Second-Hand Space-craft

Outdated Ships

1. The ship has unusual ergonomics, decorations or history

1. Designed for a non-human species or someone just that little bit shorter than most humans, and poorly retrofitted later. In high pressure situations (such as combat, when running through the corridors etc.), there is a risk of hitting your head.
2. The ship has a coloured history...and for good or for ill, not everyone has forgotten that.
3. The ship is sparsely decorated. It's functional, but lacks virtually any creature comforts.
4. There's a gap in its legal ownership and maintenance records, and no-one seems to know who owned it or what happened.
5. Done in a strangely Tudor style, with dark woods of unknown origin, carefully chosen stone counters, and an espresso maker that's at least two hundred years old.
6. The ship is richly decorated, but very dated. Most furnishings are several decades old at least, but there's shag carpeting all over the place...including places that really shouldn't have it. Like the engineer deck. And the water treatment plant.

2 - The ship's computer is unusual.

1. The computer is 20% physically larger than usual, and requires additional maintenance. Maintenance costs increase by 5%.
2. The computer has an AI with a personality. Whether it was programmed that way by a capricious developer or has managed to slip its chains enough to develop it, no-one really knows. It has been known to refuse to heat water for those it doesn't like and for doors to open and close without warning and at the least-opportune moments.
3. The computer is quite modern, but it's running an antiquated operating system that requires a lot of effort to maintain. Updating will require at least two weeks of effort and a lot of money due to the strange operating system's many hardware "fixes". Until it is updated, all Electronics(computers) checks suffer a DM -1.
4. Some highly illegal "custom" work on the sensors have made them more sensitive. They function as one level higher than they should, but if they're discovered it'll be a problem.
5. Due to a strange programming quirk, the safety programming is incredibly redundant and difficult to bypass. While this definitely helps maintain the safety of the crew, having to complete 17 point safety checklists before the computer allows you to open the airlock is slow, tedious and incredibly inconvenient.
6. Due to an AI panic, the vessel has exclusively manual controls with a simplified computer interface and cannot directly interfere with the ship's systems. In case of "emergency", a single switch on the bridge can power down the computer entirely and forcibly disconnect it from all systems.

3 - System Shenanigans.

1. The ship systems are unusually robust. It takes far longer to break down and requires less maintenance. Reduce maintenance costs by 10%.
2. The ship thrusters are damaged. DM-1 on all pilot checks until they are repaired.
3. There are several 'sweet spot' balance points between the artificial gravity generators where you can hang out in zero gravity.
4. Tucked away, not far from the bridge, there's a memorial wall, commemorating the lives that have been lost while serving duty aboard this ship. It is also the rest place of those same crew members. They were cooked down to carbon and after a bit in the reactor, formed into diamonds. The wall, painted black, with subdued and concealed lighting, glimmers in faceting diamonds, and beneath each stone, a small metal plaque gives their name, rank, and stardate of their birth and death. If you touch one of the stones, a holo emitter shows a likeness of the crew member.
5. The wiring around the power plant is clearly "custom". Slapdash cables run between different systems, duct tape and shoddy solder hold wires in place, and the occasional spark and short-term brown-out are frequent occurrences.
6. The Power plant has an alternate back-up for life support (and only life support). It's powered by an outdated and explosive fuel source, but can't be bypassed or removed because the main plant uses the backup in its start-up sequence.

4) The ship's exterior has an unusual ambiance.

1. The classic "Hunk of Junk". This vessel is beat up, dented, dinged, rusted, and/or apparently held together by bailing wire and duct tape. Lose 10% of your Hull Points.
2. Well-loved but serviceable. A bit rough around the edges, but still in pretty good condition. Another few years of abuse to reach "Hunk of Junk" status though.
3. Chrome. Just Chrome. It looks awesome. It'll look less awesome once the ship sees combat.
4. A racer. Aggressive, sleek, and lots of candy red.
5. High-tech and futuristic. This vessel was clearly designed with forward facing vibes.
6. Unusual. Perhaps styled after an ancient sea creature, or maybe rigged with "functional" sailing masts, this vessel was clearly a custom job and has some highly unusual aesthetic it aspires to.

5) Engine Fun.

1. Luck charms are a common thing in any universe, but for some reason whenever a specific charm is removed from its position on the FTL Drives, they start to cough, hiccup, and eventually fail.
2. Power input to the FTL drive must be started slowly and takes approximately twenty minutes. If not done in this manner, significant faults develop in the drive's components, requiring a full overhaul before the ship can go FTL again.
3. The engineers swear the FTL drive just works better when someone talks to it. What the conversation is about doesn't matter, and why this is the case no one knows. But the numbers don't lie.
4. The reactor core is leaky. Roll 2D when the ship jumps. On a 2, all crew recieve 1Dx10 rads.
5. For whatever reason, the check engine light seems to be reversed. It always flags diagnostics for an essential piece of hardware, but it is always fine. When the light turns off, however, the problems start.
6. The labels for various controls are labeled backwards. The engineers never seem to have any issues with it, but when they switch ships or get hired help, hijinks ensue.

6 - Other.

1. The cargo bay contains two tons of concealed smuggling compartments. The ship has been blacklisted (if a trading ship) or accused of piracy and will be impounded in several systems. DM-1 on all Broker checks
2. There are holes, or missing seals, or something not installed correctly in the cargo bay. The hold cannot be pressurized, and it whistles in varying pitches when flying through an atmosphere.
3. For whatever reason, the vents always smell of wet dog.
4. The cargo bay is tainted by chemical spills and leaks. Vulnerable cargoes may be damaged in transit.
5. A former captain had a cat colony. All the rooms on-board have small, connected ledges about head height built into their walls, complete with little locking doors between rooms, ramps, and the odd sleeping area. The captain's quarters have a custom, built-in cat tree, with several houses and play areas
6. The ship is registered as being part of the merchant navy of the Serene Monarchy of Altair III. While it is a useful flag of convenience, one of the terms of the registration is that the Altair government can requisition the ship at any time as needed. No merchant ship has been requisitioned in more than a generation, but the law is still on the books and could still be enforced.