Let me explain.

Do you like spending Threat and Despair to affect the story in ways not directly related to the PCs' check?

Let's say a PC trying to slice a door open, and gets a despair. Do you, as the GM, say

The slicing has turned on the alarm and now there are enemies coming

or the door opens, and Darth Vader is there?

What are the thoughts of the board?

10 minutes ago, Clarkio said:

Do you like spending Threat and Despair to affect the story in ways not directly related to the PCs' check?

I'd say 95% of the time, I prefer to have the narrative results be related to the check. I also prefer when the players roll, their narrative injections are relevant as well.

However, once in a blue moon...it can be useful or more intriguing to mix things up a bit.

I'd say though that both of your examples would fit for the same check. (maybe Darth Vader is a stretch for a single Despair, but some potent rival, sure) If the slicing is about getting the door open, what gets triggered by the slicing or what's behind the door are both fair game imho.

I do prefer it to be related to the check. So for instance in your example. Yes the alarm goes off, and Vader - who hears the alarm - isn't too far away. He rounds the corner. Roll fear checks and vigilance checks for initiative.

I've done it, and here are some examples;

1) PC gets a despair during a combat encounter, a stray shot from their blaster fire or even an enemies blasts a power panel. The stray shot has sent a power surge disabling the buildings or ships turbo lifts. I announced to the players, whose shot was successful btw, "You managed to blast that storm trooper in the head and as his body falls, his finger stuck on his blaster carbine sprays a nearby wall. On that wall is a power coupling and explosive sparks arc and the lights are now flickering madly. Those without environmental vision compensation suffer a setback to all attacks and perception rolls. The box is still smoldering and the smell of burnt electronics is getting worse." If a players to go examine said power coupling the would see an extremely burnt label of Turbo Lift with a single perception test success on a hard check.

2) Players are in negotiations with an important underworld NPC and 3 threat or 1 despair pop up on the opposed check. Players either failed to recognize a third-party present there or did not ask, I can't recall. The third-party notifies another party and provides details on the PC(s) to them and their ship.

As an alternative to the above I had the players ship repossessed for being reported stolen and even before it happened in the mandoloran stripped by jawas when they parked it "outside of town" to avoid paying port docking fees and taxes.

3) For a failed Astrogation roll with 4 threat; upon arrival to the system, the jump placed them into an on-going space battle, and both sides thought they were an enemy ship.

I always try to think of an organic situation when I want an outside combat or non-structured events to occur. I try to think? "What would make a bad day worse for the players?".

I use a few criteria;

1) is there something (a) player(s) has done either to either screw over a previous NPC or been cheap or thoughtless and think they've gotten away with it?

2) What would put the players in a slightly higher risk in either resources, personal risk, or allied npcs as a cause effect later when they thought they could rely or trust it or they would be there, and one of those above 3 are the potential loss?

3) You can also think what outside the current situation would the players never ever suspect? Surely not the Spanish Inquisition! Darth Vader is one of those, but I'd only let that happen on two despair, but what about Emporer Palpitine... And he uses the Force to hide his true Dark Side nature and acts the part of an old man or senile senator.

KSW