Anybody have any suggestion for what should happen on a failed Astrogation check?

I can think of a few interesting despair scenarios (asteroid belt, close to a sun, inside a planet's orbit, etc.), but for just a regular failure?

Possibly end in a system roughly the same distance, but in a random direction?

System strain, perhaps...representing the ship's computer's inability to divide by zero.

Extra delay in transit.

Ship flies into a star and everyone is killed instantly.

If time isn't an issue, and it doesn't matter if the ship appears right by the destination planet or a ways away, then I wouldn't roll it. I'd only have a player roll if timing or precision matters.

In that case, the situation should dictate what happens on a failure.

Hmm, the first few of suggestions I feel answer if you roll threats/despair. If the check is outright failed, I would say they don't enter hyperspace. Proper calculations were not made and system fail-safes prevent entry. With that in mind, I don't always require an astrogation check unless there is imminent drama ("We'll lose them when we make the jump to hyperspace!") or they're attempting to navigate an extremely difficult route.

The key here is that the failure actually mean something. If it's just a routine check and the player simply has an opportunity to keep trying until he succeeds, then there is no point in making the check in the first place. Even with all the time in the world, perhaps failing a check for a difficult route means the player can't try again until he finds some key information he's missing in his data to feed the navicomputer.

Of course, if the plot hinges on the players getting to where they need to go, just "scene wipe" and get there cinematically. Leave astrogation out of it.

I think I remember reading suggestions for this that has you still make the jump to your designation but it takes you in a less efficient route taking more time and using more fuel.

I agree with most of the above. Just remember the narrative opportunities presented within the system. Most rolls in this game aren't binary, unlike load lifters. Rarely will someone ever "just" fail a roll, advantage/triumph/threat/despair will play into the decision.

As stated above, if there is no story importance for the roll, why are they making it in the first place? Although you could create some interesting "lost in space" scenarios with this. Not coliding fatally with anything, but ... say making the correct jump but ending in the wrong place, at the precisely right time of course. They could find "something the Galaxy was not meant to know" or stumble upon a chance to play to their motivations. Weave in someone from their past.

The flexibility in this system is Amazing!! it just takes a little getting used to.

I've played in a number of games where a fumbled astrogation roll has dumped the party in a massively different place from where they intended to be (as in on the other side of the galaxy or in a different time) and it has never failed to totally derail the campaign and turn it to suck.

So don't do that.

Hmm, the first few of suggestions I feel answer if you roll threats/despair. If the check is outright failed, I would say they don't enter hyperspace. Proper calculations were not made and system fail-safes prevent entry. With that in mind, I don't always require an astrogation check unless there is imminent drama ("We'll lose them when we make the jump to hyperspace!") or they're attempting to navigate an extremely difficult route.

The key here is that the failure actually mean something. If it's just a routine check and the player simply has an opportunity to keep trying until he succeeds, then there is no point in making the check in the first place. Even with all the time in the world, perhaps failing a check for a difficult route means the player can't try again until he finds some key information he's missing in his data to feed the navicomputer.

Of course, if the plot hinges on the players getting to where they need to go, just "scene wipe" and get there cinematically. Leave astrogation out of it.

I think this is key. If time is not of the essence (or if the precision of the jump doesn't matter [ie - asteroids]), then simply have the player succeed. An experienced pilot will 100% get it right in a calm, non-threatening, situation.

When it matters is if they're being chased, under a time constraint, or have to make a precise jump in order to dodge an asteroid or black hole or something.

Under normal failure, I would say either the ship doesn't jump or it makes the trip even longer. However, if Threat or Despair is rolled, I would have a back-up adventure prepped that would launch the ship into strange territory.

An astrogation check seems much more interesting to me if it's already part of a bigger drama...like the crew is being pursued or is under fire. A failed check could mean the ship doesn't enter hyperspace and the rest of the players have to fend off the attackers, or as others have stated maybe the ship drops out in an asteroid field and needs some fancy piloting to avoid further disaster. I would agree though that if there is no possible complication to the jump then simply "wipe" and travel.

*bang* Beep beep beep!

"Main drive just went off line! Brace yourselves!" Everyone make an extremely difficult check to remain standing!

"Main drive is badly damaged, and you're already airbraking to the surface of a mysterious class M planet! I hope you guys stocked up at the last way station!"

Remember that all star ships have two hyper drives, the back up is just really slow. Feel free to injure the players with this event.

This is another opportunity to keep your players behind the 8-ball (engine repairs are expensive). Its also a great way to toss in a little adventure. What will they find on the planet? Is this planet responsibe for other crashes? Are there other castaways and are those folks friendly? Is there a secret Empire military base there? Did someone pay to keep this planet off the charts?

Ship flies into a star and everyone is killed instantly.

I was going to say "They bounced to close to a supernova and it ended their trip real quick"

I would say put one strain on the group; but an additional strain on the player who made the check.

Put them in the middle of a backup scenario like you said: asteroid belt, close to a sun, maybe put them waaay too close to the planet (entering the atmosphere, requiring some extreme piloting checks to not crash), etc.

I would set some time aside to make up some scenarios for instances like this. It's good to have things like this to fall back on so that you are not forced to think of something on the spot. This way you would have a couple of ideas to pick from. Easy.

They navigate poorly and drop out of hyperspace right in the middle of a pirate laying fire into a poorly armed cargo transport.

The characters could ignore it and wait for the pirates to finish and hope their desires are sated... they could jump in and save the transport, assist the pirates and demand a share... or simply blast the cargo, fight the pirates and take it all... either way, its an opportunity for obligation (the pirates got a message out, the cargo ship was transporting imperial/hutt/rebel goods), etc.

Use one of these... http://triumphdespair.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/rogue-events-compilation/ They're awesome. Then have the PCs get back on track.

I've played in a number of games where a fumbled astrogation roll has dumped the party in a massively different place from where they intended to be (as in on the other side of the galaxy or in a different time) and it has never failed to totally derail the campaign and turn it to suck.

So don't do that.

This depends a great deal on what type of campaign you're playing in. For a sandbox styled game it can be a change of pace as it lets the GM throw something new in for a session. OTOH, for a highly structured game it can detract from the plot a great deal (image if the Millenium Falcon had not made it the remains of Alderaan in Ep IV but had ended up stranded on Naboo instead).

On a dispair i would have the ship suffer permanent two strain (due to over processing) until the pcs purchase the $300 part, or it just lasts the duration of that session. That way the adventure continues as normal but they have a setback they will feel for awhile.

I've played in a number of games where a fumbled astrogation roll has dumped the party in a massively different place from where they intended to be (as in on the other side of the galaxy or in a different time) and it has never failed to totally derail the campaign and turn it to suck.

So don't do that.

This depends a great deal on what type of campaign you're playing in. For a sandbox styled game it can be a change of pace as it lets the GM throw something new in for a session. OTOH, for a highly structured game it can detract from the plot a great deal (image if the Millenium Falcon had not made it the remains of Alderaan in Ep IV but had ended up stranded on Naboo instead).

On the other hand, a failed astrogation check stranded them on Tatooine in Episode 1, so there's that.

Although really it was Qui Gon Jim wanting to trade in all the blasters he looted from droids to upgrade the ship's weapons.

The perfect answer to this questions, courtesy of Fiddleback and his delightful skill monkey.

http://theskillmonkey.blogspot.com/2013/07/skill-monkey-you-cant-get-there-from.html

I've played in a number of games where a fumbled astrogation roll has dumped the party in a massively different place from where they intended to be (as in on the other side of the galaxy or in a different time) and it has never failed to totally derail the campaign and turn it to suck.

So don't do that.

This depends a great deal on what type of campaign you're playing in. For a sandbox styled game it can be a change of pace as it lets the GM throw something new in for a session. OTOH, for a highly structured game it can detract from the plot a great deal (image if the Millenium Falcon had not made it the remains of Alderaan in Ep IV but had ended up stranded on Naboo instead).

On the other hand, a failed astrogation check stranded them on Tatooine in Episode 1, so there's that.

Although really it was Qui Gon Jim wanting to trade in all the blasters he looted from droids to upgrade the ship's weapons.

No, they succeeded on their Astrogation check, they just got a Despair that broke the hyperdrive after they go there.

If you're trying to get there ahead of someone, you didn't.

If you're under a deadline, you might treat each failure that's not cancelled as a 10% increase in travel time, or increasing the in-system travel time by a similar amount for having come out too early.

Ship flies into a star and everyone is killed instantly.

Ah... the Star Wars d6 solution (well, when you then proceed to roll 11-12 on the 2d6 "failed astrogation check" table). My current party have managed to run into planets twice this way... out of the 3 times they failed. Ok, technically they get a chance to escape (and they did), but they wrote off 2 ships that way... one just after having picked it up.

The worst result is "Oh, you just don't make the jump", unless there is a time issue. If there is no time issue, and there is no penalty for failure then there is no reason to roll. The most obvious minor thing would be taking longer about getting somewhere, which again only matters if there are time constraints to the jump. Ending up in the wrong location is probably better, but does require some interesting result to come from being in the wrong location (I have used it twice for different things... the third time I did have to make it up pretty much on the fly). Minor damage to the ship they have to spend time and money repairing is another simple one.

A lot of great answers in here. I think the best is probably the "Don't roll astrogation unless it's important", in which case, repercussions for failure (either not getting away, or taking too long to get where you're going) seem to be pretty natural, with lots of opportunities to use threats/despair in interesting ways. The consequences of failure really depend on the reason you're making the check to begin with, rather than just doing it without a check.

Thanks for the Skill Monkey link, and the Rogue Events pdf seems pretty awesome too!