But the young women comes alive when you ask how you can help, Yes! you can help in a ton of ways! I've got a racer prebuilt right here! She leads you to her pit to a ~decent~ racer. It's a hunk of junk, but it will run. You can help me by...
Let's go through the rules of what you can do!
JUNK RACE PREPARATION
Each PC can take four actions before the race, which they may use to improve Laboni’s vehicle or engage with the other racers (detailed below). After this time, the race begins, although the PCs can still assist Laboni from the sidelines. Further information on how the PCs can spend their actions is detailed below.
Improve Laboni’s Junkracer: PCs can spend an action to attempt a DC 16 Computers, Engineering, Perception, or Physical Science check to find parts in the scrapyard and install them in Laboni’s racer; at the GM’s discretion, other rolls or abilities may be used to the same effect, so long as the player provides an adequate reason. The GM should remind players struggling with the checks that PCs can use the aid another action to assist each other’s rolls. Weapons installed on the vehicle do not cause damage, but instead impose penalties to the target’s Piloting rolls for 1 round on a successful hit.
Every successful check allows the PCs to pick one improvement from the list below to apply to the vehicle’s statistics; these bonuses are cumulative.
• The vehicle’s base speed increases by 5 feet.
• The vehicle gains a +1 Piloting modifier.
• The vehicle gains a +1 attack modifier.
• The vehicle gains a +2 bonus to its EAC.
• The vehicle gains a +2 bonus to its KAC.
• The PCs install a basic energy weapon on the vehicle (imposes a –4 base Piloting penalty on a hit).
• The PCs install a basic kinetic weapon on the vehicle (imposes a –4 base Piloting penalty on a hit).
• The PCs upgrade a weapon to impose an additional –2 penalty to enemy Piloting checks on a successful hit.
Investigating the Enemy: PCs can scout out their opponents with a DC 15 Sense Motive check, or examine their opponents’ vehicles with a DC 15 Engineering check. A PC can do this as part of making a prerace improvement skill check—the PC can take breaks during the improvement attempt and casually investigate one of the other racers. Otherwise, it costs a PC one of his prerace actions to converse with or examine all members of the competition. This check does not grant exact knowledge of an opponent’s statistics, but the GM can provide the PCs an idea of a driver’s skill or the associated vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses. On a successful check, the PC can ask one pertinent question about the pilot’s skill or about the vehicle the pilot is driving (or receives similar relevant information, if a player is unsure what he or she should be asking about).
Sabotage: PCs can attempt to sabotage the other vehicles, but they must dodge the eyes of everyone in the ramshackle stadium by spending a prerace action and attempting at a DC 20 Stealth check.
Failing this check raises the DC of future Stealth checks to sabotage vehicles by 2. A PC who succeeds at this check can then attempt a DC 15 Engineering check on one of the opposing vehicles to either reduce the vehicle’s speed by 10 feet or to impose a –4 penalty on one of the vehicle’s modifiers. If the PC is caught cheating in this manner, the offending PC is tossed out of the engine pit. If the PCs are caught cheating again, it is grounds for the immediate disqualification of the entire team.
Socializing: PCs may also take this time to speak to the other pilots. During their prerace actions, they can forgo making an Engineering or Sense Motive check to examine and socialize with their opponents. The junkers are busy with their own preparations and do not have much time to talk. The GM should try to limit conversation to keep the game moving at a reasonable pace. Below is a listing of all the racers and their statistics, descriptions, and pertinent information for PCs attempting social skill checks with this action type.
The other racers are: Lemgem, Nyizin, Orsis, Ratrod, and Velocity.
What would you like to do?
BASIC JUNKRACER
Speed 40 ft., full 400 ft.
EAC 10; KAC 12
Attack energy weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Modifiers +2 Piloting, –3 attack
Passengers 1
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Remote Control Laboni’s junkracer and weaponry can be
remotely controlled by the PCs, allowing them to make attack
rolls and attempt Piloting checks in her place.