Tractor Beams

• Source: Core

Instead of damaging a vehicle's hit points, tractor beams prevent another vehicle from escaping. When attacking with a tractor beam, your attack hits if you equal or exceed the target's Reflex Defense. If you hit, make an opposed grapple check (see Grapple). If you win the opposed grapple check, the target is grabbed.

If a grabbed target is of your vehicle's size or smaller, then it cannot move and it loses its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense. Each round on your turn, you must make another opposed grapple check; if you win the opposed check, you may pull the target up to 10 squares closer to you (or 1 square closer to you in starship scale) or hold it in place in its current square. If you lose the opposed check, the target manages to slip free from the tractor beam.

If the grabbed target is larger than your vehicle, the target retains its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense and can move freely, but you may move your vehicle up to 10 squares closer to it (or 1 square closer to it in starship scale). If the grabbed vehicle ever moves beyond the range of your tractor beam, the tractor beam's hold is broken automatically.

If you pull your target into your square (or pull your vehicle into a larger target's square), your vehicle may use docking clamps to attach itself to the target. Once this is done, it is possible to board the target ship by blowing open or cutting through an airlock or the hull (see Attack an Object).