Star Wars D6: Capital Ship Play Test

 Star Destroyer vs Providence-class Dreadnought

Introduction: 

In recent weeks I've been collaborating with The Rancor Pit's CR McNeill to develop rules for Capital Ship battles for the Star Wars D6 system. Once the rules are finalised, I will share them on a post here, but meantime, I thought it might be fun to provide a play test battle report illustrating how the rules work. So, without further ado...

Image from Revenge of the Sith (c) Disney

The Scenario:

The Rebels in my campaign are based on a ship called Nowhere, a Providence-class Dreadnought very similar to General Grevious' ship the Invisible Hand as seen in Revenge of the Sith. In this scenario, Nowhere is going head to head with an Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

The Command Deck:

Each ship has a template called the Command Deck which provides a number of key statistics, fire arcs and other information required to run the Capital Ship. I'm not going to explain the rules in full here, but a couple of key points to note are as follows:

1) Turn Sequence: The turn is split into the following phases:

Initiative Phase

Command Phase

Damage Control Phase

Action Phase 

Movement Phase

How these work will hopefully become apparent during the course of this battle report.

2) Orders: Each turn, the ship's Captain can order the ship to carry out any one of the following three manoeuvres:

Fly Casual: The ship takes a steady course, maximising the chances of hitting an opposing ship. The ship receives no penalties to subsequent actions, although enemy ships can hit this vessel based on range difficulties alone.

Evasive Action: All subsequent actions are subjected to a -1D Multiple Action Penalty. However, when enemy ships target this vessel, they can be hit on difficulties based on range and Ship Defence (see Command Deck).

Full Evasion: The ship throws all of its power into the engines to maximise evasive action and weapons may not fire. Any Damage Control rolls suffer a -2D Multiple Action Penalty. The difficulty for incoming fire to hit is equal to the Ship's Defence and Range Difficulty +10.

3) Battery Dice: Battery Dice can be allocated either to Gunnery Fire Control (boosting the roll to hit) or Damage (boosting the roll to inflict damage). Dependant on range, there are limits to how many dice can be allocated to the Damage (see Command Deck).

Starting Command Decks:

Nowhere:

Imperial Star Destroyer (ISD):

Turn One:

Note: This turn is described more fully than subsequent ones to illustrate how rolls are calculated.

Ship Positions:

Initiative Phase: 

Nowhere: 23

ISD: 23

ISD wins Initiative and gains +1 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker.

Command Phase:

Nowhere: 23 - exceeds required Command target by 11 points, increasing all skill rolls by 1D this turn.

ISD: 23 - exceeds required Command Target by 6 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

Both of these bonuses are noted on the Command Tracker.

Orders: Both Captains take Evasive Action. All subsequent rolls this turn will incur a -1D Multiple Action Penalty (MAP).

Damage Control Phase:

Both ships angle their deflector shields to the front arc of their ships. (Free action, automatic success.)

Action Phase:

ISD has Initiative. The Captain decides not to try to fire both sets of weapons at once (as there would be an additional -1D MAP if he did so). He is at 40 space away from Nowhere, long range for both weapons. He decides to use the Ion Cannon to attempt to deplete Nowhere's shields (using CR McNeill's alternative Ionisation Rules). Because of the range, he can only place 1D into Damage, which he does. The other 3D of Battery Dice are assigned to Gunnery Fire Control. He makes the following rolls:

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 7D+1 + Battery Dice: 3D + Command Bonus: +2 - MAP (Evasive Action): -1D = 10D. 

Target Difficulty = Long Range: 20 + Nowhere Ship Defence: 12 = 32.

The Ion Cannon roll is 42 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 3D + 1D Battery Dice = 4D = 14 

Shield roll: 3D+2 = 10

4 points of Damage = 1D of Shields lost to Ionisation for Nowhere!

Nowhere responds, firing its own Ion Cannon! All Battery Dice have to be allocated to Gunnery Fire Control.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+1 Battery Dice: 2D+1 + Command Bonus 1D - MAP (Evasive Action): -1D = 10D+2

Target Difficulty = Long Range: 20 + ISD Ship Defence: 13 = 33

The Ion Cannon roll is 31 - a miss!

Play returns to the ISD which fires its Turbolasers.

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+2 + Battery Dice: 3D + Command Bonus: +2 - MAP (Evasive Action): -1D = 11D+1. 

Target Difficulty = Long Range: 20 + Nowhere Ship Defence: 12 = 32.

The Turbolaser Cannon roll is 34 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 5D + 1D Battery Dice = 6D = 19 

Hull: 6D + Shields: 2D+2 = 8D+2 = 28

Nowhere soaks up the damage! Finally, it fires back with its Quad Turbolasers!

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+1 + Battery Dice: 3D + Command Bonus: +1D - MAP (Evasive Action): -1D = 11D+1. 

Target Difficulty = Long Range: 20 + ISD Ship Defence: 13 = 33.

The Turbolaser roll is a mega 53 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 6D + Battery Dice: +2  = 6D+2 = 16 

Hull: 6D + Shields: 2D+2 = 8D+2 = 36

The ISD easily shrugs off the Damage! Firing for both ships now completed, the Action Phase is ended.

 

Movement Phase

Having lost Initiative, Nowhere is forced to move first. The ISD follows suit and both ships close in on one another. End of Turn One.

End of Turn One

Turn Two:

Initiative Phase:

Nowhere: 13

ISD: 9 (Modified to 10 because of the +1 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

Despite having a bonus, Nowhere wins Initiative and gains +1 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker. The ISD Initiative Bonus returns to zero.

Command Phase:

Nowhere: 20 - exceeds required Command target by 8 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

ISD: 25 - exceeds required Command Target by 8 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

Both of these bonuses are noted on the Command Tracker.

Orders: Both Captains take Evasive Action again. All subsequent rolls this turn will incur a -1D Multiple Action Penalty (MAP).

Damage Control Phase:

Nowhere suffered 1D of Ionisation Damage last turn. However, 1D of Ionised Shields are automatically regenerated each turn, meaning no Damage Control roll is required to regenerate the shield.

Both Captains once again angle their deflector shields to the front arc of their ships.

Action Phase:

Nowhere has Initiative and decides to fire one weapon at a time so as to avoid MAPs. The range is 21 space: all weapons on both ships are now at Medium Range! The Captain puts 2D Battery Dice into Damage.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 10D

Target Difficulty = Medium Range: 15 + ISD Ship Defence: 13 = 28

The Ion Cannon roll is 40 - a hit!

Damage roll: 3D + Battery Dice: +1 = 3D+1 = 13 

Shield roll: 3D = 6

7 points of Damage = 2D of Shields lost to Ionisation for the ISD!

Having lost 2 shields, the ISD Captain decides he wants to fire both weapons before Nowhere responds. This means he suffers a -1D MAP for firing both weapons which is added to the -1D MAP for giving the Evasive Action order. He throws 2 Battery Dice into Gunnery and 2 into Damage on both weapons.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 8D

Target Difficulty = Medium Range: 15 + Nowhere Ship Defence: 12 = 27

The Ion Cannon roll is 24 - a miss!

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 9D+1

Target Difficulty = Medium Range: 15 + Nowhere Ship Defence: 12 = 27

The Turbolaser Cannon roll is 27 - a hit, but only just! They all count, though! 

Damage roll: 5D + 2D Battery Dice = 7D = 26 

Hull: 6D + Shields: 3D+2 = 9D+2 = 33

The ISD has failed to even scratch Nowhere this turn!

Nowhere fires it's Quad Turbolasers.

Quad Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 10D

Target Difficulty = Medium Range: 15 + ISD Ship Defence: 13 = 28

The Quad Turbolasers roll 32 - another hit on the ISD!

Damage roll: 6D + 1D+2 Battery Dice = 7D+2 = 19 

Hull: 7D + Shields: 1D = 8D = 25

The ISD manages to get away without taking any more damage!

 

Movement Phase:

The ISD moves forward 6, while Nowhere's Captain, keen to close on the ISD in the hope that he may later get in behind the ISD where it has no weapons, moves 12.  End of Turn 2.

End of Turn Two

Turn Three:

Initiative Phase:

Nowhere: 12 (Modified to 13 because of the +1 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

ISD: 13 

Draw! Both Captains reroll!

Nowhere: 12 (Modified to 13 because of the +1 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

ISD: 12 

Nowhere scrapes an Initiative win and gains +2 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker.

Command Phase

Nowhere: 18 - exceeds required Command target by 6 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

ISD: 23 - also exceeds required Command Target by 6 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

Both of these bonuses are noted on the Command Tracker.

Orders: With the Range now being closed to Short Range, both Captains take Fly Casual orders. Neither ship suffers MAPs for this, but the difficulty on rolls to hit is based solely on Range, now 10!

Damage Control Phase:

The ISD recovers 1 Ionised Shield per turn - but it lost two last turn, so the Captain orders Damage Control be carried out to bring the remaining shield back online. A Capital Ship Operation roll (5D+1) is required to do so, with a Difficulty of 10 (10 per shield requiring repair). A roll of 15 restores the ISD to full shields - but it suffers a -1D MAP to successive actions.

Both Captains maintain Shields in their front arcs.

Action Phase: 

With shots expected to hit with ease, Nowhere's Captain decides to fire both weapons at once, suffering a -1D MAP. He piles all but the 1 Battery Dice into Damage (but only because of the limitation of 1D at Short Range).

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 9D

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10 

The Ion Cannon roll is 43 - a hit!

Damage roll: 3D + Battery Dice: 1D+1 = 4D+1 = 11 

Shield roll: 3D = 14

No Ionisation Damage!

Quad Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 9D

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Quad Turbolasers roll 30 - another hit on the ISD!

Damage roll: 6D + 2D+2 Battery Dice = 8D+2 = 27 

Hull: 7D + Shields: 1D = 8D = 24

The ISD loses 1D of shields!

The ISD Captain decides to fire his weapons one at a time so as to keep his MAP penalty at -1D (because of Damage Control Action). He places 3D Battery Dice into Damage.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 8D

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10 

The Ion Cannon roll is 34 - a hit!

Damage Roll: 3D + Battery Dice: 2D = 5D = 17

Shield Roll = 3D+2 = 11

2D of Shields suffer Ionisation Damage on Nowhere!

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 9D+1

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Turbolaser Cannon roll is 25 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 5D + 3D Battery Dice = 8D = 29 

Hull: 6D + Shields: 1D+2 = 7D+2 = 29

A zero result means Nowhere's remaining shields have been blown - but Shields Blown by anything other than Ionisation are automatically recovered next turn! A lucky escape for Nowhere's Captain!

Movement Phase:

The ISD Captain turns his ship while Nowhere's Captain turns his in the opposite direction, lining up for a point blank exchange of broadsides next turn! In retrospect, this was a blunder by Nowhere's Captain: it would have been better to stay facing directly on to the ISD and hit it with front arc weapons next turn. End of Turn Three.

End of Turn Three

Turn Four:

Initiative Phase:

Nowhere: 10 (Modified to 12 because of the +2 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

ISD: 22

ISD wins Initiative and gains +1 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker.

Command Phase:

Nowhere: 19 - exceeds required Command target by 7 points, increasing all skill rolls by +2 this turn.

ISD: 12 - fails required Command Target by 5 points, reducing all skill rolls by -1 this turn.

Both of these are noted on the respective Command Trackers.

Orders: With the Range now being closed to Point Blank, both Captains once again take Fly Casual orders. Neither ship suffers MAPs for this, but the difficulty on rolls to hit is based solely on Range, now a meagre 5!

Damage Control Phase:

The Shields blown and 1D Ionisation Damage are automatically restored to Nowhere, but the Captain wants the remaining Ionised Shield brought back online - so carries out a Damage Control Action (conferring a 1D MAP to later actions). He rolls 21 - easily succeeding! The ISD shields automatically come back online.

Both ships angle deflector shields to their opposing side arcs.

Action Phase:

This time the ISD Captain decides to fire both guns at once, accepting the -1D MAP. With both ships now at point blank range, he piles all Battery Dice into Damage!

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 6D

Target Difficulty = Point Blank Range: 5 

The Ion Cannon roll is 22 - a hit!

Damage Roll: 3D + Battery Dice: 3D+2 = 5D = 25

Shield Roll = 3D+2 = 14

3D of Shields suffer Ionisation Damage on Nowhere! They only have +2 left!

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 7D+1

Target Difficulty = Point Blank Range: 5

The Turbolaser Cannon roll is 28 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 5D + 4D Battery Dice = 9D = 28 

Hull: 6D + Shields: +2 = 7D+2 = 26

Somewhat implausibly, Nowhere has escaped again with its remaining shields have been blown - but with 3D Ionisation, they will require some Damage Control next turn! Another lucky escape for Nowhere's Captain!

Nowhere's Captain decides to fire both weapons separately, limiting his -1D MAP caused by Damage Control alone. Like the ISD Captain, he piles all Battery Dice into Damage.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 8D

Target Difficulty = Point Blank Range: 5

The Ion Cannon roll is 35 - a hit!

Damage roll: 3D + Battery Dice: 2D+1 = 5D+1 = 27 

Shield roll: 3D = 9

A mammoth 18 Ionisation Damage not only takes down the Shields but inflicts a Lightly Damaged Controls Dead result - but the Quads have yet to fire now! What an opportunity to inflict serious damage on the ISD!

Quad Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D

Target Difficulty = Point Blank Range: 5

The Quad Turbolasers roll 27 - another hit on the ISD!

Damage roll: 6D + 3D Battery Dice = 9D = 31 

Hull: 7D = 21

With 10 points of Damage, the ISD is Heavily Damaged! A 1D6 roll reveals that Weapons in one Arc have been destroyed! Another roll reveals that the Ion Cannon weapons on the ISD's right side are permanently destroyed! 

Note: I forgot to place tokens illustrating the Damage this turn. These will be shown on the Command Deck in Turn 5.

 

Movement Phase:

With the ISD dead in space, it cannot move! Nowhere's Captain simply turns his ship in place. Not only does this ensure more Point Blank, but because the ISD's Ion Cannon have been destroyed on the Right Arc (and cannot be repaired), the ISD would be restricted to one weapon attack from that flank next turn!  End of Turn 4.

End of Turn Four

Turn Five:

Initiative Phase:

Nowhere: 9

ISD: 18 

 (Modified to 19 because of the +1 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

ISD wins Initiative and gains +2 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker. More importantly, by winning by 10+ points, the Captain has pulled off a Tactical Masterstroke which allows the ISD to move during the Action Phase and fire from 2 different arcs (it is normally limited to one). However, with the ship in a dire state, repair rolls will dictate whether the ISD can make any use of this.

Command Phase:

Nowhere: 15 - exceeds required Command target by 3 points, increasing all skill rolls by +1 this turn.

ISD: 17 - succeeds, but receives no bonuses or penalties this turn.

Both of these are noted on the respective Command Trackers.

Orders: Both Captains order their crews to Fly Casual, but for different reasons: Nowhere's Captain wants to avoid the MAP penalty for Evasive Action, particularly when the ISD's ability to return fire may be diminished, while the ISD Captain wants to maximise his chances of repairing Damage and Shields.

Damage Control Phase:

Nowhere regains the shields blown by the ISD's Turbolasers and one Ionised Shield, before performing a Damage Control Action 4D6+1. The result is 15 which allows one more Ionised Shield to be regenerated. Nowhere now suffers a -1D MAP to other actions. 

The ISD Captain also makes a Damage Control Roll 5D6+1, looking to repair the Light Damage (ship's engines) and regenerate as many Shields as possible. He rolls 19 - the engines are back online, but that's all! 1D of Ionised Shields are regenerated automatically.

Nowhere angles its deflector shields to the left arc while the ISD Captain assigns his to the rear of the ship.

Action Phase: 

The ISD Captain makes use of his Tactical Masterstroke to boost away! He decides not to push his luck by taking additional actions to fire from his left arc!

Shrewdly recognising the danger, Nowhere's Captain opts to fire both of his weapons immediately, this time unleashing the Quad Cannon before the Ion Cannon. Nowhere can fire either at the ISD's rear or left arcs, but opts to hit the unshielded left arc.

Quad Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+2

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Quad Turbolasers roll 30 - another hit on the ISD!

Damage roll: 6D + 2D Battery Dice = 8D = 39 

Hull: 7D = 25

With 14 points of Damage, the ISD is Severely Damaged! The Damage roll reveals a Damaged Reactor which must be repaired within 3 rounds or the ship will be destroyed! However, Nowhere isn't finished yet - here come the Ion Cannon!

Ion Cannon Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+2

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Ion Cannon roll 34 - another hit on the ISD!

Damage roll: 3D + 1D+1 Battery Dice = 4D+1 = 17

Hull: 7D = 22.

The ISD hangs on - for now at least! The Captain fires his weapons at Nowhere separately.

Ion Gunnery Fire Control: 7D+1

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Ion Cannon roll is 30 - a hit!

Damage Roll: 3D + Battery Dice: 2D+2 = 5D+2 = 14

Shield Roll = 2D+2 = 12

1D of Shields suffer Ionisation Damage on Nowhere! 

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+1

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Turbolaser Cannon roll is 23 - a hit! 

Damage roll: 5D + 3D Battery Dice = 8D = 34 

Hull: 6D + Shields: 1D+2 = 7D+2 = 25

Nowhere has been Heavily Damaged! A subsequent roll reveals that Shields have been blown! This confers -2D to Shields until they are repaired!

Movement Phase:

Nowhere turns but does not move further. The ISD made use of Tactical Masterstroke to move earlier in the turn and so cannot do so again now. End of Turn Five.

End of Turn Five

Turn Six:

Initiative Phase:

Nowhere: 15

ISD: 15 

 (Modified to 17 because of the +2 Initiative Bonus from last turn.)

ISD wins Initiative and gains +3 to future rolls, marked on the Initiative Bonus Tracker. 

Command Phase:

Nowhere: 15 - exceeds required Command target by 3 points, increasing all skill rolls by +1 this turn.

ISD: 16 - fails, but does so by such a small margin that it suffers no penalties this turn.

Both of these are noted on the respective Command Trackers.

Orders: Both Captains order their crews to Fly Casual to maximise Damage Control success.

Damage Control Phase:

The ISD decides that the ship is in such a bad state that getting the damage under control is the prime consideration. He opts to throw everything at Damage Control by putting 5D into his repair bonus - but this will come at the expense of -5D MAP to subsequent actions. (Repair rolls can have 1D allocated per full 1D of skill in Capital Ship Operation, in this case 5D+1 = 5D). However, his crew suffer a -3D penalty for being Severely Damaged, therefore the repair roll is 5D+1 + 5D - 3D = 7D+1. He rolls 20 - a fail! The ISD remains Severely Damaged and that reactor will blow in 2 turns! The only good news is that 1D of Ionised Shields have regenerated!

Nowhere's Captain attempts to repair the Heavily Damaged Shields but allocates no bonus dice to the roll (as he wants to finish the ISD this turn and does not want any weapon penalties). He rolls 2D6+1 for the Damage Control Action (4D6+1 -2D for being Heavily Damaged). The result is 7 which does not help. 

Nowhere's deflector shields remain down while the ISD Captain assigns one to the rear of the ship and the other to the left arc.

Action Phase: 

With a massive -8D penalty to firing (5D MAPs + 3D Damage Penalty), the ISD Captain opts to fire his weapons separately. As Nowhere is unshielded, he tries to hit it with the Quad Cannon first. throwing all Battery Dice into the Gunnery!

Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+2 + Battery Dice: 4D - Penalties: 8D = 4D+2  

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Quad Turbolasers roll 13 - Nowhere is hit!

Damage roll: 5D Battery Dice = 13

Hull: 6D = 20

Nowhere hangs on - and retaliates! The Captain decides to fire guns separately - and unleashes the Quad Turbolasers! He only has to Lightly Damage the ISD to destroy it! He does have -1D MAP for Damage Control and a further 2D for being Damage...

Quad Turbolaser Gunnery Fire Control: 8D+2 + Battery Dice: 1D - Penalties: 3D = 6D+2

Target Difficulty = Short Range: 10

The Quad Turbolasers roll 17 - a hit on the ISD! Could this be the coup de grace?

Damage roll: 6D + 2D Battery Dice = 8D = 31 

Hull: 7D + 1D Shields = 8D = 25

With 6 points of Damage, the ISD is Lightly Damaged and, stacked on top of being Severely Damaged, is finally obliterated! Victory to Nowhere - and the Rebellion! 

End of Turn Six and Battle: ISD Destroyed!

Closing Reflections: 

I'm very happy with how the battle played out. After a few opening exchanges, things got deadly as the ships closed on one another. One thing I messed up on was that when the ships become Damaged, the crew skills suffer penalties - I only remembered about this on Turn 6! I'm sure I'll remember next time -  obviously there are a number of things to juggle, but I feel that this is about as simple as Capital Ship Combat can be made. In particular, I think CR McNeill's Battery Dice mechanic works fantastically well! I hope future play tests prove equally successful and that we can finalise the rules for others to use soon!

Star Wars D6: Green Vipers Episode VIII (Part II)

Episode VIII - The Rebels of Callonia (Part II)

Introduction:

The Long Shot campaign continues with the second instalment of The Rebels of Chayloon adventure written by Padre as published on the Rancor Pit. If you would like to run this adventure, please follow this link to the Rancor Pit. As usual, I own none of the images - hand drawn maps all belong to Padre who has kindly granted permission for their use (and for me to report on the running of the adventure) in these posts - the remainder were sourced from google images. Please note that this is an advert free, not for profit blog. 

Additionally, please visit The Rancor Pit. The support shown to me by fellow GMs and players continues to inspire me in recording the campaign in these posts - thanks again to all of you who have offered me encouraging words!

Mayhem in the Mine:

Music Cue: The Mine Car Chase (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

Having been given the order by Captain Hannah to hit the Minarac mine, bounty hunter Bots springs out from his hiding place and, dual wielding heavy blaster pistols, blasts the two guards at the mine entrance! Wasting no time, Bots rushes inside, but runs into three more guards! He wounds two of them, but a bolt from the returning fire tears a nasty burn in his left leg!

Weequay bounty hunter Bots Vridak

Vridak blasts the guards at the main mine entrance, while Kaleban and Tala sneak in the back door 

While the Weequay is battling with the Minarac guards, Tala and Kaleban have snuck in a side entrance and have a group of three more Minarac guards in their sights! Having not been spotted, they coordinate to drop two guards in the blink of an eye! The last guard takes cover behind a rocky outcrop and a firefight ensues...however, the Mah-Ta slaves have spotted their opportunity - and attack the guard from behind! Screaming, the man crumples to the floor as the slaves turn their tools - pick axes - into vicious weapons against him! Kaleban retrieves keys from one of the dead guards and unshackles the closest Mah-Ta slave to him, before handing him the keys to release the others!

Kaleban Maars

Rushing on board the Yindao, Captain Hannah suddenly remembers his promise to allow the Mah-Ta to participate in the battle.

Hannah: C4-S0, tell the Mah-Ta that unfortunately our scouts have been spotted and have engaged the enemy! Tell them they may join the attack!

C4-S0: No, I won't tell them! I've had just about enough of you!

Hannah: Are you disobeying a direct order?

C4-S0: Indeed I am! 

Hannah: This insubordination cannot continue. Perhaps you'd prefer to be broken down for spare parts?

C4-S0: I'd like to see you try! You don't have the authority!

C4-S0

Hannah: Just do it!

Still grumbling, C4-S0 gives in and explains the situation to the Mah-Ta warriors. They scream in rage and rush forward, knocking the protocol droid into the mud in their wake! Hannah orders Corr to take the Yindao in close to the front of the mine, but they cannot see into the darkness to provide air support.

As Bots is pinned down, Kaleban joins the attack, shooting at the remaining Minarac guards from a flanking position - but they still don't go down! With blaster bolts blowing chunks of shrapnel from the rocky walls around him, the bounty hunter is in peril!

Bots is the token marked as wounded (in red with 1) closest to the mine entrance

Fortunately, the Mah-Ta charge inside and the Minarac guards fall under their blades. The battle seems to be over - but Corr has picked up readings of an AT-AT making its way up the valley - and is surrounded by an entourage of speeder discs! Full of fury that his new warriors were not in the frontline for the mine attack, Ta-Kiazee tells the Green Vipers that the AT-AT must be stopped before it discovers one of their sacred 'Holy Places' further up the valley.

The AT-AT lumbering up the river!

Speeder Disc and Stormtrooper

Hannah: Perhaps this would be an opportune moment for your warriors to prove themselves in battle?

Ta-Kiazee: Fighting Shouting Ones is one thing...fighting stone servants is another. We cannot defy this foe. It is beyond all of us.

Hannah: We will help you. Move into position further down the valley and when we strike from the rear, you will attack.

Music Cue: Battle in the Snow

Ta-Kiazee bows and leaves with the other Mah-Ta, while Hannah discusses tactics with his team. Kaleban cracks open a medpac and successfully tends to Bots' wound. They pile into the Yindao and Corr plots a circuitous route to engage the AT-AT.  Hannah takes a seat in the lower gunnery chair while Bots, Tala and Kaleban move into position around the upper hatch as the plan is to drop them off on the AT-AT! Aided by C4-S0, Corr brings the Yindao in behind the walker! Hannah blasts as the AT-AT from the gunnery chair, but the ship's guns are unable to penetrate the walker's thick armour!

Ta-Kiazee and the Mah-Ta lie in wait while the Yindao outmanoeuvres the AT-AT!

Much to C4-S0's displeasure, Corr flips the Yindao upside down and brings it down low over the AT-AT - and Bots, Tala, Kaleban leap down from the top hatch! Kaleban almost loses his footing but Tala catches him, her claws drain blood as they grip his forearm tightly, preventing from him plunging to his doom! 

Tala: Got any jokes to share about yarn now, Kaleban?

Tala Nor

Kaleban has no quips as he pulls himself to safety, grimacing gratefully to Tala. Bots and Tala use their jump pack and claws respectively to make their way to the hatch on the side of the walker. On arrival, both bicker about the best way to override the security panel to gain access!

Meanwhile, the speeder discs hammer the Yindao from below, but their guns are too weak to penetrate the freighter's shields! Confronted by the sight of open sky as Corr has flipped the YT-1300, Hannah rushes from this gunnery chair. Throwing himself into the other gunnery chair, he readies himself to fire - but as soon as he arrives, Corr reorientates the ship, and once again Hannah is presented with a view of open sky! Silently cursing his pilot, he clambers back to his original position, just as Bots springs the AT-AT hatch open to reveal four Stormtroopers with their blasters primed! There is a rapid exchange of fire and once again Bots is wounded in the left leg! Kaleban, who hangs over the open doorway from the roof wounds one of the Stormtroopers, but Bots is in real danger of being cut down by the others! Tala's claws screech as she digs them into the metal hull and pulls the bounty hunter away from the doorway. Kaleban's eyes widen as he sees Hannah wave to him from the gunnery chair in the Yindao - realising his Captain's intent, he rolls away from the hatch back on to the walker's roof. Hannah opens fire on the Stormtroopers inside, vaporising three of them, while one last narrowly leaps to safety!

Captain Hannah

Bots and Tala hurry inside and attack the fallen Stormtrooper, eliminating him while Kaleban swings acrobatically from the roof inside the cabin. The hatch to the walker's head suddenly slides open and an AT-AT operator opens fire with his blaster! It hits Tala with force and she stumbles backwards before crashing down in the still-smoking rear of the walker where she falls unconscious!

Bots rushes forward and cuts the AT-AT operator down with his blaster pistols and wounds the remaining pilot in the cockpit. Both he and Kaleban take control of the walker and rig it to self destruct before they are picked up and taken on board the Yindao. 

Concerned his word will be broken a second time, Hannah picks up the Mah-Ta who were stranded on the opposite side of the river, while Corr guns the ship after the fleeing speeder discs. The sublight engines spray up water in the Yindao's wake as it skims close to the surface of the river, bringing it alongside the speeder discs. Mah-Ta climb down the entry ramp and, one by one, leap on to the speeder discs until the Stormtroopers are finally defeated.  

Two Mah-Ta warriors die in the battle, while Ta-Kiazee and the unharmed warriors and freed slaves tend to the wounded survivors. Once they touch down, Corr aids Kaleban in reviving and healing Tala. The blaster burn has scorched away the fur on her leg and the flesh is blackened - but she is recovering fast! Ta-Kiazee nods gratefully to Captain Hannah for enabling the blooding of his warriors in battle.

Ta-Kiazee: You are Mah-Ta at heart. You are not like the Shouting Ones or the Shelled Ones. You have my trust. There are others you must meet.

Ta-Kiazee

Music Cue: The Temple of Doom (from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

Ta-Kiazee leads the Vipers high into the mountains before they arrive at the mouth of a cave. Inside they hear music; rhythmic chants and strange howls. Ta-Kiazee leads them in to a vast cavern which is adorned with etchings of the Mah-Ta and Groh-Ta. Ta-Kiazee brings them to a ceremony - the source of the chanting - which is being performed by Mah-Ta and Groh-Ta within several concentric circles of stones placed out on the floor. As the chanting continues, the stones rise off the floor and begin to dance. Once again, Corr senses the presence of the force, but, despite his fears of the Dark Side at work on Callonia, he places his trust in the Mah-Ta that they are not about the work of evil. Through crevices in the cavern ceiling, he notices the glimmering flashes of light that signify a meteor shower. Once the ritual comes to an end, Corr approaches one of the priests and, using C4-S0 to translate, questions them.

Music Cue; Luke and Leia

Corr: I am a novice in the ways of the force. Clearly it is strong with you. Would you train me?

Corr Alden: Force-sensitive Pilot

One of the Priests - Ta Gurhlak - approaches him and holds his arms out to him. Corr steps forward and the Priest places his hands on Corr's head. Suddenly images fill his head, scenes of terror as Mah-Ta are rounded up by Stormtroopers and Minarac employees, of brutal servitude in the mines, and then to the ritual here in the mine...but suddenly Corr's viewpoint soars into the sky, and then into space; there he sees the asteroids that encircle Callonia. The sound of the chanting rises to a roar in his mind and then, inexplicably, he witnesses several of the asteroids being torn free of the belt and soaring down to the planet's surface. He follows the rocks which leaves plumes of fire and smoke in their wake as they streak through the atmosphere. Below he sees Cohlanga space port, headquarters for the Imperial presence on the planet. It looks as though it will be destroyed, but suddenly, as the meteors seem to about to strike the city, they are vaporised by a domed-shaped flash of light! And then, the Priest removes his hands from Corr's head and the vision is over.

Ta-Gurhlak

Ta-Gurhlak: I have seen visions of your life as you have witnessed mine. We worship the the planet spirit while you follow the force. Perhaps they are one and the same, the planet spirit and the force, but our understanding of it is as alien to you as the force is to us. We cannot teach you.

Corr: I understand. What I saw in your mind...you're trying to draw the asteroids down to destroy the Empire's base? Aren't there innocents in Cohlanga city?

Ta-Gurhlak: Who is innocent when that city is built on the blood and suffering of our peoples? It matters not, though, the Shouting Ones and the Shelled Ones harness a greater power than ours: the ability to destroy star stones! We are a defeated people. We have no future.

Corr: It's a force-field. If we could disable it, you could destroy Cohlanga city! 

Ta-Gurhlak: No. It is useless. Many of our Priests were taken by the Shouting Ones. There are not enough of us to harness the power of the star stones...

As the Vipers come to an understanding of the Mah-Ta's plight, they realise that they will have to free the Mah-Ta Priests from Minarac - and then find a way to disable the force field protecting Cohlanga city. As Hannah suggests that they scout Cohlanga city, R3-FU contacts them with information he has picked up from monitoring communications throughout the mission. He plays two transmissions.

R3-FU

A: This is Minarac Patrol 16. No sign of AT-ST and AT-PT squadrons. Wreckage of AT-AT and Speeder Discs located in Whip-Scar Valley. No sign of Rebels.

B: Keep searching. Find them...and wipe them out.

Then-

C: This is Cohlanga Tower to the flight crew of Emperor's Justice. We've received reports of Rebels aiding the indigenous population and of a freighter destroying ground forces. Get the frigate in the air. If that freighter reveals itself again, blast it into oblivion.

R3 has also intercepted data transmissions between Cohlanga Tower and ships coming to and from the city. He provides the team with holographic schematics both of Cohlanga City and of a Minarac Outpost...

Tala: Well done, R3!

C4-S0: R3 thanks you mistress Tala, but asks that I remind you he needs a number of parts. Perhaps he could be of more use to the Vipers if he is restored to full working order?

Tala: Yes, I don't know why he hasn't been given all of the tools he requires. We'll see what we can do.

Hannah: All right team, lets have a look at these schematics...

To be continued...

Closing Reflections:

Another fun session which had a few hairy moments for Bots and Tala in particular! Though wounded, Bots used a Force Point to deal with the last two AT-AT guards. Fortunately, there were no character deaths to report this week! After the action of the past few weeks, I enjoyed the sequence in the Mah-Ta caverns as it finally revealed the mysteries of the storyline. Because of his concerns about the Dark Side of the Force being present on Callonia, I played the human sacrifice music from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to Corr as he entered the caverns, while the rest of the group were played soothing Brian Eno meditation music! Fortunately, Corr had come to trust that the Mah-Ta were not about the work of evil and even asked them to teach him the ways of the force! It was because he was trusting of them that I improvised the moment where he and Ta-Gurhlak shared visions.It was an interesting device to explain the plot rather than relying solely on Ta-Gurhlak's explanations. It was also inspired by the moment in The Force Awakens where Rey first holds Luke Skywalker's lightsaber.

With the team now clear about the task ahead of them, we're heading into the final stages of the adventure - it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out! More coming soon!

Star Wars D6: Green Vipers Episode VIII (Part I)

Episode VIII - The Rebels of Callonia (Part I)

Introduction:

The Long Shot campaign continues with The Rebels of Chayloon adventure written by Padre as published on the Rancor Pit. If you would like to run this adventure, please follow this link to the Rancor Pit. As usual, I own none of the images - hand drawn maps all belong to Padre who has kindly granted permission for their use (and for me to report on the running of the adventure) in these posts - the remainder were sourced from google images. Please note that this is an advert free, not for profit blog. 

Additionally, please visit The Rancor Pit. The support shown to me by fellow GMs and players inspires me to continue recording this campaign in these posts - thanks again to all of you who have offered me encouraging words!

Training:

Music Cue: Rebel Briefing 

Before they embark on their next mission, Mikka Reekeene offers the Green Vipers the opportunity for some training while on board Nowhere. Captain Hannah and Corr Alden accept the offer to learn how Nowhere is operated. Hannah finds that while there are many similarities to commanding a Star Destroyer, there is much to learn in piloting a Providence-class ship. Both find the training informative and enlightening - as do Tala Norr and Kaleban Maars who are trained on how to pilot X-Wings! There is nothing suitable for the droids and Bots Vridak is disinterested in training. He feels that experience in the heat of battle is the best training!

A few weeks later, General Reekeene and Santhou give the Green Vipers their latest mission briefing...and they set off soon after!  

Meteor Shower:

Corr and Tala in the Yindao cockpit

Music Cue: Mouse Robot and Blasting Off

The Yindao drops out of hyperspace, and the Vipers see the planet Callonia and its asteroid rings ahead of them. Corr orders C4-S0 to perform a sensor sweep of the system and they discover that a Minarac fighter is tailing them. Captain Hannah opens comms with the ship and explains that they are there to aid with Minarac's mining operation on the planet. The pilot informs Hannah that they have to maintain their course while he checks out their story with Cohlanga Tower on the planet. Fearful that aggressive negotiations may be required, Hannah orders Kaleban and Bots to ready themselves on the gunnery chairs.

Callonia with its asteroid rings

Something whizzes past the viewport and Corr is stunned both by the phenomenon and the sensation he suddenly feels: a tugging in his stomach - and a sense of a far-off will is being exerted upon him. More objects fizzle past the viewport and it takes one striking the freighter to snap him from his reverie! The controls sparking with ionisation damage, he raises a shield while more meteors fill the space around them. Kaleban witnesses the meteors tear through the pursuing fighter, tearing it to shreds! The phenomenon ends as quickly as it began - and all breathe a sigh of relief.

Kaleban: Those meteors took care of that fighter on our tail! 

Corr: I'll take us down into the valleys! That'll keep us off the spaceport scopes!

Planetfall:

Music Cue: The Princess Appears

Deciding to land the vessel in the "velth" - stubby two to three meter high trees which have large flat splayed leaves - to hide the Yindao, Corr spots a nearby village on their approach. They land the ship a little away from the settlement and he and Captain Hannah get to work on covering the ship with the huge leaves of the velth. Mindful of the Yindao's disobedient hyperdrive, Captain Hannah orders C4-S0 and R3-FU to talk to it while Kaleban, Tala and Bots are sent out to scout the settlement. C4-S0 finds the hyperdrive intolerable so does not take kindly to the task. R3 is amused.

While they clear the velth, Corr tells Captain Hannah of the strange feeling he had as the ship approached Callonia, fearing it is some manifestation of the dark side. His captain explains that in years gone by, he would have been duty-bound to kill Jedi and force sensitives, but that his view has now changed. Unfortunately, he knows even less about the phenomenon than Corr does, but asks the pilot to keep him informed if he experiences any further tremors in the force.

Tala discovers that the local settlement seems to be abuzz with chatter and she spots lizard-like beings, the Mah-Ta described to them in their briefing. The language they speak is totally alien to Tala, so Hannah asks her to get closer and to channel the conversations over the comlinks for C4-S0 to interpret. 

Mah-Ta

C4-S0: Captain Hannah, this is intolerable! One minute you want me to talk to the hyperdrive, the next you want me to interpret? Which is it to be?

Hannah: Would you prefer to talk to the hyperdrive?

C4-S0: Very well! Patch it through...Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication. These creatures seem to be conversing in a very primitive dialect. It sounds as though they are talking about our ship. They are wondering if we are 'white shells'.

C4-S0

Hannah: White shells? What the blazes does that mean?

C4-S0: I'm not entirely sure. They sound fearful of them.

Corr: They probably think we're Stormtroopers... 

Tala: In which case, they may be the rebels we're looking for!

Hannah: Excellent. C4-S0, I want you to head into the camp to talk to these creatures. 

C4-S0: I have no intentions of walking in there myself! Who knows what these savages will do to me!

R3 laughs at C4-S0 who grumbles something about his counterpart being a 'bucket of bolts'.

Kaleban: I'll go with him. 

Contact:

As Kaleban and C4-S0 enter the village with their hands raised, many of the people scatter, some running off to hide in the surrounding velth. Some of the braver Mah-Ta stand their ground and regard the strangers with interest. 

C4-S0: It's all right! We're here to help! We have weapons to help your warriors against the white shells!

A village elder emerges from one of the huts and approaches the two. 

Ta-Ytref: We have no interest in weapons. There are no warriors here. None have been chosen.

Kaleban: Tell him we are looking for the warriors so we can help them to fight back.

Ta-Ytref: I cannot say where the warriors are. There have been none for two seasons. And warriors never return.

At that, a messenger called To-Aoba -from a neighbouring village - bursts out of the velth. He breathlessly explains that the 'white shells and their stone servants' are approaching his village and that some of the village elders are remaining there to talk to them! Ta-Aoba is concerned for their safety as he says that he has only seen 'the shouting ones' taking prisoners. Kaleban shrewdly deduces that the shouting ones are Minarac employees who are enslaving the local population.

Ta-Ytref: I'm afraid your journey was in vain, young Ta-Aoba. As I was just telling these off-worlders, there are no warriors here. 

Kaleban: Not true...there are Vipers in this jungle. We will help you, Ta-Aoba. Lead on!

With Kaleban speculating that the 'stone servants' may be walkers, Captain Hannah fears the worst and orders Corr and C4-S0 to follow him back to the ship while Bots, Tala and Kaleban to use the velth to defend the village from the ground!

Rumble in the Jungle:

Music Cues: The Forest Battle & The Mine Car Chase (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

As the team on foot approach the village, a Minarac fighter makes a flyby and drops a bomb, destroying a hut and wiping out a family of Mah-ta! The approaching Rebels are enraged, but their anger is tempered by the fearsome opposition they see ahead in the velth - four AT-STs, 6 AT-PTs and a Floating Fortress!

AT-ST and AT-PTs lumber through the thick velth

As the walkers slowly trample through the choked terrain, the trio of Bots, Tala and Kaleban use the cover of the thick leafy canopy to close in on them. They pass through the frontline of AT-PTs to target the AT-STs. As Kaleban and Tala climb the leg of an AT-ST, they are slapped by the thick foliage of the velth ceiling, but manage to climb above that layer as they haul themselves on to the walker's cabin. Kaleban tosses a stun grenade in through the hatch, knocking both walker operators unconscious! As they slump across the controls, the AT-ST begins to veer off to one side - and into a collision course with another! The two Rebels leap inside to try to regain control! 

AT-ST

Meanwhile, Bots opens the comms to Captain Hannah and tells him the attack is underway, before activating his jetpack to land on another walker. He tosses a thermal detonator into the AT-ST hatch, before boosting down to take cover beneath the canopy! The huge explosion tears apart the AT-ST, leaving behind nothing more than the walker's legs - which teeter to and fro before crumpling into the undergrowth! The bounty hunter, already eyeing another AT-ST to attack, barely even registers the flaming foliage raining down around him! 

Bots Vridak

Aided by the droids, Corr roars the Yindao across the battlefield, while Captain Hannah tears up the floating fortress with the freighter's cannon. A plume of flame and dark smoke spills out from the vehicle, but it still manages to float - just!

Tala brings the AT-ST to a halt just before it collides with another and both she and Kaleban fire the cannon point-blank at the enemy AT-ST, blowing it to smithereens! 

Tala

Aware that the walker operators may revive within minutes, Kaleban draws his blade and ensures that the men do not wake again! Tala turns the walker's guns on the Floating Fortress - and blows it apart! Several Stormtroopers burst out of the burning fuselage, but it is too late - they are dead before they hit the ground!

Kaleban

Bots boosts up to the last AT-ST before dropping inside and killing the operators, one with a blaster, the other with his blade! The Rebels now control two AT-STs! 

Mayhem in the velth

Captain Hannah: Alden, when I read your file, it said on Mycroft you used the Yindao to ram several TIEs...

Corr: Yeah, so?

Captain Hannah: Well, it would seem that those AT-PTs are lined up rather nicely for you...

Corr: I got you! Buckle up everyone!

C4-S0: This is madness!

Corr brings the Yindao down low over the canopy and, while C4-S0 angles the deflector shields to the rear of the ship, Corr angles the freighter so that the nose is raised and the engines trail along the canopy! The ship's hull batters the AT-PT's while the sublight engines set them and the velth ablaze, destroying all of the light walkers in one fell swoop!

Corr

Captain Hannah: Outstanding Alden, outstanding! Vridak, Maars, Norr, follow us back to the village - and bring those two Scout walkers with you! 

The team do as Hannah orders, with Kaleban conning Cohlanga control into believing he is the expedition's captain (from identification he found on the bodies of the dead AT-ST operators) and that they are pursuing the villagers into the velth. For now, at least, no one is looking for the squadron of walkers!

When they return to the village, they hear horns sounding out. Much to Captain Hannah's annoyance, the village elder Ta-Ytref only wants them to eat and sleep! 

Ta-Ytref: Patience! Tomorrow there will be warriors!

Initiation:

Music Cue: The Land of the Sandpeople 

In the red dawn of the morning, the air is filled with screams as the leather-winged Groh-Ta swoop down on the village. As the creatures begin to battle with some of the villagers, those who have drawn flint knives to defend their homestead, the Rebels are alarmed - but C4-S0 soon sets their minds at rest as he explains that the battle, vicious as it appears, is part of an initiation ritual. Satisfied, Captain Hannah stands his people down and they allow the Mah-Ta and Groh-Ta to conclude their battle. As he observes the ritual, Corr senses that the force is at work, although he is unclear if it is the Dark Side or the Light that the creatures are calling upon. He continues to feel uneasy about this planet...

Finally, the initiates become warriors, and bidding their village farewell, they head out into the valley. Ta-Ytref is received when the Vipers offer to escort the warriors. Hannah orders Corr and the droids to head back to the ship and stay on standby until required, while the rest of the party follow the warriors into the wilderness, bringing the two AT-STs with them.

Soon after, they encounter a lone warrior, Ta-Kiazee. He does not care for the off-worlders, but they win his respect by showing them that Kaleban and Bots have taken control of the stone servants. Kaleban tries to teach Ta-Ytref's son, Ta-Ytrab, how to pilot the AT-ST, but it quickly becomes obvious that the Mah-Ta are more likely to harm themselves when presented with such technology!

Ta-Kiazee

Leaving the AT-ST's behind in an area of forest, the party presses on as Ta-Kiazee leads them to a mine. Captain Hannah insists his team scout ahead of the warriors, something which draws protest from Ta-Kiazee who insists the new warriors must be tested in battle. Hannah promises that they will not deprive the Mah-Ta of their chance to fight, and eventually Ta-Kiazee allows the off-worlders to push on to scout the mine. 

Bots, Kaleban and Tala use the tree line for cover, closing in around the mine entrances, while Captain Hannah orders Corr to pick him up nearby - and C4-S0 to remain with the Mah-Ta.

C4-S0: You're not my master! You don't get to order me around!

Hannah: You're a member of the Rebellion and I'm a ranking officer! You'll do as you're told! You stay here!

C4-S0: I must say, you've gone down in my estimations, Captain! Wait till General Reekeene hears about this! I'll be filing a report about this, you see if I don't! 

Hannah: Noted. Until then, just follow my orders. Strike team, when you're ready, hit that mine.

Hannah

Bots nods grimly as he hears his Captain's order over the comms. With two Minarac guards in his sights, he readies his blaster... 

Bots: About time.

To be continued...

Closing Reflections:

I don't want to say too much about the story as we still have several weeks of play ahead, but the players are enjoying it so far and enjoying Padre's setting and imaginative adventure! After a gentle start, the encounter with the walkers was very eventful and the players did well! Their ingenuity in wrestling control of the AT-STs while the Yindao gave them hell from above paid off was a lot of fun! It's worth noting that Bots only had the one thermal detonator, so while it was a really cool moment when he used it to destroy an AT-ST, that's it gone! The destruction of so many AT-PTs relatively easily was achieved by an insane roll of 47 by Corr's Space Transports and we did check collision damage which was substantial due to the scale and speed of the ship connecting with the walkers! With Hannah coordinating his team well, and Kaleban and Tala doing great in taking the AT-ST, the (two) sessions were packed full of great action and roleplaying a play all round!

The only one thing that has me scratching my head is the ethics of stabbing unconscious Imperials to death. Obviously, as servants of the Empire, they are evil, but does that mean it is okay to finish them while they're unconscious? If the Imperials were able to defend themselves, it definitely would be justifiable, but killing them when they're defenceless is pretty questionable. We are running a campaign which is more in the vein of Rogue One, but even still, I think I may have to threaten Dark Side points if anyone thinks to repeat this in future sessions.