opposite of an antimatter screen, blocks ion beams. However, it creates explosive pyrotechnics when intersected by antimatter beams...which cause double normal hull damage.

Minimum Hull Size: 8

X-Screen (optional)

An x-screen forms a protective field surrounding the ship.

Besides making the ship more difficult to hit, an x-screen absorbs energy from a xaser. If a ship is hit by a xaser while inside an x-screen, the amount of damage rolled is divided in half (fractions are rounded up). The result is the number of damage points inflicted on the target ship.

A ship (or space station) can carry only a limited number of x-screen charges, each of which will last through one hour (six complete game turns). 

Other than being old-fashioned in its workings compared to other defensive screens (stasis, ion, antimatter), an x-screen's greatest drawback is the explosive pyrotechnics created should it be intersected by a necro-beam. If this happens, the amount of damage rolled is doubled (fractions are rounded up). The result is the number of damage points inflicted on the target ship.  

Minimum Hull Size: 4  

Armageddon Effect (optional rule)

Whenever a necro-beam intersects an x-screen (or masking screen), or an ion (disintegrator, electron, proton) beam intersects an antimatter screen, or an antimatter beam intersects an ion (proton or electron) screen, there is a 60% chance that the explosive pyrotechnics (technically, subatomic fusion) created will immediately destroy the target vessel. This will also inflict damage on every other ship and/or base in the target’s hex…including that which fired on the target ship, if applicable. Said damage is equal to the target vessel’s original number of hull points.

EXAMPLE: A battleship, which has 120 hull points, is hit by a necro-beam while using an x-screen and thereby experiences the Armageddon Effect. Every other ship and/or base within 10,000 kilometers of the battleship will take 120 points of damage—including the vessel which fired on the battleship, if that vessel is in the same hex. 

If the target ship makes its survival roll (40 or less), the screen has merely buckled and must be repaired. The beam in question still inflicts double the normal amount of hull damage points, which may destroy the target anyhow.

If the same thing happens a second time to the same ship, risk of the Armageddon Effect increases to 80%. A third time will automatically trigger the Armageddon Effect.

Kinetic Stasis Hits/Cripples (optional rule)

Whenever a ship using a stasis screen is hit by a kinetic weapon (missile battery, concussion mine, seeker missile, ion/antimatter torpedo, et al), there is a 50% chance that the target vessel will be crippled. If the same thing happens a second or third time, this risk increases to 70% and—respectively—90%.

1^st Cripple: Navigation hit; lose maneuvering control

2^nd Cripple: Same as 1st, plus Electrical fire; roll damage at DTM+20 each turn

3^rd Cripple: Same as 2nd, plus Damage Control hit; DCR cut in half

If the ship makes its survival roll successfully, the screen has merely buckled and must be repaired.

No vessel can ever survive 4 kinetic stasis hits; instead of a fourth cripple, the target ship is destroyed automatically; the player need not roll for it.