Thursday, May 8, 2014

GenCon Mod: Voidhunters 1.0

With any luck, tonight will be the first opportunity to playtest my Havoc Squad group in one of the signature encounters for the module.  I've got a few folks from my feed on Facebook who are jumping online with me tonight to run the fight, and I've got a few more lined up for next Tuesday.  Based on who will be there Tuesday, I might have them play the Heroes of Tython companions.

But that's later, this is now.  MOAR CRUNCH!

Corso Riggs


Race: Human
Career: Hired Gun
Specialization: Bodyguard
Brawn 4,  Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 3, Will 3, Presence 2
Wound Threshold: 18
Strain Threshold: 14
Soak:7
M/R Defense: 1/1

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawn 2, Discipline 2, Gunnery 1, Knowledge (Underworld) 3, Mechanics 2, Ranged (Heavy) 3, Resilience 2, Streetwise 1
Talents: Barrage 3, Body Guard 2, Defensive Stance, Enduring, Grit 1, Hard-Headed 2, Side Step, Toughened 2

Equipment: Heavy Battle Armor, Blaster Rifle, 2 Stim-packs

Oh Corso.  Poor Corso.  The Rodney Dangerfield of the Companion Characters; you get no respect at all.  I think a lot of it stems from one of your powers back in Beta, where you would use a grappling gun to pull targets to you to fight.  While you were standing next to the Smuggler hero.  Who was in cover.  And who's survivability mostly hinged on keeping well away from as much combat as possible.

That and you come across as one of the duller knives in the drawer.  That didn't help either.  And your dreadlocks look ridiculous.  Get a haircut, you hippie.

Anyway, for the module, Corso actually will bring a lot to the table if the player can survive my theory of being the second-most-mocked PC at the table (Who's #1?  You'll find out someday...) He's the Ranged Tank for the Smuggler, so I gave him the Hired Gun/Bodyguard tree.  His background as a tech and assistant for various underworld elements warrants knowledge and connections in the seedier side of the galaxy.  Corso has a utility-belt-full of defensive talents to keep him protected, allies harder to hit, his head clear of disoriented or staggered status conditions, and hammer foes at Long range.

Risha Drayden


Race: Human
Career: Technician
Specialization: Outlaw Tech
Brawn 2, Agility 3, Intellect 2, Cunning 3, Will 2, Presence 4
Wound Threshold: 12
Strain Threshold: 12
Soak:3
M/R Defense: 1/2

Skills: Charm 1, Computers 3, Coordination 2, Knowledge (Outer Rim) 2, Mechanics 3, Ranged (Heavy) 3,Streetwise 2
Talents: Brace 2, Defensive Stance, Grit, Jury-Rigged 2, Side-Step, Tinkerer 2, Utility Belt
Equipment: Modified Sniper Blaster Rifle, Modified Armored Clothing, Utility Belt, 2 Stim-Packs

I'll admit that my exposure to  Risha (and the later companions) is limited.  I know some of her story while teaming up with my brother's smuggler while I was playing my Trooper.  From what I've been able to gleam from her story in game and what's been revealed online, she's got quite a background in criminal espionage, underworld ties, and proficiency with mechanics.  Outlaw Tech from the Technician Tree felt like a good fit for her.  I also abused her Human racial abilities to give her some non-career skills that fit her story.

There was some disconnect, or at least some creative license with Talent selection when compared to her "role" in the game.  She's supposed to be the Ranged Damage character, but Outlaw Tech doesn't really have a lot to offer there.  Not directly anyway.  However, if one were to think just outside the box there's actually a fair bit in Outlaw Tech to support this.  Brace is a perfect talent for a sniper, and Jury Rigged reflects Risha's preference for custom weapon modifications.  Defensive Stance and Side-Step will help her as she moves from one vantage point to another.  In the end, this concept also supports the theory that the FFG system can support someones role just based on skill use, and doesn't always need a large amount of Talents to support that role.

But hey, that's what testing is for.

Bowdarr


Race: Wookiee
Career: Hired Gun
Specialization: Marauder
Brawn 5, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 3, Will 3, Presence 1
Wound Threshold:27
Strain Threshold:11
Soak: 9
M/R Defense: 0/0

Skills: Brawl 3, Coerce 2, Discipline 1, Melee 2, Resilience 2, Survival 2, Vigilance 2
Talents: Defensive Stance, Enduring 2, Feral Strength 2, Frenzied Attack 2, Lethal Blows 2, Toughened 4

Equipment: Vibro-sword, Padded Armor, 2 Stim-packs

Possibly the least "off-the-beaten-path" character for this group; Bowdarr is a Wookiee Marauder.  Scores of Wookiee Marauders have graced gaming tables since the Beta Release of Edge of the Empire, and scores more once the Beginner's Game was released.  Bowdarr follows in that tradition with all the skills you'd expect, and all the talents you'd expect.  Bowdarr's job is to be a tank; he's supposed to get up into somethings face, draw their attention, and ruin them if they don't.  The only thing that's going to slow Bowdarr down is his Strain Threshold; 11 really isn't a lot for extra Maneuvers, or activating Frenzied attack and Defensive Stance.  The player is going to have to hope for a lot of Advantages on the dice to burn off the Strain Damage he will undoubtedly endure.

Akaavi Spar


Race: Zabrak
Career: Bounty Hunter
Specialization: Gadgeteer
Brawn 3, Agility 2, Intellect 3, Cunning 2, Will 3, Presence 3
Wound Threshold: 15
Strain Threshold: 13
Soak:6
M/R Defense: 1/1

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Coercion 2, Melee 3, Perception 2, Streetwise 1, Vigilance 3
Talents: Armor Master, Crippling Blow, Defensive Stance, Disorient, Improved Armor Master, Improved Stunning Blow, Intimidating, Jury Rigged, Stunning Blow, Tinkerer, Toughened
Equipment: Laminate Armor, Modified Force Pike, 1 Stim-pack

I know less about Akaavi Spar than I do just about any other companion in this group, possibly in the game entirely.  From what I've read, she's that last of a murdered Mandalorian Clan.  A mercenary and a bounty hunter specializing in melee combat, the Gadgeteer felt like a natural fit for her.  Like Bowdarr, I didn't give her too much outside of the Career for skills, and embraced her projected persona of the cold Mando Merc.  The player of Akaavi will want to get into combat as quickly as possible to increase the chance of triggering her Stunning Blow and Crippling Blow talents.  Her Armor Master talents should keep her relatively safe.

I could have given her Heavy Battle Armor, but I've tried to limit that stuff to Tanks, and keep the damage dealers in more squishy armors.  Still, with her Armor Master talents, Akaavi's Laminate Armor takes on the qualities of Heavy Battle Armor, even more-so.  Looking at her final numbers, I don't feel that it will be an issue, or cause her to be a better tank than Bowdarr or Corso.  It'll add to her survivability, but she's still more squishy than those other two.

Guss Tano


Race: Mon Calamari
Career: Smuggler
Specializations: Scoundrel/Force Sensitive Emergent
Brawn 2, Agility 3, Intellect 3, Cunning 3, Will 2, Presence 3
Wound Threshold: 12
Strain Threshold: 13
Soak:3
M/R Defense: 1/1

Skills: Charm 3, Deception 3, Medicine 3, Perception 2, Ranged (Light) 3, Streetwise 2, Vigilance 1
Talents: Convincing Demeanor 1, Force Rating 2, Grit, Indistinguishable 1, Quick Strike, Rapid Reaction, Sense Danger, Side Step 1, Sleight of Mind 1, Touch of Fate
Force Powers: Influence (Make an Influence Power Check when guiding or shaping thoughts, Dark Side Points can be used to generate negative emotions, Light Side Points can be used to generate positive emotions.  Confusion can be generated with either.  Force Point can add Success or Advantage to Coerce, Charm, Deception, Leadership, or Negotiation checks, Force Point to increase range once, Force Point to increase number of targets by 1,  Force Stun- Make an Influence Power Check; 1 Force Point inflicts 2 strain to target at Engaged range. 
Equipment: Blaster Pistol, Armored Clothing, Medical Kit, 4 Stimpacks

Guss was an absolute surprise.  I didn't know the Smuggler's crew had a Force Sensitive character, never mind a Con Artist.  Guss is the healer for the Smuggler's crew, but I think that's mostly by default. Given his background, he probably cons the victim into thinking he's healed more than he is.  Still, he's supposed to be fulfilling a needed role in the party, so he is a serviceable medic.  

Guss's real talent lies in deception and social combat.  He's gotten by in life by living the con, and his abilities here help that. With his social prowess and Influence Force Power, I can see Guss being the face-man in the "Voidhound's" absence.  

This write up also reminded me of something else all the healers had; the ability to put an opponent into a Fragile Hold.  Doc and Elara used a wrist-mounted carbonite projector.  Tharan Cederax will have Holiday (his holographic mistress).  I don't know if Guss uses the same carbonite projector as the other healers, but I think his should be tied with his Force powers.  Influence gives us a good use for that by having one of the extra uses be a Force Stun attack. Now Guss can smack a target at Short range for 2-6 strain, depending on how well he rolls with no attack roll needed.  That will slow down an opponent, and may even drop an exhausted one.

Now, however, I have to go back an make a Carbonite Projector.  I'll probably have it be something that deals a small amount of Stun damage, has the Ensnare quality to immobilize a target, and can hold the target for 1 round with a Triumph.

Hmmm....
Wrist-mounted Carbonite Projector: Ranged (Light), Damage 5, Range [Short], Crit 4, Stun Damage, Ensnare 2, Special (Triumph may be spent to stagger the target for 1 round), Limited Ammo 5

Yeah, that should work... 

This crew doesn't look too bad, all things considered.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this crew of Edge of the Empire exemplars handles themselves in the adventure I have planned.

Oh, and as stated before, if anyone out there has any insight into these characters, and sees things in their skill-set that I'm missing, please let me know.

Next up, the companions of the Jedi Bar'senthor.  What a dysfunctional bunch they
are.  I can't wait.

May the Dice be with you...

 

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