Several things I think need clarification in AoR, since the use of NPC astromechs will be much more common given the focus on snubfighters.

• Do NPC droids get an initiative slot?
• How many courses can a droid carry?
  • Is it linked to Astrogation skill level?
  • Does such a course require the pilot to make an astrogation check?
  • Can a different course be plotted with the help of such an astromech?
• What exactly can an astromech in a socket do?
  • Damage Control (Ep IV)
  • Boost Power (Ep II)
  • Piloting (Ep III)
  • Communications and Electronic Warfare? (CW)
  • Gunnery?
  • Control LS in the cockpit?
  • Help the pilot? (Copilot task and/or blue help die?)
  I would presume the ones I've listed Episode numbers for are pretty safe bets, as they're functions seen on screen.

I'd love to see an official clarification on that, because as it is, it's all presumptive that they can do more than just provide the hyperspace course within the rules.

Personally, I'm allowing anything including pilot and copilot actions. And, remembering that an astromech is Pilot 2 Agi1, they ain't great, but sure can close in allowing the pilot to Aim & shoot...

Personnally I think this might need to be covered in a droid-specific book. In part because there are so many potential variations with droids themselves.

Going off some of the other Star Wars material: The New Essential Guide to Droids

R1 x1 hyperspace nav coordinates (doesn't fit into astromech droid socket)

R2 x10 hyperspace nav coordinates

R3 x5 hyperspace nav coordinates

R4 x1 hyperspace nav coordinates

R5 x1 hyperspace nav coordinates (production discontinued just before the start of the Clone Wars)

R6 x12 hyperspace nav coordinates (not sure if this one was released before or after the Battle of Endor)

R7 x15 hyperspace nav coordinates (introduced in 10 ABY for use with E-Wing fighters)

There are also a few other astromech droid models out there, though they generally seem to appear in various WEG or WotC Star Wars supplements. Some however are RPG write-ups for additional droid models which have appeared in various electronic games and/or novels.

At present, I plan on having players (whether it's a droid character, droid NPC, or limited nav computer) decide where they want the nav coordinates from and to, i.e. one set of coordinates could be from Tatooine to Ryloth, then a second set of coordinates from Tatooine to Geonosis, a third could be from Ryloth to Geonosis, etc. Then if the players want to update or change the stored coordinates, they need to let me know and depending on where the coordinates are between, they might need to go research to get the info.

Part of the reason I'm doing it this way, is so that if players decide to launch a raid upon an Imperial installation, if they aren't careful, they could give away the location of their base. This is were I can get players to plan some skulking missions to get sets of micro jump coordinates...

I'd say the number of pre-plotted courses is best left to the narrative rather than having hard-coded numbers, particularly since the astrromech NPC listed isn't specified as any particularly make or model. So it could be an R2-series, or it could be an R4-series, or it could be some other model of astromech droid. It's a generic NPC that the GM can drop into the game without having to do any extra work.

Rhenora's got a valid point that such nitty gritty stuff is best left for a droid specific sourcebook, where the various droid models can be reviewed and discussed in more detail.

As for when the astromech might go in terms of it being an NPC, that's more an issue of "how would you handle initiative for friendly NPCs in general?" than anything specific to droids.

I'm inclined to treat them as something akin to a follower from Saga Edition, where they move and act on the controlling PC's own initiative slot, but only get a single Action or Maneuver on the PC's turn.

And as far as what it can do while in the socket... well if the droid is acting as the pilot, just about anything he wants, if not, anything that isn't "Pilot Only"

And as far as what it can do while in the socket... well if the droid is acting as the pilot, just about anything he wants, if not, anything that isn't "Pilot Only"

Pretty much.

The main perk to having the astromech is that it's someone that can do Damage Control to restore Strain to a ship every round at the very least. Pretty much any task that would fall to an engineer, the astromech can cover, and leave the pilot free to fly the ship and blast enemy fighters.

I would give the droid an initiative roll just to determine when they go in a turn. But I wouldn't let PCs switch places in the order with the droid. I do this with all my NPCs that are on the PCs side. If there are so many NPCs like an astromech for each starfighter then just let them go at the end of the round each turn or at the same time as the PC. I definitely would not penalize the pilot by making the droid take up their actions though.

The Astromech should generally be paired with their pilots for initiative slots. I would treat the droid similar to a minion of the pilot, or a co-pilot. The PC can decide if they are going before the droid or not. A droid can pretty much do anything the pilot can, just generally with reduced skills.

The Astromech could aid, or do the astrogation itself. Generally, for a typical mission, you are going to know the route to get there, and back, and maybe a couple of detours in case "the Sith hits the fan". you really do not need more then 10 routes. Beyond that you are talking traveling several sectors and i doubt many pilots want to be in a fighter for more then a few days.

The Astromech should generally be paired with their pilots for initiative slots. I would treat the droid similar to a minion of the pilot, or a co-pilot. The PC can decide if they are going before the droid or not. A droid can pretty much do anything the pilot can, just generally with reduced skills.

The Astromech could aid, or do the astrogation itself. Generally, for a typical mission, you are going to know the route to get there, and back, and maybe a couple of detours in case "the Sith hits the fan". you really do not need more then 10 routes. Beyond that you are talking traveling several sectors and i doubt many pilots want to be in a fighter for more then a few days.

Would you say it's an incidental to have a droid do something? That puts a very minor limit, but also seems to fit the dialogue of Eps II, III, and IV... "R2, try and lock down that stabilizer." "R4, contact the temple."

Would you say it's an incidental to have a droid do something? That puts a very minor limit, but also seems to fit the dialogue of Eps II, III, and IV... "R2, try and lock down that stabilizer." "R4, contact the temple."

I think this would be a fair call. In my games, I probably would not allow an NPC astromech droid to spend strain to make a second maneuver. moving to location and perform action seems like more than enough for a character I would intend to be in the background.

Convention story. We had an astromech in our xwing be brought along with our transport. Mission was something about an Imp base under a volcano. Long story short, we had 'Skippy' wait up in orbit until needed. The time was when we had him drop a couple of proton torpedos (sp?) down the cone. I don't know how the GM didn't see that coming, but you could tell by the look in his eye we derailed his plan.

Come to think about it, I remember in the battle over Coruscant, Kenobi was evading a shot or debris & he said to his R4 droid to do nothing too fancy while his fighter seemed to make a rather wide dodging roll. In my scenarios, using an R2 unit is just a helpful way of adding a co-pilot. Since the days of WEG, not many of my players wanted to be in a cockpit of a starfighter or a space transport. It was rare having space battles in my campaigns, even when I tried to force it on them.

Would you say it's an incidental to have a droid do something? That puts a very minor limit, but also seems to fit the dialogue of Eps II, III, and IV... "R2, try and lock down that stabilizer." "R4, contact the temple."

I think this would be a fair call. In my games, I probably would not allow an NPC astromech droid to spend strain to make a second maneuver. moving to location and perform action seems like more than enough for a character I would intend to be in the background.

Similar issues arise with NPC pilots, co pilots, gunners or other crew members. This is not only going to happen with Astromechs.

How do you handle NPC party members when they are playing a key roll in the encounter? Consider a small tramp freighter with an NPC pilot, or a PC pilot but NPC gunners in the turrets.

Similar issues arise with NPC pilots, co pilots, gunners or other crew members. This is not only going to happen with Astromechs.

How do you handle NPC party members when they are playing a key roll in the encounter? Consider a small tramp freighter with an NPC pilot, or a PC pilot but NPC gunners in the turrets.