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General Category => RPGs => : FuzzyDan May 13, 2012, 04:46:29 AM

: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 13, 2012, 04:46:29 AM
So when kicking around an idea for a Star Wars game with Aaron and Tom, I was more or less press-ganged into one day running a game.  After reading through my Saga books again, I realized that I have no interest in ever running a 3.X game of any flavor or stripe again.

So whilst sitting with Bill and chatting about nerdy things at the local hookah lounge, We finally stumbled onto it:  One-Roll Engine.

The premise of the campaign was going to be a Sandboxy Legacy Era game where the objective would start pretty simple:  The PCs are a motley crew with a ship that they want to keep flying.  The crew would need to figure out which factions they would be willing to work with, which ones they would rather not, and what kinds of jobs they would take. 

The PCs would be built via Wild Talents, 150-200 points with a restriction of mostly hyperstats and hyperskills, little to no access to miracles.  Either their passion or loyalty (or both, if they really want to) needs to be somehow tied to the ship/crew.  Ideally, each PC has a specialty that identifies the role in the crew (Cap'n, Medic, Weapons Spec, Face, Science bro, etc.) they serve.

The Force:  The Force is an extra stat that each PC gets 1d in for free.  Droids and 'Vong get the points refunded.  As a stat, The Force adds to Base Will/Willpower and costs double the cost of regular stat.  Skills in The Force include:  Sense, Control, and Alter, utilized in a much similar fashion to the way the three force skills were handled in WEG d6 system (Force Lightning would be a Force+Control+Alter check), and also costs double for each skill point.  A fourth "skill" for Force Points starts for all PCs at 1d, which increase by GM fiat.  Using Force Points allows PCS to add Force+Force Points to another Dice Pool, but Force Points is dropped by 1 if the skill check is successful, more if it is not.  Still working out the details of how to handle the Dark Side.

The Ship:  As a mobile base, and unifying theme of the party, the Ship will be built much like a monster from MaoCT.  The PCs share in its construction, specifically, each PC would claim a Location Cluster as his/her own.  Each hit Location gets Sharing for free with a PC, but a PC can only be sharing with one Cluster.  The cockpit would need to at least include HL 10.  The 10 Hit Locations as a whole represent the entire ship, but the areas that are special and above the normal stock of its type are what give the PCs an edge.

Thoughts, complaints, suggestions?
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 13, 2012, 10:11:49 AM
Star ORE might be helpful http://www.arcdream.com/pdf/starore.pdf
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: SageNytell May 13, 2012, 10:57:02 AM
I've been trying to convince some of my friends to do a Star Wars game using Star ORE for a bit now - I really like how the system accommodates that sort of 'science fantasy'. It's a pity, because my biggest scifi nerd friend wants Mass Effect instead of Star Wars and the rest don't care enough about Star Wars to be really into it.
Definitely seconding the Star ORE rules used in the larger Wild Talents ruleset. The setting document handles Force Powers pretty well, and remember that you can use miracles to emulate alien races or gear like Boba Fett's jetpack.

(Also record your games pleeeeease  ;D)
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 13, 2012, 11:00:26 AM
where would you get the idea we would record games
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: SageNytell May 13, 2012, 11:07:03 AM
You weren't mentioned in the post... I got scared, everything got dark...
I SAW THINGS MAN

Hope China was fun!
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 13, 2012, 11:44:44 AM
ross payton has been replaced with 15 chinese gold farmers
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 13, 2012, 11:45:21 AM
i'm the admin i can derail threads if i want to
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Moondog May 13, 2012, 12:29:53 PM
What's the hatred for 3.x?
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: SageNytell May 13, 2012, 01:25:39 PM
Seriously? Personal preferences aside, how in the fuck would you run Star Wars in 3.X?  :P
From everything I've heard Saga was their alpha test on a lot of 4E stuff, which you've indicated you have a distaste for. Plain old 3.X would be terrible for trying to play the setting.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Moondog May 13, 2012, 01:29:31 PM
Seriously? Personal preferences aside, how in the fuck would you run Star Wars in 3.X?  :P
From everything I've heard Saga was their alpha test on a lot of 4E stuff, which you've indicated you have a distaste for. Plain old 3.X would be terrible for trying to play the setting.

So you just don't think 3.X would be good at emulating the universe and so forth, then? Fair enough.



/personally I wouldn't run Star Wars in anything because I find the entire universe to be dreadfully uninteresting the SECOND anything with force powers gets into the picture, and since the whole thing is set up to be 'LOOK AT THE FORCE GUYS HEY GUYS WE HAVE THE FORCE OK' it would feel rather like missing the point to not include it at all so I'd just go with a different universe entirely.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Review Cultist May 13, 2012, 04:10:52 PM
Star ORE might be helpful http://www.arcdream.com/pdf/starore.pdf

I have some buddies that are currently running a star wars game that may be interested in this, Thanks Lord of Zombies.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 13, 2012, 05:24:27 PM
Seriously? Personal preferences aside, how in the fuck would you run Star Wars in 3.X?  :P
From everything I've heard Saga was their alpha test on a lot of 4E stuff, which you've indicated you have a distaste for. Plain old 3.X would be terrible for trying to play the setting.

So you just don't think 3.X would be good at emulating the universe and so forth, then? Fair enough.


Well, I've played and ran Star Wars in 3.X before, and I know it's poor at emulating the universe firsthand.  At a certain Point, Force Users and Combat min-maxers take center stage and in a game system where most encounters and hazards are more efficiently solved by hacking through them, anyone that decided to invest in tech, knowledge, etc. sits with their head on the table, rolling a d20 to fire a blaster pistol as needed.  To run a good SW game, it needs to be more than Lightsaber Fights and Starship battles, and needs a system more abstract than d20.

That, and running any game with the 3.X ruleset looks like a chore to me now that I've ran games in other systems with less mechanical prep work for challenging encounters and lets me focus on building an evolving story.  I'll Play 3.X, but I'll never want to run it again.


/personally I wouldn't run Star Wars in anything because I find the entire universe to be dreadfully uninteresting the SECOND anything with force powers gets into the picture, and since the whole thing is set up to be 'LOOK AT THE FORCE GUYS HEY GUYS WE HAVE THE FORCE OK' it would feel rather like missing the point to not include it at all so I'd just go with a different universe entirely.

Which is why though I like the Star ORE stuff on principle (and now I have equipment, yay!), I'm still leaning on the more generic WT ruleset.  Star ORE still has that feel of classic Film Star Wars where Jedi and Sith turn into these mystical super-soldiers that trounce all over any 'vanilla' hero that dares challenge them.  By the time the universe hits the Legacy Era, you have Force-using traditions splintered off into three main factions (Sith, Imperial Knights, and Jedi), the government Split in two, with a third Rebellion faction, and so many other things going on in the universe that if a Jedi starts getting uppity, the GM has the option of sending a group after them saying "I don't know how many guys it'll take to subdue you, but I'll send that many plus one." 

Also, this is the same era that is post the 'Vong invasion, with soldiers and tech capable of dealing with Force Users.  On top of that, if you read through the comics, you have non-force users capable of pulling off an extraction from the Sith Temple.  People without the force with highly specialized equipment and training to stand toe-to-toe with Sith/Jedi.  I don't see that being represented in Star ORE as well as a WT guy with Hyperstat (Amphistaff) vs a guy with Coord+LightSaber+ForcePowers.

But that's just me.

I'm rethinking my approach to using the Force with something similar to what Star ORE has, but again, it feels like there is a power curve issue with having it cost as much as any other stat/skill.  Maybe I've just been burned by d20 so hard.

No thoughts on the custom Monstership yet?
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Moondog May 13, 2012, 07:39:47 PM
Seriously? Personal preferences aside, how in the fuck would you run Star Wars in 3.X?  :P
From everything I've heard Saga was their alpha test on a lot of 4E stuff, which you've indicated you have a distaste for. Plain old 3.X would be terrible for trying to play the setting.

So you just don't think 3.X would be good at emulating the universe and so forth, then? Fair enough.


Well, I've played and ran Star Wars in 3.X before, and I know it's poor at emulating the universe firsthand.  At a certain Point, Force Users and Combat min-maxers take center stage and in a game system where most encounters and hazards are more efficiently solved by hacking through them, anyone that decided to invest in tech, knowledge, etc. sits with their head on the table, rolling a d20 to fire a blaster pistol as needed.  To run a good SW game, it needs to be more than Lightsaber Fights and Starship battles, and needs a system more abstract than d20.

That, and running any game with the 3.X ruleset looks like a chore to me now that I've ran games in other systems with less mechanical prep work for challenging encounters and lets me focus on building an evolving story.  I'll Play 3.X, but I'll never want to run it again.


/personally I wouldn't run Star Wars in anything because I find the entire universe to be dreadfully uninteresting the SECOND anything with force powers gets into the picture, and since the whole thing is set up to be 'LOOK AT THE FORCE GUYS HEY GUYS WE HAVE THE FORCE OK' it would feel rather like missing the point to not include it at all so I'd just go with a different universe entirely.

Which is why though I like the Star ORE stuff on principle (and now I have equipment, yay!), I'm still leaning on the more generic WT ruleset.  Star ORE still has that feel of classic Film Star Wars where Jedi and Sith turn into these mystical super-soldiers that trounce all over any 'vanilla' hero that dares challenge them.  By the time the universe hits the Legacy Era, you have Force-using traditions splintered off into three main factions (Sith, Imperial Knights, and Jedi), the government Split in two, with a third Rebellion faction, and so many other things going on in the universe that if a Jedi starts getting uppity, the GM has the option of sending a group after them saying "I don't know how many guys it'll take to subdue you, but I'll send that many plus one." 

Also, this is the same era that is post the 'Vong invasion, with soldiers and tech capable of dealing with Force Users.  On top of that, if you read through the comics, you have non-force users capable of pulling off an extraction from the Sith Temple.  People without the force with highly specialized equipment and training to stand toe-to-toe with Sith/Jedi.  I don't see that being represented in Star ORE as well as a WT guy with Hyperstat (Amphistaff) vs a guy with Coord+LightSaber+ForcePowers.

But that's just me.

I'm rethinking my approach to using the Force with something similar to what Star ORE has, but again, it feels like there is a power curve issue with having it cost as much as any other stat/skill.  Maybe I've just been burned by d20 so hard.

No thoughts on the custom Monstership yet?

Thank you for explaining your thoughts on the matter, I understand much better now, and definitely see where you're coming from.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 18, 2012, 12:37:15 AM
So Tom wants to play a Trandoshan commando, and Aaron wants to play a Mon-Cal Something or another.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 18, 2012, 12:42:54 PM
Tom's playing a reptilian character and Aaron's probably going to be a techie of some kind?

(http://i.imgur.com/keFpa.gif)

: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 18, 2012, 03:50:25 PM
Tom's playing a reptilian character and Aaron's probably going to be a techie of some kind?

(http://i.imgur.com/keFpa.gif)

I know.  I was stunned by these events.  Mind = Blown.

What will you play Ross?
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Setherick May 18, 2012, 03:54:03 PM
Ross is going to be one of those monkey-like aliens that Jabba the Hutt owns.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Joven May 18, 2012, 08:39:25 PM
Could always reprise 'Major Lazer' as a Nautolan, which as rifftrax called Kit Fisto, 'Jedi Master Bug-eyed Rastafish'

Or, a Hutt based off of this guy, folks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV3EqugXpBo (really, dont watch that, its basically a human Hutt, folks, taking a bath in true sevenhundred and twenty P, and I think thats the video where he throws up on himself, folks.) also him eating a pizza and drinking regular soda, which is an important fact because he's got the diabetus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLbRQghBQ_w (again, dont watch that.)

Or a defectively cloned stormtrooper.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Setherick May 18, 2012, 11:04:54 PM
Could always reprise 'Major Lazer' as a Nautolan, which as rifftrax called Kit Fisto, 'Jedi Master Bug-eyed Rastafish'

Or, a Hutt based off of this guy, folks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV3EqugXpBo (really, dont watch that, its basically a human Hutt, folks, taking a bath in true sevenhundred and twenty P, and I think thats the video where he throws up on himself, folks.) also him eating a pizza and drinking regular soda, which is an important fact because he's got the diabetus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLbRQghBQ_w (again, dont watch that.)

Or a defectively cloned stormtrooper.

I actually know what Ross' concept is going to be and it's truly awesome. They should have sent a poet.  :o
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: clockworkjoe May 19, 2012, 01:54:29 AM
I want to run it by dan first before i post it here
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 19, 2012, 07:04:02 AM

I actually know what Ross' concept is going to be and it's truly awesome. They should have sent a poet.  :o

Now I am concerned.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: FuzzyDan May 19, 2012, 10:39:17 PM
So Ross just pitched what Tom, Aaron and I have deemed the Star Wars equivilent of Hobo with a shotgun:  Moisture Farmer with a Blaster Rifle.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Setherick May 19, 2012, 11:06:06 PM
So Ross just pitched what Tom, Aaron and I have deemed the Star Wars equivilent of Hobo with a shotgun:  Moisture Farmer with a Blaster Rifle.

Don't forget about the awesome flute playing skills.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Addled GM May 21, 2012, 08:38:14 PM
How to ruin a Star Wars game using the universe's biggest logic hole:

Step 1
Play scientist with specialty in cloning.
Step 2
Borrow or otherwise gain access to you own lab.  Doesn't have to be the best just enough to clone single cells.
Step 3:
Get Sith or Jedi blood
Step 4:
Find Midi-chlorians
Step 5:
Clone them.
Step 6:
Inject them into people.  They are symbiotes after all. No harm done.
Step 7:
It's over 9000!!!!!! level jedi from normal people or just yourself.  Kill the emperor.  Melt Yoda's Ghost.  Move planets.  Crush oppostion. Become a messiah.  Save the universe or destroy it with the anti-life equation.  The possibilities are endless...   
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Gorkamorka May 22, 2012, 05:54:32 AM
Step 1
Play scientist with specialty in cloning.
Step 2
Borrow or otherwise gain access to you own lab.  Doesn't have to be the best just enough to clone single cells.
Step 3:
Get Sith or Jedi blood
Step 4:
Find Midi-chlorians
Step 5:
Clone them.
Step 6:...
<Step 6 has been cancelled because some farm boy shot a blaster torpedo into the labs heat exhaust went>
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Addled GM May 27, 2012, 02:23:12 AM
<Step 6 has been cancelled because some farm boy shot a blaster torpedo into the labs heat exhaust went>


That's why you hire gungan morons to protect your base.  No one would believe that a guy who is dumb enough to employ gungans as security is dangerous.  As a bonus you could use Jar Jar himself as a vent cover ;D
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Klivian May 27, 2012, 06:41:05 PM
I'm very interested in reading more about this as I'm doing a play test of Star O.R.E. in the near future.

I think Wild Talents might make for a better system for a full-fledged campaign.  Star O.R.E. was light on options for non-Jedi.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: SageNytell May 27, 2012, 11:37:13 PM
I'm very interested in reading more about this as I'm doing a play test of Star O.R.E. in the near future.

I think Wild Talents might make for a better system for a full-fledged campaign.  Star O.R.E. was light on options for non-Jedi.

Hobbie Klivian, right? Digging the username/post combo.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Klivian May 28, 2012, 08:33:56 AM
I'm very interested in reading more about this as I'm doing a play test of Star O.R.E. in the near future.

I think Wild Talents might make for a better system for a full-fledged campaign.  Star O.R.E. was light on options for non-Jedi.

Hobbie Klivian, right? Digging the username/post combo.

Why thankyouverymuch.  And excellent recall =)
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: beej June 01, 2012, 04:30:39 AM
I know my group would be interested in a ORE Star Wars system.  That being said after Wild Talents, Saga is my second all time favorite system.  Its that right point between 3.5 and 4.  Love it, love it, love it.  Not to mention I've seen some awesome adaptions to Mass Effect with it. 
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: ArtfulShrapnel June 04, 2012, 08:05:37 PM
This sounds like a winner to me! The best Star Wars game I ever ran was in FATE of all systems. It abstracted stuff enough that the regular guys were just as badass as the jedi, and everyone had a great time.

I'd say to make sure you pay particular attention to getting good motivations in place for everyone. That's really the core of a good Star Wars story, the lightsabers and blasters are just set dressing. ;)

EDIT AFTER READING STAR O.R.E.

Pretty good overall, but I think they went a bit too directly from canon with some of the powers... take this one:

Create Life (DS): Manipulate the Force to artificially imbue a biological construct with life or to impregnate a living creature.
This is a very uncertain process; you must roll your Create Life stunt dice as a separate dice pool, apart from your Physical Control dice, and score a height of 10 for it to work. If it fails, the biological construct is destroyed or the intended mother perishes

dafuq? Why is creating life a dark side power, and why does it specifically call out the ability to create pregnancies? Oh wait. Because that's what it's implied Palpatine did. So obviously that is the main use for the technique and it is obviously a Dark Side power.
: Re: Star Wars in O.R.E. Yeah, I'm doing it.
: Flawless P July 03, 2012, 10:48:57 AM
This sounds like a winner to me! The best Star Wars game I ever ran was in FATE of all systems. It abstracted stuff enough that the regular guys were just as badass as the jedi, and everyone had a great time.

I'd say to make sure you pay particular attention to getting good motivations in place for everyone. That's really the core of a good Star Wars story, the lightsabers and blasters are just set dressing. ;)

EDIT AFTER READING STAR O.R.E.

Pretty good overall, but I think they went a bit too directly from canon with some of the powers... take this one:

Create Life (DS): Manipulate the Force to artificially imbue a biological construct with life or to impregnate a living creature.
This is a very uncertain process; you must roll your Create Life stunt dice as a separate dice pool, apart from your Physical Control dice, and score a height of 10 for it to work. If it fails, the biological construct is destroyed or the intended mother perishes

dafuq? Why is creating life a dark side power, and why does it specifically call out the ability to create pregnancies? Oh wait. Because that's what it's implied Palpatine did. So obviously that is the main use for the technique and it is obviously a Dark Side power.

Use this on all your enemies, but only buy 1d in it.