Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Troika! Star Wars: The force

So!  A while back I thought I would do a 5e-GLOG hybrid.  However, it seemed that not many people wanted to do that, except 5 Torches Deep who did it 10 times better and... well I found Troika! and that was a big distraction.

Troika is a fun, fast system with a sort of fantasy sci-fi setting.  And you know what else is a fantasy sci-fi setting?  Star Wars!  Troika! is also a setting (very quirky, extremely well written) and a system.  They are interwoven but they can be separated.

A fundamental part of Troika! is a list of backgrounds, ie "classes".  Writing the new backgrounds for a new setting is fundamental in making a new setting for Troika!  If I was doing another fantasy setting like say Warhammer, this would be 90% of the work.  But in Star Wars there are a few more things to convert, so I'll keep the backgrounds for last.


Instead, I'll start by replacing the magic system with THE FORCE!

How does the Force work?  Instead of starting 100% from scratch (and having to do a lot of research), I will using the SAGA system as a reference.  I will keep the basic mechanical structure of Troika's magic system - each "spell" (ie force powers) has a cost in stamina, and a skill check to use successfully.  However there will be a difference.

1:  There will be a "use the force" skill, which will allow you to make small force effects.  "Use the force" is the gateway skill to force powers, but some people have it without powers - they are "force sensitive" but have never been trained.  Use the force may be used in conjunction with certain powers.

2:  Several powers will have two "steps" - you can increase the impact of the power by spending luck along with the stamina.

3:  A few powers are a hybrid between a skill check and a spell - they don't have a stamina cost, but they *can* be enhanced by luck.

4:  There will be no "oops" table, it's just not what happens in Star Wars.

5:  However, there is the Dark Side...

6:  Luck is heavily related to the Force, and how Luck works

So here we go:

LUCK:  Luck will be usable as a "saving throw" as in basic Troika! and also to increase your damage.  But two extra effects are possible:   (This represents the Force being a living thing that infuses all things - ie really lucky people are people who subconsciously use the force to their advantage.)

First, you can do a luck check (spend 1 luck).  If you succeed, a skill check has advantage. Second, you can "search your feelings" (same procedure) to get an inkling about a situation.  Think "I've got a bad feeling about this!!".

ADVANTAGE:  Roll 3d6 and take the best 2  (in some cases this means the lowest 2, in some cases the highest).  Disadvantage is the reverse.


USE THE FORCE:   Use the force is a skill that some people can learn (who can learn this skill after initial character creation is something best decided by individual GMs).  Use the Force is used for the following feats

- Sense the Force:   You can detect disturbances in the force (a location strong in the dark side, a friend in great danger/pain, a huge catastrophe).   A check can allow the detection of a force user in a region (about 100 km).  A force user can attempt to conceal their presence by doing a use the force check, the check becomes an opposed one (ties goes to the person trying to hide).

- Move light objects:  move up to 5 kg with the force.  If this object is use to batter someone, does club damage - you must do a use the force check to lift, then a second one as an attack

- Sense your surrounding:  Do a Use the force check instead of an awareness check, ignoring penalties for cover or concealment.

-  Telepathy:   exchange a single thought with an intelligent and willing creature (such as "run!", "danger!", "help!", "attack!").  The check is done with advantage if the person is on the same planet, normal if done in the same system, and at disadvantage at interstellar range.

- Force trance:  Enter a meditation.  At the end of this meditation, do a use the force check.  If successful, gain 1 stamina per hour spent meditating.


-----------------------

The end or a new beginning?

I stared this post a long time ago - January - and then I started running a UVG campaign, the pandemic hit etc etc.  But I was recently asked about this project, and although I'm not sure I will finish it... well others could pick up the torch I suppose, and it's a start.

I would also recommend using the "general Troika! improvement" from this post to generate slightly more competent heroes.

What's left to do are actual force powers (ie "spells"), weapon damage (my work on UVG will help for that), lightsaber combat, space combat rules (oh boy...) and backgrounds.  And on that, I do have some ideas...

WARRIOR
11 Mercenary (heavy gunner)
12 Pirate
13 Armored Fighter (someone pretending to be a mandalorian? An actual Mandalorian? A runaway stormtrooper? Really ugly?  Whatever the reason, you are seldom seen outside your armor)
14 Gunslinger
15 Sniper
16 Combat droid

ROGUE
21 Twilek Smuggler
22 Sly Protocol Droid 
23 Gambler
24 Twilek dancer
25 Bothan Spy
26 Runaway Scion

SCOUT
31 Hunting guide
32 Runaway Farmer
33 Bounty Hunter
34 Archeologist
35 Tusken exile
36 ADORABLE CREATURE (1d3:
 1: Force wielding frog-like creature
 2: blood thirsty Ewok
 3: insufferable child pilot

TECH
41 Jawa Scavenger
42 Scrapyard Rat
43 Medic
44 Undercity Worker
45 Wookie Spacer
46 Repair Droid 

PILOT
51 Duros Pilot
52 Corelian Freight Pilot
53 Landspeeder Racer
54 Biker 
55 Runaway tie fighter pilot
56 Astromech Droid

JEDI
61 Swamp witch
62 Desert Hermit
63 Kel Dor mystic
64 Jedi hopeful
65 Hutt Gym Mystic 
66 Reformed Dark Sider

EDIT:  As requested:

Hutt physique mystique 

Your fellow Hutt are busy building empires, but you are building your body.  You know that if you want to master others, you must first master the self.


Advanced skills
Force Powers:
- Mind Trick 2
- Move Object 1
- Force Slam 1
- Farseeing 1
Advanced Skills
- Use the force 2
- Strength 3
- Galactic Knowledge 1

Possession:  
Ill fitting brown robes
A set of weights
A useless twilek hanger-on

Special:  You are a Hutt. Your thick skin acts as modest armor (and does not take inventory slots), but you are slow, moving only 8 meters (4 squares) per move instead of 12. 



(Required disclaimer: this post an independent production by me and is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council. Also, I hope I won't get sued by the big D)

9 comments:

  1. if your "star wars" system doesn't let me play as a super-muscular Hutt force-user then I don't want it near me lol. ripped psionic slug-man or bust

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might be able to fit it in ;)

      Heck I might be able to do it right now! Check this post tomorrow and I will add it :D

      Delete
    2. It is done!!!! I hope you like it :)

      Delete
  2. Assasin Droid (like BT-1 or 0-0-0) and Guardian of the Whill are very crazy/troika! classes... only missing 2 for 36 now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've just updated my draft list - I now have a complete d66.

      I'm missing a few droids though - labor, medic and assassin droid. Maybe make the combat droid an assassin droid? That could be more interesting.

      Delete
  3. Hi! I like your idea.

    Troika! is a mostly unacknowledged hack of Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2e, based on a bare bones system that's been around since 1982. AFF was already adapted for sci-fi settings in a book called Stellar Adventures (2017), just like the old Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks that dealt with sci-fi on occasion. You may find a lot of useful stuff in Stellar Adventures (though I think it's somewhat overpriced), if you are seriously going to hack Troika! for less whimsical sci-fi.

    Troika!'s number scales are slightly different, but you can adapt them from Stellar Adventures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you - I'm well aware of advanced fighting fantasy, considering it's (1e) the first RPG I ever used. I will have to look Stellar Adventures up.

      Delete
    2. Ah ha! I'd love to hear about your gaming origin story sometime. I keep hearing rumors of players who started with AFF, but I never met one. Greetings.

      Delete