Hey guys, I'm a long time lurker here but I finally made an account because I have a very important question. I'm about to GM my first game of Edge(first time GMing period) and I have a player who wants to make a cybernetic bounty hunter Wookiee. The poor guy has tried to play this character with many different gaming groups but none of them panned out, and now that we are finally doing a Star Wars game so he wants to play him.

Here is the dilemma, I started looking into the cybernetic parts he wants, arm/eye and the cost far exceeds what he could afford at character creation, even with obligation. On top of that, it could potentially make him far more powerful than I ever intended any of their characters to be at the start. I really do not want to tell him no, he can't play that character but how do I justify giving him such powerful items right out of the gate? I thought about giving him additional obligation but that could well punish the rest of the group and not just him. Any thoughts on how I could still give him the character he wants without making him overpowered would be greatly appreciated.

How about for every 500c worth of cybernetics you give robo-wook you give the other players 5xp as post-creation XP?

If it were my game, I would let the wookiee standard cybernetics (the ones that don't have any benefits). Those can look as badass as the player wants. But in order to get the mechanical benefits of the implants he wants, he'll have to save up his credits to purchase them.

Perhaps the implant enhancements need some repairs. Those credits could go towards the parts needed to repair them.

The question is whether he wants tangible mechanical benefits from the implants right away or is he just looking for the style factor? The style factor is a hand wave since there are non boosting replacement parts for all organs. If he wants tangible mechanical benefits for everything that's harder to justify right away.

If he wants the mechanical benefits I would tell him if he gets a limb/part that adds a +1 to a stat, everyone else is getting 75 xp to essentially give them a baseline to reach the first Dedication bonus in a talent tree.

kaosoe's got it.

It's completely unfair (and game breaking) to allow a character with advanced cybernetic enhancements to start alongside normal starting-strength characters.

You should sit down with him, one-on-one and away from the gaming table to express your concerns. Explain how the characters all being on a level playing field is an essential component of the game, and while his concept may be fine, he can't use that to circumvent the spirit of the rules. To extend the example, what if another player wanted to play a droid starting character, but their concept was of a 15 foot tall war droid with starship grade armor plating and heavy blaster cannons for arms...and also a rocket pack and full deflector shielding...because that was their concept?

Explain that you're willing to meet him halfway and allow him to run with his concept, but on his end, he needs to respect game balance and build toward his concept through the game rather than jumping in with the end result he envisions.

Provided your explanation is diplomatic, this should also give you a good idea as to what kind of player he is. If he understands and is willing to work with you to the betterment of the group, he's likely a keeper. If he balks, and insists that the whole enchilada is "what his character is", or accuses you of any sort of wrongdoing for not allowing him free rein...he probably needs to go anyway.

If it were my game, I would let the wookiee standard cybernetics (the ones that don't have any benefits. Those can look as badass as the player wants. But in order to get the mechanical benefits of the implants he wants, he'll have to save up his credits to purchase them.

Perhaps the implant enhancements need some repairs. Those credits could go towards the parts needed to repair them.

I'll second this. There's no real difference between basic (replacement) cybernetics and organic. It's only when there's a mechanical benefit that cybernetics start to cost a lot.

Starting with the basics would give him an opportunity to "upgrade" as he progresses as a character.

Mechanically, I'd require a mechanics check as well as a medicine check to heal him after he takes wounds, however. I'd also have the lower of the two rolls be the one that has an effect -- but he'd still have to have someone in the party make both.

Or let him use the Gank species for character creation but say he is a wookie. I let a player in my group start the game as a human cyborg using the gank stats.

Have write out a good backstory telling how he ended up with the implants, and I do mean a good back story.

Or let him use the Gank species for character creation but say he is a wookie. I let a player in my group start the game as a human cyborg using the gank stats.

I like the idea of a Wookiee who never got the memo that the Gank are a species unto themselves, instead just assuming that 'gank' was a term for any being with extensive cybernetics.

"I'm a Gank!"

"You mean wookiee.."

"No, I'm a Gank!"

"You're clearly a wookiee, my good man."

"Yes, but I'm also a gank!"

(Head explodes.)

I'm seconding the "Gank in Wookiee clothing" idea, but the idea of letting him start with repli-limbs is a great option too, it just depends on his choice between mechanical effect or cool factor.

Thank you everyone for the feed back and help; you guys gave me a lot of good advice and I appreciate it! Just to give an update, I talked things over with the player, and give him the option of either using the Gank stats, or just using basic cybernetic limbs with no stats. He went for latter, when I explained to him that he could still upgrade to the advanced ones, and might even be able to get them cheaper than he would at character creation, through charm checks and black market connections, and things like that.

If it were my game, I would let the wookiee standard cybernetics (the ones that don't have any benefits). Those can look as badass as the player wants. But in order to get the mechanical benefits of the implants he wants, he'll have to save up his credits to purchase them.

Perhaps the implant enhancements need some repairs. Those credits could go towards the parts needed to repair them.

Thank you everyone for the feed back and help; you guys gave me a lot of good advice and I appreciate it! Just to give an update, I talked things over with the player, and give him the option of either using the Gank stats, or just using basic cybernetic limbs with no stats. He went for latter, when I explained to him that he could still upgrade to the advanced ones, and might even be able to get them cheaper than he would at character creation, through charm checks and black market connections, and things like that.

I think this is a great compromised and am very pleased to hear your player and you settled on a good deal

Here's a couple of suggestions, you could use the Knight level in Force and Destiny or like in the game I'm in, you can have the cybernetics but there's a problem,

ie; it's malfunctioning (doesn't give any stat bonus), poor quality or wrong size ( gives set back dice or increase difficulty when it in use).

Also there is a chance it may short out and would need a mechanical check to get it back online.

All these can be fixed when the character has enough credits to "buy" them, this is the cost of the parts.

Another way to go with the basic cybernetic implants is to say that he has all the cool stuff that he wants but it just doesn't work. It's all broken or something. Then he can quest to find the parts to fix the gear. Which ends up being at the same rate as if he was buying/upgrading anyway. Net result is the same as just having basic stuff except the fluff of the story is that it looks so much cooler.