How would you run a scene where a sniper in the distance takes surprise shots at a player?

The PCs are in a building at long range and an enemy with a slugthrower is going to shoot. Would you do Vigilance checks opposed by the shooters ranks? Or just roll cool vs initiative as normal.

I think if the enemy has sufficiently succeeded on a stealth check, their first attack should be without using the initative system. Right afterwards is when initiative should be rolled. In terms of keeping the adversary hidden among everything, have them stationed far away (extreme range) and have a lot of area the sniper can cover (hop to different buildings, hide behind various things on the rooftops). This is because the players could likely trace where the blaster bolt came from or what direction the slug was fired from. If the players want to pinpoint exactly where the NPC is, they might eventually do so, so maybe even throw in some sort of stealth suit for the sniper. Once the PCs get close enough, say, medium range, have the sniping stop. When they reach the target, there is no one to be found (realistically, a sniper would not stay to get caught, they would take some shots and then run).

If you intend to give the players a chance to actually catch up with the sniper, maybe when they get to the rooftop or whatever, they spot the sniper on another roof, so they then have to give chase.

As far as the skill to use with initiative, Vigilance is appropriate. For spotting the sniper, it would be an opposed perception vs the target's stealth to follow the sounds/blaster bolts back to the source and pinpoint the exact location among the buildings. (probably toss in some setback due to the sound waves bouncing off other buildings and creating an echo).

How much distance are we talking here? 300m away for example is a decent, if slightly short range for a sniper with a good weapon (in current times) which if using the proper round and getting a good hit, would result in a solid kill. The recipient and their comrades would never know where the shot came from aside the general direction.

The point of the sniper is to not be seen and be able to kill without getting caught. I've been trying to figure out how to do this one too for an upcoming thing and don't really make it much of anywhere due to the fact they're likely 500 meters plus away from the team. At best someone with an active sense might detect them before the trigger is squeezed but that assumes you have a force user in the party or some kind of lifeform scanner which would alert the team that something isn't quite right.

I just assign a difficulty to the ambushees initiative roll and handle it all with one dice pool.

Cool for the sniper initiative, with boosts/upgrades for being in a prepared position. If it's a player sniping these boost/upgrades come from the results of a stealth check with a difficulty based on the environment.

What or rather who is the sniper's target?

If it was me and it was a new group I'd have the sniper take out whoever they're interrogating drawing the attention of an imperial patrol to their location.

So any return fire draws imperial attention and the sniper sneaks off with only the PCs aware of what happened.

Would they attempt to track them down?

Would their further investigation into why they shot their prisoner maybe making them next on the hit list?

Otherwise I agree with the above.

Do they have any reason to suspect the sniper's presence?

If no then a free shot for the sniper then normal initiative except unless prepared they certainly won't be able to shoot back and as stated a sniper won't stick around without backup so maybe they're drawn into an ambush on top of being sniper at!

Handled right this could be the Boba Fett of your campaign setting!

The bright side is that, after the initial shot--maybe few shots--the characters in the building likely have a lot of great cover they can use. The drama can be found in trying to risk coming out of that cover to aid a hit comrade (Move can easily remove this drama). In any event, the shooting can probably be followed by an investigation or a chase, depending on how closely the characters can get to the site of the sniper.

I just assign a difficulty to the ambushees initiative roll and handle it all with one dice pool.

Like opposed by the ambushers stealth, for example.

The sniper is aiming for the informant, he's wanted dead or alive. I'm thinking that I'll do a Vigilance opposed by his ranged heavy, since they have no reason to expect an attack.

They'll have maybe two rounds find the information in his home and get out of there before more trouble arrives.

There will be a chase and possibly some medicine checks if they try and save the target.

Thank you for your creative assistance!

Is the informant an NPC? If so, then the shot goes off and the informant either lives or dies (or is just wounded) as your plot dictates. Then proceed from there. If you decide the informant is to die but you want to allow the PCs an opportunity to stop prevent that, then give them a very difficult Vigilance check beforehand, say, Daunting. Even upgrade it once or twice because one of them could be accidentally shot while pushing the informant out of the way.

I posed a similar question here. Some additional insight for you.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/237256-hidden-sniper-free-shot/

Cool vs Vigilance. With the sniper getting a couple of boosts on the cool check.. or using stealth against a players vigilance. if the PC get initiative they see the spotting laser. a professional sniper is always going to win, which is too much like a GM fiat. have a nearby mook get killed, or let them react to the spotting laser

Laser? No self respecting sniper would use a laser for that exact reason. Scope because it magnifies.

If you REALLY want to up the ante OP, run wind in game. THAT can have a serious effect on a long range shot up to and including the ability to wrap a bullet around a wall at a long enough distance.

I just assign a difficulty to the ambushees initiative roll and handle it all with one dice pool.

Like opposed by the ambushers stealth, for example.

Sure, works for me.

In general I like handling it this way as it provides more motivation to raise initiative skills. It increases the attractiveness of Talents like Rapid Reaction and Uncanny Reactions also.

I feel like if your attacker is at extreme range and you have no reason to expect it then a Vigilance or even perception check to notice is not appropriate. Once the first shot is fired then, yes. After that will come initiative for any survivors.

Perception checks will have setbacks and challenge dice!

Though I'm equally tempted to use the side winder from the Dangerous Covenants book.

I’ve done the hidden sniper thing in a game. Only in this case, the targets were already in combat. They just couldn’t see the sniper (who was at Extreme range). IIRC, I did have them make rolls to spot him, and they failed.

Fortunately for them, the sniper didn’t want to kill them. He just wanted to whittle them down, bit by bit. He started by going after some of their technology.

Do you know how hard it is to destroy a lightsaber? Now, normally that wouldn’t be a target of mine, but this character had three of them, and he definitely didn’t need the one that had been recovered from one of the Emperor’s clones.

But a successful hit with three Triumphs? Yeah, that’ll destroy even a lightsaber. And this sniper knew they were Jedi, and was specially trained in taking Jedi down. So, he would know what to go after.

When the player asked how that lightsaber could be destroyed, seeing as it was packed in the backpack, I told him that I didn’t know it was in the backpack. So, I gave him a choice — either that one could be destroyed, or one of the other two that were normally kept on his belt could be destroyed, but the choice was up to him. He decided to keep the other two.

Beware of snipers using missile tubes...

I’ve done the hidden sniper thing in a game. Only in this case, the targets were already in combat. They just couldn’t see the sniper (who was at Extreme range). IIRC, I did have them make rolls to spot him, and they failed.

This is essentially how I use snipers. It adds some distance to the encounter.

I sometimes run snipers as a hazard. Once spotted and approached, they will just make a break for it.

I feel like if your attacker is at extreme range and you have no reason to expect it then a Vigilance or even perception check to notice is not appropriate. Once the first shot is fired then, yes. After that will come initiative for any survivors.

Perception checks will have setbacks and challenge dice!

Yah, to carry my way forward if people want that much dice rolling or granularity.

You have the sniper roll their Simple Cool check. The PCs roll Vigilance against difficulty, you want it to be created by some dice generated by the sniper, that's fine, you want it to be just a base difficulty, that's fine too. Point being the PCs are real likely to fail and/or roll badly unless someone has put the effort into their Peter Parker Skills/Talents, which is good for that PC and allows them to shine.

Any PCs that succeed on the initiative check spot the sniper's location. Doesn't matter if they go after the sniper in the initiative order, just as long as they succeed they see where the shot came from. Any PCs that fail, their first Action needs to be a Perception check to spot the sniper, those PCs that saw him can shout and point, and add Boost as applicable if you like.

I've not run this situation yet - am planning to at some point - and I think I'd do the following.

The sniper rolls his Initiative (Cool) as normal. If s/he's not got a seriously impressive Cool roll (minimum of YYG, preferably more like YYGG or YYYG) then s/he's not talented enough to be a sniper.

The PCs roll their Initiative (Vigilance). However, if the sniper is deliberately hidden, they must roll their Initiative as an Opposed Check against the sniper's Stealth. Setback dice might be added if the sniper is at long/extreme range (which I assume is the case), or if it's chucking it down with rain, or if they have found good place to hide (like on a clifftop covered in bushes).

The result? Likely to be that the Sniper goes first - logical - but it gives any PCs who have good Vigilance (and/or who have taken the Heightened Awareness, Natural Hunter, Rapid Reaction, or Uncanny Reactions talents) a chance of spotting the glint of sunlight on a rifle barrel, or the unnatural rustle of movement in the trees, or simply demonstrating Jedi-like reactions as they move even as the sniper fires. And, of course, there's always the chance - no matter what the pool - that the sniper will roll blanks on all their dice, as they accidentally fire before being prepared and a blaster bolt zings off into the distance.

Some of this has already been covered, but I asked almost the same questions a few months back. You can check out the thread HERE .

Laser? No self respecting sniper would use a laser for that exact reason. Scope because it magnifies.

If you REALLY want to up the ante OP, run wind in game. THAT can have a serious effect on a long range shot up to and including the ability to wrap a bullet around a wall at a long enough distance.

Spotting laser is an easy trope to use, so that it does not turn into a GM fiat and TPK

One of my players and I are ex-military, tropes don't work.

How much distance are we talking here? 300m away for example is a decent, if slightly short range for a sniper with a good weapon (in current times) which if using the proper round and getting a good hit, would result in a solid kill.

300m is the engagement range of a number of modern assault rifles. A "sniper" is going to want to be much further away, say 500-700m, in order to maximise both the escape time and the chance for a second shot.

I'd have the players roll initiative as usual. Perhaps the first of the sniper's shots missed, hit a wall, BAM, you're in initiative order with no idea what actions or manoeuvres to take in order to prevent a second shot. Then it would be a matter of Perception v. Stealth, et al, to find the sniper (who'd be at extreme range).

As Edwarddavern said:

If you want really strong ambushes than let make the sniper a simple cool check, while the PCs roll vigilance against stealth from the sniper. That's an ugly disadvantage. Doubt that the players will happy about it. ;-)

Works rather well within the spirit of the game.