Droid Player Characters

Roleplaying Droids

Generating a droid player character in The Star Wars Roleplaying Game differs greatly from creating an “organic” (or “normal”) player character. In addition to using a completely different set of character generation rules, players who decide to portray a droid must take into account a different form of “living” in the Star Wars universe.

Creating a Template for a New Droid Model

Like all player characters, starting droid characters begin with a total of 25D. The major difference is that organic characters divide these dice between attributes and skills, whereas a droid character breaks these dice down between attributes, skills, and attachments (equipment that provides the droid with a permanent skill bonus). Organic characters generally have 18D for their attributes, leaving 7D for allocation to skills. Droids do not have this limitation. Droids are not subject to species minimums and maximums like organics (though they are subject to the current state of technology). In the Classic Star Wars time frame, technology allows a droid: • no more than 13D in any particular attribute • a minimum of 0D Because of this, it becomes amazingly simple to create a new droid type to use as a character template. Simply divide the 25D between the droid’s attributes, skills, and attachments. Consult with your gamemaster during this process, as creating a character in this manner is much more collaborative than creating an organic character. Talk with the gamemaster about: • the droid’s Move rating • what equipment it has installed • other relevant considerations When a consensus is reached, the droid is effectively created. Alternate method: your gamemaster may allot you a credit limit and have you use the droid creation/modification rules from the previous chapter. Usually, the cost of creating a droid suitable for a player character is between 3,000 and 5,000 credits.

Optional Rule: Basing a Character Template Off an Existing Droid

When modifying an existing droid for use as a player character, character generation becomes more complex. Some droids are simply not suited for use as player characters (large units like logging droids or the construction droids from Coruscant, for example). If you choose to play an existing droid type: 1. Select a “stock” droid you like. (These can come from listings in this book or any other source.) 2. Treat it as unmodified. All of the droids listed in this book are considered “stock”—they have not been modified and are listed as they would be if purchased new. 3. Count up the dice allocated to attributes, skills, and attachments. Ignore dice the droid receives from special abilities or story factors, as these usually only come into play at character creation and do not count toward the standard 25D. For example, a droid might have a special ability granting it any one Mechanical skill at 3D. Extra dice given in this manner do not count toward the droid’s 25D. If the Stock Droid Totals 25D If the droid has exactly 25D in its attributes, skills, and attachments, it is ready to be run as a player character—just copy it down and (rules-wise) the character is ready to go. If the Stock Droid Totals Less Than 25D: Build Dice If the droid model you wish to play has less than 25D, you can add the difference with Build Dice: • Build Dice = 25D − (droid’s total dice) • Build Dice can be allocated to skills and attachments, not attributes. Example: Dave wants to play a Rim Securities K4-series security droid. The droid has a total of 20D in attributes, skills, and attachments. Dave’s droid has 5D of Build Dice (25D − 20D = 5D). Dave can add these 5D to skills and attachments, but cannot spend Build Dice on improving attributes.

Adding Skills

Unlike an organic character, droids can spend more than 2D on improving a skill during character creation. A new droid character can begin play with a skill up to 4D above the governing attribute. In addition, droid characters taken from existing models start with skills already integrated into the droid type. Many droids already have skills at least 4D above an attribute—and such skills cannot be improved at character creation. Example: Dave’s K4 droid has Dexterity 3D and comes off the assembly line with: • blaster 7D • dodge 8D • running 4D Because blaster and dodge are already 4D or more above Dexterity, Dave may not allocate any of his 5D Build Dice to those skills. Because running is only 1D above Dexterity, Dave may add up to 3D to improve that skill.

New Skills During Character Creation

At the time of character creation, the player may use Build Dice to give the droid skills it didn’t receive when constructed (without paying credits). • These skills start at the same die code as the governing attribute. • The player may allocate up to 4D in any one skill. When selecting skills, consider: • What the droid is designed to do • Whether its existing package serves that purpose • What the player intends to use it for Just because a droid is designed as an accounting unit doesn’t mean it will be used for that purpose. Is it destined for industrial intrigue or sabotage? Will it assist a smuggler during a sophisticated confidence scam? Or will it provide maintenance assistance or astrogation backup aboard a freighter? During this process, keep the gamemaster apprised of the droid’s development. Gamemasters may veto certain skills unless the player provides a very good reason. For example, very few astromech droids can accurately fire a blaster, and fewer still would actually want to. Without an adequate reason (illegal software commissioned by a Black Sun Vigo, for example), the gamemaster may disallow it.

Droid Character Development

Unlike an organic character, droids come off the assembly line prefabricated to be identical in almost every way. They possess the same skills and knowledge, the same equipment and attachments, and look exactly alike (save for paint jobs). Each droid model comes pre-equipped with an identical personality matrix, though these can change over time with experience and programming. Where an organic character learns skills through schooling and life experience, a droid is programmed with necessary knowledge. Consider the following topics when determining a droid character’s background and behavior.

Name and Designation

After creating the rules portion of your character, come up with a name. Droid names are generally a combination of letters and numbers (C-3PO, FX-7, EV99, and so forth). These designations function like serial numbers and often include: • the droid’s model number • additional characters to distinguish it from others of its class Most droid names include the model number. R2-D2, for example, is an Industrial Automaton R2 astromech unit. Most other R2 units have “R2” somewhere in their names, though it may not always be pronounced. Some companies use words or symbols as model designations (rare), like the Verpine Siak-series. Owners often spell out a droid’s designation phonetically to give it a more “organic” name (MD-18 becomes “Emdee-Oneight,” for example). Other owners ignore the designation altogether and use a nickname (“Whistler,” “Mynock,” etc.). There is no limit to the number of digits in a designation; there could be a 3PO unit with a designation like Q32H-3PO-9ST somewhere in the galaxy. Usually, organics shorten long names for ease of reference (so that example might become “Kyu-three” or “Ohnine”).

Manufacture and Design

Most of a droid character’s traits come from the mold in which it was formed. Whether the droid was taken from this book or created from scratch, someone built it. (In general, the manufacturer appears in the unit’s game stats.) Consider the manufacturer’s policies regarding politics, society, the military, and so forth. How do those views affect the droid’s basic programming? A personality matrix allows learning and expansion, but the beings who built the droid will leave traces of themselves in the programming. Also consider why the droid was built in the first place. No matter how old it is, there will always be traces of its primary programming. An agricultural droid might learn to fire a blaster, fly a speeder, or speak several languages—but it is still an agricultural droid. Keep this in mind when developing your character. A battered, adventurous cook-droid may act like a brash pilot, but it will still talk about food preparation a great deal.

Activation

Droids aren’t “born”; they are activated. When activation occurs, the droid’s knowledge and personality activate as well. An older droid may have been modified by previous owners (or, in some cases, modified itself) over a long period of time. How long a droid has been activated can dramatically affect its behavior.

Simulated Emotions

Droids are often programmed to react in specific ways to their environment. Often, this programming is extremely sophisticated—resembling actual emotions. A droid’s emotional response programming is directly related to its intended function. For instance: • An assassin droid may display aggression (or anger). • A medical unit would likely display compassion to facilitate interaction with organics. These feelings are programmed at the factory, though a droid may develop and expand on core emotional programming. It is up to the player to determine what emotional responses a droid character possesses. Base this on: • the unit’s primary design • responses the droid may have learned since activation If you are playing a protocol droid who has developed an aggressive attitude and carries a big gun, decide why. Was it intentionally programmed that way? Did experience mold its reactions? Was an assassin droid’s programming core placed into a protocol chassis to avoid detection? Thinking through the “why” makes the character more convincing (and more fun to play).

Droid Character Traits

The following sample traits are meant to spark ideas. They are not exhaustive. • Argumentative: constantly offers an “alternative viewpoint,” mostly to argue. • Backup personality: an alternate personality activates under specific stimuli (damage, code phrase, transmission frequency, etc.). • Center of conversation: tries to dominate conversations with anecdotes or stories. • Curious: constantly seeks answers to puzzling questions. • Exaggerates: inflates details when recounting events (or its role in them). • Glitch: a stubborn malfunction (common in older droids)—for example, a damaged vocabulator causing an odd accent or nasal voice. • Low self-esteem: believes it failed its primary function; may overcompensate—or stop trying at peak efficiency. • No self-confidence: convinced its abilities aren’t equal to a task. • Obnoxious: says the wrong thing at the wrong time; often unpleasant. • Obsequious: fawns over “betters” (usually organic owners), seeking favor. • Obsessive tendencies: fixates on minor tasks (cleaning, sorting files) at the expense of important ones. • Paranoia: believes it has an enemy and is constantly worried about danger. • Pompous: believes it is superior to other mechanicals (or organics) and makes disparaging remarks. • Sullen: reluctant to speak; answers are vague unless questions are specific. • Talkative: cannot stop speaking at inappropriate times.

History

The past is as important to a droid character as it is to an organic one—sometimes more so. Many droids are decades old and may have lived through events other characters have never experienced. By the time Artoo and Threepio came to the Lars family, they had already been through many adventures with other owners.

Previous Owners

Depending on age, the droid may have served many masters, each with their own personalities and agendas. Choosing who those owners were can give the droid a history that shaped its programming and behavior. Remember: owners don’t necessarily use a droid for what it was built for. Even a protocol droid might end up on a moisture farm because it speaks Bocce. Possible hooks: • A former owner was a government official (Imperial, Old Republic, or local). You learned bureaucracy, politics, and handled private messages, minor repairs, and childcare. • A smuggler trained you to lie (“backup with a con never hurt”). You enjoyed dangerous missions—even while keeping a faulty hyperdrive motivator operational. • A young bounty hunter took you as payment. While performing your main function, you learned first aid, weapon maintenance, and shipboard operations. • A store owner bought you to help at the shop. You were kept well oiled—until stolen by a “regular.” Since then: black market auctions, smuggling runs, menial labor…and a desire to find your kind old master. • Pirates stole you when your owner was captured as a slave. You did administrative work, and the crew used you for target practice. You lost circuitry but were rebuilt haphazardly (and that neck-servo fluctuation never went away). • A mercenary leader bought you after your time with an accounting agency and let you keep your programming (“you never know when it’ll come in handy”). They later installed new hardware and software—now you can sneak, plan an escape route, and compute payroll savings at the same time.

Memory Wipes

Many owners make it standard practice to memory-wipe a droid, and continue to do so as part of regular maintenance. Questions to consider: • Has your droid ever been memory wiped? • How long ago? • Was the technician competent? When a droid is memory wiped, its personality matrix resets to factory standard. Depending on the technician, fragments of memory or former personality quirks may remain.

Memory Wipes and Character Development

From activation onward, a droid’s personality matrix learns and develops. When mindwiped, memory and personality revert to factory settings. The droid no longer remembers former owners or experiences and is essentially “new” (except for modifications or hardwired skills acquired over time). Even so: • the droid will still know how long it has been since activation • it will know that it has been mindwiped Most droids accept wipes as part of existence, but some obsess over what they used to be, who owned them, and what they’ve forgotten. A mindwiped droid may believe its history is much shorter than it really is—something gamemasters can use to great effect. Examples: • The droid was once a power droid refitted to run a cheater-chip routine for a sabacc gambler. Victims may recognize the droid even if it doesn’t remember them. • The droid was reprogrammed for CorSec surveillance duty. Some law-enforcement protocols may remain; if it witnesses a crime, it immediately signals the local constabulary—an extremely embarrassing complication for smugglers at a shadowport.

Source: Cyn:39