Campaign Rules - Part One: Intro and Character Generation

Like any normal RPG campaign, Spec Ops-4 has some house rules. Overall, I use a mix of rules from the first edition (SW1E) (including the Star Wars Rules Companion and Star Warriors) and the second edition R&E (SW2R) rulebooks. I have not had a chance to really review the revised, expanded & updated (REUP) rulebook by Womp Rat Press. Before we dive into the rules governing the campaign, I'll preface them with Rule Zero:

Every rule, race, power, technology, variant rule, etc. is subject to change or removal at the discretion of the GM. Even if a game element is initially permitted, if it is later deemed incompatible with the campaign, it will be modified or removed. Any characters (PC or NPC) that use that element may be required to adjust to the change (in other words, grandfathering is not guaranteed). I will attempt to keep this sort of thing to a minimum (if at all), but sometimes this may happen in the process of keeping the rules appropriate to the campaign.

Character Creation

• As this is a Rebellion Era campaign, there can only be two Jedi in the group. Available templates are listed below and you can find additional rules here.
• Character templates - essentially pre-generated characters you can customize - are available (see "Character Templates", below). The only thing that needs to be allocated on any given template is 7D for starting skills and specializations (see below). If a certain template interests you but you want to alter it in some way - making a Gambler a Rodian instead of a Human, for example - consult with the GM.
• Scratch-built characters receive 18D for attributes and 7D for starting skills. Racial minimums and maximums are ignored, giving a minimum of 2D and a maximum of 5D for attributes. Non-Force sensitive characters begin with five Character Points and one Force Point. Force-sensitive characters receive five Character Points and two Force Points.
• Skills and specializations are used in this game. You can keep it simple and allocate 1D to seven different skills, or break down each die into pips (a "pip" being a +1 with 3 "pips" equaling 1D). The scale goes: 1D, 1D+1, 1D+2, 2D, 2D+1, 2D+2, 3D, and so forth. Also, a beginning character may spend 1D of their starting 7D to get three specializations, with 1D going to each specialization. These do not have to be under the same general skill. Starting characters may not have any general skills more than 2D higher than the governing attribute; they may not have any specializations more than 3D higher than the governing attribute.
• Alien characters from templates (Ewok, Rodian Gunner, Wookiee, etc.) are the easiest way to bring aliens into the group. Scratch-built alien characters are subject to GM approval to keep within the canon of the campaign.
• Droid characters are permitted, but are subject to GM approval. Template-based characters start with the stats for an established model presented in Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids, The Rebellion's droid conversion section, the Rancor Pit droid conversion book, or the conversion book for Scavenger's Guide to Droids. Scratch-built droid characters must be created using the rules presented in Cynabar's. Additional equipment and software may be found in the aforementioned links, but those items must have a reference notation and are subject to GM approval.

Replacement Characters
In the event of a character being disabled, killed, turning to the Dark Side, etc., a replacement can be generated either from a template or scratch. A character's experience level is determined by the number of "dice" they have - basically the total of attribute and skill dice, Character Points (5 Character Points = 1D), Force Points (1 Force Point = 1D), "Pips" above starting levels (3 pips = 1D), and dice based on advantages or disadvantages provided by special abilities. The experience levels are as follows:

With regard to skill levels:

• 1D is below Human average for an attribute.
• 2D is Human average for attributes and many skills
• 3D is the average level of training for a Human.
• 4D is equivalent to professional-level training for a Human.
• 5D is considered above average expertise.
• 6D is considered about the best in a city or geographic area. 1 in 100,000 have this level of training.
• 7D means the character is among the best on a continent. This level can be found in 1 in 10,000,000 people.
• 8D means the character is among the best on the planet. This level is found in 1 in 100,000,000 people.
• 9D indicates the character is one of the best in several star systems in the immediate area. Only 1 in a billion people have expertise at this level.
• 10D One of the best in a sector.
• 12D One of the best in a region
• 14D+ Among the best in the galaxy.

With regard to overall experience:

• Average: This character is truly average, and has probably only had one or two "adventures" in their lifetime, if any. The character has up to 20 dice.
• Novice: This character is a little bit better than average within the 12D attribute range for NPCs. Beginning PCs have 31 dice (18D for attributes, 7D for skills, 1 Force Point, 5 Character Points). Novice characters in general have up to 35 dice.
• Veteran: The veteran character is likely to be good in a few key skills, but weak in others. Veterans usually have 36-75 dice total.
• Superior: A character at this level has had a great deal of experience and has 76 to 150 dice total.
• Master: These characters are the pinnacle of heroism (or villainy). We're talking capabilities on par with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and the Emperor. Such characters have over 150 dice!

Overall, players introducing replacement characters to the group should work with the GM and their fellow players to make sure the incoming characters fit and work well with the group.

Character Templates
Character templates are the best way to hit the ground running in this game. If you find somehting in the list below that piques your interest, let me know. I typically can get one or more scanned in and e-mailed/PM'ed to you within 24 hours. Alternately, you can peruse the stats here at the D6 Holocron wiki. The only ones not appearing in the wiki are the templates from the Star Wars Adventure Journal, but I can easily provide you with copies or stats. 

Character Skills

Spec Ops-4 uses a hybrid of the two skill lists in SW1E and SW2R. While the second edition did expand character skills, it did so a bit haphazardly. Essentially, what I've done is pruned and reorganized the skill list so it has the simplicity of the first edition skills but retains the skill specializations. Advanced skills, which seemed to work a bit backwards to me, are not used. Instead, they're just treated as skill specializations. Where necessary, I've renamed skills to better define them and prevent confusion. The specializations shown are examples only; many other specializations could (and do) exist.

Here's the list of skills and specializations as it currently stands:

DEXTERITY

• Archaic Weapons - Black powder pistols, matchlocks, muskets, slugthrowers, Wookiee bowcasters, etc.
• Armor Weapons - Armor-based weapons (wrist lasers, flamethrowers, personal deflector shields, etc.)
• Blaster - Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, etc.
• Brawling Parry
• Dodge
• Grenade
• Heavy Weapon - Vehicle weapons, blaster artillery, repeating blasters, etc.
• Lightsaber - Type of lightsaber (greatsaber, lightstaff, etc.) or lightsaber form (Form Zero, Shii-Cho, etc.)
• Melee Parry
• Melee - Swords, knives, axes, vibroblades, etc.
• Pickpocket

KNOWLEDGE

• Alien Races - Specific species
• Bureaucracy - Specific planetary or administrative government or branch within it
• Business - Specific field of business, corporation, trade guild, etc.
• Cultures - Planetary or social group
• Languages - Specific language or dialect
• Planetary Systems - Specific system or world
• Scholar - Specific field of study, such as law, Jedi lore, xenoarchaeology, etc.
• Streetwise - Specific planet or criminal organization
• Survival - Specific environment
• Tactics - Squad, fleet, capital ship, ground assault, etc.
• Technology - Specific type of technology, such as droid, speeders, starships
• Value - Specific market or type of goods
• Willpower

MECHANICAL

• Astrogation - Specific trade route, region, or system
• Beast Riding - Specific creature
• Communications - Type of device (subspace radio, comlink, etc.)
• Ground Vehicle Ops. - Type or model of ground vehicle
• Jet Pack Ops. - Jet or rocket pack
• Hover Vehicle Ops. - Type or model of hover vehicle
• Powersuit Ops. - Type of suit (spacetrooper armor, servo-lifter, etc.)
• Repulsorlift Ops. - Type or model of repulsorlift
• Sensors - Type of sensor (hand scanner, starship sensor, etc.)
• Starship Gunnery - Type of ship or weapon type (concussion missiles, ion cannons, capital ship gunnery, etc.)
• Starship Piloting - Type or model of ship (capital, starfighter, X-Wing fighter, aerofighter, etc.)
• Starship Shields - Type of shield system (capital ship, starfighter, etc.)

PERCEPTION

• Bargain – Specific market or type of goods
• Command – Specific troop type or group
• Con – Disguise, fast-talk
• Forgery – Specific item
• Gambling – Specific game
• Hide – Camouflage
• Intimidation – Interrogation, bullying
• Investigation – Particular city or urban area
• Persuasion – Debate, storytelling, flirting, oration
• Search – Tracking
• Sneak – Specific terrain type

STRENGTH

• Brawling – Boxing, martial art style
• Climbing/Jumping – Climbing, jumping
• Lifting
• Stamina
• Swimming

TECHNICAL

• Armor Repair – Armor type (stormtrooper, bounty hunter, etc.)
• Blaster Repair – Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, etc.
• Computer Programming/Repair – Specific computer system or type
• Demolition – Target type (building, wall, bridge, etc.)
• Droid Programming/Repair – Specific droid type or class
• Ground Vehicle Repair – Specific vehicle type
• Hover Vehicle Repair – Specific vehicle type
• Medicine – First aid, trauma surgery, xenobiology, genetics, psychology, etc.
• Repulsorlift Repair – Type of repulsorlift vehicle
• Security – Security system type
• Starship Repair – Specific ship type, model or individual ship
• Weapon Repair – Archaic weapon type, melee weapon type, etc.

In the next part we'll go over general rules for combining actions, combat, etc.