Hey fellow GMs!

The title says it all: I encountered 2 little problems while GMing and was wondering if someone in this awesome community could help me out

Let's get right into it:

1) Raising a Sand Worm

2) A problem concerning Knowledge skills

Thanks in advance

1) More Survival and/or knowledge:Xenology checks would allow this. You could probably have him roll once per adventure/session and have the worm "level up" as a result.

2) I'd try just giving them hints before monkeying with the system. It's ok for a GM to say things like "You see a big alien with green skin and a elephant like trunk, but you'll need to roll Xenology to know what he is."

The more I think about it, the more I like your Knowledge skill idea, but I'm still very torn on it. On the one hand, it lends a Boost for having the right "intellectual" tools for the job. But on the other hand, it feels like it's the sort of bonus you'd find in the 15-25 XP range of a talent tree.

I'd recommend maybe diluting the reward to 1 Boost per 2 Proficiency, so that it requires more dedication to Intellect and knowledge to get those Boost dice. That way, your "average" character can still get 1 Boost die pretty easily, but it takes a genius professor to get 2. Since skills cap at 5, it would be impossible to get 3 Boosts.

First of all thanks for the input guys!

1) More Survival and/or knowledge:Xenology checks would allow this. You could probably have him roll once per adventure/session and have the worm "level up" as a result.

2) I'd try just giving them hints before monkeying with the system. It's ok for a GM to say things like "You see a big alien with green skin and a elephant like trunk, but you'll need to roll Xenology to know what he is."

1) I was thinking about handeling it something like that. I checked Wookiepedia and found the "Dune Worms" of Tatooine, I guess after about 100 net successes on survival cheks I could allow for the worm to turn out similar to them.

2) I've been trying to do that... Maybe I should just give it a bit more time to have the system of Knowledge Skills better sink into my players minds.

The more I think about it, the more I like your Knowledge skill idea, but I'm still very torn on it. On the one hand, it lends a Boost for having the right "intellectual" tools for the job. But on the other hand, it feels like it's the sort of bonus you'd find in the 15-25 XP range of a talent tree.

I'd recommend maybe diluting the reward to 1 Boost per 2 Proficiency, so that it requires more dedication to Intellect and knowledge to get those Boost dice. That way, your "average" character can still get 1 Boost die pretty easily, but it takes a genius professor to get 2. Since skills cap at 5, it would be impossible to get 3 Boosts.

I'm glad you enjoy the idea and I can totally relate to you being torn on it. As am I.
I was thinking that for characters that don't have the Knowledge Skills as their career skills the expense of 10 XP for 1 boost on such checks should be ok (especially since I don't really enjoy the 5 XP "-1 Setback" talents that float around most talent trees), but it probably is a little too generous. I like your version better, thanks a lot for the insight =)

From what I've seen, knowledge is often used when something is mentioned. Even if that something is pretty common fare to us as players, no one in the galaxy will know who Luke Skywalker, some random farmer from Tatooine, is. This also works in other cases, such as the Kessel Run, Black Sun, and the Empire. If someone mentions the Emperor's Hand, the PCs must take a formidable Knowledge Something-or-Another to be able to know that they're talking about a highly trained individual. Even if a player knows about a situation, that doesn't mean the PC does, too. Not everyone knows what the Kessel Run is (but it'd be an easy roll), and not everyone knows who Xizor is.

1) I agree with the others. Survival and knowledge checks could be made (maybe once a session). However, more importantly, the pet may become obligation since the PC is now obligated to care for the animal. You could then tie in some plot loops. "Rex" has outgrown his normal foods and needs about 10m^3 of bantha poodoo or "Rex" gets lost on the ship during hyperspace and XYZ happens. The Obligation could end when "Rex" is full grown and maybe then he's fully tamed.

2) I also agree with the others here. Use of the skills also depends on your adventures so you can make it as big of a deal or not as you see fit. Just be careful to have them rolling all the time for various things. You kind of just have to feed them info if you think they'll know it.

From what I've seen, knowledge is often used when something is mentioned. Even if that something is pretty common fare to us as players, no one in the galaxy will know who Luke Skywalker, some random farmer from Tatooine, is. This also works in other cases, such as the Kessel Run, Black Sun, and the Empire.

Ok, thank you for the info =) I guess I just need to hold back more information and make them roll for it.

1) I agree with the others. Survival and knowledge checks could be made (maybe once a session). However, more importantly, the pet may become obligation since the PC is now obligated to care for the animal. You could then tie in some plot loops. "Rex" has outgrown his normal foods and needs about 10m^3 of bantha poodoo or "Rex" gets lost on the ship during hyperspace and XYZ happens. The Obligation could end when "Rex" is full grown and maybe then he's fully tamed.

2) I also agree with the others here. Use of the skills also depends on your adventures so you can make it as big of a deal or not as you see fit. Just be careful to have them rolling all the time for various things. You kind of just have to feed them info if you think they'll know it.

The Obligation-part had not yet occured to me, but is defenitely very important. Thanks a lot for pointing it out to me!

Please excuse the consecutive posts, but I tried to come up with the specifics on how to level up that sand worm yesterday and I thought I'd put my ideas up for critique and insight.

So as I said: comments and critique would be immensely appreciated!

I would change your AOE level. Something a 1m long isn't really going to do major AOE attacking. Maybe around level 15.

I wouldn't let the player off obligation until he actually left it in a natural habitat. So, if he sets it free on Tatooine, he frees himself of the obligation but the worm perhaps still treats him as a friend when they arrive on the planet. Something like a Jabba the Hutt and Sarlacc relationship could also work.

Whelp, decided I might as well look up what a dune worm looks like for Star Wars, and might I say they are BIG. I'd suggest that eventually it grows so large that they know they won't be able to transport it anymore, and so they'll have to let it go free, like you already said. Try to make it more dramatic when they release it, like it wants to stay but knows it must go. Of course, they can come visit later. Should be easy to find him when he's big enough to swallow a YT-1300 whole. Because they get big.

But yeah, your list is pretty good from my perspective.

I would change your AOE level. Something a 1m long isn't really going to do major AOE attacking. Maybe around level 15.

I wouldn't let the player off obligation until he actually left it in a natural habitat. So, if he sets it free on Tatooine, he frees himself of the obligation but the worm perhaps still treats him as a friend when they arrive on the planet. Something like a Jabba the Hutt and Sarlacc relationship could also work.

That is a good point, thank you! I changed it so that the AoE doesn't set in until Level 12.

Whelp, decided I might as well look up what a dune worm looks like for Star Wars, and might I say they are BIG. I'd suggest that eventually it grows so large that they know they won't be able to transport it anymore, and so they'll have to let it go free, like you already said. Try to make it more dramatic when they release it, like it wants to stay but knows it must go. Of course, they can come visit later. Should be easy to find him when he's big enough to swallow a YT-1300 whole. Because they get big.

But yeah, your list is pretty good from my perspective.

Wow, thanks for sharing! All the info I got on Dune Worms was from Wookiepedia and afaik there was no info on size or measurements there. I will absolutely include your insight in my game =)

Probably you already know it but FFG designers in a small text said that Edge focus on more cinematic scenes but feel free to add some skills like Perform or Handle Animals. Maybe the second will fit you.

Of course the Knowledge option is always a good one

Probably you already know it but FFG designers in a small text said that Edge focus on more cinematic scenes but feel free to add some skills like Perform or Handle Animals. Maybe the second will fit you.

Of course the Knowledge option is always a good one