So I got started on a Star Wars/Mass Effect hybrid setting, and am using a set of homebrewed conversions of the Mass Effect races I found online and would like some advice from the forum.

The Asari are a race from Mass Effect that are entirely biotic, the closest analog to Force Sensitives but without any mystical connotations connected to them, and I have already decided that I want to be using the Force not Biotics. The rules for Asari that I found online give them Force Rating 1 and a starting XP of 90. Outside of a 3/1 Characteristic pair and a bonus to one of two skills, that FR is the only thing they get as a race.

The main thing that I am struggling with is the question of whether or not 10 xp is worth a character starting out with a Force Rating.

All the characters in F&D start with a Force Rating anyway, and it doesn't cost them any extra XP to do so. But it does require that you started in an F&D class.

If you're planning on playing one of those, then it wouldn't matter if your race had a Force Rating b/c your class gave you one as well. And no, they do not stack up and give you Force Rating 2 from the start.

However, if you were planning on playing some other class from EoE / AoR, then I would think a 10 xp hit is not too much to ask. Since otherwise you would need to buy the Exile / Emergent tree to gain a Force Rating (which again, will not stack and give you Force 2).

So, for my money... I'd say F&D Asari should get full xp. EoE / AoR Asari should take the hit.

As a comparison here are the stats for the Chagrian in Lead by Example (AoR splatbook): 2,1,2,2,3,2. Wound 11+brawn, strain 10+willpower, 1 rank of resilience, Amphibious, 1 rank in talent Knowledge specialization. 90 xp

So for a 10 xp hit they get one spcial skill two free ranks a 3/1 stat block and a really high wound and strain treshold. So i guess that taking 10 xp for a FR 1 is balanced.

Alternatively you can give them 90 xp but give them either the Force Sensitive exile or the Emergent spec for free if they choose EoE or Aor career.

What stat did you put at 1 and which one at 3?

I feel that no race should start with a Force Rating. If they want to start with a Force Rating then they should start in an F&D career. Otherwise it allows them to duck out on rules that pretty much the other half of the game has to play by in order to be Force Sensitive.

I feel that no race should start with a Force Rating. If they want to start with a Force Rating then they should start in an F&D career. Otherwise it allows them to duck out on rules that pretty much the other half of the game has to play by in order to be Force Sensitive.

But how do you represent Asari who are naturally biotic in Mass Effect in the FFG system? While i don't like it giving them access to FR1 seems to be the only way

I feel that no race should start with a Force Rating. If they want to start with a Force Rating then they should start in an F&D career. Otherwise it allows them to duck out on rules that pretty much the other half of the game has to play by in order to be Force Sensitive.

But how do you represent Asari who are naturally biotic in Mass Effect in the FFG system? While i don't like it giving them access to FR1 seems to be the only way

They take a F&D class. That's how. To give the an FR means they can bypass rules others have to obey. If a PC opts to not take an F&D class at start then maybe he's just this rare non "biotic" Asari. I'm pretty sure it happens.

If you really need them to have something "biotic" give them a boost dice for Perceptions checks or something and say that's their biotic nature coming through. This game has shown, thus far, that it does not take things like "All species are X" to be literal. The two species that we are told are immune to Jedi Mind tricks were not given an ability that made them immune. They were just given higher Will.

Honestly I like the latter idea better. I'll probably give them a boost to something and explain it in setting as that while all Asari are technically Force-Sensitive the majority aren't enough so to warrant Jedi and/or Sith training.

Don't forget that the Iktotchi are also all supposedly sensitive, and they don't start with a rating, they simply have an ability to use Triumphs in a neat way that that's dressed up as their precognitive powers.

There was a similar topic going the other day regarding Miraluka, who are also supposed to be naturally Force sensitive as a species. Living for generations on a planet with an infrared sun, their evolution has taken away their eyes completely and gifted them with an innate Force Sense.

The topic of automatic Force rating + automatic Sense eventually led to simply saying they have something akin to Sense, but isn't Sense, and not having an actual Force rating until they take the appropriate measures.

In this instance, I'd say the same thing applies. As a species, they may all be Force sensitive. But that also probably means that every member of the society receives some of the same Force training as a child. And that training would be reflected by purchasing one of the F&D trees, which gives them justification to have a Force rating. They go hand in hand, Sensitivity and training. On paper, it looks like the training awards the sensitivity, but in this regard the story is going the other way around. Sensitivity necessitates training.

As a species, they may all be Force sensitive. But that also probably means that every member of the society receives some of the same Force training as a child. And that training would be reflected by purchasing one of the F&D trees, which gives them justification to have a Force rating. They go hand in hand, Sensitivity and training. On paper, it looks like the training awards the sensitivity, but in this regard the story is going the other way around. Sensitivity necessitates training.

So basically, simply say that every Asari that doesn't take a F&D career is a "freak of nature" due to their Force blindness. That could make for interesting story opportunities.

Another alternative would be to choose a starting class and tree from EoE / AoR, and then purchase the Exile / Emergent tree as well during CharGen. That way it's already applied and counted by the time you hit gameplay. That would cost you 20 xp (doesn't count as a cross-class purchase), and would legitimately grant you a Force rating without having to house rule anything.

As a species, they may all be Force sensitive. But that also probably means that every member of the society receives some of the same Force training as a child. And that training would be reflected by purchasing one of the F&D trees, which gives them justification to have a Force rating. They go hand in hand, Sensitivity and training. On paper, it looks like the training awards the sensitivity, but in this regard the story is going the other way around. Sensitivity necessitates training.

So basically, simply say that every Asari that doesn't take a F&D career is a "freak of nature" due to their Force blindness. That could make for interesting story opportunities.

Based on ME canon it makes perfect sense to have Asari without force rating, just have them be one who never trained their biotic ability.

I would consider giving them a high will as well and maybe give them the Discipline as a class skill to represent that their "connection" to the Force makes them better with it's use.

I advise you to embrace eternity.

The question i have is: Are you just wanting to play a blue skinned alien with powers, or do you wish to put their entire culture into the star wars universe?

If the latter, how will the Empire deal with, by mass effect canon, a technological superior race? The asari are supposedly the most advanced race, technologically, and the Empire isn't known to play nice. Is the races fluff being disregarded?

Perhaps bionics are mass effects version of cybernetics. At least thats how it come across to me or am I mistaken about something? It's been a long time since I played that game

Perhaps bionics are mass effects version of cybernetics. At least thats how it come across to me or am I mistaken about something? It's been a long time since I played that game

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Biotics

No, it's pretty much Force powers. =)

I advise you to embrace eternity.

The question i have is: Are you just wanting to play a blue skinned alien with powers, or do you wish to put their entire culture into the star wars universe?

If the latter, how will the Empire deal with, by mass effect canon, a technological superior race? The asari are supposedly the most advanced race, technologically, and the Empire isn't known to play nice. Is the races fluff being disregarded?

The fluff for the races is being partially incorporated. What I'm trying to do with the setting is capture the feel of the ME races while incorporating them into a SW setting as smoothly as possible. Thus far I have Tython being replaced with Thessia and the original Je'daii were all Asari. The Republic, with its capital being a city-planet named Citadel, was modeled after the Asari Republics while the Jedi became peacekeepers with Jedi Masters overseeing the Order while the Jedi Justicars were the ones that went out into the galaxy with their Padawans. The exiled Jedi that became the Sith found a race embroiled in civil war on the planet Tuchanka with the Force Sensitive Sith warring against the non-Force Sensitive Krogan Clans.

I advise you to embrace eternity.

The question i have is: Are you just wanting to play a blue skinned alien with powers, or do you wish to put their entire culture into the star wars universe?

If the latter, how will the Empire deal with, by mass effect canon, a technological superior race? The asari are supposedly the most advanced race, technologically, and the Empire isn't known to play nice. Is the races fluff being disregarded?

The fluff for the races is being partially incorporated. What I'm trying to do with the setting is capture the feel of the ME races while incorporating them into a SW setting as smoothly as possible. Thus far I have Tython being replaced with Thessia and the original Je'daii were all Asari. The Republic, with its capital being a city-planet named Citadel, was modeled after the Asari Republics while the Jedi became peacekeepers with Jedi Masters overseeing the Order while the Jedi Justicars were the ones that went out into the galaxy with their Padawans. The exiled Jedi that became the Sith found a race embroiled in civil war on the planet Tuchanka with the Force Sensitive Sith warring against the non-Force Sensitive Krogan Clans.

The easiest way to incorporate ME is to not replace anything that is SW, but add to it. Put all of the ME races and worlds out in the Unknown Region or Wild Space. That will give you plenty of leeway to keep them wholly intact and giving them a force tradition that is unique to them.

Love Asari!

In reality, most "Naturally Force Sensitive" races have a built in use of the Force already that makes it easy to use narrative hand-wavery to include it without using a Force Rating.

For instance, with Miraluka, you have a race that has no eyes but still sees as per normal without any setback dice (unless the target is naturally immune to Force effects).

With the Ikotchi (as has been mentioned) you get a cool Triumph effect.

For the Asari, their "natural biotics" made them inherently skilled at learning more biotics and produced many natural empaths. That can easily be used to establish a Boost die on any Charm, Diplomacy or Negotiation checks (representing their "Empathy") as well as giving them a rank in Discipline (the skill that is usually used when making Force checks).