Failing Spacecraft Operation check

[Strategiusz]

In most cases, it is only stated what check is necessary and how long it takes for the operation to be successful. But what if the check fails? Should I tell the player to roll again? How to put it into the story?

You're approaching an atmosphere, you're failing the Pilot check for this atmospheric operation, and what's going on in the game's plot?

You want to dock with another ship. The check fails, 1D minutes pass, and that's it?

It's also unclear to me whether a partially streamlined atmospheric ship has a DM-2 penalty always in any atmosphere (including gas giants), or only if the atmosphere is level 4 or higher.

And what atmospheric code do the gas giants have? It seems to me that they should be dense with powerful storms and winds.

 

[Reisender]

In most cases, it is only stated what check is necessary and how long it takes for the operation to be successful. But what if the check fails? Should I tell the player to roll again? How to put it into the story?

You're approaching an atmosphere, you're failing the Pilot check for this atmospheric operation, and what's going on in the game's plot?

You want to dock with another ship. The check fails, 1D minutes pass, and that's it?

Referees discretion, there is no general answer to that.
You can use the effect of the roll to estimate how serious the failure is. It can range from a small scare for the crew to crashing the ship.
Failed pilot check in non-standard atmospheric condition: Crew is shaken to damaging the ship and an emergency landing.
Failed docking check: Delay in docking/redo docking to colliding with the object(e.g. other ship or station) and damaging own ship and/or object.

 

[Vormaerin]

Keep in mind that tests are only expected to be made when there is something interesting at stake. Just because docking at a space station is a Routine test doesn't mean it actually needs to be checked. If the pilot is qualified (Pilot 1+), most of the time they'll just do it. You only roll when there is a reason to wonder how well it goes. Say they are trying to impress someone with their piloting or they need to dock before the inspector gets there or whatever. That should inform what the failure means.

 

[adzling]

It's also unclear to me whether a partially streamlined atmospheric ship has a DM-2 penalty always in any atmosphere (including gas giants), or only if the atmosphere is level 4 or higher.

Answer: anytime there is an atmosphere at all (thin or more)

 

[Arkathan]

When my players refuel in a gas giant and miss the pilot roll, I give their ships a number of critical hits equal to the effect.
AND I make them roll the critical hits using the dice that failed, adding to their superstitious trepidation.

The effects or consequences depend on the circumstances. If they are not in danger, they can usually just try again and lose time. If they are, time for gremlins to appear.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I do not require a roll for routine tasks ever. I do not crash my car on 1 in 36 journeys.

 

[Condottiere]

I've fallen asleep at the wheel; not something I'd advise anyone doing, especially on the freeway.

I think it again comes down to time and consequence; pilots flying nap of the earth probably should hit the ejection button once they realize they've lost control of their aerospacecraft, rather than trying to find a way to regain control.

Docking failure in space at low speed may cause a bump and some scraping, and you can try again.

 

[Strategiusz]

Answer: anytime there is an atmosphere at all (thin or more)

This is also how I interpret it after a longer analysis of the text.

 

[Vormaerin]

I do not require a roll for routine tasks ever. I do not crash my car on 1 in 36 journeys.

Assuming you mean "routine" as in the narrative situation, not the task difficulty term, I agree. Unless there is a reason to care how well something succeeds or an interesting potential consequence, then there is no reason to roll.

Even when you get into actual mechanics, I don't think "Average Difficulty" means the average task a normal person is doing with that skill. It means "this is the average difficulty of a task worth spotlighting in the story."

Skimming fuel so you can get to the interesting thing somewhere else? Not a roll. Skimming fuel so you can escape the patrol cruisers hunting for you? Definitely a roll.

 

[Arkathan]

I do not require a roll for routine tasks ever. I do not crash my car on 1 in 36 journeys.

There is a difference between crashing and having to slam on the brakes because some idiot pulls out in front of you.
Narrative mini-jump scares, which require short character reactions do no damage, provide interaction, and inject randomness. Not always a bad thing when done right.
Like in my group's second adventure. Their best wheeled vehicle driver was a zero. Muddy dirt "road" with ditches on either side... pretty much like a lot of back roads around here, so the characters have vivid images. Rolls a two. Twice. Combined strength checks to get the van out of the ditch, only for him to lose control again before they get back in and now they are pushing him out of the ditch on the other side.
Every time he got behind any controls thereafter, "Stay out of the ditches!"

 

[Garran]

That's also worth considering: it doesn't have to be that the PC messed up. It could be narrated as an outside circumstance causing a problem (like the tire on that car going flat).

Another option when it's something that you should be able to do given enough time is to simply treat any result lower than success as meaning it takes one interval longer than usual. It's still a failure, but only to the point of giving the other side more time to react. And if there isn't another side to worry about, then why are you rolling for it in the first place?

 

[Sigtrygg]

Going all the way back to classic Traveller. A dice throw for resolving a situation was called a saving throw.

Saving Throw (also called throw): That dice roll required to achieve a stated effect.
It is impossible for any table of information to cover all aspects of every potential situation, and the above listing is by no means complete in its coverage of the effects of skills.

So the character may "fail" a situation saving throw due to external circumstance (the RNG) rather than actual skill failure.

Ask the player why they think the situation has not gone "their way" on a failed roll.