Now, I know that there is no real way to convert West End Games material to the FFG engine, at least in a structured, regimented process. However, that doesn't seem to stop people from occasionally asking about it - and it does seem a shame to throw all that material out. Since I do use the D6 stuff from time to time, both color text and stats, I decided to compile and crystallize my method of adapting West End Games characters to the Fantasy Flight engine.

Obviously not everything syncs up from one system to another, so the most important thing here is to try and capture the flavor of the character and not get caught up in the mechanics of the process. The old character is merely a suggestion, not a rule. Try and do that and you'll make yourself crazy. . . .

STEP ONE - DECIDE ON AN ARCHETYPE

Sometimes this will an easy step. Converting the protagonists from Tatooine Manhunt - Jodo Kast, Zardra and so on - will be Bounty Hunter(s). Someone like Sister Domina Tagge? FFG doesn't have a priestess archetype, so I wound up going with Scholar. It seemed the best match for her character's portrayal. Basically, go with the class that best suits the rough character concept.

STEP TWO - CONVERT ATTRIBUTES

First, lets figure out which attributes match up with which attribute.

Dexterity = Agility

Knowledge = Intellect

Mechanical = Agility

Perception = N/A

Strength = Brawn

Technical = Intellect

It's not a perfect fit, but it should give you - more or less - a good baseline to start from. A character with a good TECH and KNOW is going to have a pretty solid INT and so on. As for the attributes that don't have a D6 Correlation, like Cunning, Willpower and Presence? Best guess based on the concept of the character (or at least in Willpower's case, consult the D6 character and see if they have the skill Willpower. Raising a skill is much easier in D6, so don't go with a 1-1, but let it color how much you assign).

While there were D6 rules for raising attributes, generally you didn't see them get past 5D (that was usually strength on Wookiees). So, a 1-to-1 ratio is not a bad rough guideline.

STEP THREE - DECIDING ON SKILLS

Next, we just have to figure out what skills the character has, a matter of matching up the D6 skills to their equivalent in FFG. You'll notice that this list has a whole lot of overlap - several D6 skills compress down to just one FFG skill. The entire skill set under Technical turns into two skills: Medicine and Mechanics. In this instance, use your best judgment. If a character has several lower complimentary skills, bump up the FFG skill by one

DEXTERITY

Archaic Guns = Ranged (Light)

Blaster = Ranged (Light)

Blaster Artillery = Gunnery

Bowcaster = Ranged (Heavy)

Bows = Ranged (Light)

Brawling Parry = N/A

Dodge = N/A

Firearms = Ranged (Light)

Grenade = Ranged (Light)

Lightsaber = Lightsaber

Melee Combat = Melee

Melee Parry = N/A

Missile Weapons = Ranged (Heavy)

Pickpocket = Skullduggery

Running = Athletics

Thrown Weapons = Ranged (Light)

Vehicle Blasters = Gunnery

KNOWLEDGE

Alien Species = Xenology

Bureaucracy = Education

Business = Education

Cultures = Core Worlds or Outer Rim Worlds

Intimidation = Coercion

Languages = N/A

Law Enforcement = Education

Planetary Systems = Core Worlds or Outer Rim Worlds

Streetwise = Streetwise

Survival = Survival

Value = Negotiation

Willpower = Discipline

MECHANICAL

Archaic Starship Piloting = Piloting (Space)

Astrogation = Astrogation

Beast Riding = Survival (or create a new skill if it's reoccurring usage in your game)

Capital Ship Gunnery = Gunnery

Capital Ship Piloting = Piloting (Space)

Capital Ship Shields = N/A

Communications = Computers

Ground Vehicle Operation = Piloting (Planetary)

Hover Vehicle Operation = Piloting (Planetary)

Repulsorsuit Operation = Piloting (Planetary)

Sensors = Computers

Space Transports = Piloting (Space)

Starfighhter Piloting = Piloting (Space)

Starship Gunnery = Gunnery

Starship Shields = N/A

Swoop Operation = Piloting (Planetary)

Walker Operation = Piloting (Planetary)

PERCEPTION

Bargain = Negotiation

Command = Leadership

Con = Deception

Forgery = Skullduggery

Gambling = Cool or Deception

Hide = Stealth

Investigation = Education? Otherwise N/A

Persuasion = Charm

Search = Perception

Sneak = Stealth

STRENGTH

Brawling = Brawl

Climbing/Jumping = Athletics

Lifting = N/A

Stamina = Resilience

Swimming = Survival (or create a new skill if it's reoccurring usage in your game)

TECHNICAL

Armor Repair = Mechanics

Blaster Repair = Mechanics

Capital Ship Repair = Mechanics

Capital Ship Weapons Repair = Mechanics

Computer Programming/Repair = Computers

Demolition = Mechanics

Droid Programming = Computers

Droid Repair = Mechanics

First Aid = Medicine

Ground Vehicle Repair = Mechanics

Hover Vehicle Repair = Mechanics

(A) Medicine = Medicine

Repulsor Repair = Mechanics

Security = Skullduggery or Computers

Space Transports Repair = Mechanics

Starfighter Repair = Mechanics

Starship Weapons Repair = Mechanics

Walker Repair = Mechanics

STEP FOUR - HOW MANY RANKS?

Now that you know what skills the character possesses, the next step is figuring out how many dice each skill has. FFG has a ceiling of 6, the maximum a character can achieve while the D6 has no such cap (beyond the sheer magnitude of points necessary to get from 99D+2 to 100D). However, in the Game Masters Handbook, WEG was kind enough to provide us with the Universal Standard chart:

1D - Below Human Standard for an attribute

2D - Human average for attributes and many skills

3D - Average level of training

4D - Professional level of training

5D - Above average expertise

6D - Considered the best in the city

7D - Amongst the best on the continent

8D - Amongst the best on a planet

9D - One of the best in that immediate region, about 1 in a billion people have this level of skill

10D - One of the best in a sector

12D - One of the best in a region

14D - Amongst the best in the galaxy

So if 1D is the lowest end and 14D is the pinnacle of human skill, I break the FFG skill rankings down like this:

1D-2D - All green dice

3D-4D - 1 Yellow die

5D-6D - 2 Yellow dice

7D-8D - 3 Yellow dice

9D-10D - 4 Yellow dice

11D-12D - 5 Yellow dice

13D-14D - 6 Yellow dice

STEP FIVE - THE TALENT TREE

Since there's no corollary between the talent tree and the D6 engine, just use your best judgment and/or go nuts and get all the cool stuff. Use the overall skill ranks as an estimate of how far down the tree you should go. Someone with 1 and 2 ranks across the board probably wont get past the Third Tier on the tree. Someone with lots of 5+ ranks? They'll be towards the bottom.

STEP SIX - THE FORCE

Good luck with that one. The two systems REALLY don't synch up here, so you are pretty much on your own.

STEP SEVEN - THE FINISHING TOUCH

You don't really have to worry about Force Points and Dark Side points (although excessive Dark Side Points might lend itself to some Obligation). Since FFG doesn't has as extensive a equipment list to draw upon, you'll have to guesstimate numbers (or just assign the closest approximation - a Heavy Blaster is a Heavy Blaster, regardless of the brand name). Same with Cybernetics - best guess what they were trying to say with FFG's more limited list.

STEP EIGHT - ENJOY YOUR NEW CHARACTER

There you go. Hit save on your spreadsheet and bask in the glow of a job well done!

I would say stuff like Dodge ranks ought to translate into the appropriate talents on the Talent tree.

Yeah, I thought about an addendum somewhere in there, but only - what, I think 4 classes get Dodge? Yeah, grab it if you're one of those select few for sure - but odds are 87% of the builds wont have access to it.

Yeah, don't fret over dodge. Nearly every character in WEG had it, and nearly every player and gm didn't use it RAW. It was a low effectivenss reactive skill, and more a way of applying a ranged defense if you were doing something crazy like running across an open field while under fire at relatively short range. Unless you have a WEG character with really high dodge (like more then 10D) I'd leave it off.

Now that F&D has dropped, I'll have to go revisit the conversion process and see if there's any hope whatsoever of getting the two systems to synch up. Somehow, I doubt it. . . .

Like it

Desslok one question, you just considered the 6th yellow dice (13D-14D). There is any special reason?

I thought about this for the attributes:

DEX = Agility

KNO = Intellect

MEC = Agility/Intellect

PER = Cunning/Presence

STR = Brawn

TEC = Intellect

I also thought that the D's just get rounded to give the approximately attributes. As you mentioned, its guess work.

Desslok one question, you just considered the 6th yellow dice (13D-14D). There is any special reason?

Well, since the 6th yellow dice is the maximum a character can buy up to, it makes sense that 6 would be the WEG theoretical ceiling for skills. No reason other than to try and make things sync the best I could.

I like what you've done with the place. Just a few remarks, if I may:

- I think both Blaster Artillery and Vehicle Blasters should be Gunnery, not Ranged (heavy).

- Willpower is clearly Discipline.

- Capital Ship Gunnery should be, well, Gunnery.

I'm thinking that Force ratings would approximate 1 Force rating in F&D to 6D total in all three Force skills in the WEG system. So, Force rating 1 could be Control 2D, Sense 2D and Alter 2D, or any other combination that adds up to 6D. For the powers you'd pretty much have to customize; some is easy, like Move equating Telekinesis and so on, but the rest requires some judgement calls.

Considering that Palpatine was above 13D, 15D and 14D (rounded 14D) and his rating based on Edge Beta would probably be 7, so... every 2D you get a FR 1?

Not sure but maybe something aproximated.

I think you did a good job taking a shot an synchronizing two systems that don't go well together. I think the biggest breakdown is the lack of a Dodge mechanic in EotE. Dodge is critical in WEG d6. It's so important I at one point considered house ruling a Dodge skill into EotE when I started GMing it. Luckily I didn't as the system seems to be working (so far) without one.

Anyway, good write-up. I may make use of it when certain individuals from my previous WEG campaigns show up.

- I think both Blaster Artillery and Vehicle Blasters should be Gunnery, not Ranged (heavy).

- Willpower is clearly Discipline.

- Capital Ship Gunnery should be, well, Gunnery.

Egads! How could I have made such a simple mistake. You're totally right - consider the changes made.

(While I cant offer a defense for the Blaster Artillery, Vehicle Blasters and Willpower - I think the Cap Ship Gunnery was a simple cut and paste error).

Utterly shameless self promotion bump because there's been a couple of people asking about a conversion processes.

You could argue that Running relates to Athletics, and Perception translates to Presence (it is the attribute that holds Con, Bargain, Command, etc.)

Considering that Palpatine was above 13D, 15D and 14D (rounded 14D) and his rating based on Edge Beta would probably be 7, so... every 2D you get a FR 1?

Not sure but maybe something aproximated.

Having converted a thing or two from WEG (see here ), the problem gets fixed if you take the highest Force skill and divide by 2. This same logic can be duplicated with skills. Find all the WEG skills that pertain to a given FFG skill, take the highest value and divide by 2 capping at 6 ranks. The thing about balancing the two is to remember the "pip" system was as much about measuring experience points as it was modifying the chances of success on any given role. In this regards, "pips" correspond to talents in the talent trees that likewise give small modifications to the die - these will naturally come out in the wash through Boost dice from the talents you pick up (most often the skills that have +'s are core to the concept and will have associated Boost dice given through the talent tree).

It's important to look at the character holistically, and see more than just the stats.

This is the D6-FFG conversion system I came up with to convert my old D6/D20 character over to F&D:

Quote

Alternate D6 to FFG attribute and skill conversion formula:

For Attributes,

Step One: round each result of Step One down to whole dice. For new base Attribute.

Step Two: Convert results from step one to FFG equivalent:

Strength = Brawn,

Dexterity = Agility

Knowledge = Intellect

Perception = Presence

Knowledge + Perception/2 = Willpower

Technical = Cunning

Skills.

Step One subtract pips from each original D6 attribute’s dice

Step Two: add pips from each Attribute to each related skill and round up to next whole die.

Step Three: Subtract result of Step One from Step Two.

Step Four: Divide result from Step Three by three and round up to get new skill value.

Example. A Dexterity of 3D+2 and Lightsaber of 9D+1, add the +2 to the 9D+1 giving you 10D (no further rounding necessary) 10-3=7. 7/3=2.33333 rounded to 3.

Example two: A Strength of 2D+2 and a Stamina of 6D+2, add the +2 pips to the 6D+2 to get 7D+1 rounded to 8D. 8-2=6. 6/3=2.

Example three: A Mechanical of 2D and a Space Transports of 2D+1. 2D+1 rounds up to 3D. 3-2=1. 1/3=.3333 rounded up to 1.

Example four: a Perception of 3D+1 and Command of 6D. 3D+1 rounds to 3D. Add +1 pip to 6D= 6D+1, rounded to 7D. 7-2=5. 5/3=1.666667, rounded to 2.

Force Skills and Force Powers:

Step One: add base dice (not including pips) from all three Force Skills together

Step Two Multiply the result from Step One by three

Step Three: Add all +1s and +2s from all three Force Skills.

Step Four: Add the result from Step Three to the result from Step Two.

Step Five: Multiply result of Step Four by ten, this is he total XP available for Force Powers and their Upgrades.

Step Six Convert D6 Force Powers to their FFG equivalents.

Step Seven: divide up XP among new Force powers and upgrades.

For example: Ulic Qel-Droma has Control of 3D+1, Sense of 2D+2 and Alter of 3D and eleven Force Powers in his Force Power list., some of which don’t have FFG equivalents, others convert to Force Talents.

Adding 3D=2D=3D= 8D 8x3=24. 1+2=3, 24+3= 27. 27x10=270; giving him 270 total XP divided among his various Force Powers and their upgrades.

I use the highest d6 Force code (ignoring pips) as the maximum number of Force Points that could be generated on a Force Dice roll in FFG rounding up to an even number. Example if a jedi has Control 7D, Sense 6D+1, and Alter 4D+2, I wound use the 7D as the value since its the highest, witch would be 7 Force Points, only I would round up to 8 for an even number which means that the Force User in question would have a Force Rating of 4 in FFG Star Wars. This is just a "On the Fly" way i did it one night, but it kind of seemed to work for me.

Now reverse this as I am starting a d6 game.

Reversing the process is probably pretty easy, since you don't have pesky talents to deal with. Mind you, it would probably require a great deal of gustimation and shooting from the hip. Since all you really have to worry about is the die codes, you could ignore everything but step 4. Of course that's just the off the top of my head conversion while at work.