Verpine Revisited (yes ... again)

[shootingwomprats]

I have been giving some serious thought to rewriting a bunch of the species since there has been so much additional information made available. I did that with the Jawa's and Sluissi. Now I am looking at the Verpine.

This what Verpine look like per RAW:

Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 1D+1/3D
KNOWLEDGE 1D+1/3D
MECHANICAL 1D+2/3D+2
PERCEPTION 1D+1/4D
STRENGTH 1D+1/3D
TECHNICAL 2D/5D

Special Abilities:
--Body Armor: The Verpine's natural chitinous plate armor gives them a +1D bonus against physical attacks.
--Microscopic Sight: +1D bonus to search when looking for small objects, due to their highly evolved eyes.
--Organic Telecommunication: Because Verpine can send and receive radio waves through their antenna, they have the ability to communicate with other members of their species and with specially-tuned comlinks. The range is very limited when they are acting individually (1 km) but greatly increases when in the hive (covers the entire Roche asteroid field).
--Technical Bonus: All Verpine receive a +2D bonus when using their Technical skills.
Move: 10/13
Size: 1.9 meters

For the most part I think the write-up works. Though I believe it does need some tweaks. Lets start off with the chitinous exoskeleton.

".. tough enough to deflect a blade or even absorb a glancing blaster bolt."

Let us assume that by blade they mean a dagger and by blaster they mean a 4D blaster pistol. More than likely an average verpine will have 2D Strength. A knife will typically do 3D (2D+1D) so the +1D vs physical works. What does a glancing blow look like? I would say a below average roll of 1's and 2's on average. Giving us a total of 8. 2D would cover this, almost, but if we toss in say +2 vs energy, then the average roll goes up to 9 which would make a glancing blaster bolt ineffective.

Chitinous Exoskeleton: +1D bonus vs. physical, +2 vs energy.

"Verpine eyes were keen enough to pick out microscopic details."

I have not been able to find an example of this but it makes sense that this would only be if they are looking for something small, for example microscopic in size, since its called Microscopic Vision. I don't this really works very well as a bonus to search for looking for small objects. For example scuffs on the floor, tool scrapes on a panel cover or moved tri-d picture frame. This seems more along the line of a walking microscope.

So how best to emulate this in game mechanics? I don't about the rest of you but finding stuff under a microscope it not a quick thing. So I would say it would require a full round. Because of its narrow focus I would also suggest that it only gives a +1D search bonus when searching at a microscopic level.

Microscopic Vision: because of their highly evolved eyesight verpine can see at a microscopic level though this requires a high degree of concentration. Doing so is a full round action and allows inspection of an item at an the microscopic level. Treat as x25 microscope.

"Verpine the natural ability to sense and transmit radio waves to communicate with another Verpine in their language over distances on the order of one hundred kilometers."

This to me sounds like a skill roll with difficulty set by distance. The problem is, is it a Mechnical or a Knowledge skill roll? I wasn't able to find an example where additional verpine gathered together made for a stronger signal and sensitivity, though it could be inferred. As is I like the write-up but I think this special ability could do with some additional detail.

Knowledge skills:
Organic Telecommunication. Time to use: free action for simple information and phrases. Verpine have the natural ability to sense and transmit radio waves to communicate with another Verpine in their language over distances of one hundred kilometers and more. Skill difficulty is Easy modified by range.

In line of sight/Automatic
1-100 meters/+0
101 meters to 1 kilometer/+5
2-10 kilometers/+10
11-100 kilometers/+15
101-1,000 kilometers/+20
Same planet/+25
Same star system/+30

"Best known for their technological aptitude, the Verpine were considered to be among the finest starship engineers in the galaxy."

Skill Bonus: at the time the character is created only, the character gets 2D for every 1D placed in capital ship repair, capital ship weapon repair, space transports repair, starfighter repair, starship weapon repair or capital ship engineering, space transports engineering, starfighter engineering or starship weapon engineering if the prerequisites are made.

I would also bump movement down to 10/12. There is no reason they get a 13, makes no sense at all.

"... Verpine were openly sympathetic towards the Rebel Alliance. However, they did not officially join the Rebellion as a whole, partly due to their natural pacifistic idealism."

This is best used as a Story Arc.

Pacifistic Idealism: Verpine being a hive species have adopted a pacifistic galaxy-view. They will do their best not to enter into physical conflict unless absolutely necessary. They will try to use non-violent means until it is no longer a viable option.

[CRMcNeill]

Per the X-Wing novels, Verpine also had a tendency to come up with innovative designs that didn't work out as well as intended. The B-Wing gyro-cockpit is one example.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Savar]

That is a good rework.
The shard also use radio, i think was another race also.

The change in bonus dice is better then the all-out original bonus. Although, I personally would have let them have all technical skills. look at the shatter gun.

Much better balanced the RAW.

[Savar]

[shootingwomprats]

[Savar]

[shootingwomprats]

I just realized something about attaching range to the skill roll. There was some inference in material (only found it in one spot and it was not clear) that verpine who gather together can send and receive communication over greater distances. Okay this can still be done and emulated within RAW. When trying to communicate at a greater distance treat it as a combined action. There we go, neat and simple. I like this even better now that I have had some time to digest my awesome creativity and ingenuity.
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Don Diestler
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[Kytross]

My fix for the +2D tech bonus was to treat it as a function of the instantaneous communication. When other Verpine are in range they talk to each other about whatever tech they're working on so get a free +1 pip per Verpine in range up to a max of +2D.