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Dredwulf60
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Joined: 07 Jan 2016
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 Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 6:16 pm Post subject: Running blockades and Planetary patrols |
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My players have mostly been hauling some legitimate cargo while doing shadier jobs at the planets they stop at. What they have been trying to avoid is going through check-points with illegal goods and the punishments that come with it.
It's important to note that these characters are not professionals at this. They are learning as they go, their main stock in trade has been blasters for hire.
I've started using a system that can let them visually calculate their chances of slipping past planetary patrols.
I arrange the typical patrol vessels the planet has got within a box.
Over that I can superimpose a translucent matrix of 1-100.
The idea is that a percentile die is rolled. If that spot has a ship in it...they have attracted the attention of that ship, and will have to outrun/ outgun it while they try to make hyperspace.
If the percentile roll shows up as a blank space...they have slipped in or out of the system before there is a reaction by patrol, or even completely unnoticed.
The players can plan their egress using pilot and/ or smugglers tactics skills. If they roll better than 10, the box is larger. Better than 20 and it's larger still. Better than 30 and it's the largest.
They are free to move the superimposed grid however they want within the designated square before the percentile roll.
This allows them to manipulate the odds in their favor, by 'aiming' for a poorly patrolled gap or weighing the odds toward fighters or capital ships as they feel they have more advantage in escaping.
I'll post an image of what I'm talking about.
I'm fully aware this isn't something most people are going to want to do for their own game, but I'm kind of proud of it and it might spark someone else's imagination. |
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Dredwulf60
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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So here, as an example is the patrols around Planet Ordo.
A couple dreadnaughts and some gunstars of the sector rangers.
Beside is the matrix.
Here, below, we have the matrix superimposed in it's default location, if the captain got more than 10 on his roll.
Less than 10 result is an automatic entanglement with some kind of patrol.
Here, below is where the player captain might move the matrix, at his choice, if he got more than 20 on his rolls.
And here, below, is where the captain might choose to adjust the matrix if he got more than 30 on his rolls.
So, knowing this, when the players ship comes into orbit around Mandalore and it looks like this:
Then they know there is slim chance that they are going to be able to blast out of there without resistance. But a slim chance is not 'no chance'. |
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MrNexx
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Joined: 25 Mar 2016
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Location: San Antonio
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 11:24 am Post subject: |
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That looks pretty cool.
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have the enemies roll THEIR tactics skill as well, as a counter to the PC's or is it just their roll against a static difficulty?
But i like the whole idea behind that.
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Naaman
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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That is quite brilliant.
May I suggest modifiers to the tactics rolls for sensors and such?
Or does the tactics roll presuppose all factors that might be relevant? |
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Dredwulf60
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| MrNexx wrote: | | That looks pretty cool. |
Thanks dude. The players liked it when I unveiled it last session.
It's one thing to say "You've got about a 43% chance of slipping by." It's another to show them,what's there to block the way and let them try to influence *which* percentages they might try to go for. |
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Dredwulf60
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | Do you have the enemies roll THEIR tactics skill as well, as a counter to the PC's or is it just their roll against a static difficulty?
But i like the whole idea behind that. |
It's a static difficulty, but the size of the craft on the grid is partially a reflection of how much space they can scan/ intercept. Also the arrangement on the grid is partially a reflection of the tactics of the patrols.
ie If they are pretty uniformly spread out versus crammed into one region.
If the percentile roll happens to land on one of the craft...all is not doomed; it just shows what craft they are going to be accosted by. It then comes down to all the classic piloting, running and gunning etc.
Also, the fighter tokens represent a patrol of fighters; so a TIE fighter is actually 2-6 TIE fighters for example.
Last edited by Dredwulf60 on Wed May 25, 2016 10:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dredwulf60
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Naaman wrote: | That is quite brilliant.
May I suggest modifiers to the tactics rolls for sensors and such?
Or does the tactics roll presuppose all factors that might be relevant? |
The assumption was that the players were trying to slip by with 'sensors dark' or at least maximum stealth; it's the opponents that are banging away with 'active' sensor pings.
In future sessions, I could have 'invisible' ships on the grid representing picket ships that are sensor-dark themselves.
I was thinking of some sort of asset that might be rolled to allow the player ship to 'shift' one grid segment up/down or side/side as a last ditch save; perhaps make that the function of spending a character point for those very close moments;
y'know, for when the roll lands on the edge of a star destroyer icon...but you spend a character point and end up stealthfully clinging to the back of the command tower undetected instead... |
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 12:51 am Post subject: |
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| Naaman wrote: | That is quite brilliant.
May I suggest modifiers to the tactics rolls for sensors and such?
Or does the tactics roll presuppose all factors that might be relevant? |
That is a valid question. A good enough sensor roll should give bonuses to the tactics roll, as your sensors should/could show you where enemies are located at, their direction and speed...
| Dredwulf60 wrote: | It's a static difficulty, but the size of the craft on the grid is partially a reflection of how much space they can scan/ intercept. Also the arrangement on the grid is partially a reflection of the tactics of the patrols.
ie If they are pretty uniformly spread out versus crammed into one region.
If the percentile roll happens to land on one of the craft...all is not doomed; it just shows what craft they are going to be accosted by. It then comes down to all the classic piloting, running and gunning etc.
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Oh, so the opponent's tactics roll determines the spread of their ships, the PC's are to see loopholes in it... Gotcha.
| Dredwulf60 wrote: | Also, the fighter tokens represent a patrol of fighters; so a TIE fighter is actually 2-6 TIE fighters for example.
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Kinda figured fighter tokens were for more of a flight (4 fighters) or half a squadron.. What of blastboats??
| Dredwulf60 wrote: | | The assumption was that the players were trying to slip by with 'sensors dark' or at least maximum stealth; it's the opponents that are banging away with 'active' sensor pings. |
Wouldn't that be recognized as using passive sensors only? Otherwise how would they even see where enemies are??
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Dredwulf60
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: |
Kinda figured fighter tokens were for more of a flight (4 fighters) or half a squadron.. What of blastboats?? |
Blast boats like the gunstars are a represented by a single icon, which translates to a single ship, but one that occupies 2 spots on the matrix. I figured they've got good sensors and an effective patrol pattern and can engage small freighters that are trying to slip containment on their own.
The gunstar of course is the ship from the movie The Last Starfighter, which I imported into my game to serve as the primary patrol ship of the Sector Rangers...slowly being replaced by the skipray as the First Galactic Empire rises in power.
| Dredwulf60 wrote: | | The assumption was that the players were trying to slip by with 'sensors dark' or at least maximum stealth; it's the opponents that are banging away with 'active' sensor pings. |
| garhkal wrote: |
Wouldn't that be recognized as using passive sensors only? Otherwise how would they even see where enemies are?? |
Yes, you are correct. I meant passive only. Having no sensors operational would be flying blind. |
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garhkal
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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Trying to remember, have you posted stats ON those gunstars?
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