04 – Additional Interaction Skills

New Skills

The Masterbook concept of interaction primarily is the non-combat actions taken in combat rounds. It also includes actions taken outside of rounds that could have, but involve gaining some advantage over an opponent. It gives the players more options in combat, making it more Heroic. The following skills will be needed to integrate this concept of interaction into SW/D6.

DEXTERITY: Maneuver

Sample Specializations: Combat, treacherous terrain

Maneuver is a skill primarily performed in combat. Basically, a character can use maneuver to cause his opponent to fall off-balance or even injure himself (though it is not primarily a skill used to directly cause injury). It is explained in “Maneuvers’ below. Results are read on the Maneuver Column of the Success Chart.

The maneuver skill can also be to resist being maneuvered upon. When another character maneuvers on your character, you can perform an active defense using your maneuver skill. You both generate Dice rolls. If yours is higher, then the other person fails to “fake you out.”

Finally, maneuver can also be used to perform physical actions in a non-combat manner, much like acrobatics. Your character can use maneuver to keep from falling down when the ship under him rolls in a turbulent sea, or when he is jogging along over unsteady terrain to keep from slipping.

Maneuver Modifiers

There are no general maneuver modifiers – only specific ones that the gamemaster will have to assign on a case-by-case basis.

PERCEPTION: Taunt

Sample Specializations: None

Taunt is explained under “Taunt/Trick” in below. Targets resist taunt with their willpower or Knowledge (they can actively defend). The result points are read on the Trick/Taunt Column.

Characters use Taunts to insult and upset their opponents. They can annoy their opponents and make them so angry that they are less effective in combat – temporarily. Taunts should be roleplayed and they should make a certain amount of sense. Calling a large man “tiny” isn’t much of a taunt unless there is some secondary meaning or background note,that would make it appropriate.

Attitude is also a key. A player who is able to adopt a snide, sarcastic, and/or insulting tone when roleplaying a taunt might receive bonuses for appropriate taunts, while an uncreative player should have to beat a higher DN. Remember, however, that Taunts are between characters, not players and gamemasters.

PERCEPTION: Trick

Sample Specializations: Misdirection, deception

In the West End Game D6/Masterbook conversion, Trick is listed as the equivalent of Con. My conversion deviates from that, by making it a separate, more temporary, less long term skill. Con can be used in the place of Trick but at a hire difficulty (GM’s discretion)

Trick is used to fool an opponent and is often used in combat and interaction rounds (see below). The skill is used to deceive a target briefly with a lie or feint. It is not used for a prolonged deception, which is covered under con. A character might use Trick to keep a fellow combatant off guard, or to fool him into surrendering. Characters resist Tricks
with Willpower or Intellect, whichever is higher; as with other interaction skills, the defender may attempt an active defense. Result points are read on the Taunt/Trick Column.

Tricks should always be modified by the gamemaster in relation to circumstances and believability – and the player’s roleplaying ability. If a character uses a simple but believable trick, that should increase his chances (or at least not lower them), as opposed to unbelievable or complex tricks that don’t make sense.

Other Skills from MasterBook converted to Star Wars/D6