Starship Combat: Science Officer Target System & Critical Damage

[GM Blake]

The more GMs that I play with, the more variation I find in the interpretation of the Target System action. So, for the sake of doing it correctly when I GM and possibly having a place to reference when it comes up, I ask:

What constitutes critical damage for the Target System action's ability to specify which system takes the damage?

I read critical damage (p 321) to be defined as any damage to the hull on a hit where the die reads 20 (or 19-20 on a successful Target System) or 'whenever the target starship's hull takes damage that cuases its total amount of damage to exceed its Critical Threshold or a multiple of that threshold.'

The Target System (p 325) Science Officer action provides two benefits:

1. It increases the critical hit from 20 to 19-20.
2. 'If that attack deals critical damage, it affects the chosen system. For any further critical damage resulting from the attack, determine which system is affected randomly as normal.'

I'm reading that as two separate benefits. It increases the critical hit range and, if critical damage is scored by either a critical hit or by exceeding the Critical Threshold, the first critical applies to the targeted systems.

Others have interpreted it as meaning only if the attack is a critical hit (i.e. 19-20 on the die).

Concurrent or dissenting opinions?

[FLite]

You are correct. It says "If the attack deals critical damage." Not "If the attack is a critical hit."

[Freedom Snake]

The logic should look something like this, assuming a successful Target System Science Officer action.

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Roll Gunnery check, does attack hit?
...If NO, attack is complete.
...If YES, roll damage dice. Does the attack hit the hull at all?
......If NO, resolve damage normally
......If YES, was either a 19 or 20 the d20 result?
.........If YES, deal critical damage to the targeted system then continue.
.........If NO, continue
......After calculating damage to the hull, does the current total hull damage meet or exceed a multiple of the damaged ship's CT?
............If NO, attack is over
............If YES, has the system targeted in Target System received critical damage from this attack?
...............If YES, deal any additional critical damage via d%
...............If NO, apply a critical to the first CT threshold crossed, then deal d% critical damage to any additional thresholds met.