I developed the following table for use when I feel like adding some spice to a wilds refuelling situation - (3) below was prompted by a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands.
Clearly it should not be used every time - if you want more randomness, maybe roll when the PCs come in to refuel; on a 6, roll again on this table.
When refuelling from open water, roll 1d (ignoring a result of 2-6 if any crew member thinks to research landing spots using a suitable skill):
1. The ship’s fuelscoops malfunction. Roll 1d for difficulty of repair task: 1-4 normal, 5 one step more difficult, 6 two steps more difficult (adapt for your version).
2. The water contains a mineral or biological contaminant that interferes with fuel refining. Roll 1d. 1-4: the water can be dumped without further effect. 5: the contaminants impair the ship’s fuel refinery, but the refinery can be repaired with a simple “flushing”. 6: The contaminants have permanently damaged the refinery, requiring extensive repairs (roll for difficulty as in (1) above). (At the ref’s discretion or on a further roll of 6, the refinery works as normal on the contaminated water, with the damage only showing up at a subsequent use or inspection.)
3. Roll 2d-7+world TL. On a 7 or less, the ship has landed for refuelling in a site of outstanding natural beauty / special scientific interest. On a roll of (2d-7+Law) of 7 or more, the authorities will do their best to apprehend the ship and levy a fine of 1d x KCr.
4. As (3) when a 7 or less is rolled, but the site is a fiction used by corrupt officials to extort payoffs of half the fine “to clear the matter up”. If the PCs object, the corrupt officials may be able to call on further force from planetary authorities to use against the ship on a roll 2d-7+Law of 7 or more.
5. The area chosen by the PCs for refuelling is a military exercise area. The ship appears to (or actually does) come under fire during refuelling.
6. The area chosen by the PCs for refuelling is a military testing area. The authorities will use all force at their disposal to apprehend the ship and the PCs. (Why the ship was not warned away is left up to the ref: comms malfunction, simple detection failure if local TL is less than ship TL, conspiracy, etc.; if no plausible explanation presents itself, use (5).)
The rationale for the TL-based roll in 3 is that higher-TL worlds are more likely to have efficient systems for warning ships away from such areas.
The rationale for the Law-based roll in 4 is that more repressive societies are probably more corrupt.
Yours to do with as you please!
Clearly it should not be used every time - if you want more randomness, maybe roll when the PCs come in to refuel; on a 6, roll again on this table.
When refuelling from open water, roll 1d (ignoring a result of 2-6 if any crew member thinks to research landing spots using a suitable skill):
1. The ship’s fuelscoops malfunction. Roll 1d for difficulty of repair task: 1-4 normal, 5 one step more difficult, 6 two steps more difficult (adapt for your version).
2. The water contains a mineral or biological contaminant that interferes with fuel refining. Roll 1d. 1-4: the water can be dumped without further effect. 5: the contaminants impair the ship’s fuel refinery, but the refinery can be repaired with a simple “flushing”. 6: The contaminants have permanently damaged the refinery, requiring extensive repairs (roll for difficulty as in (1) above). (At the ref’s discretion or on a further roll of 6, the refinery works as normal on the contaminated water, with the damage only showing up at a subsequent use or inspection.)
3. Roll 2d-7+world TL. On a 7 or less, the ship has landed for refuelling in a site of outstanding natural beauty / special scientific interest. On a roll of (2d-7+Law) of 7 or more, the authorities will do their best to apprehend the ship and levy a fine of 1d x KCr.
4. As (3) when a 7 or less is rolled, but the site is a fiction used by corrupt officials to extort payoffs of half the fine “to clear the matter up”. If the PCs object, the corrupt officials may be able to call on further force from planetary authorities to use against the ship on a roll 2d-7+Law of 7 or more.
5. The area chosen by the PCs for refuelling is a military exercise area. The ship appears to (or actually does) come under fire during refuelling.
6. The area chosen by the PCs for refuelling is a military testing area. The authorities will use all force at their disposal to apprehend the ship and the PCs. (Why the ship was not warned away is left up to the ref: comms malfunction, simple detection failure if local TL is less than ship TL, conspiracy, etc.; if no plausible explanation presents itself, use (5).)
The rationale for the TL-based roll in 3 is that higher-TL worlds are more likely to have efficient systems for warning ships away from such areas.
The rationale for the Law-based roll in 4 is that more repressive societies are probably more corrupt.
Yours to do with as you please!
