Often in the Star Wars Role Playing Game, gamemasters refer to the cliché of “a group of stormtroopers burst into the room” rather than think about the consequences of bringing the Empire’s top branch of elite troopers to the table. Whilst stormtroopers are some of the best minions in the game, the use of these iconic foes should potentially be something relegated to emergency situations, planet-wide incursions or when the PCs truly end up being at the top of the Imperial Hotlist. What is a gamemaster to do though, when things get a little out of hand with the player characters terrorising the local populace? Simple answer – The Police.
How many times, as a gamemaster, have you mentioned the sounds of distant sirens in your narrative of what can be heard during a heated firefight or after the last blaster bolt has been fired, with the wailing getting ever closer the longer the players wait around? Often, I would imagine. And how often do the players lean over the table and use key phrases such as “Let’s get the hell out of here!” If the answer you have provided is “often,” then it begs a further question: Are players more scared of the Police than they are of the genuine bad guys? Fortunately, the answer is a lot less complex than most gamemasters realize.
Psychologically, the fear of being caught is a more powerful motivator than being involved in a firefight. With combat, players are equipped to deal with gun toting-bounty hunters, and carbine-wielding stormtroopers. What they aren’t necessarily equipped with is the power of the unknown, and the fear of authority, which is something that is hardwired into each us, and bleeds across into game play, whether we like to admit it or not. So why don’t gamemasters use local security forces and actual Police officers more often in their games? Simple – there isn’t enough material covering this topic. Hopefully, we are about to change that, and over the next few weeks, I intend to present gamemasters with some tools and tricks to help them provide a real alternative threat that they can use in their games, and should allow a gamemaster to design a Police Force of their very own.
Real world examples of police organisations have such variance and organisations such as those in the Star Wars Galaxy are just as, if not more so, varied. Many external and internal factor necessitate these differences, and so when designing their own Police Force, a gamemaster will need to consider many of these influences. Some include the relative law level of the planet or area, the aggressiveness of the population, the wealth of the world and the number of people in that area. For example, a city-wide force may have hundreds of regular officers and several groups of 10 or more officers in each specialised section, whilst a small outpost on a poor planet may have one or two officers to cover a range of areas who bring in outside assistance only when required. Good examples of these variations can be pulled directly from film or television, or from additional Star Wars sources including the Honour Guard of Naboo and the Bespin Wing Guard of Cloud City. Gamemasters should look at how law is maintained, if at all, and use that to build the scene and the world they are creating.
VITAL STATS
Every police organisation at its heart has the “street copper,” the “bobby,” or those more commonly known as uniform officers. Officers are the same no matter where you go, using their commitment and loyalty to the job and each other to get results. Obviously having the right equipment is also of great benefit, allowing them to get the job done more easily, without risk to themselves or others.
Planetary Police [Minion]
Brawn 2
Agility 2
Intellect 2
Cunning 2
Willpower 2
Presence 2
Soak 4
Melee/Ranged Def 0/0
Wounds 4
Skills: Leadership, Melee, Perception, Ranged (Light)
Talents: None
Abilities: Box ‘Em In (When involved in a chase, on foot or in vehicles, officers are highly trained to coordinate with others in their unit and therefore provide a single setback die to any skill checks performed by their targets to avoid capture).
Equipment: Truncheon (Melee, Range [Engaged], Damage 4, Crit: 5, Qualities Disorient 2), Police Issue Blaster Pistol (Ranged [Light], Range [Medium], Damage 5, Crit 5, Stun Setting, Concussive 1), Padded armour, Binders, Comlink (handheld)
Of course, officers use a wide range of vehicles in their efforts to maintain law and order. Good examples of some vehicles useful in these roles are the Mauler Tactical Responder and the Panther Police Interceptor from the Edge of the Empire’s Far Horizons sourcebook. Below you will find another example of a useful vehicle widely known as the “paddy wagon.”
A-P4 Dray Police Prisoner Transport
Designed specifically for local law enforcement, the A-P4 features an enclosed forward cab which provides space for the vehicle’s pilot, and 3 other enforcement officers. The rear of the vehicle, which can be accessed from the forward cab through a magnetically sealed door, provides cages to comfortably hold 8 prisoners. Exterior magnetically sealed doors and reinforced hull plating provide additional security for officers and prisoners alike.
SILHOUETTE: 3
SPEED: 1
HANDLING: -1
ARMOUR: 2
HULL TRAUMA: 12
SYSTEM STRAIN: 8
Vehicle Type/Model: Speeder truck/A-P4.
Manufacturer: Trast Heavy Transports.
Maximum Altitude: 8 meters.
Sensor Range: Short
Crew: One pilot, one guard
Encumbrance Capacity: 10.
Passenger Capacity: 3 in the cab and 8 prisoners in the rear.
Price/Rarity: 25,000 credits/4 ( R ).
Customization Hard Points: 2.
Weapons: None.
Additional Features: The security of the vehicle has been upgraded to include magnetically sealed hatches [requires a Daunting (♦♦♦♦) Skulduggery check to break]. The system can also be used to “dock” with airlocks or prisoner transfer stations equipped to receive this type of vehicle. The vehicle is also equipped with a prisoner suppression system, which can be activated from the forward cabin or from within the guard’s control board located in the rear. [Gas causes the equivalent of suffocation for 10 rounds at 3 strain per round. When a character reaches 0 strain, they are rendered unconscious, but otherwise unharmed.]
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