Solo StarWarsD6 pt07: Untrustworthy Friends
System: Star Wars D6 by West End Games.
Setting: Star Wars Era of the Rebellion.
Character: Royxand Handscul ‘Roy’, Corporate scout
Luca Delste, Smuggler
Solo Tools: MUNE , UNE, donjon
Books: Star Wars The Roleplaying Game Second Edition (West End Games), Galaxy Guide 8: Scouts, Galaxy Guide: 11 Criminal OrganizationsInitiative:
Player: 5.
Imperials: 7I decided to roll for initial distance between the two groups, the result came up 45 meters
Round 1:
Declarations: Two of the Imperial Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) advance and take the street corners for cover, while the other two start shooting at the team.
LEO1: Target choice (Roll): Roy
LEO2: Target choice (Roll): Roy
None of the player characters decides to dodge since the distance is considered long and safe.
LEO1: Shoots Roy: 14/16: Miss
LEO2: Shoots Roy: Complication!: The blaster pistol is Jammed, and will require a VE (5) Blaster Repair success to unjam.
LEO3: Moves to the street corner at the left. Maneuver: 10/5: Success
LEO4: Moves to the stree corner at the right. Maneuver: 17/5: Success
Seeker Droid: Waits
Roy: Half Move to the corner at the left and shoot at nearest LEO (25m)
-Shoot: 1/14: Miss
Luca crouches and shoots at the nearest LEO (30m)
-Shoot: 21/15: Hit (2: Torso)
-Damage: 7/11: No damage
Q: Does Kimby walk away?
A: Yes
Kimby performs two moves to the back: 8/5, 10/5 Success.
Two of the Imperials advance behind cover while their squadmates provide cover fire. Roy moves to the nearest corner and shoots back without success, while Luca hits an officer to the chest, but the blast vest seems to have absorbed all the damage. While the two groups exchange shots, Kimby grabs the opportunity and starts running away.
Round 2:
LEO1: Target choice: Kimby
-Shoot: 15/18: Miss
LEO2: Blaster Repair: 2/5: Failure
LEO3: Shoots Roy: 19/18: Hit (2: Torso)
-Damage: 16/13: Stunned (-1D this and next round)
LEO4: Target choice: Kimby
-Shoot: 24/17: Hit
-Damage: 2/11: No damage
Seeker Droid: Flies fast (2 Movements x 13 meters) behind Kimby
Roy: Shoots LEO4 (15m): 9/17: Miss
Luca: Shoots LEO4: 7/17: Miss
Kimby keeps running (2 Movements) and turns in a corner. Maneuver: 10/5, 10/5 Success
Seeing their target run away, two of the officers shoot after Kimby. One shot hits her, but its only a glance and she keeps running away, turning at a corner. Roy is hit by an officer to the chest, getting dazed, but his light armor seems to have absorbed the hit. Luca shoots back without success, while the Seeker Droid pursues Kimby, evading the blaster fire in the middle of the firezone.
Round 3:
LEO1: Target choice: Roy (Kimby is no longer in Line Of Sight)
-Shoot: 21/18: Hit
-Damage: 13/14: No damage
LEO2: Blaster Repair: 2/5: Failure
LEO3: Shoots Roy: 6/16: Miss
LEO4: Target choice: Roy
-Shoot: 13/15: Miss
The Seeker Droid uses its search software and advanced sensors to search for Kimby: 7/14: Failure
(It was a really bad roll for the droid that has 4D+3D=7D!!! total to hunt down subjects).
Roy: Shoots LEO4: 3/17: Miss
Luca: Shoots LEO4: 13/17: Miss
The two sides keep exchanging shots, but they either miss or hit the wall corners that the combatants hide behind. The Seeker Droid has reached Kimby’s last known location and uses its advanced DNA search sensors to locate her, but it cannot calculate a possible escape route and fails on its task.
Round 4:
LEO1: Shoots Roy: 17/18: Miss
LEO2: Blaster Repair: 1/5: Failure
LEO3: Shoots Roy: 16/17: Miss
LEO4: Shoots Roy: 5/15: MissHere I realize that the players are seriously outnumbered, they realize it too, so Roy asks if there is a quick way out of the street? They need to change the gameplan.
Q: Is there any way out of the street? A sewer entrance?
A: No, but it can be created. Roll Perception vs Moderate difficulty.
Roy: Perception: 10/11: Failure
Luca: Perception: 13/11: Success
The door on the building to the side has a flimsy lock.
Luca: Shoots lock: 3/3: Success and 1 move inside if open
-Damage: 8/9: No damage
Roy: Shoots lock: 4/3: Success and 1 move inside if open
-Damage: 10/4: Wounded (-4D). The door lock provides no more security.
Luca and Roy use their reserved move to enter the building.
The officers keep shooting at the team, but their shots fail to make contact. Luca, worried that they might not make it, looks around and notices the weak door lock at the entrance to the building next to them. He turns his blaster pistol and shoots at it, but it doesn’t budge. Roy sees Luca’s plan and follows through, with a shot that blasts the lock open, and they hastily enter.
Q: Is the building residential?
A: Yes
As they enter, they realize where they are. Slums. A huge residential block. There is virtually no sunlight coming inside. A sewer-like stench hangs in the air, mixed with the terrible odor of cat litter, probably from the felinoid near-humans that live on Ramain. A few trembling artificial lights try to illuminate the dark place, making a fuzzy noise while operating, like a capacitor about to die out. Dirty drapes hang from the balconies around the main stairwell. Maybe a long time ago they used to be a beautiful luxurious decoration, but no more. Some figures appear from their hiding places to investigate the ruckus, but quickly they venture back where they came from. It’s doubtful that the Imperials would follow in the slums without reinforcements, unless they are truly fixed on their target.
Q: Do the Imperials follow? (unlikely)
A: Yes, but the droid is away, trying to locate Kimby
The Imperials spend their next round entering the building, while the group sneaks away in the dark (+8 bonus modifier).
Roy: Sneak: 28
Lucal: Sneak: 18
Imperials: Command Search: 2: Failure
Search: 9 (no bonus)
Roy and Luca hide behind drapes and dark stairwells, lurking in, from shadow to shadow. The Imperials enter. Their sergeant sends them out to search around. But they either turn up empty, or find ragtags who live in the slums, cursing them away. A few minutes later, the locals have been unsettled and started forming a group shouting at the Imperial squad. Realizing they might be in trouble soon, they make their way out. In the meantime, Roy and Luca have climbed the stairwell further up in the slums.
“It seems we’re in the clear” Luca says.
“Nice friends you have.” Roy snaps. “Kimby hanged us out to dry, the very moment those officers appeared. Now they’re probably thinking we’re in whatever she’s in with her.”
“Yeah, can’t trust anyone these days boy. She has great computer cracking skills though. I’ve used her expertise a few times in the past. Seems we’ll ahve to find our cracker elsewhere.” He says calmly.
“We should get back to the Red Rancor. I don’t like this planet.”
“Yeah, something tells me those LEOs won’t take long to report us. And the Seeker Droid may have our DNA info.”
Q: Is there anyone obstructing their way out?
A: No, but it will take at least one hour to get out of the slums if they are to follow a different path out.
The team takes a different way out, fearing the Imperials might have someone stationed outside of the building. Once they reach the mid levels of Anwer, they start taking precautions, avoiding to show their faces clearly in the public, and walking away from monitored areas.
Sneak vs Moderate difficulty: 18/14: Success
Finally, they reach the Tama station landing pad where the Red Rancor is stationed, without detection.
Q: Is there anyone waiting for them at the landing pad?
A: Yes, and they’re hiding in wait, to ambush
Q: Is it Imperials?
A: No
Q: Is it Kimby?
A: No, but, it’s someone looking for her
Q: Is it a friend of hers?
A: No, but they are in need of her alive
Perception vs Moderate difficult to detect ambush: 11/13: Failure
Luca and Roy are about to enter the Red Rancor when they are caught by surprise by four men who were hiding behind the crates at the end of the pad.
Luca: Streewise: 20/8: Success
Luca realizes that they appear to be local thugs. Three of them are wielding blaster rifles, aimed at the team’s general direction. ‘They must be the muscle’ Luca thinks. The one in the middle approaches, in a haughty manner. He is alien, but not a near human like the locals.
Roy: Alien species: 19/13: Success
Roy recognizes the species as Kian’thar, and from what he’s heard, they can sense your emotions.
“You seem to be in an awful lot of hurry.” The Kian’thar says.
Roy and Luca look at each other. They’re tired, outnumbered, outgunned and outsmarted.
UNE: Subtle, hinder the oppressed. (Works for a local crime boss)
“See, I don’t like long introductions. I’m Lligon’tuk. I’m looking for a rather swift friend of yours.” He continues.
“You and me both, Lligon. We haven’t seen her since she betrayed us.” Luca responds.
In the meantime Lligon’tuk and his thugs have reached Roy and Luca, encircling them. Lligon’tuk is so close that Roy can smell him. ‘Does their emotion sense work like smell?’ Roy wonders.
Lligon’tuk: Emotion Sense: 16/10: Success
Lligon’tuk knows that they have no intent to help Kimby or to lie to him. He realizes that they tell the truth and are pissed off by her.
Lligon’tuk spits on the floor. “I thought you’d be more useful.” His men grunt and start raising their rifles, but he stops them.
Q: Does Lligon’tuk force the players to go after Kimby?
A: No, but he makes them an offer.
“If you happen to bring her to me, there will be a gift of 1000 credits. If you only notify me of her whereabouts, the gift will be 200 credits. Think about it.” Lligon’tuk finishes. His enforcers lower their blaster rifles.
“Thanks. I will.” Luca replies.
“Oh” Lligon’tuk continues “the customs officer has given me the platform for only 15 minutes. This only gives you 3 more minutes for take off.”
Luca’s and Roy’s eyes widen as Lligon’tuk snarls, and they dart back to the Red Rancor.
“You think the Imperials will be looking for us Luca?” Roy asks.
“I don’t intend to sit around and find out.” Luca answers.
Rushed action: take off: Space transports piloting (-1D): 11/8: Success.
Luca turns on all the necessary systems in the Red Rancor with such speed, that Roy barely follows. Nevertheless he manages to power up the ship and get her to flying speed in less than 2 minutes, without a hitch. Now they sit back in the safety of the Red Rancor, while the ship leaves the Ramain atmosphere heading for space.
Session Background: I didn’t have a miniature board, but I, sketched the map, and it worked out so and so. I’ve downloaded and printed a grid map to try out in the next encounter. Still trying to weigh visualization against theater of the mind. I’m finding some troubles with the rules of the Star Wars Rulebook that I have (2nd Edition, Blue Vader), especially movement, so I might switch to REUP or OpenD6 Space for those.
I’m really enjoying The Oracle. My player tries to get to that planet (initial mission) but he has to tackle one problem after another. He’s no closer to getting there than he was after the 1st jump. Seems that ‘Plot Regression’ intervention has truly worked out.
I’ve also used some information from Criminal Organizations Galaxy Guide, so that I could fit in a crime boss better suited to the Star Wars universe.
I also enjoy the encounters difficulties my players have, and the fact that when you play solo, you try to think what your character would truly do, and behave less OOC and more IC.
Looking back at previous encounters, in the encounter where the group had the advantage onboard KF23, they decided to let the Viltro men live, and not do some mindless shooting, as they had no reason to kill them, even though the enemy might not have given them the same courtesy.
Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice 
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