Pure Dumb Luck

A couple of days later than billed, my apologies.

Two nights gaming last week Wednesday at Rich's for a bit more Napoleon at War and another Star Wars RPG session at mine. There was plenty of PDL on both occasions though Rich has this habit as an over gracious host of plying me with tea, biscuits and the rub of his dice in my favour.

So Wednesday was my second run out with NAW and even after the usual "what we did wrong last time" bit with any new set of rules things chugged along that bit quicker this time. As a reversal of last time out Rich took the French attacking the thin red line as to "show me what they can do".

Prophetic words as with Rich's usual home disadvantage my dice simply shot his attack columns to pieces. On my weaker left Rich did manage to press his cavalry home only for them to bounce off a couple of regiments, one of which was in line!

After my reinforcements arrived it was pretty much mopping up, both the French and the digestives! Still liking so many of the game mechanics, some really nice original ones in there, and more than happy to get some regular games in. Maybe a run out at mine next time!

All of which neatly set the scene for Thursday night with Charlie providing both chocolate digestives AND hob-nobs. Well done that man!

Despite missing two of the boys we cracked on. A quick refresh established the groups rather worn status having driven off Big-Bad. Preferring not to chase him down the lads healed up as best they could and secured the two crates that they.

Looking for extras a medical crate was identified from the manifest and it was duly summoned from the automated cargo system. Big fat 1, she go bang! Crate spat out but the already weakened cargo pod finally lets go a begins to break up.

Legging it with the crates up the one functioning lift leads back to our recent favourite of splitting the party!

Our next big hit was being surprised when the droids that weren't cleared out from the upper level made an appearance with a healthy dose of auto-fire! Continuing the "tactical withdrawal" at an impressive rate of knots left the walking wounded tail-end charlies for the last couple of Roger-Roger's.

On this occasion Pure Dumb Luck saved their arse, at least briefly!

Approaching the hard-vacuumed shuttle that provided an entry point some several sessions ago I made a DM call and ruled that given the amount of fire received each players space-suit will survive for D8+2 rounds of hard vacuum pre self-inflating head.

Unsurprisingly it was heads down and pump those legs! Unfortunately this left Rob at the end of a corridor with a virtual target pasted across him. Big-Bad took his chance and floored him, joining Mr C who was in the process of regaining consciousness.

Quickly running through possible "so you all bought it" scenarios I offered an early finish to the session given the missing players, including Jon whose Jedi powers could prove immensely crucial. Cliffhanger called!

We did have a little debrief as I wanted to canvas opinion as to wether I had made the mission to difficult. The general answer was no, though there ws some discussion about the constant use of autofire, but that things had gone wrong from the start and snowballed.

From my perspective that seemed about right but that when things first went wrong there was no re-group just a constant push at already thinning luck. I, as GM, simply took advantage.

Maybe the point about PDL, good or bad, is how you deal with it when it happens 'cos we all know that it will sooner or later!