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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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 Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Zarm R'keeg wrote: | | garhkal wrote: | | In that case it would be 'scholar: Structural engineering" not an actual engineering skill. |
Ah! Yes, that is what I was intending; I just wasn't parsing it right in game-terms. Thank you!
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That's what we are here for!
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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Take a look at my "Ship's doctor template" as an example of starting characters potentially getting an (A) skill. It's the only one i have ever done that allows (A) skills at the start of game play..
http://www.rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=728&highlight=doctor
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Zarm R'keeg
Commander
Joined: 14 Apr 2012
Posts: 481
Location: PA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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I like the 'Disowned spoilt rich kid.' 
All right, here are some revised characters (no changes to the diplomat, so he is omitted here).
The Elom has changed to a scholar skill- and technically, it improves 2D beyond my allotted # of skill dice, but this is to satisfy the 'fluff text,' and something I slid through to justify his expertise, knowing full-well that it's not a commonly-used or particularly practical skill, so it doesn't seem fair to 'charge' the player that might use this character for its inclusion. It's just kinda a 'for background color' freebie. Similar 'background color' has filled in some Perception skills- I envision him as sort of a mining foreman... used to overseeing and managing the construction of the tunnels and the workers in them.
Lorskin Darro'hesk - Elom Engineer
You were asked to Edan II by the planetary government to help restructure their agricultural systems to a non-power-cell base. What you didn't expect was to arrive to a deposed planetary government and Imperial martial law! With the transport that brought you forced down, and rampant harassment by Imperial bureaucrats, you've quickly become disillusion with this occupation, and made overtures to the local resistance about working to end this situation. While you're not exactly ready to become a rebel, you certainly wouldn't mind helping them to evict the Empire from this unlawful occupation!
As a specialist in tunnel engineering, an expert miner and tunneler, and an old hand in the use of 'primitive' pre-electrical technologies, your idiosyncratic knowledge could have revolutionized the fungal farming and irrigation industries on Edan II; now, you are working with another 'underground' altogether. Though your appearance draws more scrutiny than usual, and a greater share of harassment, from the Imperials, and even some of your teammates, your intellect in less-advanced, undetectable technologies and subterranean guerrilla warfare lends you an unparalleled technological advantage. (BG to be fleshed out later)
Dexterity 3D, Dodge 4D, Running 3D+2
Knowledge 3D+2, Scholar: Structural Engineering 5D+2, Intimidation 4D
Mechanical 3D, Demolitions 4D+2
Perception 2D+1, Search 2D+2, Bargain 2D+2
Strength 3D+2, Climbing/Jumping 5D, Brawling 4D+1, Digging 4D
Technical 2D+1
Special Abilities:
Cave Navigation: Time to use: one round. The Eloms use this skill to determine where they are within a cave network.
Digging: Time to use: one round. This skill allows the Eloms to use their claws to dig through soil. As a guideline, digging a hole takes a time (in minutes) equal to the difficulty number.
Digging Claws: Eloms use their powerful claws to dig through soil and soft rock, but rarely, if ever, use them in combat. They add +1D to climbing and digging rolls. They add +1D to damage, but increase the difficulty by one level if used in combat.
Moisture Storage: When in a situation when water supplies are critical, Elom characters should generate a stamina total. This number represents how long, in days, an Elom can go without water. For every hour of exhaustive physical activity the Elom participates in, subtract one day from the total.
Low-Light Vision: Elom gain +2D to search in dark conditions, but suffer 2D-4D stun damage if exposed to bright light.
Move: 8 (walking), 7 (climbing)
Equipment: Syntherope dispenser and grappling hook, glowrod, basic toolkit (+1D to any non-technical repairs), personal threat analyzer (+1D to tactics or search pertaining to acombat situation- ie percentage probability of a certain attack's type, origin, precdicted future action, direction of attacker, etc.)
Okay! So, after looking at the REUP compilations- I have decided to house rule Martial Arts as a Strength skill (Dexterity might be more accurate, but for the sake of the character created here, that is useful). A specialization, to my mind, is improvable for too low a cost. As a compensation, I've given one extra starting skill (3, thought he skill has only improved by 2D), just as a courtesy since I'm making it somewhat more expensive to improve than the RAW. I've also chosen to make it the character's primary offensive skill (along with thrown weapons), focusing primarily on parrying for other skills- but removed brawling parry improvements since they are largely redundant to using martial arts to parry. Along with the improvement in sneak, I suppose it's moved the character more toward the 'ninja' arc, but I think it's a fun starting character that hopefully isn't too unbalanced. (If I got this as a PC, my second order of business would be to fill in some technical skill, of course- right after the first order of business... to find some throwing stars!) 
Sentil Argos – Nikto (Esral’sa’Nikto) Martial Artist
The way of the Morgukai has been lost to your people, but their legend lives on. In the name of their greatness, you study the disciplines of body and mind. For too long, the Nikto people have debased themselves in service to the Hutts; to lift their disgrace and restore their honor, their name must be made great again. You are the avatar of that greatness. You fight- whatever foe is before you; it matters not- to restore the honor of Nikto everywhere. The who does not matter- only victory, and victory through honorable means. Every foe defeated by your prowess is another step toward restoring your people's honor and reputation; and someday, when you are strong enough, you will lead an uprising and throw off the yolk of Hutt servitude!
In the meantime, your wandering work of training and battling throughout the cosmos has carried the freighter on which you booked passage to Edan II, a backwater nowhere- where you've become stranded due to the blockade. After killing several bigots who harassed you for your non-human nature, you were forced to shelter with the local resistance. Though you would just as soon kill any of them if they gave you cause, for now, they nourish your body and leave you time and room to train- and a worthy cause in which to exercise your martial skills until you leave this paltry world. (BG to be filled in later)
Dexterity 4D+2, Dodge 5D, Melee Parry 5D, Thrown Weapons 5D+2
Knowledge 2D+1, Survival 4D+1
Strength 3D+1, Martial Arts 5D+1
Perception 3D+1, Sneak 4D+1
Mechanical 2D
Technical 2D, Security 2D+1
Martial Arts abilities:
Multiple Strikes: if successful, deliver a second free attack of 3D damage for free [Moderate]
Elbow Smash: if successful, +1D damage to brawling attack [Very Easy]
Silent Strike: If character can sneak to point blank range, and roll is successful, target is instantly stunned or killed (intent must be announced beforehand) without making a sound [Difficult]
Note: Martial arts can be used both to parry and attack. CP may not be used on martial arts rolls.
Special Abilities:
Esral’sa’Nikto Fins: These Nikto can withstand great extremes in temperature for long periods. Their advanced hearing gives them a +1 bonus to search and Perception rolls relating to hearing.
Vision: Nikto have a natural eye-shielding of a transparent keratin-like substance. They suffer no adverse effects from sandstorms or similar conditions, nor does their vision blur underwater.
Move: 10
Equipment: Ceremonial blade (Str +1D damage), 200 credits
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14230
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | I like the 'Disowned spoilt rich kid.' Smile
All right, here are some revised characters (no changes to the diplomat, so he is omitted here).
The Elom has changed to a scholar skill- and technically, it improves 2D beyond my allotted # of skill dice, but this is to satisfy the 'fluff text,' and something I slid through to justify his expertise, knowing full-well that it's not a commonly-used or particularly practical skill, so it doesn't seem fair to 'charge' the player that might use this character for its inclusion. It's just kinda a 'for background color' freebie. Similar 'background color' has filled in some Perception skills- I envision him as sort of a mining foreman... used to overseeing and managing the construction of the tunnels and the workers in them. |
Thanks Z for the complement.
On the Elom. Are you the DM or are you a player in that game?
I ask as if you are the DM, giving one 'new character" a few extra D worth of skills, to back up some fluff you right for it, is not imo right if you Don't also do the same for all the others.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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Jedi Skyler
Moff
Joined: 07 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:08 am Post subject: |
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I like the idea behind this template. I think that I, personally, would add dice in a martial arts specialization; there are many pacifists who practice martial arts of one kind or another, doing so for the health benefits, for the focus, and some for the ability to defend oneself without having to resort to a lethal response. High skills in this area would indicate the character's dedication to controlling themselves. In fact, it might also be possible for this character to use their extensive knowledge of anatomy to call their strikes, using attacks designed to quickly incapacitate, rather than kill. |
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garhkal
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:12 am Post subject: |
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I went with them having not much combat skill, cause i felt their time was pushed too much to focus on their learning their craft.
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Zarm R'keeg
Commander
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Location: PA
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| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: |
On the Elom. Are you the DM or are you a player in that game?
I ask as if you are the DM, giving one 'new character" a few extra D worth of skills, to back up some fluff you right for it, is not imo right if you Don't also do the same for all the others. |
I am running it. This is just designing these potential backup characters in case someone without a backup character dies unexpectedly, or one or two of the busier players who recently died don't create their own backup characters in time.
I put the skill in there because that character is unique in having an esoteric but game-useless skill, which I don't feel would be realistic to not reflect, but also don't feel it would be fair to hand out as an option while saying 'FYI, he's a runt because I sunk several dice into a pretty much useless skill.' Hence, adding in what is, to me, essentially window dressing. I don't see that as particularly unfair to the other players or other template characters (not sure which you meant), as I am not adding in extra D for actual practical skills (and would consider adding similar 'background flavor skills' for other players if approached about it for backgrounds they wrote.
does that resolve the issue- or does this still strike you as a bad policy? (And if so- any suggestions on what to do instead?)
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Hard core OT, all the way!
Last edited by Zarm R'keeg on Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jedi Skyler
Moff
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| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | I went with them having not much combat skill, cause i felt their time was pushed too much to focus on their learning their craft. |
Yeah, I can get behind that. I'd at least start the character out with at least one die in the specialization for martial arts; it wouldn't be a lot of skill, but it might even be used to represent not so much fighting skill as much as a small bit of fighting ability, heavily modified by their medical knowledge, which allows them to use a small bit of fighting ability in order to deliver strikes to strategic places on their opponent's body. |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14230
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Zarm R'keeg wrote: | | garhkal wrote: |
On the Elom. Are you the DM or are you a player in that game?
I ask as if you are the DM, giving one 'new character" a few extra D worth of skills, to back up some fluff you right for it, is not imo right if you Don't also do the same for all the others. |
I am running it. This is just designing these potential backup characters in case someone without a backup character dies unexpectedly, or one or two of the busier players who recently died don't create their own backup characters in time.
I put the skill in there because that character is unique in having an esoteric but game-useless skill, which I don't feel would be realistic to not reflect, but also don't feel it would be fair to hand out as an option while saying 'FYI, he's a runt because I sunk several dice into a pretty much useless skill.' Hence, adding in what is, to me, essentially window dressing. I don't see that as particularly unfair to the other players or other template characters (not sure which you meant), as I am not adding in extra D for actual practical skills (and would consider adding similar 'background flavor skills' for other players if approached about it for backgrounds they wrote.
does that resolve the issue- or does this still strike you as a bad policy? (And if so- any suggestions on what to do instead?) |
Its only a useless skill if they get no in game impact from it. Imagine if you will him using his Engineering knowledge to know where best to place demo charges, or where a weak spot in a wall would be to break in?
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