http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0424.html
A good GM will use things from their everyday experiences to provide challenges to the players. Stop and think about something that annoys you or causes you problems in real life. Then think about how you can use elements of that as part of a gaming obstacle or encounter. Play up the difficulties and frustration to a level where it becomes a serious hindrance or even danger to the PCs.Imagine sending an Imperial auditor after a successful group of adventurers to go through their treasure and assess taxation. Or having a group of space traders deal with a full Customs inspection, import licence check, and so on. Or have them kept awake all night when camping in the wilderness by swarms of caterpillars constantly crawling over their faces.
Seriously, that last one is no fun whatsoever.
...evil bastard.
Oh dear, I just discovered the character creation page. This is going to be too much fun.
{edit} I have questions, but I'm trying to slowly uncover the answers instead of inundating you guys with what are undoubtedly youngling-level inquiries. I have, however, discovered that Bounty Hunters as such don't exist within the framework of Ush's game (alas), which seems to be the most popular atm.
Ok, initial question time. Thanks you for any and all help, and sorry in advance for the number of questions I'm likely to ask:
1. How many merits do we get upon character creation? I'm sure it's listed I just can't find it. Many templates list "gains an extra merit" as well, but what's the base before those additions?
2. The rules cover schticks and force powers well, but I can't find the description of this stuff:
Jedi Lore:
Languages:
Savoir Faire:
Combat:
Persuade:
Medicine:
Fix-it:
...and what exactly each of those do. Obviously I can guess accurately, but I haven't found a list of abilities and modifiers from this list.
3. Each template is given Blade and Combat Schtick numbers to choose. But not Pilot Schticks. How do we obtain Pilot Schticks, or are they part of Combat or Blade?
4. Finally, I've seen templates that are supposedly greater and lesser fighters (we'll take Freelancer/Seeker for example, where FL should be the better fighter) yet there's something like this:
Freelancer:
Force Rating: 5
Force Attack: 7
Force Defence: 1
Allocate six points amongst Strength, Agility and Dexterity (max 5)
Allocate five points amongst Intelligence, Charisma and Perception (max 5)
FORCE POWERS: Push/Pull, Sense, Intuition; choose 5 others
Seeker:
Force Rating: 8
Force Attack: 8
Force Defence: 2
Allocate six points amongst Strength, Agility and Dexterity (max 5)
Allocate seven points amongst Intelligence, Charisma and Perception (max 5)
FORCE POWERS: Push/Pull, Sense, Intuition; choose 10 others
Now, I left out Schtick selection, which does heavily favor the Freelancer. But an eyeball test has me skeptical that it closes the gap on the lead that the supposedly-less-warrior Seeker has in these categories. Am I missing something? I know the classes need not be completely equal, but it would hurt to know I'm handicapping my character significantly for the sake of the RP element (and yes, I kinda like the RP of Freelancer, thus the question).
Merits - unless it says otherwise, you have three merits to spend by default.
Skills...there's descriptions of them somewhere, if it's not in the main rules thread it's in the character creation one. Yup, here it is.
Pilot and gun tricks (I hate the word 'schtick' and use it as little as possible 😛) you only get if the template states you do. Some of them have them, some don't.
And as far as the Force numbers go, it's not hugely important. Each template will be better at something than another is, but they all largely balance out. Force rating basically just dictates how often you can use powers (not the basic ones, but the mastery powers), and certain rolls use that. Like, my character is a Pariah, the Dark Jedi equivalent of Freelancer, though I've bought my Force rating higher with experience. I'm not as good with the Force as, say, Zink or Melkor's characters, but it doesn't matter, because Rianna is ridiculously deadly with a lightsaber. Different skills and specializations is it, really.
(The system used to be different, and then the skill difference between a Swordsman template and the others was a bit more marked; I've been slightly of the opinion that with the current system, the Swordsmen don't stand out quite as much as they used to. However, when it comes to any sort of physical fighting, they are generally by far the best. I just miss how much more incredibly deadly I used to be 😛)
Also, if you think Freelancer looks fun on the RP side of things, go read the description for Pariah 😛 I have far too much fun with it.
Lana pretty much got you covered, but I'd like to throw in, that while what you posted makes it seem like the seeker is not balanced, not everything is based off your force rating.
For example, your ability to use a lightsaber is your lightsaber rating plus whatever stat is highest, strength, agility or dexterity.
So the seeker has a lower lightsaber rating than the freelancer, so add that to the extra blade tricks and things like that, and you get someone who is pretty damn good at just slicing through a room of combat droids or something, where the seeker would be more apt to maybe hurl some objects at the droids, and then play some force-based mind games or something.