2 hours ago, P-Dub663 said:

You can make your NPCs whatever you wish them to be. Even using the NPC Cards published by FFG will give you what you need.

I personally use base human stats and train one skill for them. Then every 5 troopers works as a group of minions for the PCs. We ran our first encounter last night with some Rebel trooper NPCs, and they did just fine.

A slicer might be 2-2-2-2-2-2 with computers 1

A thug would be 2-2-2-2-2-2 with brawl 1 or melee 1

What are your thoughts about my critique?

On 6/29/2017 at 11:06 AM, Sarone said:

Good job with this. Just curious, have you consulted with any military veterans on this? I have not.

I have included some recommendations and ideas in case you want to use them. Hopefully this becomes helpful for you.

For power generation:

Hydro-electric power should be available, as well. It would be reliant on running water, either above or below ground. This is certainly an option to include. The base my party is at is in a mountain that has no running water nearby.

Coal/Fuel based generators should also be considered, especially in places that lack technology and other renewable forms of power. Microfusion power generators are the "basic generator" in the Star Wars universe. Even on Tattooine they were common place. I chose not to include them because of the exhaust issue. If they were outside, they would be easily detectable via visual or thermal imaging. Microfusion generators, on the other hand, can be kept in the same room they are being used in.

Basic Facilities:

Hydroponics bay should also provide a morale boost or two. Not only would the food be fresher, but having a green space can be a place for meditation and comfort. An interesting idea. I purposely kept morale boosts to a minimum because each morale point equates to a blue die added to the dice pool for the base's NPCs. They already have 2 available (Cantina & Sauna). Adding in other blue dice from workshops, tool kits, droids, etc and that basic rebel trooper could have 6 blue dice in his pool before making a mechanics check which seems a bit OP to me.

Research area- like the version in the official books, a research area can be useful for a base. I'm putting it as a catch-all, but a research area will be dedicated to one specific skill area. Multiple research areas could stack, giving a better bonus for specialized topics, or be focused on wide range of information- This needs to be fleshed out more. I was thinking along these lines as well, but I wasn't sure what you would do in a "research area" that you couldn't do in an already existing location. The Advanced Medical Facility would be for biological / chemical research. The workshop would be for mechanical research. Holonet access would be available for any research needing a computer. The Meditation Chamber is for Force-based / Jedi research. What would the research room be used for?

Minor Landing area/platform- Unlike the Hangar, this is an open air that is "outside". The biggest restriction is securing the area, but the trade off is that larger vehicles can land. To me, this should be ranked from 1, which represents fused earth/cleared field to ones used by various civilized planets for the large cargo liners and such. More the military, these tend to be small enough to avoid detection or dismissed as too small to hinder an operation. The party is currently using a field to land their ships until they complete the hangars and garages. However, having something that could accommodate a star destroyer or bulk freighter seems... excessive, if not outright a blatant signal to the base's location. It would be a viable option to include for Imperial bases, though, if one were to run an Imperial campaign.

Core Server (Light)- A more specialized version of the Computer core, Core Servers are used to compile and coordinate information on a few topics. Usually, it is assigned to specific rooms that share a common theme (logistics, personnel, research, communication, and so on). I don't see the point in this when a computer core would link everything.

Major Expansions

Hydroponics Farm/facility- A larger version of the hydroponics bay, this is intended to provide long term sustenance. Some facilities are also used for export, especially items that are hard to find or extinct. I like this idea from the standpoint of being able to feed a larger group of people. The base we are currently building already has 3 hydroponic bays and we're noticing that as the base continues to grow, an entire level would be nothing but food. Maybe this could be a catalyst for moving the rebel cell to a new location? I've often wondered how the Rebellion keeps their people fed when they are living on Hoth or Yavin 4.

Major Landing Area/Platform- Same as the Minor version, including the facility rank, a Major trades off concealment for capacity.

Training range- The bigger cousin to a practice range, the training range is for vehicles and unit training. Has to be specifically designated for a unit type (troop, ground vehicle, artillery, and air vehicle). This boosts a facilities defense as it represents unit being extremely familiar with the terrain as well as provide a decoy for an invading force. Again, this would attract a lot of attention from the Empire. When I think about the Rebellion, I think of small cells that focus on one planet or one sector. They're essentially domestic terrorists trying to overthrow the "rightful" government. Having a few square kilometers reserved for artillery practice seems excessive.

My responses in RED

10 hours ago, P-Dub663 said:

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 2:06 PM, Sarone said:

Good job with this. Just curious, have you consulted with any military veterans on this? I have not. I'm a United States Army Veteran.

I have included some recommendations and ideas in case you want to use them. Hopefully this becomes helpful for you.

For power generation:

Hydro-electric power should be available, as well. It would be reliant on running water, either above or below ground. This is certainly an option to include. The base my party is at is in a mountain that has no running water nearby. Makes sense why it never came up, then.

Coal/Fuel based generators should also be considered, especially in places that lack technology and other renewable forms of power. Microfusion power generators are the "basic generator" in the Star Wars universe. Even on Tattooine they were common place. I chose not to include them because of the exhaust issue. If they were outside, they would be easily detectable via visual or thermal imaging. Microfusion generators, on the other hand, can be kept in the same room they are being used in. True. I guess part of me wants to make the mfg less ubiquitous and to make the other power options viable. I don't feel that having every room/facility have its own mfg when the lore has it otherwise.

Basic Facilities:

Hydroponics bay should also provide a morale boost or two. Not only would the food be fresher, but having a green space can be a place for meditation and comfort. An interesting idea. I purposely kept morale boosts to a minimum because each morale point equates to a blue die added to the dice pool for the base's NPCs. They already have 2 available (Cantina & Sauna). Adding in other blue dice from workshops, tool kits, droids, etc and that basic rebel trooper could have 6 blue dice in his pool before making a mechanics check which seems a bit OP to me. I'll add another slot in the end about morale. But right off the bat, I figured morale would only be used for combat as well as negate some drawbacks for having a base without certain amenities. This actually might be a game mechanic as well.

Research area- like the version in the official books, a research area can be useful for a base. I'm putting it as a catch-all, but a research area will be dedicated to one specific skill area. Multiple research areas could stack, giving a better bonus for specialized topics, or be focused on wide range of information- This needs to be fleshed out more. I was thinking along these lines as well, but I wasn't sure what you would do in a "research area" that you couldn't do in an already existing location. The Advanced Medical Facility would be for biological / chemical research. The workshop would be for mechanical research. Holonet access would be available for any research needing a computer. The Meditation Chamber is for Force-based / Jedi research. What would the research room be used for? Right off the bat, a research area allows various characters access to a skill without tying up a useful area. While a healer could research in medical ward, there would be distractions going on. In addition, it can represent places where staff go to take a break as well as relax. After all, it is probably much easier to study a blue print to a vehicle somewhere quiet than in the mechanics bay.

Minor Landing area/platform- Unlike the Hangar, this is an open air that is "outside". The biggest restriction is securing the area, but the trade off is that larger vehicles can land. To me, this should be ranked from 1, which represents fused earth/cleared field to ones used by various civilized planets for the large cargo liners and such. More the military, these tend to be small enough to avoid detection or dismissed as too small to hinder an operation. The party is currently using a field to land their ships until they complete the hangars and garages. However, having something that could accommodate a star destroyer or bulk freighter seems... excessive, if not outright a blatant signal to the base's location. It would be a viable option to include for Imperial bases, though, if one were to run an Imperial campaign. I would have to disagree. Being able to field bigger vessels and help support them would indicate that the Imperials already know of their location, or at least the planet. However, at this level, this would be akin to the air fields used by the British during World War 2. Large enough for maybe a dozen fighters and support vehicles, but small enough and usually camouflaged enough to either avoid scrutiny or being an active target.

Core Server (Light)- A more specialized version of the Computer core, Core Servers are used to compile and coordinate information on a few topics. Usually, it is assigned to specific rooms that share a common theme (logistics, personnel, research, communication, and so on). I don't see the point in this when a computer core would link everything. First: The Core is looking at the entire base. The Server is used for a specific area and is extremely specialized. Second: It allows segregation of data and prevents a hacker/slicer from breaching the entire network unless they have serious credentials. Third: It allows it to act as a backup in situations where the Core will not or can not be used. Usually that is when it gets destroyed.

Major Expansions

Hydroponics Farm/facility- A larger version of the hydroponics bay, this is intended to provide long term sustenance. Some facilities are also used for export, especially items that are hard to find or extinct. I like this idea from the standpoint of being able to feed a larger group of people. The base we are currently building already has 3 hydroponic bays and we're noticing that as the base continues to grow, an entire level would be nothing but food. Maybe this could be a catalyst for moving the rebel cell to a new location? I've often wondered how the Rebellion keeps their people fed when they are living on Hoth or Yavin 4. This is more a morale and economic/trade mechanic. At this level, this would probably define what the base/facility is. In addition, it can be used to help increase a base population.

Major Landing Area/Platform- Same as the Minor version, including the facility rank, a Major trades off concealment for capacity. This would be the one that Star Destroyers and bulk freighters would use. At this level, it is almost impossible to hide what the base is unless it was "disguised" as a space port. The trade off, though, is that bigger vessels can be serviced, repaired, and possibly built.

Training range- The bigger cousin to a practice range, the training range is for vehicles and unit training. Has to be specifically designated for a unit type (troop, ground vehicle, artillery, and air vehicle). This boosts a facilities defense as it represents unit being extremely familiar with the terrain as well as provide a decoy for an invading force. Again, this would attract a lot of attention from the Empire. When I think about the Rebellion, I think of small cells that focus on one planet or one sector. They're essentially domestic terrorists trying to overthrow the "rightful" government. Having a few square kilometers reserved for artillery practice seems excessive. Um, the Rebellion does defeat the Empire and becomes the New Republic. Even before that, the design and implementation of training facilities such as this is not uncommon. Check out the Rogue Squadron books, since parts of a few books take place on training bases. In addition, there are plenty of planets who brought in their own militaries/militias when it becomes clear to them that supporting the rebellion isn't planetary suicide. Finally, while the artillery part might be a bit much

My responses in RED

My Responses in Blue

Ok, now that my responses are logged, I think that there might be a few more game mechanics added before additional facilities/rooms/Levels are added.

Imperial detection: As seen in Empire Strikes Back, rebel bases will get detected. Depending on time frame, the base can either be logged for later missions or get attacked at the first chance. Smaller bases usually will avoid detection, but a successful group will quickly see themselves being hunted. As such, the base will dictate the battlefield and type of mission the Empire might use to attack with.

Personnel: The manpower of the base, this will indicate how many people are on site. In addition, depending on the type of facilities being used, specialists such as mechanics and doctors might be brought in to help the base out and provide additional services and support. Two big limiting factors for the base are supplies and quarters. Having too few personnel, especially for critical activities and missions, can add setback dice to an NPC's combat check to represent the heavy workload.

Supplies: Divided into different resources, the two biggest are parts and consumables, specifically food and ammunition. Supplies either have to made on site or acquired from else where.

Quarters: This details how many people can stay on a base. There various levels, ranging from sparse population to overcrowded. Having too may people and not enough space can also add setback dice due to the overcrowded situation and strain on resources.

Morale: A sliding scale, morale can go from terrible to great. This can be used either as grand sum of boost and setback dice or as a way to neutralize various dice. This also represents how committed the troops are to the cause should the Empire attack.

Hopefully my responses come off good. While the argument could be made that the Rebellion wants to keep bases small, that isn't always the case. Especially on planets that are either known to be rebellious or are unknown to the Empire.

Very interesting X-COM base building ideas, keep us posted with more details.

What I have not read much of is, how is the base designed to avoid detection, what security protocols do the PCs and staff implement to keep the location (and movement of cargo/supplies/materials ) secret and what are the defenses for when it IS detected.

10 minutes ago, Giorgio said:

Very interesting X-COM base building ideas, keep us posted with more details.

What I have not read much of is, how is the base designed to avoid detection, what security protocols do the PCs and staff implement to keep the location (and movement of cargo/supplies/materials ) secret and what are the defenses for when it IS detected.

The base itself is bored into the side of a mountain of a backwater planet. The planet itself was the site of a large conflict which nearly eliminated the entire population during one of the Sith wars. The two major populations on the planet are comprised of the stone-age natives and a small contingent of the Mining Guild who use droids to near exclusion. Spaceflight is limited to one ship per week which is piloted by an NPC who makes contact with her Rebellion asset. There are no holonet connections nor any satellites in orbit to allow for off-world communications. Food is grown locally and supplies are scavenged from the planet's surface by small scouting parties.

Currently the party is relying on stealth to avoid detection. They have the option to build defenses for their base such as shield generators, a trench network, anti personnel / anti vehicle / anti aircraft defenses however, those all require resources, power and certain components to construct. There is also the option to employ sensor nets on a local, planetary and system sized scale. Again, this would require manpower, electricity and components to construct and deploy.

P-Dub663,

Sounds like your players are playing it safe, by relaying on not been found (its is a HUGE galaxy out there) and keeping it low key, giving no reason to draw the Empires attention.

Building defenses great than "just need a few minutes to evacuate" is counter productive, because unless the PCs can turn the planet and system into a "Fortress World" the Empire can draw on a virtually unlimited amount of naval and ground forces to overwhelm any fixed defenses.

2 hours ago, Giorgio said:

P-Dub663,

Sounds like your players are playing it safe, by relaying on not been found (its is a HUGE galaxy out there) and keeping it low key, giving no reason to draw the Empires attention.

Building defenses great than "just need a few minutes to evacuate" is counter productive, because unless the PCs can turn the planet and system into a "Fortress World" the Empire can draw on a virtually unlimited amount of naval and ground forces to overwhelm any fixed defenses.

My players had this very discussion on Sunday evening before the session started. One player was concerned about the complete lack of defenses while two other players were more focused on remaining concealed and having an early warning detection system in place. It's a lot of fun watching them hash things out while I'm taking notes on how these decision will spawn new adventures for the group.

As luck would have it one of the scouting parties stumbled across an old capital ship that crashed during the last war. I think they'll salvage an old computer core from the wreckage and spend some time rebuilding it. Still trying to decide which ship they found. I'm thinking it will be one of the predecessors to the Victory-class Star Destroyer.

6 minutes ago, P-Dub663 said:

As luck would have it one of the scouting parties stumbled across an old capital ship that crashed during the last war. I think they'll salvage an old computer core from the wreckage and spend some time rebuilding it. Still trying to decide which ship they found. I'm thinking it will be one of the predecessors to the Victory-class Star Destroyer.

Arquitens-class light cruiser

Acclamator-class assault ship

Venator-class Star Destroyer

All are good choices, depending on the needs of your campaign, and widely fielded before the Victory I entered production.

On 7/10/2017 at 1:41 PM, P-Dub663 said:

You can make your NPCs whatever you wish them to be. Even using the NPC Cards published by FFG will give you what you need.

I personally use base human stats and train one skill for them. Then every 5 troopers works as a group of minions for the PCs. We ran our first encounter last night with some Rebel trooper NPCs, and they did just fine.

A slicer might be 2-2-2-2-2-2 with computers 1

A thug would be 2-2-2-2-2-2 with brawl 1 or melee 1

Most of the template humans are either 2-2-2-2-2-2 or 3-2-2-2-2-2, with the 3 in attribute for the key skill(s). Non-humans use the racial stats, again, sometimes with a +1.

Keep in mind, in terms of overall successes, 3-2-2-2-2-2 skill 1 is better in field than 2-2-2-2-2-2 skill 2, but less less likely to get triumphs.

Minions tend to halve 4,5, or 6 WT; This seems to correspond with starting WT as half, round down...