Yautja/Predator

[Mamatried]

How would these fare in a star wars setting, will they as portayed be an over powering enemy, will they break game balance?

How will the force work on them, will they be more like the Yuuzhan Vong?

How would they realte to the galactic conflict?

And how would they be statted if they were to appear in SWD6?

Any thoughts?

[Dredwulf60]

I had a player play one as a bounty hunter in my game.

It's really all up to the GM on whether they want to set them up as uber-awesome or more mundane.

In my version, they were really no different than lots of other species. The ones that become excellent hunters are the ones fortunate enough to have the great stats and skills....like other PCs. The vast majority are not much better than mooks.

I statted out a bunch of their species weapons and worked out an honour system. The more challenging the prey they bring in the more points they get to buy and repair their specialty gear. Only available on their own homeworld.

[CRMcNeill]

If you want to maintain the spirit of the crossover, then they need to be relatively unknown, with access to high-end tech (particularly stealth), and living in some impossible-to-reach system (such as cut off by a nebula or gravitic anomalies that only Yautja craft can successfully navigate). Yautja mobility and behavior suggests a homeworld like Kashyyyk, a globe-spanning jungle of immense height, with the flora and fauna becoming progressively more and more lethal the further down one gets.

They wouldn't be xenophobic per se, but would absolutely be insular and arrogantly superior to the "lesser" races. A couple possible Template suggestions would be Stranded Youngster or Elderly Scout. The former would be an adolescent / young adult Yautja who got separated from his hunting / training pack, and is now trying to make his way in the larger galaxy, having access to only the most basic equipment. The latter would be an elderly male, past his prime (reflected in his stats), who chooses to go out in the larger galaxy and seek out new possibilities for hunts (the novel Alien vs. Predator hints at Mech and Tech specialist Yautja who handle ship operations while the Alpha Male commands and handles training for the youngsters).

Another possibility hinted at in the Alien vs. Predator novel is the possibility that Yautja are a sexually-dimorphic species, but the dimorphism is the opposite of humans, with the Yautja females being larger and more powerful.

It would make sense that birth rates in the Yautja race favor the males, too, with ~3-4 males born per female. As such, males have to compete for female attention, which is a large part of the species' trophy-hunting obsession.

IMO, this is a potential way to include the larger, stronger Yautja from the film Predators, as well as possibly explaining the difference in hunting technique; suppose that these "uber-Yautja" are actually females, engaging in their own version of the male competition.
_________________
"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

[MrNexx]

Useful link

Yautja as a race

Personally, I'd have them be the bugbears of the Bounty Hunters guild... they are known to hunt only the greatest hunters. Boba Fett was on their list, before he was fed to the Sarlacc. The Mandalorians know of them, and part of their insistence on anonymity to the galaxy at large comes from knowing that the Yautja are out there.
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[garhkal]

I'd see them more as very skilled foes, more so than regular starting PC's could ever handle. But so rare, as to often be mistaken for myths and fairy tails..
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[Grimace]

I've got stats created back in 2005 or so by a John McTiernan. I will post his and I will post some additional stuff I came up with for the Predators with D6.

Predator - by John McTiernan
Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY: 1D+2 / 4D+1
KNOWLEDGE: 1D / 2D+2
MECHANICAL: 1D / 3D
PERCEPTION: 1D / 4D
STRENGTH: 2D / 6D
TECHNICAL: 1D / 3D

Special Abilities:
Infrared Vision:
Predators see in the infrared portion of the spectrum, seeing the heat generated by the prey and their surroundings. This allows them to see without penalties in the dark, and in light smoke or haze, and gives a +2 to PER rolls in certain situations.

Heat Preference:
Predators are native to a very warm planet, and are only found in areas with similar heat. They suffer a -1D STR penalty when operating in areas of intense cold.

Climbing Claws:
Predators have short claws on each digit to aid in climbing. They add a +1D to Climbing, but are not suitable for combat.

Story Factors:
Language:
Predators cannot speak Basic, though with practice they can imitate various phrases. They communicate by a series of clicks and growls.

Honor of the Hunt:
Predators are committed to the hunt, and follow a special code when killing prey and taking trophies. They will not kill prey that is not able to defend itself with either weaponry or special abilities, and they will not knowingly kill pregnant females. They only take trophies from prey they feel has been worth the effort. The type of trophy varies between Predators and kills, they may skin their prey, take skulls and spinal columns, or even the prey's weaponry.

Secrecy of the Hunt:
Predators know that the hunt depends on secrecy. Rather than be captured or killed a Predator will trigger the destruct device in its wrist computer, detonating a small tactical nuclear device and destroying all trace of the Predator.

Move: 10 / 12
Size: 1.7 - 2.75 meters


And now the one I made, added to...

Yautja - aka “Predator”

STR 2D+2 / 6D
DEX 2D / 5D
TEC 1D+2 / 3D+2
MEC 1D / 3D
CON 2D / 4D+2
CHA 1D / 2D+2
INT 2D / 4D+2
PER 2D / 4D+1

Move: 12

Special abilities:
Stamina : Due to a Yautja’s incredible stamina, if they ever fail a stamina or endurance roll, for any reason, they may immediately roll again. If the second roll is a success, then they act as if they were never affected by whatever caused the roll.

Long Life: The Yautja live a very long time, generally around 300 years and maybe longer. Most of the males of the race, however, join in “the hunt” and therefore die at a much younger age from unnatural causes.

Infravision: The Yautja see in a different spectrum, one that allows vision in low or no light conditions. Movement is noticeable, and large or unique shapes can be seen, but fine detail is hard to make out. When attempting to notice fine detail, a Yautja is -2D to Perception/Observation unless they are on their home world.

Armor, Weapons and Gadgets:
The Yautja, when they become a hunter (also known as a Predator), utilize some of the following weapons and items.

Bio Helmet: Provides limited armor protection and many additional benefits. Grants +2 to resist damage. Provides supplemental breathing atmosphere for the Yautja, which requires a nitrogen rich atmosphere. Acts as SCUBA gear for the Yautja. Allows multiple vision aspects for the hunter, including the following; Infrared, Ultraviolet, Thermal imaging, low light amplification, and air density pressure (movement based) vision. The mask also possesses a built in Geiger counter for radiation detection, and has a microphone and waveform analyzer, which allows recording, analysis, and playback of sounds and words. The mask also can utilize a tri-point laser sight that gives a +1D to any ranged attack roll. In addition to the laser sight, the mask also uses a complex targeting system, that can retrace the course of incoming projectiles to calculate the most probable point of origin. The mask can also be hooked in to any shoulder mounted Plasma Caster, and provide visual tracking and aiming and visual firing of the weapon.

Camouflage Suit: A wire mesh type of suit is worn by the Yautja, and allows, when used in conjunction with the Wrist Controller, a form of invisibility. Stationary or slowly moving, the Predator gains a +4D to Hide/Sneak rolls. When moving rapidly, however, the bonus is reduced to a mere +1D. The invisibility is not a true invisible, and an observant person may notice a wavy, heatwave-like apparition. Limited water does not affect the cloak, but something that would completely soak or submerge the Predator can cause a short in the camouflage suit which would require a Very Difficult repair roll to fix. The invisibility effectively covers any shoulder mounted weapons, wrist blades in retracted position, and a stowed combat staff.

Plasma Caster: This weapon, when coupled with the Bio Helmet, is a fearsome weapon indeed. Capable of being targeted with either the Bio Helmet’s visual targeting data or via the Wrist Controller, and with a rate of fire of up to 2 shots per round, it is a very deadly weapon for the Predator. Range: 1-5 / 15 / 50 Damage: 5D+1

A-Grav Boots: In order to facilitate easier movement on other planets, the Predator has developed a limited form of anti-gravity boot, which allows easier movement along high places and to assist in climbing vertical surfaces. Grants +2D to Climb/Jump.

Wrist Blades: These are mounted in a special attachment that straps on to the forearm of the Predator. Two or three blades are usually mounted and are housed in a retractable case. When retracted, only the tips protrude and cannot be used for combat. When extended, they protrude roughly 2 feet beyond the reach of the Predator. They can be used to pierce or slash targets, and are made of a very strong material that is very hard to break (Heroic strength). Damage: STR+1D+1

Spear Gun: The spear is something that can either be fired from a specially designed Plasma Caster, or from a launcher that is typically mounted on the Wrist Blade housing. The spear can either be used to pierce people, killing them, or to pin them to a wall or other object. Catching a target in an appendage is usually sufficient to pin them. Range: 1-4 / 12 / 38 Damage: 4D+2

Combat Staff: This weapon is a telescoping weapon that begins at one meter in length. When extended, it is a total of 3 meters long. Each end is sharp and pointed, and the staff can either be hurled like a spear, or used like a staff, with the ability to deliver killing blows with the sharp ends. Damage: STR+2D+2 Throw Range: 1-6 / 12 / 24

Smart Disc: This is a vicious weapon, cable of cutting through multiple targets and returning to the thrower. Once activated, a laser scalpel augments the already sharp edge, enabling this weapon to cut through multiple targets if need be and even in hard substances like walls. Once it has hit a pre-determined range, or its maximum range, the weapon returns to the thrower. If the weapon sticks into a hard surface that it cannot cut completely through, it will be unable to return to the thrower.
Throw Range: 1-8 / 18 / 28 Damage: 8D




Net Gun: This weapon fires a self constricting wire net that is anchored by up to 4 specialized tips that can puncture into hard surfaces (Very Difficult strength for puncturing). The force of the net launch is enough to forcefully shove the target back to a wall within 1 meter or to the floor if a wall is not nearby. Once the tips anchor, the net begins to constrict, causing damage as the wire tightens and tears into the target. If the target remains motionless after the initial tightening, the net remains fixed until the Predator releases the tension by pressing a button on the net launcher. If the target struggles, the net continues to tighten, inflicting even more damage as the wires cut deeper. The net is slightly larger than man sized, but larger nets may be loaded by the Predator if his prey is larger.
Range: 1-10 / 16 / 32 Initial Damage: 4D Further Damage: 5D (from struggling)
Net Strength: 6D+1

Self Destruct Device: This is a last ditch, final solution for a Predator, mainly used as a way of maintaining their honor. It has a one minute build up to detonation, and the resulting explosion is very dangerous to anyone nearby. The fusion explosion resembles a nuclear explosion, but does not release intense radioactive particles.
Explosion radius: Primary blast zone = 50 meters Secondary blast zone = 120 meters Tertiary blast zone = 350 meters
Damage: Primary blast zone = 25D (ignites all flammable materials, levels anything above surface level, and generates pressure wave that will throw loose items up to 1Dx10 meters) Secondary blast zone = 12D (may ignite flammable materials, substantially weakens anything above surface level, and generates a pressure wave that will throw small loose items around like shrapnel) Tertiary blast zone = 6D (strong winds and pressure wave will throw loose items around like shrapnel)