Editing Star Trek Starship Tractor Beams

'''Tractor Beams'''

Starships sometimes have to manipulate large objects (such as other ships or asteroids) at a distance from the ship. Examples include towing a derelict or damaged vessel, stopping an enemy ship from fleeing, and clearing a path through an asteroid belt. To do this, they use tractor beams.

Tractor beams use emitters to project superimposed subspace/graviton force beams onto a target object. This places spatial stress on the target, and manipulation of these stress patterns allows the ship to push the target away, pull it closer, or hold it in place. Main tractor emitters must be mounted directly to a ship's primary structural framework to resist the stress and inertial imbalance created by tractor beam use.

{| border="3" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Type'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Scale'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Fire Control'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Space Range'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Atmosphere Range'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Strength'''</u>
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Class Alpha
| style="text-align: center;"|Starfighter
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D
| style="text-align: center;"|1-3/5/10
| style="text-align: center;"|1-5/10/20km
| style="text-align: center;"|3D
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Class Beta
| style="text-align: center;"|Capital
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D
| style="text-align: center;"|1-3/5/10
| style="text-align: center;"|1-5/10/20km
| style="text-align: center;"|2D+1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Class Gamma
| style="text-align: center;"|Capital
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D+2
| style="text-align: center;"|1-3/5/10
| style="text-align: center;"|1-5/10/20km
| style="text-align: center;"|3D+2
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Class Delta
| style="text-align: center;"|Capital
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D+2
| style="text-align: center;"|1-3/5/10
| style="text-align: center;"|1-5/10/20km
| style="text-align: center;"|4D+2
|}

==='''Threat Assessment / Tracking / Targeting System'''===

Known colloquially as the "targeting scanners," the Threat Assessment/Tracking/Targeting System (TA/T/TS) is a ship's tactical sensors and computer package. The tactical officer relies on the TA/T/TS in combat in much the same way as the Flight Control officer uses the navigational computer - it helps him do his job better. Different classes of TA/T/TS are available; the better ones make the Tactical Officer's job easier, but take up more space and require more power to operate. The accompanying table lists types and benefits of different TA/T/TS systems. The listed bonus applies to the Test results of Capital Ship Gunnery Tests made to hit a target with weapons, or to cancel out negative modifiers such as those due to size, Tests made to scan a ship for a particular target, and the like. TA/T/TS systems are not cumulative; a ship can only have one in effect.

In addition to using it to target weapons and assess tactical data, a character may use targeting scanners to obtain a transporter lock on a person or object.

{| border="3" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''TA/T/TS'''</u>
| style="text-align: center;"|<u>'''Fire Control'''</u>
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Alpha
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Beta
| style="text-align: center;"| +0D+2
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Gamma
| style="text-align: center;"| +1D+1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Delta
| style="text-align: center;"| +2D
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Epsilon
| style="text-align: center;"| +2D+2
|}
*A ship can have multiple Threat Assessment / Tracking / Targeting Systems installed, but only one may be active at any time. The active Threat Assessment / Tracking / Targeting System provides the main Fire Control bonus for Beam Weapons, Missile Weapons, and Tractor Beams.

=='''Source'''==
*Spacedock - Starship and Construction Manual (pages 55-65, 71-72)
*thedemonapostle