PC Survival in Star Wars

[pawsplay]

Except that you have to be out in the open to use it (barring Running Attack and favorable terrain). And low level characters won't survive long out in the open without armor and/or lots of hp.

In virtually every situation you are using a melee weapon, you can count on being in melee. Thanks to withdraw, you can probably count on cover every round, too.

 

[pawsplay]

Sneak Attack also is less effective in SWSE than in D&D as no one starts flat footed in SWSE unless they are surprised and the damage bonus isn't that big a deal. For example, you can take Rapid Shot and get 1d8 extra damage all the time for just -2 to hit.

Setting aside the fact that it consumes ammo and a Feat, -2 to hit is nothing to sneeze at when you're low level (or any level, depending on who you're shooting at).

- I can shoot someone with a blaster a number of times before they close with a vibroblade.

If by "a number of times" you mean, "Probably once, if I win the initiative."

- I can also use a blaster to shoot and then get under cover.

I can attack, then withdraw, and be both in melee and under cover from anyone other than my opponent. Again, equal or better.

 

[Skywalker]

Setting aside the fact that it consumes ammo and a Feat, -2 to hit is nothing to sneeze at when you're low level (or any level, depending on who you're shooting at).

I thought you said you were finding it very easy to hit people at low levels?

If by "a number of times" you mean, "Probably once, if I win the initiative."

Depends on the distance. As ranges on ranged weapons have increased considerably, you can use them effectively at distance. Short range is now 30m for a pistol and 45m for a rifle. I have a PC in my game who can fire up to 450m without penalty

I can attack, then withdraw, and be both in melee and under cover from anyone other than my opponent. Again, equal or better.

Withdraw is just 3 squares. That isn't a lot of distance to get back under cover. It is much more beneficial to a ranged user to get out of melee than for a melee user to use it to get into cover IMO If you use a melee weapon you have to get up close and keep pushing that proximity. If you withdraw then the ranged weapon wielder can move away from you and prevent you gaining an attack next round.

Overall, pawsplay, I don't really want to argue your character choices with you as I think SWSE does a good job in making most character options good ones in the right circumstances. I don't think you have made inferior choices.

What I hoped to do is show why the choices you have made might be creating the odd results you seem to be getting. SWSE has a number of changes in it to promote ranged combat and mobility. If you disagree, that's cool.

 

[pawsplay]

We also had a Soldier in a combat jumpsuit in the group, wielding a blaster rifle, who took the other hits. It was just a very bloody fight.

 

[pawsplay]

Withdraw is just 3 squares. That isn't a lot of distance to get back under cover.

Usually adequate to use your opponent as cover, I think.

 

[Henry]

So far, my group's experience has been that mooks are piles of crap, not a threat even on a lucky day, and that enemies with heroic levels are the dangers to watch out for. Between Force Points, Destiny points, Jedi with healing skills, second winds, Soldiers with the talent that moves them all teh way up the track, etc. No one has yet had even the threat of dying from mooks, and only two have had threat of dying from Heroic enemies.

 

[Spatula]

Your GM is more of a softy than mine, then (hi Dave!). Our first encounter for 3 level 2 PCs was 3 CL 2 clone troopers... (roughly an EL of 5 for a group of 4!) Luckily force powers are way out of line at that level.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

Your GM is more of a softy than mine, then (hi Dave!). Our first encounter for 3 level 2 PCs was 3 CL 2 clone troopers... (roughly an EL of 5 for a group of 4!) Luckily force powers are way out of line at that level.

Was this supposed to be a routine encounter or a challenging one?

A single CL 2 Clone Trooper (non-heroic 6th) is intended to be a challenge to a group of 4 2nd level heroes. Two of them together is actually a CL 3 encounter, and is more of a major encounter/boss battle.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

My copy says the Aim action negates cover bonuses.

Probably right, since I posted that away from my book and I tend to get the two of them mixed up.

 

[drothgery]

Was this supposed to be a routine encounter or a challenging one?

A single CL 2 Clone Trooper (non-heroic 6th) is intended to be a challenge to a group of 4 2nd level heroes. Two of them together is actually a CL 3 encounter, and is more of a major encounter/boss battle.

It was supposed to be a tough, but not overwhelming encounter (because I had two PCs with Force powers, and I knew that Force powers were really strong at low levels). Which was how it worked out, actually. FWIW, though, due to both inexperience with the system (it was my first time tabletop GMing anything, and first time playing or running SWSE) and because it was the first encounter of the game, the 'clone troopers' (they weren't actually Clone Troopers, I just used their stats) didn't use all the tricks they had in their bag. They weren't using grenades or autofire; no one with PC class levels was around giving leadership-type bonuses, etc. Now, six weeks later, when they were running into the same kind of bad guys at 4th level, they were using every trick I could think of.

I'd been pretty enamored with the idea of starting the game in media res, and thought my stock Mandalorians needed to be tougher than stock Stormtroopers, so I used Clone Trooper stats for them.