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Cl0001
2016-05-08, 12:16 PM
My dm has recently announced that at the end of our current campaign in 5e, that he's going to start a scifi game using characters from Star Wars/ Trek and other pop culture titles. Hearing this, I wanted to rp as Yoda. We are just using basic 5e rules with home brew added in. I am wondering what you all think I should do for class/race and other options. I'm thinking of a forest gnome monk.

Anonymouswizard
2016-05-08, 12:49 PM
Okay, advice:

Use a different system, d6 Space is free on DriveThruRPG if money is an issue, I can copy the link to send your GM.
Look up spelljammer.
Use a different system.
Gnome sounds good, although Halfling should also work.
Use a different system.
I can see Yoda as a monk or a druid. Also possibly a wizard or bard with the Hermit background.
Use a different system.
If you want prequel Yoda, go with something like Sage for your background. For OT Yoda Hermit should work.
Use a different system.

Takewo
2016-05-08, 12:55 PM
I agree with Anonymous Wizard's odd points.

Louro
2016-05-08, 04:12 PM
Yoda? Just roleplay It.
Oh, and aside the suggestions already made, use another system.

Louro
2016-05-08, 05:01 PM
Just as an example, here is the Character sheet I did on the fly for a Star Trek one shot:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=59360324388406478805

As you can see, it's pretty simple. I gave the players some points to expend and made them pick skills from here, according to their "role":
http://www.holotrek.net/index.php/Starfleet_Academy_Courses

Them some personal traits to add some flavour, like:
- Stubborn: one reroll per day
- Engineering ACE: You can get something to work at 120% (failure rolls)
- Keen Eyes: Extra dice on perception rolls
- Lighting Reflexes: You can roll to avoid damage, even when its not your turn, (3/day)

--
The system, each point is a dot and each dot is a dice, a dice you roll when you use an ability. Each dice rolled above 5 is a succes.
The HP thing was just to account for random environmental hazards damage, as phasers can just disintegrate you. Yeah, it was bloody :)

Again, I DO NOT recomment the use of a homebrew D&D ruleset for a Sci-fi game.

goto124
2016-05-08, 10:06 PM
Why exactly is 5e a bad system for sci-fi? Too much refluffing?

The Grue
2016-05-09, 12:32 AM
Why exactly is a wrench a bad tool for hammering nails?

goto124
2016-05-09, 01:07 AM
[description and explanation of the shape of a wrench]
[description and explanation of the physics of hammering nails]
[description and explanation of the shape of a better tool to hammer nails]

Similarly, I was hoping for:

[description and explanation of the mechanics of 5e]
[description and explanation of the things that make good sci-fi games]
[description and explanation of the mechanics of a system that more easily make good sci-fi games]

Knaight
2016-05-09, 02:59 AM
Why exactly is 5e a bad system for sci-fi? Too much refluffing?
It being a fantasy system stands out. Refluffing only goes so far.


[description and explanation of the shape of a wrench]
[description and explanation of the physics of hammering nails]
[description and explanation of the shape of a better tool to hammer nails]

Similarly, I was hoping for:

[description and explanation of the mechanics of 5e]
[description and explanation of the things that make good sci-fi games]
[description and explanation of the mechanics of a system that more easily make good sci-fi games]
A minimum standard for a good sci-fi game is a game that can handle sci-fi, meaning either a generic system or something aimed at it. Adapting a system aimed at a different genre entirely doesn't work particularly well. On top of that, class based systems in general tend to work best when doing archetype emulation. So, 5e does a fairly good job with a specific chunk of archetypes, and they're the wrong ones. Fighter transfers okay, some of the others work in very space opera sci-fi, but others transfer extremely poorly, and then there are the things that are missing.

It's a lot like the wrench and the hammer. There's a specialized tool designed to do one task (apply torque to rivets and similar; emulate a very specific style of fantasy) being used for a completely different task (hammering a nail; doing sci-fi). It might be functional, but it won't work well.

Anonymouswizard
2016-05-09, 03:00 AM
Long story short, 5e is optimised for D&D style fantasy, and why bother with all the homebrewing when there are better (and free (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/20447)) systems.