Sci-Fi Monday: Star Wars Volturnus Campaign (d20)

 

 

Well, after much soul-searching and reflection, I decided the Star Wars campaign will be d20. So, this weekend, initial planning and character creation began. The timeframe is the Old Republic, set in roughly the same time as the MMO, just before the breakout of hostilities between the Republic and the Sith Empire. The Jedi Council is entrenched on Tython and is sending an expedition to the newly-(re-)discovered world of Volturnus. A previous scouting expedition has not reported in and the council has not reestablished contact. Therefore, in truly dense Jedi fashion, another team is being sent to investigate. As to the location of Volturnus, I'm thinking somewhere between the Hydian Way and the Perlemian Trade Route, in the vague vicinity of Korriban-Yavin-Wayland (which is still a HUGE area).

 

I don't have a problem with characters starting out at high level; it makes the game more fun and more like the movies. Character level at start is 9. I'm using Mad Irishman's fillable character sheet. Characters to date:

 

 



Sgt. Kane "Bane" Deathchant (played by Will), Soldier 6/Elite Trooper 3. On detached duty from the Black Lion Squad (Republic Special Forces), Bane's role is military advisor to the expedition. One interesting thing to note is that I have adapted the shield rules from Saga Edition's Knights of the Old Republic Guide for d20 use. Heavy shields are DR 15, 10 for medium, 5 for light. They're powered up as a free action and last for the combat period; any damage over 15 collapses the shield which cannot be used again in the current encounter. One power cell allows 5 power-ups, whether or not the shield collapses. Crits manage to bypass the shield. Not sure how over-powered it is yet, but I'd rather not kill everyone outright. Surprisingly enough, my son did not want to play a Jedi. His character sheet is found here.

 

 

 

Chamurra (played by my wife, Beth), Scout 8/Bounty Hunter 1. Chamurra is a Wookiee scout who has recently taken up the mantle of bounty hunter. She has worked with both the Jedi and the Republic Armed Forces before. Chamurra has joined the expedition as additional military support; she also believes that the Star Devils pirate gang is based somewhere in the area. Definitely a bounty worth checking  into. Her character sheet is found here.

 

Daughter #1 (Kat) isn't sure yet. Daughter #2 (Rene') is thinking about a Jedi of some sort. We'll finalize that this week.

 

I am looking forward to running this game. As play progresses, we'll see who the bigger enemy is: the Star Devils or the Sith. That big battle in SF2 Starspawn of Volturnus might not happen; the plan is that the Sith Empire sends a force to find some Sith artifact or something. But the players might not go that route; it might culminate into a fight with the Star Devil and his pirates. Of course, creatures like the Quickdeath will be Sith creations from long ago, but the Sith Empire does not have to show up.

 

As an aside, none of the art used in this blog is my own, but was garnered from a variety of places on the net. I make no claim to ownership or creation of said art, and am merely using in my own private game.

 

Until next time, gentle readers, may the Force set you free!

SciFi Monday: The Perils of Star Wars Gaming

I'm back. I'm still slightly depressed over my grandmother's death and my father's illness, but I have to go on. I can't put everything on hold forever.

 

That said, SciFi Monday brings you my plans for a Star Wars campaign I want to run with my family. The oldest is undecided; number two is thinking a Jedi; the boy is all for a trooper; and Beth (wife) will probably play a Wookiee scout/bounty hunter. I'm pulling one I did back in the 1990s and adapting TSR's Volturnus trilogy (for Star Frontiers) for the Star Wars Universe. However, this is set in the Old Republic era (back in the day, it was, of course, set in the Rebellion Era--options are good things!). The Sathar become the Sith Empire, monstrosities like the quickdeath are creations of Sith sorcery, the Frontier is really the Republic, Volturnus is a lost world fought over by the Sith and Jedi a millenia ago, etc., etc., ad infinitium, as nauseam.

We have a timeframe, we have a campaign, and now we have too many choices as far as systems are concerned. Let's enumerate, shall we?

WEG's Star Wars 2nd Edition Revised & Expanded is an old favorite of mine. I bought first edition when it was published and upgraded over the years. I post infrequently on the Rancor Pit Forums as Darth Kjeran and really do love this system. It is quick and fun and not overly complex. The mechanics really allow the players to attempt the type of cinematic action seen in the movies. Death can occur, but one really has to flub it up Big Time to do so. The downside is that force users are all-powerful. Although I do plan on starting the players out as experienced veterans, there is a large disparity between Jedi and EVERYONE ELSE. And I do have at least one player wanting to play a Jedi.

Our next contender is WotC's Star Wars d20 Revised. This one receives much in the way of  criticism from fans for "not feeling like Star Wars." There might be some validity to that viewpoint; however, the d20/3.5 systems works better for science-fiction than it does for fantasy. One of its most important attributes is that of balance. A 7th level Soldier/2nd level Bounty Hunter has a pretty fair shot at taking down a 6th level Jedi Consular/2 level Jedi Investigator/1st level Jedi Master. Now, there are those who still feel that Jedi should be the power gods that WEG made them. However, I read Expanded Universe fiction quite often and Jedi are NOT invincible. Order 66, anyone? Plus, that Soldier/Bounty Hunter is a 9th level character--he should have a chance to go toe-to-toe with a Jedi (or Sith). Cons? Well, as referenced above, multiclassing can get silly, but it does have the effect of recreating some of the iconic roles in the movie in a manner different from that of WEG (which proposes an almost generalist feel with the exception of Jedi characters). Some would add hit the HP mechanic, but the way Star Wars d20 handles wounds makes that a non-issue for me. Also, there is a Old Republic campaign guide that was published for the SAGA/3rd edition of the rules. Very useful.

Next up is the fan-produced Star Wars Galactic Adventures RPG that was forced off of the net. I believe it was in its 6th or 7th revision. I prefer 1.4 due to its art and layout. In mechanics, it is very similar to 0e D&D or Stars Without Number. There are 9 professions (classes) and 23 races plus the optional "race" of droid; it's also a modest 89 pages in pdf. Note that the race descriptions are only a paragraph in size (with the exception of droids who get a full page!). Combat mechanics are similar to Gamma World 1st Edition in that the to hit number is based on type of weapon versus armour type. Skills are handled by d100 rolls on tables similar to AD&D thief tables. There is a three alignment system (Good, Fair, and Evil) that actually fits the milieu nicely. It's a quick, easy game that I am leaning towards using just because of its simplicity.

The last game is also at the bottom of the list. Fantasy Flight's Star Wars Edge of Empire. It's not out yet; July supposedly. I could, of course, pick up the starter game or one of the beta rule books on Ebay. From what I have gathered by reviews, blogs, and vlogs, the game uses a dice pool mechanic (and special dice, of course!) where dice are added by the player and the GM. It looks easy, but that is never the case; it might, however, be extremely elegant. So, it should facilitate cinematic play. The other problem is that Edge of Empire deals with, well, scoundrels to put it bluntly. There are 2 other books planned in the system, one to detail Jedi/Sith and one for Empire/Rebellion (i.e., trooper/military types). There is supposed to be rudimentary Force rules in EoE, but I don't know that for certain. I do know I'll pick this up when it comes out, game whore that I am.

So, there we are. I'm leaning heavily toward SWGA, but I have a plethora of material for both WEG and d20. I just know that I want to run some star Wars; SWTOR is fun and all, but I want to be in charge of the sandbox for a change. :)

Until next time, gentle readers, may the Force be with you!

 





V is for Villains

"Villains of Fantasy" Larry Elmore.

As I mentioned yesterday, there is something enticing about villains. It's not only their appearance and mannerisms; a clear villain focuses the plot whether it is a novel, a movie, or a game. A strong, despicable This is really evident in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. The lack of a villain with clear motivations and evil intent for the protagonist to sharpen himself against keeps the plot drifting and lackluster in feel. Contrast this with Star Wars IV: A New Hope and its opening scene. It is clear from the onset that the Galactic Empire is powerful with a long reach and Darth Vader specifically is not someone to annoy. I would suggest watching the Red Letter Media review of Phantom Menace for a more in depth treatment of this (as well as an entertaining look at what is wrong with the prequels). Be warned: the whole review is over an hour long, so set aside some time to enjoy it.

 

"If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?!!"

 

 

 

 

The long and short of it is that a good villain can railroad the players and direct them without the DM having to force the players to go the way he wants. Want to motivate the players? The best way is to have a villain that they cannot stand. And I'm not talking about the characters but the PLAYERS themselves. Get under their skin. Be careful, though; do not use GM knowledge. One does not want the players thinking the DM is the one screwing them and not the NPC.

 

A good personal example was when I ran the d6 Star Wars module Tattooine Manhunt when I was in the Army. I had a detailed timeline of when and where the rival bounty hunters would be and what they would do. In game time, the players where consistently 10-15 minutes behind the antagonists. At one point, I was worried that I was the one pissing off the players, but they assured me that that wanted to kill these guys not me. They caught them in time for the final confrontation.

 

Until tomorrow, gentle readers, when I shall blog about Weapons!