Difficulty play testing game

[Shaved Wookiee]

I've started GMing a knight level IRL campaign focusing on capital ship and fighter combat, with blockade running and smuggling shenanigans in mind. Some ground combat is wanted as well, but most of the party wants to stay in space doing search and destroy jobs for various individuals for profit. Basically mercaneries. I've gone through a couple of sessions with them and they have complained that the combat isn't hard enough. So to solve that problem, I come to you. I want to test out my encounters before I start anything, make sure that they are difficult, but not party wiping.

[swrider]

We can certainly help with that. My advice is to use the squadron and minion rules and tactics.

For example lets say that your players are in a capital ship which is being attacked by the rebel alliance. You could have a few squadrons of hyper-drive enabled starfigthers drop out of hyperspace and launch missile attacks on your ship then continue onward before your group even have time to respond. Then the enemy capital ship and the fighters can jump back in.

Use of space terrain can also be advantageous. FFG is not really set up for capital ship warefare. Shado's Far orbit project has some interesting methods in it. an Old board member Quicksilver was working on some rules for capital ship combat also which were pretty good. I am not sure they were moved from the old board though so you may need to look them up there.

[kanila]

You could tie in the xwing game to your campaign.

Maneuver dials would be used as normal during a turn, with red turns causing a piloting check.

Then your combat, the player can't fire unless the ship is properly inside the arc or range.

[swrider]

Space combat is one of the more difficult and dangerous parts of the game. I have not often heard it referred to as easy. Though balancing it is extremely difficult as the luck of the dice can easily change an easy encounter to a deadly one and vice versa. It is important to remember that only critical hits can kill a ship. this means you can really overload an encounter without the worry of actually killing them unless you want to. You may completely disable the ship but that is a different story.

[ShadoWarrior]

You could tie in the xwing game to your campaign.

The near-universal opinion on the FFG forums is that X-wing and the RPG are incompatible and that GMs should not try to connect the two systems. I agree with that assessment. It's far less effort and the end result would be better to toss the FFG system and start from scratch than to try to mesh X-wing and the RPG.

[kanila]

I've done it for myself. Basically the only part of the xwing game I used when I did it was the fire arc and maneuver dial. But that's just personal preference.

I find it easier and more enjoyable to have a visual representation of the battle. It makes it easier to plan your next move.

[ShadoWarrior]

Then, respectfully, you're probably not running the RPG as intended. The system, as designed, is intended to be run narratively. This is why ranges are classified in nebulous terms of "close", "short", "medium", and "long". And why once you're in close range you can fire into any arc you want to. There is no map grid and no set units, such as squares or hexes, as there are in every Star Wars miniatures game. Space combat in FFG's RPG is deliberately not a tactical game. This actually makes more sense when you have turns of such long duration. You can fly all over the place, so the only meaningful descriptor is your distance to the target. No need to worry about left/right (or up/down), and there is no "flanking" in space combat unless you're dealing with fleets. In which case one should be using mass combat rules anyway.

[kanila]

Again this is my opinion about the matter, and handling of space combat.

Space combat has been done maybe three times in my campaign because the player prefer it that way. I've used the system straight from the book and my hybrid with the hybrid being preferred. But you have your opinion and I have mine.

[Shaved Wookiee]

Space combat is one of the more difficult and dangerous parts of the game. I have not often heard it referred to as easy. Though balancing it is extremely difficult as the luck of the dice can easily change an easy encounter to a deadly one and vice versa. It is important to remember that only critical hits can kill a ship. this means you can really overload an encounter without the worry of actually killing them unless you want to. You may completely disable the ship but that is a different story.

I mean, I did throw the player into a minion group (which would die first if shot at) for extra suitability.

[ShadoWarrior]

The squad/squadron rules from the AoR GM kit has better rules for how to keep PCs (as well as NPC rivals and nemeses) alive. Those (optional) rules replace the standard minion rules. The minions become quite a bit harder to kill, which keeps the group leader intact longer.

[Shaved Wookiee]

I don't have that, can you explain them to me?

[ShadoWarrior]

It's several pages worth of stuff. In brief, a leader forms a unit via a Leadership skill check. Once the unit is formed then the leader can choose to place the unit into a formation, each one of which provides a different benefit (close order grants a boost to attacks, loose/skirmish applies a setback to attacks against the unit, just to name two types off the top of my head). The main benefit though is that a leader can choose to redirect an attack made against him/her unto one of the minions instead. Which means you have to kill all of the minions before you can harm the leader (unless you're using a Blast effect to catch the leader). Also, and a very very powerful part of these rules is that damage does NOT spill over into the next minion. So if your rifle-of-doom inflicts a 16-point hit on that group of stormtroopers (11 after soak) led by a sergeant, you do not hurt the sergeant at all and you NOT kill two of the privates, just the one poor schmuck that jumped in front of the bolt to save his beloved squad leader. In similar fashion, a TIE ace could survive that proton torpedo you launched by having a squadron mate eat the missile instead. And if the TIEs are not within close range of each other then only that TIE dies and no others, even if you try to invoke Blast.

As I said, there are several pages of rules and tables for interpreting Leadership checks made during combat, but the above summarizes the most important aspects.

[Shaved Wookiee]

Ooo, I might use those.

[swrider]

The squad squadron rules take away a lot of fire power but give you a lot of survive ability. The best part is they can be used by both PCs and the GM. I will often use them When I need to make military units last longer as opposed to minion group when I want them to hit harder.

[Shaved Wookiee]

Alrighty then.

[swrider]

Here is a description of the rules in use written for the FFG forums. Please note it was written by the original designer of the rules which can be found in the AOR GM kit.

KRKappel 1,400
KRKappel
Members
525 posts
Posted July 9, 2014
Okay, as promised, since there seem to have been a lot of questions about the squad and squadron rules as they function in practice, I have done up a nice little ground scenario featuring the rules here for those interested to read. To keep things simple, we are going to have a small party of 3 characters, a Squad Leader, a Commando, and a Medic. These are there of the elite members of, let’s say, Katarn’s Commandos. The Rebels have sent the commandos on a dangerous mission to recover a wounded Rebel General caught behind enemy lines on a jungle planet, and bring him back. The rest of the commando unit is rounded out by 8 minions.

The team lands on the jungle planet, their insertion went smoothly. They now have a 20 kilometer hike through jungle to locate the enemy camp, and must avoid patrols.

Squad Leader (SL): I want to put my minions in a Squad, so I can put them in the Skirmish formation, just to guard against ambush.

GM: Okay, make an Easy Leadership check to form a squad.



SL: (rolls his leadership against 1 purple, nets 3 SUC, 2 AD) I succeeded, 2 advantage as well.



GM: Well, we aren’t in combat, so entering a formation as an incidental isn’t helpful, there anything you want to spend it on? You have full everything.



SL: Can I get a Boost to my formation check?

GM: Sure. Which formation? Skirmish?

SL: Yeah, that’s the one that improves vigilance, right?



GM: Right. Okay, not in combat, so just make an Easy check again.

SL: (Rolls his leadership against 1 purple, nets 2 success) Okay, not perfect, but hey, Triumph.



GM: Okay, you are in skirmish.



SL: Cool, so we have an idea where this camp is, right?

GM: A vague idea, yes.

SL: Okay, well lets get our weapons out, treat is as a combat zone, and start walking.



GM: Okay, Let’s have an Average Survival Check from whoever is leading the way

Commando (CM): That’d be me. (Rolls, succeeds, gets the party headed toward the camp). Woot!



GM: Okay, so you guys pick up a very wild, but vague path that the CM is able to follow from the map. Let me get an Average Perception check from everyone. SL, your Boost from your formation can apply here.

SL: Outstanding. (Rolls perception, nets 1 triumph, 3 success, and 1 threat). Okay.

CM: Rolls, succeeds.



MD: Rolls, succeeds.



GM: Okay, you guys all succeed. You hear the telltale whine of an Imperial speederbike, and as you listen closer, the familiar plastic clanking of stormtroopers marching in formation. For that threat, one of your eight minions has wandered forward, out of formation, his head cocked as his listens to the sound become more distinct. That minion isn’t considered a part of the squad anymore.

SL: Awe man.

GM: Them’s the breaks. What do you want to do with the triumph?

SL: Okay, guys, we have the advantage here, I want to spend my triumph to switch to the comm silence formation, as an incidental.

GM: Okay, you don’t even have to roll for that, since you got it off the Triumph, but if you guys want to hide, I’m going to need Stealth checks from you all. Since the path is so well shrouded, its an Average check for CM and MD, but SL needs to give me a Hard check, since he’s silhouette 2. You get that boost though from the formation.

CM: My stealth is so much better. Can I make a coop check with SL that counts for his entire squad too?



GM: Sure. The results will count for you too, though.

CM: Works for me. Let’s use the CMs Stealth skill, and the SL’s Dex and the boost from the formation.

SL: Okay (rolls, nets 2 success, and 2 threat).

GM: Ooo, double threat. Because of the way you guys are hiding off the path, none of your squad is going to be able to lend you much support if you come under attack.

SL: Understood.

GM: Okay, MD, you made your check. So you guys are all hidden off the path. You can clearly see what looks like eight stormtroopers, one of which has a sergeant’s pauldron. There are also two scout troopers on speederbikes that zip past the formation to scout on ahead. They will likely loop back in a few minutes. They don’t see you, but the Sergeant does order a halt at Medium range to you guys, facing your general direction, to rest a moment. SL, you can see some of your minions’ jaws tight with fear as you look at your squad. The moment is super intense. If just one stormtrooper spots you guys….I need everyone to make an Average Discipline check to keep still.



SL: Can I make a Leadership check instead to keep my guys steady?

GM: Sure. Average Leadership check.

CM: Can I roll Cool instead? I’m not exactly afraid of just a squad, I’ve faced longer odds. I’ll just sit here chewing my stimchew.

GM: Sure, why not. Alright, (Watches them all roll and succeed, SL gets a Triumph). Oustanding. But before you spend that triumph, remember, there’s one minion that isn’t a part of the squad. Looks like he doesn’t have any ranks in discipline either….2 Willpower, here goes.



SL: Oh son of a Hutt!

GM: Yeah, so he fails. You can see the lone minion starting to lose his cool as he looks back and forth between the rest of you and the stormtroopers. He’s mumbling, saying things like, kark this, they can see us man, they can see us. We need to run. Run. Run. Run! And then he stands up and takes off running, tearing through the brush. IN reaction to the noise, one of the stormtroopers says “what was that?!” and they all turn toward the group.

SL: Well, looks like we don’t get to dodge this fight after all. Can I use my triumph to let my Squad make a free attack right now?

GM: Why yes, yes you can. After that we’ll need to roll initiative slots.

SL: Alright, let’s take out one of these stormtroopers. (Rolls the attack for his minions, 7 of them, they roll really well, and kill one of the minion stormtroopers).



GM: Okay, your squad all attacks before the stormtroopers can quite figure out what’s going on, and a hail of blaster fire lances the stormtrooper who had questioned the noise, leaving his armor riddled full of smoking holes. Okay, Let’s figure out initiative, guys. I’m gonna need Cool checks from all of you to determine initiative, the stormtroopers will be rolling Vigilance, though. The sergeant rolls a 1.4, and the remaining 7 stormie minions roll 1.0.

SL: Okay, I got a 2.2, also, I hit another triumph.

CM: 3.1



MD: 0.2



GM: Okay, so it goes Rebel, Rebel, Imperial, Imperial, Rebel. Anything you want to spend that triumph on?

SL: Well, It’d be nice to switch to a new formation, since we aren’t exactly trying to be stealthy anymore. I have a feeling I’ll need my troops later for the assault on the camp if this is the size of their patrol, so let’s switch to Dug In, increase our survivability some.



GM: Okay, you’re switched. Who’s gonna go first?



SL: I might as well. I know we were already using the brush off the path as soft cover, are there more sturdy trees we can shift toward to provide actual cover, and stack with our dug in formation?

GM: Sure, I’ll let you guys do that for a maneuver. You were already pretty close to it, but a quick shift in posture, and your squad is able to provide cover fire and maximize their protection from the trees.

SL: Cool, also, I’d like to attack the sergeant. If we take him out, the minions should go down easier.

GM: Okay, roll your attack. Also, I’m going to upgrade this check, and did I mention this enemy has adversary I? So you are rolling 2 reds.

SL: Great. (Rolls, hits, but also hits a despair)

GM: Okay, your blaster bolt glances off his armor, but staggers him slightly. However, the rest of your squad seems to have lost fire discipline during the fray, and they aren’t really protecting each other anymore. For your despair, you have dropped out of the formation, though you guys are still grouped as a squad.



SL: Awe, man.

GM: Okay, who wants to go next?

CM: I’ll go. I want to maneuver a little closer and slightly behind them, and take cover. I want to do it real sneaky like, though.

GM: Okay, I’ll need a stealth check against their perception. I’ll give you a boost since they are a lot more concerned about the hail of blaster bolts coming from the squad, and another boost because of all the soft cover in the area.

CM: Sweet. (Rolls, succeeds) Okay, I want to take out my grenade, and I want to cook it so they won’t have time to run away once they see it land.

GM: Okay, you can make the attack next turn then, with a boost to the attack. Okay, Imperials get to go. The Sergeant is going to order his men into a squad as his maneuver, he gets a boost because stormtroopers have discipline. Let’s see here, success, so this second imperial initiative slot can go away, and if minions are later separated from the imperial squad, they will act during the same slot as the squad, just separately). Okay, now he’s going to attack the squad leader (all attacks to a squad(ron) are directed at the leader unless die results or squad mechanics move the hit to a minion within the unit). Okay, his attack roll, suffering one black because of the cover bonus, but only one, because you guys broke formation….what do you know, triumph! Okay. So let’s deal with the attack itself first. SL, you want to redirect it?

SL: Actually, no, I think I’ll take this first hit. MD can always patch me up.

GM: Your funeral. Okay, so the sergeant points you out as the target, and all his men fire right the tree you are behind. A stray blaster bolt grazes your arm. You suffer…let’s see…..10 wounds, minus your 4 soak.

SL: Ouch.

GM: Indeed. Also, because of the triumph, one of the stray blaster bolts of the volley catches a member of your squad in the belly, and he crumples up, then goes still. That brings you down to 6 guys in the squad.

SL: Medic!

MD: It’s my turn anyway. I’m going to rush over to that fallen minion and see if I can’t help him out.

GM: Alright, go ahead and make a medicine check, let’s say Hard, and with a setback because you are in the middle of combat.

MD: Don’t you die on me! I wrap the wound and try and revive him. (Rolls, fails)

GM: I’m sorry, he’s gone.



MD: Noooooo!

GM: Okay, that’s one round. Who wants to go first?

CM: You know I’m ready to toss that grenade, it’s cooking.

GM: Okay, go ahead.



CM: Rolls, Woooo! Success, two advantage, and a triumph.



GM: Alright, so they never saw this coming, and never really had a chance to get out of the way, but one loyal stormtrooper saw it arc in his field of fire, and he leapt on top of it, absorbing most of the blast. He dies. And with the triumph, we’ll say that he angled himself to protect the squad leader as best as possible, but that also focused the blast toward the guy standing next to him. The blast sends that other stormtrooper flying, and he dies too. That’s three minions down so far. He has 5 left in the imp squad.



CM: I was hoping to activate blast, but I’ll take it. I want to ready my rifle for next round.



GM: Okay, who’s next.

SL: I might as well go. We are losing too many guys, I want to dig back in, double our cover bonus.

GM: Okay, average leadership check.

SL: Success, with a threat.

GM: Okay, one of your minions is a bit too far out, so he isn’t really part of the squad. That puts you down 3 minions total, though two of them are alive, just separated.



SL: Fair enough. Now I also get an attack. Let’s try and weaken this squad a bit more before their next attack here, I want to upgrade our check, that red scares me. (Rolls, succeeds, result, one more minion down)



GM: Okay, blaster bolts are flying back and forth, and another stormtrooper minion drops. He’s down to 4 minions, you’ve cut his squad in half. That lone rebel minion gets to go now, he’ll take a shot at the squad. (Rolls) And he hits. The squad leader will redirect to a minion again, and it’s his turn now, he’s going to order his squad into the Dug In formation as well, and have his guys step back toward the tree line on the opposite side of the path. (Rolls, gets threat) Okay, well one of his men didn’t quite get that message, and he’s still out on the path. The squad only has 2 guys left in it. This minion gets to act right after the squad though. For their action, the squad is going to attack the rebel squad again, he gets those two setbacks though, because of the formation and the cover. (Rolls, fails), well, so much for that. Stormtrooper marksmanship at its finest. Now that lone separated minion gets to go. Blaster bolts are whizzing all around him, but he has figured out where CM is. And he takes a shot at him. (Rolls) Okay, we have a success here, take 10 damage, minus soak.

CM: I ain’t got time to bleed.



MD: My turn?

GM: Yes.

MD: I’ll give up on this poor dead Rebel, and blast that lone minion. (rolls, succeeds)

GM: Okay, yeah, you catch him in the armor gap at the shoulder, and he drops his weapon and falls to the ground, writhing in pain.

SL: Great shot!

CM: I owe you one.

GM: Okay, back to the top of the order.

CM: Let’s finish these guys. I’ll blast the squad.



GM: Okay, two setback though, for their armor and their dug in formation.

CM: I don’t think it’ll matter. (Rolls) Boom! Tons of success, looks like…13 damage.

GM: Okay, but he redirects again, so all that damage does is vaporize the helmet, along with the head, of one of the stormtroopers in the squad. There’s only the sergeant and one minion left, guys.



SL: Okay, I think we got this. I’ll attack the squad as well. (Rolls) Umm, hrm. Success, Triumph, Despair, and two advantage.

GM: Oh boy. Alright. So let’s see how we’ll resolve this. First let’s deal with the attack. It hits, but gets redirected. So the last minion goes down. How do you want to spend the triumph.

SL: Absolutely an immediate free attack from the minions.

GM: Okay, but for the despair, your formation is broken again. However, because that last minion is gone, the enemy squad is considered disbanded. So you only have to roll the setback for the sergeant’s armor.

SL: If I don’t get a real maneuver soon (beca use I’ve had to spend them all getting back into formation), I’m going to start sprouting roots. But okay. This minion attack should go big. I still have enough guys to max out the roll. (Rolls) Um, yeah. Look at all the positive things.

GM: Yeah I think you got him. Let’s see….14 damage? Yeah. The squad hits him once and spins him around out of cover, and the half a dozen shots that follow drop him with a wet thwack to the jungle floor.

Anyway, hope that clears a few things up for you guys about how this should look and feel in practice at the table. Sorry it took an extra day, this just ended up being longer (and a bit more fun) than I had planned originally.