-Nate
Pirate Attack!
If the PCs are active in the Outer Rim territories—especially
during the Dark Times era, when the Old Republic has fallen and the
New Order is still consolidating its power—there's a good chance
that they'll encounter pirates. This could provide an adventure in
and of itself, or the incident could be tangential to, and thereby
complicate, other business. Whatever the case, to set up such an
encounter, the GM should consider the following questions.
Who?
This question can be interpreted in a number of different ways.
First, of course, comes the question of who the pirates are who are
staging the attack. A previous post presented the Fireclaw Horde, a
band of Togorian pirates; future posts will present some more
options. Since these pirates provide the opposition for this
scenario, it's important to establish their identities and abilities
first.
There's also the possibility that the pirates are targeting a
specific character. This could be one of the NPCs, allowing the GM to
introduce plot elements via that character's background story. On the
other hand, the target could also be one of the PCs, especially one
whose Obligation is appropriate for triggering such an attack.
Finally, it's possible that somebody aboard the targeted vessel is a
betrayer, providing the pirates with the location of the ship in
question in exchange for a payout or possibly revenge of some kind.
Why?
This part of the attack is pretty straightforward. The pirates could
be seeking some kind of desired cargo, one valuable enough that they
can risk violent action in order to obtain it. They could also,
however, seek to capture one or more beings to ransom, influential or
otherwise important individuals for whose safety someone else will
pay good money. As mentioned above, this could be one of the PCs or a
new or old NPC of the GM's creation.
Where and When?
Chances are good that the attack occurs at a particular location in
space. This might be at the end of a hyperspace voyage, just as the
targeted vessel is reaching its destination, or in the middle of a
voyage—especially if the pirates use a device to knock the ship out
of hyperspace (see below for more details regarding this strategy).
Whatever the case, it can be useful to know where this happens and,
thus, what other planets and systems are nearby, since that
influences characters' options for responding to the crisis. For
example, an attack near a strongly held Imperial world might allow
the ship and crew to run for safety (assuming none of them are
Rebels, of course). Alternately, an attack near a large, thick nebula
could lead into a complicated pursuit. Whatever the case, refer to
pages 328-9 of the core rulebook for a good map of the Star Wars
galaxy.
It's also important to know the type of ship being targeted. This could be as simple as it being the PCs' vessel, if one of them or one of their passengers are the target. On the other hand, if someone else is the target, the attack could take place aboard another ship altogether. Should that be the case the GM could do well to choose a larger vessel, one that provides lots of room for movement, action and counter-action. The Wookieepedia wiki has lots of deck plans available; the Starwind Pleasure Yacht is a good example of such a ship.
What and How?
Now comes the nitty-gritty of the plot. First, how do the pirates
stage the attack? One option is to knock the ship out of hyperspace.
Putting a heavy body, such as an asteroid, in the middle of the
target's hyperspace path is a tried-and-true means of doing so.
Another possibility is that the pirates know the ship's flight path,
and therefore are waiting when it emerges back into realspace. A
third is that someone aboard the targeted vessel could sabotage its
hyperdrive.
Given that they want to take the ship, as much of its cargo and as many desired captives unharmed as possible, the pirates must adjust the techniques that they use. This includes relying on ion and stun weapons rather than blaster pistols, rifles and cannons. It's also important to consider the reactions of other passengers and crew aboard the targeted vessel. Some of them might surrender outright, and possibly even cooperate with the pirates, while others might be convinced to aid in staging a defense.
As the attack progresses, the layout and features of the vessel can
be used to create some exciting action. A few of the possibilities
include:
- The PCs might need to take or regain control of weapons or weapons systems in order to fight back against the pirates.
- Similarly, tools can be used as weapons, or to fashion traps.
- In the same way, they might need to take over communications systems, both for coordinating with each other and for summoning help.
- Other features can be used for defense, too, such as by opening airlocks and hatchways so as to vent air and enemies into space.
- They might need to reach escape pods—although that could lead to other difficulties.
- Nearby terrain, such as a nebula or asteroid field, could also come into play.
