House Rules are custom-made content, created for the Star Wars D6 RPG, to cover a situation and/or area not previously covered in an official game supplement, such as rules, skills, or powers. House Rules are usually created to enhance the gaming experience by a Gamemaster or by players.
NOTE: Some of the house rules listed below are optional rules from various WEG supplementals.
Character Creation[]
Attribute Dice - Species template + 6D.
Skill Dice - 30 pips (10D) with no more than 6 pips (2D) in a single skill.
Specializations - Can pick up to 3 specializations at a cost of 1 pip each in skill dice.
Language Dice - Can pick up to 3 languages at 5D (per background and GM permission) at a cost of 1 pip each in skill dice.
Force Skills - Can place 1D in Control, Sense and/or Alter at a cost 1D in attribute dice.
Force Powers - Can choose up to 3 powers per Force skill. Number of powers is GM discretion based on character background and era of play.
Parry Skills[]
The skill Melee Parry is being merged into Melee Combat under the Dexterity attribute. In addition, the skill Brawling Parry is being merged with Brawling under the Strength attribute. This is to be consistent with the Lightsaber skill. To convert existing PCs and NPCs, take half the dice (rounded down) in the parry skills over their attribute and add them to the combat skills.
Stance[]
At all times during a game, a character is either standing or prone. For game purposes standing includes crouching, kneeling, or any position in which a character is not lying down to avoid fire. Prone is deliberately lying down to avoid fire. A character can fall prone at any time without penalty. Prone characters are harder to hit; add +2 when determining to-hit difficulty numbers.
Rising from prone to standing counts as an action. Prone characters may move by crawling, with a move rate of two meters.
Tactics[]
The Tactics skill is kind of broad, someone may be brilliant at tactics for small squads, but not understand the first thing about fleet tactics. Tactics can only be increased to 5D as a base skill, it must then be specialized in. Specializations include: Fleet Combat, Starship, Small Squad, Assault/Siege.
The commanders of the forces in combat make opposed Tactics rolls each round. Include multi-action penalties for other actions they are performing. Whoever wins gets to add the amount by which he beat his opponent to his initiative roll for his entire force for the next round. If one of the two commanders doesn't want to make a tactics roll so as to avoid the multi-action penalty, then treat it as if he had rolled 5.
For example, if Admiral Tark makes a tactics check and rolls a 26, while his opponent, Captain Rarus, rolls 14, the Tark's forces get to add 12 to their initiative rolls for the next round (26-14=12).
Ancient Research[]
Any character who spends at least one week studying any particular culture (including the Sith) may increase their cultures specialization by 1D at half the normal rate (rounded up).
For example, an explorer seeking knowledge of the territory once ruled by the ancient Kashi Mer spends ten days researching that civilization. He may now increase his cultures: Kashi Mer skill of 6D to 7D at a cost of five Character Points (six points for each additional pip (18), divided in half for specialization (9), and halved again (5) for the research bonus).
Routine Abilities[]
When a character has at least 6D in any skill, he or she gains the ability to automatically succeed on non-combat rolls that the difficulty is less than or equal to 2x the number of whole D that the character possesses in the skill.
Example: Dontaine Strykia has Alter 8D, giving him a routine 16 (difficult). Whenever Dontaine wishes to use the Telekinesis power he may move any object weighing up to 1 metric ton automatically.
Medpacks do not Heal Wounds[]
They mask the wounds. They are mostly a synthaskin spray and pain killer injection. The character is still hurt, but he doesn't feel it. He functions without penalty, but if he's injured again then he goes to the next level of injury. He remains in this anesthetized state until he heals normally or is treated with bacta (or accelerates healing for the Jedi types). Bacta treatment actually heals the wounds.
Two-Weapon Fighting[]
When making attacks with two one-handed weapons, the attacker gains the ability to make two attack actions simultaneously (multiple actions are required to do such an attack).
Example: Becca Verkaik has Lightsabers 6D. She picks up a lightsaber from a fallen foe and decides to use two lightsabers in her next attack. There is a -1D penalty for off-hand weapons, and she must take two actions to make the attack. On her first action, Becca rolls 5D for the attack with her primary saber, and 4D on the attack for her second.
Hit Location[]
For random hit location, roll 1D.
- 1: Head
- 2-3: Torso
- 4: Arm (Roll again: 1-3 Left arm 4-6 Right arm)
- 5: Left Leg
- 6: Right Leg
Alternately, at +5 to difficulty, the character may select a specific location to target.
Head: +1D to damage.
Torso: Regular damage.
Arm: Overall character is treated as one wound level lower than limb result.
- If wounded or worse, character drops whatever they were holding in that arm/hand.
- Wounded: -1D to skills using that arm.
- Wounded Twice: -2D to skills using that arm.
- Incapaciated: Arm cannot be used for 10D minutes. After which character is -4D to skills using that arm until healed.
- Mortally Wounded: Arm cannot be used until healed. At the end of each round, roll 2D. If the roll is less than the number of rounds that the arm has been mortally wounded, the arm becomes "dead".
- Dead/Killed: The arm is severely mangled. Requires amputation and replacement.
Leg: Overall character is treated as one wound level lower than limb result.
- Wounded: -1D to skills using that leg. Move is -25%
- Wounded Twice: -2D to skills using that leg. Move is -25%
- Incapaciated: Leg cannot be used for 10D minutes. After which character is -4D to skills using that leg until healed. Move is -50%.
- Mortally Wounded: Leg cannot be used until healed. At the end of each round, roll 2D. If the roll is less than the number of rounds that the leg has been mortally wounded, the leg becomes "dead". Move is -75%.
- Dead/Killed: The leg is severely mangled. Requires amputation and replacement.
Accurate Shooting[]
When a character fires, throws, or in any shape attacks another, a to hit roll is made using the character appropriate skill. If the character hits, damage is determined using the weapons damage statistic. If the attack roll is greater than what was required, it is natural to assume the attack would be more effective.
For every 10 whole points that the character rolls above what the difficulty number is, +1D to the damage is gained.
Speed Drawing[]
To run old-style “gunfights” in the roleplaying game, use the following “quickdraw” rules.
The character uses their blaster skill or appropriate specialization. The weapon to be used must be appropriate for quickdraw duels: a blaster pistol, hold-out blaster, or heavy blaster pistol for example.
To quickdraw, the character may not do anything else in the round, including dodge. In other words, characters engaging in quickdraw duels are easy marks for anyone else. The character may make multiple quickdraw shots in a round; characters may shoot at more than one target, but an additional -1D penalty per target, in addition to all the other penalties. Characters may also use the “quickdraw”, or “snap shot” rules in non-duel situations.
To quickdraw, the character splits his or her blaster skill dice among two areas; speed draw dice and accuracy dice. To see who draws and fires first, each character rolls their speed draw dice. The character who rolls highest fires first; the character who fires first then rolls his or her accuracy dice to see if the target is hit.
Characters who want to make multiple shots suffer multiple action penalties for both their speed draw dice and accuracy dice.
Unlike normal rounds, quickdraw duel actions are not simultaneous. The character who fires first, fires first in “game time: the other character may only fire back if they haven’t been injured by the shots at them.
Any character who is stunned by a quickdraw shot loses -3D off all following shots in that round. Any character wounded (or worse) by a quickdraw shot is in too much pain or too badly distracted to return fire.
Characters may quickdraw against opponents that are trying to dodge or doing other actions. The character performing the quickdraw or snap shot simply rolls their speed draw dice against the target’s dodge. If the speed draw roll is higher than the dodge, the quickdrawing character shoots at the target as if he or she did not dodge at all. As before, a character who is quickdrawing may not do any other actions in a round.
Repeating Blasters[]
Repeating blasters can be fired in either concentrated-fire or burst-fire modes. In concentrated-fire mode, the repeating blaster is fired at a single target and works as stated in the weapons normal stats. In burst-fire mode, the repeating blaster is fired in a small sweeping motion and can hit up to three adjacent targets (i.e., no more than two meters apart). The attacker only need to make one “to hit” roll. Damage in burst-fire mode is -2D of the normal damage.
Suppression Fire[]
Suppression fire is intended to keep your opponent's heads down while you're on the move or you're providing covering fire for an ally. This makes it difficult and somewhat dangerous for your opponents to return fire. A character may opt to provide suppression fire while declaring his/her actions for the turn if your side is going first. The player must decide how many suppressive shots he/she will fire on top of any other actions for that round. Suppression fire shots have a difficulty value of Difficult and are worked out in the normal manner. For each successful suppressive fire shot for the action phase add +1 to the difficulty for the opponents returning fire in that phase. In addition, any opponent who fumbles their returning fire shot has mistimed getting up and has been hit by the blaze of fire. To work out the damage, select the highest to hit roll made by the suppressing side in that action phase and work out damage as normal. If multiple people fumble then descend through the to hit rolls. Repeating blaster are much better suited to this than single-fire weapons. Characters using repeating blaster for suppression fire add +5 to the opponents difficulty for every burst fired.
Suffocation[]
If a character is unable to breathe – whether being physically choked, or in an environment with air and pressure but no oxygen (or other vital gases) – a Stamina roll is necessary at the beginning of each round. Difficulty is Very Easy for the first round, increasing one level each round. Each time the Stamina roll fails, the character’s condition deteriorates as though he/she was wounded by an attack. When this happens, a Willpower roll at two levels higher difficulty allows the character to remain conscious and continue making skill rolls (even after becoming Incapacitated or Mortally Wounded).
Underwater Environments[]
For a species that spend most of its life on dry land, movement underwater is burdensome. Skill rolls that are based on physical actions (except Swimming) are penalized by –2D. If a character has a species-based Swimming skill bonus, the usual –2D penalty is reduced or negated (by the amount of bonus). Swimming skill rolls are necessary for movement (instead of Running), but Dodge is still used for evading ranged attacks, with the penalty to physical actions.
Blasters have reduced effectiveness underwater, unless otherwise indicated in the weapon’s description (sonic blasters, for example, function equally well in and out of water). Blasters have an underwater range that is only 1/10 of normal. Blaster damage is reduced by 1D at medium range, and 2D at long range. Firearms generally will not function underwater, although other projectile weapons have an effective range that is 1/2 of normal. Explosive blasts have a reduced radius, 1/2 of normal, but also produce a shockwave that extends to 3x the normal range and produces a stun effect.
Electronic devices are generally not suited to underwater operation, unless designed by an aquatic race. A device may be waterproofed with a Moderate repair roll assuming the character has appropriate time and parts. Any necessary Repair attempts to the device have an increased difficulty of one level, and damage to a waterproofed device usually negates the waterproofing effect.
Atmospheric Effects[]
In a thin atmosphere, a character must make a Easy Stamina roll each hour, with a cumulative -1 penalty each hour. The first three failed Stamina rolls give a –1D penalty to all skill rolls. After this, at each failure the character’s condition deteriorates as though he/she was wounded by an attack. These “injuries” are temporary and can be “healed” by 4 hours exposure to full atmosphere for each failed roll. A character can not recover from failed rolls while he/she is still in the thin-atmosphere environment, unless an air supply is available.
If a character is exposed to a vacuum, normal suffocation rules apply, but Stamina difficulties are increased by one level. Add at least one additional level of difficulty for characters particularly susceptible to the effects of cold (such as reptiles and other cold-blooded races).
Extreme Temperature[]
In severe heat or cold, a character must make a Moderate Stamina roll each hour, adding a -1 penalty each hour. Particularly appropriate or inappropriate clothing can provide a bonus or penalty of up to 2D. Each time the roll fails, the character’s condition deteriorates, as though he/she was wounded by an attack. If the temperature is extremely hot or cold, the time required between Stamina rolls can be reduced to as little as 10 minutes.
Cold-blooded races suffer worse penalties in cold weather. Immediately upon exposure to a cold environment, a member of a cold-blooded race suffers a –2D penalty to all attributes and skills. The time between Stamina rolls is reduced by half, and Stamina difficulty increases one level. Heavy garments are of little help to cold-blooded races, since they do not produce body heat.
Breathing superheated air, such as that directly over a volcano, can also cause injury. Each minute requires a Stamina roll, with difficulties beginning at Very Easy and increasing one level each time. Each time the roll fails, the character’s condition deteriorates, as though he/she was wounded by an attack.
Activating Force Powers[]
Normally, in Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, when a Jedi wishes to activate a given power they must roll each individual Force Skill as separate actions in order to activate a given power. However, a Jedi may attempt to activate the power with a single action, however the multi-action penalty is still applied to roll(s).
Saber Locks[]
Many times two lightsaber combatants will strike at one another, locking their lightsabers together in a test of strength and skill as their blades crackle with contact. Whenever an attacker and defender roll equal results, the attack is negated and a saber lock occurs. Both the attacker and defender make an opposed initiative check. The character with the highest result may make an immediate brawling attack against the other character as a free action, at which point the saber lock ends.
Slow Progression Into Darkness[]
A character receives a negative personality trait each time he gains a DarkSide Point (up to six, at which point he falls completely to the dark side). Each time a player character earns a Dark Side Point, either choose or randomly select (by rolling 4D) a negative trait from the following list.
DICE ROLL | TRAIT |
4 | Arrogant |
5 | Compulsive |
6 | Contempt for non-Jedi |
7 | Deceitful |
8 | Depressed |
9 | Disagreeable |
10 | Disenchanted with the Jedi Way |
11 | Disloyal |
12-13 | Egotistical |
14 | Hateful |
15 | Hopeless |
16 | Impatient |
17 | Miserly |
18 | Obsessive |
19 | Paranoia |
20 | Phobia |
21 | Power-hungry |
22 | Quick to anger |
23 | Selfish |
24 | Suspicious |
Returning to the Light: Moment of Doubt[]
Note: This is to expand on the WEG rule and should be influenced by the story and roleplaying.
Whenever the GM feels a Dark Side character has a "moment of doubt", that character makes a Willpower or Control check (which ever is the lowest). The skill check should be modified or penalized based on the roleplay. If the check is higher than the number of Dark Side Points the character currently has then they lose 1D of Dark Side Points. When their DSPs drop below 6, the character is considered redeemed.
When a character is redeemed, the dark side exacts a final toll: they lose all their Force Points and Character Points. The character's Dark Side Point total drops to five.
The character is now part of the light (and earns Force Points and Character Points normally), but the presence of the Dark Side Points indicates the character's precarious position. The character should atone to remove their Dark Side Points (this should require multiple adventures per Dark Side Point or being heroic at the dramatically appropriate moment) or even the slightest transgressions can send them back on the path of darkness.
Starship Sensors[]
The sensor ranges in Star Wars are way too short. As an example, an Imperial Star Destroyer with its sensors in passive mode (range: 50) wouldn't even be able to see a Mon Cal Star Cruiser before it was within weapons range (turbolaser range: 75). You might say that this is to simulate that passive mode is designed for stealth, and so combat considerations take a backseat, however look at it if the situations are reversed. A Mon Cal Star Cruiser, the mightiest starship used by the Rebels and the New Republic, couldn't even see an ISD on scan mode (range: 60) before it was within weapons range. Scan mode is designed to alert the ship to any possible threats and hazards before they can become hazards. And also, how is it possible to shoot at something that your powerful sensors don't even know is there? I'm betting that you can't just eyeball it. If you need any more proof that sensor ranges are too short, take the example of the TIE Interceptor. This ship has a space rating of 11, which means that at full speed, making 4 moves per round, it will move 44 units in one 5 second round. The scan range for a TIE Interceptor's sensors is only 40 units. Unless the TIE pilot wants to concentrate on the direction he is going in to the complete exclusion of everything else, he can't even see an object that he'll run into in less than 5 seconds! Anyway.... a quick and dirty fix to this is to make sensor ranges measured in tens of units. This allows much more realistic reaction time.
Starship Power Control[]
A ship has enough power available to run all of its systems simultaneously, and has enough carrying capacity to channel up to an additional +2D to any system, rerouted from any other system. This power is in raw form, and has no benefit to computer systems, like the navigational computer or targeting systems. It might be able to boost communications range or active sensor scans. In addition, power is commonly routed from an inactive system to an active one, and from non-firing weapons to firing weapons.
For example, the Far Orbit is in an exchange with another escort frigate. Captain Vedij orders extra power routed to the main weapons and shields. Power Control takes this power from the ship's two tractor beams with 4D of power each - 8D of additional power to be divided among the 12 main turbolasers. Power Control allocates 1D to each forward turbolaser and 1D+2 to the forward shields, leaving +1 left over and of no benefit to any system. As the enemy ship passes the Far Orbit on the right in the exchange, power control switches the extra power from the forward turbolasers to the right arc weapons and shields. The 8D are distributed differently this time, with 1D+2 going to each of the three right turbolasers, for a total of 5D (3D straight over with 2D getting split into 6 pips) and 1D+2 going to shields. The remaining 1D+1 goes either to waste in the power buffer or gets routed to some other system.
The power controller might have routed power from the left arc shields or weapons, but that would have meant that the left arc would be with little or no defenses to fend off surprises from that side of the ship. Starfighters with shields do this occasionally, switching shield power to a particular side the pilot expects to come under heavy fire.
Transferring power is a demanding task, and carries some built-in difficulties. Use the following as benchmark difficulty numbers:
CONDITION | BASE DIFFICULTY |
Simple power rerouting (single system to single recipient) | Moderate |
Rerouting multiple systems to a single recipient | Difficult |
Rerouting multiple systems to multiple recipients | Very Difficult |
Power switching takes time, however, When the shield operator rolls as indicated above, compare the result to the table below:
OPERATORS ROLL > DIFFICULTY | TIME TAKEN |
1-5 | 8 rounds |
6-10 | 4 rounds |
11-15 | 2 rounds |
16-20 | 1 round |
21+ | 1 action |
Ship Location Targeting[]
Raiders (and military vessels) occasionally have to use full-power energy weapons against a target (if they don't have ion cannons, for example). This is quite dangerous, since these weapons might accidentally destroy the prize. To avoid this, gunners may choose to "call a shot" target a particular location on a ship. This is harder than just hammering away at the enemy ship. Also, a higher-scale weappon cannot target a location on a lower scale target - for example, a capital scale ship can target a capital ship's engines or a capital ship's bridge, but not a walker's legs or head. Targeting a primary section of a ship (the conning tower of a Star Destroyer, the engines, the landing bay, the main body) adds +2D to the difficulty to hit. Targeting a sub-section of a ship (a gun battery, a particular engine, the shield generators, the command section.) adds +4D to the difficulty to hit. Targeting a specific location of a ship (a specific gun, the bridge, a maneuvering thruster, an engine's thermal exhaust port) adds +8D to the difficulty to hit. Damage should be worked out normally. The specific results should be determined by the Gamemaster using the normal starship results guidelines. In general, a lightly damaged location loses -1D or -1 Move, a heavily damaged location loses -2D or -2 Move, a severely damaged location is disabled and unable to perform its function, and a destroyed result indicates that the location has suffered catastrophic damage (this may mean that the engines have overloaded, or that a gun explodes, setting off a chain reaction of gun explosions). Targeting locations does guarantee that a ship will be simply disabled, but it does increase the odds of capturing a ship with minimal damage.
LOCATION | MODIFIERS |
Primary Section | +2D |
Sub-Section | +4D |
Specific Location | +8D |
DAMAGE | PENALTY |
Light Damage | -1D or -1 Move |
Heavy Damage | -2D or -2 Move |
Severe Damage | System Disabled |
Destroyed | Catastrophic damage; threatens ship |