The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Ninja D!A pair of wannabe Volus Specters that have reached the point of doing a trial mission for the Council could be quite amusing.

Heh, it could be like a buddy cop movie, with one volus wanting to play by the book and impress the council with his professionalism, and the other playing by his own rules to prove that volus can be badass too...

Quote from: Ninja D!We'll need weapons and armor ans such, too. Please, please, please let us use credits and not some abstract wealth system. I hated that about D20 Modern. If it isn't too much trouble (you could probably find such a thing online) having some sort of system to customize equipment, especially weapons, would be great. I think that was very important to ME1, even if it was a bit of a mess.

Real Credits are preferable, though the credit system in d20 Modern isn't bad for really expensive purchases.

I've been looking into the customizable armor but not much is coming up that would be useful. We could try and use the Magic Armor from 3.5 (obviously, dumping the truly magical enchantments). For now, let's just use the Saga edition armor, until we find a set of rules that emulates ME better.

Guns and the like would be easiest just to run with Saga edition's rules. I found these rules that would help begin the process of customization: http://www.d20resources.com/future.d20.srd/equipment/gadgets.universal.weapons/

Yeah, I don't know what could be done with armor. Some based off of magic armor would probably be the best route. Extra armor plating or superior materials could be similar to masterwork armor, maybe with more than one level?

Those weapon mods aren't perfectly in line with the first game but I like them very much. They're a great start but I think a wider variety of weapons (or at least different names for the same weapon stats) would be great. If some of those had different modifiers to attack and damage, that would be even better. Other mods like scopes or devices that increase firing power to do more damage would also be good. I would be fine with them being expensive, if you're concerned about balance.

Wow. Lots of information to sort through, so I don't know if I'll be able to comment on everything in one shot.

System: I don't know about most people, but I personally am a great big fan of D20 Modern, especially Future-- I will admit, I am not too knowledgeable on Saga. When I played SWRPG, that was back before Saga came out, never mind it being out of print. I would suggest D20 Modern solely based on the fact that, from what I know, it is much easier to simply make up things and jamb them into the mechanics without there being too many complications. I also think the Wealth system is rather underrated. Of course, I'd also just like a chance to play Talfryn again (a combat medic-- couldn't fight worth a damn, but that was half the fun), and it definitely would be an inferior character in Saga.

Starting Level: Sorry if I missed this one mentioned already, but the question still remains.

Money: Well, with at least one person highly opposed to the Wealth system, your best bet would likely be to either use the alternate money rules from D20, or whatever the standard rates are in Saga. I don't think it makes too much of a difference anyway once you get past character creation. The older SWRPG weapons were pretty bad, though. The standard Blaster Rifle was a 3d8 weapon that everyone and their grandma could use from level 1-- made diversity a real PitA since everyone had the same thing. D20 Future has a really swanky upgrade system already in place, as well as better weapon diversity, I think, so I would suggest giving it a gander, at least in ideas for what kinds of mechanical effects to put into play.

'Magic' Armor/Weapons: Easily solved by the Upgrades. I do not know Saga, but Future still uses the standard bonus to AC/Defense as opposed to as DR, which is what the antique SWRPG system used, since it was a Vitality health system.

Races: Normally, I'm a fan of all kinds of racial abilities and bonuses; lately, I've found myself a believer of 'Less is More'. Personally, I'd simply take down a lot of those abilities and give the players more freedom to choose things. Instead of "Conditional Feats", why not just either A: Give them the feat, or B: Give them any feat they want. (4E is really making me hate any kind of conditional, considering that most of the system is built around triggers and specific if/then clauses).

Humans (In particular): My impression of ME Humans is not that we are generalists-- but that we are driven to do whatever the heck we want to. We are driven on a personal, not racial, level. That is one of the reasons the other races do not appear to be terribly happy with humans in general, as they see we have the potential to be technologically savvy Krogan. We are upstarts in Council space, but we have apparently well out-paced the non-council races in terms of actual influence, perhaps being the greatest of up until the inclusion at the end of ME1. However, I do not think that means every human is expected to be a politician (I forget how many times I resorted to violence instead of words in those games...). The +Charisma seems odd to my ears, but I can see nothing wrong with it, unless you think a flat +2 choice is too overpowered. The rest have too much 'if/then' nonsense going on. If you want Humans to be more social, then why not just give them one or the other?

Game Type: So, err, what kind of tone/atmosphere/mood is this game going to be? I mean, from the character concepts so far, it seems like the push is more towards light-hearted or tongue-in-cheek as opposed to dark, moody, and ominous. Though I suppose this also depends on what point of time in the ME universe this takes place; location is just as important, too, be it on the Citadel, or in the Terminus systems. This subject is what I'm most keenly interested. I'm not looking for 'Dark and Edgy' (I get enough of that from CE :P ), but I really doubt it should feel like a Toon game, too.

Depending on what happens with the system, who is playing, and other small, non-essential bits, I may try to get Talfryn out and back into a game that isn't based on Aliens. Because we all know how that movie ends.

For the curious: [spoiler=Talfryn]Physical Description: Talfryn is a large man, standing nearly 6 and a half feet tall, with shoulders broad enough to make him seem the perfect fit for a professional football team. It is a very clear shock then, when people learn that Talfryn is in fact a doctor. Not only that, but to hear him tell it, one of the best damn surgeons around, to boot. Whereas any other man in the service who looks like him would be right at home with a heavy chain-gun or rocket launcher, Talfryn uses his tremendous bulk to haul around medical kits and supplies-- as well as the occasional wounded soldier. In fact, being a combat medic, his size has proven exceptionally useful for quickly removing his patients from dangerous areas-- the chance for aggravated injury is a lesser evil compared to letting mortars or additional bullets finish them off.

Talfryn favors a bit of a laid-back look. When in civilian attire, he favors an antique Buffalo-leather jacket he received as a gift from his parents when graduated from Medical School. With it he often wears nothing more elaborate than denim, sandals, and a linen dress-shirt. His black hair short, but almost excessively curly, and his eyes are large, and were once a pleasant-looking hazel.

Service History: Talfryn Rheinhallt was born on the Inner Colony worlds, New Cymru, to be precise. Talfryn was raised in a wealthy family from Caerdydd, and as such, received an excellent education. Whereas most of Talfryn's family made their fortune (and fame) as financial investors in new science research, Talfryn had an aptitude for biology and chemistry-- not the penchant for numbers that his grandfather's original fortune had stemmed from. This aptitude earned more than a simple BS in Biology, it (and perhaps some family 'donations') earned him acceptance into one of the premiere Medical Schools on New Cymru-- and there he excelled, remaining in the top 5% of his class for most of his stay there. Although he loved his work, there was something that drew him to surgery-- a sort of cavalier, instant-decision making that was occasionally necessary-- and a wrong mistake could kill your patient (compared to the other boring specialties. Kidneys? No. Derm?  Oh, look, you have a mole. Gynecology? Fun to joke about, but otherwise pretty uninspiring).

At age 25, Talfryn became a licensed Surgeon. His life proceeded well for the next three years, until nothing short of a true travesty befell him-- he became a mutant. He did not grow an extra arm, horns did not grow out of his forehead, cloven feet did not appear on his legs, and evil bat-like wings did not suddenly sprout out of his back like daisies. It was something far less obvious that would spell doom for his career as a gifted surgeon. His eyes would change color with his moods, and they give off a soft glow noticeable only in near pitch-black conditions. Unfortunately, although his mutation was essentially benign, many people demonstrated an aversion and irrational fear of him-- to be expected of any mutant, obviously. This irrevocable and deeply-rooted fear was the end of Talfryn's career-- he was bought out from his practice and forced to resign almost overnight. Even his family was suddenly very short and terse with him-- they didn't understand his condition, just that he was now something the average person feared and reviled-- it was best for their political acumen if they distanced themselves from him in a public manner.

Only his mother resented the treatment he was shown, for his father had other sons to fixate on instead of "that aberration".

It soon became apparent that not even free clinics would want him working there-- so deeply rooted and wide-spread their fear of him had become, so he looked into ways to get off-planet but still maintain his calling as a surgeon. The only ones who seemed willing to take him were the Interstellar Colonial Armed Forces. Specifically, the fething Space Marines. While Talfryn was unsure of this arrangement at first, he soon discovered it to be his real calling-- now, instead of working on individuals in the sterile environment of a surgery center, he was stuffing organs back into abdominal cavities and stapling closed torn arteries and shrapnel wounds. He loved it. He couldn't help it-- nor did he want to stop loving it. He found a purity in that combat that was found nowhere else-- he was the person who helped to save the people trying to save worlds! What greater calling could there be for one of his skills?

Well, being able to shoot straight might have been one of them.

While Talfryn has some interesting decorations aside from his few campaign ribbons, not one of them stems from his ability to shoot worth a damn-- he barely made it through Basic because of that fact. Hell, it's very likely the only reason he graduated from it was because he had an MD, could sew up a wounded trial in record time, and could give an ague shot to the most stubborn patients. Those are damn fine reasons to pass a trained medic, however-- and he spent much of his specialist training teaching his own instructors in more useful techniques. He was known by them to be a bit of a hot-shot, but his instructors would be damned before they'd admit that his ways were usually better than the thrice-damned field manuals they taught from.

Given his skill with a surgery kit, even under fire, Talfryn was often bounced back and forth between various units, serving directly on the front-lines during low-to-mid risk engagements, but being relegated back to MASH units during major engagements in large hot zones. He has even been 'lent out' (as his own request) to various local armies in an attempt to help their own medics stem the waves of blood. In this faculty, he excels at teaching by demonstration, finding a way to turn a brutal fight to save a dying soldier into a learning experience for all involved. Some of them learn. Some don't. In fact, he is one of the few Marines to have medals and commendations from units he never actually served in-- under any official capacity, at least.

Psychological Evaluation: Talfryn is both a victim and a survivor of his own hubris and altruism-- and it is inevitably going to get him killed. He thinks that he can save anyone-- from perhaps anything up to and including decapitation or disintegration. The sad fact is that he probably can save them, which has done nothing to temper his hubris in regard to medicine. As such, he is quite willing to take many foolish risks to try and reach injured patients, sometimes forgetting his own place as the squad's only medic-- it is not smart for him to subject himself to gunfire when he is the only one who knows how to stitch up bullet holes in the first place. There have been numerous occurrences where his squad has had to hold him back from behaving recklessly, only to send someone else to retrieve the wounded at their own peril.

One particular situation on Pegasus Eridani in the Shordun Valley saw Talfryn break from cover to drag back three wounded marines. That earned him a medal, despite the stupidity of taunting an entrenched position of heavy weapons. Not only did he manage to escape unharmed, but he did manage to save the lives of the three Marines, including a Chief Warrant Officer responsible for running the C2H Heavies needed to clear out that entrenched position. A few, mostly himself, claim that his actions kept the entire operation on time.

Talfryn may be over-confident in his own abilities, but he does have a good heart-- on numerous deployments he has taken it upon himself to provide assistance at local clinics-- occasionally even making use of his own supply kits. There is no denying that someone of his talent has helped to save numerous lives at such places. A fact that, once more, adds to his growing hubris. He does what he can to hide his mutation from the common people in these situations, afraid that they would rather die than come into contact with a "mutant"-- though he has been glad to find that some people simply don't give a damn-- they'll take whatever help someone is willing to give. Such desperate people are what keeps Talfryn going these days-- even if their desires to be "made better" are selfish, they aren't biased to whom it is coming from, so long as it is help.

The one true hole in his armor is that he is a mutant. While it has had no true physical effect on him, he has been the subject of a great deal of bigotry for his condition-- which he deeply resents. It cost him his entire career out of blind fear on the part of "uneducated, superstitious, pricks", and forced him into the line of duty, facing down everything from miners with sharp sticks to entrenched heavy weapons, from local strains of common diseases to vicious and deadly local animal and plant life. While he might not admit it openly, he does love this job. The life-or-death situations is something he truly revels in, and he likes being there to patch up people when they happen to make the wrong choice during those times.

He could make a fine officer, should he be able to reign in his desire to help every poor bastard bleeding out in a kill-zone. Perhaps he would be most suited to working full-time in a MASH unit away from the front lines or in the relative safety of a troop ship. He would probably be able to run the best damned medical unit in the Corp, assuming he could be convinced to give up his role on the front-line.[/spoiler]

If we did do d20 Future I think I would still play my Vorcha character - Smart Hero just works so well for him.

There are some psionics rules that could work for biotics, I believe.  Classes like the Battle Mind and Telepath fit fairy well.

Quote from: CoyoteCamouflageStarting Level: Sorry if I missed this one mentioned already, but the question still remains.

I guess this hasn't been mentioned. I'm normally all in favor of starting at level one. However, if one or more of us is to be a Specter, unless you're going to make some enemies suitably minion-like, it might make some sense to be a little higher level than that. Unless, of course, we worked out some story where the Specter was appointed for political reasons, not because of their great skill.

Quote from: CoyoteCamouflageMoney: Well, with at least one person highly opposed to the Wealth system, your best bet would likely be to either use the alternate money rules from D20, or whatever the standard rates are in Saga. I don't think it makes too much of a difference anyway once you get past character creation. The older SWRPG weapons were pretty bad, though. The standard Blaster Rifle was a 3d8 weapon that everyone and their grandma could use from level 1-- made diversity a real PitA since everyone had the same thing. D20 Future has a really swanky upgrade system already in place, as well as better weapon diversity, I think, so I would suggest giving it a gander, at least in ideas for what kinds of mechanical effects to put into play.

Honestly, the wealth system would probably better represent the abstract resources of a Specter, assuming we're still going that route. I don't really like it but I'm not making the decision and I will accept either way without serious complaint.

Quote from: CoyoteCamouflageRaces: Normally, I'm a fan of all kinds of racial abilities and bonuses; lately, I've found myself a believer of 'Less is More'. Personally, I'd simply take down a lot of those abilities and give the players more freedom to choose things. Instead of "Conditional Feats", why not just either A: Give them the feat, or B: Give them any feat they want. (4E is really making me hate any kind of conditional, considering that most of the system is built around triggers and specific if/then clauses).

D&D 4E is a beautifully constructed mechanical system for a balanced combat experience. It's a fun game. That's not what I'm looking for in this, though. I would rather see the world be accurately represented and nothing at all balanced in any way. I think the races were pretty well done. If anything, I would add more detail to them. Conditional feats are a little strange but I don't dislike them.

Alright, now, what are we doing? Give us a general starting point and I will come up with a character. If the game should be based around a Specter, unless someone else jumps in and wants to play that character, I can easily come up with one of those. The other characters would be easy to fit in from there because it would make sense for a Specter to gain strange allies. If we're going to do something other than the Specter thing (mercenaries would be terribly easy to run, though keeping it really interesting would be more difficult), let us know. Let's get the ball rolling again.

[ooc]I'll add more once some more campaign details have been hammered out.

Portrait taken from http://www.electricblueskies.com/[/ooc]
[ic=Archimedes]

Pre-Service History

Common wisdom holds the vermin-species known as the vorcha to be little more than animals.  Cerberus knew better.  Intrigued by the remarkably adaptable non-differentiated cells all vorcha possess, Cerberus began gathering vorcha for experimentation.  Rounding up droves of subjects was a simple matter: batarin slavers, unscrupulous krogan, and exterminators looking for a "humane" method of pest-disposal all eagerly sold vorcha to the organization.  Thus began Project Nietzsche: a series of experiments designed to push vorcha adaptability to its limits.  Most of the Project's Subjects were deemed failures, but a few survived the brutal methods of Cerberus' scientists.  Among them is Subject Seven-Thirty-Seven, nicknamed Archimedes, a vorcha designed to be a "living computer," an alternative to Artificial Intelligence.

In most instances, vorcha non-differentiated cells adapt to augment resilience to physical damage.  Burn a vorcha and its skin will become all but fire-proof; fill its lungs with poison gas and it will adapt to breathe the most noxious of fumes.  Observation, however, demonstrated that in some incidences, vorcha could become more intelligent: vorcha trained by korgan mercenaries, for example, displayed not only enhanced agility and strength but increased problem-solving abilities and overall cognition functionality.  Subject Seven-Thirty-Seven was raised by a regimen of scientists who daily exposed the creature to a battery of progressively complicated intellectual exercises, puzzles, and tests.  If Subject Seven-Thirty-Seven failed to complete the assigned challenge in sufficient time, a series of small electroshock generators implanted into certain regions of his brain were activated, with excruciating results.  This regimen was supplemented by a battery of nootropic drugs.

As time passed, Archimedes gradually become more and more adept at the challenges posed to him.  The electroshock implants stimulated his undifferentiated cells to regenerate and augment relevant regions of the brain; as a result, he began to exhibit savant-level mathematical ability, eidetic memory capability, and a host of other enhanced mental characteristics.  Able to detect "deep patterns" and perform analytical calculations at a stupendous rate, Archimedes eventually became all but prescient, so rapid and extensive were his cognitive abilities.  His ability as a programmer and hacker likewise became prodigious.  A skilled speed-reader, he swiftly absorbed vast quantities of knowledge, ranging from advanced mathematical theories to volumes of abstract philosophy and metaphysics.  Each day, members of the Project Nietzsche research team would bring him a new database to absorb; Archimedes proved a voracious bibliophile, and constantly clamoured for more to read.  Unrestricted access to galactic databases, however, was strictly forbidden the vorcha experiment: Cerberus feared that despite his enhanced mental abilities, Archimedes might still possess the animal cunning and aggression typical of his species, and might become agitated or even violent if he discovered the mistreatment of his brethren, or the circumstances of his creation.

When the Reaper Nazara '" Sovereign '" emerged from hibernation and led the schismatic geth from the worlds beyond the Perseus Veil, the asteroid-base Project Nietzsche conducted its operations on was discovered by geth forces.  Though Cerberus' defenses were extensive, the geth easily hacked into the research base's mainframe, disabling security mechs and gun emplacements and powering down shields.  They proceeded to board the asteroid and convert the inhabitants into husks while downloading Cerberus research notes and stripping the base of valuable technology.   When they reached Archimedes' cell, however, they found it empty.  After realizing the base had been compromised Archimedes easily hacked his cell door (previously he had simply chosen to remain in his cell '" he was capable of escape at almost any time) and crept into a ventilation shaft, jury-rigging a tactical cloaking mechanism to mask his presence from geth sensors.  After the geth departed he escaped the base in a Cerberus craft, having first versed himself on relevant piloting techniques in an astonishingly brief period of time.  Before departing the base he absorbed the entire Cerberus database, discovering in detail the knowledge previously denied him.  Instead of reacting with horror or disbelief at the atrocities Cerberus had committed, however, Archimedes read the experiment logs and case reports with detached objectivity and even a cold approval.

It wasn't long before Archimedes found his way into Council space.  His skills as a technician and pilot quickly earned him a reputation, leading to his eventual employment as a mechanic and later a pilot in the Citadel Fleet: his ability to make a thousand calculations simultaneously and in the space of nanoseconds has made him formidable in space-combat, and he spent six months hunting geth in the aftermath of their thwarted attack on he Citadel.  Though he faces prejudice daily, he has proven time and time again to have transcended the near-mindless brutality typical of his fellow vorcha. Most recently he has been hired as a consulting detective for T'Parn Security and Investigations.  This assignment would prove only the beginning of his strange and storied career...

Psychological Profile

Archimedes is extremely personable and well-spoken '" shockingly so for a vorcha '" though he tends to be pedantic, long-winded, and sometimes condescending.  He is fond of quoting literature, especially the works of Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, and John Milton; he is also a classical music enthusiast and an admirer of certain salarian visual artists.  Physically he is utterly unremarkable, resembling a typical vorcha in all respects, from his bulbous red eyes to his long fangs, though he lacks extensive physical augmentations or adaptations, unlike many vorcha.  Despite his cultivation, strong sadistic instincts lie latent within Archimedes, a part of his heritage impossible to fully expunge.  While he keeps these violent impulses under tight control, Archimedes' temper can be frightening.  He has little empathy for others and displays no evidence of guilt: this suggests he may be an extremely high-functioning sociopath, likely the result of his isolated and pain-filled upbringing.  Apart from his lack of conscience and his biological aggression, Archimedes is quite sociable, though prone to analyze others, a trait some find irritating.

Archimedes delights in puzzles above all things.  Riddles, games, mental contests, intellectual challenges, paradoxes, and mysteries all absorb him completely: his brain has been completely rewired to become a puzzle-solving machine.  Without frequent mental stimulation Archimedes develops extremely painful headaches; to combat this, he carries a Rubik's Cube at all times (current solve record 7.21 seconds) and frequently plays games on his Omni-Tool.  When bored he resorts to these petty challenges, sometimes while others are speaking, in hopes of staving off an incipient migraine.

Statistics

Archimedes

Medium Humanoid

Vorcha Savant 3

Strength 8

Dexterity 12

Constitution 10

Intelligence 20

Wisdom 10

Charisma 10

Action Points 6

Hit Points 29

Defense

Fortitude 15

Reflex 20

Will 13

Damage Threshold 13

Shield Rating 5

Attack

Base Attack Bonus +2

Melee Attack Bonus +0

Ranged Attack Bonus +3 (+4 within Point Blank range): M-6 Carnifex Heavy Pistol 3d8

Speed 6 squares

Skills

Trained: Initiative +13, Knowledge (Galactic Lore) +12, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +12, Knowledge (Life Sciences) +12, Mechanics +12, Perception +7, Pilot +13, Use Computer +14, Use Tech +12 (+13 with T'Kin's Omni-Tool).

Feats

Skill Focus (Pilot), Skill Focus (Initiative), Tech Training, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Proficiency (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (simple weapons), Careful Shot

Talents

Savant (Computer Use), Exploit Weakness

Tech Powers

AI Hacking (x2), Tech Armour (x2), Overload (x2)

Languages

Common, Quarian, Vorcha, Turian, Asari, Salarian

Age 6

Equipment

Padded Flight Suit
M-6 Carnifex Heavy Pistol
Judgment Heavy Pistol
Pinnacle Line Pistol
Striker Pistol
Titan Sniper Rifle
Smoke Grenades (5)
Frag Grenades (5)
Customized Omni-Tool (T'Kin's)
Omni-Tool (Wiped)
2 Medi-Gel Packs
Shield Battery
Utility Belt
Security Kit
Rubik's Cube[/ic]

The big 16 (pilfered from the OOTS PbP forum):

    1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
--- Star Wars Saga Edition

    2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
--- Trainee Specters and their skilled allies adventuring to save the galaxy.

    3. How many Players are you looking for?
--- 2-6 players.

    4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
--- CBG Role Playing Forum

    5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
--- Starting at level 2.

    6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
--- Max gold determined by your class

    7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
--- All classes are open, as well as all SW Saga Edition Prestige Class, save for anything related to Jedi, Sith, Force Users, etc.

    8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
--- All available races have been created and can be found in this post.

    9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
--- 28 Point Buy

    10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
--- Alignment does not exist, although truly reprehensible actions will have in-game consequences.

    11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
--- Multiclassing is fine.

    12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
--- Honor System :)

    13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
--- None as of yet.

    14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
--- At least one paragraph describing each characters background (where he came from, his basic personaility, etc.).

    15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
--- A focus on combat and roleplaying is to be expected.

    16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
--- Star Wars Saga Edition books.

Can I use the Research and/or Strategy Talent Trees from the d20 Modern Smart Hero in lieu of the Fortune/Misfortune Talent Trees of the Scoundrel, or would that cause balance issues?  I actually prefer the Scoundrel to the Smart Hero otherwise, and am happy we're using Saga rules, just wondering if I can tweak my class slightly - this change would emphasize the skill-monkey and deceptive aspects of the Scoundrel over sneak attacks and luck.

I have zero problem with either Talent Tree, feel free to use them Steerpike :)

I'm leaning Volus or Salarian right now but I'm afraid a Salarian would end up too much like Mordin. Do you think we'll have any luck finding a third?

When you say max gold determined by class, Elemental Elf, do you mean we get the maximum possible wealth as if we rolled all 4s?

EDIT: Salarians are super awesome.  Maybe just try making a non-scientist Salarian to avoid making a Mordin clone?  I know the Salarians have some weird goddess-cult, what about a Salarian mystic with biotic abilities?  Or a Salarian Specter who's an absolute combat monster?

P.P.S. Are we using Destiny points or Destinies in general?

The Salarian Councilor was nothing like Mordin. There's a lot of directions you can go with a Salarian. The Specter you guys will be dealing with initially will be a Salarian.

@ Steerpike: Yes, you have it :)

Destiny Points will be added as we go. I like to give players time to develop a story and personality for their character in-game before we deal with such weighty topics.

@ Ninja: I've been trying but I can't find any takers! I can easily balance everything for 2 PCs, adding in some NPCs to help you out when/if you need them.  

Thanks!

My character is finished.  I treated an Omni-Tool as a Datapad and an M-4 Shuriken SMG as a Blaster Pistol for price and statistics.

EDIT: Since the Omni-Tool is now free I changed my equipment to a Heavy Blaster (Carnifex pistol) and Padded Flight Suit.

Quote from: SteerpikeThanks!

My character is finished.

Great to hear, I really like your character :)

Quote from: SteerpikeI treated an Omni-Tool as a Datapad and an M-4 Shuriken SMG as a Blaster Pistol for price and statistics.

Slight addendum, the Omnitool uses the same rules as a Datapad, Audiorecorder, videorecorder and a toolkit. No charge for this item, it is given to you by the Citadel. You also receive a Utility Belt for free. You don't have to take either item if you desire.