OK... not a problem this time, promise

So, my crew just took down Dobah, so will be leaving his base soon.

However, they never faced off against Daro and his goons on Formos, in fact they blagged their way into Daros hideout, and took down (but didnt kill (OR LOOT!) two of his guys.

Then they rescued R4, and left for Dobah, taking out his Sentry Droid, but jamming his signal to the Watchman.

Then they got inside and took a beating.

So.... rather than them just leaving nice and easy, I wanted Daro and his boys to come after them. Who are now laying in wait outside.

I was going to put Daro in a Wayfarer, supported by 4 Headhunters, and of course the Ugly that was MEANT to be keeping watch. And force my guys to make a fighting escape (They may destroy everyone, who knows).

My plan is to have Daro attack them as they leave the asteroid (The crew need to reach the edge of the asteroid field before they can Jump to Hyperspace). Daro is planning on shooting to disable, then board the the PCs ship to rescue Dobah.

So even if they get boarded they may win that fight... if they dont... well im in dark waters, but thats getting waaaay ahead of myself (But there is a similar scenario in Lords of Nal Hutta that I just realized could be useful!).

Onto my questions:

Does this seem like a good idea?

Is this a reasonable level of adversary? (Is 4 head hunters too many? or not enough?)

How far (range bands) would you put the edge of the asteroid field?

Any suggestions or advice on anything I need to add?

Cheers!

RD

Check the hired gun book for hostile boarding actions. It has a ship mod allowing it.

OK... not a problem this time, promise

So, my crew just took down Dobah, so will be leaving his base soon.

However, they never faced off against Daro and his goons on Formos, in fact they blagged their way into Daros hideout, and took down (but didnt kill (OR LOOT!) two of his guys.

Then they rescued R4, and left for Dobah, taking out his Sentry Droid, but jamming his signal to the Watchman.

Then they got inside and took a beating.

So.... rather than them just leaving nice and easy, I wanted Daro and his boys to come after them. Who are now laying in wait outside.

I was going to put Daro in a Wayfarer, supported by 4 Headhunters, and of course the Ugly that was MEANT to be keeping watch. And force my guys to make a fighting escape (They may destroy everyone, who knows).

My plan is to have Daro attack them as they leave the asteroid (The crew need to reach the edge of the asteroid field before they can Jump to Hyperspace). Daro is planning on shooting to disable, then board the the PCs ship to rescue Dobah.

So even if they get boarded they may win that fight... if they dont... well im in dark waters, but thats getting waaaay ahead of myself (But there is a similar scenario in Lords of Nal Hutta that I just realized could be useful!).

Onto my questions:

Does this seem like a good idea?

Is this a reasonable level of adversary? (Is 4 head hunters too many? or not enough?)

How far (range bands) would you put the edge of the asteroid field?

Any suggestions or advice on anything I need to add?

Cheers!

RD

Well, they are all good questions.

1. GMs always have good ideas, there are always ideas, experiment with them during play, you are your own worst critic. Take notes and improve whether or not the ideas didn't work out or they worked out so good it made the players so engrossed they were really there.

2. I would love to be in your game as a player just to over come the odds...why because i am a hero. can't say on that one, dice roll they way they roll...have contingencies.

3. I wouldn't worry bout a range band for the edge of the field, a running dogfight will be all over the place and I would say, Just like in Lords of Nal Hutta, pick 4 or five rounds to be able to jump, AFTER a successful astrogation check.

4. Make sure you always have a contingency plan.

I know you don't want to hear some of what I have said Dave, I believe that you are doing a really good job, taken the advise from everyone you could, and very successfully reigned in your players and all of you are happy. I love seeing your after actions cause you have grown into a GM. Opinions are like arm pits everyone has them and most of them stink. But keep plugging along, like I said I would love to play in one of your games...just once if not more.

Cheers Osprey.

For someone who has serious confidence issues, your final comments mean a huge amount

I would love to Gm for you, if I can find an adventure to run

Cheers Osprey.

For someone who has serious confidence issues, your final comments mean a huge amount

I would love to Gm for you, if I can find an adventure to run

Dave,

you really have grown and I have seen it. I retired from the military and it wasn't the decisions that bothered me, it was lack there of. Also there is no such thing as a wrong decisions, just bad and good, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

We all have to learn and the hardest to learn from is by doing. Imagine 1982 and you are 11 and you pick up the 1st Edition of D&D and no one you know has ever played LOL. Trust me, it took me a long time to get confidence. Keep up the good work.

OK, So this game happens Tuesday (Tomorrow, Today, depending on timezone).

No other advice or suggestions?

I think the levels are good, but make the raiders not too keen on getting their boss back. After all, who ever is going to take over for him just has to make it look like he did right by his predecessor, he doesn't actually have to succeed. Secondly, I'd keep the Wayfarer at well more than arm's length. Daro wouldn't want to risk losing his valuable freighter. Keep in mind that each point of damage they take is 500 credits out of Daro's pocket.

If you want to play a funny twist, if they succeed in getting your players to surrender, they could demand the Spice and let them keep Dobah. If the bastard got himself captured, he doesn't deserve to be Boss.

Nice twist Quicksliver.

But my players havnt found any spice... yet

Nice twist Quicksliver.

But my players havnt found any spice... yet

Even better. That just gives the players an opportunity to lie about having the spice and dig themselves a deeper hole (or feel like champions after successfully pulling off that bluff).

I think this is a pretty good encounter, especially if the Z-95 are minions and Daro will turn the Wayfarer around and make a tactical retreat once it gets damaged enough (which, incidentally, lets you keep using Daro and his gang as a recurring antagonist/source of Obligation).

Nice twist Quicksliver.

But my players havnt found any spice... yet

Even better. That just gives the players an opportunity to lie about having the spice and dig themselves a deeper hole (or feel like champions after successfully pulling off that bluff).

I think this is a pretty good encounter, especially if the Z-95 are minions and Daro will turn the Wayfarer around and make a tactical retreat once it gets damaged enough (which, incidentally, lets you keep using Daro and his gang as a recurring antagonist/source of Obligation).

Yes indeed! I am stacking up quite a few recurring antagonists.. if I could write my own adventures!

Nice twist Quicksliver.

But my players havnt found any spice... yet

Even better. That just gives the players an opportunity to lie about having the spice and dig themselves a deeper hole (or feel like champions after successfully pulling off that bluff).

I think this is a pretty good encounter, especially if the Z-95 are minions and Daro will turn the Wayfarer around and make a tactical retreat once it gets damaged enough (which, incidentally, lets you keep using Daro and his gang as a recurring antagonist/source of Obligation).

Yes indeed! I am stacking up quite a few recurring antagonists.. if I could write my own adventures!

I'd give it a shot. I think you'd surprise yourself.

You can also do a lot with name-changes and other minor things like that to published/written games. For example, a future game you run might call for "A pirate/smuggler..." In that case, you could swap out the generic person with Daro, allowing him to make a reoccurance.

I wasn't (and still typically am not) one to write my own adventures, but I do end up spending a lot of time re-working adventures to better fit the group and the groups history. I find it's a good stepping stone to writing your own, and a step you seem to already be starting.

You can also do a lot with name-changes and other minor things like that to published/written games. For example, a future game you run might call for "A pirate/smuggler..." In that case, you could swap out the generic person with Daro, allowing him to make a reoccurance.

I wasn't (and still typically am not) one to write my own adventures, but I do end up spending a lot of time re-working adventures to better fit the group and the groups history. I find it's a good stepping stone to writing your own, and a step you seem to already be starting.

Oh thats something I plan to do anyway, I alreayd plan to Swap the Hutt in Debts to Pay to be Thakba (Who they plan on turning the bounty into). To give me a nice seamless step into the next adventure.

But im more concerned with tonights plans and if the enemy is too powerful for the PCs...

I'm still working on how the power levels work out, last week I almost killed the group with a Nemesis, two Adversaries and 4 minions... granted, my dice were with me that night, but it could have gone badly for them.

I want to push the limits now, and do the same with a space combat, and try and get the same kind of tension going.

But this bit is entirely made up, since the players were in theory meant to have defeated Daro on Formas, and didnt, so im just throwing this together to give them another fight.

We will see how it goes!

It could be a little heavy, it's not a battle they could really 'win', but the headhunters will have to deal with the cover being provided by the asteroid field and other issues should give them enough time to escape. That's also one reason why I suggested making it clear that the enemy (except maybe the ugly trying to redeem himself) aren't death-or-glory tie pilots, they're Mercs who are going to have to pay for those dings. It gives you a narrative excuse to have them play cautious and take actions other than just trying to disable the ship.

OK, so do any of you think it would be WAY over the top to field 2 groups of 3 headhunters, rather than 2 groups of 2?

Yes, I like the idea of narrative and hiding behind asteroids.

I was going to give them 6 rounds to reach the edge of the asteroid field before they can make the jump, then of course they need to program the navicomp.

If they're smart, they'll start the Navcomputer while they're still in the asteroids, so they only need 1 round "in the clear" before pulling the big lever to go to lightspeed.

I think if you launch six, you're going to start stretching what's credible to come out of a Wayfarer, more than anything else. I would stick with four of them, in wing-pairs, with Pilot & Gunnery as their minion skills.

How well armed is your group's ship? That could make a major difference.

They have a YT1300 armed with a Laser and Ion cannon, Light i believe.

I wasnt going to have the HHs launch From the Wayfarer, but I just realised they dont have Hyperdrives. So I might just use their stats and describe them as something else.

Ah. Yeah with only a Light Ion and a single Laser, four is probably enough to make them outnumbered. Six might make it clearer they should run though.

How did R4 react to the scrapped remains of its buddy?
I seem to remember your group throwing the dead droid in a scrap pile aboard their ship.