Character Creation
Rangers shall be created using the Star Wars 1st Edition rules and templates. Nearly any human template is available, or a custom one can be created. The only exceptions to the standard rules are as follows:
- There are no Dark Side Points in this game.
- There are no Jedis or Jedi Powers. However, there are PsychoKinetics, called PK's, who wield psychic powers similar to the Force.
- We are using the Advantage/Disadvantage tables from the Star Wars 2nd Edition rules.
Player Questions
Character Formation
Creating a Character
Advantage/Disadvantage rules and list
There are many questions to consider when creating a new character. This list should take care of the most basic issues.
- Full name and aliases (when you have used alias and why.)
- Age, and birthday.
- Where were you born (world, system... rural or city.)
- Family and family connections.
- Physical traits and description.
- What are your goals and aspirations?
- What is your species?
- Height
- Weight
- Hair/eyes
- Name 3 contacts, 3 enemies, 3 friends.
- Do you have a criminal record or bounty on you or any of your aliases.
- Favorite things:
Music
Foods/drinks
Equipment/vehicles/toys- Have you ever been or currently romantically involved.
- What is your occupation/past occupations.
- Honor code and personal beliefs(ethics, religion, etc.)
- What are your hobbies (at least 2 meaningless ones)
- Prejudices or racist beliefs. (Pro-Imperial, hate Reticulans, hate humans, etc.)
Many more features of a character is listed and described below. One important idea to remember is that you don't have to create your own character's statistics. The guidelines below are for creating your character with a pre-made template, to be found in many of the West End Games sourcebooks. These are guidelines for your character in terms of persona. A pre-made template will have his or her stats and abilities on it already. And, if you get creative, you can follow the rules in the WEG books for creating a unique template.
Physical Description
Background
Objectives
Connections with other characters
Finishing the TemplateWhat does your character look like? Figure out height, weight, eye color, hair color, and other physical qualities. Is your character in shape or overweight? Attractive or plain? Be sure to list anything unusual about you character, like tattoos, scars, bright blue hair, etc. You can go into a TON of detail if you'd like. The more you make up, the more realistic your character will seem, and the better you can play that character out.
Tells about your character up to the point of the game. This is only for you and the gamemaster, unless you want to share it with other characters. However, if your character is well known, some details may be made public. Remember, you don't have to tell the other players anything. You can even lie to them if you'd like - but keep in mind that allies that trust you, and whom you trust are important when you're getting fired upon.
What does your character want to accomplish? What are his/her motives? Greed, love, money...sex? Your objectives can be whatever you want them to be, but it is to your advantage you make them reasonable because a Gamemaster may give you points for playing your character well...
Connections with other characters
Does your character know someone else in the group? What connections do they have? Remember, you have a Gamemaster that will dictate whether you are being ridiculous...
Choose if your character is Psycho Kinetic, or PK. Pick the character's species. Note: many aliens are discriminated against by many human characters, as are droids and individuals with cybernetic implants, etc...
Select a character template that looks like would be fun to play. grab a pencil and a few six-sided ("normal") dice.
The right side of the characters sheet describes your character's's personality and background. You can change some of these elements, but make sure those changes are approved by the gamemaster.
Each character has six attributes:
Dexterity -- Your character's eye-hand coordination and agility.
Knowledge -- Your character's knowledge of the galaxy.
Mechanical -- Your character's "mechanical aptitude," or ability to pilot vehicles, starships and the like.
Perception -- Your character's powers of observation, and ability to convince others to do things for them.
Strength -- Your character's physical strength, health, and ability to resist damage.
Technical -- Your character's "technical aptitude," or ability to fix repair, and modify all kinds of technology, including starships, droids, and vehicles.
Each attribute has a die code. A typical die code could be 3D. that means roll three six-sided dice whenever the attribute is used.
Skills
Skills are things your character learns and they can get better over time. Skills include things like blaster, dodge, starfighter piloting, and brawling. A skill is listed under its attribute; each skill begins with the same die code as its attribute.
You can add one or two dice to a skill, but you only have seven dice to spend on all your skills. (You can't improve every skill -- you can only pick the ones you think will be important!)
Important Skills
Here are some of the more important skills for characters in the Rangers game. They cover your character's knowledge of a feild or ability to do the following:
Dexterity skills:
blaster: Fire blasters.
brawling parry: Block someone else's unarmed (brawling) attack.
dodge: Get out of the way when people shoot at you.
melee combat: Fight with weapons in hand-to-hand combat.
melee parry: Block hand weapon attacks (only if you're holding a weapon).
Knowledge skills:
alien species: Knowledge of strange aliens -- anyone not of your species
languages: Speak and understand strange languages.
planetary systems: Knowledge of different planets and star systems.
streetwise: Knowledge of criminal groups and people in the Fringe and how to deal with them.
survival: Survive in harsh environments, like arctic wastes and deserts.
Mechanical skills:
astrogation: Plot hyperspace jumps.
repulsorlift operation: Fly vehicles like snowspeeders, airspeeders, landspeeders and cloud cars.
starship piloting: Fly starships, starfighters, etc.
starship gunnery: Fire starship weapons.
Perception skills:
bargain: Make deals.
con: Fast-talk your way out of situations or talk people into doing things for you.
gambling: Gamble.
search: Look for things.
sneak: Sneak around without being seen.
Strength skills:
brawling: Fight with your bare hands.
climbing/jumping: Climb and jump.
stamina: Push your physical limits and resist disease.
Technical skills:
computer programming/repair: Use, repair and program computers.
droid programming: Program droids.
droid repair: Repair droids.
first aid: Knowledge of first aid techniques.
starship repair: Repair starships and fighters.
Advantage/Disadvantage rules and list
The points: The system used in this is pretty self explanatory, your disadvantage points need to add up to or be greater than to your advantage points. I limit characters to 1 and no more than 2 adv. Or disadvantages, otherwise they become too unbalanced and rather freakish.
When first creating characters and assigning skills (the 7D to allot) characters may choose to convert up to 2 of their skill dice into adv.-dis. Points.
Example: a player uses 3D of their skill allotment. They then have 4D to allot to skills, and can take a 2 point or less than 2 point advantage.
This also could work the other way; if a character chooses to take a disadvantage and not an advantage, up to 2 points may be converted 1=1D to skill dice.
Points converted from skill dice can be combine with disadvantages to give a player more points to spend on advantages. NOTE: all of these are up to a GM to "okay." I'd make characters explain something about where the advantage/disadvantage came from in their lives and add it to their background. Many of them are useful in adding to plots of an adventure, such as traumatic flashbacks, drug addiction, sexual fetish, raciest, etc.
Advantages |
||
Name |
Points |
Effect |
Acting Ability |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point charm skills |
Acute Hearing |
2 |
+1D PER, Search/Conceal, Sneak |
Acute Smell |
1 |
+1D in tracking/search when using smell |
Acute Taste |
1 |
+1D in tracking/search/eating when using taste |
Acute Touch |
2 |
+1D Pickpocket, Sleight of Hand, Lockpick |
Acute Vision |
2 |
+5 long range shots,+1D Search |
Ambidexterity |
2 |
No off hand penalty |
Animal Friendship |
1 |
+1D Animal Handling, Beast Riding |
Artistic Ability |
|
+1D Forgery |
Athletic Ability |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point STR skills (but NOT vs. damage |
Attractive Appearance |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Bargain, Con, Command, Seduction |
Bilingual Background |
2 |
+1D Alien Races, Cultures, Languages (receive one additional lang. Free upon creation. |
Blandness |
1 |
+1D Con, Stealth |
Computer Aptitude |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Comp/Droid Prog. & Repair, Security Systems |
Contacts |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Culture, Streetwise; contact owes character favors (1/Point) |
Dual Identity |
2 |
Two sets of complete identification |
Demolition's aptitude |
1 |
Gets a +1D when fiddling with explosives or detecting them |
Education |
2, 3, 4 |
+1/(Point-1) Knowledge |
Eye-hand Coordination |
2, 3, 4 |
+1/(Point-1) Weapon skills, Lockpick, Pickpocket, Zero-G, Starship Piloting, Gunnery and Vehicle Operation |
Fearlessness |
2 |
+1D Command, Con, Bargain, Seduction |
Good Reputation |
2, 3 |
+1/Point-1 to bargain, Persuasion, streetwise, you're known as a gentle being |
Internal Compass |
1 |
Easy PER roll to find direction |
Language Ability |
1 |
+1D Languages |
Light Sleeper |
2 |
Roll Combat Surprise while sleeping |
Martial Prowess |
2 |
The character has a +1D bonus when using Brawling, or the specialization Martial Arts |
Mechanical Aptitude |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point repair skills |
Musical Ability |
1 |
+1D musical skills |
Natural Lie Detector |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Bargain, Con, Gambling |
Natural Resistance: Cold |
2 |
+1D STR, Stamina to Cold |
Nat. Res.: Disease |
2 |
+1D STR, Stamina to Disease |
Nat. Res.: Electricity |
2 |
+1D STR, Stamina to Electricity (+1 to resists energy attacks) |
Nat. Res.: Poison/Drugs |
3 |
+1D STR, Stamina to Poison & Drugs |
Nat. Res.: Radiation |
2 |
+1D STR, Stamina to Radiation |
Night Vision |
2 |
No minus for partial dark, +1D Sneak |
Obscure Knowledge |
1 |
+1D in area |
Observation |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Perception skills |
Photographic Memory |
3 |
+7 on recall rolls |
Presence |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point Bargain, Command, Con, Bureaucracy, Seduction |
Spatial Awareness |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point MEC skills |
6th Sense |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point PER, Search/Conceal, Stealth, Surprise |
Springy |
3 |
The character has a +1D bonus when using the skill Jumping, or full Dodging. |
Subculture & Jargon |
1 |
+1D Streetwise, Cultures, Bureaucracy in chosen area of expertise |
Trivia buff |
2 |
The character has a +1D bonus on all rolls regarding a specific area - info on Jedi knights, Starfighters, and so on. |
Toughness |
1, 2, 3 |
+1/Point on Strength rolls vs. Damage |
Wealth |
2, 3, 4 |
2: 10,000 credits; 3: 25,000 credits; 4: $50,000 credits |
Disadvantages |
||
Name |
Points |
Effect |
Addiction |
1, 2, 3 |
1: common cigars, coffee; 2: alcohol 3: addictive drugs or spice; increasing penalty for withdrawal |
Albino |
1 |
Must overcome stamina checks when in sun for extended periods of time. |
Allergies |
1, 3 |
-1D STR skills for resistance |
Bad Liar |
2 |
-1D Bargain, Command, Con, Gambling |
Bad Reputation |
2, 3 |
-1/point-1 To con, bargain, persuasion, not widely trusted by those who know you |
Clumsiness |
1, 2, 3 |
-1/Point Dexterity skills |
Color Blind |
1 |
-1D Stealth, Search/Conceal |
Cowardice |
3 |
-1D Bargain, Command, Con, Seduction |
Curiosity |
2 |
Must overcome willpower roles it resist exploring anything interesting (GM's call) |
Deep Sleeper |
2 |
Will be perpetually attacked at night |
Dependant |
1, 2, 3 |
Your dear old Aunt May who needs looking after |
Debt |
1, 2, 3 |
1: 10,000 credits; 2: $25,000 credits; 3: $50,000 credits |
Easily Intoxicated |
1 |
-1D stamina when drinking |
Gambling |
2 |
Must overcome difficult willpower role not to gamble when passing a game or casino. |
Greed |
3 |
Will follow the money |
Hatred of Authority |
2 |
HATES being commanded |
Hearing Impairment |
1, 3 |
1/Point PER, Stealth |
Hunted |
2, 3, 4 |
The higher the Points the greater the resources of the hunter |
ID Trouble |
3 |
PC has NO identification of any kind IE: no credit account possible, must carry cash, and cannot register vessels. |
Illiterate |
2 |
-1D Knowledge skills |
Imperial Record |
1 |
Wanted (but not specifically hunted) for a minor offence |
Implant-Resistant |
2 |
Someone with this disadvantage cannot have implants of any kind. There may also be complications with certain surgical procedures. |
Phobia |
2 |
1-3 Specific thing, Enclosed places, etc. |
Lecherous |
2 |
|
Lost Dependants |
3 |
Character may be vengeful |
Mood Swings |
2 |
|
Moral Qualms |
2 |
Code against killing, that sort of thing |
Night Blindness |
2 |
-1D vision based skills at night |
Overblown Honor |
3 |
Never backs down from a challenge IE: if called chicken would charge a rancor bare handed. |
Overweight |
1, 2, 3 |
-1/Point STR skills |
Paranoia |
1, 3 |
Paranoid about: the people are watching me, the voices |
Psychological Limitation |
1, 2, 3 |
Knowledge limit of 1: 2D+2 2: 3D 3: 3D+1 (limits skills) |
Raciest |
1, 2, 3 |
(Depending on how common the race) you have a hatred for a certain race (choose race) anytime you see one of their kind you either don't trust them or all out want to kill them. |
Religion |
2 |
Must practice/pay homage |
Sexual Fetish |
2 |
|
Short-winded |
1, 2, 3 |
-1/Point STR damage rolls |
Susceptible to Disease |
2 |
-1D resistance |
Traumatic Flashbacks |
2, 3 |
|
Unattractive Appearance |
1, 2, 3 |
-1/Point Bargain, Command, Con, Seduction |
Uncouth |
2 |
-1D Bargain, Command, Con |
Unmistakable Feature/s |
1 |
Scars, tattoos, etc. |
Vision Impairment |
1, 2, 4 |
1: requires corrective lenses 2: partial, -1D ranged weapons, search 4: total blindness, no vision skills |
A Character Sheet is available in PDF format.