Traversing an asteroid field

[Random_Axe]

I am trying to devise a system to run for my players as the PCs are traveling through a dense asteroid field. They will have their ship's sensors analyzing the patterns of the massive shifting of comets and meteoroids, and I am thinking about having the sensors present them with a choice of a few different paths ahead.

I want them to be able to choose one of the paths the sensors indicate. Perhaps some of the paths will be longer and require more Piloting rolls, but at lower difficulty; and some of the other paths will be shorter, requiring fewer Piloting rolls at higher difficulty. And of course they might be required to use the blaster cannons here or there on some paths but not others. But whatever happens it will be from their choice of how to get there.

So how do I gather all this together into a simple presentation for the session? What system would you use to construct a mini-game to go through an asteroid cluster?

[garhkal]

How's about base it on the sensor roll first off. The higher the roll, the more options they get.

Start out small with only 2. One fast but more difficult, one slow but easier (2 rolls at say a diff roll, versus 4 at an easy roll)
As their sensor roll gets higher, they identify more options. Some may even be combination options. Say one path that has 3 rolls needed, 2 of which are easy but one is very difficult..
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[DougRed4]

Pretty amazing timing on this, as in our adventure Saturday night (so less than two days ago) my players decided to head to the planet of Roon. I got all of my information on the planet and system from the D20 book (Geonosis and the Outer Rim), and it says that the system is bombarded with asteroids, comets, and meteors (known as the "Cloak of the Sith"). Interestingly, until recently (in our campaign, anyway; right before the Battle of Yavin) when they installed a bunch of 'lightstations' to guide ships, you could only make an entrance/exit once a year. Now, with the lightstations, it's still very difficult to traverse.

I gave the pilot two choices. One method was to have more rolls with a lower difficulty, or to have less rolls at a higher difficulty (reasoning that he could take this path either slow or fast). I bounced around with Difficulty Numbers between Difficult and Very Difficult, and he passed them all (I think he spent a few CPs, though).
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[Quetzacotl]

Yeah I know, this is Star Wars and not the real universe, but I will write it anyway:

There are no asteroid fields so dense that you can't fly through them with ease ^^
Seriously, even in the asteroid belt between mars and Jupiter you will need a lot of luck to actually see an asteroid there, much less crashing into one -.-

[shootingwomprats]

I am a big person on keeping it simple when it comes to Star Wars. The GameMaster decides the number of rolls required for the scene.

Sensors Operation: find safest path in an asteroid field [difficulty 15] the difference becomes a +/- modifier to the piloting skill roll.

Piloting: Asteroid Field [Cautious: 15/Cruising 20/High Speed 25/All-Out 35]
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Don Diestler
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The D6 Podcast
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[garhkal]

I wouldn't go so far as to say higher sensor roll would equate to a bonus to the piloting roll on a 1 for 1 basis, but i can see it giving something.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[shootingwomprats]

I suppose you could use the "combined action" [SW2R&E p.82] and set the sensor operator as the leader, he rolls vs. Sensor Ops as opposed to Command/Perception vs. a set difficulty number, say 15. If he makes it he confers a +1 modifier to the piloting roll.
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Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[Random_Axe]

I'm wondering if I can also use Time as an element in the choices available to the Pilot. I like the suggestion by garhkal where the higher the initial Sensors roll, the more flight-path options they get. I'm thinking for every 5 points they score, they get another path laid out on the sensor grid. The first few are long but safe, or quick but dangerous, but if you're willing to wait several minutes there is a real easy route coming along...
And oh shucks wouldn't you know, just at the moment you need to move forward onto the path, there is a system failure on the ship that needs to be repaired in the NEXT TWO MINUTES or you miss the launch window for the really easy route...

[shootingwomprats]

I think I understand what you are going for. The mechanic I suggested assumes that they are looking for the best route out or to there destination within the field.

The sensor ops person is scanning all available routes and calls of the best one they see at the time. Depending on how accurate the sensor ops roll is directly affects the pilots roll.

It also takes into account, "ok on my mark, turn 30 degrees right angle ... in ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... arrest that ... dive -100 meters NOW NOW NOW."

It's how you use the mechanics and tell the story. Now if you seriously want to spend 30-40 minutes having your characters traversing an asteroid field, rolling for several possible routes every 2 minutes or however long, have at. It seems like a whole lot of work, unless its 1. something your players enjoy doing, 2. you the GM enjoy doing it or 3. is a major part of your story.

I do not assume to have all the answers nor I do expect my suggestions to be the fix for every GM/group.
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Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[Random_Axe]

Knowing that the asteroid field is not the main purpose of the adventure and is just supposed to be a mini-encounter, here is the mechanic I will be using.

• Sensor Ops roll to scan the asteroid cloud.
Roll.........Routes
5-9..........1
10-14.......2
15-19.......3
20+.........4

The routes thru the asteroid field will be displayed on the nav comp screen.
Each route given will require 3, 4, or 5 Piloting rolls (ie. 1d3+2)
Each roll will be a random DF of 1d6 x 5 (ie. 5-30 difficulty)
If the pilot doesn’t like any of the routes displayed, they will need to wait an hour before a new Sensor Ops roll can be made to provide a new set of paths.
Failing any roll results in a collision; damage inflicted is 1d per difficulty level of the Piloting roll. A copilot may roll Shields (DF.11) to angle the deflector screens to add to the ship’s soak roll.

[Dromdarr_Alark]

[garhkal]

[shootingwomprats]

[garhkal] That was sort of what I was going for. Person watching the sensors and the pilot concentrating so hard on just not dying. The sensor person taking into account trajectory of objects the pilot may not see. The pilot relying on the sensor op to call out his course directions. Making it a symbiotic scene.
_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[DougRed4]

Very simple, quick and streamlined. Nice work, Random! 8)
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green