New Scale System

[CRMcNeill]

After due consideration, I've decided to stick with the previously posted modifiers, but fold space transports back in with starfighters scale-wise. However, I've decided to change all of the names for the scale categories to terminology used in the films (wherever possible):

Character 0D
Flitter +2D
Speeder +4D
Starship +6D
Walker +8D
Frigate +10D
Destroyer +14D
Death Star +24D

So, the explanations are as follows:

Flitter - Despite their similarity, speeder bikes and the like just don't fit the literal definition of a cycle. I couldn't find anything in the films that actually fit (they're never actually called swoops or speeder bikes in the films), but the Brian Daley novels used Flitter to describe small one- or two-being repulsorlift vehicles. It was as good a fit as any, and more general in application than "swoop" (which would technically be a sub-class of flitters anyway)

Starship - I was never entirely comfortable with a separate classification for freighters and transports at only 1D removed from starfighters, so I decided to group them back under a single, general category that covered fighters, freighters, shuttles, etc, all at once.

Frigate - "Capital Ship" is never actually used in the films (and is applied too broadly in the games), but frigates are mentioned a single time in ROTJ (during the Battle of Endor).

Destroyer - The words "destroyer" and "cruiser" are both used in the films to refer to the big, powerful capital ships. However, since my current system places WEG's light, medium and heavy cruisers in Frigate scale, I went with destroyer to avoid confusion. It is important to note that, while the real world use of destroyer refers to something roughly the same basic size as a frigate, the SWU uses it to refer to something more along the lines of a Dreadnaught (basically a super battleship).

To clarify, here is the revised list of what-goes-where:

Destroyer:
-Super Star Destroyer
-Imperial Star Destroyer
-Victory Star Destroyer
-Torpedo Sphere
-Mon Calamari Cruiser

Frigate:
-Dreadnaught-Class Cruiser
-Alliance Assault Cruiser
-Interdictor
-Strike Cruiser
-Escort Carrier
-Carrack Light Cruiser
-Alliance Bulk Carrier
-Star Galleon
-Nebulon B Frigate
-Lancer-Class Frigate
-Corellian Corvette
-Corellian Gunship
-System Patrol Craft
-Assault Shuttle
-Blastboat
-Luxury Liner
-Container Ship
-Bulk Transport
-Medium Transport

Walker:
-AT-AT
-Juggernaut
-Mobile Command Base
-Chariot Command Speeder
-Hoverscout
-Alliance Freerunner
-Heavy Tracker
-Speeder Truck
-Sail Barge

Starship:
-Light Freighters
-Space Barges
-All starfighter types
-Cloud Cars

Speeder:
-AT-ST
-Landspeeders
-Airspeeders
-Compact Assault Vehicle
-ULAV
-Tramp Shuttle
-Skiff

Flitter:
-Speeder Bikes
-Swoops
-Repulsor Sled
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Dredwulf60]

Love it.

Officially adopted. (Except for the name 'Flitter'. ugh! I'll call that scale 'Bike' or something. )

[CRMcNeill]

Yeah, I'm not hugely satisfied with it either, yet there are no other terms used in the films to describe bike-sized vehicles. The closest we get is in ROTJ, where the bike scouts capture Leia, and the leader tells the other to "go get your ride; take her back to base." "Swoop" might be a good alternate, as it has gained something of an official status.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]

Why not just use bikers for flitters??
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[CRMcNeill]

[Dredwulf60]

[CRMcNeill]

If Flitter wasn't an option (and it was used to classify cycle-equivalent vehicles in the Old Republic Sourcebook, which is why I used it), I'd go with Swoop, which is much more "Star Warsy", IMO.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Whill]

"Bike" is an in-universe term and obviously doesn't mean bicycle in the Star Wars universe. I wouldn't shy away from it just for that reason.

You reminded me that an actual bicycle did appear in one of my Star Wars adventures. A PC from a primitive planet (with a 1930s Earth tech level) who had been taken as a child and raised by space pirates was temporarily stranded on his homeworld and ended up needing a local vehicle. He blew his roll to repair a old automobile, so he had to ride through town and deal with some antagonists on a bicycle. It was rather humorous.
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[CRMcNeill]

[Dredwulf60]

[garhkal]

[Whill]

[Savar]

[CRMcNeill]

Speeder
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[CRMcNeill]

So, this thing never seems to be done...

I'm considering the following changes:

1). As part of my revision of WEG vehicle stats, I'm thinking of renaming "Flitter" to "Swoop". What I have in mind is placing all speeder bikes, swoops and similarly sized vehicles under the skill Swoop Operation, so as to separate cycle-sized vehicles from the larger speeders in both scale and skill.

2). Changing Destroyer from +14D to +12D. This would put all of the larger capital ships at +6D over Starfighters, as they are in the RAW. Frigate-Scale vessels would remain at +10D. My feeling is that Capital Ships like ISDs are hard enough to damage with a +6D scale advantage over starfighters, so there isn't an urgent need to make them even tougher. Plus, it moves Destroyer scale ships further into the threat range for the turbolaser batteries on Frigate-scale heavy cruisers (historically, heavy cruiser main batteries packed enough of a punch to damage battleships if handled properly).

3). Bringing back Dreadnought Scale at +14D or +16D for the monster ships (Executor, Eclipse, Sovereign, etc.). I like the idea because these rare ships are so much larger than ISDs and MC80s. It also would allow me to rewrite their stats down to something manageable (as opposed to the double-digit-D values they have under the RAW). The thing is, these ships are so rare that I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. I mean, how often do your PCs take on SSDs in combat?

_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index