I had a rather long session today (5+ hours) and found out that combat was too easy for my PCs. One of my PCs is a droid with agility four and ranged heavy 2. He was able to do 8+ damage per hit, because his gun did six, with pierce 4. So he nd his friends made short work of a minion group of 8 minions, and even faster work out of two four minion groups. They JUST built their characters (and he was a bit OP for this mission, which had a lot of combat.) My group is only 3 people, and they just make short work of what I throw at them. How can I make it harder? Can I add adversary to minions?

1. Groups of 15 minions... they need to kill 10 before it has any effect on the dice pool the minions are rolling (AAPPP for a 3 agility species)
2. Engage! Engage the shooter to make the attack harder and force them to maneuver if they want an easier shot, limiting their aim.
3. Engage! Engage the shooters allies. this automatically Upgrades the difficulty, a Despair can be used to instead hit anyone engaged with the target... including their allies!
4. Lots of Rivals, you cant shoot more than one target at a time, unless your using Auto-Fire, and even then it increases the difficulty to the hardest target.
5. Tacktics, these NPC's are not MMO creeps that stand around waiting for someone to get close: High ground, cover, superior numbers, non standard weapons...
6. Have reinforcements. Even if you didn't plan for them, flip yourself a Destiny Point and have 4 more squads turn up.
7. Nemesis. Use them. They don't have to be the BBEG, but they can have talents that make Minions much more powerful; Field Commander comes to mind.
8. Environment. Have things happening; rain, wind, smoke, dark, distracting noises, slippery ground. Try to have things in an encounter that have an automatic effect if someone rolls enough Threat or Despair, such as slippery ground causing the character to fall prone on 3 Threat.
9. Equipment. i mentioned it earlier, but give your NPC's interesting gear, perhaps a assent pistol, or stun grenades etc.
10. Non standard fights. Sometimes a Bar Brawl breaks out, thats no time to pull out a HBR, put them into occasional situations where their weapons are neutralised. Perhaps they are asked to check the big guns at the door, your smuggler with a hidden pistol will love this.

Do you need more?

Split your minions up, give them good armour. Always give cover, environmental effects for setback dice. That will force your murder hobos to split their fire, and you will shoot back more.

Use them as ablative armour for rivals with the squad rules. The stormtrooper sergeant is excellent for this

Okay, it looks like I just need to go on and read some of the rule book again. I don't remember the Squad leader rules.

Squad and Squadron rules are in the Age of Rebellion GM kit. very very handy, in fact i think of the 3 GM kits AoR is the one to get.

I'm going to mostly disagree with what was suggested above.

"Crank up the difficulty" is likely to have a contrary effect - the players will conclude that they need to be even better at combat to stand a chance; even conceptually non-combat characters may end up heading down the combat monster path out of a sense of survival.

Rather than making opponents more powerful or constantly putting the PCs in crippling situations, realize from the get-go that "two sides shoot/swing at each other until one falls over" is both boring and results in a straightforward "have better stats than they do" game. Leave the difficulty where it is - minions are MEANT to be mowed down in droves anyway - and don't throw fights at the PCs just to have fights; stage them only when the circumstances make the encounter interesting.

By that I mean there's something else to accomplish in the scene besides just shooting the opposition. ("We need to -*whatsit*- the -*thingamajig*- before -*bad thing happens!*-") The opponents are a hindrance to getting it done (or getting it done in time), but the PCs don't necessarily have to clear the area to get it done. This also has the advantage of giving non-combat characters purposeful things to do during the encounter, so they (and their players) will be more engaged with the situation.

Stepping back for a moment to something I should have said right off the bat:

Your not doing anything wrong.

In fact i would say that its important you get your toes wet before trying to tackle the complex scenes that this system can create. Your Players will enjoy easy combat for a little, you can slowly ramp things up, this will build tension nicely towards some kind of adventure ending scene. Its also important the group know this isn't DnD, there is no xp bonus for killing everything, sometimes running is the best option. Good luck.

More target groups than the # of attacks they can generate.

Reinforcements when things begin going badly.

Retreat when things begin going badly.

Environmental constraints. Few gun fights conveniently break out in gun ranges on sunny days. Think crowds of innocents, barrels of toxic explosive stuff, space, smoke/visual obscurants, etc.

If you aren't fighting the authorities they're likely going to show up in force and want to neutralize both sides.

A few Threats or Despairs and suddenly some of their poorly placed shots pissed off others who have joined the fight against them.

Ambush. It works. That's why everyone does it.

That's to challenge more. I agree their should be some plot behind fights and also remember, the heroes are supposed to win.

Keep in mind that the game is designed to favour offence and damage output by all parties. This keeps things from being static. It also means that it's a rare situation where the PCs can just stand there and take it, because the wound thresholds are relatively low compared to other games.

Unfortunately your players might now have the impression they can take on anyone, so they might not run when they should. This means you always have to be prepared for capture, and potential means of eventual escape.

I have to say i'm surprised a starting character can have a blaster rifle with pierce 4. I suggest to use a double despair to destroy it, that would reduce the problem (let the player find something equally cool but less OP).

With such combat prowess i suppose all the players are combat heavy specs, with serious weapons. Enforce logical rules: the police/stormtroopers seeing someone walk down the street with blaster rifle are gonna stop them and question them. If on civilized planets, rifles are most certainly illegal. Most cantinas won't let you in with that kind of weapons too. If the droid is combat droid, have NPC ask why it doesn't have a restraining bolt.

In general give the players an objective that they have to get so they have a reason not to draw out a fight, if they want something cinematic turn the fight into a chase after two or three rounds

And if all else fails bring in a speeder with an autoblaster on it (or a strafing TIE): starship scale weapons will make combat very deadly for your players, and make them run if they are smart. Thermal detonators are also a good idea.

Oh and do not, ever , let them jury rig an autofire weapon or they will become unstoppable.

<<Yoink>>

I'm going to reference "The List," a free online suggested worksheet from the Order66 podcast (to which I never listen):

A Quick Checklist for Solid Encounter Design in the Edge of the Empire RPG

1. Keep it LONG. Make sure your encounter area has room enough for 2 characters to be a Long Range Band from each other.

2. Versatile Success. Devise a way to complete the encounter without resorting to combat.

3. Cover. Crates, statues, machinery - be creative ! Put cover all over, next to wall and in open areas.

4. Elevation. Go for cinematic - but make sure it's accessible.

5. Creative Terrain. Spilled supplies, oil slicks, standing water, toxic sludge, fire, distorted gravity - make it memorable!

6, Skillful Action. Ensure combat skills aren't the only skills that can be used in combat. Leverage your encounter set pieces.

7. Triumphant Despair. Plan out possible Triumph and Despair results ahead of time, using unique qualities of the encounter area.

EDIT: Spelling

I'm going to reference "The List," a free online suggested worksheet

Do you have a link to the worksheet? I like it.

I'm going to reference "The List," a free online suggested worksheet

Do you have a link to the worksheet? I like it.

Bam! The LIst!

http://www.d20radio.com/content/The%20List.pdf

problem with the list.. players often don't look for a non-combat option even if they are losing.

problem with the list.. players often don't look for a non-combat option even if they are losing.

Fear Checks can send the message that PCs better start running.

There are two key principles that will help here:

1. Combat encounters don't need to be 100% focused on combat skills

2. Environmental factors of the setting can add additional challenges without ramping up the difficulty

I would also keep in mind that even mooks have their own self-interest at heart, so they're not going to just stand there and get shot. And of course, use The List as prescribed above.

I think the best thing to do is to put them into situations where even PCs know that combat is not the best solution, and even if they win, is just an obstacle in front of the real goal. My group recently ran from combat, which is one of the first times I've had that happen in an RPG, and it wasn't from a horde of Stormtroopers or Sith lords or even big nasty aliens. It was Campus Security at the University of Eriadu. They could have blasted their way out, sure. But they're surrounded by students, in a public place, in broad daylight. So two guys went sneaky while the other one made a break for it to draw their attention*. There was a quick elevator brawl, but that was it.

So give them situations like that. Give the combat monkey something to do, but there should be an objective. What are the players trying to accomplish? Sometimes they may need to go through the opposition, but they should usually be able to go around. Maybe they need to blast a guard station to free the Diplomat from the Detention Center. Maybe they're running through the streets of a city, trying to reach their ship, and bad guys are popping out everywhere. Blasting them certainly helps, but the primary concern is getting the hell out of Dodge. Maybe once they get there, BlasterMan needs to hold down the fort while the ship powers up. These are all places where the combat monkey gets to shine, but is contributing to the solution, not solving it all himself.

* He literally said, "Running from Campus police? Guys. I got this. All I have to do is loop around Freeborn Hall, sprint across the quad, go through the breezeway between the library and the drama department, then I can lose them in the Arboretum. Is there a hipster that I can hit with an orange to knock him off his bike? I know I don't have Ranged (Light), but I've done that from a 3rd story window, so I totally have that skill."

So give them situations like that. Give the combat monkey something to do, but there should be an objective. What are the players trying to accomplish? Sometimes they may need to go through the opposition, but they should usually be able to go around. Maybe they need to blast a guard station to free the Diplomat from the Detention Center. Maybe they're running through the streets of a city, trying to reach their ship, and bad guys are popping out everywhere. Blasting them certainly helps, but the primary concern is getting the hell out of Dodge. Maybe once they get there, BlasterMan needs to hold down the fort while the ship powers up. These are all places where the combat monkey gets to shine, but is contributing to the solution, not solving it all himself.

You bring up an excellent point: players make characters that they can play a certain way, and by golly, we should be catering to that if possible. While it seems difficult to include all player proclivities all the time, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to throw in at least a few.

You bring up an excellent point: players make characters that they can play a certain way, and by golly, we should be catering to that if possible. While it seems difficult to include all player proclivities all the time, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to throw in at least a few.

Exactly. If your PC's are a starfighter ace, a diplomat, a gun nut, and a Makashi Duelist, then you as a GM have been informed about what you need to include in your adventures. You need space battles, social interaction, hordes of Stormtroopers to blow away, and villainous Sith lords. A few of these encounters should be there for the character to show off how awesome he is. Let the Pilot fly circles around the enemy ships, shooting them down with ease. Let the Heavy stride out fearlessly into a hail of blaster fire, screaming "I am bulletproof!" while he mows down a dozen hapless mooks. They made Big **** Heroes, so let them be Heroic.

And then complicate things. Hit them in their weak spot sometimes. Or hit them in their strong spot really really hard.

You bring up an excellent point: players make characters that they can play a certain way, and by golly, we should be catering to that if possible. While it seems difficult to include all player proclivities all the time, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to throw in at least a few.

Exactly. If your PC's are a starfighter ace, a diplomat, a gun nut, and a Makashi Duelist, then you as a GM have been informed about what you need to include in your adventures. You need space battles, social interaction, hordes of Stormtroopers to blow away, and villainous Sith lords. A few of these encounters should be there for the character to show off how awesome he is. Let the Pilot fly circles around the enemy ships, shooting them down with ease. Let the Heavy stride out fearlessly into a hail of blaster fire, screaming "I am bulletproof!" while he mows down a dozen hapless mooks. They made Big **** Heroes, so let them be Heroic.

And then complicate things. Hit them in their weak spot sometimes. Or hit them in their strong spot really really hard.

The best part about this is that starship combat is already the weak spot for the Duelist, the guns nuts might have issues in social encounters, the ace might have have his weak spot in hails of blaster fire when there is no starship to protect his hide and while not unheard, it would be a rather rare sight to see the diplomat charming that Sith Lord into submission. So such a diverse group already sets their own weak points within their strong sides. All the GM needs to do is rise the challenge above what a single specialist character can do and you automatically get scenes which force some of the player characters to overcome their weakness and find strength.

The rules support this as well, starship combat is diverse with tons of options for non-pilots to gain advantages, from a scathing tirade over comlink, to hacking and spoofing enemy systems, to just manning the guns or other ships. And similar things go as well with the rest of the game, especially when you help either other with your characteristics or skills via the (skilled) assist maneuver as well.

edit: Grammar.

7. Triumphant Despair. Plan out possible Triumph and Despair results ahead of time, using unique qualities of the encounter area.

I've found the environmental set pieces fan supplement invaluable for this and have used it probably close to a dozen times to create my own custom threat/despair tables for various locations.

I have to say i'm surprised a starting character can have a blaster rifle with pierce 4. I suggest to use a double despair to destroy it, that would reduce the problem (let the player find something equally cool but less OP).

With such combat prowess i suppose all the players are combat heavy specs, with serious weapons. Enforce logical rules: the police/stormtroopers seeing someone walk down the street with blaster rifle are gonna stop them and question them. If on civilized planets, rifles are most certainly illegal. Most cantinas won't let you in with that kind of weapons too. If the droid is combat droid, have NPC ask why it doesn't have a restraining bolt.

In general give the players an objective that they have to get so they have a reason not to draw out a fight, if they want something cinematic turn the fight into a chase after two or three rounds

And if all else fails bring in a speeder with an autoblaster on it (or a strafing TIE): starship scale weapons will make combat very deadly for your players, and make them run if they are smart. Thermal detonators are also a good idea.

Oh and do not, ever , let them jury rig an autofire weapon or they will become unstoppable.

Well when he created his character he took on extra obligation. we have a group of three. everyone took +5 except him, who took +10, for 2,500 credits. With those credits he bought the Model 77, which is pierce 4, stun damage (which seems to be better in EVERY way, because nemesis usually have a lower strain than wound.) It only cost him one thousand something, which was way below his credits. That is basically all he bought, along with comlinks and other smaller gear pieces.It isn't restricted, so I really couldn't keep him from getting it.

Our group has 3 players:

Assassin Bounty hunter

Hired Gun Marauder

Explorer Archaeologist.

And He wants to just hang way back at long range. So I am kinda at a loss of what to do. Maybe make the Threats he generates to lower the maintenance on his rifle?

I guess I could make the fighting indoors. so he is within range. Maybe use threats to get rid of his aim maneuvers? Like he has to dodge the shot, or it takes away some of his concentration?

And He wants to just hang way back at long range.

Why does he get to camp? All you need are some "reinforcements" that are already at his position, or come up behind to box the group in.

Plenty of settings to tighten up range bands, that's easy.

stun damage (which seems to be better in EVERY way, because nemesis usually have a lower strain than wound.)

Only true if everyone is using stun damage, since otherwise the players are dividing their damage between two pools. Plus, there are various things that make you more resistant to stun.

And He wants to just hang way back at long range.

That's a perfectly valid thing for a sniper-style combatant to do; bear in mind that the character is rolling against a higher difficulty for the range, so it does come with an inherent tradeoff.

That said, yes, threats can effectively be used to counter aiming, not so much by denying maneuvers (although lots of threats can be spent for that IIRC) but by adding setbacks and/or allowing the target to gain a defensive benefit.