Star Wars The Broken Empire

Game Master Shanosuke

Okay in this thread you will build you Alias's and character profiles.

The ability scores are abase 10 and it is 25 point buy according to the Star Wars revised Rulebook.

Now you all get your own equipment handed to you. You are not stormtroopers and will not gain access to their armor until you complete a couple of missions first.

All of you have the following Feats.
Weapon group feats blaster pistols and rifles rifles
You also have Light Armor proficiency.

If you already have these feats due to your class then you can take either the Weapon focus for a weapon or a new group proficiency.

If you already get light armor then instead you get a skill based feat.

you all get the following gear:
Stormtrooper Rifle (I will throw up specs tomorrow or wednesday)
D17 Blaster pistol (Specs soon to come)
Comlink
Minimal Data pad
Two power packs
Two Energy cells
A Knife
a Medipac
Helmet and Vest
and anything else you can buy with what Credits you have

You start with Vitality Total X3

I will post other racial specs if you chose a unique race for the races chosen.

Miraluka is already in the Empire recruitment thread.

I need you to put your character sheet into your profile as best you can

If you have any mechanics or posting questions please ask. Or any world questions as any characters mentioned in the books don't exist unless they were in the movies. {ie Mara Jade, Corrin Horn, Thrawn, and so on wont be present anywhere in this campaign.)

PLease ask questions. I don't want anyone to be confused or running on false info. I will do my best to answer. It also helps me as there is much I haven't thought of either. Thank you. We will start this thing once EVERYONE has posted their profiles and is ready to go.

From the Zadora recruitment, i take it stat point costs are (?);

11 Costs 1
12 Costs 2
13 Costs 3
14 Costs 4
15 Costs 6
16 Costs 8
17 costs 11
18 costs 14

Before racial modifiers.

And are we only using the base weapons, because if the Arms book there is a vibro sabre doing 2d6+2 damage. Which would be preferable for a duelist than the vibro-knife of gaddafi stick.

Just to be clear on the vitality, we calculate it like normal and multiply by 3?

Posting for the dot...I will work on his profile and finish up tonight.

First question. I only have the Core Rulebook. I have to make up anything addition unless you know a link to an SRD or a PDF

Total vitality x3 con mod and toughness are included in total vitality.

Question for you Shanosuke: How are you handling the skills in your game? Are you going to use the PF skill system or RAW in the SW Core book?

I'll need the Chiss racial specs.

Now that people are assembled I feel like I should ask what specialty skill you all would like me to take. I can go with mastercrafting, but I don't have to. If I do, I obviously need to pick one thing to focus on.

Certainly Tourach, that's an alright one to go with. Looking at the Soldier skills, they are a bit... poor. I might take the 'Treat Injury', and be the medic (although Karval's Wis is a bit low) which would free up your skill points. Because few classes get 'Treat Injury'. Interestingly the Soldier doesn't get 'Balance', 'Tumble', or some useful physical skills, so I might have to cross-class.

Though Karval, can take some great knowledge, repair skills. If you Techie needs a hand.

Question for you Shanosuke: How are you handling the skills in your game? Are you going to use the PF skill system or RAW in the SW Core book?

I need to double check some details and compare the two for differences. I will do this when I get home from work.

Certainly Tourach, that's an alright one to go with. Looking at the Soldier skills, they are a bit... poor. I might take the 'Treat Injury', and be the medic (although Karval's Wis is a bit low) which would free up your skill points. Because few classes get 'Treat Injury'. Interestingly the Soldier doesn't get 'Balance', 'Tumble', or some useful physical skills, so I might have to cross-class.

Though Karval, can take some great knowledge, repair skills. If you Techie needs a hand.

Let me be a bit clearer - I assume we want mastercrafting of some kind. That isn't a specific skill, it is any of the listed crafting skills. I'll have to pick one crafting skill however. I'll have a bunch of other skills (and probably other crafting skills) and I'll have Treat Injury but I need to know what the group feels should be my tech specialty in particular.

Some questions were brought up about skills and I had deemed it necessary to house rule these. I had planned on that originally but questions and comments made by you lot have given me need to go over the concept in greater detail.

The rules for using skills start with buying them:

This process works just like it does in Star Wars rulebook
-1 point for 1 rank in Class skills
-2 points for 1 rank in other skills

Your max amount of ranks in a skill are also measured the same.
-Your level +3 for class skills
-Half that for other skills

CHANGES!:
First off I am going to write off several skills I believe are useless. This may result in higher skills due to the number of skill points players get. I don’t care and I will explain why in a bit.

I have bunch some groups of skills into single skills Here’s the results

Now it is important to note. If at least half of the Replaced Skills are class skills, you get the lump sum of the skill. For example, Perception uses Listen, Spot, and Search. You have Spot and Search as Class skills, you get perception as a class skill.

Now there is one thing you need to know about skills. I set my own DCs depending upon circumstances. I use the rulebooks to gauge at best but there are many things I have thought of that the rulebooks for any game have not covered. That said, when I set a DC, don’t go flipping through the rulebook to find it. Ask or make perception or knowledge checks to gauge what your success rate would be like should you attempt something.

Cool? Good!

Now, one final little thing I should make known. I saw this in the list of languages that one of you posted. Yuuzhong Vong do not exist. I have refused to accept their existence since I first read about them. They are the dumbest most cliché thing introduced into the Star Wars universe. They simply do not exist. Okay. These have been some good Q&A’s so far. There is a lot I still need to go over. I admit I started this thing without being completely prepared but your questions and profiles are helping immensely. I hope to at the latest have this game started by Saturday. At the latest.

Keep posting questions or concerns This is good for you as much as it is form me.

While I don't start getting the ability, it is based on a skill. Given that there are a ton of possible crafting skills (for example, weapon groups that have to be taken separately) it seems like I'll want to start putting points into whatever I choose at level 1 so I'm not wasting skill points on a random skill I don't need. If no one has any input I'll just pick something, but I figured I'd toss it out there if someone expects to use a particular type of item that they want master crafted.

Did Chiss have any further racial things beyond the attribute modifications?

Do we start out with any credits, or just with the listed equipment?

Nichos should be mostly done.

Zaelos is mostly done as well. I just need to pick a feat for him, select a Craft to know and also another language. Does anyone have a preference?

Once he has finished buying equipment, he should be ready for review.

Rolling for credits: 1d6 ⇒ 4x500 = 2000

And I think this sheet is ready to go. I just went with Craft (blaster pistols and rifles) since it seems most generally useful.

I'll type Karval up later tonight. I have him mostly down on paper. Just need to work on the skills a bit.

I totally forgot to add the credit values.

You all start with Average income. No rolling.

I will post the racial specs this afternoon. Sorry its taking so long. Been a bit busy. From the looks of it I only need to post Mandelorian and Chiss.

Mandelorian Species Traits
+2 Str +4 Con -2 Cha
Size: Medium
Speed: 10 Meters
Fast Heal: Heal 1 Vitality and 1 Wound Every 5 rounds. The number of rounds reduces by one every 5 character levels. At level 5 it is 4 rounds, level 10 is 3 rounds, 15 is 2 rounds and 20 is every round you heal .
Bonus feats: 2 weapons feats, Group, or Focus
Mandelorian Armor training. Gain all armor Proficiencies
Completely fluent in Mendelorian and Basic

Chiss Species Traits
+2 Con and +2 Cha
Medium
Speed 10 Meters
Chiss dignity. +2 Diplomacy
Chiss nobility: Any Chiss outside of his homeworld is usually known and gains either the Fame or Infamy Bonus feats.

Miraluka Species Traits.
Bonus feats: force sensative, Sense.
Species Traits: -2 dex, +2 Int; +2 species bonus on initiative checks; force sight.
Force Sight: force sight allows them to use the sense surrondings technique of the Sense feat as a free action (rather than a move action) and without paying the vitality point cost. they use this ability to compensate for their natural blindess. this ability is effective out to a range of 1 kilometer.
automatic languages: basic, miralukese.
Sense Surrondings techniqure: any character with the Sense feat can extend his/her senses through the force to gain an awareness of his surroundings. such awareness allows the character to fight and make skill checks (including listen and spot checks) without taking any penalties for darkness or lack of line of sight. this ability does not duplicate the enhance senes skill but rather allows a character to perceive normally through the force instead of through a normal sense, thus compensating for blindness or deafness.
Activiating this awareness requires a movement action. Using it costs 2 vitality points, and the ability compensates for only one sense at a time. if a force user wishes to use this ability to overcome both blindness and deafness in the same round, for example, he would need to spend 4 vitality and one movement action to do so.

Its important to note that I was either unable to find official rules that made sense or I liked. So Mandelorians and Chiss are based on what I’ve read in Wookiepedia and It should be acceptable for you. Hopefully you wont be disappointed.

Racial Specs up now

Stormtrooper Rifle Specs:
Cost BM = 1000
Damage 3d8
Crit 19-20
Range 20m
Weight 2Kg
Stun DC 18
Type Energy
Multifire/Autofire: Both
Size: Medium
Group: Blaster Rifles

D17 Specs
Cost = 750
Damage 3d8
Crit: 19 - 20
Range = 8m
1.5 kg
Stun DC 15
Energy
Multifire
Medium
Group: Blaster Pistols

Okay, I will add the following rules to Mandelorians but in my opinion they are the best race.

Infamous - As you level you gain infamy instead of fame
Mandelorian Armor - Mandelorians are proficient in Mandelorian armor only. They must take other proficiency to wear other armors.

I'll finish up Nichos tomorrow.

Okay I will be starting this party Saturday but I want an "I'm good to go" From each of you before then if you'd please. Otherwise ask questions.

Just a couple of things; the languages - do we get our INT mod. bonus languages.

& the 2 Mandolorean "Bonus feats: 2 weapons feats, Group, or Focus" feats are they any from the SOldier bonus list or only the Weapon Groups (cause I have all except for simple or exotic) & Weapon(Focus)?

Sorry about Karval's Cha, but he isn't likeable (hateable yes).

Just a couple of things; the languages - do we get our INT mod. bonus languages.

& the 2 Mandolorean "Bonus feats: 2 weapons feats, Group, or Focus" feats are they any from the SOldier bonus list or only the Weapon Groups (cause I have all except for simple or exotic) & Weapon(Focus)?

Sorry about Karval's Cha, but he isn't likeable (hateable yes).

You can use the two feats to get either two weapon goups or two weapon focuses or one of each. Weapon focus you pick a single weapon and you get +1 to hit with that weapon. If you want an exotic weapon then go ahead and get one. I hope this answered your question.

"I'm good to go."

I changed his bonus feat to 'Infamy'.

"I'm good to go."

I'm good to go, adjusted the remaining credits to match the average.

Nichos is good to go.

Alright ladies of the empire! Gameplay thread is go. Get in there an start playin

Brilliantly I just had my RL SW game. Which was a mix of awesome and PC's flailing about. Although at the end we did get XP for the last 6 months so I can finally level. :)

My preference here is to take the longest and safest route by the waste disposal route. I think getting bogged down in a firefight or getting stopped by security would not be a good plan.

The only problem with this plan is we won't get access to a terminal quickly.

It's probably not a good idea to go for the direct assault, numbers can mean too much.

The waste disposal route is good but we would have to go for the 'jogging' speed option. This would reduce our stealth but allow us to get there in time (but hoping everyone rolls good stealth is foolhardy anyway).

The shipping option is acceptable as I am sure we can hack our way inside, but in a way it is more circuitous than the waste disposal as more can go wrong.

The waste disposal system gets us in a fair ways, but getting out of it would be the problem with no guaranteed answer. I say the shipping room is probably our best bet. It has risk, but it's known risk and we know we have the resources to deal with it if things go wrong.

The main problem with the shipping area is how are we going to get through. Are we going to be using disguise & fast-talk, or stealth? Once we get to the doors to the main area, if these options fail it might be hard on us.

However I am alright with his option, is it's the concensus.

It appears that the waste disposal system it is unless Gelvik feels otherwise and is able to change people's minds.

I believe the plan is to take Option 2 (the shipyards) is that correct?

Okay after near six months of doing PBPs on Paizo there are several things I have come to realize. I need to adapt a special set of rules and requirements to allow my campaigns to proceed at a good and progressive rate.

Also it has been brought to my attention that my GMing style is a bit unorthodox. Especially in regards to the D20 system, which I must point out is not a favorite of mine. I have only been using the D20 for about a year even though I have been running games for more than 12. I will be putting forth a formal explanation of my GM style here as well.

First I want to start with new rules I have for game procedures.
Checks and Saves
From this point on I will be rolling the following myself for your characters based off of your given modifiers. I will be rolling your:
-Saving Throws
-Initiatives
-Other skill checks when applicable.
This will allow me to put more down in single posts rather than having to constantly wait on players to make checks. When a check is require, I will post your result so you can see what I rolled. I prefer my at home dice as opposed to Paizo’s oddly unbalanced dice roller. My dice tend to be friendlier at times. This should speed up progress a great deal.

If you feel a skill check is necessary for something, you must make it on your own as I will not prompt certain skill checks, this is most applicable to knowledge checks. I will no longer ask for knowledge checks, it is up to you to do so and I will keep an eye out for them and give you as much knowledge as your results merit.

Now for combat. One thing I have noticed as an issue with PBP is initiative order makes things a pain. From now on I am grouping badguys and you all on the same initiative. Here’s how it works:

I will roll all your initiatives using the modifiers you provide in your profiles. You will act together at the highest results
Example.
Joe rolls 6 total
Kim rolls 15 total
Bob rolls 9 total
Craig rolls 13 total
Badguys roll 14 total.

Initiative order:
Players at 15
Badguys at 14

Holding action will not permanently change your place in the order. I will allow held actions though.

Now the order of your actions depends on posting order.
Example:
Round 1
Joe posts his action first so he goes first in the lineup
Bob Posts second so he goes second and can act according to what Joe has already done
Kim posts next and acts according to what the two prior have done
Lastly Craig finally posts and he acts according to the other threes actions
Then I do the badguys and give you the results of your actions for the round.

Round 2
This time Kim posts first so she goes first.
Bob posts second and gets to act according to what Kim has done
Then Craig posts his action
This time Joe posts last and has to act as though everyone went before him
Then Badguys go.

This will minimize action confusion as you will have a better idea on whose doing what and how you can help the encounter. This will also save me a good deal of time as I wont have to keep shuffling your actions all over the place to fit each order of initiatives.

Basically, you either go before or after the baddies.

My GM Style Rules
A bit about my style as it obviously differs from traditional DMs. I have never liked the D20 system. I use it because I don’t have to explain it to anybody and I will modify the rules a nice amount to fit my style of gameplay.

Roleplay
I am a big fan of PC and NPC interactions. All my characters have a life story. I do not put forth random NPCs with no name or history. Even if they aren’t in my written campaign. Talking to a random NPC adds them to it, especially if you choose to pursue them with questions. I will also take roll play over dice rolls if the argument or action makes sense for the situation. Especially when it comes to diplomacy. Even if you fail a diplomacy check, a good IC argument or offer will work in place of the failed roll and still yield positive results.

Encoutners
People who know me know I love no holds barred encounters. I do not believe that people will always be able to fight everything they encounter. This is because I focus on a reality view. In my campaigns there may be encounters that are too hard for you to fight. I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO FIGHT THEM. Most of the players I have had over the years learn to gauge a foe before engaging it. I ALWAYS leave a way out of any high power encounter. I will not throw you into a battle that is too hard for you without giving you a way out. Also, not every foe need be beat with dice rolls. Think, find tactical advantages. The rulebook leaves a lot of those concepts out and hope that my players can get creative in dealing with foes. Not every foe is meant to be put down at first encounter. I like the dramatic meet the badguy when you are too weak to take him on, or the encounter that you would be in more of a survival run as opposed to fight or die. This is why I write most of my own campaigns.

Character Creativity
I am a HUGE fan of open ended games where the trail isn’t always so obvious. I love exploring and trying to find the try on my own rather than have some compass guide pointing me at it. Every time I find a unique way to continue forward I feel a strong sense of accomplishment. That said, I run my games that way. I feed my players in game info for them to record and process. This information is there to give the players an idea as to what to do and where to go. Often times, I prefer not to completely railroad my players. No fun in it for me and as a player I enjoy options. Thus I help set a goal and leave a hundred paths to get there. It is up to the players to find the one that best suits them.

Game Progression
I hate pushing my players around. I leave them and their characters where they are until they choose to move unless being led by an NPC. It is your responsibility as a player to move the story along by telling me where you are going and what you are doing. I will give you your visible options and ask you, “Which way are you going to go?” “Where are you going to go?” “Are you heading out?” “Have you decided what to do?” I love player discussion when they all sit around and discuss what to do and think about their options. I do expect that when an option is selected, the players will take the initiative and head out. Preferably the apparent leader of the party would do this.

Alignments
I’ll be blunt. I don’t like alignments. I don’t like the fact that having an alignment has such an effect on the game especially when it is nothing more than a point of view. From this point on I am throwing alignments out the window. I do not want players to be motivated by this thing called an alignment, rather on their own personal beliefs and perceptions. I am altering alignment based rules like detect evil. It will now detect potentially dangerous or hostile individuals to you or someone else. This can have the result of making a good person look evil should they attack someone else first. Regardless, I just don’t like it motivating your characters. Good people aren’t expected to fight every evil person they find. Especially when that person does not mold to the description of good and evil. I also hate how it affects class choice. So it does not. Alignment is purely philosophical. Good and evil deities are now identified as angelic or demonic and they will still preach and behave according to their descriptions. They just wont be categorized as good or evil. That is how I want to run this.

This is the most prevalent and untraditional methods of my GM style. . This is the surviving traits of how I’ve run games for the past 12 years and may not easily change, though I may adjust them a bit to fit PBP.

Now I would like an evaluation.

First – How do you feel about my GMing style?

Second – How do you feel about the campaign you are in?

Third – How is my ability to communicate details?

Fourth – Is there any advice you can offer in regards to running online games?

Fifth - Is there any other comments or concerns, or advice?

First - We haven't really started too much yet. Though your descriptions and attension to detail is great. Glad to see you are a very RPing Storyteller, because SW can be very numbers heavy & as always has loopholes.

Second - It has got off to a good start, The players all seem enthusiastic, it should be very good. The ooc stuff in the IC thread was because we were all trying to make a fair decision. And getting gamers to make decisions from options is like herding cats (esp. pbp). Also Karval would IC follow orders when given and we were going around in circles.

Third - It seems to be great & this questionnaire is a good idea to give information of what you expect & what we should expect of you. Too few GM's do this, thus you get style/expectation clashes.

Fourth- The initiative system is good, and works well ensuring quick rounds (see Heathy's pbp). I am fine with Gm rolling any checks & in one game they do it behind spoiler tags. One thing I will do is whenever I roll it will be on paizo's forum roller. {I have seen i player on the forum that passed 20/21 home-rolled 10+ saves}

Fifth - One thing is I as a GM I would not be afraid to make the small parts of the plot linear, or God-Mod the group. If actions/scenarios are too open it can lead to game killing indecision. Of course this is a fine line & you seem to be a great GM & with the way this game is set-up with mission it should not be too much of a problem.

OK here are my answers:

First – How do you feel about my GMing style? I have not gamed with you long enough to form a definite opinion, but you do sound like an 'Old School GM', he he.

Second – How do you feel about the campaign you are in? I have not played in a SW game in many years, but this game I believe has great promise, I am looking forward to see how this game unfolds...assuming we survive, he he.

Third – How is my ability to communicate details? I have no complaints here.

Fourth – Is there any advice you can offer in regards to running online games? Your initiative system is a good one, and also you making most of the rolls for us will save LOTS of time.

Fifth - Is there any other comments or concerns, or advice? I would say the more info you can provide for us, the easier it will be so keep up the lengthy posts :)

First – How do you feel about my GMing style?
So far, so good, spelling out your rules helps a lot

Second – How do you feel about the campaign you are in?
An interesting group, it will be interesting to see how well two dedicated computer users goes

Third – How is my ability to communicate details?
Just fine

Fourth – Is there any advice you can offer in regards to running online games?
It's a challenge at times, you just have to be patient and it will often work itself out

Fifth - Is there any other comments or concerns, or advice?
Not at the moment

1) I certainly appreciate the forewarning regarding any rules changes.

2) I think I'm a bit lost at the moment regarding what is going on (and why we were on Kuat to begin with since we didn't work there) but I imagine that will get sorted out as we get accustomed to things.

3) I think bulleted lists are pretty effective at spelling out the important points of various options.

4) While it hasn't been an issue in our game, you might consider posting requirements (once/day, etc.) especially if you are going to give timed events. If someone doesn't check in for a day (without being required to) and just happens to miss a deadline, that could suck.

5) I mentioned it in the IC thread, but with you making all of the rolls for us, how do you want to handle Force Points? Should we always tell you beforehand if there is a chance that we might want to spend a Force Point so you can pause and do the roll and show us the number without telling us if it succeeds or fails? Or should we do our own rolls if we are considering spending a Force Point?

Just to note, people may want to check the bonuses on their sheets, I think some of them are miscalculated (probably prior to racial stats being posted and things being finalized). Just noticed that some of them need fixing.

I'll keep this character for now, but I have increasing doubts that he's really what the group needs; there is nothing that he does that isn't already covered by somebody else, and in most cases, they are better. He is a good solid 5th character, but I'm having trouble seeing him work in this party. I may need to think up a new character.

Personally I think we benefit from having a character with the stealth related skills, so maybe just leaning towards that niche would help (Nichos is the only one with those skills). Looking through your sheet you have most of the things needed for sneaking around places and/or breaking in which is definitely a hole we'd otherwise have. Maybe pick up Bluff to help with that angle?

I'm thinking maybe switching the focus away from computers to droids, while keeping most everything else the same might help. That would give him a niche besides sneaking, which I just don't see coming up very often with this group. I suppose I could see him working as a logistics officer for the group as well, changing knowledge (history) to knowledge (bureaucracy) and knowledge (technology) to knowledge (business), and picking up bluff next level instead of computer use.

Agreed with Galvet here. Plus an extra pilot is always handy to have around.

I think either pilot/vehicle expert or logistics expert would be the thing to focus on, and while a pilot is always good, I'm already playing on in the Hutt thread. I'm inclined to rethink him as a logistics and acquisition expert with a penchant for information gathering on the side; after all, you never know when blackmail material could come in handy. That would also explain why a human based empire keep him around despite his blunt honesty; being able to get his hands on anything he wanted to, regardless of source, would be a big help to the cash strapped empire.

Shanosuke, what do you think of the following changes? Move the ranks from knowledge (history) into bluff, the ranks in knowledge (technology) into knowledge (bureaucracy), and rewriting his background and personality to be that of a crime lord in training that the empire is secretly planning to use to help control the black market and underbelly of society?