My PCs will soon be infiltrating a corporate data station, in search of some juicy intel. Initially, I was just going to have them get to a dimly-lit server room, and have to hack the system while the sysadmin tried to counter-hack them out, all while avoiding the attention of security teams.

That's boring! This is Star Wars! You know a good way to keep your servers nice and cool? Suspend them over an Ice Volcano! It's like a volcano, but instead of liquid hot magma, it's filled with a river of liquid nitrogen. Or something. Shut up, it's Star Wars, it doesn't have to make sense! Now that you have your servers suspended, hanging over certain doom, connect them with narrow catwalks, with no handrails. Got it? Good. Now make each server platform rotate randomly every few seconds! Why? I have no idea! Star Wars!

Okay, the following pictures look pretty crummy. I just did a small print, kind of a Proof-of-Concept thing. The PCs enter the server array at the top left (1) and are trying to reach the bottom right (12). Each platform will have a control panel in the center, and a Computers check will rotate that platform. Or you can just break it with a Skullduggery or Mechanics check so that it won't rotate anymore. But here's the rub! Each round I roll 6d12, and the numbers that come up are the numbers of the platforms that rotate. In this case, I rolled 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11. So I rotated all of those platforms 90 degrees. Each maneuver lets you walk from one platform to another, and you can make an Athletics check as an action to leap between them.

Of course, there will be floating security remote droids hovering about, shooting at you, and it's very likely that security guards will come in after a round or two. Even once they reach the proper storage location, they have to slice in and steal the data, then escape.

This sounds glorious.

Can't see the pics, but the idea is great.

I can't see the images myself but the description in definitely something awesome. So awesome in fact that I may will blatantly plagarise it.

Well, crap. I guess I should host pics places other than Google. Never seems to work.

Let's try this!

All I can is that it sounds wonderful.

In fact I'd say glorious but awayputurwpn already claimed this perfectly fitting word. But it is

Ice. . . .

Volcano. . . .?

(also, you need some cables hanging underneath so that when they inevitably fall/get pushed, they can precariously dangle over the river)

Well whattaya know...?

http://someinterestingfacts.net/what-is-an-ice-volcano/

(Oh, and I'm stealing it too, btw.)

Dammit...why didn't I see this yesterday? Of course Tattooine has no Ice Volcanoes but still...the randomly rotating platforms alone is awesome...suspend over everything.

Want to jazz it up story-wise? The Security system was designed by a highly intelligent, very arrogant and egotistical security designer who couldn't imagine anyone could possibly breach his security. So gets mad when they do and sends assassins after them to make sure they can't spill the secrets.

THEN he works on designed a better system....same characters breach THAT, once again with the assassins. Make sure to include a "Calling Card" for the designer so each time they encounter one of his systems, they know its HIS and can start a back-and-forth unfriendly competition until he finally confronts them himself with his army of security Droids to "Deal with the problem once and for all."

And if you're feeling especially cruel they can point out that his life's work is pointless as there is no such thing as a "Perfect Security System" and reduce him to a gibbering wreck...or a psychopath who keeps huntign them across the galaxy...and yes I'm stealing this for MY game as well...great idea!

3 hours ago, GandofGand said:

Want to jazz it up story-wise? The Security system was designed by a highly intelligent, very arrogant and egotistical security designer who couldn't imagine anyone could possibly breach his security. So gets mad when they do and sends assassins after them to make sure they can't spill the secrets.

THEN he works on designed a better system....same characters breach THAT, once again with the assassins. Make sure to include a "Calling Card" for the designer so each time they encounter one of his systems, they know its HIS and can start a back-and-forth unfriendly competition until he finally confronts them himself with his army of security Droids to "Deal with the problem once and for all."

Sounds familiar.

On 7/31/2017 at 0:03 PM, Desslok said:

(also, you need some cables hanging underneath so that when they inevitably fall/get pushed, they can precariously dangle over the river)

I definitely will. I was telling some friends about the setup, and one said, "Ten dollars says C's character falls in and dies."

Dies or comes back Captain America style in your new The Force Awakens campaign.

On ‎30‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 3:15 AM, The Grand Falloon said:

That's boring! This is Star Wars! You know a good way to keep your servers nice and cool? Suspend them over an Ice Volcano! It's like a volcano, but instead of liquid hot magma, it's filled with a river of liquid nitrogen. Or something. Shut up, it's Star Wars, it doesn't have to make sense! Now that you have your servers suspended, hanging over certain doom, connect them with narrow catwalks, with no handrails. Got it? Good. Now make each server platform rotate randomly every few seconds! Why? I have no idea! Star Wars!

Taking Rogue One's server room as an example; the catwalks are mechanical arms moving data storage tapes between the various servers - the system is still in use, right?

Alternatively (or both), power feeds - some of which may spark as connections are made/broken. Especially if damaged by collateral gunfire, y'know? Plus, that allows for dangling cables to hang desperately from, as @Desslok says.

The Ice Volcano - even if it's not a 'real' one - could just as easily be open coolant tanks under the server array. A high-pressure jet which moves and sprays coolant over whichever server is in most dire need of cooling at any given time is believable.