Happy Monday, my fellow gamers.

I have a quick question. I'm reading through the first adventure that I'm taking my players through. As I'm reading, I get to the sectino about the stormtroopers being elite and encouraging my players for just run away. Unfortunately, the section doesn't really say what it means to "run from a fight". What have you guys done to make this an "event"? I don't want this to be something like:

Players: We turn and run!!!
GM: So, you ran from the squad of Stormtroopers. What would you like to do next?

Suggestions?

When running the beginner box for my players, they also chose to run. I boiled it down to have them describe how they were getting away and have them roll the appropriate skill.

For example, a player can describe their marauder as turning down an alley and hopping over a fence at the end. That sounds like an athletics check to me.

If I recall. I went around the table and had each player describe to me in turn how their character was helping the group escape from the stormies. After each skill check, I translated the dice results and player it out as a pseudo skill challenge similar to DnD 4e and SW:SE.

Edit: Alternatively you can roll up initiative and with each PCs initaitive slot have them escape using whatever skills they wish.

I had the troopers take a shot at them before they "Ran away". Blowing up a nearby GONK droid and creating an explosion. Which would have alerted everyone in the town where they were.

Just describe they scene as they run to the docking bay, people getting out of thier way, the distant sound of trooper armor echoing through the streets, maybe even a TIE fighter ion engine roar overhead. The whole idea is to increase the tension and excitement

My problem was my players were thinking of fixing the HDMI before even taking off, and were not in too much of a hurry to leave.

Sometimes you can turn it into a chase scene as well if you think the players would be up for it ... because it takes some pretty good narrating as they describe the action. For example it could look like this:

Sometimes you can turn it into a chase scene as well if you think the players would be up for it ... because it takes some pretty good narrating as they describe the action. For example it could look like this:

The heroes all start out at Medium range from the Stromtroopers as they catch sight of them, however, if they try to run away make an Easy Athletics check (or Average, Hard, Easy with a Setback, etc., whatever you as the GM want to make it), failing the check and the heroes lose ground by 1 Range (i.e -- the Stormtroopers get closer); passing he check and the heroes extend their distance by 1 Range. If they ever get Engaged with Stormtroopers, the pursuit ends and they are either captures or a battle ensues (again, depending on the GM). If they get to Extreme Range and succeed on a check then they lose the Stormtroopers for good.

In this case, you could have all the heroes roll to see how they do, in which case, 1 or more may get caught up with and the players would have some decisions to make ... however, it does lead to a lot of rolling if all of you can get into making this into that kind of scene. Or, you could have the player with the worst of the Athletics roll as he'd be the most likely to fail. Another way could be just to have them roll once and end it on a pass or fail ... either get away clean or stand and fight. If you opt for the chase you could even mix in some decisions for the Stormtroopers ... for example, if the Stormtroopers get to within Short Range, maybe they fire at them instead of chasing on that turn if they can still see them, letting them automatically get to Medium Range before the next roll.

So as you can see, a scene like this gives you many options. ... but like yourself, I don't scenes that would normally include action to end up being boring, so I try to include things like this to add to their plight.

This sounds like a good approach. Make it a series of skill checks. If they pass the skill check, they gain distance, if they fail, they lose distance.

If you roll advantage, then the player has noticed something he can use in the chase, like tipping over a stack of crates behind them to slow the pursuers (boost die on ally, or setback on pursuer). If they roll threat, then on their next check they get a setback die because there's a crowd of people up ahead and maybe they get slowed down.

Or, if threat is rolled, they're faced with a fence they have to use a different kind of check (coordination or something) to get over.

Lots of opportunity for creativity here. Players could fire their blaster, making passerbys freak out and run, tripping up the stormies. An ally could be blocked off, so they need to jump over a fence. Tip over crates, shoot a dewback, causing it to stampede. Roll a threat, and the locals call out your position, allowing the stormies to gain distance. Whatever you can think of.

Think, Bourne movie chase through alleyways lol. It doesn't have to go too long, 4 rounds maybe, i dunno.

I've had PC's turn and fight, I've had 'em run, I've had 41-Vex suicide run a squad in the way (which failed spectacularly).

I try to make the "stand and fights" fluid, with two squads leap frogging each other, using cover (hard and soft). Maybe a few trying to work their way around the PC's to get a shot at their rear.

I made the "run away!" into an ongoing athletics vs. athletics check. Even had the storm troopers chase the PC's into the hangar only to have the players get control of the Fang and turn the ships guns on them!

So many ways to play out the storm trooper encounter...

They say they want to run, you ask for more info...where are they running to? Whats the plan? The town isn't big enough to just keep running.

Show them the map and indicate where the troopers are, let them decide where to run to.

Do they try to just outrun them? Athletics (speed) check and resilience (stamina) if they don't try something tricky soon.

Take a corner and dive into a random building? Athletics (make sure no one stumbles taking the sharp corner), and stealth (to hide from the troopers) both of which could be easy rolls. But after the troopers wander by a group of thugs show back up to their barracks to find you hiding under their bunks! Combat with easier foes than the troopers.

Or maybe you broke into someone's home to hide and now you have to deal with them. Bribe them to let you hide there, or threaten their lives?

My players ran across the bridge to shanty town. They made some successful athletic checks to stay ahead of the troopers, and to cross the bridge (rickety) and rolled so well that the troopers decided not to follow, but they staked out that side of the bridge. The Imps didn't know there was another bridge out of shantytown, and the players had a short time to plan something before the troopers figured it out and posted guards there too. They made a perception check to notice that the 2nd squad was moving in the opposite direction of the other bridge, so they made a quick dash to the other bridge and crossed it. They bribed a begger to tell the troopers that no one had recently crossed the bridge (if bothered by the troopers), and they hid out until a patrol passed on it's way to the bridge. They figured at that point the Imps were so pre-occupied with shanty town that they were less likely to be spotted.

These are really great ideas! Thank you so much for all of your input. We shall see which route the crew takes tonight. At least I feel a little more prepared going into this. No telling what these guys will spring on me anyway...lol.

My GM had the encounter setup by the water tower. My character wanted to find a weak spot in the tower to send the stormtroopers swimming away. Sadly, I failed my perception check and was one-shotted as I tried to run away. We as a group eventually escaped as the wookie carried me to saftey.

In one case I had a player's run from Imperial troops (Army, not stormtroopers) -- in particular, their incompetence at running him down -- "inspire" civilian witnesses and leading to rioting in CoCo Town, Imperial Center, in the wake of the Death Star's destruction.

I've been thinking a lot about fleeing lately. Here is the problem I would have with my group.

My group is always willing to stand and fight, because most encounters (especially in d&D) seemed to be designed in such a way where the players have a good chance of winning.

It seems to me a couple of Stormtroopers isn't enough to get the players to run. Other than throwing a crap ton of enemies at them and blatantly telling the players (as GM) that it may be in their best interests to run, how else can the players be "encouraged" to run so that you can set up a good chase scene.

Think of, like, the Bourne movies. Bourne runs across rooftops from like, 3 guys. But in this game, 3 guys aren't enough to get a group of players to flee. Heck, even 6 storm troopers in 2 minion groups didn't give them much pause.

I've been thinking a lot about fleeing lately. Here is the problem I would have with my group.

My group is always willing to stand and fight, because most encounters (especially in d&D) seemed to be designed in such a way where the players have a good chance of winning.

It seems to me a couple of Stormtroopers isn't enough to get the players to run. Other than throwing a crap ton of enemies at them and blatantly telling the players (as GM) that it may be in their best interests to run, how else can the players be "encouraged" to run so that you can set up a good chase scene.

Think of, like, the Bourne movies. Bourne runs across rooftops from like, 3 guys. But in this game, 3 guys aren't enough to get a group of players to flee. Heck, even 6 storm troopers in 2 minion groups didn't give them much pause.

You might need to consider mixing in some Rivals or even a Nemesis or two. For example, rather than having 2 Minion groups each with 6 Troopers, have those same Minions as personal guards to a couple Nemesis Crime Bosses who are meeting together, then, in addition to the Minions, they'll have to confront superior foes (you could even say that these particular Minions are a little better trained than the normal ones they face, so their wounds are a little higher, or they have 'X' talent).

Another option would be to use an Incidental or Maneuver (depending on your mood) to have one of the groups call in support, set off an alarm, etc. to give your players notice that they'll be several reinforcements on their way ... I suppose you could even "suggest" where they are coming from and that they group consider taking off before they get trapped.

Another option would be to use an Incidental or Maneuver (depending on your mood) to have one of the groups call in support, set off an alarm, etc. to give your players notice that they'll be several reinforcements on their way ... I suppose you could even "suggest" where they are coming from and that they group consider taking off before they get trapped.

I like this approach. one of my ideas was to keep spawning in minion groups (or adversaries, or whatever) as the group keeps killing them, hopeing they'll take the hint. However, then they'd start questioning and, in the interest of time, would probably straight up ask me if they are infinitely spawning.

But if the threat of more and more enemies is there (with an alarm or something), maybe that's enough to get them to make a break for it.

Another option would be to use an Incidental or Maneuver (depending on your mood) to have one of the groups call in support, set off an alarm, etc. to give your players notice that they'll be several reinforcements on their way ... I suppose you could even "suggest" where they are coming from and that they group consider taking off before they get trapped.

I like this approach. one of my ideas was to keep spawning in minion groups (or adversaries, or whatever) as the group keeps killing them, hopeing they'll take the hint. However, then they'd start questioning and, in the interest of time, would probably straight up ask me if they are infinitely spawning.

But if the threat of more and more enemies is there (with an alarm or something), maybe that's enough to get them to make a break for it.

Even then, if you find they want to stick it out (of course, this is depending on what location the battle is) ... but maybe they could hear the rumble of an armored vehicle or a Walker in the distance heading their way. If it's on a space station, maybe a Repulsor sled with a gunnery weapon (although you might need to make up the stats for it).

You definitely might need to nudge them to run by letting them know in some way that the stakes will be getting higher if they don't get out of there.