In the 2d20-based Star Trek Adventures Roleplaying Game, Second Edition by Modiphius, critical failure dice rolls often create Complications, a type of “negative trait” that increases difficulty ratings on further attempted tasks. For example, on STA2e p. 292, the following examples are given for Injuries: Cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains, fractures, and burns.
The lists below are meant to help the GM come up with such complication traits. Some results may have higher Potency, such as “Cultural Misstep 2” for botching diplomatic overtures during a first contact mission.
Social Conflict Complication traits: Awkward silence, compromised position, cultural misstep, damaged reputation, distrustful ally, escalating tensions, frayed diplomatic relations, hostile atmosphere, loss of authority, misunderstood intentions, offended party, raised suspicions, revealed deception, stubborn opposition, unwelcome guest.
Security/Combat Complications: Coordination breakdown, dropped equipment, environmental hazard, exposed flank, friendly fire risk, lost cover, misfired shot, overextended attack, poor positioning, power cell depleted, smoke and debris, suppressing fire, systems overheat, tactical distraction, weapon jammed.
Medicine Complications: Allergic reaction, cognitive impairment, contagious condition, genetic anomaly, hallucinations, hormonal imbalance, immune system suppression, inhibited motor control, medical quarantine, metabolic instability, neurochemical disruption, radiation sickness, sleep deprivation, sudden fatigue, withdrawal symptoms.
Computer Complication Traits: System lag, corrupted subroutines, unauthorized access detected, glitched interface, misinterpreted command, data fragmentation, holographic malfunction, uncooperative AI, encryption barrier, incomplete sensor data, autonomy override, subsystem lockout, feedback loop detected, logic conflict, unstable algorithm, cross-system contamination.
Treknobabble Traits (Any Technology Mishap): Quantum field flicker, containment field out of phase, device overload imminent, exotic particle interference, gravimetric fluctuations, harmonic resonance cascade, incompatible interface, inertial dampeners offline, interdimensional bleedthrough, malfunctioning nanotech, miniature singularity detected, prototype calibration error, replicator error, subspace distortion, temporal feedback, transporter phase shift, unstable energy source.
Command Complications:
breakdown in chain of command, challenge to authority, command hesitation, conflicting directives, critical oversight, delayed response time, distracted leadership, divided priorities, inadequate briefing, loss of crew confidence, misinterpreted orders, overruled by higher authority, reduced morale, starship command complication traits:, tactical misjudgment, uncoordinated team effort, unverified assumptions.
Starship Communications Complication: Signal distortion, encryption failure, crossed frequencies, delayed transmission, garbled message, unauthorized signal detected, alien protocol breach, jamming interference, language misinterpretation, compromised secure channel, incomplete data burst, message intercepted, diplomatic tone misjudged, automated beacon confusion, communications relay offline, subspace noise.
Helm/Navigation/Conn Complications: Collision risk, course miscalculation, emergency evasion needed, gravitational pull detected, impulse thruster imbalance, inaccurate stellar cartography, inertial stress, limited sensor resolution, manual control required, navigation system lag, obstructed trajectory, overcorrected maneuver, overloaded flight controls, proximity alert ignored, subspace navigation drift, uncharted object encountered.
Operations/Engineering Complications: Containment field fluctuation, critical spare part missing, emergency repairs inadequate, environmental control instability, equipment calibration error, interdepartmental delay, isolinear core desync, misaligned deflector array, misrouted subsystem command, operations & engineering complication traits:, overloaded eps conduits, power redistribution failure, software update conflict, system diagnostic incomplete, temporary system shutdown, tool malfunction, unstable power flow.
Sensor Operations Complications::
alien technology disturbance, cloaking field disruption, distorted readings, environmental sensor blindspot, evasive maneuver disrupting scan, false positive detection, falsified data readout, incomplete sensor data, incorrect targeting data, overloaded sensor array, sensor operations complication traits:, sensor overload warning, short-range scan only, signal drift detected, signal interference, temporal anomaly detection failure, unstable sensor calibration.
Tactical Operations Complications: Distracted targeting, excessive energy consumption, fire control disruption, incorrect tactical assessment, maneuvering burnout, overloaded weapon system, shield flicker interference, tactical miscommunication, targeting lock-on malfunction, targeting system malfunction, vulnerable weak point exposed, weapon overheat risk, weapon power drain, weapon system miscalibrated.
Science Complications: Biological hazard unnoticed, contaminated sample, cross-species biological anomaly, data storage failure, environmental contamination, equipment malfunction, hazardous material exposure, inaccurate hypothesis, inconclusive results, misinterpreted data, misleading readings, subspace disturbance, temporal distortion detected, unexpected reaction, unreliable instrument calibration, unstable substance discovery.
Alien Culture Complications:: Cultural faux pas, cultural superstition, diplomatic insult, distrust of outsiders, hostile reaction to specific technology, language barrier, misinterpreted alliance, misunderstood gesture, offended leader, political instability, ritual mishandling, taboo violation, unexpected traditions, unfamiliar social norms, unspoken expectations, unwilling to cooperate.