I guess this is as good a place as any to ask. Special Modifications allows characters to create their own droids. A number of those droids are considered minions. If those minions are not constructed EXACTLY the same, can they still function as a minion group with each other? RAW I think the answer is no; and if that's the case then constructing minion Droids just potentially got far more difficult, as you'd have to spend Advantages (and potentially Threat?) on each one in exactly the same way. Likewise, they could never hold different equipment and such.

Is this right? Or can minions work together as a group if they aren't identical?

Why does everyone get so hung up on Minions?

They are a GM convenience, a way to simplify larger scale combat without rolling all day long. Picture a shootout at Jabba's palace. There are lots of random creatures in there at any given moment, but you could easily call them all a single Minion group when the shooting starts. That way you can speed up gameplay and get on with the story before everyone at the table runs out of Mtn Dew and Cheetos and goes home.

Unless there is some stone carved rule I'm missing, then you should be fine. It's "a group of Droids". =)

The point of deploying enemies as a minion group is that they all work identically and are easier to deal with for the GM. If you have a bunch of different droids with different abilities, minions or not, you'd need to treat them all individually.

Other than that, I'm not sure where your quandary lies. If a crafted droid belongs to a PC, just have it roll initiative like the rest of the group. If it belongs to some big evil bad guy, don't even bother with crafting rules, just make the droids up yourself.

Minions are essentially the same in Combat, not necessarily exactly the same all the time. If they are basically armed the similarly (their weapons do around the same damage) they are armored similarly or are different sizes or whatever to make up the difference, then put them all in one group. If one is larger and stronger separate it or turn the Minion Group into a Squad with that one as it's leader rather than the PC or BBG.

I do this all the time. Right now in my campaign, my players have teamed up with a group of bounty hunters including a besalisk, a gand, a Trandoshan, and a droid. When they act together, they have general stats for the group; when they act independently, they can use their racial special abilities.

I've also done a mixed droid group, and several other mixed species groups, indulging slavers, pirates, and smugglers.

The only thing you need to consider is how you're going to merge minions with different group skills and thresholds, if you're planning to do that. What I do is develop a "hybrid" minion that's them as a group, but that approach may not work for everyone.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I should have mentioned that I'm the GM in my game.

My quandary lies in the fact that the player (who is debating between Droid Tech and Cyber Tech) is considering the construction of around 6+ Monotask droids equipped with pistols (or other weapons). That way they could run around with a small gang of Sil. 0 probes capable of some sizable damage. (They are trying to go for an "Old Republic Era Imperial Agent" type feel with a bunch of small droids helping them out. A one man army type of deal.) I like the concept, so I'm willing to work with it if it isn't going to get TOO crazy. I can obviously enforce all kinds of maintenance and repair fees, so the issue lies more in making sure I don't accidentally set a troublesome precedent for minion groups should the player move forward with the concept.

Forcing every Droid to be constructed exactly the same helps limit this somewhat, but I wanted to get some other opinions on it. A number of Reddit users have suggested just allowing minions with shared group skills to work together as one so long as the lowest characteristic is used; which does seem to be the easiest option assuming it doesn't unbalance things in some odd way (less individuals to keep track of and all that).

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I should have mentioned that I'm the GM in my game.

My quandary lies in the fact that the player (who is debating between Droid Tech and Cyber Tech) is considering the construction of around 6+ Monotask droids equipped with pistols (or other weapons). That way they could run around with a small gang of Sil. 0 probes capable of some sizable damage. (They are trying to go for an "Old Republic Era Imperial Agent" type feel with a bunch of small droids helping them out. A one man army type of deal.) I like the concept, so I'm willing to work with it if it isn't going to get TOO crazy. I can obviously enforce all kinds of maintenance and repair fees, so the issue lies more in making sure I don't accidentally set a troublesome precedent for minion groups should the player move forward with the concept.

Forcing every Droid to be constructed exactly the same helps limit this somewhat, but I wanted to get some other opinions on it. A number of Reddit users have suggested just allowing minions with shared group skills to work together as one so long as the lowest characteristic is used; which does seem to be the easiest option assuming it doesn't unbalance things in some odd way (less individuals to keep track of and all that).

I think you should consider the difference in "constructed the same" and "behave the same". Functionally, they shouldn't be any different from any other droid group, but that doesn't mean you can't add some flavor to their behavior, to differentiate them. And besides, he might decide to make 2 different groups, one a combat group, the other more support or something. And if that is the case, they should have different stats/skills to reflect it. If you are worried about it bogging down your combat, you could always use the Mass Combat rules instead, and have them simply act as a buff to his stats when he's engaging in combat. Having the droids act as a defensive screen and dying off instead of him, or bolstering his attack rolls with concentrated fire. That way, they essentially stop being individual units, and simply provide him bonuses to his rolls. That might be the better/easier course of action for you overall.

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask. Special Modifications allows characters to create their own droids. A number of those droids are considered minions. If those minions are not constructed EXACTLY the same, can they still function as a minion group with each other? RAW I think the answer is no; and if that's the case then constructing minion Droids just potentially got far more difficult, as you'd have to spend Advantages (and potentially Threat?) on each one in exactly the same way. Likewise, they could never hold different equipment and such.

Is this right? Or can minions work together as a group if they aren't identical?

I'd allow it - but I'd use the lowest attribute, not the highest. they are, after all, popcorn to be crunched.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I should have mentioned that I'm the GM in my game.

My quandary lies in the fact that the player (who is debating between Droid Tech and Cyber Tech) is considering the construction of around 6+ Monotask droids equipped with pistols (or other weapons). That way they could run around with a small gang of Sil. 0 probes capable of some sizable damage. (They are trying to go for an "Old Republic Era Imperial Agent" type feel with a bunch of small droids helping them out. A one man army type of deal.) I like the concept, so I'm willing to work with it if it isn't going to get TOO crazy. I can obviously enforce all kinds of maintenance and repair fees, so the issue lies more in making sure I don't accidentally set a troublesome precedent for minion groups should the player move forward with the concept.

Forcing every Droid to be constructed exactly the same helps limit this somewhat, but I wanted to get some other opinions on it. A number of Reddit users have suggested just allowing minions with shared group skills to work together as one so long as the lowest characteristic is used; which does seem to be the easiest option assuming it doesn't unbalance things in some odd way (less individuals to keep track of and all that).

He doesn't have to build them all the same but basically minions exist to simplify things. Thus if you want to group them as a minion group you sacrifice diversity for ease of use. If he wants them all to perform unique task during combat (the only time minion groups matter) then don't group them up as a minion. But if all their going to be doing is attacking then unless they have a bunch of weird weapons then grouping them together is less of a headache.

I got no special modification book

however in my campaign players bought a bunch of tech droid to help them in using a communication array. They are salvaged droids: 2 are mse-6, one is a treadwell, one an old pit droid and one a LE repair; i modeled them as a single minion group. They all have same skills, same equipment, but they look differently...

I think the solution has already been posted Just let him create whatever he wants. If they're functionally similar (same stats, skills, equipment, etc), then make them a minion group. If they're not, then he can organize them however he wants; he just may have to give up the ease of a single minion group.

Either way, have the PC use the squad rules from the AoR GM kit to control his droids. A squad can consist of up to 11 minions, and there's nothing in the rules that say that they have to come from the same original group, or even have to be the same type of minion. You don't have to track initiative for them, you can give them special cool formation commands, and the PC can use them as shielding by redirecting hits to one of his droid flunkies. Not only that, but the player will probably have more fun during combat as a "squad leader".

I think the solution has already been posted Just let him create whatever he wants. If they're functionally similar (same stats, skills, equipment, etc), then make them a minion group. If they're not, then he can organize them however he wants; he just may have to give up the ease of a single minion group.

Either way, have the PC use the squad rules from the AoR GM kit to control his droids. A squad can consist of up to 11 minions, and there's nothing in the rules that say that they have to come from the same original group, or even have to be the same type of minion. You don't have to track initiative for them, you can give them special cool formation commands, and the PC can use them as shielding by redirecting hits to one of his droid flunkies. Not only that, but the player will probably have more fun during combat as a "squad leader".

I'm suddenly picturing Megamind, and his swarm of bots.....this pleases me greatly.