So, this had probably been discussed on another thread (if not more than one ) but...

How do people deal with Blockade Running? Is it a full on streak towards the Imperial ships & fight your way through or is it more of a cat & mouse sneak through the Imperial sensor net?

Both? It depends on how you as GM want to run that particular encounter, you could run it differently every single time.

Perhaps for one encounter your PC's talk their way through, using Charm and Deception.

Next time they are being chased through a fleet of capital ships chased by Ties while the Star Destroyers shoot at them occasionally. 3 Threat on a Piloting check results in a glancing blow from a Turbo Laser, it's a chase scene so speed and Piloting are key, the Ties just keep being replaced by more.

Another encounter could see the crew facing a single Star Destroyer. The crew need a certain number of turns to make the calculation for the jump, 10-Success on an Astrogation is a good suggestion I heard. The crew need to dodge/weave and repair the ship constantly, perhaps with a tie or 2 near the end. This is all about survival.

36 minutes ago, Richardbuxton said:

A nother encounter could see the crew facing a single Star Destroyer. The crew need a certain number of turns to make the calculation for the jump, 10-Success on an Astrogation is a good suggestion I heard. The crew need to dodge/weave and repair the ship constantly, perhaps with a tie or 2 near the end. This is all about survival.

Thanks for the response Richard, I did actually run an encounter similar to the one I've quoted from your post which was highly entertaining... & nearly took out the PC'S ship as it turned out

I'd like to run a stealth approach next time I think but still trying to work out how I'll deal with the Imperial sensors.... Think of maybe mapping out the areas that the Star Destroyer's sensors are scanning then have the PC's make computers checks to highlight the gaps left open along with pilot rolls to ensure they don't stray into sensor range.

That's decent. A debris field would make for good terrain in that instance, perhaps from a significant space battle.

Sneaking in amongst a convoy could be good too.

Love that idea... And the the idea of sneaking in behind a convoy reminds me of that mission to infiltrate the prison asteroid on the old Star Wars: Bounty Hunter game

1 hour ago, AceSolo5 said:

So, this had probably been discussed on another thread (if not more than one ) but...

How do people deal with Blockade Running? Is it a full on streak towards the Imperial ships & fight your way through or is it more of a cat & mouse sneak through the Imperial sensor net?

It will obviously vary depending on the excact situation, but my instinct is that it starts off as the latter (sensor jamming, flying casual, Stealth Checks, Deception Checks), and then escalates into the former (PUNCH IT) if they are detected.

It's all of the above. A blockade is the closure of a port. So sneak past, fight past, run past, whatever way feasible.

You can take a cue from historical blockade runners. There are plenty of available accounts of real-world blockade-running. In general, even though blockade runners were/are armed, no blockade running captain would ever want to risk capture/destruction by engaging in a stand-up firefight with a blockading naval vessel. Guns, ammunition, and extra armor are bulky and take up precious tonnage that could be used for carrying goods through the blockade (which is, after all, what blockade runners do. Its all about the $$$$$$!). Speed and stealth are the blockade runner's best friends. Historical blockade runners would try to sneak past blockading ships at night, if possible, and used tricks like smoke screens or false flags to get away if they were spotted. A good smuggling captain will also know all of the reefs, sand bars, and other obstacles in and near a port, and how to navigate through them. When all else fails: speed, speed, speed! A successful blockade runner will always be one of the fastest ships in the theatre. I'm sure you've heard of "fight or flight". Blockade runners and smugglers are flight animals. Any blockade runner will be heavily outgunned by even a modestly sized naval vessel. They should only be fighting as a last resort.

Translating that to Star Wars might mean leaving a planet on its night side (to avoid optical detection) and leaving from a desolate or unsettled area of the planet to minimize the chances of other ships or scanners detecting them. Signal jammers, false BOSS transmitters, and other electronic countermeasures should be mandatory on a blockade runner, which could allow them to make stealth rolls (or give them blue dice on those rolls, whatever works). Orbiting junk fields, container yards, or ring systems could provide cover to a ship making a break for it. Give your players some options to use. If they get spotted, their first instinct should be to flee, not fight. A harrowing escape through an orbiting container yard or minefield would make a cinematic and nail-biting encounter. I would have them engage mostly with enemy fighter patrols though. Keep the Customs frigate or Star Destroyer as a looming threat in the background, relentlessly chasing after them, but be careful about letting it get too close. Just like in real life, a Star Wars smuggler is no match for the big guns and boarding parties of a navy destroyer. If they do happen to get caught in a situation where they can't escape, there's always the "dump your cargo and play dumb" routine. That worked for Han Solo that one time. Well, sort of...

GM Spectre if I could "Really Like" that post I most certainly would Great advice, cheers!!!

Also loving the idea of an orbital container yard as well... For some reason I always struggle coming up with interesting terrain in space, that one has been added to the list!

A long time ago I wrote The Blockade Runner's Guide, a homebrew guide that detailed blockade running as a career and campaign theme. It has specifics about creating a blockade runner character, typical rivals/enemies, ships, contacts & associations, bases of ops, tactics/doctrine, and modes of operation. A segment of it was written by a former writer/editor from West End Games. I have contemplated raising my supplement website again and this would be on it. If anyone is interested in it, message me directly, I may be willing to draft it into a PDF.