The Rancor Pit Forum Index
Welcome to The Rancor Pit forums!

The Rancor Pit Forum Index
FAQ   ::   Search   ::   Memberlist   ::   Usergroups   ::   Register   ::   Profile   ::   Log in to check your private messages   ::   Log in

Whole slew, part 3.
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Rancor Pit Forum Index -> Gamemasters -> Whole slew, part 3. Goto page 1, 2  Next
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Sovereign Protector


Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14021
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:58 am    Post subject: Whole slew, part 3. Reply with quote

Continuation...

Next.. 2 questions on Command and combining fire..
Lets say I have 2 tie fighter squadrons flying against the parties ship. The SQ leader of each is commanding 10 of the other fighters to combine fire.... Do they need to make their command roll each round? Or once commanded it stays in effect until something changes???
Also, if the fighter pilots are waiting to be commanded, do they then 'forfeit' initiative to the players, e.g. go last?

Random Axe made the comment of
If the 8 TIE fighter pilots are being coordinated for the effect of their attack and fire, wouldn't the command effect extend to their initiative too? In other words, if the TIE commander makes his command roll, shouldn't the initiative roll have the same bonus as the squad's attack rolls?


Next one:
Let's say, you have planed out a sideline adventure that will take place, IF your party flubbs an astrogation roll. Later on, during your next gaming session, while in a furball with ties (or pirates or what ever), the person plotting the astrogation route, rolls his 4d (D6 specific, I know not what it would be in d20), and get's all ones.
You secretly start to smile, as you now think you have the opportunity to pull your side line adventure now, BUT, the player knowing he got a sh***y roll, says he is going to re-do it. After the allotted time, and even spending CP or an Fp, still rolls all ones. He again, says he is going to re-try....and so on and so on...

What I am getting at, is:
Is there anything in the rules, d6 or d20, which actually prevents the party from NOT using or using cracked astrogation coordinates, cause the player realizes he got a really low roll. And decides to keep rolling (or others roll as well) and they do not enter hyperspace until they get a really high roll....

Posted by Random Axe
In my game, the astrogation "roll" is not made until the actual hyperdrive is engaged. Nobody knows until the hyper drive levers are thrown, whether or not the roll succeeded. If the roll turns out to be a real botch, then the navcomputer squawks a system error and the hyperdrive engines don't engage, but otherwise, a missed roll won't be known until well into the trip. That prevents anyone from wasting playing time going, "I'm rolling it again and having the droid re-check it".


Next one:
Say character(s) A (possibly more) have come into lots cash (a slight fubar on your part)... They desire a ship, but looking through the books, find none fitting. They go to one of the corporations to get one 'custom made; from the assembly line.\\
Would said companies do this?
Would they keep the design specs?
Would they sell those specs to others???


Next one (well 2):
These both are linked to juries and trials...

1) Say the characters are arrested on X planet, and go to an actual trial. How would you run the trial out? Who would you have play the various jurors, lawyers and the judge?

2) Similar to 1, but there is no trial per say.. It is a trial by fire. For those who have read John Carpenters Tripods trilogy, specifically the Pool of Fire, there is this one chapter devoted to a 'hunt'. Criminals are brought out, and given a horse. They have to ride a set distance, and if they can reach it before being killed, they are free to go. So going of that, they have been picked up for a crime on a planet currently being courted by the imperials. THEY were the ones who arrested the players, but have given them over to the local govt for the trial. The test pits One hunter for each member of the accused party +1 hunt's master. ALL SKILLED (e.g. the skills for the hunters are around 6-7d for all applicable skills).
How would you play it out? Would you have the imperials 'gate crash' with their own hunting party? Would you have them request to include some of their members on the hunting team......


Next one:
WE have all had those games where we throw a DJ against our players, and hope it if nothing else, puts them into the 'oh crud mode' and actually feel like they earned any victory they might gain, but for what ever reason, be it great playing by the players, poor rolls on our part, the DJ gets whakked. Or we simply play him poorly (I know I have been guilty of this and I have also called out several other GM's when I notice that they are doing it, even if most of the time it was after the fact)..

So what ways have you used DJ to their best to force conflict into your players.. Whether it made them run, die, get wounded etc.


Next question:
I hear many stories of GM's with players racking up bounties, and see in other games where players waltz brazenly around with 50k+ bounties on their head. But hot often do you actually have people come to collect??

Tied to it, how do you decide if a bounty will be dead, dead or alive, or alive only? Do you have bounties of varying amounts (say 30k alive, 17k dead)? What if they are DoA, how do you choose which one the bounty hunter will be going for?
E.G They come after the group, but seeing them defeat a large force, know them to be too strong to capture their mark for. Would you have them go for the kill?


Next one. On maps:
For those who DO use maps and miniatures for their games, how do you handle it when someone is unseen or otherwise unnoticed??


Next one:
Something came up, while playing Sparks at Gencon.

One of the rules we have been using a lot, which initially came from one of the D6 modules, was that when a ship wishes to land, it uses the repulsor ops skill. Though the rules don't say anything on it in the books, and as such would default to space transports. Many people complained about it, and it got changed to space transports mid con...

What say you all??? Was that a good rule we used?


Last one for this bunch…
What would the difficulty of TK be to stop bullets???
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Let's say, you have planed out a sideline adventure that will take place, IF your party flubbs an astrogation roll. Later on, during your next gaming session, while in a furball with ties (or pirates or what ever), the person plotting the astrogation route, rolls his 4d (D6 specific, I know not what it would be in d20), and get's all ones.
You secretly start to smile, as you now think you have the opportunity to pull your side line adventure now, BUT, the player knowing he got a sh***y roll, says he is going to re-do it. After the allotted time, and even spending CP or an Fp, still rolls all ones. He again, says he is going to re-try....and so on and so on...

What I am getting at, is:
Is there anything in the rules, d6 or d20, which actually prevents the party from NOT using or using cracked astrogation coordinates, cause the player realizes he got a really low roll. And decides to keep rolling (or others roll as well) and they do not enter hyperspace until they get a really high roll....


I don't personally know if there's anything in the rules that prevents this; seems to me that it's just the work of a very conscientious astrogator. However, if you REALLY want them to go through the sideline, you could always have them pulled out of hyperspace by an Interdictor and forced off in a different direction, or perhaps even simply throw in a navicomp mechanical failure that will require 1D6 hours to repair. They find out about the mishap only after emerging from hyperspace at coordinates they didn't program in (thank the Force they weren't killed!) and now have to fix the navicomp. And, wouldn't ya know, the backup failed as well! Heck-make it 2D6 hours to fix! Wink This would put them in-system for whatever you had planned (provided it doesn't require a fast hyperjump out of there...) and if the sideline involves NPCs who would be grateful to the party, part of their gratitude would OF COURSE involve the fixing of their navicomp, free of charge...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Something came up, while playing Sparks at Gencon.

One of the rules we have been using a lot, which initially came from one of the D6 modules, was that when a ship wishes to land, it uses the repulsor ops skill. Though the rules don't say anything on it in the books, and as such would default to space transports. Many people complained about it, and it got changed to space transports mid con...

What say you all??? Was that a good rule we used?


Well, I personally think it ought to be Space Transports. Sure, you switch over to repulsorlifts when you are landing. However, I'd be willing to argue that the handling of the space transport you're in is different than handling an airspeeder (which is strictly repulsorlift ops), and since you're switching modes of propulsion rather than vessels, you ought to stick with Space Transports. I'd say the same is true if you were bringing in a Starfighter as well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Say character(s) A (possibly more) have come into lots cash (a slight fubar on your part)... They desire a ship, but looking through the books, find none fitting. They go to one of the corporations to get one 'custom made; from the assembly line.\\
Would said companies do this?
Would they keep the design specs?
Would they sell those specs to others???


I imagine a company would be willing to do this (provided it's a current model, or one still in production). I also figure they would charge a good deal of money to do so, but as part of the package a copy of the specs would definitely go with the party. I'd imagine the company would keep the design specs on file, if for no other reason than the possbility that the party would bring the ship to them for repairs. The company would likely also see the new specs as a new option to offer potential clients, one for which they could charge much more than stock prices.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
2) Similar to 1, but there is no trial per say.. It is a trial by fire. For those who have read John Carpenters Tripods trilogy, specifically the Pool of Fire, there is this one chapter devoted to a 'hunt'. Criminals are brought out, and given a horse. They have to ride a set distance, and if they can reach it before being killed, they are free to go. So going of that, they have been picked up for a crime on a planet currently being courted by the imperials. THEY were the ones who arrested the players, but have given them over to the local govt for the trial. The test pits One hunter for each member of the accused party +1 hunt's master. ALL SKILLED (e.g. the skills for the hunters are around 6-7d for all applicable skills).
How would you play it out? Would you have the imperials 'gate crash' with their own hunting party? Would you have them request to include some of their members on the hunting team......


First, I have a hard time seeing the Empire EVER relinquish control of a prisoner, unless they're on such a backwater world and their resources are severely taxed (but if they have THAT kind of lack of funds, I don't see them being out in sufficient force to be mounting serious patrols) and don't have a full presence on that planet.

That being said, if they actually did follow this scenario, I think I can more readily see the local Governor, Moff or whatever keeping his thumb in this pie, but perhaps only by attending/overseeing the hunt. MAYBE by participating in the hunt, and this could be run a couple different ways. Either he is the most skilled, even over and above the local experts, or he's an armchair governor, and has the ceremonial blaster that's never been fired, and is basically getting in the locals' way and irritating the heck out of them.

Either way, I personally don't see the Empire diverting any other personnel to help with or observe the hunt.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I hear many stories of GM's with players racking up bounties, and see in other games where players waltz brazenly around with 50k+ bounties on their head. But hot often do you actually have people come to collect??

Tied to it, how do you decide if a bounty will be dead, dead or alive, or alive only? Do you have bounties of varying amounts (say 30k alive, 17k dead)? What if they are DoA, how do you choose which one the bounty hunter will be going for?
E.G They come after the group, but seeing them defeat a large force, know them to be too strong to capture their mark for. Would you have them go for the kill?


The terms of the bounty would depend upon several things: Who's posting it, why they're posting it, and the desired end disposition of the characters. If it's the Empire, NO DISINTEGRATIONS, PERIOD. Ask Boba Fett- this one sucks. If it's a revenge thing, again it depends on who posted it: Someone with battle skills might want the PCs so he can take them out one by one in battle. Someone who's been hurt, offended, or otherwise has reason to be p'd off at the PCs, but is a wuss, would be more likely to have a Dead Only endorsement on the bounty.

I think the split reward (less for dead) would be applicable where the poster wants to have fun with his prisoners before he kills them, or if he wants information from them, etc. If he NEEDS info from them, he'd post ALIVE ONLY.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jamfke
Admiral
Admiral


Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 4675
Location: Tennessee

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Whole slew, part 3. Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:

Let's say, you have planed out a sideline adventure that will take place, IF your party flubbs an astrogation roll. Later on, during your next gaming session, while in a furball with ties (or pirates or what ever), the person plotting the astrogation route, rolls his 4d (D6 specific, I know not what it would be in d20), and get's all ones.
You secretly start to smile, as you now think you have the opportunity to pull your side line adventure now, BUT, the player knowing he got a sh***y roll, says he is going to re-do it. After the allotted time, and even spending CP or an Fp, still rolls all ones. He again, says he is going to re-try....and so on and so on...

What I am getting at, is:
Is there anything in the rules, d6 or d20, which actually prevents the party from NOT using or using cracked astrogation coordinates, cause the player realizes he got a really low roll. And decides to keep rolling (or others roll as well) and they do not enter hyperspace until they get a really high roll....



Personally, I think the astrogation roll should always be made by the GM, this would be something similar to a surprise roll, a kind of don't know what you've got til it's done sort of thing. This keeps the suspense up and the "surprise" of the encounter genuine. The characters might think they've arrived at their destination, but in reality they've dropped out of hyper right into your pretty little trap. Some may argue that this would be constituted as railroading, but that's another subject that rubs me raw that can be discussed elsewhere.
_________________
Check out some of my games at DriveThruRPG!
Role Players Direct
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Jedi Skyler
Moff
Moff


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Or you could just do what Jam said...


Nice to see you again, brother!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Sovereign Protector


Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14021
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jedi Skyler wrote:


The terms of the bounty would depend upon several things: Who's posting it, why they're posting it, and the desired end disposition of the characters. If it's the Empire, NO DISINTEGRATIONS, PERIOD. Ask Boba Fett- this one sucks. If it's a revenge thing, again it depends on who posted it: Someone with battle skills might want the PCs so he can take them out one by one in battle. Someone who's been hurt, offended, or otherwise has reason to be p'd off at the PCs, but is a wuss, would be more likely to have a Dead Only endorsement on the bounty.

I think the split reward (less for dead) would be applicable where the poster wants to have fun with his prisoners before he kills them, or if he wants information from them, etc. If he NEEDS info from them, he'd post ALIVE ONLY.


IIRC the no disintergrations were for han only, due to vaders desire to capture him alive. Not as a standard practice.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Boomer
Captain
Captain


Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 688
Location: Terra Sol

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Lets say I have 2 tie fighter squadrons flying against the parties ship. The SQ leader of each is commanding 10 of the other fighters to combine fire.... Do they need to make their command roll each round? Or once commanded it stays in effect until something changes???
Also, if the fighter pilots are waiting to be commanded, do they then 'forfeit' initiative to the players, e.g. go last?


Whoever makes the command roll, in most cases I only make them roll it once, and they do not have to roll again until the situation changes, like diffrent people under command, the particular encounter changes nature, et cetera.
As for initiative, they act on the command, the prompt, of the commander. Those under command will than only have to wait until he is finished talking, act asap. That's all, they act when they can after they get the order, this may or may not mean they are waiting for players action, and depends heavily on when the commander acts.

Quote:
Let's say, you have planed out a sideline adventure that will take place, IF your party flubbs an astrogation roll. Later on, during your next gaming session, while in a furball with ties (or pirates or what ever), the person plotting the astrogation route, rolls his 4d (D6 specific, I know not what it would be in d20), and get's all ones.
You secretly start to smile, as you now think you have the opportunity to pull your side line adventure now, BUT, the player knowing he got a sh***y roll, says he is going to re-do it. After the allotted time, and even spending CP or an Fp, still rolls all ones. He again, says he is going to re-try....and so on and so on...


This all really depends upon how bad he does. The roll is to be made right when they jump, and they won't know how bad it is until shortly after they jump in the blue tube.
If he really needs them to fail badly to end up on this sideline adventure, just say that they do. There are so many random things that can happen in space that you do not prepare for, that can sidetrack a game.
The point is, you cannot simply wait until you get a really high roll. The navcomputer is only an assist to the jump and if it misses what you did, your gone.
As for what the rules say about it. If you get 10 under the difficulty, you do not jump and HAVE to re-roll. If you get within 10 and still don;t make it, you jump, and travel time is increased or something bad happens or who knows. If you make it, you make it. And if you get 10 over, travel time is decreased.
How much of an increase or decrease, I do not remember.

Quote:
Say character(s) A (possibly more) have come into lots cash (a slight fubar on your part)... They desire a ship, but looking through the books, find none fitting. They go to one of the corporations to get one 'custom made; from the assembly line.\\
Would said companies do this?
Would they keep the design specs?
Would they sell those specs to others???


Most companies do this. Some companies do nothing BUT this.
Yes they would keep the design specs, unless you paid for the rights, which could be anywhere from a percentage to projected profit loss applicable to sale. Anywhere from a fraction of the ships cost to several million credits, basically.
Depending on the company, yes or no. Usually, no, never. They'd hang onto them with tooth and nail because they want to build the ships themselves. Especially if they are good plans.

Quote:
1) Say the characters are arrested on X planet, and go to an actual trial. How would you run the trial out? Who would you have play the various jurors, lawyers and the judge?

2) Similar to 1, but there is no trial per say.. It is a trial by fire. For those who have read John Carpenters Tripods trilogy, specifically the Pool of Fire, there is this one chapter devoted to a 'hunt'. Criminals are brought out, and given a horse. They have to ride a set distance, and if they can reach it before being killed, they are free to go. So going of that, they have been picked up for a crime on a planet currently being courted by the imperials. THEY were the ones who arrested the players, but have given them over to the local govt for the trial. The test pits One hunter for each member of the accused party +1 hunt's master. ALL SKILLED (e.g. the skills for the hunters are around 6-7d for all applicable skills).
How would you play it out? Would you have the imperials 'gate crash' with their own hunting party? Would you have them request to include some of their members on the hunting team......


1) It all depends on the planet and their customs and procedures.
2) And there is a good example of a planets specific customs and procedures.
In most cases I would make the situation as harsh as possible, the people hunting do not want to give those criminals a sporting chance.
As for imperial involvment, that all depends upon situations described much better by previous posters Jedi Skyler and Jamfke.

Quote:
So what ways have you used DJ to their best to force conflict into your players.. Whether it made them run, die, get wounded etc.


Havnt done this yet. But I have a plan I cannot reveal here.

Quote:
hear many stories of GM's with players racking up bounties, and see in other games where players waltz brazenly around with 50k+ bounties on their head. But hot often do you actually have people come to collect??

Tied to it, how do you decide if a bounty will be dead, dead or alive, or alive only? Do you have bounties of varying amounts (say 30k alive, 17k dead)? What if they are DoA, how do you choose which one the bounty hunter will be going for?
E.G They come after the group, but seeing them defeat a large force, know them to be too strong to capture their mark for. Would you have them go for the kill?


Depending on size of the bounty and where they happen to be, frequency of collectors can be rare or regular.
And how I determine what the bounty specifications are all depends upon who put the bounty on their head and what for.

Quote:
One of the rules we have been using a lot, which initially came from one of the D6 modules, was that when a ship wishes to land, it uses the repulsor ops skill. Though the rules don't say anything on it in the books, and as such would default to space transports. Many people complained about it, and it got changed to space transports mid con...


Keep it at space transports. It is still an entirely diffrent operation set up, et cetera et cetera, and when you are learning how to fly a space transport it just makes too much damn sense they teach you how to land.
People piloting a plane don't switch to ground vehicle ops when they land and use their wheels. You don't suddenly need a car drivers license to go with your pilots license to taxi on the runway, et cetera.

Quote:
What would the difficulty of TK be to stop bullets???


Each bullet is an individual target. One bullet tends to be very easy to get a lock on with TK, but very difficult or heroic to stop dead before it hits. Moderate to difficult to deflect by changing it's course a little.
Multiple bullets, buckshot, things like that. It will take a brand new power to stop them with a single roll.
Or be Neo.
_________________
My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
Gry Sarth
Jedi


Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 5304
Location: Sao Paulo - Brazil

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, I only have an answer for the custom-ship issue:

-Get my Starships Stats book, or better yet, wait for Starships Stats Revised & Expanded. How can anyone not find a fitting ship among all those options is beyond me! Wink Laughing
_________________
"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ejacobs
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander


Joined: 07 Nov 2005
Posts: 183
Location: Afghanistan...Again

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Gry has "Used Starship Salesman" as his template! LOL...

I agree with him though. I've looked through the Starship Stats book and can't wait for the R&E book to arrive. Way more ships than I would ever need or think I might need!

E
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Sovereign Protector


Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14021
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The custom ship has not yet come up, but like with many other things, i would like to know what to do, if it did...

Quote:
Yes they would keep the design specs, unless you paid for the rights, which could be anywhere from a percentage to projected profit loss applicable to sale. Anywhere from a fraction of the ships cost to several million credits, basically.
Depending on the company, yes or no. Usually, no, never. They'd hang onto them with tooth and nail because they want to build the ships themselves. Especially if they are good plans.


Boomer, why would they hang on to the design specs, if you are the one providing them?
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Boomer
Captain
Captain


Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 688
Location: Terra Sol

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its like with any custom job. The company is the supplier, the customers are the client, the company keeps a copy of the specs of everything they produce for their clients.
If the client wants exclusive rights and information to what the company has just made, they have to pay extra.
_________________
My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Sovereign Protector


Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14021
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That makes little sense... why should i not only pay to get the ship made, but more for the plans, when i am the supplier...
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Rancor Pit Forum Index -> Gamemasters All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


v2.0