The set-up: A group I am DMing is attempting to acquire a smuggling ring that runs out of a space station. They have already captured the smuggler's flagship (a frigate) and are attempting to take over the space station. The frigate in question has had its bridge and void drive damaged and its life sustainer destroyed, and has a good amount of hull damage. Simply put, it's a fixer-upper.

However, the void-master character has a plan: use the plasma engines to make the frigate into a missile, and drive the ship into the station, and teleport away (the groups original ship as a teleportarium). I have a few questions as to this plan:

1. A frigate is a huge ship, and having only one person run the ship seems… impossible. Is there a minimum number of crew needed to make a ship function?
2. Assuming that there needs to be a crew to pilot the thing, is it okay if the crew wears void suits to protect them from the lack of oxygen?
3. Supposing the plan does work, would the station be completely destroyed, or still useable afterwards?

jabberwoky said:

Pg 224, RT Core Rulebook. Doesn't explicitly state a minimum required crew, but the last passage of "0" crew does explain that "ship cannot operate again without some crew to run it." I took this as to meaning for long term care and travel. A short 1 hr trip to ram the ship into a space station would probably only need around 3-6 people. Most on the bridge doing navigation, sensors, and steering, while the others possibly in the engine/plasma room.

jabberwoky said:

Yes, that is logically reasonable since the ship lacks life support.

jabberwoky said:

Refer to "Ramming and Boarding Actions" on pg 215, RT, and see how much damage it takes.

Now, if the PC's are setting the Plasma core to explode, then also refer to pg. 222, RT, in Table 8-12: Critical Hits , with " Plasma Drive Explosion." And since it's point black, I would rule that all 5 hits happen, with no shield protection, and possible only half armour or +5 damage per roll depending on how well the Frigate rammed/lodged itself into the Space Station. As a side note, this option would probably destroy the Space Station, depending on how big it is. Or atleast damage the hull integrity of the Space Station so much as to make it uninhabitable. Hope all this was helpful.