Cinematic Starship Scene Success!

[WWHsmackdown]

Last night I ran a cinematic starship scene that was very well received; I'm very pleased with how the subsystem came out and really only wish I had more examples in GM core.

I used the Scanning a Dying Sun example for my lvl 6 party of 5 with the following adjustments: I changed the scanning DC from 27 to 23 bc my 2 computers players were only trained and neither were intelligence classes. I reflavored the dying sun to being an exploding reactor core in a derelict ship that they were trying to scan the last transmission of. I finally reflavored the fire elementals to being Swarm organisms for story reasons and bumped the health from 90 to 110.

It was a tense finale to the previous sessions investigation of the derelict when I left them with the cliffhanger that the ship had been scuttled by Swarm. All this to say I really enjoy the subsystem and look forward to trying to build some encounters of my own incorporating the homebrew upgrades my players give their ship in the campaign (until I can get official tactical rules).

How have cinematic starship encounters been for y'all? I'm interested to see how they've played out and what kind of scenarios other people plan on crafting. I'd also love to hear ship actions and homebrew improvements anyone has thought up while we wait for tactical rules.

[Driftbourne]

I play in Starfinder Society, so I haven't had a chance to make my own cinematic starship scenes. I did play a character in Battle for Nova Rush. Although it doesn't use the cinematic starship scene stat block from the GM Core, you can tell it was based on the concept. I think cinematic starship scenes are highly underrated. It's a very good role-playing way to deal with ship encounters.

I love that ships can get persistent damage; that's easy to homebrew damage into an ongoing hazard the crew has to deal with.

Or when the ship takes x amount of damage, hazards appear at random stations around the ship, which can damage the PCs.

Best crew action for healers: healing injured crew members.

Allowing a mechanic to mount their turret to the outside of the ship.

Not sure how quantum fields react in space, but it's an interesting place to look for ideas.

Thanks for posting this, great to see people using it. I hope more people post examples.

[Pyrius_42]

Hello everybody,

Driftbourne wrote:

I did play a character in Battle for Nova Rush. Although it doesn't use the cinematic starship scene stat block from the GM Core, you can tell it was based on the concept.

While I did not play Battle for Nova Rush, I read through it and the conclusion to me screamed to be expanded into a full cinematic starship scene.

And since I wanted to try out the rules for creating cinematic starship scens (css anybody ;-) ) I used the conclusion as a (very rough) frame for one.

Here is what I came up with so far (spoilers because of some references to scenes in the adventure itself):

Battle for Nova Rush cinematic starship scene:

Be warned, I *might* have gone overboard with A) the options the players have on the Nova Rush (but I like to give almost every character a chance to participate in a more or less meaningfull way) and B) the complexity by adding a form of the hazard from the adventure into the scene and some conditional actions.
Since this is my first try on the system and I did not test the scene any feedback is welcome...

ESCAPE OF NOVA RUSH STARSHIP SCENE 1

The PCs just have defeated Phaedra Firestorm on the bridge of the Nova Rush and now have to escape with the Nova Rush into a nearby nebula (and from there to the Drift) or defeat the Corpse Fleet Raiders and eventually the Split Blade.

Victory Conditions:
Escape to a nearby nebula by earning 5-8 Escape Points during the encounter or destroy the Corpse Fleet Raiders and eventually the Split Blade by reducing their Hit Points to 0.

Additional Objectives:
If the Nova Rush escaped to the nebula, the PCs then have to ready the Nova Rush for Drift entry and to plot a course to Absalom Station (or wherever they want to go).

Starship Description

Available Roles:
Captain, engineer, 1 (or 2 if the missile launcher in B2. Bridgeway was repaired) gunner(s), magic officer, pilot, and science officer

Starship Bonuses:
+1 to all Piloting and Computers checks since Captain Concierge tries his best to support the PCs.

AC 16
Fort +7
Ref +4
Shields 3 (regains 2 per round)
HP 26

Starship Actions:

Plot an escape route [two-actions] (science officer) Attempt a DC 17 Piloting or Computers check to plot a relatively safe zigzag route towards the nebula. On a critical success the Nova Rush needs 5 Escape Points to reach the nebula, on a success the Nova Rush needs 6 Escape Points to reach the nebula, on a failure the Nova Rush needs 7 Escape Points to reach the nebula and on a critical failure the Nova Rush needs 8 Escape Points to reach the nebula.
This action can only be taken once and needs to be taken before the first Race towards the nebula action is taken.
Race towards the nebula [two-actions] (pilot) Attempt a DC 17 Piloting check to get closer to the nebula without becoming an easy target for the Raiders. This DC is lowered by 1 if the Reactor in A8. Reactor Access was repaired.
On a critical success, gain 2 Escape Points, on a success gain 1 Escape Point, on a failure lose 1 Escape Point, on a critical failure lose 1 Escape Point and the Nova Rush becomes off-guard towards all attackers until the end of your next turn.
Combat maneuvers [two-actions] (pilot) Attempt a DC 17 Piloting check to maneuver in a way to get an advantage against the threats in the area. This DC is lowered by 1 if the Reactor in A8. Reactor Access was repaired.
On a success, choose one of the following: gain a +1 status bonus to AC against the next attack against the Nova Rush, or gain a +1 status bonus on the next ranged Strike a gunner attempts.
On a critical success, select both of the benefits.
On a failure there is no effect. On a critical failure the GM decides to either give a -1 status modifier to the Nova Rush´s AC for the next attack made against it or to give the next ranged strike a gunner on the Nova Rush attempts a -1 status modifier.
Inspire crew [two-actions] (captain) Attempt a DC 17 Diplomacy or Intimidation check to inspire the crew of the Nova Rush to push themselves.
Treat a critical success as a success, but choose two allies.
On a success choose one ally that gains a +1 status bonus to their next check attempted as part of the scene.
On a critical failure the next crew member to attempt a check as part of the scene takes a –1 status penalty to their check.
Spoof orders to the Split Blade [two-actions] (engineer or captain) You attempt to spoof orders to the Split Blade to make “Darling” Dalyx use a reckless maneuver to get you an advantage. Make a Computers or Deception (trained) DC 17 check. Critical success, like success but choose both options, on a success choose one of the following: One of the Raiders becomes off-guard towards the next ranged Strike a gunner attempts or gain a +1 status bonus on the next Piloting check for the next Race towards the nebula action. On a failure “Darling” Dalyx becomes suspicious and can do the Expose spoofed orders action from now on. On a critical failure “Darling” Dalyx realize the orders a spoofed and Captain Firestrom is dead (or at least no longer in charge) and with his next action will take the Escape action.
Patch Job [two-actions] (engineer) Attempt a DC 17 Crafting check or a DC 18 Athletics check to try to patch some damage the Nova Rush has taken.
On a critical success the Nova Rush regains 2d8 Hit Points and loses any persistent damage conditions. On a
success the Nova Rush regains 1d8 Hit Points. On a failure there is no effect, on a critical failure deal 1D8 damage to the Nova Rush.
Disperse Sinkwell [two-actions] (magic officer or science officer) To disable the sinkwell make a DC 16 Arcana, Occultism, or Religion (trained) check to safely disperse the void energy, or a DC 18 Athletics or Thievery (trained) check to sabotage the sinkwell.
Three total successes are required to disperse the sinkwell.
Ready entry to the Drift and plot course [two-actions] (science officer or engineer) Make a DC 10 Piloting or Computers check to ready the Nova Rush for Drift entry. This DC is lowered by 1 if the Reactor in A8. Reactor Access was repaired.
This action can only be taken if the Nova Rush successfully escaped to the nebula.
Ranged [two-actions] (gunner, martial weapon) light missile launcher, Damage 1d8+4 piercing (only available if the missile launcher in B2. Bridgeway was repaired)
Ranged [two-actions] (gunner, simple weapon) light flak cannon, Damage 1d6+3 slashing

Threat

Corpse Fleet Raiders (2)
Two pale fighters of the Corpse Fleet attacking the Nova Rush for (yet) unknown reasons. Maybe Phaedra Firestorm with taking over the Nova Rush got (unknowingly) into possession of an object that former Captain Vidia Vane discovered on her archaeological missions and now is somewhere on board of the Nova Rush. And said object is of some importance to the Corpse Fleet.
Maybe this somehow lets the GM transition this adventure into Guilt of the Graveworld…

Initiative Piloting +8
Skills Piloting +8
AC 16
Fort +5
Ref +8
Shields 3 (regains 2 per round)
HP 20

Threat Routine (2 or 3 actions)
Both Raiders will use the three-action necromantic energy cannon attack to create a spiritual sinkwell on the bridge of the Nova Rush until one of them is successful. They totally ignore the Split Blade (unless the Split Blade took a successful Taunt action against one of them), because what they want is on the Nova Rush.
From then on, they will use one action to try to outmaneuver the Nova Rush and then a second action to use the one-action necromantic energy cannon attack on the Nova Rush to trigger the reaction of the spiritual sinkwell.
As long as the spiritual sinkwell is active each round, the damage taken on the first hit from the Raiders with the one-action necromantic energy cannon will also trigger the Soul-Draining Wave Reaction of the spiritual sinkwell.
Whenever the spiritual sinkwell is dispersed by the PCs the GM is free to decide to use the three-action necromantic energy cannon attack on the Nova Rush to create a new sinkwell as they see fit.

Threat Actions

Ranged [three-action] Necromantic energy cannon +7 to create a spiritual sinkwell on the bridge of the
Nova Rush (centered on the crossing of the grid at B5), Damage 1d6+3 spirit damage to creatures within 10 feet from its center (DC 18 basic Fortitude), this attack does not damage the Nova Rush itself.
Soul-Draining Wave [reaction] (spirit, void) Trigger The first time each round a Raider hits the Nova Rush with a one-action necromantic energy cannon attack. The Soul-Draining Wave sprouts several tentacle-like void lashes and makes two void lash Strikes against targets it hasn’t yet grabbed, then Grabs each creature it did hit, with no multiple attack penalty. It automatically pulls grabbed creatures 5 feet toward its center, then deals 1d6+3 spirit damage (DC 18 basic Fortitude) to creatures within 10 feet of its center. Creatures that critically fail are drained 1. Ranged [one-action] void lash +9 (range 40 feet), Damage 1d6+3 void plus Grab (+9 Athletics)
A PC that is grabbed can no longer perform any of the starship actions. The PC first needs to successfully use an Escape action (Player Core pg. 408) to do any of the starship actions again.
Outmaneuver [one-action] Attempt a Piloting check against the Reflex DC of the Nova Rush (DC 14). On a success, the Raider outmaneuvers the Nova Rush, giving it the off-guard condition until the end of the round. On a critical failure they them self become off-guard to the Nova Rush and the Split Blade until their next turn.
Ranged [one-action] Necromantic energy cannon +7, Damage 1d6+3 piercing (this does damage the Nova Rush and not the crew / creatures inside the Nova Rush).

Additional Threats

Threat:

Split Blade
An old junker. Former ship of Captain Phaedra Firestorm. Now under the command of “Darling” Dalyx.

Initiative Piloting +7
Skills Piloting +7, Diplomacy +6
AC 15
Fort +4
Ref +7
Shields 2 (regains 1 per round)
HP 15

Threat Routine (3 actions)
The Split Blade uses the two-action attack to attack one of the Corpse Fleet Raiders. If it is successful it then uses its Taunt action against that Raider. If the Expose Spoofed Orders action is available to the Split Blade it will still first use the two-action attack against a Raider but then uses the Expose Spoofed Orders action.

Threat Actions

Ranged [two-actions] light flak cannon +7 ,Damage 1d6+2 piercing.
Expose Spoofed Orders [one-action] Critical success immediately take the Escape Action (no matter how many actions are left), on a success on the next activation use the Escape action, failure no effect, on a critical failure “Darling” Dalyx stops questioning the orders and this action is no longer available (until the Nova Rush fails the Spoof orders to the Split Balde action again).
Taunt [one-action] After the Split Blade hit one of the Raiders with an attack, make a DC 17 Diplomacy check to taunt one of the Corpse Fleet Raiders. On a critical success the Raider uses its one-action necromantic energy cannon attack on the Split Blade on its next activation (and performs no other actions) and gets a -1 status modifier to the attack roll. On a success the Raider uses its one-action necromantic energy cannon attack on the Split Blade on its next activation (and performs no other actions). On a failure nothing happens and on a critical failure the Raider is immune to further Taunt actions by the Split Blade and ignores it for rest of the encounter.
Escape [two-actions] By taking this action the Split Blade automatically escapes the scene. No roll needed.

Ending the Encounter:

The encounter ends if the Nova Rush is reduced to 0 HP, or the PCs achieve one or more of the victory conditions.
If the Nova Rush is at 0 HP not all is lost. The ship is not completely destroyed, but heavily damaged. The PCs have no control over ship and just drift through space. Life support and other vital systems on the ship shut down and will take quite a while to repair. The Raiders fall back and the Corpse Fleet sends in a boarding shuttle. The GM can then go back to the map and let the PCs fight the boarding crew of the Corpse Fleet.

[Driftbourne]

Pyrius_42 wrote:

Hello everybody,

Driftbourne wrote:

I did play a character in Battle for Nova Rush. Although it doesn't use the cinematic starship scene stat block from the GM Core, you can tell it was based on the concept.

While I did not play Battle for Nova Rush, I read through it and the conclusion to me screamed to be expanded into a full cinematic starship scene.

And since I wanted to try out the rules for creating cinematic starship scens (css anybody ;-) ) I used the conclusion as a (very rough) frame for one.

Here is what I came up with so far (spoilers because of some references to scenes in the adventure itself):

** spoiler omitted **...

I read up to "While I did not play Battle for Nova Rush, I read through it, and the conclusion to me screamed"

And I was saying to myself, here we go again... Someone on Reddit posted that they had not played it but had read it. They concluded that there was nothing useful about ship combat in it. So I was happy to see, once I read the rest of your comment, that was not the case here.

It looks like your stat block is as long as the text of the actual adventure. I was surprised by how much was going on in Battle for Nova Rush, for only being 6 pages long. Your stat block reinforces that.

If Paizo had used CSS statblocks in Battle for Nova Rush, my guess is they would have broken it up more, maybe only using CSS for the ending and victory points and hazards for dealing with the inside threats. But doing it the way you did is an interesting way to look at the adventure. It also helps list all the crew actions, which is useful for ideas for writing your own CSS.

The thing I really like about Battle for Nova Rush is that it's the first time in a Starfinder game I've played in that a ship battle was going on the entire session, and wasn't just an encounter. From the player's perspective, it was seamless, just like playing a normal game, just in a space battle.

I think it would be fun to do a CSS statblock for the Death Star trench run, to show that you can do some of the most iconic space battle scenes with CSS.

[Ectar]

Driftbourne wrote:

I think it would be fun to do a CSS statblock for the Death Star trench run, to show that you can do some of the most iconic space battle scenes with CSS.

Appropriate that you choose a space battle scene where the actual battle happens largely in the background and the victory condition isn't "defeat the opposing ships".

Almost like that's the kind of scene CSS is designed for.

[Driftbourne]

Ectar wrote:

Driftbourne wrote:

I think it would be fun to do a CSS statblock for the Death Star trench run, to show that you can do some of the most iconic space battle scenes with CSS.

Appropriate that you choose a space battle scene where the actual battle happens largely in the background and the victory condition isn't "defeat the opposing ships".

Almost like that's the kind of scene CSS is designed for.

Yep, it's both a super iconic scene and fits CSS perfectly. The CSS is focused on a scene in the overall battle. The rest of the battle could be determined by how fast the PCs take to complete he mission. The longer they take, the fewer allies' ships survive.

The attack run in Top Gun Maverick is almost a copy the the Star Wars Trench run, it's only lacking pursuit jets in the canyon. There are missile batteries instead of turbo lasers. The target is tricky to hit.

Basically, it comes down to hitting a target at the end of an obstacle course, with hazards, and pursuit craft in the way. This is also every asteroid chase scene in Star Wars, just with the target changing to get away.

CSS could probably do a straight-up 1 on 1 ship dogfight, but I think the alternatives to that are so much more interesting. Even in the Star Wars X-wing miniature game, which is great for tactical combat, 1 ship v 1 ship isn't that much fun.

[Pyrius_42]

Driftbourne wrote:

I read up to "While I did not play Battle for Nova Rush, I read through it, and the conclusion to me screamed"

And I was saying to myself, here we go again...

At this point I was worried I messed up big time by posting a bunch of useless ideas ;-)

Driftbourne wrote:

So I was happy to see, once I read the rest of your comment, that was not the case here.

I´m glad my interpretation of the Nova Rush CSS was at least somewhat useful.

Driftbourne wrote:

It looks like your stat block is as long as the text of the actual adventure. I was surprised by how much was going on in Battle for Nova Rush, for only being 6 pages long. Your stat block reinforces that.

Yes, I noticed that too.

My bold prediction is, in future adventures (especially one shots) we will mostly see CSS that are on the shorter / easier side (just because of page count limitations). But that is fine to me.Occasionally in longer APs there will appear longer / more complex ones.

Driftbourne wrote:

If Paizo had used CSS statblocks in Battle for Nova Rush, my guess is they would have broken it up more, maybe only using CSS for the ending and victory points and hazards for dealing with the inside threats.

That is possible. I think that is the beauty of the system. When someone creates a CSS it can be tuned towards their needs / playing style.

Also while at first it was a little intimidating in giving this system a try for the first time, it turned out to be pretty easy.

[Driftbourne]

I appreciate your split reaction to my split reaction ;-)

Pyrius_42 wrote:

Driftbourne wrote:

If Paizo had used CSS statblocks in Battle for Nova Rush, my guess is they would have broken it up more, maybe only using CSS for the ending and victory points and hazards for dealing with the inside threats.

That is possible. I think that is the beauty of the system. When someone creates a CSS it can be tuned towards their needs / playing style.

Also while at first it was a little intimidating in giving this system a try for the first time, it turned out to be pretty easy.

It's a mix of complex hazards, vector points, and uses creatures building rules for balance and leveling. Very easy to make every SCC feel different. But it's very much a GM tool and not a pick from a list of options system that SF1e Starships were. So I don't think some people see how powerful it is. I think once more people see it in use in adventures, opinions will change.

I think how complex a CSS can reasonably get will come down to how hard it is to track everything going on in it.

[Pyrius_42]

Driftbourne wrote:

It's a mix of complex hazards, vector points, and uses creatures building rules for balance and leveling. Very easy to make every SCC feel different. But it's very much a GM tool and not a pick from a list of options system that SF1e Starships were. So I don't think some people see how powerful it is. I think once more people see it in use in adventures, opinions will change.

I think how complex a CSS can reasonably get will come down to how hard it is to track everything going on in it.

I fully agree with that!

[Justnobodyfqwl]

Driftbourne wrote:

It's a mix of complex hazards, vector points, and uses creatures building rules for balance and leveling. Very easy to make every SCC feel different. But it's very much a GM tool and not a pick from a list of options system that SF1e Starships were. So I don't think some people see how powerful it is. I think once more people see it in use in adventures, opinions will change.

I think how complex a CSS can reasonably get will come down to how hard it is to track everything going on in it.

This is how I feel about a lot of Starfinder 2e options. I feel like people overlook a lot of the best stuff in this system, because it's not always immediately obvious and player-facing. But CSS and the rest of the victory point systems are just godsends as a DM.

It's much, much, more important for the game to have an easy to use framework for all sorts of "ship encounters" that the DM can use flexibly. I really enjoy that the developers pull back from the Paizo Crunch, and focus on what's easy and intuitive.

[Driftbourne]

I just got confirmation on Reddit from the author of Guilt of the Grave World that there will be cinematic starship scenes in it. Sounds like about 40% of the adventures take place in space, so there could be several CSS in it.

[kaid]

Driftbourne wrote:

I just got confirmation on Reddit from the author of Guilt of the Grave World that there will be cinematic starship scenes in it. Sounds like about 40% of the adventures take place in space, so there could be several CSS in it.

That is good to know I am looking forward to picking this one up I love the whole concept of eox and how it works so the more info I can get about it the better.