Star Wars Roleplaying by Fantasy Flight Games

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Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Just so you guys can get a clear idea of what I mean by "a subset of situations", here is how I feel about certain scenarios (again, maybe I'm just some kind of lunatic for splitting hairs this badly). Recall, these should be able to be flipped for NPCs:

The PCs are ambushed by a group that is close by: PC Vigilance vs. NPC Cool, maybe with boost dice
The PCs are targeted by a sniper who is close enough to potentially notice somehow: Formidable or Daunting Perception, the sniper gets a free attack on failure, Initiative is then rolled
The PCs are targeted by a sniper who is NOT close enough to potentially notice somehow: the "Surprise Round" or boost dice added to Initiative, then Initiative is rolled
The PCs are in a situation where there is reasonable doubt to the NPCs intentions, and are staring down the barrel of a blaster: Murky, and what started this discussion*.

* The easiest option is to roll Cool vs. Vigilance or Cool vs. Cool depending on the situation as soon as at least one of the people involved "decides to act aggressively" - however, this communicates to the PCs that they are about to be shot, which can be misleading. Best case, the NPC goes first and either shoots or does not shoot. Worst case, my PCs have murdered what might have been a tense social encounter in the name of self preservation. I want to provide a situation in which my PCs might shoot first and be the ones at fault, otherwise my game is never going to have any "Han shot first" moments - they are simply too cautious.

Tekopo posted:

I can see what you are saying, but I wouldn't have a problem with someone that is being ambushed acting first.

EDIT: And if he rolls a triumph and you roll a tragedy, suddenly the ambush that you setup is actually a trap, and stormtroopers burst in where your team is hiding!

I'm torn on it. Honestly, there is just a massive disconnect between skills and Initiative. Stealth is all about being unseen, so if my PC sniper makes a really nice Stealth roll but yet is beaten on Cool his work goes to waste? My PCs wouldn't like this, and I wouldn't blame them. Especially so if my PC is operating at a realistic extreme range.

I love your Triumph vs. Despair example, but frankly my PCs would cry foul - I didn't make them roll Perception to notice something was wrong! I didn't hint at the fact that it might be a trap! Why is the fact that they were ambushed by an unrelated group based on Initiative! Why do they now have to roll a different Initiative check for the reverse ambush! And so on and so forth - my PCs might spend days setting this up, only for it all to go to waste on that Initiative roll... but then, your advocacy of boost dice on an ambush makes a lot of sense, because that would give them less cause to complain.

Zodack fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Feb 16, 2016

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:10

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# ? May 11, 2024 15:58

homullus: Mar 27, 2009

So the PCs want to dish it out but not take it, to be able to ambush with impunity but never themselves be ambushed without a roll that signals they may be ambushed, therefore "allowing" them to just start shooting and react even if they failed that roll?

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:15

Tekopo: Oct 24, 2008; When you see it, you'll shit yourself.

Zodack posted:

I'm torn on it. Honestly, there is just a massive disconnect between skills and Initiative. Stealth is all about being unseen, so if my PC sniper makes a really nice Stealth roll but yet is beaten on Cool his work goes to waste? My PCs wouldn't like this, and I wouldn't blame them. Especially so if my PC is operating at a realistic extreme range.

I love your Triumph vs. Despair example, but frankly my PCs would cry foul - I didn't make them roll Perception to notice something was wrong! I didn't hint at the fact that it might be a trap! Why is the fact that they were ambushed by an unrelated group based on Initiative! Why do they now have to roll a different Initiative check for the reverse ambush! And so on and so forth - my PCs might spend days setting this up, only for it all to go to waste on that Initiative roll... but then, your advocacy of boost dice on an ambush makes a lot of sense, because that would give them less cause to complain.

Well yeah, as you mentioned, the Stealth roll would just help a lot with the initiative roll, so it's not wasted in that sense, because the PC does get an actual bonus out of it, and it directly helps them to make the first shot. You can even add boost dice to the actual damage roll, go wild!

Also, knowing from experience, if you hint at an ambush and the PCs even remotely pick up the hint, they will do everything in their power to prevent that reverse ambush (and you don't need to roll separately for the initiative, just make a roll for the stormies as well). And yeah, sometimes things go wrong on the roll of a single dice, but that just makes things more interesting. You can plan obsessively, have everything go right during the prep phase, make sure that everything is accounted for and suddenly a crack stormtrooper battalion appears outside the shield generator.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:18

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Tekopo posted:

Well yeah, as you mentioned, the Stealth roll would just help a lot with the initiative roll, so it's not wasted in that sense, because the PC does get an actual bonus out of it, and it directly helps them to make the first shot. You can even add boost dice to the actual damage roll, go wild!

Also, knowing from experience, if you hint at an ambush and the PCs even remotely pick up the hint, they will do everything in their power to prevent that reverse ambush (and you don't need to roll separately for the initiative, just make a roll for the stormies as well). And yeah, sometimes things go wrong on the roll of a single dice, but that just makes things more interesting. You can plan obsessively, have everything go right during the prep phase, make sure that everything is accounted for and suddenly a crack stormtrooper battalion appears outside the shield generator.

You're making me like boost dice on Initiative more and more. It doesn't guarantee that things will go right, but it helps them. I still think I'd give a PC sniper a free shot at someone really far away, but barring that maybe boost dice are the way to go. That way I can throw them into the NPC pool if the NPCs have information regarding an ambush, or if there are other circumstances that would weight the scales in either group's favor.

homullus posted:

So the PCs want to dish it out but not take it, to be able to ambush with impunity but never themselves be ambushed without a roll that signals they may be ambushed, therefore "allowing" them to just start shooting and react even if they failed that roll?

It's not quite as bad as your post makes it out to be, but frankly, yes.

I had the ISB plant tracking devices on cargo that my PCs agreed to smuggle for them, and when my PCs employer cut their pay because of the fact they might have lead the Imperial Security Bureau to her, they got upset. I tried to give the encounter an air of suspicion because of how good the deal the ISB gave them was. Less credits! You didn't give us a way to find out! Etcetera. I know that's unrelated to combat, but can you imagine the reaction if a sniper takes a potshot at one of them and does around a third of their health?

They're reasonable dudes, and of course I'm a bit hyperbolic when posting about it, but it was a frustrating experience.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:28

TheTofuShop: Aug 28, 2009

You should be throwing around Boost and Setback dice ALL THE TIME.

And remember, the narrative comes first. I get that you want to set a precedent, but you're the GM. You are allowed to modify some systems so everyone has a good time playing.

E:

Zodack posted:

I have some pretty heavy metagamers who gripe if things don't go their way

Honestly, this sounds like what is your problem. Things aren't going to go their way always. In this system especially, failure can be more interesting than success.

TheTofuShop fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Feb 16, 2016

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:40

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

So far I've been using boost and setback pretty liberally, it just never occurred to me to use them in Initiative. I feel like boost on Initiative with the occasional narrative GM fiat is the easiest solution. My giant posts make it seem as if I am super invested in this, or I am tearing my hair out, but in reality it's just something I'm splitting hairs over. I have some pretty heavy metagamers who gripe if things don't go their way, and GM handwaving without some kind of baseline makes things worse.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:46

Nothingtoseehere: Nov 11, 2010

But yea, it just sounds like you have whiney players who want to be prompted and given a choice to prepare for everything, like it's a video game. Like, if someone bugs your cargo, and you don't scan it yourself, tough luck. I'd personally have the person who received the cargo scan it, and then shout at the PC's for leading the ISB straight to him.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 17:58

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

I wouldn't even roll initiative in the undetected sniper scenario until the shot is fired. If it isn't supposed to hit, it misses. If it is supposed to hit then roll attack dice. Then roll initiative.

For the face to face confrontation don't roll initiative until someone (PC or NPC) tries to initiate combat.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 19:04

ShineDog: May 21, 2007; It is inevitable!

I think things are getting wildly over complicated here? Like, all the people saying "yeah just take the shot" have it right. Go with what makes sense, always. There are situation where the rules don't fit perfectly? That's OK. That's every RPG ever.

Also, if there is a sniper aiming at a PC, give them a notice roll to see if they catch the glint, give them something. You don't need to give NPCs that same luxury if the players have put the work in setting up the big advantage. it's OK if NPCs are treated differently, this game isn't a simulation.

Unless it's cooler if the stormtroopers turn their ambush on them. Or it's a cool villain. Or unless you want to.

# ? Feb 16, 2016 21:43

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Shine you pretty much enunciated my starting mindset.

Maybe my original question should have been about handling PC attitudes instead of handling special situations.

E: Regardless, thanks all for your input on this admittedly weird situation that I kept tripping over myself trying to explain correctly. I'm more comfortable with my options for how to handle it now.

Zodack fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Feb 17, 2016

# ? Feb 17, 2016 00:09

Not Keyser Soze: Mar 7, 2007; Endless Celestial Sex

Consider that, were he not a Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader would have been shot to death by Han Solo at the springing of his own ambush.

# ? Feb 17, 2016 22:27

kingcom: Jun 23, 2012

Not Keyser Soze posted:

Consider that, were he not a Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader would have been shot to death by Han Solo at the springing of his own ambush.

Well yeah, han solo is cool as gently caress.

# ? Feb 17, 2016 23:06

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Not Keyser Soze posted:

Consider that, were he not a Dark Lord of the Sith, Vader would have been shot to death by Han Solo at the springing of his own ambush.

Well sure, but if I were to GM that it would just be Darth Vader's Cool vs. Solo's Vigilance.

What I was trying to get feedback on what a specific type of thing, which I will not go into any more lest I swarm the thread with a bunch more silly posts.

# ? Feb 17, 2016 23:42

ShineDog: May 21, 2007; It is inevitable!

Theres nothing wrong with making your hopelessly outmatched heroes just fail outright.

It seems a little harder to surprise your players with comically stacked odds in SWRPG compared to, say DnD thanks to the open nature of the dice. I do remember the reaction of the players in our 4e campaign when we rolled a 19 on an attack dice only to be told it missed. Lot's of wailing and panic, but of course the GM wanted us to find out like that and to run away. saying "difficulty is (absurd number) red dice" doesn't quite have the same fun to it.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 00:52

KittyEmpress: Dec 30, 2012; Jam Buddies

My favorite moment in a Force and Destiny campaign had my jedi diplomat squaring off with the HERO OF THE EMPIRe in a verbal debate on Taris, infront of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

The imperial was supposed to win - I rolled against 3 challenge dice, 2 difficulty dice, and two setbacks, with my own 2 proficiency dice, 2 attribute dice, 1 boost die.

I got two triumphs, a double success, a single success, and an advantage.

He got one failure, six threats.

I won over the entire planet with that.

The Threat came from the fact that said debate became the most popular thing on the holonet - and my lightsaber was visible during it.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:14

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

I'm hoping my adventures will have cool moments with my players eventually. Right now I'm really trying to stress to them that it isn't a video game, they have a lot of creative freedom, think outside the box, etc etc.

Just the other night in a steam conversation with the Pilot of the group, I was asking him "What would you like to see in the next session? How do you feel about space combat since you missed it in the last one?" to which he replied:

"Well, I don't know anything about space combat".

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:16

ijyt: Apr 10, 2012

Speaking of thinking outside the box, the beginner game ended with one of my friends shouting "Oh my god we're so loving STUPID" as he left the room. Specifically regarding how many options they had to get the HMRI from the lovely junk vendor.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:21

TheTofuShop: Aug 28, 2009

ShineDog posted:

Theres nothing wrong with making your hopelessly outmatched heroes just fail outright.

It seems a little harder to surprise your players with comically stacked odds in SWRPG compared to, say DnD thanks to the open nature of the dice. I do remember the reaction of the players in our 4e campaign when we rolled a 19 on an attack dice only to be told it missed. Lot's of wailing and panic, but of course the GM wanted us to find out like that and to run away. saying "difficulty is (absurd number) red dice" doesn't quite have the same fun to it.

Yeah I think it's one of those things where the type of game needs to be discussed by the players and GM. There's nothing wrong with a old style DnD tone, where the GM is constantly trying to kill you and you murderhobo your way as far as you can. In the same vein, there's nothing wrong with a very narrative game where its not so much about combat, but either way everyone needs to be on board with the tone of game you want.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:32

kingcom: Jun 23, 2012

ShineDog posted:

Theres nothing wrong with making your hopelessly outmatched heroes just fail outright.

It seems a little harder to surprise your players with comically stacked odds in SWRPG compared to, say DnD thanks to the open nature of the dice. I do remember the reaction of the players in our 4e campaign when we rolled a 19 on an attack dice only to be told it missed. Lot's of wailing and panic, but of course the GM wanted us to find out like that and to run away. saying "difficulty is (absurd number) red dice" doesn't quite have the same fun to it.

Yeah FFG SW is supposed to be a cooperative back and forth experience between players and GM to tell a narrative. The idea is to replicate the experiences from the films and they tend not to have strange things like attacking someone before finding out they're tough. Star wars has clear and iconic visual and emotional cues to indicate something or someone is a threat. People dont need to be told Darth Vader is a tough enemy, they just get the frozen in terror emotional response and the extremely distinct armour along with the obvious lightsaber being the weapon of someone extreme capable or powerful.

Rebels actually does this really well with how they introduced Vader to the group. The two force sensitves just detect hes on the planet without knowing who or what he is and when he gets close all they start to pick up on is the whole fear/anger/hate aura hes got going on. The plan of beating him just never comes up and its established because they can feel that aur, they need to get out of there.

kingcom fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Feb 18, 2016

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:41

Doctor Epitaph: Dec 22, 2008

Are there any stats or material for B'Omarr monks? I've got a bounty hunter one-shot I'm running this weekend with the mark hiding out in one, and for brain-in-a-jar spider-droid mystics, there isn't a ton of material on them. Any suggestions for neat situations the party might encounter?

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:44

ijyt: Apr 10, 2012

kingcom posted:

Rebels actually does this really well with how they introduced Vader to the group. The two force sensitves just detect hes on the planet without knowing who or what he is and when he gets close all they start to pick up on is the whole fear/anger/hate aura hes got going on. The plan of beating him just never comes up and its established because they can feel that aur, they need to get out of there.

I honestly didn't expect Rebels to be as good as it was, but Season 1 was solid and Season 2 is better. Those imperials so do not get good deaths in the show though.

Either way I'll be taking a lot of inspiration from that show.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 02:40

kingcom: Jun 23, 2012

ijyt posted:

I honestly didn't expect Rebels to be as good as it was, but Season 1 was solid and Season 2 is better. Those imperials so do not get good deaths in the show though.

Yeah its very much a show about an rpg party going off and playing their star wars campaign.

Also are you talking about the two comic relief officers who just get decapitated by tarkin ?

# ? Feb 18, 2016 02:44

nelson: Apr 12, 2009; College Slice

I need some guidance. I will be playing a Rebel Wookie soldier in an upcomming AoR campaign. The problem is I don't know anything about wookies other than the writeup in the rule book and Chewbacca (who was mostly overshadowed by Han). Is there a good place I can learn more about them (or examples of other non Chewie wookies) and what would be some good role-playing tips to not be just a pile of hair that is good at combat? Thanks.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 04:38

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

nelson posted:

Is there a good place I can learn more about them (or examples of other non Chewie wookies)

Wookiepedia probably has a hilarious in-depth writeup on them. All I know is that they speak Shrrywook or something and hate Trandoshans.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 04:55

Savidudeosoo: Feb 12, 2016; Pelican, a Bag Man

nelson posted:

Is there a good place I can learn more about them (or examples of other non Chewie wookies)

I know they're actually pretty smart when it comes to engineering. Apparently they've been known to (somehow) patch up hyperdrives with wooden components.

So you could always play something that isn't just "RARGH SMASH" if you're not too worried about min-maxing.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 07:46

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Savidudeosoo posted:

I know they're actually pretty smart when it comes to engineering. Apparently they've been known to (somehow) patch up hyperdrives with wooden components.

So you could always play something that isn't just "RARGH SMASH" if you're not too worried about min-maxing.

Wookie Mechanic Technician, builds Droids, ships solely out of the exotic hardwoods and softwoods of Kashyyk.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 08:03

ijyt: Apr 10, 2012

kingcom posted:

Yeah its very much a show about an rpg party going off and playing their star wars campaign.

Also are you talking about the two comic relief officers who just get decapitated by tarkin ?

That and the countless number of troopers that just get loving grenades in their face. Specifically the first episode of Season 1, the guy on the speeder bike.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 11:40

alg: Mar 14, 2007; A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs.

Wookies can't speak basic

They don't use their claws except for climbing

# ? Feb 18, 2016 13:00

Siivola: Dec 23, 2012

It's "Wookiee", with a long ee.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 15:47

homullus: Mar 27, 2009

I bet Wookiees also use their claws for scratching Wookiee itches

# ? Feb 18, 2016 17:31

WaywardWoodwose: May 19, 2008; The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Quick question, I'm playing a droid hired gun/heavy, and my GM wants to restrict PC stats to keep us from stepping on each others toes ( one person picks a good stat, then no one else can have that one over a two. I don't think it will work). Since he said it was going to be a combat heavy game I convinced him to let us take brawn and agility as high as we want, because everyone needs those for soak and shooting. Should I start my stats of at 4 4 1 1 1 1, or a more even 3 3 2 2 2 2 ? Some advised against it, but I really like rolling all those dice, even if I don"t have a lot of out of combat use, and this way I get to stay out of the " PC: Shouldn't I be the one doing that? DM: Hey let someone else roll tonight." thing.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 19:05

homullus: Mar 27, 2009

WaywardWoodwose posted:

Quick question, I'm playing a droid hired gun/heavy, and my GM wants to restrict PC stats to keep us from stepping on each others toes ( one person picks a good stat, then no one else can have that one over a two. I don't think it will work). Since he said it was going to be a combat heavy game I convinced him to let us take brawn and agility as high as we want, because everyone needs those for soak and shooting. Should I start my stats of at 4 4 1 1 1 1, or a more even 3 3 2 2 2 2 ? Some advised against it, but I really like rolling all those dice, even if I don"t have a lot of out of combat use, and this way I get to stay out of the " PC: Shouldn't I be the one doing that? DM: Hey let someone else roll tonight." thing.

Unless your GM's ideas about XP distribution are as bad as his ideas about stat distribution, you will be able to quickly add more dice to either spread via spending XP on skills. You should do what you want.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 19:14

Nothingtoseehere: Nov 11, 2010

WaywardWoodwose posted:

Quick question, I'm playing a droid hired gun/heavy, and my GM wants to restrict PC stats to keep us from stepping on each others toes ( one person picks a good stat, then no one else can have that one over a two. I don't think it will work). Since he said it was going to be a combat heavy game I convinced him to let us take brawn and agility as high as we want, because everyone needs those for soak and shooting. Should I start my stats of at 4 4 1 1 1 1, or a more even 3 3 2 2 2 2 ? Some advised against it, but I really like rolling all those dice, even if I don"t have a lot of out of combat use, and this way I get to stay out of the " PC: Shouldn't I be the one doing that? DM: Hey let someone else roll tonight." thing.

4 4 1 1 1 1: the one advantage of droids is their ability to specalize.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 19:24

kingcom: Jun 23, 2012

WaywardWoodwose posted:

one person picks a good stat, then no one else can have that one over a two. I don't think it will work

This is a dumb goddamn idea. The entire premise of the skill system is that you can all creatively solve problems at will, without necessarily needing that one stat or skill to help solve that issue. Skills will just let you roll stacks of dice anyway regardless of the stat, is he capping that of too? How does that system even work. The most common builds in the game are 4/4/2/2/2/2 or 3/3/3/3/2/2 (exact stats vary). Has the GM just banned humans?

Take 4/4/1/1/1/1 because you are a droid. You would be hugely crippling yourself if you didn't min/max at least in a normal game. With crazy 1 stat rules idk, you're probably fine doing either method, it just means you have to dump a bunch of xp to stack out skills.

EDIT MATH: Someone did a break down that I cant find right now but mathematically speaking you dont actually have a huge bonus going from Green -> Yellow dice. The main bonus is just getting the chance for a triumph. What this means is that a character with 5 in a stat isnt really any better (even in the long term) versus someone with 1 in a stat particularly since it costs much less to just pump a skill. I would go 4/4/1/1/1/1 and pick the two or whatever skills you want outside your preferred stats, get them as class skills and just pump them to 4 anyway.

kingcom fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Feb 18, 2016

# ? Feb 18, 2016 23:26

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

WaywardWoodwose posted:

( one person picks a good stat, then no one else can have that one over a two. I don't think it will work).

Wow.

The entire appeal of ttrpgs is total freedom. I get where he's coming from but instead of a rule it should be a suggestion. I audibly sigh when my PC'S try to meta game who rolls the most dice for every check but it's still a good thing to have members in a party with similar, valuable stats.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 23:45

WaywardWoodwose: May 19, 2008; The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

kingcom posted:

This is a dumb goddamn idea.

We had a problem with a lot of "I pick the lock. I also pick the lock! " stuff in previous games, mostly because of the call of cthulhu system I think. In that game, making rolls advances your skill, so some people got hard wired to MAKE ALL THE ROLLS! So I think our DM is trying to alleviate this. When I ran FATE I tried to make sure the PCs made characters together and gave each other room to shine, so I think he's trying to do something like that, because some characters will pile in on everything. I really wouldn't mind, but I originally wanted to be the face for a change, but i had to pick between cunning and presence. I picked cunning and someone else said "then I'll take presence, and I'll be the face!".

# ? Feb 19, 2016 00:59

kingcom: Jun 23, 2012

WaywardWoodwose posted:

We had a problem with a lot of "I pick the lock. I also pick the lock! " stuff in previous games, mostly because of the call of cthulhu system I think. In that game, making rolls advances your skill, so some people got hard wired to MAKE ALL THE ROLLS! So I think our DM is trying to alleviate this. When I ran FATE I tried to make sure the PCs made characters together and gave each other room to shine, so I think he's trying to do something like that, because some characters will pile in on everything. I really wouldn't mind, but I originally wanted to be the face for a change, but i had to pick between cunning and presence. I picked cunning and someone else said "then I'll take presence, and I'll be the face!".

I hope they enjoy realising that theres a bunch of different stats for different talky skills lol, so a 'face' isn't someone who goes all in on presence but instead takes cunning, presence and willpower .

# ? Feb 19, 2016 01:35

ProfessorCirno: Feb 17, 2011; The strongest! The smartest!
The rightest!

Like I see WHY they did it. It's a decision that makes sense in a lot of other games. It's just...not smart for THIS one.

The general point of the engine and how stats/skills work - EotE especially - is that nobody is "useless." Stats are, broadly speaking, your general aptitudes - and people are supposed to have good general aptitudes. Specialization isn't done via stats, and to be frank it isn't even done as much with skills (which I've come to consider the weakest part of the game) - it's done via talents. Someone with high agility, and the gunslinger job is going to play differently from someone with high agility, and a pilot job. One character might have high agility and cunning and ok presence and plays themselves as the cunning thief; someone else has high cunning and presence and ok agility and is the charming scoundrel and "face man." Even though their stats are neigh identical you end up with very different characters.

# ? Feb 19, 2016 06:02

susan: Jan 14, 2013

Have any GMs out there decided to start up new Roll20/Skype games? I know there was talk of this a couple weeks ago, and I'm in need of a fix before I break down and start a Rogue Squadron-esque game of dashing Rebel pilots hunting Imperial cruisers in the Southern Reaches.

# ? Feb 19, 2016 09:51

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# ? May 11, 2024 15:58

Zodack: Aug 3, 2014

Just got out of the second session with my EotE group.

For the five hours we were in for, two of the players were not engaged at all. One of them, the Entrepeneur, disconnected the second he failed his Negotiation check to find what he wanted to buy (a mercantiler datapad) even though the five advantage it generated opened up essentially anything else legal he wanted to purchase. The other, an Assassin droid, did nothing until I was forced to shoehorn in a combat sequence to try and get him interested. The party got hit once or twice for ~7 damage each time, immediately decided they were going to lose the combat, had one guy hide under a table and the other three surrender.

I even had the leader of the NPCs offer to let them surrender, to which the PCs shot at him, missed, and then hid. He followed them, shot one unconcious with Stun, and took the other two prisoner. By all means I should have had him kill the PC.

Now I have an interesting third session that totally deviated from my original plan. I can reign in back in for sure, but as the GM it's a bit exhausting when two of your players don't engage in anything at all short of their metagame ambition of "do big numbers, make lots of credits".

Hell, I had the PCs raise hell about having to pay 400 credits to berth in the outer rim, and even AFTER they rolled a Triumph on the Negotiate to lower it (which the Falleen always does), they bickered for a good ten minutes amongst themselves about how they'd pay the 100 credit fee among the four of them.

One of the PCs demanded he not pay, as his assassin was uninterested in the situation and wasn't "paying 25 credits to land in this dump". Each player has over 2500 credits.

How do I write hooks for these guys? Later in the adventure there's political stuff for the Falleen and an assassination plot for the assassin, but they actually have to get there first. They ignored all the hooks and tunnel visioned on the first one they were given, which they were even told by the NPC that gave it to them (their boss) that almost no information was known and it would take a while.

Maybe I'm a bad GM for trying to design a more open-ended session. I dunno. One of my players was roleplaying really well, it was his turn for Obligation, he was really getting into it and the other two were dead silent, with the fourth interjecting occasionally. We do it over Skype so it makes it easy for people to get off task, I guess?

# ? Feb 21, 2016 06:48

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