for damaged ships this is easy:
you take racerboys particles.dat and the certain *.dsd file from his mod and place it in the "Library" Folder. Now you go into the "zones.cfg" file and add the entry for the certain effect. I dont know the starshell effect name, but you add this as it was a damage effect. you add the entry with e.g. 10% damage.
this should look like:
[ShipsType]
Category=Freighter
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=20.00000
HitPoints=250
Destructible=No
Armor Level=-1
Critic Flotation=0.15
Critical=No
Effect1=#dc_bubbles, 10
Effect2=#Oil_trace, 20
Effect3=#RB_Starshell, 10
FloodingTime=120
CargoType=None
that should do the trick...