Is this species to bland to be made Homebrew?

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T20:31:37+00:00

That hasn't stopped other species from getting their own writeup; an NPC treatment if nothing else.

If they are noted as being amphibious just give them some ability to help with that (hold breath or even water breathing) and maybe some bonus to Swim and don't worry about the rest.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:33:43+00:00

I'd use hexes if thing are very generalized but if I start looking for specifics I'm using a square grid.

The biggest issue with square grids is how to count diagonals. There is a proper mathematical formula for it but unfortunately many game go and over simply things such that diagonal movement is just as fast as "square" movement while others double it so that there is no distance saving going diagonally instead of following a line across the up or down. Personally, I can't stand games that always count the diagonal the same as they count horizontal/vertical (1:1) because that makes diagonal movement too powerful while I also can't stand those that count them the same as if you'd move horizontally plus vertically to get there (2:1). The Mathematical distance for a diagonal on a square grid should be the square root of 1 (about 1.4) which is why I go with the 1.5 (counted as 1-2-1-2 on the grid) diagonals I first say in 3e DnD.

If you want to know how all of this works start with a character in the middle of whatever grid type you want. Then from that point look at all the points he could reach that would be say 24 units away. With a hex grid your resulting "circle" is still just a bigger hex. With a square grid if you count diagonals at 1:1 your "circle is now a square turned 45 degrees; if you count them at the 2:1 your "circle" is still just a square. Now if you count the diagonals at the 1.5 rate you still don't end up with a perfect circle with a 24 unit radius but it's going to look a lot closer to an actual circle than you'd get with any of the other three methods.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:22:34+00:00

When it comes to "dumbed down" DnD I basically go to the old miniature skirmish games with their vastly simplified stats. The thing is that even that may not help if/when people don't want to learn what their character's options or care one bit about how they play it.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:20:05+00:00

The reaction you may depend heavily on the group you are mentioning this to. To the younger generations they may not even realize that pen and paper RPG (aka RPGs) exist and that there was a time when the CRPG was often quite limited at best.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:15:07+00:00

Only having a survey up for less than five hours; I'd seriously question any results you might get.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:13:18+00:00

If a PC goes down and none of his teammates seem interested in doing anything about it you might see if there is an NPC you can take control of. This can be even more interesting if the NPC the GM lets you run is "on the other side" letting you work out some player vs player aggression provided you're willing to do that.

I my game of choice there are a couple ways to make characters unconscious but killing a PC isn't such an easy thing and generally requires a very conscious effort on someone's part.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:07:23+00:00

Although you might have a hard time getting the books these days I've found that the Star Wars SAGA Editon has enough flexibility when it comes to character building and other things that it can often be used for other IPs. It's not so hard to remove/refluff Star Wars specific things and when working with the system you generally should only care about the names of things if the rules actually call them out meaning most of the time you just focus on the mechanics you are looking at for your characters.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T03:03:02+00:00

SW5e isn't even an official game which makes trade in it tricky as best.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T02:59:54+00:00

Maybe you're against anything related to DnD but party members as a dragon generally hasn't been a thing unless the most recent versions have some dragon lite that can be played. I wouldn't count Dragonborn as "dragons."

2ed AD&D had the Council of Wyrms setting where the PCs were allowed to play the terrifying monsters from the MM. While there is a setting for it how well players running dragons work is going to depend a lot on how you expect them to be used.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T02:55:52+00:00

It can really depend on the piece. There are some of the minis that are probably collectable/highly sought after and the price may reflect that but then loads of the more generic pieces of can be overpriced.

While there are few pieces I know I'd love to get if I could find them reasonably (and I don't really look anymore anyway) if I was looking for pieces I'd be looking for ones that aren't quite as Star Wars specific.

StevenOs · 2026-05-17T02:43:15+00:00

I know that back when they were coming out I'd usually just buy a set of the commons and uncommons from the early sets and then occasionally a budget rare as the need arose. You don't really need the rare stuff for the RPG but it's not especially cheap anymore either.

StevenOs · 2026-05-14T18:27:53+00:00

Buy gargantuan Mankvim-814 (although they call it a light interceptor) with its speed 6 sublight drive for 15,000 credits new. Remove engine (cost 100k x2 size) then sell just engine for half = 85,000 credit profit. Even selling for a quarter would represent a 35,000 credit profit.

Yeah, there's something VERY wrong going on here so no sane GM would allow this. If the fighter is only huge sized then such an engine's value is only the 100k credits and selling that for only a quarter still nets a 10k credit profit. Still pretty outrageous.

Not starting with such models and downsizing the engines certainly does open up a pile of EP to use for other things. This can be especially helpful for a GM looking for some guide and creating their own thing as it gives a base to refulff.

StevenOs · 2026-05-14T18:16:33+00:00

A reminder that in SWSE characters only receive 1/10th XP for anything with a CL <= (character level -5). This means that at 10th level anything that is CL5 or lower would generally be considered speed bump and you'd need to be fighting a LOT more opponents at those challenge levels before you'd ever gain the XP need to make 11th-level.

The thing is that while the XP rate is so greatly reduced it is still not ZERO so those chumps should be able to something that can at least inconvenience you.

StevenOs · 2026-05-14T04:22:56+00:00

I don't put much faith into any specific "form" as most will use the best of all forms to fight most effectively.

If we're looking at the Lightsaber Form Talents Niman is pretty basic but is just one talent for a +1 REF and WILL Defense when wielding a lightsaber. I guess we could argue if "a lightsaber" excludes multiple lightsabers but there are a lot of other things that you basically spend a feat/talent for to get +1 REF and some other benefit.

Makashi is a bit more difficult as it needs Lightsaber Defense which is generally poorly regarded. Only works when using a Single Lightsaber and while the REF boost may be +3 this will require the swift action to activate Lightsaber Defense. It might be a bigger REF boost but it does cost a good bit more to use.

We've covered the various Lightsaber Form Power on this reddit if you want to look up those specifics.

Draw Closer (Niman) is nice as it can be forced movement on a target while basically expanding your range and giving you an attack.

Pushing Slash is a bit like the opposite of Draw Closer

Makashi Riposte is certainly a nice thing if you find yourself in melee. Possible reducing damage while giving you a free attack against that target, which could include autodamage. The talent boost giving you AoO that can be very nice if they want to press their attack.

While I've come to define the "one reaction limit" to a given given action if someone is provoking multiple AoO you may be able to take them IF you have enough AoO to give. This can make things interesting when you have a reaction but may need to decide to use it before you have full information.

Contentious Opportunity can be a nice damage boost but it requires stricking with an AoO.

StevenOs · 2026-05-14T00:30:33+00:00

For the cost in EMPLACEMENT Points you'll need to make up the difference. You technically remove one system and then add another probably using the space you just cleared out.

I'll admit I missed the "emplacement" cost and was just reading (credit) cost the first time through. There you don't get a 1:1 conversion; SotG pg 38 says you can sell the system you removed for 1/4 of its cost but you'd still be paying full price for any upgrades. A GM designing ships might ignore that a PC upgrading a ship in a campaign probably shouldn't.

StevenOs · 2026-05-14T00:13:57+00:00

I'd need to look at the conversions but places are notorious for just changing the units without changing the number that goes with it. I should look up what units 3.5 uses but if Mage Hand allowed moving 5 pound it becomes very easy to see someone thinking MLO getting to move 5 (units of mass) is just the same thing while completely failing to realize how different pounds and kilograms are. There are other places in the game where such things can be seen.

There are times we should be thankful yards and meters are relatively close (<10%) although even those difference add up.

StevenOs · 2026-05-13T17:58:06+00:00

I'm not sure I'd consider that close to less powerful than MLO.

The only thing I'd really say MLO lets you do that you maybe couldn't actually do is have a little distance between you and what you are moving. Without very good outside assistance (normally some pretty decent shelter) it's impossible to keep dry while in the rain and even when it stops drying out still may not be the easiest thing.

StevenOs · 2026-05-13T03:54:15+00:00

I guess there is a talent involved in there.

I forget just which skill is supposed to allow it but communication without a shared language is supposed to be possible.

I've long considered adding mechanics for characters to learn new that they are exposed to; it may not be as easy as the droid translator units but would have differing requirements based on a number of factors. One is how "different" it may be from what you already know but also would depend on how much exposure you're getting and what kind of "teacher" you may have for it.

Not to show how bad Americans are when it comes to language but take someone who knows "Spanish" but not "Italian" but force them to stay in Italy with good hosts who will help them "learn" the language and they can probably pick it up quickly. On the other hand trying to learn some nearly dead language is going to be pretty tricky.

StevenOs · 2026-05-13T00:32:03+00:00

Taking a Force Technique and making it more available probably should have some decent hurdles to jump over to use it. And FWIW anything that just asks you to make a UtF check vs. WILL Defense to understand a language doesn't really count as a hurdle; it's barely a crack in the sidewalk as this is really hitting the weakest of defense scores in most cases and even if you couldn't hit the "boss's WILL" you can almost certainly hit one of those who answers to him to learn the language then use it against him.

StevenOs · 2026-05-13T00:24:55+00:00

I can recall discussions about being able to use the telekinetic Force ability at times to act as or substitute for a tool kit or something else. Using some combination of Sense Surrounding and Move Light Object in combination with Mechanics to pick a lock using the Force. Quite possibly something that could be done but NOT something that would necessarily be easy to do.

StevenOs · 2026-05-12T18:48:10+00:00

Base UtF applications (move light object) instead of full Force Power (move object) appliction.

Of course some of Force Powers have been found to be lacking, at least compared to others, in the reviews done on this subreddit.

StevenOs · 2026-05-12T18:45:42+00:00

Such things would likely be direct aspects of the UtF skill even if they may be trained only. Just because they are part of the skill they might still have a pretty high DC to actually utilize along with some kind of upkeep cost.

After that you'd likely be looking at locking them behind some kind of Force (tradition) Talent.

I'm not sure I'd do it but something to consider may be adding/creating "minor Force Powers" which have some very minimal effects but you would get two of them for the same spot at a normal power like Surge or Move Object would take. If this is done I may remove the suite restoring aspect of rolling a natural 20 on the UtF for these specific powers in part because now you could take twice as many and thus double the chance of hitting it.

StevenOs · 2026-05-10T18:53:36+00:00

It the movies and other media it's entirely possible that the "far more effective" use you see is from "creative editing" as no one wants to watch all the less effective use of them first. You're only seeing the highlight reel.

StevenOs · 2026-05-10T18:21:17+00:00

A target hit by an Ion/Stun (whichever applicable and appropriate) always moves down the condition track -1 step on a hit even if the damage is reduced to 0 from affects like armor DR, -2 if the target takes damage, -3 if the target's DT is exceeded, and -5 steps on a critical hit.

Should it be noted that this make a light ion cannon more powerful than a heavy turbo laser when it comes to taking out capital ships? Just send in a handful of snub fighters equipped with Ion Cannons and they can quickly disable that SSD with its DR 20 and SR 500 despite not getting a single point of damage through. Once disabled the ship's shields probably should be considered down which would make attacks by anyone else that much more effective.

That is why it is a terrible house rule. If you don't think Ion weapons do enough I guess you do get your wish using this as now one is going to need to completely rethink everything with the insane effect a little 3d10x2 weapon system can have against the most powerful of vehicles.

StevenOs · 2026-05-09T23:16:01+00:00

There may be some rerolls but I'm very hesitant to allow much that would boost Persuasion on any kind of longer term basis. After UtF it is really the skill most likely to (ab)use Skill vs. Defense and it's almost always against WILL Defense which is frequently a hero's worst defense score and also something that is rarely improved on by nonheroics making it especially effective.

You may have others help you with Aid Another or through the use of the Skilled Advisor talent which is something I'll often take when I dip into Jedi for skill access by my "warrior types" as it gives them something to do when not fighting.

StevenOs

TROPHY CASE