A Star Wars related question involving Traveller...

[Hopeless]

I was wondering if you had to run a star wars-like game based on the original movie what careers would the leads have?

Han Solo obviously a rogue of some type maybe starting off with a naval career so maybe 1 tour as Navy and 2 or 3 as a rogue?

Leia being 19 would have the one basic career as a noble perhaps only the basic skill training unless they start her as 22 so she has the 1 tour as a noble.

Luke would be in the same state either have Psion 1 or given what he did in the first movie maybe Citizen of some kind?

Chewbacca being at least 40-60 (correct me here please!) might have several tours as a Scholar and then Rogue perhaps.

Obi-Wan being about 60 would have been Psion what about 10-11 tours maybe? :shock:

Vader would be about Psion 9 or so...

What do you think hypothetically speaking?

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Sounds about right. Luke would be the tough one to model. In the first movie (A New Hope), he can shoot a blaster (Gun Combat), Fly a ship (Pilot) and zip around on his speeder (Drive) and fire a laser turret (Gunner) and fix robots and other machines (Mechanic or Engineer).

Per Traveller rules, those would only be at Level 0, which doesn't really match the skills shown in the movie, but at least you could probably model it with a high enough EDU characteristic.

I would make him a Wild Talent Psion, but then have him become a Psi Warrior to model his Jedi Training. The Psion book has a better career, but I am trying to stay with the basic rules.

I would model Luke and Leia as 22 years old (1 term). Leia a Noble and Luke a Citizen like you said.

We don't really know much about Han's past from the movies, he could have had military experience, or just a lot of Merchant/Rogue.

Obi Wan would be a Psi Warrior and then ... nothing for a while.

The Traveller system should be used for background skills, but only for a few terms. At some point in most people's lives, they stop learning things and start coasting... so after 5-7 terms, they should probably not get a full term's worth of skills. So I wouldn't make Obi Wan a 15 Term Psi Warrior or anything like that - WAY too powerful. Perhaps give him 7 terms (Rank 6) and then stop.

 

[The Vrusk]

Sounds like good thinking to me. Bear in mind, when all I used to play and run was Star Wars d6, there was either an official or ad-hoc rule that Jedi had to be *very* careful when using the Force prior to the New Hope period. The Emperor could detect Force use across the galaxy (if was done long enough or was powerful enough) ... and it was enough to have an Imperial Sector Fleet show up in orbit.

One foolish player I know found a holocron with a teleportation power - learned it, then teleported around the planet. Within a day, the world was glassed and he was hiding in a cave.

 

[AndrewW]

We don't really know much about Han's past from the movies, he could have had military experience, or just a lot of Merchant/Rogue.

There's a lot more in the books.

Would add drive (speeder), he used to race.

Correlian Blood stripe (decoration).

He was in Imperial service at one point, freed Chewbacca.

Pilot, Gunner (turret), Mechanic, Gun Combat, Astrogation, Carouse, Flyer, Gambler, Streetwise. At any rate.

 

[hdan]

I'd say Leia was a 1st term Noble/Ambassador whose term had the Mishap of "Intercepted by Hostiles, Imprisioned".

Luke would similarly be a Colonist/Farmer (Dex 12, Psy 12) whose term was interrupted by "Accidentally acquired stolen Imperial intelligence. Family murdered".

I'd start Luke off with Level-0 in all combat skills (it fits the setting), drive at level 0, and Pilot at level 1 - it's the only thing he actually learned on the job: crop dusting & wamprat extermination. After having a few adventures, he finds a lost Psionics "institute" on Dagoba, where he becomes a Psion/Psi-Warrrior. (Replace "Gun Combat" and "Battle Dress" with "Melee(energy sword)".

 

[GypsyComet]

Obi Wan would be a Psi Warrior and then ... nothing for a while.

Psi-Warrior for three, some other military career for two (Clone Wars), then Drifter for five.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

R2D2 and C3PO are robots living in an Age of Service or Age of Slavery campaign setting per Book 9: Robot. They both have Personality Emulation programs.

R2D2 has been around since at least Phantom Menace. Wookiepedia list his creation as 33 BBY so by the original movie R2 has maybe 8 terms under her (R2 always struck me as female) chassis. Some Engineering, Mechanic, Navigation, Pilotskill levels, Athletics (Flight) 0 due to the rocket boosters. Computer Skill to hack Imperial Death Star hatches.

C3P0 was created by Aniken Skywalker around the same year. He has his memory fllushed at the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY so he has 5 terms of service. I would go with his some of his protocol and language skills being hardwired (homeworld skills?) and do 5 terms. Diplomat, Deception 0 (when has to lie to Stormtroopers and Jabba and his doormen), Language 3+, Art (Oratory) 0 (works on Ewoks), maybe even Steward with a lousy Dexterity.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I am not a huge insane Star Wars fan. But I know where to look. Wookiepedia I assume has all the important arguing/hammering out of data

BBY and ABY are calendar years roughly similar to standard years. The days are the same, jut different number (368 vs 365). Year 0 is the Battle of Yavin.

Luke Skywalker Born 19 BBY
Leia Organa Born 19 BBY
Han Solo Born 29 BBY - Orphaned as a child, became a smuggller, then went to the Imperial Academy,served with distinction, kicked out for rescuing a Wookie went back smuggler again....
Obi-Wan Kenobi Born 57 BBY. Standard Jedi career. No special life events or careers (other than being a Jedi!)
C3PO begins being built in 34BBY somwhat completed by 33BBY
R2D2 built 33BBY

Chewbacca Born 200 BBY (Wookies live hundreds of years apparently...) Wookies are full adults at 18. From 18 to 100, explores his home planet and is good at repair (23 terms as drifter or mechanic). Spends about 60 years after that as a village builder (read city planner), and colony planner on other planets prior to the Clone Wars (15 terms). Homeworld sides with Republic in Clone Wars (1 term soldier), afterwards becomes a resistence fighter/smuggler (1 term), captured and made a slave 16 years (4 terms) until saved by Han Solo. Finally a smuggler for about 4 years prior to the the battle of Yavin (1 term). Whew.....

Darth Vader Born 41 BBY

Wilhuff Tarkin Born 64 BBY Born to a powerful family (read nobility), spends about 12 years as a Naval Officer and then governor in Outrim Territories (Say 2 Navy, 1 Noble/Government), Returns to assist the new Supreme Chancellor Palpatine begin building Death Star (yes that far back) spends 12 years in military till end of clone wars (3 terms Navy). Finally 5 terms as Grand Moff (combined Navy/Military/Government role)

Biggs Darklighter, Born 24 BBY, 1 term Imperial Naval Officer, 1/2 term rebel

Wedge Antilles Born 21 BBY, 1 term rebel/pilot

Greedo c. 41 BBY

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

What if we put the shoe on the other foot? How would Traveller have changed the Star Wars story, if we apply classic Traveller rules strictly? That is replace the hyperdrive with jump drives?
Could a light saber exist? Would a light saber be of much use if it could exist?

 

[GypsyComet]

Wilhuff Tarkin Born 64 BBY Born to a powerful family (read nobility), spends about 12 years as a Naval Officer and then governor in Outrim Territories (Say 2 Navy, 1 Noble/Government), Returns to assist the new Supreme Chancellor Palpatine begin building Death Star (yes that far back) spends 12 years in military till end of clone wars (3 terms Navy). Finally 5 terms as Grand Moff (combined Navy/Military/Government role)

The postscript bits at the end of Episode 3 show a young Tarkin consulting with other officers and Vader on a SD bridge. Refusing to evacuate the Death Star wasn't just Imperial Pride; that was his baby as much as Vader's.

 

[silburnl]

What if we put the shoe on the other foot? How would Traveller have changed the Star Wars story, if we apply classic Traveller rules strictly?

I played in a one-shot that was inspired by the first act of 'A New Hope'. The PCs were bounty hunter types on a backwater world somewhere in the Spinward Marches. A ticket came up for a fugitive psion who had suddenly popped up on the grid and was trying to get off the planet. The complicating factors were (i) he was in company with a local and it was unclear whether they were being duped/coerced or were in fact a co-conspirator and (ii) the psion had been an Ine Givar kingpin back during the 4FW and there were worries about the reliability of the local intelligence/counter-terrorism organisations (after all he had been lying low in their backyard for a decade or more).

A bit of diligent sleuthing on our part meant that we discovered a connection they had made with a disreputable Free Trader who had links to a local underworld kingpin, so we were able to set up an ambush on the service road out to the Downport pad he was berthed at. By then we had also got reliable intel that the local was an Ine Givar sympathiser rather than a dupe, so we went in weapons hot and bagged both suspects after a brief firefight. The terrorist psion didn't survive the interception but we got the accomplice across the extrality line before the local planetary govt could stick their noses in and complicate matters. I don't recall what happened to the droids the suspects had with them - I think we sold them to a chop shop for parts.

Just another day on the frontier...

Regards
Luke

 

[Saladman]

I regret I don't have this first hand, but in another thread on another forum I've seen the claim that a book in a previous edition (Mega?) statted up Luke Skywalker. He had Piloting 2 - period. :lol: Not exactly how I'd handle it, I'd throw some 0-level skills on there too, but I thought it was funny.

 

[CosmicGamer]

I'd throw some 0-level skills on there too, but I thought it was funny.

Perhaps it was based on the actual chargen rules for the system. Some systems don't give out the level 0 background and world skills or the basic training in the first term like Mongoose does. At age 18 some systems would have the character with nothing but stats rolled.

 

[silburnl]

Yup. It was in LBB1 as I recall, so no world-based background skills or get 'level-0 in your Service Skills list' basic training package.

I don't remember which service they put their 'Skywalker clone' through but he had one term in it and came out with Pilot-2. There was a 'Kimball Kinnison before he gets the grey leathers' clone as well I think.

Regards
Luke

 

[Saladman]

]I played in a one-shot that was inspired by the first act of 'A New Hope'. The PCs were bounty hunter types on a backwater world somewhere in the Spinward Marches. A ticket came up for a fugitive psion who had suddenly popped up on the grid and was trying to get off the planet. The complicating factors were (i) he was in company with a local and it was unclear whether they were being duped/coerced or were in fact a co-conspirator and (ii) the psion had been an Ine Givar kingpin back during the 4FW and there were worries about the reliability of the local intelligence/counter-terrorism organisations (after all he had been lying low in their backyard for a decade or more).

A bit of diligent sleuthing on our part meant that we discovered a connection they had made with a disreputable Free Trader who had links to a local underworld kingpin, so we were able to set up an ambush on the service road out to the Downport pad he was berthed at. By then we had also got reliable intel that the local was an Ine Givar sympathiser rather than a dupe, so we went in weapons hot and bagged both suspects after a brief firefight. The terrorist psion didn't survive the interception but we got the accomplice across the extrality line before the local planetary govt could stick their noses in and complicate matters. I don't recall what happened to the droids the suspects had with them - I think we sold them to a chop shop for parts.

Just another day on the frontier...

Regards
Luke

Forgot to say this before, but this is frickin awesome.

 

[Condottiere]

I once thought that a light sabre might be plasma in a magnetic bottle.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Awe, we just created an "Energy Sword". It did Laser Carbine damage and otherwise was treated like a sword (for range etc.).

Depending on what combat system you used, the weapon could be used to deflect bullets/lasers using Awareness Skill level and Dexterity.

Later in the movies (#3 I think) they talk about it being a form of Precognition that allows a Jedi to predict where the bullet/laser beam is going to be and preemptively react and Block the shot.

We never played this after the newer movies, where they can actually aim their deflected shots. Traveller doesn't model this type of combat very well though.

 

[GypsyComet]

The movie light sabers are capable of all sorts of neat tricks, and it apparently gets worse in the various novels. As such, I would be tempted to *not* codify it all, and let a wielder with the right training simply try stuff. I recall the d6 Star Wars version did a base number of dice plus the wielder's Force Control dice. That can turn deadly in a hurry.

 

[AndrewW]

I regret I don't have this first hand, but in another thread on another forum I've seen the claim that a book in a previous edition (Mega?) statted up Luke Skywalker. He had Piloting 2 - period. :lol: Not exactly how I'd handle it, I'd throw some 0-level skills on there too, but I thought it was funny.

Young Farmboy
797655
Age 22
Cr minimal
Pilot-2

For years an inexperienced farmboy, this individual has joined the rebellion against the Empire as he seeks out the murderer of his father and the true story of what happened.
He has a psionic rating of 11, with rudimentary training.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Agree with RTT on Han Solo.
Discussed this with fellow Traveller friends a long time ago in a City far, far away... Tampa... 2002ish ...
Han Solo is definitely a Merchant/Rogue combo. We just couldn't decide which career he started first... was he a Rogue that turned "legit"/merchant... remember, he won the Falcon in a Card game... or was he a Merchant that went rogue (entered a life of smuggling) after he got his very own ship?
Chicken or Egg?