Verpine

[MasterKazur]

Verpine
Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY lD+I/3D
KNOWLEDGE lD+I/3D
MECHANICAL lD+2/3D+2
PERCEPTION lD+ 1/4D
STRENGTH lD+l/3D
TECHNICAL 2D/5D
Special Abilities:
Body Armor: The Verpine's chitinous covering acts as an
armor providing + IDprotection against physical attacks.
Microscopic Sight: The Verpine receive a + 1D bonus to
their search skill when looking for small objects because
of their ability to see microscopic details with 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 Verpine and with
specially tuned comlinks. The range of this ability is
extremely limited for individuals (I km) but greatly increases
when in the hive (which covers the entire Roche
asteroid field).
Technical Bonus: Ali Verpine receive a +2D bonus when
using their Technical skills.Move: 10/13
Size: 1.9 meters

I have a player in my campaign who wants to play a verpine race. My question is can these technical skills really be right? I mean thats a 7D base to any technical roll for a starting character. That seems like a lot to me...

thoughts?

[cheshire]

If you decided to munchkin things out, then yes you can start with 7D, and then heap skills on top of that, meaning that a starting character can have a 9D in a particular technical skill when they start the game.

The problem with doing this, and they've stated as such in the Star Wars Adventure Journal, is that someone this good will attract a LOT of attention. If someone is the best in the galaxy just hopping around on someone's ship, then more than one organization is going to try to requisition their help. That requisitioning could mean forced work by the empire, it could mean being captured by a pirate gang, and even the rebels are going to be bugging (no pun intended) them to join them.

Be ye warned, being instantly awesome is not without its drawbacks.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[cunning_kindred]

Just my opinion: but if I were you I would do what I did. Just get rid of the bonus. Let the guy have 5D in technical. Maybe give him some bonus skill dice with which to purchase some technical skills up to 7D.

But really, the +2D across the board on technical skills for verpine is one of those things that makes you think the writer's were experiencing some kind of temporary madness when they wrote the stat block. 5D technical is brilliant, easily setting the verpine up as a species to be the best technicians in the Galaxy. +2D on top of that is just plain silly.

[Esoomian]

I've always played it's +2D only to skills a verpine actually posseses. This means the PC will tend to spread their technical skills thinly in order to get the bonus in the most possible areas.

This is fine with me because they often lack other vital skills and need the PCs to help them out.

Also they're used to living in a hive mind so I constantly remind them that they miss it... actually it's usually only the slightly unhinged verpine that leave the hive for any real length of time as I recall.
_________________
Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[MasterKazur]

I was actually thinking about only giving the Verpine +2D to Technical skills when the Verpine is linked to the hive-mind.

[Esoomian]

This thread is probably going to be quite useful for you.
_________________
Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[MasterKazur]

[cunning_kindred]

[Nico_Davout]

I think this race is overpowered. In D20 Verpine's are more balanced. I think Verpine should have something like this: +2D for every +1D spent on technical skills when creating a character.
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Nico,

Han Solo shot first, midichlosomething do not exist, Rebel Alliance was created as in the WEG books and indoctrination theory is the true ending of ME3.

[Esoomian]

This post here seems to achieve the goals of both Cunning Kindred and MasterKazur

[schnarre]

...When dealing with Verpine I simply took things from various written works:

a) Verpine engineered tech is maintenance heavy (example is the B-wing, which had the record for the most maintenance demands during the Rebellion-era) I double times & cost for repairs & upkeep when Verpine work on stuff.

&

b) Verpine tech is full of unnecessary gimmicks & way more complicated than necessary (the B-wing is listed with a number of such systems: the Fire Control system often removed by pilots, as well as the various penalties incurred when certain systems are damaged). I add an extra Wild Die for any non-Verpine craft that gets worked on.

&

c) Verpine seem compulsive with fiddling with things ("It doesn't matter if it's not broken, I can make it better!"). I often ruled that a Verpine required a Willpower check to avoid fiddling with systems--similar to the Herglic's compulsion for Gambling.

&

d) Verpine are devout pacifists! I made any combat skill except Dodge be bought as Advanced skills in terms of cost.


...I found just these simple mods put the breaks on players wanting to play Verpine.
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The man who thinks he knows everything is most annoying for those of us that do.

[Rerun941]

Having played a Verpine for many years, I can honestly say that Verpine are not game breakers.

If you start with 5D in your Tech attribute, you're going to be gimped at everything else. The one thing I thought was fair was my GM ruling that if I didn't have any skill dice in a Tech skill, I didn't get the +2D bonus.

schnarre is correct, you really need to play up the Verpine tinkering. And it's not so much that all the Verpine gear has gimmicks... it's that all the tinkering makes an item FRAGILE. One hit to the B-Wing fire control system and all the extra bonuses are lost. The Verpine Shatter Gun only has 1D Body compared to most blaster which have 3D Body.

On multiple occasions I RPed the Verpine curiousity and it nearly got me killed. (Thank you, Transfer Force.)
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Han - "How're we doin'?"
Luke - "Same as always."
Han - "That bad, huh?"

[Praxian]

I have to agree with Rerun on this one - Verpines aren't broke. It's just that they have to be roleplayed a bit more appropriately and most players see the stats and go "oooooo.... I wanna play that!" without actually reading the text for background info.

[bluespire]

Rerun, I PM'ed you. Don't worry guys, I'm going to the intro forum now . . .

[cnorgard]

I'm going to be playing a Verpine for a friend's birthday RP in a week or two and have been thinking about the species a lot. I would agree that the +2D should only apply to skills they've put some skill dice in; but also, I would NOT let them apply that +2D to advanced skills. (The game I'm in will be probably a one-shot, but it's still good to lay down some ground work.)

A starting Verpine could, in theory, put 4D in Tech, 1D in First aid for a total of 5D (which becomes 7D with the special ability) and then take (A) Medicine at 1D, which then becomes 3D?

That seems like a bit much to me.

(Edit: Just saw the other Verpine thread on the forum. Also, fixed a spelling mistake.)