The rules for ship refits on core page 252 state that ship Systems values may be increased but there is no mention of increases to ship Department values.
This contradicts page 237 of core under Refits where it is stated that refits provide increases to a ship’s SYSTEMS AND DEPARTMENTS.
The implication is that refit increases may also be used to increase ship Department values. As a GM, I intend to interpret the refit rules to include both System and Department value increases.
I think it is a mistake that Refits mention Departments. It does not make sense to increase departments, because they are entirely determined by the Mission Profile and (to a lesser degree) the space frame.
It makes sense to increase Systems as part of a Refit because older ships have smaller System scores than newer ships.
Department scores remain constant no matter how old or new the vessel is. So I wouldn’t allow to increase Departments.
To increase Departments, you need to spend an Arc Milestone.
Increasing departments makes little sense for a refit as hardware - but plenty as “this ship has a continuity of crew able to maximize use of the systems present”…
… If for some reason a majority of the crew were lost, I, as a GM, would strip the department increases.
Kind of makes up for the department having more success value than the system rating. (+0.1 expected successes vs +0.5)
Core rules pp 212-213: Departments also represent technology and facility quality in the areas covered by each department ( in addition to crew proficiency level).
Refits could cover upgrades to a Department’s equipment and facility size/capability. I’m going to apply department upgrades for refit rules. No value increased more than +2 and the maximum department level is 5 ( max value = 5 per core rules ).
They could, but they don’t. Of course you could allow it in your games, but keep in mind that +1 to a Department is a MUCH more potent option than +1 to an attribute. It really wouldn’t be balanced to do it 1 for 1.
I should have mentioned that the modified refit rules would be used to upgrade NPC, non-Starfleet ships.