Hello

I am working on a new adventure for my players where they are helping the rebels smuggle inn some badly needed medicines for a mauled and trapped rebel cell trapped on a planet occupied by the empire.

In one of the chapters players are suppose to meet with an rebel ship at a secret location. As they arrive a big space battle have just finished and there are wreckage of destroyed ships floating around everywhere. Only one rebel ship remain badly damaged and burning. Players are hailed by the captain who need any assistance they can give.

Players will board the small capital ship and try to help.

Here is where i need some tip and help from you experienced players. I have come up with some ideas but is not fully satisfied.

Here is what I have now:

Repairs

The engine and power is out in most of the ship and in need of repair. Players must get to the ship and try to help them in the repairs.

3 medium mechanics skill checks in different part of the ship will get the power and engine back online

1 hard mechanic skill check will get the hyper drive online again.

Players receive one strain for every failed skill check.

Damage control

Fires are raging in the ship and need to be put out.

Players must run to 4 different locations and make:

4 medium athletics skill check checks in different parts of the ship where there is fire.

Every new place the players must make a easy discipline skill check to not panic because of the intense fires. Failure means loss of 2 strain and that player flee away from the fire.

1 medium survival skill check must be made in one place. GM decide. Failure here means the players will be trapped in the fires and need to evacuate away from the area. GM may here make a run for your life scene where they struggle through the burning areas looking for a way out. Maybe they get some burn damage and some extra strain.

Players receive one strain for every failed skill check .

Rescue of injured and trapped people

People are injured and trapped around the ship and in need of medical assistance and help getting away from dangerous areas. Players assist in the rescue work by doing following skill checks.

6 easy medical skill checks.

4 medium medical skill checks

2 hard medical skill checks

4 medium athletics skill checks trying to get people away and to safety.

Players receive one strain for every failed skill check .

Anyone have some ideas or comments on what i have written........

Fire in space is easy, open the door....make it leaking reactors or leaking toxic coolant or something like that.

Computer repair. Engines with no computer are worthless. Work in some kind of zero G reboot in the computer room or something. In fact, fix the artificial gravity. If that's out it makes doing anything other than abandoning ship not worth it.

I like it. What I'd do though is make up a random chart for what happens when the PCs move from place to place on board the ship. Example:

1. Clear travel, no hazards.

2. Open to space - Skill checks for Survival (using masks, vac suits, etc), Mechanics (seal off the breach), or Computers (drop blast doors around the breached section).

3. Fire - As you have on your list

4. Wreckage - Combined Mechanics and Brawn checks to clear it.

5. Dark - No power, lights, air, or gravity. Mechanics and/or Computers to restore.

6. "Is that a torpedo?" - Undetonated missile or torpedo. Disarm or avoid. Computers, mechanics, stealth, certainly some Cool checks.

So they know what they can do to help, and the hazards at those locations, but just traveling in a mostly-wrecked capital ship can be risky. You can add hazards to some of the events as well.

Engine Room - Survival or Resilience to handle radiation from the damaged drive core. Strain for failure, with threat slowing them down and despair possibly giving some wounds.

Fires - failure and threat should result in wounds as well as strain.

Wreckage - Failures mean lost time spent finding an alternative route. Threat and despair mean wounds and strain from falling debris, short circuits, exploding panels, etc.

One thing I'd be careful not to do is the trap of "roll until success." In each case, let them do a single roll for each skill check. Failure means it can't be done here , or it takes twice as long, or it can't be done until X is done first.

Also, let them search the ship for what they're trying to fix. A Computers skill check to find the damaged power relays for example. Or perhaps use some of their advantages or triumphs give them a location for the next repair. Threat and despair might mean they go to the wrong place, or do something in the wrong order (causing more problems).

Keep on eye on the threats from successful checks. Add a setback die or two to the next location if they've rolled threats before. Maybe it means they're running too much power through the damaged conduits, making the next repair more dangerous. Maybe they've routed coolant through pipes that could be damaged, making travel to the next location longer due to avoiding the contaminated areas.

Lastly, what you should do first, is decide what is required for the plot to move forward. Do the PCs need to fix the ship? Then they will, even if they fail a lot of rolls. Failure just means delays, injuries, more damage to non-critical systems, and strain. If the PCs don't need to fix the ship, then failure can just mean failure, and perhaps a loss of reputation when the crew gets told they need to abandon the ship and crowd on board the PCs ship or await a dubious rescue.

This would be a great chance to incorporate knowledge checks as well. They could use knowledge warefare to know how to navigate around the ship better or know a better way to fix somethign on that class of ship. I cant remeber all of the knowledge categories at the moment but try incorporating those during their planning stages or their how do i get around this obticle to provide boosts to their rolls.

Too many checks. They'll get nauseated with checks...6 checks...4 checks...does missing one or two checks make a difference? If you miss one (fires, rescue), then won't an additional check take care of that, anyways? What's the point? Perhaps a time restriction and deaths based on failed rolls would be plausible, but is there even a difference between rescuing 3 people or 8 people on the outcome of the adventure?

Fires are good ideas. Add also navigating the debris field. Perception & Knowledge checks to identify threats and damage to the ship. Below will be some stuff from Environmental Set Pieces, a pdf somewhere on this site (I could not find it recently on here....I can't seem to upload it at all. The old link is gone.)

I suppose I can email the pdf if you can message me an email address. IT IS SUPERB!

Here is the Environmental Set Pieces PDF . There's also a thread on d20 radio here .

Edit: Apparently the link is dead. The links in the d20 thread have been deleted.

Edit: Here is a link to the file on my public Dropbox: Environmental Set Pieces

I would try to make each roll distinct, interesting, and flavorful even if it is just using narrative to explain them. Different difficulties, setback reasons, and hazards would be fantastic for what you are attempting. Name each specific section that they are repairing.

Hello

Thanks again for many good tips. I see I was to hasty when I first wrote it down. But then again I felt not good with it. And after hearing all your tips I finally know how to do this right.
I will let them land and take this area/room one by one. Having different scenarios popping up. Here is what I have wrote so far:

The Hangar
As the players fly their ship into the hangar they fear the worst as items are drifting around inside. Clearly the artificial gravity is out and is something that must be dealt with first.
Players land their ship and a quick scan reveal there is breathable air in the hangar. As the players open the doors and run out the zero gravity mess up their walking and a medium coordination skill check have to be made to walk through the hangar.
Failure means that the players will drift away and must make a hard athletics skill check to not get hit by debris floating around. Damage done is 1d6.
Before the players exit the hangar they roll a easy perception skill check. Under some wreckage close by the door lie two wounded men. A medium mechanics skill check is needed to clear the wreckage away and pull the injured people out. They are in need of medical assistance.
One need a medium medicine skill check
One need a hard medical skill check.
Failure in getting them out or save them will make the players loose 2 strain if they not succeed a medium cool skill check.

Hallways
As the players move out of the hangar and deeper into the ship they suddenly are faced with a blazing fire. They need to put the fire out before they can pass the area. A easy perception skill check will reveal fire equipment marked on the cabinet not far from the fire. Inside is some tools, Breathing masks ,and some powder extinguishers. Players get 2 boost die for using the equipment against the fire.
To put out the fire is a hard athletics skill check. Players must also roll a medium discipline skill check in the blazing inferno or flee from the flames. If so they receive 3 strains and other team mates must succeed a medium cool skill check to not get 1 strain seeing their team mate flee.
As the fire is extinguished the players find the sign on the wall pointing to some CPU stations. Maybe here they will find a way to turn on the artificial gravity again.
The door into the CPU stations room is blocked by wreckage. A medium mechanics skill check must be done to clear the wreckage and force the door open. If players still have some of the tools from the fire fighting equipment they will receive a boost die.

The CPU room
As the players force their way inside the room they see it is in total darkness. Looks like all power to this room is gone. They will need to get power restored unto the room before they may use the computers. A medium computer/mechanic skill check may find out that the power cords are cut after some damage to the walls. It may be fixed but power to the room need to be shut down before they touch it.

I think the run away from fire would be better represented by a Fear check. In the years I've played, nothing makes a player more frustrated than 'your character does this now, you have no say in it'. If you pitch it as a fear check, where failure gives them setbacks (or the choice to run away for 2 rounds, for example) I think they'd appreciate it more.

And Admiral, I'm shamelessly stealing your idea up there. It's fantastic, and it'd work just as well for derelict space stations/ asteroid habitats

And Admiral, I'm shamelessly stealing your idea up there. It's fantastic, and it'd work just as well for derelict space stations/ asteroid habitats

Full disclosure: the idea was prompted by a very similar setup in a Deathwatch campaign with a good friend GMing. We were reclaiming a battleship from the Tau after a mutiny had made it vulnerable and stranded it (for a year!). When a starship is several kilometers long and has been fought over in competing boarding actions for a year, travel from place to place was reasonably a little hazardous.

Hello

I am finally finished with this part of the adventure. Thanks again for all the good tips.

Sharing with you the final results and please give comments if there is something i should do different.

Here it is:

Part 4
Rebel Meeting
Start info
The players arrive at the secret Rebel coordinates. In front of them is a large unhabituated rocky planet , it is dark and scary. Players arrive just after a space battle have taken place. They will find a burning wreck of a small capital ship along with wreckage of other destroyed ships.
The Rebel ship is heavily damaged and burning. And in need of help.

Read for players
You arrive at remote and dark rocky planet. The orbit around the planet is filled with wreckage of destroyed space ships. It looks like it have been a big battle her lately. Only one ship remains burning and damaged and it is marked by the rebels red markings. It hails your ship as it come out of hyperspace….
“ Unidentified vessel this is The Argon. Identify yourself or be fired upon “

As soon as the players identify themselves. The damaged ship will ask for assistance.

The Hangar
As the players fly their ship into the hangar they fear the worst as items are drifting around inside. Clearly the artificial gravity is out and is something that must be dealt with first.
Players land their ship and a quick scan reveal there is breathable air in the hangar. As the players open the doors and run out the zero gravity mess up their walking and a medium coordination skill check have to be made to walk through the hangar.
Failure means that the players will drift away and must make a hard athletics skill check to not get hit by debris floating around. Damage done is 1d6.
Until the Artificial gravity is turned back on , the players get 1 set back dice on all skill checks where they have to move.
Before the players exit the hangar they roll a easy perception skill check. Under some wreckage close by the door lie two wounded men. A medium mechanics skill check is needed to clear the wreckage away and pull the injured people out. They are in need of medical assistance.
One need a medium medicine skill check
One need a hard medical skill check.
Failure in getting them out or save them will make the players loose 2 strain if they not succeed a medium cool skill check.

Hallways
As the players move out of the hangar and deeper into the ship they suddenly are faced with a blazing fire. They need to put the fire out before they can pass the area. A easy perception skill check will reveal fire equipment marked on the cabinet not far from the fire. Inside is some tools, Breathing masks ,and some powder extinguishers. Players get 2 boost die for using the equipment against the fire.
To put out the fire is a hard athletics skill check. Players must also roll a medium discipline skill check in the blazing inferno or flee from the flames. If so they receive 3 strains and other team mates must succeed a medium cool skill check to not get 1 strain seeing their team mate flee.
As the fire is extinguished the players find the sign on the wall pointing to some CPU stations. Maybe here they will find a way to turn on the artificial gravity again.
The door into the CPU stations room is blocked by wreckage. A medium mechanics skill check must be done to clear the wreckage and force the door open. If players still have some of the tools from the fire fighting equipment they will receive a boost die.

The CPU room
As the players force their way inside the room they see it is in total darkness. Looks like all power to this room is gone. They will need to get power restored unto the room before they may use the computers. A medium computer/mechanic skill check may find out that the power cords are cut after some damage to the walls. It may be fixed but power to the room need to be shut down before they touch it.
A easy perception skill check will allow the players to follow the power cords back to a place where there is possible to shut down the power into the room. A easy mechanic skill check makes it possible to get access to the switch. Soon as the players manage to turn of the power they may start to repair the damage power cables in the CPU room.
To repair the power cable is a medium mechanic skill check with set back dice due to the darkness and lack of parts GM decides. GM may allow some of the set back dice to be removed if players manage to find parts and tools to do the work. And a light source.
Soon as the players are online again a easy computer skill check will bring the ship computer up again.
The artificial gravity will not come back online due to a problem in room where the artificial gravity engine is . It seems like some power conducts are out for no apparent reason. Players must go to this area and find and solve the problem.

Hallways 2
As the players move through the hallways to area 17. They see wreckage and damage parts. Sparks fly out from damaged cords and panels. Only dim emergency lights show the way.
As they are moving through the hallway they suddenly see the hallway covered in wreckage. It is completely collapsed. Halfway out of the wreckage hangs a dead man. Bloody and dead. His eys stares empty at the players who must succeed a medium cool skill check to avoid getting a strain.
Players must find an alternative route. GM must sets the difficulty to find this one based on what the players choose to do. May bee they will access a CPU if they can find or they download a map in the CPU room.

Alternative route
They find a alternative route and move through the hallways. As they do so they come across of some survivors sitting in despair in a small group. Some injured men lie on the floor beside them. In front of them fire is raging and blocks any movement further. Fire fighting equipment lie scattered on the floor.
Players must rally the survivors with a medium leadership skill check to get up and fight the fire. Together they will be able to put out the fire so the players may continue. 2 of the wounded survivors need medical treatment. A medium medical skill check will get the stabile. Failure means one strain per survivor failed as they will die as the players try to help them. A medium cool skill check will avoid the strain loss.
To put out the fire is a medium athletics skill check if players have rallied the survivors to help. If they have to do it alone it is a hard athletics skill check. GM gives boost die for fire equipment and setback due to zero gravity.
To put out this fire is difficult and the players work hard to do so. Therefore all players loose 2 strain. ( If players put it out without help from the survivors they get 3 strain due to fatigue. ) Players may make a medium resilience skill check. If successful they reduce the strain by one.
Players must also make a medium discipline skill check when fighting the raging fire. Failure means 2 extra strain. A rally using a medium leadership skill check will give the players a 1 to 2 boost die to the discipline skill check depending of situation and what is said. GM decide.
As soon as the fire is out the players may proceed to the gravity engine room to find the problem.

Gravity engine room
The door into the room is damaged and is stuck. It will not open. Players must make a hard mechanic skill check to force the door open. GM may give boost die if they have equipment/tools that may assist them.
As soon as they enter the room they will be overwhelmed by a strong gas that is leaking. The gas is poisonous and for every round the players are inside they will receive two wound and two strain. A medium resilience skill check will reduce the damage to one wound and one strain.
If players use breathing mask , no damage is done.
Players must find space suits or breathing mask to enter the room. The gas may be stopped by a easy mechanic skill check. As soon as the gas leak have been stopped the players may search for problem in the gravity engine room.
A hard perception skill check have to be successful before they find the problem. GM may give one boost die per skill rank of Mechanic on a player that know this skill and know what to search for. Assisting players with at least one skill point in mechanic may give another boost die if GM allow it.
When they find the damaged circuit it is a easy mechanic skill check to fix it. The Gravity engine then starts up and brings back the gravity to the ship. The setback dice then go away for moving around.
Finally getting results after hard work , brings back one strain to all players. They all smile as they walk out of the room. Only to see the lights flicker and dim down. It looks like the power is starting to fail. And the engine room would be the next likely room they should visit.

Hallway 3
Running down the hallways toward the engine room they pass injured survivors. Some are injured and the most survivors are panicked and lost. Some survivors seem ok and are fighting back small fires or helping injured comrades.
As the players run down one of the hallways they all roll a medium perception skill check. Some fluids are leaking from some loose cords and throwing it towards some sparkling panels. Players who succeed the perception roll may dive for cover before it explodes. A successful medium athletics skill check will half the explosion damage and strain. All other players are caught in the explosion and thrown backwards. Damage is 4 wounds and 2 strain. They also get one setback dice for the next 10 minutes due to the concussion and being a little disorientated. The route is filled with debris and must be cleared before they may move further. And easy athletics skill check and use of 10 minutes will be enough to clear a path through.

The engine Room
As the players arrive at the engine room , they see some survivors standing outside and looking into the engine room through a large panorama window. They are all in shock and stares at something inside.
Inside the large engine room they see a woman engineer trying to fix a reactor leak. She have refused anyone to enter the room because the radiation leak. She is clearly injured but struggles on with the repair. The survivors will stop the players from entering and tell them the room is filled with deadly radioactive air. No one can enter the room. Just standing there seeing the badly injured woman struggle is difficult for everyone. A medium cool skill check have to be maid for not loosing one strain.
After some painful moments she crawls to the glass window and talked through the icom. She looks badly injured and can barely move or talk , but she manage to say.
“ I have managed to fix the reactor but I have no power left in me to get it restarted. Someone have to get in here and do that. But first you must clear the room for radiation. You have to vent the room into space…..I will not make it anyway so don’t think of me. Please hurry “
Players must vent the room by access the CPU and open the emergency ventilator doors. This will suck out everything in the room , included the woman engineer.
To do this is a medium Computer skill check. By bypassing security protocols and open the doors.
Any player who do this must make a successful medium cool skill check or gain 3 strain.
Other players looking on what happens get one strain for a failed cool skill check.
If the players cant find any other way to solve the problem this is the only way to do it. Or the core will heat up again and the ship will be lost.
As soon as the ventilation is finished players may run in and get the engine up and running again.
The players who run into the room must make a hard resilience skill check since the room still have some radiation left. Failure means one wound and one strain per hour inside.
To restart everything and make the engine come online is a medium mechanics skill check.
As soon as the engine is online lights become clear and bright in the ship. As the players are standing outside the engine room , the captain suddenly comes. He thanks the players for their help and say they have managed to stabile the ship. There is still a lot of damage and many injured , but now they can at least fly to nearest docking bay for repairs.

Dangerous problem
As they are taking an officer comes running scared calling the captains name. He stops in front of the captain and the players and say.
“Captain we have a problem… After we got or power back and or sensors online again they picked up a danger to the ship. It looks like we took a torpedo hit on starboard side under the fight. The torpedo did not go of but went unstable instead. It is buried inside our hull and the core is heating up. If we cant disarm it or get it away it will explode. If it explodes there the damage will maybe be to much for the ship and we would have to abandon it. “
“ How long time do you think we have LT” Says the captain
“ I will guess around one hour at the maximum “ The officer says
The captain turns to the players and say
“ I have lost about all my skilled mechanics and engineers today. Is there any chance some of you may have the skill to disarm the torpedo or another idea how to stop the torpedo to explode in the ship.”
If the captain don’t get help from the players he will cask the crew to abandon ship. He will still give the players the small crate of credits they come to collect. And they may leave to continue their mission.
If players choose to help they have to suit up in a space suit. And go out a airlock close to the torpedo. And then walk on the hull of the ship to the torpedo. Time is of the essence here and failures will make the player use to much time. Players may only fail 3 times. The 4th time the players fail in the skill checks he is out of time. Players may reroll any of the three main skill checks down under. This counts as he try again but have lost valuable time.

Movement outside in the suit is a medium athletic skill check with a setback dice due to the weightless environment. Failure means player use longer time walking to the torpedo and the player get one strain.

As soon as the player arrive at the torpedo he have to clear some debris and open the panels to get to the CPU of the torpedo. This is a medium mechanic skill check with a set back die due to the weightlessness. Failure means the player use to much time and loose two strain. A successful medium discipline skill check will reduce it by one strain.

As soon as the player have accessed the CPU of the torpedo he may disarm it. This is a medium computer skill check with the same setback dice as earlier. Failure means the player use to much time and loose two strain. A successful medium discipline skill check will reduce it by one strain.
If the player successfully disarm the torpedo he may go back inside the ship.

The captain will be proud and tell the person/persons he have never seen such braveness and he will be sure to convey this to rebel HQ. After ship is stabilized they will receive a crate of 100 000 credits. This is money to use for the payment of the stolen imperial medical supplies that are being bought from a local gangster
If time is up he have the possibility to throw himself into space and hope he drift far enough away before the explosion. If the torpedo explodes the ship will be lost and everyone must evacuate before it drifts down and crash on the remote planet it is on orbit around.
There will be time for players to get the money and evacuate.