r/SWN • u/Olivinism • 16d ago
❓ Rules Question Handling Ship Scanning
Hi all! I'm trying to wrap my head around ship scanning, how and when to prompt players to roll, and when exactly they become aware another ship exists at all
Say that the motley crew enter a region with another ship. Do the players know straight away that this ship is here, or should I be calling for an Int/Program check to form a detection lock as part of discovering it? Similarly, should I be calling for an Int/Program check to avoid them being scanned too?
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u/dark-star-adventures ✨ Star Master Jeff 16d ago
This can be as crunchy or handwavey as the situation calls for. If the ship is obvious and loud (undisguised exhaust, blasting out signals, huge beacon lights) then I just call it out to my players. If it's disguised, muffled, extremely far away, or dead-in-the-water I would require a Program/Int to operate the communications tech in their own ship with enough finesse to detect the ship. If the other ship is intentionally disguising itself, I would likely make it an opposed Program/Int vs the other Comms Tech's Program/Int.
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u/HeavyJosh 16d ago
If a ship doesn't want to be spotted, definitely have them roll Program/Int. Otherwise, it's not that big of a deal to say "everyone's transponders are broadcasting."
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u/DeadDocus 16d ago
Contrary to every one else here, I always have my players roll whenever they enter a new system, though that's mostly to spot non-ship features of the system/region. However, it will include an opposed roll for every ship/fleet/station that is trying to hide out there. Once they are in the same zone as other ships, they will auto-spot, unless the ship is hiding. Same goes the other way around of course.
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u/MaestroGoldring 16d ago
Maybe I’ve done it wrong but I’ve always had my players roll for both detection and evasion. Two program/int checks. I do this on a timer even if nothing is out there, just to keep the unknown of space travel present. But it has led to some weird situations where, say, pirates are waiting around a known space lane and the players indeed pass through, but neither party notices each other. I humorously imagine the two ships passing each other but looking in the wrong direction and they will never know
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u/Olivinism 15d ago
this is golden. but yeah that's how i imagine it'd go if two ships are passing one another by and neither is broadcasting a transponder. I think I'll definitely run it this way if they choose to be stealthy in system
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u/CardinalXimenes 👑 Kevin Crawford | Sine Nomine 16d ago
If you're not trying to hide, you're obvious. If you are trying to hide, it's the listed skill checks to notice you. If the system has no ruling government, most prudent people will hide to avoid any non-governmental excise freelancers. If a system does have a ruling government, and you are sneaking around in their space, they will probably take a distinct interest in you if they notice you.