[Atomic Robo] Star Wars Session Description

ARRPG for Star Wars

It worked WONDERFULLY. We had an RPG virgin, a veteran, and 2 vets who hadn't played in years. Only one player was familiar with the narrative style games - the rest were old DnD/Hero/SW D6 folks.

I printed off the amazing reference sheets/chargen helper from +Claude Weaver (https://plus.google.com/115278973878885017551/posts/byzXYcp3Cmo), and - surprising no one - my players didn't want to mess with the 4 standard modes, but wanted to pick from the full list in the rules.

They are all experimental stormtroopers in the First Order, just a few weeks after the latest movie. The vet. player expressed large concerns about playing "the evil guys", and I reminded him of his fear 4-5 hours into the session where EVERYONE was loving it.

I intended to keep it normal - no dinosaurs, but they were jazzed for some oddities. They all wanted to take a Soldier mode to reflect their military training. I ended up with:

• Spirit / Warbot / Soldier: He's an ancient Empire ghost that inhabits a robotic trooper suit - it reminded me of the Warhammer 40k dreadnaughts. He is a combat beast, despite the game not revolving around it. Took incorporeal form (ruling was that he needs to return to his armor - which does NOT go incorporeal - after about 30 minutes, or he will take damage and "die"), and Hodor-Like Possession (pay 1 fate point to inhabit a body for 5 seconds - enough to do one action using their skills). I need to watch/tweak the possession. I won't let him take over my NPC and shoot himself - but I'm ok with the idea (it was inspired by Remote Viewing (p93), and Borrowed Knowledge (p93) - despite those being Telepath stunts, it made sense for his spirit.
• Pilot / Soldier / Science: The team's pilot. Focused on mechanical sciences.
• Psychokinetic / Secret Agent / Soldier: Force-using spy.
• Science / Banter / Soldier: The team's medic/hacker/programmer.

They started with 1-3 aspects, and 3-4 stunts each - I tried to steer them into the gameplay to define things, and while they didn't quite get it - I stand by that method.

I started the game in media res - a grenade lands between the 3 of them, as they sit back-to-crates for cover after a shipping deal went wrong. They were to pick up medical supplies for the First Order (TFO), and while there, look for information about a potential New Republic defector (crime boss who's life and profits were better when the Empire ruled.)

They mowed through 4 squads of 3 thugs in two attacks (I forgot to use +1 teamwork rules, and while killing 1 thug overflows to other thugs in the group - I overflowed it to the next group accidentally). Some of the crates contained highly addictive drugs - street name Mobius. I compelled the Warbot's "Spirit-Controlled Warbot of the First Order" aspect when the PCs asked me if the leader was conscious, and I looked to the Warbot - who dealt the killing blow, which had the PC explain that he's literally on the brink of death.

They caught onto Game/Theme/Player aspects well, but didn't need to use aspects very often. The engineer created a "Dammit, I'm an engineer, not a doctor" aspect that he used to save the Thug's leader - who turned out to be D'Nure Pazo, local crime lord, and New Republic defector.

They returned to their base - General Oot, their First Order "sponsor" (he's heading up this experimental trooper program) trying hard not to show his excitement, but beaming at the team's success.

I was out of ideas - assuming this would have taken a few hours - so I improved the rest. Pazo would give names/details of two new republic officials who were resistance sympathizers in exchange for help getting a ship through to the planet - which is now very highly searched/delayed by the New Republic.

I used brainstorming rules for them to come up with the plan. It was confusing to most of the players - the two newer players didn't feel confident making up a new plan, and wanted to go along with one of the other plans.

I stated that the ships are escorted into base by 2 X-Wing fighters.

Their established facts were:

• The security rotation means that the PCs know the two specific X-Wings that will be handling the escort
• The weapons and shields systems will be non-functional
• They flight-check will be A-OK, the pilots won't know the weapons/shields don't work until they use them.

The final "hypothesis" was confusing to all of us - me included - likely because I didn't help them set facts. In other words, it was already clear what was happening, so the hypothesis roll seemed unnecessary.

I had the PCs roll for a sneak to get access to the x-wings, a hack attempt to cover the X-Wing disabling, and then they used a ship to "fake attack" on the incoming transport w/ the shipment.

I used FAE-ish ship rules, and let the PCs pick 2 aspects (Armed to the hilt, and You can't see me), and gave them a +2 and a -2 (they chose +2 Sensors, and -2 Fire-Control), w/ 2 stress boxes.

Ship combat was easy using the Silver Rule (don't let rules get in the way) and Bronze Rule (everything is a character) - it was smooth, and easy. They created advantage to give the X-Wings JAMMED COMMUNICATIONS to prevent them from letting the base know their weapons are not working, and accidentally blew up one of the two x-wings. They PRE-PLANNED THE JUMP TO HYPERSPACE as well. It was cool to see them understand how advantages work.

During the attack, the shipment came in unmolested as the small base tried to defend itself and the PCs jumped away.

Again - not many Fate Points exchanged.

The next phase (at this point we were playing about 6 hours) was to assassinate the less important of the two names Pazo gave the PCs. They decided that he was pompous, and they would kill him at his weekly manicure.

One stolen (truck) transport ship, one secret agent unlocking doors and creating a deadly syringe of drugs/acetone/etc, and one Hodor-like possession of the employee giving the manicure meant the team got in and out without any issues - despite 9 armed (thugs) guards.

We ended after a FULL day of adventuring, and everyone - especially me - had a blast. Such a fun system.