Gank-Human Hybrid PC Request

By GreyMatter, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

(I know, I know -- one of those threads.)

I've got a new player coming to my campaign who wants to play a character with the following backstory:

  • Human
  • Comes from a highly militarized, industrialized world
  • Everyone in this world's military are cybernetically enhanced

The player's plan is to roll a soldier class from AoR, but wants to be a Gank without being a Gank.

The differences between Ganks and Humans aren't huge, but they are worth noting. Relative to Humans, Ganks have:

  • -1 Presence
  • Special Abilities: 1 rank in Coercion or Vigilance
  • Cyborg

While Humans, relative to Ganks, have:

  • +1 Presence
  • Special Abilities: 1 rank in 2 non-career skills

Wounds, Strain, Starting XP are all the same.

So.

I haven't agreed to the request yet, but if I were, I would:

  • Require -1 Presence to start
  • Allow Cyborg
  • Allow 1 rank in ONE (1) non-career skill

Does this sound OK? I'm kind of annoyed at the request TBH -- everybody wants their own special snowflake -- but I told him I'd think about it.

Edited by GreyMatter

Why not just let the player reskin a gank as human?... Gank stats, human flavour. Done. And let him or her take high brawn and agility and flavour it as cybernetics, If they buy or get more cybernetics later, just call it upgrades.

Edited by RodianClone

If its EotE just let him play human with enough extra obligation for enough credits to get cybernetics imo. Or just handwave it, like the player started character generation with for example brawn as one and got the upgrade legs.

Or use the rules for Gank and be human?

Ganks are balanced in the sense that they get credits for cybernetics to either upgrade Brawn, Agility or Intellegence by 1 (Cybernetic legs or arms for example) so they can theoretically start the same as most species, with one characteristic at 3 and one at 1 (Presence), so their biggest differences are in flavour nonetheless.

Why not just let the player reskin a gank as human?... Gank stats, human flavour. Done. And let him or her take high brawn and agility and flavour it as cybernetics, If they buy or get more cybernetics later, just call it upgrades.

This. My son wanted to play a cyborg so I just used the Gank stats but he is human.

What's next?

Player: "I have this cool idea for my PC."

GM: (sigh) "Yeah?"

Player: "He's a Wookie primordial..."

GM: "Smaller than a little person...?"

Player: "Exactly, but with Wookie stats!"

GM: "You have got to be shitting me."

What's next?

Player: "I have this cool idea for my PC."

GM: (sigh) "Yeah?"

Player: "He's a Wookie primordial..."

GM: "Smaller than a little person...?"

Player: "Exactly, but with Wookie stats!"

GM: "You have got to be shitting me."

This was pretty much my reaction.

Why not just let the player reskin a gank as human?... Gank stats, human flavour. Done. And let him or her take high brawn and agility and flavour it as cybernetics, If they buy or get more cybernetics later, just call it upgrades.

Done. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

Re-skin Ganks to look human. Done. No ramming the best of two races together.

I'd agree with re-skinning. Its largely just a aesthetic change.

I have a PC, as far as anyone knows, is a male Gank, but is a human female under all those layers of armor and cybernetics. As the narrative advances we may reveal how this human came to be adopted by a Gank murder, becoming one the pack, albeit something of a runt of the litter.

What's next?

Player: "I have this cool idea for my PC."

GM: (sigh) "Yeah?"

Player: "He's a Wookie primordial..."

GM: "Smaller than a little person...?"

Player: "Exactly, but with Wookie stats!"

GM: "You have got to be shitting me."

This was pretty much my reaction.

Why?... The CRB says you shouldn`t limit yourself to the species presented in the books. This is Star Wars! Players should be able to play any kind of species that fit the genre and the specific franchise. The mystery of all those unknown species in Mos Esley Cantina back in the day and all the unknown ones in Force Awakens now, is for some people what makes for the ultimate Star Wars feel! Reskin the existing ones or make your own! Lot`s of people play unofficial species. Go for it!

Edited by RodianClone

Does the PC want to be covered in armor like a Gank?

I (like most of the preceding page it seems) don't see anything wrong with using Gank stats to represent a cybernetic human. And if he wants the armor too, I would say "Knock yourself out." It would make for some potentially very interesting obligation, as well as allowing the character's race to pass virtually undetected.

First, suggested, rule of House Ruling: Don't Re-invent the Wheel. If it already exists in the RAW in some form re-skin and use it before you make it up whole cloth.

Human with some creds for cyberlimbs or a reskinned Gank. Simple

I let all the characters in my games start out with as much flavour cybernetics as they want. Anyone can have a cybernetic eye, hand or leg if it make them happy and is just flavour. It doesn't affect them mechanically, so why get in the way of what makes your players invested in and hyped for their characters and the game? Most of the gank is just flavour cybernetics anyway. For example, they don't come, mechanically, all armored up in metal, but Brawn and purchased armor can be flavoured that way.

You could also make a General Grievous cyborg or smilar(or not so similar) using the Droid species.

Edited by RodianClone

You could also make a General Grievous cyborg or smilar(or not so similar) using the Droid species.

Or a xexto, since they have 4 arms ;)