Starting Credits and Droid Creation Rules

[Thistleknot]

I'm working on creating my very first Star Wars character. I'm jumping into a pre-established campaign with higher than first level characters. This is the GM's very first game and she is rather shaky on the rules. I want to make sure that I have solid clarification so that I don't make a mistake.

Normally, I feel like I have a fairly good grasp of the rules, but I don't so much in this instance, and I would appreciate some clarification.

I was planning on playing an indepenent Astromech Droid.

I have two questions: What are the starting credits for a character above first level? Is there such a thing, like in D&D? My GM didn't mention this, and is currently unavailable for questioning, and I cannot find that in the Core Rulebook anywhere.

And secondly: How exactly do you create a heroic droid using the Revised Core Rulebook?

I've looked through the section and I find it quite confusing.

I was told to roll stats for the character in question, but I am finding it difficult to apply them.

I was thinking that I just swap out the stats that I rolled for the ones in the presented example droid and apply the "racial" modifiers of the second degree droid.

I imagine swapping out equipment of equal value would work the same way.

And what are considered the base feats of an Astromech droid? Are they the ones listed there in the stat block for the typical Astromech droid? Does that list include any feats gained because of the levels that they have, i.e the feat that every character gains at 3rd level? And does it include the base feats that an Expert gains?

Thank you for your time.

 

[mojo1701]

Are you working with Revised rules or the old ones?

I'm assuming Revised...

 

[Douane]

First, let me state my usual preface: I'm anything but a SW expert.

I have two questions: What are the starting credits for a character above first level? Is there such a thing, like in D&D? My GM didn't mention this, and is currently unavailable for questioning, and I cannot find that in the Core Rulebook anywhere.

There is indeed such a table, but it was published in the Hero's Guide, not the RCR. Unfortunately it's not open content so I can't post the table.

Just tell me your level and I should be able to provide further info.

And secondly: How exactly do you create a heroic droid using the Revised Core Rulebook?

I was thinking that I just swap out the stats that I rolled for the ones in the presented example droid and apply the "racial" modifiers of the second degree droid.

I imagine swapping out equipment of equal value would work the same way.

And what are considered the base feats of an Astromech droid? Are they the ones listed there in the stat block for the typical Astromech droid? Does that list include any feats gained because of the levels that they have, i.e the feat that every character gains at 3rd level? And does it include the base feats that an Expert gains?

This is how I would do it :

1. Roll for stats


2. Apply the modifiers for a 2nd degree droid.


3. Take the four level of expert the sample droid on p. 371 mentions. The actual number of skill points might vary according to your own INT as opposed to the 18 INT of the sample. Choose your skills along those mentioned in the description to account for a certain "standard" programming.


4. Regarding feats: Droids gain Ambidexterity for free.

The remaining feats result from:
a) The expert class gets two feats for free as part of its class features (p. 283).
b) One feat for level 1 and one for level 3.

So choose two feats from the expert list from p. 283 and another two you qualify for from the normal list.


5. Get a bonus attribute point for level 4.


6. Consult with your GM if and how many hero class levels she's allowing you. (Probably less than everyone else because you already got four levels of expert.)


7. Add these Hero Class levels normally (especially the much -needed vitality), but plan your droid PC as a multiclass character, ie. upon Expert 4 / Hero Class 2 get another feat and upon Expert 4 / Hero Class 4 another attribute point.



I hope this helps somewhat!

For any further questions, please ask away here (or mail me) and I'll try to answer to my best ability.


Folkert

 

[Thistleknot]

First, let me say: Thanks for all the help. Especially Douane, who I would guess has made many droids before.

Ahh, the starting credits are in the Hero's Guide. Maybe I should actually look in the other books that I have sitting around.

And let me clarify a few things.

The character that I get to make is 8th level total. In this, I assumed that I would be an Expert 4/? 4 . I am completely unsure of the levels right now.

I think I would like to be the ship's engineer. And I would be an independent Astromech droid.

Are there rules for DC's to modify or create ship systems from scratch? I know that there are ships in the Revised Core Rulebook that have better hyperdrives than their standard model, i.e. The Millenium Falcon, but how do they achieve that modification within the rules? Since my GM is shaky on the rules, I would like to be able to present her with good clear rules for this sort of thing.

I'm willing to buy/borrow books if anyone knows of any good ones.

Relating to character creation:

The starting feats and skills that I pick then become the base programming that the droid reverts back to if it were to have it's memory wiped? I thought that was the case, but I wasn't sure.

And again, thanks for all the help.

 

[Starglim]

I've always assumed that "The characteristics of each basic model are given in the statistics block" (p. 360 sidebar) means exactly what it says. You start with the exact attributes, classes, feats and skills listed for the model of droid that you want.

Note that there are a lot more droid models, including the entire R-series of astromechs, listed in the Arms and Equipment Guide.

From there, you spend the droid's unspent skill points, choose one quirk, and then advance the character by adding heroic levels. (In your case, for level equivalence, count each two professional class levels equal to a heroic level.) You should read the rest of the sidebar, as there are some differences in gaining levels as a droid.

 

[edventure]

Droid stats?

Which is correct? Can you roll for stats or are you stuck with the default stats given?

I'm taking over a SW campaign and I want to remove my scoundrel from the storyline rather than run him as an NPC. I'd rather create a droid as an occasional GM plot advancer. I've settled on the Tutorial droid from the Arms guide.

We're going to start off with the very cool Pitch Black based mini adventure. They might have that particular on hand to teach the children. I want to give him a couple of either Soldier or Thug levels and say he was also assigned to defend the children if the need arose but the demons proved too much for him and he was badly damaged.

Any advice?

 

[Starglim]

Which is correct? Can you roll for stats or are you stuck with the default stats given?

From the Star Wars FAQ:

One of our players was recently creating a
droid character — a J9 worker drone — and we
hit a snag in the rules. After the player rolled
his stats and applied his ability modifiers (for
a fifth-degree droid), he told us that since his
droid's "normal" stat for Intelligence is a 16,
he also gets to add a +6 to the 18 he assigned
to his droid's Intelligence. Now he has a droid
with an Intelligence of 24. That doesn't seem
right! But he insisted that droids work
basically just like races in the Monster Manual
for Dungeons & Dragons, so they have racial
adjustments. We were about to throw the
Monster Manual at him. Is this really how it
works?

No, but the player gets an "A" for the creative
interpretation of rules from a different game. A
droid's degree is its race; the ability modifiers listed
there are what he gets, and that's all. But even
that assumes that the player is creating an entirely
new type of droid that just falls into that category
of droids. If you select a J9 droid as your character,
all of your droid's ability scores, base skill points,
feats, and equipment are right there in the droid's
description. You don't generate new ability scores,
starting money, or anything normally involved in
the character generation process (unless you're
creating a droid with experience). (Jedi Counseling
24)

"Creating a droid with experience" refers to one or more extra class levels above the base model, similar to what you're suggesting.

 

[edventure]

From the Star Wars FAQ:
"Creating a droid with experience" refers to one or more extra class levels above the base model, similar to what you're suggesting.

You don't generate new ability scores, starting money, or anything normally involved in the character generation process (unless you're creating a droid with experience).

Ok. say I'm creating a Droid with experience. Taking a base Droid and adding a couple Hero levels to use as a PC. Then can I roll for abilities or am I still stuck with basically all 10s? That sentence would seem to indicate that I would.

 

[d4]

Ok. say I'm creating a Droid with experience. Taking a base Droid and adding a couple Hero levels to use as a PC. Then can I roll for abilities or am I still stuck with basically all 10s? That sentence would seem to indicate that I would.

you take the stats that are listed in the droid's stat block. you never roll for stats when you are using a standard model.