Sector Ranger NPC....

[ZzaphodD]

I always liked the idea of the Sector Rangers and plan on having them track the PCs across the sector / galaxy. I want to creat a different kind of "arch-enemy" from the usual ruthless ISB agents.

This will basically be an 'honests but tough law-man' who tracks criminals (which happens to be the PCs) breaking the law...

Kordo Vakiir is a work-in-progress name Im using. Obvioulsy thinly veiled, but my players arent that bright.. A further hint: He will never-ever lose in a fist-fight. That will be scripted into the rules...

So, now. Im wondering if anyone else have used the Sector Rangers. How much of a threat do they pose to a (very) heavily armed PC group? How much authority do they have locally? What kind of forces can they stir up?

Any ideas of adventure hooks to use?
_________________
My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[jmanski]

I think that a pair of rangers would be dangerous, and a team of 4-6 would be lethal. As for the forces they could scrounge up- I'm sure they could get local law enforcement to join in on the fun and maybe deputize a few folks if you feel like it.

Don't forget the Roundhouse Kick?

Reasons for the Rangers to "investigate" the PCs:
1) PCs smuggled something that contains something else (like a case of weapons with an artifact in the bottom).
2) PCs angered someone with connections to the rangers and are falsely accused.
3) one of the PCs is on the lam and the Rangers are after him/her.
_________________
Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[lurker]

[ZzaphodD]

[vanir]

I remember how we used them, but can't remember what the official references, if any are for them. They've just been a staple in our games and inevitably wound up totally customised for our games.

We've always abstractly had Sector Rangers in our campaigns as the PC group almost always starts out as an independent borderline group in the Outer Rim, where the Empire's reach isn't comprehensive but there still has to be some kind of law enforcement in a star travelling environment to stop PCs from simply moving from planet to planet breaking laws and running from planetary security forces to the next world.
I learned this lesson with my first PC group when they ran around robbing every store in Tattooine as soon as they realised as a group they could outshoot and outfight pretty much any regular NPC already present, and escape off world before any seriously tough NPC reinforcements could be called in to take care of them. And it kills suspension of disbelief if you put Han Solos in every store they try to rob. My alternative, was the Sector Ranger, a name all my PCs in our games have come to fear.

Typically for NPCs we use an Imperial Hunter or Bounty Hunter template, our PCs recognise them by a common "space cowboy" uniform of a long overcoat with matte scout armour suit underneath (+1D vs physical/energy, no Dex penalty, covers torso, legs, arms). At a glance they look like any regular "spacer" but upon close examination the armour undergarment stands out as does the low slung heavy blaster and soldier's utility belt. They're retired career Hunters so have plenty of CPs to assign and good equipment, so make real tough hombres. I give them a sort of Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" feel in a spaghetti western, they outshoot anyone in a street gunfight (not geared for paramilitary operations however, for that other NPCs are used).

They flash "Sector Ranger" credentials and have similar authority to a bounty hunter working for the planetary security on contract/retainer, except they actually work for a conglomerate of local systems, a Sector based law enforcement group. Fairly informal, but they do have IPKC and local Hunters licensing for authoritive purposes and will always be supported by local security admins where they operate.

I sometimes place one on the tail of the PC group if they've been shooting up backwater worlds more than once, or pirate the wrong areas, that sort of thing. It's basically like running up against a veteran Bounty Hunter, so they are very tough, with tough ships, a battle droid backup, great, if concealable personal equipment (so they don't look out of place investigating in a canteena). High skills. Only a Han Solo would shrug his shoulders and not worry about one.

[vanir]

Just to add, for things like heavily armoured PC groups, which is another inevitable feature of our campaigns, I use house rules to level the playing field, things which people with high skills (ie. special NPCs) can take advantage of.

So for a heavy blaster bolt, I'll add a dice damage for "called shots" under certain conditions, eg. an aimed shot to the face at -1D MAP for the blaster shot itself at higher difficulty gives a +1D to the damage (6D with a heavy pistol isn't bad, and a lot of PCs don't wear helmets or have less armour rating on the helmet if they do).

I also make good use of concussive weapons, unless wearing environmentally sealed armour suit with a helmet, or the armour specifically mentions concussion resistance, concussion damage ignores armour (makes you bleed out your ears and nose). So concussion rifles and grenades work great against a lot of heavy armour...unless it's environmentally sealed like Stormtrooper armour.

My veteran hunters often carry unusual weapons, stun guns and neuroshock or toxin delivery weapons.

With relatively concealable weaponry, or at least not looking like a warhammer space marine going off to battle, smartly equipped hunters using house rules (or in this case, a sector ranger), can take apart even a very heavily equipped PC group, if they've got enough CP/skills to MAP heavily each round. That's what makes the real difference we found, we try to construct the game so that not much beats CP/skills when it all comes down to it.

[Lane Arroway]

I love the Sector Rangers. They exist in all prominent eras of star wars in one form or another. They are a major player in my current game. I even used chuck noris as a npc. "The name's Walker, Sector Ranger."
In that adventure the players needed to dive under water to Walker's ship and get a long range commlink. Inside they found excercise equipment and a woman's picture. In case your wondering it was a total gym and Christie Brinkley.
My group laughed so hard...
Next thing they knew sea troopers were exploring the ship. I described one of them was pinned by the total gym when the ship tilted. More laughter... My players suggested that the sea troopers were trying to steal the total gym. More laughter. By this time I almost forgot this was suppose to be serious.

Anyway, I use the Sector Rangers to patrol a sector of space with a heavy pirate presence.
_________________
"This job is 90% talking to people and 10% shooting at them."

[Jedi Skyler]

I also had a mental picture of Tommy Lee Jones from "US Marshals," with the team of operatives he commanded; throw them on a modified Corellian Corvette and you've got yourself a great mobile base. Modify it like Wraith Squadron did, replacing the escape pods with TIE fighters, and you have an extremely versatile platform from which they can operate.

[lurker]

[garhkal]

Well, though TLJ's team looked like 8-10 people total, he had to have support personnel, such as medics, armorers, comms people, computer people and such. Perhaps these sector rangers also get a corvette's worth of spacers as part of their staff.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!