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Everything posted by crashnburninc

  1. Another option could be that it was a military/security outpost. The amenities would be similar to those in a refueling/trading post; i.e. barracks, mess hall, workshop, armory, docking bay, command center, exchange, medical plus it would probably have a gym, shooting range, and other things that the players might find more useful. A potential backstory is that it was a frontier outpost protecting from slavers, raiders or some other threat, and was abandoned once the conflict was over and it was no longer needed (maybe even a Clone War or older relic). You could have the station's log say the unit stationed there was sent out on a mission and they never returned, or that they were ordered to abandon and demolish the system but something went wrong. As far as the "horror" aspect, could be a fun spin to have the security system still active, although degraded, and trying to impede/taunt the players. Think HAL in Space Odyssey. That would allow them to eventually "hack" the system and take control, and provide an NPC caretaker to maintain their home base for them.
  2. I think many people are misinterpreting the sentiment. "If droids could think, none of us would be here," doesn't come across as prejudice that droids are inferior. If anything, it leans toward a mindset that if the droids were sentient they would wipe everything else out and rule the universe. Obi Wan may not be a big fan of droids, but he understands their utility within the setting. He also understands that droids are better at a lot of things than most sentient creatures, and that machines would most likely move well beyond organic life if droids ever gained free will and creative thought. IG-88, 4-LOM, R2-D2 & even Chopper already prove that droids have unlimited potential under the right circumstances.
  3. A simple way to alleviate this issue is to include the ship in the bounty. Have the interested party say that they also want the ship because it previously belonged to them or will be used to pay off some of the debt. After all, it's normal habit IRL to repossess items of value. Even Jabba considered taking the Millennium Falcon. The way I got around it while running this campaign was to tell my PC's that the ship was in a really bad state of disrepair. It would have cost them some money to fix the ship enough to take it. Since they already had the Krayt Fang, and only one pilot, there was absolutely no interest in trying to hock a busted up rig at a potential loss. Instead, they tipped off a contact to its location, gaining a favor for later on and setting up more plot hooks for the future. Winners all around.
  4. I think a little perspective is important when looking at Characteristics. After all, a Brawn 4 Ewok can't possibly lift the same as a Brawn 4 Wookie. I don't see the numbers as universal on a single scale, but rather an additional element in providing detail for the overall character. My Brawn 3 Droid is much stronger & more resilient than my Brawn 3 Human, simply because he is considerably larger & made of metal even though statistically they seem equals. Physics has to override math in this instance. This is where intelligent narrative plays into the overall storytelling of a TTRPG. For a Wookie, Chewbacca may be small/average in size but he towers over the humans and is considerably stronger than them. So, even though they all may have a Brawn 3, Chewie does all the heavy lifting. The developers most likely created this system in the interest of keeping the mechanics simple and easy to apply. Building one scale that would cover all the races & possibilities in the galaxy would get huge and confusing quickly. It is up to the GM's & players to apply a little brainpower in the actual application in order to create their own balance.
  5. Actually makes a lot of sense when you consider that Earth has upwards of 10 million people in some sort of military uniform. I'll forgo all that math and assume the Imperial military has well over a Billion, of which infantry would be a large part. Definitely would take years to transition a force that massive, especially when talking about equipment acquisition, distribution, retraining. No small undertaking, by any means.
  6. Not to mention the fact that Han is a street kid and probably not well versed or educated in economics or the actual cost of things. My 10 year old wants a cell phone because "they're not that expensive, everybody has one.".
  7. I'll have to be a little more careful in the wording of my posts. My point wasn't that social skills are never going to sway someone, just that it shouldn't be the sole means of influence. As always with a TTRPG, everything is situationally dependent. There are good examples at both ends of the spectrum, but it is a dangerous & slippery slope if you just rely on the mechanics. To truly be successful a person would have to know all of the players, their likes & dislikes, motivations, environmental effects, … (way too many other variables to list or control). Relying on a social skill check as the sole means of making something happen either creates a bad precedent or sets the group up to fail spectacularly. I find it's better to focus on solid characters and a good story, not just winning the next roll. I would rather have PC's talk it out in character to combine good role playing with the dice result, instead of relying on only raw data. Seems more realistic and can be a lot more fun.
  8. Social skills shouldn't be used to get people to do things. That seems almost like an abuse of the system. Charm would relax an NPC & make them more comfortable around the player, possibly opening them up to suggestion. But, people don't do something significant because of a little flirting and a nice smile. No one is that charming. The same could be said for Persuasion, Negotiation, Deception, Intimidation, etc. It would take an extremely gullible & weak-willed person to just cave to someone's wiles. Something tangible needs to be added to successfully sway a person using blackmail, leverage, force, bribery. Just relying on social skills to carry the day is setting things up for some serious shenanigans.
  9. @Concise Locket I fully understand picking through the endless possibilities to decide on a campaign setting and start point. I'm currently in the process myself. What I love about EotE is the wide open aspect of it. Unlike the Rebellion or Force Users, criminal enterprise can be found anywhere. While I don't have the Lords of Nal Hutta guide yet, I know it focuses on the Hutt Syndicates but there's nothing there that says Black Sun, Crimson Dawn, or some other criminal organization can't also operate in Hutt Space. Tons of movies and TV shows have used criminal competition and gang wars as a plot device; it makes for a good story. For instance, you could be hired by some group that's trying to muscle in on Hutt space to steal some of their business, which ups the ante of getting caught by the Hutts. Or you could work for one syndicate trying to improve it's power base & wealth by stealing from or sabotaging the competition, something the Hutts are known to do. You have the makings of your very own Godfather: SW style. Not to mention, the Hutt's aren't just limited to their sector. They reach throughout the Outer Rim and have business dealings with all types of people, even the Empire. This opens up any number of new locations and environments. Just some food for thought.
  10. Haven't been a GM for PbP or L5R and I'm pretty sure trying to do both at once would be a bad way to start.
  11. I ran the Beginner Game a couple months ago with some brand new players and had a similar outcome. My PC's snuck into the hangar, bluffed their way onto the ship, and convinced Trex that he still needed to settle up with the junk dealer. Essentially, some great role playing and really cooperative dice left them in possession of the ship without firing a shot, which they didn't hesitate to steal. We followed up with the Long Arm of the Hutt adventure in the Core Rulebook and there were repercussions that had to be played out regarding the ordeal, but overall it was a great time and the group has completely fallen in love with EotE. GM Rule #1: Be flexible, especially if it makes for a fun story.
  12. You just described almost every college/university/higher education platform on the planet. You only get the education you want if you flesh it out with a few things the school adds that you may not want, and you still have to pay for it.
  13. I haven't come across this issue in game yet, but I would think the RAW difficulty for the check would depend on what you are trying to influence. To go with your example, the difficulty of getting 5 credits would be easy (2-3) vice convincing someone to kill being indomitable (5-6), and that's not even adding in proficiency or upgrading dice. Additionally, I think you would have to take into account the audience; are they amenable to the doing it, is it something they value, etc. I would leave boost/setback dice for outside influences; drunk, suspicious, friendly, etc. There's a lot of flexibility built in for a reason, to allow for better story telling. I think the GM needs to make an honest assessment before deciding on the difficulty and it's going to change depending on the situation.
  14. The reason for separating out Lightsabers from Melee weapons that makes the most sense to me has nothing to do with physics or weapon design, but is more likely the extreme rarity of the weapon & thus a rarity in fighting with it. While any Han can turn one on and cut open a dead Tauntaun, actually fighting someone with it would take years of study and training to be any good. The same could be said for your average sword/club/spear/axe/etc.; and while some of that training may carry over, you definitely wouldn't be as effective with a lightsaber.
  15. And regardless of the situation, the director also shoulders all of the hatred/blame for any issues or disagreements with the work.
  16. I would venture that a big dude fiddling with a rocket launcher would go a long way toward intimidating and distracting a table full of poker players.
  17. I'm not saying that a Wookiee couldn't be involved in the slave trade, just that it wasn't a normal thing. Those particular individuals doing it for very personal & selfish reasons only reinforces my point that it's not a traditionally acceptable part of Wookiee culture. Unlike Zygerrians, Trandoshans, or Hutts who were all known to be widely involved & avid supporters of the slave trade. It's also cliché that many Twileks & Cathar were sold into slavery for various reasons, but that doesn't limit only those races to being slaves. Anyone could fill any role, but certain species are more believable than others. P.S. I had no intention of plagiarizing KOTOR. I guess it's just been so long since I last played it, that I somehow absorbed & internalized part of the story.
  18. Not sure Wookiee slavers is even a thing? Hard to justify a group so widely persecuted by slavery deciding to adopt the abhorred practice. Runs counter to the whole honor code as well. If you want the dramatic effect, you could probably get away with one Wookiee betraying the others into slavery to save his own hide. Someone working with the slavers to provide "insider" information and facilitating capture, unknown to his fellow Wookiees because he's working in the shadows to eliminate his competition and build wealth/power. Definitely adds flavor and intrigue.
  19. Long Arm of the Hutt has a large social gathering with a variety of NPC's the group has to engage. As the GM, I didn't even think to use Mass Combat rules, instead letting the group treat it as a series of individual encounters as they wander the room. I'm only bringing it up because the Adventure guide did offer some advice and assistance for GM's to utilize in working through the scene.
  20. How often do you have to roll a Skill check to land at a spaceport, or take off for that matter? Odds are, the landing sequence is normally done on autopilot or at least something any decent pilot could do as a maneuver/incidental, vice an action. I would venture that most spacer pilots or smugglers don't even need PP skills (unless they are always the group driver), when most of what they are doing is covered by PS. It makes sense for "immersion" as well as a gaming mechanic.
  21. One thing we aren't taking into account, the average cruiser costs a few million credits and isn't really something that normal people would waste just to win a battle. Not to mention the personnel casualties involved or the other resources squandered just to take out one threat. Suicide tactics are rarely a viable military option. Desperation, however, will lead people to take extreme measures.
  22. I would venture that Veers doesn't have Piloting (Space) or access to the training, because he was a member of the Imperial Army not the Navy. Soldiers don't receive training on driving a Naval Ship (unless it's their job), however it's pretty much mandatory to learn how to drive multiple wheeled vehicles. As far as Solo, doesn't he have a speeder racing background? That would give him the Pilot(Planetary) skill, or at least the experience. On a different note, I think location would make a greater difference over vehicle type. There would be a huge difference in successfully completing a specific aerial maneuver, such a loop or barrel roll, in a planet's atmosphere vice in space. You're dealing with things like stronger gravity/wind sheer/air friction; all of which would change the way your ship handles when compared to the same attempt in open space where none of those would be a factor.
  23. There's an example in the Trouble Brewing scenario in the back of the Core Rulebook; where it happens to the PC's while they are being distracted by someone, although they only attempt tp steal a small item/ few credits. The only preventative chance the PC's get is if one of them is on the look out for trouble, and then they have to make either a Vigilance or Perception check (not sure which or the difficulty). Seems like a good little encounter/hook to use. I would do it unopposed so it doesn't feel railroaded. If the PC succeeds, they catch the NPC in the act. If not, they know as soon as their belt weight changes. Either way, there are plenty of ways to play it out. Odds are, even if they catch them in the act, the PC's aren't going to be able to detain your NPC's because they're caught off guard so you still get your chase.
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