Star Wars: Backgrounds: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:48, 12 August 2009

Star Wars: Revised System
Table of Contents Character Creation Classes Attributes Abilities Backgrounds Feats Virtues & Vices Experience Game Mechanics Species List Force Powers Combat Starship Combat Equipment Starships Compendium
Stories
Prelude 1: A Treaty on the Brink 2: Amity in Peril 3: Fish in a Barrel 4: Measured Success 5: Empire of the Hand 6: Icy Reception 7: Galactic Chess 8: Heart of the Ascendancy 9: A Familiar Foe 10: Csaplarian Streets 11: Ascendancy in Turmoil
Characters
Akea Oahu - CS Allanar Onsai - CS Renora Cordalis - CS Greer Lachlan - CS Brance Maddox - CS

Allies

Personal friends of some reasonable power, this background is not intended to reflect other player characters, but people on par with a level 1 character or greater. This provides either 1 person per dot in the background, or possibly a single more powerful ally for multiple dots. It should be noted however that this is not mentor.

(1) A single ally on par with the characters.
(2) Two allies at characters level or one ally of slightly greater level.
(3) Three allies at characters level or less at higher level.
(4) Four allies at characters level or less at higher level.
(5) Five allies at characters level or less at much higher level.

Connections

Connections is a combination of contacts and influence and can be taken in any of many different areas of influence. Characters may have connections in multiple spheres of influence if they so chose, and those areas of influence can be broad or narrow. Connections is a web of people that the character can guide and influence to further is own goals. This covers both how many people you know, and how much pull you have over the ones that you do.

(1) A least one major contact, and a handful of minor ones in the group and are moderately influential on the local level.
(2) Two major contacts and several minor ones within your area of influence, giving you a great deal of pull in your locale.
(3) Three major contacts and a large number of minor ones, making you a person of importance within your region.
(4) Five major contacts and a horde of lesser ones. You are one of the most influential people in the region.
(5) You know all of the major power players in your area of influence, and more importantly, they not only know who you are, but listen to you as well.

Wealth

This is a measure of the overall money that your character has, this money can be gained in any way but this background reflects them all. It should encompass all of a characters money making sources, it also covers his starting assets.

(1) Your character has basic equipment, maybe even an old blaster for himself, and as long as he looks for a bargain he can afford to keep himself fed without much trouble. He probably doesn't own any property or major assets.
(2) Your character lives a comfortable life, he owns either some small property or a major asset like a freighter he can live on. He is well equipped as long as he keeps the equipment basic and he eats well, though not exotically.
(3) Your character is in the upper half of the galaxy, he is not rich but he is well to do. Those who are forced to live in the streets definitely carry a hint of envy for your character. You likely own some property and a minor asset or two, or possibly only one but in much larger quantities. He lives well and eats well and spends little time worrying about money as long as he doesn't throw it around recklessly.
(4) Your character is wealthy, few in the galaxy can claim this sort of wealth and your character is envied by many who have less than you. The character likely owns both property and major assets or possibly just a wide array of small ones. The character properly has an entourage at his call and attending to his needs, he could feast on a nightly basis if he so chose. The character has only the finest equipment in the galaxy and has credit to throw around without worry.
(5) Your characters wealth is that of the highest in the galaxy, money is of no concern to the character even when spending immense sums. The character and his associates dine in the finest restaurants, wear the finest clothes, and use the finest equipment. The character might own a planet or a fleet of ships, without a doubt he is one of the wealthiest persons in the galaxy.

Arsenal

This represents a characters access to major military weaponry, this could mean a major stock of small arms (thousands of blasters), artillery fire, droid armies, military ships, or anything else that would be considered military class weaponry. It should be noted that this is either the equipment that the character personally owns (And therefore should be reflected by wealth/resources) or has personal access to. If a army he commands is equipped with such weaponry than it is not technically his, but rather whoever funds the army.

(1) Your character has been issued some minor assets or resources.
(2) Your character has been issued a notable amount of assets or resources.
(3) Your character has been issued a large amount of minor assets or a small amount of major ones.
(4) Your character has been issued a stockpile of minor and major assets and resources.
(5) Your character has access to everything that the organization providing the arsenal has, the armory door is wide open and the credit card is unlimited for your character.

Backing

This represents a characters official position within an organization, this normally means a title but not always. Certainly army or navy rank is the most rigid and easily described form of backing but certainly not the only one. A crime lord is backed by his crime syndicate, the jedi are backed by the jedi order (not always according to rank). If a character is officially apart of multiple organizations this background can be taken more than once, though some organizations will discourage this. Backing will encompass command in my eyes, we could change that though if people want.

(1) Jedi Padawan
(2) Jedi Knight
(3) Jedi Master
(4) Jedi Counselor
(5) Jedi Grand Master

Reputation

Reputation determines how well known your character is around the galaxy, this can be a doubled edged sword if you're trying to do something to not be recognized. Darth Vader is a good example of reputation 5, obviously reputation also covers notoriety.

(1) You are known among the circles that you move in.
(2) Your name is bandied about on your planet.
(3) Your are famous in your system and known across the region.
(4) Your well known across entire regions, it is difficult to find those who don't know you without traveling extreme distances.
(5) Your character is one of the most well known characters across the galaxy, it is near impossible, even in disguise to go unnoticed. Darth Vader has this level of reputation during the Empires reign.

Mentor

Mentors can be several different things to a character, they can be a boss or an adviser, or even a companion. They are always a source of power, be it knowledge or physical, but the degree of influence in a characters life is rather up the player. not all mentors are found of their students, nor the other way around, but mentors are willing to help their pupils for one reason or another. The most obvious case of mentor-pupil relationship in starwars are Jedi's and their masters.

(1) Your mentor is a bit more worldly and wise than your character.
(2) Your mentor is a figure of some note or an exceedingly importnat individual who has little time for your character.
(3) Your mentor is wise, influential, and considerably more powerful than your character.
(4) Your mentor is exceedingly powerful and important, their words and deeds can shape the course of systems.
(5) Your mentor is exceedingly powerful and takes great interest in your character's welfare. However, he expects both obeisance and greatness from your character, and likely has powerful enemies who may take notice of you.

Force Potential

This determines both whether a character is force sensitive or not, when the character becomes intune with the force, and how strong of a force user the character is. A 3 in this background will allow a character to start with the force, most jedis will have this rating at 3. Ratings a 2 and 4 are also fairly common as late bloomers and prodigy children. Jedis with 1 are rare because often the character is too old and set in his ways, and 5 only comes along once in a generation at best.

(1) Cannot learn force attributes or abilities until level 10. No favored force abilities.
(2) Cannot learn force attributes or abilities until level 5. No favored force abilities.
(3) One force ability can be favored
(4) Two force abilities can be favored
(5) Three force abilities can be favored

Workshop

This background will represent a specific place a character owns that is equipped with everything the character would need to perform some major task. This could be a ship repair shop, a ship yard, a droid manufacturing center, an occult library, an elaborate medical facility, or a number of other things. The higher the rating the better equipped and larger the workshop can be, workshop will likely provide bonuses to characters performing actions in them considering they are well equipped to perform them. Some won't provide a bonus but are necessary to even attempt a task, for instance a ship yard of some sort is needed to build a ship. (This could be excluded and just put under wealth or arsenal but I think its different from both. A character will a good repair shop isn't necessarily rich or well equipped.)

(1) Your character has a small shop or stockpile of books that is good but not great in a narrow scope.
(2) Your characters shop or library is either considered top notch in its field or is adequate across several.
(3) Your characters workshop is capable of covering every step of the process it is designed for, it may be a small ship yard or complete occult library.
(4) Your characters workshop is extensive in every way, it is a comprehensive library or a full fledged ship yard capable of producing capital class ships.
(5) Your characters workshop or library will be remembered and emulated for generations, it is the greatest in the galaxy and people travel across regions to see it in action. The Jedi Archives of the Old Republic would represent this.

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 * (5) Five allies at characters level or less at much higher level.
-===Contacts===
+===Connections===
-This represents a characters informants, these are people who he can get information or perhaps a favor from, as long as he pays for them. These a acquaintances at best, each dot represents a major contact and a number of minor ones. This background can be taken more than once to reflect different areas, or scopes of contacts.
+Connections is a combination of contacts and influence and can be taken in any of many different areas of influence. Characters may have connections in multiple spheres of influence if they so chose, and those areas of influence can be broad or narrow. Connections is a web of people that the character can guide and influence to further is own goals. This covers both how many people you know, and how much pull you have over the ones that you do.
+* (1) A least one major contact, and a handful of minor ones in the group and are moderately influential on the local level.
-===Influence===
+* (2) Two major contacts and several minor ones within your area of influence, giving you a great deal of pull in your locale.
-Influence represents a characters pull in an organization, his overall power and ability to make something happen. This does not necessarily imply rank in the organization though they often go hand in hand. Emperor Palpatine certainly had influence 5 over the galaxy because of his official rank, however, Yoda certainly had a large influence (just not large enough) without an official position in that organization. Jabba the Hutt is another example of a character with a great deal of influence without official position.
+* (3) Three major contacts and a large number of minor ones, making you a person of importance within your region.
+* (4) Five major contacts and a horde of lesser ones. You are one of the most influential people in the region.
+* (5) You know all of the major power players in your area of influence, and more importantly, they not only know who you are, but listen to you as well.
 ===Wealth===
 This is a measure of the overall money that your character has, this money can be gained in any way but this background reflects them all. It should encompass all of a characters money making sources, it also covers his starting assets.
+* (1) Your character has basic equipment, maybe even an old blaster for himself, and as long as he looks for a bargain he can afford to keep himself fed without much trouble. He probably doesn't own any property or major assets.
+* (2) Your character lives a comfortable life, he owns either some small property or a major asset like a freighter he can live on. He is well equipped as long as he keeps the equipment basic and he eats well, though not exotically.
+* (3) Your character is in the upper half of the galaxy, he is not rich but he is well to do. Those who are forced to live in the streets definitely carry a hint of envy for your character. You likely own some property and a minor asset or two, or possibly only one but in much larger quantities. He lives well and eats well and spends little time worrying about money as long as he doesn't throw it around recklessly.
+* (4) Your character is wealthy, few in the galaxy can claim this sort of wealth and your character is envied by many who have less than you. The character likely owns both property and major assets or possibly just a wide array of small ones. The character properly has an entourage at his call and attending to his needs, he could feast on a nightly basis if he so chose. The character has only the finest equipment in the galaxy and has credit to throw around without worry.
+* (5) Your characters wealth is that of the highest in the galaxy, money is of no concern to the character even when spending immense sums. The character and his associates dine in the finest restaurants, wear the finest clothes, and use the finest equipment. The character might own a planet or a fleet of ships, without a doubt he is one of the wealthiest persons in the galaxy.
 ===Arsenal===
 This represents a characters access to major military weaponry, this could mean a major stock of small arms (thousands of blasters), artillery fire, droid armies, military ships, or anything else that would be considered military class weaponry. It should be noted that this is either the equipment that the character personally owns (And therefore should be reflected by wealth/resources)  or has personal access to. If a army he commands is equipped with such weaponry than it is not technically his, but rather whoever funds the army.
+* (1) Your character has been issued some minor assets or resources.
+* (2) Your character has been issued a notable amount of assets or resources.
+* (3) Your character has been issued a large amount of minor assets or a small amount of major ones.
+* (4) Your character has been issued a stockpile of minor and major assets and resources.
+* (5) Your character has access to everything that the organization providing the arsenal has, the armory door is wide open and the credit card is unlimited for your character.
 ===Backing===
@@ Line 31: / Line 43: @@
 ===Reputation===
 Reputation determines how well known your character is around the galaxy, this can be a doubled edged sword if you're trying to do something to not be recognized. Darth Vader is a good example of reputation 5, obviously reputation also covers notoriety.
+* (1) You are known among the circles that you move in.
+* (2) Your name is bandied about on your planet.
+* (3) Your are famous in your system and known across the region.
+* (4) Your well known across entire regions, it is difficult to find those who don't know you without traveling extreme distances.
+* (5) Your character is one of the most well known characters across the galaxy, it is near impossible, even in disguise to go unnoticed. Darth Vader has this level of reputation during the Empires reign.
 ===Mentor===
 Mentors can be several different things to a character, they can be a boss or an adviser, or even a companion. They are always a source of power, be it knowledge or physical, but the degree of influence in a characters life is rather up the player. not all mentors are found of their students, nor the other way around, but mentors are willing to help their pupils for one reason or another. The most obvious case of mentor-pupil relationship in starwars are Jedi's and their masters.
+* (1) Your mentor is a bit more worldly and wise than your character.
+* (2) Your mentor is a figure of some note or an exceedingly importnat individual who has little time for your character.
+* (3) Your mentor is wise, influential, and considerably more powerful than your character.
+* (4) Your mentor is exceedingly powerful and important, their words and deeds can shape the course of systems.
+* (5) Your mentor is exceedingly powerful and takes great interest in your character's welfare. However, he expects both obeisance and greatness from your character, and likely has powerful enemies who may take notice of you.
 ===Force Potential===
@@ Line 45: / Line 67: @@
 ===Workshop===
 This background will represent a specific place a character owns that is equipped with everything the character would need to perform some major task. This could be a ship repair shop, a ship yard, a droid manufacturing center, an occult library, an elaborate medical facility, or a number of other things. The higher the rating the better equipped and larger the workshop can be, workshop will likely provide bonuses to characters performing actions in them considering they are well equipped to perform them. Some won't provide a bonus but are necessary to even attempt a task, for instance a ship yard of some sort is needed to build a ship. (This could be excluded and just put under wealth or arsenal but I think its different from both. A character will a good repair shop isn't necessarily rich or well equipped.)
+* (1) Your character has a small shop or stockpile of books that is good but not great in a narrow scope.
+* (2) Your characters shop or library is either considered top notch in its field or is adequate across several.
+* (3) Your characters workshop is capable of covering every step of the process it is designed for, it may be a small ship yard or complete occult library.
+* (4) Your characters workshop is extensive in every way, it is  a comprehensive library or a full fledged ship yard capable of producing capital class ships.
+* (5) Your characters workshop or library will be remembered and emulated for generations, it is the greatest in the galaxy and people travel across regions to see it in action. The Jedi Archives of the Old Republic would represent this.