Star Wars Saga RPG Hacks, Part Two (Story Points)
Prior post: Star Wars Saga RPG Hacks, Part One (Abstract Combat).
This post is all about pushing a play style through rewards. If you know Burning Wheel, you'll see some familiar stuff.
Players get rewarded for playing up their personality and goals, and utilizing what's on their character sheet. The GM is highly encouraged to put PCs in situations which highlight these things so players can use 'em.
Expanded Hero Traits
Expanded Personality
Expanding heavily on Personality (pp 112, I believe), the player creates three personality traits. The first trait must be a belief or value of the player's. Luke Skywalker has the value: Of all things, I value my friends the most. The other two can be values or simply just personality descriptors, such as stubborn or money-minded.
You can change a trait if the group agrees, based on out-of-game discussion.
There are three tricks that can each be used once/adventure, though the personality traits can be used at all times. Here are the tricks. If you use your trait to describe an action, you can pick a trick to use after the roll has been made. Think of using a personality trait as taking out insurance against a bum roll.
Expanding heavily on Goals (pp 112), the player creates three explicit goals, two upon character creation and one during play. These are:
When you achieve a goal, you remove it from your character sheet and should replace it as soon as possible (possibly even during the same scene in which you achieved the last goal). Don't forget that these are player goals, and the character herself may not have the same goal.
Sometimes you will wish (or are forced) to change a goal before it is completed. If you change your goal based on one of your PC's Personality Traits, you get half the typical reward for completing the goal (rounding down). If you change it for any other reason, you get no story point reward.
For example, in A New Hope, Han Solo had the Campaign Goal Pay off my debt to Jabba at any cost. Near the end of the film, he changes his Look out out for three things: Myself, Chewie and the Millenium Falcon Personality Trait to Look out for three things: My friends, the Rebellion, and the Millenium Falcon. Using this new trait, he decides to change his Campaign Goal to Aid the Rebellion to destroy the Death Star. Han immediately gets 5 story points (half the Campaign Goal reward).
Story Points
Earning Story Points
You earn the following Story Point rewards:
Spending Story Points
This is pretty simple, since the game already provides a simple Force Point mechanism:
This post is all about pushing a play style through rewards. If you know Burning Wheel, you'll see some familiar stuff.
Players get rewarded for playing up their personality and goals, and utilizing what's on their character sheet. The GM is highly encouraged to put PCs in situations which highlight these things so players can use 'em.
Expanded Hero Traits
Expanded Personality
Expanding heavily on Personality (pp 112, I believe), the player creates three personality traits. The first trait must be a belief or value of the player's. Luke Skywalker has the value: Of all things, I value my friends the most. The other two can be values or simply just personality descriptors, such as stubborn or money-minded.
You can change a trait if the group agrees, based on out-of-game discussion.
There are three tricks that can each be used once/adventure, though the personality traits can be used at all times. Here are the tricks. If you use your trait to describe an action, you can pick a trick to use after the roll has been made. Think of using a personality trait as taking out insurance against a bum roll.
- Lucky: +1d6 to the roll.
- Double-take: Roll again, taking the better of the two results.
- World-wise: Add your character level to a single roll.
Expanding heavily on Goals (pp 112), the player creates three explicit goals, two upon character creation and one during play. These are:
- Campaign Goal: Created upon character creation. A goal for the player which will likely span multiple adventures.
- Adventure Goal: Created upon character creation. A goal which can be completed over the course of a single adventure.
- Short-Term Goal: Created during play. A goal which can be completed in the next few encounters.
When you achieve a goal, you remove it from your character sheet and should replace it as soon as possible (possibly even during the same scene in which you achieved the last goal). Don't forget that these are player goals, and the character herself may not have the same goal.
Sometimes you will wish (or are forced) to change a goal before it is completed. If you change your goal based on one of your PC's Personality Traits, you get half the typical reward for completing the goal (rounding down). If you change it for any other reason, you get no story point reward.
For example, in A New Hope, Han Solo had the Campaign Goal Pay off my debt to Jabba at any cost. Near the end of the film, he changes his Look out out for three things: Myself, Chewie and the Millenium Falcon Personality Trait to Look out for three things: My friends, the Rebellion, and the Millenium Falcon. Using this new trait, he decides to change his Campaign Goal to Aid the Rebellion to destroy the Death Star. Han immediately gets 5 story points (half the Campaign Goal reward).
Story Points
Earning Story Points
You earn the following Story Point rewards:
- Using a personality trait to significantly change the story direction: 3 points the first time during a single adventure, 1 point any additional times during that same adventure. You can earn a maximum of 6 Story Points from this reward per trait per adventure.
- Using a personality trait to put your PC at a disadvantage or to heighten the drama: 1 point.
- Using a personality trick: 1 point.
- Completing a Campaign Goal: 10 points.
- Completing an Adventure Goal: 5 points.
- Completing a Short-Term Goal: 3 points.
- Change a goal based on one of your PC's Personality Traits: Half the goal completion reward (rounding down).
- Using a Skill, Talent or Feat (regardless of success): 3 points the first time during a single adventure, 1 point any additional times during that same adventure. You can earn a maximum of 6 Story Points from this reward per skill, talent or feat per adventure.
- Overcoming an Easy Challenge: 1 point (Challenge Level less than heroes' level - 1)
- Overcoming a Normal Challenge: 2 points (Challenge Level within heroes' level +/- 1)
- Overcoming a Difficult Challenge: 3 points (Challenge Level greater than heroes' level +1)
Spending Story Points
This is pretty simple, since the game already provides a simple Force Point mechanism:
- Experience Points: 1 Story Point = (10 x character level) XP. The default rule is to allow spending Story Points this way at the end of every session, but your group may differ.
- Force Points: 10 Story Points = Character level in Force Points. You can spend this at any time to immediately gain the Force Points.