Build:Electroplasma Systems
7.7 Electroplasma System
(Required)
Cost: 5 x Size, plus Star Fleet-mandatory +5 SU; transfer 10 extra Power per round per +1 SU; additional +10 to +30 SU is common on combat vessels
Power Requirement: None
Power from the warp engine, impulse engines, and other sources is routed throughout the ship by the electroplasma system (EPS). The EPS is a network of microwave power transmission wave guides. A ship’s EPS is assumed to be able to handle the Power flow to run all systems at up to maximum efficiency without difficulty. But when there’s a need to transfer more Power—for example, to increase the damage a phaser does, boost the strength of the shields, or feed more Power to the sensors to punch through some interference—the EPS may not be able to handle the demands placed on it. The quality and efficiency of an EPS determine how much power a starship can transfer each round.
The base SU cost of an EPS is 5 x Size. That allows the ship to use all systems at their maximum normal performance without problem. For each SU spent beyond that, the EPS can handle transferring 10 additional points of Power. Most Star Fleet vessels build in enough capacity to handle substantial extra Power flow (and to compensate for any damage the EPS system may suffer during combat); +100 to +300 points (+10 to +30 SUs) is standard. The mandatory Star Fleet minimum for most vessels is +50 Power (+5 SUs).
Pre-warp vessels had similar power systems to the electroplasma system (colloquially referred to as the "power distribution system"), though usually without the mandatory addition of redundant capability on the earliest ones.
Cardassian: Cardassian vessels built prior to 2371 have a weakness in their EPS systems which enemies can exploit. The famed Klingon General Gornag, who fought the Cardassians during the Betreka Nebula Incident, first developed a maneuver for doing so. Cardassian ships have a special type of power junction just a few meters from each of their spiral-wave disruptors. By maneuvering in very close to the target ship (which usually involves some skilled flying, due to the number and placement of weapons on Cardassian ships), an enemy can hit a disruptor power junction with a disruptor blast, creating an overload in the EPS system which causes explosions throughout the Cardassian ship and decreases its ability to provide power to its systems.
Planetary Facilities: Planetary facilities do not (generally) require rigorous EPS. Unless mandated for power-intensive systems, such as weapons or shielding, most will get by with SCUs of 5.
SFC Technology Index
Electroplasma Systems technology is contracted out to various manufacturers by the shipwrights and is not standardized by generation nor ship size. Instead, EPS modules are swapped out and replaced as necessary, without having to upgrade and replace an entire system. As such, Electroplasma Systems have no index.