The following house rules I plan to experiment in my home campaign. Many of these rules are adapted from d20 Future.
Polymorphic Unit (Hybrid) (Expansion Bay)
The principle feature of the Polymorphic unit is its ability to transform a starship into a humanoid form and back. In essence, these starships are two separate machines that share the same basic superstructure. These transforming starships can have drastically different forms, while still maintaining the same crew and basic computer systems.
Starships of any given size can transform only into humanoids of that same size; thus, Gargantuan starships can transform only into Gargantuan humanoids. The engineer of the starship triggers the transformation on the engineering phase.
Starships in humanoid form can perform a slam attack, but only during a pilot’s flyby stunt. The base damage is 1d6 plus 1d6 for each size category larger than tiny.
Cost (in BP) 2 x size category; PCU 10 x size category
Laser Glaive (Starship Light Weapon)
The laser glaive is composed of a laser beam suspended in a magnetic field in the shape of a blade extending from the starship’s weapon mount. The blade can be extended or retracted during the gunner phase. Laser glaives can only be used during a pilot’s flyby stunt.
Laser Glaive; Range Special; Damage 2d6; PCU 5; Cost (in BP) 9; Special Properties mecha weapon +
+ If the starship is in a humanoid form, it can add it’s slam damage with the weapon’s damage.
Please critique it! Any helpful feedback is welcome.
clean and simple. Like it.
How does the ships slam attack damage compare to the kaiju-esque creatures?
The Besmaran whelp, which is a medium size starship aberration (basically a giant kaiju space shark), does about 3d4 for claw damage. A Besmaran whelp can make a claw attack against an adjacent ship in its port or starboard firing arc.
I'll probably reduce the damage dice from 1d6 to 1d4 for each size category. So a medium size humanoid starship would do 3d4, which matches with the Besmaran whelp's claw damage.
Revised wording:
Polymorphic Unit (Hybrid) (Expansion Bay)
The principle feature of the Polymorphic unit is its ability to transform a starship into a humanoid form and back. In essence, these starships are two separate machines that share the same basic superstructure. These transforming starships can have drastically different forms, while still maintaining the same crew and basic computer systems.
Starships of any given size can transform only into humanoids of that same size; thus, Gargantuan starships can transform only into Gargantuan humanoids. The engineer of the starship triggers the transformation on the engineering phase.
Starships in humanoid form can perform a slam attack during the gunner’s phase. Slam attacks are made only against a ship in an adjacent hex in its forward firing arc.
The base damage is 1d4 plus 1d4 for each size category larger than tiny.
Cost (in BP) 2 x size category; PCU 10 x size category
Laser Glaive (Starship Light Weapon)
The laser glaive is composed of a laser beam suspended in a magnetic field in the shape of a blade extending from the starship’s weapon mount. The blade can be extended or retracted during the gunner phase. Laser glaives can only be used against a ship in an adjacent hex in its forward firing arc.
Laser Glaive; Range Special; Damage 2d6; PCU 5; Cost (in BP) 9; Special Properties limited (front weapon mount), mecha weapon +
+ If the starship is in a humanoid form, it can add it’s slam damage with the weapon’s damage.
I published The Complete Mecha Factory by Edward Moyer, which is available in the Paizo Store. Uses elements of the both the Core vehicle and starship rules. Includes new bay options, even includes power armor rules, but it's best to use power armor or mecha, not both, since the smaller sized mechas overlap with power armor. Fully illustrated and comes with a full star systems and planets setting where mecha leagues compete for a galactic audience.