[SWRPG RCRB] new droid rules

[JazzEwok]

The RCRB is fantastic, by the way. But I was confused by the way they implement the new rules for droid characters (which also appeared in Star Wars Gamer 3?).

Am I correct in assuming that when I begin play as a droid character, I add prior professional levels to heroic levels (if any) to determine character level? In other words, if I want to create a Scout from a 21B unit (which has 2 prior Expert levels), I begin as a 3rd-level character with 3000 XP. If I want to play an R2 unit (which has 4 Expert levels but which cannot begin with heroic class levels), I begin as a 4th-level character with 6000 XP.

This seems to be the model that the designers used to generate the sample independent droids on page 347. This is implied by the way the designers assigned level-dependent ability increases. The 3PO unit (Diplomat 1/Scout 3) has a Dex +1 above the base, the J9 (Expert 1/Soldier 6/Starship Ace 1) has a Dex +2 above the base, and the 2-1B (Expert 6/Fringer 3/Soldier 3) has a +1 Int / +2 Cha. These increases are consistent with the level-dependent increases that would occur if the prior professional levels of these droids are factored into their character levels. Still, there is something confusing here: it is not possible for a droid to raise its physical abilities through level-dependent bonuses (page 361). A similar problem crops up in the battle droid stats on page 340-341: the higher-level droid with 4 levels of Thug appears to have had a +1 level-dependent bonus added to its Con score.

The only problem that I have with the interpretation that a droid begins as an X-level character depending on any previous professional levels is that factory droids do not seem to operate as if their professional levels give them the normal benefits of class levels. R2 units (4 levels of Expert) have the same number of starting feats as 3PO units (1 level of Expert). If I decide to play an R2 unit character, does this mean that I do not gain the standard level-dependent benefits of a 4th-level character (+1 ability and 2 bonus feats)?

Or perhaps I actually have this all wrong, and droid characters begin play as 1st-level characters, regardless of previous professional levels. The text does not really make this clear at all.

One other thing confuses me: the example describing how to add a heroic class to a droid with previous levels in a professional class states that the droid's Defense suffers the "standard -2 multiclass penalty" (pg. 360). This seems to be contradicted by a passage on page 281 which states that "A character multiclassing on top of a professional class does not subtract 2 from his Defense bonus."

Despite these confusing bits, the RCRB is well worth the wait (and price).

 

[JazzEwok]

about the book

I suppose it would not be fair if I did not say a few things about the book here (since I won't have time to write a real review of it). Disclaimer: although I have played D&D since the early 80s, I am a newbie to SWRPG, so I have no real experience that I can use as a comparison to judge the RCRB.

I have at least seen the previous edition, and I have to say that the one thing I really like about this version is the layout. A lot of thought has gone into how to position text, graphics, and sidebars on the page. The content in each chapter is well-organized, and each chapter begins with a "What's New" section. The use of still photography from the movies has been minimized in favour of art and demonstrative graphics. Most of the visual content relates directly to the adjacent text. The book uses an interesting background colour scheme that I found appealing. It even smells nice. These sorts of things matter a lot to me; I always notice the visual and organizational aspects of the text first.

I cannot really comment on the rules, since as I said before, I have little experience with them yet.

Now, would those who know more about the SWRPG please answer my questions about droids?

 

[fenzer]

Jazz, how and when did you get a copy? I understand it is not out yet.

I wish I could help you with your quandry but I don't have my copy yet. Amazon tells me it will be here in about a week.

I have Gamer #3 and I must say the rules spun me around a bit. I was hoping the revised rules would clear things up. It sounds like things are still a little fuzzy.

 

[JazzEwok]

luck

fenzer -- it came in to my local hobby shop on Wednesday, but I did not buy it until this morning. Another interesting thing is that WotC seems to have erred when assigning a price in Canadian $ to the book: it's about $10 cheaper than it really should be, given current exchange rates and such. But the hobby shop matched the price on the book.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

I got my copy about an hour ago at my local shop... Haven't had time yet to get into it. Plus I'm new to the SWRPG, so I don't have a lot to contribute as far as a comparison to the last book goes...

 

[JazzEwok]

I received the following reply from WotC customer service: "If the droid has prior [professional or heroic class] levels then you would need to level adjust the character by adding those levels plus any normal character levels."

That is clear enough. So if I want to play a 3PO unit, I begin as a Expert 1/heroic class 1, and therefore as a 2nd-level character with 1000 XP.

Now I have found some additional inconsistencies in the droid chapter of the RCRB, particularly in relation to the mechanics involving droid character creation. I have tried to summarize them here:

1. There seems to be a contradiction between the section on Droid Classifications and the basic stat blocks for droid models. The text in Droid Classifications notes that "A droid commoner has scores of 10 in all abilities," and then gives ability modifiers that droids of each of the 5 degrees will apply to the base of 10. But the droid stat blocks all have ability scores, none of which would remotely correspond to the above.

2. The Droid Classifications text notes that in the case of a droid character, the player will roll for ability scores in the normal manner, and then apply the modifiers in the Droid Classifications section to those raw scores depending on its classification. But the example in Creating Droid Heroes that shows how to add a level of Scout to a 3PO unit when first creating the character states that you will use the ability scores found in the droid basic model descriptions. This would effectively mean that when creating droid characters, you do not role ability scores at all, and that the text in the Droid Classifications section is redundant.

3. The 3PO example referred to above notes that you will select from either a proficiency in blaster pistols or blaster rifles, but a 1st-level Scout gets both proficiencies.

4. The text notes that the feats listed in the basic model descriptions are factory-installed specs. They would thus not seem to represent feats gained through level increases. But the section on Creating Droid Heroes implies, to me at least, that you do not apply level-dependent bonus feats and ability increases from any prior professional class levels when creating a droid character; you just use the stats found in the basic model descriptions. This could mean that you are potentially losing out on signficant level-dependent increases if you are playing an R2 unit, which comes by default with 4 levels in Expert.

Does anyone have any insight into how droid character creation is supposed to work?

P.S. I still think it's a good book.

 

[fenzer]

My head is spinning.

Amazon tells me it will be Tuesday before I have my copy. Sorry I can't help until then. Over at SWRPGNetwork, http://swrpgnetwork.com/ (you might need to register), you will find help.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Think of those extra class levels as a sort of "ECL" for droids.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Off topic

Do not confuse Canadian prices with the exchange rate between US$ and CAN$. Merchants and producers know that people will only pay so much. Combine this with the fact that we export natural resources and this is the reason that the low Canadian dollar is actually a huge boon for the overall Canadian economy.

 

[JazzEwok]

hasty, hasty

Kwalish -- apparently it is supposed to be about $65 Canadian, but through some error WotC priced it at $55. Or at least that's what the people who sold it me said.

I am starting to see how the droid character creation rules work. There are a few small gaps and one big inconsistency, but in general they are clear if you disregard the column text which states that droid characters generate ability scores like anyone else. As the character creation block implies (if you read closely), I think that you are obviously meant to use the droid stat blocks to determine *all* starting characteristics for your droid character. You then 1) add a heroic class if this applies to your model, 2) figure out skills, 3) determine your character level and XP by adding all professional and heroic classes, and then away you go... And remember to disregard any level-dependent benefits that you would have received from having one or more levels in a class at character creation, because as I said before, the stat blocks determine your characteristics, and nothing else does (except in the case in which you are adding a heroic class to your droid base characteristics, but that still would not give you any level-dependent benefits).

By the way, has anyone else noticed that the ink on the RCRB is a bit ... runny. Some of my pages are starting to smudge.