darkrose50 said:
This is kinda like a rulebook saying everyone starts out with a banana and a stick of chewing gum. Sure we could all have characters walking around chewing gum and throwing bananas at Stormtroopers, but it would be silly. We could also say that GMs could allow characters to start with things other than a banana and a stick of chewing gum. I swear to you that some folks in the interwebs would argue that they would be fine with starting with a banana and a stick of chewing gum. It would be Star Wars to them.
In the past I played a Mandelorian trying to get enough credits to get outfitted like Boba Fett. So in order to do so I looted everything, including the safe. Why? Because being Boba Fett is expensive.
Here is what I said on the topic in the past:
It is a bit odd to start with 500 credits. This is akin to starting off with 15 GP in D&D. I would rank the D&D Long Sword as the equivalent to the Star Wars Blaster Pistol. You would be able to buy a Long Sword [1d8 damage] for 15 GP.
One could say, what’s wrong with a club [1d6 damage] (0 GP), a sling [1d4 damage] (0.05 GP) and a handful of rocks (0 GP)? You would be able to get things done, and have 14.95 GP left.
However, most folks would find it odd as they are used to having 3d6*10 GP to start with. Usually enough to buy a melee weapon, a ranged weapon, some armor, a backpack, and some adventuring gear to place within.
So people are like, what about my 10’ pole? Where is my wineskin? It would be nice to be a fighter with some chainmail . . . nope you got a Long Sword, deal.
If Serenity / Firefly is a template, than we should have a little more gear. I suppose starting characters can go all Ewok up in their grill by buying a camping knife (with the little saw on it), going into the woods, and making a staff or a club out of a small tree. Then buy some leather and string and make a sling, and pick up some rocks. When this is done the character could have money to buy armor and a 10’ foot pole.
I also find it odd that the 10 XP equivalent is, what, 2,000 credits. It seems a bit odd is all. I would think 10,000 so one could buy a cybernetic implant or a droid.
Well, the cost of several weapons got reduced as of the Week 3 updated, so the longsword argument is a bit dated. Still, you're not starting off rich in this game, so if using a D&D comparison, it'd be akin to starting off with enough gold for a longsword, a few torches, and an empty backpack.
Also, the +10 Obligation bump is +2500 credits, giving you six times the default starting allowance of credits.
Given how much more potent cybernetic implants in this game are, I wouldn't want a character to be able to start with one unless their character's backstory really justified it. A replacement limb with no bonuses is fine, but the moment a bonus is involved, nothing doing (at least for me).
As for starting with a droid, that's something a GM can easily provide for free, particularly with a decent backstory that justifies the droid's presence, but I don't think the starting credits should be inflated just to include that option, since it would just open the door for other players to purchase all sorts of high-end weapons and armor that they'd otherwise not be able to get access to.