So, I've played tons of games before and crafting in many games are either very, very different from one another or are basically carbon copies (I'm looking at you MMO games from 2004 and on), and while that statement almost means nothing, i feel like using examples of the better crafted (HA) systems can lend to some construction of a good homebrew.
Basically, I'd like to set up a sort of NPC mission type quest(s) that a group who may have befriended an NPC can send that NPC out on. Now, the main objective would be for materials, but, at the same time it could I guess extend to weapons, other people, cave sites, etc.
Now, for a little background of reference on why I bring this up is that I highly encourage my players to try their best to pick up friendly or otherwise useful NPCs to use in the game. Usually they will not outshine players or anything like that, unless something goes terribly wrong. But that's besides the point. On top of that, I also run entirely open world type sandbox games. I run 2 different groups now, and am looking to start a third in the coming months. The groups all operate in the same universe. I'm going on a tangent, but, just to give some insight into maybe why I am ask? Or something.
Anyway. Because of this, I'd like to be able to set up quests for these NPCs to go off and gather whatever it is the "leader" of the group wants. I'm sure in exchange for something, even proper security amongst the crew. Now, the reason why I brought up the game thing, was that I feel like a simple yet useful systems would be similar to the newer Fallout: Shelter system of sending a vault dweller into the wasteland for things.
To give a little background on that, you essentially gear up a person and send them outside of this vault in the post apocalyptic wasteland and hope they gather things you need. Everything from junk to guns to armor, and money. The longer they are out, the more dangerous it is for them, and the more likely they will die as well as the more likely they are to grab some rather radical loot.
I was thinking of a system where this leader type would send this NPC out for a number of X or until they cannot hold more, are at encumbrance or 1 below, or any other specification of up to maybe 3 items. For example, a droid utilizing mechanics over most other skills to harvest mechanical materials may want to focus only on the mechnical components, or may want to keep an eye out for established tech and production facilities. Now, this person would run out with whatever equipment they have, and or whatever you may gear them with, and go off. I'd imagine at least a weapon, armor, and long range comlink. I figure that every planet of course will be different. But depending on the planet, there will be a sort of hostility rating. This rating is usually counted on factors of vicious beasts, curious indigenous, and threat level of piracy and other underworld types. An additional factor that would only happen so often are the innate factors, like a Droid out on Tatooine should add an extra number, up to the GM, of how much more difficult it would be over considering an innate thing about the character that may cause them extra attention. Jawas on Tatooine, Teedos on Jakku, in my opinion, should warrant a larger problem for Droids (especially lone ones, hehe) than an Aqualish or Human for example.
So this percentage would be small, thinking like Dathomir would be 10% and probably one of the higher if not highest for hostility rating. After about 30 minutes, an NPC generally has ventured out enough to find things out of eyesight or maybe even macrobinocular range, depending on terrain, and the hostility factor would kick in.
Depending on how much you plan, I'd imagine they'd be able to find what they are looking for based on a Knowledge Check, Xenology for maybe uncharted alien worlds, Outer Rim for a standard Outer Rim world, Underworld if you sent them maybe looking for an Underworld type, Mechanics to find materials for crafting as well as Survival if those materials are natural. The check I imagine to be unopposed and the triumphs, success, and advantage would account for time and what they find.
If the world is open, per GM doing an open world type setting, maybe these things are generated for this and are not planned. So a triumph may mean they find the materials they're looking for at any point in a round, and success would be the setting of which you'd find them / 3 success would maybe be equivalent to a Triumph in description of this specific thing, and advantage spent on saving time.
For example: You send Droid NPC X1-B1 with a Mechanics check of 2 and an Intellect of 3 to find mechanical components to harvest. 3 success and 2 advantage is rolled and the Droid finds an abandoned encampment, and the 2 advantage is spent on only spending 40 minutes in-game time to harvest the components they seek. After configuring what they'd find at this base, you can imagine 2 terminals and a generator that are still powered on. It'll take 3 mechanics checks at whatever difficulty you think it'd take to salvage the components, but ultimately only take 40 minutes in game. I came up with 40 because I subtracted 10 minutes per advantage. The Droid pulls out of the exchange with enough pieces to head home or back to the ship, and all is well.
End of example.
Hostility then comes into play as its small percentage. The higher number the worse off anyone is. Maybe generating some ideas of hostility that may interfere with your companion would be good to set prior to them reaching their destination, or maybe when they do reach it, for example, the people who live at that abandoned encampment. So let's say the hostility is 5%. Every round after the 30 minutes, causes a d100 roll. The roll is less safe, the longer you are out. The percentage is then subtracted from 100, and something bad happens when a number is hit from the subtracted number and above on the d100 dice. So every round or specific amount of time garners an additional 5 points. At 30 minutes for example, rolling a 95 or higher on a d100 can cause for something bad to happen, or maybe even giving the NPC a chance to recognize it and bail before it's too late, depending on the personality.
So every round that 5% grows by 5%, and 10% would grow from 10% on Dathomir like stated above. So every X amount of time or round the Droid is out there, there's a 5% chance extra that a group of beasts attack the droid, a Jawa begins to hunt the droid, the people from the encampment return, or anything really. The Droid for example may have 2 agility with 2 ranks in Ranged Light and attempt to use the blaster pistol they were given for this journey to defend themselves. Could always conjure up a thought as to how it plays out and who knows, maybe the Droid fends the beasts off but returns with an unexpected surprise or a handful of wounds.
This would enable threat to staying out too long, but will also add narrative to story, and possibly some conflict to the group, as well as give NPCs a way to help the group in more ways than what they're skill set allots them in a setting. And I would like to mention that, I am only using a lone droid as an example. Even garnering a group of soldiers or mercenaries to retrieve things for you in exchange for credits or a place on the crew could narratively be best. Also, this can help garner some planetary exploration for relatively objective oriented groups, or newer groups to the game. Sending out scouts to find a temple may utilize the system, or having a scavenger ship dropping off droids at scavenger sites for a way to make money as a group with their new Droid Tech could utilize the system.
This is just an idea, but I definitely feel it is unfinished. I know I wrote forever, but any help would be great. I tend to get specific and hopeful with better or wild ways for groups to find adventure, make more money by working for it, and by trying to aid in inspiring a group to think outside the box because of how many options there are, and having rules to make it fair could be beneficial instead of accidentally giving away super important information for nothing, or almost killing the group also for nothing.