Stormtroopers

By player3412539, in Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition

STORMTROOPERS


The Imperial Sourcebook tells us that the Stormtrooper corps is not a part of the Imperial Army or the Imperial Navy, though they are assigned to bolster both Army and Naval actions and bases. They are the military arm of Palpatine's political party, The New Order. The Stormtrooper corps is the most highly trained and most expensively equipped military force in the galaxy. Their numbers are secret, but some guess that Palpatine's personal army is more numerous than the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy combined.

The Stormtrooper corps are the elite. They are the best of the best.

Attributes

Your average stormtrooper (shock trooper) has 12D in attributes with skills improved beyond that.

The 1E Core Rulebook tells us that average joe NPCs throw 2D or any task throw. Extrapolation tells us that average people in the Star Wars universe have 12D in attributes AND improved skills.

A stormtrooper fires a blaster at an average NPC: 3D Blaster (due to -1D for armor) vs. 2D Dodge. Yeah, I'd say the stormtroopers are tough.

Average Person: 12D attributes and skills.

Average Specialist: 12D attributes + 6D skills

Average (Starting) Hero: 18D attributes + 7D skills

Stormtrooper: 12D attributes + 7D skills

Snowtrooper: 13D attributes + 6D skills

Seatrooper: 13D+2 attributes + 7D+2 skills

Scout Trooper: 13D attributes + 7D+2 skills

Zero G Trooper: 13D attributes + 5D skills

Imperial Naval Trooper: 12D attributes + 7D skills

Imperial Naval Pilot: 12D attributes + 9D+1 skills

Imperial Naval Gunner: 12D attributes + 7D+2 skills

Imperial Royal Guard: 18D attributes + 42D skills

Imperial Army Trooper: 12D attributes + 4D skills

Imperial Army Assault Crew: 12D attributes + 7D skills

*Special Note: It is interesting to look at the differences in the average characters. Higher attributes mean more elite characters with higher requirements. Remember, 1D extra in an attributes means +1D to many skills. The dice provided for skills gives an idea of training. Obviously, the Royal Guard are selected from the best the galaxy has to offer and then rigorously trained for years. That's 42D in training--not something gained over night.

These numbers are taken from the 1E Imperial Sourcebook and the 1E Core Rulebook. It is interesting to look at the 2E Imperial Sourcebook as there are some incredible differences, not so much in attributes, but in skills. Notes for some veteran characters are given. The Zero G Trooper, for example, has over 40D in skills, rivaling the Imperial Guard. Of course, 2D has a longer Master Skill List, too, breaking up the wide functions of some 1E skills (and, therefore, more skill dice are needed).

Stormtrooper Utility Belt

The Imperial Sourcebook provides a hint of what is carried in the various pockets of the belt. I remember the first time a PC downed a trooper and grabbed the belt, with the player asking me, "I go through the belt. What's in there?"

I looked at him blankly and blinked. I didn't know. Obviously, from ANH, there's synthrope and a grappling hook. The Imperial Sourcebook tells us that standard stormtroopers carry "specialized survival gear", whatever that means. Plus, emergency rations, a spare comlink, and extra powercells for the weapon.

Is that it? I guess the rope and grapple is part of the "specialized survival gear" (but I can't imagine what a Death Star stormtrooper would need with that). Water is probably part of the emergency rations (and I imagine the food is "miniaturized" like the food we see Rey eat in TFA).

77.jpg

hookbelt2.jpg

In the Ultimate Star Wars book ( CLICK HERE ), published by DK, it says this:

  • - Armor is white plastoid composite worn over a black body glove
    - This is some of the finest armor in the galaxy (which says something about game statistics and armor)
    - Helmets have built-in filtration units (which support what Finn says in TFA)
    - Backpacks (which we sometimes see, as with the Desert Troopers in ANH) that provide extended life support
    - Backpacks can also include field comm units, mortar launchers, spare blaster components
    - Belts contain compact tool kit, extra power packs, and energy rations
    - Belts may also contain a comlink, macrobinoculars, rope/grappling hook, and extra survival equipment
    - Troopers usually carry one thermal detonator on the back of their belt (probably in that pouch seen in the pic above)


I thought I'd seen some more detailed description in the WEG materials somewhere, but I may be remembering something I had put together in the past. The gist taken from the Imperial Sourcebook is that the belts are not standard but rather vary in contents geared to a particular job or posting, which makes sense. I'm not sure how individualized a Stormtrooper can make his belt contents. I don't see any troopers with a knife strapped to a leg or extra thermal detonators swinging from a belt.


And, it would seem that a medpack would be included. Maybe that's part of the survival equipment.


Do you have a list of stuff you use in your game for Stormtrooper belts? Does anyone know of a more complete listing of stuff carried in a belt? Maybe in an Adventure Journal article or a book like SpecForce?

Pockets

I count six small pockets in the front, hip to hip. and it looks like three flexible pouches on the back.

Let's see (just thinking here):

Front

1. synthrope/grapple (spool next to hip)
2. comlink
3. battery/ammo (at 100 shots each, only one back up is needed, if that)
4. water (this could be carried on the upper back--maybe a recycling system)
5. ration (if compressed rations, a whole day of 3 meals in one pocket--if pills, then one of those pockets can take a lot)
6. ?

Back

1. medpack
2. ?
3. ?

Edited by player3412539