So, lets say that you are fortifying a village besieged by a gang (Think Seven Samurai or Magnificent Seven). You have a village to fortify - walls to build, pit traps to dig, choke points to set up and that sort of thing. What is the consensus for what I'd make the players roll?

Leadership isn't quite right, survival might cover the construction of the actual pit traps, but not the best place to put them. The best thing I could think of was a general cunning roll - but there has to be a better solution than that.

I think it depends on what your specific task is in terms of making fortifications. Building them for strength might be a straight up brawn roll. I'd use Lore in terms of what might have worked historically, deception for camouflage and diversionary tactics, and in some respects, Survival would also work. I think it depends on the specific task.

Custom Knowledge: Tactics

I agree with Aramis. It would be a knowledge skill. It isn't about Brawn to build a stronger fort. It is about what you know that determines it.

Seeing as how Age of Rebellion has more of a military slant than EotE, perhaps this will be addressed there, either as a new Knowledge skill along the lines of what Aramis suggested, or as an expanded part of an existing skill.

Personally, I'd put it under a combination of Leadership and Knowledge (Lore), but that's more a case of my wanting to avoid a new skill unless really necessary, but also to give Leadership a bit more oomph on it's own without need for additional talents.

Personally, I'd put it under a combination of Leadership and Knowledge (Lore),

Maybe a dice pool if Intellect and Leadership.

Personally, I'd put it under a combination of Leadership and Knowledge (Lore),

Maybe a dice pool if Intellect and Leadership.

That'd certainly work.

Yea, I'd do Intellect and Leadership myself.

Personally, I'd put it under a combination of Leadership and Knowledge (Lore),

Maybe a dice pool if Intellect and Leadership.

Fourthed.

Fifth on Leadership, but really it depends on the level of detail you want to go into. If you just want to say "you spend several days getting ready, somebody make a Leadership roll" that would be fine. Advantages and Successes can then be spent by the players to give setback dice to the opposition, like, everybody starts with good cover, or it gives a boost to ambush or whatever.

But if the maps come out and people want to put specific traps here, and sniper platforms there, and ambushes in this zone, etc, then those might each need their own rolls. I'd still say a Leadership roll is called for, to keep everybody organized and not step on each other's toes.

Sixthededed..? Leadership is used for space combat and give directions for strategic firing, if I recall correctly from last nights session. While that action can also be done with Discipline, I think Leadership is cooler and more fitting. And the suggestion about linking it to Intellect is a good one. Combine this with Lore - I think Lore is fitting too, as old battles, historic and mythic battles will have a lot of information about tactics and the like. I think it could work too. In conjunction perhaps somehow?

So all in all, both can be used, but perhaps one is more difficulty than the other? Depends on circumstance also I guess.

If a library/holocron/holovid are availabe an intellect check for research might be used to get some boosts.

I would go with Leadership myself. Looking at what careers and specializations have access to it, it seems a good choice, but ya may have to stretch it some. A Doctor planing and leading a defensive position is a far cry from planing and leading a complicated surgery. The Hired Gun on the other hand, I would trust him with setting up perimeters and defensive plans, but not so much with my open heart surgery.

Custom Knowledge: Tactics

Me personally, i think this answer is the most accurate based on the fact without a multi-skill check nothing really fits the bill. Plus you could tailor it into Merc Leader as an option instead of another one of your specialization skills. Fits him the best imo.

Are custom skills by default non-career?

Are custom skills by default non-career?

They are career skills for whatever the GM says they are, since the system is already being altered. The GM might require another (similar) career skill be replaced for it, though.

Are custom skills by default non-career?

They are career skills for whatever the GM says they are, since the system is already being altered. The GM might require another (similar) career skill be replaced for it, though.

Why? Nothing in the rules about careers and specializations having a limit on the number of skills allowed.

Are custom skills by default non-career?

They are career skills for whatever the GM says they are, since the system is already being altered. The GM might require another (similar) career skill be replaced for it, though.

Why? Nothing in the rules about careers and specializations having a limit on the number of skills allowed.

DMs choice. Giving one career an extra class skill but not the others isn't unbalancing but may seem slightly unfair depending on the skill.

Are custom skills by default non-career?

They are career skills for whatever the GM says they are, since the system is already being altered. The GM might require another (similar) career skill be replaced for it, though.

Why? Nothing in the rules about careers and specializations having a limit on the number of skills allowed.

DMs choice. Giving one career an extra class skill but not the others isn't unbalancing but may seem slightly unfair depending on the skill.

Not really since anyone can buy the skill.

Are custom skills by default non-career?

They are career skills for whatever the GM says they are, since the system is already being altered. The GM might require another (similar) career skill be replaced for it, though.

Why? Nothing in the rules about careers and specializations having a limit on the number of skills allowed.

DMs choice. Giving one career an extra class skill but not the others isn't unbalancing but may seem slightly unfair depending on the skill.

Not really since anyone can buy the skill.

Costs more though if it's not a career skill. It's still up to each GM individually is the point. Not all custom skills will be created equal, some add more than others and it depends on the campaign. Profession skills IE 3rd edition dnd will be more 'valuable' than Knowledge: Sith Lore in general but depending on the campaign Sith Lore could be way more empowering.

I feel like Tactics would literally be Int Leadership, like what others have been saying. Anyone good at tactics should probably be a decent leader too, and anyone that is a good leader should probably be a decent tactician as well. Your Int and Presence difference would just differentiate in which of the two you excel.

I feel like Tactics would literally be Int Leadership, like what others have been saying. Anyone good at tactics should probably be a decent leader too, and anyone that is a good leader should probably be a decent tactician as well. Your Int and Presence difference would just differentiate in which of the two you excel.

Sadly, reality shows that this is not the case, but this game doesn't have to cling to reality.

And I somewhat agree. But remember, a tactician and a leader might both have a 3 in Leadership, but the tactician has a 4 Int and a 1 in Presence and the leader might have a 2 in Intellect and a 5 in Presence.

Even if the leader isn't that smart, if he can come up with rudimentary tactics and inspire his troops enough, then he can cover for his losses. But, the tactician will still always be a better tactician than he is.

As for the tactician, he isn't a really good leader. But, he can still inspire his troops in one way, even if it is just by being blunt and pragmatic. He might not be able to rise men to action like the leader, but he certainly knows what he is talking about and people are going to recognize that, even if they don't like the guy because he's not that personable.

If the players actually tell you about every booby trap, every alarm string, every contingent of troops to prepare for an invasion I'm not sure I'd ask for a roll. What would the roll signify? How well his orders are carried out by those he left to guard certain areas? How well the trap works when the enemy stumbles onto it? How the morale of his troops is affected by such a convincing defence?

As the GM I know how the force is going to attack ("Ignore the gate and focus on the weakened north wall"). If he put all his troops on the wall, maybe he repels the attack... maybe the attackers seeing the defence decide for the gate... maybe the attackers press forward toppling the wall and the defenders on it. key thing is the attack will respond to his defensive decisions. no roll required.")

I'd only ask for a roll if he said something generic, like "I want to reinforce the town against an attack, especially the gates." Then, with no particulars (other than the gates are watched) for me to work with, a roll would let me know how good his character's tactical thinking is (cos the player sure aint thinking too hard).

That said, if it is just a roll - then Leadership + Presence would work fine for me. Yes, actually tactics invovles intelligence more than presence... but if he's the one at the city gate shouting orders, presence will be required to get his vision actualised.

Yeah, I would use Intelligence to let him try and interpret the enemy's movements (i.e. if he rolled really good you might straight up tell him what they are going to do.) He would then have to use Presence to make sure his people were ready for it.