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nem #992334 Mon 01/06/20 10:37 UTC
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OK, I am back at work full-time as of today, but that shouldn't cause a problem.

We're just about done with this encounter and I'll start wrapping up your individual threads, ready for the next step.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters better. What a fascinating bunch they are!

nem #992442 Tue 02/06/20 17:49 UTC
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Now then. There is a process for recovering Strain at the end of a combat encounter in the FFG rules, but in the Beginner Game it gives us a simplified version to start with.

Each character can recover Strain equal to their Cool skill (or Presence if they have no skill ranks in Cool).

So I'll apply that now, standing you in good stead for the next encounter, hazards.

Strain going up and down in this way is supposed to reflect the ongoing stress and fatigue on a mission, and those things that can reinvigorate you.

Even in combat, you can sometimes recover Strain, it might be having a moment to catch you breath whilst under fire, or nailing a headshot that inspires confidence, etc.

Although dealing with the scavengers has had its stresses---you're against the clock and the fate of the Galaxy rests on your shoulders. No pressure---you have also been able to stretch your legs in the fresh air and rehydrate, if only for a few minutes.

I'm locking threads ready to fold you all back the main thread. If your thread is locked, don't worry, it simply reached a good point to wrap up. You should be back in play very soon.

In the meantime, enjoy the Boonta's Eve Classic podrace....

nem #992529 Wed 03/06/20 20:49 UTC
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OK, I have applied the Strain recovery and totted it up in the game notes at the bottom of the new thread.

Sticking with the theme of fast desert traversal, I thought a nice accompaniment to the new thread would one an extract from Ludwig Göransson's superb score for The Mandalorian.

In this scene, Mando and his new partner shoot across the Judland Wastes of Tatooine on speederbikes. Evocative stuff and rather apt for the action in game. Enjoy!



You'll notice I've moved us on a pace. Sticking with the cinematic style of the Star Wars game, we won't play out every transition, we don't need to see every second of the story to follow it.

Last edited by nemarsde; Wed 03/06/20 20:55 UTC.
nem #992532 Thu 04/06/20 01:37 UTC
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nem #992548 Thu 04/06/20 06:36 UTC
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Thanks Art. There it is. Looks like fun day out, doesn't it! grin

nem #992726 Sun 07/06/20 08:44 UTC
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A few interesting mechanical points about that last obstacle.

According to the printed hardbacks like Force & Destiny, you would use Survival skill to ride a mount. But according to The Force Awakens Beginner Game, you would probably use Piloting.

Checking your characters it was favourable to use Piloting-Planetary, so that's what I did.

I think in a situation more about a mount's welfare, capabilities and prevailing conditions, like riding a Tauntaun on Hoth, I'd go with Survival.

In the game notes you have an example of Sirra spending her two Advantages to give a Blue dice to Winta, since Winta had the worst dice pool for this check.

Then, 2BB-2 was able to give skilled assistance. He could lend Winta his 1 skill rank in Piloting-Planetary, this improving her dice pool too (upgrading a Green dice to a Yellow dice).

Thus, when Winta made the check she succeeded, but with Threat. I narrated the Threat and inflicted some Strain on Winta, but nothing more serious than a moment of peril.

Jelly Bean actually rolled some Advantage, so I narrated that as her recovering Strain, enjoying her natural desert climate. Whereas Jix and Preach rolled Threat so I narrated the opposite, that the heat was wearing them down and inflicted Strain.

The checks all had 1 Black (Setback) dice added due to the fierce sun but Jelly Bean removed it due to her Twi'lek species, and others removed it due to their Adverse Environment Clothing.

Last edited by nemarsde; Sun 07/06/20 08:49 UTC.
nem #992728 Sun 07/06/20 11:52 UTC
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nem #992891 Tue 09/06/20 15:45 UTC
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Where does the whole Force TK power lie? IE using the Force to lift things or people and or levitation?

nem #992901 Tue 09/06/20 18:02 UTC
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OK, so that is the Force Move power. Winta has the first tier of Force Move, which is about equivalent to pulling your lightsaber out of a snow drift.

None of the characters are at a Jedi Knight level.

Your starter characters have 30 XP spent on them (after initial character creation), which is what you'd expect after playing through one short adventure.

The guidelines in the book state Jedi Knight level is about 150 XP, but the concesus seems to be to create a Jedi like one of the film heroes (who have a much wider array of powers), Obi-Wan, Anakin, Rey, you need about 1200 XP.

In FFG's Star Wars system, more XP doesn't make you greatly more powerful as such---you can start the game with a Wookiee Marauder with a vibro-axe and be almost unstoppable in melee combat---instead it gives you more diverse capability.

nem #992960 Wed 10/06/20 15:41 UTC
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Thanks, I was wondering how things worked. That helps give a good perspective.

nem #993031 Fri 12/06/20 11:09 UTC
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OK, more skills checks complete. These ones had a Red dice involved (aka Challenge dice). Red dice have a symbol of them called Despair, it's not a critical fumble because it's not linked to Succeeding the check. Similarly to Threat, it's more like critical 's*** just went sideways'.

In this case, if also tied to a Failed check it would result in a very nasty fall, arrested by a jagged piece of metal for an astonishing 10 Wounds and 10 Strain! Ouch! The writer of the adventure must've written that column before his morning coffee!

Despair with a Successful check would result in a big collapse and more complications for the team.

Fortunately, on a single Red dice there's only an 8% chance of rolling a Despair.

nem #993112 Sat 13/06/20 10:00 UTC
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In this latest check we finally saw the opposite of a Despair result, called a Triumph result. The Triumph symbol is only on a Yellow dice with about an 8% of being rolled.

This is a critical 'tide just turned in our favour' result, though like Despair it can occur whether you Succeed or Fail your check.

In this case, it means that 2BB-2 has done more than extract the astronavigation data, he's already found your next destination, the nearest Ghidrah node, before even handing it over to Lieutenant Bek.

nem #993118 Sat 13/06/20 19:20 UTC
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ooc clarification- are you saying that bb2 got everything we needed? until BB shares this info, Jelly Bean would still believe that Sirra has to come down now that she has the computer powered and running to do the slicing... am I wrong? Can JB tell that we have all we need? or am i misreading things altogether?

nem #993120 Sat 13/06/20 20:16 UTC
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2BB-2 is a custom-modified slicing machine and he rolled a Triumph. So he has everything you came for, and more, he's already decyphered it.

Although, yes, technically everyone is waiting on 2BB-2's reaction his windfall/awesomeness, it can be assumed he declares success and it's time to go, since there's no benefit not to.

nem #993132 Sun 14/06/20 01:07 UTC
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In other words, normally yes others would have come in and continued, but bb scored such a critical hit that he short circuited the challenge.

nem #993135 Sun 14/06/20 06:55 UTC
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And that's really the main benefit of the Yellow dice.

As you might have noticed, it's a funny system because your characteristics, Brawn, Agility, et al, do most of the work.

If you have a 4 Brawn, you'll have 4 Green in all Brawn skills, which right there is very good if all you aiming for is Success and a few Advantages. Athletics, for example.

But without a Yellow dice, you will never have a Triumph in that skill. Because Triumphs often have a bigger, broader impact in the fiction than "I succeed at what I was trying to do", they often result in quite memorable moments.

So it's worth buying a rank or two (that upgrade your Green dice to Yellow) in those skills you want to be remembered for.

1 Yellow =8% of Triumph
2 Yellow =16% of Triumph
3 Yellow =23% of Triumph
4 Yellow =30% of Triumph

The biggest step of course is having 1 Yellow as opposed to none.

nem #993145 Sun 14/06/20 14:14 UTC
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Interesting even to me, though I play the system! grin Do enjoy these little analyses you provide us with Neil. smile

nem #993168 Sun 14/06/20 18:19 UTC
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Thanks Gypsy. I like to think of it as the DVD commentary. grin

So yes. Yellow dice aren't vital, and that might lead a player to think that skill ranks aren't vital.

But where skill ranks become very useful is if you have a skill linked to a low characteristic, that you want to improve but can't afford, or don't want to buff, its linked characteristic.

For example, I'm creating Chewbacca. I want him to have a high Brawn, but his trademark Bowcaster requires the Ranged-Heavy skill and that's linked to Agility.

Well I don't want him to have a high Agility. Chewie isn't portrayed as an agile character and if I increase Agility I won't be able to increase Intelligence or Willpower, which is more like Chewie.

So let's say Chewie has a 2 Agility, giving him a Ranged-Heavy of 2 Green. OK, so I'll buy skill ranks in Ranged-Heavy until I'm satisfied it's at the right level. 2 Yellow, 2 Green should do it (4 skill ranks).*

*As a lark, I'll check out how FFG statted Chewie officially. Bear with...

...OK, they give Chewie a 3 Agility and Ranged-Heavy at 3 Yellow, 2 Green. Which with a 2 Agility would take 5 skill ranks. Same principle, a lot more XP. The designers are using the '4 dice of any colour' guideline. i.e., If you want your character to be an expert at a skill, ensure they have at least 4 dice of any colour in it.


Last edited by nemarsde; Tue 16/06/20 18:24 UTC.
nem #993217 Mon 15/06/20 13:42 UTC
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Always more than one way to skin a cat! grin

nem #993222 Mon 15/06/20 14:29 UTC
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Or a wookiee!

nem #993265 Tue 16/06/20 14:45 UTC
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wink

nem #993274 Tue 16/06/20 15:38 UTC
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OOC- I think Winta and/or any others needs to get a post in before i acknowledge the soft trills of quiet exultation from BB2

nem #993284 Tue 16/06/20 17:20 UTC
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Will after 5 when home

nem #993288 Tue 16/06/20 18:18 UTC
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pah!

nem #993317 Wed 17/06/20 08:17 UTC
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For AJ's sanity, let's finalise which characters speak Binary, i.e., can have a conversation with him.

Jelly Bean
Sirra

...Who else?

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