How to Create a Character in Second Edition Star Wars

Second edition Star Wars is a classic game created by the now defunct West End Games. It has none of the d20 mechanics found in the later game, and offers a good feel for space opera in the famed setting created by George Lucas.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Familiarize yourself with the setting. While many games use mythology or reality as a basis, Star Wars uses a setting made up by someone. If you're familiar with it, you'll need to watch one of the movies for an understanding of what you're getting into. Episode IV is probably best for getting a feel for the setting.
2. Talk to your Gamemaster with regards to the game and character generation. He could have some useful bits of information, like "you're all Imperial Guards." This will save you time and energy, since you won't have to waste time on a character you'll never use.
3. Decide on your template. This should be a simple noun or adjective-noun combination, such as "cranky diplomat" or "co-pilot."
4. Pick a species. Most characters in the Empire are human, but many bounty hunters and Rebellion/Republic characters are aliens. Aliens get different bonuses and penalties depending on your GM and on whether the alien you choose is covered in the available sourcebooks or not.
5. Develop some idea as to how your character is connected with the others. This is a good time to talk to your fellow players and give your character some depth.
6. Distribute the points that your GM gives you for attributes, and then skills. Keep in mind that skills default to attribute values, so you may be better off not spending a point on a skill under a 3D skill.
7. Select Force sensitivity. If your character is a Jedi, or you want to make her a Jedi later, this is a "yes." When you make a character Force sensitive, you open her up to all sorts of attacks from others, so you might not want to if you'll be surrounded by Force users.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the Empire isn't known for treating aliens well. This can simplify why a wookie, for instance, isn't working for the Empire.
• The terms for the game can get tricky, so keep a tab on the glossary (see Resources below). The most important one for use in character generation is the XD+C formula. This states that a roll for success is based on the number of dice in the appropriate attribute or skill (XD) plus any applicable bonuses (C).