New Descriptors for Star Wars Games
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:45 pm
*Bacta: can also be KoltoNew Descriptors for Star Wars Campaigns wrote:Mutants and Masterminds is designed for heroes with powers. At first, it seems counter-intuitive to explore a setting with a limited origin list (alien, droid or the Force) and many non-powered heroes using such a system. One thing I learned from (and like about) D&D 4e was that anything a hero can do could be a "power" even if it doesn't rely on magic or some other supernatural source.
Mutants and Masterminds provides great freedom with regard to power design, however that freedom can be daunting at first. I thought it might be helpful to design powers that play on certain themes and archetypes that are integral to the Star Wars experience that new players could look at and add any that looked good to them to their character sheet.
Descriptors are critical to the interactions between powers and they provide flavor. For that reason, new descriptors have been designed to go along with this conversion. In particular, each "class" should have two or three descriptors that are unique to them to provide a niche even when any character could have powers that generate any effect. Only scoundrels are (that) lucky for example.
Descriptors
Allegiances: Balance, the Dark Side, Evil, Good, Justice, Liberty, the Light Side, Tyranny
Energy: Acid, Chemical, Cold, Darkness, Force, the Force, Electricity, Gravity, Heat, Kinetic, Light, Magnetic, Radiation, Sonic, Vibration
Mediums: Auditory, Chemical, Deflector, Shield, Electricity, Gear, Heat, Interaction, Invention, Kinetic, Light, Magnetic, Olfactory, Piloting, Radiation, Skullduggery, Sonic, Touch, Visual, Vehicle
Origins: Accidental, Bestowed, Invented, Training
Phenomena: Anger, Audacity, Bravado, Calm, Colors, Comprehension, Courage, Dreams, Entropy, Emotion, Fame, Fear, Force, Hatred, Hyperspace, Ideas, the Light Side, Luck, Space, Stealth, Thought
Results: Armor, Death, Disease, Dizziness, Energy, Fever, Fortune, Healing, Injury, Pain, Poison, Sickness, Suffering, Misfortune, Vaccination
Sources: Anesthetic, Antidote, Armor, Bacta*, Biological, Cybernetic, Defense, Extragalactic, the Force, Knowledge, Medical, Skill, Species, Spice, Stim, Surgical, Talent, Technology, Training, Weapon