N.E.W. Playtest Document [July 2014]

[Morrus]

P26 ogrons smell bad, this is represented by low charisma, but it isn't low
P60 starbase assignment is not repeatable, but you can get reassigned to it on a roll of 1 or 2


Other observations:
P62 I love the jed....oh wait no STAR knight


Psionics. I still don't like the very VERY limited routes in to psionic careers. Giving the majority of careers that grant +psi a requirement of 2+ psi is in my opinion a bit off. I would love a "criminal/rogue psion" or "unlicensed psion" or "late talent" careers. This is especially important for "all human" settings where venetians aren't an option. At the moment you HAVE to be a talent, and then a faith healer before you can do any the psi careers. )

Put your human bonus +1 in PSI and take Talent. You then have PSI 2. There's only one psionic career which requires PSI 3, and that's Battlepsych.

 

[Tigerlil]

Thank you, I should have kept my opinion to another thread and focused on findings


P74 age exploits:
I've got some questions here, but they refer to other rules that I haven't read this time around yet, so will come back to this!


P75 android and other ageless beings don't get an age exploit, but get the exploit in their race instead correct?


P80 attribute exploits are a very elegant system. Any official guideline in case of a tied stat? Eg. Lowest stat is 3 in will and 3 in str?

 

[Morrus]

P80 attribute exploits are a very elegant system. Any official guideline in case of a tied stat? Eg. Lowest stat is 3 in will and 3 in str?

Player choice!

 

[Tigerlil]

Next little batch all to do with the atribute exploits...have I told you enoug how neat I think they are? They are NEAT! Big fan.



P80 brilliant exploit - sharp and analytical sound more like LOG than INT.
P81 inspiring. You sometimes use the singular "they" instead of he/she. Is this the case here, or does everyone you like within 30' get the d6 bonus?
P82 reckless. If you completely ignore cover, is that if you yourself is not in cover or when a game rule like covering fire lets you ignore cover?
P82 spendtrhift has no positive effect

 

[Morrus]

Next little batch all to do with the atribute exploits...have I told you enoug how neat I think they are? They are NEAT! Big fan.

Thanks! The orginal traits system has definitely evolved througout this playtest, and I'm happy with the way it's going (though it needs dozens more).

P81 inspiring. You sometimes use the singular "they" instead of he/she. Is this the case here, or does everyone you like within 30' get the d6 bonus?

One person. I'll rephrase that to make it clearer.

P82 reckless. If you completely ignore cover, is that if you yourself is not in cover or when a game rule like covering fire lets you ignore cover?

The intent is that if you are (or would normally be) benefiting from cover, you can choose to waive that benefit and get the bonus.

P82 spendtrhift has no positive effect

Hah! Whoops! Hmmm. Now I need tor remember what my intent was. I think it was to allow you to produce a random cheap object once per day from your pockets, like you bought it on a whim and forgot you had it. Or did I put that in somewhere else in the end?

 

[Tigerlil]

I don't think I've seen anything like that so it's probably free

P98. In the example Sasha need to get 2d for her aim
P108 in its entirety is just pure awesomeness. Spent the last 5 minutes just making up techno babble and giggling...my wife thinks I'm going mad.
Also cutting back to P74 age exploits:
Adult - can it be a negative bonus (eg, battle star galacticas jump drive readiness, is ideal to use countdown pools for, but the player want the pool as low as possible)
Middle aged - what happens when 2 middle aged characters are in a group, Do the penalty stack?
Venerable - are they the correct stats you grant a bonus to? Or is it referring back to am older edition?

 

[Morrus]

Adult - can it be a negative bonus (eg, battle star galacticas jump drive readiness, is ideal to use countdown pools for, but the player want the pool as low as possible)

I guess. I hadn't thought of it for that use; I thought BSG jump readiness was a known time period? There's that 33 Minutes episode, or whatever it's called?

Middle aged - what happens when 2 middle aged characters are in a group, Do the penalty stack?

Nope!

Venerable - are they the correct stats you grant a bonus to? Or is it referring back to am older edition?

Yep, that's right.

To be honest, I'm not at all happy with the age exploits as they are. I like the idea of them, but I think they'll get a reworking at some point. I'd like 'em to be a little "bigger", too, almost like the level of a species or career.

 

[Tigerlil]

I think the current ones seems very generic and impersonal somehow. Maybe it's the lack of choice like the May edition had?
I would probably mirror them on the low atribute system, with a negative descriptor but 1 or more positive effects.
Young:
- Street urchin: You are ill suited for polite company and often ignored. You gain X benefit when talking to criminals or the lowest class in the society you are in. Add X skill to the selection of any career you enter.
-middle class kid. You've led a secure life and are not very wise about the dangers of the world. When learning academic skills get X discount. If you repeat a career or choose the same career as your parents gain X benefit.


Something along those lines perhaps or even more drastic!

 

[Morrus]

Well, we don't want to overlap with - or contradict - careers. A thought I'm playing with right now is an Age Pool like the luck, rep, and tech pools. As you get older, you have experience to draw on. My worry is that that is then four bonus die pools, which is turning into a lot.

 

[Tigerlil]

Young - add x dice to luck pool
Adult - add X die to tech pool
venerable - add X die to rep pool

would circumvent the extra pool problem, but would not be ideal far from everyone has tech.

also it's again a bit cold and impersonal.