exploding panels!!!!!!

[Thundergod]

In my game the panels explode when you roll a one on the drama die. Its a fun thing ...at least for the GM...

But seriously What is the likely hood of this. When we have powersurges my key pad doesn't blow up and I know no matter how hard I kick my hard drive my monitor will not send out flames of death and drop me like a fly in a cloud of raid!

So how do you guys do the exploding panels....what kind of damage do you use.

Is the helm still the most dangerous job on the bridge because of the volitile panels?

[Phantom]

Well, we really aren't talking about a "minor" power surge here. We're talking about something like a lightning bolt hitting your house. That can cause some pretty spectacular overloads in your ordinary household appliances. A friend of my family's house was hit, the bolt blew out the transformers and did a number on the wash and dryer, after turning about two corners. So, I can sort of see the exploding panels ideas. TV tubes have been known to explode from massive power surges.

In TNG the thing I think that makes the panels dangerous during overload is the surface for the LCARS system...Something like glass by the looks of it. Probably makes for really good shrapnel.

All-in-all I really don't dwell to long on the subject...It is just a really good SFX.

[Dan Gurden]

I use exploding panels as an alarm system, a gentle hint from the GM. The ensign alarm, based around how many personnel are hurled accross the bridge by the force of the blast.


OK, so here is the alarm system;

0 Ensigns - Its a cakewalk.

1 Ensign - No real problem, probably not even a major injury either. Most likely a fair fight.

2 Ensigns - Its unevenly matched against the players, they've either missed the clue, the upgrade or the ally... Injuries will be serious requiring medical treatment.

3 Ensigns - This is really deep s**t. Not only is the bad guy bigger and badder than thou, but he's probably got mates too. Injuries will be extreme, maybe even fatal.

1 Major Character - Stop attacking the Borg Cube! This was supposed to be a diplomatic mission to the Cardassians???

[Lancer]

And it doesn't always have to be the console itself that explodes.

In the VOY ep. "Flashback" a console exploded on the Excelsior after a charge had build up in an EPS conduit in the wall behind a bridge station IIRC.

Another explanation you could occasionaly use would be the type I phaser we sometimes see people drawing from under their consoles (eg. Encounter at Farpoint). A power surge in the console could jump over to the phaser and fry it's batteries, leading to an overload that explodes the phaser and the console it's under.

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Thundergod]

ALRIGHT.
I will take your word that panel, washers, and monitors explode. I haven't seen it, and thats okay.
I just figured that there would be a better saftey mechanisim in the future.
Of cours the ships saftey officer/inspector is crewman simpson. Maybe one of the PC's should talk to ole' Homer.

Till the Kilingons sing Bye bye bye, as a national anthem...
Excelsior!

Thats a stan lee adios...
NUFFSAID!

[redwood973]

Originally posted by StyroFoam Man
It does happen in RL:

Had a control panel explode at work once. Seems the switches were of the old open-contact kind and they sparked when you turned them. Pentane gas built up in the panel from somewhere and BANG! Threw the panel open and shattered the CRT. Nice fireball too. Good thing I had my goggles and gloves on...

That's the closest I've come to being done in by an Exploding Console Of Doom....

I've seen it happen to the large high-current switch-gear at work on several occasions.... Major arcing and fireballing... NOT alot of fun.

Wow! ECoD do exist! REDWOOD973 <~~will be much more carefull at work now.

Originally posted by Thundergod
ALRIGHT.

I will take your word that panel, washers, and monitors explode. I haven't seen it, and thats okay.

My grandmother's house was hit by lightning a few years ago (might have been three years). The toaster left a nice blast pattern on the wall after it exploded. The T.V left an even bigger mess after it exploded. . .the wall behind it was a mess, not sure that was helped by the fire department; but the wall across the room from the T.V was scorched an odd blackish/brown color. Pictrues hanging on the wall had their glass cracked. . .apparently by the shock wave according to the fireman. Not a pretty sight. . .not something I would have wanted to have been present during.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

I usually let consoles explode purely for dramatic purposes, however, when any of my players roll all 1's on their dices I make some hardware go nuts on them. I do this only for the reason that the console explosion does 3D6 damage, could easily hurt and could kill an unfortunate PC. Getting a one on the ol' drama dice happens fairly often for my players.

My computer blew out its power supply roughly a week ago, damaged the rear casing of my tower and a fair bit of damage to my hardware inside. I haven't yet seen exploding equipment, I'm hoping I won't either.