Player stats for the Vulture Droids

[Kytross]

I'm looking at running a Vulture droid in a friend's game and I wanted to know what people think their stats should be. I've got a backstory for the droid being purchased before the Clone wars and factory fitted with an independent brain and used as a guardian droid for a rather active young adult noble. It's more in depth then that but I'm still finalizing details and weaving backstories together with other players.

I was thinking something like this:

DEXTERITY 1D
Dodge 4D+1
Running 4D+1
Brawling Parry 4D+1

KNOWLEDGE 2D

MECHANICAL 1D
Starfighter piloting 4D+1
Starfighter gunnery 4D+1
Starfighter Shields 4D+1
Communications 4D+1
Repulsorlift 4D+1
Sensors 4D+1

PERCEPTION 1D
Search 4D+1

STRENGTH 4D
Brawling 4D+1

TECHNICAL 1D

I took 2D in Knowledge to reflect the fact that the droid has a separate brain and is now sentient and autonomous. All the 4D+1 skills come from Gry's starship stats book. I considered just making the Mechanical attribute 4D+1 but the droid really wouldn't have skills like beastriding and astrogation (no hyperdrive). The strength comes from the hull code, though I considered 2D strength and 2D armor. 4D strength at Starfighter scale would be 10D character scale damage.

I don't know if the GM will want to restrict me to the 35 minutes of flight time mentioned in Wookieepedia from the combustible solid-state fuel system. Personally I think that's a pretty silly idea. 35 minutes of flight time would drastically restrict a star fighter's range and eliminate their ability to do patrols or fly under their own power to a mission point.

What do you guys think?

[Ankhanu]

These are the converted stats in Gry's Starships book (yeah, they're statted as starfighters, not characters)

Craft: Xi Char Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mk. 1
Affiliation: Trade Federation / Separatists
Era: Old Republic
Source: Secrets of Naboo (page 8), d20 Rulebook (page 229)
Type: Autonomous starfighter
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 3.5 meters
Skill: Starfighter piloting
Crew: 0 (droid brain)
Crew Skill: All skills 4D+1
Cargo Capacity: None
Consumables: None
Cost: 19,000 (new), 5000 (used)
Maneuverability: 3D
Space: 10
Atmosphere: 415; 1,200 kmh
Hull: 4D
Sensors: Passive: 20/0D Scan: 40/1D Search: 60/2D Focus: 3/3D
Weapons:
2 Blaster Cannons (fire-linked)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-5/10/17 Atmosphere Range: 100-500/1/1.7 km
Damage: 5D

2 Energy Torpedo Launchers (4 torpedoes each)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Space Range: 1/3/7 Atmosphere Range: 30-100/300/700
Damage: 9D
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[garhkal]

The big issue i see with a vulture droid beign a PC is that it IS still star fighter scale, so even with it only having a 4d str, that means if it does hit, it is doing 10D damage.. and has 10d to soak all forms of damage other characters can toss at him.. This will mean for the DM to place in a suitable combat chalenge for the party, it will have to be Massive amts of damage, which will be overkill if it hits anyone of the other pcs..
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[ZzaphodD]

I have the feeling Kytoss is thinking of a Vulture droid as a 'pilot droid' that pilots the Vulture Starfighter instead of a Vulture Droid/Starfighter.
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[Bren]

ZzaphodD wrote:

[ZzaphodD]

[Ankhanu]

[garhkal]

Agreed. I cannot see why a controler droid for a droid fighter would even have brawl, let alone 4d. And since they are in a nice armored fighter, why would they need that high a strength?
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[Bren]

garhkal wrote:

[garhkal]

Since this is before the clone wars, i do not really see the trade federation selling on on the free market, let alone one with an independent mind.
Also, with nobles, how are you going to keep his power down if he has access to the sort of funding that would let someone do this?
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[Raven Redstar]

Easily, you take away his wealth, and authority the first session.

-=Story hook!=-

[garhkal]

"IN the name of (insert royalty), you have been found guilty of X, and have been exiled for a period of 10 years.. All assets except those currently on your person, have been reposessed"
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[Kytross]

Sorry, it's been a busy week at work. ANd I get to work through the hurricane tonight, yea!

Ok, a few answers. Vulture droids transform and walk around. They'd use dodge and brawling in this form.

Regarding 4D starfighter strength verses character level scale opponents, well, character scale opponents would get a +6D bonus to dodge. As a vulture droid I'd have a hard time hitting anything that wasn't at least speeder scale.

The trade federation sold all their models of battle droids before the clone wars. Droids can be modified with their own brains, they just cost more per unit. It was noted that droidekas in particular were often modified with a brain to operate independently. If you're looking for a bodyguard unit, you want it to be independent.

My GM took one look at the limited range and said, "That's stupid." He went on a bit of a rant after that. I got to hear about it for awhile. Sometimes you just have to preach to the choir.

His big concern was the scale issue especially in regards to giving us balanced encounters. If my vulture is going to participate it will throw off the group quite a bit. And he doesn't want me to be useless.

He wants me to look into playing a shard.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Shard

I'm tempted to make it an iron knight.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Knight

ANyway, I'll start up a new thread to chat about it.

[ZzaphodD]

Do Vulture droids 'walk around' really? Ive just seen them move around a bit in the hangar bays. Seems like they can at least. Why would you like to play a 3,5m walking starfighter?
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[Kytross]

Yes, they're built to assist other troops on the ground.

Why wouldn't you want to play a 3.5m walking Starfighter? It would be awesome!