Hard Contact Pregens

I was going to put up a new build of the week today, but I decided that I’d follow up my last post with some the characters that I built for my lower level module I’ll be running next Saturday: Hard Contact. I don’t have much of a preamble, so let’s skip the rest of the formalities and jump right into the stat blocks shall we?

Asanna Drello

Medium Human Jedi 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +6; Senses Perception +3

Langauges Basic

Defenses Ref 14 (flat-footed 14), Fort 14, Will 16; Deflect

hp 44; Thresh 14

Speed 6 squares

Melee lightsaber +4 (2d8+2) or

Melee lightsaber +4 (2d8+3) two handed

Base Atk +3; Grp +3

Special Actions Consular’s Vitality

Force Powers Known (Use the Force +13): Force slam x2, move object, negate energy, vital transfer x2

Abilities Str 12, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 14

Talents Consular’s Vitality, Deflect

Feats Force Sensitivity, Force Training (x2), Skill focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force, Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple waepons)

Skills Acrobatics +6, Initiative +6, Use the Force +13

Possessions padawan robes, lightsaber

Rowollor

Medium Wookiee Jedi 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +6; Senses Perception +2

Languages Basic (understand only), Shyriiwook

Defenses Ref 14 (flat-footed 14), Fort 16, Will 15

hp 50, Thresh 16

Speed 6 squares

Melee lightsaber +7 (2d8+6) or

Melee lightsaber +7 (2d8+9) two-handed

Base Atk +3, Grp +6

Atk Options Guardian Strike, Weapon Specialization (lightsabers)

Force Powers Known (Use the Force +6): battlestrike ( (x2)

Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10

Talents Guardian Strike, Weapon Specialization (lightsabers)

Feats Distracting Strike*, Force Sensitivity, Force Training, Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons)

Skills Initiative +6, Use the Force +6

Possessions lightsaber, padawan robes

*renamed from Staggering Attack from Galaxy at War

Short

Medium Human (Clone) Solder 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4

Lanaguages Basic, Shyriiwook

Defenses Ref 19 (flat-footed 17), Fort 19, Will 14

hp 50; Thresh 19

Speed 6 squares

Melee unarmed +3 (1d4+1)

Ranged ion pistol +5 (3d8+1/+5 vs droids)

Ranged ion rifle +5 (3d8+1/+5 vs. droids)

Ranged ion grenade +5 (4d6+1/+5 vs. droids, 3-square splash)

Ranged sidearm blaster pistol +5 (3d6+1/+3 vs. droids)

Base Atk +3; Grp +3

Atk Options Devastating Attack (pistols, rifles), Disabler, Droid Hunter, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Abilities Str 11, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10

Talents Devastating Attack (pistols, rifles)

Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Disabler, Droid Hunter, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapons)

Skill Endurance +8, Initiative +8, Knowledge (technology) +7, Mechanics +7, Use Computer +7

Possessions clone trooper armor (+6 armor, +2 equipment), ion pistol, ion rifle, 4 ion grenades, sidearm blaster pistol, utility belt with medpac, roll of meshtape, cryo pouch

Heavy

Medium Human (Clone) Soldier 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4

Languages Basic

Defenses Ref 19 (flat-footed 17), Fort 19, Will 14

hp 53′; Thresh 19

Speed 6 squares

Melee unarmed +4 (1d4+2)

Ranged rotary blaster cannon +3 (3d10+1, 2×4 area) with braced autofire or

Ranged rotary blaster cannon +0 (5d10+1) with Burst Fire

Ranged blaster rifle +5 (3d8+1) or

Ranged blaster rifle +0 (5d8+1) with Burst Fire

Ranged frag grenade +5 (4d6+1, 2-square burst)

Ranged sidearm blaster pistol +5 (3d6+1)

Base Atk +3; Grp +4

Atk Options Burst Fire, Comrades in Arms, Destructive Force, Focused Targeting

Abiltiies Str 13, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10

Talents Comrades in Arms, Focused Targeting

Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Burst Fire, Destructive Force, Toughness, Weapon Proficency (heavy weapons, pistols, rifles, simple weapons)

Skills Climb +7, Initiative +8, Jump +7, Swim +7

Possessions clone trooper armor (+6 armor, +2 equipment), rotary blaster cannon, blaster rifle with attached grenade launcher, sidearm blaster pistol, 4 frag grenades, utility belt with medpac, cryo pouch

Sarge

Medium Human (Clone) Noble 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

Languages Basic, Kaminoan, Mando’a, Shyriiwook

Defenses Ref 19 (flat-footed 17), Fort 16, Will 18; Grand Army of the Republic Training

hp 29; Thresh 16

Speed 6 squares

Melee unarmed +3 (1d4+1)

Ranged blaster rifle +5 (3d8+1)

Ranged sidearm blaster pistol +5 (3d6+1)

Ranged frag grenade +5 (4d6+1, 2-square burst)

Base Atk +3; Grp +3

Atk Options Coordinated Attack

Special Actions Anticipate Movement, Born Leader

Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 12

Talents Anticipate Movement, Born Leader

Feats Armor Profiency (light), Coordinated Attack, Grand Army of the Republic Training, Linguist, Weapon Profiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapons)

Skills Initiative +8, Knowledge (bureaucracy) +7, Knowledge (galactic lore) +7, Knowledge (tactics) +7, Perception +9, Persuasion +7, Treat Injury +7, Use Computer +7

Possessions clone trooper armor (+6 armor, +2 equipment), blaster rifle, sidearm blaster pistol, 2 frag grenades , utility belt with 4 medpacs, cryo pouch

Bullseye

Medium Human (Clone) Solder 2/Scoundrel 1

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8

Languages Basic, Shyriiwook

Defenses Ref 20 (flat-footed 18), Fort 17, Will 14

hp 41; Thresh 17

Speed 6 squares

Melee unarmed +3 (1d4+1)

Ranged heavy blaster pistol +5 (3d8+1) or

Ranged heavy blaster pistol +3 (4d8+1) with Rapid Shot or

Ranged heavy blaster pistol +0/+0 (3d8+1) or

Ranged heavy blaster pistol -2/-2 (4d8+1) with Rapid Shot

Ranged sidearm blaster pistol +5 (3d6+1)

Base Atk +2; Grp +3

Atk Options Devastating Attack (pistols), Dual Weapon Mastery I, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Running Attack, Skirmisher, Weapon Focus (pistols)

Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 11

Talents Devastating Attack (pistols), Skirmisher

Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Dual Weapon Mastery I, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Running Attack, Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapon)

Skills Initiative +8, Jump +7, Knowledge (tactics) +7, Perception +8, Pilot +8

Possessions clone trooper armor (+6 armor, +2 equipment), 2 heavy blaster pistols, sidearm blaster pistol, utility belt with medpac, cryo pouch

Goggles

Medium Human (Clone) Scout 3

Destiny 1; Force 4; Dark Side 0

Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12

Languages Basic, Shyriiwook

Defenses Ref 20 (flat-footed 18), Fort 18; Will 14

hp 40; Thresh 18

Speed 6 squares

Melee unarmed +2 (1d4+1)

Ranged heavy blaster rifle +4 (3d12+1)

Ranged sidearm blaster pistol +4 (3d6+1)

Base Atk +2; Grp +2

Special Actions Spotter

Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 10

Talents Acute Senses, Spotter

Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Shake it Off, Skill Focus (Perception, Stealth), Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapons)

Skills Endurance +8, Initiative +8, Knowledge (galactic lore) +7, Mechanics +7, Perception +12 (can reroll, must take second result), Stealth +18, Survival +7

Possessions clone armor (+6 armor, +2 equipment), heavy blaster rifle, sidearm blaster pistol, utility belt with medpac, electrobinoculars, camouflage poncho, cryo pouch

So there you have the squad. Very combat and soldier focused, I know, but then again, that’s the kind of adventure (and the kind of era) the one-shot is designed around.

I’d love to get other people’s feedback on these guys. Let me know what you like, what you don’t like, what you might do differently, and most importantly, if they look like they’d be fun to play.

I’ll most likely be back on Monday with the pregens from the other game I’ll be running next week, The Ghosts of Alderaan, which is a higher level (8th) adventure, so you can look forward to that.

And tomorrow I’ll be posting up my Build of the Week: The Ultimate Bodyguard, so you have that to look forward to. Until then Gamer Nation.

Lessons Learned: Part One

As some of you may know, I am in the process of writing a couple of Star Wars Saga Edition One Shots for our local college’s annual convention: The Ghosts of Alderaan and Hard Contact. In beginning the process of writing these one shots, I’ve discovered a number of things about the writing process that I would like to try and codify to some degree to see if they can help the next writer a little bit. The first thing I will tackle is character creation.

Rule #1: Pregens

When I write and run one shots, I like to have pregenerated characters ready to go. This tends to make things run a lot smoother when you have a time constraint like you usually do in a convention setting. This way, you get can into the game within 10 minutes to a half hour instead of an hour or an hour and half, especially if you have new or indecisive players. All you have to do is explain the basic rules of the game for those that don’t know them, explain an ability or two on a character sheet, and then let the dice start rolling.

Rule #2: You Can Have Too Much of a Good Thing

When beginning to create pregens for your one-shots, it’s important to keep in mind that while you may enjoy building a wide variety of characters, you can create too many of them, and it can be overwhelming for a new player (or an indecisive one) to sift through a dozen character sheets for a character they are going to be playing for the next few hours. Sit down for a few minutes and write out a few broad ideas for the characters, maybe 8-10, as follows:

• Jedi – Force User
• Jedi – Lightsaber Combatant
• Gunslinger
• Pilot
• Techie
• Medic
• Leader
• Heavy Weapons Guy
• Rifleman
• Scout

Than sit down and take a harder look at them, thinking about the kind of game you’re writing and how each of those character roles are going to interact with the game. Begin striking out some of the ones that you won’t need, and combine some with others if you can.

In the above example, I decide that having a character completely devoted to piloting starships and vehicles is a little too specific for the one shot I have in mind, which will involve at maximum one starship encounter. I don’t need a dedicated pilot, but I do need someone who can at least pilot the ship with some level of competence. When looking at the rest of the character ideas, any of them will have access to the Pilot skill, and more than a few of them might even have a feat to spend on Skill Focus for the character. I keep that in mind and move on. The Rifleman seems like a solid character option, but if I go that route, it gives me a total of four characters that really do nothing but combat (the other three being the Lightsaber Jedi, the Gunslinger, and the Heavy Weapons Guy). I could easily combine the idea of the Rifleman/Sniper with the Scout, giving him some options outside of combat, while at the same time, still keeping him a valued member of the party when the chips are down. As for the Techie and the Medic, well, I cover this in more detail later, but suffice to say you really don’t need them on the list, and the Leader can have a number of good options for dabbling in a little bit of healing, so you can strike them off the list, leaving you with six character ideas. This is a good number to start with, as you can always add another character should you find you have a role that needs to be filled after you’ve made them.

Rule #3: Generality Over Specificity

It’s a good idea to keep your character ideas broad. While you might enjoy creating the “Archaic Weapons Duelist” or the “Jedi Diviner” or the “Armchair Academic,” is everyone at the table going to want to play them, even if the idea fits into the one shot? Keep the ideas broad enough that they are going to appeal to a lot of different players. This isn’t to say that you’re pregens should be so broad that they are all essentially clones of each other (unless they all happen to be… you know, Clone Troopers – sorry, couldn’t resist the pun), but they shouldn’t be built with such a specific purpose in mind that it turns out to be the only thing they can do.

The same rule applies to combat focused characters as well as non-combat focused. Make sure that if they lose their weapon, they aren’t so reliant on it that they’re screwed for the rest of the game.

Rule #4: It’s Them! Blast Them!

Players are going to want to shoot things. Make sure you have built the characters with this in mind. This is why I warned you off from tech and medical focuses for your pregens, because those characters can quickly become so focused on following those pursuits, they can become crippled in combat. While this is fine for a player that wants to play this type of character in a long running game where they can really find their niche, but this really isn’t possible in a four to five hour game. While you shouldn’t shy away from giving a character training in the technical and medical skills, don’t build a character idea around those skills, especially when there are many so many options to add an ability like that on as a “kicker,” and let them remain active in combat every round.

Rule #5: Give The Players The Keys

Because you’ve spent the time creating the characters, you know what they can do and what they cannot do, but a new (or sometimes a player who doesn’t have the new supplements you’re using) player might look at a talent or a feat and ignore it because they don’t know what it does. Here’s what I do in this situation:

If there is an ability that cannot be shown by writing them into a the attack, damage, skill, or other numerical areas on the character sheet like Skill Focus, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Toughness, or Improved Defenses, write the description on an index card and paperclip them to the character sheet.

Do this with Feats, Talents, and Species Abilities, as well as any other rules that they are going to be playing with a lot. If you have character that is going to be making a lot of grapple checks, it might be a good idea to write on the back of one of those cards the high points of grappling and how it interacts with the characters stats. The same is true of characters that make a lot of use of autofire attacks, or have a skill that isn’t used as often as the other ones.

If you do it this way, the player has at their fingertips all the information that they need to run the character without having to halt the game to look something up in the rulebooks. It may take a little more time up front, but it’s so worth it when you can watch a player use an ability for the first time without having to look at the index card because they’ve had it in front of them the whole time.

Rule #6: Second Thoughts On Second Thoughts.

When you’ve created your pregens for the game, give them 24 hours and then take a look at them again. Do they still look good? Take a second breeze through of some the character options that you may not have considered and take the time to re-spec a character here or tweak a build there, but most importantly, look to see that it still looks like it’ll be fun to play. That’s the important thing. After that, focus the rest of your energies on polishing the module and doing evverything you can to make sure it’s ready to run and don’t second guess yourself on the pregens anymore.

So there are the six rules that I’ve come up with so far on characters when writing one-shots. I’m sure there are many more of them that I could think of, but this is a good start, and it wouldn’t be fun if I held your hands the entire time, right? When it comes right down to it, experience – as they say – really is the best teacher.

So keep writing those one-shots, Gamer Nation. I look forward to reading and playing adventures with your names on them someday soon. And hey, if you have some rules that you feel I may have missed and feel are important to mention, send them my way.