41 minutes ago, kaosoe said:

After all this time...

One of my players still won't stop asking me if he can aim , for every type of skill check.

I wish I could aim when I make stealth checks. Or persuasion checks. "I'm aiming right for his brain with my persuasioning."

51 minutes ago, Vorzakk said:

Please let me know when you crack that particular nut, because I have the exact same problem.

Need a tool not on your inventory? Destiny Point!

Need something in the setting to be just so to complete that cool narration? Destiny Point!

Sky's the limit really with what a Destiny Point can allow - with GM approval of course.

28 minutes ago, themensch said:

Need a tool not on your inventory? Destiny Point!

Need something in the setting to be just so to complete that cool narration? Destiny Point!

Sky's the limit really with what a Destiny Point can allow - with GM approval of course.

Continuing this train of thought, I typically "spend" Dark Destiny points when I pull something unexpected on the players. If the enemy doesn't have an item they want or if reinforcements arrive. Sometimes I just spend them for random things, like a bulb dies out in one of the crew quarters. Doesn't seem like much of anything now but if there's ever an important encounter on their ship, it might make the difference between spotting the spy or being ambushed...

5 minutes ago, GroggyGolem said:

Continuing this train of thought, I typically "spend" Dark Destiny points when I pull something unexpected on the players. If the enemy doesn't have an item they want or if reinforcements arrive. Sometimes I just spend them for random things, like a bulb dies out in one of the crew quarters. Doesn't seem like much of anything now but if there's ever an important encounter on their ship, it might make the difference between spotting the spy or being ambushed...

I am fond of using Threat in this manner as well - within reason. Minor changes to the environment and reinforcements showing up are likely fair game, but I try not to muss it up too much.

Interesting. Normally I try to keep the threat relevant to the check that was made. If it's an attack maybe they fry a terminal their ally was working on. If it's a Computers check maybe they trip the silent alarm. If it's Athletics they slam into the side of the building a bit too hard and take some strain.

20 hours ago, Maelora said:

We should all contribute to the 'after all this time' thing. (Or post pictures of Porgs. That's good too. But not Pawgs. That means something else entirely. One of my players told me and now I can't unsee it )

But I like PAWGS, if your meaning is the one I think it is.

And while I'm always in favor of them, i think Porgs would be more fitting here.

That little creature's chirpy battle cry cracks me up every time.

OT: If you take some of the medical related talent trees, you can absolutely restore strain with a stimpack. I forget the Talent name, but I know there is one.

After all this time...

...we're playing again! I'm running my first Roll20 Star Wars game!

See? It's not all Strain and Wounds.

1 hour ago, themensch said:

Need a tool not on your inventory? Destiny Point!

Need something in the setting to be just so to complete that cool narration? Destiny Point!

Sky's the limit really with what a Destiny Point can allow - with GM approval of course.

Oh, I might have misunderstood what Absol meant...

I meant that as a GM I never use them for anything other than upgrading the difficulty of PC's checks (usually when they're up against a name-brand opponent or doing something particularly stupid).

17 minutes ago, Vorzakk said:

Oh, I might have misunderstood what Absol meant...

I meant that as a GM I never use them for anything other than upgrading the difficulty of PC's checks (usually when they're up against a name-brand opponent or doing something particularly stupid).

Yeah, I don't use them hardly at all really. I dunno, I just don't find them a fun mechanic. If I want to add something, I just add it. Having to remember to add something via the DP system always derails my train of thought, and irks me.

5 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

If I want to add something, I just add it.

Exactly. I've spent the last 35 years operating under the idea that the GM does what the GM wants to do; limited only by not wanted to be a jerk. So when you have a mechanic set up to 'allow' a GM to do something, it just feels very weird to me. Still, the DP system isn't nearly as bad in that regard as the Momentum / Heat mechanic in Modiphius' 2d20 system.

29 minutes ago, Vorzakk said:

Exactly. I've spent the last 35 years operating under the idea that the GM does what the GM wants to do; limited only by not wanted to be a jerk. So when you have a mechanic set up to 'allow' a GM to do something, it just feels very weird to me. Still, the DP system isn't nearly as bad in that regard as the Momentum / Heat mechanic in Modiphius' 2d20 system.

Think of Dark Side Points more cinematically. Hero character having dramatic confrontation with his arch enemy? Flip a point to make his enemy his father. Concerned the players may not think you’ll kill off their characters? Flip a point to cut off their Force Sensitive’s hand. Smuggler meeting a trusted contact? Flip a point to have the Empire waiting for them.

...

Maybe need to stop ranting about Bespin.

58 minutes ago, Vorzakk said:

Oh, I might have misunderstood what Absol meant...

I meant that as a GM I never use them for anything other than upgrading the difficulty of PC's checks (usually when they're up against a name-brand opponent or doing something particularly stupid).

Make it rain! Make it hail! Make it rain FIRE! Make more enemies appear! Surprise meteor shower! Surprise comet comes out of nowhere! Sudden gust of wind blows you almost off the rickety rope bridge, and whips the flimsiplast map right out of your hands! Interdictor cruiser pulls you out of hyperspace! Mynocks in your engineering bay! Wingman's starfighter explodes in a fiery death ball! Datapad screen reads, You've been sliced by the L337 5L1C30R. ALL YOUR DEATH STAR PLANS ARE BELONG TO US ! You step in a puddle of muck on the way into the formal assembly, and now you're walking across the polished stone floor: tap, *squelch*, tap, *squelch.*

Of course, my very favorite Dark Side Destiny expenditure is to just flip one out of the blue and NOT tell them what it's for

1 minute ago, awayputurwpn said:

Of course, my very favorite Dark Side Destiny expenditure is to just flip one out of the blue and NOT tell them what it's for

That's one trick I've got down pat !

2 hours ago, GroggyGolem said:

Interesting. Normally I try to keep the threat relevant to the check that was made. If it's an attack maybe they fry a terminal their ally was working on. If it's a Computers check maybe they trip the silent alarm. If it's Athletics they slam into the side of the building a bit too hard and take some strain.

I do try to keep Threat expenditures in the scope of the present scene, generally as a result of the roll but I can see the logic in tying it to the roll. I definitely use Threats in that way, but not exclusively.

1 hour ago, Vorzakk said:

Oh, I might have misunderstood what Absol meant...

I meant that as a GM I never use them for anything other than upgrading the difficulty of PC's checks (usually when they're up against a name-brand opponent or doing something particularly stupid).

1 hour ago, KungFuFerret said:

Yeah, I don't use them hardly at all really. I dunno, I just don't find them a fun mechanic. If I want to add something, I just add it. Having to remember to add something via the DP system always derails my train of thought, and irks me.

1 hour ago, Vorzakk said:

Exactly. I've spent the last 35 years operating under the idea that the GM does what the GM wants to do; limited only by not wanted to be a jerk. So when you have a mechanic set up to 'allow' a GM to do something, it just feels very weird to me. Still, the DP system isn't nearly as bad in that regard as the Momentum / Heat mechanic in Modiphius' 2d20 system.

Basically, the concept is the same. The GM can still do whatever they want, Destiny Points are a consolation prize for your players. In my experience, they feel less upset when you "spend a Destiny point to do x". Of course you can just do the thing but giving them something while you're doing the thing lessens the blow. Technically the books really only talk about the GM using the Destiny for dice checks and all the other options are presented for players.

Sometimes I "spend a Destiny" just to make a character trip at a moment when they're trying to be serious, stupid stuff like that.

Most recently, I "spent a Destiny" to introduce a fact about a PC when an NPC sibling mentioned how the PC used to always be a " brave person that sacrifices their life to save everyone" when they were kids playing 'heroes' & that the sibling just wanted them to be a survivor, not a hero.

Keeping the Destiny pool in flux is an important mechanic in the game, so it pays to use it as the GM at every opportunity that fits how the GM wants to challenge the players. It's not as fluid as say, Fate points, but not using Dark Side points can rob the PCs of a Light Side point at a critical moment. Sure, the PCs need to manage their side of it too and it would be silly to just go willy-nilly with it, but approached with thematic caution it can provide that vital impact at just the right time.

1 hour ago, GroggyGolem said:

Basically, the concept is the same. The GM can still do whatever they want, Destiny Points are a consolation prize for your players. In my experience, they feel less upset when you "spend a Destiny point to do x". Of course you can just do the thing but giving them something while you're doing the thing lessens the blow. Technically the books really only talk about the GM using the Destiny for dice checks and all the other options are presented for players.

Sometimes I "spend a Destiny" just to make a character trip at a moment when they're trying to be serious, stupid stuff like that.

Most recently, I "spent a Destiny" to introduce a fact about a PC when an NPC sibling mentioned how the PC used to always be a " brave person that sacrifices their life to save everyone" when they were kids playing 'heroes' & that the sibling just wanted them to be a survivor, not a hero.

The problem i have with it, is that it obligates me to use it regularly so that the players have light side pips so they can use. And since I don't think of it very often, I've ended up with players not having any light pips because we just forgot about them, and they couldn't do something at a dramatically appropriate moment. I personally just find it an unnecessary mechanic, and prefer not to use it.

4 hours ago, KungFuFerret said:

The problem i have with it, is that it obligates me to use it regularly so that the players have light side pips so they can use. And since I don't think of it very often, I've ended up with players not having any light pips because we just forgot about them, and they couldn't do something at a dramatically appropriate moment. I personally just find it an unnecessary mechanic, and prefer not to use it.

I wonder if you'd feel the same if you remembered to keep them flowing? It's not all on you, the PCs could chime in.

10 hours ago, Vorzakk said:

Exactly. I've spent the last 35 years operating under the idea that the GM does what the GM wants to do; limited only by not wanted to be a jerk.

Very well said! Do everything except of beeing a Jerk.

*Flip a dark Destinypoint* Now you are official allowed to be a real meany jerk. (funny thing most players won't complain about it.

"Wooooshh! The Blast door closes right behind you SirJedi your team is on the other side... and on your side... oh 20 Stormtroopers!"
"Him crap I didn't want this enemy to die here and now,... but what are the chances for him to survive... kidding *Flip* there comes a shuttle with a rope attached and brings him out of the battle zone."
"congrats you found the holy macguffin much earlier than I expected... *flip* while holding it proud into the sun a little creature swings by very fast... now you don't have the MacGuffin anymore..."

"So you don't want to go to the destination I designed for you? *flip* while in hyperspace your ships motivator brooks down and, wow what a coincedence you are thrown out of hyperspace right where I wanted to have you."

"Good move to let the slicer close the blast door behind you so the troopers won't reach you... *flip* a malfunction of the door blocks it half way closed... they are still coming! slower but still coming!"

and so on...

Oh and of course you can give your anatagonists talents that need the flip to work (like refill strain; it's a funny thing if your BBg has a high presence and will parade and reflect a lot while refilling his strain every other round by his presence value), or let them use the forcel... also requires DP to hit with the opposit pips.

after all this time... I wished my players would use the DPs for more than talent activation and skill/difficulty upgrades...

After all this time...

I still refuse to believe that Obi-Wan was right about Stormtrooper accuracy.

4 hours ago, Degenerate Mind said:

After all this time...

I still refuse to believe that Obi-Wan was right about Stormtrooper accuracy.

7 minutes ago, GroggyGolem said:

It all makes sense now. Thank you, Golem.