This is a set of tables that I initially derived from the old “Tricorder/Starship Sensors Interactive Display” from FASA, then adjusted to incorporate some elements from West End Games Star Wars and D6 Space RPGs, and now have adapted again to work with Modiphius’s Star Trek Adventures game. This is still a work in progress, but I thought it might be useful enough that I would share it now.
The first Table is the base Difficulty for different types of information being gathered by Sensors. This can be modified by the type or mode of scan being done, described in later tables. For the higher difficulties which refer to the Tricorder table, the assumption is that the Ships Sensors are being used to try and obtain information from planetary orbit, or near a ship or station which would normally be gathered by a Tricorder on-site.
| Difficulty | Sensors Information Obtained |
| 0 | Navigational information Detection of large, celestial objects. Type of star. Bearing and distance to detected object. Approximate mass and speed of detected object |
| 1 | General information only. Detection of small celestial object or large artificial object. Bearing and distance to detected object. General classification of natural objects, including planet type. General classification of large, artificial objects, including starship class. Approximate mass and speed of object. |
| 2 | Rough, low-level detail. Movement of object. Identification of starship government, if known. Identification of starship type, if known. General battle readiness of starship. Identification of small, artificial objects, if known. |
| 3 | General detail. Specific battle information about starship. Changes in object’s movement. |
| 4 | Tricorder Difficulty 0 |
| 5,6,7 | Tricorder Difficulty 1,2,3 |
Table two is the base Difficulty for different types of information being gathered by Tricorders. This can be modified by the type or mode of scan being done, described in later tables.
| Difficulty | Tricorder Information Obtained |
| 0 | General information. Presence of an energy source, substance, or life form. Distance and range to detected object. General size of detected object. General type of energy source or life form. General composition of substance. Presence or absence of selected energy sources, substances, or life forms, the data for which is pre-programmed into the tricorder. |
| 1 | Rough, low-level detail. Movement direction of detected object. Strength of energy sources or concentration of substances. Temperature relative to surroundings. Relative density or weight. Whether detected life forms are alive or dead. Identification of known sentient life form, if tricorder has pre-programmed data. |
| 2 | General detail. Alteration in behavior, in acceleration, number, size, and so on. Emissions from detected object. Identification of several specific types of organic or mineral substances. Whether detected life forms are sentient or not. |
| 3 | Specific, high-level detail. Type of pattern in detected object’s behavior. Stability of detected object. Effect of specific substance on life form, if tricorder has pre-programmed data. Relative age of detected object or stage of life for life forms. Pinpointing the exact location of the source of energy when near an unknown mechanism. |
The difficulty of a scan with Sensors and Tricorders can be affected by the type or mode of scan being done.
| Modifier | Mode | Description |
| +2 | Passive | Receiving information in vicinity without actively sending out pulses. |
| +1 | Scan | Sending out pulses in all directions at once. |
| 0 | Search | Sending out strong pulses in one direction (30 degrees). |
| -1 | Focus | Focused pulses in a small portion of a specific area. |
Star System Sensor Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
| +1 to +5 | Target is near Astrographical interference. |
| +1 to +5 | Per additional Zone away |
Planetary Orbit Sensor Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
| -2 | An area one square kilometer or less. |
| -1 | An area 100 square kilometers or less. |
| 0 | An area 1,000 square kilometers or less. |
| +1 | An area one million square kilometers or less. An average size nation. |
| +2 | An area 100 million square kilometers or less. A small continent. |
| +3 | One hemisphere. |
Ship Sensor Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
| +1 or more | Target is using a sensor mask. |
| +1 to id | Target is using a sensor decoy (sensors detect both ship and decoy as “real” unless difficulty is beat). |
| +1 | Target ship’s sensors are in passive mode. |
| +2 or more | Target ship is running silent. |
| +2 to id | Target is jamming sensor readings. |
| +2 or more | Ship is hiding behind planet or other massive body. |
| +3 | Ship has other objects, such as asteroids, to hide among |
Ground Tricorder and Sensor Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
| +1 or more | Target is near a strong energy source or magnetic field |
| +1 or more | Thick walls or natural barriers are between scanner and target. |
| +2 or more | Target is in a sensor shielded area. |
| +2 or more | Sensor readings are being actively jammed |
MEDICAL TRICORDER
The medical tricorder will give more detailed information on substances and life forms than the sciences tricorder, but it does not possess the sciences tricorder’s range or versatility.
Substances
The presence of a substance and its general direction and distances can be determined within the tricorder’s range.
A narrow scan near the substance not only will determine the chemical composition of a sample, but also will give data on that substance’s effects on various life forms.
Life Forms
Within a far shorter range, a life forms scan can identify any known life form and give considerable biological data about even an unknown form. A narrow scan near the life form reveals complete diagnostic medical data. In addition, it can detect foreign materials in the bloodstream, of aid in diagnosing cases of poisoning or drugging.