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Tuesday, August 6, 2024

RPG a Day 6: A Game that's East to Use

This is a doozy of a prompt because it's actually a combination of "how does your brain work" and "what systems have you already internalized" with a frosting of "do you consider character creation play?"

Still, I have an answer, at least for me: WEG Star Wars 1st edition. 

Going with this image as the book is appropriately worn down from use
Just like the Star Wars universe presents itself.

If you have not had the pleasure, this is the d6 system. Players pick a character archetype from the 30 in the back of the book that all perfectly catch the feel of Star Wars, and have dice scores of in Dexterity, Knowledge, Mechanical (which is vehicle use), Perception (which doubles as persuasiveness), Strength, and Technical. These scores go 2d, 2d+1, 2d+2, 3d, 3d+1, 3d+2, and 4d (the Wookie has 5d Strength). Each of of those has skills under them that all roll at the base ability, but you have 6d to distribute to add them, no more than 2d in any one skill. If you have a 3d Dexterity, you shoot any weapon at 3d, but might have Blaster at 4d. The game doesn't get more granular than that. As my friend Jim put it, "Princess Leia doesn't need to be checked out on heavy blaster." As Harrison Ford paraphrased said, "It's not that sort of game, kid." 

Character creation is quick and easy. Understanding the rules, for 90% of the cases, likewise - you GM sets target numbers from 5 to 30, generally in increments of 5. If you try to do something, roll the dice for that skill, add them, and see if you hit the target number. DONE. 

There's also a super spiffy Force Point mechanic where everyone has 1 Force Point per scenario that you can spend during play to DOUBLE the number of dice you're throwing on an action. If you use that force point to do something HEROIC, you get an extra force point back when they refresh. If you spend it doing something EVIL, you still get it back at the refresh, but you also get a DARK SIDE POINT, and roll right then and there - 1d6, and if you roll less than your current number of Dark Side Points your character is consumed with evil and start working for the Emperor. Hand over your character sheet, start over, everyone is now fighting your old PC. 

Everyone who had seen the original trilogy got this IMMEDIATELY. Play was brisk and fun. I'm not a huge fan of the declare up, act down initiative system but with a small number of PCs it's fine. If you haven't ever played it, find a copy and give it a whirl.

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