[Brainstorming] Mastercraft Stargate

[Aldus Vertten]

Right now i'm gm a FC game, but some of the players want to continue the SG campaign i made a few years ago. Fact is, i want to make it happen too, but i'm not very interested in going back to SC1.5, so i've been thinking for a few days about using Mastercraft rules.
Today i've been trying to sort some things out, and i wanted to share them before i lose confidence/interest in this, especially because this weekend i'm working in a boardgame convention and probably wont have much time to keep looking at this...
I've used things from the wiki, from the lots and lots od threads about stargate and a lot of the original game. Looking back to species in the original game it seems as if with FC is more easy to convert the original stuff from SG RPG.

If at some point i stop making sense, i'm sorry. Its really late (or early) and i'm a little sleepless this week...

SPECIES
ASGARD
[1'5]Small Folk
[1,5] +2 Wis, -2 Str
[-0,5] Base Speed 20
[2] If I Recall… - You gain a +5 bonus with Knowledge checks.
[2] Celebrated – Your Legend rises by 2
[2] Sharp Mind – you gain 1 additional skill point per level.
[1] Enlightened Skill (Specific) – Your maximum rank increases to your Career Level+5. Only the highest bonus from any enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
[-0,5]Limited Proficiencies – you begin with 2 fewer proficiencies (min 0)
[-1]• Iconic Classes – If your level in any base class is higher than your level in either Sage or Keeper, your starting AD decrease by 2
[-1]Iconic Specialities – You gain your specialties bonus feat only if you’re an Asgard Officer, Asgard Geneticist, Asgard Protected Planet Enforcer, Jotun, and [6 others...]

JAFFA

• Medium Folk
• +2 Con, - 4 Char
[2] No Pain – You ignore the first fatigued or shaken condition you gain in each scene.
[3] Menacing Threat – You may threaten up to 3 opponents at once. You roll only once for the action, while each opponent rolls to resist separately.
[3] Bonus Feat: Larval Goa'uld
[-1] Reviled -5 – the disposition of non-race decrease by 5

SPECIALITIES


Horus Guard

[1]Combat Focus
[1] Feat Tree Expert - You’re considered to have 2 additional feats from a specific tree for any ability based on their number.
[1] Extra Trick (Daunting Shot)
[2] Decisive – You gain a +5 bonus with initiative.
[1] Agile Defense – Your base Defense increases by 1
[1] Crunch! – Your STR based damage rolls inflict 1 additional damage.


Serpent Guard

[1] Glint Of Madness
[1] Extra Trick (Relentless Attack)
[2] Terrifying Look – The will save DCs of stress damage you inflict increase by 4
[2] Paired Skills: Every time you gain skills ranks in Survival skill you also gain ranks in Intimidate skill, but not beyond your max rank.
[1] Trackless Step – the DCs of tracking checks to follow your trail increase by 10


Setesh Guard

[1] Repartee Basics
[1] Extra Trick (Mix-up Distract)
[2] Paired Skills: Every time you gain skills ranks in Bluff skill you also gain ranks in Sense Motive skill, but not beyond your max rank.
[1] Attribute Swapping Instead of -4 Car, you get -2 STR
[2] Beguiling – When taunting you may “fixate” a character for rounds equalling your Cha score.



Sodan
Requirement: Jaffa
[1] Staff Basics
[1] Extra trick (Triumphant Swing)
[2] Paired Skills: Every time you gain skills ranks in Resolve skill you also gain ranks in Sneak skill, but not beyond your max rank.
[2] Harsh Beating – The Fort DCs of subdual damage you inflict increase by 4
[1] Kel shak lo expertise– You inflict 2 additional damage on standard characters with a staff.


Hak'tyl Resistance
Requirement: Jaffa
[1] Contempt
[1] Extra Trick (whirling strike)
[2] Paired Skills: Every time you gain skills ranks in Acrobatics skill you also gain ranks in Search skill, but not beyond your max rank.
[2] Tenacious Spirit – You gain 1 additional vitality per level.
[1] Heroism – During dramatic scenes you gain a +1 bonus to all attack and skill checks

SKILLS
Big doubt here. The FC skill list is obviously fantasy-genry... it would make sense to expand the list a little bit. There was a thread about this, but it was about SC skills, not FC and MC skills. and somebody commented that adding new skills wasn't such a good idea...

FEATS
The Larval Goa'uld feat must be created. I was planning on using the one in the wiki as a base, or around the forum (not sure where i saw it right now)
Possibly would try to adapt the feats from SG to MC, but using the original rpg, not the wiki conversions.

For a while i tought of making the racial specialities into Racial Feats. But wasn't sure that it was the right to do in this case.

NPC QUALITIES
I was planning on using the ones in the wiki as base for adapting them to MC. Probably will create a few new ones...

OTHER STUFF

Shol'va, in my opinion doesn't deserve a specialty nor class. It's more of a Renown thing, i think.

The combat system. Not sure about how much should be changed to make firearms/jaffa staffs to work with the MC system...

I really liked the idea of using Holdings to create ships. Planning on creating more kinds of Rooms to develop the need for a starship. And maybe a reputation cost for engines or something along this lines. Haven't really tought much about this...

I want to take a new look to real american H.e.r.o.es  to see the army specialities, to see how compatible they are with MC... wondering if  having the MC system out there have influenced on how the new SC suplements are written... if easy of conversion is taking into account...

Updated 26/11/2009: Deleted requirements from the guard specialities.

[Aldus Vertten]

Ships as Holdings... I've started thinking about this a little bit. Maybe i will take a look at how the Serenity RPG handled them, and try to use their tables as inspiration to make something based in Reputation costs

[Mister Andersen]

Actually, unless you're operating non-human campaigns, ships are best handled as favours and the bounty of contacts who expect them back in one piece.

[Morgenstern]

Jaffa are highly social and group oriented- amongst themselves. I'd lean away from the charisma penalty (it made the old Prime class a really pain to work with). I think you may also be better served having the various guard specialties not be Jaffa specific (as there are signs a number of System Lords would press gang any race into their service and equip/train them all to a single standard. Giving them Iconic Specialties could work very well for them though.

[Aldus Vertten]

Jaffa are highly social and group oriented- amongst themselves. I'd lean away from the charisma penalty (it made the old Prime class a really pain to work with).

I agree, but not sure about what the alternative could be. For a while i tought of changing it to -2 Wis, trying to reflect why they've been lead to believe in the Goa'ulds. But it seems that Impress works with Resolve, that works with Con, so that change didn't make much sense...

I wanted to change the Char penalty for something else. I think reviled covered the intent of everybody seeing them as dangerous.

I think you may also be better served having the various guard specialties not be Jaffa specific (as there are signs a number of System Lords would press gang any race into their service and equip/train them all to a single standard. Giving them Iconic Specialties could work very well for them though.

Done. At least with the Guard Specialities. The Sodan and Hak'tyl seem to me that they should be all Jaffas.

I will add Iconic specialities, when i'm finished with the ones created specially for jaffas. Maybe give 5-6 possibles, and the Guard ones as generic...

[Aldus Vertten]

Is it me or Stargate Melee feats seem more like advanced Tricks thant feats in MC?

[Mister Andersen]

Whle the Jaffa are social and group oriented, they've also been habituated to rule from above, dampening their spirit of individuality.

[Aldus Vertten]

Arise!

This is all your fault. Everybody posting new species and origins, and it got me thinking back again about sg, and with the updated creation rules i took a new look at them...

ASGARD
[-0]Small Folk
[1] +2 Wis, -2 Str
[-0,5] Base Speed 20
[2] If I Recall… - You gain a +5 bonus with Knowledge checks.
[2] Celebrated – Your Legend rises by 2
[2] Sharp Mind – you gain 1 additional skill point per level.
[1] Enlightened Skill (Specific) – Your maximum rank increases to your Career Level+5. Only the highest bonus from any enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
[-0,5] Limited Proficiencies – you begin with 2 fewer proficiencies (min 0)
[-2] Burden of Ages: Any effect that cures or restores your vitality has only ½ the normal effect (rounded up).

JAFFA
[-0] Medium Folk
[1] +2 Con, - 2 Wis,  - 2 Int
[2] No Pain – You ignore the first fatigued or shaken condition you gain in each scene.
[3] Menacing Threat – You may threaten up to 3 opponents at once. You roll only once for the action, while each opponent rolls to resist separately.
[3] Bonus Feat: Larval Goa'uld
[-1] Reviled -5 – the disposition of non-race decrease by 5
[-1] Lost Inmune System : If you ever lose your Larval Goa’uld, you start losing 1 Wp/hour. The effect can be stopped if you get a new larvae.

REOL
[-0] Medium Folk
[1] +2 Char, -2 Con
[1,5] Keen Sight: Your visual range increments are equal to your Wis score x50 ft. You also ignore range penalties from the 2nd and 4th range increments while you’re aiming.
[1]Origin Skill: Choose one additional origin skill.
[1] Enlightened Skill (Disguise): Your maximum rank increases to your Career Level+5. Only the highest bonus from any enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
[1] Charming –1/Session you may improve the disposition of one non-adversary NPC by 5.
[3] Bonus Feat : Chemical Deception
[-1] -1 To Attack Checks
[-0,5] Limited Proficiencies – you begin with 2 fewer proficiencies (min 0)

UNAS
[-2] Medium Beast
[2] +2 Str, +2 Con,  -2 Int,  -2 Cha
[0.5] Fast Healing
[1] Natural Attack II Claws (1d8 TR19-20)
[1] Crunch! – Your STR based damage rolls inflict 1 additional damage
[1,5] Grueling Combatant: Each time an adjacent opponent attacks you and misses, he suffers 2 points of subdual damage.
[1] Thick Hide 2: you are considered to be wearing partial armor that provides DR 2. It does not stack with other armor, if you gain Thick Hide from other sources it offers the highest DR + 1 per additional hide benefit.
[3] Rock Solid: You gain 1 additional wound point per level.
[-1] Uh?: Whenever you make a Knowledge Check, the DC is one grade higher (from uncommon to Rare, from rare to Obscure)
[-0] Sarcofagus Incompatible


Edit: Modified Jaffa Attribute Bonuses, and Unas Uh?.Still not convinced about the Unas...

[glimmerrat]

May I suggest altering the Jaffa's negative stat to Int (to represent a repressed education) or Cha (since most of them have a stick up their collective asses)?

Also, you could do a test subect type talent to represent near humans, importing the diverse benefits into MC.

You'll pardon me - i'm off on an Origin creation jag today.

[Aldus Vertten]

Yeah, probably better using Int. Changing...

About Humans, my first tought was to make "planetary" talents, but right now i think a Species feat would fit better the idea... Maybe one generic, and a few more specific (abydonians). kinda like the offshots from farthest star...

[Catodon]

I'm a big SG1 fan and will be watching this thread very carefully. Just one request. Can anything from Stargate universe that sneaks onto this thread be under 'spoiler' tabs?

[Mister Andersen]

Asgard. One of the most powerful of races still active in the galaxy, you have a tremendous heritage to live up to. But your time is running out.
     Type: Small Folk (1x1, Reach 1). Your wounds are equal to your Constitution. [0.0]
·    Attributes: +4 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution. [3.0]
·    Speed: 20 ft. [-.5]
·    Burden of Ages: Your will to live has been worn down by long ages of struggle and you find it difficult to express the fire of the younger races. Any effect that cures or restores your vitality has only one half the normal effect (rounded up). [-2]
·    Celebrated: Your Legend increases by 2. [2.0]
·    If I Recall: You gain a +5 bonus to Knowledge checks. [2.0]
·    Limited Proficiencies: Your starting Proficiencies are reduced by 2. [-.5]
·    Well Rounded: You gain the Well Rounded feat.  [3.0]

[Aldus Vertten]

The Legend boost is intended to make them get Reputation quick. In the show they're usually the go-to guys whenever you need a Favor, and very respected/feared across the Galaxy. Plus, whatever using Holdings or favors for managing the use of starships, I think Reputation is the way to go.

I agree about the braininess, but i think that's already covered in my version with Sharp Mind, and If i Recall. I prefer to leave the feats for the specialities, at least in this case...

[Mister Andersen]

I don't agree with your attribute choice -- apart from ignoring their pre-existing attribute array, the Asgard are in a number of respects remarkably unwise

The Legend boost is intended to make them get Reputation quick. In the show they're usually the go-to guys whenever you need a Favor, and very respected/feared across the Galaxy. Plus, whatever using Holdings or favors for managing the use of starships, I think Reputation is the way to go.

To me, that argues that perhaps the Asgard aren't a good idea for a playable race within the context of the series and are best kept as a source of contact benefits. I mean, they're pretty heavily anti-interventionist for most of it, and it's only when the race commits suicide that they show any willingness to put their tech within the control of other races; they had their own people riding shotgun over the whole shebang with the upgrades to the 303 class cruisers.

Still, it's an interesting idea, but I'd swap out Sharp mind for the Legend boost; the boost to intelligence brings an additional 2 ranks a level.

[Aldus Vertten]

I don't agree with your attribute choice -- apart from ignoring their pre-existing attribute array, the Asgard are in a number of respects remarkably unwise

Actually, i did not. The original array (SG1RPG) was +2 Wis, -2 Str, -2 Con. I kept the first 2, and added Burden of Ages to represent their fragility. The "speciality" part of the Macro Species added more Attributes modifiers, but I  intend to make Specialities exclusives for Asgards, and try to represent that modifiers with some other Benefit that represent the same idea...

The Legend boost is intended to make them get Reputation quick. In the show they're usually the go-to guys whenever you need a Favor, and very respected/feared across the Galaxy. Plus, whatever using Holdings or favors for managing the use of starships, I think Reputation is the way to go.

(click to show/hide)

To me, that argues that perhaps the Asgard aren't a good idea for a playable race within the context of the series and are best kept as a source of contact benefits. I mean, they're pretty heavily anti-interventionist for most of it, and it's only when the race commits suicide that they show any willingness to put their tech within the control of other races; they had their own people riding shotgun over the whole shebang with the upgrades to the 303 class cruisers.

Put a spoiler there, please, for Catodon's Sake!  . I've seen everything, but maybe not everybody did...

Fact is, almost all species in SG1 have the same problem. They don't interact much with humans, and they all look at us like we're inferior, or fools, or not ready, nor whatever, depending on each race.