Masters of their own destiny

[Supplement Four]

One last question (for now...)....

This is a real GMing type question.

I've got the player's ship just jumping into a system where I've set up an ambush. There's an enemy vessel (long story about why this ship is here--and not particularly relevant to the question I'm posing) waiting at the jump point.

Now my players, the creative people they are (you never know what your players are going to pull out of their butts, do you...), have the Marquis of Aramis aboard their ship (he charted it), and at their last stop, they got suspicious about what lay ahead of them.

So, they used the Marquis' influence to (1) change transponders with a 5000 ton Type AH Hercules class freighter (the players' ship is a 400 ton Type A2 Far Trader, but that's not what the transponder reads now...), and they (2) had that ship sent ahead of them (2-day lead) to check out the exit jump-point and escort them while in the next system (the Marquis didn't swap ships for the Type AH from the players' ship because the Hercules is only a J-1 ship...and he needs a J-2 to finish his journey).

Now, my story revolved around the Marquis (and the PCs from the ship) being captured.

And, I've got an Ace up my sleeve that the players' don't even have a clue about yet...that being that the Marquis' own body guards (4 NPCs) are in cahoots with those trying to capture him.

So, I had planned to take the players' ship from within with the Marquis' body guards, and have the threat of the ambush ship when they exited J-Space.

This big, meaty ship they sent ahead of them threw a wrench in my plans (damn crafty players!).

Now, I could just fudge it and take out the Type AH. But, the problem with that is that I like to reward my players for good creative play, even if it means re-arranging the story.

I find that everyone has more fun if the players, even if it is really an illusion, believe that they are masters of their own destiny.

The game we have are very fun and exciting because what the players do DOES MATTER. They can change events--they're not just following down a tightly scripted linear story.

I find that players really like it when they feel they can effect the outcome of what was gonna be and change it into something different.

And, that's what we've got here...basically.

I'm trying to find a "legitimate" way (without just fudging it) to deal with this Type AH and still capture the Marquis and the PC crew.

We ending the last session on a cliff hanger. The players had already smelled a rat, so, when the jump beacon went off, they all climbed into their vacc suits, manned their positions, and were ready for battle.

They didn't know what they'd find--maybe wreckage of the Type AH that was a couple of days ahead of them.

Well, they popped out of J-Space and found the Hercules class ship waiting for them. No problems, it reported. Then, the Type AH started to escort them through the asteroid belt to the space station (a point on the Marquis' journey).

The journey through the asteroid belt, given the reduced speed, is 2.38 day.

A few hours into this trip, the PC's are starting to relax a bit--maybe they were wrong about what they thought they should expect.

And then, just when they started to get comfortable...

"RADIOLOGICAL!"

There was a big, bright light. The view ports on the bridge darkened, and the Navigator looked down at the energy spike shown on the sensors.

Gamma radiation.

What they had just witnessed was a nuclear blast.

And, right there is where we ended last session.

It was the TV show with the words "To Be Continued" at the bottom of the screen.


-------------------------

OK, so now I'm in this predicament. I've fired the nuke (and that blast they saw is either going to be it hitting the Type AH...which is unlikely...or the explosion made when the one of the Type AH's 8 laser weapons blew the missile from space as it approached the ship).

My players don't know at this point. I'm going to pick up the game right at that spot next time.

And, right now, I'm tying to be the little good-boy GM and do things "the right" way (not just fudge it) and play the NPC Type AH ship as if it were a PC vessel.

My goal, though, is still to capture the Marquis and the PC crew.

I'm afraid that Type AH is going to eat the lunch of the 400 ton ambush ship I sent to capture the PC's ship. My ambush ship only has one turret on it, with a beam laser, sandcaster, and missile launcher--which is a good match for the PC's ship with it's single pulse laser--but is not match at all for the 8 beam lasers sprouting out of the Type AH.

What I'm thinking is this...

I'll spring the trap inside the PC's ship with the Marquis' body guards, and then I'll try to force the Marquis to order the Type AH to retreat while the ambush ship docks with the PC ship.

I might have to blow away one of the PC characters (each player is running two characters--there are 12 people aboard the PC's ship) to let the Marquis know that they mean business.

If I can get the Type AH to retreat and get the Marquis aboard the ambush ship, I can jump out of the system and be gone--and moving on with my plot and story. Neither the PC's ship nor the Type AH will be able to follow because they don't have the fuel (which is why I posted that question about fuel).

But there's a lot of variables in this idea.

I guess what I'm looking for, for any of you who like to think about these types of things and would care to comment, is alternatives to the scenario (for next session) that I outlined above.

Any other thoughts on how I can (A) keep the ambush ship from being destroyed by the Type AH, and more importantly (B) capture the Marquis and the PC crew?

Responses to this type of question are always so creative--I'm looking forward to what you come up with.

 

[Supplement Four]

One last question (for now...)....

This is a real GMing type question.

I've got the player's ship just jumping into a system where I've set up an ambush. There's an enemy vessel (long story about why this ship is here--and not particularly relevant to the question I'm posing) waiting at the jump point.

Now my players, the creative people they are (you never know what your players are going to pull out of their butts, do you...), have the Marquis of Aramis aboard their ship (he charted it), and at their last stop, they got suspicious about what lay ahead of them.

So, they used the Marquis' influence to (1) change transponders with a 5000 ton Type AH Hercules class freighter (the players' ship is a 400 ton Type A2 Far Trader, but that's not what the transponder reads now...), and they (2) had that ship sent ahead of them (2-day lead) to check out the exit jump-point and escort them while in the next system (the Marquis didn't swap ships for the Type AH from the players' ship because the Hercules is only a J-1 ship...and he needs a J-2 to finish his journey).

Now, my story revolved around the Marquis (and the PCs from the ship) being captured.

And, I've got an Ace up my sleeve that the players' don't even have a clue about yet...that being that the Marquis' own body guards (4 NPCs) are in cahoots with those trying to capture him.

So, I had planned to take the players' ship from within with the Marquis' body guards, and have the threat of the ambush ship when they exited J-Space.

This big, meaty ship they sent ahead of them threw a wrench in my plans (damn crafty players!).

Now, I could just fudge it and take out the Type AH. But, the problem with that is that I like to reward my players for good creative play, even if it means re-arranging the story.

I find that everyone has more fun if the players, even if it is really an illusion, believe that they are masters of their own destiny.

The game we have are very fun and exciting because what the players do DOES MATTER. They can change events--they're not just following down a tightly scripted linear story.

I find that players really like it when they feel they can effect the outcome of what was gonna be and change it into something different.

And, that's what we've got here...basically.

I'm trying to find a "legitimate" way (without just fudging it) to deal with this Type AH and still capture the Marquis and the PC crew.

We ending the last session on a cliff hanger. The players had already smelled a rat, so, when the jump beacon went off, they all climbed into their vacc suits, manned their positions, and were ready for battle.

They didn't know what they'd find--maybe wreckage of the Type AH that was a couple of days ahead of them.

Well, they popped out of J-Space and found the Hercules class ship waiting for them. No problems, it reported. Then, the Type AH started to escort them through the asteroid belt to the space station (a point on the Marquis' journey).

The journey through the asteroid belt, given the reduced speed, is 2.38 day.

A few hours into this trip, the PC's are starting to relax a bit--maybe they were wrong about what they thought they should expect.

And then, just when they started to get comfortable...

"RADIOLOGICAL!"

There was a big, bright light. The view ports on the bridge darkened, and the Navigator looked down at the energy spike shown on the sensors.

Gamma radiation.

What they had just witnessed was a nuclear blast.

And, right there is where we ended last session.

It was the TV show with the words "To Be Continued" at the bottom of the screen.


-------------------------

OK, so now I'm in this predicament. I've fired the nuke (and that blast they saw is either going to be it hitting the Type AH...which is unlikely...or the explosion made when the one of the Type AH's 8 laser weapons blew the missile from space as it approached the ship).

My players don't know at this point. I'm going to pick up the game right at that spot next time.

And, right now, I'm tying to be the little good-boy GM and do things "the right" way (not just fudge it) and play the NPC Type AH ship as if it were a PC vessel.

My goal, though, is still to capture the Marquis and the PC crew.

I'm afraid that Type AH is going to eat the lunch of the 400 ton ambush ship I sent to capture the PC's ship. My ambush ship only has one turret on it, with a beam laser, sandcaster, and missile launcher--which is a good match for the PC's ship with it's single pulse laser--but is not match at all for the 8 beam lasers sprouting out of the Type AH.

What I'm thinking is this...

I'll spring the trap inside the PC's ship with the Marquis' body guards, and then I'll try to force the Marquis to order the Type AH to retreat while the ambush ship docks with the PC ship.

I might have to blow away one of the PC characters (each player is running two characters--there are 12 people aboard the PC's ship) to let the Marquis know that they mean business.

If I can get the Type AH to retreat and get the Marquis aboard the ambush ship, I can jump out of the system and be gone--and moving on with my plot and story. Neither the PC's ship nor the Type AH will be able to follow because they don't have the fuel (which is why I posted that question about fuel).

But there's a lot of variables in this idea.

I guess what I'm looking for, for any of you who like to think about these types of things and would care to comment, is alternatives to the scenario (for next session) that I outlined above.

Any other thoughts on how I can (A) keep the ambush ship from being destroyed by the Type AH, and more importantly (B) capture the Marquis and the PC crew?

Responses to this type of question are always so creative--I'm looking forward to what you come up with.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

How long before they jumped out of the last system did they do this deal on the transponder? If it was long enough, the insiders might have had an opportunity to suborn someone on the AH. Maybe the explosion is something happening on the AH (like a missile turret exploding)?

That's the neatest way (IMHO) to bring things back on thread. If it's a big enough boom on the AH, they aren't totally out of the game, but they are a mission kill. At least, enough of one to move the PC ship away and get the pickup on the ambush ship. The reward for the players' ingenuity is that they now have someone else looking to get the bad guys, and who may have id on the ambush ship. Maybe they'll even get another patron out of it down the road.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

How long before they jumped out of the last system did they do this deal on the transponder? If it was long enough, the insiders might have had an opportunity to suborn someone on the AH. Maybe the explosion is something happening on the AH (like a missile turret exploding)?

That's the neatest way (IMHO) to bring things back on thread. If it's a big enough boom on the AH, they aren't totally out of the game, but they are a mission kill. At least, enough of one to move the PC ship away and get the pickup on the ambush ship. The reward for the players' ingenuity is that they now have someone else looking to get the bad guys, and who may have id on the ambush ship. Maybe they'll even get another patron out of it down the road.

 

[Theo D Lite]

Just a few thoughts not knowing the geography of the area.

1 - The AH is a J1 ship and has completed J1 therefore it is devoid of J fuel and having remained on station awaitng the arrival of the PCs has not refuelled.

2 - The ambush ship on detecting the PC's transponder signal were able to determine that the AH was not the PC's ship from a great distance and has not engaged or revealed its presence.

3 - The PC ship is J2 but has only completed J1 it therefore has J1 fuel remaining.

4 - The ambush ship is fully fuelled and aware that the PCs are suspicious having been tipped off by the arrival of the AH with the PC transponders and the fact that the AH remained on station near the jump point to escort the PC ship. As an aside it would have been smarter not to change transponders and have the AH fake some problem on precipitation from jump. The ambushers would then have been less suspicious.

5 - On precipitation from jump the ambush ship will get into short scrambled contact with the bodyguards. I would make only three of the four guards to be in cahoots with the ambushers, that way the good guy can be ruthlessly blown away for effect.

6 - The bodyguards take the Marquis hostage and demand a jump to a neighbouring system or empty hex that was previoulsy communicated to them by the ambush ship. They'll need to have explosives and dead mans triggers or possibly simply inject the Marquis with a poison which the ambush ship has the antidote to to avoid the PCs overpowering the few bodyguards before the jump commences.

7 - With appropriate persuation the PC ship and the ambush ship jump leaving the AH dead in the water due to a lack of J fuel. The ambush ship does not need to reveal iteslf or engage and if J2 will be able to jump into an emty hex and back again leaving the PCs stranded in an empty hex with no J fuel. If necessary the AH could mount a rescue attemp if it's cargo hold was filled with fuel for the PC ship - I don't know about this bit, might be altogether more friendly from a playability point of view to dump the PCs in an occupied hex, although if my objective were to kidnap the Marquis and I had J2 fuel and knew my enemy had only J1 I know what I would do.

Of course if the players overpower the bodyguards en route then the ambush vessel will meet not a defenceless ship but one evenly matched assailant in the destination hex. If the PC's win they can always take J1 fuel from the ambush ship to get back.

That should bring you back on track.

Just a thought.

All the best

 

[Theo D Lite]

Just a few thoughts not knowing the geography of the area.

1 - The AH is a J1 ship and has completed J1 therefore it is devoid of J fuel and having remained on station awaitng the arrival of the PCs has not refuelled.

2 - The ambush ship on detecting the PC's transponder signal were able to determine that the AH was not the PC's ship from a great distance and has not engaged or revealed its presence.

3 - The PC ship is J2 but has only completed J1 it therefore has J1 fuel remaining.

4 - The ambush ship is fully fuelled and aware that the PCs are suspicious having been tipped off by the arrival of the AH with the PC transponders and the fact that the AH remained on station near the jump point to escort the PC ship. As an aside it would have been smarter not to change transponders and have the AH fake some problem on precipitation from jump. The ambushers would then have been less suspicious.

5 - On precipitation from jump the ambush ship will get into short scrambled contact with the bodyguards. I would make only three of the four guards to be in cahoots with the ambushers, that way the good guy can be ruthlessly blown away for effect.

6 - The bodyguards take the Marquis hostage and demand a jump to a neighbouring system or empty hex that was previoulsy communicated to them by the ambush ship. They'll need to have explosives and dead mans triggers or possibly simply inject the Marquis with a poison which the ambush ship has the antidote to to avoid the PCs overpowering the few bodyguards before the jump commences.

7 - With appropriate persuation the PC ship and the ambush ship jump leaving the AH dead in the water due to a lack of J fuel. The ambush ship does not need to reveal iteslf or engage and if J2 will be able to jump into an emty hex and back again leaving the PCs stranded in an empty hex with no J fuel. If necessary the AH could mount a rescue attemp if it's cargo hold was filled with fuel for the PC ship - I don't know about this bit, might be altogether more friendly from a playability point of view to dump the PCs in an occupied hex, although if my objective were to kidnap the Marquis and I had J2 fuel and knew my enemy had only J1 I know what I would do.

Of course if the players overpower the bodyguards en route then the ambush vessel will meet not a defenceless ship but one evenly matched assailant in the destination hex. If the PC's win they can always take J1 fuel from the ambush ship to get back.

That should bring you back on track.

Just a thought.

All the best

 

[Supplement Four]

I just posted this in the Sensor thread...but it pertains to this thread too...

I think I might have a way to get rid of the AH, and do it using the ship combat rules (and the new sensor rules I'm working on).

You tell me if this is plausible.


Ambush ship is grappled to an asteroid.

Big 5000 ton-er Herc plowing its way through the asteroid belt.

Space Combat Round 1:

Ambush ship fires nuke missile in the Ordnance Launch phase, but missile doesn't actually move until the next intruder movement phase.

Sensor rolls are made in the Movement phase, so I make a roll for the Type AH. It rolls a 4.

The Herc's Passive sensor profile, using the rules I'm developing here, would be--

Range 0: 2+
Range 1-2: 4+
Range 3-30: 6+
Range 31-45: 8+
Range 46: 9+
Range 47: 10+
Range 48: 11+
Range 49: 12+

The range to the missile, at this point, is 15 hexes. The Type AH needs a 6+ to detect. He only rolled a 4.

(And, I haven't added in DMs yet...like a -2DM for missile size, and a -2DM from asteroid interference.)

So, the Type AH didn't detect the missile launch.

The Herc then proceeds with the movement phase, moving 3 hexes (closing range with the missile, now at 12 hexes).

So now, we're at the top of Space Combat Round 2, in the ambush ship's movement phase...the missile moves.

Since the Herc didn't detect the missile in its last sensor phase (movement phase), there is no Laser Return fire phase for the Herc (I would allow this if the missile had been detected).

The missile is a 6G6 missile, coverng the 12 hexes needed to the Herc, and then the missile will blow in the ambush ship's Ordnance Launch phase.

What about that?

Plausible?

Or, do you think it's too easy to skirt sensors and whap ships with missiles using these sensor rules?

(Of course, the Herc did roll a stinkin' 4 on his detect roll...)

 

[Supplement Four]

I just posted this in the Sensor thread...but it pertains to this thread too...

I think I might have a way to get rid of the AH, and do it using the ship combat rules (and the new sensor rules I'm working on).

You tell me if this is plausible.


Ambush ship is grappled to an asteroid.

Big 5000 ton-er Herc plowing its way through the asteroid belt.

Space Combat Round 1:

Ambush ship fires nuke missile in the Ordnance Launch phase, but missile doesn't actually move until the next intruder movement phase.

Sensor rolls are made in the Movement phase, so I make a roll for the Type AH. It rolls a 4.

The Herc's Passive sensor profile, using the rules I'm developing here, would be--

Range 0: 2+
Range 1-2: 4+
Range 3-30: 6+
Range 31-45: 8+
Range 46: 9+
Range 47: 10+
Range 48: 11+
Range 49: 12+

The range to the missile, at this point, is 15 hexes. The Type AH needs a 6+ to detect. He only rolled a 4.

(And, I haven't added in DMs yet...like a -2DM for missile size, and a -2DM from asteroid interference.)

So, the Type AH didn't detect the missile launch.

The Herc then proceeds with the movement phase, moving 3 hexes (closing range with the missile, now at 12 hexes).

So now, we're at the top of Space Combat Round 2, in the ambush ship's movement phase...the missile moves.

Since the Herc didn't detect the missile in its last sensor phase (movement phase), there is no Laser Return fire phase for the Herc (I would allow this if the missile had been detected).

The missile is a 6G6 missile, coverng the 12 hexes needed to the Herc, and then the missile will blow in the ambush ship's Ordnance Launch phase.

What about that?

Plausible?

Or, do you think it's too easy to skirt sensors and whap ships with missiles using these sensor rules?

(Of course, the Herc did roll a stinkin' 4 on his detect roll...)