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To the point!
Page 301 of the CRB states:
The modifier listed in the table below applies to some checks attempted by the science officer in starship combat as specified in the science officer’s actions ...
Page 325 of the CRB states:
You can scan a starship with your sensors to learn information about it. This action requires your starship to have sensors (see page 300). You must attempt a Computers check, applying any modifiers from the starship’s sensors.
and...
You can use your starship’s sensors to target a specific system on an enemy starship. This action requires your starship to have sensors. You must attempt a Computers check, applying any modifiers from the starship’s sensors.
Many of the sample starships provided in this section list a Modifier to Computers in the stat block. It is presumable that this Modifier is from the sensors installed on the ship. However, the way the modifier is listed in the stat block makes it seem as if every computers check on board that vessel benefits from the modifier.
Is this true or are the Science Officer actions listed above the only actions that benefit from the Computers Modifier listed in a starship's stat block?
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So, let's say that my group's starship just came out of the Drift and we are attacked by another starship. I am the Science officer. I have a Computers skill check bonus of 10. My ship is equipped with sensors that have a +2 modifier. When I roll a check to scan the enemy ship, do I add +2 for the computers modifier and +2 for the sensors for a total of +14 to my die roll? Or should I only add a +2 for the sensors for a total of +12?
Subsequently, things have gotten bad and I now need to balance the ship's shields. Do I add +2 for the computers modifier to this check? If so, why bother calling out the sensors modifier at all for scan and target system actions?
It applies to all computer checks that relies on the sensors.
Is not really a straight forward answer. Your answer makes me believe that I am correct in thinking that the computers modifier listed on some starship stat blocks applies only to the Science Officer Scan and Target System actions, since that is the only place where it is called out.
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Many of the sample starships provided in this section list a Modifier to Computers in the stat block. It is presumable that this Modifier is from the sensors installed on the ship. However, the way the modifier is listed in the stat block makes it seem as if every computers check on board that vessel benefits from the modifier.
Is this true or are the Science Officer actions listed above the only actions that benefit from the Computers Modifier listed in a starship's stat block?
I see I did not read your question clearly the first time. Sorry about that.
On the sample starship in the section Modifiers, if you see language like "+2 any three checks per round" than that is coming from the computer on the ship. If you see "+2 Computers" that comes from sensors and are used by the Science Officer during combat.
You may also see "+1 Piloting". This comes from the from the thrusters on the ship. (You didn't ask about this but I added it to be complete.)
So yes, only Science Officers can benefit from the Computers modifier.
There may be situational checks that I don't recall right now.
The bonus from the Computer (e.g., Mk 2 Duonode etc) can be applied to any crew action, including gunnery attack rolls. The bonus from higher end Sensors can only be applied to the Sensor-related science officer actions. As far as I can tell, you can stack the two, so if you have +2 from good sensors and choose to use one of your computer's +2 "charges per round" then you would have +4 on your sensor-related skill check.