Star Wars First Edition WEG - A Love Story

Water Bob · Apr 29, 2016

What about droids?

Droids are characters, just like human characters. They have the same attributes and skills--they just have different limits on how dice can be spent to improve skills (and, of course, Droids cannot have Force skills). Droids are very good at a few tasks and pretty much suck at everything else. They can be played as player characters, if a player desires, but I suggest that droids remain NPCs (as the character will only be useful in a few specialized areas).

Droids, especially as NPCs, are perfect for leaving behind to guard the ship as the PCs go off on an adventure.

A droid template starts with all attributes at 1D. With First Edition, making up a droid on the spot is easy-cheesy.

Step 1: Decide what the droid looks like. Just use your imagination.

Step 2: Choose one, two, or three skills that will be the specialty for the droid.

Step 3: Assign 12D to skills, with no limit on how many dice go into any skill.

Boom. All done.

A base model R2 Astromech droid has 1D in all attributes with two skills: Computer Programming and Repair 7D and Starship Repair 7D. Added to this is some special equipment like a retractable buzz saw, fire extinguisher, camera projection display, etc.

A base 3PO Protocal droid has 1D in all attributes with two skills: Languages 10D and Cultures 4D. Its special equipment includes a vocoder so that is can speak the languages it knows.

You can make up any droid you can think of in a snap, using these easy-cheesy First Edition rules. If you want to get more crunchy about droids, there's a much more involved system for creating droids included in a supplemental book called Cynabar's Fantastic Technology - Droids. (And, it's a fantastic book, too, if you want a lot of details and more detailed rules concerning droids in the game.)

Aliens are just another type of character. You can make one up on the spot like I did a few posts up the thread. Just think of what the alien looks like and assign some attributes and skills to him (only those stats needed immediately in the game--you can flesh him out later, if you want).

You can design templates for aliens. You can use the alien templates that are in the main book. Or, you can use any of the multitude of aliens that show up in several supplements for the game. Besides all of those, which are numerous, there are three complete books dedicated completely to aliens in the D6 Star Wars universe: Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, Galaxy Guide 12: Alien Races--Enemies And Allies, and Alien Encounters. Browse through these and you'll see most of the aliens that have shown up in the original trilogy and in comics and Star Wars novels (fans have made similar books for aliens from the prequels), and that last book I mentioned, Alien Encounters, has a great section on designing new aliens races.

Special Note: There are several fan-made D6 Star Wars resources floating around on the net, and many of these are written, designed, and produced so well that you can't tell them apart from original WEG material. For example, take a look at this impressive piece of work: Galaxy Guide 15: Attack of the Clones

Amazing, isn't it? Well you can find that and many more like it on the net. You've just got to use your Google-fu. Look for Star Wars The Roleplaying Game REUP if you want to go the other direction from the sleek First Edition rules. The REUP book is marvelous and has a ton of rule choices not included in the First Edition (and that can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your taste, play style, and point of view).

You'll also find Fan stat updates for Star Wars books written for the d20 and SAGA Star Wars games, allowing you to use any adventure or supplement written for that rule version with your D6 Star Wars game.

Water Bob · Apr 29, 2016

Chases.

I guess the last thing to discuss about the First Edition rules is chases. With the later rule editions, chase rules are presented with elaborate rule modifications. There are several maneuvers that can be performed during the chase. With First Edition, a chase is a simple higher-dice throw and the thrilling description of the GM. Both ways are fun. It just depends on your taste and sensibility.

As I said before, the First Edition rules are built like a raw speed machine. Sleek. Light on "extras". But, quick-n-fun.

In a First Edition chase, there are three abstract ranges: Short, Medium, and Long. These correspond with weapon range categories even though we're not counting actual feet, meters, or kilometers. It's just a quick way of visualizing the action.

To do a chase, simply have the chase participants roll a check using their Speed Code. All vessels and vehicles have Speed Codes. These rules work for any type of chase, whether that be on foot, in vehicles, in the sky, or in space. A character's Speed Code is his DEX. The winner of the toss decides if range was increased, decrease, or stays the same (depending on the winner's goals).

It's that simple.

With vehicles and space ships, character can add their piloting or operation codes to the Speed Code, but that counts as an action (and the pilot or operator may be doing other things in the round, like dodging incoming fire, avoiding obstacles, angling shields, and firing weapons).

The GM will run a chase just like a normal combat round. Since there are more things to do in a chase (also known as a starship combat), it is helpful to generally play out the round in these phases.

Segment I: Declaration - the pilot/operator/rider/runner declares what he's going to do that round.

Segment II: Speed - dice are thrown, as discussed above, to establish range for the round.

Segment III: Fire! - resolve any combat or maneuvers, reaction throws, or shield throws.

This plays easier than it even reads.

The Han takes the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field with a TIE fighter chasing him (there were several TIEs chasing him in the movie, but I don't want to clutter the example).

For this chase, we assume that Han is trying to escape the TIE, and the TIE is trying to close range. That's Segment I, already done, for the entire chase. So, as it plays out, the GM will describe the action and cut between vessels as the dice are roll for Segment II and Segment III.

Boom. You've got a thrilling, breath-taking chase (at the hands of a skilled GM storyteller).

GM: The Falcon dives into the asteroid field! The TIE follows!

The Speed Codes are thrown. The TIE wins!

GM (describing an NPC on the bridge) "Leia looks up from the scope and shouts, 'He's gaining on us!'" Range is decreased from Long to Medium.

GM: Watch out! There's a huge asteroid right in the Falcon's path! And, the TIE is firing!

Player 1 (playing Han): "Chewie! Angle a deflector shield!" I'm going to roll the Falcon right under that asteroid and dodge the incoming fire.

GM: That's two actions. You're making a piloting maneuver to fly the ship and avoid the asteroid. And you're using a reaction skill to dodge the incoming fire. (It is three actions if Han used his pilot skill with the Speed Code throw earlier--this has to be considered when rolling for Speed Codes). With three total actions, Han is -2D to all attempts. The player rolls both tasks.

Player 2 (playing Chewie): I'm only doing one action this round, angling the shields. The shield roll is made.

GM: The GM fires the TIEs weaons (roll), and makes the TIE maneuver around the same asteroid (roll). That's two actions--three actions if the TIE used his piloting skill with the Speed Code earlier.

GM: The TIE's green laser fire misses! From the cockpit, you can see the bolts of energy slamming into the asteroid ahead, blowing off bits of rock. The Falcon slams into a 35 degree dive, rolls, and easily glides right under the giant rock.

Next combat round....

Ya, see. You can have thrilling space combats, ground chases, airspeeder combats, vehicle chases, all just using these simple rules. But, if you want the structure of formal maneuvers with rules for each type of movement, then look to that later editions of the game. (And that can make for a damn fun game!) If you like quick-n-easy, then First Edition is where it is at.

Water Bob · Apr 29, 2016

The bottom line--what I love about this game, especially the First Edition--is that it's a low maintenance rule system. It's roll-n-go. It's easy to teach. It's concepts are intuitive. And, the system is bare-bones super fast to play. But! The system can be as crunchy as you want it to be by adding on other rule concepts from other editions. You can run quite a heroic game, but if your tastes run to the more gritty and more realistic, then the game system can accommodate that flavor of play as well.

First Edition is more about roleplaying and less about rolling dice.

Game sessions are easy-flow, swashbuckling action fun.

Combat rounds (with First Edition) are more stream of consciousness story-telling than they are structured rules segments and phases.

The game says to make the rules serve the plot, maintain a lively pace, and don't get bogged down in detail. Boom and Boom-Boom. Run & Gun. Fly and Bye. Roll and go.

If you asked me to pick one aspect of First Edition that I makes me like the game so much, it would be how combat rounds play out. No initiative roll followed by, "It's your turn....now, it's your turn....now, it's your turn" business.

No, running a First Edition Star Wars combat session well is more akin to telling a shared story between the GM and Players. The GM describes what the characters can immediately see, and the players react to it (this is their Declaration). The GM then simply directs the focus of the action like editing cuts of an action movie.

-- GM: You see the stormtrooper in the distance, and he's talking to a strange, squatty, bug-like alien that is pointing one of its pincers at you!

-- Player: Is there a pillar or building column I can hide behind? I'll try to hide myself in the crowd.

-- GM: The trooper is looking hard in the direction the alien is indicating. He nods at the alien and begins to walk in that same direction, blaster rifle held at the ready. He's coming in your direction. OK, roll your Hide/Sneak skill (and behind the screen, the GM rolls the trooper's Search skill).

-- GM: You stop moving, leaving a knot of people between you and the trooper, then you take a step quickly backwards. Now, you're behind a building column. You wait a second. Your heart is pumping in your ears. Then you lean at the waist forward, just an inch or two, every so slowly, to....just....peek...around...OH MY! The trooper has moved through the crowd. He's walking with purpose right for you! (Obviously, the trooper won the Search toss above, but we try to play out results, not talk about dice roll numbers).

-- Player: I step out from the column, and I blast him. Two shots! Blam! Blam!

-- GM: Roll your attacks. That's two actions, but you've also got to draw your weapon, so that will cost you another -1D. You're -2D on both shots. (As the player rolls the attacks, the GM rolls the trooper's Dodge skill.)

-- GM: PAH-CHOW! That heavy blaster pistol you have erupts with pastel colored bright bolts of death. It jerks hard in your hand. You sqeeze the trigger again. BLAM! Another recoil jerk. At the last second, though, the stormtooper twists on one foot, rolling behind his own column. Your first shot zipped past him but slammed into the back of a Rodian pedestrian farther down the market area. The green alien is pushed into the air a couple of inches before it twists to the ground. You hear a distant yelp from the poor creature, but in the second that you looked at it, it didn't seem like the alien was moving.

-- GM: Immediately behind your first shot comes your second. As the trooper pirouetted behind the column, your bolt slams into that column, breaking out a divot in a puff of pulverized stone.

-- Player: I'm going to keep my column between me and the trooper as best I can and run for the canal bridge.

-- GM: There are people all around. But, they're making room for you! The sudden blaster fire got their attention!

-- Player: I'll reinforce their decision by waving my blaster in the air as I run. "Get out of my way! Move! Move!"

-- GM: Oh, they move, alright. You've got a clear path to the bridge. The crowd is stacking up along the sides of the market.

-- GM: (The GM rolls some dice behind his screen. The player doesn't know that this is the trooper firing at the fleeing PC.) You hear a blaster rifle behind you, spitting out a bolt!

-- Player: Reacting skill! I'm Dodging!

-- GM: Fine, but you're also running. You can, of course, Dodge as part of your run, but running requires a -1D penalty to all tasks while running. You are -1D on your Dodge attempt. (The player rolls.)

-- GM: As soon as you heard the crack of that blaster rifle, you jumped left, but kept on running. A blaster bolt flies past you on your right side. It slams into the bridge control box ahead of you. And, the bridge begins to lift!

-- Player: I'll run up the bridge, using it as a ramp, and jump the canal.

-- GM: When you get there, you see it's not that easy. You ran up the bridge fine, but the distance across the canal makes for a hell of a jump. You probably won't make it.

-- Player: I'm stuck? I can turn and battle it out with the trooper....no. I've got to get out of here. No cover, and one lucky hit will take me out. I've got to trust the Force! I'm blowing a Force Point on this. I'll double all my die codes and attempt the jump!

-- GM: Heroics! I love it! (The player rolls his character's Jump skill at double dice.)

-- GM: (The GM rolls two shots for the trooper, using the result of the Jump as his target number. This is an example of making the rules fit the plot and fit the game. It's got to be hard to hit a man flying through the air, jumping to the other side of a canal. And, the Force is involved. So, instead of making the PC Dodge, I'll just use the Jump score as the target for the trooper's shots.)

-- GM: For you, it's like life settled down momentarily to slow motion. You're on the ramp. You jump with all your might when you reach the edge. There's the water below you. You're flying through the air. The crowd is a dull blur behind you. Two red blaster bolts zip past you, disappearing in the cloud. You're hair streams back on your head. Down, you see the opposite draw bridge. It looks like a straight up wall now! But, you're over! Thank the stars! You're over. You fall down hard on the pavement, taking the jolt in a roll, coming up to a kneeling position, arm and blaster pistol extended, ready to blast anyone that looks to get in you way.

-- GM: But, there is no one. Just the crowd on the other side, looking in amazement at your display of acrobatics. In the distance, you hear the dim call of voice over a speaker. It's the trooper on the other side of the canal. "Halt! Halt! In the name of the Empire, stop that man! Stop him!"

-- GM: But no one makes a move towards you. There is no love of the Empire here. You're up, and you're moving. Your eyes scanning the crowd.

-- Player: I'm getting out of here. I'm disappearing through the crowd and going back to the safehouse.

What I just described is how a First Edition game should play. It doesn't look like a standard RPG, does it. There's no structured initiative system and turns. (Well, there is, but the GM hides it with his description.) It feels like free-flow storytelling, with a few dice rolls here and there.

It's exciting, and it's fun. And, most of all, it captures the atmosphere of a Star Wars movie.

In game terms, what I just described is just a couple of combat game rounds. The Sneak roll happens during roleplaying (these are called "scenes" in the game). We transition to combat rounds when the PC peeks around the column to see the trooper approaching him.

Round 1 - The player's declaration is two shots of his blaster. The trooper Dodges, taking only one action.

Round 2 - The player declares that he will run for the canal bridge. The trooper declares one action--a shot at the running Rebel. The player uses a reaction skill (Dodge) to raise the target number the trooper needs to hit.

Round 3 - The player declares the use of a Force Point and indicates that he will attempt to jump the canal. The GM informed him, without telling him the exact target number, that the jump would be extremely difficult. Thus, the use of the Force Point. The trooper declares two shots at the jumping Rebel, and as I explained above, I bent the rules just a tad to make them conform to the situation. This type of thing is discussed in the game rules. There's an excellent section providing guidelines on how to GameMaster a Star Wars game properly.

And, that's it. Once the Rebel makes the jump, we're out of combat and back into roleplaying--back into what the game calls "scenes".

This was a typical combat scenario, but chases and starship combats play the same way. The dice rolls are just a bit different.

This is a long winded response, but what I am describing is why I think the First Edition ruleset is one of the best rule sets ever made for an RPG. It's certainly perfect for a Star Wars game.

May The Force Be With You.

Water Bob · Apr 30, 2016

Default rule.

Another thing I like about First Edition D6 Star Wars is what I call the "default rule". Anytime I need a quick NPC stat and I don't have time in the game to think more than a millisecond on it, I default to attribute = 2D, skill = 4D.

If you can remember that (it's the average for humans), then you can plop any alien or human NPC that you wish to describe into a scene in a flash.

You're rolling through a roleplaying scene, describing all sorts of aliens and strange looking humanoids in a cantina, when your player suddenly has his character start a fight.

You're not prepared for that? No problem. Default rule. When you need an attribute roll, just use 2D. When you need a skill roll, use 4D.

Boom. All done. End of story. The game keeps moving like water down a tauntaun's back.

Default Aliens, Humans, and Humanoids

Attribute? 2D

Skill? 4D

What about a miscellaneous droid?

No problem. Just remember the quick rule to create a droid from the rulebook. All attributes are 1D. The droid has one, two, or three specialty skills that total no more than 12D. Just ask yourself, "What's the droid's primary function?" And, that will give you a quick way to decide on his specialty skills.

Quickie Droids

Attributes? 1D

One specialty skill? 13D

Two specialty skills? 7D each. Or, 9D and 5D.

Three specialty skills? 5D each.

As for what the droid looks like, just describe whatever you see in your head. Give the droid some gizmos, like a retractable buzz saw or arc welder, if you want to. Have the droid talk in Basic, like C-3PO, or, better yet, have it communicate in machine beeps and whistles. That way you don't even have to roleplay dialogue! You can just respond to the players with sounds!

Even better, if you want to add a gizmo to the droid later, you can! A droid's body can hide all sorts of stuff. It seems like every movie, we are learning new things that R2-D2 can do: He's got a holo projector, he can jump with this legs, he's got rocket support on his legs to fly short distances, he's got a buzz saw, an arc wielder, a fire extinguisher...etc. If you have an inspiration for a gizmo that will help out the PCs, then you can have it pop out of a droid compartment (if the tool fits the mission the droid was designed to do).

Use these simple guidelines, and you can pop just about any droid, from the smallest floating ball to the tall walking multi-limbed loaders, in an instant.

Water Bob · May 1, 2016

The Cost of Living in the Star Was Universe?

Here's a topic that comes up with a Star Wars game from time to time. Many will say that keep up with character upkeep is too detailed, fussy bookkeeping, that doesn't fit the space opera atmosphere. And, those who think that are correct. Money rarely comes up in the movies unless its a plot point: Luke and Ben needing to leave Tatooine in a hurry, buying passage on the Millennium Falcon, or Han needing the coin to play off Jabba the Hutt.

I've seen several gaming forums with threads asking about character upkeep, though. And, this is in spite of the fact that it doesn't show up (to my knowledge), in any D6 Star Wars supplement (and probably in no d20, SAGA, or FFG supplement either). This is in spite of the fact that there are prices in the game. There are equipment and service cost charts here and there. There are prices for most weapons and gear. There are costs for upgrades to equipment, weapons, and vessels. There are transit costs to book trips from world to world. And, starships have docking and maintenance fees.

When running a campaign (probably wouldn't bother with it on a one-off adventure), I'm the type of GM that wants my PCs to spend money every so often on generic upkeep. I don't want a hard rule. I don't want anything messy. I just want a figure that I can charge the PCs every so often, especially if the PCs are not living on a ship or having a lot of their costs paid for by the Alliance because the characters are Rebels.

My suggestion: Just use real life as your guide. I did a quick google just now and saw that a person living in London spends $8-10 bucks a day to live there (I converted to US dollars). That includes everything. Rent, incidentals, bills, etc. In the US, the number is higher (which shocked me because I thought London was an expensive place to live). Here in the states, a person averages $22 bucks a day.

For the game, GMs wanting to apply such an expense should consider where the PCs' environment and the things that they have to pay for (do they pay rent or live on their ship?), and then assign a number of credits to have them pay ever X amount of time (a week or a month works well). Going by those real life numbers I wrote above, somewhere between 10-20 credits per day is about right for an average person. If the character is of high or low social status, then adjust appropriately. Just eye-ball it, and give it a quick number and move on. Then, every X period, just go around the table and dock the players. If once a month, at 20 credits a day, charge each character 600 credits.

Even if the players have a ship, they'll buy things that aren't in the game or roleplayed. Hygiene enzyme pills (SW universe toothpaste without a brush!)--pop one in your mouth and feel the buzz! Things like miscellaneous tools around the ship can be covered in this cost. Disposable bidet (SW characters don't use toilet paper!) Batteries for flashlights. Chewing gum and smokes. All this miscellaneous type stuff is covered in the upkeep charge.

Consider if the character is an alien. Dexter Jettster, the Besalisk that owns the diner shown in Attack of the Clones, comes across to me as if he eats quite a bit. And, some strange alien might have a specific diet that is rather hard to find and must be purchased in bulk at starports. Some characters (Hutts come to mind) only eat the best. Nobles, too. Upper class senatorials. They'll all spend more money on upkeep.

In a campaign, 600 credits a month (that's actually cheap--rent alone is probably more than that) will add up and eat into a character's pocketbook quick. Boom, boom. You're giving your players a real motivation to find a job....that is....adventure! Looking at the templates in First Edition, many characters have about 1,000 credits to begin the game. Well, they've got about two months of upkeep (maybe no time at all if they're paying rent) if they don't use some of that money to buy extra gear. These new characters are going to need to....hire on with a crew...put a down payment with a loan shark for a used ship and start smuggling...buy passage to another world to try to join the Rebellion....etc.

Max_Killjoy · May 1, 2016

Great thread.

I still have several of the original books -- not only are they gaming classics, they were also RPG tomes that my dad was happy to buy for me (as opposed to that D&D stuff he'd heard things about), and so I have fond memories of him driving me to bookstores as a kid to try to find those books (no Amazon or B&N online in those days).

HexMaker · Nov 21, 2016

Thanks [MENTION=92305]Water Bob[/MENTION] - reading this brought it all back. I had a lot of 1st Ed sourcebooks but played mainly 2nd Ed and loved it. I ran a 10 year, 50 session campaign with it and got so deep into the galaxy creation that I couldn't accept the new SW movies because they didn't fit my canon!

Water Bob · Nov 21, 2016

HexMaker said:
Thanks @Water Bob - reading this brought it all back. I had a lot of 1st Ed sourcebooks but played mainly 2nd Ed and loved it. I ran a 10 year, 50 session campaign with it and got so deep into the galaxy creation that I couldn't accept the new SW movies because they didn't fit my canon!

LOL! Sounds like my own campaign, multi-year, where one of the PCs fell to the Dark Side, was taken out of the game, then surprised everyone years later, game time, when the same PC showed up in our story as Vader's apprentice (long before the Force Unleashed). He was named Darth Bayne, which was also before Darth Bane became a real Legacy character.

The Star Wars universe is so rich. What a fertile place to create a story.

Fun times.

aramis erak · Nov 21, 2016

Water Bob said:
The Cost of Living in the Star Was Universe?

I've seen several gaming forums with threads asking about character upkeep, though. And, this is in spite of the fact that it doesn't show up (to my knowledge), in any D6 Star Wars supplement (and probably in no d20, SAGA, or FFG supplement either). This is in spite of the fact that there are prices in the game. There are equipment and service cost charts here and there. There are prices for most weapons and gear. There are costs for upgrades to equipment, weapons, and vessels. There are transit costs to book trips from world to world. And, starships have docking and maintenance fees.

When running a campaign (probably wouldn't bother with it on a one-off adventure), I'm the type of GM that wants my PCs to spend money every so often on generic upkeep. I don't want a hard rule. I don't want anything messy. I just want a figure that I can charge the PCs every so often, especially if the PCs are not living on a ship or having a lot of their costs paid for by the Alliance because the characters are Rebels.

Housing costs are on the SW Sourcebook's price tables.