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Ah yes, it is high time I tackled the Storm Commandos. We’ve covered regular Storm Commandos before on the blog, so be sure to check out Linda Whitson’s storm commando article for rival-level threat stats. So given there’s something about Storm Commandos that always struck me as awesome, maybe the coolness of being a commando mixed with my guilty love for the Galactic Empire, I thought I had better find a way to write about them. But what direction to take it? Well, what would make Storm Commandos more awesome? The answer: a Storm Commando Officer.
This write up is partly inspired by my overall love of the Imperial military, and of course Storm Commandos in particular, within the Star Wars lore. More pragmatically, however, I think gamemasters could use a good nemesis-level threat that not only fills a leadership role, but is capable of keeping up in a physical fight. Consider using a Storm Commando Officer in lieu of a Moff should you want your enemy commander adversary to have a little more oomph in personal combat. I particularly recommend using these officers in Mass Combat scenarios to take advantage of their ranks in the Ready for Anything talent. This talent, plus the officer’s 3 ranks in Leadership and potential boost die from storm commando mentorship, can be used to significantly up the challenge posed by less skilled forces such as the Imperial Army, CompForce, or planetary defense troops. The narrative implications of this are endless. Perhaps the Empire was not willing to deploy forces en mass to reinforce a friendly planetary government, but instead sends a small team of elite trainers and leaders to ensure security. The PC’s forces could be in for a rude surprise when they find their foes much better trained and led than before, and further those same PCs may be eager to find the source of this change and eliminate it – adding layers of Mass Combat, investigation, and personal combat all together.
Storm Commando Officer [Nemesis]
Storm Commandos are the Empire’s elite fighting force, formed in direct response to the Rebellion’s guerrilla warfare tactics. Also known as shadow scouts, these troops are selected and trained to conduct special operations under demanding circumstances where regular troops prove incapable. In turn, those officers who lead storm commandos into battle are nothing less than exemplary. Only the most dedicated, skilled, and knowledgeable officers are selected to lead after undergoing grueling physical and mental tests originally instituted by the now-defector Crix Madine. Generally, Storm Commando Officers are deployed on the battlefield in one of two roles. First, and most common, is for these officers to directly lead Storm Commando groupings of 5-50 commandos on special operations. Planning and executing operations is the commando officer’s bread and butter. More rarely though, Storm Commando Officers can be deployed to mentor, and indeed lead for, other Imperial or affiliated force commanders. While not often discussed, a small team of Storm Commandos led by an experienced officer can turn even the greenest planetary defense militia into a dangerous weapon of war. These officers are supported and protected by a hand-picked team of 2-5 commandos. At the GM’s discretion, this command team can also train supported forces providing them a Boost die in Mass Combat.
Br 3, Ag 3, Int 2, Cun 3, WP 4, Pres 2
Soak 4, W. Threshold 20, S. Threshold 18, M/R Def 1/1
Skills: Athletics 2, Cool 2, Discipline 3, Knowledge (Warfare) 3, Leadership 3, Melee 2, Ranged [Heavy] 3, Ranged [Light] 3, Perception 2, Resilience 2, Stealth 2, Vigilance 2
Talents: Adversary 2, Barrage 1, Commanding Presence 2, Point Blank 1, Ready for Anything 2* (Remove 2 Setback on Mass Combat Checks and Cool or Vigilance checks to determine initiative order)
Abilities: Tactical Direction (may perform a maneuver to direct on Imperial trooper minion group [applies to any type such as army or storm troopers] within medium range; the group may perform an immediate free maneuver or add 1 boost to its next check), uses Additional Combat Turns if 4+ PCs
Equipment: Blaster rifle with foregrip and sling (Ranged (Heavy); Damage 9; Critical 3; Range [Long]; Stun setting, decrease difficulty penalty while engaged by 1, innate talent [Quick Draw]), storm commando armour (+1 soak, defense 1, reflec coating [upgrade stealth checks once, sensors cannot detect the wearer subject to GM discretion], enhanced optics suite),long range comlink, utility belt, extra reloads
*From Desperate Allies
Christopher Hunt
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