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I know that Xenomorph are supposed to be deadly, but what do you think of their speed?
I mean, some of their signature move can instant kill you, is that really necessary to give them 2 chance per round to succeed? Giving multiple attack to Runner is fair because they're known for their speed, but drone and warrior? Just by looking at the movies we see ripley kill multiple xeno when saving Newt all by herself without any of them successfully reach her.

Should they have speed 1 and runner speed 2 instead of 2 and runner 3 to balance the fights?

Hi Cain Loup-Noir,

You must understand that once the group has encountered one or more xenomorphs. Everyone is doom... Your players must understand that when they come across xenomorphs, they will lose characters. It's inevitable.

Your players will have to learn to use strategy to avoid direct situations with the xenomorphs. Bypassing dangerous zones (areas with xenomorphs) is the best way to stay alive in the Alien RPG.

The xenomorph in the Free League Alien RPG is a much more powerful xenomorph than the one in the 1986 Aliens movie. I would say identical to the one in the 1979 Alien movie.

It is also important to note that Alien RPG is a horror game, not a shoot-'em-up game; it is Alien: Isolation more than Alien: Fireteam Elite. This is a design choice, and you can always tweak the rules if you like. There are several threads in this very forum where people discuss ways to make the xenomorphs less lethal and more easy to kill.

Personally, I'm in it for the horror and the survival challenge to the characters, and I get bored really quickly by combat. To me, it is far more interesting to have to escape the critters than to gun them down, but to each their own

One approach to consider is - have both.

In the movie ALIEN (1979) the Big Chap moves slow and graceful, stalking up on Brett, Dallas, Lambert, and Ripley methodically.

It also turns and hits Parker with a tail attack rather quickly.

And in the movie ALIENS (1986), you see xenos moving at full speed during several attacks, leaping from wall to wall and striking from shadows in a blur.

So, my thought is the rules allow for faster speed, but it is a GM choice whether to use it or not.

Does the xeno have a reason to stalk? study? be perplexed? pause? Think of the Big Chap stopping to check out Jones in his box.

The novelizations and the commentaries on the movies also provide a number of example of moments where the xeno doesn't just go full speed freight train ... choosing to study or stalk instead.

So, the option is there for you to use those different movement modes as well as a choice - perhaps tied to how active or how much of a perceived threat there is?

ALIENS: Dark Descent has an example of this in the form of a "meter" of how stirred up the xenos are and whether they are actively hunting players or not.

Angelman & Exile ... those are good points brothers, thanks for sharing.

Arthur.

Angelman i think that the xenomorph from the1976 movie was extremely deadly mainly because the Nostromo crew was not soldiers with efficient weapon, as the xenomorph isn't hit by any weapon in the whole movie it's hard to say how invulnerable he was originally. Yet the crew had weapons, a flamethrower and the gun Kane pulled out as he approached the egg. The Xenomorph was deadly because he took them one by one, by surprise without letting them any chance to defend.
Even if you take away 1 from their speed, you make it attack by surprise, deactivate the light as they did in Aliens to put the player in the dark and attack from vents instead of making them get out in the middle of the corridor attacking head on like in covenant.

For the horror aspect the simple fact my players know that every xenomorph except the eggs can mortally wound you or instant kill you make them pray that i don't put even one in my story before a few mission so they can play with their character a bit, and even without involving xenomorph they know they will lose their character so they created few archetype in advance x)

This being said i admit that Exile's approach is perfect, letting the xenomorph use their multiple action only when needed (trapped by the players, wounded, enrage, defending the queen...) Make them more accurate while balancing the game. Great idea

Exile-In-Paradise has all the good ideas. ... He is our beacon in the archives of the Alien lore. You'll see.

So Everything is settled now.

Enjoy your games brother Cain.
Arthur.