From: [heywood 254] at [aol.com] (Heywood254) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce Subject: [FAQ] Star Wars RPG Mailing List FAQ 2/2 Date: Sun, 15 Sep 96 15:02:36 GMT THE STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING GAME MAILING LIST FAQ FILE 2 OF 2 6. WHEN IS THE JEDI SOURCEBOOK COMING OUT? Not anytime soon. Lucasfilm doesn't want West End to do anything with the Force until the new movies come out. 7. OKAY, BUT IS THERE AT LEAST A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF FORCE POWERS? Not yet. A sourcebook for Dark Horse Comics' 'Tales of the Jedi' will include all of WEG's previously publish Force Powers. It is due November '96. 8. ARE THERE RULES FOR STARFIGHTER MODIFICATION AND CONSTRUCTION? Not yet. A sourcebook covering starship construction is said to be in the works from West End. 9. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND EDITION RULES? The second edition rules introduced some new concepts to the overall system. First of all, under the 2nd edition rules Character Points replace Skill Points and may be used to "buy" extra dice for any skill or attribute checks - i.e., the Character Points can, in addition to being used in the normal way to raise skills, also be used as _very minor_ Force Points. The second edition rules removed the Speed dice code for all vehicles, and moved to adopt a fully metric speed system, with "units" in space, and KPH for atmospheric vehicles. This created some changes in the resolution of vehicle maneuvers, but that would be obvious. The second edition rules introduced the concept of Force skills for the three Force attributes. Although one does not train in the various Force skills per se, one must have a skill to be able to use that aspect of the Jedi training. I.e., one must have the Telekinetic Kill skill to be able to use it. This was not specified under the 1st edition rules. The second edition rules have introduced the concept of Advanced skills. These skills are highly expensive to develop, and highly specialised, though they can be used in conjunction with ordinary skills. The Advanced skills are used to resolve very difficult actions - like designing and building cyberware or spacecraft. The second edition rules have finally quantified the concept of specialisation skills - i.e., that a character can be very good at a specific aspect of a more general skill (example: as the Blaster skill governs the use of all hand-held blaster weapons, a person Specialised in Blaster Pistol would be very good with a blaster pistol, and ineffective with a blaster rifle). The second edition rules have also altered the creation of the character, as the various races are now given as dice ranges, and the character is free to allocate a set amount of dice among the various attributes, not ranging above or below the dice ranges. This means that the concept of NPC "templates" is no longer as valid as earlier. The new system is much more flexible, and there is no trouble whatsoever in introducing templates from the 1st edition, as the systems are completely in sync - only the skills and stuff are changed, as is the character's relationship with the Force, but that is in the next paragraph. The second edition rules have given more detail to a character's relationship with the Force. Ordinary Player Characters are Force non-sensitive; they start with 1 Force Point and may have a maximum of five Force Points, any above that are traded in for three Character Points. Force sensitive characters start with 2 Force Points and may have an unlimited number of Force Points. Regular characters may become Force sensitive if they spend 20 character points. Force sensitive characters receive Dark Side Points (symbolic of the temptation of the Dark Side of the Force) whenever they do evil. Non-Force sensitive characters have more leniency when it comes to Dark Side Points. Under the 2nd edition, it is also possible to raise attribute points, though at a hefty cost in character points. The concept of die caps between different scales (characters and vehicles, for example) and the ability to coordinate tasks are updated and revised for the second edition. >From : Jens-Arthur Leirbakk <[l--rb--k] at [stud.unit.no]> 10. WHICH IS BETTER? Among players familiar with both systems there is no agreement. Some folks like the simplicity of the first edition, others prefer the more detailed and consistent second edition, still other use a fusion of both editions of the rules. Truth be told, the difference between the first and second editions is not that great, and if you know how one works, you can still play the other. 11. WHAT IS THE STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING GAME, REVISED AND EXPANDED? 'Revised and Expanded' is the latest revision of the second edition, core rules. The bulk of the changes are a revision of the layout of the book and a streamlining of the explanation and introduction to the rules. 'Revised and Expanded' also includes an index! A few of rules have been slightly revised including the rules about scales, movement and the order of combat. 12. IS THE NEW 'REVISED AND EXPANDED' VERSION OF THE RULES REALLY JUST A THIRD EDITION? Here is the answer straight from WEG's Star Wars RPG Guru himself, Bill Smith: "Absolutely not. In fact, R&E is designed to work seamlessly with all other 2nd Ed. products - the few rules changes (new turn sequence, new movement rules using existing Move score) are in the SW Rules Upgrade, which is available in the November Journal, in the SW GM screen (in October) and available by SASE (w/ 64 cents postage). And if you're perfectly happy with Second Ed., there's no need to change." To receive the Rules upgrade, send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with 64 cents postage to: West End Games Attn: Star Wars Rules Upgrade RR 3 Box 2345 Honesdale, PA 18431 13. WHAT IS THE STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING GAME MAILING LIST? From the mailing list's welcome letter: "The Star Wars mailing list was set up to provide a means whereby fans and players of the 'Star Wars Role-playing Game' by West End Games could meet and discuss topics related to any aspect of the Star Wars universe. The discussion also includes a forum for independently created adventures and aids to be discussed and dispersed for public use... "The list is 'self-moderated'--you are responsible for what you post. Keep in mind that the topic of the list is the Star Wars Role Playing game, and try to stay on topic. Nastiness and flaming will get you booted from the list, but otherwise just about anything about the SW:RPG goes." The SW:RPG Mailing List was founded by Peter Skanes, Mike Soulier and Andrew Jackson and run manually until moving to the Drycas mail server under the aegis of "Empress" Jae Walker who is the administrator of the List and its resource pool. The Mailing List has recently found a new home with greater stability and versatility at AOL's Listserv. Jae has also set up a home page for the mailing list: . 14. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO THE SWRPG MAILING LIST? HOW DO I UNSUBSCRIBE? To SUBSCRIBE to the SW-RPG list: send to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] subscribe sw-rpg Yourfirstname YourLastname (no .sig or other data) To UNSUBSCRIBE from the SW-RPG list: send to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] unsubscribe sw-rpg (no .sig or other data) If that doesn't work, send a note to: [sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com] asking to be removed. 15. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SUBSCRIBE? The first thing that will happen is that you will receive a welcome letter. Read it and keep it! It will tell you everything you need to know to participate on the list. After that, mail from the list members will start pouring in. Be advised the list can have some pretty high traffic at times, anywhere from 10-80 messages a day! To post a message to the list, send it to this address: [sw r p g] at [listserv.aol.com] 16. DO I REALLY GOTTA READ AND KEEP THE WELCOME LETTER? Yes, really. Pay special attention to the subscribing and unsubscribing instructions. Please note that unsubscribe requests are NOT sent to the list but rather the mail server at "[l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com]". Polluting the list with unsub requests or breaking the guidelines described in the welcome letter will annoy a) the other members of the list and b) Empress Jae, the list moderator. Cross her and she will squash you off the list. I'm not kidding. 17. CAN I RECEIVE THE LIST MAIL IN DIGEST FORMAT? You sure can! If you wish to receive the digested version of the postings, send the following to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] SET SW-RPG DIGEST If you are receiving the digest and wish to receive each piece of mail separately, send the following to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] UNSET SW-RPG DIGEST 18. I'M GOING AWAY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE LIST, CAN I STOP THE MAIL? Yes. To toggle the receipt of mail, send the following to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] SET SW-RPG NOMAIL To start receiving mail again, send the following to: [l--ts--v] at [listserv.aol.com] SET SW-RPG MAIL 19. MY SERVER WENT DOWN AND I MISSED SOME MESSAGES, HOW CAN I GET BACKUP COPIES? Contributions sent to the list are automatically archived. You can get a list of the available archive files by sending an "INDEX SW-RPG" command to [L--TS--V] at [LISTSERV.AOL.COM.] You can then order these files with a "GET SW-RPG LOGxxxx" command, or using LISTSERV's database search facilities. Send an "INFO DATABASE" command for more information on the latter. 20. WHO IS JAE WALKER? Jae Walker is the administrator of the mailing list, and it is on her fileserver that the Resource Pool is located. Jae administers the list in her own time, including keeping the pool up to date. She also runs some other lists and has a full time job. Everybody on the list appreciates her commitment to the list and Star Wars and is grateful to her for making the list what it is. She can be contacted at - [sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com] 21. CAN I DISCUSS DECIPHER'S STAR WARS COLLECTABLE CARD GAME ON THE LIST? Only as it relates to the roleplaying Game. Decipher maintains a mailing list devoted to the CCG. More information about Decipher and the SW:CCG can be found on their homepage . 22. WHAT IS A PBeM? A Play By eMail is a roleplaying game conducted via electronic mail. It works something like this : - players e-mail moves to the GM every 1-2 days. - GM determines who is doing what to whom and exactly when, then he/she rolls all the appropriate dice - GM then posts results of the round (or whatever) to everyone, telling all the players what has happened. - in the two that I am involved in (1 player, 1 as GM), die roll results aren't mentioned in the posts. This encourages Role playing as opposed to Roll playing From: Andrew Jackson <[a--ck--n] at [dezines.com]> 23. HOW DO I JOIN A STAR WARS PBeM? - find a GM on the 'Net - advertise on the various SW discussion groups you are involved in - keep the e-mail rollin' or - join a game in progress, if the GM allows and it seems appropriate From: Andrew Jackson <[a--ck--n] at [dezines.com]> 24. I'VE GOT SOME GREAT NEW [SHIPS\CHARACTERS\SYSTEMS] I WANT TO SHARE, WHERE CAN I PUT THEM? If you have designed any new ships or other material, there are many other players who would be eager to see your work. If you decide that you want to share your work, please post it to the list and perhaps one of the newsgroups. It would also be appreciated by everyone if you could send your creation to the Resource Pool. 25. WHAT IS THE RESOURCE POOL? The Resource Pool was designed as a location where SWRPG gamemasters could "pool" their resources so that everyone would be able to easily share their work. This is a place where you can find all kinds of things, from game ideas to GM utilities, from new ships to character stories. The Resource Pool can be accessed by ftp at the following address: FTP site (for Resource Pool access): drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu login as: anonymous password: your user id Directory: cd jae (or jae.dir) cd star-wars (or star-wars.dir) cd sw-list (or sw-list.dir) cd resource (or resource.dir) >From : Jae Walker <[sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com]> If you don't know how to use ftp get one of those 'Internet for Beginners' books from your local bookstore or ask you system administrator. To contribute to the resource pool, email your work to [jae sw rpg upload] at [drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu] It will be checked and put onto the Resource Pool as soon as possible. Hopefully, over time and with the help of SWRPGers, the pool will grow to a substantial size. 26. I DON'T HAVE FTP, CAN I STILL GET THE STUFF FROM THE RESOURCE POOL? A lot of people don't have access to FTP, and until recently, haven't been able to get all the information stored in the Resource Pool. Fortunately, however, a mail server has been set up at the site, and the files there can now be accessed by email. - All commands go to: [m--ls--v] at [drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu] Do not include .sig files or anything else besides the actual commands in the messages. - To get a list of all the directories and all of the files in them, the command is: DIRECTORY [jae.star-wars.sw-list.resource*...]*.* - To get a list of the files in a single directory (for example, the droids directory): DIRECTORY [JAE.STAR-WARS.SW-LIST.RESOURCE.DROIDS]*.* - The DIRECTORY command accepts wild cards, so if you wanted to get a list of all the readme files, you might send the following command: DIRECTORY [JAE.STAR-WARS.SW-LIST.RESOURCE*..]0READ*.* - GETTING THE FILES: Once you have a list of the files, getting the files you want is very simple. Send the following: SEND [JAE.STAR-WARS.SW-LIST.RESOURCE.directory]filename.ext - The mailserver will send you the file by return mail. Couldn't be simpler... From: Jae Walker <[sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com]> 27. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH COPYRIGHT WHEN QUOTING FROM RULEBOOKS? During discussion on the list someone will request the official stats for a certain object or character because they need them but don't want to go out and buy a new rulebook. Also, paragraphs from the rules are sometimes quoted to clarify points people are trying to make. Other people have suggested making a database of ships or systems and the like. When this happens, the issue of copyright becomes important. Jae Walker has the following to say on the subject: "Stats for a single template/ship/ability/etc. or a few paragraphs from a book, quoted to clarify a point -- these are very much within the concept of "fair use" and "quoting for review". I'm only going to take issue with material from books when we're talking about pages or chapters." From: Jae Walker <[sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com]> 28. I NEED HELP IN MY CAMPAIGN, WHOM CAN I ASK? The newsgroup rec.arts.sf.starwars.games or the mailing list would be your best bet if you are having difficulty with some part of your game. There are many people there who have SWRPG experience, especially on the mailing list, and most are more than happy to offer ideas or suggestions. Do not be afraid to ask any question no matter how silly it sounds. The only stupid questions are the ones that you need the answers to but don't ask. The people on the net are, on the whole, very understanding. 29. DOES WEST END GAMES HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR WEB SITE? Currently West End does not have a Web Site. West End's online representative is Greg Farshtey who can be reached at "[w--g--g] at [aol.com]" (or "WEG GREG" if you use America Online). Bear in mind that their online presence is on a volunteer basis and they may not be able to answer all email. 30. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS RULE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? This is where common questions about the SWRPG rules are asked. Any rule which is obscure or missing should be mentioned here. If you can think of a rule which is particularly confusing and should be included here, please mail me the question, and preferably an answer as well, and it will be added to the FAQ (Mark Hudson : [heywood 254] at [aol.com]). 31. HOW MANY PROJECTILES DO STARFIGHTERS CARRY? Some people were speculating about the number of missiles/torpedoes that the four main Rebel Fighters have. This information comes from Volume 3 of the Star Wars Technical Journal and Lucasart's X-Wing computer game: X-Wing: Two Krupx MG7 proton torpedo launchers - three torpedoes each A-Wing: Two Dymex HM-6 concussion missile launchers - six missiles each Y-Wing: Two Arakyd Flex Tube proton torpedo launchers -four torpedoes each B-Wing: Two Krupx MG9 proton torpedo launchers - six torpedoes each NOTES: 1) Lucasarts and West End disagree about whether A-Wings have missiles. According to the X-Wing and TIE Fighter computer games they do; according to WEG, they do not. The final call is up to the GM's discretion 2) Using WEG stats for missiles and torpedoes with these missile loadouts *may* unbalance the starfighter. Alternative missile rules have been suggested by members of the list; see missile.txt in resource pool /ships dir. From: Andrew Jackson <[a--ck--n] at [dezines.com]> 32. HOW COME THE YOUNG JEDI TEMPLATE ONLY HAS 15D OF ATTRIBUTES? There is a misprint in the Second Edition rulebook. The Young Jedi should have DEX 3D and PER 4D. The corrected stats can be found in both the Gamemaster's Handbook and the Revised and Expanded rulebook. 33. ACCORDING TO 'THE MOVIE TRILOGY SOURCEBOOK' LUKE HAS TWO DARK SIDE POINTS; WHEN DID HE GET THEM? This has been a much discussed question. Unfortunately there is no definitive answer. Here are some of the possibilities that have been suggested to explain how Luke got his DSPs: when he choked the Gamorrean Guards at Jabba's palace (Telekinetic Kill); when he threatened to kill Jabba (rather un-Jedi-like behavior); when he attacked Jabba's henchmen on the sail barge (using the Force to attack); when he attacked the Emperor on the second Death Star (lashing out in anger); when he attacked Darth Vader and cut Vader's hand off (again attacking with anger). Choose the ones you like or invent your own. 34. IF THE ENTERPRISE FOUGHT A STAR DESTROYER, WHICH WOULD WIN? Who really cares? Star Trek vs. Star Wars trolling will not be tolerated on the list. Take it to rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc. 35. WHAT'S A FLUFF? Fluffs are the collectively written stories that occur on the list from time to time. Past Fluffs have included farcical Spam Wars, over the top crossovers and even serious meditations on the Force. Feel free to contribute but remember to play nice with other people's characters. Examples of past Fluffs can be found in the Resource Pool. 36. WHAT IS SPAM? If you have to ask... ACCREDITATION LIST Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the FAQ: Neil Creek <[o--i--n] at [yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au]> Robert E. Hipkin <[reh 137] at [waskesiu.usask.ca]> Tony Frederico <[o--iv--r] at [WPI.EDU]> Mark Hudson <[heywood 254] at [aol.com]> Andrew Jackson <[a--ck--n] at [dezines.com]> Jens-Arthur Leirbakk <[l--rb--k] at [stud.unit.no]> Peter Skanes <[p s kanes] at [morgan.ucs.mun.ca]> Keith Sohl <[k b s] at [star.le.ac.uk]> Jae Walker <[sw rpg request] at [listserv.aol.com]> ******************************************************************* * Moderator: Coyt D. Watters [watters 10] at [osu.edu] * * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * * Disclaimer: Postings are checked for relevance to the charter, * * not for accuracy of information. * * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * * Number of Illegal Chain Emails killed today: 4 * *******************************************************************