Just wondering how other GMs go about awarding information to players when they acquire new star charts.

All the galaxy maps in the books (and most online) list various notable locations, several of which the average PC/NPC probably wouldn't know (but I may be wrong about that). I always feel a bit mean when a player says "ooh, can we stop at Ilum to see if we can find crystals?" and I have to ask them how their character even knows where Ilum is. It feels like it would be more fun to reward them on triumphs for knowledge checks of the region by adding goodies to the star-chart.

I was thinking of posibly giving players a very basic (and very large) map and drawing new locations or hyperspace routes onto it whenever they acquire a new star-chart - as this will ensure they always have the information they've earned while leaving the opportunity for them to explore - but I've been wondering how other people handle this aspect of exploring the galaxy.

How do other people approach this? Does anyone do anything different?

One option is to have the various star charts you award them, remove dice penalties on checks made to find interesting locations. To use your Ilum example, perhaps they try some Knowledge: Lore check, and the region chart you gave them happens to include several ancient locations of importance to the ancient Republic, including things like "planets that were frequently used by the Jedi." or "A system known for a massive Jedi/Sith battle during the days of Revan" etc etc. Normally, without any star charts, that might be a 4 dice difficulty check, with 2-3 setback dice. But with the star charts for reference, it will remove the setback dice.

To use an example from the films, when Han is trying to find a safe port within engine distance in Empire Strikes Back, he doesn't specifically look for Lando's place. He just does a broad search for that system he was in (The Nohad system I think they said? *shrugs* doesn't matter). Now, if that region of space was included in this star chart you awarded them, his google search for "starport for repairs in my area" would happen much quicker, AND, he would likely get information like, "hey, this one is owned by my old pal Lando Calrissian." Without the chart, one, the roll would be harder, and two, maybe wouldn't have provided that information. It would just say "Bespin, Gas Mining Facility." without any further information.

So that's one way to do it,and I think a pretty easy one to implement. Having the charts count as a boost, or penalty remover for things like Knowledge checks seems perfectly logical to me, and would help those PCs who are more intelligence based, have incentive to try and find different types of knowledge, as they will make subsequent checks easier for them.

Another thing would be to have those charts include things like "alternate routes". Depending on the source of the charts, they might find smuggling/pirate routes, that are off the regular shipping lanes (to avoid checkpoints). This could allow the party short cuts through certain regions of space (possibly more dangerous, but that's another issue).

There was an older video game called Freelancer that I think illustrated this wonderfully. There were the normal, secure trade lanes for traveling from system to system, and then there were a series of naturally occuring wormholes out in the depths of space, that were used by the pirate factions. If you were a law abiding citizen, you could travel the normal lanes with relatively safety (pirates would sometimes attack, but not much). But if you were a criminal, trying to use the standard lanes was basically a death sentence. The junction points where you would shift to a new hyperlane were heavily patrolled, and you would be attacked instantly.

However:

if you were a criminal, you would be on good terms with the pirate factions in the game,and you could use the uncharted wormholes without any risk of police attack. They were "off the grid" but were totally viable for the right kind of person.

So, let's say your players attack a pirate clan's hidden base, and slice their database for information, obtaining a star chart. I would have it include other routes that the pirate pilots blazed the trails of, so they could move around without risk of Imperial Entanglement. These would make for great side-mission opportunities, as the paths the pirates take would focus mostly on avoiding the cops, not so much other things. So maybe they take a shortcut through a system with some "strange readings", and maybe those readings are (insert your random encounter for the session. Dormant automated defenses around a derelict base. A breeding ground for some kind of space creature, and it's mating season! Strange astronomical anomolies that might fling the ship into an unknown sector of space, forcing them to try and find their way back home, etc etc.

Stuff like that is where I would probably start.

20 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

One option is to have  the various star charts you award them, remove dice penalties on checks made to find interesting locations          . To use your  Ilum example, perhaps they try some Knowledge: Lore check, and the region chart you gave them happens to include several ancient locations of importance to the  ancient Republic, including things  like "  planets that were frequently used by the Jedi." or "A system known for a massive Jedi/Sith battle during the days of Revan" etc etc. Normally, without any star charts, that might be a 4 dice difficulty check, with 2-3 setback dice. But with the star charts for reference, it will remove the setback  dice  . 

Oh, for sure, that was what I was thinking in terms of rolling for new astrogation and knowledge of a region. My question is more about how you physically manage star-charts and known locations with players.

For example, would you keep a physical map up to date with them as they discover information as a result of the dice rolls, or just have a list on a piece of paper labelled 'regions for which they have charts' and 'Planets they know about'? Would you do both? Do you leave that up to the players and punish them with knowledge checks if they forget to write it down (not my preferred option)?

Discovering new locations mechanically isn't an issue, because it's exactly as you suggested. For me, it's more about how to manage it with your players from that point on. Does that make sense?

43 minutes ago, SufficientlyAdvancedMoronics said:

For example, would you keep a physical map up to date with them as they discover information as a result of the dice rolls, or just have a list on a piece of paper labelled 'regions for which they have charts' and 'Planets they know about'? Would you do both? Do you leave that up to the players and punish them with knowledge checks if they forget to write it down (not my preferred option)?

I tend to be very loose with that kind of thing. I hate bookkeeping, so tracking every specific location they've discovered, or is in a region isn't something I would likely do. I've got better things to do with my time. I would probably just keep it listed by region: Outer Rim, Core, etc, and if the location happens to fall into one of those regions, it would apply to the chart's information. Though I would account for time. For example, finding a star chart from 3000 years ago, wouldn't tell them jack about current shipping lanes in the Outer Rim. However using it with modern charts, and accounting for stellar drift would let them find where a hidden base from 3000 years ago would be now.

Since most locations will probably only be used once, maybe twice, it's probably not necessary to track all of that, in my opinion. However if the location becomes more important, then I would make note of it. For example they decide to set up a hidden base on a barren rock in the middle of nowhere, because they cleared it out of the creatures inhabiting it, and it's already been bored out for hallways and rooms.

Again, if the planet/system is likely to be frequently visited, I'd make note, that would be smart. But Random Planet 27 in System Whatever, probably isn't really worth making note of. At least not to me.

One correction, @KungFuFerret , the system Han and company were in before finding Bespin was the Anoat System (pronounced A-noh-at).

See I always heard them say "The nohad/nohat system." It's been many years since I've seen Empire, and like I said, it's not really important. It was simply an example to illustrate the point.

3 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

See I always heard them say "The nohad/nohat system." It's been many years since I've seen Empire, and like I said, it's not really important. It was simply an example to illustrate the point.

To quote:

Quote

Years later, while running from the Galactic Empire 's fleet following the Battle of Hoth , the Rebel Alliance heroes Han Solo , Leia Organa and Chewbacca considered hiding in the Anoat system. However, Organa pointed out how empty the system was, and Solo took their ship , the Millennium Falcon , to Bespin instead. [3]