I'm a pretty big fan of the way HappyDaze does the initiative checks: Vigilance default, option to use Cool in carefully planned attacks. The downside to this is that you can easily just stack the one stat and always go first, the upside is that it makes sense. I tried do an average of the two so that an average could be used for all initiative checks and it would prevent stacking only Vigilance, but the dice system makes that very difficult. How do you split up a yellow die? There is no other die with a Triumph

You could always have more cool checks during the game for other applications. I try to utilize weaknesses or dump stats of players when I find them. It tends to break people of the habit for later characters. Don't be mean, but show off why they should have it.

Generally speaking I think Cool is more offensive/active in nature, while Vigilance is more defensive/passive.

If your players are stacking cool and 'trap checking' every 5 feet, time to put a beatdown on them.

"I sit with my back to the wall, gun drawn, aimed at the door." The bartender asks that you turn over your weapons or leave. You can try to negotiate to just holster them. Or, roll vigilance! "But I was ready!" They came from the back room you putz, you were aiming at the front door.

It's not hard to show you won't allow those types of settups if they seem out of place.

And yes, vigilance will be used a bit more than cool, but that's ok. They both have other uses that are honestly probably more important than initiative. To just pump up one will likely give a character a huge weakness that can be easily exploited.

Side note, another thing that sort of muddies things, IMO, is the example of a pair of gunslingers staring each other down. Supposedly, when it comes time to draw down no each other, they use Cool. But wouldn't the guy who draws first use Cool and the guy reacting the him have to use Vigilance? Assuming the stricter interpretations of some being proposed.

In the classic old-west draw down, both gunslingers are fully aware of what's going on, and are both prepared for the show down. As a result they'll both be rolling Cool (attempting not to show a 'tell' that will cue the other gunfighter in and let them draw first). Since Initiative determines the order of the available slots, you have to roll the skill check to find out who 'draws first', so there's no question about which skill to roll in this scenario.

"GM, as we walk into the room, I'm going to assume bad guys are in there waiting to attack us, so I'm ready to react..."

"Who are you ready to react to? Where are they? What do you expect them to do?" If they're right, they get to roll Cool. If they're not, they're going to be rolling Vigilance.

"GM, even though we're just negotiating a trade with this guy, I assume he's going to pull a weapon at any moment. So I'm ready to react..."

"Great, he's going to make an opposed Perception check vs. your Cool."

Success: "He notices your shifty behavior and calls for security to escort you and the rest of the party out of his establishment."

Failure: "He doesn't seem to notice your rampant paranoia." {Encounter unfolds as normal.}

"GM, as we are drinking in the cantina, I'm keeping a sharp eye out for any trouble. If anyone starts something, I want to be clear that I'm ready to react..."

"Great, where are you watching, and what else are you doing while you wait?"

If he's watching the 'right' area(s), he gets to roll Cool, and setback dice are added as appropriate if his stated actions would distract from actually watching. If he's not, he'll be rolling Vigilance just like anyone else.

Ex: "I'm watching the doors, for anyone who looks like they are looking to start trouble."

If the trouble is going to come from behind the bar, he's rolling Vigilance.

If it's coming through the door, describe the folks as they come in, and allow a Perception check to see if he accurately recognizes 'trouble' when it arrives. If he succeeds (or the *player* successfully recognizes trouble when it arrives) he gets to roll Cool, otherwise it's Vigilance.

"GM, I know I'm sleeping, but I'll keep one eye open in case someone manages to skeak onto our ship and attack me while I'm resting. So I'm ready for that, OK?..."

He's either going to accumulate some serious setback dice due to exhaustion, or he's going to be rolling Vigilance. You can't actually sleep *and* be alert and watchful at the same time.

Or, he's a droid PC, in which case, he *can* actually keep watch for a few days/weeks without worrying about sleeping.

Either way, you'll want to know *where* he's watching. If he's always watching the entry hatch while he's aboard the ship, then he's going to be caught just as much by surprise if the attacker was already on board, having entered the ship while the party was away, and the attack comes from one of the bunks on the other side of the ship.

Lets take a look at who actually gets Cool as a Career / Specialization skill...

Colonist: Doctor

Explorer: All

Smuggler: Scoundrel

Using the "we have a well planed out ambush" example, I find it hard to swallow that the Doctor would be better at keeping his finger off the trigger until the right time then a trained "soldier".

Continuing with this example, trained soldiers (rolling Vigilance) who are now in the kill box, will have better initiatives then the soldiers that set up the ambush.

It's off.

Granted players can buy into non-career skills, but it just seems wrong. This is why I feel that Discipline should be used in most "we are prepared" instances.

Lets take a look at who actually gets Cool as a Career / Specialization skill...

Colonist: Doctor

Explorer: All

Smuggler: Scoundrel

Using the "we have a well planed out ambush" example, I find it hard to swallow that the Doctor would be better at keeping his finger off the trigger until the right time then a trained "soldier".

Continuing with this example, trained soldiers (rolling Vigilance) who are now in the kill box, will have better initiatives then the soldiers that set up the ambush.

It's off.

Granted players can buy into non-career skills, but it just seems wrong. This is why I feel that Discipline should be used in most "we are prepared" instances.

I can agree with Discipline to a point. However, it could also be argued that Discipline should matter even more in a case where the soldiers are the victims of an ambush.

"GM, as we walk into the room, I'm going to assume bad guys are in there waiting to attack us, so I'm ready to react..."

If my players did that, I would start handing out setback dice like you wouldn't believe. To maintain that level of readiness around the clock would drive a person to the point of distraction.

Side note, another thing that sort of muddies things, IMO, is the example of a pair of gunslingers staring each other down. Supposedly, when it comes time to draw down no each other, they use Cool. But wouldn't the guy who draws first use Cool and the guy reacting the him have to use Vigilance? Assuming the stricter interpretations of some being proposed.

Man, watch this and tell me that's not being cool under pressure.

(Full disclosure: I have no beef with your point. I just wanted to post that bit. Also, that scene convinces me that the game desperately needs a "badass" skill. (: )

At my table the cool/vigilance is usually not a binary situation. In some of the scenes the characters have a chance to realize beforehand that a combat is likely to occur and some of them will use vigilance while other, cool.

Example:

Han and Chewee are at the cantina. Han is sitting at the table, drinking Corelian ale,and chewee is talking with potential passengers while a couple of bounty hunters walk into the cantina.

The GM tells the players to roll perception. Han's player rolls his perception pool and Chewee's player rolls his plus 1 setback because Chewee is in a middle of a conversation.

Han succeeds the roll, he is un-holstering his blaster (because Han always shoot first ) and will use cool for the initiative roll while Chewee who failed the roll, is going to use the vigilance if they will be spotted by the bounty hunters.