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Mamatried
Commodore
Joined: 16 Dec 2017
Posts: 1829
Location: Norway
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 Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:30 am Post subject: Willpower and Droids? |
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Hpw to handle this skill with droids?
Same could be said about Stamina.
I can see Droid in star wars being "sentient enough" to be palyable characters, but they are still machines, we have seen from scourses outside the movies that they can run dry on power etc, some of course designed better than others.
To me Willpower sort od by name requires a "will" and I am not a programming, no matter the AI level, even with the possiblity to learn and use untrained skills, I am not sure a Star Wars droid has will...
I can sort of say the same about stamina, to me this this sort of idicates biology, again I am unsure how to do with droids.
I am inclined to simply houserule that these sills can not be leatned by droids at all, not even a droid/cyborg like Terminator or GURI.
Has anyone handled Willpower in particular (but of course also stamina)
in droids and doid characters? |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14030
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Like you, i'd say both those skills would just be unusable by droids..
Even 'living' ones like Guri or shards in a droid body.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: Willpower and Droids? |
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| garhkal wrote: | | or shards in a droid body. |
Shards are not droids. Shard are a sentient living species who control droid bodies like a mecha. The Shard is the mind of the droid body. Shards should have access to the willpower skill.
| garhkal wrote: | Like you, i'd say both those skills would just be unusable by droids..
Even 'living' ones like Guri |
I disagree. Don't get too hung on skill names determining their applications. If it helps, I have renamed the stamina skill as "stamina/endurance". Droids are simulated life. I apply the skill to droid characters as the droid-body congrunece of what stamina is for for humans. Maybe the droid equivalent of getting tired and needing a rest from activity is that components are overheating and need a cooldown.
Improving the skill may require some physical upgrades and it may be rare for droids to have it, but the skill can be used in a similar way, even at base attribute. Sure there may be some differences with living things of when the skill is applicable. It doesn't mean droids should be flat-out restricted from ever having the skill.
And I hope this doesn't drudge up the droid sentience arguments, but droids are programmed to have artificial intelligence and a simulated sentience, with various levels of independent operation. Droids are designed to follow their programming and the orders of their owners, but we have explicit film evidence that droid characters do not always do so. Explanations have been that glitches may develop in the programming over time, and something that remedies that is periodic mind wipes. A lack of strict adherence to a mind wipe schedule could even rarely allow for permanent glitches to develop.
Although willpower may be a rare skill for droid characters to improve, I don't feel droids should be flat-out restricted from ever having the skill. Artoo is a prime candidate for having the skill, being such an independent and stubborn droid. He shouldn't be the only one. Willpower may even be required to override their programming should a droid ever have a good reason to do so. A GM can set difficulties accordingly to how difficult it should be.
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pakman
Commander
Joined: 20 Jul 2021
Posts: 384
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| Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:32 am Post subject: |
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I would also say, yes droids have willpower.
It is part of their personality - and yes, droids are obviously supposed to have personality in star wars - I mean - that is the whole basis of r2 and threepio.
Now, the question on if they could improve them - sure - why not - could 3po adjust his commitment to actions and be less of a coward or manipulated - well, you have to decide if ANY droid can improve anything - or if someone external has to program it.
Just a note - I am not getting into the weeds about they why and how of their personalities - (I will let that to philosophers and ai experts) - but to the fact that lucas clearly tried to anthropomorphize droid personalities in his star wars universe.
So - regardless of why (programming, learned behavior, whatever) I feel it is demonstrated that r2 has more willpower than 3po, or say a battle droid.
but use whatever works for the players in your game.
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