openclaw/notes/vesalius-3player-balance.md

---
name: vesalius-3player-balance
created: 2026-02-28T15:00:41Z
updated: 2026-02-28T15:00:41Z
source: Operation VESALIUS GM Pack
players: 3
original-players: 6
---

# Operation VESALIUS — 3-Player Balance Guide

> Denne fil er et supplement til det originale GM Pack. Alle møder er genafbalanceret til præcis **3 spillere** (originalen antager 6).
> Flavor text er på dansk. Mekaniske noter er på engelsk.

---

## Rebalancing Philosophy

Deathwatch Space Marines are individually extraordinary. With 3 players instead of 6:

- **Action economy** is halved — the group takes half as many actions per round.
- **Mooks** are reduced ~50% to prevent action economy death spirals where enemies overwhelm before players can act.
- **Elites/bosses** keep their teeth but shed ~25% wounds — they remain dangerous but won't drag into slog territory.
- **XP per player** is adjusted upward to compensate for the smaller group; total group XP drops, but individual gain stays meaningful.
- **RP** is restructured so each player gets meaningful rewards without the GM needing to split 14 RP six ways.

---

## Session 0 — Rewards Recap (Adjusted)

| Category | Original (6 players) | Adjusted (3 players) |
|---|---|---|
| Group XP | 900 | 450 |
| Per player XP | 150 | **150** (unchanged — already per-player) |
| Group RP | 14 | 7 |
| Per player RP | 2 (suggested split) | **2** (unchanged — already per-player) |
| GM pool RP | 2 | 1 |

**Note:** If Session 0 rewards were already distributed per-player, no change is needed. If they were distributed as a group total to divide, halve the group total.

---

## Scene 1 — Approach & Boarding

### Original
No direct combat. 2 skill checks (Silent Move, Tech-Use). Alarm failure adds +1 patrol in Scene 2.

### Adjusted (3 players)
No change needed — this is a pure skill scene. However:

- **Alarm consequence tightened:** Failure adds +1 patrol in Scene 2 as before, but that patrol is now **2 cultists** (not 4), since the group is smaller and a 4-cultist ambush mid-infiltration would be punishing before the real fights.
- Skill check difficulties remain identical — 3 Space Marines are just as capable as 6 at bypassing a sensor grid.

### Why it works narratively
*Tre Space Marines bevæger sig som én organisme — tre krigere, der handler med en enkelt fælles vilje, er faktisk sværere at opdage end seks.*

### XP / RP — Scene 1

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP | +25 | **+35** |
| RP (stealth) | +1 | **+1** |

**Reasoning:** Small bump (+10 XP) to compensate for the group having fewer bodies to absorb future consequences from a failed alarm.

---

## Scene 2 — Laboratory Deck

### Original Enemies
- 2× Gland Hounds (active, fast melee)
- 2× Dormant Mutant Servitors (watching cooling)

### Adjusted Enemies (3 players)

| Enemy | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Gland Hounds | 2 | **2** (unchanged — they are fast skirmishers; 2 is already tight for 3 players) |
| Dormant Mutant Servitors | 2 | **1** (only one wakes if alarmed) |

**Stat changes — Gland Hound:** No changes. At W18 and Ag50 they are already dangerous at 1:1 ratio with players.

**Stat changes — Mutant Servitor (if you use one):** Use standard Servitor profile (W20 → **W15**, AR3). Reduce to single attack per round. It is a guardian, not a fighter.

**Dormant trigger:** Servitors only activate if players fail a Tech-Use check or fire a weapon in the cooling corridor. With 3 players, a single Servitor waking is already a meaningful threat.

### Why it works narratively
*Laboratoriet var bemandet til at modstå en fuld søgningsstyrke. Tre ubudne gæster bevæger sig anderledes — de har ikke brug for dækning for hinanden på samme måde, og de sætter ikke alarmen i gang med rene skridt.*

### XP / RP — Scene 2

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP | +100 | **+120** |
| RP (silent data extract) | +2 | **+2** |

**Reasoning:** +20 XP bump. The scene is harder per-capita with fewer players to handle split threats (one on Hounds, one on scanner, one on traps).

---

## Scene 3 — Clone Chamber & Skirmish

### Original Enemies
- 1× Surgeon Acolyte (elite)
- 6× Chaos Cultists (mooks)

### Adjusted Enemies (3 players)

| Enemy | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon Acolyte | 1 | **1** |
| Chaos Cultists | 6 | **3** |

**Stat changes — Surgeon Acolyte:**

| Stat | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wounds | 28 | **21** (−25%) |
| WS / BS / combat stats | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Combat drugs | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Fear (1) | Unchanged | Unchanged |

*Rationale:* The Acolyte must still feel dangerous and take multiple rounds to bring down. Reducing wounds to 21 keeps the fight from dragging past 4–5 rounds with 3 players. She still hits hard and uses bridges/high-ground freely.

**Stat changes — Chaos Cultists:**

| Stat | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 6 | **3** |
| Individual stats | Unchanged | Unchanged |

*Rationale:* 3 cultists at W12 each means players face 1 cultist per marine on average — enough to soak suppressive fire and screen the Acolyte without overwhelming action economy.

**Encounter structure adjustment:** With only 3 cultists, give them better positioning — have them hold the bridges between tanks rather than rushing. This keeps pressure up without numbers.

**Tech-Use challenge:** Keep at ×3 rolls (Challenging +0). With 3 players this is harder to delegate — only 1 player can work the panel while 2 fight. That is the intended tension.

**Exploding clone trigger:** Keep. With fewer players, a misfire that hits 1d10+5 E hits a larger proportion of the group — warn players once via environment clues.

### Why it works narratively
*Kirurgens kult er udtyndet. Bile har trukket på sine bedste tropper andre steder ombord — kun et skelet af fanatikere beskytter kloningskammeret nu. Men kirurgen selv er uændret: kaldblodig, metodisk og farlig.*

### XP / RP — Scene 3

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP | +150 | **+175** |
| RP (prisoners saved) | +2 | **+2** |

**Reasoning:** +25 XP. Harder action economy per player — 2 players fighting while 1 works the console is a meaningful split.

---

## Scene 4 — Core Research Chamber

### Original Enemies
- 1× Thaddius Bile (avatar, boss)
- 1× Chaos Spawn

### Adjusted Enemies (3 players)

| Enemy | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Thaddius Bile (avatar) | 1 | **1** |
| Chaos Spawn | 1 | **1** |

**No reduction in enemy count** — this is the climax. The encounter must feel appropriately terrifying.

**Stat changes — Thaddius Bile (avatar):**

| Stat | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wounds | (use standard Heretic Astartes avatar ~35) | **28** (−20%) |
| Damage output | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Teleport trigger | End of Round 5 | **End of Round 4** |

*Rationale:* Bile teleports one round earlier. With 3 players, if they cannot defeat him in 4 rounds, they almost certainly cannot in 5 either. The earlier trigger creates urgency without dragging. Reducing wounds slightly means the fight resolves more cleanly if players are focused.

**Stat changes — Chaos Spawn:**

| Stat | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wounds | 40 | **30** (−25%) |
| Regeneration | 2 per round | **2 per round** (unchanged) |
| Fear (2) | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Multiple Arms (extra attack) | Unchanged | Unchanged |

*Rationale:* The Spawn at W40 with Regeneration 2 and Fear (2) against 3 players is a potential fight-ender alone. At W30 it still takes 5–6 good hits to drop and regenerates 2 wounds per round — it forces a dedicated player to engage it while 2 handle Bile.

**Spawn goes berserk trigger:** If Bile teleports (escapes), Spawn still goes berserk as written. With 3 players this is a genuine threat — they may need to run rather than fight.

**Tech Route / Sabotage Route:** Keep both. The tech challenge (5 successes before 3 failures) is actually *easier* for a small focused group — 3 players can cooperate cleanly. Keep as-is.

### Why it works narratively
*Bile har ikke svækket sin kerneforsvaring. Kammeret er hans helligdom — Spawnet er ikke vagt, det er et instrument. Bile er ikke større eller mindre for kun at møde tre modstandere. Han er den han er.*

### XP / RP — Scene 4

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP (Sample secured/destroyed) | +200 | **+250** |
| RP (Bile driven off, no losses) | +3 | **+3** |

**Reasoning:** +50 XP. This is the hardest encounter in the mission. 3 players splitting attention between Bile and the Spawn with a tight 4-round timer is genuinely punishing.

---

## Scene 5 — Escape

### Original Pressure
- 5-round countdown
- 2–3 small gene-mods harrying the retreat
- 3 obstacle checkpoints

### Adjusted (3 players)

| Element | Original | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Countdown | 5 rounds | **5 rounds** (unchanged — time pressure is time pressure) |
| Gene-mod pursuers | 2–3 | **1–2** |
| Obstacle checkpoints | 3 | **3** (unchanged — this is a skill challenge, not a fight) |

**Gene-mod pursuers:** Reduce to 1–2. With 3 players, even 2 fast melee pursuers chasing during a timed skill gauntlet can cause cascade failures (fail Athletics → lose a round → pursuers catch up → lose another round). 1 is the baseline, 2 if players had a loud run.

**Fail penalty:** Keep at 1d10+4 I + lose 1 round. Space Marines are tough — this is flavor, not death.

### Why it works narratively
*Skibet dør — det er nok. Tre marines på flugt behøver ikke en hær i hælene. Skibet selv er fjenden nu.*

### XP / RP — Scene 5

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP | +50 | **+60** |
| RP (no one left behind) | +1 | **+1** |

**Reasoning:** +10 XP. Small bump — this is an action-resolution scene, not a grind.

---

## Scene 6 — Debrief

### No mechanical changes needed.

The debrief is roleplay and hooks. With 3 players, each player has *more* spotlight time — lean into this. Ask each marine individually what they felt during the Sample decision.

### XP / RP — Scene 6

| Category | Original (per player) | Adjusted (per player) |
|---|---|---|
| XP | +50 | **+50** |
| RP (inspiring report) | +1 | **+1** |

**No change.** Roleplay rewards scale with player engagement, not headcount.

---

## Adjusted XP / RP Summary Table (3 Players)

| Scene / Action | Original XP (per player) | Adjusted XP (per player) | RP (per player) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session 0 carry-over | 150 | 150 | 2 | Unchanged |
| Scene 1 — Stealth boarding | 25 | **35** | 1 | +10 XP bump |
| Scene 2 — Lab infiltration | 100 | **120** | 2 | +20 XP bump |
| Scene 3 — Clone Chamber | 150 | **175** | 2 | +25 XP bump; 3 cultists |
| Scene 4 — Core Chamber | 200 | **250** | 3 | +50 XP bump; Bile escapes R4 |
| Scene 5 — Escape | 50 | **60** | 1 | +10 XP bump |
| Scene 6 — Debrief | 50 | **50** | 1 | Unchanged |
| **Total (all bonuses hit)** | **725** | **840** | **12** | Per player |

**Total group XP (3 players, all bonuses):** 2,520 XP
**Total group XP (6 players, all bonuses, original):** 4,350 XP

> The per-player XP increase (~16% above original) compensates for the group being unable to chain secondary objectives as efficiently and for the harder per-capita action economy in fights.

---

## Adjusted Adversary Quick Reference (3-Player)

### Surgeon Acolyte (Scene 3)
WS45 BS40 S40 TB4 Ag35 Int45 Per40 WP40 Fel30 | **W 21** | AR 5 all
- Skills, Talents, Weapons, Gear: unchanged
- Fear (1), Unnat. Int (×2): unchanged

### Chaos Cultist (Scene 3 — 3× instead of 6×)
WS35 BS30 S35 TB3 Ag30 Int25 Per30 WP30 Fel25 | W 12 | AR 3
- Unchanged stats; reduced count only
- Position on bridges for maximum nuisance

### Gland Hound (Scene 2 — 2× unchanged)
WS40 Ag50 S40 TB4 Int10 Per40 WP20 | W 18 | AR 2
- Unchanged — already appropriate for 3 players at this count

### Chaos Spawn (Scene 4)
WS45 S50 TB5 Ag35 Per35 WP35 | **W 30** | AR 4 (chitin)
- Fear (2), Multiple Arms, Unnat. Str (×2), Regeneration (2): unchanged
- Claws 1d10+8 R Pen4; Tentacle Slam 1d10+6 I Pen2 Concussive (1): unchanged

### Thaddius Bile Avatar (Scene 4)
Use standard Heretic Astartes profile adjusted: | **W 28** |
- All other stats unchanged
- Teleport trigger: **end of Round 4** (was Round 5)

---

## Difficulty Dials (Updated for 3 Players)

| Situation | Original dial | 3-Player adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Stealthy team | Reduce patrols; alarms add +10 TN | Same — but Scene 2 patrol is 1 cultist (not 2) if alarm triggers |
| Loud team | +1 patrol S2; +1 unstable clone trigger S3 | Same, but cap patrol at 2 cultists total in S2 to avoid pre-boss attrition |
| Low gear / rookie | Change Hard to Challenging; Spawn arrives 1 round late | Also: Acolyte does not use combat drugs; reduce Spawn W to 24 |
| Veteran / gear-rich | Add environmental hazards; Bile teleports R4 | Bile teleports R3 instead; Spawn has Regeneration 3 |

---

## GM Notes — 3-Player Session Pacing

- **Scenes 1–2** will feel tight but manageable. Let players feel competent.
- **Scene 3** is the pressure point. The console-while-fighting split is the real challenge. Do not let the Acolyte rush — she is methodical.
- **Scene 4** is the climax. Make Bile verbal. He taunts. The Spawn is not smart — it attacks whoever is closest.
- **Scene 5** is cathartic. Call the countdown out loud: "Fem... fire... tre...". Players should feel the ship dying.
- **Scene 6** — with 3 players, each marine gets a full scene moment. Do not rush it.

---

*Justeret til 3 spillere. Alle originalscener, musik, og hooks er uændrede. Kun modstanderantal, wounds og XP-belønninger er tilpasset.*