It’s a big galaxy out there, and just when you think you’ve become a big player in it yourself, something bigger wants to eat you. In the Star Wars RPG system developed by Fantasy Flight Games, characters are likely to come across dangerous large creatures in their adventures at some point. Whether it is capturing a rancor as a pet for a Hutt, hunting krayt dragons for sport, or fleeing from a hungry wampa, players can prepare themselves with certain equipment and tactics when facing these intimidating beasts.
Tactics
Large creatures are going to have a few things in common that make them particularly dangerous. They are going to absorb a lot of damage, have a large amount of Strain and/or Wounds, and deal a dangerous amount of damage. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor, which means if you’re not properly prepared to face enemies like these, running away might be your best chance of survival. Even if you are well prepared, the keys to defeating these creatures are being able to do enough damage to bring them down and avoiding the most damaging attacks.
Most of the large creatures in the Star Wars universe will be the kind with big teeth and big claws, which means they’re fighting with melee attacks. Although the size of these monsters sometimes mean their melee range is more than the usual Engaged range band, staying at Medium range or beyond typically means you are out of harm’s way. This means ranged weapons are the safest way to attack.
Going toe to toe against large beasts like this is generally not a good idea, although it might be an option for characters that have very good defensive gear and abilities. If there is a difference in Silhouette greater than 1, the beast will have a harder time hitting its smaller target as well. The best way to avoid taking damage is to not be hit at all, so abilities and gear that increase the difficulty of the dice roll will be the safest way to survive. If the monster does manage to connect with an attack, the Soak value and Wound threshold will then be the things that determine whether or not its target survives.
Besides the fairly obvious approach of hitting the fearsome beast without being hit yourself, some creative tactics can also be employed to help conquer the creature. The environment and terrain can be used to the group’s advantage, especially when being chased by an angry or hungry beast that is charging straight towards the group. The cover of terrain, steep inclines or drops, or bodies of water can be used to try and escape from a pursuing creature or direct them towards a specific area. That specific area could be a location that you prepared ahead of time as a trap for the creature.
If the group is purposely hunting one of these beasts and has time to prepare ahead of time, effective traps can certainly be fashioned to help deal with them. Things such as camouflaged pits, rigged explosions, or even primitive traps rigged with sharpened sticks or swinging logs – like the Ewoks used in Return of the Jedi – can be highly effective. Drawing the creatures towards these traps can be done using effective distractions, some type of bait (including the characters themselves), or items specifically designed for such a thing like the Beast Call and Beastmaster Chem Lure found in the Enter the Unknown book.
Weapons
If you know you will be facing off against big game, you should probably bring some big guns. Typical blaster pistols and rifles are not going to be highly effective against the high Soak values and large amount of Strain/Wounds these creatures usually have. High damage, a good chance at a critical hit, and special qualities like Pierce are the most effective ways to take down these things. Even for creatures with high Soak and Wound Thresholds, chipping away at it with multiple Critical Injuries is an effective way to eventually bring it down.
As we examined during our review of blaster rifles, weapons like the E-11s Sniper Rifle, Light Repeating Blaster Rifle, and Disruptor Rifle are good choices for big game hunting when you want the creature dead. Slugthrower weapons are also a viable choice. While the limited ammo is something to keep in mind, prepared hunters should not be concerned. Guns such as Model 38 Sharpshooter’s Rifle (which can also be loaded with special detonator rounds) and the KS-23 Hammer pack enough fire power and special qualities to be effective against large creatures. For those willing to get up close and personal, the Styanax Lance harpoon gun can do some serious damage (and no doubt some large bragging rights if a hunter manages to kill a large beast with this old fashioned weapon).
For groups that want to take no chances and really be sure the beast is taken care of – and they don’t care if there isn’t much left of it afterwards – explosives could be the weapon of choice. Usually meant more for combating heavily armored vehicles than living creatures, ranged weapons such as a Missile Tube, Thermal Detonator, Flechette Launcher, and various grenades can get the job done. For setting traps or drawing the beast into a specific area, planted explosives such as Anti-Vehicle mines, Detonite Charges, or Baradium Charges will certainly take out the creature, though there may not be much of them left once the smoke clears. If a token of the creature’s demise is desired as a souvenir or proof of the kill, using explosives is not advised.
For those hunters attempting to capture these beasts alive, a different approach is taken. Weapons with stun settings targeting Strain instead of Wound are the safest way to incapacitate a creature without killing it. There’s also the fairly unique Model 77 Air Rifle that is specifically designed to shoot tranquilizer darts at large beings. With a high level of Pierce and a loaded with the Field Sports “SmartTranq” dart that injects a tranquilizer liquid, a group armed with several of these should be able to take down almost any beast without too much trouble.
Dangerous Creatures
For a GM looking to introduce an encounter like this into their game or for players who want to proactively hunt some of the most fearsome beasts in the galaxy, there is no shortage of these types of creatures. Here are a few that already exist within the FFG system:
- Rancor: EotE Core Rulebook, Page 415
- Wrix: Suns of Fortune, Page 20
- Styanax: Suns of Fortune, Page 43
- Evarrian Queen: Onslaught at Arda I, Page 51
Game Masters can of course create their own creatures. While we have yet to see Krayt Dragons or Wampas appear in any of the officially published material, they certainly can be developed by a GM an introduced into their adventure.
Conclusion
Whether it’s a situation where you’ve unexpectedly come across a large of angry beast or your group is purposely seeking one out, fighting these large monsters is one of the most dangerous and exciting combat encounters you can have in the SW RPG system. The sense of danger is real, as creatures this size can do some serious damage very quickly. Tactics, gear, and advance planning are also important as simply standing toe to toe with these opponents usually does not end well. While victory is not guaranteed, and anything can happen when facing off a dangerous creature with big teeth and sharp claws, not only will defeating it bring a great sense of excitement and accomplishment, but word of your successful hunt will surely spread. As news of your conquest gets around, your prestige will grow, your reputation as big game hunters will be known, and more exciting opportunities to conquer fearsome beasts could present themselves.
Steve "Jaspor" Orr
