Out Of Character Comment Thread

That's hilarious. In the SW game I'm running, we just added a replacement player to the group. They found him sitting in his room on a ship they just captured... I gave the please don't shoot him warning :)

Yeah...

:)

If I'm warning about it, I've seen it done.

I may from time to time post even more than 3 times a week if it looks like everyone has posted and we can move matters along.

Have we decide how much we know each other yet?
Did Kezza have a hand in helping put together this team?
Kezza has 6d+2 in Languages, do they understand the Wookie, should I roll, do we want them to translate?

I don't think that was ever decided on. That's okay. You're all relatively new to each other and the trip will require going through two regions of space (mid rim to outer rim to wild space), and through the Vergesso asteroids, so I think that you will all have plenty of time to interact before you get to where you're going.

As for Kezza helping out bringing the group together, perhaps. I really think that Roooargh was a Brant recommendation, but the doctor and blasters for hire, I'd talk to them and see what they think.

Wookiees are encountered across the galaxy and have been for some time. I think with a 6D+2 roll, you should do just fine in understanding a Wookiee. I don't think it requires a roll. If you're worried about having invested dice into that skill and now not having to roll for a species that has had a long history with the Republic, I'd say don't be. You are DEFINITELY going to need it if you're going where I think you all will be going. I'm glad someone has it.

So, folks, if you feel your character would understand what Roooargh is saying, so be it. The same goes for if you feel your character would not understand Roooargh. That can all be declared in character. Also, if you feel your character wouldn't understand but want to attempt to try to understand, go ahead and roll.

Rezart: How do you feel about (mis)understood?

Well, I think if the majority of the other characters can't understand Wookie, that won't be much fun. I didn't think it was that rare of a language. I don't have the book in front of me, but I believe that you get to speak one language for every die you have in Knowledge, so I was thinking of it like in Star Wars, where everybody seems to understand Chewbacca, but they reply to him in Basic.

I could drop the Wookie and just have him speak Basic if this is going to be aggravating to everybody, but I have to admit that talking like a Wookie was part of the original appeal of the character.

Keep doing the RRRRR thing as long as you find it fun, it does not bother me.
We could assume --without needing to see it-- that someone (possibly Kezza) translates wookie (I vaguely recall that the language is not called 'wookie'?) for the others, that way we only need to worry about understanding when someone else is alone with Ro?
If you are amenable, I would not mind if Kezza could speak wookie as well, even if their pronunciation is laughable.

From what I recall from the brief reading of the rules (from the REUP, since that is all I have) if you specialise a language to more than 5D then you don't need to roll it, also, once you make ten difficult rolls to understand a language, you are assumed to be fluent and don't need to roll to understand it anymore.
I am not too keen on the 'specialisation' rule, I think they are a bit wonky, overall, and don't want to engage with them.

I do like tracking the number of rolls for each language we encounter and building up that resource. Though I am not sure how the mechanics would work. Language does not seem like a skill that would have the difficulty set beforehand, so what would count as a 'difficult roll'? Maybe just a result that is good enough to meet that barrier?

When we first encounter a language the GM might set an initial level based on how common it is or how likely Kezza is to have encountered it before and say there are already a few rolls counted to that language?
The system as presented is a bit binary, with 9 rolls to understand being the same as 'clueless' and then one more suddenly makes one 'fluent'. I am sure can work that into a more fluid progression.

I agree with you on the specialization rules - I don't like them for anything in this system really, they don't really fit that well, and they penalize you if you specialize early on.

I looked through the book and I can't find the known language rule anywhere! At the same time, I have a super clear memory of it. It must have been a house rule or something we used back in the day. Per RAW, every language is a skill roll unless you have 5D, which is kinda crazy, especially with Shriiwook (I looked it up) being a difficult language. The situation where the the characters can't talk to somebody and need C3PO happens basically once in the movies.

Indeed. I think the main problem is the rule that specialisations don't go up when the base-skill goes up.
I was interested in having Sneak, but only in Urban environments (Kezza knows cities, but not jungles). But if I did that, and then later improved Sneak twice, I would be WORSE at sneaking in a city than in a jungle... madness!
Maybe in an earlier edition?
I think I saw a difficulty adjustment for how common or obscure (or difficult) the language is.
Really, just the once? Was that in Jabba's palace?
Like I was suggesting, maybe we just don't see it happen because it is not interesting to see. We can only bother with having a character translate when it adds to the story, else we can assume it happens and not show it.

Nope, even Luke the farmboy can speak to Jabba, no problem, same with the Jawas and everything else. Only time it really comes up is they need C3PO to translate for the Ewoks, but even that doesn't last past the "golden god" scene.

Esidrix: Is there a reason your Human Medic has a Move of 9? I thought Humans started with Move: 10.

GM: What gear do we start with, I only listed two items that seemed interesting and relevant to the character. What else should we have?

Typo - Might have already had a beverage when I was posting that.

Beverages can slow one down, so that makes sense. :)

When 3PO was interpreting for the Ewoks, the language was never encountered before (the Imperials didn’t care what the Ewoks had to think) and he referred to the other 6 million languages or forms of communication that he was familiar with (languages at 13D). He understood that they were using a primitive dialect and cross referenced it with something that was familiar and made educated guesses on how to converse with them.

I think that’s the true usage of the language skill. 3PO used his acquired expertise and programs to roll past the required difficulty.

Back when the D6 game books for Star Wars was made, alien languages were a lot more exotic. Since then, 7 movies, scores of books, video games and series have come out showing that alien characters like Wookiees, Rodians, Trandoshans, Twi’leks and even Hutts are encountered more frequently than previously thought. They are understood by others too more often than previously thought (with some exceptions).

I really don’t want to get bogged down in having everyone roll anytime a spacefaring race of people who can’t or won’t speak basic are encountered. If your character doesn’t have much experience in languages and interpretation, then roleplay it out and use it as an opportunity to learn. If your character has a professional or better understanding of languages encountered in the galaxy, then you’re good…until you’re not good. When a rare or unknown language is encountered (it will happen), then I will let you know when a roll is required.

I also think that a rare, unknown or never encountered language shouldn’t depend on a series of 9 failures or successes and then complete fluency on the tenth attempt. That really doesn’t make much sense at all. I’ve had 9+ attempts with French, Spanish and German and certainly am not fluent. It’s kind of a silly rule.

There are certain time/complexity requirements that will be figured out by me in regards to languages for fluency (for new languages not on the scene).

For example, it didn’t appear that Luke understood Chewie in episode four but did understand him in episode five. Years had passed in between the two episodes in which time he listened and interacted. Perhaps ten times, maybe twenty or more? Don’t know for sure, but time seemed to be a big factor (one of my favorite movies is the 13th Warrior; check it out if you haven’t and are interested in seeing how a Muslim during the dark ages learned how to communicate and speak with the Vikings he was traveling with over a period of time). The guy had a knack for languages but it’s still cool.

Complexity and time are big factors.
Exactly. The languages skill will come into play, and just like a blaster, it may be seldom used depending on how you carry yourself, but when you need it…you really need it.

I don’t have the rulebook in front of me, but I do know that with the templates, equipment and credits really seem to vary depending on what you’re aiming for. I really don’t know what your character should have. That’s something that you need to tell me what your character wants, and then you may be able to have it if approved. What are you looking for?

Generally speaking this is done at character creation, but since we’re very early in the game, I can make an exception.

I am not looking for anything. I just noticed all the gear listed on our medic's sheet and figure I would ask if I had missed a step.
I don't know what I want, I don't know what is useful, or what the options are.

I am happy for Kezza to have nothing. There is a reason they are on this mission. We can have them slowly acquire anything that is needed, but all that they really need is their mind and personality, those are their main tools.

Most of the non armor and weapon items are typically things like glow rods, ascension guns, aquata breathers, data pads, cred sticks (basically a wallet), flight suits, tools, etc. These items are encountered all over the place, available in most Star ports. The ship likely has a small inventory of things like this. I’m sure Kezza will catch on. As for weapons and armor, maybe not so much in chapter 1, but definitely in chapter 2 there will start to be plenty of things that will be able to be picked up off the ground that have likely only been dropped once.

I don't think armor is a thing Kezza would have, nor be accustomed to wearing. The gun is a sporting pistol --possibly from back home and meant to have sentimental value-- and mainly for show. The recording device is a habit and always carried, maybe most conversations are recorded 'for in case', but wiped as the circle-buffer overwrites itself every few days.
Aside from those, let's say Kezza has nothing else.