Skill vs Skill

[Noom68]

didn't know how to title this anyway as a GM how do you determine what a fair opponent is for characters......for example you wouldn't put Fett up against a rookie..... is there a formula to figure it out, like maybe counting the dice the opponent has compared to characters' ???

[MrNexx]

Not really; skill-based systems often have this problem, because, short of saying "They have the same skill", it can widely vary.

Generally, though? Check to see how close their skills are. Within a pip or two, they're evenly matched. Within a die or two, it's going to close, but the higher will probably win. If it's more than 3 dice? It's really iffy for the lower character. Since a die averages to 3.5, and the wild die to about 4 (given explosion gives you a ~83% chance of any number 1-5, and a 16.67% chance of 7+), your average on a roll of XD is (X-1)*3.5 + 4. That .5 in there means that a variation of more than X in the average is within a reasonable range... if I have a 3D, someone being about 3 points higher or lower than me keeps them in the average range. If I have 6D, the, a die either way is within the swing.

Of course, this runs into all sorts of other variables. If it's an assassin with 9D blaster against a wookiee, but using a sporting blaster, the wookiee will probably win, because the assassin won't be able to do enough damage to the wookiee without a lot of luck; the assassin NEEDS the first shot to stun the wookiee, so he can more or less stunlock him to the ground, and eventually make enough to wound the wookiee a few times. Lots of cover can make a difference if the skilled guy has a blaster and the less skilled guy has a vibroblade.

Lastly, the wild die for damage can cause swingy results. A myopic Hutt with a hold-out MIGHT take down a Star Destroyer with a single shot, provided the wild die explodes a truly unreasonable amount of times. You can, in theory, destroy the Death Star with a thrown rock... like, probability says it more or less can't happen, to the point where it's pointless to try, but if you roll a 6 on the wild die for damage 30-40 times in a row, it could happen. A bit more reasonably, though, you might be able to take down that wookiee with a hold-out, with only a few consecutive sixes.
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[garhkal]

Add to that. If it's say a mook storm trooper who has 7d blaster, because he's a "Veteran squad leader", but the pc only has 4d dodge at LEAST the PC can pop a force point (OR use CP), where more than often, the Mooks don't have any, or rarely have any.
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[Whill]

[garhkal]

Some modules, list some of the 'veteran' or squad leader types, as easily being around 6 to 7d, but still only 0-3cp...
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[CRMcNeill]

[cheshire]

It depends on what kind of encounter I'm trying to make. There was one adventure where the party was trying to assist and train a budding rebel cell group. They reviewed the cell's intel and were planning an "easy pickin' sabotage mission."

Since the group was new, it was bad intel. The facility was producing the tech for Storm Commandos, and there was a single storm commando in the facility. The entire group was easily outmatched.

Priorities shifted and the new objective was to get the trainees and themselves out alive. They weren't trying to kill the commando, but survive the commando.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Whill]

[garhkal]

[Whill]

[Raven Redstar]

[DougRed4]

I agree with Whill's interpretation as well.

I used to run two campaigns using the CODA system (Lord of the Rings and Star Trek) and the fans for those games came up with "Mook Rules", which meant simply that a single hit dropped those targets, rather than having to whittle them away like normal characters (in the RAW).

So in that game, an Orc would be a "mook" when they fell like cannon fodder. The Orc Veteran or Squad Commander, even if unnamed, would not be a "mook".
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[Whill]

[garhkal]

By that logic, then i guess i DO expand what a "mook is".
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!