The vehicle maneuvers system provides new options for any character acting as a pilot or a gunner during a starship-scale encounter.  Similar to the system for using Magic, Nanite Control, and Psionics, the vehicle maneuvers system allows characters to perform incredible stunts or make use of advanced tactics in order to gain the upper hand in starship-scale combat.  Except for maneuvers used by gunners, only pilots in starfighters and airspeeders may make use of the mechanics in this section – capital ships and space transports are too large and cumbersome.  However, the combat thrusters modification can allow colossal starships to make use of maneuvers.

A starship maneuver is a special action that allows a pilot or gunner to do something beyond the bounds of the Pilot skill and abilities provided by the ace pilot prestige class.  Vehicle maneuvers enhance attacks, strengthen defenses, reduce damage, or provide other unique effects (and do more than just make you list lazily to the left).

Learning New Maneuvers

A character who takes the Starship Tactics feat automatically learns a number of starship maneuvers equal to 1 + their Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).  A character can learn additional vehicle maneuvers by taking the Starship Tactics feat again or increasing their Wisdom modifier.

Using Vehicle Maneuvers

When your character uses a starship maneuver, make a Pilot check.  The check result determines the starship maneuver’s result.

Most maneuvers have varying degrees of success, but some (including all maneuvers with the [attack pattern] descriptor) have an all-or-nothing effect.  For those with multitiered effects, your check result determines the maximum effect you can achieve, though you can also choose a lesser effect.  If your check is too low to activate the maneuver’s most basic effect, nothing happens, the maneuver is spent, and the action is wasted.

Regaining Vehicle Maneuvers

You have different ways to regain spent vehicle maneuvers, making them available for use once more.

When a starship combat sequence is over and you have a chance to rest for 1 minute, you regain all starship combat maneuvers.

If you roll a natural 20 on a Pilot check to activate a starship maneuver (but not for any other uses of the Pilot skill), you regain all spent maneuvers at the end of your turn.

You can spend a Hero Point as a reaction and immediately regain one spent maneuver.

Some unique abilities allow you to regain spent vehicle maneuvers in other ways.

Maneuver Descriptions

Some starship maneuvers fall into special categories that affect how they are used and who can use them.  The following descriptors are applied to any relevant vehicle maneuvers mentioned here:

Attack Pattern: Maneuvers that have the [attack pattern] descriptor represent formations and flying patterns that form an overall starship combat strategy.  An attack pattern maneuver differs from other maneuvers in that, once activated, its effects last until the end of the encounter.  Additionally, you may gain the benefit from only one attack pattern maneuver at a time, and if you activate an attack pattern maneuver while already gaining the benefits of another, the second maneuver replaces the effects of the first.

Dogfight: Maneuvers that have the [dogfight] descriptor represent tactics and actions that apply only in close combat situations.  A dogfight maneuver may be activated only while your ship is engaged in a dogfight with another starship or group of starships.

Supernatural: A maneuver that has the [supernatural] descriptor is one that relies on the user’s connection to the universal subconcious, or to magic in some way, for its benefit.  Only characters who are trained in the Magery or Psionics skill may make use of supernatural maneuvers, and activating one is considered to be using Magery or Psionics.  Consult the Special section of a maneuver with this tag for availability.

Gunner: A maneuver that has the [gunner] description does not require you to be the pilot of the ship in order to activate the maneuver.  Any gunner maneuvers may be activated by either the pilot (using pilot-controlled weapons) or by a character serving as a gunner aboard a starship or airspeeder.

Starship Maneuver Descriptions

The following vehicle maneuvers are available to any character who has the Starship Tactics feat (with the exception of [supernatural] maneuvers, which have additional prerequisites).  Each maneuver includes the following information:

Starship Maneuver Name [descriptor]
If a starship maneuver has a descriptor, it appears in square brackets after the starship maneuver’s name.  The name of the starship maneuver is followed by a brief description of the starship maneuver’s effect. 
Time: The type of action needed to activate the starship maneuver. 
Target: The target or targets affected by the starship maneuver.
Make a Pilot check OR Make an attack roll.  The results of the Pilot check or attack roll are described here.
Special: Some vehicle maneuvers have special rules, which are covered here.

Afterburn
This maneuver allows a pilot to throttle up and blast past enemies, to avoid becoming entangled in dogfights.
Time: Full-round action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  The results of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: You immediately take the all-out movement action as a free action.  Additionally, during this action you gain a +1 maneuver bonus on all Pilot checks made to resist another pilot initiating a dogfight.
DC 20: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on Pilot checks increases to +2.
DC 25: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on Pilot checks increases to +5.
DC 30: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on Pilot checks increases to +10.

Angle Defenses [attack pattern]
This attack pattern focuses active defenses in a particular direction, making it easier to absorb incoming attacks from a certain angle.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You (and special; see text).
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 15 Pilot check, you successfully activate this maneuver.  While you are engaged in combat, choose a single other vehicle or space station as the target of Angle Defenses.  Your SR is considered doubled for the purpose of absorbing attacks originating from that particular target.  However, your SR is considered halved (round down) for the purpose of absorbing attacks from all other opponents.
Special: You must be piloting a vehicle that has SR 5 or more to use Angle Deflector Shields.  You may choose to deactivate this attack pattern with a swift action.  The maneuver remains spent if you do so.

Attack Formation Zeta Nine [attack pattern]
This attack pattern is typically used to approach capital ships or other vessels that have heavy firepower.  It emphasizes the role of defenses over firepower.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Pilot check, you successfully activate this maneuver.  While you are using Attack Formation Zeta Nine as your chosen attack pattern, you subtract 1 die of damage from all vehicle weapon damage rolls and add +20 to your vehicle’s SR.
Special: You must be piloting a vehicle that has SR 5 or more to use Attack Formation Zeta Nine.  You may choose to deactivate this attack pattern with a swift action.  The maneuver remains spent if you do so.

Attack Pattern Delta [attack pattern]
This attack pattern utilizes close-range maneuvering by allied ships to make it more difficult to target and hit an individual vessel.  The attack pattern typically requires the vessels to fly in a straight line toward their target, shielding the ships to the rear.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Pilot check, you successfully activate this maneuver.  While you are using Attack Pattern Delta as your chosen attack pattern, you gain a +1 maneuver bonus to your vehicle’s Reflex Defense any time you are adjacent to an allied starfighter or airspeeder.
Special: If any adjacent allies are using Attack Pattern Delta as well, your maneuver bonus to Reflex Defense increases to +2.

Counter [dogfight]
This maneuver allows a pilot to take a quick action while engaged in a dogfight after being the target of an attack.
Time: Reaction.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 20: You may immediately take one swift action.
DC 25: You may immediately take one move action.
DC 30: You may immediately take one standard action.
Special: You may activate this maneuver only as a reaction to being attacked by another vehicle with which you are engaged in a dogfight.  The result of the attack is resolved before you take your action, and your Initiative is not modified by this maneuver.

Devastating Hit [gunner]
This maneuver lets you score an incredibly precise hit on a target, punching holes in vital systems and potentially disabling your target.
Time: Standard action.
Target: A single vehicle within weapons range.
Make an attack roll.  The result of the attack roll determines the effect, if any:
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 0-4: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +1 extra die of damage.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 5-9: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +2 extra dice of damage.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 10 or more: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +3 extra dice of damage.

Engine Hit [gunner]
This maneuver allows you to target an opponent’s engines, slowing them down with a successful hit.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One vehicle that you just attacked.
Make an attack roll.  If you deal damage to a vehicle with a critical hit or deal damage to a vehicle that is equal to or greater than its damage threshold, you may activate this maneuver as a reaction.  Compare the result of your attack roll to the target’s Reflex Defense to determine the effect, if any:
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 0-4: Target’s speed is reduced by 1 square for the remainder of the encounter.  An engineer aboard the target ship may spend a full-round action to repair the damage to the engines (DC 20 Mechanics check).
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 5-9: As above result, except the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares (DC 25 Mechanics check to repair).
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 10 or more: As above, except the target’s speed is reduced by 3 squares (DC 30 Mechanics check to repair).

Evasive Action [dogfight]
This maneuver allows a starship to slip free of close pursuit, escaping from a dogfight more easily.
Time: Move action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: You immediately attempt to disengage from the dogfight (no action required).  You gain a +2 bonus on your opposed Pilot check to disengage.
DC 20: As DC 15, except the bonus on your Pilot check is +5.
DC 25: As DC 15, except the bonus on your Pilot check is +10.
DC 30: As DC 15, except the bonus on your Pilot check is +20.

Explosive Shot [gunner]
You target critical vehicle systems and fuel cells, causing your target to explode with incredible force.
Time: Reaction.
Target: All targets adjacent to a vehicle you just destroyed.
Make an attack roll. Compare the result of the attack roll to the Reflex Defense of all targets adjacent to a vehicle you just destroyed.  The result of the attack roll determines the effect, if any:
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 0-4: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +1 extra die of damage.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 5-9: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +2 extra dice of damage.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 10 or more: You deal normal weapon damage to the target, +3 extra dice of damage.

Fighter Loop [dogfight]
This maneuver allows a pilot to loop a vehicle through the same location it just left, launching a surprise attack on an unsuspecting opponent.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One target engaged in a dogfight with you.
Make a Pilot check.  If you are engaged in a dogfight and an opponent fails his opposed Pilot check to make an attack against you, you may activate this maneuver with a DC 20 Pilot check as a reaction.  If successful, you may make an attack of opportunity against that opponent.

Fighter Slip
A teamwork-focused starfighter tactic, the Fighter Slip maneuver allows a pilot to destroy an opposing starship that threatens one of his or her allies by flying at the enemy vessel head-on.
Time: Full-round action.
Target: One enemy airspeeder or starfighter within (2 x your vehicle’s speed) squares.
Make a Pilot check.  When you activate this maneuver, you move up to twice your vehicle’s speed in a straight line through your opponent’s square.  If something halts your movement before you enter your opponent’s square (such as being drawn into a dogfight), the maneuver fails to activate.  When you enter your opponent’s square, you make an attack as a free action against the target.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effectiveness of the maneuver:
DC 15: If you destroy your target with your attack, a collision does not occur.
DC 20: As DC 15, but add a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll.
DC 25: As DC 15, but add a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll and +1 die of damage.
DC 30: As DC 15, but add a +2 circumstance bonus to your attack roll and +1 die of damage.
DC 35: As DC 15, but add a +2 circumstance bonus to your attack roll and +2 die of damage.
Special: If you fail to successfully activate this maneuver, you still move through your opponent’s square and a collision occurs.  You do not get to make an attack as a swift action, and you cannot make a Pilot check to avoid the collision.  (Your opponent may do so, however.)

Fighter Spin
Originally an improvised combat maneuver created by pilots of vectored-thrust aircraft, the Fighter Spin maneuver allows you to attack multiple targets with your starship’s weapons.
Time: Standard action.
Target: One 2×2-square area within weapons range.
Make a Pilot check.  You may make a starship-scale area attack with a vehicle weapon even if it is not normally capable of making area attacks at starship scale.  The vehicle weapon must be capable of autofire.  The result of the Pilot check also determines the success of your attack:
DC 25: You may make an autofire attack at the normal -5 penalty.
DC 30: As DC 25, except you take only a -2 penalty on your attack roll.
DC 35: As DC 25, except you take no penalty on your attack roll.

Flanking Formation [attack pattern]
This attack pattern divides an attacking force into two or more groups, making it easier to attack an enemy’s flanks.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Pilot check, you successfully activate this maneuver.  While you are using Flanking Formation as your chosen attack pattern, you gain a +1 maneuver bonus on attack rolls made with vehicle weapons while adjacent to any other allied airspeeder or starfighter.
Special: If any adjacent vehicles are using Flanking Formation as well, your maneuver bonus on attack rolls increases to +2.

Formation Slash
A starship tactic that involves moving a ship into the midst of enemy forces in order to cause an opponent to strike its own allies.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One adjacent opponent.
Make a Pilot check.  When you are the target of an attack made by an adjacent opponent that misses, you may activate this maneuver.  The results of the Pilot check are as follows:
DC 20: The missed attack is instead redirected to a different adjacent opponent of your choice.  Compare the original attack roll to the Reflex Defense of the new target; if the attack roll exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense, resolve damage as normal.
DC 25: As DC 20, but add a +1 circumstance bonus to the redirected attack roll.
DC 30: As DC 20, but add a +2 circumstance bonus to the redirected attack roll.
DC 35: As DC 20, but add a +5 circumstance bonus to the redirected attack roll.
Special: The new target of the redirected attack may not in turn use the Formation Slash maneuver to redirect that attack.

I Have You Now
This maneuver allows a ship to close in on its target, striking from short range with devastating effect.
Time: Swift action.
Target: One adjacent vehicle.
Make a Pilot check.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: If you successfully damage the target of this maneuver this turn, compare your attack roll to the target’s Fortitude Defense.  If your attack roll exceeds the target’s Fortitude Defense, the target moves -1 step down the condition track.
DC 20: As DC 15, except you gain a +1 maneuver bonus on your attack roll.
DC 25: As DC 15, except you gain a +2 maneuver bonus on your attack roll.
DC 30: As DC 15, except you gain a +5 maneuver bonus on your attack roll.

Intercept
This maneuver allows a ship to fire thrusters and intercept a passing target, engaging it in a dogfight.
Time: Reaction.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  If an enemy starfighter or airspeeder moves into a square up to 2 squares away from you, you may activate this maneuver to attempt to initiate a dogfight.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 20: You may initiate a dogfight as an attack of opportunity against a target up to 2 squares away.  If successful, you may immediately move 1 square toward your target as a reaction.
DC 25: As DC 20, except you gain a +1 maneuver bonus on your Pilot checks to initiate the dogfight.
DC 30: As DC 20, except you gain a +2 maneuver bonus on your Pilot checks to initiate the dogfight.
DC 35: As DC 20, except you gain a +5 maneuver bonus on your Pilot checks to initiate the dogfight.
Special: You activate this maneuver as a reaction to a starfighter or airspeeder moving into a square up to 2 squares away from you.

Overwhelming Assault [attack pattern]
Vehicles that use an Overwhelming Assault attack pattern concentrate their fire on a single target to the exclusion of all others.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You (and special; see text).
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Pilot check, you activate this maneuver.  While you are engaged in combat, choose one other vehicle as the target of Overwhelming Assault.  On your action, before making an attack roll, you may choose to subtract a number from all vehicle weapon attacks you make against that target and add twice that number to all vehicle weapon damage rolls (before multipliers are applied).  The penalty on attack rolls applies to all attacks you make until the start of your next turn, but the bonus on damage rolls applies only on attacks against the target you designate. You may change the target of this attack pattern as a swift action.
Special: You may choose to deactivate this attack pattern as a swift action.  The maneuver remains spent if you do so.

Shield Hit [gunner]
This maneuver allows you to target an opponent’s shield generators, reducing their effectiveness with a successful hit.
Time: Standard action.
Target: A single vehicle within weapons range.
Make an attack roll. If your attack roll exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense, you deal normal weapon damage to the target (reduced by DR and SR as normal).  Additionally, the target has its shields reduced in power by the attack.  The amount by which the target’s SR is reduced depends on the results of your attack roll:
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 0-4: Target’s SR is reduced by 5.  An engineer aboard the target ship may use the recharge shields action to restore the loss to shield rating as normal.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 5-9: As above, except the ship’s SR is reduced by 10.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 10 or more: As above, except the ship’s SR is reduced by 15.
Special: The damage from your attack is reduced normally by the target’s DR and SR; apply the effect of Shield Hit after resolving damage.  If your damage exceeds the SR of the target’s shields, its SR is reduced by 5 in addition to any effect from this maneuver.

Skim the Surface
This maneuver allows a starship to get down beneath a larger ship’s activate defenses, dealing damage that bypasses shields and directly impacts the hull.
Time: Full-round action.
Target: One starship or space station of Colossal (frigate) or larger in size whose fighting space you fly through.
Make a Pilot check.  You may move up to twice your speed, passing through the target’s fighting space before ending your turn in an unoccupied square.  When you enter the target’s fighting space, you attempt to dip below the target’s active defenses, allowing you to make a single vehicle weapon attack against the target that ignores the target’s SR.  You take a penalty on your attack roll while making this attack, determined by the result of your Pilot check:
DC 20: You take a -10 penalty on your attack roll.
DC 25: You take a -5 penalty on your attack roll.
DC 30: You take a -2 penalty on your attack roll.
DC 35: You take a -1 penalty on your attack roll.
Special: If your Pilot check result to activate Skim the Surface is 19 or lower, you collide with the target vehicle.  You may not attempt to avoid the collision, but the target may do so if it wishes. Any gunners aboard a ship using Skim the Surface that have readied an action to attack during the maneuver may take their attacks when the pilot does.  Such attacks ignore SR and take the same penalties on the attack roll that the pilot does.  A gunner who readies an action to attack in this way moves his or her place in the initiative order to immediately before the pilot’s, as normal.

Snap Roll
This maneuver lets a pilot peel his or her vehicle away from its current location with incredible speed, causing attackers to fire at where it was just moments ago.
Time: Reaction.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  Your Pilot check replaces your Reflex Defense until the start of your next turn.  If your Pilot check result is lower than your normal Reflex Defense, you may choose to retain your normal Reflex Defense.
Special: You use this maneuver as a reaction to an incoming attack; when you do so, you make your Pilot check and replace your Reflex Defense before the result of that attack is resolved.  You must declare that you are using this maneuver before the attack is resolved and damage is rolled.

Strike Formation [attack pattern]
Pilots who use a Strike Formation attack pattern devote themselves to overwhelming an enemy with damage rather than concerning themselves with their own defense.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Pilot check, you activate this maneuver.  While you are using Strike Formation as your chosen attack pattern, you add +1 die of damage as a maneuver bonus on all damage rolls made with weapons aboard your ship, but take a -2 penalty to Reflex Defense as well.
Special: You may choose to deactivate this attack pattern at any time with a swift action.  The maneuver remains spent if you do so.

Talon Roll [dogfight]
This maneuver allows a pursuing starfighter to stay with a maneuvering opponent even when its target is attempting to escape.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One target engaged in a dogfight with you.
Make a Pilot check.  Whenever you are engaged in a dogfight and one of your opponents attempts to disengage from that dogfight, you may activate this maneuver as a reaction.  The result of your Pilot check determines the effect of this maneuver:
DC 20: If the target fails to disengage, you may make an attack of opportunity against the target.
DC 25: As DC 20, except the target takes a -1 penalty on its opposed Pilot check to disengage.
DC 30: As DC 25, except the penalty is -2.
DC 35: As DC 25, except the penalty is -5.
Special: You use this maneuver as a reaction to an opponent attempting to disengage from a dogfight; you must declare that you are using this maneuver after the opponent declares the attempt but before the opposed Pilot check takes place.

Target Lock [dogfight]
This maneuver allows a pilot to focus on a single target, lining up a shot with careful precision.
Time: Standard action.
Target: One target with which you are engaged in a dogfight.
Make a Pilot check.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: When attempting to attack the target in a dogfight, you gain a +1 maneuver bonus on opposed Pilot checks and attack rolls.
DC 20: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on opposed Pilot checks increases to +2.
DC 25: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on opposed Pilot checks and attack rolls increase to +2.
DC 30: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on opposed Pilot checks increases to +5 and the maneuver bonus on attack rolls increases to +2.
DC 35: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus on opposed Pilot checks and attack rolls increase to +5.
Special: If the target of this maneuver successfully disengages from the dogfight, the benefit of this maneuver is lost, even if you initiate a dogfight with that target again.

Target Sense [supernatural]
This maneuver allows a Magically- or Psionically-empowered pilot to target opponents without the use of a vehicle’s targeting computer.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Magery or Psionics check.  When you activate this maneuver, it allows you to use your Wisdom or Charisma bonus on your attack rolls made in this round.  This replaces the vehicle’s Intelligence bonus on attack rolls made with the vehicle’s weapons.  Your Magery or Psionics check determines the bonus this maneuver grants:
DC 20: You may add your Wisdom or Charisma bonus on all attack rolls made until the start of your next turn.
DC 25: As DC 20, except you gain an additional +2 maneuver bonus on your attack rolls.
DC 30: As DC 20, except you gain an additional +5 maneuver bonus on your attack rolls.
Special: This is only available to characters trained in Magery or Psionics.

Thruster Hit [gunner]
This maneuver allows you to target an opponent’s maneuvering thrusters, reducing the maneuverability they provide to a ship.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One vehicle that you just attacked.
Make an attack roll.  If you deal damage to a vehicle with a critical hit or deal damage to a vehicle that is equal to or greater than its damage threshold, you may activate this maneuver as a reaction.  Compare the result of your attack roll to the target’s Reflex Defense to determine the effect, if any:
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 0-4: Target takes a -1 penalty to Reflex Defense, Initiative checks, and Pilot checks for the remainder of the encounter.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 5-9: As above, except the penalty is -2.
Exceeds Target’s Reflex Defense by 10 or more: As above, except the penalty is -5 and the target can only move in a straight line.

Volk’s Loop
This maneuver allows a pilot to accelerate quickly away from an opponent before returning to make an attack.
Time: Reaction.
Target: One target within weapons range.
Make a Pilot check.  If you end your turn farther away from your target than when your turn began, you may activate this maneuver as a reaction to make an immediate attack run against that target.  The result of your Pilot check determines the penalty to your Reflex Defense imposed by the attack run.
DC 20: The attack run imposes a -10 penalty to Reflex Defense instead of the normal -2.
DC 25: The attack run imposes a -5 penalty to Reflex Defense instead of the normal -2.
DC 30: The attack run imposes the normal -2 penalty to Reflex Defense.
DC 35: The attack run imposes a -1 penalty to Reflex Defense instead of the normal -2.

Volk’s Weave
This maneuver allows the ship to fly in a corkscrew, moving forward as normal but making the ship difficult to hit.
Time: Swift action.
Target: You.
Make a Pilot check.  When you fight defensively or use the total defense action, you may make a Pilot check as a swift action in the same turn to improve your Reflex Defense at the expense of lost speed.  The result of the Pilot check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: Your vehicle’s speed is reduced by one-half (round down), but you gain an additional +1 maneuver bonus to your vehicle’s Reflex Defense until the start of your next turn.
DC 20: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus is +2.
DC 25: As DC 15, except the maneuver bonus is +5.
Special: If the Volk’s Weave would reduce your vehicle’s speed to 0 squares, you automatically fail to activate this maneuver.