General Rules Philosophy

[Volar the Healer]

When making a house rule I always try to keep within the structure of the RPG system. First, I ask do I need a new rule? Can I use an existing one? Brawling can be changed to boxing. Starfighter pilot can be changed to F-16 Jet pilot...

The D6 systems' eleoquance is that every rule uses the same dice. I never need to look up a chart. The players know their difficulty before they roll - unless the director thinks he shouldn't. "You have no idea if you can use a blaster power cell to power a battlefield sensor. Go ahead and roll your electronics skill to jury rig an adaptor (heh-heh)."

In the evil wizard's pitiful attempt at a Star Wars RPG (Death to d20!), game masters and players have to look up a different chart for every skill. Quick! What's the modifier for flying a speeder at night without lights? Who knows? In WEG's system the director simply chooses a difficulty, then the player decides if he still wants to attempt it. There are no modifiers. O.K. There are the force distance/relationship modifiers, but even then, all of the force skills use the same modifiers.

Any house rule I make up I try to follow the same format. "You say you want your character to be good with a sailboat/gauss rifle/dinosaur recognition? No problem. Show it to me in the character's background section and you've got it."

[Rexer]

Well stated! The D6 simplicity is definatley an advantage (death the D20!). Custom rules always work better when they follow the format. The simplicity of the rules lets the game flow instead of always having to look up stuff in the charts, etc.
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[Crell Damar]

There are always Situational Modifiers... if you try to intimidate someone and you have a weapon in your hand:+5. They say situational modifiers in the skills section

[Firehawk0220]

[cheshire]

I don't think I'm going to go as far as to say "death to d20," but I think you're spot on with the simplicity of the D6 system. I love GMing the D6 system especially because when one of your players wants to do something out of the norm, what we usually do is either roleplay it out, or fudge a quick rule and keep going.

I will admit that I've adapted a couple of things from the d20 system, but they have been small things and ideas that easily plug into the D6 system of play. Not to mention that I've converted some of their Force powers. But, you probably won't catch me GMing a d20 campaign because of it's complexity and my relative inexperience with the system.

[MA-3PO]

[cheshire]

I'm trying to remember exactly how the d20 rules state it, but pretty much if you've already used all of your actions for the round and then suddenly someone decides to attack you, they let you use a defensive action from the NEXT round when you need it, taking the appropriate penalties the following round.

In my D6 game if someone has been attacked, and they've used all of their actions, they can dodge, but they have to use an action from the following round. Yes, that means that they have to declare how many actions they're going to use the next round and then take the appropriate die penalties, but it really isn't as complicated as it sounds. I thought it sounded balanced, so I used it. It's been working well ever since.

[Ardrikk]

If you're using the Revised & Expanded rulebook, though, you don't even need your house rule.

They added Reaction Skills. Things like Dodge, Melee Parry, Lightsaber (for parrying), and whatnot can be used whenever someone wants and the situation warrants it (ie, someone shoots at you and you didn't declare a dodge).

The catch is that there's an additional -1D added to that action and to every action that comes after it in the round.

So, as I understand it, if you'd declared that you wanted to shoot 3 times and have a 5D Blaster and a 4D Dodge, you start like this:

First round, you take your first shot. It's at 3D since you're taking two extra actions. Then, later in the round and during the resolving of first actions, someone shoots at *you*. You decide to React to it and Dodge. Your Dodge is actually at only 1D, though (-2D for the intial multi-action penalty and another -1D for adding this extra action). Still, if you have Character Points, you could spend them to help you survive.

Of course, now your remaing two blaster shots that round are only rolled at 2D because you added that extra action.

Anyway, point is that your players always have this option to try and save themselves and mount some kind of defense, under the R&E system.

[Gry Sarth]

That's how I play it. Though, in your example, the player should just use one of his remaining 2 actions, which he planned to used for shots, to perform a dodge. We never play it that you have to declare firsthand WHAT actions you're taking that round, just how many.

Also, I believe in your example, you shouldn't have any dice left to dodge, because you would have -3D for doing 4 actions and an extra -1D for adding an action in the middle of the round. The remaining actions would be at -3D, as you stated.

[Stule]

DEATH TO D20!!!!!

(Just wanted to say that.)

(And this from a person who has been with the D20 system since it started.)

(D6 is sooooooo much better in sooooooo many ways.)

One more time for the hearing impaired.....

DEATH TO D20!!!!!!!!!!


Stule

[Hellcat]

Stule, I think you really dislike the D20 system. It does have it's good points. After all, if you know where to look you can convert most, if not all, SW D20 stats to a proper format. D6. The Rebellion's D20 to D6 Conversion guidelines certainly help to do just that. Like I said, good points.

Brawling is brawling in my point of view. A little boxing, a little martial arts, a little wrestling, and a lot of making things up as you go along.
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[Stule]

Yeah Hellcat, I do hate that system.

I will admit, there are some great idea's in it, but after gaming for more than 20 years (God am I really that old) the one thing I really have to have in an RPG is simplicity.

And their is nothing simple about the D20 system.

The D6 system is the best overall RPG system that I have ever played.

And I have played....
D20 (And all its sub systems..M+M, and such)
D+D (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Basic D+D
Rifts + all the other systems indicitive to that one
Gurps
White Wolf (All of them)
D6
Blackmoor
Chainmail
Star Frontiers
Boot Hill
and many others.....(God I am old)

Anyway, I am not trying to flame anyone that likes the D20 system.
It has its moment.
But I like storytelling.
And the D6 System (Star Wars in paticular) is the best storytelling system I have ever played.
I like to make quick decision.
Fast Action!
Heroic Epics!
And that's is what the Star Wars D6 System is all about.

Simplicity, Ease of play, Simple Rules that make sense.....

Makes me wonder why I ever left the D6 System.


Stule

P.S.
Thanks for that site by the way.
It rules!
Now I can convert all my D20 Star Wars books!
Much appreciated

[Ardrikk]

[KageRyu]

Reaction skill use has ALWAYS been a part of the Star Wars D6 game. It's in the First Edition, Second Edition, and Second Edition Revised & Expanded books, as well as the Star Wars Rules Companion. The only thing that has changed since First Edition was HOW it was handled, as in first edition your reactionary dodge worked the same as a Full Dodge in later editions. As for the 1D penalty, this is not an additional penalty, it is simply adding the -1D for an extra action to existing skill uses. I could see how a GM might justify making it an additional -1D for a sudden haste though.

I do like the Declaring Number of Actions, but not What actions are though. This definately gives the players some room to breathe (In fact I will start handling it this way as of tonight's game).
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra

[Lord Aramus]

I would like to add to the concensus


DEATH TO D20!!!
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