Episode 2: Radio Silence in Vis

The Trade Federation is making its move! About 8 hours prior to Episode 1, Viceroy Nute Gunray dispatches OOM-9 to silence all communication on the planet so they cannot call for aid. Naboo has fallen short of its contract, and it’s time to collect! With assurances from a benefactor that the blockade will be legal, the ships move in on the edge of the system.

With Parrlay being too heavily enforced for the initial surprise assault, OOM-9 selects a command unit to divert to Vis while he simultaneously strikes New Centriff with a joint attack lead by EEK-176. Their goal is to silence the central communications station before an alarm can be raised! A heavily equipped droid task force is snuck to the surface and proceeds on schedule to the sleeping city…

For those wishing to read up on the shenanigans my players got into, read the narrative here!

Race: Droid Class*. Special.

*One player is nominated to be the Command Unit (Droid Class III). They have overall command of the force and effectively have a built in restraining bolt on all characters and NPCs under their command. Players have to roll a DC15 Wisdom Save to override commands, allowed to test once each turn while attempting to defy orders. They cannot roll until actively attempting to do so. Try to keep backgrounds and character details in line with a battle droid that is freshly manufactured for war.

*One player is a Tank Gunner (Droid Class IV) as a B1 Battle Droid. They will be operating the main weapon system of an AAT. Try to keep backgrounds and character details in line with a battle droid that is freshly manufactured for war.

*One player is a Tank Driver (Droid Class IV) as a B1 Battle Droid. They will be piloting the AAT and operating its secondary weapons. Try to keep backgrounds and character details in line with a battle droid that is freshly manufactured for war.

*Other players may choose to play as a Droidika (Droid Class IV). This species will use modifications. Movement speed is halved to 15, but as a full round action they can go into Ball Form and change their speed to 60. A full round action lets them deploy. While deployed, they may also deploy a special energy shield as bonus action while not in Ballform. It has hit points equal to their own, and recharges during each Long Rest. Ignore starting gear outside of armor. They also have no hands, instead using two of the following special weapons:
Blaster Cannons. Ranged Weapon Attack. Range 100/400, one target. Damage (2d6+Dex Mod) energy damage.

*Other players may play as a specialized B1 Battle Droid, and can either get a free Jet Pack, Missile Launcher (6 rounds), or Sniper Rifle (3 clips). While not as robust as a Droidika, they have the ability to use their hands.

Class: Engineer, Fighter, Operative, Scholar, Scout.

Starting Gear: As instructed in character creation (except for Droidika).

Naboo sleeps peacefully, unaware that the large fleet that has been idling around in system is drifting into a blockade formation. As the night begins to grow old, a small lander touches down outside of Vis. Inside, a small host of armed forces dispatch, ready to set in motion the beginnings of war! An AAT deploys for the characters assigned to it. The rest are on foot (including the Command Unit, who CANNOT kick tank crews out of the tank). Its job is to command forces. A unit of B1 Battle Droids will accompany them equaling to the total number of players x2.

Starting Areas: All characters find themselves in visual positions of the City of Vis. Its large communication tower is a flawed setup. While easily maintained, it has no redundant systems if it goes down! Once it is down, jamming frequencies from orbit and the ground will be able to effectively neutralize the rest of the planet. Once the comms tower is destroyed or secured, the characters will be issued jamming towers to setup and protect!

Bonuses will be rewarded to the special task force if they secure the communication station instead of destroying it, as it will be a valuable asset to the Trade Federation. In turn, if an alarm is raised the special task force will suffer heavy consequences…

The team is issued one of the jamming towers that can be erected to shut down local frequencies, stored in the cargo net of the tank. The powerful transmitter of the city’s broadcast station is however strong enough to punch through the interference! This does buy time for the players if deployed ahead of time as only a runner can get word to the station itself.

A) Stealth Attack. The players may attempt to sneak in from one or more directions. If they do so, they must roll a Stealth Check DC 12 (For the AAT, only the Pilot rolls but with disadvantage). If they remain unseen, they can basically walk right up to the door. It is locked, but hacking or blasting can get them in (DC15 for Security, DC18.

B) If the players get caught sneaking or just entering the city, the ones exposed must fight their way through! See battle steps for the appropriate Street Location (Main Street, Farm Road, or Trans Track).

C) Attack! If the players decide to start blasting their way through, laying siege to the town and directly attacking the minimal force on guard duty. While Naboo is peaceful and not yet at war, they are well aware of the Trade Federation’s presence and that Nute Gunray can be quite ambitious.

Battle Steps tells you in what order the reinforcements will fight and what the players can expect to run into. Use discretion and adjustments as you see fit. This fight is wildly skewed in the player’s favor intentionally (The AAT is a Challenge Level 13 after all, even if the crew is of lower level).

If at any point a battle starts, neighboring guard forces will converge to the closest battle with a delay of three turns (except the Communication Center, they put it into lockdown for a last stand).

City Gates are manned by 1 Naboo Guard per player. There are 2 weapon emplacements (2d10+Dex Mod damage laser cannons) that bracket the gate. The goal of the perimeter defense is to raise an alarm and alert the capital. This cannot happen under any circumstance or Naboo will be much harder to seize!

Main Street Is patrolled with Flash Speeders, a light scouting vehicle with a heavy cannon designed to strike and fade. A pair of these are operating the street in a slow lazy patrol. Each of these are operated by two soldiers who seem more interested in listening into the latest pod race than keeping an eye out, making the Passive Perception drop to 12. If they become engaged, they will attempt to flee. If they get away, they will come back in for a sneak attack, and then flee again.

Farm Road is dark, the dust settled from the outlying tractor traffic. A gentle breeze blows, stirring the dust around a few feet off the ground in lazy clouds in small gusts.

A force on foot could attempt to sneak up through the sporadic dust clouds, gaining a +1 to their Stealth Check. Patrolling this route is a Flash Speeder and 1 guard per player. 2 of the guards are riding in the back of the Flash Speeder so they can avoid walking the road and side streets.

If alarmed, the Flash Speeder will engage and then flee, hiding in the crap fields and then sneaking back to perform a surprise attack. And then fleeing again. Their goal is to buy time for the alarm to be raised and harass the players.

Tran Tracks allow heavy cargo shipments to leave the city and travel to Spinnaker for storage. The tracks are elevated 12 ft. off the ground and allow for the train to operate above the vast crop fields in the area. It also keeps local wildlife off of the tracks, allowing for faster and safer travel speeds. It seems to run around the clock, with irregular but constant hours.

Players can get on the tracks themselves, including their AAT, if they travel 1/4 of a mile out of city limits to a gentle rise in a Shaak field. The cattle cause no trouble and move out of the way if they come through, though assuredly will get out soon enough as all cattle do if the fence is damaged.

While on the tracks, the GM needs to roll %

1-70: A calm and quiet night with no freight traffic.
71-100: A tran can be seen coming in the distance at breakneck speeds! Players must bail off the rails (AAT risks getting stuck unless it succeeds a Pilot DC 15 check), race to town before the train catches up (DEX DC 16, using the AAT’s DEX in place of their own if driving), or can try to go back (INT DC 14). Getting hit by the train is an instant death, and if it strikes the AAT it will be destroyed and derail in a catastrophic explosion as its plasma reservoir and nova crystals detonate! The good news, it wipes out the town and silences the communication station. The bad news, all of the characters are dead that are in the town or around the tracks. (If the tran passes, it is now safe to cross. They can also choose to wait for it to pass by since their intel tells them it regularly comes by, but don’t suggest this. Let them think it through).

The tracks themselves are not patrolled, but the tran station is. Due to the nature of the cargo, 2x the number of players worth of Naboo Guards are at the station. At least four will check the tran when it comes to a stop doing a routine inspection. The rest will be roving in pairs in the surrounding area. A Flash Speeder is nearby, but once again the crew are minding their own business, placing bets on the pod racers. It is just another quiet night in Vis after all.

Broadcast Station is rather more secured, but still relaxed so long as no alarm has been raised (or Rocket Barrage or Plasma Cannon fired). A few guards are on the perimeter, walking in pairs. The rest are in doors with feet up on security desks or ambling down quiet hallways. The night crew is unarmed civilians and mostly are in their cubicles keeping the vital network running.

There are three times the number of Naboo Guards as there are players in total. Have 1/3 of these patrolling outside as two man teams. The indoor guards are single. There are an equal number of civilians as there are players. Their Stats are all +0 for simplicity and they have a +2 bonus in Technology. They have 6 HP each.

Panicking civilians do not do well under stress. If a Guard is alerted, they will attempt an action to radio in the attack. If they succeed, the civilians will have a secret 3 turns to get the broadcast out to Theed. If the building is stormed and the civilians chased out, captured, or killed the alarm does not get raised.

The Guards will try to lock the building down and secure the handful of entrances to create choke points to buy as much time as possible.

Ending: If the players capture the communication center intact with no alarm raised, they will level up to 2 and gain something special depending on their role.

The Command Unit gains a special command module, allowing them to use their Reaction during their turn to grant a bonus action to any droid under their command. This bonus action gains a +2 proficiency bonus if applicable. In addition, they gain one bonus level that exceeds any level cap during this low level campaign! The Command unit also gains 4 B1 Companions.
The driver and gunner get to keep the AAT. They are treated as having a combined level of 12 for the purpose of calculating enemies based on player levels in future scenarios.
Droidikas get an upgraded energy shield, providing double the HP. They are treated as being 2 levels higher for purposes of calculating enemies based on player levels in future scenarios.
Specialist B1 Battle Droids get to increase two stats by +2 and two stats by +1 (not exceeding 20). In addition, they are promoted to Corporal and gain 1 B1 Companion each.

Alternate Ending: If the players destroy the communication center and no alarm is raised, they level up!

Alternate Ending: If an alarm is successfully raised, the Command Module in orbit will hastily scramble the message. However, the quality of the programming of those involved is highly questionable. All players get memory wiped, resetting them to Level 1 with no experience and no memory of the event. Mission provided equipment such as the AAT and special weapons are removed. All B1 Companions are removed.

Naboo Guard
Medium human, varied alignment
Armor Class 13 (combat suit)
Hit Points 9 (1d8+1)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 12 (+1)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 12 (+1)
Skills Perception +2
Damage Vulnerabilities None
Damage Resistances None
Condition Immunities None
Senses Passive Perception 12
Languages Galactic Basic
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Traits
Actions
Blaster Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) energy damage.
Stock Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) kinetic damage.
Reactions

Flash speeder
Large construct, unaligned

Armor Class 17
Hit Points 74 (8d12+16)
Speed 60 ft.

ST 16 (+3)
DEX 26 (+8)
CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 18 (+4)
CHA 7 (-2)

Saving Throws Str +5, Con +4
Damage Vulnerabilities Ion
Damage Resistances Psychic
Damage Immunities Poison, Necrotic
Condition Immunities Poisoned, Frightened, Petrified, Restrained, Incapacitated, Stunned, Prone, Blinded, Charmed, disease
Senses passive perception 14
Languages –
Challenge homebrew I don’t know. Maybe like a 5 or 6

Traits
Circuitry
The construct has disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deal ion or lightning damage.
Operated
by a Pilot & Gunner roll a separate initiative for both
Piloted
The construct requires an active pilot to take any actions, and if the pilot is subjected to any conditions that the construct is not immune to, the construct is also subjected to those conditions. Pilot Controls movement, & Ram action.
Gunner
The construct requires an active gunner to operate the vehicles weaponry. Gunner controls Blaster Cannon.
Freedom of Movement
The Flash Speeder ignores difficult terrain and can pass through occupied hostile spaces
Vulnerable Interior
The Flash Speeder’s interior is vulnerable to damage done by grenades, mines and charges, unless it is immune to that damage. It also automatically fails all Dexterity saving throws from such effects that occur in its interior.
Actions
Pilot. of the Flash Speeder can use the Ram action. They may also attempt Stealth Checks with a +3.
Ram. Any creature within the AAT’s movement path must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (2d12) kinetic damage on a failed save and is knocked prone, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Gunner. can make one attack using the Blaster Cannon.
Blaster Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: range 150/300 ft., one target. Damage (4d10+6) energy damage, with an additional 4d6 damage if the target is not alert.

B1 Series, B1-X (Companion)
Medium droid, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (armor plating)
Hit Points 16 (3d8+3)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 11 (+0)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 9 (-1)
Skills Perception +2
Damage Vulnerabilities Ion
Damage Resistances Necrotic, Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities poison, disease
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Binary, Galactic Basic
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Traits
Circuitry
The droid has disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deal ion or lightning damage.
Actions
Blaster Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) energy damage.
Stock Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) kinetic damage.
Reactions
Redirect Attack. When a creature the battle droid can see targets it with an attack, the battle droid chooses another battle droid within 5 feet of it. The two battle droids swap places, and the chosen battle droid becomes the target instead.

AAT (Character)
Huge construct, unaligned

Armor Class 19
Hit Points 168 (16d12+64)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 20 (+5)
DEX 22 (+6)
CON 19 (+4)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 7 (-2)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8
Damage Vulnerabilities Ion
Damage Resistances Psychic
Damage Immunities Poison, Necrotic
Condition Immunities Poisoned, Frightened, Petrified, Restrained, Incapacitated, Stunned, Prone, Blinded, Charmed, disease
Senses passive perception 12
Languages –
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Pilot. of the AAT can use the Ram action and make 1 attack utilizing the Rocket Launcher
Ram. Any creature within the AAT’s movement path must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 26 (4d12) kinetic damage on a failed save and is knocked prone, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Rocket Launchers (6/day Reload 1 turn). Ranged weapon range 100/400 DC 14 launches a barrage of rockets at a target and any creature within 10 feet Taking 6d6 kinetic damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one
Gunner. can make two attacks using the medium repeating blasters
Medium Repeating Blasters. Ranged Weapon Attack: range 120/240 ft., one target. Damage (4d10+6) energy damage.
Plasma Cannon (Recharge 5-6). The AAT launches a plasma shell 150/300 ft range target must be at least 15 ft away from the AAT. Blast has a 15 foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (8d12) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

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Episode 2: Radio Silence in Vis