Converting from d6

By Raistlinrox, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

Has anyone seen a good conversion model for going from d6 to FFG's system? With FFG having an upper limit to abilities and attributes, you can't just easily do a 1-for-1 conversion, since there was no cap on how high you raised your skills or stats in d6. But there are several things, including modules, that I would like to convert over to the new system with relative ease.

I'm not asking for everything to be converted already, just a good guide of, for example, what a 4D+2 pilot skill would amount to in EotE/AoR.

Thanks for any help!

It's been along time since I looked at the D6 system, if I remembered correctly 4D+2 was a good skill. I would suggest it would be like giving you 2 levels of the pilot skill.

It must have been a long time DD, 4D in a skill was considered typical professional skill, with 5D being.... I think best in a geographic region, or something similar...

Anyway, the skills don't really translate directly very easily, its more a contextual thing. 4D+2 might mean a minion grouped skill, or a single rank for a rival, or nothing at all for a nemesis...

Which character are you converting, what are their stats, and are you trying to convert to an NPC, or a PC? If an NPC, what type?

Mainly NPCs from the various sourcebooks is what I'd be aiming for. Depending on how important they are would determine if they were minions, rivals, or nemesis.

And yea, maybe the 4D example wasn't very good. Maybe an 8D+1, to make it somewhat interesting.

You're asking the wrong question. You shouldn't be thinking in terms of converting , you should be thinking in terms of modeling .

The two rules systems are completely different and run on completely different mechanics. Designing any sort of meaningful conversion guide is probably impossible. Any attempt is likely to create as many conversion problems as it solves.

There's really only one way to "convert" between two significantly different systems, and that's to not attempt to convert at all. Instead, you simply have to rebuild everything from the ground up in the new system, using the old system as, at most, a "thematic" and "narrative" guideline.

So if you wanted to transfer an old character, for instance, it would be a waste of time to try to "convert" him. Instead, you should simply study the old character and look at how he functioned in the old system, how it "felt" to play him, and so forth. Then, starting from scratch, create a brand new character in the new system with an eye to modeling the old character as best you can. The goal is not to convert the old character (that's impossible), but simply to create a new one that captures the "spirit" of the original.

Moreover, you need to recognise that there will be numerous differences, both great and small, between the old and the new (e.g. the loss of an ability he used to have, or the acquisition of an entirely new ability he never had before); and simply accept that this is an unavoidable side-effect of moving between two completely unrelated and incompatible systems.

Overmatt is kinda right, the conversion process isn't always a straight x dice = y ranks. So a starfighter pilot in D6 with 10D in starfighter piloting might only have 3 ranks in pilot:space, but might have a stack of talents to go with it.

That's why I was asking which character and what role (PC/NPC) you wanted to convert. You might get more help on a specific conversion then you would trying to determine a system to convert.

I guess then, my next question is how do you determine what talents, or how many talents to give to NPCs? Do hey have to follow the same talent paths on a spec that a PC does? Is there any descriptions or lists for NPC only talents (such as Adversary) or is it just the description given in the stat block? I can't find even Adversary in the index anywhere.

No NPCs don't have special rules for creation and don't have to follow PC rules at all. The number of talents you want to give them is up to you. Take a note from the NPCs in the book though and try note to give them more then about 3, if you do you'll risk forgetting them or messing them up. Also think about what talents work for a character. Something that requires the expenditure of strain to function probably isn't a good match for a minion.

I convert NPC this way:

1) Attribute dice number is EotE attribute value, round up for +2 pips. Use common sense when dealing with Tech and Mech.

2) Skill ranks: 2-3D = 1, 4-5D = 2, 6-7D = 3, 8-9D = 4, 10+D = 5, npcs have skills exactly like in d6, dont waste time to make them like EotE.

3) One or two special npc talents like adversary or command.

Okay, I found the scale of Universal Standard.from one of my WEG sourcebooks. It breaks the skill rankings down as thusly:

1D - below human average for an attribute

2D - human average for attributes and many skills

3D - Average level of training

4D - Professional level of training

5D - Above average expertise

6D - 8D - best in a city, region and planet

10D - Best in a sector

14D+ - Amongst the best in the galaxy

So, using that someone with 6 in an attribute and 5 in the skill (say, piloting) would be 14D. That's as best as you can be, under the limits of the game engine. At the other end of the spectrum, I would say that 1D-2D would be a skill with nothing but green dice.

3D-4D would probably be one yellow

5D-6D would probably be two yellows

7D-8D = 3 yellows

9D-13D = 4 yellows

In short - there is no direct conversion. Just guess.

Edited by Desslok

I was running into something similar with my starfighter creation attempts , as the D6 rules don't "convert" cleanly into this version. In the end, I used them as guidelines to compare to each other, found similar things in both books, and built from there.

For example, while statting up a fighter, I would compare it to the TIE fighter and then use that to see what it should have in EotE. It didn't always give a clean conversion, but it did at least help.

As OverMatt clearly stated, "converting" isn't what you should be doing, but rather using the old materials as a bit of inspirational guidelines. As soon as you try to come up with the math for solid conversions, you'll realize you are way off the mark when a new book is released or you'll find that it doesn't work with every example.

Stick with using them as them guidelines and you'll make your life SO much easier. . .

Edit: There is also a LOT of discrepency with certain ships, such as the Starwing Pleasure Yacht. The capabilities of it in both games are rather drastic when you think about it, making the concept of conversions go right out the window. . .

Edited by LibrariaNPC

Okay, I found the scale of Universal Standard.from one of my WEG sourcebooks. It breaks the skill rankings down as thusly:

1D - below human average for an attribute

2D - human average for attributes and many skills

3D - Average level of training

4D - Professional level of training

5D - Above average expertise

6D - 8D - best in a city, region and planet

10D - Best in a sector

14D+ - Amongst the best in the galaxy

So, using that someone with 6 in an attribute and 5 in the skill (say, piloting) would be 14D. That's as best as you can be, under the limits of the game engine. At the other end of the spectrum, I would say that 1D-2D would be a skill with nothing but green dice.

3D-4D would probably be one yellow

5D-6D would probably be two yellows

7D-8D = 3 yellows

9D-13D = 4 yellows

In short - there is no direct conversion. Just guess.

This is how I've been doing it. The chart in the rulebook helps give you benchmarks against which to measure the number of skill dice in D6; and there's a paragraph in the EotE book that compares a number of skill ranks to proficiency levels.