In any good used-universe sci-fi or post-apocalyptic TTRPG, finding a piece of salvaged tech is a huge win! But what happens when that jury-rigged plasma rifle or ancient data slate flickers and acts up? Too often, a malfunction is just a penalty. It breaks, or you take damage. Boring!

Let’s make tech failures exciting story hooks that push the narrative forward. Instead of just breaking, what if your tech glitches in a way that creates a whole new problem or reveals a tantalizing secret?

The Salvaged Tech Malfunction Table

Next time a player’s shiny new (old) toy acts up, roll a d10 on this table. These narrative malfunctions are designed to create memorable moments, not just end them.

Salvaged Tech Malfunction (1d10)

1. Temporal Echo: Briefly replays the last 5 seconds of the user’s actions, but distorted and blurry.
2. Emotional Bleed: The device floods the user with the dominant emotion imprinted on its memory banks (e.g., terror, rage, euphoria).
3. Dimensional Flicker: Briefly displaces the user one foot into a parallel dimension, potentially causing minor, strange mutations.
4. Gravity Anomaly: Briefly inverts gravity in a 5-foot radius around the device.
5. Data Surge: Overloads the user’s neural interface with fragmented, nonsensical data from a previous owner.
6. Auditory Hallucination: Generates a convincing auditory hallucination based on the user’s subconscious fears.
7. Energy Drain: Drains all energy from nearby power sources (batteries, generators, etc.) within a 10-foot radius.
8. Phase Shift: The device becomes briefly intangible, passing through solid objects.
9. Scavenger’s Call: Emits a high-frequency ping, audible only to the specially tuned receivers of other tech scavengers in the area.
10. Lingering Scent: Emits a powerful pheromone that attracts local wildlife for 1d4 hours.

Make Malfunctions Matter

Every result is a story seed! Don’t just read the result; ask questions to build on it:

• Temporal Echo: What crucial detail is hidden in the distorted replay? A password? The face of a previous owner?
• Emotional Bleed: How does the sudden, overwhelming emotion affect the user’s next action? What event could have caused such a strong feeling?
• Dimensional Flicker: What does the player see in that split second in another reality? Is the resulting mutation cosmetic, or does it have a minor mechanical effect?
• Data Surge: Is there a recoverable secret buried in the data fragments—a location, a name, a piece of a schematic?
• Attracts Scavengers: Are the arriving scavengers desperate rivals or a potential source of information and trade?
• Lingering Scent: Is the wildlife that’s drawn to the scent a dangerous predator or a source of valuable materials?

Scenario Hooks

These malfunctions can be the core of entire adventures. Imagine:

• A character gets addicted to the Emotional Bleed from different devices, seeking out rare tech for their next ‘fix’.
• A settlement’s water purifier is stuck in a Temporal Echo loop, and the party must enter the glitching temporal field to fix it.
• A Dimensional Flicker from a broken teleporter reveals a hidden cache of supplies that only exists for a second at a time.

By turning a simple failure into a narrative twist, you make your world feel more chaotic, mysterious, and alive. Grab this table for your next salvage run and see what strange new stories unfold when the tech inevitably goes wrong.