My Starcraft setting using SWSE as basis

[-Archangel-]

Correct me on the StarCraft lore, but aren't Marines recruited from experienced fighters from the start (convicted deadly criminals, soldiers, mercenaries)? And aren't Ghost, as you say, special ops? Both of these would indicate an Advanced/Prestige Class rather than a base class.

They are recruited mostly from condemned criminals. Some come from volunteers. They go through rigorous training and mental abuse (or conditioning) to be good and obedient soldiers. They are also implemented with behavioral chips.
As for Ghosts, they are discovered and trained from the time they are young. They spend their life in special facilities away from the real world and go through special training and conditioning. That is why they are a class and not just a PRC.

I didn't see any mention of this amongst the messages, so just in case it hasn't been said...

There was an Alternity-Starcraft game a number of years back. If you can get hold of that, it has some pretty cool stats and info in it. Not d20, of course, but pretty close

I know about this, but since it is not d20 and I decided to go another route. I only read a bit about it and decided it is of no use. I decided to follow the SC lore to create my SC setting.

 

[-Archangel-]

How I might do it.

Terran Units ~

Marine: Soldier with appropriate prof in Gauss Rifle & Heavy Armor.
Firebat: Soldier with appropriate prof in Flame-throwers & Medium Armor.
Medic: Tech Specialist make it to SWSE edition?

Ghost: PrC. Typically psionically active Soldiers with a couple powerful abilities.

Vehicles: Siege Tank, Wraith, Vulture, etc. Anybody with access & prof can operate. Usually (!!!) a Wraith Pilot is a soldier with the appropriate training & rank in the Terran war machine.

Yes, I was thinking about using SWSE classes with just different weapons and feats on them, but decided against it.
I felt this way I could make it more original, and more with a Starcraft feel.
Also while SWSE classes could work for Terrans, I could not envision them for the Protoss. Terrans and the Protoss would be too similar.
Lets say I decided to do it the Blizzard way (instead of making similar sides like C&C, I done completely different sides SC game has and then try to balance that - it makes the balancing much more difficult but makes for a bigger difference between characters)

As in SWSE, there is nothing to prevent the Marine from taking feats to awaken its psionic potential but to get the Ghost training more is needed then just that.

 

[Drowbane]

Yes, I was thinking about using SWSE classes with just different weapons and feats on them, but decided against it.
I felt this way I could make it more original, and more with a Starcraft feel.
Also while SWSE classes could work for Terrans, I could not envision them for the Protoss. Terrans and the Protoss would be too similar.
Lets say I decided to do it the Blizzard way (instead of making similar sides like C&C, I done completely different sides SC game has and then try to balance that - it makes the balancing much more difficult but makes for a bigger difference between characters)

As in SWSE, there is nothing to prevent the Marine from taking feats to awaken its psionic potential but to get the Ghost training more is needed then just that.

One thing to keep in mind is that the three way balance in SC is based heavily on unit expense and build time. For example: Protoss units are pound for pound more powerful than either Zerg or Terran but are either more expensive to build and/or take longer to create.

When I finally getting around to running some SCd20 I think I will aim to balance each of the three races against themselves internally. Meaning a 5th level Protoss might be the equal to a 9th level Terran... and Zerg.....

Zerg as PCs would be interesting. Each party would receive thier missions from a Cerebrate. I think I would have PC Zerg able to mutate into higher forms of Zerg as they level. Sure zerg units don't do that (with two exceptions) in the computer game... I think it would fit the feel of the Zerg and allow for players to go from Zergling to... Ultralisk. Of course, it would be much easier to just leave them for a SC MM.

 

[-Archangel-]

One thing to keep in mind is that the three way balance in SC is based heavily on unit expense and build time. For example: Protoss units are pound for pound more powerful than either Zerg or Terran but are either more expensive to build and/or take longer to create.

When I finally getting around to running some SCd20 I think I will aim to balance each of the three races against themselves internally. Meaning a 5th level Protoss might be the equal to a 9th level Terran... and Zerg.....

Zerg as PCs would be interesting. Each party would receive thier missions from a Cerebrate. I think I would have PC Zerg able to mutate into higher forms of Zerg as they level. Sure zerg units don't do that (with two exceptions) in the computer game... I think it would fit the feel of the Zerg and allow for players to go from Zergling to... Ultralisk. Of course, it would be much easier to just leave them for a SC MM.

Well, standard protoss zealot is of higher level then a standard terran marine. That is how the difference in power from the game is kept.

In Star Wars movies you can see Jedi doing all kinds of crazy stunts and being much superior to their opponents, but in the SWSE books those Jedi are lvl 10+ characters while their opponents from the movies (droids, stormtroopers or thugs) are CL 1, 2 or 3.

As for playable Zerg, for an all Zerg party you could do that but most Zerg units do not have free will or enough intelligence to be player characters.
Also by the Starcraft books (and game) each type of Zerg unit is created from a different creature that was added to the Swarm. So a Zergling cannot become an ultralisk. In our world it would be similar to a dog evolving into a whale (or a T-Rex).
I do plan to implement a Hybrid character (what Kerrigan becomes) that will be intelligent and free willed enough to be a player character.

 

[-Archangel-]

Let me just bump this a bit. I have not made much progress with this (RL and other stuff got in the way). Had one test session with my D&D/SW group, looked good.

Well, hopefully some new (as in, didn't see this topic when I originally opened it) board members can take a look at this and maybe give me some of their opinions.
I know I should make a PDF of all of this, but I am saying to myself I want to finish everything first before turning it into a PDF.

 

[-Archangel-]

I have updated the link in the 1st post with the latest version. The biggest thing missing are stats for terran and protoss vehicles. I got a fair number of terran and zerg units for low-level games. I only got a zealot made as NPC for protoss but making more is just like creating any NPC from the player classes.

Otherwise the game is playable, I had some short one session playtests that seemed OK, but so far I could not find enough time to do extensive playtesting.

If anyone is interested in trying it out I would be grateful for their insight, as well as comments on the whole thing from just reading what I done so far.

Any ideas to put in or any kind of help you can offer is also welcome.

And if anyone finds out about an official Starcraft RPG ever being announced to tell me, I would be the first in line to buy it (I know about Alternity version, no I do not like it).

Have fun all

 

[-Archangel-]

Updated the OP with new link to what I done so far. As always I am open to anyone wanting to contribute

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

This thread reminds me of another poster that used SAGA to create a Mass Effect game for himself. We played a very fun session on the GenCon 2010.

I'll point this thread out to him.

 

[-Archangel-]

Yes, I remembered I got this thread on this forum after coming here following a link for a Mass Effect Saga system PDF

Then I decided to update it.

 

[MarkB]

Just out of interest, there is a recent thread on the WotC SWSE boards in which someone built a variety of Zerg forces using the beast creation guidelines from the Unknown Regions sourcebook. I have no idea how they compare to yours, but I thought you might find it interesting to see a different take on them.