Fuel Skimming

[R_Kane]

OK, perhaps I missed it in the book, but is there any sort of mechanic offered in the book as to what DC fuel skimming might be?

All I saw was a quick blurb saying that it was dangerous and time consuming.

Would having a low G accel make it more difficult, a large gas giant more difficult, etc?

What would the base DC be, and modifiers to it?
And what about the time consuming part? How long does it take? Can the time be reduced by making a roll 5 (or 10, or whatever) above the necessary DC?

-Roger

 

[themink]

In the Design section (obvious place to look for this sort of rule!) It's a piloting check DC 15 or suffer "consequences"

It's upto the ref what the consequences are. I like doing a "little" damage from buffeting. Examples of this may include:-

i) Jamming the turret.
ii) Bursting the Fuel Purifier so that a) it doesn;t purify and b) Fuel sprays into the ship
iii) Tear the jump grid - either minor repair or no jumping until you find a shipyard.
iv) Jarring and buffeting does stamina damage to people.
v) Jarring and buffeting breaks glassware in the ship
vi) The Cargo is bounced arround and breaks open - often with humourous results (remember that shipment of small green frogs carried in freeze - not forzen any more)
vii) One of my favourite - the jarring interupts power to a lowberth and one of the low berth passengers starts thawing - by the time they can get to it, the process is irreversible.
viii) Damage sensor array - reduce the sensor range
ix) Ditto Comms
x) Damage to the skin - reduce the Aero top speed due to "drag" until repaired.
xi) Overstrain the engines - they are at reduced efficiency until repaired
xii) You get the idea - something bad, but don;t kill everyone.

It all depends on meanness at the time

 

[R_Kane]

OK, you're right...it is in there...
Piloting check vs DC15 and takes 10 hours

What do folks think about these as possible modifiers...

ships accel:
1-G: DC+2
2-G: DC+1
3-G: DC+0
4-G: DC-1
5-G: DC-2
6-G: DC-3

Gas Giant size:
small: DC+0
large: DC+2

comments?

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by R_Kane:
OK, you're right...it is in there...
Piloting check vs DC15 and takes 10 hours

What do folks think about these as possible modifiers...

ships accel:
1-G: DC+2
2-G: DC+1
3-G: DC+0
4-G: DC-1
5-G: DC-2
6-G: DC-3

Gas Giant size:
small: DC+0
large: DC+2

comments?

------------------------------------------------
R_Kane, way kewl. Will co-opt fer MTU, with permission?

Liam, evil Gm at large

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by The Mink:
In the Design section (obvious place to look for this sort of rule!) It's a piloting check DC 15 or suffer "consequences"

It's upto the ref what the consequences are. I like doing a "little" damage from buffeting. Examples of this may include:-

i) Jamming the turret.
ii) Bursting the Fuel Purifier so that a) it doesn;t purify and b) Fuel sprays into the ship
iii) Tear the jump grid - either minor repair or no jumping until you find a shipyard.
iv) Jarring and buffeting does stamina damage to people.
v) Jarring and buffeting breaks glassware in the ship
vi) The Cargo is bounced arround and breaks open - often with humourous results (remember that shipment of small green frogs carried in freeze - not forzen any more)
vii) One of my favourite - the jarring interupts power to a lowberth and one of the low berth passengers starts thawing - by the time they can get to it, the process is irreversible.
viii) Damage sensor array - reduce the sensor range
ix) Ditto Comms
x) Damage to the skin - reduce the Aero top speed due to "drag" until repaired.
xi) Overstrain the engines - they are at reduced efficiency until repaired
xii) You get the idea - something bad, but don;t kill everyone.

It all depends on meanness at the time

-------------------------------------------------
Excellent suggestions, Mink! Will adopt, if permissible?

Liam, evil GM at large
(And a ship full of PC's in campaign about to exit fer GG refuelling next session!)

 

[R_Kane]

Go ahead Liam...I look at it as anything anyone posts on the boards is fair game for adoption

Also, I mean to post as well but forgot to include it

Fuel Skimming time is reduced by 2 hours for every 5 points rolled above the DC

EX: If the DC is 15 and the roll is:
15, the timerequired 10 hours
roll:20; 8 hours
roll:30; 4 hours
etc

this would represents the pilot's skill at gathering maximum with each of his/her maneuvers

Failing the roll by a small margin could result in increased skim times, while missing by a larger amount could result in things like Mink mentioned.

-Roger

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by R_Kane:
Go ahead Liam...I look at it as anything anyone posts on the boards is fair game for adoption

Also, I mean to post as well but forgot to include it

Fuel Skimming time is reduced by 2 hours for every 5 points rolled above the DC

EX: If the DC is 15 and the roll is:
15, the timerequired 10 hours
roll:20; 8 hours
roll:30; 4 hours
etc

this would represents the pilot's skill at gathering maximum with each of his/her maneuvers

Failing the roll by a small margin could result in increased skim times, while missing by a larger amount could result in things like Mink mentioned.-Roger

------------------------------------------------
Thank you sir! This post also answers me follow-up, "What about exceeding the roll DC's? vs time for task".!
Nice work<bows>

 

[Liam Devlin]

Yes Ellros, WE will be skimming at T-Dex, lad(WEG)..be ready!

 

[R_Kane]

hmmm.....thinking about it some more...I think I'd make the mechanic:
-1 hour skimming time for every 5 points the DC is exceeded by

otherwise every hotshot pilot is going to be able to scoop the fuel up in an hour by Taking 10

what do y'all think?

 

[Liam Devlin]

Much better R_Kane, the take 10 option is being utilized...wouldnae want them to do whatcouldnae be done before..(scoop fuel in record breakin time(in TNE, each ship had its own scoop time, so ye knew how many "every hr" encounter/problems rolls to make).

 

[themink]

without the professional speciality, you can;t take 10 in stressful situations - and fuel skimming seems stressful to me.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by The Mink:
without the professional speciality, you can;t take 10 in stressful situations - and fuel skimming seems stressful to me.

-------------------------------------------------
True. Buteven in MT, gas giant refuelling was a "routine task". (no modifiers, straight task asset roll). This adds a we more challenge to Gas gaints, yes they should be fairly routine, but if the Gm wants to add some excitement(ala the Kursis charter adventure scenarios in the GG), then we have to take into account that GG refuelling isnae always "safe"/ and far from ordinary. Even big ships can get into trouble...!