The astrogation roll in the game??

[Ray]

For the most part, I'm the pilot of my group... So I Astrogate. I usually get the skill at about 6D, and am happy, and, cash permitting, get a droid or two with it at that skill minimum as well as a back-up. Now, that's within the Outer Rim at the most distance from the Bright Centre of the Universe.

My group also has a "Scouts" game currently going on, where we're, quite literally, 6+ Months away from the EDGE of the Charted Space Lanes!!! For that, my good ol' boy Duros, Xar, has himself 9D in Astrogation... In addition to *ALWAYS* plotting a return trip to Scouts End, just to make sure that the group is able to get back (I'm also the Autochef worker, so they still need me alive anyhow.).

Astrogation is often just an aside for my group... But mishaps do happen, and my GM has plans for that happening... From the dangerous, to the boring, to the downright hilarious!!!

The "Bob", from our "Gods of the Universe" game (A Mobequet Medium Freighter that cost more than 1 MILLION CREDITS after all the mods!) had just finished jumping to a Gas Giant ("Where the heck are we?"), and on sensors was... A STRANGE RECTAGULAR OBJECT!!!

Going on full combat alert, the Bob edged closer until it was discovered that it was...

An Old-Style Fizzy-Glug Vending Machine floating in space.

We tractored it in, had the coolant refilled, and put it in the bowling alley of the Bob (I told you, over 1 million credits!).

GMs, always be ready for the times they mess up! It can be worth your while!!! And, after they get back to base, and report to their superiors...

"That's all fine and dandy... BUT WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU DO WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO???"

Ray.

[Tybalt]

haha, great idea, i gotta try that one
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"Without the risk of failure, there is no hope of glory"

[Rathe Ehtar]

I once had a moment in a game like that. The crew were just relaxing on their ship, when suddenly an object appeared in the distance. The captain squinted, leaned forward over the control panel and said, "Is that... a box?" My players looked at each other briefly, then pushed the captain aside.
"We're getting out of here." They took the helm, and blasted off at max speed in the opposite direction.
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"I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings." -Max Payne

"I don't buy that cluck like a dog, bark like a chicken stuff." -Col. Jack O'Neill

[Esoomian]

"Oh no not The Box... my arm still hurts on cold nights."

[garhkal]

Actually this brings up a good questionm.

Say that player A is rolling the astrog for his group, and gets a 13. He knows that the diff for the roll is high (you said so), and says he wishes to roll it again... DO you let him?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Ray]

Nope. He think he did a good job with that roll.

However, the Navicomp may go, "What are you, an idiot?" and not allow the jump. It's an embarrasing thing for a Navigator, everyone will laugh at him, and he'll *THEN* get another roll.

[garhkal]

By the way. Has anyone played btb with astrogation. IIRC it says that to make the co-ordinates, they take 1 minute minimum? That is 10 rounds...
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[KageRyu]

1 minute actually equals 12 rounds. 5 seconds per round x 12 = 60
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra

[garhkal]

I thought rounds were 6 seconds..... But if they are five, then it makes it worse..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[KageRyu]

[Boomer]

I go by the book, and do not let the players know of the difficulty they are rolling against. If they make it, they make it. Make it by more than a certain number, the trip is easier. Make it by less than 10, you don't even get the jump. Make it just within 10... well you plotted a course well enough for the nav-computer to not see anything wrong with it, but something still goes horribly wrong.
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My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[Kehlin Yew]

[Ray]

We pulled the "Unknown" box into our ship and found out it was a vintage Fizzy-Glug machine.

We then had it refurbished, and put in the bowling alley in the ship.

Yes, it was the insanely tricked out B.O.B.

[Darius]

My players dont have astrogation and rely on their astromech droids. Even with upgraded droids its quite funny when they still fail the roll. Especially since I wont allow Npc droids to spend character points.
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oops - i didnt mean to make it go off

[KageRyu]

For the question of re-rolling failed attempts that was brought up in this thread. Generally, I do not let players re-roll most failed attempts, as the character simply believes it is "beyond his ability". I had to start implementing this because of serious abuse and players constantly wanting to retry until they succeeded, which just slows the game down (I failed my tracking, well I'm going to keep re-rolling until I find what I was supposed to). I often explain this automatic failure on second attempts as timed events, destroying the evidence while bumbling around looking, etc. Rarely will I allow a new attempt, for things such as Repairs, or astrogation, after they attempt to engage the drive and nothing happens...etc. In any event, the re-roll isn't instant, and the player must take all the time again to attempt it. For many situations, I will not allow a reroll until a skill has been increased by at least 1 pip from the last attempt (learning a language, cracking a code, etc...).
I feel this is a fair way of maintaining game speed, fairness, and preventing dice abuse.
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra