Starfighters as PC ships?

[Rerun941]

My gaming group is asking about playing Star Wars d6, and I'm thinking about allowing the PCs to have a starfighter in addition to the traditional Stock Light Freighter.

Does anyone else have any experience doing something similar? My goal is to be able to allow for more diverse starship combat than "Light Freighter is making a break for the hyperspace jump point." I want to be able to have some true dogfights going on.

My initial thought is to go with a Stock Light Freighter and a Y-Wing with its proton torpedo launchers removed. (or maybe launchers intact, but all torpedos gone.)
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[Lostboy]

Starfighters are fine to give the players but their are some things to remember. First these are military ships with only one purpose so there will be areas they cannot enter. Second they are maintainence hogs so they are expensive to keep and usually require specialized parts. Finally owning a fighter will warrant an expensive boss rego and fighters often mark you as a member of what ever faction uses them i.e. Tie fighter = Empire.

But if those things are all ok with you and your players go for it.

[Rerun941]

All good points to consider.

Yep, it'd be the equivalent of flying around in an F-15. "Hey buddy, what are you using that for?" "Uhhh, smuggling?"

I've seen several outlaw techs and pirate groups being listed with Y-Wings, so there at least enough replacement parts to keep em running. Starfighters are by definition "tight-designs" so I wouldn't allow any major modifications (or altering of BoSS codes.) Even minor mods would probably require some V Diff or Heroic Starfighter repair rolls.

And I agree, there are places where a Y-Wing simply wouldn't be allowed. So, the starfighter would have to be used judiciously.

Even with those drawbacks, it would be fun to occasionally have a starfighter escorting the frieghter or swooping in to the rescue.
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Han - "How're we doin'?"
Luke - "Same as always."
Han - "That bad, huh?"

[Gry Sarth]

If the group's freighter can be modified to fit the snubfighter inside or safely docked, then you have a perfect combination. Because one of the main problem I see with having a fighter pilot character is that he tends to get a bit isolated from the others, out there in his fighter. If he can jump in only when needed it can be very helpful for roleplaying.

Besides the Y-wing, you could consider other lower-end fighters that don't attract much attention and are cheap, such as the Zebra, Pinook or even the Z-95.
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[Rerun941]

[garhkal]

I have allowed both the y wing and the old R-51 starchaser as fighters before, and so far no one has had issues... 2 of those Y wings had their launchers yanked for more cargo (75k now) as well as additional power generator.... Which got used to up the foward lazers to twin heavy ions....
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[Ankhanu]

Very few freighters are large enough to actually dock a starfighter into. Those that are large enough require extensive, expensive modifications to make it a reality. While it's a possible scenario, very few PCs should have the sort of wealth necessary to pull it off... not to mention the fact that it almost completely removes cargo carrying capacity.

I'm really not a fan of allowing freighter docking; mostly because it doesn't make sense in most cases. It's a REALLY convenient plot element, but physically it's pretty rough.

Allowing players to have starfighters isn't really a big deal. As mentioned, there are lots of limitations to their use, and in order to have one, they've got to be pretty creative to explain why... which is win/win. Someone travelling around in a machine of war is always pretty obvious, and it can easily get them into trouble they may want to avoid... plenty to play with there
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[Xynar]

You could get away with a Wayfarer for starfighters. The ship can still hold cargo and is decently universal as a transport/base combo.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/0/04/TheRevenge_1.jpg

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/0/06/TheRevenge_2.jpg
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer

[Ankhanu]

[Lostboy]

In one adventure we had two y-wings mag clamped to the outer hull, one top, one bottom. We had pilots in the cockpit at all times they worked in shifts and had to board with a vac suit but having them on alert zero all the time saved us on more than one occasion.

[LamontCranston]

A bulk freighter could carry a fighter with no problem. Or several fighters, or several light freighters .

[garhkal]

I have seen one game where the group had a somewhat stripped out Action 4, and 5 A wings (8 players, several npcs. 5 players were in the Awings the rest commanded the npcs on the action)..
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[DarthMortis]

In the most recent D6 campaign that I was played we have a Jedi (me) with a fighter and technical/mechanically based character (He didn't use a premade character template and made his own, like I did) we both have fighters (All be it they were in horrible condition at first, mine could barely fly). I don't remember what the freighter ship was, but we modified it to be able to hold both of our ships, his was on the bottom so it would drop out first them mine would. It has worked well so far, and it's fun to be able to do something like pincering your enemies on 3 sides with 2 fighters and a freighter (which was modified to have more combat abilities than a stock freighter)[/u]
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[Orgaloth]

Freighter wise you could use a HT-2200. Heaps of cargo space, and being a Corellian, easily modified and maintaned. We use to have one in a very old game, and an A-wing. Actually we had a ghotric and A-wing first (I was the A-wing pilot). When the Ghotric blew up, my character purchased the HT and modified it so he could dock inside. He was sick of eating ration bars on runs.
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[Xynar]

This could work as well.

http://www.swagonline.com/files/images/Y-Wing%20Carrier%20Frame%20Final_0.preview.jpg
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer