OK, a while back I stated that I didn't really care for many of the decisions that went into the official Wookiee species (like the low Willpower, no claws, etc.). I decided to just suck it up. But now I've found my answer.

I was looking through the Ultimate Alien Anthology and I found the Yuzzem. This species seems a good match for what the player wanted - the big furry badass - without all of the other Wookiee trappings. Looking to open the Yuzzem as a player species, I've come up with this:

Step 1: Start with the Wookiee from the EotE Core Rulebook.

Step 2: Remove Wookiee Rage.

Step 3: Add Claws identical to those of Trandoshans (obviously replacing "Trandoshan" with "Yuzzem" in the ability description).

Step 4: Call it Yuzzem and get playing!

For me the advantages of Yuzzem over Wookiees are many:

1) Yuzzem can speak clearly in Basic. Not a game stat thing, but it matters to me.

2) Yuzzem have simple names that are easy to come up with and pronounce.

3) Yuzzem don't quite have the universal bounty thing hanging over their heads, and although they are enslaved by the Empire, they can get along (somewhat) better with Trandoshan characters.

4) Less is known about Yuzzem culture, giving the player and I more room to be creative.

5) I'm more accepting of the Yuzzem having low Willpower than I was of Wookiees (I always though Wookiees should be Willpower 2, Presence 1). Just a preference thing.

6) Yuzzem have a lifespan of 80 years, something that's much easier to relate to (and far more comparable to the lifespans of most other PC species) than the 400+ years for Wookiees. Again, just my preference, but I'm not fond of a character with 100+ years of backstory that has the same XP as a 30 year-old Human.

The only reason I hadn't included the Yuzzem in the Unofficial Species Menagerie was that I felt too much of their write-up would be too similar to Wookiees, and what I'd come up with is pretty much a match to what you've listed, essentially being a mechanically tweaked Wookiee.

As you've said, there's a number of in-story advantages to playing a Yuzzem, and mechanically the replacement of the Wookiee Rage damage bonus with the Trando's claw ability doesn't create any problems.

That sounds vaguely like you approve.

Thank you.

That sounds vaguely like you approve.

Thank you.

Hey, it's your game, you're the one that makes the final calls. So whether I or anyone else approves or disapproves is completely irrelevant.

That sounds vaguely like you approve.

Thank you.

Hey, it's your game, you're the one that makes the final calls. So whether I or anyone else approves or disapproves is completely irrelevant.

True, but it shows we can agree on some things. That's far better than where we were last summer with the Ghtroc.

I agree with the non-inclusion of claws, since basically no Wookiee uses them for combat as it's dishonorable and those that do are permanently exiled from Wookiee culture. I don't think the game should be mechanically undermining long-existing fluff. And you're not prevented from playing a Madclaw just because your unarmed strikes aren't as good as a Trandoshans; that's a purely story-driven thing that does not depend on claw mechanics.

I agree with the non-inclusion of claws, since basically no Wookiee uses them for combat as it's dishonorable and those that do are permanently exiled from Wookiee culture. I don't think the game should be mechanically undermining long-existing fluff. And you're not prevented from playing a Madclaw just because your unarmed strikes aren't as good as a Trandoshans; that's a purely story-driven thing that does not depend on claw mechanics.

If my player wanted to play a madclaw and wanted the mechanical benefit of the claw racial talent, I would consider allowing him or her to purchase it at character creation for 5 or 10 XP.

For a madclaw wookie, I'd allow a player to have the claws feature, but I would also say that the cost is all social checks made against wookies are upgraded twice. I may also add a non buyoff obligation of 5 points for said wookie. Banishment or something along those lines. Possibly bounty.

At the same time, all Wookiees have claws, not just Madclaws.

It's the psychological state and willingness to break the "we use our claws as tools, not weapons" social custom that makes a Wookiee a Madclaw, not the physiological aspect of having claws (which all Wookiees would possess unless declawed). I personally don't see the need to give certain Wookiees a "Trandoshan-like" mechanical claw statblock (better damage/crit) to represent the character being a Madclaw.

At the same time, all Wookiees have claws, not just Madclaws.

It's the psychological state and willingness to break the "we use our claws as tools, not weapons" social custom that makes a Wookiee a Madclaw, not the physiological aspect of having claws (which all Wookiees would possess unless declawed). I personally don't see the need to give certain Wookiees a "Trandoshan-like" mechanical claw statblock (better damage/crit) to represent the character being a Madclaw.

Transfer the 'madclaw' aspect to a mechanical benefit of any other species, and see if it makes sense to bother including it as a mechanical benefit for the species.

For example compare this:

Claws: When a Wookie makes Bralw checks to deal damage to an opponent, he deals +1 damage and has a Critical Rating of 3, but if he's ever witnessed using this function of his claws, he'll be universally reviled by all wookies as a crazed, murderous, feral beast.

to this:

Humans gain 1 rank in 2 non-career skills, but if they're ever witnessed while using one of those skills, they'll be universally reviled by all humans as a crazed, murderous, feral beast.

Why in the world would anyone bother including that 'species ability' in a write-up? Congratulations, your character has an ability that he can't use without becoming a dangerous, feral animal in the eyes of his own people? Woo Hoo!

I'm wondering if the Yuzzem shouldn't be Silhouette 2 to represent their increased size and bulk. I don't think that this is really either a benefit or a hindrance in most cases (except in combat with Silhouette 0 species), but I haven't looked really hard. Am I missing anything?

...but do Yuzzem celebrate Lifeday?

...but do Yuzzem celebrate Lifeday?

I certainly hopen not. See Reason #4 for why I prefer Yuzzem to Wookiees as a PC choice.

Looking over the Silhouette rules, it appears that being Silhouette 2 (which includes the Wampa, which is about the same size as Yuzzem) is almost entirely a negative in combat over being Silhouette 1, but only when dealing with Silhouette 0 (which gain a bonus when attacking Silhouette 2) and Silhouette 3 (which don't take a penalty when attacking Silhouette 2). Other than that, the only effect that seems to consider Silhouette is Knockdown (the weapon quality, not the talent). With that in mind, I may want to add a little something to balance out going with Silhouette 2.

The Force move power also considers Silhouette. Moving a Silhouette 0 object requires 1 Force point and no upgrades, moving a Silhouette 1 object requires 2 Force points and a 10-XP strength upgrade, and moving a Silhouette 2 creature requires 2 Force points and 20 XP for two strength upgrades.

Of course, this only matters if Move can grab creatures. If you try to answer that question by focusing on the rules as written, you could go either way, as "objects" technically includes "anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form" but usually excludes living creatures when it's actually used. I'm not familiar enough with the Star Wars universe to say whether moving people would be appropriate within the setting.

Looking over the Silhouette rules, it appears that being Silhouette 2 (which includes the Wampa, which is about the same size as Yuzzem) is almost entirely a negative in combat over being Silhouette 1, but only when dealing with Silhouette 0 (which gain a bonus when attacking Silhouette 2) and Silhouette 3 (which don't take a penalty when attacking Silhouette 2). Other than that, the only effect that seems to consider Silhouette is Knockdown (the weapon quality, not the talent). With that in mind, I may want to add a little something to balance out going with Silhouette 2.

Yeah, Silhouette's a tricky issue in this system, particularly for creatures/species that are way bigger than the norm, such as the Togorians, Herglic, and Whiphids, all of which were deemed Large in the d20 system (which generally wasn't helpful in that system either, since all it got you was a penalty to attack rolls in OCR/RCR and a penalty to Defense in all the d20 systems). Yet ultimately we'd opted to just treat them as Silhouette 1 for the USM, figuring that they were on the very high end of Silhouette 1 rather than the low end of Silhouette 2.

If nothing else, you'd think that having a higher/lower Silhouette would increase/decrease the character's Encumbrance Threshold.

Hahaha, you said "Yuzzem", and then I thought, "why would someone who wants to play a huge Wookie-type character play a much shorter furry guy with spindly legs from Endor who sings great?".

Then I went to Wookiepedia and got, "The Yuzzem , a species not to be confused with the Yuzzums of the Forest Moon of Endor ..." and then I spit up my drink laughing.

After seeing some of the new species from Suns of Fortune (namely the Drall showing that it's possible to have a 4 base in a Characteristic) I'm going to change the Yuzzem a bit.

Brawn 4, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 2, Willpower 1, Presence 1

Wound Threshold: 14 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 8 + Willpower

Starting XP: 90

1 rank of Brawl

Claws (as Trandoshan)

After seeing some of the new species from Suns of Fortune (namely the Drall showing that it's possible to have a 4 base in a Characteristic) I'm going to change the Yuzzem a bit.

Brawn 4, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 2, Willpower 1, Presence 1

Wound Threshold: 14 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 8 + Willpower

Starting XP: 90

1 rank of Brawl

Claws (as Trandoshan)

This is exactly how I have stated (house rules) the Wookiees in my game (no claws, I have kept Wookiee rage). Definitively, Brawn 3 feels way too low for a Wookiee.

I'm not a fan of Wookiee Rage at all, so I just replace it with a free rank of Feral Strength

This does almost the same thing without oddities like a week old crit that knocked you onto your backside still leaving you raging since you didn't get it healed, and that rage having no negative effects. I'd rather the emotional state be roleplayed.

I house ruled, or decided, that Wookiee Rage only lasts for the duration of the encounter (or for however long makes sense for the story/circumstances: for instance, when the Wookiee recieves a Critical Injury outside of combat).

But does that rage have any effect on the wookiee's ability to use skills like Medicine, Machanics, or Astrogation? Per RAW, it doesn't. I think its better to let the player decide if the Wookiee is enraged or not, and to let that decision guide the roleplay. For a mechanical bonus, I find a rank of Feral Strength to be sufficient, and apply it whether or not the Wookiee is injured.

I'm not a fan of Wookiee Rage at all, so I just replace it with a free rank of Feral Strength

This does almost the same thing without oddities like a week old crit that knocked you onto your backside still leaving you raging since you didn't get it healed, and that rage having no negative effects. I'd rather the emotional state be roleplayed.

Interesting, I will look into it.

After seeing some of the new species from Suns of Fortune (namely the Drall showing that it's possible to have a 4 base in a Characteristic) I'm going to change the Yuzzem a bit.

Brawn 4, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 2, Willpower 1, Presence 1

Wound Threshold: 14 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 8 + Willpower

Starting XP: 90

1 rank of Brawl

Claws (as Trandoshan)

This is exactly how I have stated (house rules) the Wookiees in my game (no claws, I have kept Wookiee rage). Definitively, Brawn 3 feels way too low for a Wookiee.

Presumably because a brawn of 4 indicates that your in the super league of characters,though in this case it might be fitting, just seem strange that you can make a non-combat class, completely armed for bear, by just being a wookie. Super hitting machanics gooo! Though I guess I haven't really read enough background fluff to know whether being a strength 4 character is justified.

Though I never understood why wookies had low willpower. If anything, it's their pressence that should be downgraded (because of imperial sediments and lack of basic.)

I ehhh on the side of claws. I think wookies should have them as standard, to assist with climb checks, but as a weapon it shouldn't be valued as the social implications would be world shatteringly bad.