Entanglements
Your characters and crew didn’t just spring into existence tonight. You have a complex history of favors, commitments, debts, and promises that got you where you are today. To reflect this, after each job, you roll dice to find out which entanglement comes calling. An entanglement might be a rival crew looking to throw their weight around (and demand some CRED), a system police officer making a case against your crew (but ready for a bribe), or even the attention of a strange Way creature.
After payoff and Heat are determined, the GM generates an entanglement for the crew using the lists below. Find the column that matches the crew’s current Wanted Level then roll a die to select which sort of entanglement manifests.
Use the column for the Wanted Level of the system the ship is in at the end of the job. If you roll a 6, roll on the next chart (sometimes blowback is harsh). Some groups like to roll “in the open” so everyone knows what’s about to hit them. Others let the GM roll “in secret” so it’s a surprise. Either way is fine.
Entanglements manifest fully before the PCs have a chance to avoid them. When an entanglement comes into play, describe the situation after the entanglement has manifested. The PCs deal with it from that point—they can’t intercept it and defuse it before it happens. The purpose of the Mechanic is to abstract the complex stuff happening in the sector and the background of the crew’s lives. As the GM, keep an eye out to bring in friends, rivals, old enemies, and the plots of the sector in general via entanglements.
Entanglements are the cost of doing business in the underworld—a good crew learns to roll with the punches and pick their battles.
The entanglements are detailed below. Each has a list of potential ways for the PCs to resolve them. If you want the entanglement to be a momentary problem for the crew, stick to the suggested methods to resolve it, and move on to the next part of downtime. If you want to dive in and explore the entanglement in detail, set the scene and play out the event in full, following the actions and consequences where they lead.
Arrest
A detective presents a case file of evidence to a judge, to begin prosecution of your crew. The system police send a detail to arrest you (a gang at least equal in scale to your Wanted Level or a ship of that Tier). Pay them off with Cred equal to your Wanted Level +3, hand someone over for arrest (this clears your Heat and Wanted Level in the system), or try to evade capture.A hail comes over the comms as a police cruiser translates out of a hyperlane. “This is Captain Lineal of the Indri System Police. Shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded.” At the same time, a second encrypted channel is opened. “This doesn’t have to get ugly. Here’s the routing number to my private account.” There’s a palpable tension in the air as the cruiser seems to wait for your decision.
BOUNTY HUNTER
An enemy faction hires a bounty hunter. Fight, evade, or pay them off. If you have no faction with negative status, you avoid entanglements right now.Bounty hunters are strong fighters, with armor, drones, and weapons that grant them potency in Combat. Base their Tier on the hiring faction and how angry they are. Pay them off with 3 Cred.
COLLECTORS
A collection agency claims part of your ship. Pay them 2 Cred, give them the components (remove a ship module), or make them leave another way.COOPERATION
A faction you have +2 or +3 status with asks you for a “favor.” Agree to it or lose a status with them. If you don’t have a +2 or +3 faction status, you avoid entanglements right now. The GM should look at the faction’s goals for job prompts.IMPOUNDED
Dock authorities impound your craft. Bribe dockworkers to lift the lockdown with 2 Cred, or steal your ship back. If you are not on a planet or station, you avoid entanglements right now.INTERROGATION
System officers round up one of the PCs to question them about the crew’s crimes. How did they manage to capture you? Either pay them off with 2 Cred, or they sweat it out of you (level 2 harm) AND you tell them what they want to know (+2 HEAT). You can resist each of those consequences separately.NEW “FRIENDS”
A neutral faction asks you to do a job that is either extra dangerous, pays little, or gathers more Heat than usual (GM’s choice). Accept or lose a status with them. The GM should look at their faction goals for job prompts.OUT OF GAS
A piece of your ship fails catastrophically, damaging the system and rendering it inoperable until repaired. If you didn’t use your ship at all on the last job, you avoid entanglements right now.This entanglement can happen while in flight between planets or systems, or on the way to or from a job. This failure means the whole system (for example, engines) can’t be used. Who do you call for help and what will it cost you?
PIRATES!
Pirates attempt to take over your ship by force. Outrun, fight, or cut a deal. If you didn’t use your ship at all on the last job, you avoid entanglements right now. This entanglement can happen while in flight between planets or systems, or on the way to or from a job.REPRISALS
An enemy faction moves against you or yours. Pay them 1 Cred per Tier, allow them to mess with you, or fight back. If you have no faction with negative status, you avoid entanglements right now.SHIP TROUBLE
A ship system acts up. Damage a system (the GM will tell you which).You may Repair the system as normal, though you have to deal with the Consequences of the damage at the time it occurs. This entanglement can happen while in flight between planets or systems, or on the way to or from a job.
UNQUIET BLACK
An alien or Way creature finds its way on board. Acquire the services of a Mystic or exterminator to destroy or banish it, or deal with it yourself.Treat the magnitude (see page 278) of the Way creature as equal to the crew’s Wanted Level in the system. Parasites, cargo you weren’t told was alive, strange creatures hiding in unmapped lanes, and bizarre physics effects from using your jump drives way past capacity can all apply here.
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