As I'm completing my catalogue I'm still getting ideas for stuff that could've been included, but at this point no new stuff is really necessary, the catalogue needs to move on.

So, I had this idea about converting a ship to long range missions. I've already made rules or guidelines for customising a starship without consuming hard points, but when it comes to consumables... this should be more than just to stack up on fuel, filters, food and water, and store it in the cargo bay, right? shouldn't it?

So, I've been considering an attachment, or perhaps a conversion/customisation option, called Extended Range.

The attachment version would require at least 1 CHP, perhaps even 2. The cost would be based on ship complement + passenger capacity multiplied with x - or just base it off the silhouette, which could be simpler really.

Different types would of course be needed for various sizes, I think silhouette 3 needs its own, silhouette 4-5 can have one, and anything larger than that ... well, I doubt you'd need it in most cases.

Base modification for silhouette 4s would increase consumables by 1 month (or perhaps half existing round up?), where additional modification options increase by +1 or 2 months on top of that.

This is the point where I think 2CHPs might be more fitting than 1 really. I'm also uncertain whether this would be a type of attachment that any group players would acquire, particularly for that cost - whether 1 or 2 doesn't matter, CHPs are very limited.

The customisation option - which is something I've been toying with and will appear in Cartol's Emporium of Useful Things: the catalogue of shinies - is basically to charge lots and lots of credits (or obligation, remember that option guys) and convert Enc capacity to consumables. For Silhouette 3 this is fairly simple, one 1 enc could = 1-3 days right? Keep in mind that this would include food, air and fuel.

For a silhouette 4 I'd think that it could be around the same basically, it's simpler than making an attachment and of course, this is a more or less permanent conversion, it isn't something easily removed - at least that's my take on it.

Anyone got some ideas? brain farts?

I don't know that it's something I would use CHP for personally. As you say, I can't see any player group (even one that's focusing on exploration) spending the Hardpoints on it. Particularly when they could easily buy crates of consumables and load it in the cargo bay, something I would certainly allow as a GM. f they really wanted to "convert" cargo space specifically for extra consumable storage (a freezer area for frozen good, for example) I would likely allow it.

As to the conversion rate, I think that you're on the right track with trading 1 Encumbrance for somewhere around 1-3 days worth of supplies. So, if you want to average that and say 2 days per 1 Enc, that'd be 15 Enc for an extra month of consumables. I feel that's a pretty reasonable amount of space for a decently sized locker (or however you want to describe it) full of a month's worth of supplies.

Well, I'm also thinking that life-support and fuel is part of the consumables. And refuelling from within the ship would need some sort of conversion I think, same with air filters and the life support system, it could of course be done, but I'm thinking modifying the existing systems.

That's very true. I hadn't considered fuel and life support. The systems required for those may warrant a Hardpoint, but I could see it going either way.

If you go with it requiring a Hardpoint, I'd probably go with something like: 1 CHP, and it adds a percentage of the base consumables to the total. I feel it makes sense that ships with already larger amounts of consumables, and the facilities to sustain them, would be able to accommodate a larger amount of addition supplies. Maybe do 25% initially, with 2-3 mods of an additional 25% each?

I'd be on the fence with this one. I could see a hardpoint for the modifications to allow re-fueling from within the ship or extra fuel tanks. I could also see a crew storing those supplies inside the ship and re-fueling when landed.

So, it could be a choice. Long term without ever having to land for a hardpoint and reduced cargo or long term refuel on the ground for more reduced cargo.

I would go with consumables use cargo, not hardpoints. After all, you could ship those for money too. Crates of food, bottles of air, tanks of water and fuel. But, I would consider a hardpoint addition of a hydrogen scoop or energy collectors to reduce the cost of consumables, because you generate your own fuel/energy. I think the WEG supplement Tramp Freighters listed something like that. Maybe even a hydroponics bay to grow your own food/air. Recyclers for water and air. That sort of thing.

Gas/particle scoops on a ship. http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Fuel_Scoops

Same sort of thing could be used to suck in ice particles from ringed worlds. If you've got water you've got a substance that can be cracked into rocket fuel and an oxidizer. You've got ions for an ion drive. You've got atmosphere. You've also got something to mix with your Corellian Whisky.

How about SW versions of drop-tanks for fighters? Only useable by fighters, adds 1 day of consumables and adds one setback dice to handling while carried. Can be jettisoned as an incidental action.

It would hold the extra fuel, oxygen, and water that the pilot and ship would need. Plus a small "excess waste" tank that can be filled as needed. The pilot would probably need to stash a few extra energy bars in the glove-compartment of his fighter.

Give it a cost of about 350 credits. That is cheep enough to be semi-disposable, but expensive enough to make the players question dumping an empty tank at the first sign of trouble.

How about SW versions of drop-tanks for fighters? Only useable by fighters, adds 1 day of consumables and adds one setback dice to handling while carried. Can be jettisoned as an incidental action.

It would hold the extra fuel, oxygen, and water that the pilot and ship would need. Plus a small "excess waste" tank that can be filled as needed. The pilot would probably need to stash a few extra energy bars in the glove-compartment of his fighter.

Give it a cost of about 350 credits. That is cheep enough to be semi-disposable, but expensive enough to make the players question dumping an empty tank at the first sign of trouble.

There's a precedent too, from the X-Wing novels. In Isard's Revenge, the additional sensor probes on T-65R X-Wings can be jettisoned in an emergency. In Mercy Kill, they jury-rig ordinance hardpoints to lower S-foils.

Just be sure to slap a negative Handling modifier on until they jettison them.