[SWSE] Racial skills: Conditional bonus feats vs. rerolls

[Asmor]

I was at B&N today and picked up The New Essential Guide to Alien Species, and I'm thinking of allowing my players to use species from there (not to mention NPCs).

Now, creating a race for SWSE seems a bit simpler than in D&D (and it was already fairly simple), but one issue I'm anticipating is when to assign skill focus as a conditional bonus feat, as opposed to allowing rerolls of a particular skill.

It seems to me that rerolls are inherently more powerful since the character can always use them even if untrained, and it grants a power that players can't otherwise get.

What, in your mind, is the flavor difference between the two? Thinking about it briefly, I'm inclined to say that rerolls are best for species which are biologically-well suited to a skill, whereas conditional bonus feats seem like they'd be more appropriate when there's a cultural emphasis on the skill.

What do you think?

 

[Kaffis]

What, in your mind, is the flavor difference between the two? Thinking about it briefly, I'm inclined to say that rerolls are best for species which are biologically-well suited to a skill, whereas conditional bonus feats seem like they'd be more appropriate when there's a cultural emphasis on the skill.

What do you think?

I think that's a good guideline. Mechanically, rerolls don't help take tens or take 20's. Just more food for thought.

 

[gribble]

What do you think?

The "unofficial-official" conversion guidelines have this to say:

Reroll: This is best used for a species that is naturally good (or, rather, naturally unlikely to fail) with a given skill, whether trained or not.
Conditional Bonus Feat: This is best for skills where the species is best-known for producing highly skilled experts or professionals in a given field (for example, Bothans make exceptionally good spies, but they do spend a lot of time training to achieve this). In addition, this may be used as a way to further enhance a species’ natural aptitude with a skill that already gets a reroll (for example, Cereans get a reroll and a conditional bonus feat for Initiative).
Take 10 Under Stress: This is usually reserved for Swim and Climb when the species has a swim or climb speed, respectively.

So that seems to agree reasonably well with your guidelines...

 

[Asmor]

Ah, cool. Thanks!

 

[Enforcer]

gribble, that set of guidelines is sweet, thanks for posting the link!

 

[pawsplay]

By those guidelines, I think Duros should have had a conditional feat for Pilot instead of a reroll. But they are still pretty good guidelines.

 

[Klaus]

That link doesn't work for me!

 

[argo]

I agree with gribble. In addition though it also seems to me that, since there is no longer a favored class mechanic in SWSE, that the conditional bonus feats fill the "favored class" niche - although, in a less draconian manner. A bothan might be a Noble, or he might be a Scoundrel, but how many players do you know who would not not have their Bothan PC take at least one of the two in order to get their conditional bonus feat?

Later.

 

[gribble]

That link doesn't work for me!

I think the site was down for a bit - it's back now.