05-13-2017, 07:14 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Los Angeles
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Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
Well, there is no shortage of Aliens/Colonial Marines RPG talk across these wide webs, including quite a lot right here on these forums. Thanks to all those creative souls who made my life so much easier!
I'll be running a 4-hour con-game in a couple weeks of U.S. Colonial Marines vs. the usual hordes of shiny, nasty Xenomorphs. I'm taking a short break from the story side of things to hammer out some of the mechanical stuff, presented here (with annotation) to see if I've made any glaring errors or if anyone has tips or suggestions. BASIC MARINE Weapons M41A Pulse Rifle 9d pi+, Acc 4, RoF 3, Shots 99+1(3), Bulk -4, Rcl 3 Average Damage per shot vs. DR: 31 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher 10d cr ex, Acc 4, RoF 1, Shots 3(3), Rcl 3 Average Damage per shot vs. DR: 35 ...or... M56A2 Smart Gun 10d pi+, Acc 5, RoF 10, Shots 200(5), Bulk -5, Rcl 2 Average Damage per shot vs. DR: 35 Notes: All tweaks were made in the name of playability over 'realism.' * The Pulse Rifle and Smartgun are tweaked from the Storm Rifle and Chaingun in Ultra-Tech. I thought the biggest change was lowering damage type to pi+ from pi++, but I then discovered that is official errata. * As "flavor text" they are using APHEX rounds, but mechanically they are not (one less thing to roll). * The Smart Gun gives a total of +4 to user skill (+1 for being braced from the harness, per UT; +1 as a simplification of the assisted tracking from the gun; and the usual +2 for a RoF of 10) * The Grenade Launcher is the 25mm launcher from UT with HE warheads. Officially, the damage should be 4d pi++ (0.5) with a followup of 4d cr ex [1d+1]. I'm opting to change that to a flat 10d in the hex of impact, with 1/2 damage to adjacent hexes. That's a significant change, but the fragmentation damage would never penetrate Xenomorph DR anyway (below), so why bother rolling it? The 10d, I think, maintains the Boom and Splash players expect from the movies. * In an even fight, the Marines should have the advantage of dealing penetrating damage against the Xenomorphs' lower DR. * Best Tactics: lots of cover, chokepoints, and prayer Armor, M3 series USCM body armor Helmet: DR 18 (so, DR 20 with Skull) Torso: DR 30 Arms and Legs: DR 20 Gloves: DR 10/5, flexible Assault Boots: DR 10/5 BASIC XENOMORPH, ST 22 w/ Striking ST 4-6 Bite, Outer Jaws: 2d+3 cut, Avg. damage: 10 Bite, Inner Jaws: 3d+3 imp, Avg. damage: 13 Claws: 3d(2) cut, Avg. damage: 13 Tail: 3d(2) imp, Avg. damage: 13 Natural DR: 25 Acid Blood: 1d corrosive damage per 5 points of damage taken for 3 turns, either to all adjacent hexes (firearms, explosives) or one hex in the direction the attack came from (melee) Notes: * Even with their armor divisor of (2), the Xenomorphs would have a hard time reliably overcoming the Marines' body armor, at least at the Torso/Vitals. * Best Tactics: swarming, targeting the unarmored Face and Neck, and gratuitous amounts of bleeding These numbers seem like they should help avoid either A) the Marines just completely rolling over the Xenomorphs, or B) the Xenomorphs ripping the Marines to a messy TPK in the first encounter. Any holes I should be wary of?
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05-13-2017, 07:31 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
Id make grenades more awesome, since people presumably expect grenades to be some manner of area effect, and these grenades vs DR 25 foes are 'direct hit or go home'
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05-13-2017, 08:21 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
One other Xenomorph tactic: laying in ambush above and grappling targets of opportunity. It seems as though some of the aliens had a fast-acting paralysis or similar poison that could be applied with their tails to the unarmored necks. This tactic is intended to allow their prey to be taken alive for breeding new alien soldiers.
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05-13-2017, 09:11 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
Would the Marines have access to any flamethrowers, heavy weapons and or explosives? Stats or a reason why they can't get hold of them might be required.
Xenos grappling through walls and floors, how tough are the walls and floors? Can the Marines shoot through those doors and floors? Do the Xenomorphs have any other ignore damage abilities in gurps terms?
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Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn |
05-13-2017, 09:11 PM | #5 | |||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Los Angeles
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
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Maybe Hard to Kill for the Xenos? I'm hoping DR 25, HP 25, acid blood will let at least a few get close enough to be a real threat. Haven't settled on a Dodge, either, but maybe Enhanced Dodge as high as a 12-13? I could be a real jerk and give them Luck :) (which all the PCs have, as a matter of course)
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05-13-2017, 09:49 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Los Angeles
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
I've also been reminded, courtesy of YouTube and Wikipedia, that in Alien Resurrection one of the Xenomorphs spits a glob of acid into a character's face, like a "spitting cobra." Say, 5 yard range, that gives them at least something as a ranged attack.
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05-13-2017, 09:53 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Endor
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
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So, of course, your merry job as GM is to choreograph changes to the environment, mission, and resources so that the humans rarely have those three important things. :) More bugs died than Marines in the movie. Let the players blow them away! …and then dump another wave in their lap. |
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05-13-2017, 10:13 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
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Hard to Subdue might be a better option than hard to kill. Pre calculating the slams that a xeno can do might be useful. Especially if they have a long jump distance. Edit Secret: Android. (Probably a bit much for a con game though) Note tunneling speed maybe?
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Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn Last edited by (E); 05-13-2017 at 10:20 PM. |
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05-14-2017, 12:13 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Endor
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
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05-14-2017, 01:19 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Colonial Marines vs. "Aliens" Xenomorphs
If you want quick combats, make the xenos auto-die at -1xHP or x0HP.
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