Starship Crew Quality Statistics

[genshou]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the numbers assigned to the various modifiers (skill checks, pilot's Defense bonus, pilot's Dex modifier, and gunner's attack bonus) presented in the d20 Future booklet just don't make sense. The skill modifiers are fairly good, since you can't assume every Ordinary to max out ranks in their relevant skills (otherwise, we'd all get a lot more work done, wouldn't we?). They have to have some skill points left for Tumble (for the skateboarding), Perform (stringed instruments), Profession, Craft (underwater basketweaving, or would that be covered under structural?), or whatever.

But the Dex modifier especially doesn't make any sense. If you look at the Pilot's class bonus to Defense, it matches up with what a Fast Ordinary of the following levels would have:
Trained: 1st
Expert: 4th
Ace: 8th

So why is the pilot's Dex modifier listed as a +6 for Ace quality? A human can't have a 22 Dexterity until 16th-level, and that's assuming they start with an 18 (something that the other crew statistics don't really fit with). And if the pilot has a +6 Dex and the gunner has at least a +6/+1 BaB (just enough for the two attacks they get at Ace quality), shouldn't the gunner have AT LEAST a +3 Dex modifier?

I've been wondering ever since I bought this book if someone just pulled these numbers out of Arag-Thume (Dwarven, means 'Pit of the Donkeys' though other translations have been suggested)? Every thing else in the book is wonderful and I have no complaints. But this...

So, any of you fellow Future gamers out there have an alternate statistics listing to share?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

That's because they don't.

I ended up drawing up rough examples for crew members.

For instance, a 4th-level crew member has its highest stat at 16, max skill ranks 7, and so forth. A 4th-level gunner would likely be a Strong Ordinary 4 with Dex 16, so they have an attack bonus of +7. Now, of course, if you want to draw up complete characters they probably won't be so munchkin as my examples here but either way, they make more sense than the examples from D20 Future/Star Wars.

 

[Peterson]

The way I do it in my home games is not the right way, but it works for us.

Basically, if I want the challenge to be well - challenging, I take my PCs' average level and add +3 or +4. The total become the modifier on a D20 roll. This basically represents a maxed out skill for the NPC.

If I want the challenge to be simple, I do the same thing, but subtract -2 - -4.

If I want to really stick it to the players, I do the same thing as the first example, but add +5 - +7.

Sure, it's not as good as writing up NPCs, but since I run things mostly on the fly - it works for us.

Peterson

 

[genshou]

The way I do it in my home games is not the right way, but it works for us.

Basically, if I want the challenge to be well - challenging, I take my PCs' average level and add +3 or +4. The total become the modifier on a D20 roll. This basically represents a maxed out skill for the NPC.

If I want the challenge to be simple, I do the same thing, but subtract -2 - -4.

If I want to really stick it to the players, I do the same thing as the first example, but add +5 - +7.

Sure, it's not as good as writing up NPCs, but since I run things mostly on the fly - it works for us.

Peterson

It works well enough. When it comes to a battle with a star carrier, I'd hate to make up statistics for each crew member on the mothership, plus the full wing of 72 starfighter pilots. That would not be very fun at all, and I LIKE making NPCs

Does anyone else have ideas on how new, functional, and still balanced stats could be determined? I'd like to hear your ideas!