Overclock Core

Overclock Core is an Advanced Function for Chief Engineers. To learn about other functions, go to the Space Ship Functions section of the Space Ships page.

Description

The Chief Engineer intentionally overclocks the ship's reactor to temporarily boost the ship's performance. The Engineer makes a Craft Structure or Mechanical check (DC 14 + Core Tech Level). If successful, the ship gains 2 points, plus 1 point for every 3 points the Engineer beats the DC by. These points can be distributed as the Engineer sees fit to either Engines/Weapons/Shields/Sensors/Electronics

However, overclocking carries severe risks. If the check fails, the overclocking fails, and the reactor is strained, imposing a -1 penalty to any bootested attribute next round. If the Engineer fails the check by 5 or more (or rolls a natural 1), the system suffers an overload, causing a Blown Capacitor from the Battle Damage Chart, just the effect, not the battle damage, and disabling the ability to Overclock Core for the remainder of the combat encounter.