Don't steep in the hyperdrive, you'll track it everywhere

[griff]

Episode One the escape from Naboo "The Hyperdrive is leaking..." LEAKING!! Does a hyperdrive need to be refueled, if so does it take normal sublight fuel? If its a sealed system and only needs to be refilled after the system is damaged, is the fuel expensive, or hard to come by? Remember the Ship only needed new parts and not new parts and a fill-up. But the hyperdrives worked to get them to Tatooine. Has any one (other than George) used a leaking hyperdrive as a plot device?

[CRMcNeill]

I think that before we condemn the plot device, we would need a clearer understanding of the mechanics and physics of hyperdrives. Liquid components could be a common and essential feature of hyperdrives without us knowing it.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[griff]

that's true, you can run a internal combustion engine without coolant, but not for very long, also engines have oil that is much more essential. The only thing I found off with the plot device was the line "the hyperdrive is leaking" not "we have a hyperdrive coolant leak". Other than that it seems to be a way of taking players off the course they wanted to go, to a course the GM wanted them to go.

[CRMcNeill]

It could even be that core components are suspended in a liquid that acts as an antenna of sorts to project and shape the ship's hyperdrive field. If it leaks off, the field could be distorted or damaged and fail while the ship is still in hyperspace....
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[griff]

that would fall into the not needing to be refueled category (common fuel), to an closed system uncommon and not on hand liquid. The second would make sense that a leak would not keep the hyperdrive from running, but the hyperdrive can run only so long without it.

[CRMcNeill]

Then it becomes a question of whether or not the repair is financially feasible, or if it is ultimately just simpler, cheaper and less time consuming to purchase a new drive. Maybe putting in new fluid (even of the right type) requires the drive to be re-calibrated or something.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[griff]

It is always easier and faster to get a new one then trying to repair the old. But remember that the "quick and easy path is the way to the Dark Side".

[CRMcNeill]

I don't think that's what they were talking about...
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[griff]

You're right, Jedi would know better. But it was neither quick or easy to get the parts they needed, even thought Anakin did most of the work, and risked his own life.

[DB 2.0]

Who said it was leaking fluid?, perhaps the shielding was compromised and they where building up Rads.

[Centinull]

If the magentic bottle's shielding is polarized, it would force the generator into overload, leading to power loss, radiation leaks, and a very large explosion about 30 seconds later, if it wasn't shut down.

Most light freighters would require 2 canisters of Polydex-9 to repair the magentic bottle. Polydex-9 is available at most Imperial class starports for about 5,000 credits per canister. Easy Space Transports Repair roll to apply the Polydex-9.

That's how the Enemies for Life Adventure begins...

[griff]

Remember the hyperdrive wasn't shut down, it was able to function long enough to get from Naboo to Tatooine. Which seems that the hyperdrive would work only until the loss of whatever was leaking dropped to an amount that would keep the hyperdrive from working. For instance you can drive with s leak in your gas thank until the gas tank is empty, both from fuel consumption by the engine and the leak, or have a coolant leak that would cause the engine to over heat after a period of time. With this polydex-9 sound like an engine oil leak that if the engine is stopped quickly the engine would explode. Now in the case of hyperdrive backups, couldn't those get them to Coruscant it would only that them longer. Which would suggest that this leak effected the backup as well. I have enjoyed the topic and responses very much. This is a great forum!!!

[cheshire]

[griff]

I think it would be a great scenario for a enigineer to step up see what the problem is make technical rolls to diagnose, determine how far they could go, or how long the.engines could run, and if there was any way that the enigineer could extend that. Instead of all repair work being done "off camera" or during down. This could be the shining moment for that engineer.

[atgxtg]

Yes. Pretty much any situation where the players care about the outcome can be turned into a dramtic situation ripe for skill rolls.

The GM could set a difficulty to keep the drive going, and raise said difficulty after each time interval.

The rate at which the difficulty is increased and the duration of each time interval could be set by the speed of the leak and how much "spare" fluid is in the system. But..

The GM should probably have some sort of interesting Deep Space encounter or three ready for when the Pcs fail the rolls and get stuck in deep space without a hyperdrive.



Oh, and maybe the leaking hyperdrive wasn't usable at all, and they limped to nearby Tatooine using a backup hyperdrive? So it might not been a question of "where can we get to before the drive conks out?" but a question of "where can we get to in a reasonable amount of time using our backup drive?"