This is a stupid question so don't make fun of me...

[Kalibarr]

Ok - I was recently perusing the online run games on this site, and looked at some character sheets for the starting characters. This is a sample of one of them:

DEX 4d
Blaster 5d
(Sp) Blaster Rifle 6d
Dodge 5d
Grenade

Ok - so I can see two possibilities for what these mean. 1) Dexterity is 4d, and therefore so is everything that falls under DEX, and Blaster has been upped by one D, so you would roll 5d for Blaster OR 2) Dex is 4d, and Blaster is 5d, so you add those two together to get 9d everytime the character tries to shoot someone

My problem is that either way - I have a problem. If it's 1) - why list the Grenade skill (or any skill) that hasn't been uprgraded? Don't all skills, whether listed or not, that fall under DEX be 4d? Why bother to write it? And if it's 2) - what the heck kind of starting chracter rolls 9d in anything????????

Keep in mind I played this game like twice. Both times I got 18d for attributes, and an additional 7-9d in skills, which I would add to the attribute when I used it (i.e. Dex 4d, melee parry 2d = roll 6d when melee parrying). Do most people not list it that way? Is it better to write Dex 4d and under say melee parry 6d, and don't add them? What's going on here people!!!!

[Soniv]

It's number one; Dex is 4D, all things not listed under that are 4D. Blaster is 5D, so you roll 5D when using a Blaster. Also, that (Sp) means that it's a specialization. Specializations can only be used when that specific scenario happens. If that character is firing a Blaster Rifle, he gets to roll 6D.

As for listing unupped skills, it's often a way to list skills the person should have, but couldn't increase. Essentially, skills that are par for the job they're doing. I don't list any unincreased skills, myself, but some people do.

The problem with listing skills the way you say lies in Advanced skills. If you look at my character sheet, you'll see (A)Starfighter Engineering 1D.

Advanced skills are skills that are so intense that they start from the beginning. However, they help in related skill rolls. For instance (A)Medicine helps with First Aid rolls, while (A)Starfighter Engineering helps with Starfighter Repair rolls and Starship Weapon Repair rolls when repairing starfighters.

[darthomer09]

[Kalibarr]

Ok - so listing Blaster 5d or whatever is just simpler because you don't have to do any addition (sounds good to me!).

As for the Advanced skills - so if I have First Aid 5d, and (A)Medecine 1d - does that mean that for Medecine rolls I get 1d, but for First Aid rolls I go up to 6d? Or only for certain First Aid rolls? Or does the (A) help out the more general skill in some other way?

[Kalibarr]

You know something? This means it's going to cost me alot more character points than I thought to upgrade!!! I had 5d STRENGTH with a barabel character, and I think 1D brawl added onto it (or something). Writing it that way - it looks like I only need to put in one character point to train up to 1d+1. If I write it as 6d, that's 6 character points!!! I think I like my way better.....

[Soniv]

Yes, that's right, Kalibarr. Medicine rolls get 1D, but First Aid rolls get 6D. In the case of FA/Med, it doesn't really matter. It mostly only really gets tricky with the Engineering skills, since they only have Starship Weapons Repair rather than Starfighter Weapon Repair / Space Transports Weapon Repair / Capital Ship Weapon Repair.

As for the skill listings, like it or not, it's how the game's run in the basic rules. If you have a GM that's willing to do it your way, though, more power to you. And if you want to GM it that way in another game, it's your game to make those calls in.

[masque]

No. If the character's strength is 5D, the default Brawl is 5D. To raise it up to 6D at character creation costs 1D. To increase it after character creation, it costs as many character points as the number before the D. So 5D to 5D+1 costs 5 CPs, 5D+1 to 5D+2 is 5 CPs, and from 5D+2 to 6D is 6 CPs.
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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

[Kalibarr]

[Hellcat]

Well, with the exception of advanced skills, typically it seems that if a skill is not a pip or better over the attribute's die code, then you roll the attribute's die code.
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[garhkal]

Yup.

As to the why skills are listed even when they don't have any more pips/dice in them.. Well. You have 3 classifications of skills.
1) Untrained. These are the skills NOT LISTED. Defaults to base attribute and some might even have penalties assigned, like scholar and some other knowledge based ones.
2) Trained. These are tehe ones listed on your sheet. If no additional dice are placed in they also default to the base attribute, but at least you won't get hit with any unfamiliarity penalties.
3) Skilled. These are the ones you have actually placed points in...
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[Soniv]

I've never heard of the unfamiliarity penalties for unlisted skills. I always figured that if a skill wasn't assigned dice, it was treated the same as the attribute no matter if it was on the template or not. If this is official, could you direct me to where this rule is listed?

[Gry Sarth]

Actually that last bit by garkhal is a house rule. As far as I remember there are no official rules assigning penalties for untrained skills, you just roll your base attribute. In my group the only reason we sometimes write down skills with no dice added to them is to record which skills we plan on raising when we get the chance.

And a little correction to masque's advancement example: advancing from 5D+2 to 6D costs 5 CPs, not 6. It's the number currently before the D, not after the advancement.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[masque]

I knew it was one or the other, but I was at work without my book.
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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

[Gry Sarth]

What? So am I the only one who walks around with the rulebook under the arm all day long?!
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Jedi Skyler]